Chookooloonks

proof that even in the tropics, knitted dreams do come true

Alex, modeling the pink pullover

Remember the pullover I was knitting for Alex? Well, above is the finished result. And since I was on a roll, I also knitted the yellow one, below. As you look at these photographs, you should marvel that Alex let me put them on her and spend the time to take the pictures, especially since at the time of shooting, it was about 90 degrees outside.

Pray for cool nights in Canada this summer, folks. 'Cause, after all that work, the kid's wearing these sweaters whether she likes it or not.

So anyway, before I start another cardigan for Alex, I was thinking of knitting a long, skinny (skinny!) red scarf for myself -- you know, for adornment purposes, rather than for warmth. Thing is, I'm having a hard time finding a pattern. I have some plain red yarn, and I'm looking for something with a little flair ... you know, like a ruffle or funky stitch or something. But SKINNY. And long.

Anyone know of a cool online pattern that I could use?

Alex, modeling the yellow one!

BY THEY WAY... I'm still in DESPERATE need of fiction, under the theme "Imagine." If I don't get any, I'll have to seriously delay publication of Indigo Leaf, and even consider canning the project altogether, I so don't want to do that. Tell your friends! Post it on your site!

returning home (now with indigo leaf update)

Pelican cruising for breakfast; taken through the window of the inter-island ferry on the way back to Trinidad

Tomorrow, my mother-in-law, Diana, and my brother-in-law, Matt, will be leaving to return to England. I think they've enjoyed this trip to my country -- this island that is so different from their own -- and we've certainly enjoyed having them. Besides reconnecting with family, it's always great to show people around the place where you live, don't you think? It forces you to see your home with fresh eyes. Their visit, I believe, has been very good for my soul.

So for Chookooloonks Friday, I thought I'd share these portraits of my family that I took on the ferry headed back to Trinidad from Tobago. Enjoy, and have a great weekend.

_________________________

Indigo Leaf Magazine update: Because of all the traveling I've done this week, I've fallen seriously behind in getting ready for the May launch of Indigo Leaf. I'm in serious need of a fiction submission; and, if you happen to be a published author and are so inclined, feel free to submit something interpreting the theme of "Imagine" for blue page.

Now's your chance -- hope to see some wonderful work soon, so I don't have to delay publication!

Thanks!

K.

self-confidence means knowing what you taste like

Alex at Jemma's Treehouse, Speyside, Tobago

Scene: Home, morning. Karen is busy getting Alex ready for the day.

Karen (kissing Alex's bare tummy): OOOOH, I LOVE this tummy. It's so yummy! It's so tasty!

Alex (smiling a knowing smile and nodding): Tastes like chook-a-lit.

on being from the caribbean

Glass bottom boat in Speyside, Tobago

Well, we're back from Tobago. It was a wonderfully restful holiday for all of us, I think -- even given the excitement of seeing Stevie Wonder.

Recently I was chatting online with someone, and I mentioned to her that we were off for a weekend in Tobago. She laughed, and said, "That's so weird. If I want a quick weekend getaway, I go to Chicago. You, you go to Tobago." I could almost imagine her shaking her head. I do see her point; however, I reminded her that for someone who lives in the Caribbean like I do, a weekend jaunt to Chicago sounds equally exotic. I remember as a kid wishing that I lived in faraway cities like Chicago, and London and New York -- and, admittedly, there are times I quite miss walking in a major city, and finding a new funky store or coffeeshop or winebar around every corner. It's all in your perspective, isn't it?

Still, even as I drive around Trinidad (or, as in this past weekend, drive around Tobago and stop at beautiful spots like the one shown above), even I'm filled with a sense of how lucky I am that I get to call the Caribbean my home. But you know what? I don't think what I feel is any different than what Marcus feels when he returns to Cornwall, or what anyone feels when they return to the place they love. After all, what makes Trinidad & Tobago beautiful for me is not only the fact it has beautiful beaches, but also the memories I have growing up on those beaches. It's the fact that the smell of the salt and the feel of the sea breeze immediately transports me back to a time when, ironically, the scenery WASN'T all that special to me; it was just a place where I had fun with my friends.

That's why when Alex is an adult, no matter where we end up and where she ends up calling home, I'm going to encourage her to leave. Because I think the only way you can really, truly appreciate how wonderful "home" can be is to leave it ...and then return.

How about you? Where's your beautiful place you call "home"?

master blaster

STEVIE WONDER!!

This weekend we’re in Tobago, showing Diana and Matt the sights. We’ve been busy swimming, snorkeling, and tomorrow I’m even going to get a dive in. I’ll be sure to share the photographs this week.

As coincidence would have it, this weekend is also the second annual Tobago Jazz Festival. To be honest, we booked our weekend in Tobago before we realized it was Jazzfest weekend, so we have no plans to go to the concerts. Maybe next year.

Anyway, as you might imagine, there are many celebrities that are on the island for the event – Sting, Vanessa Williams, Natalie Cole and Pattie Labelle are all scheduled to perform. It’s too bad we’re not going to make it – but really, what’s the big deal? I mean, sure they’re talented artists, but when you get right down to it, they’re all really just people, right?

That said, I needed to interrupt my little weekend hiatus to calmly and coolly announce:

OH MY GOD YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHO WE SAW AT OUR HOTEL THIS AFTERNOON STEVIE WONDER!!!

the game alex can play for hours; hours, i tell you

"Alex sleeping."

"Oh! Alex awake!"

"Oh... no. Allie's sleeping. Shh."

"OH! She's awake!"

"Oh, no, I beg your pardon, Allie's sleeping. Shh. Shh, everybody, Alex is sleeping."

"WHOA! No, she's awake!!"

slightly toastier than england

Diana and Matt, on the overlook to Maracas Bay

Late last night, my mother-in-law, Diana, and one of my brothers-in-law, Matt, arrived for 10 days' visit. We're all thrilled to see them, not the least of which is Alex; primarily because "Uncle Maffew," like all new men, provides her with an opportunity to flirt like a madwoman, and show off her feminine wiles, manifesting themselves in her unusual talents like, you know, jumping, and playing with her own shadow.

Diana and Matt live in Cornwall, the southwesternmost part of England, in a small seaside village. Whenever we visit them, we invariably visit their local beaches. The beaches of Cornwall are quite beautiful; however, even though it's usually the height of summer, we find ourselves wrapped up in waterproofs and fleeces, huddled together trying to steal each other's warmth (but pretending that it's all in the name of family togetherness), and trying to shield ourselves from the wind. The children are the only ones brave enough to strip down to their swimsuits, and within 15 minutes, their skin has invariably turned this most startling shade of cerulean blue. Nonetheless, the family all marvels at what a wonderful day it is to go to the beach, and usually takes great pleasure in mocking my obvious cold and discomfort.

It was for this reason I was particularly excited this morning to take Matt and Diana to our local beach at Maracas Bay. The day was quite warm, and for once, the sea was quite calm, and we spent three glorious hours in the sand and the surf. And when we finally packed up to return, Diana looked at me and smiled. It was a knowing smile; a smile which said that no matter how much grief she gives me on future excursions to the Cornish beaches, the teasing will be underpinned with a new understanding of why 50 degrees Farenheit on a beach feels particularly cold to me.

and now is the time when we look at marcus' gimongous condom

Marcus and His Monocolor Condom

Often, people will ask me, "Karen, do you want to have any more kids?"

And equally often, I'll respond: "Why? I already have two kids."

Behold Exhibit A.

Marcus and his brother Nathan, are absolutely insane for their toys -- you'd swear that they were twelve. Marcus and I actually started dating right before Nathan's 28th birthday, and Marcus asked me to come shopping for a suitable present for him. Silly me, I naively thought we'd be looking for something like a nice sweater, or, say, socks. But when Marcus audibly gasped and announced, "I've found it," I realized that their relationship was something different:

Marcus bought him a remote control blimp.

This blimp floated around Nathan's flat until he finally married his girlfriend, and she knocked some sense into him. Still, however, Marcus and Nathan have exchanged equally insane gifts for every subsequent birthday.

And this past September, for Marcus' birthday, Nathan bought him a giant condom.

Okay, it's not a condom, but I don't know what else to call it. It's like a huge garbage bag, but really thin. Apparently, you have to wait for a nice hot day to do this: first, you wave it around until it fills up with air, and then you tie it off at one end. The air inside the bag gets hot, and the bag begins to rise.

Rise, I say, like a giant prophylactic in the sky.

So, Marcus decided to take it out for a spin yesterday afternoon. Clearly, I had to bring my camera.

Don't say I never do anything for you.

st. lucia memories

Alex and C at Barbados' international airport during our layover to St. Lucia; Marcus helping Alex find an Easter egg in the sand

So, hi! We're back!

We had a really great, albeit way too short time in St. Lucia, a tiny island about six countries up the Caribbean archipelago from Trinidad. I could tell you what every moment was like from the time we landed until we left, but I pretty much did that at Gadling this morning (feel free to go take a look). Suffice to say that we had an amazing holiday, as the pictures suggest.

As it happens, we've got some more family trips planned in the upcoming months: the turtles should be returning very soon to the north coast of Trinidad, so I'm sure we're going to be making a trip up there soon to watch the nesting. Then, coming up this summer, we'll be journeying to visit family who we haven't seen in years, and who Alex hasn't met. There's a lot of adventure up ahead, and I know Alex is going to have a great time.

And yet, you know what I worry about? Whether she'll remember all of this. I mean, she's just so young. I know she enjoys all these experiences, but will she remember it? And how do we capture these memories in a way that makes it -- I don't know... real to her? In some ways, I feel guilty that we're doing some of these things during a time when she may not remember them -- especially since who knows if we'll ever be able to do some of these things again.

So, here's a question: What are your earliest, fondest memories -- and how did your parents help you hold on to those memories? In the alternative, how have you made your children's earliest experiences come alive for them when they're older?

While you ponder that, here are a few more pictures from our Easter weekend. I hope you had an equally fun-filled one.

Above: C, on the beach on Saturday morning after a particularly fruitful Easter egg hunt; her parents Joanna and Peter, at about 50' below the ocean

Above:Alex and I before dinner on our second night; Alex chillin' at sunset

back on land

Marcus and me off the coast of St. Lucia

Well, we're back, from our mini-vacation to the beautiful island of St. Lucia. I'm sort of feeling a bit overwhelmed with everything that I have to do to catch up on my writing gigs, as well as get ready for my mother-in-law's arrival on Wednesday -- so this is just a short post to say hi, I'm still here. Enjoy the picture of Marcus and me above, and I'll give you a full report later tonight.

Speak soon!