Desperate Housewives:

For the 10 of you that missed!

Who does Betty Applewhite, newest neighbor on Wisteria Lane, have chained in her basement? I think it's her husband! Remember when Bree and Danielle came by with her signature "Welcome to the Neighborhood" muffins and apologized for her rudeness because there was a death in the family (Rex)? Well, Betty's son Matthew told Danielle that he knows how she feels because his dad died too. After they left, Betty called him on the dying dad story and advised him to leave the cleverness to her. Right at the end, Matthew walks in with a tray of food and Betty comments on how nice of a touch the single rose in the vase is and takes the tray and gives Matthew a gun and they carry it to the basement and out comes the chained hand! Can't wait to find out what her story is and how it will involve the rest of the ladies on the "lane".

Speaking of Bree, can this chick keep it together or what? On the season finale, it was nice to actually see the ice queen breakdown after finding out that Rex had died. No matter what the occasion is, Bree is always concerned with appearances: she waited until the appropriate hour of 9 am before she called to inform her friends of the death of her husband. Then, the MIL from hell blows in on her broom wanting to take over the preparations of Rex's funeral. Being a lady of magnificent decorum, Bree decided to go along with this until the MIL decides to write a 15 page eulogy and call Bree on her bad marriage in front of the minister. I had to stand up and applaud when Bree got pissed off and told her that she was uninvited to the funeral and that she would hire guards with sticks to keep her MIL out and if she were to set one foot into the sanctuary, she would order the guard to beat her with those sticks! Bree finally gave in and decided to let the MIL come to the funeral after the kids pressure her. That had to be one of the most comical parts of the show: her son tells her: "Grandma may be a bitch, but she's our bitch!" After giving in to the MIL and dressing Rex in his prep school graduation tie, right before the closing of the casket, Bree decides to make a change. She gets up and walks down the aisle of the sanctuary looking for an appropriate tie and takes Tom's tie and sits Rex up and puts the new tie on him! Now, all is right in her world. Can't wait to see what that creepy pharmacist George, the one that killed Rex, will do next to get close to Bree.

Talk about being a multi-tasker! Lynette has a job interview because as you know last season Tom decided to stay home with the 4 kids and be a Mr. Mom after losing his job. Right before she has to walk out the door to meet with the big boss, Tom throws his back out and Lynette has to take the baby with her. She gets there and prepares to go into her spill and looks through the window and sees the male receptionist who she had left the baby with laying her baby on his desk will he flirts with a female co-worker. Lynette freaks runs out of the interview and gets the baby and comes back in and shows the interviewers the true meaning of multi-tasking and gets the job! Way to go Lynette!

On the baby front, Gabrielle visits Carlos at jail and receives a very icy reception because last season he found out that she had been having an affair with that gorgeous little gardener John(who can blame her! ;-), and Carlos demands a DNA test.

Mike didn't get shot by Zach, Susan got the gun away and was attacked by Mike's dog and fell over and bit her lip... Go figure! Susan and Mike did talk and he told her the whole story about Zach being Deidre's son, Mary Alice killing Deirdre, then killing herself over the guilt and the blackmail by Martha, (BTW: What happened to Martha's sister? Is she dead?) and Paul burying the body under his pool and then digging it back up (very first episode). Susan did put all of the pieces together, especially after Mike didn't want to press charges against Zach, that he was Mike's son.

Finished the first set of diamonds on the skirt portion of the dress. More to come...

I bought it... it's pretty and soft... now what do I do with 4 skeins of Cascade 220 Quatro? Why do I always buy yarn and then have no idea what to do with it? This is what happens when I'm just "passing by" my LYS... I just kinda drop in to browse.

Progress Report

Close up of sleeve detail:

Today, I am embarking on the adventure of crocheting the Lily Chin Lace Dress from Interweave Knits Crochet 2004. I have read over the instructions so far and there don't appear to be any type of difficult stitches, just the basics: sc, dc and sl st.

The problem is that I have been on a shrug roll for so long, crocheting projects that take about a day or so to complete, I'm afraid I will get bored with this and put it down. I have been wanting to do this dress since I first received this magazine this spring. I completed a lot of projects I had going and left only two on the backburner so that I could devote all of my "hook" time to this one.

I haven't crocheted with thread this small in so long, I feel like I'm making a doilie! The biggest problem I've had so far was working the foundation row, I almost needed a magnifying glass just to see the stitches. Once I got passed that it appears to be smooth sailing, but I am just on the bodice.

OMG! Today, on Martha it was "Poncho Day". Martha Stewart arrived on the set of her new show driving the Flying Fingers Yarn Bus. Speaking of "flying fingers", she then greeted the one and only Lily Chin who was on the show to give lessons on how to crochet "Ponchos for Pooches" for Martha's Chow Chow Paw Paw. Lily gave away one of her secrets for her "faster-than-light-crochet": She said that she oils up her hook with moisturizer and tissues it off and listens to The Ramones -- I may just have to try that.

Inside the studio, everyone, I mean EVERYONE -- in the studio, men too (even David Spade and ELMO!), were wearing the "The Gift", Lily's version - "The Freedom Poncho" and every other name it goes by, poncho. This was so traumatizing to me that I think I will get "light-headed" every time I pass Lion Brand Homespun in the store. I'll have to admit, the only poncho that I saw in the audience that I liked was the one that was worn by the daughter of the lady who crocheted the poncho for Martha.

This is a scarf I made for DH. Made this with Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted 100% wool. A matching hat is still on the hook.

We’re on the corner;
We’re on the roof tops waving white sheets;
Frantic, yet somber,
Where is our relief?
Trapped on the Bayou,
Waiting for a rescue;
Overhead a helicopter’s flying,
Mr. President, where are you?
Holocaust waters are burying us – How can this happen in America?
We’re running out of time,
It’s gettin’ hard to breath;
Watchin’ each other die,
New babies on momma’s knees,
Four days without any water,
Need food in our hands;
Garbage under water,
So we can’t raid the cans.
Forced to the Super Dome,
We did as we were told;
Katrina drove us from our homes;
We moved without a word,
Won’t somebody help us - our spirit’s almost gone;
The situation’s hopeless;
Why have you left us here alone?
We’re already under sea level,
We’re being buried with the dead;
Won’t someone please rescue us,
Before diseased waters cover our heads?
We’re running out of patience,
The waters won’t recede;
We’re sitting in pollution, sewage and contamination,
The stench we can’t believe.
Would it help if we were in Iraq?
Fighting a senseless war;
Catching a sniper’s bullet,
Kickin’ in Iranian doors?
If we had lived in Jeb’s country, as helpless Florida refugees, would you have IMMEDIATELY sent a thousand troops to satisfy our needs?
Holocaust are waters burying us – How could this happen in America?
Babies are hungry,
Wearing diapers three days old;
How in the world is this happenin’?
Is Revelations being retold.
Government is corruptly rising,
And forgetting about the people;
Which makes some people a little crazy,
That they don’t give a damn either!
Hurricane Katrina’s winds howled and roared;
Lake Pontchatrain levee’s broke,
Flood waters fiercely poured in;
Overcoming New Orleans’ poor.
Mr. President, we didn’t have the money it takes,
To evacuate the city;
Does that mean we have to die,
In shame, filth, and pity?
It’s been days and still there is no relief,
How much more time do you need;
Another one of us died today,
Does it satisfy you to hear us plead?
Holocaust waters are burying us – How could this happen in America?
Help us! Please help us!
Are the cries that are televised;
Most of these cries,
Came from the mouths of a child!
How can you ignore a baby’s distress?
How can you turn a deaf ear?
That helicopter we heard earlier,
Let us know you were here.
You conveniently did a flyover,
And landed at our neighbor’s door;
Why didn’t you just stop here in Louisiana –?
Or were we too poor?
Holocaustic? You ask, why I give it this label?
Because, that’s the only card left on your table;
You left the poverty-stricken, the sick and the aging,
People of color and children
To deal with death like we were in cages!
Dead bodies floating in the water, dead bodies against the walls, dead bodies sitting in wheel chairs, dead bodies lying in the halls!
Mosquito’s, rat’s roaches, flies –
Feasting on human caucuses before our eyes!
Hunger, violence, faming and disease –
Was televised repeatedly –
How could you not see?
Holocaust waters are burying us –
How could this happen in America?
Each man will have to give an account - for the things he’s done in life, MR. BUSH, are you prepared to stand before God and say what you did was right?
No! GEORGE – you still don’t see the light –
You should have been here FOUR DAYS AGO!
I don’t think God will listen to you tonight!
WELCOME TO NEW ORLEANS!!

Thank you Amie... I could not have said it any better. I'm watching Oprah while I sit typing this. I can barely type because I am literally blinded with tears! They were showing bodies lying in the street dead due to starvation and dehydration. That's my worst fear... not dying with dignity! What the fuck is up with that?!?! This is the United Fucking States of America! That shit ain't suppose to be happening here! New Orleans is looking like a third world country. Yes I'm pissed off! Hell, that could have me! Why did it take two fucking days for relief efforts to make it to the evacuees? Yes, they are EVACUEES and not fucking REFUGEES, so stop calling them that! I'm not only pissed with the Federal Government, I'm pissed with the state and local also! Where the fuck was Ray (Nagin)? Why was his ass not out there wading through the water and helping? Where was Kathleen Babineaux Blanco? Why wasn't she helping?

How the hell can you tell people to come to a shelter and not have any type of provisions there? They all knew that the hurricane was approaching... I knew it... saw it on the Weather Channel. Why didn't they provide those school buses that they pulled out of their asses after-the-fact to get the people out of the city that did not have money and transportation? Those are the questions that need to be answered. I know everyone is saying "stop pointing fingers and help the survivors", but there are still questions that need to be answered so this dumb ass shit won't be repeated. Just goes to show that this country is not prepared on any type of level for a major disaster!

Anonymous said...
WHY IS IT THAT EVERYTIME THERE IS A
DISASTER, THERE IS ALWAYS SOME ENTERTAINER THAT TRYS TO TURN IT INTO A RACE ACT.
THIS ISNT ABOUT WHO IS WHITE, BLACK, BROWN, GREEN, YELLOW, WHATEVER, ITS ABOUT
HELPING PEOPLE PERIOD, SO THIS SO CALLED ENTERTAINER NEEDS TO GET OVER HIMSELF,
AND I REALLY DONT THINK THAT MR. BUSH SENT THE HURRICANE TO NEW ORLEANS, HE
DIDNT PLAN THIS DISASTER ON PURPOSE. WE NEED TO ALL WORK TOGETHER AND NOT PIT
PEOPLE AGAINST EACH OTHER.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mr. or Ms. "Anonymous",

Why don't you stop hiding behind your anonymity and show your cowardly face so that we can discuss this issue like two adults... if that's what you are!

He took the words right out of my mouth! On Friday night, Kanye West surprised the millions of viewers who tuned in to "A Concert for Hurricane Relief" which aired live on the networks of NBC. While joined onstage with actor Mike Myers, Kanye refused to read the teleprompter and expressed his unadulterated disgust for the way the media has poorly portrayed the black people in New Orleans. He stated, "I hate the way we are portrayed in the media. If you see a black family, it says they're looting. See a white family, they are looking for food". Kanye was refering to the this caption:

He lashed out against President George W. Bush and the government for racism against African-American survivors of Hurricane Katrina by stating: "George Bush doesn't care about black people". Kanye suggested that the delays in getting relief to the people of New Orleans was delibrate and that America was set up to help black people and the less fortunate as slow as possible.

Well, what can I say: Another shrug! I admit it, I'm hooked, literally!