Habemus Papam.

Not just a new Pope, but one from Chicago, so the city and memes have been going nuts.

We know he is a baseball fan:

He's the result of a marriage of a Cubs fan and Cardinals fan.

There is some speculation:

We're pretty sure he's a Bears fan, which might lead to updates of the Popemobile and regalia:

  

And of course, he knows which team doesn't have a prayer:

  

Of course, entering to a classic song is mandatory.  And I found it fun that his name wasn't high on the lists of likely chosen held by the major betting houses.

Some people have made the observation that:

It will now be a mortal sin to put catsup (or ketchup, or however you spell it) on a hot dog.

In addition to a pizza joint updating their offerings, other well-known Chicago food vendors have posted, both proudly:

 .....and cheekily:

May he live to the age of Abraham, or at least Moses.

Family Times.

 It was a busy weekend.  First, my eldest niece graduated from her masters degree program, with honors.  Tickets were limited but I received one, so of course took the time off work on a Friday afternoon.

Then her sister and I flew to DC, where the younger niece lives, and on Saturday went to Maryland Sheep & Wool.  We left midafternoon so I could get to Dulles in time for a flight - more on the trip next week.

Since I am now on my work computer and it won't let me upload photos.  I only have the ones I preloaded, of a dragonfruit that I finished before leaving.  They are really pretty, but this is the second time I've had one and it has no taste.  Maybe it's me?  Or the ones I've purchased?  All I get is texture.

But they are pretty:

 

From the top, left to right:  Whole fruit, a bit sliced off, better look at the inside, and peeled.

I did it again.

With the two weekends of travel, and holidays, I hadn't been able to get back to the studio to look at my last two pieces of glass.  When my parents didn't need me all weekend and there was an opening in Saturday's workshop, I went to see how they look.

I added a bit to the water scene, some more flower bits, and some pieces to make the fish look more like fishies.  I was pleased that the two lily pads made from the shimmery glass do shimmer in the right light, although they don't show much in the pictures.  There's a bit in the bottom leaf on the top photo:

Before.  I debated what to do about the fish.

After.  Still stylized but more identifiable.

The instructor and I discussed how to shape the other piece, which has fantastic translucency and I thought would make a nice tea light holder.

Yes, there is some lovely iridescence in the opaque pieces.

The piece will be heated and slump over the
cup underneath.  We'll see how it works.  If
it's not a tea light holder, it's a small dish.

The other students did some interesting pieces, including a plant stake with daisies and experiments with flowers and leaves between pieces of glass, and abstract pieces:

This student found a piece of glass to use as a starting point.

I also purchased some llama-shaped earrings that I will convert from hooks and wear next weekend.  My niece has our schedule planned - a few hours to meet friends and check out as many vendors as possible (just looking for her; mostly browsing the smaller dyers for show colourways for me), then we spend the rest of the time looking at the animals.  She's especially interested in sheepdog trials.

Over the past week, on my walks I've documented some of the surprises in my garden.  Last year a neighbor was giving away some iris sets.  Of the four I received, two did nothing; one seems to have a stalk that broke off early; and one has survived to offer several flowers:

  

  

  

I also have a tiny red rose bush that seems to have popped out of nowhere, and which is going strong:

  

I've tried to plant some ground cover under my two trees, and I think I need to water them a bit more:

The backyard has two kinds of mint and some Creeping Jenny.

 

I cannot remember what I planted in the front, other than that they are good spreaders with pretty flowers.

I thought the plants I added last year died off
during a winter free, but it came back.

Tour Eiffel Shawl update:  I am almost back to where I was when I frogged it last weekend, after some struggles on the eyelet rows and more frogging, but just a few of them.  I think it's less pattern error than knitter error as the way that row works is different from the others, and I don't quite have it memorized properly.  The good news is that this means I might be on the second hank by this weekend:

Bonkers.

I really wanted to see the Plague Mask Players' production of "Alice" but how to accomplish it with the holiday and my upcoming vacation?  The only answer was to daytrip.

I'd looked into Southwest flights, but the last one out on Saturday is at 3:00pm, not an option with a 2:00pm matinee, and I didn't want to spend my whole next-to-last weekend before vacation traveling, especially as we have plants to get into dirt.  My parents were hosting a dinner party on Friday, so I couldn't go then.  Thursday?  No, the Saturday matinee would work if I flew American.  So I did.

Storms in the morning delayed my flight, but luckily I had a good cushion and the pilots made up some time, so I had a couple hours to fill before curtain.  I decided to go to the big Half Price Books and took the "Children of Time" trilogy that my Science Fiction Book Club had read.  I knew I couldn't get what I paid for them, but also that they are popular and might bring a decent enough price.

After checking the books into the buy area, I wandered a bit to see if there was a book or two I'd buy with the proceeds, especially as I have one of the discount coupons from their calendar in my wallet.  (Spoiler: I ended up not buying anything, and realized after I left that I should have given the coupon to somebody with a pile of books in their arms.)  Then, as I wandered, I noticed people with yarn:

Linus blanket - we all agreed some child will
love receiving it.  The gentleman is quite fast.

Turns out a group of the Dallas Hand Knitters Guild meets there on Saturdays.  I sat in an empty chair, and was greeted by the people who knew me, and chatted generally.  I worked on the Tour Eiffel shawl and decided I didn't like how it was coming out. It didn't match the photos and also looked quite messy, and I don't know whether it's a fault of the original pattern or the translation into English - yes, I checked for errata but they don't address it.  I realized I should have taken a couple photos before I frogged it, since you cannot quite see how it looks in last week's picture but I did and restarted.

I also admired the Lego® version of the store which is next to the community room doors:

The group ends at 1:00pm-ish which was perfect for me to get to the theatre on time, even after some wrap-up chatting and then parking snafus at the arts complex.

I really, really enjoyed the production, and it was definitely worth the time and cost to see it.  I wished I could go again, and sit on the other side and get that view.  Or just to see it again!

After a brief chat post-show it was time to get back to the airport for my return flight.  I had plenty of time to do a lap of the terminal to get in some steps before an uneventful flight home.

Eight Days the Week.

In Israel, Passover is celebrated for seven days, but in the diaspora we celebrate for eight because the rabbis want to be sure we get the correct days, and the stars look a little different everywhere else.

So I am sharing eight articles and videos about Passover.

1>  World War II Passover Haggadot - the Haggadah is the book(let) we read during the Seder, which is the meal that commemorates the escape from slavery in Egypt.  Unlike the Torah, this is not a set book, although the outline is generally the same.  Many groups have made their own, reflecting the personality of the community.  In modern times, these include ones based upon Star Wars, baseball, and so many others.

2> A reading from Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z'l (of blessed memory), because a newsletter I receive asked why "empathy" has become such a negative term and what it really means. Part of Passover is to open our homes and invite people to join the meal, not to proselytize (not a part of our faith) but to obey the repeated requirement of our Torah to care for the strangers in our midst and to honour guests at our table.

3> Another bit of history, telling how Americans celebrated Passover while fighting in Europe during World War I, "The War to End All Wars". Which, unfortunately, it wasn't. The story notes that when the USA entered the war on April 6, 1917, "it was erev Pesach", the night before the holiday began.

4>  The oldest existing haggadah, recovered from the Cairo Geniza, without the illustrations and decorations so common today. Also a printed one from two centuries later, the first one known. These are the annual reminder of our pact with G-d, how the Hebrews traveled out of Egypt to the land promised, that we read from every Passover.

5> More haggadot, from the Leo Baeck Insitute collection. As the Day 4 materials teach, the haggadah moved quickly from being just the prayers and stories to something beautifully illustrated.

6> A quick video about how matzah is made for the holiday - unlike the rest of the year, the matzoh for Passover must be made, start to finish, in eighteen minutes or less. I always heard "shmurah matzah" as being handmade, instead of the regular boxed squares, as all matzah must be watched to be sure it is made in the correct amount of time.

7> Because the Metropolitan Opera broadcasts on Saturdays, I wanted to post the story of tenor Richard Tucker serving as cantor to a Seder in 1967 for the armed forces in Saigon, but I forgot before jetting out of town. So I posted about a chaplain who didn't allow the International Date Line to cancel the celebration, and added the other when I returned.

8> Just because I didn't do the annual "Eight Songs of Passover" doesn't mean I will entirely skip music. "Dayenu" is my mother's favourite song from the holiday, and we always sing it. Repeatedly.

Knitting with a Bear.

Adventures happen when I decide to venture out for theater and knitting.

I have a friend, Trish, up in Baltimore, whom I have visited on occasions.  Her son is a talented performer, and having graduated from college in December, was in his first professional show this month.  It's the Elton John and Tim Rice version of "AIDA", and he played Radames, one of the leads.  The major roles were double-cast, so Steven was in only certain shows.

Back in October, when Trish announced that he had been cast, I said I'd come to a performance.  At the time I didn't realize they would overlap the opera last weekend and Passover this one.  So the only date that worked was Friday night.  Luckily, Baltimore is a quick flight, and I could get a room in a hotel near the airport, and a flight worked between my usual (and added) Friday meetings.

Weather was terrible, and it was Friday rush hour, so we ditched plans to go someplace else for the Cracker Barrel across from my hotel, then to the performance venue.  We had a slight wait for the doors to open, but that gave us a photo op.

Trish's favourite colour is purple, so I dressed accordingly.

The show was fantastic and I was really glad that I came.  Afterwards, a photo with Steven and the girl (a student) who played Aida, and also will go far in theater if she wishes.

Then Trish and her husband dropped me at my hotel, where I enjoyed a hot shower and a long sleep.  Next morning, I did my usual Saturday stuff and they picked me up at checkout to go to brunch.  Afterwards there was still time before my flight home, so we decamped for a nearby mall.  The first available van accessible parking spot was in front of Bass Pro Shops, and we thought we'd go through to the food court or some other sitting area, but it turns out they have a lovely one just inside the doors, and nobody minded us sitting and knitting for a couple of hours.

Trish has been knitting on the scarf/shawl for a while, and
asked if I would add a few stitches.

Poor bear, stuck forever in a store by the door.
He seems to be smiling a little, wearing the scarf.

I did some knitting of my own, another lengthwise garter stitch scarf for when I wanted something that didn't need attention, such as when we were waiting for food or at the show.  And I've been making progress on the Tour Eiffel Shawl, which may or may not be finished before I go to Paris next month.

It doesn't look like much although I'm on the 
fourth repeat of the main pattern.  Ball 1.

Baseball and Opera and Books.

I love libraries.  I may have gotten my library card before my driving license during the latest move, and if not, it was close.  I've used many services over the years, taken out (and returned!) many books, and with the online options I attend events and watch videos and I'm borrowing an e-book (because my library doesn't have hardcopy) of a book to read before my next overseas trip.  So I'm always up for celebrating National Library Week, and hope that you support your local libraries also.

Last week was busy.  In addition to work (and the madness of our fiscal year ending on March 31st, which meant that the next days were catch-up on the carryover work plus anything that wasn't urgent and got postponed until after April 1st) it was NC Opera weekend, and my parents were hosting the guest speaker.  So in addition to two operas (I skipped the dress rehearsal because of my library's Science Fiction Book Club meeting) and the Sunday afterparty, I went to a ballgame on Thursday evening, and did other activities with parents and guest on Saturday, when not participating in the Knit For Food A Thon.

Sadly, the Durham Bulls lost to the Sugarland Space Cowboys,
but we had fun, weather was perfect, and they didn't get shut
out thanks to their designated hitter in the bottom of the 9th inning.

I started a hat during the ball game (which meant I had to restart it several times, even though it's a basic and easy pattern, because I kept getting off-count on the first row - stitch markers to the rescue!) and I finished a scarf that had been too big to take to the game.

I picked up some library swag at the game:

I asked if I needed to show my library card (of course it was with me) to get a sticker, and the library staff said no, and let me take one of everything that was still there.  I didn't need info about their Library Fest activities - I'm already signed up for ones I can do, and wish I could do more!