A Mano is such a TV magnet! 
Archive for September, 2007
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Hooray For The Weekend
2007
09.29
09.29
I am working through work projects and I think I am finally at a point that I can relax a bit. Maybe I am kidding myself. I still have a shopping cart to finish for one company, and CRM and CMS for the other. Eeek! Not going to think much about work this weekend. Oh, how I want more time to knit and spin!
I did take time off to go to the temple this week. It was the 100th day since my Mom’s passing. A few of us went and made offerings to the monks in memory of her. We actually went the morning of the 101st day thanks to my niece’s miscalculation. But it was very good. It was the day of monthly recitation of Patimokkha (the basic code of monastic discipline). An auspicious day. And technically it was still the 100th day if you count by hours.
My sister Angela said that Mom had the days all figured out. She passed on the eve of a Chinese holiday Duanwu Festival. Duanwu is a day of dragon boat racing and eating sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves. Angela also said that people with serious illness sometimes didn’t get to live past this day. I remember wearing charms on this day to ward off illness/evil. Some kind of grass was also hung at the door for the same purpose.
The 100th day of Mom’s passing happened to be the Moon Festival, a day for the family to gather together and celebrate the year’s good fortune. I know. We didn’t actually go to the temple that day. But the next day turned out to be auspicious too.
A few shoutouts:
Thank you Aija, Julie, Eikon and Jane. The colors are interesting. I will have about 8 oz. of this yarn. Whatever will I do with it?
Eikon, there’s nothing like making a yarn that’s exactly what you wanted.
Chris, I guess your comment is comforting to me. Or are you still waiting with your fingers crossed. I did wonder about the quality and safety issues. Hopefully Mercure is keeping an eye on the construction since their name is involved.
Oh Jane, I have to turn Bad Behavior on again. Some spammer decided to sell meds on my blog by leaving a comment or two every hour. I had to set anti-spam to maximum for a while. Email me if you have trouble leaving comment. Thanks!
So Happy!
2007
09.24
09.24
I finally got control of my old domain name, forestmeditation.net!!! Took me over a year. Yay! Now it works seamlessly with forestmeditatin.com. I’d suggest that if anyone wants to get a domain name, don’t get it free with a hosting package. There’s no guarantee that they will release the domain to you if you decide to change hosting company. Ask them first before you commit. It’s better if you register it yourself with a registrar like NetworkSolutions or Register.com. I use MyDomain.com. You would be listed as the registrant instead of the hosting company. I learned my lessons!
I also started spinning again! Last time I touched the wheel was at the Bulky Singles Club Class in April. I decided to take the wheel to the guild meeting on Saturday. Had a bit of an embarrassing moment setting up the wheel. 
But I was able to find the rhythm eventually.
No particular project for this yarn. The goal is to get the feel of spinning back, and to try to get a 3-ply worsted weight yarn. This is a practice spin for the sparkly denim Merino. I am using Ashland Bay’s Multi Dark Green Colonial Wool Top that I got when I first started spinning with a drop spindle. They call it dark green, but there’s very little green in it. Here’s a close-up photo with some unspun fiber to show you the colors.
Thai Buddhist Wedding
2007
09.23
09.23
I got a nice surprise at the temple today. Nancy handed me a nice envelope and thanked me for being at her son’s wedding a few weeks ago. It was a photo of me giving blessing to the newly weds.
I went to the temple early a few weeks ago, thinking that I was going to chat with my teacher before the alms-round started. There was a big gathering in the main hall. I went in and was surprised to see a Thai Buddhist wedding in progress. It looked very simple. The couple made offerings to the monks, then received blessing from the monks.
Later in the afternoon, laypeople filed into the main hall again to give blessing to the couple. In the photo you see me pouring water from a conch-shaped vessel onto their hands, giving blessing to them.
By The Way…
2007
09.21
09.21
We still don’t know when we will be moving. Heck! We don’t even know where we are moving to anymore. After CB informed our CEO about our willingness to move to Half Moon Bay to be closer to the office, he became unable to give the final OK. We are so sick of this indecision.
One thing we know is that we want to move out of BH. We will stay put until the end of year. If we don’t hear anything by then, we will decide where we want to move to. We still love Half Moon Bay. Phoenix, Arizona is a possibility. We have a wonderful friend that moved there a few years ago. The other is somewhere in Oregon. We might take a trip up there soon just to check out the area.
Building A Hotel
2007
09.21
09.21
Not sure if I’ve ever mentioned the building of a hotel in China. It is a dream of my father’s to leave behind something that he can be proud of. Mom was also very excited (and worried) about the whole thing.
My father and the good sister have been working for many years to get it built. Dealing with the officials in China is not an easy task. Talk about a surprise when I received these illustrations of billboards yesterday. I think the design is quite good. (OK Chris. Go easy on this one. )
I really tried to stay away from the project. The whole family is involved, including the crazy ones AND my father’s other family. Plus, no one has any experience managing a hotel. It is a good thing that they decided to sign with Mercure to have them take over the management. At least it will be run properly. The grand opening is scheduled before the Summer Olympics 2008. Crossing my fingers. I wonder if I will get a free room. ha ha ha
It is in Zhangjiajie, Hunan, where the National Park Wulingyuan is located. Here’s a photo of the land that I took in 2002.
More photos here.
Hellos & Thank Yous
2007
09.16
09.16
Thank you Chris, Mike, Micah, Matt, Julie, Marianne, Kyle and Jane for your kind words. I’ll be wearing this hat this winter.
@Chris, the next Fabulous Fiber Fest is already scheduled. Put it down on the calendar. Did you find the instructions on weaving in the floats while your knit fair isle?
@Monkey Gurrl, thank you. It was good to see you at the show too. The way to control you spending is stay in the classes, or play with other people’s equipments. Hehehe. Oh, bulky singles does sound like a good idea for some kind of club.
@Matty, so many things that I want to do. Another fair isle project (can’t talk about it). Maybe a fair isle scarf, which should be less stressful without having to do decreasing. I wound up the yarn for Spider Queen. I definitely want to do another lace project soon. Thanks to Jane and missalicefaye. Finally, there’s that sparkly blue fiber. I want to spin them and make a 3-ply yarn, and knit a cable hat with it. So many projects. OH! And I want to try to design a tablet-woven bracelet that can serve as a reminder for people to be mindful. I’d like to make enough to offer them to my teacher to give to his students. I need to buy a couple of cones of cotton yarn or threads.
@Sachi, I don’t know what to say. What does go on in your house? You have hand cards, right? 
@Jane, thank you for encouraging me to get a drum carder. 
to CB.
@Aija, mini drum carder is only half the size. You have to get one. It’s GREAT!!! I think it’s about time to get one for me. hehehe
@Marianne & Julie, I think Kiva’s idea is great. You loan the money to people. They pay it back and you can choose to lend the money to the next person. I was prepared to just go and donate the money without expecting repayment. I was surprised to find that they had repayment terms. How wonderful to have that money continue to work to benefit more people.
@Micah, do you have the book “Hats On!“?
