HAPPY!

I'm putting SRHS to bed this weekend and am going to revel in my excitement! :)

Two Announcements:

1) I'm going to be an aunt again! My sister, Denise, is having a baby in February.

Different baby projects have been dancing through my head and one that I definitely want to tackle is Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket. I'm thrilled! Denise? She's nervous and happy. Denise stated [to paraphrase], "When this baby's 16 years old and learning to drive, I'll be 52!"


Denise, this photo's for you: (ROTFLMAO)

2.) The Sedalia Spring Fiber Festival is May 16, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Freeman Exchange

And Mr. Stump replied to my last message with the following:

QUOTE

Please contact my secretary to set up an appointment. I feel that all your questions can be answered in a much more adequate manner in a face to face meeting. Thank you for your concern.

END QUOTE


Not wanting to be deterred, I e-mailed Ken Freeman Ministries:

Messsage No. 4:

Hi Dana,

Pastor Rick was my contact (senior pastor) or Morgans Baptist Church :)

Thanks!
Blessings:)Deondra

Message No. 3:

On Thu, Aug 28, 2008 at 3:20 PM, <clansoltan@aol.com> wrote:
Hello Deondra,
Thank you for your message. If I may inquire, who is your contact at Morgan's Baptist? Again, thank you!
Dana Soltani

Reply No. 2:

-----Original Message-----
From: Ken Freeman Ministries <booking@kenfreeman.com>
To: clansoltan@aol.com
Sent: Thu, 28 Aug 2008 4:14 pm
Subject: Re: Not Sure

Hi Dana,
Sorry for any confusion. My name is Deondra and I do Ken's booking events. I have only been in contact with Morgan Baptist Church. The contact that I have from Morgan Baptist Church was able to get Ken into the high school. I wasn't familiar with the name of that high school, but am familiar with Morgan Baptist Church, because that has been my contact. My apologies for the miscommunication:) Have a wonderful day! Blessings:) Deondra

Message No. 2:

On Thu, Aug 28, 2008 at 2:57 PM, clansoltan@aol.com wrote:
Good afternoon,
You spoke at SRHS of Moneta, VA on Monday, August 25th (three days ago). Again, you cannot recall the name of the person who invited you to the school? The school, itself, did not appear on your calendar of events so I would assume that sometime, recently, during your tenure with Morgan Baptist Church, you were invited to appear at SRHS. Thank you,Dana Soltani

Reply No.1:

-----Original Message-----
From: Ken Freeman Ministries booking@kenfreeman.com
To: clansoltan@aol.com
Sent: Thu, 28 Aug 2008 2:28 pm
Subject: Not Sure
Hi Dana,
I'm not sure where this high school or whom specifically requested a speaking date at this school. Thanks!


Message No. 1:
Name: Dana Soltani
Email: clansoltan@aol.com
Message: When you have an opportunity, would you please give me the name of the individual who invited you to Staunton River High School? Thank you.


***Yesterday evening, I e-mailed Pastor Rick at the church asking the name of the "inviter" (assuming that's a word).*** Nothing yet.

More Dialogue

Dear Mr. Stump,

Personally, I feel it is of the utmost importance to know exactly what was said during Mr. Freeman's speech. Bearing that in mind and if I may ask, who, precisely, invited Mr. Freeman to SRHS? Secondly, would that individual be able to ask Mr. Freeman for a copy of his speech? Was Mr. Freeman's speech reviewed by anyone prior to the assembly? Approximately how many times did Mr. Freeman reference is web site, www.KenFreeman.com in his speech to the best of your recollection?

Dana Soltani

-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Stump <rstump@bedford.k12.va.us>
To: clansoltan@aol.com
Sent: Thu, 28 Aug 2008 9:39 am
Subject: RE: Re:

I am sorry to say that we did not have it taped nor did we take official notes but at no time was religion interjected into this presentation. He did make the statement that he not only spoke at high schools but also prisons, camps and that on the next 3 days he would be speaking at a local church. He stated that he had to have faith and believe in himself to make it through what he did as a child. I would like to welcome you to set up an appointment with my secretary to meet if you wish. Thanks you for your comments and your concern.

Let the Dialogue Begin...

Good morning Mr. Stump,

I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this inappropriate speech with you. Sweeping the subject of religion to the side, I do not like the fact that Mr. Freeman's speech addressed, rape, pedophilia and alcoholism. Would you you feel comfortable if a total stranger approached your child and introduced the topics of sodomy or drug addiction without your prior knowledge or consent? Of course not. I feel that the trust I placed in SRHS has been betrayed.

The best way for me to be fully informed is to see or read the speech myself. Was it videotaped? Do you have a copy of the text? If so, may I have a one? I do understand that the principal topic of discussion was "choices." However, when I read the following comment by SRHS teacher, Danielle Plomaritas, on Mr. Freeman's guestbook, I was left with the impression that faith played a role too. QUOTE:

Ken, I heard you speak at Staunton River High School today. The Lord touched me and the kids. Thank you so much for coming. Your message was exactly what we needed to start our year. I cannot convey how moving your testimony was and how the Lord is using you. Please keep doing what you are doing, the Lord is saving lives through your ministry! END QUOTE

I look forward to your reply,
Dana Soltani

-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Stump rstump@bedford.k12.va.us
To: clansoltan@aol.comSent: Thu, 28 Aug 2008 7:57 am
Subject: RE:

I am sorry that you were misinformed about our guest speaker. He is simply Ken Freeman. He spoke about choices and how they change your life. He did not speak about religion in anyway. This meesage relates to our "Be an 11". The idea that you are repnsible for your actions and that if the appropriate choices are made then the consequences will not be present. I am sorry that you do not feel that this presenter was appropriate and would be happy to speak to you at your convenience.

School Daze

Dear Superintendent Blevins, Principal Stump et al,


Last year, Staunton River High School made headline news throughout the United States due to the unfortunate MRSA-related death of one of its own, Ashton Bonds. I, like many other parents and county residents, was stricken by the loss and hoped for an infinitely less painful school year in 2009.

You have already disappointed me. My son came home from his first day in high school describing a guest speaker, Minister Ken Freeman. In his speech, Freeman addressed a variety of topics to include the rape of his then five year old sister and his mother's alcoholism. How is this school appropriate? What is a minister doing in a public school?

Let me make this point crystal clear. You keep a clean, germ-free, non-MRSA infected school. I and I alone will watch out for my son's soul.

Shame on you!

Dana Soltani

[End Note: I cc'ed the ACLU, CNN, the Washington Post, and others on that message].

Bits & Pieces

Bits & Pieces....that's what I've been up to lately as there's been a variety of things going on.

• School. My son, Skander, is entering high school and my daughter, Andie, is going into the eighth grade. There's supplies, clothing, haircuts, new glasses and assorted crises to include, "OH MY GOD, I don't want Ms. So-n-So for gym. Mom, you have to change my schedule right now."

• Knitting Projects. I finished Larry's felted slippers and I loved the fiber I used, Wool Pak of New Zealand. What I don't love is that I forgot to put a second, knitted sole on one of the slippers. Arrrrghhhh. In a nutshell, I have two different slippers; one has a thick, squishy sole and the other has a thin sole. Needless to say, I have to redo a slipper and will be picking up another skein of Wool Pak at Knitters Knook this weekend.
  
  
• Needle Project. Have you seen the "The Circular Solution" before? I've always thought that the idea was brilliant, but I didn't care much for its looks. Their idea was to use a regular hanger and hang your needles in the closet. See the below.....

• I wanted a needle hanger that I could hang where I knit. Something a little prettier than the original. With the help of my neighbor, who's a retired Saks Fifth Avenue [from the actual Saks store on Fifth Avenue in NY] seamstress, I got this.....
  

I bought some heart-shaped mini quilt dowels, some tapestry-like, heavy fabric and Muriyea did the sewing. In exchange for the sewing, I'm knitting a baby blanket for her first grandchild (once we know the gender) and teaching her to knit too. We're "trading skills" as it were.

• Stash Project. The stash has moved out of the laundry basket and onto shelving. I've got this little "knit center/corner" thing going on in the living room.
  

The focus and flash aren't working well on my camera anymore. I need to ship it off and get it fixed (festival season will be starting soon).

"Shear Spirit" was a birthday gift from Dianne. It's a "yarn pilgrimage" book and pictures are amazing. I love it & thank you so much Dianne!

Lara brought me this sweet sheep from her Maine vacation and it's now the centerpiece of the coffee table. Thank you Lara! :)

Yes, little by little, the family is being run out of the living room and the knitting is taking over. Muhahahaha.

Vacation Knits

My vacation was wonderful! I spent a whole week just relaxing and visiting with my sister, her two sons and my father. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures (I was too "into the moment" to even think of it).

We swam at the lake, went out to dinner, played miniature golf and simply "hung out" together. Quantity & quality time at its best. :D

I did get a bit of knitting done during my time off. I finished Austin's second square for the RVSpinKnit blanket that's being made for him. If case you didn't know, Austin was badly burned in an accident and is now in the Shriner's Hospital of Ohio. His mother, Christina, is in the RVSpinKnit group.

(P.S. Many thanks to Becky at Knitters Knook for the Mission Falls!)

I worked on my Dragon Scales a little bit and...

knitted up a new pair of slippers/clogs!



These slippers are for Larry. Larry, too, was injured in a recent fire and is the spouse of another RVSpinKnit member, Diana. I understand from one of Diana's posts that Larry had a pair of felted slippers and actually wore a hole through them. At the time of this photo, I had only finished one, but now, both clogs are done and I'll be felting them tonight.

I bought the yarn at Knitters Knook and it's wonderful. It's "Wool Pak" in the "Bracken" colorway.

FYI: Nikki & Pam have organized a raffle to benefit both Austin & Larry. The details (and the wonderful prizes) can be found on Ravelry/R.V.S.K. Raffle.

Invasion/Vacation

My father arrived last night and my sister and her children will be arriving tomorrow for a week here at the lake. It's a clan vacation! :)

Knitting & Reading

It's been a busy two weeks since I last posted. I've been knitting furiously (but enjoyably), reading voraciously and running the kids around constantly. Quiet, relaxing summer? I think not. :)

Andie had been saying for a while that she wanted a "serious" haircut - - something along the lines of "much shorter." Her father and I were pretty dubious, thinking she might regret it after the fact, but we were wrong. This past Saturday, Andie and I were cruising Roanoke, getting some things done, while Skander was busy with his card tournament. While at the mall, we went into a local salon and Andie got a great haircut & styling. (Then we had to buy a flat iron so that she could do it herself at home).



So much hair was cut, in fact, that we were able to donate the ponytail to Locks of Love, an organization that makes wigs for children in need. (Yes, her hair is naturally that curly).



Finally, some knitting content. My Bev Galeskas "Pure & Simple" baby blanket is 90% done. It's huge, but it'll keep Gabrielle warm when she arrives in September. Once I finish this, I'll be back on my Dragon Scales shawl.



And finally, I found these napkins at a friend's house and laughed hysterically. I've been running across Dorothy Parker quotes a lot lately, so I finally visited the library and checked out "The Portable Dorothy Parker" and have been enjoying that enormously.

Have a great week everyone!

Pictures & Presents

Look at what arrived in the mail! Julie sent me a beautiful alpaca mug (which Andie tried, unsuccessfully, to commandeer). It's adorable and thank you so much Julie!

Yesterday, I hit the Knitters Knook 40% off sale. I was in the parking lot, waiting & knitting, when Becky pulled up to open the shop. We sat, talked, laughed and carried on for two wonderful hours; it was a ball and I had such a great time. Thank you Becky!

I also squeezed in a couple of purchases (imagine that!) and here's what I bought:

Cascade Yarns EcoWool (Here's my avalanche hat yarn Julie).

And five skeins of Encore Colors. This is going to be a baby blanket for Gabrielle (my friends, Jen & Mark's, little girl due in September).

Here's my last Sedalia souvenir. This is a Nana Sadie Rose knitting tote, the "Mavis", to be specific. When I went to the Sedalia Fiber Festival, I said that if I bought only one thing for myself, it would be one of Nana Sadie Rose's bags. I picked it up Sunday at Becky's and I love it!

Here's the inside of the bag. See the big blue pocket on the left? That's the pattern pocket! There are pockets galore and so much space. I think I just found a new fetish. LOL :)

Punk Knitting & WWKIP

I read this article on Angie's blog and had to pirate it and bring it here.

Funny? Absurd? Offensive? You decide.

Start Article:

Punk knitting: Has youth culture gone mad?

Steven Wells reports on how alternative culture has ditched rebellion for cross-stitch patterns and bobble hats

Saturday June 14, 2008
guardian.co.uk


So this is how punk ends - not with a bang but with a jumper. Today, all over the world, thousands of punks, goths, emos and other ferociously tattooed, face-pierced miscreant bastard folk-devil scum will take to the streets to protest their disgust with war, oppression and bourgeois conformity by crocheting hideous green twat-hats with stupid ear flaps.
I'm talking about World Wide Knit in Public Day. Which, by its very name, suggests that knitting is a sordid and disgusting practice best done behind locked doors and drawn curtains. Which it is.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On at least four continents muscular youths possessed of the sort of surly disposition and fashionable facial disfigurements that persuade old folks to cross the street, muttering under their mint-humbugged breath about the return of national service, will be sat in parks and on street corners, cheerfully nattering to one another and churning out skull-festooned jumpers that proclaim the need for anarchy. The sickening truth is that knitting is hip - and Western youth culture is knitting its own death shroud.
This decade's mods and rockers don't cluster at Brighton and Hastings for fisticuffs. Instead they mail each other patterns for socks. Which in some ways is obviously an improvement, granted. But, blow me, nobody's going to be making a movie about it in 20 years time. They even have their own knitting Woodstock, called (oh God oh God oh God) Woolfest.

In every bookshop in Christendom there are sections dedicated to the nauseating premise that arts and crafts are edgy and alternative. They are ram-packed with punk-chick adorned books with edgy titles like Stitch'n'Bitch and Anticraft (subtitled "Knitting, beading and stitching for the slightly sinister.")

We've gone from screaming for anarchy, rocking against racism, storming the US Embassy and picketing recruiting offices, tuning in and dropping out and rutting like pigs on Viagra to taking up the favourite hobby of senile old grannies everywhere and declaring it radical. Which was hilarious for about five seconds about five years ago.

The knitting craze is the death of both alternative culture and feminism. But it's even worse that that. Scratch a knitter - discover a Knit Nazi. Like the Nazis, alternative knitters have no sense of humour.

The last time I claimed in print that the concept of radical knitting is as absurd as radical dusting or radical toilet cleaning, I received hysterical and barely literate death threats from the ferocious, fanatical, froth-gobbed and swivel-eyed knit Nazi massive. This time I suspect I might not survive.

Nonetheless, the truth must be stated. Germaine Greer didn't articulate her disgust with women's oppression by knitting a lavender and yellow toilet-roll holder. Dr Martin Luther King Jr didn't say: "I have a dream ... set of place mats that I crocheted using a pattern I got from a magazine." Jimi Hendrix didn't take to the stage at Woodstock wearing a nice orange and puce cardigan (with a reindeer on it) that he made using a job-lot of wool he got at a jumble sale. And Sid Vicious didn't crotchet his own stupid mock-Tibetan hippy-dippy ear-flapped bobble hats. And neither should you. If you need a hobby, take up spitting.

End Article.

And then, for a lark, I googled and found these books.

Warning - - BIG BRAGGING ALERT

Check out this e-mail exchange and see why I'm grinning from ear-to-ear:

Message No. 1:

-----Original Message-----
From: Ashley Stultz
To: Alexander Soltani
Sent: Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:23 pm
Subject: One more Email

Parents, Guardians, and Students:

Hope your summer is going GREAT so far. I really enjoyed working with you and your child this year. I wish you all the best of luck next year at the high school. On Friday after all of the students left I was informed that Math SOL scores were in. If you would like to know your child's score, please send me an email.

Thanks again for everything!

Ashley Stultz

©º°¨¨°º©©º°¨¨°º©©º°¨¨°º©©º°¨¨°º©©º°¨¨°º©©º°¨¨°º©
Ashley Stultz
Bedford County Public Schools


Message No. 2:

-----Original Message-----
From: clansoltan@aol.com
Sent: 6/10/2008 1:53:00 PM
To: astultz
Cc:
Subject: Re: One more Email

Hi Mrs. Stultz,

I would very much like to know Alex's score when you have the opportunity to e-mail it. Likewise, thank you too for all of your informative e-mails throughout the year; I greatly appreciated them.

Best regards,

Dana Soltani


Message No. 3:

-----Original Message-----
From: Ashley Stultz
To: clansoltan@aol.com
Sent: Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:42 pm
Subject: RE: Re: One more Email

Alex scored a 600!! Please congratulate him for me!!

Thanks


Message No. 4: (Yes, I am an ignorant fool.)

-----Original Message-----
From: clansoltan@aol.com
Sent: 6/11/2008 10:01:00 AM
To: astultz
Cc:
Subject: Re: One more Email

Thank you! I will definitely pass your congratulations on to Alex. Now, if you don't mind me asking - - where does a "600" rank? "Pass Advanced" or "Pass Proficient"?

Any scores he made are due to your skills as a teacher, so congratulations to you too!!

Dana

Message No. 5:

A 600 is a perfect score. You cannot score any higher!

Thanks!

End Note: Well, he didn't get it from me. I managed to fail Algebra not once, but twice.

And again...more festival photos :)

I thought I'd share the last few festival photos I've collected from various festival participants. Have a great weekend everyone!


Carpoolknitter & Son
w/Overlook Manor Farm's Collie


Rosie again




Jadielady on the left and Careynev in the center!


Sedalia's View

Peace Fleece

At long last, I've found it!

Almost a year ago, my dear friend and fellow blogger, Marianne, gifted me a skein of Peace Fleece ("Kamakatchka" colorway) for my birthday. This past Christmas, my sock sister, Dianne, gave me another two skeins in the same color. I've been sitting on these three skeins, alternately hoarding and petting them, waiting for the perfect pattern to come along. I didn't want to knit just anything with them and was waiting for a pattern that "moved me." I found that pattern on Ravelry last week.

With all the festival planning in recent months, there was very little time for knitting, so this weekend was a double treat. I cast on the Peace fleece and knitted to my heart's content. It felt so good to have needles in hand again, as well as to work with this wonderful fiber that came from even more wonderful friends.

Meet my "Dragon Scales Shawl"....

Festival Goodies :)

I both purchased and received wonderful festival goodies from Sedalia. Below is Cascade's EcoWool from the Knitters Knook booth. I plan on using it to make a Barbara Prime stuffed bunny.

Andie and I both purchased a Studio 43 Pottery pendant by local artist, Sonya Forte.

Dianne and Linda surprised me with this wonderful gift! It's Socks That Rock in the "Hard Rock" colorway. The photo doesn't do the colors justice; it's gorgeous!

Three skeins of Takhi Scoured Irish Donegal tweed also came home. I cast on a very simple triangular shawl (the Lion Brand pattern).

My big purchase, which is being made now, is a Nana Sadie Rose knitting bag. I ordered a "Mavis" to be exact. I had been wanting one of Sallee's bags for over a year and I'm really looking foward to receiving it. When it's finished, I'll take a picture and upload it. Her bags are INCREDIBLE.

And last, but certainly not least, these beauties arrived at work Tuesday morning. They knocked my socks off; I've never received flowers at work and it was such an aweseome treat! THANK YOU DIANNE!

More festival shots to follow soon. Have a great weekend everyone!

Festival Photos

I'm pirating and posting the photographs of other people right now. I didn't have the time to take any myself. As soon as I have a chance, I'll photograph my festival purchases/presents and add them to the blog.

Here are some of the highlights:

Rosie, the lamb. She was as friendly as a pound puppy and suckled fingers. She's a Border Leicester/Cormo cross and the photographer, Careynev, described her as the "quintessential sheep." Andie and I had the pleasure of bottle feeding a couple of lambs Saturday morning. :D

WovenGems, one of our vendors. Diane's alpaca was amazing!
And Dianne, the M.C. She, too, was amazing and did such a great job! She entertained, called raffle winners, pointed out vendor locations and was just PHENOMENAL.

Mosaic Yarn Shop was another vendor and they had some beautiful yarns!Linda & Michelle - - they ran the table and the festival all day. They, too, were positively amazing! To top it off, Linda and her husband, Jim, and their grandson helped pack up multiple vendors.

Studio 43 Pottery - Andie and I bought ourselves a lovely pendant.

It was an amazing day! More to follow soon....

Eight Days to Go and...

... still not stressed. Everything's coming up roses and I'm so excited! :)

Temporarily Closed for Festival Planning

As the Sedalia Fiber Festival gets closer, I'm going to be very busy and probably not blogging at all. I do plan to keep up with your blog(s) and I'll be back after the 24th of May! See you then.

P.S. Here's what I will NOT turn into over the next three weeks.

Celtic Festival Survivors

Andie and I and a few of her friends spent part of Saturday at the Sedalia Celtic Festival. It was our first Celtic event. There were several jewelry vendors and they had some amazing pieces for sale. Another interesting feature was the clothing; we couldn't help but gawk at the period costumes and "Xena Warrior Princess" apparel. One vendor said, explaining the Xena-wear, "What's England without a few Vikings?" At the end of our visit, we were pummeled by both rain and hail and came home soaked to the skin, but we did have a good time.

When we returned to the house, it was hot showers, warm clothing and a "survivor photo."



P.S. The kids say that they are not Emo. They just like "different." On the knitting front, I'm on my last skein of my sister's Feather & Fan. As soon as it's done, I'll post a photo.

Have a great week everyone!

Young American Teens

As a public service, I am publishing the following instruction manual for my forty-something peers. I hope you enjoy today's lessons.

Lesson No. 1: Emo (pronounced /ˈiːmoʊ/) is a style of rock music which describes several independent variations of music with common stylistic roots. As such, use of the term has been the subject of much debate. In the mid-1980s, the term emo described a subgenre of hardcore punk which originated in the Washington, D.C. music scene. Starting in the mid-1990s, the term emo began to refer to the indie scene that followed the influences of Fugazi, which itself was an offshoot of the first wave of emo. (Many thanks for Wikipedia for the definition).

Lesson No. 2: Yes, all of your son & daughter's friends look like this (and so does your child).

Lesson No. 3: Yes, they have changed their appearances since becoming teens.

Our son looked liked this several years ago:

Now he's striving to look like this photo.


Lesson No. 4: Remember that you are not alone and more importantly...

Lesson No. 5: Remember your own past. ;^)