It's Going to be a Busy Housework/Cleaning Day Today

So, after yesterday's attempt to post, we'll see if I'm more successful today. *sigh* Yesterday was my wedding anniversary - married in the dark ages in front of a fire with a cold cave behind and winter approaching. Well ... the only accurate thing is that winter is approaching, but the marriage did happen 46 years ago. We were young, foolish, and walking into an unknown future which turned out very different than either of us had envisioned. 

Today's agenda includes some major housecleaning, getting bills paid, and hitting the computer room for a deep clean. I'm looking for a particular book that I believe is buried in the stacks, so it's as good an excuse as any to do a Fall cleaning. I haven't hit this room for quite a while. 

Sometimes I think it would have been so much better if 
both of us weren't packrats. We're not as bad as some - 
we're not hoarders, but we do tend to accumulate things. 

Of course, it's also a swimming day and a grocery shopping day. I have two salmon fillets that have to be cooked, so I'll dash through that too, but the most important thing will be finding this book. 

I have two salmon fillets that need to be cooked, 
so that's on today's agenda. I don't need to do any 
other major kitchen work until Friday, so it'll be 
a bit lighter and leave me plenty of time to hunt 
for that book that I need. 

Yesterday was our anniversary, as I mentioned above. DH did get me two cards - very nice ones. I got him nothing. We'll celebrate at Ren Fest this weekend, and hopefully have nice weather for it. I have to get an email out to Merlin's wife regarding my scarf. I've added a note to the small stack of bills to be paid today, just so I don't forget to get that out to her. 

Lady of the Lake Silks is Merlin's wife's business, and she's 
extremely successful and very talented. The scarf I'm ordering 
ranges from Black on one edge to White on the opposite edge, 
ranging through the entire rainbow as it progresses through. 

So, I'm going to wrap this up, and hopefully it won't end up in cyberspace hell like yesterday's post did. *sigh* I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

It's My 45th Wedding Anniversary Today - And We Haven't Killed Each Other Yet! LOL

Yesterday DH and I spent the day at the Renaissance Festival to celebrate our wedding anniversary a day early. We had a delightful day, going in and out of shops. He enjoyed my little arcane bookstore, "Library of Alexandria" as much as I, and we actually spent a bit of time there, looking through their shelves and stacks. He was captivated by several books that he swears he has - books that were instrumental in the foundations of Tolkien's epic works. I checked out several different Tarot decks, but I love the deck I've been using for several years and don't need a replacement or addition. 

I use the Tarot of Dreams deck, illustrated by 
Ciro Marchetti. I have other decks by this artist 
also, and have always loved the artwork. When 
using a deck, it has to speak to you, his decks 
work well for me over the years. 

I ate several items I would normally have said "No" to, the occasional swerve doesn't mean I'm off the WildFit road, just a swerve. I'm back on the road today, and my body didn't go haywire because of the gluten, so all was well. I bought a bottle of rather unusual soy sauce from a sauce and oils vendor. I'm looking forward to incorporating its' levels of complexity into a dish down the line. 

Gazing to my right as I sit at my computer right 
now, I see several bottles of her Patchouli 
mixes, a bottle of Nag Champa, and my 
latest acquisition, a tiny bottle of Herat. I 
adore her perfumes and oils and have been 
shopping here for as long as I've been 
going to Ren Fest - almost 50 years now. 

I dropped by Lady of the Lakes scarves to see if they were able to make me the scarf I had requested last week. It appeared as though that order slipped through the cracks, but I did get a card and emailed her yesterday evening with photos attached of exactly what I was referring to when I was describing the color progression. We have two weeks left of Ren Fest before the season closes, and I hope they can get this one done for me. Otherwise, we'll have to work it as a mail order. I want this scarf! 

I want an ombre scarf with this color 
progression. It goes down to a deep blue 
at the bottom, starting from a white at the 
top. Gorgeous. I sent her two photos that 
Chickie had taken last week of these scarves, 
and hopefully she can get a large square scarf 
done for me with this coloring.

Today is my formal wedding anniversary - my 45th. We're starting year 46 now, and we'll just go ahead and shoot for 50. If we don't kill each other in some argument or other before then, it'll be just grand - LOL. I hope all of you have a wonderful Monday. My day is a bit crowded today, so I'm plugging in photos and heading to drop DH's truck off at the dealership for a six-month checkup. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

It's My Anniversary Today - No Photos (Sorry)

Today is my 44th wedding anniversary, and that day seems so very far in the distant past. I still remember DH coming up to me telling me that the table set-up was missing an entire table of eight, and they were quickly putting up another one and getting it set. I remember the autumn weather was absolutely perfect, and since it was an outdoor wedding in a pavilion, that was rather important. I recall the September trees turning golden, the snow on the distant peaks, and the fact that my singer changed the order of the songs on me at the last minute, without telling me. Most of all, I remember my family and friends, DH's Dad and Mom, and the Judge, because I refused to be married in any religious ceremony. 

It was rather amazing that DH's Mom was there. She was a true homebody - hated to leave her house. It was totally in the air until the last minute whether she would be on the plane, or whether DH's older sister would arrive in her stead. But she was brave and actually flew out for the wedding. Since DH's grandmother wasn't able to travel, I made sure to order a floral wristlet for her to wear at her care home so that she would also be part of the wedding party, at least in spirit. 

I mentioned that we had a judge officiating the wedding, and we also incorporated a lot of Native American symbolism and words into our speeches and invitations. I actually had tried to find a religious person to officiate, but the Catholics wouldn't do it because I was nominally Jewish, and the Rabbis wouldn't do it because I was marrying a Catholic. For me, they were two sides of the same coin, so I tossed the coin away completely and went with a civil ceremony. 

Looking back on it, I have to chuckle a bit. DH's older sister was the first in the family to be married, and she had a Catholic mass - the whole nine yards ceremony, etc. When his older brother was married, they had a Christian ceremony - I think it was Lutheran, but basically, it was generic Christian. Things were a bit more laid back. He ended up getting married a couple of times but he didn't have staying power with any one woman. When DH and I got married, we had a civil ceremony with a judge, and didn't really mention religion at all. I think that was probably the best route to go for us, so it all worked out the way it needed to be. 

So, here we are. Still married, still figuring out how to live with and around each other. We get on each other's nerves, we fight, we make up, and we continue on. It hasn't been easy - love really doesn't do much more than pave the way between two people. After that, it's up to them to continue building the road - grading the road surface, obtaining the covering, and making it into a parkway over time. Whether you're newly married, in a long-term relationship, or looking back on the years that are no more, you'll recognize that. It's a road that you build with your significant other. It goes up and down, it has occasional backtracks, and maybe a clover-leaf or two, but you're on that road, going from Point A to Point B to Point C, etc., together. May your road be smooth and straight. 

Slava Ukraini - I'll be back on Monday. (No photos today, sorry about that). 

One Year on WildFit - Happy Anniversary to Me!

It's a short blog today because I have to shovel my side of the driveway before leaving for the gym. We were supposed to get 5-10 inches by the end of today, but I think we're skirted the edge of the storm and are getting less. Nonetheless, shoveling must be done, and it will be a snowy day for Minnion to sit in the parking lot at work. I'll bring my short snow brush into the store with me to make initial brushing of the car tonight a bit easier. 

I'm celebrating a year of WildFit today. It's 
one of the best things I've ever done for 
myself and I'm so happy with the progress 
I've made over the past year. It's become 
a firm part of my life and I couldn't 
be much happier. 

Today is an anniversary day - the anniversary of my first day of WildFit last year. I joined the WildFit 90 Day Challenge in February and it started on the 22nd of the month, going through into May. It was, and continues to be, the BEST thing I've done for myself in ages. I was 154 pounds when I started, now a run in a range from 119 to 115, consistently staying in that range. Although DH complains that I've lost too much weight, I really haven't. I'm right where I was when I started college, and I'm super comfortable with where I'm at. 

I didn't know exactly what WildFit was when I joined 
it. I knew it would give me insight into my personal 
nutrition, but wasn't really aware that it was a diet 
program as much as it was way to reprogram my 
body and understand its' reaction to foods. 

So, since today is short and sweet to allow me to shovel snow, I'm just sending out a lot of "Thank You" vibes to Eric Edmeades and his wonderful understanding of human dietary needs and human psychology. If you're ever looking for something that will be yours for life, and you want to change your life dramatically to take control of your body once again, check it out. BEST THING EVER. 

I found WildFit through my membership in MindValley, 
a platform for self-improvement and empowerment 
classes and teachings. It's a wonderful platform, but of 
all of the programs I've taken with MindValley, 
WildFit has been the best fit for me. 

I'm off to shovel and then to swim. Have an excellent Tuesday and I'll be back, digging myself out of the last of this storm, tomorrow morning. Be good, be kind, and enjoy your day. 

Raining On Your Friday Parade - It's A Temporary Mood

Yesterday was our wedding anniversary. It was quite anti-climactic. I gave two cards, I got two cards. I opened mine, he didn't open his. He bought sushi, I ate mine, minus the rice. Generally speaking, it was a waste of time and effort in most respects, although I did love my cards, and he tried to choose sushi that I could eat. Still, it was glacial, and uncomfortable, and generally forgettable. Not really a good celebration at all. 

Yesterday started out with a spectacular 
sunrise, but ended with a disappointing 
evening together. It could have been really 
good, but attitudes weren't really in tune. 

I'm trying to get in to see my dermatologist next week. She's not in the office this week, so I'm out of luck there, but I'm hopeful of getting enveloped in to see her on Wednesday or Friday next week. My skin isn't healing, so I need some outside consultation and information. Over the years I've worked my way up from Doctor to Practitioner, and then, with my alopecia, to the Department Head. That's who I see now - the Head Honcho. And I really like her. She's smart, forthright, and candid. Those are qualities I look for in my physicians. Hopefully I'll have some answers, or at least a course of action, by the end of next week. 

I really like my Dermatologist. She's highly intelligent, 
listens really well, and has excellent ideas for things 
to try with my crazy skin. I'm hoping she'll have some 
good ideas this time too, and that she can squeeze 
me in to her tight schedule. I have an appointment to 
see her in November, but this should be looked at 
a bit sooner than that. 

Today is a day off, and I need it. I'm exhausted, I'm burnt out, and I really need to kick back a bit and try to relax. I might go through one or two of the boxes that got totally soaked when we had our basement flooded a couple of weeks ago. I'm sure 90% of the stuff is trash now, so it might not take long to go through and clear things out a bit. That would be a good goal for the day. 

Do you remember when I had that cracked toilet tank the Sunday 
before Sharon arrived? I called my plumber, Jack, immediately 
in the morning and he had a new toilet installed by mid-
afternoon for us. (He's marvelous!) We had to pull everything 
out of our storage space because it all had been soaked 
through by the leaking water. I think I should start going 
through those boxes. Most of them are trash (except for the 
plastic storage boxes). I can at least start to get that craft 
room back into usable condition again. 

So, the next new oven has been ordered, the dermatologist has been contacted, the anniversary has passed, and life seems to be back to "normal" i.e., stumbling and a bit rocky. Goody. I think I'll plug in some good music for the day, go through a box or two to make me feel as if I've accomplished something, and maybe sit outside for a while this afternoon if the weather clears up. Have an excellent Friday and I'll be back tomorrow - probably with a much more positive attitude once again. Sorry for raining on your Friday parade. 

Blue Skies, 40 Years and the "Meme" Found

DH and I spent much of yesterday at the Renaissance Festival. I had thought it was Irish weekend. I was wrong. It was "Pet Fest", so the grounds were shared with hundreds of dogs of all breeds and sizes. Quite fun, actually, but not what we had expected. My misread calendar means that this coming weekend is actually Irish Fest. I hope the weather will be just as wonderful as yesterday's. 

We've had a really cold spring and summer, so it was a joy to have a
day in the upper 70's and lower 80's for a change. Those blue skies
were very welcome and it was a joy to walk the grounds under sunshine
once again. 

The day was cloudless and our first nice warm day in more than a month. We soaked it in and enjoyed ourselves, leaving early so that we could sit on the patio with margaritas and enjoy the rest of the afternoon. Today is our 40th wedding anniversary and I'm sticking my virtual tongue out at all of the nay-sayers who thought we'd never make it. It's been touch and go sometimes, but mix a stubborn German with a stubborn Irish Catholic and you've got two people who won't budge. We've worked through the rough parts so far, and I'm quite sure there are other bumps and pits in the road ahead, but here we are - still a couple. I'm just as amazed as anyone else. LOL

Books - I love them. I love everything about them. Here's a "meme" that's
not really a meme. Comment or query with a number and a quote and
I'll do my best to answer. Ask more than one if you want, I have no problem
with multiples. Or, if you want, copy things over to your own post and
see what you are asked in return. 

Today I took a second hunt for the meme I had thought I remembered reading in a friend's blog. I did finally find it, and it's not really a meme, but it actually looks like fun anyway, so I'm going to post it here and open the doors up to some directed Q&A between my readers and myself. Who knows where this may take us - it might be crickets in the corner or a slew of characters on an electronic page. Let's take a stab. 

Comment with the # (or a few numbers) you want me to answer. 

(To make it easier for me and you, if you actually copy the number AND the query, I won't have to look everything up, and anyone else reading won't have to either. A win/win for everyone. In other words - PLEASE copy the entry you want me to answer.)

1. What is your favourite book and/or book series of all time?
2. What is the longest book you have ever read? How many pages?
3. What is the oldest book you have ever read? (Based on its written date)
4. What is a book series that everyone else loves but you do not?
5. What book or book series would you like to see turned into a film/ TV series?
6. What is your favourite stand-alone book?
7. What is a book that you feel glad for not reading?
8. What is a book that you feel guilty for not not reading?
9. What is a book you have read that is set in your country of birth?
10. What is a book that you own more than one copy of?
11. What horror book made you really scared?
12. What book do you passionately hate?
13. What is the biggest book series you have read? How many books are in it?
14. What book gives you happy memories?
15. What book made you cry?
16. What book made you laugh?
17. What is your favourite book that contains an LGBTQ+ character?
18. Have you read a book with a male protagonist? What is it?
19. Have you read a book set on another planet? What is it?
20. Have you ever been glad to not finish a series? Which?
21. Have you ever read a book series because you were pressured?
22. What famous author have you not read any books by?
23. Who is your favourite author of all time?
24. How many bookshelves do you own?
25. How many books do you own?
26. What is your favourite non-fiction book?
27. What is your favourite children’s/middle-grade book?
28. What is your next book on your TBR?
29. What book are you currently reading?
30. What book are you planning on buying next?
31. What was the cheapest book you bought?
32. What was the most expensive book you bought?
33. What is a book you read after seeing the movie/ TV series?
34. What is the newest book you have bought?
35. What three books are you most looking forward to reading this year?
36. What is a book you love that has a terrible trope? (Love triangle, etc)
37. Have you read a book in a different language? What was it?
38. What is a book you’ve read that is set in a time period before you were born?
39. What book offended you?
40. What is the weirdest book you have read?
41. What is your favourite duology?
42. What is your favourite trilogy?
43. What book did you buy because of its cover?
44. What is a book that you love, but has a terrible cover?
45. Do you own a poetry anthology? What is your favourite poem from it?
46. Do you own any colouring books based off other books?
47. Do you own any historical fiction?
48. What book made you angry?
49. What book has inspired you?
50. What book got you into reading?

So there you have it. The meme that really isn't a meme, found again and distributed into the aether. Have an excellent Monday and I'll be back tomorrow. 

Something Lost and Something Gained

I went back through posts for almost a month looking for something I had wanted to snag for today's blog. Although I didn't find the exact post I had been looking for, I did find this question in a friend's blog and it interested me enough to become my lynchpin for today. So here we go ...

Sometimes losing something is the very best
thing to have happened in your life. 

1. Name something you lost or gave away that can never be replaced.

On this, I have to be a sentimental idiot, in essence, because Monday will be my 40th wedding anniversary and several years before that, I lost my heart to this man who shares my life. Maybe I gave it away, maybe I offered it to him on a platter, or maybe I just locked into his life like gears in a clock - meshing together through time. As much as we may aggravate each other, and as much as our communication is as much miss as hit, we're actually good for each other and I can't imagine anyone else I would have stayed next to for that length of time. 

Sometimes a relationship can seem like a ball and chain. But
really, I needed someone to keep me grounded. I couldn't
have survived on dreams alone. This ball and chain has been
well worth the effort. He keeps me grounded, I make him fly. 

In other news, it's cold. I'm envious of friends in other areas of the country who are experiencing hot. It seems as if summer has passed us by. Tomorrow we might actually get through the 70's and touch the early 80's. If so, it will be balm to my frozen self - it's been 50's and 60's for most of the week, and I need a bit of summer/autumn heat before the snows of winter smite our Frozen Northlands once again. 

One of the vendors at the Renaissance Festival sells this "Unicorn Cake". It's
absolutely HUGE, far more sugar than any single person should ever eat. I
supposed it's the various colors that gives them the Unicorn name, but
although we look at it, we never partake. Just too much! 

Tomorrow DH and I will return to the Renaissance Festival. This weekend is Irish Fest, so it should be enjoyable, especially if the rain stays away and we actually get some heat. After tomorrow, only two more weekends will remain for this season's Fest. It's good for us to have this to go to. Even though we're pushing as hard as possible to get things moved and built, we have that one day a week when we leave the workload behind us, gather on the Fest grounds, and (at this time of the year), watch a football game. 

So, I wish all of you a wonderful weekend. I'm ecstatic that the rain seems to have finally moved away after days and days of grey skies and wet jackets. I'm off to the gym and then on with my day. I plan on being back on Monday, so chat at you then. 

A Very Special Anniversary

I promised that today was a VERY SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY, and indeed, it is. No, it's not a birthday. No, it's not a wedding anniversary. No, it's not a recurring event. Today is my 3000th blog post. Yes ... that's THREE THOUSAND posts in my blog. Taking an average of 300 posts a year, that's Ten Years of posting in this blog, although it's probably a bit longer than ten years. That's a lot of history. 

In 2009, I shared this artwork entitled "Dreaming" by Jo Parry. I still love
the piece - it's deceptively simple and evocative. 

Over that time I've shared a lot of things with my cyber-readers - experiences, thoughts, and lots of photos. I've shared art, architecture, sculpture and locations around the world. I've shared the Minnesota State Fair and the Minnesota Renaissance Festival each year through thoughts and photos. I've shared joys, sorrows and those times when I'm left scratching my head in total bewilderment. 

In 2010 I shared this photo of a sun pillar taken in Wyoming. The beauty
just begged to be shared with my friends and readers. I still love looking
at natural beauties today, I'm a very early sunrise person, but sunsets are
equally exceptional. What a fabulous world we're privileged to share. 

What I haven't done a lot is share political views, spiritual viewpoints directed at any specific faith, or other possible trigger posts. I have pissed some people off - lost "friends" over a few posts, but friends lost through things like that probably weren't good friends in any case. I've also gained a few friends through my posts and discussions on other people's blogs that generated on-line conversations and new cyber-friends. It's the rhythm of life. 

In 2011, I shared that DH had purchased a Nook Color
for my holiday gift. Now, more than 1500 e-books
later and several apps ahead, I come down firmly
in the e-book section. The ability to carry 1000's
of books in the palm of my hand (or in my phone,
since that's where I read now) is a daily joy. 

Although I write this blog to clear my own thoughts for the day ahead, I'm really happy to have shared some or all of these past 3000 posts with you and I look forward to my next milestone anniversary for 5000 posts in just a few years more - LOL. Thanks for walking alongside me on this journey. 

I began studying aeolian harps in 2012, with the help of
Fiondil. I still plan to make one or more of these
wind-played harps. It's on an extensive "to do" list
for my retirement years. I suspect I'll be busier
when I retire than I ever was during my working
years. 

Have a glorious Friday and end of November. I'll return tomorrow for the beginning of December. 

Anniversary and Space - Why Can't Walls Expand When Needed?

We had a lovely and very low key anniversary day wandering the grounds of the Renaissance Festival and watching a very entertaining, if frustrating, football game. All in all, a nice day but very hot. We are having a late-season heat wave with July temperatures in September and even dressed in light-weight outfits, it was stifling when the pub filled with people watching the overtime of the football game. After plays, both good and bad, the game came to an end after a ten minute overtime. Final score didn't matter because it ended up tied. ARGH

Minnesota vs Green Bay has a long history. We're in
neighboring states and it's a treasured rivalry. Everyone
should have brought their "A" games to this one. 

This game was against our arch-rivals, the Green Bay Packers, and was in their home stadium (they'll be visiting our nice, warm, indoor stadium in November - good scheduling for a change. I have to wonder if our field goal kicker will have a job today. He missed three - THREE!!! - field goals yesterday, any one of which would have won the game for us. Admittedly, two were very long - a 48 yard and a 49 yard kick, but the third one, in the overtime portion of the game, was from 35 yards and this one also went wide right. FAIL! 

Diggs performed beautifully, catching some amazing balls such
as this one. Without him, we would have lost the game. Cousins
also did pretty well as quarterback. It was our kicking that
fell short. 

I'm sure Carlson (our kicker) feels horrible, but he just failed massively at the one thing he had been hired to do, and not only failed, but failed three times in a single game. Fortunately the rest of the team managed to get their act together and pulled out the tie. It's not a win, but it also wasn't a loss, so I'll call this week a win/win and look forward to the next game. 

We're supposed to have approx 2-1/2 feet between the two cars
and the cars and the sides of the garage. We actually have a lot
of side room, but it's taken up with things like the radial arm saw
and a band saw, the snow blower and lawn mower, and
various ladders and lumber. We have some serious work to get
done in here before Tuesday night. 

After returning home we measured the garage for the new truck. Oh yeah - DH really liked the truck a lot. Although Joshua would have let us take it home with us that night, We still have work to do before bringing it home, so we'll go back on Tuesday night to do the final paperwork, leave Ghost (the old Saturn) with the dealership, and take away Shadow, our new truck. 

We'll be saying good-bye to Ghost, my mom's old 1992 Saturn. It's time. 

The truck and the garage will be tight. It will barely fit, but once some of the wood for the wood shed gets moved and the extension ladder can move closer to the wall again, the length won't be a problem at all. Width will be a bit different. We both have to be able to get in and out of our respective cars, and if we didn't have the sides of the garage filled with things like the lawnmower and snow blower. Tuesday DH will have to clean out Ghost and work on the garage. It's do-able, but will take some shifting and moving. 

We have a few busy days ahead of us before bringing Shadow home, and our anniversary dinner consisted of Chinese take-out, but all in all, not too bad. I hope your weekend was excellent and that you have a wonderful Monday. I'll be back tomorrow. 

Project Runway - Will It Still Live On?

Fall is fashion time because many people begin the switch from the light-weight and colorful fabrics of summer to the heavier-weight fabrics and more sedate colors of winter. Although today is hot, hot, hot, up here in the Frozen Northlands, last week was cool and the leaves are starting to turn. Fashion Weeks are scheduled and color palettes are being released, with Pantone releasing its' palette from the Spring/Summer London Fashion Week just this morning. Want to take a look at those colors? Click on the link here. 

Heidi announced that she and Tim Gunn were leaving the
show in a Twitter post on September 7th. They will be
partnering up with Amazon for a new fashion venture. 

Of course, fashion and color make me think about Project Runway. The old standard got a major shake-up at the end of last season - Season 16 - with the sexual harassment charges that were brought against Harvey Weinstein. He was accused of rape, improper conduct and many other things and it brought down his company, Miramax. What does this have to do with Project Runway? He was the husband of judge Georgina Chapman and it was his influence that had placed the show on the Lifetime network. With him out of the picture and divorced (or in the process of divorce - I'm not exactly sure) from Georgina Chapman, the money has stopped. Project Runway was cast out into the cold. 

To remind you of last season, here is Season 16's winner,
Kentaro Kameyama's winning Runway
collection. 

In the early days, Project Runway had a different network home - on Bravo. Shortly after Lifetime cut ties with the show, Heidi Klum announced that Season 17 would have the show moving back to its roots on the Bravo channel. I have fairly basic cable, so I'm not 100% sure I actually can get the Bravo channel, but if I do, I'll at least watch this next season which will begin in 2018. BUT, there will be a LOT of other changes. 

I'm not all% sure I liked his collection, but
I really supported Season 16's emphasis on
models of all sizes. 

Within the past week came the announcement that both Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn have left Project Runway for a new fashion venture with Amazon. A few hours later, Zach Posen also announced his withdrawal from the show, hinting at new projects in his future. That leaves Nina Garcia and Georgina Chapman as judges ... maybe. 

Kentaro had a distinct style, and as I recall, he had also
composed his own music for the Runway walk -
a tonal piece which was firmly Japanese. 

As one of the richest "reality" contest shows on television, Project Runway held a unique slot in the genre. Winners received a substantial hand up in the fashion world, and several have gone on to become well-known and respected in the industry with easily recognized names. At the top of this list is Christian Siriano, whose make-up line is now spotlighted at Target stores throughout the nation. 

The four fashion photos are all of Kentaro's winning
Project Runway Fashion Week walk. It was a
unique viewpoint, but not one that I shared.
I probably would have chosen a different designer
as the winner. 

So what will happen with Project Runway? If it actually airs next year, I'll probably be watching - if for no other reason than watching train wrecks can be interesting. Will it be as fun without Heidi? Actually, I have no problem having PR without her. How about Tim Gunn? I'll seriously miss Tim Gunn. In a world that is cut-throat and often draws blood, Tim was a steady companion, a voice of calm, and a confidant. He'll be sorely missed. 

My Unci Zona (Grandma Zona, the woman on the right) died on
this day in 2001 at the age of 92. Her one remaining sister,
Auntie Sadie, passed on less than a year later. I still can't read
the death notices without weeping. I miss you, Unci. *LOVE*

So that's the down-low as I've heard it up to this point. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I'll be test-driving the truck with DH tonight, and we'll be celebrating our 39th wedding anniversary at the Renaissance Festival tomorrow. It'll be a fun weekend, probably our last hurrah for warm temperatures before autumn finally clamps down. I'll be back on Monday! 

A Farewell, A Celebration and Project Runway Spoilers

Did you wave good-bye to the Cassini spacecraft yesterday morning? After a final 22 varying orbits around Saturn, moving through the rings and skating past several of the moons, the final instructions to Cassini were loaded and it plunged into Saturn, immolating itself in the thick atmosphere of the planet it had been photographing and studying for almost twenty years. The Cassini mission began in 1997, one of the last major programs launched by NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The photos and information sent back by Cassini were breathtaking - heartrendingly beautiful images of what could easily be called the most stunning planet in our solar system. Shed a tear for this little spacecraft, and send out a heartfelt "thank you" to those with the vision to design, build, engineer and program this amazing mechanical explorer.

Cassini introduced us to the glories of Saturn. The ringed planet had always
been a mystery, but this brave little space craft flitted about above, below and
through the rings, showing how thin they truly are. We also got our first
close-up views of most of Saturn's moons. It was a twenty-year project,
but it ended yesterday morning. 

A short note about happier things - today DH and I celebrate our 38th wedding anniversary. We're pretty low-key about these things, but it is a VERY long time. When asked about how/why we're still together after all these years, all we can say is that we are both extremely stubborn people. I figure I've gone to all of the trouble of training him appropriately, I don't want to go back to square one!

Now on to Project Runway's Episode 5 - Red Carpet Wear for Good and Evil. As I said yesterday. this challenge split the designers into two camps of design - that of Good and that of Evil. For the first time, the Twins were separated - at least via floor space. But the fact that one was working on good and the other on evil didn't seem to change the constant interchange of ideas and actual work between them. Meh! Here are the top and bottom looks.

The fabric of the dress was unexpectedly heavy with a
soft shine. The stripe itself was understated and
perfectly placed. 

Brandon bought a subtly-colored stripe reminiscent of his menswear background, and made a long shirt-dress paired with a pure white long-sleeved half-moon crop top. He brought the striped fabric back into the top via a broad pipe down the outer arm seam and an elegant tie at each wrist. It was beautifully made and well liked by the judges, although Heidi did mention that he's done that shirted design several times now and he really needs to branch out.

Claire missed the mark in this princess gown. Was it
the worst look? No. But it certainly wasn't one
of the best looks. It's been five challenges so far
and I still have no sense of her as a designer. 

Claire offered a frothy, shiny, cinch-waist gown with a translucent skirt and shorts underneath it. Unfortunately it was a fail for the judges. They declared it boring, a gown seen 1000's of times before, and cliche. Claire pretty obviously didn't agree with their criticism, but she really didn't have to worry about going home - there were worse looks to come.

This design wouldn't have worked on a larger woman, but
it was perfect for the lanky body of her model. The tiered
black cuffs were balanced by the ruffle at the bodice
front and the stripes up the outside of each pant leg.
Elegant and beautifully made, Kenya was back in the
top with this design. 

Although Kenya had originally wanted to be assigned to the Good side, Michael assigned her Evil and she embraced it. She purchased this luxe minimally-pleated and scrunched fabric and added a lovely shiny black, smooth silk for accents. She made a very elegant tuxedo top with a black ruffle down the front, tiered ruffled cuff sleeves beginning below the elbow, and a backside flounce below a bold, large peek-a-boo cutout from her shoulders down to her lower back. The top was paired with cigarette pants featuring a smooth elegant stripe up the side seam. It was a beautiful and refreshing change from seeing gown after gown.

Samantha might have had a win if she had allowed
herself to keep the gown fitted and long. The place
where she made her cut was a poor decision and
didn't flatter her model at all. 

Samantha pieced together a conglomeration of angular designed fabrics with an emphasis on a dark emerald green and a rust inset stripe. Tim Gunn critiqued her initial design quite harshly, telling her to back away from the craft aspects of her design. Frustrated, she changed the design of the bodice quite drastically and clipped the gown off just above the knee, adding a flouncy black kick skirt. It didn't work. It's one of the rare times I disagreed with Tim Gunn; this design would have been better left as a long, pieced and fitted gown. Yes, she needed to minimize the crafty aspects, but the choice to cut was a bad move. My hometown girl was in the bottom with her altered look.

Liris rocked this outfit by Michael. From the bottom
of the cape to the feathered crown headdress, she was
a force to be reckoned with in this gown. Love, love, LOVE! 

If anyone wanted a fierce spokesperson for Evil, they would have been pounding at Michael's door and borrowing Liris in this absolutely fabulous golden lace design. Just look at her! Michael wasn't afraid to allow her body to be the spotlight and Liris looked stunning. She had a plunging neckline, a slit in the skirt allowing her a bit of leg, and check out the hip-length lace cape over her shoulders. See the feathered trim around the edge? It's duplicated in her feather crown. Evil, meet your Queen! Michael was safe from elimination this week by winning the previous challenge, but he didn't need immunity with this design.

I have no idea what Aaron was hoping to accomplish
with this design, but it was one hot mess. Aaron was
another designer who just hadn't made a statement
for his own design aesthetic over the five episodes.
This was a fail. 

Finally, Aaron, our problem child who actually does know how to design but who has real problems editing and with time management. He failed totally with this red design. He was throwing the finished fashion together at the last minute, having spent almost all of his two days making a muslin mock-up. He was so rushed that if he hadn't had some help cutting his pieces and sewing, he would have had nothing. As it was, the neck strap broke as the model was preparing to leave for the Runway. No time to fix it and it was a poor fit all around - way too loose in the bodice. A total fail.

So, did you guess who won and who was sent home?

Brandon won his second challenge with his "modern straitjacket" design, although Michael was breathing hard down his neck. The ties around the wrist battled with the feathered cape border and nudged out the win by the barest of minimums.

Aaron was sent home. I have to admit there wasn't any surprise there. Samantha's gown was fugly, but well made, and Claire's gown, although boring, was at least well designed.

There you have it. Our landscaping begins on Monday, so I'm going to try and enjoy my Anniversary weekend with DH at the Renaissance Festival. Have a wonderful weekend.