The State Of The World In Our House

Daughter #1 has just made blunder #1. She came home this evening at 5 p.m. with a pile of homework and a test tomorrow. She had just spent two hours at the arena with her horse.

Stipulation 1: There will be no horse fun in the afternoon when there is a pile of homework.

Why do kids break the rules?

They want to see their parents bald from pulling out their hair.

I hope I don't regret this horse!!

We All Are What We Are

I decided a while ago that once a week I would try to find a blog written preferably by a woman that was international (so not Canada or the US) and not political, but something written by a woman with a normal life that was primarily interesting and somewhat diverse. If I liked it well enough I would add it to my favorites.

So far I have found a few but not as many as you would expect. I got started on this because I thought about all the people out there who are blogging regularly and it is one chance in hundreds of thousands that you hit them and while some of them are not worth looking at, (partially because they are not maintained) there are many that are worth looking at. I found just such a blog tonight since this is a day for taking it easy (and wiping my nose a lot... I hate colds!)

I really like this blog because her pictures are inspiring. I really like this blog a lot because she talks about all aspects of life. I like this blog a lot because there is so much about art. From hand made tiles from Algeria to fashion from Afghanistan, this woman has a lot to say about lovely things world wide. How interesting.

Sometimes I read other blogs and think why can't I make my blog interesting like that. But ultimately we all are what we are and we can only hope that someone reads what we have to say and find it interesting enough to take something away. How cool it is to be able to touch someone's life and not even know it. It is very fulfilling.

Oh yeah check out my links for her blog. Anarkali

It's Coming

I look out my window in front of my computer and see the dullness of the day and I haven't been able to get warm all morning. We separated our lambs yesterday morning and saw the end to our old friend Jelly. She had been ailing for days and I knew there was no out for her. We tried everything that we could find in the books but all she did was hang her head and stand listlessly in the barnyard then she started throwing up green stuff and we knew we couldn't let her suffer any longer. We knew it was coming but it was still a shock to our systems when we put her out of her misery. Daughter #2 went inside so she wouldn't have to see and Daughter #1 and I stood helplessly by with a few tears for our old happy faced sheep. It was a quick end and she was buried in our yard as our good friends always are. Meanwhile the lambs were not happy with being separated from their moms. I like to wait till the end of September before weaning the lambs as it gives them every opportunity for growth. Problems is we always know what's coming next. Two days of solid baaaa-ing from the lambs and moms as they complain about being separated. But if we want lambs next year they have to be weaned now. That brings me bake to looking out my window and not being able to get warm...

Last night after an afternoon of paddling, and a morning of lambs and sheep my body finally gave in to whatever Daughter #2 came home from school with on Friday. She was feeling miserable all weekend and last night I started to notice my throat was feeling sore. I hoped that a good night of sleep would help me shake it off... but I knew it was coming. With the H1N1 virus around I feel this ominous presence hanging over me. Sore throats this year are nothing to sniff at. Daughter #2 is home today and we both had rotten nights trying to get good sleep. It didn't happen and somehow when I went to bed I knew that was coming too.

I just checked the forecast and they are calling for snow in the next few days and while I knew that was coming somehow I didn't want it for a while yet.

So here I sit... I was supposed to be spinning today with a friend on the level 3 homework but instead I'm just relaxing with a little knitting and some Tylenol and a box of tissues. I'm working on a new project for my Christmas gift exchange with the guild. Our theme this year is totes. I am making mine with a fat yarn in pretty autumn colours. I hope it is nice when done.

Between winter and H1N1 and a few deadlines, sometimes I hate it when I know things are coming.

BC River's Day

Did you know that the last Sunday in September is World River's Day? Here on the Peace River we celebrate World River's Day and B.C. River's Day all at the same time. It is a day to acknowledge the river that you live on and enjoy the activities that rivers offer all around the world. Hubby and I have been celebrating this day for many years even when our kids were little tykes. Usually it is a great day and weather wise we've had very few bad ones. I feel I am privileged to live in a region of the world where freedom of movement is not curtailed and where things like rivers are celebrated for their beauty and for their accessibility. Hubby and I took our canoe and we paddled a mere 6ish or so km on our mighty river The Peace. The weather was lovely and there was a good turn out at the event with about 15 canoes and 3 or 4 river boats (motorized) participating. When we pulled into our destination our community supported a lovely little party. There were about 50 or 60 people in all and we enjoyed good music, good food, a few displays promoting our river, and some draws for prizes. Most of the people are long time supporters and we all know each other and really like to see each other and visit. Some of the people come from surrounding communities and we haven't seen them since last year on B.C. Rivers Day. Meanwhile behind us the Peace river sparkled with beauty as the water rippled by in it's never ending flow northward to Great Slave Lake. The cliffs on the other side of the river stood majestically watching our small activities as it has watched human activities for a millennium. You have to wonder what they have seen!

If there is a river near you, you might want to think about taking care of your river and maybe remember that without them this world would be a sad place indeed. They are placid gifts of creation and they calm you when you sit near them in places where the river slows, they excite you when the river is turbulent, they give you joy when water animals and fish abound. I can't imagine not being able to go sit by a river. I look at ours even when there is snow on the ground and I think what a beautiful place to be and it draws me to it with a longing that I can't explain.

A few years ago Hubby and I took what turned out to be a second honeymoon and paddled the Peace from HH to FSJ. We had an awesome time. We could easily have spent many more days on the river if we only had had the time. It was something that I will never forget. The river greeted us each morning and we saw sights that we didn't know were there. Each time I paddle the Peace on B.C. Rivers day since that time I remember the evenings of spindling by the fire while Hubby fished a few feet away. The breakfast shared with the smoke from the fire mixing with the golden sunrise, the eagles that watched us suspiciously from perches high above us on old trees hanging over the water, and kingfishers that swooped from branch to branch as they followed or led us down the river, the flash of the silver backs of fish as the jetted away from under our canoe, the grand daddy beavers that slapped their tails in a territorial display as we passed their dens. Pictures cannot do that trip justice. We explored down channels unknown to us and were pushed by flowing currents controlled upriver by our dam. We passed sand bars where a herd of deer were drinking peacefully, and other sandbars where geese were flocking by the hundreds. Through it all Hubby and I soaked in all things river. We came away, I think, changed people. It drew us closer together, with something so much bigger than ourselves, as a shared experience.

I want to go back.... I really want to go back....
it is a true thrill to feel the rhythm and flow of The Peace.

Screwball Days

This has been a seriously screwball day. It started with a horrible nightmare that woke me up at 5 a.m. The weird thing is that I woke with rain starting to fall and knowing instantly that I had to make a mad dash out to the deck where I left a plastic storage container with a whole pile of clothing in it. It had air holes in it so i knew, just knew it would get wet. Anyway I digress... rain.... clothes on deck.... yes it was 5 a.m. when I awoke with a start. I bee lined it for the deck and got the clothes in before it rained hard and headed back to bed. That's when I realized that I had just cut someone's head off in my dream and it had bounced across the floor in front of me.... blood, death and gore abounded.... needless to say that I wasn't going back to sleep any time soon.....

I headed for the computer and promptly forgot that I had turned on the kettle on my way along.... we now have a black kettle that Hubby thinks needs to be replaced.... me oh my, I'm burning far too much these days....

By this time there was a little light in the sky. I tapped away at the computer drinking my tea that I had to prepare in a pot. As I sat there working, up came the sun which started with the reddest sky I have ever seen. The pictures from two days ago can't even touch this red sky. I had left my camera in the truck and it was steadily raining by now or I would have gotten a picture.... I know you're wondering how can we have a red sky and rain at the same time. That is what's so weird! The rain was fairly localized off to the west, obviously, while in the east the sky was still clear.

As the sun came over the horizon the sky changed from red to an even more weird colour or, in this case, set of colours. By this time the clouds with the rain were moving ever closer to the eastern horizon and yet there was no cloud low on the horizon.... so picture this... the sky is red, and then not so red, and then ever so slightly the sun rises over the horizon and there is a small band about two fingers above the horizon where there is no cloud that turns pure gold... I mean wedding band gold not golden coloured but shiny sparkly gold... and above that is the oncoming clouds which are a vivid purple. That's when the trees turned bright orange. I've never seen anything so spectacular. If I could immerse myself in colour all I would have had to do is walk out in the garden. It lasted about two and a half minutes and then everything turned a mundane grey. Then the wind came up and the rain came down in a torrential downpour only it was horizontal too, and all the gold medallion leaves started to tumble across the ground like thousands of mini tumbleweeds. Let me tell you it was too cool!

The day continued in this weird manner. I had to go to a meeting today in FSJ. But before I did, I got an email to go pick up Hubby at a JCR campout...... now! So I quickly got dressed and headed off with Daughter #1 as we would stop along the way to feed Dreamer, the new horse. When I got to the campout site a half hour drive from our home, I discovered that our Patrol leader was having chest pains and was headed off to the hospital and that there had been a mistake... no they weren't canceling the rest of the campout as there were enough chaperones to cover the loss of our leader and that I hadn't needed to drive all that way after all, as Hubby wouldn't be coming home till later in the afternoon. I was thankful that hubby hadn't been hurt or worse.

We went back to town and fed Dreamer at her boarding place and headed for home. By this time the sun was baking again. The skies were brilliant and beautiful. I gathered my gear and the girls and I headed for FSJ. We had ice-cream for lunch at DQ (a serious treat) and then on to my meeting. I was wearing a light sweater and a tank top underneath. I was not cold when I left HH. FSJ proved to be a different story. The building where we hold our meetings is old and cold and before long I began to quake with the cold and by the time we finished the meeting the temperature outside was considerably colder. Brrr!

I now remember that we live in the North and jackets are required clothing any time after the middle of September no matter what the day begins like.... I forget this rule every year and need to relearn it all the time.... I will have to live in the North 50 years before this will actually sink in... and only maybe then.

It was on the way home that we had a creepy thing happen. We got stalked. Yes stalked. We were driving down the highway and this jeep came up behind us out of nowhere. It slowed right down to the speed I was doing and kept pace with us far closer to me than i cared for. Now I love to drive the highway between here and FSJ this time of the year because the colours of the trees are outstanding. I usually drive at about 85 km (on a 90 km road) and enjoy the eagles and the beautiful colours. Besides I wanted to eat my lunch... I mean it was 4:30 p.m. and I was hungry, having only had an ice-cream for lunch. So I slowed down even more in an effort to get the jeep to pass me. He didn't. Argh! I hate creepy drivers that stick too closely to your bum. That is what this creepy jeep driver did.... for over 40 km. I did everything outside of pull over to shake the weirdo. Finally, after slowing way down a number of times and touching my break to let them know I wanted them off my tail and as many tricks as I could think about to encourage them to pass, I did pull over... now if you have ever been stalked pulling over is not the wisest thing to do. But I did. Finally numbnuts passed me and I gave him the finger as he passed.... he sped off down the road and I carried on my way with the two girls discussing the freaky driver. We did notice that the jeep had Alberta plates. (I won't make any derogatory remarks about Albertan drivers thinking they are still on the prairie... ok.)

We are driving along about a mile and half down the road when we come around a turn and freaky driver up ahead is pulling in on the shoulder of the road.... ok we're really freaked now. We are getting closer wondering what is going to happen when out gets the driver.

She had to be 70 I'm thinking, and her husband who was trading the passenger seat for the driver's seat was a sweet looking bent old man. OMG I gave these old (bad but sweet looking) drivers the finger. (sigh) I drove past hoping they wouldn't realize that I was the same lady who had just given them the finger.

Yep this day couldn't get screwier I'm thinking. So far, the rest is fairly standard except we went for supper and there was a fly stuck to the honey bottle the waitress gave me for my tea. Oh and I just found a dead fly floating in my glass of lemonade.... I hate flies. Arrgh!

So I'm hoping that no more dreams tonight will screw me up for tomorrow. I think I'll go to bed. I just want a nice normal night of snoring with no bouncing heads in my dreams.

Fat Yarns and Cotton Hand Cards

This is a spinning blog.... right? Well ok... not quite... but today I'm actually going to talk about spinning and knitting.
So my first day of the schedule was Tuesday and that day was spent discovering that my all purpose hand carders suck when carding ginned cotton. Cotton is a very short stapled fibre and it is also pretty lumpy bumpy when it comes in the ginned form... at least my ginned cotton is pretty lumpy bumpy. When you card ginned cotton the teeth on the cards are supposed to comb out all of those lumps and bumps. Mine did not do that and so I decided to actually count the teeth per inch in my hand cards. My hand cards come out at 64 ppsi (points per square inch). That is pretty good for carding cloth if you are carding wool. Cotton is a whole other set of problems. I decided that perhaps I should invest in a good set of cotton cards.

I have a friend in FSJ who sells such things and so I decided to email her and give her the business. She emailed me back with the information on the cotton hand cards that she sells. Ashford is a manufacturer of cotton hand cards at 108 ppsi which is good but I had learned that good cotton hand cards have over 150 ppsi. In light of that not so good. Louet who she also deals with manufactures their cotton cards at 60 ppsi... they don't even make it into the ball park.... so what do I do. Of course I call a friend in FSJ who actually does have a set of cotton hand cards, to find out how many ppsi hers have. She owns a set of Schacht cotton hand cards and they sit at a healthy 208 ppsi. I will be spending a day spinning with her and so I will give hers a try and see if I like them. At the same time that I was calling my friend I emailed my level 3 instructor and asked for her opinion. She seemed to think that the Ashford cotton cards were sufficient. She also gave some very valid reasons for not getting seriously fine cotton cards. Primarily her reasons were that the finer the teeth the more susceptible to damage that they are. She also felt that blending cotton with other fibres such as wool would limit me because the wire used on cotton cards would be too fine for wool. She also thought that 108 ppsi was sufficient when using them on other fine fibres such as fur, like bunny, or quiviet, or yak. This led me to a serious few days of research on cotton hand cards.

The results are as follows:
Howard Brush student sized cotton cards at 190 ppsi $55.00 (AMD) These can also be gotten in a 120 ppsi
Schacht cotton hand cards at 208 ppsi $81.00 (CAD)
Ashford cotton hand cards at 108 ppsi $63.50 (CAD)
Strauch small cotton hand carders at 255 ppsi for $61.00 (AMD)
Clemes and Clemes Flat Backed cotton hand cards for $72.50 (AMD)

I like the thought of having a set of hand cards that are more than multi purpose since the hand cards that I have now are considered that. I know I can card and blend fine fibres on the hand cards that I own. While the points that my instructor made are valid, I do want something that is substantially different from what I have now. Having said that, I am taking very seriously the points made on the fact that very fine cloths can be damaged very easily. I am hard on my tools.... enough said! So I think that the Howard Brush cotton hand card in student size meet my every need. I will purchase the hand cards in student size which is 6" because I have small hands (the only small thing on me except for my ears) and also because I want even distribution across the card with very little 'waffling' in my punis. While the Howard Brush cards have a fine carding cloth, it is not as fine as the Strauch or the Clemes and Clemes or the Schacht, therefore less susceptible to damage and lifting of the cloth when carding vast amounts of cotton. The Howard Brush sells theirs as "virtually indestructible" and hopefully they are.

Meanwhile I'm still on a fat yarn kick. I have been spinning fat yarns left, right, and centre. Louet has a lovely product they call Northern Lights. Northern Lights are lovely woolen pencil sized rovings that you can spin without drafting and ply together to get wonderful fat yarn in no time at all. I love it and for a product to sell at farmer's markets and craft fairs it is marvelous. I spin huge amounts of it in no time at all. The problem is that if I am going to sell the stuff, then I have to find tried and true patterns to go with it. Joe Blow off the street is not going to buy yarn without a pattern for it because most people who knit will not test the knitting Gods by chancing a pattern of their own with a new yarn they have never tried before. And so my search continues as I try to find fat knitting patterns that will suit my new yarn.... we shall see. Maybe I will have to develop my own.... hmmm.

Freight Trains And Fat Yarns

Last night was an odd night. I was weaving a little on the tri-loom just before bed when there was a shift in the planets equilibrium. Suddenly I felt like I was going to drop of fatigue when only moments before I had lots of energy. I put down my hook and told Hubby, who was quietly working on the computer, that I was done and heading off to bed. I headed up the steps and that's when the freight train hit.

This area of the world is subject to what is known as Chinooks. Generally Chinooks happen in winter, but every so often you get an odd one at other times of the year. It is strange, for those of us who have experienced Chinooks, to think of them as such when they come at the other times of the year because they are so rare. What a Chinook is, is a strong wind from the west that signifies a huge change in the air pressure. When they come they usually bring a huge increase in temperature that only lasts as long as the wind does. Chinook winds are a welcome relief in the winter because the temperatures can increase from -40 degrees Celsius to +10 in a matter of a half hour.... and let me tell you that when you have been having -40 for a week, going up to +10 in temperature, is a lovely change. When these air pressure changes happen the wind is so strong that it sounds like a freight train is driving down the valley and is hitting the top of your house and peeling off your roof in an effort to take it along as it merrily goes on it way. It is quite scary and you really do wonder if the roof will lift off. It only lasts for a short time, about a half hour or so, before it dies down to a steady wind at about fifty or sixty mph. Still a strong wind but substantially less terrifying.

The Chinook wind of last night was odd since it is not winter and the temperatures have been absolutely balmy. That's why I know there was a shift in the planet's equilibrium. One good thing that came as the outcome of last night's Chinook, we now know that the roof, which was only attached in the spring, will stay in place in a big wind which pleases me no end.

All night I listened to the wind as I kept my window open a crack and listened to the leaves rustling. It meant for an uneasy sleep. I'm tired today and have decided to blow off exercise class as I would not be very energetic anyway. I may go for a walk in the forest later if I can handle the thought of a tree possibly falling over on me!

I have decided to work on the closet in my bedroom today, in and effort to try to get our room to the point where we can hang up more of the clothes that spills from boxes everywhere. The wind is still blowing this morning and Hubby says he heard a tree crack off late last night. It doesn't surprise me that we have lost a tree after such a wind. I'm amazed that we didn't blow away. But it means that it is a good day to work inside. And so onward to my closet is the name of the game.

The other thing of note is the fat yarns I have been working on lately.
I have finished three.... yes three.... different fibres that have been kicking around for the last few months. The first fibre that I tried to spin as a fat yarn was pencil rovings from Louet that I spun as a single and then plied with a gold thread. It turned out better than expected.

The next fibre I spun was Alpaca pencil rovings that I again spun as a single and plied with a variegated silver/turquoise thread.
It is soft and lovely but I liked the other one better. Yesterday I spun some Polwarth rovings in a variegated colourway this time I plied it on itself and am very happy with the results.

Once you have been spinning a while it is really hard to spin thick since your spinning technique becomes so refined that spinning takes on a life of thin, thin, thin. I was so happy this summer when my instructor for the level 3 taught us an easy method for spinning a consistently fat yarn.

One of the reasons for wanting to spin a fat yarn is because the tri loom takes fairly thick yarn for weaving. My first attempts would be considered a worsted weight and yes it is much too fine for the loom. There will be a great deal of shrinkage when it comes off the loom, I'm thinking. But that is ok as I will weave two triangles and put them together into a lap blanket. It really needs the equivalent of a chunky weight yarn. My next attempt on the tri-loom will be a shawl with a much thicker and puffier yarn in the variegated Polwarth. It should be lovely. It is simply fun to do these projects.

Yesterday was my day for working on the commission but that didn't happen as I spent most of the morning looking for the fibre that I needed. Then I spent the afternoon washing a bunch of it as the stuff I already washed back a while ago is not near enough. Today it is drying out side in the wind and sunshine. I think that this scheduling thing is going to work though as I am seeing progress in most of my projects..... lets just hope that no more freight trains come through my house and keep me awake all night long. I'm much more productive when I've had a good sleep.

After two days of following my schedule I'm not sure I can say it is a success. I didn't get much done on Tuesday on the level 3 homework and on Wednesday I didn't get much done on my commission. Both days I got distracted by problems or other projects. (Go Figure!) This is not an auspicious beginning. I guess I will see how today goes.

Closet here I come.

Entertainment Leads To Confusion

I told you the other day that I like change. I also like colour. I have been reading other blogs, one of which commented on the success or lack there of based on, primarily what's written, but also, on the 'look' of your blog. Black print on white backgrounds makes me want to snore. But then I do love dyeing yarns with bright chemical colours. I am not a pastel girl. And I sure am NOT a black and white girl. (If I could be anything other than what I am, I would like to be a Crayola Crayon and live in a box of 64 colours!) One thing about colour is that it shows up against black really well. That is why I choose bright colours on my black background for my blog. I do try to choose colours that are on the lighter side for the post title and the post itself. That way you can read my blog with ease.

Of course I agree with that other blog regarding the writing. Primarily, a blog should have entertaining writing. While I totally agree with that statement there are very few people who can write entertainingly every day of their life. Most people (who are human and not professional writers) have days when they are not entertaining (except my Hubby whose entertaining qualities can be somewhat irritating at times). Occasionally those who entertain need to be entertained. (By the way I did not mean to imply that professional writers are not human).

OK did you follow all that? Right! If you did follow all of that then you must be very entertaining! (Note: I didn't say entertained.)

I learned a great deal from my first day of scheduling yesterday. I learned that you will probably get interrupted a great deal and I also learned that spinning cotton requires a good set of cotton cards. My cotton punis from Ginned Cotton are so lumpy that my spun cotton sucked. I did teach Daughter #1 how to spin and while her spinning was typical of a beginner at least she is trying. This is something that pleases me no end, as I think that all people should have some skill that requires the hands (my mind just landed in the gutter!!) anyway .... like weaving, spinning, knitting, sewing, wood working, carpentry, mechanics, etc.... It gives you something to do later in life when reading or listening to some media form is not enough. Sports is good too, though all you get from that is a body in good shape..... (mine's not! I rather look like an over stuffed pillow at times.) Hand skills give you a sense of accomplishment. You feel oh so clever when you can make something from scratch.

Today will be a day to make advances in my jacket commission. Tomorrow, I will try to be more entertaining (though that may be impossible not because I'm entertaining enough now, but just because it may be a good day to be entertained...)

Let me entertain you... let me make you smile.... (confused yet?)

Go burn some spuds... it's very entertaining! (ok I'm very confused and only slightly entertained)!!!

Red Sky In The Morning

I woke this morning a little earlier than need be, which means that finally after the summer months of sleeping in, I am getting used to waking at 7 a.m. and my body actually wakes me a little earlier. I got up and had a look out the window and there before me was a gorgeous sight. The sky was a glorious red. So beautiful! I grabbed my camera and here are the results.



After looking at this awesome sky I had a morning walk out to the paddocks to look at my sheep. Hubby and I are sorry to say that one of our old sheep is about to die. Jelly, who is my only pure bred Romney, is not healthy and is on her way out. I knew when she lambed in the spring that she was having issues with health. She took a full hour to get back on her feet and the only reason she did then was because Hubby lifted her up and put her on her feet. We had to probe her nipples to get her milk flowing and she had no interest in her lamb though eventually we did get her to nurse. Now she is standing around listlessly and hanging her head and she can't keep her food down. Not a good sign. This, we started to notice yesterday though she hadn't been moving a whole lot all week. She is an old girl so it somehow doesn't surprise me. We will miss her happy face as she greets us when we drive into the yard. She always had a happy baaa for us and she always was there by the fence for a scratch on her head. Hubby will have to shoot her either today or tomorrow. When I became a shepherd I never realized how hard it would be to do this. Our sheep have become friends. They each have a name and we know their personalities. And yes... they do have personalities. Romney's have lovely expressive faces and Jelly's was no different. She always has perky eyes and loves to watch what humans do. But she has been losing weight and her sides hollowed out after birthing and never really recovered. So sad.

I have been working in the evenings on a bowl. I am making a woolen bowl. It is made in the same way as the woolen rugs that are woolen braids that are spiraled around and around and around. My bowl is almost finished. I did start my bowl after getting a Spin-off magazine a few years ago with instructions on how to do it. They are quite interesting to make and i would not mind making another.

I also have been working on the tri-loom though I find that working on it for long periods of time bothers my back, so I work on it in between other jobs. It is amazing how much you get done when you weave two or three shots twenty times a day instead of working on it non stop.

What all of this comes down to is that A red sky in the morning can be ominous or not. I don't want a lot of rain today which is the usual outcome of a red sky but I can control the ominous-ness of any day if I give it structure. I have been thinking for some time that I need to alot to each day an activity. So here it is... Monday Exercise class and visiting with friends and a little bit of paper work. Tuesdays.... spinning on level 3 (this is a really important one its also instant gratification this being Tuesday and all). Wednesdays... working on commissions. Thursdays.... working on the house renovations. Friday.... free day to do whatever I want. That's my plan.... now I just have to stick to it. All the rest of my life has to fit around this schedule. So getting supper and doing laundry and making beds and cleaning, grocery shopping, household budgeting, mothering, wifing,.... all of that stuff has to fit around the rest. Hmmmm..... I wonder, can my free spirit being curb my life style to fit this schedule.

The day is moving on and so I must too. Red sky in the morning usually means a shepherd's warning, if you believe the old adage. I don't know what is ahead for today but I sure hope there is some good.

Exercise..... Never Heard Of It!

This is Monday and that means exercise. Mondays are my day to meet with all my senior friends and do a little stretching and a whole lot of walking. Monday is the day that I really have to force myself to get out of the house. I really just want to stay home and catch up on my work. I have lots of work to catch up on. My idea of exercise right now is climbing the ladder a million times as I try to finish the work on the eve of the house. Or bend and standing a million times a day as I weave o my tri-loom. It does not include kick boxing or the samba, or shoulder rolls or walking backwards. But that is what I am off to do in about ten minutes. I really have to push myself out the door especially since the muffler on our car died over the weekend and being inconspicuous is not an option. I rumble and roar down the road and when I put my foot on the gas to accelerate, the rumbling and roaring scares even me. (Although I do have to admit that I fantasize about dragons when this happens!)

Our old truck, which has served us well for the last 8 years is now reaching the age where upkeep is critical. Right now we need to replace the muffler, the high beam headlight on the passenger side, and the power steering hose. The timing chain is giving us trouble and soon we will need a brake job. At 169,856 kilometres this is to be expected. Problem..... we bought a horse and so we just blew $1000.00 on that. It doesn't bode well for repairs on the truck.... I did hope we could get through until next month. Oh well... we just won't eat..... yeah! That's what we will do... I could do with losing a few pounds.

I better go exercise.....

Mellow Yellow

I'm feeling pretty mellow this afternoon. I love Sunday afternoons when everything has turned out well on Sunday morning and I am just home from church and the whole afternoon stretches out before me. There is so much potential for a Sunday afternoon. Its the kind of day when anything is possible.

Today I watched Harry Potter with my kids. It doesn't actually sound like a big deal but it was lovely to sit there and relax and watch something without making any effort at all. Towards the end of the movie I put the roast in the oven and pealed fresh veggies from the garden for our supper. Yes it is work but the prospect of a lovely meal lays before us and that adds to rather than detracts from the potentiality of a great day. Mellow? Yes I am mellow.

Being mellow is more wonderful if you are in sink with everything around you. I look outside and just overnight I can see a visible difference in the trees. There is this lovely mellow yellow in the forest that wasn't there yesterday. Even though the temperatures are so nicely mild the trees continue their undressing as leaves that have already turned drop to the ground in the dance of autumn. The skies overhead are soft blue with smokey clouds that drift slowly from horizon to horizon. It is a day to be content.



9Z#$@%BDGFWK$W#q023-3o.... Ok so I just burned the vegetables.... not quite so mellow!!! Grrrr!

Changes

I'm pretty good with changes. I like them. Hubby berates me because I'm a furniture mover. I vacuum... I move furniture. I figure, if I have to move the furniture to vacuum the floor in behind by way of gettin all those nasty dust bunnies then when I put the furniture back I might as well put it back in a different spot. Makes sense to me. Hubby hates it.

Having the furniture in a different place gives me a lift. It makes the room feel fresh. I spend a lot of time in these room so I like it to feel fresh every now and again. Generally how I feel about all change. That is why when I chose the background for this blog I chose black and decided the colour of the links, the posts, the titles, all could be changed to suit my mood. By now you have noticed that I have changed the header. Maybe you even noticed that I am now able to include links in the blog. I have been trying for ages to figure out how to do that and there it was, all along, right under my nose. I think it is cool.

Getting back to changes though.... it took me all afternoon yesterday (with a few jaunts over to my tri-loom while things were uploading) to make the collage of pictures that you see where my title is.

I am asking my readers to please give me feedback on this since I'm not really sure if I like it. I'm a little worried that it is too busy. I was also thinking of just making some kind of graphic design for my heading.... problem is, I can't think about what Ye Olde Batt should have as a graphic design. So here's the thing... if anyone out there in web land has a suggestion I'm up for it. You can send your pictures to the Ye Olde Batt email at yeoldebatt@gmail.com or you can leave a suggestion in the comments at the end. I realize I may be opening a can of worms here but I am brave..... be kind to me???

Blogs

I started this blog almost a year ago and I never thought how releasing writing a blog would be. Blogs are not for everyone I know because not everyone is able to sit down everyday and write or even every second day or even once a week. But for some it is a huge outlet. There are some amazing blogs out there in Web land and there are some really dreadful ones and there are some very sad and forgotten blogs out there but it is lots of fun to go surfing and find a real gem.... this week I found one of those real gems. It is call Ramblings Of The Bearded One

The Red Hot Chili Peppers said in their song Can't Stop that music was the great communicator.... but I'm afraid that they got it wrong. You see the great communicator of our times is the blog.

I've been doing a little research in an effort to get some Blog Statistics and it is interesting to note that there are no statistical information on the WWWeb that gives a true estimate of blogs worldwide. Some statistical reports give stats for their site but that only takes into consideration one site and there are hundreds of sites where a person can go to set up a blog. I found one what seemed a decent site for blog stats and this is what they had to say...

In September 2002 the New York Times reported that LiveJournal had signed up 690,000 users since 1998 and was currently gaining another 1,100 bloggers per day. It is unclear whether all 690,000 were (and still are) maintaining their personal pages and, if so, how frequently.

In the same month the Times claimed that Brazil was the "second-largest Blogger-using country" after the US, with up to 13% of the 750,000 Blogger users.

There are so many blogs that there is no possible ability to for one person to view all the good blogs on the web let alone identify the good from the bad which would mean following hundred of thousands of blogs. The likelihood of someone picking up your blog is huge. It would be like walking down a street and rubbing elbow with royalty.... highly unlikely. Yet people do find blogs of interest and they do follow them. It is amazing how one blog can capture the attention of millions of people. All it takes is someone saying, "hey I read a great blog at such and such a site. I'll send you the url.... that's it and off and running is the blog.

It's funny because it is likely that most people start writing a blog to vent a few things on their mind and maybe journal and improve their writing skills. the possibility of the unknown is so impossible that a blogger might not even take that into consideration. Yet it is that very reason that I like blogs. It's cool to be able to write and you can fool yourself into thinking that blogging is for you and you alone but yet its out there for all to see.

I know how hard it is to find information on my ancestors because over the years I have helped my Dad with his interest in genealogy. Our ancestors didn't have the internet to put their thoughts out there open to the world. We have so much more opportunity to connect with others than did our ancestors. I hate to be an historian of the future. It would be impossible to sift through the reams of information that are so close and personal.

I never met my paternal grandfather. He died of cancer long before I was born and I have always had a unexplainable curiosity about him. There are very few pictures of him and there are so many conflicting descriptions among my family members that it is hard to decide what is true.... I can only imagine how easy it would be to get to know my grandfather if blogs had been around during his life and he were a blogger.

I can get to know someone on the other side of the world just by following regularly, the writings of a blog that I just happen to hit by serendipity. It somehow makes it a much smaller world.... don't you think?

What Did I Do

That dull day that I had was so boring until right out of the blue I got a really neat email from a lady who wanted some information on the spinning of wolf fibre and weaving bookmarks with it. I had been using Duff's fibre to spin and weave bookmarks and she was interested... that got my juices flowing. It was just the kick in the pants that I needed. I got all fired up about doing things and so I washed a bag of Duff's fibre and then went to work on my 7 foot tri-loom. I had been having trouble with getting the start of my shawl on the tri-loom right and so had pulled it off several times and then thrown up my hands in disgust as I couldn't find my instructions to get me started. I went on the internet (gotta love that) and downloaded the instructions on how to get started and got right down to it. I haven't woven a lot since I had a meeting in the night but now that I'm going (and don't need the instructions to continue) all is right with the world.

Yesterday I headed into FSJ for a day of weaving on the guild's 36" floor loom. I finished a shawl yesterday if you can believe that.... a whole shawl! My back is groaning today as weaving takes muscles in your back that you don't normally use. Five hours of weaving is not really a good way to get back into the swing of things. Usually starting with a half an hour of weaving a day and then slowly increasing with 15 minutes each day gets your back into good shape for regular weaving but for those of us who don't own a floor loom and must use the guild's, we don't have the luxury of doing that. You go to the guild's workshop and you weave like a demon until you are finished so that the next person who wants to use the loom can do so.... it means for some serious aches and pains.

That just means that I should buy myself a floor loom doesn't it???

Today is a windy day and I look out the window here and am glad that there are still leaves on the trees. Some autumns we have had all of our leaves fallen by now. But for some reason this year, there are still lots of leaves and even better there are lots that are still more green than yellow. That means that we will have a somewhat prolonged autumn. I love it.

Knit nights began again after a lengthy summer break and it was good to connect with those ladies after such a long time. I did not bring knitting though. I brought along my rug hooking as I want to finish a few of the projects that I have on the go before starting any new ones. My rug is coming along nicely but I will soon have to put it away as I am starting to think about my commission for a jacket. As a matter of a fact I am weighting out the fibre to be blended and have piles all over my table as I write. These will blended on the drum carder and then spun over the next few days.

So there you have it a general breakdown on the activities of myself after falling out of the doldrums. Today is sunny with serious threats of cloud. Wind is blustery and too cold for outdoor activities. A good day to spin, weave, and plan for future projects.

Dull Days

Sometimes when things get overwhelming you want to sit down and do nothing. I have so many things that need to be done that all I want to do is just sit and relax with a silly no brainer computer game or a book where I can drift into another world. Even a movie where two hours could be passed lollygagging, as My Grandmother would say, would work. Inactivity is what I want. What I need is to burn my a-- off working like a Trojan.

I need to make bread.... but my bread maker is outside and there is no room on my tiny bit of counter that's left in my kitchen until Hubby installs the new counter.
I need to card wool but my carder is covered in junk and I don't want to pull all that junk off because I don't want to figure out what to do with it.
I need to spin some cotton for level 3 but right now my level 3 books have disappeared and I can't find them.... that's a really lame excuse.
I need to work on the tongue and groove siding on the outside of the house but that means climbing a ladder and going out where it is getting cold.
I need to take off the ship lap boards in our bedroom but that means energy.... something I don't have a lot of.
I need to make invitations to the Sunday school kickoff but I just ran out of ink in my printer.
I need to organize my church budget forms and other work and I'm just too plain lazy.

This is a day that is cloudy and uninspiring. What I want is a cup of hot chocolate, a fire in a wood stove, and a good laugh to lighten my spirits and give me a lift. Anyone want to come by for a visit?

If you can't drop by for tea or a warm beverage check here tomorrow to see what I ended up doing.

Horses And Wolves

Recently I read a magazine article that really ticked me off. Then I read another magazine article that was full of information that I found to be really informative. I think I'm about to get a little political here. (That's a warning)

The first article I read was in a sporting magazine that Hubby subscribes too. The Article in question is called Big Bad Wolves Pt 2. I was horrified to read in that article that there are those out there who still think of the wolf as a nuisance. They think that shooting wolves is an expedient way of helping their survival rates and that they are a deadly and dreadful threat to human lives. This article astounded me with its deceptive stupidity. I just felt I had to say something.

So here is what I have to say and please remember that I am no expert.... if the subject interests you I suggest you find out the facts. Don't take my word or the word of the author of the above article as fact. This is just MY opinion.

I have always had a great respect for wolves and think they are a beautiful and thrilling species. I have had very little interaction with them usually in the form of hearing distant calls while I sleep peacefully in a campground. I am of the philosophy that the more diverse the planet's species are, the better and healthier our planet's ecosystem is. A few years back Hubby and I and the girls and our two dogs were hunted by a pack of wolves. It was the most thrilling experience I have ever had in my life. I will never forget it and I would never change it for one moment. We were never in any serious danger so that probably makes a difference. I do not hold it against the wolves that they were hunting us. The situation arose because they picked up the scent of our dogs after we had been hiking on a trail and so they followed that scent in to our campsite. We were in our tent trailer in bed and heard them coming, howling in triangulation for a good half hour as they moved closer. they were on the same trail that we had taken earlier in the day and since we were the only campers in that park at that time we knew they were after us. They sat around our tent trailer and probably hoped that they would be able to coax one of our dogs out of our campsite but since both of them were in the trailer with us and we follow very strict safety rules about putting food away in our vehicle where it can't encourage foraging from wildlife, we felt quite safe the whole time.

There are those in this world who believe that species such as wolves and coyotes and bears are nothing more than a nuisance because they prey upon domesticated beasts such as chickens, cattle, and sheep. They feel that the best way to survive and co-habitate is to hunt these animals and keep their numbers controlled so that they pose less of a threat to human survival.

This is where the other article comes into play. In my most recent Spin-off magazine there is an article about spinning wolf fibre and the author sites some statistics which I cannot find any problem with (and believe me I have looked). There she says that there were over 250,000 wolves in the US alone before European contact. By the 1960s that number had been reduced to around 500. With diligent care and a reintroduction of wolves from Canada the number has now increased to about 5000. Now if I have my numbers right then that is a mere 2% of the original population. To me there is something wrong with that picture especially when I read in sporting magazines that, and I quote, "True environmentalist/conservationists are hunters, trappers, and anglers, not the feel-good, save-the-world, haven't-got-a-clue crowd who have yet to realize that when they bought into the beliefs held by the protectionist regime, they added to the dangers associated with large carnivores habituating to human environments. A hunted wolf is a wolf that will successfully coexist with humans."

That just steams my pajamas. These hunter types who profess to be doing the farmers a service by taking out the problems of loss of dollars due to wolf/coyote kills of livestock are delusional. Yes wolves and coyotes do kill livestock,and God knows that given the opportunity a hungry predator will chomp down a human given the right circumstances. It is their way of eating and surviving. That does not give us humans the right to wipe out their numbers. Wolf hunts often run a muck and this species cannot re-assert itself to healthy numbers if not given the chance. 5000 compared to 250,000 is not healthy numbers in my estimation.

I am a member of a Yahoo group called Canspin and recently there have been discussions of spinning wolf fibre since the article in Spin-off magazine has generated many comments. Wolf fibre is not readily available as you can imagine. They will not stand to be sheared and so the fibre must be gathered from the wild where wolves dens are littered with sheddings or from wolves that for whatever reason are held in captivity. I am lucky to own a Wolf/Husky cross dog who still carries a lot of the traits of the wolf in her. She does not eat my lambs when they are out on the grass grazing, and as a matter of a fact, she paroles the perimeter of our property keeping watch over our sheep. She has chased away coyotes from our ducks when we had them and chickens even now. She has chased off foxes and cares for our animals as if they are part of her family. She has wonderful fibre to spin and though she is half dog she reminds me daily of how important it is not to lose wolves from the genetic pool of diverse species on this planet.

What it comes down to, in my opinion, is that wolves should only be hunted in extreme circumstances, where they are a direct threat to children's play areas....or when occasionally they become a constant nuisance (which is usually due to ill health). Farmers should not have the right to indiscriminately kill them. There are methods of keeping safe, herds of cattle and other livestock and these methods should be utilized fully before we get our testosterone flowing and start racing out the door with guns roaring to eliminate the threat of wolves.

Now about the title of this blog.... well you understand the wolves part.... but here's where horses come into it...

Daughter #1 has finally gotten her long wanted horse. We have bought a lovely 17 year old well broken mare named Dreamer for her. She is lovely. Daughter #1 is over the moon. Hubby and I are happy that she is happy.

Summer vs Winter

Aaaahhh... lovely!


Blah, Ick, Ugh.... Brrr!


The results are in:
3489 to 1
You know who you are!

Oh Me Achin' Back

I started exercise class on Monday. It is a class for seniors. It is called Fit For Life. My very good friend started teaching these classes last year and was worried she wasn't going to get enough people coming and that's when she asked if I would be interested in coming and getting in on the deal. At first I was insulted thinking that I'm not a senior... but then I had no place to walk at the time and I wanted to walk in doors where the threat of slippery ice was not a consideration... Fit For Life classes are mostly walking. And so it began.

I haven't been going to exercise class since the Renovation began.... my life was not fit for exercise but instead my life was fit for renovations. But since Fit For Life classes are beginning again and the weather is beginning it's tumble into depressing cold I thought I had better start the year off right. And so I am hoping to be Fit For Life.... well at least fitter for life.

I walked my a-- off today and did a little kick boxing and some weights.... how about that! Now my back has not been the fittest for years and so it is putting up its own protest. I will need a shower preferably HOT, and then I will need to sleep.... yeah that is a good remedy. Argh!

Back To School

Yesterday Hubby and the girls got up after a nasty lack-of-sleep night and headed off to the great institution of education. Let me tell you the reaction was diverse as usual. Daughter #1 was not impressed and Daughter #2 was excited and Hubby... well he was just his usual annoying self. Me I'm not sure how I felt. I think I was sad to see my girls go off for another year knowing that they are one more year closer to graduation.

The day started with it's normal fiasco self. I had to go to the shed to find something for Daughter #1, who was having difficulty getting herself motivated to get out of bed, and discovered that Hubby had forgotten to close the shed door and Duff (that's the big outdoor dog) who has been having trouble with the back door trots, had gotten into a bag of garbage and there was garbage everywhere. I gingerly stepped over the garbage and thought Hubby can clean this up since he left the door open. Just then two chickens tried to scurry past but in their panic they slammed into my legs in a last ditch effort to reach the safety of the outdoors beyond my legs. All I could think was, "Great! Chicken poo on everything." But as luck should have it I must have caught them early enough that there was no chicken poo to clean up except for one blob by the door. (I knew they were up to something).

Back in the loonie bin... uuuh... I mean house, everyone was up as Hubby had started to sing in a falsetto voice very loud, "Oh What A Beautiful Morning"!!!! I gave a sigh and started getting breakfast. Daughter #2 came down first with a big smile as she had been anticipating the first day of school and couldn't wait to get there so she could see all her friends again. Then Hubby came down and started annoying everyone who was up.... last came Daughter #1 with a sour look on her face and the worst possible cloths on. She had on jeans the were too small and showed the crack of her hind quarters and an old jacket the didn't meet the top of her jeans and had a stain on one boob. Her head looked like it had never seen a comb. Ok... how to bring up the topic of her appearance without having all hell break loose???

Mom: "Um sweetheart, you are not wearing those jeans to school and your top is dirty. Where's the nice new clothes I bought you last spring?"
Daughter #1: You never bought me any pants... just culottes. I'm not wearing culottes to school."
Mom: "I thought I had bought you nice pants! And I know I bought you nice tops."
Daughter #2: "Yeah she got you that nice red one... I'll lend you some jeans or pants if you want."
Daughter #1: "grunt!"

Breakfast was eaten with a barrage of conversation about the nasty dreams they had all had about the first day of school. I only wished I had slept at all... which I didn't by the way. (certainly to God the werewolf thing should be over by now... we are almost at half a moon!) Finally we got Daughter #1 sorted out with her clothes... and she is right. She does need some jeans. One more thing that I have to put on my list of things to get. Argh!

We went out on "My Deck" and took the obligatory first day of school pictures and everyone put on false smiles.... and then we headed off to town. Here's what they look like...



Afterwards I asked the girls to pose the way that wanted to that would show how they felt about the first day of school. Here are those pictures....



When we got to the school, Hubby gave me a kiss and headed into work. Daughter #2 gave me a kiss and headed off to stand by the door until the school door opened. I saw her as I pulled away towering over all the elementary kids. Looking very grown up. Daughter #1 gave me a kiss and said, "Mom, should I take my binder with me or just leave it behind? We aren't going to need it today since it is just a half day."

At this point I realized that Daughter #1 was nervous. You see, this was the first day for her entering the high school end of the school. She didn't really know what was ahead and she was looking for a way to prolong her life in a safe zone (our truck) before stepping off the abyss into a world of the unknown. Daughter #1 has never been the most adventuresome kid on the block and so just changing the entry which you go into the school and having a different way of doing things has the power to overwhelm her.

I gave her a hug and said, "take your binder it will give you something to do with your hands while you wait and then when they assign you a locker you can leave it there and that's one less thing you have to take with you tomorrow". She got out of the truck squared her shoulders and, I called out as she walked away... "Have a good day." I pulled away from the curb and as I drove away I saw a lovely young lady with black dress pants and a red top holding her binders under her arm enter the front door of the school and thought I can't believe my little girl is so grown up.

Why can't I stop them from getting any older, and from growing up..... it's just not fair!

When I returned to pick them up later in the morning, Daughter #2 was still towering over everyone in the elementary end.... she is starting to tower over everyone in the whole school. She looks very grown up but at least she still acts like a kid.

Hubby was grinning as usual. I think he is looking forward to getting back to the grind as 'renovations' has become his new dirty word.

Daughter #1 was opening her locker.... and helping her friend open hers since she was having trouble. I asked her how it all went and she looked at me very disdainfully, "Mom, you worry too much. It was fine... except I have to have gym class with my sister."

I thought if that's the worse thing that could happen then I can breathe a sigh of relief.

I hope they will do me proud. Most important of all is that I come through this with well adjusted, happy girls. Of course 'As' are always welcome too.

I wish I could have had the camera close though because I will never forget the image of that tall girl by the entry door towering over the little kids and the lovely young lady in red with the binders under her arm, getting the door held open for her by some fellow with a back pack slung over his shoulder.

Where did my little girls go?

It Good To Be Alive #42

It is good to be alive...
when you have been having a well earned sleep in and a noise wakes you up and you realize that it is Geese flying over and your window is open so you can hear them really well. You turn your head and you see your Hubby (or wifey) heard them too and is now having the exact same reaction as you. You grin at him (her) and doze off holding hands, for another few well earned moments of snooze time.

Moon In My Room

Daughter #1 has a moon in her room. It is pretty cool actually. She got this nifty moon for Christmas last year and basically it is a model of the moon with a light behind it. When you turn it on the moon moves from crescent to quarter to half to quarter and then back to crescent again. It is surprisingly realistic. She looks at it nightly before going to sleep and eventually it turns itself off. I can't understand why anyone would want the full moon in their room....

The werewolf syndrome is hard upon me. Last night was the full moon and once again I couldn't sleep. I checked my back this morning to see if I had any hair growing there, but I couldn't see very well! I sat at the computer last night and stared at that huge honkin' white globe in the sky. It was lovely and the blue cast of shadow and light was affecting everyone, even the alpacas who were fighting at midnight and got the scare of their lives when Duffy, our big outdoor dog, went running to investigate what all the squealing was about. It disturbed me at the computer, and I went to see too. Once everyone had settled back down, I was seriously tempted to go out and light a fire in the fireplace on the deck, and sit in that blue light for all of eternity. But somehow I just didn't have the energy. That's what a full moon does to me. It makes me not able to sleep but meanwhile my body needs rest. So I'm not sleepy buy I am tired.

Hubby and I have been at it hammer and tongs all week, especially Hubby. He has finished all of the paneling in Daughter #2's room and is currently working on our room. Last night I helped him finish the ceiling in our room. Today we will carry on with the ceiling in our upstairs bathroom and then out over the stairs. Once we have this done then we will work on the walls in our bedroom. There is a little plumbing to be done and then we have to wait till payday to buy some more materials. But it is good to see progress.

Hubby and the girls are back to school on Tuesday. We are gearing up and nobody is happy. We are all grouchy and cranky. We snap at each other for the most stupid reasons. Somehow we can't seem to help ourselves. How can the summer be over that soon? It doesn't seem possible.

I've had very little time to blog this week, but one of the things I had to do was to go to the dentist and while I was in that town I went shopping for the Daughters school supplies. It is hard to buy things for school because it just makes everything that much more real.

The dentist did save my tooth and now I have this very smooth white lump in the back where there was a nasty hole. He drilled and hammered and grinded and generally did nasty things and I thought I would be there forever. Let me tell you my knuckles will never be the same. They are permanently white from the stress of it all. But the most embarrassing thing happened while I was on that chair.... I had to pee. No I didn't wet my pants. But OH MY GOD did I ever come close. I left the house early in the morning and never drank any tea or anything at all for that matter as I was seriously scared of this very possibility. I invariably ended up peeing in one of those desperate "find the bathroom quick" scenarios. I seriously thought I had it under control, because, when I first got there after driving an hour, I politely took off my coat and hung it up then asked where their bathroom was. I knew I should pee as it was grossly early in the morning when I left home. The receptionist was polite about it and gave me the key and told me their bathroom was down the hall. I was back in short order and I waited with Daughter #1 who was there to have her teeth cleaned and get a referral for the orthodontist. She got called first and I went in 45 minutes later, but I felt pretty good. There were no fore warnings that the bathroom would be calling me in short order.

The dentist got down to it right away. Now, I am claustrophobic and I hate dentists chairs and I can't stand those nasty contraptions that look like they are a mini rubber hammock that they hook over your mouth to keep chunks of tooth falling down your throat. But there I lay in an uncomfortable position with a little blue sheet over my mouth and my mouth stretched open so wide that the dentist could have driven a bulldozer in there! Then slowly I started to notice that there was a definite uncomfortable full feeling in the bladder region. OH NO! I was sure I would be in that dratted chair for another eon and I needed to pee. I crossed my legs and my knuckles began to turn whiter as I was determined to outlast the dentist. 15 minutes went by and then another 15 and then every minute after that felt like one of the ages from J.R. Tolkien's Lord Of The Rings (which we have just watched on TV these last few free nights of summer vacation). Finally I admitted defeat and raised my right hand to the dentist indicating that I needed a sec. I managed to say "bathroom" which sounded more like "atoom" but he got the picture... That's when I discovered the evil mindedness of dentists. The bugger wouldn't let me up to go.... he said, "I'm almost done." I felt like saying, "so am I", but I didn't. No matter it would have been really embarrassing to walk down the hall with the rubber sheet draped over my mouth and my mouth open wide enough to drive a bulldozer in.

The dentist finished but by then I was cross eyed and my Uvula was floating. I wonder if he noticed? I hopped out of that chair, let me tell you and passed the receptionist, grabbing the key off the hook at a run. I couldn't get the annoying key in the lock of the bathroom door fast enough, and worse I thought I wasn't going to get my pants down fast enough either. Daughter #1 thought there was something wrong with me as I passed her so fast too....

Anyway, that is the kind of thing that happens when the moon is waxing. This week the moon is waning.... hmm... I wonder if things will go wrong or right.