The Far and Boundless Sea

That is what I will be crossing in a week as I begin my completely unexpected move from Japan and back to Idaho. Well, not unexpected so much as a year early. Still, I am running around like mad trying to wrap up my affairs here. Last night I had dinner with my last classes of students. It was fun, but my head tells me this morning that the water glass of shoju combined with the two beers I drank was a bit over the top. I actually thought it was water ... until the third gulp ... my friends loved it.


I know that I have been remiss in posting about my trip to China with the Daughter. It was wonderful,sad, and scary. If you would like to see why real Communism (vs. the theoretical type) cannot work ... go there and see for yourself. I have truly never seen a people so beaten down and so hopeless. I also saw some of the most amazing architectural wonders on earth.


OK ... I was looking for my pictures from the Great Wall and cannot find them. This is the oldest tea house in Shanghai. It was wonderful and right by the Yu Gardens which were amazing.

I will try to find the rest of the pictures and post those in a week or so.

Peking was the most depressing for me. I truly feel that China may become a world economic power only because it is so willing to let anyone with two cents to rub together exploit their people for them. And the U.S. is right at the front of the line. Followed by Russia, France and everyone else seeking the way to cheap and unaccountable labor.
Enough on that front ... more on China soon.

In knitting I am still where I was last time on the sock. It's embarrassing, I know. I am checking daily to see if the new IK is in at the book store. I am hoping that they may have changed the format (again) back to where the pattern is all right there with the pictures. We shall see.
But the object of my desire is the pattern for the men's sweater by Jared Flood of the blog Brooklyntweed fame. It is called Cobblestone Pullover and I think this may be the sweater that my son gets for Christmas. I have some beautiful black-shot-with-silver roving from one of the lambs last year that I think I will spin up. I think it will work out nicely. Plus I have like fifty giant balls of roving that I have to get to spinning or I will be sleeping in the barn. I did send some to a friend (read poor unsuspecting cyber friend who has never met me and therefor cannot hunt me down to return them) and he seems quite pleased with his spinning results. I do love lambs wool which is so light and springy.

The moon peeking in

Having such dreams ... I cry out

The crickets answer.