The Slipped Summer Recap

Reposted from August 27th

As the summer ends and the new school year looms, life is changing around here. The anonymous daughters, DD1 and DD2, manage to pack my calendar with their activities. Soccer, Field Hockey, and more. Two schools. Multiple calendars. I knit when I can. One MDX. Fill’er up!

In my world, I've entered the Witness Protection Program (WPP) for former PTA Presidents. I didn't make that one up. It was told to me at a cocktail party back in June. Lovely evening it was. And, I met this wonderful woman who told me about the WPP just when I needed it most.So, I got a job! I'm having a blast with Italian Olive Oil at (http://www.olio2go.com/). t's been such fun working with the PR firm, placing orders, reviewing publications, and thinking about all the work that needs to be done. Great boss. Flexible hours. Friends have asked whether I'm working at home. (No!) Working at home holds no appeal to me now. I've worked at home for 14+ years, first for the magazine distributor (a job I LOVED), and then writing computer books, and later doing about half of my PTA work from the home computer. On the one hand, I'm too social to work at home. On the other hand, I don't want to be "found" for awhile.

Yesterday, we went on a field trip to The Italian Store in Arlington, VA. (http://www.italianstore.com/) The place was packed with double-income-no-kid-types getting sandwiches for a late lunch. (I do remember those days!). On the other hand, DD1 and DD2 went to Starbucks before meeting us in the Italian Store. Of course, I checked the olive oils to see what they had versus what "we" have. We bought cheese, pasta, olive oil and rosemary crackers (same brand as at Standa in Firenze), rice for Venetian risotto, and pizza dough--that's for tonight.

And, knitting. There are two projects on the needles right now. One is a denim blue Tahki Donegal Tweed multi-cabled pullover for DH. Officially it is Kathy Zimmerman's, Rhapsody in Tweed from the Fall 2004 issue of Interweave Knits. My more-portable project is Brandon Mably's striped vest from the Fall 2006 issue of Vogue Knitting (pattern #22) in Elsebeth Lavold's Silky Wool (65% Wool, 35% Silk). Colors: Charcoal, gray, and a touch of deep red. There's a theme here: this yarn is Made in Italy! I think there's an error in the VK pattern--and I wouldn't be surprised because five patterns from the issue have corrections posted at www.vogueknitting.com/corrections.shtml already. I've sent a request, but haven't heard back....

My favorite knitting is that which I can do while reading a book (and sometimes while watching TV). It's best if the books are hardcover :-) Recently I've read The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Knit One, Kill Two (written by a friend's MIL), and am working my way through the Donna Leon mysteries set in Venice. Good to Great (Collins) is my current read.

The girls: DD2 put her iPod Shuffle through the laundry on Thursday. I think I know why Apple is making so much money. That particular iPod was a courtesy replacement from Apple for another that failed. It used to belong to DD1. DD1 is now on her 2nd 30G Video iPod, the first having disappeared from the bus on a school/drama trip to NYC. (Shall I tell you there was some drama over the loss of the iPod?)

The only sadness this week was huge. This is a hug-your-kids moment. A good friend's child was diagnosed....I don't even want to say it. At this time, the positives are how friends come together, how communities react, how support is given and how we learn to make the most of whatever point we're at...