weekend round up

No pictures today, but I hope to get them up tomorrow. 
Its national crochet month, and I've been working on a few different pieces.  I made a shrug from a bamboo yarn with lots of slubs in it.  This was a quick  project yet so satisfying when it was done. 
Of course more hats and booties, and yesterday I picked up the march issue of crochet and want to make a sweater out of it for my daughter.  I'm searching for a particular yarn that is rather pricey but looks gorgeous, and is a pima cotton which should wear well. 

We hit happy hour at Olive You in Kirkland Friday night.  I love their food, but their servers & bartenders are something to be desired.  The head bartender is a woman who is rather bitchy.  She poured me a beer from their tap that still looked like crap floating in cup after 15 minutes.  When I said whats going on, I had to ask for a new beer, since she was going to try and explain it like it was alright.  Meanwhile my husband had been their 20 minutes earlier when the owner had come and said that it was the dregs, and to pour in a pitcher and let it settle then sell.  That's total crap.  I don't care to be offered crap for a drink.  It's a shame their food is so delicious.  They don't have a happy staff which is too bad  So guess I'll be back to some of my other haunts. 
Saturday, we had dinner with Gordon's dad at a  little mexican place, and then went to 2nd story rep and saw our friend Dan Connolly play.  He played to a rather small and intimate audience but it was so great.  He'll be back in May there on my birthday so it happens, and I plan on being there.  It was a really fun night for everyone there.
Sunday, we hung at home, while it poured outside.  I knew when I had the windows cleaned both inside and out, it would rain as soon as they were done, but its so nice having clean windows. No streaks and smudges and lingering of dust when the sun shines through.  We hit netflix and watched  season of a BBC series called
Survivors- its about England post and influenza pandemic that started in China.   I know the idea is corny and all but its somewhat entertaining. 
Well hope you had good weekend.

Happy St Patrick's Day

I love St Patricks day.  When I was in grade school the Monsignor of the parish was from Ireland, and as students we always put on a special show for him.  I remember my class  learning to do a jig one year.  Another year we sang several songs, including McNamara's band and O Danny Boy.  We always had some special celebration in the class rooms, and as I got older, it just seemed the thing to do.  By the time I was old enough to drink of course it was all about finding the best entertainment and bar hopping.
When I married, and when we could  afford it (- those first few years of college & marriage- groceries were pretty limited to the cheapest food available,) we started to have corn beef and cabbage.  I boil it for a couple hours and then make a mustard glaze with mustard and brown sugar and pop it in the oven.  Boil carrots and cabbage in the meat water and you have a delicious and pretty simple meal. 
One of our favorite pubs does and excellent corn beef and cabbage, they always serve with mash potatoes. Which i have gotten quite fond of. They saute the cabbage with bacon.   A shot of Jamison's to go with and its Happy St Paddy's day, don't you know!
This year its music and dinner at home.  The hubs has to leave at 4 am for travel across the country so no bar hopping for us.  Its rather surprising when your daughter sends you and email and says I wish was at the Pub with you guys, you know its gonna be rocking.  Which is true our favorite Irish pub the Wilde Rover, does and excellent celebration with music and bands all day, and by 7 pm they are bursting at the seams.
Hope you all have or had a great St Paddy's day.

Weekend Round up.

The weekend flew by it seems.  Friday I went to see Giselle done by students of the school I teach at.  The guest principals Mara Vinson, Le Yin, and Oleg Gorboulev were fantstic. The students were lovely.  Followed by a wine reception we were able to chat with  few friends, and admire the dancers once again.

It has been storming all weekend out here.  Yesterday was one of those stay at home and stay warm days.  I found a new british show I enjoy called Babylon Hotel.  It takes place in a London hotel and is built around the major staff of the hotel.  I've only seen two episodes, but it was amusing.  

I hate daylight savings time.  I wish truly that they would just dump it.  It throws everything off, and makes it so hard to keep track of other time zones, since not all-the states use it.   So after waking and running around to change the clocks, we cleaned the house, as someone wanted to come look at it.  Awful weather to be going in and out of houses.  Its so nasty out, and you can't enjoy the views, or be comfortable walking around out side. But I'm not going to say "NO" especially now with looming tuition and travels for England.

We then went over to Seattle where we watched Gordon's dad play with the Seattle Festival Orchestra and then he conducted a Tribute to big band excerpt that was delightful.  They also played "Moldau" by Smetana a lovely piece, "SlavonicDance OP 46 #1 by Dvorak, Violin concerto in A minor by Vivaldi, and the Sound of Music (then entire thing), and lastly a piece composed by one of the members called Romance for violin and orchestra .  We always enjoy the concerts put on by this group.  Afterwards we met Dad over at the Wedgewood Broiler for dinner. It's not fancy and I don't think we had been there since Gordon's mom passed away 2 years ago, but its a nice neighborhood joint.   Prime rib was the special, so we all had it.  It was delicious! 

Getting home was not too bad despite the constant rain and wind.  PBS has the Les Misrables 25th anniversary special going so catching up with that. 

Hope you had great weekend.

wishes come true



the Place -London contemporary dance school

 My daughter would definitely share that wishes come true.  She was accepted to a dance college in London, England and is thrilled.  She waited until the last minute to present the offer to us of her going, and really wasn't sure we were saying yes, when we said we would do what we could to make it work out.  This totally stumped us.  She's not a greedy person, and she is an only child, but we've always tried to keep some sense of normalcy to her (ie not being over privileged), and not provide her with each and everything she could possibly want.  Their Bachelors degree is connected to the University of Kent. A friend of hers who is graduating from Ballet Rambert's conservatory with a similar degree also graduated through University of Kent.  What a lovely historic builiding to go through your graduation ceremonies.

 I can honestly say, I  wish I was 19 or 20 and getting to move to London for a few years in.  It has been one of my own adult wishes to live in Great Britain and Irelend for a few years. So I'm in awe of my own child.

tutu in action

 
I returned from San Francisco last night.  Here are a  few photos of my daughter wearing her romantic tutu for Les Slyphides variation,  I made.  The costume was perfect fit. I didn't have to make any adjustments.  I added the sleeves and wings on arrival to get perfect placement.

We made the headpiece after I arrived in town and made a trip to Britex fabrics.  Britex is like a giant fabric candy store.  Not the least expensive place to shop at, but they have some wonderful buttons and ribbons etc.  It was like shopping at Nancy's sewing basket (still my favorite fabric shop in Seattle).

My daughter has let me know her displeasure in these photos, because she's looking at them technically not as a mama looking at beautiful daughter.  Her performance was flawless, and my husband and I are extremely proud of her.