Saturday, October 30, 2004 AD Y'Know... Half a box of cinnamon Altoids doesn't really make a very good supper.... Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 10/30/2004 12:40:00 AM
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Friday, October 29, 2004 AD Since I Won't Have Computer Access This Weekend...
The Reformation Polka
Lyrics by Richard Gebel. Sung with gusto (and beer, for those who like the stuff) to the tune of 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.'
When I was just ein junger Mann I studied canon law;
While Erfurt was a challenge, it was just to please my Pa.
Then came the storm, the lightning struck, I called upon Saint Anne, I shaved my head, I took my vows, an Augustinian!
Refrain Oh, papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let's start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!
When Tetzel came near Wittenberg, St. Peter's profits soared,
I wrote a little notice for the All Saints' Bull'tin board:
'You cannot purchase merits, for we're justified by grace!
Here's 95 more reasons, Brother Tetzel, in your face!' (Repeat refrain.)
They loved my tracts, adored my wit, all were exempleror;
The Pope, however, hauled me up before the Emperor.
'Are these your books? Do you recant?' King Charles did demand,
'I will not change my Diet, Sir, God help me here I stand!' (Repeat refrain.)
Duke Frederick took the Wise approach, responding to my words,
By knighting "George" as hostage in the Kingdom of the Birds.
Use Brother Martin's model if the languages you seek,
Stay locked inside a castle with your Hebrew and your Greek! (Repeat refrain.)
Let's raise our steins and Concord Books while gathered in this place,
And spread the word that 'catholic' is spelled with lower case;
The Word remains unfettered when the Spirit gets his chance,
So come on, Katy, drop your lute, and join us in our dance! (Repeat refrain.)
Wednesday, October 27, 2004 AD Spanish Informant Needed I need someone to help me with some Spanish capitalization. I have some headers/titles that were sent to me in all caps and I need to convert them to title case, but I'm not sure what exactly I should capitalize and what should go in lower case. If you can help, please leave a comment, including your e-mail addy. Thanks!
(Actually, I could use a tiny bit of translation help, too -- just an agency name....) Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 10/27/2004 03:31:00 PM
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Monday, October 25, 2004 AD 'Today's Agenda' Check out the to-do list on Carrifex's sidebar header. Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 10/25/2004 02:27:00 PM
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Friday, October 22, 2004 AD A Post of Faith
I've sent Anne another picture, and if she is kind enough to post it in the same place as she posted the other ones, you should see my hat and scarf set above. The photo doesn't do justice to the colors -- very fun pink and purple. I wore them today (with my black ;-) velour mock turtleneck) and they got lots of compliments. Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 10/22/2004 07:01:00 PM
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Links to This Post "You Like Me! You Really Like Me!" I am officially the funniest chick in my agency. And yes, I did use the above line (stolen from a Sally Field acceptance speech), and yes, it did get laughs! Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 10/22/2004 03:19:00 PM
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Thursday, October 21, 2004 AD Wearing Black What do you think of women dressing in black?
A large portion of my wardrobe is black. Here's my small defense of wearing so much of it: First, it's neutral, so if I wear black skirts, jumpers or slacks (I own at least six items in those categories), I can wear a lot of other colors with them, and I can wear a black sweater or jacket (I own three) over just about anything. Shoes are expensive, and I hate shopping for shoes, so they're always going to be black to go with everything. Second, black really is slimming, and I need all the help I can get in that department. Third, it creates a great background for accessorizing -- there are certain scarves and pieces of jewelry that just wouldn't look as good against anything other than a black top (I own at least six). Fourth, I'm a winter, so it's a good color for me. Fifth, it's not all I wear, just probably the most popular color in my wardrobe.
What do you think? Is it dour and unfeminine and unattractive for women to wear all black, or a lot of black? If you are a woman, do you have a lot of black in your wardrobe, and why or why not? Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 10/21/2004 05:09:00 PM
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Links to This Post Fuzzy Crocheted Scarf Patterns This is the pattern for the scarf I posted a picture of the other day. Because of the fuzziness of the yarn, the pattern is very open -- the fuzzies fill in the spaces.
Yarn: 2 balls Patons ChaCha (Salsa)
Hook: Size 10 (J)
Finished scarf is about 5 feet long. I forgot to measure the width, but I'd guess it's about 6 or 7 inches. UPDATE: The width is actually 5 inches. It just looks wider because of the fuzzies.
Ch 25 (final 4 chs count as 1st tr of row 1)
Row 1: turn, tr in 5th ch from hook (21st ch from start), (skip next ch, ch 1, tr in next ch) 9x, tr in next ch. 12 tr and 9 ch 1 sp.
Row 2: turn, ch 5 (counts as first tr + ch 1), (ch 1, tr in next ch 1 sp) 9x, ch 1, tr in next tr. 11 tr and 10 ch 1 sp.
Row 3: turn, ch 4 (counts as first tr), (tr in next ch 1 sp, ch 1) 9x, tr in next ch 1 sp, tr in next tr. 12 tr and 9 ch 1 sp.
Repeat rows 2 and 3 for lenghth of scarf, ending with row 3. Finish off.
I finished another scarf this morning (will try to post a picture tomorrow if I remember and if Mrs. Ivy will be so obliging as to host it) that was a little narrower and longer, but pretty much the same pattern:
Yarn: About 1½ balls Bernat Boa (Doo Doo Bird) (I actually made a hat from part of the second ball, but I'm not sure exactly how much of it.) Hook: Size 10½ (K)
Finished scarf is about 5¾ feet long and about 6 inches wide. (I'll try to remember to measure these things more accurately!) UPDATE: The width is actually 4 inches. It just looks wider because of the fuzzies.
Ch 17 (final 4 chs count as 1st tr of row 1)
Row 1: turn, tr in 5th ch from hook (17th ch from start), (skip next ch, ch 1, tr in next ch) 5x, tr in next ch. 8 tr and 5 ch 1 sp.
Row 2: turn, ch 5 (counts as first tr + ch 1), (ch 1, tr in next ch 1 sp) 5x, ch 1, tr in next tr. 7 tr and 9 ch 1 sp.
Row 3: turn, ch 4 (counts as first tr), (tr in next ch 1 sp, ch 1) 5x, tr in next ch 1 sp, tr in next tr. 8 tr and 5 ch 1 sp.
Repeat rows 2 and 3 for lenghth of scarf, ending with row 3. Finish off.
Please note that wherever possible, you will be crocheting in spaces, not stiches. My first attempt at the first scarf, I tried to work in the stitches and kept missing them because of the fuzziness of the yarn. That's the other reason (besides the stripes) that I tore out and started over. It went much faster after that! Also be sure to start with a very loose chain so it's easier to find and work in the stitches. The Bernat Boa yarn was much easier to work with than the Patons Cha Cha -- easier to find the central thread and not get caught up in the fuzzies.
This is the first time I've ever attempted to actually write out a crochet pattern, so please be merciful re any boo-boos. And no, I'm not going to attempt to write out the hat pattern, but it went kinda like this: ch a chain long enough to go around your head and sl st in 1st ch; Round 1: tr in every other ch; Rounds 2-whatever: sl st in 1st ch 1 sp, ch 4 (counts as first tr), (tr in next ch 1 sp, ch 1) around, skipping a few more ch 1 spaces in each round 'til you've got a hat that fits your head; kinda stitch things together in the center so it doesn't look too doofy; be grateful for fuzzy yarn that keeps it from looking too doofy, 'cuz otherwise it would! Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 10/21/2004 01:30:00 PM
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Wednesday, October 20, 2004 AD I May Need to Move to New Hampshire, Instead I tasted one of the most blissful things I've ever consumed while I was in NH earlier this month -- a pint of Dove Unconditional Chocolate ice cream. And I can't find it anywhere here. I don't know how I shall bear knowing that such a thing exists in this world, and not being able to have it! Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 10/20/2004 01:18:00 PM
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Tuesday, October 19, 2004 AD How Do I Assign a Drive a New Letter Designation? My external hard drive is coming up in My Computer as the H drive. But the H drive is supposed to be a network drive, so now I can't access both of them, which is a Bad Thing, man. I want to rename the hard drive as E (formerly my ZIP drive, which I've now unplugged) or maybe G. I know I've done this in previous versions of Windows. Is it possible in XP? Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 10/19/2004 05:17:00 PM
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Links to This Post It's All Donna's Fault
Well, I guess Jo-ann has to bear part of the blame. But really, after seeing this and this, and then stumbling upon a 60 percent off store moving sale, I can hardly be held responsible for my own actions, can I?
And the First Lady of Encouragement inspired me not only to creativity, but to patience. When I'd gotten about two feet done, and wasn't real happy with it (I expect variegated yarn to produce patterns, but this was almost striped, and not attractively), I thought to myself, "Y'know, if Donna can cheerfully pull out four feet of work and start over, surely I can cheerfully pull out two feet of work and start over." So I did!
The yarn is Patons Cha Cha (Salsa). I used two balls (77 yds each) and the finished scarf is about five feet long.
I also picked up several pattern books for 70 percent off, and then went back last night and snagged some more yarn, including two balls of Bernat Boa (Doo Doo Bird) which is halfway toward becoming another scarf.
This...
...however, is pretty much the product of my own obsession. I crocheted almost constantly on my vacation -- in the car on the way up, in my mother's living room, in the car on the way to Hanover, in the waiting room at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, in my mother's dining room, in the train on the way back, in my bed the night I returned.
And there it's sat since then because I wanted to take a picture of exactly what I got done while vacating. Because of my 'puter problems, I put off posting. Since I still have 'puter problems, dear Anne has been kind enough to host these couple images for me. Now I'm going to rip out the last round and redo it so it will lie a little smoother.
Typically something this size (if you look in the lower right quadrant you can see a quarter for scale) would take me a month or two of fitting in a few minutes of crocheting here and there. But since it's for my mom, I wanted her to be able to see it in progress. She wanted matching doilies for her end tables and had picked out the pattern she wanted, and I was finally getting around to starting it. Unfortunately, because of some water damage on one of the tables, we're not sure if these are going to cover enough of the table, anyway.
Mom had also mentioned that she'd always wanted to make a popcorn stitch bedspread like one of her aunts had had. When I was visiting, she pulled out the one square she'd started years and years ago. It was so old the thread had started to turn yellow! She also had a 70-year-old pattern book (no, the square wasn't quite that old!) in which were three bedspread patterns, one of which particularly caught her fancy. I'll start on that sometime after my move. Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 10/19/2004 11:53:00 AM
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Monday, October 18, 2004 AD On a Happy Note Two people today have said that my weight loss is noticable. Maybe so. Or maybe it's just my outfit, in which case I think I'll wear this every day! Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 10/18/2004 04:19:00 PM
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Links to This Post My Three-Story Billboard Screams, "MATERIALIST!" I took eight huge garbage bags full of clothes and a few other items to Goodwill. Man it's hard for me to let go of stuff! But it's getting easier. One thing that's been helping tremendously is meditating on the fact that I will have all eternity to enjoy any stuff that's actually worth enjoying. Any truly good thing will either exist or be remakable (and even better) in the New Creation. In the meantime, my security is not in formerly favorite clothing that hasn't fit in 10 or 15 or 20 years! Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 10/18/2004 03:16:00 PM
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Friday, October 15, 2004 AD Yay! Babies! Yay! Congrats to ladydusk and lorddusk ;-) on the birth of their baby girl Wednesday. No details yet, but mama and baby are both in the pink! Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 10/15/2004 12:55:00 PM
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Thursday, October 14, 2004 AD Questions Heisted from Rick & Rachel's Temporary Blog (Which Were in Turn Heisted from Elsewhere, So I Don't Feel the Least Bit Guilty) 1. If you were instantly able to play one musical instrument perfectly that you never played before, what would it be?
Piano. No question. My faviddest instrument. I took lessons from 2nd-6th grade, but never learned a thing because I never practiced. I told RC and Denise that I thought Dan Mickool's piano playing at the HSC conference in April was better than the Westminster Brass at the Ligonier conference in March, and they laughed. And probably the Westminster Brass is a group of superior musicians -- I'm not educated enough to tell -- but I'd rather hear a piano any day. One of the great pleasures of worshiping at CREC has been Mike McKenna's playing...with occasional substitution by Angie...rather than FCF's electric bombast, over which you could hear no singing.
2. If you had to have a personal friend redecorate your house, who would you pick to do it?
I think I'd trust my friend Anne (not Anne Ivy...not that I necessarily wouldn't trust Anne Ivy, just that she's not the Anne I had in mind!), who has good color sensibilities and I've asked her advice in the past. In the meantime my redecorating choices for the near future will consist mostly of buying an industrial-size bucket of seller's white paint and going top to bottom with that.
3. If you could adopt one personality trait from someone you know, what would you take, and from whom?
I would love to have my mother's work ethic. Maybe not to her degree of can't-sit-stillness, but definitely her energetic drive to be busy.
4. If you could program the perfect evening of television shows, which ones would you select, and in what order?
6:00 - Leave the TV off
6:30 - Leave the TV off
7:00 - Leave the TV off
7:30 - Leave the TV off
8:00 - Leave the TV off
9:00 - Leave the TV off
10:00 - Leave the TV off
I do not miss television in the least, and do not wish it back!
5. If you were given one hour to spend an unlimited amount of money in any store in the world, where would it be?
I'd go to the most expensive automobile dealership I could find, and buy everything on their lot. Of course then I'd turn around and sell all the vehicles and have a tidy sum to live off of for quite some time. Is that a cheater answer? Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 10/14/2004 01:49:00 PM
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Yet, in a sense, he may have set the tone for the church's demise. He was obviously a man of power, wealth and influence. And that's what has ruled there for as long as I can remember. I never remember godliness or wisdom or biblical knowledge counting for much, only social prestige and good taste. Ironically, what began with the unbiblical legalism of prohibitionism has descended into the unbiblical license of antinomianism. But not so ironically, really. If you set yourself up above God's law, you've set aside God's law, whether you've decided it's too stringent or not stringent enough.
Speaking of presidential candidates, I'm leaning toward not voting at all next month. Kerry is of course out of the question. Bush lost my vote with his "We'll give you taxpayer money to slice and dice these murdered babies, just not any more" decision. And I'm finding more and more to give me pause regarding Peroutka.
P.S. I'd be much more interested in comments regarding the first two paragraphs than the third.... Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 10/12/2004 01:30:00 PM
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Links to This Post Pot Roast Near-Disaster Oops. When the smell of slow-cooking pot roast awakened me this morning and I went down to check on it, I discovered that the crock pot lid was on askew. This is not a good thing to happen. It's edible, but I'm glad I don't have to serve it to anyone but me! Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 10/12/2004 01:27:00 PM
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Monday, October 11, 2004 AD Sounds More Like an Inner-City Storefront Congregation! Among the candidate churches being considered by this week's CRE Presbytery meeting is "The Reformed Church of the Flame of the Holy Spirit." Except for the "Reformed" part, it sounds almost like a typical Baltimore storefront church. Of course then it would have the be "The Church of the Flame of the Holy Spirit Revival House of Worship and Prayer Ministries, Inc" or some such thing. Makes me curious about the congregation's history and whereabouts, but I'm guessing Eastern Europe is more likely than an East Baltimore 'hood. Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 10/11/2004 02:42:00 PM
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Links to This Post As Goes the Temperature, So Goes My Hair The best part of falling autumn mercury is getting to let my hair down after several months of get-this-fur-blanket-off-my-neck ponytails and buns. The freedom of letting loose my two and a half feet of follicular glory helps me bear the bondage of having to wear closed-toed shoes again! Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 10/11/2004 02:14:00 PM
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Links to This Post News of a High Degree of Excellence My dear friends Mark and Sarah have a new call in Dayton (making Barb the object of my envy for her proximity thereunto!) and their house settlement came off without a hitch on Friday after several near-miss contracts over the past year.
A few months ago the Carys' daughter, Elisabeth, made her brother, Paul, an EGEATP bracelet, which, I am told, he wears regularly. The family has for years been an example to me of people who actually believe that Everything's Going Exactly According to Plan. They live with confident trust in the beneficent sovereignty of God, and the past year's difficult church situation/job search/home selling drama has been a vivid backdrop in which to see that trust in action.
The Divine Playwright also serves as a masterful Set Designer for His productions. Every motivation of our lives should be to honor His theatrical accomplishments with an extravagance that makes naught of the Emmys, Oscars, Tonys, and Golden Globes combined.
I can't always manage such an attitude, but at moments like this, when I've seen one of His trillion trillion trillion plays within The Grand Play reach a hoped-for resolution, I can muster enough faith to praise Him for things yet unresolved: Glory be to God for my broken computer! For my work frustrations! For the slowness of my moving progress! For challenging contractor issues! For singleness and barrenness! For all manner of past pains and present perplexities! Alleluia. alleluia, alleluia!
I'm reminded of how I felt on the day I wrote about in this post -- a hardly describable giddy grasp of the truth that He should be worshiped without ceasing at all times and in all circumstances. (BTW, the book alluded to in that post was Almighty Over All -- read it if you haven't.) It's not often that I feel the goodness of that truth, so I'm relishing it while I do! Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 10/11/2004 01:48:00 PM
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Links to This Post As Close As I'll Get to Political Blogging I found this highly amusing! (Link from The Dawn Patrol) Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 10/11/2004 11:39:00 AM
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Links to This Post Alas, Bobber, No Dilithium Crystals I am currently the proud owner of two small but functioning fans, as the new power supply runs those, but doesn't seem to do anything else -- no monitor, no keyboard. So I've hauled the whole thing back to the office again for the IT guy to have another go at it. I suppose I'll get this thing fixed exactly when I'm s'posed to, and not a minute sooner! Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 10/11/2004 10:53:00 AM
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Friday, October 08, 2004 AD I'm So Happy I Could Cry! My new power supply was delivered at 12:07, according to the UPS tracking site. By 2:00 I got impatient and went hunting for the mail guy. By 2:20 the IT guy had gotten it installed and, after a few harrowingly suspenseful tries, finally got my computer running. My baby is alive again! I believe in the resurrection of the dead! I'd better shut up now before I get too carried away.... Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 10/08/2004 02:34:00 PM
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Thursday, October 07, 2004 AD Something to Think About 'Til I Get Around to Blogging About My Vacation I recently added The Hidden Art of Homemaking to my Amazon wish list when it was mentioned on somebodyerother's blog. What other books in the domestic genre would you SAHBBEs* recommend? Specifically, I am looking for titles that will be encouraging to me as I try to tame the chaos. I want more theoretical than practical, i.e., more "take dominion over your domicile" or "people should be able to tell that your home is inhabited by a woman rather than a gang of slacker frat boys" and less "10 tips to organizing your kitchen cabinets" or "how to make your whole bathroom sparkle in three minutes flat." And although books written specifically for wives would be OK, if they're so focused on marital roles that they can hardly be applied by a single chick, then I'll probably find them discouraging.
Also, suggestions on the broader topic of femininity would be welcome, with the same caveat. I recently read (skimming more and more as it progressed) a book that purported to be about applying Proverbs 31 as a single woman. Unfortunately, I found the book poorly written and the author's hermeneutical skills sadly lacking. But it made me want to read something better along the same lines.
*stay-at-home bon-bon eaters, of course! ;-) And non-SAHBBEs are welcome to respond, too. Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 10/07/2004 09:15:00 PM
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Friday, October 01, 2004 AD Vacating the Premises I'm heading to NH tonight to visit my mommy and see the pretty leaves. Of all the times I've traveled there -- more than 30, I'm sure -- I've never made it to see the foliage, and it should be at its peak in the next few days. Woo-hoo! I'm planning to worship at Jaffrey OPC on Sunday. I'll be back online Thursday. Don't have too much fun without me! Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 10/01/2004 05:40:00 PM
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