Mystery Afghan - Solved!

I finished the Bernat Mystery Afghan I began in September in time to send it to Father-in-Law for Christmas. The beginning of my project doesn't give any clues as to the finished afghan AT ALL! And, like all the other crocheters, I had a problem with the corner squares - because they didn't work up square. Bernat invited us to submit photos of our completed projects, and you can see mine here and the other participants' afghans in Bernat's crochet-along Flickr set.

What I learned:

• When divided into weekly tasks, the finished project was easily achievable; having a goal of completion before Christmas helped, too.
• Even do-it-yourself afghans are not cheap.
• I really enjoyed working on this, and re-discovered my love of crochet after several years of knitting smaller projects.
• I now know how to work at the required gauge in order to make the squares the same size.
• One of the colors in my project yarns was much skinnier than the others, even though they were all Bernat's "Softee Chunky" - something to be aware of, if I use several colors of yarn in a future project.
• The other participants' comments were helpful in answering some of my questions. Their friendly and encouraging responses each week helped keep me on track. This is a great way to keep the momentum going when working on a big project.

Department Store Windows

When I was about 3 or 4 years old, my Gramma would take me "Downtown Honolulu" on the bus, and we would walk up and down the sidewalk looking at the animated Christmas displays in the store windows. It was so amazing to me to see Santa waving, elves ice-skating, reindeer noses blinking, Mrs. Santa baking cookies and Christmas tree lights twinkling.

This year, in Sacramento, some antique animated figures were reconditioned and are on display at 10th and K. They don't look much like the ones I remember, but the magic is still moving!

How Am I Thankful? Let Me Count the Ways.

We are employed at work we love, and we have enough to eat.

We have a comfortable place to live.

Our family is healthy. Mostly.

Our extended families still talk to us.

Next month, the car is paid for.

The hummingbirds like the sugar-water we provide.

We have thoughtful and supportive friends.

We live in the United States.

The weather is cold enough to warrant a crackling fire and fleece booties.

I have a husband and kids who love me and whom I love.

I am thankful for all this.

The Blustery Day

Toward the end of our stay in Copenhagen, the wind came up. Sometimes, it rained. While waiting for the airport shuttle, I saw this banner blowing about, and used the Fuji Finepix to capture a few seconds of the action.

I'm so glad I bought that coat in London! It was perfect for the weather!

Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen

Copenhagen in October is dicey. The first two days were overcast and breezy. Daytime highs: upper 40s; nights: upper 30s. But today, it is beautiful! Blue skies, white clouds, and sunshine - lots of sunshine!

On my first day here, I took the Metro (light rail) to Kongens Nytorv station in the city of Copenhagen, and did the canal tour. Our guide pointed out the different islands, the important buildings, and included a brief history. That gave me some ideas about what to do the next day.

Just before catching the Metro back to the hotel, I decided to visit the House of Amber, a small shop with upscale amber jewelry and an amber museum on two floors upstairs. I knew amber is a resin, but had no idea how many different forms amber can take, nor how it is processed into jewelry! After visiting the free exhibit, I purchased a pair of earrings.

Yesterday, I took the Metro back to town and walked to the Amalienborg palace to watch the changing of the guard. There was also an exhibit there honoring Queen Ingrid, so I bought a ticket and walked through the museum. Stopped for lunch at the Els Restaurant, where I had a deliciously hearty potato soup with bacon, pesto and croutons, and a plate with bread, herring, and salmon plus some greens.

The waitress very helpfully gave me directions to my next stop: the Royal Library, also known as the Black Diamond. I was a little skeptical about the directions, but they were accurate, and I found not only the library with its peaceful garden, but also a medieval fair, where I bought a warbling bird whistle to bring home as a souvenir.

By that time, it was getting on 4 p.m., and I'd been on my feet, hobbling over cobblestones, for about 5 hours. I was really ready to head back to the hotel for dinner, a hot shower, and a soft featherbed.

Tower of London

In my imagination, the Tower of London was the British version of Kilmainham Gaol. When I finally visited it for the first time, I was stunned to see it is a little medieval village on the Thames. It has a moat, a wall - several, in fact - residences, a surgeon's office, and, wait for it, several towers.

Our timing was good, and we found the beginning of a tour and tagged along. The tour guide is a Beefeater in full regalia, and he told some very amusing stories about the major players in the history of the Tower. He took every opportunity to make sly digs at the US ("We had a Water Gate before the Americans did.") After the tour, we saw the ravens that protect the continuation of the current monarchy, and walked through the Crown Jewels exhibit, where cameras were verboten.

Whirlwind in London

Marty and I are traveling through London on our way to Copenhagen for the iGaming conference. Marty wanted me to see some of the things he enjoys most about London, and I wanted to touch bases again with Carol, a distant cousin descended from my great grandfather. By coincidence, another cousin, Peter, was also in town on his way home to Jamaica, so the four of us met at The Audley, a traditional English pub near our hotel.

We had a lightning 2.5 days in London town. We walked across Green Park to see the beginning of the changing of the guard at Buckingham palace, and then we had high tea with Marty's friends, Peter and Angela, at Fortnam and Mason. We did a bus tour of the city, and then crashed.

The next day, we visited the Imperial War Museum, which turned out to be far more interesting than I expected, and the Tower of London before meeting Carol and Peter at The Audley for a half-liter of Guinness and a plate of food to share. This was the first time Carol and Peter had met, and I felt bad that we had to leave after an hour to go shopping for a coat. And Marty was falling asleep. But I think they stayed to visit and compare notes for a while after we left.

About the coat: I had my London Fog raincoat cleaned and pressed for the trip, and I left it at home! So, since it's colder and windier in Copenhagen, I had to get another one. I couldn't find one that fit exactly, but we were both so tired and cranky that I just bought the first one I could fasten shut at Marks and Spencer's.

Next morning, it was all about packing and getting the train to Heathrow. We got there early, and spent some time in the Scandinavian Air Service's lounge, where we had free wifi and a snooze.

Crocheting Along

Bernat, the yarn company is in week 3 of its first "crochet-along". The final product is a sampler "Mystery Afghan", and Bernat is releasing a clue a week for 12 weeks, from September 22 through December 7. The ultimate design of the afghan won't be revealed until the very end.

I'm finding it very doable - the squares work up really fast, and I can usually complete 2 during the nightly TV news. I have 9 squares finished - 3 more in the 3rd pattern to do this week, and the 4th pattern will be ready to download on Wednesday. So by Christmas, I should have a brand-new, cocoa-colored afghan to snuggle under!

Toastmasters

I bit the bullet. I took the plunge. I screwed up my courage to the sticking-point. I joined Toastmasters. I've been toying with the idea for a couple of years, and felt that now is a good time to participate. I'm giving a presentation at the next Internet Librarian conference, and wanted to learn to feel more comfortable speaking before people who know more than I do about lots of things.

The Klassy Talkers meet at the Executive Airport, not far from home, and they seem to be a closely-knit bunch of characters. They made me feel very welcome when I dropped in unannounced several weeks ago, and have all been very encouraging and kind. My first speech will be the "Icebreaker", which is all about me, and will serve to introduce me to the group. I think it's a 5-7 minute speech.

I have a mentor, who will help me with the first couple of speeches and also introduce me to the Roles that make the meetings unique: Ah-Master, Table Topics Master, Joke Master, Timekeeper, and others. I have a workbook that outlines the progression of lessons and speeches that will chronicle my development into a Klassy Talker, too.

Let's get started!

A Perfect 24

On July 12, in the mid-80s, Husband and I tied the knot. Got hitched. We were lucky to be able to have the ceremony in the most beautiful place in the world, Kalua'aha, Molokai, in a tiny church built by Fr. Damien - now St. Damien - in 1874.

Ten years before the wedding, on my very first visit to Molokai with my friend Louise, we drove by the church on our way to the East End. I knew at that moment, that that's where I wanted to get married.

Several years later, I moved to Molokai to manage the library in Kaunakakai. I attended Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows many times. And even after leaving Molokai, I maintained a P.O, box there so I could travel back monthly and hike with my library and educator friends. So when the time came, everything was in place.

Fast-forward 24 years, two adult kids, and many adventures. We're still together, and Fr. Damien is now a saint. He worked for it! The photo, taken this year, shows the church still there, and looking exactly as it did 24 years ago. It's a very analog little church, with a rope to ring the bell in the steeple, windows that open for ventilation, and big trees for shady picnics. It's so tiny and intimate, it might hold 40 people if some of them were children. The perfect place to start a life together.

jshyun's photos of the church used with permission

Talking with the Dragon

Husband's hands hurt when he types. They hurt so much, he has to apply liniment and wrap them in bandages. Yet he needs to write articles, opinions, letters, book chapters, studies, ... as part of his work. Enter the Dragon, Naturally Speaking.

Dragon is software that transcribes into text what you say into a microphone. It makes it immeasurably easier for Husband to get those documents out, because the majority of the text is easily handled by Dragon, and only editing changes are necessary. Dragon "learns" as you speak, remembering your accent, intonation, and tempo.

Grandpa has lots of stories to share about the race track and about the service he performed during WWII. However, he doesn't type well, and isn't inclined to write it out in longhand. He is, however, very interested in gadgets and technology, so Husband bought him his own Dragon, which Grandpa's friend has now installed. The very same day, we got an e-mail from Grandpa via Dragon. Success!

So we need to encourage this, and get him to record his stories. If he dictates e-mails and sends them to us, Husband can edit and document a truly colorful lifetime achievement.

Oh, and if you are all thumbs when trying to type on the little tiny keyboard of your cell phone, Dragon is also available for iPhone and Blackberry! And I can testify that the mobile app works just fine.

Modern Warfare

This afternoon, my library put on a Modern Warfare 2 tournament. A woman saw the flyers a couple of weeks ago and felt morally obligated to object, because she was personally opposed to all warfare. When the library justified its position, she got the Veterans for Peace involved, and they organized a phone and e-mail campaign trying to get the library to cancel the program. Our library director did some research and prepared "talking points" should there be protesters and/or media at the event. Daughter's comment on the protest: "Every teen who would come has already played the game, and their parents probably bought it for them."

Fast-forward to the actual program: 37 teens and adults played 2 vs 2 elimination rounds and had a great time! Participants had to be 17 years old or older (we checked IDs). A handful of protesters showed up, but they didn't stick around and didn't cause any trouble.

Four screens were set up back-to-back, so opoposing teams couldn't see each other's "reality", and each team had two players at a time. As players were eliminated, the next member of the team stepped up to take his place and the scorekeeper adjusted the team's rank. Women also competed.

I'm interested in the debrief - will find out Tuesday how the organizers felt, and whether they would do something like this again. We were prepared for a difficult time, but I think the protesters knew we had done our homework and they didn't push their luck.

Tra La! It's May!

It rained and stormed today! Gusty winds from Alaska and drenching downpours this afternoon made it the perfect day to stay indoors with a hot drink and a good movie. My friend and I, having missed it on the big screen, had planned to watch "The Time Traveler's Wife" anyway, since Monday is my day off, and we couldn't have timed it better! The meteorologist on the 10pm news said today had the "coldest high temperature for today's date" on record: 57 degrees! But it should be back in the 80s by mid-week.

I felt very proud that I was able to check off every item on my to-do list. I managed to do two loads of laundry, and a load of dishes, bus downtown to deposit a check and visit the California State Library to do an obituary look-up for my Cousin. Then I bought lunch and took it to A's for the movie. Afterwards, I picked up Daughter from school because of the rain, and we did a little more banking, went to the Post Office, and did grocery shopping. I boiled some chicken so Daughter could make Chicken Mole for dinner, ran the dishwasher and checked my e-mail.

For Mother's Day yesterday, the family took me out to lunch at the Queen Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant. When we walked in, the tiny place was packed! It smelled delicious, and our food, when it arrived, was tasty. They do not provide silverware, so guests eat by scooping the food up with pieces of a soft flatbread.

Husband is planning to visit his dad, and had mentioned he would like a digital camera. On the spur of the moment, I bought one for him yesterday, but the manual was, umm... less than adequate. He decided not to take it with him. I'll give him lessons when he returns, because it's quite an accomplished piece of personal electronics! And didn't it do a great job with the bouquet?

No More Minors in Our House

Well, when you take it a step, a day, at a time, eventually you get to the mileposts. Our most recent milepost marks the 18th birthday of our youngest Daughter. She's taking full advantage of her majority by staying out late every night. She will be graduating from high school in June, and then I think we'll be in for a wild summer ride!

Although it feels good to be free of the responsibility of raising children, I am not free from fiscal responsibility yet. It's a strange twilight, where we need to re-assess the roles we will play, and the amount of accountability we will assign to Daughter while she lives here (rent-free, for the moment.)

Owens Outpost - Aloha!

Many, many years ago, I burned a bunch of midnight oil learning to code web pages by hand. The result was the Owens' Outpost, which started on Netcom, migrated to Earthlink, and now resides on Comcast. Since then, blogs mushroomed and I created this blog and Ancestories essentially to supersede the Outpost. However, the last Outpost still lives on the Comcast site, and I guess it's time to take it down.

Hand coding is going the way of Underwood manual typewriters - remembered affectionately, but no longer worth the work, now that better tools are available. I can even blog from my phone now, though it's a bit of work for anything longer than a paragraph. And even the tedium of typing on those tiny, tiny buttons is relieved by the Dragon Naturally Speaking iPhone app: just dictate, copy, and paste!



The only drawbacks I can see are that I usually do my blogging after 10:30 p.m. and speaking out loud to the iPhone might be disturbing to others in the house. Also, it removes the privacy factor when everyone around me can hear what I say.

At work, we retired the grandCENTRAL blog this week, because staff is putting more emphasis on our twitterstreams and Facebook page. So I guess it remains to be seen how much longer the Halona blog will live on - I, too, have a twitterstream and Facebook page now.

Easter Sunday, and the Heat's Back On

This has been a longer winter than usual - I failed to meet my Thanksgiving benchmark for turning the heat on, and I failed to meet my Valentine's Day benchmark for turning it off. The weather warmed up for a bit, and I turned off the heat during the third week of March; but I turned it back on two days ago because we're in the midst of another cold spell and rainstorms. (Outside high yesterday: 59, low: 40, temp inside: 60.) Running the heater on Easter Sunday?! Who'd have thought that would happen here in Sacramento!

I bought a kirigami page-a-day calendar this year, replacing the tangram calendar I've had two years in a row. Kirigami is like origami in that you fold a square piece of paper, but then you cut out shapes to form artistic works. The creators have had fun with Valentine's Day (hearts) and St. Patrick's Day (celtic designs). Now we're into spring - can you spot the bunny in the picture above?

Try it yourself with an unseasonal snowflake application from Make-a-flake. Here's mine.