Cooler than You: Stupid Things I Say and Do

Okay, so over the weekend "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" was on HBO, so I watched it while writing the piece on American women and family. Somewhat of an irony, I know, but read on . . . In the midst of this ushy, gushy tale of four girlfriends who always work things out and stick together, while their world always stays connected, Bridget goes to Turkey (Cappadocia to be precise) for an archeology dig during the summer. Lena, who originally starts in NYC at an art program, ends up in Greece at her Grandmother's. Eventually, all of the girls end up there to help Lena reunite with her love (cue my groaning here). But, what is my beef (aside from ushy, gushy romantic type comedy or weird proportions?)? Um, the Turks and the Greeks have a very long non love affair. Most briefly, and recently, it concerns the Greek-Turk War, the question of Cyprus, and Turkey's denial in the European Union while the Greeks are treated differently. Yea, I'll shut up my ...

This morning I awoke to an email from an old friend asking me sewing advice. She plans on making Christmas stockings for her nieces and nephews from her father's old clothes. Very touching indeed. As I smiled that asked me for advice, I couldn't help but think about the time I spend at a sewing machine, the hours I spend sculpting projects, and the moments I have sitting with members of my Mother's quilting guild. My Mom has been part of a guild for about a decade now, and I've been going the past few months. In February she asked me to go to the Hampton Quilt Show (Mid-Atlantic), and since one of her friends was sick I took a Curve Master class. All that is a special foot for the sewing machine made to make sewing curves easier (see my entry with Mellie Bellie's baby quilt). I don't know if it really makes sewing the curves easier, as I just made a Vogue pattern with princess curves on a regular foot. I like my regular foot . . . None-the-less, my favor...