Christmas in July

I was feeling a little down about Independence Day this year. I think we've lost touch with what it's all about; the sacrifice, the freedoms and benefits I take for granted of every day, the comfort I enjoy but don't always respect. I think I spend a lot of time bashing my own country when the alternatives are not all that stellar, and really we're probably in the best game in town. We enjoy an amazing level of comfort and freedom here that the rest of the world spends a lot of time trying to achieve or at least mimic. So as bad as she is, with all her faults and flaws, she's still better than the rest and I would not trade the Republic-for-which-I-stand for any other. When I was a kid we got into this more. We sang songs, we lit sparklers and bottle rockets and had those very cool snakes (little black pellets that you light and they make this cool ashy snake thing. I bought them for my kids when they were little, flouting the laws of the State of Massachusetts), and we talked more about what it meant to be an American. We respected the flag, the people who'd died to earn our freedom. We memorized the Star Spangled Banner and The Battle Hymn of the Republic in school, and it was good. When I watch kids mumble through the words today it makes me sad for what we've lost.
Then I checked my email. And the fireworks display went off, the trumpets sounded, flags waved and life was good again. I GOT ON RAVELRY! Never doubt that patience is a virtue. It is awesome. If you have not gotten on The List yet, do so. I totally take back my little Harlot comment yesterday - I think I referred to it as "flipping ravelry"? Totally sorry for that. Little bitter. It's all behind me now. Awesome Crack for my mouse. The mouse can't stop. Click, click, click. There are 66 books in my library. I have 3 friends. My straights and DPN's are all arranged - or most of them anyway. I have projects, though not many as the whole dial-up thing makes it difficult. People are actually KNITTING SWEETPEA SOCKS!
Then our holiday feast happened and it just got better. And better and better. I found the Q. Bar-B-Que that is. Ribs slow cooked all day in their own juices, then stuck on the grill to get charred and hot. It's a recipe from Kathy with a slight hitch or two, and they were AMAZING. Add on coleslaw that is a total replica of KFC - high praise coming from me and Girl, who'd bathe in that stuff given the option, and potato salad just like my mother's. And a nice chardonnay from Sonoma Vineyards. This is an un-oaked Chardonnay perfect for the ribs; it lacks the complexity and layering of an oaked chardonnay but has a lot of fruity, lemony flavor. And there is a cow on the bottle. Not on all of them though - some have boats, or trees, or what-not. The labels are a series of scenes of Sonoma life. They also offer a Merlot, and for the price point it's not a bad wine. Since I can no longer drink things like Double Chocolate Stout (which, by the way, truly tastes of chocolate and is the perfect PMS solution) I have to compensate by becoming a Wine Person. There is no wheat gluten in wine.
Knitting. Kind of sad, but after the joy and adoration of the Radiance Cabled Jacket this stripe thing is kind of...unamusing. I am sure it will be lovely when it's done. But right now it's boring as heck. Thank you Kirsten for saving it from certain death. The pattern stitch saved the day. We were really heading to uglyville with this. Not in a happy place at all! It's progressing now, and will eventually be a nice barn-coat-type cardigan. Maybe even by the deadline. Actually, this would be the first deadline I have missed. If I can stop with the Ravelry thing...it's crack, man, serious crack. Crack for my mouse. And she just can't stay away.