Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Nuremberg, Germany

When you take the train to just the right train station... you end up in the old part of the city.. Full of history, old churches, shops, places to eat, and even a river flowing through this part of the city. There is an intact castle complete with stone walls... It is fun just to walk around.

Some street musicians.. this group is from Bolvia


One of the old churches was having a 'new roof' drive. For 5 euro (about $7.00) you could buy the old tile, sign your name on the new tile that would go up on the roof and they gave you the old tile to keep. If you look closely on the tile you can see: Nuremberg stamped on it. The old part of town buildings and the churches found in this area, for the most part were heavily bombed during the war.






This church has one of the clocks that has the figures move in and out on the half and even hours. Like a big cookoo clock.












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Sunday, June 14, 2009

Happy WWKIPD or JUNE 13th

To celebrate my first 'official day' off from teaching school.. I went with a couple of friends on the train to Nuremberg, Germany. Of course, the first official day of holiday.. really only starts on what would be the FIRST DAY OF WORK.. because, your normal days off.. (as in my case: Saturday and Sunday) you'd have off from work anyway..


I also found out later that it was also WWKIPD ... or WORLD WIDE KNIT IN PUBLIC DAY *Since, I'm always knitting in public.. I must be an 'un-official' charter member?

Here are my contributations to knitting in public:

I knitted on the train ride to Nuremberg (and back too of course) 50 minutes for each leg of the trip.

I knitted off and on while waiting for friends shopping... some shops are tiny and sometimes it's best to have someone wait with the bulging shopping bags outside the shop. I did that a few times.

A few photos...

Outside one shop, I found a lady who just looked bored to me. Maybe even listless?

I thought that I'd help her out...
Now, doesn't she seem somewhat happier? A purpose in life? Or maybe she has even forgotten that there is no water in the little pool for her feet?

*I will admit that a few shoppers had gathered during the posing the statue with my knitting. Also, a couple of elderly ladies came by smiling and talking to me in German while I was sitting outside this shop 'knitting'... I didn't know what they were saying.. so, I just did my usual.. 'smile and nodded my head in agreement.'

Of course, a trip to Nuremberg couldn't end without me stopping at the ONLY YARN SHOP that I've found in Germany. *I'm sure that there are many.. but, I'm in a very rural area and I haven't seen any in the outlying areas where I live.

Here's some sock yarn. One skein will be a gift...

AND some yarn in my favorite colors...



More photos will be posted this week.. about the trip to Nuremberg.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Feeling the need to recycle some newspaper?

Make a mummy!

I started my Elementary art students on this project when we returned from Spring Break in April. It took them 6 weeks+ to complete the project. I think that they did a great job. However, it would have also been nice to have had the student's hard work acknowledged by someone at the school.









Wednesday, June 10, 2009

How do you know you live in a safe neighborhood?


YOU ACCIDENTLY leave the key in the door.. not only OVERNIGHT (while inside sleeping) but, also all day while you are at work. Sigh..

In case you're wondering.. yes, it was ME that did that! *Wish I had someone to blame, but it was me.. I guess I did it when I was unloading the Jeep last night... I must have gotten side-tracked and didn't go back to get more things out of the Jeep one more trip like I'd planned.. because, either I was tired or simply side-tracked.

THEN, I apparently went to work leaving the key in my door.. how did I not notice this? The door locks automatically- so, I never use it in the morning.. and my hands were full carrying new stuff out to the JEEP so ... I didn't notice that the key was in the door!

AND, how did I finally notice it? When I got home.. I spent about 10 minutes searching all through my purse (it's pretty stuffed now-- w/ important papers/etc. that I have been sorting through and taking home each night... and I also looked through the teacher bag that I've been hauling back and forth daily to bring things home from the classroom before Friday's last day...

WHEN I couldn't find the key anywhere.. I decided to go to the backside of the house to 'get the hidden key'... and I noticed the key hanging out the keyhole as I walked past the front door.

That's nothing.. when I first moved in.. I discovered upon my return from work that night that I had left the front door standing ajar about 12 inches (yes, loading up the car again) in the winter.. heating the great outdoors while I was at work all day.

Clearly, my mind is getting too full and I need a break...

I'm also sure that my German neighbors are beginning to wonder about me.. yes, the crazy American lady.. who doesn't immediately pull up the dandilion weeds from the driveway, didn't mow her lawn for 3 weeks, and now she leaves her key in the doorway.

I can hear it now.. "Quick, Gunter, look at what she's done now!" :D (Just doing my part to give people something to talk about over the dinner table.)

Thursday, June 4, 2009

I called his dog 'stupid'... and lived...




I just logged into my yahoo email account to see this news headline.. Actor David Carradine found dead in Bangkok.

Now, you might be thinking.. yes, this is sad news.. but, why is: iwouldratherbeknitting writing in her blog about David Carradine?

If you are old enough to remember.. he was on a tv show called Kung Fu in the early 70's. A few years after that show went off the air- I was a fresh faced college student and I had my first brush with fame.

I was working for Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation at a resort on a nearby lake. One night, I met some guys that were clearly from out of town.. as in: From Chicago with their little northern accents and wearing their newly purchased Okie summer straw cowboy hats.. trying to 'blend in' with the locals... I found out that they were part of the film crew that was filming a movie all over Oklahoma. The main stars were David Carradine and Brenda Vaccaro.

After talking to them for a few hours and teaching them how to dance 'cowboy style'... they invited me to watch the movie being filmed. I wasn't able to go to see them film for a few days- until my next day off from work.. (Yes, that was faithful employee 'me'.. who kept working at her minimum wage job-even though she had been invited as a guest on a movie set. Geez)

A few days later, I finally went out to the movie set. I found that it was mostly quite boring with a lot of waiting. I wasn't knitting then or I surely would have brought my knitting. I was constantly introduced to the the cast and crew over the next several days that I was able to visit the movie set.

I visited the set for the next few weeks, and often, I sat right by David Carradine between takes- but, being from the south... I minded my manners and didn't bother him. He always smiled at me and I'm sure he had already asked who the little shy 'gal' was...

One day, I was sitting in the shade of one of the crew trucks, and in his director's chair with his NAME on it.. and was asked to remove myself from this chair by Mr. Carradine's personal assistant. Mr Carradine sat down in the newly vacated chair, looked over, cracked a smile at me.. and proceeded to peel a peach. Soon, he leaned over, held out the peach, and asked me if I wanted it. I pondered and shook my head no. He seemed quite surprised by my refusal and then told me that he had 'peeled' it especially for me. So, I did what I know my grandmother would expect of me.. "I took it, said thank you and had myself a tasty snack."

I do have a photo of him sleeping in the camera truck.. mouth all agape. He always seemed so unsettled to me. I asked a few of the crew members about him. One time I had asked them to pass along an invitation to him to join us singing and playing the guitar at the lake one night. They said that he almost went with us... but, that he liked his privacy. They told me that he had trouble sleeping at night. I think he just needed to have a chance to 'be himself' without any expectations and maybe he never had that chance.. being born into an acting family?

On the last day filming... I had at least 3 of the senior crew members.. those in charge of various departments come and ask me to please reconsider joining them, that everyone had got together to discuss a plan so that I could join them and be paid as an extra in the movie. Told me that they all adored me. They had even spoken to at least 3 of the female crew members and all of these gals had agreed to let me share their hotel room with them- so, that I wouldn't have any expenses. Again, I turned them down. Was I a fool or what?

Finally, it was the night of the cast and crew wrap party for this particular area of filming. Over the past few weeks.. several of the crew had asked me to join them on the road as they filmed in Oklahoma as an extra. I told them that I had obligations to my current summer job. *I'm sure that they were amazed at that and looking back.. it is one of my regrets. I should have done it. After all, I would have other summer jobs but, I can honestly say.. that no one else has ever offered me a summer job as a movie extra!


Several of them also told me that they really appreciated that not once had I ever appeared star struck, didn't ask for favors, didn't try to get discovered, nor did I get all 'uppity' because I was hanging around a movie set. They told me that they had all discussed how refreshing it was.. for them to just be liked for themselves not for what they were doing or who they knew.

David Carradine always kept his dog- an Australian sheep dog with him at all times. You know the kind with the bright blue eyes? Several members of the crew had told me that the dog 'Buffalo' would not go to anyone else- only to David. Well, here I was.. a country girl and had been around animals all my life... so, I started calling to the dog.. softly.. "Here Buffalo, come here, come on boy." He starts wagging his tail.. and proceeds to slowly walk towards me. I had a large crowd gathered around.. quietly watching and listening to see if the 'Buffalo dog whisperer' could get the elusive dog BUFFALO to come to someone other than his beloved master: David Carradine. I'm not sure, but, maybe even some 'off the record' side betting was going on too?

Suddenly, Buffalo.. Buffalo was only inches from my hands, and he tucks his tail under his legs, lowers his head, looking as embarrased as a dog can look, turns and walks away from me.. and before I realized what I was saying.. out of my mouth.. I said, "You Stupid dog, why wouldn't you come to me?" There were loud gasps everywhere.. as David Carradine walked up behind me. Yes, he had heard me!

My movie crew friends later told me that they were SHOCKED that he didn't have me kicked off the set. I was just glad that he didn't do some 'KUNG FU' fighting on me!

I like to think that had I managed to ever met him again.. that he would have remembered meeting the little southern gal who wasn't impressed by his star status... and
who probably gave him a chuckle or two?


*At least, I didn't say.. "Yes, Grasshopper" to him when he handed me the peeled peach. :D

Rest in peace, David Carradine, rest in peace.