August already

So I've been busy with my imaginary vacation.  It was supposed to occupy my Fridays, but it overflowed!  What can i say -- I was "in" Spain, and there is an awful lot to learn about, read about, see, hear, taste and experience in and about Spain!  (See my other blog http://knittingmywayaroundtheworld.blogspot.ca/)  Last Friday, I finally "crossed the border" into France, and find myself quite unsatisfied about leaving Spain with so much still unlearned, unread, unseen, unheard, untasted and unexperienced.  Oh well -- lesson learned!  From here on, I shall have to limit myself to a small handful of specific goals for each country I "visit".  For example, while "in" France, I want to sample the wine in the Languedoc, tour a lavender distillery in Provence, and experience Celtic music in Brittany -- and try harder to limit this sampling, touring and experiencing to Fridays only.  Wish me luck ...

On an easier note, I finished knitting a beautiful pair of black lacy socks (Spanish pattern), and am nearly finished the first of a pair of delightful dark lavender lacy socks (French pattern).  The knitting aspect of this imaginary vacation will NOT be limited to Fridays.  A day without knitting is like a day without sunshine to me!

Spanish Lacy Socks.

And how is YOUR summer going?  It has been hot enough here to really feel like summer without the odd thunder and rain storm thrown in to break the monotony.  No drastic extremes like some other parts of the country are experiencing.  My third floor apartment only gets direct sun in the mornings, and is high enough to catch any breeze moving at all, so has been quite comfortable.  My balcony gardening efforts have (so far) survived "Assistance by Boots Inc." -- suddenly, I find myself unable to eat fresh lettuce as fast as it keeps growing!

Growing like crazy!

This week, Bootsy is a little turned off by the balcony.  We've had avisitor there -- a grey parrot.  She (Boots) was cautious but interested until said parrot stated 9in a definate English accent) "Allo!  Allo!  Got a light?"  Bootsy promptly determined the back of my closet was preferable to feathered that that speaks Human!  There have been "missing" posters around my neighbourhood this past week, but it appears the parrot is enjoying a traveller's summer vacation.

"Make DangerousTalking Feathered Thing GO AWAY!"

Are you watching the Olympics?  I don't own a television, so no, I'm not.  I'm not so sure I would even if I had a tv.  It's so ... so NOT what I personally believe the true spirit of the games is meant to be.  I heard a really good example of that last Sunday.  Two little girls were playing "Olympics Ball" in our back yard.  One child was both star Canadian athlete and Olympics commentator, the other a South Korean Athlete.  The ball games was a lively mixture of tennis, soccer and baseball played with a beach ball, and the Canadian "team" won by many thousands of points.  Then the two little girls switched to playing "Olympics Podium" with the same little Canadian in the role of announcer.  There was flag raising (a waving beach towel), anthem playing (off-key but enthusiastic humming), and lots of vigorous cheering for the victorious Canadians.  The poor little South Korean athlete was firmly chastised for SMILING.  She was supposed to be DEVASTATED -- ASHAMED even for letting down her team and her country!  She should really crawl away somewhere dark and just DIE cuz her country would probably SHOOT HER for being just a disappointing loser of a TRAITOR if she went home!

WTF?  Where do little kids get these ideas?  I know there are both winners and losers, but what happened to being good sports?  Winning medals are THAT important?  And what the heck did these munchkins hear their adults saying???