Let's get this thing going!

OK, I am actually going to make the entry to the blog-world. This.time.for.real.

Recent pictures and travels

Last week I went to the hottest, dryest place on earth. OK, really I just went to Palm Springs, two deserts west of where I live. However, not all deserts are created equal; this one was especially hot at 118 degrees.

This was a conference for the Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies curriculum conference. For those of you interested the curriculum is an awesome thing for teaching problem solving, critical thinking and introducing students to technology, science, math and engineering problems. The 13 module course is developed for K-12 students, but we've adapted it and added to it for college freshmen and at-risk freshmen in engineering. The curriculum utilizes teams to for project-based learning. Modules allow students to tackle engineering, manufacturing, business and science problems.

It appears that if you are from Detroit, MI (as the Ford people are) you are given the desire to spend your summer time in really hot places. Conference has been held in San Antonio, TX, Louisville, KY and Phoenix, AZ in the recent past. All places known for heat or heat AND humidity. Now, I grew up in the land of air that requires gills for the humidity, but I've learned that my body needs NO humidity to remain happy during summer. However I have managed to have fun at every one of these conferences.

Palm Springs is a funny place, there are more country clubs per square mile than I've ever seen in my life. I'm pretty sure there were two country clubs for each adult in town. And of course, the country clubs and gated communities all boasted their own golf course. It cracked me up to see a gated mobile home country club community with palm trees for shade and golf carts for transportation.

The Rancho Las Palmas resort was nice. I had a hair appointment and Rog did a great job with the color. I'm now a brunette for the first time in my life and there are the cutest platinum highlights!

I took a half-day side trip on my own and visited Joshua Tree National Park. Not only was I impressed with the views, the strange vegatation and the preservation of such a tiny corner of the desert and how truly fragile it is, but I was a little self-impressed. OK, I know that sounds really snooty, but I don't mean it that way. I've not been known for taking personal risk as an adult, but I went into the real, scarey, people-die-here-desert by my self!

OK, not so scarey details: air-conditioned rental car, cell phone in hand, map on passenger seat and I did NOT leave the road or immediate shoulder area. Scarey details: I had NO water, a 1/2 tank of gas and no cell phone service. As I drove out of Twenty-nine Palms, it struck me that I had not thought about my trip before embarking. Oh well, thanks be that I came out ok, well-hydrated, and comfortably cool.

On the craft and knitting front

I haven't been in the "mood" for scrapbooking. I'm afraid it's because I just haven't been taking pictures lately. There's only so many pictures I can take of the dogs or the bird and I've scrapped just about every daily activity possible, including making my Mimi's pecan pie recipe.

It seems that I must accept the fact that I have craft ADD.

In the last two years I've fallen completely and totally in love with fiber crafts. I've always had an affinity for fiber. Does everyone still have cross-stitch pieces I've done? By the way, if you are tired of them, I will not be offended at all. I just like spreading the crafty love around while I'm obsessing on a particular craft.

I have played with knitting and crochet in the past, but I'd never been able to afford good yarn. When you can buy the nice stuff....oh.my.goodness it totally changes how you feel about the craft. Knitting is so cool because you are actually creating fabric and said fabric flows forth from your needles....how cool is that? I'm also fascinated with socks and have begun a mission to sock everyone in my family in yummy, sproingy socks.

I will add pictures of knitted items as I work on them. I will keep some of them as small detail photos so someone-who-shall-remain-nameless, oh heck, it's easier to just name her....Sara... will not be able to figure out everyone's Christmas presents.