Roxie's Hippo and Healthcare Reform

What did you do yesterday while Congress dragged it out?  Stretching a metaphor, I  have been malingering like them by not finishing this knit toy for Roxie, our NYC granddaughter. 

By late December (which issue was the Senate on then?), all the separate pieces of the hippo had been completed.  Another  Susan B.  Anderson pattern in her itty-bitty toys book (something new after making two of her chickens).   Worked well with yarn from my over-large stash.  Tricky to knit the body as it narrowed down with few stitches left on the needles.  (This was November '09...had we lost CHOICE in the House?)

For the second time I used a rubber ball to weight the body.  Hippo is very solid as a result.  This is a substitute for poly pellets when making a toy for young children.

Carried it to North Carolina at Christmas when we last saw Roxie, sure I'd finish it then.  No...  not enough light, too cold--the very sort of lame excuses our congressional reps have been using to waste the taxes we pay them with this endless slog. 

Sunday, March 21, 2010, was so possibly auspicious, that I made my move.   In the morning and early afternoon I watched the proceedings (inside and outside, some more inspirational than others) on television and did embroidery on the hippo's face.  Not great but okay.  Ear attachment went better.

Dinner was at Rachel's, our daughter, where Judy, the other grandma, is visiting from Idaho.  Rachel kept us up with progress in D.C. on her Blackberry (no television here).

Back home to finish the hippo and hope that Congress  and I would both end before midnight.  That actually happened thanks to the determination of many, especially women, thank you.  Several are pictured here.

Nancy Pelosi deserves much more admiration that we have given her lately.  We also are reminded that the  sensible Democrats are the true picture of this country--every geographic direction, all colors and shapes, even a couple of southerners!

Checking email before bed, there was a request to support two women running races against blue dog Dems.  Five dollars each:  I could do that...you can do that!

Comments

[Hattie]

Yes, Nancy Pelosi is the true hero, because she pushed Obama and Rahm Emmanuel to see this thing through to the end. Legislative processes always bug everyone, but getting this thing through is a solid gain!
You look really really busy with family. We'll be in Seattle from the 24th of March to the 4th of April and will probably get down to Portland. I'll call you & hope we can get together!
--Marianna

[Kay Dennison]

Glad you're keeping busy and the hippo is darling!!! My congressman spoke in favor of the bill. He's new and is doing a good job.

Also, I gave you an award on Sunday -- stop by and check it out!!!

[nick]

We will call her Martha in honor of "George and Martha" books Roxie adores.

Nick

[Anne Gibert]

I love this post. I love the sanity with which you knit together the procrastination of our elected representatives and your progress with the hippo. What a lovely, low key, quiet comment.

I certainly would like to see the blue dog Democrats defeated. But I am really most concerned about the shrill and violent craziness of the tea-baggers. They are a real danger to our country and our democracy. What can we do about them?