Finished Object, Finished Books, Finished 2nd Graders

A Big Finished Object

The Lacy Prairie Shawl from Cheryl Oberle's Folk Shawls. I'd been working on it for over a year, maybe two. I'd work on it a bit, then put it away for other projects.
















Unblocked.

















Close-up.
















Modeled.















Leftover yarn. Nothing like cutting it a bit close. It's done in Cascade 220 in the "Tahiti" colorway.

Books I've finished in March

• The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough -- a history, rather gruesome at times, but fascinating
• The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers -- a turn of the (last) century thriller that is considered the first spy novel in English. Set in the Frisian Islands in the time leading up to WWI. A few old fashioned passages, but really a rip roaring read. Interesting factoid: the author was later killed in the Irish Civil War.
• The Bloody Tower by Carola Dunn -- Former aristocrat and policeman's wife Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher solves a murder at the Tower of London in the 1920s. Not rip-roaring, more comfortable, but I love the setting.
• Shark Island by Joan Druett -- More in the Wiki Coffin nautical mystery series
• The Bounty by Caroline Alexander -- a detailed history of the mutiny and its aftermath
• Dark Tort by Diane Mott Davidson -- another Goldy Bear catering mystery
• The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick -- this one is hard to categorize. It is the most recent Caldecott medal book, but it is 500+ pages. However, it's a quick read as some of the action takes place in the illustrations and in movie stills. It's not a comic book, but might appeal to young comic book readers.
• The Unfinished Clue by Georgette Heyer -- another 1930s classic British mystery. I like Heyer because she sometimes sneaks in a bit of dry humor.
• Murder on the Flying Scotsman by Carola Dunn -- another Daisy Dalrymple mystery

Finished Second Graders

While I was out on medical leave, the second grade heard several versions of Rumpelstiltskin. I brought in my spinning wheel and demonstrated for them. One of our state standards is that they learn concept of a production process for finished goods and I thought this would qualify.


















I've never had as rapt an audience in this age level right before spring break! They were fascinated.

















They were even interested in the knitting that follows spinning.

Finally, as an aside, does this look like a comfortable way to sleep?

Things It's Good To Know

First of all, when your doctor is going to do surgery on your eye, he comes into the prep room and writes above the correct eye on your forehead.

Look closely, it says "yes."

This eye surgery doesn't really hurt all that much, but when they say not to touch your eye it sure starts to itch.

When kids send you get well cards, they are often cute, sometimes funny, and always entertaining.

Get well, or we'll send you into space?

The sign on the right says

"Reading Park." The one on the left says

"biogerfee." Creative spelling!

Again with the spelling, but they are only second graders.

When you go back to work after two months off, it's good to be prepared for anything. Including:

• Sending a fifth grader back to the teacher for misbehaving during the very first class you see.
• Taking a first grader to the counselor because she's crying about family problems.
• A second grader left late after school and telling you cheerfully that it's not the first time her mom's been late.
• Finding three, count 'em, three library books have been chewed by dogs while you were gone and two were lost in a fire. [I don't think we've lost that many to dogs in the last three years].
• Walking into the cafeteria and having a group of kids repeat "It's her!" like you're a movie star, just because they've missed you.
• Having a second grader accost you and say "You know that book I checked out two days ago?"
• Wanting to reply to the second grader, "No, my ESP is apparently not working."
• Many, many hugs from students and staff.
• A great welcome-back banner signed by many, many students and staff.
  

And finally, be prepared for unexpected gifts.

This card is supposed to be an Easter egg.

Inside it says, with exact spelling and punctuation:

"Dear [my name] I am so eggsited your back your freind [student's name]

P.S. happy Ester

P.S.S We all mised you

P.S.S.S. I like Applesauce"

Up next, a big finished object and also finished books.

Conference, Day 2

Yesterday was the second day of the ICE Conference.

But first, my dad made this for me. Anyone want to guess what this is?





Mystery object.












The conference was pretty interesting this year. I went to two sessions with David Pogue, the NY Times technology critic. He was entertaining and informative.

And I got some artsy photos of downtown Indy:












I liked the lines in this shot.











Reflections.









Old and new: the statehouse and the Simon building.








State capitol building.










Finally, two days of meetings and workshops allowed me to finish the eyelash scarf in record time. This despite the fellow educator who sat down beside me and said (trying to be funny) "Hey, you can't sew in here." My reply: "I'm not."

Sorry for the crummy lighting; the sun is hiding today.

Loud, Cold, and Not My Favorite Yarn

Loud
So, for Christmas I got a dock/stereo system for my iPod. Thank you, Uncle Alan! I love it; it's great for listening to tunes and audiobooks without the ear buds. However . . .

I was away in dreamland the other night when I was awakened about 11:30 by a loud female British voice from the living room. Somehow the thing had turned itself on and picked up in the middle of my audiobook.

The cat was on the bed with me, so I know she didn't touch it.

Spooky.

Cold
Today and tomorrow, I'm attending the I.C.E. conference at the Convention Center in Indy. I went to a really interesting workshop on using iPods (for the classroom, not just for fun).

ICE, ICE, baby.

This conference is appropriately named. I go to I.C.E. almost every year and almost every year it is freezing. Today was no exception: 2F (-16.6 C) for a low.
Fortunately there are "gerbil tubes" (skyways) connecting things.

Not my favorite yarn

A friend is paying me to knit a scarf for her aunt. I'm happy to do it, since I like her -- the friend; I don't know the aunt. Even though you can never charge enough for the time you put in to make knitting for pay worthwhile, I consider this more of a favor than a money-making enterprise. Anyway, she already had the yarn for the scarf she wanted and now I know why everyone gripes about using novelty yarns. It's a slick eyelash and boy, is it hard to see the stitches. Fortunately, it's a garter stitch and I'm halfway finished, so it's no big deal, but I don't see myself knitting a lot more of these.
Love the color and the finished effect, though.

At least the sun is out and it's warm inside! And two episodes of Chuck are on tonight (embrace your inner nerd). Couch potato time.

First Day of School

Whew, I made it through the first day.

We only lost two kids getting them home, although I had to walk one down the street to the babysitter.

A second grader showed me his new shoes with fancy air input so his feet don't get stinky.

Another second grader told me he was acting grown up now because he takes pills.

I face the first graders tomorrow.