Check out this fantastic poster:

It is a reference back to the “Keep Calm and Carry On” propaganda posters from England in WWII.

You can buy your own on jennigee’s Etsy site. I love them!

ETA: And she has a CafePress store with lots of other goodies with the logo – mugs, shirts, journals, etc. Definitely give them a look.

Also, I now have a Batman blog, keeping track of my journey to read all of Batman: Holy Blog Batman! Please let anyone interested know about it. I’d like as much feedback as possible. So far, I’m having a blast. Wish me luck!

- M

My New Year’s resolution? Read every Batman comic…ever¹.

Step one: figure out what they are. I’m guessing this list is at least a start.

I’m not expecting to finish this goal this year. Or maybe ever, depending on whether or not I can somehow find these issues without spending away all my money.

But then, Bruce Wayne didn’t expect to get rid of all the crime in Gotham either.

- M

¹I should also get myself an awesome Batman figurine.

It has been a year. That’s all I can really say, as 2009 wrapped up on a bit of a downer. But today I received my application materials for the library science degree at City University London. So I’d say 2010 is looking pretty good.

My knitting(ish) year in photos:

That photo includes Maddi, since she passed in January; Holden, who I got in February; Obama, because that is amazing for our country; Moni, who I just recently got; and three sets of tattoos – one half-sleeve.

It doesn’t include another snood I made and three pairs of fingerless gloves that I didn’t bother taking pictures of.

I learned to crochet, made a few small gifts, and made one large shrug for my friend’s wedding.

AND – I have a new nephew:

His name is Tiberius. My friends just got him while I was visiting for New Years. He’s wonderful and cute and reminds me that I’m just fine with my one grown-up dog and a cat.

- M

Merry Christmas, from me, Holden, and Moni¹!

- M

¹ That was the closest to a Christmas card Moni would let me get without clawing my eyes out.

except for me and my monkey.

These are my “Me and My Monkey” socks. They were finally completed last weekend, after hibernating for a while. I have to say I was less in love with the pattern than most people seem to be.

It knits up beautifully though. And I adore the yarn (Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock) but I think I’ll be using them rarely. I can never seem to get enough yarn out of them for my big feet.

These socks were gifted to my, unfortunately now ex, fiance. We split up about a week ago in a decision that was right for both of us. Sometimes you just can’t fit a square into a round hole. However, she’d had her eye on those socks since I started them and her favorite color is orange, so I thought I’d pass them along.

Also in the split she kept Hank, as he was primarily her dog. I kept Holden. I think the boys will miss each other and that part makes me sad.

However, I did get something rather surprising in the split:

That precious little girl is Moni. She as Sarah’s cat and came to live with Holden and I when it became apparent that she was happier around Holden and Baxter, Sarah’s other cat, was happier without Moni. Moni immediately bonded with me and made herself comfortable, so I kept her on.

Isn’t she sweet? She is a Maine Coon about a year and a half. And other than the occasional knocking things over, she spends most of her time rubbing on me and Holden. Holden, for his part, chews on her.

- M

In order to get an “official” diagnosis of celiacs (and therefore have some doctors take me more seriously than they do with a food elimination) I may have to ingest gluten for about a week. I’ve decided to ignore the fact that I’m likely to be in intense pain and focus on how I’ll have a chance to eat all my last meals. It’s going to be a busy week:

Beer. Biscuits and gravy. Franziskaner. Kraft Mac & Cheese. Stoffer’s lasagna. Blue moon. Fish and chips with malt vinegar. Beer. Chocolate lava cake. Pizza. Microbrews. Anything at Taco Bell other than nachos. Tire bite beer. Hostess fruit pie. Poptarts. Guiness. Naan and samosas. Oreos. Crab rangoons. Subway meatball sub. Local beer. Cinnabon. Big soft pretzel. Beer. Ramen. Couscous. Cookie dough. Oberon.

Did I mention beer?

- M

This is a shameless plug for myself. However, it is for a good cause, so it’s okay. Right? Right.

Sunday, October 4th, I will be walking to raise awareness about AIDS and support to fight it, through AIDS Walk Michigan. Please donate. I’ll be walking along with my partner and our dogs, Holden and Hank. I’ll also be walking with the student GLBT group on campus, which I help advise. All proceeds go to local education and prevention programs.

Thank you so much. I appreciate your support!

- M

Mara Mori brought me
a pair of socks
which she knitted herself
with her sheepherder’s hands,
two socks as soft as rabbits.
I slipped my feet into them
as if they were two cases
knitted with threads of twilight and goatskin,
Violent socks,
my feet were two fish made of wool,
two long sharks
sea blue, shot through
by one golden thread,
two immense blackbirds,
two cannons,
my feet were honored in this way
by these heavenly socks.
They were so handsome for the first time
my feet seemed to me unacceptable
like two decrepit firemen,
firemen unworthy of that woven fire,
of those glowing socks.

Nevertheless, I resisted the sharp temptation
to save them somewhere as schoolboys
keep fireflies,
as learned men collect
sacred texts,
I resisted the mad impulse to put them
in a golden cage and each day give them
birdseed and pieces of pink melon.
Like explorers in the jungle
who hand over the very rare green deer
to the spit and eat it with remorse,
I stretched out my feet and pulled on
the magnificent socks and then my shoes.

The moral of my ode is this:
beauty is twice beauty
and what is good is doubly good
when it is a matter of two socks
made of wool in winter.¹

- Pablo Neruda

¹I’m resisting the urge to get this poem tattooed on my body.

For my birthday, I scored a Nintendo DS Lite (thanks mom and dad!). I love games – and sudoku – so I was thrilled to receive it. But, I was even more thrilled to get something that now needed a knitted cover. And, lo, I knit one:

I used this pattern and yarn left over from my clap.

Any other details will be on Ravelry.

And now I’m going to go play a bunch of games knit. Yeah, that’s it. Knit.

- M

My knitting Buddha half-sleeve is done:

It was done by Gareth at Mos Eisleys in Grand Rapids, MI.

I sat for six hours yesterday (which were far less painful than the first four) making for only ten hours to finish this.

The dove was done previously and he worked it in with the background. It will all be the same gray color when it is done healing. My favorite aspect of it is how amazingly happy the Buddha is:

The pawprint on his belly is for my dog who died, Maddi, the rye in the background is for Holden, and the hank up front is for Hank.

I finished it up this weekend because, guess what? It’s my birthday!!!

My amazingly incredible fiance surprised me with a Batman theme¹. But, not only did she do that, she knit me my very own Batman:

Isn’t it great? He looks so fantastically stoic, as he very well should. To top this off, this is about the second or third shaped piece she has ever knit. She did such a good job and I’m proud of her not only for making it, but for taking it on. Plus it is another fun toy for my office. You can never have enough².

Tonight we’re going to see a derby game. Best. birthday. ever.

- M

¹I love Batman.
²I’ve given up trying to even appear adult.