My Belief in Transparency

I have been thinking about composing a blog by this title for sometime. Prior to my addition of my blog on Ravelry and my drawing attention to my blog on FB, nobody really paid attention (other than my Mom, thanks Mom! and my friend Angela, love you Ang!) to the fact that I even had a blog.

When I first set this blog up, I questioned whether or not I should "protect" myself by adjusting my settings to only allow "approved" followers to view my words. To be honest, I made the decision to allow my blog to be public because of one reason alone - I have had the good fortune of learning from other people's blogs and would want someone to reap the same rewards. If you're my friend and you read my blog, you are probably not going to learn anything new about me. However, if you don't know me - you may be interested in learning about things that I am interested in and you may end up using it as a resource. My blogs are sometimes purely (read mostly) self-indulgent and a record of what I'm up to.

I titled this blog "My Belief in Transparency" because I want to say that I don't think there is anything wrong with letting people (even strangers) "in" within reason. I'm not gonna give you my address, telephone number or where I work. It's not necessary and that's not the purpose of this blog. Transparency can be, by definition, readily understood. That's pretty broad, isn't it? Obama spoke a lot about transparency when he was running for office and we all, obviously, understand that there are certain things our government cannot share with billions of people. Just like I'm not gonna share certain things on my blog. I think what we have become overly sensitive to, though, is sharing anything with people on the web.

This article was published today about a girl who lost her job from a non-profit organization because she was verbally critical (in her blog) of that community's politician(s)/organization(s). What's so interesting to me is that at the blog's height - she had 90,000 visitors. Now, thanks to this article (that was also featured on MSN or CNN where I initially heard about it) she's going to have way more visitors. Mmmmm... so now who looks kinda stupid? I haven't read her blog and I'm not going to - it's just food for thought.

Listen, if I write a negative blog about the company I work for then I shouldn't be working there, but - where do we draw the line? If I write a negative review on Yelp of an air conditioning company that I experienced bad service with and then they perform maintenance, at a reduced cost, on a unit at my work - should I be fired? Is that any different? How is that different? What if a manager of mine was married to the owner of that air conditioning company, is it ok for that manager to retaliate because of my yelp review?

I am planning on having weight loss surgery. There, I said it. I haven't told many people and, frankly, I don't want to. The reason being is because I don't want to get the lectures, the glances or experience the judgment (either to my face or behind my back). I've been overweight all of my life and I went through my first "medically supervised weight loss program" when I was 9 years old. Why, then, would I want to share something like this in a blog? Well, for good reason. There are a whole lot of obese Americans, 72.9% of the country's population is overweight, obese, or extremely obese. That is just crazy! That means that almost 3 out of 4 of us have some issue. I am not alone. Secondly, the subject is just taboo. People don't want to talk about surgery as an option, they want to talk about diet and exercise. I don't disagree that diet and exercise are huge components of weight loss, but when a person has over 100 pounds to lose - diet and exercise alone are an extremely challenging way to go.

I want to be able to talk about this experience first hand. I want to be able to be "transparent" about it so that people who are considering this option for themselves can ask me about what I went through. Or if people are vehemently opposed, I hope they will become more informed and perhaps they will find themselves changing their minds. Perhaps, my mind will be changed about it and I will think it was not the right fit for me after all was said and done. Either way, it's about LEARNING. If we can't learn about the human condition and everything our world has to offer, what do we want to learn about? Do we want to learn? Do we want to evolve and have a broader consciousness about those living in these "life and times"? I believe that the internet and blogs enable us to obtain this information more readily.

Finally, my thoughts about social networks are a little bit trickier. If you are not my FB friend, I really don't want you to see the 5 status updates I post daily. You don't need to know and you probably don't care. A blog should/could be a different type of vessel.

Hey, the first two words in the title of this blog are "My Belief"... that's all, this is solely my belief. You can have your own and blog all about it - that's what makes freedom of speech cool.

A Tremendous Simple Day at its Finest

Today was such a fun day.

Sam came over and we started our day at SAS Fabric, which is a super affordable fabric store in Phoenix. I bought sequins, thread, fabric, etc. to spin into my yarn. Next, we headed off to Michael's in search of a purse handle for a cable bag that I knit. Instead of finding a purse handle, we discovered that ott lites were 50% off! Such a wonderful thing for my knitting and spinning! We stopped at Ulta and grabbed some hair dye for Sam to color and cut my hair.

Next, we had lunch at Cheese N' Stuff. Who doesn't love this place? After all, they have lots of cheese. That's when the fun really began. My friend let me foster one of her Blythe dolls, Clever. Clever and I did a little clothes shopping last night and Sam and I took the opportunity for a photo shoot. She even asked the owner of Cheese N' Stuff to put Clever in the deli case so she could pick out her own chips.

Clever at SAS:

Clever picking out her chips at Cheese N' Stuff:

More Cheese N' Stuff photos:

Outside Cheese N' Stuff:

Then, we stopped at Sally's for some styrofoam heads for Sam's husband to paint. Next stop - Bead World. I gotta say they have a great selection of beads, but the customer service sucks. They were so uninterested in us. Totally oblivious to the fact that they had customers. I may have spent money here, but didn't because the girls working there could have cared less about making a sale.

We had to swing over to Mesa for a few moments and got a chance to stop in at "Inside the Bungalow" for the best iced tea ever. It was a red rooibos tea with cinnamon, so yummy. We stopped in at Bookman's to see if there were any used knitting/spinning books and we didn't find anything.

Went back to my house and Sam cut/color my hair. It is so fabulous. I actually look my age now. I hadn't gotten my hair done since April and I have been used to getting my hair done every 5 weeks for the last nine years. It's amazing what a box of dye can do.

We ended our evening at TYF spinning and knitting. I bought some electric blue mohair to spin and ply with the sequins. I also navajo plied my first full skein of yarn.

Such a lovely day. Just tremendous... really.

What a difference a few months make!

I have accomplished so much in 2009 and there are a few months left!

1) I haven't really been paying close attention to my nutrition for some time. I'm disappointed that I was so into what I was consuming and then lost interest altogether. Today, I'm prepping to go back on the Master Cleanse and I'm hoping that by Sunday, I will begin. No processed foods today. Juices tomorrow. Orange juice on Saturday. Begin Master Cleanse on Sunday. I'm not shooting for 10 days, I'm shooting for one day at a time. Then, I will probably ease into the raw food/vegan lifestyle. There was an article in Purely Delicious about easing into the lifestyle and I think I need to focus more on easing in, rather than jumping head first.

2) I've been playing harp for several months. It is coming really naturally. I love it, but I've recently not made more time to practice. I am going to work on this.

3) Um, so I have a small fiber problem. It started out innocent enough, just a few knitted projects here and there and it's evolved into a full blown addiction. I spend all of my free time making pretty knots with sticks that create fabric. When I'm not knittin' away, I am spinning.

Here are some of the things I've created in the last couple of months:

My first thwacked targhee yarn-

Here's some more targhee that I plied and this was the first time I used my niddy noddy-

I'm currently working on this fiber, which is hand-painted BFL from Pagewood Farms-

''

I'm not just spinning, though, I am also knitting. Here is my first fair isle project-

Here are a couple of hats that I knitted up using my own handspun yarn-

I am having a really good time knitting and Tempe Yarn and Fiber is one of my favorite places to hang. I am also totally obsessed with Ravelry, which is my resource for all things (friends and otherwise) fiber-related.

4) Ben's been out of work for almost four months, but it's ok. I'm glad that he is playing golf and focusing in on hobbies. He's been making great meals and making a huge effort to clean up around the house. I know that he wants to get back to work, but there are some pros to having him home so often. The cats are especially happy about it.

5) Finally, I'm happy to say that I'm very grateful for a friend that I've become closer to. I love having someone in my life who is extremely supportive and giving.

SO, it's August and there are 4 more months left of 2009. Just a few days ago, I was saying that "I am so over 2009" and now... well, I'm not sure. There has been a lot of good that's come out of 2009.

Consuming Fiber

It's been sometime since I've written a blog and other things have consumed my time.  I have now been playing the harp for a couple of months.  I really enjoy it; it comes naturally to me.  I took up knitting again.  

I taught myself how to knit in 2002 after hurting my back and being forced to lie around on the couch for a week.  The only thing I ever really knit was scarves.  I was inspired to start knitting again recently.  I decided that I needed to expand my horizons and first knit a baby hat on double pointed needles (DPNs).

Feeling confident, I then moved onto a baby surprise sweater.  I was also encouraged by a Knitting Instructor at Tempe Yarn & Fiber to try my hands at this pattern.  I am so pleased at how this turned out.  

It's a pattern by Elizabeth Zimmerman.  Shay took this great picture of my finished sweater. The glass buttons that I used for the sweater made me so happy.  The buttons were made by a local artist in town, Greenbean Glass and Stone.

I've had a lot of fun knitting.  Got to have a knitting circle at my house with a few of the girls.  Got to hang out with some regulars at Tempe Yarn & Fiber.  Trying some new things out.  Went to a "Knit In" at Scottsdale's Knit Happens.

I also joined an online social knitting networking group called Ravelry.  I've found ravelry to be a great resource for patterns, yarns & people. 

This summer, I am taking a spinning class, a sock class, more harp lessons and started college after a more than decade-long hiatus.  It's going to be a busy summer.  Plenty to keep me occupied.  

Maybe I'll fit in a few blogs.

Scattered

I am feeling really scattered and all over the place.  I took a few days off from work in order to clean the house and get things accomplished.  What's happened is that I began the process and once I got involved felt overwhelmed because there is SO MUCH that needs to get done and I have barely scratched the surface.  

Wednesday, I spent most of the day cleaning our bedroom.  I love our bedroom; it is decorated so beautifully and the colors are so soothing.  Our bedroom wasn't too bad off, but I did laundry in conjunction with the cleaning and I have a lot of laundry.  I'm not done yet.  I have too much clothing.  I can go a month or more without doing any laundry.  I could probably go a few months and never wear the same thing twice.  I would really love to get rid of all of the clothing and only hang onto a few things, but a lot of the pieces have memories woven into them.  Take for example a black & pink dress I have - I bought the dress 4-5 years ago.  It's super cute and sexy.  I wore it several times.  I bought a pink/black sweater to wear with it, but that was so badly stained, I had to get rid of it.  The dress is reminiscent of a pin-up or goth type dress.  I don't know were the hell I would wear it again.  I wore it to the theater and my brother/sister-in-law's wedding.  So for now, it sits.  Another example is Gwynne's suit.  I've been meaning to give it back to her for so long.  I borrowed it for something, it didn't fit - I've never worn it.  She doesn't need it (since she works in pj bottoms & tank tops) and has probably forgotten it's here.  So it sits... I just need to get rid of so much stuff and don't know where to begin.  I have a LOT more cleaning to do.  I don't see how it is all going to get done.  

Wednesday night, Rick and I went to see A Raisin in the Sun produced by Arizona Theatre Company.   It was a very good production, with superb acting.  Rick and I each had different take-aways.  I identified with the male characters in the production, recognizing that men have dreams and that sometimes they have difficulty following them because they are expected to "be" men and serve their duty to their household as the primary bread winner.  Rick identified more with the female characters and saw how the male character was initially acting selfishly due to his resentment of not being able to follow his dream.  Of course, the show goes beyond this.  It also has a lot to do with segregation, african american education/intellect, prejudice, class, etc.  It is based upon a true story, which I don't think either of us knew.  

Yesterday, I mostly spent the day out running errands.  Today, I am going to get a facial and then it's off to a hair appt.  I need to return a rental car and pick up Ben's car from the shop.  

I really just feel scattered.  It's obvious in this blog, you can read, plainly, my lack of focus.  I can't believe how much needs to get done in my life...

"Table for One"

So Ben is out of town this week conducting an audit at a client in Globe.  He said it snowed today there and I can't imagine that he's only a couple of hours away and experiencing that kind of weather!!!

I have found myself alone this evening.  It's the "dawn" of a few vacation days.  I've taken some time off of work to clean my house (which is in desperate need) and prepare for a weekend of debauchery with Monica.  

I wasn't sure what to do with myself this evening.  I stopped off at ZIA on my home from work and picked up a few CDs.  Since my brand new interest in the harp, I've been interested in purchasing a couple of Joanna Newsom CDs.  We are also going to be seeing Les Miserables at Phoenix Theatre soon and I lost my complete recording of the show years ago so I wanted to get another copy.  

First, I listened to the highlights from Les Miz... I was surprised that they didn't have the complete recording.  I realized I was somewhat glad that they didn't.  I don't know if I could have sat through 3 hours of it.  I'm not sure what was so mesmerizing about this show when I was 14.  I mean, the music is good, but it's not Sondheim.  So, I sang for about an hour straight.  My voice is not as good as it was when I was 14.  It's different. It sounds lower, more raspy and it's harder to be on pitch.  Maybe too many years of cigarettes.  I quit over a year ago and I still hear the effects.  I'm glad no one was around for my embarrassing display.  It took me back to a time when I closed my bedroom door and belted my lungs out at my parent's house.  The experience was comforting and Schmooey (my cat) sat with me; listening, looking, purring and enjoying.  

I've been listening to Joanna Newsom for the last couple of hours and zoning out.  I've checked out a couple of different harp performances on youtube and I'm so excited!  I guess I didn't initially realize that playing the harp could mean more than a couple of classical crescendos and celtic doodles.  I've listened to Led Zeppelin, the Beatles and musical theatre, all realized through the harp!  I'm encouraged that it's even possible to play jazz on the harp!  

Now, the boys are here for a little band practice, Rockband that is!

A Different Musical Direction

I recognize that I mostly blog about food and little else.  I hope that if you are reading my blog, you won't mind that I am going to take a different direction with this particular one.  After all, my blog is called the "Life and Times of Jodels" and not "The Road to Rawsomeness".

On Saturday, I went to the symphony with Rick, Cris, Danen and Ben.  I hadn't been to they symphony in so long.  It was a pleasure to be able to go.  The program was a bit unconventional and it didn't feel like the pieces went together, Bach's Piano Concerto and a couple of Stravinsky pieces.  Stravinsky's grandson was in the audience.  I had a few take-aways that were worth noting.  One of my take-aways was that if you close your eyes and absorb all of the rustling about in symphony hall (people opening wrappers, talking, moving in their seat, etc.), the music almost starts to sound like a vinyl LP.  I thought that was pretty cool.  My other take-away, and the point of this blog, is that playing the harp is something I want to do.  

I think I have considered playing the harp before, but I was never in a position to do so.  I remembered someone saying that pianists have a much easier time learning how to play the harp than most.  I did some research yesterday and found out a bit more about the instrument.  I found a teacher in town who also rents harps.  I've emailed her and already received a response back.  I'm hoping to get together with her at some point and figure out where to start.  Apparently there are several different harps, but for the purpose of this blog - let's say there are 2, a pedal harp (the type used in symphonies) and a lever harp.  It turns out that most beginners learn how to play on a lever harp.  It's great that I can rent a harp before making a commitment to purchase one since lever harps range in price from $2,000-$4,000 and pedal harps range from $15,000 to $60,000.  I'm pretty excited about my new interest.  We'll see how it goes. 

I did more reading up on facts and one factoid is that unlike most instruments that don't sound great when a beginner is learning (read violin), the harp always sounds great.  

Who knows?  Maybe in a couple of years, I'll be ready to play "for hire" at weddings.