"Why should we hear about body bags and deaths? Oh, I mean, it's not relevant. So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?"
- Barbara Bush, 3/18/03
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posted 16 May 06 & filed under leaving l.a., madlis shawl
hi there ~ once again, in a bit of a limbo. mostly because my portfolio presentation and defense is this friday at 4 pm (think good thought for me!) – i plan on serving a lot of caffeine and, i’m thinking, some good pizza. anything to keep my panel awake, interested, and benevolent during this horrible timeslot. there’s not much i can really do at this point to prepare, except for a few cosmetic changes to my presentation. i’m mostly trying not to pace too much, to get as much sleep as possible, and turn the music on for a good half hour each day to just shake the willies out.
the limbo is all the more enhanced since, as of today, madli’s shawl is done! currently blocking, it took a little over a month to do.
more info, and finished pics, later, but for now, know this: however lovely the shawl is, grafting laceweight truly bites. anyhow, the king is dead, long live the king, right? wrong. my yarn-destined-to-be-an-urban-aran is lost somewhere and i have to wait until tomorrow until elann will ship out a replacement. of course, the color i wanted- and ordered!- is now unavailable, so i’ll have to pick another color. sigh. my hands are just itching to do something.
some drama: this morning, whilst grafting and muttering the grafter’s mantra (i.e. “knit, purl, purl, knit”), a gorgeous tree across the street was cut down branch by branch. i loved that tree – it was just a sweet reminder of nature on this otherwise busy and noisy street.
the leaves shimmied and glistened in the sunlight, created the nice dappled shadows you’ve ever seen, and made many a bird fell happy and safe. so sad. i guess it was cut down since it was blocking the “for rent” sigh? ay. i had to take pictures documenting its death and with each creak and crash, i just kept thinking “i’m so ready to leave los angeles.” (maybe that’s contributing to the limbo-feeling as well..) slightly exagerrated, i know, but i hate the way nature is treated here, what little that is allowed to grow freely through the cracks in the cement and beyond the reach of the spinklers and lawnmowers of the wealthy. ugh. anyhow, i loved you tree and will never forget the many happy days and nights i spent with your silhouette in my window.
here’s a really good article – Welcome to ‘Whole-Mart’
Rotten Apples in the Social Responsibility Industry. i think i’ll be avoiding whole foods from now on. [via cauldron ridge]
A closer look at the company’s business practices and [CEO] Mackey’s ideas about business and society reveals a vision not that different from a McDonald’s or a Wal-Mart….This is a vision of mega-chain retailing that involves strategic swallowing up (or driving out of business) of smaller retail competitors. It is a business model that objectively complements the long-term industrialization of organics (that is, large-scale corporate farms) over small family farms. It is also a vision in which concerns about social responsibility do not necessarily apply where less publicly visible company suppliers are concerned.”
lastly, want to know more about this net neutrality thing people are posting/talking/writing about? here’s a good little 3 minute video. then, go sign the petition, wontcha ya?
eat local-wise, made some leek and potato soup last night, yum. even put together a little fruit salad, a rarity for me, and am considering for dinner some nice marinated beets, carrot salad with raisins, and a baked sweet potato. yup, lots of color.
still bummed about the tree,
andrea
I am so sorry about your tree friend. It is always so sad to see a tree that has been on this earth for a long time chopped down for no real good reason. I hate seeing trees even thinned to be honest.
Good luck on your defense, I will be thinking some good positive thoughts on friday for you and sending them your way. I am sure it will go well. Break a Leg:)
Your shawl is lovely. What colour are you ending up with from Elann?
so upsetting about the tree (and all of the trees, you know?)
But hell yeah for finishing the shawl! i am so impressed and cant wait to see/feel/try it on! (you will bring it on the 27th right?)
Thinking of you on Friday—it will feel so good for it to be over and for them to tell you that you are graduating! hooray!
~ rose
Aaarrrggghhh, the tree! Same thing happened in my street and every time I go for a walk I get upset. New owners chopped down a lot of trees and maimed the most beautiful one. It had wispy little yellow flowers and it was my absolute favorite tree in the neighborhood. We need to get together and commiserate. I have some reds, some whites and a rosé. And there’s always nocino and Bailey’s. How about that?
But I guess it’ll have to wait until after your portfolio presentation. I’ll send lots of good vibes your way on Friday.
f
My brother used to work at a Whole Foods and he told me to never ever shop there. Their profit margin is huge and he had some bad experiences as an employee.
Anyway, can’t wait to see the final shawl. Good luck with all your work related stuff :)
~ Marnie
There’s so much here!
The tree…how tragic. You’d think in a city that the few trees around would be sacred, but no.
The madli shawl…incredible work!
Whole Foods…it’s just so sad that whenever a company goes BIG, they choose to leave their ethics behind.
Best of luck on your presentation Friday… I’m sure you’ll do wonderfully. :)
~ Liz
you are going to KICK BUTT in that defense! I’ll send good-libraryish-vibes your way at defense time :)
And sorry about your tree. and the yarn. and Whole Foods. But, whatever. you’re going to rock your defense!!
~ amanda
Good luck on your defense – I know you’ll shine! When do you leave LaLa Land? Not too soon, I hope. I feel that I barely got to see you….
~ Julia
awww :(. That’s too bad about teh tree. I hate to see things like that, too.
Did you already go through the panel? If not, good luck! If so, I hope it all went well! Congratulations on almost being done with library school!
~ moni
Andreita…mmmm..now is the time to reveal to you …about the birds…and the bees…and the killing of nature…for a good reading….everybody!!!! go to read articles and books of John K. Grande…art critic, writer pro preserving the environment… and a great just-made acquaintance… His book, Balance: Art and Nature.