Dawn Brocco's Life & Design Blog

More Rose Bed Renovation
Well, I tackled another 45 sq. ft of the 225 sq. ft rose beds, and have the new blisters to show for it! So, that's it for digging and ripping up roots today. Picked some more snow peas and a small asparagus stalk for the dog - wacky dog likes raw asparagus and snow peas! So, back to more knitting and pattern writing.


Breeze Yarn
I ordered a few balls each of 4 colors of Heirloom Breeze yarn from my favorite online retailer for the Breeze yarn, Ozeyarn. They are for a design for the Gazette, either the Fall or Winter issue. Breeze is a stretchy yarn, like Fixation, but has less lycra, which makes it feel less harsh-feeling and has wool, as well as cotton, for easier knitting and trans-seasonal use.


Gutters - continuation
Hubby has been working on rebuilding the last of the original built-in gutters this week and today had to haul 5 loads of shingles through the house and out various windows upstairs onto the front porch roof, leaving a trail of gritty bits *everywhere". I just now finished vacuuming 2 large halls, up the stairs, one of the upstairs baths and 2 of the bedrooms - ufda! Then promptly took a shower. He has more to haul up tomorrow, which means repeating this exercise once more, but the grit couldn't remain overnight to be walked on.




Bits about my life - the beginning
Born in Queens, NY, April 12th, 1959 during a snowstorm. My hubby's parents were married the very same day, in the very same year - he's 11 months younger than I am.

I am the eldest of 4 kids, and have 3 younger brothers. We lived in Brooklyn until I was 16, then moved to Staten island as I went to Notre Dame Girls' Academy, my brothers all went to St. Peter's Boy's School. Both high schools were in SI and my Dad then worked in SI. This eliminated traipsing across the bridge by bus at 1 hour each way, but lost me 2 hours a day with my best friend (well, my only real friend), who later became Valedictorian and is now a doctor, though she could have been absolutely anything, as she was blessed with a multitude of talents, and attended a music college (Mannes - sp?) on weekends in Manhattan, while still in high school.

I was the sensitive, poetic type, both attributes having long evolved into other characteristics! As we grew up (in Bklyn) 2 flights up over a store on a very busy street, playing outsidce was limited to summer and even then, mostly meant getting to the park, many blocks away.

So, my entire youth was spent helping my mom out, getting good grades and going to the public library ever Saturday morning to take out 2 or 3 books, which I would then devour over the weekend. Being lost in words all the time inclined me towards writing poetry, keeping a diary, though that's long gone, and writing letters (remember those!) to distant family members.

High school was full of all the usual tumult that teenagers are faced with. Even though I *did* attend an all-girls' school, that doesn't save one from life getting to you. That school, though, was the best part of my youth. A sanctuary of kind and encouraging nuns who wore regular clothes and crosses around their necks, on a campus that spoke to me, like no place ever before.

Lots of old buildings scattered about wth walks connecting them, with lawns and a greenhouse here and there and an elementary school wing whose swings my best friend and I would swing on after lunch almost every day - long swings surrounded by trees, so that when you got a good swing going, you ended up in the trees, amongst the leaves. I fell in love with Nature then and with old buildings.

When I was in grammar school, one had to apply to 4 high schools hoping for acceptance to the one you wanted to attend. You went to the open houses, listened to the principals speak and toured the buildings. I *knew* I would go there, that I'd be accepted and could get to go there. My mom didn't want me to get hurt by setting my heart on it, in case I didn't get in. But there was nothing iffy, or hopeful or setting-of-heart-on about the whole thing. I *knew* I was going to go there! It felt like home. So, I nodded and waited. And was accepted to all 4 schools.
Dawn