WolfWeave

Welcome to 2010! Happy New Year to everyone–let’s hope for a better year in 2010: a year of peace, happiness, friendships and family. A new year, a new decade (according to some). Today, January 1st, is traditionally Public Domain Day…but apparently the Europeans have a lot to celebrate today while we Americans have nothing at all to celebrate. Due to overweening copyright laws, no books, music or movies will see their copyright expire and be released to the public domain here in the USA today (or for the next 9 years!), thus further hampering artistic expression and personal creativity. Read a short treatise about the dismal state of the US public domain here!

Sounds like a good time for a contribution to Creative Commons!

We spent 6 days in Rome just before Christmas—sort of a whirlwind tour, a little of everything to give our sons an exposure to Rome’s ancient culture and history, as well as to its modern food, language and culture. Eternal as Rome is, so little had really changed since I was last there 35 years ago and, yet, so much had changed: I found Rome to be (as all cities are now) so much more globalized, touristy, overwhelming; it was so less uncommon, less Italian, less intriguingly foreign than it had been in 1975.

Although weather forecasts had predicted sunny days and temps in the 50’s, only our first day there was truly sunny and in the 40’s. The rest of the week it rained more or less constantly and the temps dropped into the 30’s. Rome is damp and chilly to begin with; everyone wears stylish scarves all the time. One day I wore 3 sweaters under my fall jacket and was very glad I’d brought a hat, scarf and gloves along.

The first night we arrived at our hotel, The Rose Garden Palace, off the via Veneto near the Borghese Park, and it was quite late by the time we were settled into our stylish and comfortable rooms. On the advice of our extremely helpful front desk staff person/concierge Barbara, we walked a few blocks north to a lively pizzeria with housemade pasta for a wonderful dinner: il pomodorino turned out to be a neighborhood gem.

Luckily, that first sunny day was our walking overview of the city. We had a fantastic guide: Ron Phillips who introduced us to the bus system but basically walked us all around the city at a brisk pace, stopping at most of the famous sites—including the Piazza del Campidoglio, designed by Michelangelo,

the Pantheon with its incredible mathematical dome and containing

the haunting tomb of Raphael, 2 mourning doves embracing above it,

and the Fontana di Trevi, into which we all threw our coins, insuring our eventual return to Rome,

—all the while traversing through the different neighborhoods of Rome, pointing out special shopping areas like markets and streets of antique stores, and generally gave us an overall acquaintance with the city in just one day. We immediately felt less like tourists and more like natives after spending the day with Ron. Plus, as an added bonus, we had lunch with him at Maccheroni, a fantastic pasta restaurant near Parliament (where Michelle Obama and the other wives had lunched during the G8 summit). I kept to my diet with a mixed green salad and grilled chicken breast with balsamic vinegar but everyone else sampled the pasta. I think Ron might have won with the house specialty of fresh fettucine (?) with parmesan cream and pepper, though everyone’s dish was different and delicious. Afterwards, Ron treated us to triple gelatos at one of the best gelaterias— Gelateria Della Palma (Via della Maddalena, 20/23), which had over 100 flavors! While the boys mostly stuck with variations of chocolate, Bob tried fruit flavors and I had tiramisu, zabaglione, and crème caramel. Luckily we did a lot of walking that day. Ron has a list of gelateria on his site and, if you want to survive them all, you’d better order a “picolo coppa” at each place!

The next day, we walked through the Borghese park in the drizzle to tour the lovely Borghese Gallery with its incredible artwork and marble and bronze statues. Especially notable were the reclining marble figure of Pauline Bonaparte by Antonio Canova, in which the carved wrinkles in the pillows and cushion on which she lies seem so incredibly realistic; and my favorite: Bernini’s amazing marble sculpture of Apollo and Daphne, with Daphne turning into a tree, leaves emerging from her fingertips, bark grasping up her legs, etc. These sculptures were exactly as I remembered, although apparently the galleries themselves have been renovated in the intervening time. That night we had dinner at a typical Italian grill restaurant, Girarrosto Toscano, which was oddly formal and old-fashioned and reminded us of eating at the old Berghoff Restaurant in Chicago.

On Sunday, the boys walked up the Via Veneto to visit the Capuchin Monastery Crypt at the Church of the Immaculate, via V. Veneto 27 (which I had seen before)—6 vaulted crypt rooms completely decorated with the bones and skulls of deceased friars. Yes, it is ghoulish but it is also a work of art. The message of the crypt is clear: Death closes the gates of time, and opens those of eternity. So many things in Rome are traditionally closed on Sunday, but that afternoon, as we wandered up and down the shopping streets near the Spanish Steps, we found all the stores open and the streets packed with strolling tourists and Romans—apparently THE thing to do on a Sunday afternoon the week before Christmas. Sunday night we had dinner at a fabulous and inviting continental restaurant near the Spanish Steps, Babette, which I cannot praise highly enough. Every aspect of my dinner was spectacular in this warm, intimate restaurant and the special Babette’s Cake was to die for!

Monday we took a 5-hour walking tour of the ancient Roman Forum,

and we even saw the spot where Julius Caesar is supposedly still buried—people still leave flowers on his grave:

We walked all through the Forum, out through the Arch of Titus

and over to the Colosseum, and the Palatine Hill with a guide from Through Eternity. It proved to be fascinating. The guide we had, Thomas Robinson, is a social historian and he was more knowledgeable than we could have imagined; it was so interesting to hear not just his facts about the people and places, but his theories and opinions about what happened in ancient times. We lunched at a small traditional trattoria. At the end of our tour, not yet tired of walking (!), we went in search of Il Gelato di San Crispino (Via Della Panetteria, 42), one of the most famous gelaterias, and then found our way to Il Fornaio (via dei Baullari 5/7), a fantastic bakery we had passed with Ron, where I wanted to buy some homemade amaretti—they were worth the search! That night we returned to the Spanish Steps to have dinner at a trendy vegetarian restaurant (and art gallery) with very unusual dishes: Il Margutta RistorArte.

Tuesday morning, the boys decided to continue their ghoulish tour and took a taxi out to the Catacombs of Priscilla, which is north of the city and has marvellous painted frescoes. They returned in time for us to grab a quick lunch and pick up our tickets for a tour of The Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s. The Vatican owns more art than any museum (although I remember seeing more of it 30 years ago) and we walked up and down corridors and stairways on our way to the Sistine Chapel. Unfortunately, many of the rooms were dark and hard to see and the Sistine Chapel ceiling (Michelangelo), when we finally got there, is lit only by a few windows. It was dark and rainy outside, so that, even without the crowds of people, it was hard to see any of the detail on the ceiling. I remember seeing it on a sunny day and being much more impressed than the boys were, which was disappointing. We took the tour group shortcut through to St. Peter’s, stared at Michelangelo’s La Pietà, and then walked around St. Peter’s, marvelling and aghast at all the overwrought baroque decoration everywhere. Absolutely nothing is left undecorated; even the decorations have decorations! The Roman Catholic Church certainly knows how to make a statement!

Late that afternoon, we wandered the streets across the river in search of an artesanal gelateria hidden in an alleyway off a pedestrian pathway: Gelateria Del Teatro (Via di San Simone, 70 Del Teatro); their gelato is made in the Sicilian style and they had an incredible dark chocolate/orange gelato, as well as a great almond (wish I’d tried the amaretto flavor). Then, switching gears, we headed to the Jewish Ghetto for a typical Roman Jewish meat dinner, fried artichokes and all, at La Taverna del Ghetto.

Our final day in Rome, the sun did come out sporadically, and we headed to the Jewish Ghetto for lunch at Nonna Betta, a wonderful kosher dairy restaurant with an amazing menu full of pizza, pasta, egg and other vegetable and dairy dishes. On the way there we had stopped first thing in the morning for one last gelato, at Giolitti (Via Uffici dei Vicario, 40), the 100-year-old gelateria that specializes in fresh fruit flavors. After lunch, we had a tour of the Jewish Ghetto with Micaela Pavoncello of JewishRoma. Mika is a bright, fascinating, knowledgeable, activist young woman who regaled us with tales of the history and culture of the two major groups of Jews in Rome: the Roman Jews (who are the only truly Palestinian Jews, descended from the Jews who had emigrated from Jerusalem as early as the 2nd century BCE/BC but who mostly arrived after the Destruction of The Temple in 70 CE/AD by the Romans) and the Libyan Jews, who came to Rome after the Six-Day War in 1967, when, through an airlift and the aid of several ships, the Italian navy helped evacuate more than 6,000 Jews to Rome in one month. The evacuees were forced to leave their homes, their businesses and most of their possessions behind. The Roman Jews are neither Ashkenazic nor Sephardic (the two types we are most used to in the US) so their customs and foods are unique to them: witness the fried artichoke (and other foods fried in olive oil, both olives and artichokes having grown in abundance in southern Italy).

We began our tour with a visit to the Tempio Maggiore, the Great Synagogue of Rome (where Micaela is to be married in May)—it was lovely inside, despite its architecture and decoration looking almost exactly like that of a church. We also toured the Jewish Museum of Rome, which is part of the Synagogue complex and houses the collection of the Jewish Community of Rome: silver produced in Rome between the 17th and 18th centuries, precious fabrics from all over Europe, marbles that survived the demolition of the Cinque Scole (the single building that housed 5 small synagogues) in the ghetto, and manuscripts from the Middle Ages. The Jews of Rome had been accorded special legal rights under Julius Caesar, crushed under the Emperor Titus, flourished during the Middle Ages and early Renaissance.

However, in 1555, Pope Paul IV decreed that all Jews must be segregated into their own quarters (the ghetto), and they were forbidden to leave their homes during the night. The ghetto was a swampy section of Rome directly on the River Tiber, surrounded on 3 sides by buildings that composed its walls. There were gates at the corners of the ghetto and churches outside the gates with plaques exhorting the Jews to convert. Jews were forced to attend church every Sunday but many put wax into their ears so that they wouldn’t have to hear the words of the Christian service. The ghetto is a shockingly small area, the walkways between buildings narrow and dark; the many Jews crammed in there were forced to build upwards, so that buildings reached 5 and 6 stories and families lived cramped in one room. The ghetto flooded when the Tiber River flooded. It must have been a miserable existence, one that is hard to imagine when seeing the modern ghetto area that exists today on the site that remains (although the Tiber now has an embankment). However, it only served to bring the community closer together in spirit, as well as physically.

We learned all this and more from Mika, including her political feelings about today’s Roman Jews and how she feels about the current Pope finally accepting an invitation to visit the Great Synagogue this spring, 5 years after he was invited (he’s been busy). She is well known in the community, as we learned while sitting at an outdoor cafe sipping cappucinos after our tour. A visit to Boccione, the famous Jewish bakery in the ghetto, had yielded only their “pizze,” a sort of fruitcake concoction, fresh out of the oven. Unfortunately, the cinnamon/almond biscottini were long gone.

And then we had to leave Rome, catch our Alitalia flight to London’s Heathrow airport. We stayed overnight in London and managed to waste enough time the next morning so that we only had 1 hour to dash through Harrods before heading back to the airport for our American Airlines flight home. Surprise: Harrods’ food court had a special Ladurée bakery, with pastries and macarons straight from Paris!

Wow! My just-turned 23 yr. old son made this list (along with a few of his previous mentors) compiled by Matt Mullenweg, the CEO of WordPress! Way to go Aaron! Read Aaron here.

Competing for my attention the last two weeks has been the nearly daily tension in the Congress on whether or not a strong public option will become part of the health care reform bill. Today’s battle is again coming from the successful BoldProgressives, who were instrumental earlier in the week in producing an ad pressuring Harry Reid into taking the stance he did of choosing to present to the full Senate the public option bill instead of the insurance industry-laden form excluding a public option, both of which came out of the Senate Finance Committee.

There’s now a new ad & petition from BoldProgressives’ lobbying group Progressive Change Campaign Committee pressuring President Obama to stick to his decision to support a strong public option in the health care reform bill (apparently the President is now more interested in bipartisan support for this bill than he is in keeping his promise to help the poor and uninsured). You can read all about the action on today’s Daily Kos.

Also today, Democrats.com announced a strike by donors to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). If you are a Democrat (and/or have contributed to any of these groups), you can sign the petition to join “together in a Democratic donor strike against the DNC, DSCC, and DCCC until the Democratic Congress passes – and President Obama signs – healthcare reform with a robust public option. Until then, we will only donate to individual Democrats who will truly fight for us.”

Finally, looking forward to the inevitable fighting/voting in the Senate and House of Representatives, it doesn’t hurt to send your opinion to the House Republican Leader, Representative John Boehner. This is what I wrote:

“Dear Congressman Boehner,

Even though I can afford my own health care, I VERY STRONGLY SUPPORT a public option in the health care reform bill because I believe it is incumbent upon every American of means, and upon the American government, to help out those in need…and it is simply unethical, immoral, and criminal to allow those people who have insufficient or no health insurance to suffer, especially in these difficult economic times.

There was a time in my life when I had to go without health insurance for a whole year so that my children could have it (because my husband and I could not find a policy that would include me–because of my pre-existing conditions). This was a very stressful year for me and now that I am no longer in that position and know what it was like, I don’t want anyone else to suffer that same fate.

Open your eyes and ears and listen to the American people–the majority of them support a public option. If the wealthy Republicans with whom you associate can’t bear to part with a few extra tax dollars, then I pity all of you. Keep taking your handouts from the insurance companies and stay smug in your insulated little world. You are not true Americans– Americans are compassionate people who have sympathy for the disadvantaged and try to help any way they can!”

Okay, I got a little strident there toward the end, but the fact that this issue should even be under discussion (let alone debated) makes me just insane. It is nothing more than a moral issue of doing what’s right and having simple human compassion for your fellow human being.

So…knitting. I have spent the last month (when not otherwise occupied, which was, admittedly, most of the time…and included clothes shopping for the new slimmer me) trying to finally finish up the Shibui Vintage Baby Sweater which has taken forever. It’s an easy knit but has certainly killed off any idea I had of ever knitting myself a sweater out of sock yarn—no way! It is all seamed and I’m in the middle of a simple crocheted edging. Then all I have to do is wash and block it and sew on the gorgeous impossibly matching 2″ wide hand-dyed silk ribbon ties (purchased from Joggles (which I took the precaution of Scotchguarding). I purchased a bunch of Baby Gap clothes (and the cutest pair of shoes) that match the colors of the sweater to send along with it so dear baby Ada will have nothing less than interchangeable matching outfits! I think I will post a photo of the finished sweater when I am ready to post the package (I hope by Friday) just in case her mom reads my blog.

I also began Ysolda Teague’s Ishbel scarf made from Wool Candy’s Lollipop Blue-Faced Leicester superwash sock yarn in the wonderful color called “Moss Rock.” I have several inches knit and can take a photo of this as soon as we have some sunlight. With the weather we’ve been having, I can’t wait to wrap this around my neck.

However, all knitting came to a screeching halt upon a virtual order from StitchDiva (Jennifer Hansen) to join the knit-along on Ravelry for her remarkable Endless Knitted Cardi Shawl. It was perfect, as I already had a supply of the Stitch Diva Studio Silk in “Poison Eggplant” which I must have purchased for another project. And for the coordinating ribbing, I pulled a ball from my stash of discontinued Blue Heron Yarns Rayon Seed in Black Plum. The colors match perfectly, but the Rayon Seed is so thin that I have to triple it to get it to match the size and gauge of the Studio Silk, which means weighing the ball while I rewind and divide it into 3 separate balls. Thus, I haven’t gotten much farther than staring at my swatch, while Jennifer (during her Wednesday Live Chats) and the knit-along group are probably ready to start the sleeves. We’re more than halfway through the knit-along month but I’ll get there eventually.

At the same time, my attention was captured by a new design from Amy Swenson of indiknits titled Slow Curve. It seems like the perfect winter sweater—long, form-fitting, and warm—and I believed I had the perfect yarn for it sitting in my stash. Finally, after 2 years, I would use my Foxfire Cormo Alpaca Classic (in color “Loon”) which, although declared on the ball band as a worsted weight knitting up at 4 stitches per inch on #8 needles, looked more like a soft, fluffy, bulky yarn. I knitted and washed my swatch, being mindful of Clara Parkes’ (of Knitters Review warning about the yarn blooming upon washing from 4 stitches per inch to 3.25 inches. I was so disappointed in my washed swatch–the gauge was fine and I had a lovely drapeable fabric but the magic of my soft fluffy yarn skein had disappeared and been replaced by an ordinary-looking worsted. Oh well, I am still going to use it.

Then I remembered that last year I had worked up and washed a swatch with Noro Silk Garden Chunky but never did anything further with it. I pulled out the project and was amazed to find out that I’d intended to knit another sweater by Amy Swenson—Emerald—from Knitty! This would make yet another perfect winter cardigan. So it looks like I have my 2 winter sweaters (and size 8 and 10 needles should make for quick knitting!).

Of course there are also a few smaller projects on my list (such as the Kathryn Alexander Designs Doo-Dad Scarf from Jimmy Beans Wool. Looks like I’m pretty set with my winter knitting!

Now I just need to get to it.

Okay…nearly 1 month since my last blog post! I HAVE been knitting, albeit slowly, and will try to post at least what I’ve been working on, if not an actual photograph or two—tonight or tomorrow. Sorry. (blame it on twitter and a daily surfeit of email)

On Labor Day, we packed and prepared to leave the hotel early; we had to get the boys to the airport in time to catch their planes back to college. On our way out, we saw the newlyweds relaxing in the hot tub next to the swimming pool, so were able to say a last “thank you” and “good-bye.” The drive back to San Francisco was a lot faster, as the traffic was light, and we dropped Noah at the airport, but it turned out that Ben’s plane was running 3.5 hours late. So he stayed with us—we had been invited to the house of some friends for a Labor Day barbecue lunch. However, it was a little early yet, so we drove around downtown and visited the Apple store and Brookstone, where Ben needed to exchange the remote control helicopter we had just bought him for his birthday (it wasn’t working properly). After that we navigated the hilly streets of San Francisco until we found the right house, where we had a wonderful lunch and visit with not only our friends, but another couple we knew that they had invited. It was a pleasant afternoon but we all too soon had to leave to take Ben back to the airport and continue our drive down the coast to Big Sur—our destination.

We were taking a mini-vacation at The Post Ranch Inn, a magnificent and luxurious (yet somehow rustic) resort directly on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It was a wonderfully relaxing few days. We had booked an upper Coast House with a view through the pine trees of the ocean from our balcony with its comfortable deck chairs (I wanted nothing more than to sit out here and knit all day long, watching the stellar jays hop from branch to branch in the trees and enjoying the bold chipmunk who jumped onto our balcony and scurried around searching for food). Standing there with the complimentary glass of Veuve & Cliquot champagne that they poured for me upon check-in at reception, I felt like I was in heaven, especially as the sun began to set through the tree branches:

However, indoors, our cozy “cabin” was nothing to sneer at either. All wood paneled, with floor to ceiling sliding glass doors, an extraordinarily comfortable bed , two complimentary half-bottles of wine, a complimentary minibar and fruit basket which were refilled each day with beverages and all sorts of snacks, an aged leather portfolio containing information about the inn (and its 90+ acres with hiking trails, pool, spa, and gourmet restaurant), our welcome gift of a packet of California wildflower seeds and a book about the Post Ranch’s long history, and the luxurious leather sofa (with chenille throw) and fireplace (with fire already laid and a copper kettle of extra split logs and kindling), you could say that our room was comfortable. Actually, you could say a lot more than that. There seemed to be a subdued zen aesthetic that tied the room together, that made it functional while, at the same time, alluringly decorative. Three black river stones sat on the fireplace mantle—I was constantly re-arranging these. A needlepoint chair sat near the bed. Extra pillows and a massage table were tucked into drawers beneath the bed (and, yes, I did have 2 complimentary massages—my husband didn’t want his—one each day, that came with our travel package…and they were absolutely wonderful). The rounded wood cabinet near the bed housed a Bose sound system but there was (thankfully) no television available. There was wifi but it seemed almost a shame to disturb the quiet by using the internet. The little table near the door holding the fruit basket also held a cutting board and knife to use with the fruit. Refrigerator snacks included camembert and crackers, white chocolate key lime cookies, gourmet nuts and a dark organic chocolate bar (as well as Snickers). There was, of course, a coffeemaker with a selection of coffees and teas; there were wine glasses in addition to drinking glasses (glass, not plastic). An extra blanket in the closet, a magnifying mirror in the bathroom…a lot of attention to detail. And, discreetly around the room, sand castings or bronze sculptures that caught your eye and required contemplation. Yet the furnishings were simple, not fancy, not extravagant. One felt at home, not out of place. Relaxed.

And this was before you went on to investigate the bathroom! The slate and granite bathroom also had a wall of glass (part of which slid open to the deck), a needlepoint chair on which to rest, a stepstool to help getting into the deep soaking tub/jacuzzi, bath salts, candle, shampoo, conditioner, body soap, etc.—all the amenities you could desire, including thick terrycloth robes, soft slippers and an abundance of thick grey terry towels. As each unit is situated so that no other unit is within view, you can feel free to bathe without drawing the blinds and feel as though you are in the outdoors. In the morning, the fog was often over the water and it was a little too chilly to actually open the bathroom door but the fog would often burn off by the time we went for breakfast; although, from the restaurant, you could see it lingering down the coast.

As you walk down toward the award-winning Sierra Mar restaurant you first notice the dramatic rusted iron sculpture and fountain that is placed outside, marking the restaurant’s site. It is only one of many such sculptures to be discovered around the grounds of the inn. The restaurant itself is stunning, with its walls of windows in square-shaped bays jutting out over the coastline. No matter where you sit in the dining room, you have the feeling that you are literally hanging over the cliffs above the ocean. The food and the service are phenomenal. The staff and servers could not have been nicer, doing everything in their power to make you feel as if you were right at home. Breakfast is included with the price of your unit and turned out to be quite a delicious affair, consisting of fresh juice, lovely fresh fruit and berries (have you ever seen “salmonberries”—yellow raspberries?), yogurt, granola, an assortment of breads and pastries, and omelets or eggs (with all sorts of add-ins) cooked to order by a chef at the buffet. Open from 8 am until 10:30 am, I could easily have had a late breakfast and gone without any lunch! (Though there is a lunch menu.) The prix fixe four course dinners (or you could also order à la carte) were extravagantly creative beyond belief. The menu changes daily and features organic, seasonal fare cooked in a style that is innovative and “California French” without being overly heavy. However, the entrée choices are generally limited to only one choice each of meat, vegetarian, fish, seafood (and sometimes poultry). The first night, not liking the entrée choices, I merely dined on an appetizer (a foie gras sampler consisting of seared foie gras, foie gras mousse served with cornmeal mini-pancakes and a foie gras créme brulèe with caramelized top) and a salad. The desserts were spectacular. The next night our dinner was also complimentary with our travel package, so we made the most of it and each ordered the prix fixe menu but it was simply too much rich food for me to eat, including the amuse bouche of a quail egg with caviar and the plate of after-dessert petit fours! That night we had quite a surprise: My husband looked up as we were seated at our table and said, “You won’t believe this but I think that Jacob and Miriam are here.” Sure enough, Sierra Mar has such a reputation that the newlyweds had driven down there from their honeymoon in Carmel to have dinner! They looked amazingly happy and in love.

Below the restaurant, you could view the kelp beds in the ocean though there was no way to get down the cliffs to the water. When you walked along the paths around the resort however, there were surprises around every corner. Strikingly, the hills and mountains loomed up across a meadow (and I suppose across the road) from behind the inn. My husband took hikes every day and actually saw wild turkeys and deer; but I preferred the quiet of sitting on our balcony, knitting, and daydreaming while looking out over the ocean. Relaxation.

Everywhere on the grounds there were both natural, native plants and beautiful plantings of every sort. Growing along a wooden fence, we found this unusual flower:

Finally, we had our greatest adventure on our last night at the resort. We walked to a more advantageous location to watch the sunset and, as we turned away from the last rays of the dying light and I had put away my camera, two people came walking toward us on the path. They said “Hi,” as guests there tended to do but, as they walked on by, I did a double-take. The woman, dressed in jeans and a short black trench coat, was immediately recognizable—she was Anne Hathaway! We had no idea of the identity of her companion; it took a bit of googling before my husband even realized who she was. However, the next morning, while I was still packing and he was down in reception checking out, she came in to inquire about other types of units (they were staying in a Tree House) and she struck up a 10-minute conversation with my husband! He even suggested she go up to look at our unit, since she had said she would prefer an ocean view, but if she did come up, I was long gone, as the bellman arrived in the Lexus to take me and the luggage down to the parking lot. Oh well, celebrity sighting nonetheless.

We had a pleasant drive back to San Francisco airport and an uneventful ride home. It is always a good feeling to be back in your own house and your own bed, even when you have been staying somewhere as spectacular as The Post Ranch Inn. I would like to save up for another visit there; I loved it and felt totally relaxed.

Seriously, September is almost over and I completely forgot to tell you about our Labor Day weekend away in California (where I hoped to finally bask in some hot summer weather, as our summer in Chicago had been so miserable and rainy…but where it turned out to be mild, even chilly at times. The sun, however, did not disappoint.)

The occasion behind our trip was the wedding of my husband’s nephew Jacob to his long-time girlfriend Miriam, and it was quite a lovely affair. We flew into San Francisco and drove up to Sonoma in the wine country. The Oakland Bay Bridge was closed that weekend (as at least several hundred signs informed us), so the traffic going north for any Labor Day weekenders to Sonoma or Napa Valley was fairly heavy, plus there was a motorcycle accident off the highway on the main road leading to the valley cutoffs. However, eventually we made it to Sonoma, checked into The Lodge at Sonoma, where we found we had been upgraded to a darling cottage, and had arrived just in time for the afternoon wine tasting (and how I wish I had written down the name of the chardonnay I tasted—it was fabulous)! We ran into several relatives in the lobby; naturally, everyone was nervous but very excited. That night we had a most fabulous dinner at the girl & the fig in downtown Sonoma to celebrate my youngest son’s 19th birthday.

Having a waiter who knew about all the dishes and made excellent suggestions for them, as well as for the beers and wines, helped a great deal. It may not have been the restaurant Ben would have chosen (however, on the way up to Sonoma, he did pull a birthday insist on stopping for an In-N-Out burger!), but we all enjoyed the excellent and creative food and even shared a dessert selection.

Saturday, my husband and I walked the 1.25+ miles into downtown Sonoma and walked around the little shops lining the main square. I was concerned about finding a shawl to wear at the wedding, as the evening temperature on Sunday was predicted to be a lot cooler than I was prepared for (when originally I was afraid I’d be too hot in my outfit!). Lots of cute shops in Sonoma and I did find a thin black cashmere (not really pashmina) shawl at a reasonable price. Then we walked back to the hotel (I just made it in the hot sun) and had a late lunch in the restaurant, including many, many glasses of cold water. Throughout the day (and the night before) we kept running into people who were there for the wedding—it was wonderful catching up with those we knew and those we didn’t (from the bride’s side); they all introduced themselves and were extremely friendly. However, we also met some other people: “Are you going to the wedding?” people would shout out…only it turned out there were several weddings scheduled for that weekend!

That afternoon I ironed everyone’s clothes (fun) and burned my arm with the iron (ouch)! Saturday evening was the rehearsal dinner given by the groom’s parents (who have been divorced for many years but were present with their respective others) and it seemed to include nearly everyone attending the wedding. It consisted of a reception with full bar and hors d’oeuvres on the pool patio, then a stunning buffet in the hotel and a video of the bride and groom put together by the bride’s brother. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera along.

Sunday I rested and did some knitting while the boys went out for a drive. The buses for the wedding, which was being held at the B.R. Cohn Winery were leaving at 3:15, so we had to dress early. We arrived at the winery to find this beautiful setting:

Thoughtfully, the bartender was passing out bottles of plain and soda water, as well as pouring two different flavors of lemonade, for people to drink while they were waiting for the wedding to begin (it was scheduled for 4:30 pm). Once seated, this was the view we had over the vineyards toward the sunset:

We all wrote our congratuatory wishes on a framed portrait of the bride and groom, picked up programs, and found seats. Finally the music from a trio of flute, violin and bass began as the bridal party made its way down the stairs carved into the hillside. It was quite a dramatic entrance. The men were all dressed in khaki suits with brown ties, including the best man Alec, the groom’s younger brother, who had flown in all the way from New Zealand (where he has been working for the past few years), while the three bridesmaids, all friends of the bride, wore perfectly lovely, simple, strapless and short brown dresses (a bridesmaid’s dress one could definitely wear again!). They looked sleek and stunning and their bouquets were outstanding:

The traditional Jewish ceremony (with a female rabbi from MIT and a cantor) was held under a chuppah that had been appliqued with care and love by the bride’s mother with flowers cut from her own wedding dress. Friends and relatives of the couple gave readings from various selections (including the Velveteen Rabbit) and recited blessings. Finally, after exchanging rings, being wrapped in a tallit, and smashing the glass, the lovely newlyweds turned to walk back up the aisle:

followed by the groom’s beaming parents:

as well as the bride’s proud parents:

and the rest of the wedding party.

Then the reception began. As the sun set behind the hill, guests sampled champagne and wine from the vineyard, enjoyed hors d’oeuvres being passed by the caterers, as well as an heirloom tomato bar. We all mingled and generally basked in that warm and loving glow that a comes from sharing in the wedding of two of the nicest people you know. Everyone wanted to have their photo taken with the beautiful bride. Here is one of Miriam and me: (I am wearing my Eileen Fisher outfit and my Kathy Frey jewelry, while Miriam looks stunning in her simple strapless gown—although you can barely see the elaborate embroidery which highlighted it).

Finally, as the sky grew dark, we all walked back up the hill where tables surrounding a dance floor were topped with flowers and glittering with candles atop tablecloths elaborately decorated with ribbon embroidery in a pale pink. The tables were set up under the olive trees (the B. R. Cohn Winery also produces bottled olive oil in different flavors). which were wrapped with strands of twinkling lights and hung with lanterns. It was truly a breathtaking and romantic setting. The newlyweds shared their first dance and we began a wonderful dinner, which started with a salad and continued with entrees of sea bass and various vegetarian selections, including goat cheese pasta. All the while, the waiters were pouring wine and an “upstairs” bar remained open for those who wanted beer or something stronger. Toasts, thanks, and tributes were given; everyone seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. At some point the music began and people started to dance—everyone seemed to hit the dance floor; it wasn’t just the younger people who were rocking to the music. Even those from the young to the old seemed to be having a great time. Of course, people danced the hora and hoisted the wedding couple aloft on chairs—that is traditional.

Finally it was time to cut the cake:

which turned out to have both chocolate cake and carrot cake layers. The carousing continued until it was time to return to the buses at 10 pm (apparently Sonoma county has a noise ordinance stipulating that outdoor parties must end at 10). We were exhausted, I was decidedly tipsy, and our cottage at the hotel looked mighty inviting.

Did you know that, despite the fact that TNT renewed “Saving Grace” (starring Holly Hunter) for a 4th season, FOX Television and News decided (for financial reasons, I’m sure) not to produce any more episodes of the show, effectively canceling it for good? This was one of the most intelligent, challenging and enjoyable programs on television and Holly Hunter is such a great actress that its cancellation is a true shame. Especially as I’m sure it will be replaced with yet another reality show!

If you enjoyed the show at all, please go here to sign the petition to save it: Saving Saving Grace

I just rec’d the new Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton Noro: Meet the Man Behind the Legendary Yarn book from Amazon and I thought you’d be interested in my scathing review:

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful: 1.0 out of 5 stars Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton Should Be Ashamed!
September 11, 2009 By: Susan W. Swartz “beadmomsw” (Highland Park, IL United States)

What a rip-off! After waiting anxiously nearly a year for this book to be published, what do I find? Approximately 12 skimpy pages (out of 148) (really 6 pages of information and 29 photos, most of them small) telling about Mr. Noro (2 paragraphs and a quote) and the Noro Yarn Company . This “Meet the Man Behind the Legendary Yarns” is then followed by 40 recycled projects from Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton’s various Noro project books. Unbelievable! She couldn’t even be bothered to create new projects for this book! There should definitely be a disclaimer in the book description: WARNING: IF YOU OWN THE AUTHOR’S PREVIOUS NORO PATTERN BOOKS, DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS VOLUME!

I have never before returned a book to Amazon, even when I have mistakenly ordered duplicates…but I am going to send back this book. It is a total waste of money. I suppose if you are new to Noro yarns and have none of Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton’s knitting pattern books, then you will find it worthwhile. But if, however, you are, like me, one of those knitters who has devoured every Noro pattern that has come along for the past ten years or so, you already have every pattern in this book…so save your money. The 12 pages about Eisaku Noro and the company aren’t worth what even Amazon is charging. I am outraged that a travesty like this could even be published.

Now, maybe if you don’t have any of her pattern books, you might like to own this book, but otherwise, seriously, save your money! Some of the photos in the patterns aren’t even reprinted as in focus as they were in the pattern books!

And that’s my rant for this weekend!