Whoo hoo Betsy!
You can read about her here. She was one of the original people who blew the whistle on Lance Armstrong, and for years she's been (reportedly) intimidated and threatened by the likes of Lance and his 'yes' men. The husband can't believe how riled up I've become about the Lance Armstrong doping story. But I am riled up. Not so much about the fact that Armstrong allegedly took drugs to enhance his performance, but by the fact that one individual can be so animalistically determined to do all he can to win; suck others into the process of his doing so; and be so duplicitous at the same time.
That's why I like people like Betsy. They're willing to hammer the truth and stand up for what's right, from the outset, no matter what the consequences.
Here we have a home sewn Liberty of London skirt. Easy. No drugs required to complete that elasticised number.
And here we have some more home sewn pyjama. No lycra. Pure over-sized, baggy cotton.
Pancakes. Staple Sunday morning breakfast. Just what the US Postal Team peloton didn't order.
Or Anzac biscuits ... depending on what stage one's on.
More books ... Darth Vader and Son ... it's all about what Darth and Luke's relationship would be like if the Sith Lord ("well he's a bit of both ... Lord and Sith" to quote Solid Gold Dancer #2) played a positive and proactive role in the young Jedi's upbringing.
A Bus Called Heaven ... I always buy Bob Graham books. Because he illustrates fabulously and his stories are so heart-warming and amusing.
Next weekend, it's all about the capital 'A' Arts. Stay tuned.
Fin.
Bob Graham is one of my favourite childrens authors. Lance Armstrong is one of my least favourite athletes. Liberty's up there and so are pancakes, Anzac biscuits are somewhere in the middle.
ReplyDeleteKylie,
ReplyDeleteback in the day, I bought and read Armstrong's autobiography. Now I can't believe I did so. Grrr.
I've discovered the trick to pancakes is buttermilk. Heaps of.
You're a good lady.
I watched the Four Corners about Lance Armstrong on Mon (sounds like you did too). I am very cross that he keeps denying it.... Surely he would be smart enough to realise the writing is on the wall. (Or maybe smart enough to realise it could be hard to prove and he would have to pay lots of money back, not to mention the small issue of perjuring himself.) I would have more respect for him if he came forward and said "I did it, so did everyone else. It was what you had to do." Anyway, regardless I am Officially Very Cross. Rant over.
ReplyDeleteLove pancakes here on The Farm- we go for the thinner crepe style though.
I hope you are well. I am tired from work. You probably are too.
I didn't watch Four Corners. Maybe I should have. Just had a discussion with the husband about the worth of Armstrong's admitting to the truth now. I actually think the whole issue is quite complicated. It seems as if he was swept into a world of cheating and deceit. (Is deceit spelt correctly?) Would it be good PR if he admitted the truth now, or would he be more criticised for holding out? Where are the answers?
DeleteI am tired from work. A lovely young lass I work with has developed a twitch. Such is the stress in the legal field I work in.
i before e except after c.
DeleteLaughed at DMC as that's what I was thinking as I read your reply.
DeleteTwitches not good sign for ongoing job satisfaction. (Job stress needs to be balanced out in some way that is not an involuntary muscle contraction.) Agree totally re world of deceit - I don't think Armstrong was the only doping cyclist. I think he just won more races and got caught less.....
Oh Martha, you're such a big girl now and so, so pretty. And I'm thinking maxi-skirts are going to be the clothing-of-choice for the girls in this family this summer. So easy to make indeed. Which of your well-organised children lined the fruit up in such a manner?
ReplyDeleteFiona, do you sew? I think a good big skirt is the go! Bit hard to wear while cattle rustling?
Delete(I lined the fruit.)
Your passion is admirable.
ReplyDeleteI'm passionate alright. Don't get me started.
DeleteI've never been a sports fan of any type, because I think it very often brings out the worst in people, rather than the best. I've seen athletes have temper tantrums, curse, fight, cheat and lie, all in the name of winning...and I don't think winning a football game or tennis match or proving you're the best bicycle rider is worth all that. In the overall scheme of things, there are much more important things one might aspire to be or do. It really irks me when someone starts in on the "sports builds character" spiel when it's pretty clear that it often does just the opposite.
ReplyDeleteSportsmen (and I mean men, as opposed to women, in this country) get paid ill-proportionately to their contribution to society. How is a rugby league player worth a million dollars and a teacher worth $70,000 (if they're lucky?). How is a nurse or a doctor worth less than someone who plays professional tennis?
DeleteDon't get me started.
Well, Lance pretty much took a dive in my estimation when he dumped Sheryl Crow. Really? Sheryl Crow is not good enough for you?
ReplyDeleteRebecca, hello.
DeleteWhat about Armstrong's gorgeous first wife? I read (and I always take what I read with a hefty grain-of-salt) that Armstrong is very dismissive of people who weigh more than that-required-to-keep-one-alive.
Don't get me started.
I'm with Dana about this sport business. I think doing a sport to keep active and healthy is great, but this preoccupation about sports people being stars or even heroes irks me. Even before the drug scandal, I never thought of Lance Armstrong as anything but a very good cyclist - not an inspiration, not a hero - just a good cyclist. Now, I think he's just a loser - those wins were just Pyrrhic victories. How unsatisfying, really. xx
ReplyDeleteI feel sorry for all those people who came second to hime and didn't use drugs. All that work to be pipped by a big cheater.
ReplyDeleteThis is why sport in general makes me roll my eyes a bit- that desperation to win. I once overheard a mum at school telling her Grade 2 son that there was first and there was losing and he had better not lose. He had wanted to share first with his equally fast mate.
Where has the fun gone? This is also why I tell my 13 year old to go back to bed when he wakes me at 5 am to swim. Sorry, B2
PS I love the Darth book too. May have to get that for Darth Smith at Christmas!
DeleteBought the Darth book for my brother only yesterday. And, feeling like I'm missing a lot of newsy stuff lately, appreciate you keeping me up to date on the backstory of the story. Once a journo...
ReplyDeleteDon't get me started in the sporting fraternity. Met with the school sports teacher this week to inform him that despite looking like a drowning dog, my child can actually swim and could perhaps move out of the baby pool. When I then added that said child could actually swim 30 laps ( which equals 1 km) of the large pool 9 months ago in the outside of school swimming, he looked me in the eye and said that he "found that very hard to believe" and he had a responsibility to ensure kids in the big pool were safe. I could have decked him on the spot. Yes,i am such a lunatic mother that I would risk my child drowning just to overestimate his ability for my own crazed gains. Have been fuming and crying inappropriately in front of poor random women who were picking up fisher price toys purchased from me on ebay. Anyway, rant over now, sport is completely overrated in my opinion. We stayed at Raintrees at Moffat beach, just google it. Have been there 4 times now, partly as drowning dog child is much happier going back to the same place and copes better. It is a bit 80's daggy but has awesome pool and is short walk to beach,playground and too way creek where the kids love to paddle. Only hazard is you could run into us but maybe then you could provide collateral evidence to the swim teacher that drowning dog child can actually swim. so love visiting your blog, I learn stuff ALL the time. mel x
ReplyDeletePfft to sport! Pfft to teachers pay! Pfft to overrated pursuits! Pfft to stress! Yeah for pancakes, yeah for biscuit, Anzac or otherwise! Yeah to Sheryl Crow 'cause all I want to do is have some fun'! Yeah to you! Ranting Ranter with great taste in floral attire for kids! Xx
ReplyDeleteI won't get started on Lance. Instead I'll say darn, your kids are getting some sweet books. The Darth Vader book looks like a total crack up.
ReplyDeleteOle Lance makes me angry too.
ReplyDelete