Nothing to Gloat About

Today I can honestly say that I can't gloat about the weather here. It's turned cold and we even got a little rain. The rain was not monsoon style with a sudden big downpour. Instead it was more Seattle style, but only for a couple of hours before clearing up. The weather forecast is for a few days of cold weather with highs of 50 before it warms up for next weekend, when it will be back in the 60's.

I did manage to volunteer an hour this morning at the elementary school nearby. I'm a "reading coach" with the Reading Seed program and work with two fourth graders. I read with them and try to make it fun for them. I do this once a week.

The Tenor's Aunt

Today I went to see Turandot produced by AZ Opera. It was a nice production. Larry decided to stay home since he has been sick with a cold. The women sitting around me, seeing that I was alone, starting talking to me during the intermissions. The lead tenor, Antonio Nagore, was their cousin/nephew. They had come to town to hear him in the opera. Across the balcony sat his mother and more relatives. I got to hear about his early life. The cousin next to me used to babysit for him. I asked her if he sang to her. She said no, that she sang to him. I wonder if he did an encore of Nessun Dorma for family after the opera. It would be fun to have a tenor in the family to sing to me now and then!

A Sing-n-Sew

Today I taught sewing to refugees again. Once more I was impressed by my students, who are apparently all from Nepal. Most of them actually know how to sew, but need help with machine operation. They are self-directed, but will listen and watch when I ask them to stop. We worked on harvest bags today. Most managed to thread machines OK and wind bobbins, which was a relief. I had a few work with a pattern I drafted for the harvest bags and they seemed to take right to it. As an added bonus, one of the men in class started singing some folk tunes as he worked. I couldn't help but think of another sing-n-sew I had been to. While a group I was in was sewing rags for Ronald McDonald House, friend Diane R. would start singing camp songs. What fun

Across the Parking Lot

Yesterday I had a busy time at Jo-Ann Fabrics. I went there to meet a woman who had a sling to show me that the refugees could sew. After consulting with her I walked out to the parking lot, then another sewing friend, Karen, called out to me to say hello and chat. It's beginning to feel a lot like home here, to meet friends at the fabric store.

I also have made another friend, Edna. She and I are in a pilates class together, got to chatting after class, and discovered that we have a lot in common. She likes to sew and wants to join ASG. We got together for lunch, then looked at sewing things together. It's great fun to have somebody to do things with!

Trip to Nepal

Cousin Joanne likes to go trekking in exotic locations. I think she included Nepal in her journeys several years ago. She brings back hundreds of photos and talks about how the people lived and what they wore. Today I had my own trek there. I taught sewing to about 10 refugees from Nepal. Instead of traveling thousands of miles, I went to their apartment complex across town for an adventure. I am working for Iskashitaa, an agency that helps refugees with resettlement here. Sewing is one of the programs that they are trying to promote in addition to harvesting fruit and nuts. The group I worked with was great. They spoke little English so we communicated with gestures and by pointing. Their cultural differences were obvious. They had a strong sense of community and a hands-on approach to learning. I had the sewing machines set up and spaced a couple of feet apart from each other. They moved in much closer to each other. They immediately started touching the machines, but did follow me as I taught them how to thread them. The ones who had trouble got support from those around them while I was helping others. They were able to sew straight seams quite easily and even made a few mini-bags and doll-like clothes out of fabric scraps. We were able to start constructing bags out of old jeans. They apparently sell well and are easy to make. At the end of class, I was happy to see that everyone pitched in to clean up without having to be asked. All in all, it was a good trip. I'm planning on being a return visitor.

New Exercises

Larry and I want to keep our minds as young as possible, so we are trying some supposed strategies for maintaining mental functions. He is determined to read some great books. So far, he's tried Faulkner and Hemingway. Faulkner was a bust and Hemingway was OK. Now he is trying Edith Wharton. I suppose I'll try reading the same book so we can have our own private book club going. I myself will read a serious novel maybe one out of seven books I read. Currently I'm reading "Cool in Tucson" by Elizabeth Gunn. It's a mystery set in Tucson, of course. It has lots of local color. I'm not far enough into it to decide how well I like it, but so far it's not bad. I'm listening to the latest Inspector Linley novel by Seattle writer Elizabeth George. It's set in London, though, which makes it fun.

My new mind development project is to learn how to do Sudoku puzzles. Larry is a whiz at them. I find them hard. I'm asking him to give me lessons. So far, it's slow!

Sewing Activities

For the past couple of days I have been busy with sewing activities. I haven't actually sewn anything, though. Yesterday I went to scope out the place where I'll start teaching sewing to refugees next week. I had to make sure that the machines were working and that the supplies were there. It should be an adventure. No one is quite sure how many refugees will participate because people just have a way of showing up. I've got a plan, at any rate, to be flexible, start with basic machine operation, and sew a few shopping bags to start with.

Today the AZ PMB'ers came to our house for the monthly meeting. About 8 others came to show what they've been sewing and to get help with measuring and fit. We also used a program I have for body analysis to help style selection. It was fun having them over. I'm feeling more a part of the group and am having fun with sewing. Tomorrow I have free from any commitments. Then Monday I'll be off to another sewing activity. Sewing groups are a great way to make friends.

Fun at the Recreation Center

I signed up for a few classes at Udall Park's Recreation Center this term. They just started this week. I've been pleasantly surprised by the quality of instruction for them. I'm taking a pilates mat class twice a week, a hatha yoga class, and line dancing. All of the teachers are outstanding and the facility is pleasant. They aren't over crowded either. The Rec Center is a short walk away, so Larry can take the car if he wants and I can still get to classes. They are also reasonably priced, about $6 per class. I consider myself fortunate!

In the News

Tucson is still in the national spotlight following the shooting of Congresswoman Gabby. I hear that President Obama is coming tonight and will speak at the U of A. I hope he stays safe. Most people are still in a state of shock that such a thing could happen here. Some are trying to find something to blame. I myself think that mental health programs should be bolstered, that gun laws should be revamped so that not everyone here in town has the right to carry a concealed weapon, and that right wing extremists should tone down their rhetoric. Bad things would still happen, but maybe not as many.

I personally continue to be impressed by how many nice, friendly people I've met here. They always seem willing to help and tend to be kind and respectful toward seniors. I'm sure there are some exceptions, but I haven't met many of them.

Out With the Old

Today we got our new gas grill. Our old one just worked partially and did not have good temperature control. We found a new home for it by posting on Craigslist. A happy couple took it away. Now we have a new Ducane one that seems to work better. I think we are going to stop replacing appliances now. We have decided that we like our washer and dryer, dishwasher, and refrigerator. Back in Wallingford, our beautiful refrigerator that was only 5 years old broke down. The problem was its computer chip. That got us thinking that it is good to hold on to major appliances that don't have computer chips!

New Art

Today Larry and I visited the studio of a local artist, Jennifer North. We met her at the outdoor arts and crafts fair we attended last weekend. Jennifer showed us her studio, which is near our house, and demonstrated her process of making her photos into tiles. She used to work for Disney as a colorist, first in Australia, then in CA. Her knowledge of color really shows in her pieces. Now Jennifer takes photos of scenes around town, makes them into tiles, and uses them in pieces of art set in cabinet doors which she paints. We are having fun slowly changing out some of the art we have had in our house here.

We Are Safe

The shooting in Tucson that occurred this morning was an awful thing. Thanks to all of our friends and family who have been checking in with Larry and me to see if we are OK. Our house is several miles to the southeast from where it happened and neither of us was at the event. I still feel touched by it, though. I volunteer at an agency that helps refugees resettle in Tucson and am working on a sewing program. At the time of the shooting, I was sitting in a courtyard by a swimming pool surrounded by refugees and old sewing machines that I was tuning up for them. The director, Barbara, got a call immediately after the shooting from a friend at the town square meeting. At that time, it was hard to tell how many people were injured or killed. Barbara took the news hard and was obviously shaken up. She tried to explain what happened to the refugees. I don't think they fully understood due to the language barrier. They certainly would have understood needless violence, fear for their lives, and having friends and loved ones killed. I hope the best for the victims and their families. Perhaps some helpful dialog will come of this.

I included a wedding picture of Congresswoman Gabby and her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly. Larry and I saw Mark last year at the Air and Space Museum. He gave a memorable program about his life as an astronaut. They are a special couple.

Book Report

As I mentioned earlier, one of Larry's goals for retirement has been to read more. He wanted to try a few American classics. First he started with Faulkner's Sound and Fury and hated it. Then he decided to try Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises. He wasn't much crazy about that one either. I volunteered to read the Hemingway novel to see if I would like it. This is my book report. I figure it's only been about 40 years since I had to write one, so it wouldn't kill me to try it again. Here it goes. My form will be freer than in high school. It's my blog, I can use whatever format I want!

The Sun Also Rises is Ernest Hemingway's masterpiece about the lost generation of Americans living in Paris after WWI. What a lot of drinking they did! I can't believe all they consumed. They also poisoned their bodies with nicotine. They stayed up late carousing in bars and nightclubs and gambled. What a waste of talent! It's true that the hero of the story fought in WWI and had his balls blown off. That would pretty much make anyone depressed and inclined to drink. He's also in love with a hot English lady who loves him, but doesn't want to settle down with an impotent man. She apparently can settle for only one kind of sexual satisfaction. What a shame! She keeps messing up her relationships with other men and falls back to the hero for support. No wonder he has problems! At any rate, after drinking and carousing in Paris, the group of friends, consisting of several men and the English lady who is engaged to one of them, goes to Spain for fishing and bullfighting in Pamplona. Hemingway's descriptions of the scenery and people are all first-rate. I could easily imagine being with them. I even had the urge to pour myself a glass of red wine or brandy while I was reading about their actions. I didn't understand the significance of the fishing trip that Hemingway describes before the bull fighting. The descriptions were fabulous, but I don't really see how that carried the plot forward. I suppose I could read some literary criticism to find out. But I'm 60 and if something doesn't hit me over the head the first time around, then I figure I don't need to figure it out. The bullfighting scenes, on the other hand, were clear in their meaning. Hemingway's hero has what the locals call "aficionado", passion for the bull fights. The hero is given special treatment by the innkeeper, who knows that he understands bulls and bull fights. The bulls are unloaded from cages one at a time and there were steers in the corrals to receive them and keep them from fighting. Some of the steers were killed by the bulls, but usually their presence calmed the bulls down. Our hero is a steer, I suppose in his crowd of bulls who were all competing for the same English lady. The English lady ends up falling for the young matador, runs away from her current fiance with him, then later leaves him. As usual, she calls on our hero to help her pick up the pieces.

Pros: beautifully written descriptions of life in Paris in the 1920's, plus bullfighting. Good character development plus spiritual dissolution. A reasonably quick read that can go with Mumms or Chateau Margaux.

Cons: the characters drink too much. Hemingway presents drinking as a matter of fact way of life. I suppose it was true then, but I still don't like it. There is anti-Semitism. One of the main characters is Jewish. He is portrayed as a jerk. The sentiment among the characters seems to be that because he is Jewish he is a jerk. Nowadays, I think an author with any sense would slant his character to be a jerk who just happens to be Jewish. The bull fighting scenes are brutal. I know that bull fighting is a cultural, spiritual thing, and when the bull is killed the man and beast become one, but isn't that what some serial killers also think--they are never closer to someone else as when they are killing them? I get the connection between sexuality, masculinity, and bullfighting. I just don't enjoy thinking about it or visualizing the death of magnificent animals.

I suppose I give Hemingway a thumbs up for this one. Could all those English teachers be wrong? I just don't think it's the best thing I ever read.

A Trip to the Fabric Store

Today I went on a treasure hunt. I went to the SAS Fabric Store in Tucson to find some inexpensive fabrics to experiment with. I have volunteered to teach a class on making a bias skirt and I have to practice on some real fabric beforehand. Going to SAS is a bit risky. The store sells mill ends and overstocks, so you never know what they'll have at anyone time. They are constantly getting new fabrics in and just put it out on tables in piles. You have to dig through things to see what they have. Fabric content is not labeled for the most part. It can be hard to dig through the piles of fabric on tables. Fortunately, today the stock was fairly well organized and folded up so I could see what they had. I did find a few inexpensive pieces that will be good for experimenting for my skirt class. I also found some Western themed t-shirt fabric. One piece has a variety of snakes on it. I decided I had to get it in honor of our snake that lives somewhere near our house and is now hibernating.

Larry and I have another project going together. He started reading Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises" and isn't crazy about it. I volunteered to read it also to let him know what I think. So far I share his opinion. It seems a bit depressing and anti-Semitic. I'm old enough now to not care if I don't like an iconic author's work. When I was younger, I would probably not admit that. We both have decided to finish the book to see if our opinions change. I have a rule of thumb when reading a book. I try to stick it out for the first 2-3 chapters and will quit if I don't like the book. If I make it half way, I finish it. Maybe I'll write a book report when I finish this book for old time's sake.

Some of My Friends are Cowgirls

I think my alter ego is a cowgirl. I remember having a cowgirl costume as a young child and remember watching Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. I have always liked cowgirl boots and denim. My favorite jacket in high school was fringed suede and western style. As I got older and moved to Tucson part of the year, I sewed more Western themed clothes including a cowgirl apron and a fleece jacket. I am always on the look out for cute cowgirl fabric. Little did I dream that I would become friends with a couple of real cowgirls!

I made my first cowgirl friend, Millie, at a daytime ASG meeting. I have turned to her for creative advice during sit-and-sews and we trade stories. I knew that Millie was compassionate about animals and owns some dogs that her family rescued. Recently Millie showed an amazing wall hanging with a cow being roped by her grandson. She explained that she and her family kept a cattle ranch and she often roped cattle. She is a sophisticated sewist who I could imagine being at home in Manhattan. Apparently I was wrong with my guess about her background.

My second cowgirl sewing friend, Karen, is a banker with a machine embroidery business. In her younger years she lived in Cody, Wyoming on a cattle ranch where she helped her husband take care of a large herd of cattle. This included getting hay to them in the bitter winter, moving them around, and helping with the birthing that went on for a months. She said that she lived in a barn during birthing time and must have helped with the delivery of over 1,000 calves. I guess that qualifies her as a cowgirl. She does not walk around with boots and spurs anymore, but I bet she has pictures of herself in her former work clothes. Now she embroiders Western wear for groups participating in the rodeo coming up in February.

I'm glad that I now know some real cowgirls who even sew. It makes me wonder how many more I'll meet here in Tucson.

Light Pollution

Here in Tucson there often is talk about light pollution at night. People seem to take their star gazing seriously and want to minimize the ambient light. In our housing development we have only dim lights on at night. There are noticeably fewer street lights compared to Seattle. I really don't mind since I enjoy looking at the sky at night. In Seattle a change in lighting wouldn't matter because the skies are so cloudy that star gazing isn't possible much of the time. I also appreciate the way that the newspaper has columns on what to look for in the skies at night. There are even guided walks at night to look at stars and nocturnal animals.

I just finished reading a book called The Sherlockian. It is a clever historical fiction that gave me a glimpse of life in the early 1900's in London. One of the points made was that the conversion from gaslights to electric lights made a huge impact on visibility on the streets. I suppose Londoners couldn't do much star gazing even with the dimmer gaslights so the brighter lights would be welcomed. Not so in Tucson!

A Cold New Year

I admit to being spoiled by the pleasant weather over the winter in Tucson. So when it turned cold a few days ago, I felt it! Just like in Seattle, when there was snow forcast, or snow fell, those were top news stories. We also got rain, which is badly needed. It's cold and clear now and I can see snow in the mountain tops nearby. Tomorrow the temperatures should be above freezing and back into the 60's for highs. I enjoy a little variety in weather.

Larry and I had a good New Year's Eve. We took a long walk in the cold, then came back for a dinner of popcorn soup. The soup was not a big success. On a documentary TV show I heard that popcorn was a staple of the old West and was used unpopped in soups. I found a recipe on the internet to try. I think I'll keep searching. I'm trying to learn more about SW cooking, so try new things when I hear about them. If I could be sure of correct identification of mesquite pods, I also would try making flour out of them. I could try asking our neighborhood naturalist for help. We actually do have one, Cindy, who advises on plant care and removal. I also have a book on solar cooking which I hope to get to one of these years. In spite of the soup not being a big success, I did make some outstanding "vice cream", a frozen dessert made from cashew nuts and cocoa. Larry did his part by making margaritas. We enjoyed watching television by the fire in our fireplace and considered ourselves lucky!