Hot tamale!

Hello, Everyone,

Well, it's hot tonight.  I feel fine, just hot.   It's a little after midnight, Wednesday morning actually, and the temp is over 80 in my house.  Humid, which is uncommon for us in San Diego.  Sticky.   Summer is finally here in force.  The pink "naked lady" lilies are blooming in the yard.  A big bunch of them on the dining room table are making the house smell good.

I had Vietnamese spring rolls for dinner at my friend Nhien's house.  I went there for a Buddhist meeting, but she asked me to join them for dinner first.   Wow!  Her home-made dipping sauce is way so much better than what they serve in restaurants!!!   I never knew what it was really supposed to taste like before!!!  Awesomne!   Hers is full of little super hot peppers and generally super yummy. 

 I'm listening to Sahbeesation, which I have not done in years.  Very interesting. . 

Boy, did I have a big benefit today.  Last week Heather and I took Nate swimming.  She was putting sun screen on my back and she noticed a couple of colorful spots and remarked that it would be wise to show them to a dermatologist.  I thought, "With no health insurance, how am I going to pay for that?"  So I'm chanting under my breath and thinking about this, but no answer was obvious.  We stopped at Sammy's for Pizza, and there, sitting in the parking lot was a "doc in an RV" from Aveena, with a dermatologist inside doing one exam after another.  Community service from Aveena.   I signed up and got the next to last appointment.  He did not like a spot on my shoulder. He thought it looked like another basal cell carcinoma, as in cancer.  And close to the other one I had removed in January which is not good if that means it spread from one spot to another.. The words  "spread" and "cancer" do not belong in the same sentence.   So on Monday I called Dr K and asked for an appointment.  He squeezed me in today before his normal start of day to do a quick biopsy. . (Wasn't that nice of him?)   He did not agree that the spot was anything much, certainly not cancer, nothing to worry about and did not do any biopsy.  No cancer!  Then he did not charge me for the visit.. (Now that was really nice of him!!!)  Thank you, Dr. K, you rock.    Dan took me to Bread and Cie to celebrate, best coffee and pastry in town. (See: http://breadandciecatering.com/default.aspx ) Dan really is a big sweetheart.  He rocks, too, you know. 

I finished a pair of socks.  For my size 14 big foot nephew. 

These are "cheaters" as the tops that show when worn are plain black, while the feet are brightly colored.  The colorway is the German flag.   Into the Christmas drawer, with you!

Last night I came up with a new way to do juzu beads.  I crocheted them.  Interesting.

More flexible than strung ones, nice to use.  I hope they last.

And now one in progress so you can see how it's done.

. 
Neat, huh?

Lilo and I are trying our best to keep cool.  She's sprawled on the floor in front of the fan.   You keep cool, too, ok?  I can't believe we were complaining about the cool, foogy summer we had  ... bring it back, please!

Ta-ta,
Julie

Bridal shawl is cast off

Hi, Everyone,

I'm so excited!!!  I just cast off the bridal shawl!!!  I'm off to find a place with good light to get a pic and I'll finish this post when I have lots of pics.

So I just got back.  Dan and I went driving asround our neighborhood looking for a place with bright lights to get a good photo of the bridal shawl.  We decided Del Taco had the brightest lights!   Now, bear in mind that this is totally unblocked, and it will be a totally different animal after we block it!  I'm sure the kids at Del Taco thought we were nuts.

Here you can see the beads aqlong the bottom edge.

 One of the corners.  See that curled top edge?  That will be awesome when it's blocked out into points.  The beads are each at the end of a point.  I can't wait to block it.

 More of the beaded edge.

 It's over 6 feet wide and about 30 inches deep.  After blocking it should be considerably larger.  Heather and I are going to block it on a big ventilated picnic table in a park near her house.  I'll keep you advised....

My friend Zee is a great beader.  I'm a knitter who occasionally strings a bead or two together.  When I showed her the juzu prayer beads I made, she told me how to finish the ends better.  Instead of putting the crimp bead on the end, she suggested putting it before the tassel bead, then run the end of the line through the tassel bead,  then the little end bead and back into the tassel bead and then into the crimp bead and the next ones as needed to hide the end. When the tension is right, crimp the crimp bead.  That way the end of the line is hidden where it can't scratch anyone and the crimp bead is protected from wear.  Youza, what a great idea, Zee!

Well, it's a peaceful Monday night in San Diego after a warm and sunny day, I feel really good  (La-da-da-da-da-da-da , as James Brown sang long ago) and the music is off.  No reason, just forgot to turn it on.  Ok, now it's on: It's raining men, hit crew.  Ha, you can tell my mood, huh?

Lilo is MIA, probably enjoying the warm night air.  As soon as I write about her, she comes in for some attention.  I swear that cat is psychic.

Cheers,
Julie

The Significance Of The Prayer Beads

Hello, Everyone,

It is a rainy Sunday night.  I just had the best Vietnamese dinner ever at Phat on Convoy St. in Kearny Mesa, same place as previously blogged.   Thank you, Dare.   Pho as you like it.   Endless appetizers and salads.  All very light.   I feel just fine. Go when you can.

On Feb 27 I posted a "reciepe" for making juzu prayer beads.  This following is in response to the resulting requests for information on the significance of the prayer beads, which we SGI Buddhists hold when chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo or when doing morning or evening prayers, called Gongyo.  It is quoted from a booklet by Ed Gwin, called the Treasure Map of Life.

"The Significance Of The Prayer Beads

The basic number of beads is 108, which is said to represent the number of earthly desires which common mortals have.

The beads form a circle with two strands (1) and three strands (2) that end in tassles. These sets of two and three strands are equal distance and opposite from each other.

Where these strands are attached to the circle, there is a large bead. These large beads are called the father's bead (3) and the mother's bead (4). Both represent the Buddha.

When the beads are used, this circle is closed by crossing them once (5). This is done for one reason. When crossed, the circle is closed so that the benefits of practicing and chanting Daimoku will not fall through.

Between the father and mother's beads, there are 108 beads of the same size that represent earthly desires. You will also find four smaller beads (6). Two of them are opposite each other on either side, seven beads away from the end with the two strands of beads attached to the figure. The second set are 14 beads beyond the first set on either side.

These small beads represent the Four Leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth -- Jogyo, Jyogyo, Muhengyo, and Anryugyo. These are the four virtues of the Buddha's life:

1. The True Self of the Buddha

2. The Purity of the Buddha

3. The Boundless Eternity of the Buddha, and

4. The Happiness of the Buddha.

When we use beads during Gongyo, the end of the figure eight, with the two strands, is placed over the third finger of the left hand. The end with the three strands, over the third finger of the right. They lie on the outside of the hands, which are placed together with palms and fingers touching each other.

Directly under the father's bead, is a smaller one (7). This small bead represents the essential nature of the Law, which is absolute truth, which has existed since the beginning of time.

All together, there are five strands of beads that lie outside the hands when the palms are placed together with fingers touching.

The four strands of beads (8), which have four larger beads shaped like jars, represent "ichinen sanzen" or three thousand worlds in a momentary existence, and the mutual possession of all of them. These beads, then, represent the true and essential nature of all life, which is 3,000 worlds in a momentary existence, each one of which is a perfect manifestation of cause and effect.

These beads, shaped like jars (9), are called "The Jars" in which we store the benefits we have accumulated.

The remaining single strand of ten beads (10), are the counting beads.

If you use the beads to count Daimoku, you should count the beads on only one side - going from the father's bead to the mother's bead and returning back again along the same side. Each time you do this, you should skip over the four Bodhisattva beads.

When you have done this once, you will have chanted 108 Daimoku. Each time you finish going and returning in this fashion, you slide one of the beads on the counting strand, attached to the mother bead, forward. In this way, you can count 1,080 Daimoku using the ten beads on the counting strand. "   (about 20 minutes of chanting at a reasonable pace).

I hope this was helpful for those who asked for it.  Detailed instructions for beading your own juzu are in the entry dated  Feb 27 earlier in this blog.   Note that modern Buddhists do not usually count Daimoku  (Nam Myoho Renge Kyo) when chanting, I have done it only once out of curiosity and to time it.    For example, today I would use a clock to determine 20 minutes of chanting, rather than counting one cycle of 10 counting beads.   However, before clocks were widely available...  counting beads were used in the past.

The bridal shawl is almost done, 2 rows to go.  Sometime this week Heather and I will get together and bind it off using the bead clusters she created and then block it, which is a big deal.  Then it will be revealed in all its shimmering, white, drapey wonderfulness.  I hope.

Lilo is in the sweater drawer again.  That's where she likes to hide from the rain and keep warm.

I hope you are enjoying listening to the sounds of the cars splashing through the water in the street and keeping warm and cozy on this lovely rainy night.  The flowers on the hillsides need the rain so much.

Love,
Julie


Music: Chris Botti, Italia
Location: at home in San Diego

How to make juzu for Preeti

• Feb. 27th, 2010 at 5:08 PM

Hi, Preeti,

It's a cold, dark, rainy afternoon , what we call winter in San Diego.

I'm so glad to hear from you that  you liked my juzu.  Are you an SGI member?  There are many active SGI groups in India, I have a friend in Mumbai who is a member. 
 
Here are some recently finished items.  2 more sets of juzu, a necklace with a diachrotic glass disc, 3 beaded Turkish crochet bracelets with button closure.  All resting on a grape Alpaca Kiri shawl with burnished gold beads placed in the knitting by the crochet hook method.  Size 9 needles.


I made my juzu by making a bead by bead copy of one I have.  If you do not have an old one to copy, I will try and explain.  There are great pictures at http://www.bodhisattvabeads.com/   I hope I can explain clearly enough.  I am not an expert at bead stringing, not an expert of Buddhist juzu bead stringing.  I am just a crafty chanter who wanted "self-made" beads and I hope I am getting this right.  No one taught me, aI just experimented until I liked the results.

I used the plastic coated metal strand cord so that they will last a long time with vigorous use.  I needed 6 crimp beads. Pliers to crimp.   I used a tray with channels in it to lay these all out before starting.  I recommend that.

The two largest beads at the ends of the loop are the mother and father bead.  Pick those out first. It is easiest to make when these are drilled with an extra hole so that there are 3 holes, but it is not essential.   You can do it with a bead that is drilled for 2 holes. Pick pretty ones as these show the most. You will also need one medium bead that fits right under the father bead, the wisdom bead.

Tassels: Then you will need 5 large beads to represent the tassels and 4 about the same size to become your benefit jugs.  5 small beads to allow the crimp bead at the end to seat correctly. 10 medium beads to form the counting abacus on the 5th tassel.    ( 4 of your tassels have jugs and the fifth one has the counting strand.)
10 medium beads and 1 larger to form the harness for the 2 strand end. The one larger can be replaced by a knot if preferred. 20 very small beads for the string harness at the other end (optional, sometimes omitted).
5 medium beads above each jug (20 total)
32 very small beads to from the strings between the tassels and the jugs ( 4 at 8 each)

Loop: You will need 108 medium beads for the earthly desires and 4 slightly smaller, different ones for the 4 Bodhisattvas.  If your beads are too small and your loop is uncomfortably short to hold when chanting you can either switch to a larger bead for the 108 or put 10 very small beads at each end as spacers. (40 total)  The ones I showed you on my blog have spacers.  You will string 7 desires, 1 smaller Bodhisattva bead, 14 desires, 1 smaller Bodhisattva bead, 33 desires (54 on each side of the loop between the mother and father beads).  108 total classifications of human desire pus the 4 Bodhisattvas form the main loop.


Stringing:
The order of stringing the first side is as follows: start at the end of the tassel, string crimp bead (but do not crimp it now), small bead, through the first tassel bead, 8 very small beads, jug bead, 5 medium beads, 1 larger harness bead (or optionally a knot), 5 medium beads, wisdom bead, father bead,  (into the loop now), 10 very small spacers (if you are using spacers) 7 desires, 1 smaller Bodhisattva bead, 14 desires, 1 smaller Bodhisattva bead, 33 desires, 10 very small spacers, mother bead, 10 very small beads (optionally may be done as a space of free string and 2 crimps to hold the place, crimp them later), 5 medium beads, jug bead, 8 very small beads, second tassel bead, small bead, crimp bead.  Slip the last crimp bead to the very end of the string and crimp it.  Adjust tension along all segments (it needs to be a little loose or you can't hold them comfortably when chanting) and crimp the first crimp bead.  Cut the string.
For the other side: start at the end of the tassel, string crimp bead (but do not crimp it now), small bead, through the third tassel bead, 8 very small beads, jug bead, 5 medium beads, through the same larger harness bead on the first side (or optionally a knot), 5 medium beads, the same wisdom bead as on the first side, same father bead,  (into the loop now) 10 very small spacers,  7 desires, 1 smaller Bodhisattva bead, 14 desires, 1 smaller Bodhisattva bead, 33 desires,  10 very small spacers, same mother bead, 10 very small beads (optionally may be done as a space of free string and 2 crimps to hold the place, crimp them later), 5 medium beads, 4th jug bead, 8 very small beads, 4th tassel bead, small bead crimp bead.  Slip the last crimp bead to the very end of the string and crimp it.  Adjust tension along all segments (it needs to be a little loose or you can't hold them comfortably when chanting) and crimp the first crimp bead.  Cut the string.
Counting strand: start at the end of the tassel, string crimp bead (but do not crimp it now), small bead, through the fifth tassel bead, 10 medium beads, through a crimp bead, thread around the top of the 4th tassel, under the mother bead. Back through the crimp bead, back through the ten medium counting beads, back through the fifth tassel bead, the small bead and the crimp bead.  Adjust tension so that the crimp bead at the base of the mother bead is tight against the main string to hold all in place and the 10 counting beads have enough slack to slide back and forth to count. Crimp both beads when it is right. Cut string.
Make sure all crimps are solid, re-crimping if needed.

Good luck, Preeti.  I hope yours some out great.
Julie and Lilo, who is complaining loudly that she hates rain, and will I please make it go away, right now

• Location: at home in San Diego
  
• Mood: calm
• Music:Brad Mehlda

BEADING, ANYONE?

Hi,
It's a clear and cool Monday night after a rain storm this morning.  Another rain storm on the way.  A little wet for San Diego!

Been doing a bit of beading.  My sister, Heather, took me to take a class with a friend of hers in Oceanside a couple of days ago, http://www.oceanskybeads.com/.  The shop folks were soooo nice, lovely selection of beads and we had a great class from Dee Layden.  The class was on finishing, so I took 4 unfinished projects and she showed me how to finish them.  Here's one:



The Carnelian disc is from a necklace that broke in the early '90's.  I had been saving it to use in something new and it finally found a home almost  2 decades later. The root beer colored beads with the gold swirls were purchased in a tourist shop in Old Town San Diego, which inexplicably had a basket of beautiful beads by the cash register for 15 cents each.  What a deal!

Here are a couple of others.  The Juzu beads are going to a friend tomorrow.  (Buddhist prayer beads, we hold them when we chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo as an aid to concentration.  Also, I think they're fun to make.)  Here's some info:   http://sgi-usa.org/newmembers/resources/thealtar/prayerbeads.php



The blue and silver necklace is a Turkish crochet rope technique I learned from Utube.  Never know what you'll find on Utube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DipRVonvYM8



I also took along to the class a pretty green peyote stitch bracelet I had received from a friend and then caught on a doorknob and broke.  Rod Layden repaired it for me.  His artistic work is amazingly beautiful, and the repair is undetectable.  Great afternoon, all in all.

Nate has been with me this weekend.  Pizza as usual.  Fun as usual.  Love bug as usual.   We stopped by Geppetto's, a really awesome toy store. http://www.geppettostoys.com/  They had this thing like a sidewalk sled that transfers the kids wiggles into forward motion.  It was really cool, but I did not have an extra $70.  So I told Nate that we would not buy it today because I did not have enough money right now.  Tonight I was changing purses and found a dime in the bottom of one.  He saw that and said,  "Gramma, that's good, you found some money.  Now we can buy the toy."  If you go to their web site check out the ugly dolls.  When my knitting turns out looking out like that, I rip it and start over!   LOL  They not only do not rip it, they charge crazy prices for it!  I must be getting old.

Apparently a local feral tom cat came in the cat door into the living room while we were all, even Lilo, in the bedroom watching the Olympics tonight .  She loves the Olympics, thank you very much, and my lap stays still a nice long time for her to snuggle. She roots for Canada, so she was happy with the ice dancing result tonight.  The tom sprayed the living room to annoy Lilo.  Lilo is not the only one annoyed.  Anyone know of a deterrent?  Anyone know of a clean up method?  I'm not even sure exactly where it is.  The whole room smells, but it is the worst near the kitty door.  Yuck!  Let's see if it is still so bad in the morning.  Let's hope it airs out.

Lilo is helping me post and she sez goodnight!

Julie

• Location: at home in San Diego
• Mood: chipper
• Music:Nestor Torres, Talk to me