Happy St. Patrick's Day

For some insight into why we celebrate this day check out the video here... http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/stpatricksday/?page=video
and while at that site take the quiz to find out how much you know about the Irish.

May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

And we have....Robin

As I was sitting on the computer checking my email the man was standing by the door looking outside. He said get the camera I see a robin.... I get the camera and for the life of me I couldn't find the robin. He kept saying in the tree and I kept saying you're seeing things. But I guess it is because of him being color blind that he is able to distinguish the monotone's with more clarity or what but I didn't see that bird until he turned and showed me his red breast and then I was able to snap this. Yes it is grainy because of the high zoom and taking it thru the glass but it is a robin. This is four days earlier than I saw it last year and leaves only 4 Days, 4 Hours, 59 Minutes until the Spring of '06 http://holidays.bfn.org/spring/ Seeing as how I haven't gotten a thing started in the greenhouse I guess I should now get off my duff and get motivated.

And it only continues...

The weekend only got better and better. We got up early had a big breakfast, uncovered the pile of brush and set that on fire. The kids had a friend come over for the day which stopped them from picking on each other. Then the man of the house went over to a friends to help them put in a new door. When he came home to get a piece of wood they needed he brought me a present. It was a bucket with this note attached....Found my mom's knitting needles, what better person and friend to give them to. From my mom's hands to yours. Love Gxxx
It was like Christmas in March, there were....
1 set size 17 -14 inch
1 set size 15- 14 inch
1 set size 13- 14 inch
2 set size 10-14 inch (already in use on the Shrug for #1 using a cheaper yarn)
3 set size 9-14 inch
2 set size 8-14 inch
1 set size 8- 9 inch
2 set size 7- 14 inch
2 set size 6- 14 inch
2 set size 5- 14 inch
1 set size 4- 14 inch
1-size 5- 29 inch circular
1 size 6- 29 inch circular
1 size 7- 29 inch circular
2 size 8- 29 inch circular
1 size13- 29 inch circular
2 sets of 4- 7 inch size 5 dpn's
3 cable stitch holders
tapestry needles
3 size pompom maker
point protecters
5 -e crochet hooks
1-f
1-g
2-h
1-i
2-j
2-k
1-n
2-f 9 inch afghan hooks
1-g 14 inch double ended afghan hook
Rush'n Punch Russian Punch Needle Embroidery
6 in 1 Knit-Chek Gauge
assorted sewing needles, pins and stitch puller
I called her up and thanked her profusely for this gift. The fact that she was so close to her mother yet was giving them to me meant alot. I will need to think of something to make using said needles for her grandchildren who are her pride and joy. It may not be something from their great-grandmother but will be made using her needles.
And I was able to finish one of the rib & cable fingerless mitts. I love productive weekends like this...now if my week would just follow suit!!!

Weekend Wonders

So far this weekend has been so incredibly warm that we were able to get a lot done.

On Friday we took #3 to the doctors to find out she did have an ear infection. While waiting for her medications I got a copy of IK. On the way home #3 looked at it and decided I could make her the Rib-and-Cable Mitts. I want to make the Streakers Shrug for #1 daughter, so I came home and went on the computer to find out where to get the yarn for it…..$25/skein and I need three. I will make it but not with that. I will either buy a cheaper yarn or spin something suitable. I am cheap. I also saw Aphrodite by Rowan Yarns again for #1 daughter. Went looking again and you can only get the pattern from their book A Midas Touch which costs $15.95. Again I am cheap and will not pay that for one pattern as the others didn’t really interest me. Then I realized a warm day was passing me by and we went out and finished the greenhouse and started to put some stuff inside. One of the best things I found was a pray mantis egg sac on a calendar I had hanging in the old greenhouse. I hung it back up in the new one.

Last fall I never cleaned out the greenhouse garden so on Saturday we pulled everything and raked it all into a burn pile for Sunday as it is too windy today (Although not windy enough to make the kids kite stay up!) Anyhow this garden is about 20 x 40 and has flowers and herbs beds growing outside the fence. We were able to get all that cleaned up also. If the weather holds (more like my body which is exhausted) we should be able to completely finish the big garden in about two to three days. Yes this one was neglected in the fall also. Any clean up that did get done Mom did. We got so tired of eating tomatoes and just left the plants. I didn’t think I would ever get sick of tomatoes but the cherry and grape ones just kept producing like crazy. They had flowers on them still when they finally got hit with frost.

We went through the wellhouse where the potatoes, cabbage, onions etc. is stored and got rid of anything that had gone bad. As we were coming in for dinner we looked up and saw a flock of geese flying north! I was starting to worry since everyone was calling the news station telling them that they had seen geese and robins and I hadn’t. Now I just have to wait for the robin.

Tomorrow we will burn off the pile and hopefully get started on the big garden. Right now I am off to a nice hot tub and then I am going to get started on the Mitts as they say the warm weather is not going to last and she may still need them this year! There is also the fact that she is the only one that oh’s and ah’s over things I make and so is very deserving!

Warm Weather Cometh

Last Friday I spun and spun and spun and gave myself a case of repetitive motion syndrome. I need to spread my spinning time out more but when I get the time I get the time. So I have stopped spinning until it feels all better and have only knit a little.

I made a sock. Yes I have done this before but I made the sock pattern too combining three other sock patterns. I saw different parts of socks but one was toe up (never did) one had the "stars" the way I like but I didn't like the stripes on that one and all I had in red, white and blue was woolease yarn. I wrote down instructions as I went and now I have to go back and change some as the star part is a little tight because of the stranding and should have been done in a bigger needle. I have the revised one on the needles. I started this while sitting in the emergency room with the oldest son. He was playing basketball last night and hurt his ankle. He went home, showered and went to bed. Needless to say he didn't go to work this AM. He called me and had me take him to the hospital. He has a severe sprain and a fibula avulsion fracture and nice fancy blue boot to wear. Now the #3 child is complaining of an earache which will mean another 50 mile round trip to the doctor's tomorrow...more knitting time.

Tuesday a big yellow truck that couldn't find it's way to my house called and asked if we would meet him for the delivery. Curt got back with a big package in the back of the truck. I know good things come in small packages but this is a great one. It was my greenhouse. He went right to work, cursed a few (read alot) but the frame is up and the panels go in tomorrow. Which isn't soon enough for me seeing as how green things are popping up all over. We are suppose to have 60 degree weather tomorrow!

Earlier in the week we took down the old greenhouse and picked up stuff that had blown all over during it's demise. I was also able to pull out the last tray of black walnuts and go thru them. Hopefully I will be able to make black walnut brittle this weekend. But then again why spend the "nicest weekend since November" inside?

I heard this is the 5th warmest winter on record. The weather man also showed a graph of snow fall. The last two times we only had less than 30 inches of snow, the following winter we had 80-90 inches. Which means I need to get started in the greenhouse so I can stock the shelves for next winter. The only downside it this cuts into the fiber fun.

My New T-shirt

I got a new T-shirt from friends of mine. The front reads.....
and the back reads......
I love it!!!

I also heard from babygirl and she is back in Iraq. She called about noon to let me know. Hopefully the next four months go by fast.

Time flew by

The time flew by and #1 left yesterday. I was doing fine before we left for the airport, got on the internet and her friend sent me a post that she wrote on her myspace and that's when I lost it. She said I could post it so here it is......

how do you tell your best friend that they are an inspiration to you ? that amongst all the difficulties you run from in your own life, they are meaningless when set next to the difficulties they have faced in their life? when someone offers them a way out of returning to iraq, they say thanks but return to stand beside their fellow soldiers still over seas. how do i sit here and cry over an overflowing washing machine when i know she is facing terrorists determined to take her life ,and returns to fight willingly. i am grateful that jessica was able to come home and spend time with us for a few short weeks, and i know that she will return home safely in june for good. but right now i know she has to go back to that aweful place... she leaves tomorrow. and all i want to do is hide her so she can't leave. I know that she wouldn't feel right because she'd feel like she deserted everyone who is still there. she is such a good friend so strong and caring , i sometimes wish i could be there by her side, but i know that i would never survive. i'm not half as strong as she is. i just want my jessica to know how much i look up to her, and how much she inspires me everyday. she has a light inside her.. one that is infectious and genuine. i just want her to shine on.. i want her to stay bright and hopeful until she returns for good. because i know that no one wants her to leave. i know that she doesn't want to leave for the same reasons she knows she must. she cares so much for everyone in her life and right now her friends in iraq need that little firecracker to keep them going. so i will continue to shine with her. if one goes out we fall apart. i know that she would not let me fall.

Made me cry and still does. It's good to know your kids have friends that care about them so much and one that can express so eloquently everything you yourself feel. But we got her to the airport and we were able to go thru security and wait with her to board. Stayed there till she flew away. Her Army buddie's dad told me to read Psalm 91 so I came home and read it. Here it is.... http://www.houseofrefuge.com/psalm91.htm I also found out that "good bye" which they say not to say because it sounds so final really is an etymolgy for "God be with you" so Good bye baby girl see ya in June.

I called her twice before she was out of the USA. Last time I spoke to her she was checking out guys in Atlanta GA airport! Somethings never change!

The HUGS group had a raffle of homemade donated items last year and was talking about doing another this September. I have decided to make a shawl that they can raffle off. I already emailed one of the people who donated last year and she recommended a neutral color. Now I just have to decide what fiber to use and how I want to do it. Leno lace, basketweave, twill, plaid? Gives me something else to think about but is still #1 related.

So the kids are home from school and the snow is piling up. Should go shovel or do housework but I think I'll just veg with them today. I think Bambi 2 was on their agenda.

Some real fiber content

According to Knitters Review the 2006 Year in Yarn calendar states that Saturday was Learn to Spin Day. But if one already knows how to spin a fairly (in my happy world) consistent skein of yarn, what are you to do?....You let the enabler in your life drag you miles away from home giving you time to finish your pair of mittens without feeling guilty that the laundry/dishes aren't getting done. Cyndy had bought this kit from http://www.countrywool.com/ for me at Christmas and I had spun and plied the wool angora blend but hadn’t had time to knit the mittens until now. Anyhow, where do you go on this trip....to go look at a spinning wheel that HE thinks is a good bargain even though you don't need another wheel as he just bought you two new wheels.

Yep, he saw an ad in the Paper Shop, called and got directions and for less than 1/2 of what a new Ashford Traditional unstained cost he bought a 10-15 year old one with the lazy kate and four bobbins, knitty knotty, and a set of carders and a bag of roving. The lady said she lived on an island in the Puget Sound and once a year the sheep of the island were gathered up and sheared and everyone sat around and spun. She had to do it!.....Fast forward and she is on the east coast now and no longer interested, fact is it doesn't look like she spent much time working on it at all. I pry could have got away with paying $50 less but didn't want to rape her, I got a deal and she got rid of something that she no longer wanted so we are all happy.

So Sunday was spent testing driving the wheel. I spun up about 1 oz of white angora and plyed that and then moved on to the merino top from Stoney Mountain Fibers that I got at Rhinebeck and I spun a full bobbin of that. Then duty called and I had to return to the doldrums of laundry and making dinner!

Monday I was able to ply the merino together and I knit up a hat from some yarn I had spun previously and the white angora. Cyndy had told me about this hat http://www.knitlist.com/95gift/ski.htm and I had tried it before but with just a knit stitch. This time I did the garter stitch and changed color on the body and blanket stitched etc. This hat actually fits me! I like this pattern because it is so versatile. Will have to do more if the kids like them. Sorry for the sideways pic but you get the idea!

What else I have done….oh illusion knitting. I found this site… http://www.knittingknonsense.com/index2.html. A friend does a lot of knitting/crochet for the Breast Cancer Awareness and this site had an illusion knit of the pink ribbon. So I decided to do it and give it to my friend so she could see it. I would be delusional if I told you I would do a lot of this type of knitting. It was very easy to do but I am not the type of knitter that likes every row changing and having to read directions constantly. I am a mindless knitter, give me a couple of rows that I can quickly memorize and I am fine. Here is a picture of illusion knit. I should have gotten down lower so it would have stood out more but you can see the ribbon.

I still haven’t finished that sock but I will eventually. I think I am going to start on another pair with Chevron Lace that I found a pattern to on the net. And I still have to finish that Lincoln roving that had been my Olympic challenge to myself. It doesn’t look like the weather is ready to change yet so I guess I will have the time.

Life

Picture is of the Snowdrops that are getting ready to open!!!!

Saw this poem on the internet....

Life can seem ungrateful and not always kind.
Life can pull at your heartstrings and play with your mind...
Life can be blissful and happy and free...
Life can put beauty in the things that you see...
Life can place challenges right at your feet...
Life can make good of the hardships we meet...
Life can overwhelm you and make your head spin...
Life can reward those determined to win...
Life can be hurtful and not always fair...
Life can surround you with people who care...
Life clearly does offer its Up and its Downs...
Life's days can bring you both smiles and frowns...
Life teaches us to take the good with the bad...
Life is a mixture of happy and sad...

and I started thinking about all the good and bad in my life recently....

GOOD----being part of a fire department
BAD-----when the pager goes off at 5 am and you realize the address they are suppose to respond to is your brother's house. Your nerves go into overdrive. Luckily they state if anyone is in the residence and it came thru that everyone was out so I was able to breath easier. Luckily it was a small smoldering fire caused by ambers falling thru the firebricks then thru a crack in the cement fireplace bottom onto one of the timbers. They are able to go back into the house and other than they can't use the fireplace and the house smelling of smoke all is well. They are able to use their oil heat and they only have to replace one inside electrical wire.

GOOD----# 1 daughter is home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BAD-------# 1 is going back on March 1 and it is going to be so hard to put her back on that plane. She has lost weight and she didn't have much to spare to begin with. She is in shopping heaven right now and pry won't have time to wear everything that she has bought before it is time to leave again but she is definitely enjoying the shopping. So much has changed in a year and spring stuff is coming out. Don't get me wrong she shopped off the internet while in Iraq but was unable to wear anything she bought and so had it sent home so when she got here it was like her own little Christmas to herself!

GOOD---- I am feeling 1,000 times better and off the meds
BAD------- They still don't know what it was. In my happy little world I say it was just a stomach virus gone really heywire. Going with this therory means I can continue to eat what I want. But I have seriously been paying more attention to what I eat just in case I start to feel sick again I know what I can blame it on!! Also to watch the cholesterol.

GOOD----Walmart is open 24 hours/day
BAD------found this out for sure when the blower motor went on our furnace on Sat. night
GOOD----After buying small heaters all was well until it was able to be repaired on Monday

GOOD----We got ne-used vehicles
BAD-------# 1 Sons car broke down and he has now put more miles on my vehicle than I have.
GOOD---- because I had a vehicle that he was able to borrow so that he was able to get to and from work and not have to give up his job, which would mean giving up his apartment which would mean him moving back home.

GOOD----The seed orders are coming in
BAD------ The wind ruined the covering on my greenhouse opening up everything inside to the elements and the weather is turning cold again
GOOD----The best guy in the world bought me another greenhouse and March is just around the corner

So...
Take the Life that you have and give it your best...
Think positive, be happy let God do the rest...
Take the challenges that life has laid at your feet...
Take pride and be thankful for each one you meet...
To yourself give forgiveness if you stumble and fall...
Take each day that is dealt you and give it your all...
Take the love that you're given and return it with care...
Have faith that when needed it will always be there...
Take time to find the beauty in the things that you see...
Take life's simple pleasures let them set your heart free...
The idea here is simply to even the score...
As you are met and faced with Life's Tug of War
http://www.storybin.com/builders/builders125.shtml

Pandora's Box

Seems I opened Pandora's Box by going to the Dr. in Januray. After being diagnosed as all is good in my world, I ended up sick this past week.

Tuesday I woke up with a back ache took some Tylenol and went to the eye doctor in this years endless quest to be healthy. Eye doctor wasn't as bad as the doctor as I had only put him off for 4 years! Seems my prescription got better though so she is not complaining. By the time I got home I had the chills and then couldn't cool down. Went to make bows for Jessica's homecoming and by the time I got home I had no thoughts other than bed.

Woke up Wednesday and made an appointment and was told it is diverticulitis, ulcer, or colitis. Ended up in the hospital that night but was released in the wee hours of the morn. Woke up Thursday morning to kiss the kids good bye and slept the whole day. On a daily regimen of 2500 mg of antibiotics.

By Friday I was feeling better and able to start eating semi solid foods. And then came Saturday...I over did it by trying to do Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday's work in one day. Sunday came and I am down again. Just woke up and I although I am feeling better I will NOT try doing a Saturday any time soon.

Needless to say my personal olympic challenge has not happen sofar. I have not spun, knit or read since Monday. I have no ambition to do so. Adding to this is the fact that #1 daughter has not called to say if she left Iraq yet. She was due to leave yesterday. I will be there to pick her up from the airport even if they roll they have to roll me in on a gurney.

The Seed Catalogs

The doctor called yesterday to tell me all the blood work/mammo results were in and everything was fine except the bad cholesterol. It was a little high, so she said to excercise more and watch what I eat. But it was raining and cold so.....

The winds may howl about the house;
I'll just burn another log--
I'll browse
And drowse
The nights away,
While perusing catalogs!

And so I did. I read, re-read, cross referenced and pared down the list until I had this years perfect seed order.

Seedsmen reckon that their stock in trade is not seeds at all ... it's optimism. - Geoff Hamilton

So today with visions of an unsurpassed bountiful garden due to the perfect amount of rain, the perfect amount of sun, the perfect temperatures and insects that eat only the weeds, I will place my seed order.

Now seeds are just dimes to the man in the store
And the dimes are the things that he needs,
And I've been to buy them in seasons before
But have thought of them merely as seeds;
But it flashed through my mind as I took them this time,
"You purchased a miracle here for a dime."- Edgar A. Guest, A Package of Seeds

Oh for the days of yore when seeds were only a dime! Now you just about have to mortgage the farm! But....

One of the healthiest ways to gamble is with a spade and a package of garden seeds.- Dan Bennett

And so one more thing off my to-do list, which by the way never seems to get any shorter. Now I just have to wait for the postman and weather to come together for this years miracle garden. Cyndy sent me this which explains it all to a tee.....

"It is the dead of winter. You have just stuffed logs into the woodstove for the seventeenth time today, and it is only nine o’clock in the morning. Outside the landscape is as exciting as a piece of yesterday’s butcher paper. With the wind chill factor it is forty-seven degrees below zero. Everything has frozen to death including the fence. You are seriously considering the logic of doing the same. Perhaps you will simply walk to the mailbox naked.But lo! What is this? A bright shining kaleidoscope beams out of the gloom and into your eye … What is this Fantasia of delight, this Xanadu of prose, this promised fairyland of spring?Why it is a garden catalog, of course. You shall open it now and, and read it cover to cover. You shall look at every glossy photograph … You shall read every word, believe every claim, desire every seed. You shall contemplate the quickening of your breath, the tingling of your veins, the thumping of your heart, the foreclosing of your mortgage. You shall, in other words, order every single plant in the catalogue. And you shall have absolutely no idea what any of them are by the time your head has cleared and UPS is trundling up your driveway. Not to mention the fact that that all the packaged plants will look exactly the same – like fettucini.It is early spring now. The UPS man has been to your home one hundred and twenty-five times since March first. He will no longer get out of the truck if you are nearby. Instead, he flings the packages out the door as if he were feeding lions at the zoo. He has a frightened look on his face. You do not blame him. You have a frightened look on your face, too. The garage no longer has room for cars. The local landfill exploded last week, spewing cardboard and excelsior over your tri-county area, and you are solely responsible. You have 9,725 plants to install before next winter, and you are not going to make it. The daylilies in box #316 have been grabbing at your ankles with their roots. Any moment now they will go for your throat. But you are still trying to figure out where to plant all the fettucini in box #65. The name on the label says it is "Eragrostis v. expensivosa as allgettoutti." But you have no idea what that means. You do not remember what any of these things are, or why you ordered them in the first place. … Some of these plants may kill you on contact. You no longer care.Outside, it will soon be ninety-seven degrees above zero and humid enough to turn wallpaper to oatmeal. It is out there that you must toil for your sins. You are doomed."From Susan Watkins, Garden Madness

She also sent me this about winter...

There is a privacy about it which no other season gives you ..... In spring, summer and fall people sort of have an open season on each other; only in the winter, in the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself. - Ruth Stout

So now I am going to go hibernate like I want to. I didn't get to do much of that in January because of car shopping (hate it) and moving #1 son and shopping for him (hate it), doctors appointments etc. Good Night JohnBoy.

Finding Time To Spin

I am trying to find time to spin but have to post so sister wont get ranty again...I am still walking a couple of days a week and I went in and had the blood work and mammogram done. I was walking in and I said "I am sooo looking forward to this" and the nurse said "it isn't as bad as you've heard unless you have small breasts" I started laughing and said "THAT is not something I have to worry about" So for once in my life I guess I am glad to be BIG breasted but now that it is over with I will go back to that "the grass is greener on the otherside of the fence" and wish for small ones.

The eagle's have returned. I saw 22 on the way into "town" and 23 on the way home. But along with the eagle's comes the eagle watchers, who like to stop on a blind turn with no hazards on and watch the bird sit there. When you get upset and beep the horn for them to move forward on the road or pull off they flip you off! #1 Son likes to harass them by not going around and forcing them to move on. He is so bad but so good at the same time.

And speaking of birds and sons, my little fledgling is moving out on Saturday and his girlfriend should arrive on Sun. We are helping them out a little getting all the immediate need things to get them on track and then the rest if up to them. I made up a whole bunch of soups and stocked them up with mac & cheese, oodles of noodles, frozen burrito's, cereal and cans of spaghetti sauce as neither of them are very good in the kitchen. I am making them a cookbook as my son didn't know that the neck and giblets were inside the chickens when you buy them! They also lucked out and got a nice futon, recliner and TV wall unit from friends.

Finally got a date....#1 daughter is leaving Irag on February 11th!!!! We are counting down the days. I got a letter from the FRG that said their tour should be over and them on home ground by June 26. That sounds so good. Their website has updated the newsletters and picture area for those of you who have the links. Mary talked me into going to a support group tonight. She has been on me since I lost it, I gave her a ton of excuses but she is picking me up at 7!

Little guy turns 10 early next week so we are just having a family party on Sunday so this will be a busy weekend. It won't leave me much time to spin and YES I got my wheel and I am loving it except I am not use to treadling with both feet and my left leg is not up to the rights standards. I did two bobbins of shetland and plied them. Of the two skeins I kool aid dyed one green and the other what is suppose to be purple but looks more like black cherry. Then I spun up some more camel to finish the shawl on the 6 foot loom. I was thinking of putting fringe on it so I left it on the loom but I then I got curious as to how it would be without it as far as length and popped it off. I like this size loom the best so far, which will make Curt happy!

Sorting thru the seed catalogs and hopefully will have an order ready by tonight.

Healthy habits

I went walking today, the start of a good habit I am hoping. Carol and I froze our butts off at first, only the two of us would wait till the coldest day to start. I really did enjoy the walk and do feel better for it. Only thing is next time I have got to bring the camera. I could have had some really good pics of the ice laden branches by the river and a hawk that was on the look out for his breakfast.
Last night while watching the start of a new year of 24 I decided to put something on the 6 foot loom that Curt made me. During a braindead moment I started using 320 foot of camel that I spun thinking it would cover a loom that needed 282 yards. So away I am weaving and then when I am reaching about 1/2 way and watching the show....there's the end of the yarn. At first I am still braindead and think that I must have broken the yarn until the fog rises and I understand the enormity of my error. So on the agenda is to spin up more camel so I can finish this shawl. I hope I can replicate it since I spun this kind of slubby because my wheel was giving me problems.
#1 son has decided to spread his wings and is getting his own apartment. He's meeting the landlord tonight to exchange money/keys. I guess they will start the lease on February 1. I have misgivngs about this as I don't want him to get in over his head but then again he has got to learn budgeting which is not his strong point when with his friends. He says to save money he will drive home here for dinner every night.....his place is is 20 miles one way from here! Did I mention math was not his forte.
#1 daughter is coming home in February if all things work out like planned. Can't wait to see her but dread taking her back to the airport to send her back there for a couple of more months. The younger ones have plans for her already though to visit their classrooms/girl scouts/boy scouts. They will keep her busy if she can't find anything to do after being away for almost a year, 6 months of which was in a desert!
Now I am off to make appointments for blood work and mammo to complete the trend toward better health now that I admitted to myself I am getting old!

What makes the man/spinner?

They say the suit makes the man...following this analogy that would mean that buying a new/better spinning wheel would make me a better spinner?! I was wondering because I just purchased a new wheel. Well actually Curt just told me to purchase a new wheel for myself with his money. I love that man!!!!

I started spinning about 2 1/2 years ago on a Babe Pinkie. At the time the Curt said buy a better wheel and I said why pay the bigger $ not knowing if I would even enjoy doing it. He said why not buy a good wheel and if you like it you won't have to go out later and buy a better one.....Well I did/do enjoy it and thought about getting another wheel last year but then I heard Tom from Manning’s at the PA Farm Show say that he was never able to pick up a skein and tell you what type of wheel it was spun on, upper or lower end. So I stuck with the Pinkie thinking I don't need another wheel.

Fast forward a couple of months and I was at Graces http://antique-spinning-wheels.blogspot.com/ and I got to sit and spin on one of the antique wheels that her and her husband restore....what a different animal!! It was such a joy and I was in love with the ease of it not to mention the history behind it. I would love to have one of her wheels but alas I have extremely clumsy children, cute and loveable but extremely clumsy. But I knew right then I needed to buy another wheel. I ate humble pie and admitted to Curt that he was right and I was wrong, choking the whole time. Thank God THAT doesn't happen often!

So I signed into ebay and bought a Ashford Traveller DT from
http://www.pacificwoolandfiber.com/ and got an email back that I should have it by the 20th. At this time I have to say I loved (yes past tense) the Pinkie. It did what I needed it to do, went anywhere, cost little, was like a Timex (took a lickin' and kept on tickin') during my early learning to spin period but like my clothes I guess I out grew it. So dd has decided that it is hers. But, (there is always a but) since I like the affordability of the Babe I also got a Babe's HH Deluxe Electric Spinning Wheel off of ebay from http://coppermoose.com/. When it rains it pours!!!

So will this make me a better spinner…only time will tell. Both of these wheels are so different from what I have that there is bound to big a big adjustment period. I know I now have no excuse not to spin up the Border Leicester fleece from MD S&W or the Shetland I got from Rhinebeck which I haven't done anything with yet after all MD S&W is only 18 weeks away.

PA Farm Show Sheep to Shawl

Every January PA holds it's Farm Show, this year is it's 90th year. For the past 23 years they have had a sheep to shawl contest. Ever since I started spinning I have watched the Sheep to Shawl and admired the teams work. I really wanted to go see this in person this year but it just wasn't in the cards. This year there were eight teams of six, last year there were only five.

For those who don't know- in 2 1/2 hours they have to shear the sheep, card the wool, spin the wool and weave a shawl measuring a minimum of 22" x 78" without the fringe. The fringe has to also measure a minimum of 5 inches on each end. The looms are prewarped in whatever the teams have decided. Awards are given for shearer, fleece, team choice, weaver, spinners and shawl. They are judged on their attire, display, attitude etc etc. Speed helps but the fastest is not always the winner.

It was suppose to start at 3 pm, judging at 6 pm and auction at 6:30 pm. Well PCN (Pa Cable Network) said it would air it all. So I got home in enough time to program the DVD recorder and settle in with my tissues and coffee. Tissues are for the head cold I have not for cryiing over the fact that my team didn't win or anything like that.

Well 3 pm came and the shearers started shearing- border leicester, shetland, romney and finn. I have spun the border leicester and shetland and loved them. Have to talk to Grace about some finn this year. As soon as the carders started carding and the spinners started spinning I had to go get my wheel. I started spinning some wool/angora mix that was in a kit Cyndy gave me for Christmas. The kit is from Countrywool and will make a pair of mittens just for me. I was going to wait until I got my other wheel (yes Curt said I could have the Traveler) to do this but didn't have anything else handy. So I spun and watched what I could as it kept blinking in and out.
Then they turned it over to the pony pull and they were to go back to the sheep to shawl at 6pm.

I watched pony pulling until 8:50 all of which came in almost blink free. So 8:50 pm they went to the awards and it started blinking in and out. Then they showed the first shawl being auctioned and then THE END. My jaw hit the floor....no judging, handful of awards and only one auction?! PCN was on my list. I came into the computer to find out the results and see what the other shawls went for and found nothing. I googled this morning to fnd results and nothing. This is a major event at the farm show and doesn't even get a blip on the 12th page?!?

I even went to PCN and PA Ag page to see pictures and nothing. No results no pics .....I am disgusted. But I found out they are rerunning the show at 9:45 and will try to watch it then to see more.

Not positive on all of this but this is what I could see/hear between blinks
1st Red Rose Treadling Toes from Lancaster Cty------- This is a new team, they were the first off the loom and first done. They all wore red bandana's and roses were everywhere. Shawl looked to be purple and red and they plied the weft which the others didn't. Sold for $350 at auction-- last years first place sold for $1200 so that was disappointing.

2nd Carl and the not so lazy kates from Montour Cty---------A returning team. Their inspiration was a piece of fused glass. Shawl was yellow. blues and green.

3rd Yorktown Spinners----- Another returning team. Their warp was part mohair and the weft was border leicester. The felted vests they wore were fall colors with fall decorations of leaves,gourds, pumpkins. The shawl was golds, burgandies orange (fall colors). They were the third group off the loom. If I remember correctly they have the record for highest price paid for one of their shawls.

4th Butler Cty Pedalers-----Another returning team. Their inspiraton was a picture of the Grand Canyon. The shawl was blue, red and sandstone.

5th Fast and Fiberous (4-H group from York Cty) Their shawl was all natural colored with no dyes. It was gray, black, white. They were the second off the loom and second done.

6th Warp 6 is from Mifflin Cty------A new team, they used a Finn sheep and dyed their warp with pokeberry which was gorgeous. The shawl looked reddish with white honeycomb.

7th 2 rams, 2 lambs ewe and me----A returning team. Didn't see much coverage on theirs.

8th Loose Threads-----A new team which had a shawl that was gary and white with a (excuse me I don't weave) up and down zigzag (think heart machine)

Cheers to all the teams. I know I couldn't do it with the pressure and the camera's literally in your face. I will sit at home and spin with them though!
So I am off to do house work before the show goes on at 9:45 and hopefully it won't blink in and out and I will get more info.

I am ALIVE!!!!!

I went to the doctor today and actually survived the experience! With some prompting from friends and family I decided I had better do this as I haven't been to a doctor since the last kid was born....10 years ago. I thought my blood pressure was going to be sky high from the stress of having to be there (hate drs..no offense to any) and it was excellent! Have a bunch of tests they want done so I guess I will be seeing more of them.

Now when I came home my bp did go sky high when I had to deal with no dsl on the new computer. After a lengthy conversation with individuals that can just barely speak English I now have internet but no firewall. Will have to call tomorrow and see if I can get one I understand and also try to take paid subscription from old computer and move to new one.
I lost internet before Christmas, got a new modem from my IP on 12/27 which worked for 4 hours. Sat on the phone with customer service they were of no help said it was a server problem/my computer...Bought new computer still no dsl...called customer service went thru 3 different techs still no dsl. Made an appt for line maintenance which they said must be the problem this was later cancelled by the IP as I bought a 50 ft phone cord and plugged it from their box directly into the modem. The $5.96 was much easier to deal with than $55/hour when I knew it wasn't my lines. They came yesterday with a laptop, gave me another new modem, hooked up the new computer..no dsl, hooked up old computer and it had dsl. Tech told me the new computer was a used one because it had spam and viruses and he had never seen a computer with Rhapsody and AOL Latino on it...NEWS ALERT all computers sold in the last three weeks have it. Also I did a virus/spam/adware scan and it was clean. So he is an arrogant ass and I had 790 emails since 12/28 all of which I deleted because I couldn't handle them all....sorry....email me again and I promise I won't earase it as long as my dsl comtinues to work!

But with the lack of internet came the extra time.....I knit the Garter Stitch Gloves,

a mobius scarf in seed stitch, and a pair of slipper socks. I also took the Branching Out Scarf which I had started ages ago and said there is no way I am going to finish this as a scarf so I knit one more repeat and the end and turned it into a headband/earwarmer whatever you want to call it...it is another FO. And I am presently knitting a pair of socks in fingerling weight wool and I am about to the toe decrease area on the first one.

Now moving on to the kitten....He has grown so much he can now wrestle alligators...He even does the death roll with them. Impressive isn't it?! It is his favorite toy along with a little mouse that squeaks when he moves it...the more he moves it the more it squeaks. Since the alligator is quieter it is my favorite toy for him! Still reminds me of Jess because he is sooooo ballsy! He walks right in front of the dogs with this swagger like "I dare you"

Speaking of Jess she will be home next month. Her friends that she was bunking with got transferred so for the time being she has her shack all to herself! She called saying that her time might be extended until October but I did read the email from the MG which stated that this was only a rumor and they would all be home in June as priorly stated. All I can say is Hoorah!!!!!

Happy New Years Everyone

Just a short post to wish everyone a Happy New Year. I am unable to access the internet. I have no dsl. Thought it was a computer problem and got the new computer. Ends up being a server problem so unsure when I will be hooked up again. Posting from Moms.

Update--- Garter Stitch Gloves are done (show pics later) and a seed stitch scarf in progress. Kitten has been named Bandit because he stole our hearts .....awwwwwwwww! Still cute as ever and is getting spoiled rotten. Reminds us of Jess...will explain later on that.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

After Christmas Post

Did you ever say "never want" "won't get" "can live happily without" etc. only to have the words thrown back in your face. I did and my daugher threw them back at me.
Our cat Schnookums had to be put to sleep this year. I said I wouldn't get another cat. I don't mind the strays that end up at the barn you don't get attached to them. Well Jessica decided that we needed a kitten. Jessica asked mom to get a kitten but mom knew I didn't want one and wouldn't do it so Jessica got her boyfriend to get it. I guess she assumed we couldn't get mad at her while she is in Iraq or if we did we would be over it by the time she got home. How can you get mad at someone when all you want is them home. That kid knows me too well.
So I lived to eat my words 'cause he is the cutest all black, golden eyed, has to follow you all over and is presently sitting on my shoulder watching my fingers type and getting ready to pounce kitten. Like the kids did when they were little he sits outside the bathroom door. He is so playful it is unbelievable. I already knit him a ball from one of my new books but he also plays with bags,tissue paper....anything that moves. With the exception of the dogs. He quickly let them know he was not a play toy for them, so much fury in such a little ball. He is absolutely adorable and even won Curt over which is no small feat.
I was told his name is Junior or Jr. JR would work as it could also be Jessica's Revenge but I think we are going to change the name. He doesn't look like a Junior and it that name has no pizzazz. I am waiting for the kids to get back to decide a name.
In other area's...another present I made. I haven't been able to post about this before because she reads it. This was the most fun thing I have done, not useful by any means but really fun to do.....Cyndy kept saying she want's her own spinning room and I am sure she is not alone. I am unable to help in that department but made the best thing I could. I wanted to do a miniature spinning room inside a birdhouse gourd as she also gardens but when it came time to put it all together this proved impossible so I had Curt build a box and paint it in FleckStone. MaryAnn came up and while I was baking cookies played and played with how to arrange furniture, build a fireplace etc. I hadn't bought wallpaper because I figured I would just swirl paint around on the inside of the gourd and let the texture do all the work but now I needed wallpaper. I had Curt spray the FleckStone on for the walls. I was going to pour plaster in the base of the gourd for the floor and to give it some weight but now I needed a floor so I printed out a picture from PrintMaster of woodboards and then used clear contact paper to make it a little shiny. I handwove the rug using the square loom and some variegated wool I had (should have dyed the warp threads). Printed out the clock on the wall and the radio on the mantle from PrintMaster. Found the little metal embellishments ("dream big" located on the wood above the room kinda of an oxymoron) at Walmart. Made the little basket with the yarn and the triloom ( not very good but the best I could do. Thank God I actually weave better on a real one than I did on that one). The stool for spinning is a thread bobbin. Got the lights and gardening tote (behind the wheel) at A.C. Moore. The fireplace bricking, rocking chair, maniquin and spinning wheel came from Kathi Julio from http://www.enchantedminiatures.com/. She was so quick to answer all my novice questions and ship my items. If anyone does miniatures she has awesome customer service. The firelplace andirons are made from black plastic canvas with trimmings from the Christmas tree for logs. The candles on the mantle are nails. I had so much fun with this, actually way too much fun with this (Note to self...repeat after me ...we do NOT have time or room for another hobby. Curt would surely leave you!) I can't get a good shot of it right now but you get the idea. Cyndy hasn't gotten this yet but I figure she won't read this before she does so I am safe. Curt will drop this off tomorrow morning. I hope she likes it.

I haven't been feeling well as a stomach virus is going around so I haven't been knitting or spinning. Came home with a migraine today but that is feeling better so maybe I will finish the garter stitch glove tonight.
I hope everyone had a marvelous holiday and got everything they wanted.

FO-FO-FO-FO-FO-FO-FO-FO-FO

Sing that like Fa-la-la-la-la-la- la-la-la All the homemade Christmas presents are done. In the photo there is JT's socks, slippers (out of his al-pooch-a), and mittens, Tori's slippers, her teacher gets the scarf, his teacher gets the shawl and the dishclothes go in a basket of homemade goodies for a friend. Other than the dishclothes and the socks it is all my homespun! The hat/glove set and scarf/glove set have already been sent. Not bad considering I also made 5 afghans and 6 stockings and sent them to Iraq already. I also made a scarf or two, socks for everyone and some other shawls this year. Damn I have been busy. How quickly we forget everything...or at least how quickly I forget. Age creeeping up... but I am still younger than my sister!!!!
JT's boy scout troop did a little skit last night and it was a comedy of errors but it was cute. I video taped it on my camera to send to Jessica. I will have to send a written copy of the skit so she knows whats going on because the laughing might have interferred with her being able to hear them.
And speaking of Jessica you may wonder how that computer job went yesterday....It didn't... I dismantled the old computer to make room for the new. Unpacked the new, set it up, turned it on and after 15 minutes of scratching/clicking noises the Microsoft screen came on, then the "e" screen 5 minutes later. Then it just sat there scratching/clicking. I was about ready to call them when the question part came up so I started answering the questions (time zone, language etc) when it froze while switching to the next question. I called Emachines (my dime) and gave them all the info and they had me do this and that and then said they would mail me a box and some labels. I asked for what and they said to mail the tower back to them for repair. I asked how long and they said 30 days or so. I said she bought it from Walmart and why couldn't I take it there. He asked if I had a sales receipt which it was a gift so I don't but I am sure as hell going to try to take it back. The box has their label on it and why would I wait a month for a repaired model when she paid for a new model? Duh! So I have to dig out all the Power of Attorney stuff as it has her name on it and go out there tonight. I would go today but Cliff has my car...again. I should start charging a rental fee.
Well I have more wrapping to do and I need to bake something so I will wish everyone a Merry Christmas in case I don't get the opportunity to post again before Sunday.

Winter Solstice

Living in PA we are entering into the Winter Solstice today and my sister is entering in to her Summer Solstice. Yes we are complete oppostites!!! Ever since Tori has watched Nickelodeon with Little Bear and the Winter Solstice we have had to celebrate this "holiday". We make pinecone bird feeders and hang them out just like Little Bear. When I went looking for more information on Winter Solstice I found this website www.shambhala.org/arts/fest/unconquered.html which states .... "At the Winter Solstice, we celebrate Children's Day to honour our children and to bring warmth, light and cheerfulness into the dark time of the year. " I got excited because my children think that everyday is Childrens Day. So I told them that they only get to have it once a year just like the parents...Mothers Day, Fathers Day and Childrens Day. I really liked this idea but the kids decided to tell me to "not believe everything I read"....where do they get these things from?!
You would think that it was already winter with the temps that we have been having. First they were all above normal and now they are below. We have had 15 days out of 21 below freezing! A clear case of becareful what you wish for. I wanted it cold so I could stay in but forgot that it makes keeping the animals water thawed soooo much harder. Oh Santa bring me a heated barn.
With Christmas being only 4 days away the kids are getting antsy...even the older one. In a real act of Christmas spirit he (the eldest boy) has actually cleaned his room without (yes I said that and to emphasize how big of a deal this is I had to highlight, bold and italic it) without being asked!!!! Oh and here is something that truely amazes me...Christmas happens on the same day every year and they know this but they wait to tell you what they want. Then they give you a list of must have, can't live without, it's the newest, biggest, bestest thing ever. Then right before Christmas they change it, over and over and over again. Thankfully they don't add to it or I would be in even bigger trouble.
So my daughter Jess bought us a new computer. I have had this big box sitting here for almost a week and didn't crack it open. Today I opened it and have plans to put it together. I tried to use the old computer to create memory disc's of the kids girl scouts, boy scouts etc. But we had the same problem we did when I tried to copy a cd Jess sent me, which is why she bought the new computer. So when I am done here I am going to try to learn how to transfer all my stuff from this old computer to the new one the Transfer Wizard. Wish me luck as I am not completely computer illiterate but I am by no means computer smart. But I can read so I printed out the directions. If I don't update for a long time you know things didn't go as planned.
On the fiber front...I am trying to finish a pair of slippers for Tori and then I am done. Second slipper syndrome set in and I just haven't done it. I have sat and watched the lights blink on the tree which finally went up on Sunday. Guess that will have to be done after the computer or tomorrow...tomorrow, tomorrow there's always tomorrow it's only a day a way.....my mother would tell you that you are sooo lucky that I am only typing that and not actually singing it! It's not that I sing bad it's just she does not know good music when she hears it.

The Weather

Would you believe an entry two days in a row. The planets are aligning!!! But seriously I had to post a pic of this mornings thermometer for those of us (sis) who don't remember what cold is. Or mistakenly think that 60 is frigid!!!
Today is the 11th day where we have not gone above freezing. The future doesn't look good for it happening this week. In fact we are due for another snow storm Thursday night. Like last Thursday nights storm they think it will drop about a foot!
But this all works into my knitting...I love to knit small things which show progress quickly as I am an impatient person so we do socks, mittens, scarves, hats and slippers. Cyndy gave me a pattern for a glove that was in SpinOff years ago where it is knit from the side. I can't wait to start that for ME but first to finish the gifts. Actually first to go pick up the stuff that I have on lay away.

Hauling home the tree's 

Running to find best tree 

Long Week/Long Weekend

Wednesday Mom and I went shopping for birthday gifts for Jessica's friend. Then we went down to the local firehouse to bake cookies to send to the local soldier's that can't come home for the holidays. We baked batch after batch after batch. Spritz, chocolate chip, peanut butter, choodles and oatmeal. Two ovens, four trays going constantly from 10 am to 3:30.
Thursday we packaged up Jessica's gift and one we made up for her and mailed them. Then we went back and packaged all the cookies and sent them on their way. In one way it is hard (sad) sending them packages because they won't be here with their families and in another way it is nice because you are doing something for them to maybe ease the homesickness of not being with their families.
Friday found us with LOTS of snow and the kids having the day off. Tori is very much an outside person in the winter and doesn't seem affected by the cold and was outside soon after breakfast. Her younger brother on the other hand wanted to do nothing but play video games. Older brother left for work and returned within moments. I asked if he forgot something and he said "Yes my common sense, what the hell was I thinking?!"... sporty little low riding cars don't do well on unplowed roads with a foot of snow. NOW he is thinking a little S10/Ranger might be a good idea! Can't buy one of them unless you are able to get to work to earn the $$. By mid-morning Tori and I decided to go to the bank and decorate for them as I had promised to do.
Friday night we had plans with Tori's Girl Scout troop to go to a movie theater and get a tour of how things work and watch the movie The Chronicles of Narnia. http://adisney.go.com The roads were pretty clear by then so they didn't cancel and we had a good time. The movie was pretty good. The trailers of upcoming movies were good too. They have Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and Ice Age 2 coming out and M. Night Shyamalan has a new movie coming out - Lady in the Water http://www.movieweb.com/news/news.php?id=9996
Saturday Tori's friend came over and they went sledding. When they came in to warm up we decided to go shopping to buy groceries for the Soccer Dinner that night and get our tree. We shopped, then stomped thru the snow to find the perfect tree. Actually two perfect trees, one for mom and one for us. JT was not happy because I nixed his choice of a rather large (as in 10+ ft) tree. Then we had the kids drag them to the vehicle. When we got home I cooked for the dinner and the kids went sledding again. We finally finished the day at 9:30 when we arrived home from the dinner.
Sunday found all the kids out sledding for the whole day. They packed hot chocolate and snacks and would come in to change mittens and head back out. I sat inside where it was warm and baked two loaves of Orange Cranberry Bread. Mom hasn't made me any yet so I was forced to actually bake them MYSELF!!!!!! They didn't taste like hers but they must not have been bad as they are both gone. I also made a double batch of Corn Beef and Cabbage Soup and roasted two chickens for lunches this week. We took Alainna home about 4 and sat and had coffee and baked cookies. Then came home with enough time for the showers/pj's/Survivor finale. Then bed.
Jess called at 4 am and is in better spirits (for now) as her friend Erin got to come to her base and spend the weekend. She needed that! She was getting grumpy with Christmas coming and was not the easiest person to deal with while in one of those moods. ;=D
I woke at 6 long enough to find out there was a snow squall in the middle of the night and there was a two hour school delay. Curt brought me Tylenol and I went back to sleep to get rid of the migraine and awoke half an hour before the kids were to get on the bus, thankfully minus the migraine.
And during this long week/weekend I finished knitting a pair of slippers, a pair of mittens and made another pair with a matching scarf as a gift AND started on another pair with matching scarf. Today I will sit and relax and finish knitting this last gift. We all deserve days like today - I am very lucky to be able to take them. I will have to thank Curt for that.

My sister

My sister http://spaces.msn.com/members/joyfulspaces
/PersonalSpace.aspx?beid=cns!1pXFnLx4o7iaaQqgUO8CRi2A!105&d=1#postcns!1pXFnLx4o7iaaQqgUO8CRi2A!105 had the audacity to tell my mother this morning that I have to update my blog. My mother told her it was the pot calling the kettle black. Check out the last entry on her site.
I have actually written blog entries. The first one I typed and there were problems with dsl thru my ip so I saved the written entry in word. Time went by and the problem wasn't fixed and I couldn't get on the internet so I deleted it. Then when the problem was fixed I typed up this whole entry on Wordpad (Because blogger dumped mine several times during a post and I had to retype and Cyndy http://www.riverrim.blogspot.com/ told me to do it this way/copy/paste which saves my wrists for knitting...Smart girl) and was called away from the computer. My oldest son came in and signed off my name and on to his without saving it and frustrated the hell out of me to the point that I didn't want to retype it. So now I finally got another chance to go on the computer with working dsl and I get to pacify my sister at the same time what more could a person ask for?! I just wish she was as concientious!!! YUP! I said that!!! Nothing like waving a red flag in front of a bull for motivation. I will have to have Cyndy's son (up and coming computer guru) put a link on the side to my sisters site so everyone can see what a SLACKER she is!!!
I could have used an excuse like it was soo cold my fingers wouldn't hit the keys properly. Last week it was almost 60 at 9 am today is the complete opposite. We did however miss todays snow. To bad because I could use a good blizzard to put me in the Christmas spirit. I was into Christmas but then we mailed all of Jessica's Christmas stuff out and now I am just in a lull where I am not interested. I guess I have to pull it together as Tori is complaining. Nothing that a little crazy glue in her Cheerio's won't fix!!!!! Just joking I have plans to start decorating today and we are making cookies at the firehouse tomorrow to send over to all the soldiers.
Speaking of the firehouse.....Everyone who knows Jessica knows that she LOVES glitter. Her makeup, perfume, hair gel, clothes, sheets everything has some shimmer in it. Well at 11 pm last night the President of the Ladies Auxillary of the Fire Department was opening the daily mail which included a letter of thanks for a package they sent Jess. Yes the letter was full of glitter and she was unaware of my daughters sparkling personality and unprepared for the contents!!!! Needless to say I got a phone call at 11:01pm but was blissfully asleep but I did get a toned down version this morning!!!!! I am still laughing!!!! She will know next time to open with care!!! One thing about Jess is once you meet her you will NEVER forget her!!!
Nobody in my family has really written out a list of what they want for Christmas so I will be the first to start and trust me I start at the top of the price list and work my way down. In my way of thinking you will never GET if you do not ASK. Also these are the selfish presents -the ME, MEMEME, MINE ALL MINE presents. So without further ado....Curt are you paying attention.........
Jessica home----- the house done before Christmas ----Ashford Traveler DT or the Baynes but Ashford wheel is 2 inches bigger (Curt go ask Cydny) ----A years membership to Curves for Tori and I so I can get some inward curve )( back instead of the outward curve ( ) :^D ----Wide-angle lens for the Canon PowerShot S2 IS Product # WC-DC58A about $160 Requires conversion lens adapter don't forget that ------Yarns to Dye For (Curt Mom knows where to get) ----Soup tureen, white nothing fancy as I am plain Jane -----Any books about knitting (socks, hat, gloves) or spinning and that is all I can think of right now but I leave the floor open for future additions. Some I realize are unattainable but hey you never know this is the time of miracles.
I haven't done much in fiber. I did an earwarmer for Tori in herringbone stitch that I saw as a scarf in a magazine at Borders and I spun a bobbin of merino from Rhinebeck. There has been talk on the spinlist of electric spinners and at first I thought ...I would miss the treadling. Then they said they spun as much in an hour as they use to spin in a day....now that would mean some serious stash reduction! Which in turn would let you go buy more......Babe has a cheap one, ugly but cheap. This may be added to the list.
'Well I have wasted enough time making my sister happy so I am off to make my kids happy and start decorating. The ball is in your court sis. :^D ps I love you Mom that means very x9 big grin

Morning Treat for the Chickens

Just when you think you are straightening things out and you have put your foot down that you refuse to be a slave to family members the rooster lets you know who is boss....It has started to get cold and when it does I give the chickens a treat of some warm milk with bread/leftover veges/pasta etc. So for the past couple of mornings it has been getting down there and I started doing this. Usually I call them and they come be-booping over to the porch. This morning it is 7 am, the kids just got on the bus and I sat down with coffee and knitting and was going to listen to the news. Then Big Red started crowing...not just once but non-stop. I didn't think anything of it at first but when it didn't stop it dawned on me why he was doing it. So I got up warmed up his milk and added the rolls to it and took it out to him and his harem. As soon as he saw me he shut up and hasn't crowed since. Curt thought it was funny that I am now at the beck and call of a rooster. I should mention to the rooster that some people eat chicken on Thanksgiving and see what he does then.

I have been knitting mittens. I love them - they go so fast and I can use up yarn that I have spun as they don't take a large amount to do. My kids came home and said I could make a pair for ----- and for ----- and ----- would like them too. Then early this week my son came home and asked if I could teach him how to weave on the tri-loom. At first it was "oh cool he is getting into this" then I asked him what he wanted to make and he said he wanted to make a shawl for his teacher.....Last year I made one for each of their teachers and this year I have had the same one on the loom for over a month and he was starting to get anxious, figured if mom wasn't going to get off her duff and make some he would! The ploy worked, it did get me motivated and I started working on the 8 footer. I am about 1/3 of the way done using an alpaca sportweight yarn. I have asked Curt to build me a another 6 footer. It is quicker to do and he has made me some but I gave them all away. Hopefully this weekend he will make it for me and I can start another one which should calm JT's nerves!!!! After all Christmas is only 36 days away!!!

Snowflake

Puddles

Puddles and New Beginnings

Unhappy times at Happy Acres. Our goat Puddles had to be put to sleep on November 4th. He had urinary, kidney, bladder (whatever you want to call them) stones. He hung in there for a while and took his meds but..... His buddy Storm baaa'ed all night long and so on Saturday we went and got another buddy for him.
I didn't care if we got a sheep or a goat but it had to have the same personality of Puddles. He thought he was a lap dog instead of a goat. Also I wanted a female as the stones are less likely to cause problems in females. It came down to two jacob sheep (one with two horns and one with four) and a little saanen. The saanen won us over. She is 10 weeks old and was bottle fed. We named her Snowflake.
There was some initial pushing and shoving but they play beautiful together now. The kids love her and we have decided to breed her. So next year in September or October we will breed her and she will deliver sometime in February or March, 2007. MaryAnn has dreams of feta cheese. We shall see how busy things are then.

I have basically lost it and Thursday blew up like Mt. Vesuvius. Not one person in my house said "Bye I love you" when they left. They just ran to get away from the looney person. I went and gave my two week notice at work. I have been worried about Jessica (and she won't call me because of her brother), trying to do everything for everybody and basically driving myself insane. So I need time to regroup, reorganize and take some down time. Also I am going to start going to a group for people with people in the military. Right now there is just Pastor and two of us (which I like). Oh and I have to say "NO" to those who say can you buy/sell some of this to support this or that cause, type up this, come to this meeting etc etc etc. And the kids are going to do what they are told when they are told.
I learned alot while Puddles was sick I also learned what I was doing wrong with the goats. Just because I can be good to them doesn't mean it was good for them. Then I came to realize it is the same with my kids, just because I can do/buy for my them doesn't mean it is good for them. I shouldn't have to go into their rooms looking for laundry, tell them the same thing five times and then check to make sure they do it. They do what needs to be done in school. Well things need to be done at home also. I realize kids all over are like this but I was basically a door mat and nobody listened. Now I am the Drill Sergeant if you ask them but when they realize I am not kidding things should go alot smoother. I can't back down because I know they were driving me insane! Literally not just figuratively.
Since Thursday I have finished a pair of socks, knit a pair of mittens and planned out what I want to make next. Hope to start on it today. I also re-organized the stash alittle and have some lincoln in pokeweed dye which has to come out today.
Curt and JT went fishing up in Pulaski for the weekend. Tori and I went to lunch yesterday and are baking today. Things are getting to better.

So here is hoping that things are going to reach a nice balance.

Forest roving

Rhinebeck!!!!

Rhinebeck....You walk up the knoll to the gate and you can just stand and inhale...It did nothing for Curt but it sure got my pulse going!!! So to put it in other words....I went- I spent! I felt- I smelt! I ate- I drank! I rode home in fiber heaven. I have to contain myself as present living conditions dictate restraint because of storage space....unless I get rid of the kids which although the thought usually goes thru all our minds...I can't. If I did who would tell me that everything I make is beautiful?! Come to think of it they usually tell me that when they want me to put whatever it is I am working on down and help them with/get them something. Alas they learn so early!
So I got (to work on in the comings months of freezing weather).....
1) a shetland fleece from the fleece tent
2) 1/2 # Corriedale roving from The Sheep Shed at Misty Mountain Farm http://www.sheepshed.net/pages/1/index.htm It is copper, blue, rust and gold. I also bought some camel/tussah from them to try.
3) Roving called Earthworks (green & purple..Jessica's fav colors) from Delly's Delights Farm http://www.dellydelightsfarm.com/
4) 2 packages of plum colored flax roving and 1 of lilac from Lamb's Quarter's
5) 8 oz of camel down, 1 # bleached Irish Linen, and a bag of Sari silk thrums from Little Barn http://www.littlebarninc.com/
6) Roving in a color called Forest from Stoney Mountain Fibers http://www.angelfire.com/va2/fibers/
I am hoping spinning flax wont be toooo bad otherwise it goes in the closet to await the time my spinning abilities are capable. I will post some pics as soon as I get done. I haven't downloaded them but it looks like they don't show the colors right. I could wait for better lighting but then it would pry never get done.
I spun another bobbin of the shetland I got at Endless Mt. I love the color. I have two large plying bobbins full of two ply that I have to wind off and I still have about 1/2 a pound left.
On the home front, the rain has stopped after 8 days. Saturday was beautiful, Sunday too except for the high winds which helped dry everything including the laundry. Got a lot of laundry done today too.
I picked apples at my neighbors on Saturday and combined with mine will make applesauce and hopefully cider on Wednesday. Had a cup full of hot apple cider at Rhinebeck and it tasted sooo good so I really need to get those apples pressed. I love hot spiced cider at night and when your sick it just hits the right spot.
The kids lost another soccer game. This is only the second year this area has had soccer so we are new and learning along the way. We are playing against teams which have kids that played from age 6. The kids get a little bummed losing almost each game but still go out fighting. The only bad thing is the goalie on one team literally sat down in the goal while the game was going on. It was extremely arrogant and bad sportmanship. On that same team the guys that were not playing also had a mini side game going on amongst themselves. Our players have to show respect and watch the game if they are not playing. We play our last game this weekend and then my weekends will be free and two nights during the week!!! Curt is waiting until the second weekend in November when JT and him can go salmon fishing. They are making this a yearly event, which Tori and I don't mind. We get to stay home and cook soups to stock the freezer and watch movies and veg out.
So I am eagerly awaiting the cooling weather and snow to keep me inside.

Fall is here.

It is Sunday, the kids are with Tom, Cliff is working, and Curt is at a fire thing at Newark Airport. I am blissfully alone and only doing what I want. I know that might sound really mean and selfish but it doesn't happen often. Usually something is demanding attention but not today.
Yesterday was our mini workshops. I get very nervous before each class so I was exhausted by the time I got home. It went well and I guess we are going to do another in the spring.
Last weekend I went to the Endless Mt Fiber Fest. I got 1/2 pound of Shetland and 1/2 pound of wool/mohair/glitz in blue/purple (I was thinking of Jess when I bought it and then I realized why...She has eye shadow exactly like it with sparkes in it). Then because I can't spin fast enough I bought some yarn. I got a yummy varigated gray alpaca sportweight plied with black and a teal with mauve accents DK for socks (hopefully for me) :^D So I came home and spun enough of the glitzy one to make two neck shawls and started an 8 foot with the alpaca.
Next Saturday is the craft show and then.....Rhinebeck. I can't wait. Hopefully I sell lots so I have more to spend!!! Last year was my first year at Rhinebeck. I went in with no clue and was amazed. Then I went to MD S&W with a plan. Now I know what kind of fiber I want to try and focus on that while looking around and allowing some side purchases. Mine is a fiber hunt as I dont need anymore equipment. Although I have been looking at either a Baynes or a Traveler but not ready to buy just yet...Christmas is coming!!!
The garden is done except for tomatoes. I have to pick them as I am feeling guilty wasting the food. I have to plant garlic and I have a ton of apples to make apple butter/sauce/cider. When thats done it will be cool and I can clean out the garden. Oh forgot about horseradish gotta do that too.
We sheared the goats the other day and they look so funny now! Poor naked babies. I waiting for it to cool off and things to settle down so I can just indulge myself. After Oct 22 my weekends will be all free. Oh how I am looking forward to that.
Right now I am waiting to hear from Jess as she should be back on her own base today and what I consider safer. Well the bread is done so I am going to go help myself and since nobody else is here I don't have to share the butt of it!!!

.......continue.....

I got a phone call from Jessica the other morning. I got to talk to her for about 1 1/2 hours!!!! Highlight of my week actually month. The only bad thing is she will be out on convoy for two weeks. I prefer her on base where it is safer! She is all excited because she got to work on a HEMIT which is a heavy expanded mobility tactical truck. Basically the difference is it weighs 10 ton. She usually would only work on a Jeep, Hummer or a Deuce and a half, with the deuce only weighing 2 1/2 ton. She is a light wheel mechanic.
I was saying to her that I would love to have the $$ to send over steaks, charcoal and everything to the whole group of mechanics (sixteen all together). I figure they would all love that- a nice big juicy steak with all the fixings. She said she had steak yesterday and it sucked. She said she knows it was camel! I told her they couldn't feed her camel steaks without letting them know and she says "they can do anything they want". The steak and the milk so far she says are from camel. I am scared to ask where she thinks the rest of the food she says tastes like sh*t comes from!!!!
She is crocheting in her spare time!!!! I sent yarn, crochet hooks and knitting needles and instructions over never thinking she would actually do it! She is not the type. She says it is relaxing which we all knew! I am glad something relaxes her. So more yarn is on the way to her...Lots more!!!!
I am crocheting afghans for each of them in their favorite colors and thought her one friend who she enlisted with had the favorite color blue. So after having bought some blue yarn and then realizing I wouldn't have enough (because I am using the same pattern on another one) calling the store to have them set some aside for me, finding out they sold out, having to make an emergency trip to another store to get it....I find out her favorite color is actually pink. So I have six pounds of blue acrylic yarn and still need to go buy pink. Jess said to just mail it all to her which will pry be what happens to it. I would have made them wool but didn't know if anyone was allergic....and I can't spin that fast and have used up almost all I have spun.
On the home front, here it is September and we are still canning tomatoes. For the past two years I was complaining we weren't getting alot and now I am complaining we are getting too much. Jess loved the salsa we sent over so gotta make more of that. She wants some tomato soup too with oyster crackers.
The apples are all ripe and falling off the trees and I don't have time to do them. I have stuff planned until Oct. 9. This past weekend we did the Small Farm and Rural Living Expo (http://www.smallfarmexpo.org/), September 24 we have the Hoedown at the Firehouse, Tori has GS overnight camp and my nephews birthday party. September 25 we have to go pick Tori up and go to the Endless Mountain Fiber Fest (http://www.pafiberfestival.com/index.htm). October 1 we have our Fiber Fest at the Hatton Farm(http://www.riverrim.blogspot.com/) and the craft fair at the Firehouse on October 8 and every Saturday until the 22nd of October we have a soccer game. And then the Holiday rush starts. I did this to myself, I am a sick, sick, sick person. I need a shrink! What in me makes me do this when all I really want to do is sit and spin, knit, weave, read a good book and hibernate? I really do hate that feeling of hurry, hurry, oops your forgetting something but I manage to load the schedule full so I feel like that all the time. My New Years resolution is to sit and do nothing but what I want to do......Will never happen but one can dream.
At the Small Farm and Rural Living Expo I sold three shawls. What is unbelievable is that it seems the woman that bought my three and one of Cyndy's shawls came back in and stole another one. As we were taking everything down and packing up I asked where "shitty shawl" was and Cyndy said you sold it to that woman who bought the shawls. I said no and listed the ones I did sell her. I am half mad because she spent what she did and I know she had the $ to pay for the "shitty shawl" and half baffled as to why. And then another part is saying be thankful it was shitty and not one of the others. I named this one shitty shawl because I thought it was a piece of sh*t! It was all the scraps of wool from various projects done in a plaid. I didn't like it but everyone else did. The why still has me though. I could understand stealing food if you were starving but a shawl when you have the $ and just bought four others. Maybe she thought we charged too much and was compensating herself, I have no idea. Humans are sooo strange.
So today I have to clean, clean, clean and then cringe when I go check the garden. Then when it is all done I have to get to work replacing stock. I have three weeks till the next show....Bob the Builder says "You can do it!!" I don't know if I like Bob the Builder right now or not!

HELP!

I am a victim of my own doing. See in the spring I have these pictures of gardens of grandeur. I dream of lush bountiful gardens. I plant and plant some more just in case the rabbit, groundhog, chipmunk, birds, bad weather takes some of those seeds/plants. Then the weeding comes, then bugs which need to be picked off, then......canning season.

My mother always canned. I had NO interest in it until about 5 years after I moved back home. Then I bugged my mother to teach me. So for approximately 10 years now my mother and I have been canning together. Each year she says " I stopped canning years ago"! Each year we continue to can. This year we have had a extremely good year. The garden has basically become the lush bountiful garden that I dreamed of (if you look behind the weeds). I had my doubts after the groundhog ate the broccoli and peas, and the potato bugs took over the potato patch while we were in MS but it rebounded in spades.

Now I work Monday and Thursday nights, and Tuesdays. She works Sunday, Monday and Friday. So Sunday, Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays are no good because our schedules don't allow it. This week my sister was up for a vacation and surprise 70th for mom. Joyce left on Monday. I worked Tuesday. Wednesday we canned three batches of salsa, and 1/2 box of peaches. Thursday we canned the other half of peaches, a batch of chili sauce and a batch of pickles. Friday she worked and I had to take the kids school shopping. Saturday we canned another batch of chili sauce and tomato soup. Today she works and I am suppose to be cleaning my house. By Wednesday the garden will be overflowing again. We have become sick of seeing cucumbers and are picking and giving bags of them away to unsuspecting people :^D! The tomatoes are really coming in and will continue to become salsa, chili sauce or soup until we tire of seeing them and pass them on.

Yesterday when we finished canning for the day I started thinking the season is coming to a close soon. Then I was showing friends the cupboard shelves full of canned goods and started to say we still have to make the blackberry jam, elderberry jelly, green tomato relish, apple butter, apple sauce, apple cider and pear honey. Kinda scary! At least it has cooled down some. In July and early August it was so hot that even the a/c couldn't keep up with us canning.

So besides canning nothing much has gotten done. I said last time I posted that I would get lots done without the kids being here but I was so stressed that pretty much nothing got done. I had too much time to think about Jess so I tried to stay away from home by going to the fair/concert, going to visit friends and going to soccer practices even though my kids weren't here to play. But since the three kids got home I have woven a tartan with yarn from KnitPicks and another from my homespun blue faced leicester that I got in MDS&W. I have dyed some wool I had laying around and I got two pounds of cormo for my B'day which I have a spun a large bobbin of so far. I am still plugging away at the Irish Hiking and the Branching Out and I started crocheting an afghan. I am getting nervous as there is only 118 days until Christmas. So much to do and soooo little time. I told a friend instead of changing when the clock should be moved forward and back they should add a couple of hours to it. Cyndy said they would just add more hours to your work week and we would be right back where we started. She is probably right :^(

Labor Day weekend is fast approaching and "they" will all be going back to the city. "They" being the people who inundate this area expecing you to drive faster because they only have so much time to relax, wait on them first because they are in a hurry, expect you to pick up their bags of trash off the roadside because they didn't want to make a right toward the dumpster because the left turn was toward home and it would have wasted 5 of their precious moments. "They" being
the people who inundate this area expecing you to drive faster because they only have so much time to relax, wait on them first because they are in a hurry, expect you to pick up their bags of trash off the roadside because they didn't want to make a right toward the dumpster because the left turn was toward home and it would have wasted 5 of their precious moments. "They" being the we have $$ and you don't so you should be excited to see us. "They" being the same people who build huge homes that they only come to maybe once a year but force the taxes up so high that property that has been in the same family for 150+ years now has to be sold to cover them. And nobody around here has the $$ needed to buy the others out so "they" get it and build developments/mini malls which don't pan out but the trees have all been cut down and pavement installed so.........Little do "they" know but we count the days down from Memorial Day to Labor Day. I love that cartoon that shows tourists and says "if it is tourist season why can't we shoot them"

Labor Day also means the kids are going back to school. I usually hate them going to school but they like it and don't want to be homeschooled. The only good point being we are more structured during the school year. So maybe after the kids are in school, the canning is done, the garden cleaned up, hay put away for the animals I might get everything done that I want to do. I may complain but I would not change any of this. (Except "they" coming up)

Oh, where do I begin?

It has been weeks since I posted and have lots to say!! Nothing new for me :^D So let's begin and I am sorry for taking so long. Donni from http://mymoggyblog.blogspot.com/ had asked some ?'s about the spun dyed roving. I dyed the first one with Neon food coloring and then spun the roving, then wound on to a center pull ball and plied it. The second one I spun the wool, wound on to a center pull ball and dyed 1/2 then flipped it over and dyed the other 1/2. The third one is dyed in regular food coloring and then spun, wound on to a center pull ball and plied. I like the blotchy mix I get. It isn't good for everything but can make interesting shawls, which is what it will pry end up as. Either that or felted little bags. Next http://theboogerblog.blogspot.com/ said she didn't know how much the Freeport Flag Ladies had done, such as going to the airport to send the troops off. I invite everyone to look at their website. They are truely remarkable women. You can find them at http://freeportflagladies.com/.
Now onto what has been keeping me from blogging. On July 15, 16 and 17 we had our local fire departments fair. We worked from opening until closing. Then did clean up. Long hours but it paid off with the highest amount of money made in the kitchen and the highest net profit over all in the history of the fair!!! The only problem is that so few people actually help pull it all off. I am there so I know if anything happens to my house they will be able to help me. Financially I am unable to drop $100 + donation but I can always find the time to help which is worth more than gold in some cases.

Then on July 30 a friend hosted a mini workshop fiber fest at her farm and I said I would teach some mini classes. I was nervous, terrified, scared shitless, petrified, etc etc until I got there and started teaching. I did two triloom classes, a square loom class and beginning crochet. I had shown people how to do this before but I was getting paid this time hense the nerves. Everyone was extremely nice and so into learning as much as possible in the given time. So all went well and although I was exhausted from the stress of it I did have fun and agreed to come back again in October. The mini workshops are nice as you get an idea if you are interested in something before blowing alot of money on something that is not for you. There was spinning, triloom, square loom, nalbinding, alpaca fiber, sheep fiber and breeds, cardboard looms, knitting, and crochet. A little something for everyone.

Next is the garden which we have had to water due to lack of rain and unusually high temps. But so far the garden is producing well. We (mom & I) have been doing pickles and more pickles. We did plum jam and black raspberry. Yesterday we picked blueberries, did four batches of jam, picked the cucumbers did one batch of bread and butter pickles, then picked the blackberries and said enough is enough. They will wait until we have more so we can do more than one batch.

On the actually doing part of fiber I have started another Irish hiking scarf and the branching out. Both are somewhat neglected of late but not forgotten. I have been spinning and hopefully I will try the spinning with beads before the weekend is over. I have white alpaca that I am spinning and a metallic purple thread and metallic beads in green, purple, blue and other colors that I want to ply it with. Of course if this works it will end up as something for Jess who is a purple monster.

Speaking of Jess, I heard from her. Her and two friends are living in a little wooden shack now. They said they aren't complaining since it has electricity and a/c. They said they are working 7 days a week with a 1/2 day on Sunday. We have been sending her lots of packages as she said the food leaves a lot to be desired. She loved the food in Kuwait though. She has a fridge and microwave so it is fairly easy to send food she can cook. I asked if she needed powdered milk for coffee/tea and she said they were able to get little juice boxes with milk. She said she thought it was camel milk because "it is NOT cow's milk". Phone calls are hard to get as sometimes the static is worse than it was with the cell phone. Only 326 more days, so I am not complaining.

Now tomorrow I turn 41...and out of four kids-three will be gone. Jess in Iraq, and the younger two are going to their dads for a week. Just Cliff will be here and he leaves Sunday to drive his girlfriend to NC. So my actual present is all of next week ALONE. Think of the fiber stuff I can do ALONE for a week. I can disconnect the phone and cable and be in complete heaven!! Just three days until A-L-O-N-E!!! Ahh it even sounds great typed!!!!!