Marching - On and On

That's my mother and Ian's best friend Sh

The ladyfriend and I made the trek to DC to participate in the Women's March.  As both my parents and our son live there, it was an easy trip to make (and no outrageous hotel costs to bear).  I knit five Pussy Hats with Manos Del Uruguay yarn, which felt so right as it benefits women in rural Uruguay. It was great seeing women in the hats at the rest areas along the way. 

We were a little concerned about crossing the border, having heard about Canadians and other foreign nationals being turned away at the crossing near Montreal, QC; however, we still carry American passports and decided not to pretend we were going somewhere else.

At the border, the conversation went a little bit like this:
Border guard:  Where are you headed?
Me:  Washington, DC
Border guard:  What's there?
Me:  My parents live there, and we thought we'd check out the march. (For some reason I thought "checking out a march" sounded reasonable; it was better than "I thought we'd take part in a revolution.")
Border guard asks a few standard questions - are you bringing anything in, and so forth.  Then he just looks at us, hands us back our passports, and lets us go.  Whew!

I have to say, when we came back to Canada, the Canadian border guard asked us how the march was and whether there'd been any problems.  He seemed quite interested, and not in a negative way.  Oh, Canada!

The march was fantastic.  By all accounts it was one of the largest rally/march in recent history.  I've been to a lot of marches in DC, going all the way back to the anti-apartheid marches in the '80s.  I went to the anti-Strategic Defense Initiative (aka Star Wars) rally in '84 or '85 (I shared a cab with Amy Carter while in DC - hah!), pro-choice rallies galore, and of course many Amnesty International marches and demos. 

Some images from the march -

Crowds at the Metro

Loved this!

These two guys were totally out of their element; they couldn't even handle the volume of our rally cries!  Wait 'til they experience the full extent of our wrath!

My dad and my ladyfriend

Got to meet one of my favourite fashion journalists - Lynn Jaeger!

The love is big, and the hats match!

So now we're home, and as such often the question of how to maintain the momentum arises.  However, it seems like the current administration is going to keep those fires stoked with the executive orders coming out of the White House.  But as we know, it's not enough to be incensed. These troubled times require action.  Thankfully there are a lot of ways to engage in the battle.

I've been referring back to this post, Twenty Things You Can Do When the World Is Terrifying, regularly.  (Think it was Karen who sent me to this post...)  I also believe in Craft as Solace, which reminds me of this cross stitch I uploaded here once before -

The ladyfriend and I are committed to being informed and get headlines from The Guardian and The New York Times.  I'm also listening to Democracy Now! and the NPR Politics podcast.  We've sent money to the ACLU (thank you, thank you, thank you) and will be sending money to Planned Parenthood (also a big thank you to them - I used them for gynecology exams before I had insurance, and they were ones I went to when I needed to find out whether I was pregnant).  And of course, we'll be sending postcards, marching, and resisting the normalization of the fascism we're facing.

Stay nasty, my friends!

The boy had to work but went to protests on Inauguration Day.

A Packing Primer - Get the Steamer Trunk!

Want to know how much you can pack into your daily life without losing the whole suitcase, as it were?  Here's a peek into what I recently packed in -

Last time I blogged, I was in DC visiting family -

The boy wearing an Alabama Chanin t-shirt I made for him.

The thimble tattoo he gave me.

My father and I drove back to Hamilton together so he could help me do my roof, which took about a week.  It's two thirds done; he's coming back this month to help me finish it,  but at least we took care of the leak.  We were doing such a good job (seriously) that our neighbor asked if we might help them do theirs.  I am not going into the roofing business, but I appreciate the compliment.

Tarping the roof for the evening with my dad and friend.

The day after my father headed back to DC, we had our birthday dinner at our friends' house.  We both agree it is one of the best meals we've ever had.

 And two days later, we drove to Nova Scotia to close on our cottage.  Crazy!  Keep in mind, this is all during MeMadeMay!  It kind of helped since it focused my travel wardrobe around handmades. (Full post just on MeMadeMay and what I learned coming soon.)

Two essential elements of Nova Scotia:

Sheep at Lismore Farm -

And lobster (here in its ultimate expression - the lobster roll made by the ladyfriend) -

I also had an FO - the Fair Isle Skirt by Mary Jane Mucklestone.  It was part of a KAL (knit-along for you nonknitters) for Squam.  I really wanted to take this little sheepy home.

And then, we drove down to Portland, ME en route to Squam.  There was just enough time to have an amazing dinner at Eventide Oyster Co., buy some fabric at Z Fabrics, then pick up some Quince & Co. yarn at KnitWit, and find some local craft beer.  The server who brought out our food at Eventide said that we'd ordered really well and that she was excited for our dinner.  She was right!

And then the ladyfriend dropped me off at Squam for the Squam Spring Retreat...

Full post on Squam coming soon.

A Little Sole-Searching? The Story of a Pair of Boots

-->

I recently had these boots resoled and reheeled (a dying art in a world of fast fashion), and as part of my commitment to make/mend/thrift, I felt these boots encapsulated a lot of those values as well as some other, nonsartorial, things.

I’m pretty sure my mother bought these Robert Clergerie boots for me at Bergdorf Goodman in 1995/1996.  I remember that the ladyfriend and I were still maintaining separate apartments and more importantly, separate finances.

For years my mother and I have had a semi-annual date to go shopping in New York, a tradition that has lasted into the almost 11 years I’ve been in Hamilton.  On each of these trips, my mother buys something for me.  My receptivity to this has varied over the years.  There was a time when I didn’t want her to buy me anything because I thought it undermined my independence and sense of adulthood; there was a time when it made me anxious because I knew she’d feel the day was a failure if I didn’t have something to show for it; there was the passive-aggressive phase when I tried to maximize my haul.  Over the past twenty or so years, I’ve come to a more nuanced understanding of this dynamic.

--> But in ‘95/’96 I was in the early years of my relationship both with my ladyfriend and living in NYC.  Shopping with my mother let me feel, for an afternoon at least, that I was not struggling financially in a demanding city (my mother had initially been against my move) and that I was really the woman I presented to the world i.e. able to afford her well-appointed life.  It was important that I had a moment where I felt like the concept I had of myself (yes, fostered at that time by my mother) was authentic to me. 

Mont Tremblant or My Secret Life as a Ski Bunny

Okay, not really.

But my father and I went to Mont Tremblant the weekend before last for a little ski trip.  I don't get to ski very often, which puts me at a perpetual advanced beginner/intermediate level, but that was fine for our weekend.  My dad was quite accepting of my skills, and we skied well together.

Selfie on the lift!

Shoe of the Week: Wedge-o-matic

Yes, I disappeared for two weeks - traveled to see family and to play hockey.  But I'm back, perhaps a little spent, but a happy champion.  Yes, my team won our division, but let's save that for later.
  This week's shoe comes from my mother's closet.  We periodically borrow clothes and shoes from each other.  It's a "new to me" kind of thing, and then when we return said items, they're new again to us.  Bonus!

Time for a pedicure!

Back - in more ways than one

Yikes!  It's been almost two weeks since I last posted.  I can't exactly pinpoint why I wasn't posting for the first part of that hiatus (something about not feeling like just posting for the sake of posting, etc.), but for the second half of it, I was in New York.
   Ian was in the city for a wedding, and I thought I'd take advantage of his proximity.  I spent the weekend with my friend, Linda, a couple of hours outside of the city, since I knew Ian wouldn't be available until Tuesday, and I was long overdue for a visit with Linda.
   Hanging with Linda in the country means that I get a lot of crafting done.  I worked on my Alabama Chanin skirt and finally finished it today.  I have to say - it was an immensely satisfying experience.  The entire thing is hand-sewn, and although I didn't realize that the threads around the reverse applique areas were to be doubled, I don't think it'll suffer from my oversight.  It's amazingly forgiving thanks to the cotton jersey.  I have the feeling it will get a lot of wear.
    Here's a detail of the reverse applique in progress - I cut all but the smallest ones out.

    Here's the finished skirt on me.  Not the most flattering photo, but illustrative at least.

   I also worked on a cotton vest (pattern & yarn from Rowan), which is 90% finished.  I'm going to have to wet block it because it needs to be just a little roomier.  Hopefully it'll be completed by Monday.
   Linda takes me to tag sales and flea markets as well as crafty events like the Knit- & Spin-in at the Hudson Valley Sheep & Wool Company.  Linda wants to learn to spin, and we ended up hanging out for almost an hour chatting with the people there.  The people were really nice and not in that "yuck, I'm going to puke from the saccharine" kind of way.  I kind of wished I could hang out and knit/spin with them more often.  I am, in the meantime, going to make my own drop spindle and experiment with what I picked up there and what I can get from books.  Yes, there's really no limit in the skills I'd like to attain.

    I managed to get two runs in while I was away.  One of them was on the Walkway Over the Hudson with Linda, which was quite nice even though we ran at the worst time of the day (oh, noon-ish) on an 85 & humid day.  Running - yes?  Running smart?  Not always.
    When we got back to her place, I put in some sweat equity and stacked wood that a friend had had delivered to her place.  I'm pretty proud of this pile.  I was driven, to say the least.

   I spent Tuesday and part of Wednesday in the city.  I caught up with some friends in addition to visiting with Ian.  It was great to see the boy.  He just always makes me proud.  Over dinner, which he paid the majority for, I told him how I liked him as a person and not just because he was my son.  What can I say?  I get a little misty-eyed because I'm so f*cking lucky (I try not to swear too much because my dad reads my blog - I know, the asterisk doesn't hide much, but it's the thought that counts, right?).   I'm quite fond of his girlfriend Heather who accompanied him on the trip.  They make a good couple.

   We squeezed in one more visit over lunch on Wednesday where I met up with Artemis and her niece.  Unfortunately the photo of the two of us needs a bit more work than I can manage with my meager Photoshop skills so I can't show you how two blondes can make it right.
   Back in the Hammer now, having a little time to myself.  I really didn't want to do anything today (except finish my skirt), but I was good and went for a run.  Tomorrow is going to be hella busy as I have a two-year old's birthday party in the morning and the Take Back the Dyke march later in Toronto while hoping to catch some of the Germany-Argentina game (Go Deutschland!!!) in between.  Speaking of lesbians (wondering if I'm referring back the dyke march or Germany?  Check out Lesbian or German lady although there's a mistake - Martina is Czech, not German), anyway, I found myself watching "The Real L Word" last night.  Really?!  Just another reason I'm glad I don't live in LA - yikes!
   I'm sure there are things I've failed to mention, but this is already an epic post.  Stayed tuned for photos from tomorrow!

Quick tired note

I never realized how much time my father spends on the computer until he spent it on mine.  I'm too tired to post much tonight but will hopefully have something more interesting to say tomorrow.   While my father may have spent the last hour or so on my computer, I'm glad to have him around.  He leaves tomorrow and then on Tuesday goes back to Haiti for a month for the Red Cross.  While I worry (it's genetic, ask my mom), I know that it's important that he goes.  Such is life.

Dateline DC

I mentioned picking peas from one of my father's community garden plots (he has two) in my post of a few days ago.  Well, that same garden is being considered for a Marine Corps expansion, and the story was in the Washington Post today.  My dad has become quite active in this cause and told me that a lot of the problems have been caused by a private developer whose original plans for his land fell through.  Now he's trying to cut a deal that puts the garden at risk.  I'm glad that my father is engaged in this cause, and the garden is lucky to have him on their side.  Go activist dad, go!
     One of the bonuses of driving back to Canada (besides control over transportation and smaller carbon footprint than a plane) is being able to bring a case of beer back.  And the bonus of having my dad with me, besides the fact that he's with me, is that we get to bring TWO cases of beer back.  My joy is hardly containable.  I'll be bringing home some Sierra Nevada, Flying Dog, Dogfish Head, Red Hook, Magic Hat, and Honkers (a new one to me), and I'll probably be hoarding it.  I feel most secure when I have a case of microbrew sitting in the cellar.

DC Details

Although I slept poorly last night (one of those nights where I was sure I was up the entire time but then had crazy dreams that assured me I was not), my father and I had a decent run today.  It was good in a number of ways: 1) we were both totally unconcerned with time; neither of us was set on setting a personal record, so we walked when we needed to; 2)  we finally ran it together (this being our third attempt); and 3) my dad won the bronze medal in his age category (it still counts if he was three out of three).
     Tomorrow we drive back together to Hamilton.  I will be happy to be home again.

DC Directive

Have I mentioned how hot and humid DC can be and happens to be at this moment?  I have to admit that there is something I like about that kind of weather - in small doses and with access to air conditioning, of course.  I think it's the enveloping effect of it.
     Bought an ice cream maker at a thrift shop today - $4 with box & instructions.  It's a  hand crank, but I figure you should work for your treats.  My dad and I hit a few yard sales, a couple of thrift stores, and stopped by his garden, which always makes me jealous, to pick some peas to bring back north with us.
     Early rise and shine tomorrow - I think we're leaving the house at 7am (gasp!) because the run is about an hour away, and we have to park and take a shuttle bus (15 min) to the start, and we haven't picked up our bibs or anything like that.  Despite the early time, I'm looking forward to this.  I like running with my dad.  It's something that we share.

Dispatch from DC

Here I am in "our nation's capital."  I can say that because a) I'm a US citizen and b) well, I'm here.  I lived here for five years in the late 80s/early 90s, and I have to say - everytime I come back, I remember things I liked about it.  In my heart, Brooklyn is my constant, but DC has its charms.
     For example, today my dad and I went to the National Gallery of Art (East Wing) and saw "Beat Memories," photographs taken and commented upon by Allen Ginsberg.  Firstly, the museum is free.  No suggested donation, just flat-out free, and there are a lot more museums like it in the city.  Secondly, the exhibit was great.  My dad and I enjoyed it both together and separately.  My father was interested because it was an era he lived and participated in.  I was really interested because it gave me a picture of this incredible creative community that actually seemed to function as a community.  Writers shared work, collaborated with each other and other artists, and shared lives.  While Liss and I share a life that's both intimate and creative, I'm really jealous of this idea of a larger community.
     I'm a lapsed member of a writing group, but it's hardly a substitute for people who are involved with each other's daily and creative lives, lives that are intertwined.  I definitely don't have that.  I write alone.  I'm reluctant to share work with well-meaning friends who say, "Oh, I'd love to read something you've written;" maybe it's because I think they're just being polite (and hell, most of them don't even read my blog).  There's very little of that cross-hybridization that seemed to be depicted in the Ginsberg photographs, and maybe that makes me a little sad.  I know it wasn't all milk and honey, but it seemed passionate and fecund.
     Afterwards we headed to the Sculpture Garden to hear a little jazz.  Yes, it was free.  There were a lot of people there, having picnics, meeting with friends, listening to music, and I was a little jealous, not because I wasn't with my own friends but because it's something I wish I could just do on a given Friday afternoon in the summer.  I know that this can be a bonus of living in a bigger city, and maybe I haven't tapped into similar happenings in Hamilton, but I'm not harbouring any illusions.
     Again, it's about making a life and accepting responsibility for it.  Sometimes I'd like some more options.

New York weekend finale; Part 2

I somehow managed to schedule real visits with a number of friends. Saturday night I had dinner with my Kristin and Josh.  Dinner was great and a bit hysterical because I got a glue trap (gross!!) stuck to my coat, which was hanging under the bar rail.  Luckily I'd had a martini and found it more absurd than disgusting (no mice came with it thankfully) and the restaurant was appropriately mortified.  Of course I experienced classic New York subway action on the way home when I let two N trains go by before it came to my attention that there was no R and that the N was running on the R line.  Hey, thanks for the signage.  Oh, there wasn't any...
   Surprise, surprise, stayed up late with Keith and my first Mother's day gift to myself was a headache (sounds better than a hangover, doesn't it?).  But in its entirety my Mother's day was great.  I had brunch with my friend Jill, and then spent the day on my own.  I napped, talked to Ian, my mother, and Liss, read the New York Times, went for a walk, bought Sam Lipsyte's new novel as well as a couple of journals, and just amused myself in general.  It was really pleasurable.  Then I got to have dinner with Artemis, which was very satisfying both emotionally as well as gustatorially.  Afterwards, Keith and I, having exhausted our desire for another late night, sat and watched bad television.  In bed by 11:30pm!
   Good weekend overall, and I'm happy to be home in Hamilton again.
  

New York weekend finale; Part 1

Part 1:  General overview and reality check

The nostalgia waned Saturday morning as I encountered the classic subway service interruptions signaling an end to my train luck from the previous day.  No matter, I made it to meet my mom on time, but we took a cab uptown.
    Our routine is to have lunch at Bergdorf Goodman's first, sharing the Gotham Salad and generally the Tea Sandwiches (sometimes we get the Deviled Eggs).  We don't believe in shopping on an empty stomach.  Then we wend our way through the store.
    This wending also has a general schedule - designer collections on the 3rd floor first (where my friend, Domingo, works), then to the 5th (contemporary collections & shoes), maybe the 6th (sportswear), and often the 2nd (more shoes).  On the third floor, I tried on this Alexander McQueen dress.  What you can't see is the chartreuse silk lining.  It fit like a glove, but I turned it down.  Now, I've changed my mind, and I have it on hold.  (By the way, the photo sucks, but you can get the general idea.)

    I'm picky.  Quite honestly, my mother and I often comment that we have more interesting things in our closets at home that are 20 years old than some of the stuff we see in the stores.  However, I'm still open to falling in love, like I did with these shoes (Rodarte for Repetto).

    Have you seen anything like them?  And if you could touch them!  They're like a combination of silk and butter but in a leather form.  Soft is an understatement.  They're like little gloves of love for your feet.  I will be very careful with them because I want them to last a long time.
   We almost always head to Saks Fifth Avenue afterwards, and I tried on a couple of things there.  Like this Erdem dress.

    The fabric was gorgeous, but the shape did nothing for me.  I actually found that with a Calvin Klein dress I tried on - it looked like a fabric combination of spun sugar and spiderweb, but its shape was more suited to be displayed on a skinny, straight-up-and-down kind of figure.  I like to wear my clothes, whether fitted or unstructured, rather than serve as the mannequin for them.
   One thing I have to address is the serious lack of effort my fellow shoppers were making.  What happened to looking good when you went out?  I don't care if you're trying on a pair of $800 Christian Louboutin shoes.  You look like crap in those holey leggings and cheap-looking but expensive t-shirt.  "Casual" is over-rated.
    My mother and I always dress to shop.  For me, it's only appropriate.  I like (or at least used to like) to see what other women were wearing.  Get some ideas, inspiration, or pleasure.  I know, I sound like an old lady (I don't like jeans at the opera or symphony either - not that I go often, but when I do - you know what I mean), but if you're shopping in a high-end store yet not wearing what you shop for - what are you doing with it?  Traipsing around charity events or in your living room (don't get me wrong, with the right underwear, oh, sorry, digression), waiting for a special occasion?  Ever hear of pride?  It's like people who store their jewelry in a safe deposit box and only pull it out on holidays.
   I could go on, but I'll stop.  I think I've made my point.

Bay Area Visit

Coming to see Ian in the Bay Area was the primary reason for this road trip. Everything up to now has been a bonus of travel.

The last couple of days have been really nice.  I can lounge around our friends' house in my pajamas until we embark on our plans for the day, and the plans may not be that elaborate.  On our first day, we tooled around Alameda, where we're staying.  Being on the water and near Oakland, a major shipping port, you get to experience the beauty of industry.

We went to the decommissioned naval base that now houses a couple of wineries, a vodka distillery, movie studios, and so forth.  For me, the base really resonates because although my father was in the Army, there's an immediate sense of familiarity and even "home" in these spaces.  I didn't take a lot of photos of the buildings (I loved the ghost town feel of it) but did manage to snap this one.

One of the reasons we went is because Don, one of our hosts, wanted to check out some wood flooring at the woodworking collective also housed on the base.  As you'll see, one of the things I'm also responding to is old signs as well as text.  Like this return to Kalamazoo (one of the woodworking machines) -

In this one, I like not only the obvious vintage aspect of it, but the fact that they use an adverb correctly.  Go grammar!

Yesterday we spent the day with Ian.  You know how when you visit family, there's often that sense of "Okay, what are we going to do today?," which some might translate to "Do we actually have to interact?"? (Note: while I think the punctuation in the previous sentence is correct, it looks a little weird.)  Well, we like just hanging out with the boy, and I decided one of the best things I could do as a mom was to make sure he had the food that reminds him of us.  So we actually just hung out at Ian's place, made meals to freeze (lasagne, tuna noodle casserole (Liss' speciality), and vegan chili (to include Ian's roommate), and played video games.  Yes, sometimes we like to chill out like we're 23.

   Shopping for groceries at the Berkeley Bowl threw me into a desperate fit of jealousy.  Look at these vegetables!

I mean, c'mon - this is standard fare for California.  Even looking at this photo I'm getting jealous.

Ian lives in Oakland and not too far from his apartment I found these great signs.

Quite honestly, I'd be happy to retire right now.  Why not hang out with the people you love and enjoy each day on its own merits?
   

Napa - Day 2

Okay, before I begin about our second day (and first full day) in Napa, let me just let you know that I have been knitting like crazy, but the photos I took of my progress blew so I'll just give you a quick synopsis.  The hot pink sock with the cables is done up to the toes.  Of course I ran out of yarn but have enough back at home to finish it.  I also finished another sock, which I had previously knit up to the toes (must be karma), and started its mate, which, yes, I've run out of yarn for.  Thankfully, I brought another project as well.  Don't hate me, but some of these things are intended to be holiday gifts.

After breakfast with the extended dance-remix version of the Manleys, my parents and I met up with my son and his girlfriend, Heather, at Artesa Vineyards and Winery.
   Here are my parents, ready for action.

   Artesa is beautifully situated overlooking part of the Carneros Region of Napa Valley.  It's also quite an interesting structure set into the hillside, which allows it to keep the temperatures cool.

These two fountains (above) flanked the walkway up to the winery entrance, which looks like this (and shows Ian and his girlfriend coming to meet us).

And here's one of the views of the region.

In addition to beautiful views, they had some really nice wines.  I picked up a 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon.  It's really tempting to overbuy at vineyards.  I try to practice something like moderation.

After Liss, Ian, Heather, and I had somewhat overpriced but overdue massages, which were actually amazing, we met up with my parents for dinner.  My aunt Anne, uncle Terry and his wife, Diane, stopped by for one last visit before they headed back home.  It was definitely too little time to spend with these people I haven't seen in years.  I'm hoping to maintain contact and actually develop relationships with my relatives.
   Here's my mom with my aunt Anne, who's been there for me at various pivotal moments in my life despite a lack of consistent proximity.

That evening, Ian, Liss, Heather, & I just hung out, drank beer in our hotel room, and watched a show about hoarders.  Ah, family time!

Winnemucca to Napa

We managed to get out of Winnemucca early and without losing anymore money.  I love the fact that the average speed limit on the highways has been 75mph.  It makes hauling ass faster.

Again with the scenery - these are images from the California hillside and then as we made our way through the mountains.

Col. Mustard, our car, has been performing beautifully.  He's a champ around the curves and switchbacks, and at 80 or so mph, that's important!

We got to Napa, a primary destination on this trip, by 4pm, which allowed us to check into our pretty swell eco-friendly hotel, Gaia Napa Valley Hotel & Spa and meet up with our boy and his girlfriend.  What does every mom want to see when they visit with their child?  What new tattoos do you have?

This one is in homage to my parents who have called him "maus" since he was a baby.  I love the colours on this as well as the composition.

This one refers to, of course, the imminent zombiapocalypse.  It's a new twist on the Boy Scout motto (an organization I did not allow my son, Ian, to join, by the way) - Be Prepared.  Ian is an assistant shop manager at Sacred Rose Tattoo in Berkeley, California (he also did their website).  I had my spirograph tattoo done there last year.

The main event in Napa was a reunion of my father's side of the family.  We gathered in part to remember my Uncle Hamilton, who died last year, and partially, I think, to remember that we had extended family that we should celebrate while we're still all here.
   For me, it was quite special to reconnect with these members of my family.  As an only child who moved frequently (I am an Army brat), it's easy to forget that there are other people who are related to you.  In fact, it's easier to forget because otherwise you'd miss them.  Talking to, and in some cases, meeting for the first time these people was even better because - hey, I want to be related to them.  They're interesting and warm and funny, and bonus! they're my relatives.  It's great when you would actually chose your relatives as family members.
   This photo from dinner isn't great, but it's the best one I have.