Late Breaking Leap Day News!

I'm an Aunt! Carolyn and David welcomed Dawson Elliott tonight at 8:06 p.m. He was 8-1/2 pounds and 22-1/2 inches long. That's a lot of baby out of five foot Carolyn. She had to have a C-section but all is well tonight. Dawson makes for a total of eight nieces and nephews on the Robar side. Here's a fun photo of Dad David from a party last year. I think he'll be a make a fabulous papa for Dawson. We're supposed to have a shower for Carolyn next Sunday. Let's see if she'll be up to it.

Think about how much money we'll save only having to buy this little dude birthday presents every four years!

High School Dilemma

OK, I want Hannah to go to Liggett and she wants to go to Mercy. Now what? Should I let a 13-year old make the decision because only she knows what will suit her best? Or should Dan and I overrule?

The freshman Liggett girl who gave Hannah her "shadow day" experience told her she hated the school. Obviously, the Admissions Office did not pick the best ambassador to answer all of Hannah's questions. I've tried to point out to my lovely daughter all the wonderful people we know that go there but she won't hear it. I think I am going to have Alex from church or Emmanuelle from St. Clare call Hannah this weekend.

Mercy is just too far. Twenty-seven miles each way is ridiculous. There is no bus so it would be up to Dan and I (and the Barrows) to get the girls there everyday in rush hour.

Or, she can just go to Cass with her brother! How easy would that be?

Asheville!

Ro and I leave tonight for our annual trek to the Arts & Crafts Conference in Asheville, North Carolina. My fabulous Mom is going to hang with the kids. Woo hoo!

Our Sanitorium

Ro is down in the clay studio all the time. But look who was helping him??

Bad Weather, Ha!

Don't you love those days when the weather dudes predict "storm team" conditions and it turns out to be the total opposite? Today was supposed to be freezing rain followed by snow. Well, I just got back from a run and it was dry on the pavement and 40 degrees. Sure, it rained a little this morning and made the snow that was there turn to slush but it was more of an irritation than anything else. Definitely not horrible conditions.

Hannah and I went over to the Detroit Institute of Arts after church. What a nice afternoon. They just remodeled the building and while I loved the old place, the improvements are pretty spectacular. We had a great lunch in the Cafe and then toured the modern and contemporary art (her favorite!). I saw the biggest tapestry in my life that covered a 10 foot wall. I can't imagine how long that must have taken the artist. We only stayed an hour or two so it was perfect. Where were the guys, you say? Where else? The Boat Show. Spring is coming, as they keep reminding me.

I have the day off tomorrow. What will I do? This is such a strange feeling.

My Hat-Inspired Blanket Is On the Loom

I went over to CCS after work tonight to fix my warp so I can weave like a maniac tomorrow at class. (I had cut a few of my warps shorter than the others so I had to replace them. Ugh!) I like the pattern but boy will I use a lot of yarn to weave a 42 x 80 blanket. The yarn is a merino wool so it is nice and soft.


It sure is pleasant weaving over there at night. While I'm cussing at the yarn, I work out all the world's problems.

I have slight guilt feelings about my CCS peace. Hannah's guitar school had a recital tonight. Her teacher didn't think her piece was ready so she didn't play. But she wanted to go. The thought of sitting there through a bunch of strangers' kids playing "Stairway to Heaven" on keyboard and guitar was more than I could stand on a Friday night. So I sent her with the Santoscoys since Noah and Nathan were in the show. Hee. Hee. Thank God for fabulous neighbors.

Happy Valentines Day!

Schools

OK, Hannah isn't a brain surgeon but she has a pretty good brain. We heard back from University Liggett and she didn't qualify for their 10 scholarships. But, they want to interview her for a spot at the school. We have big decisions coming up. She has it narrowed down to two schools (but I am still holding out hope that she'll consider Cass too.) Hannah is going to spend the day at Liggett next Tuesday and then we have an information night at Mercy on the 26th. Then it is decision time. We need to decide (with a big non-refundable deposit)at Mercy by March 3.

The pros of Liggett-- Great school. Only 8 miles away. Lots of sports. Boys. Great art room (very important to Hannah). No uniforms.
The cons of Liggett--Oh, so expensive. Mostly rich, spoiled kids. None of Hannah's friends (so far) are going there.

The pros of Mercy--Great school. Catholic. Nice art program. Hannah's best friend Taylor is going there.
The cons of Mercy-27 miles away. All girls. Competitive sports teams.

I think we should just move.

Sold!

Thanks to the wonders of Craig's List, I sold my Robar PR desk and file cabinets this morning. Another chapter closed for my little business but it made me feel good that a nice lady bought them. She was setting up a business that helps handicapped kids with mobility issues. (I threw in a desk lamp because I liked her.)

I posted the furniture Wednesday night and by Thursday morning, I already had inquiries. I got the price I asked and the buyer came exactly when she said she would. Cool biz. Secretly, I wonder what the business model is behind Craig's List. I don't see any money being made but I am grateful for it.

West Point?

Jackson is a finalist to go on a three-day excursion next month to West Point in upstate NY. Detroit Public Schools takes two sophomores from each high school on the trip to tour the campus, meet other cadets and get a feel for the place. Is this a good thing? West Point is the nirvana of military academies but should I encourage my ROTC-crazy son with this option? Or will it be a good wake up call for Jackson that grades matter A LOT?

I filled out the permission slip last night and wrote the check (only $30 for three days!) but I'm not sure it is the right thing. Let's see if Obama wins and gets us out of this War. A great college education doesn't mean anything if you don't survive your military service requirement!

Matching The Colors in Hannah's Hat

First step today: dye a boatload of yarn. Tomorrow, I seek out the right maroon/eggplant (or maybe taupe) color for the weft. Someday (soon I hope), a great 42x85 inch throw blanket made from merino wool. This is the yarn dripping in our basement. I brought it home from CCS to rinse and dry.

Back to CCS

Woo hoo. My CCS weaving class starts tomorrow. Ro is out of town (the annual ice fishing trip) so I have to leave early so I can take Hannah to basketball but I don't care. It's good to be back. My plan is to dye this huge pile of merino wool I have in my stash and make a throw blanket. I recently bought Hannah a really fun hat that has exactly the colors I want to match in the warp. I am going to bring it for inspiration.

Mollie always has a great group of people in her class. With two looms at home, I find it hard to keep rationalizing why I continually sign up for this class. I think it is the camradarie that she inspires that makes it so special. It is somehow always an amazing group of people with such diverse interests/jobs/perspectives. We all make a boatload of mistakes but we get through it together. Either that or I just go for the bagels!