Shalom

I'll start with a quotation from I found on the web:

A word study in the New King James version for SHALOM says: Completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord.

Shalom comes from the root verb Shalom meaning to be complete, perfect and full. ... So in essence, when you speak out the word SHALOM - you are not only proclaiming peace, but all the above meanings of the word over that person - that's a mighty blessing!!!

It is the time of Rosh Hashanah. I am not Jewish, but I have friends who are, and we have talked about this time in their religious year. It is a time of wiping clean the slate, a time of renewal. In that spirit, I deleted a previous entry that was a frustrated rant.

I am sorry for the times when we disagree so vehemently that we hurt. I am sorry for the times there are misunderstandings that lead to discord and communities breaking up. It happens in the microcosm of our families, at the office, in our churche; and it happens on a large scale between countries and cultures.

It is no mere coincidence that so many religions and/or life philosophies have goals of unity, wholeness, completeness, harmony, balance, and - ultimately - peace. We have so little of it outside of our spiritual selves that we have to seek it out specifically.

Here's to successful seeking.

Dog Years

Apparently it is no longer accurate to calculate a dog's equivalent human years by multiplying his/her age by seven. However, no one who works on these things can agree on how to calculate a dog's relative age.

Charka will be 11 at the end of November. One site has her human years equivalent at 60 years, another has it at 72 years, and still another has it at 87 years.

She is doing a lot better, by the way. She'd been in for teeth cleaning several weeks ago and her spleen was enlarged about 3 times. On a follow-up visit last week, however, it was back to normal. About the only thing wrong with her is that she has some bad degeneration in her hip sockets (rear joints), and that could happen at about any age.

All of which is to say that, when I woke up from Ed's snoring this morning around 2:00 a.m., I joined the dog in the guest room to try to get some sleep. I can now say I've slept with an old bitch.

SAVE HARRY!

I am starting a personal campaign to save our favorite boy wizard from death in the seventh and final book of the Harry Potter series.

To that end, I have launched a new product line at Auntie Judith Designs, the Save Harry! series. And just to make it possible for everyone to participate at a low cost, my markup on the items is only 5%.

A bumper sticker for your car costs only $3.09! Get several! Get a T-shirt for yourself and your dog! Tote bags! Ball caps! Sweatshirts!

Save Harry!

(Of course, buying these items will have no impact whatsoever on author J.K. Rowling's decision of what to do with her title character, but wouldn't it be fun to be a part of this latest pop-culture frenzy?)

Grass Skirts are the "in" thing

Your Hawaiian Name is:

Akela Lani

What's your Hawaiian Name?

Darn, I thought I could get kicked out.

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations - you got 10 out of 10 correct!

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test?

It's one of my favorite films, too!

Your Christmas is Most Like: Miracle on 34th Street

Sweet and caring, Christmas is about helping for you. While Santa may not exist, you try to share his spirit.

What Movie Is Your Christmas Most Like?

And I thought Comet was just for cleaning the kitchen sink.

You Are Comet

A total daredevil, you're the reindeer with an edge! Why You're Naughty: You almost gave Santa a heart attack when you took him sky diving Why You're Nice: You always make sure the sleigh is going warp speed

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

Is "semi-anal-retentive" a word?

Your English Skills:

Punctuation: 100% Grammar: 80% Spelling: 60% Vocabulary: 60%

Does Your English Cut the Mustard?

Mary's Visit

That's my mom (left), me (back), and my sister Mary, who visited from Albuquerque this weekend.

MIttens

These are knit from Dream In Color yarn for my niece Marky (note -- Shari, you can't tell her!). I made a little sweater for her, and now I'm knitting a hat, too. All of it will match.

These are knit on US 7.0 dpns (gauge of 5 sts to the inch). I think that these create a nicer density than the sweater I knit on US 9.0. For the cap I knit the ribbing on US 4.0 which is good for keeping that taut, but it makes a very dense fabric.

It has two skeins of yarn -- one orange and one pink -- to knit all of these items.

We the Scots

I found this photo while looking among my archived stuff for Charka. This is us on a trip to Edinburgh in June 2003. We'd found this weaving mill / store that would dress you up and take your photo, so we went for it.

Notice how Ed looks the part and I look like an Eastern European forced into the outfit. Ed's mother is half Irish (Garvey) and half Scottish (Ross), so it's no wonder. I, on the other hand, am half Czech (Masek) and half German (Bieker). Hand me coffee and a kolac and I'll fit in just fine.

10K Today

I did a volksmarch today with Richard and Teresa. I also took along Charka dog (shown at left). Poor thing is just whipped. About the last mile she was hanging back. She'll be 11 in November. I think I'd better keep her to the 1/2 hour walks from now on.

I'm pretty much beat myself.

The walk was organized around Standing Bear Lake (about 144th & Fort Streets), but it took us through a few of the neighborhoods there. I saw some beautiful homes and landscaping. I also saw a few homes that should have been trashed on purely aesthetic grounds. (One big house was painted a medium-to-dark blue -- yuck!)

My own house is a pig sty. Again. In fact, I think the pigs have left because they can't stand the mess. I have laundry to do -- dirty stuff to wash & dry, and clean stuff to fold and put away -- and there is crap to pick up everywhere and vacuuming that desperately needs to be done.

And yet, I want to sit and knit.

I don't wonder why.

Zorinsky Lake

I met my friend Richard on Tuesday night (5 Sept) for a walk on the trails near Zorinsky Lake. In the photo at right is the levee; we walked on the part of the trail that goes there.

I had my dog Charka along and she had a great time. Of course, being outdoors in a new place means a smorgasbord of scents for a dog, so she was happy. I liked the smell of the cut grass -- very sweet. Charka was sticking her nose into the ground nearly everywhere, so I expect she was getting a lot more than I was!

I've got this Bride of Frankenstein thing going...

You Are Lightning

Beautiful yet dangerous People will stop and watch you when you appear Even though you're capable of random violence You are best known for: your power Your dominant state: performing

What Type of Weather Are You?

Je m'appelle ....

Your French Name is:

Aurore Marchand

What's Your French Name?

Yes, I do torment the British -- Just ask Roger

Your Monster Profile

Mad Ogre You Feast On: Grass You Lurk Around In: Candy Factories You Especially Like to Torment: British People

What's Your Monster Name?

I'm too freakin' tired to write anything original, so...

Your Vampire Name Is...

Athene of the Far East

What's Your Vampire Name?

Gendarme Sock

Top left is the sock I've knit from the Lisa Souza Sock! yarn in the Gendarme colorway. Unfortunately, I knit a lot tighter in the round than I do side-to-side, so what I thought would be a gauge of 7 stitches to the inch is more like 9 stitches to the inch when I knit the sock. *sigh* I guess someone will be getting these as a Christmas gift. Someone with skinny feet.

The photo below shows the detail of the colors. I think it's beautiful yarn!

This will come in handy I'm sure

Your Irish Name Is...

Nicola Butler

What's your Irish Name?

September is my Power Month???

Your Birthdate: June 9

You are a born idealist, with more pet causes than you can count. You prefer be around others, both when working and while relaxing. Generous and giving, you believe you can change the world one person at a time. You're open minded and tolerant. People feel like they can tell you anything. Your strength: Your go-with-the-flow flexibility Your weakness: Your flair for the over dramatic Your power color: Pine green Your power symbol: Circle Your power month: September

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?