Saturday, November 25, 2006


Luther and Gus checking for strange scents in the backyard Posted by Picasa

Molly takes a snooze out back in the sun Posted by Picasa

super photogenic beagle Gus-topher Posted by Picasa

The holly bush in bloom in the Joyhouse backyard Posted by Picasa

On recon for the other llamas Posted by Picasa

The llamas decided to take it outside for a while Posted by Picasa

Little black sheep!!! So cute! Posted by Picasa

Isn't she lovely! Posted by Picasa

Please don't spit! Posted by Picasa

Me visiting Llamas!!  Posted by Picasa

A mand his drumstick Posted by Picasa

Mom, am I to understand that we will be having side dishes? Posted by Picasa

Molly and Murphy watch grandma make Thanksgiving dinner Posted by Picasa

Maggie poses with her "binky," which was my black bunny half pi Posted by Picasa

Geyl upclose and personal Posted by Picasa

Geyl in progress Posted by Picasa

Our thanksgiving table and side dishes Posted by Picasa

Turkey, Llamas, Beagles and Holly

Happy Thanksgiving blogiverse! I'm coming to you from scenic Cape Cod, where the Bach family has come together for another holiday of sarcasm, scrabble and soaks (in the hot tub). I drove up Wednesday, hoping to beat the Nor'easter racing up the coast. Thanks to Super T, I was able to get out of dodge around noon. New Jersey went pretty well, until I got to the Tappen Zee bridge where there was a four car pile up. It was pretty much 4 hours between there and New Haven. Thanks to Little Petey for finding me a Starbucks in Westport, Ct. where I was able to recharge with a peppermint mocha. After New Haven we cruised. We made it to the Cape in 8 hours, which, for the day before Thanksgiving, wasn't too bad.

I was greeted by my dad's attempt to put Donovan out of his misery:




Yes, Dad fed the Donovan booble head to his giant Godzilla. Poor Donovan, yet very symbolic of yet another year of Eagle football down the toilet.

On Thursday, Dad ventured out in the wind and rain to collect Ali and Mike at Logan Airport in Boston. Meanwhile, Mom, Grandma and I started cooking. We made Apple Pie, Tollhouse Pie and Pumpkin Bread. Here's a photo of my bread:



Then it was time to pig out on traditional turkey day fare. Sadly, blogger will not let me upload turkey photos...so perhaps I'll switch to Hello and upload more there.

On Friday, Mom and I discovered that there is a LLAMA, ALPACA, ANGORA GOAT and SHEEP Farm in West Barnstable. We visited "Knot -a- thot" Farm and were greeted by Toni. She and her hubby relocated to the Cape 6 years ago with their band of 25 Llamas and many rambouillet sheep. Since their relocation they have acquired two Alpaca. Toni gave us a tour of the farm and then showed us her fibers and roving. I purchased a drop spindle and will be needing a tutorial on spinning with a spindle. I also purchased some Llama, a fiber I have not worked with yet. It is deliciously soft and a gorgeous charcoal gray. These llams were very sweet; very domesticated. They came right up to me and smelled the beagles on my hands. They didn't SPIT either (that one is for grandma). I didn't have my Sansa with me, so I wasn't able to interview Toni for the Podcast, but she did agree to a future phone interview!!

I've been busy knitting Geyl (which was appropriate given the GALE force winds we have had the past couple of days). Again, I'll use HELLO to put up photos...

The Six Pack has been having a great time together, barking, howling and chasing each other as well as eating lots of giblets, turkey and rawhide. The weather has actually improved 10 fold today and I spent some time in the hot tub and out back with the beagles knitting.

This afternoon: tennis with Mike, Allison and Daddio. I've got a Sherapova-esque outfit on...my socks match my shirt and I'll be wearing earrings.

Tonight I'm making Paella. My sister is terrified.
Mom and I purchased our plane tickets for Ireland/Scotland too! We are leaving May 19th!!!! We are really going! Allison has decided to join us in Ireland for a week too! The Bach girls in a pub...terrifying I know.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Bitched up by the ACL

Dear Donovan

Why, oh why, did you have to roll all fancy and silly out of bounds...only to tear your ACL and break the hearts of Eagles fans far and wide?

It's over folks...no playoffs for the Eagles any time soon---hell Donovan may be out until NEXT November...so that frees up Sundays for 10-12 months.

On a hopeful note, Spring Training starts in 85 days.
Of course the Phillies in yet another BOLD and UNSURPRISING move, let Soriano slip away to the Cubs. Great job guys...great.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

ACT UP-FIGHT OJ

Thanks to Robin, who works in development at Women In Transition for sending me this:


November 16, 2006
Statement by Sue Else, President
National Network to End Domestic Violence regarding the O.J. Simpson book "If I did it"
Twelve years ago, the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman brought the issue of domestic violence from out of the shadows and into the public spotlight. The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) is extremely outraged to hear that OJ Simpson intends to release a book detailing how he could have murdered his ex-wife and her friend.
While Simpson was acquitted of their deaths in a criminal trial, he was found liable in a civil trial and ordered to pay restitution to the Brown and Goldman families. To date, Simpson has refused to comply with the court order. NNEDV and domestic violence advocates nationwide are appalled that he is instead attempting to cash in on their gruesome murders.
Even more disturbing is the impact this selfish, arrogant act will undoubtedly have on Nicole's children - Sydney and Justin. They had to endure the grisly murder of their mother and the controversy of the trial against their father. How will they feel knowing that their father is not only profiting from their mother's murder, but he is also offering a morbid, detailed description of how he could have done it?

Three women are murdered every day at the hand of their intimate partners. It is unconscionable to think that Simpson, ReganBooks, HarperCollins Publishers, and FOX would promote a how-to guide for killing your wife. Is their intention to teach abusers how to kill
their wives?

This book has no place in our society and only causes more grief for the Brown and Goldman families and for battered women and children across the country. Our hearts go out to the families being retraumatized by this senseless act of greed.

NNEDV urges the public to take a stand and let FOX, ReganBooks and HarperCollins know that we will not allow them to make abuse and murder acceptable in our communities. We also ask you to contact your local bookstores and FOX advertisers and ask them to remove their support from ReganBooks, HarperCollins and FOX.

Contact numbers to protest the OJ Simpson book may vary by market, but in general you can contact:
News Corp. - 212-852-7000. They own all the Fox channels, magazines, newspapers and Twentieth Century Fox. Rupert Murdoch is the CEO of all of News Corp!

FOX - contact your local FOX station AND the national office -http://www.fox.com/links/affiliates.htm AND (310) 369-3553

Amazon - you can send an email via their website, http://www.blogger.com/www.amazon.com (no really good way to directly connect with them)

Barnes and Noble - Customer Service Center at 1-800-THE-BOOK (1-800-843-2665).
Borders Books - 1-888-81 BOOKS (1-888- 812-6657)
HarperCollins - 212-207-7000
ReganBooks - 212-207-7000 (a division of HarperCollins)

Think about calling big book retailers like Target, Costco, Wal-Mart (again both local and national office) to ensure they do not carry the book in stores or online (their online book service is provided by Amazon).
As always, thanks for your support and cooperation. Let's see how this plays out...

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

You have GOT to be kidding me

Dateline 1994

Place: The Beach Club: scary, big haired club in Cleveland's Flats where I learned to "get my drink on."

On the TV, captivating the entire crowd--even more than body shots--a white bronco. Inside, OJ and his friend AC. The circus begins.

Dateline Fall 1995
Place: Conference Room at Action AIDS

I'm 7 months from graduation from Penn's MSW program. Gathered in the conference room at ActionAIDS (where I was completing my field practicum), ia the staff glued to the TV again to watch the reading of the verdict in OJ's criminal trial. As the verdict was read, the whites in the room all lowered their heads is disgust and disbelief. The African American's cheered. The trial had managed to polarize the nation along racial lines yet again. Yet in my opinion, this trial wasn't about a black man who killed his white wife and her white friend. This trial was about a crime of incredible violence that resulted in the deaths of two people. And to this day, I believe, that this MAN killed this WOMAN and her male friend.

Today, I'm disgusted to hear that Fox News, in the same vein as their conservative, inappropriate political rhetoric, is doing a tv special with OJ called, "If I did it." But wait, there is also a book by the fantastic football star/accused murderer called, "If I did it." I believe the subtitle is "How I would have killed Nicole and Ron."

After I got the taste of vomit out of my mouth, I reflected on the incredible pathologic (not a word that even I as a mental health professional don't use much) facilitation of this man making an easy buck and the fact that he even has the ability to think about and plan a murder that he "didn't commit." When people tell me they are going to harm themselves or someone else, the first thing I have to ask is, "Do you have a plan?" If they do, we assess these patient's to be at a ten fold higher risk to actually do something then someone who does not have a plan. So, basically FOX and the publishing company who think it is okay to put such unbelievable crap on the bookshelves, are putting his plan into print and justifying it. But, it's okay because, he didn't do it.

I'm grossed out. I have incredible feelings of grief, sadness and anger for those two children that Nicole made with that man, and how they will cope with the publication of this book. And then there is Ron Goldman's family. That man had NOTHING to do with the drama that existed in the relationship between Ron and Nicole. He paid for being a nice guy with his life.

Do not buy this book. Don't look at it in curosity on the tables near the door at the bookstore. Walk directly past it to the knitting books and free yourself. Demand that ANY proceeds this monster stands to make from the selling of this story and publication of this book are immediately paid to Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman's family as part of the 30 million dollar civil award they have yet to see a dime of. Put it out there on your blog how disgusting this is.

Anyone want to design a button for our blogs??????
How about, "I did do it."

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Stitches Haul

Here's the goodies; in no particular order

My newest scarf; knit on the bias in Blue Moon Periwinkle; Colorway: Puck's Magic

Please ignore ugly background of office


My student Erin models her Morehouse scarf! It looks FABU!


The Koigu I bought for Lucie (Knitty.com); more below

Hoping to dye this lace weight and sock yarn at the Lobster Pot Ladies House over Thanksgiving. I got it at the Yarn Barn of Kansas. It has extraordinary yardage and was about $30 TOTAL. I could get a huge shawl and two pairs of socks from this.


Not TECHNICALLY bought at Stitches; but at the Pre-Stitches Anne-tasma at Knitting Circle last week. This is "Indira Ghandi" Anne. The yarn is NOT BLUE at all; the photos just can't do the colors justice. Not sure yet what this will be when it grows up...obviously a shawl. I've got three skeins though, so I'm thinking about MY FIRST Anne Socks! It is a sock yarn after all.

Two cones of Alpaca Laceweight from Webs. 1700+ yards each for $18 (each). YUMMY. I am going to make a shawl from Victorian Lace today (who am I kidding, I am going to make several shawls from that book), but I already have one picked for the ice blue color (the black one towards the end of the book, sorry don't have it with me!)

Maggie and the "Lucie" Koigu. Now Maggie: Step Away from the Koigu.

Geisha Lace Weight, also from Blue Moom Fiber Arts; Colorway Rooster Rock. It's 800 yards of yumminess. Unclear what it will become; until then, I'll just sleep with it under my pillow.

So, not to shabby.

It's a good day in America. Blue is the new red. Rumsfeld is out. Only two more years of Bush crap and to Barak Obama I say: GET THE CAMPAIGN ON BOY! 2008 is not so far away


Monday, November 06, 2006

photo opps...Halloween

The Wizard of Oz a la Bach and Wynne
Starring Sammy as "Dorothy"
Alex as "Scarecrow"
Timmy as "The Lion"
Jen as "Glenda"
Bob as "The Tin Man"
Auntie Bach as "The Wicked Witch" and
Gus as "Toto"