The Other Thing from the Stitchery

Some kind of crazy-ass suicide note?

Nessun dorma!

I've been trying to think what made me so cranky about my last post, and today, I think I got it while I was listening to NPR. Marty Moss-Coane of Radio Times spoke with Jonathan Safran Foer about his new book, Eating Animals. He read a bit from it where his grandmother was discussing how she survived the Holocaust--eating garbage, eating worse than garbage that she wouldn't talk about, and getting scarce resources from others and trading for something better to eat. Finally, towards the end of the war, a Russian farmer gave her a large piece of meat. "He saved your life," her grandson says. "I didn't eat it," "You didn't eat it?" "It was pork." ..."Not even to save your life?" "If nothing matters, there's nothing to save." Foer's point is that we use our values to draw a line in the sand.

And I guess that's what's so problematic to me about some of the responses I've gotten. I tell you my values and you tell me why they can't be yours. Perhaps I just don't find that helpful.

So enough with the heavy stuff... The Stitchery arrived before I drove up to NH and I threw it in my stitching bag. A couple of things made me turn down the pages to share the utter weirdness with you.

Still more celebrity face in cross-stitch!

For some reason, I think this is even weirder than bad translations of Robert Pattinson's face--and those of other contemporary pop figures-- in cross stitch. I just can't put my finger on it. I'll chew that cud and see what I regurgitate. More tomorrow.

3/50 Continued

Really people? I have to read the FAQ for you?

We've got no place to shop. If you really took a look at the 3/50 concept, you would see that the point is to avoid the big box stores where possible and throw a little money to the independents. I took the idea a step further, perhaps, to suggest that these small stores should be local. When the dude and I sat down to think about where our money went, our thoughts really turned to places within walking distance, but that's just us. My LNS is 40 minutes away. (You'll notice that I did talk about the bead shop, not the needlework store.)

We have a place, but I don't like the stock or the people who work there. Frankly, my blog isn't the place to write about this. A letter to the shop owner is. If you'd like help, I'd be happy to look over what you write. I would let the owner know how much you used to spend there and how much you spend on the internet. I'd also take into consideration the story of one shop owner who wrote her initial business plan based on her own spending, only to find out that people spend way more than she did--like 10 times as much! (Good problem to have.) When I met the woman who spent $900 at camp (and several hundred more per month) I thought I had seen the pinnacle of stitchy spending. Then last year I sat at a table with a woman who spent over $2000 in the store and then had a three page bill when we went to check out on the last day. And she went to camps every month!

More importantly, the 3/50 project says that you should look around at the independents and see which ones you want to survive the economic downturn. It sounds to me like you don't care if they do. So you're fine not spending there. Find three different stores (or restaurants) you would be sad to see go.

I have to get some stuff from the box stores. Here's what the 3/50 FAQ has to say about that. Jennifer wrote about this recently too.

Why should I feel guilty about shopping online? You shouldn't. Unless you like the look of a shuttered downtown.

"I want to try the little shop's camp too" DD, you are going to have to take that up with bestpal. You know how she hates change.

Stella Sunday, part deux

Stella is a mutt, as I have mentioned. People are always asking "what" Stella is.

For my birthday, the dude got me a DNA test for Stella. When I saw that I was going to have to brush her cheek for 30 seconds at some point when she hadn't had food for an hour, I thought it was going to be a long time before that test got sent. But there she was lying there dozing, waiting for her morning walk (after which, food), I figured I should try. She was curious, but let me have my hand in her mouth for a whole 30 seconds. (When we first got her, we could hardly touch her mouth, except when she decided our wrists looked pretty juicy.)

Soon, in the next two weeks in fact, we will learn more about "what" Stella is.

I thought you might like to get in on the guessing. We used the Canine Heritage test, which is not as accurate as a blood test. They only test for 100 breeds and Stella may be something they don't test for. Here are some photos of her particular characteristics.


Ear: little triangles


Snout: sometimes it looks short (left) sometimes it looks long (right)

Tail: Some curl, that's not "just the way she holds her tail." Also, the very end is broken, that's why it looks like it straightens back out at the end. She came that way.


Coloring--notice the white on the rump, "underarms" and underside of the tail. (Who lies half in their bed? How comfortable can that be?)

I have tried to photograph her tongue, which is black and red, to no avail. That may be a red herring (it certainly smells like herring). The internets say that having a multicolored tongue is more like having freckles rather than being indicative of breed.

I should probably mention that she's pretty short. Comes up to my knee. (18-20"--we're guessing here because she is not with us. But I'm sure she's having fun at her sleepaway.)

Some of her bad habits include chasing rabbits, eating gerbils, chewing sticks, digging holes, and relishing her freedom. She also loves to put her paws or her whole head in the water bowl, usually one after the other. She'll fetch a stick, but not a ball. Also she is smart, but stubborn.

People have suggested that she is part lab, chow chow, Shar-pei, Staffordshire terrier (pit bull), and greyhound. Keep in mind they only test for just over 100 breeds. Be sure to check out some crazy ass results, and keep in mind that some mixes will still carry the DNA of their ancient ancestors (Afghan Hound, Chow Chow, Lhasa Apso, Pekingese, Shar Pei, Shih Tzu, Tibetan Terrier, Saluki, Basenji, Akita, Shiba Inu, Samoyed, Siberian Husky and Alaskan Malamute).

Guesses in the comments. The only prize Stella can offer is her love. Although I may be able to find some crap in my mother's house if you insist on it.

I'm Reading!

Back in September, I made a list of books to read and said I was going to finish ten by the end of the year. Well, I've done it! I read a book.

You read that right, one.

Well this is the level of patheticalness that I have reached. At least I've read one, I suppose.

It was Lorrie Moore's new long-awaited novel A Gate at the Stairs. I love Lorrie Moore's short stories; she is one of the most brilliant people writing short stories today. Novel, not so much. It was good. It was much more well written than some of the books on my list are going to be, but I wasn't grabbed by it. About 2/3 of the way through the book--which up until then is about a sort of bland Midwestern college girl--things happen. And they're surprising but they can't carry the hundreds of pages that came before. I am reserving full judgment, however. When I first read Margaret Atwood's Cat's Eye, I hated it. I think that coming-of-age novels have to grow on me. This one may yet.

You See I Got Right On That

Running out the door to start the trip to help my parents with the house (again!), but needed to post. Will respond to comments from yesterday's post tomorrow. Lots to say, I think.

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A mere six days ago, I posted a list of things I planned to do this month. You will notice that "stitch a scissor fob for myself" is decidedly not on the list. But I did it anyway.

When I started it, I looked all over the pattern to see if I stitched with one strand or two. I couldn't find the instructions anywhere, so I went with two. I was nearly finished the front when I realized that I was going to run out of guacamole. That's when I reexamined the instructions and right there, right at the top of the page, one-over-two. D'oh! So I went out and got myself a skein of WDW so I could finish it--because if you're going to start something not one your (overly ambitious) list, you have to finish it. Even if you are not known for your ability to get things done.

Shepherd's Bush 2009 Scissor Fob
Kitted materials

3 50 68 1

I'm just back from the dog park where the "damn dog" has given me agita. There's something wrong with either the hook on her leash or her owner but as we left the gated area, I realized I was holding a leash not attached to a dog. Trouble is, so did the dog. She was off like a shot--running along the creek, running into the creek, running away away away. So much for all that obedience training. When I was trying to find a way around the bunker near the creek so I could reach her, she raced back to the park. One of the men there tried to get her back into the park. When I saw she was hanging around the fence, I went over to the little dog side (now empty) and called her. Then she came to me. I was so mad at her. She's lying here all smug with herself, but man, she stinks like a frickin' sewer. Fortunately, she's going off to the day care center for a long weekend. (She'll have her own room with a tv, so don't feel bad for her.)

The other day I said I'd tell you more about spending money locally, the 3/50 project. The dude and I decided we should do it. We're not spendy-spendersons, so our goal is to spend more of the money that we do spend locally. I think that what really struck me about this project was the idea that for every $100 you spend locally, $68 returns to the community in payroll, taxes, and expenditures. Compared to $43 shopping at a national chain and $0 if you shop online.

The other day, I was at my local bead store and I asked the proprietor, "did you have a chance to order those silk ribbons we were talking about?" We had discussed about a month ago getting neutral silk ribbons to use on the golden bead for my sister. I guess she figured I'd go off and order some off the internet--a practice I bet a lot of small shop owners have to contend with. Especially when you're a small shop, you have to weigh ordering for a customer--especially an occasional customer--with the minimums you are often required to purchase. (This can really drain a store's resources.)

So I told her, the dude and I have decided to stop ordering online. "It's probably safer," she says. "That too," I replied. "But we're trying to make a commitment to support small businesses in the community. The money we spend here stays in the community." You should have seen her face brighten! "Thank you!" she said, "I really appreciate that." Before I left, she was ordering the silk ribbons I was looking for.

It looks like we all win! So think about it, how can you better support the small shops in your area?