Bless Me Blogger

Bless me Blogger, for I have sinned. It has been 53 days since my last post. I vacationed. I finished objects. I joined two new knitting groups. I gave my first crocheted gift.

But forgive me, dear blog, for I can explain . . .

After a nice long vacation, I wanted to blog with my pictures.

Editing 863 (yup) pictures takes time. Before I knew it a month passed and I still haven’t posted here. But with all these new things going on, doing our taxes, etc, I decided to make the time and finally get some of our trip down. Because it suits me, I pre-dated the entries. I know it sounds weird. It just pleases my internal calendar. So go back a few days to March 16. Think of it as time travel.

Group : Take II

Since the Mayer Center is only twice a month, I started looking for another daytime charity group. The Kiwanis Wallas Rec Center on Frederick Road in Ellicott City was just what I was looking for. They meet two days a month also - on the alternate Wednesdays from my other group. Perfect!

Their stash is huge. Four two-sided cabinets, six feet tall and crammed with every imaginable color. These ladies turn out a lot of knitted goods, let me tell you. On the day I was there, They turned in about 20 blankets, their biggest project. There were also numerous hat/scarf/mitten sets, baby sweaters and hats for hospital nurseries. Several blankets had gauge problems with mixed yarns, and when I offered to help organize, the ringleader laughed it off.

Honey, we're all about product here. This is charity work.

Seems she just can't keep up with the supply and demand. Women go through large lots of yarn as fast as she can bring it in and return odd balls and partial balls. These are tossed in where they will fit. People use several small balls for hats and scarves for shelters. Besides, it would take time away from knitting. I acquiesced.

Their current biggest charity is lap blankets for wheelchairs at the Veterans Home. They have a great pattern that starts with four stitches at a corner and knits with diagonal increases on both sides. When you are halfway through your chosen yarn, you start to decrease This forms a square. The YO increase even gives it a pretty edge. It's simple and eliminates waste. One lady had several lovely blankets made in this pattern made from ribbon. They were beautiful, luxurious and flexible. There was some discussion of how the gentleman in wheelchairs liked the blankets like this because they stayed in place better. Pop Pop had one at Riverview. I never knew who knit it or where it came from, but it was always there. When he passed, I asked if I could have it. I liked the idea of "replacing it" for somebody else's Pop Pop.

I found a woven cotton yarn from Spain. 5 grey, 2 red and 2 mauve. I took all nine balls, no leftovers from me.

Group Therapy

I took the pink vacation cap over to the The Claudia Mayer Cancer Resource and Image Center here in Columbia. They liked my design, saying the ladies often complain the hats are too tight at the top. One of the women I met there a few weeks ago said she like exotic hats. She was wearing a green eyelash hat at the time resembling a Koosh Ball .

Knitting groups are cool. I already look forward to every Thursday night at K1P2. Before vacation, I decided to step up my efforts with charity knitting. So. Twice a month, I now knit with the ladies at the Center. It is a homey place associated with Howard Co General Hospital & Johns Hopkins. There is a humongous cancer resource library and salon for free consultations and product purchase/guidance for everything body image. Operators from some of the top salons in the area donate their time and talents there. We meet in the front room which is set up like a comfy living room. Many of the knitters are clients of the center, but the group is open to the community. There is someone to guide new knitters, donated yarn and needles and a few designated charities although you can knit what you like for whichever you like.

I picked up some baby yarn from them and made my first preemie hat for the hospital. Whew! Sooooo many stitches for such a little thing. 2 x 2 rib takes a long time. I finished it in two weeks though (me?) and am quite proud of it. I used the pattern provided by the center, but I would look for better resources if I make another. It was knit on straight needles and sewed. The crown had just a few decreases and was . . . odd looking. I got to use some of my ebay needles - size 4 (thanks Dad). That’s the smallest I’ve used so far. They felt strange in my hands at first, as did the cheap yarn, but after a few rows I trusted myself to not break them and we got along fine. The thought of keeping some little wailer from loosing body heat seems right after all the babies I worked with in Labor and Deliver and theNursery.

I decided to knit Koosh Ball lady (gotta find out her name) a new hat since hers had definitely seen better days. I found a site with a free pattern, No Hair Day from Headhuggers. and some unidentified donated yarn from my stash. Their site has lots of caps to knit and crochet geared/sized for folks without hair. I swear Koosh Ball lady's hat was made from that pattern. I went with another variegated yarn because her green one is made with several greens, yellow and cream. The pattern calls for 1 ball of yarn for a small. Since she is not a large person I went with that. Wrong! Luckily, a picture on the site showed a variation with a yarn crown, so that’s how I finished it off. The lavender yarn is very soft and should feel comfortable against her head. If she likes it, I'll make her another with two balls so it can be furry all over.

I hope she’s there the day I take it in.

Knitting on the Road

Knitting in the car works for me. Don’t worry; I’m not driving at the time. We love to take driving vacations, and often there are long stretches of highway with absolutely nothing to look at. This is when knitting has been a godsend for me. I used to fall asleep a lot, leaving my husband to fend for himself when it came to looking for the next highway. Of course navigation has always been one of his strong points, but I like to follow along and note places of interest.

I polished off two (count ‘em 1-2!) projects in the car. I had started a scarf for my niece in my crochet class back in February. I had mostly put is aside and had about 14 – 18 inches done. I really needed to get cracking for her Birthday on Easter. Working in the car, I finished a scarf about 4 inches wide and 6 feet long. I made it like that to double and wrap around, slipping the end through the loop. Pre-teens love to play around with fashion so I left her options. Since I had never done it, I asked for some help and added the fringe at K1P2 one night. I’m glad I took their advice to hold off on cutting the fringe – Jessica wanted it just the way it was. I wish I’d gotten a picture of her in it but I plum forgot to.

Next was a pink chemo cap. At Stitches East last year I made a miniature hat knit top-down. I also saw an adult pattern called Karlchen and experimented with my own top down version. It has a nipple at the top (tee hee) and four peaks to let some air circulate or keep the crown off sensitive scalps. I put in a little eyelet while I was working my increases. It adds a bit of a feminine touch. I still had a good bit of the yellow left, so I designed a little fairisle pattern too. I wish now I had thought to do a Mickey Mouse head for my Disney vacation, but working out the simple design was tough enough. I had to guess on the look with hand drawn long-box graph paper. I kept it veeeery simple.

That makes four chemo caps so far for me. For John.

Expedition Everest

accommodate - u'kâmu`deyt (v) make fit for, or change to suit a new purpose

In Walt Disney World, it’s what they do.

On our honeymoon in 1999, I was introduced to the scooter rental. After minor knee surgery that should have healed quicker, our trip would have been a bit less fun without those wheels. (Tip of the hat to Laura for the suggestion and the wedding gift of Disney Bucks that covered it) And a bonus! At the Mouse, a wheelchair or scooter would go to a separate line. This avoided an hour wait in line sometimes which was waaaay cool, but I worried about dirty looks. When I was more mobile and in other amusement parks I found it rough to go through a line, get to a ride I couldn’t navigate, discover there’s no easy way to go back, and contend with those dirty looks. Holding up other folks while Bobby helped me balance or pick up my brace was less than optimal – and embarrassing. I came to appreciate Disney’s special boarding areas for water rides most. The balance thing again. The raft guys just let me “go again” if it wasn’t crowded to save time getting me in and out.

In 2001 we visited Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure in Anaheim. As Bobby said,” They don’t know how to do Disney here”. But Disneyland is an old park. It wasn’t built to handle the number of rental strollers, wheelchairs and scooters they rent much less the one I brought with me. Heck, people on foot were complaining about the narrow passageways and stairs. But they’re a classic; they do the best they can. However, California Adventure opened just 4 months before our trip. Repeatedly employees told us all attraction lines are accessible - there are no special lines - wheelchairs go in the same lines as everybody else -only to find out there were stairs, there was a separate line around the corner and I had to back my scooter down the hill. Through the people. We weren’t popular. Sheesh! Some of those ‘cast members’ should never have passed the audition. I guess the expanded opportunity for actors in Southern California has diluted the talent pool. But I digress.

Our next trip in 2003 took us back to Orlando and our love affair with the Mouse. By then I had my own scooter, of necessity and never had to wonder if the battery was fully charged. And the room, ahhhh the room. Disney introduced me to roll-in showers the first trip. Every time we go I want to put in my change of address.

This trip was different.

Oh, the Mouse hasn’t gone down hill. I have. Increased weakness on my right side has made it tougher to navigate stepping down into or over the side of the attractions I love to see. Even with my Bobby there to look me in the eye and convince me I am safe, there are a lot I just can’t maneuver in anymore. On our last trip to an amusement park in the fall, I got my brace stuck in a roller coaster. It wasn’t pretty.

Before embarking on our Disney trip I had little time, but managed to check out the accessible section of their website. Wow! What a lot of information. I weeded through it and gleaned a page of pertinent info to print – adding it to my handy vacation packet. Two things had caught my eye. One of them was in today’s destination - Animal Kingdom.

Expedition Everest

With angst I approached their new roller coaster Expetition Everest. I sidled up to the cast member in front and asked him if there was a seat I could try out before I got in the line. Suuuuuure! Go right along that wall and Melissa will help you. Sure enough Melissa was there alongside one of the cars for the ride on the ground. She explained: You can ride your scooter right up to the top. After your ride, one of the cast members will take it to the exit for you. She answered all my questions. There would be 11 seconds to board. No, I wouldn’t have to step down into it. Yes, the bar moves if you put your hand on it. Yes, Bobby can go in first then help me get my foot over the . . . Oh, would you like to open the door on the side instead and walk in?

::blink blink::

She stepped to the rear of the car and pulled hard on a latch. See, now both of you can just walk in.

::blink blink::

I sat in that car and cried. I was trying to make her understand what she was giving me. Melissa comforted me as I tried to express the years of frustration as my roller coaster riding days diminished. For once I was gaining mobility but the emotion just kept leaking out my eyes. She excused herself for just a moment and came back with a pad and pen, asking my name and address. I hesitated, but gave it – surely my information was safe with this goddess of rollercoasters. She then handed me a special pass to ride Expedition Everest at any time of day and skip all lines. Better than a Fast Pass! I told her no, save that for the kids with cancer and - Nope you’re special.

I cried some more while Bobby kept saying,” You’re going on a roller coaster, Boo”. The three of us talked for a while until I stopped shaking. Then we were off to Expedition Everest with a promise to scream her name from the top so she could hear us before we disappeared into the mountain.

Melissa Rocks!

I had boarded with ease and was yelling that with Bobby as the coaster inched up the outside of the mountain. The kids in front of us joined in.

Melissa Rocks!

Our ride had begun but was short lived. Something was wrong with the track and the ride had stopped. The track lurched with a terrible screech of metal. Suddenly! The shadow of the creature itself danced on the wall of the cave. As our train began to move backward into the darkness, I could see the mangled track where the Yeti had ripped it from the mountain. Now what? Hanging vertical like a bat waiting for the sun to go down, I knew what was coming.

It was sweet.

In total darkness we plummeted twisting and writhing within the bowels of the Himalayas. Strobe lights flashed in the night to capture the horrified expressions on our faces (available in the gift shop for $18). Because the whole thing takes place inside the mountain I have no idea if we were upside down or inside out but IT. WAS. GRAND. Then the sky opened up and the Yeti reached down for us, howling and swinging from more twisted tracks. I knew we were doomed.

I was crying and shaking with laughter when we pulled into the station, but managed to get out and hobble over to Trey who was waiting with my scooter. My whole body tingled - heart thumping, ears buzzing, wild eyes leaking, YEAH! Oh, yeah. I could barely turn the key. When we got down to the gift shop, Melissa was there. I held her like a kindred spirit thanking her for her part in the explosion in my heart. Finally I let her go.

The rest of Animal Kingdom was nice.

We rode Expedition Everest 7 times, the last time as it's final two guests. The cast members had become our friends and although Melissa had gone home, Trey presented us with a small card signed by everyone declaring it a certified magical moment. It and the picture of us on that first horrifying drop (priceless at $18) are framed and I look at it daily to remember the exhilaration of screaming into the face of that giant animatronic Yeti.

It was after the extended hours and we were the last to leave the park . I turned to say goodbye to my Everest.

accommodate - u'kâmu`deyt (v) make fit for, or change to suit a new purpose

In Walt Disney World, it’s what they do.

The Mouse

Where do I start? We stayed at Disney All Star Movies Resort. It was less expensive than just about any other hotel off the Disney property at $89 per night. Go figure. When we pulled up I could see there were several different sections. 101 Dalmatians. Fantasia. Toy Story. And please no – The Mighty Ducks. Guess where we stayed? The room was basic, no frills, but 'ya couldn't beat the price. Our weather was grey the first day, but when we left I remembered to take some pictures outside our hotel room. I worried about those hockey masks.

We decided to see two Kingdoms this time. First was Epcot.

In the World Showcase I picked up two new canes in China. Now this may not seem like a big deal, but they’re great. Buying and transporting canes while you’re walking about is, well, cumbersome. But The Mouse delivers your stuff to your hotel so you can enjoy the rest of your Disney day. Way cool. Lunch was in Mexico in the middle of a cactus garden. Such unusual shapes . It was interesting to see the local birds navigating the thorns to hunt for bugs and stray crumbs. Like all food areas in Disney, our restaurant was a hangout for the local birds. We even saw a large bird apartment complex full of Purple Martins (yes Martins). They are natural predators for mosquitoes and other pests.

In Morocco, Canada and England there was excellent music to enjoy while we took a break. The Canadian band played Celtic Rock complete with bagpipes. Bobby and I caught the whole show and they were quite good. England’s group was called The British Invasion. The word Invasion was very small and the font was the same as The Beatles. They had the clothes, the haircuts, and were pretty good in the sound department. In other performing arts, France brought us a talented street actor. His Comedia was very reminiscent of Harpo Marx. He used a whistle to punctuate his gestures which I remember Harpo doing – as well as my friend Mark Jaster. Very effective and funny. He had excellent control over the audience - especially the 9 year old who was his unwitting accomplice. The entire crowd was into the performance as he pranced about gesturing and demanding the kid catch is ball from over there. No over THERE!

Last time we were here, Test Track kept breaking down. We finally made it this time and had such a good time. We had picked up Fast Passes earlier. It's a sort of appointment to come back later and get in a shorter line - but spreads the biggest crush lines out. Before we knew it we were off to the obstacle course and the final speed test. Wheee! I can’t praise Disney enough for their progress in accessible amusement parks and other hospitality standards. They had a test car for me to practice getting in an out. More about that later.

This year our one night of fine dining was at L’Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante in Italy. I believe the waiter was truly pleased when I ordered the lamb. It’s so easy to order pasta. When I’m given an opportunity to taste another type of dish in a more upscale restaurant, I relish it. The lamb was like a nice handspun yarn as opposed to the sturdy acrylic I use for charity work. Tasty. We both ordered dessert, a rare indulgence for us. Chocolate Mouse for Bobby and Tiramisu for me. They were almost to pretty to eat. Almost.

That night Bobby and I watched the fireworks on a bridge over a canal in Italy.

It was like stepping back in time.

Southern Belle

Ahhhhh. Spring vacation.

It was sleeting when we left home and headed south. Sleeting! Charleston, South Carolina was our first real stop and it was still rather cold there. But it was clear and sunny, there were rhododendrons blooming and we were off to explore. We like the quick city tours to get us started so it was off to the Visitor’s Center. There we discovered large signs proclaiming their regrets that most tours were unable to accommodate accessible needs. The one tour bus that had a wheelchair lift was out of commission. Waaah!

So off we went. Bobby loves bridges, especially suspension and we headed out to cross the New Cooper River Bridge. I thought it looked just like Bunker Hill Bridge in Boston, but Bobby said nooooo. All bridges are not created equal. I bowed to his superior bridginess.

There was a small park on the far shore called Patriots Point. There we saw an aircraft carrier and I got some nice bird portraits of Great and Snowy Egrets for my collection. We also happened on the wonderful folks from Blue Bell Creamery who were giving away free samples of ice cream to celebrate their 100 year anniversary. It’s a shame they didn’t get a warmer day for their promotion, but they’re a different spots all year. They even had a moon bounce in the shape of a giant tub of ice cream. In the cold, on the water, with the wind whipping about us we walked up for a cup of the best vanilla ice cream you can eat with a broken wooden spoon. It was deep frozen and fresh – unlike anything I’ve ever had from the grocery store. I ate it in the car with my gloves on and the heat on. Decadent.

We then drove around Charleston a bit, peeking at the old architecture and settled at Waterfront Park. It’s a lush spot with a giant Pineapple Fountain, the surrounding gardens and a pier. There are long pavilions on the dock with porch swings broad enough for five or six suspended on creaking anchor chains. We spent a lot of time there checking out the sights and photographing everything from birds to boats to benches. Yes, I noticed the armrests of the park benches had a bird motif in cast iron. That kind of functional art fascinates me.

After a fine meal at Southend Brewery & Smokehouse circa.1880 we took a strolling/rolling tour of the neighboring area snapping more pictures and noting interesting building features. It’s fun when he’ll notice one thing while I see something else nearby. We did that until the cobblestones rattled my brains.

Our best find was, of all things this R2D2 mailbox from the USPS.