I'm at it again. Sometimes I think I am a true freak! I looked around me on the weekend and decided that my house was not in a satisfactory situation. So I started moving furniture around. Part of the problem is the almighty holiday coming in the near future. I don't have anywhere to put the Christmas tree. I don't know why this is a problem.... Daughter #2 says we should just hang it from the ceiling.... I think that is what got me. She's making jokes about the tree and I'm frustrated up to the gills. I have space for the new furniture whenever we decide to get that and everything else in the living room will fit nicely except the tree. I could put it under the steps but then we are limited on how big a tree we can have and sometimes when you're out tramping the bush for a Christmas tree you don't always have a choice on the size of the tree. I just like to have all the bases covered. There have been times when we have had to cut off portions of our tree to the point where there's not a whole lot left. So because of a tree I am once again rearranging everything. Sheesh!
In other news.... I slept all night.... without waking up.... like 8 hours of sleep... that's completely unheard of you know!
I think I'd better go chase away a few of those dust bunnies that are threatening my ankles again. I think they are p----d off because I'm moving their hidey holes!
Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go.....
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Work
I worked hard this weekend and now I am pooped. I got the newsletter finished for the PCSW.... I managed to get a service prepped for today. I prepped an agenda for a meeting. did the service this morning and had the meeting right after. I also painted the door for my bedroom and Hubby hung it and now after 8 years Hubby and I have a truly private room. All along Hubby and I only had a curtain for a door but now we have a real pine door hung up and it slides and it is lovely. (Can you tell I'm excited?) With all the work that has been going on this weekend I have had no time to write here. For that, I apologize to those of you who are wondering what is going on. Anyway I'm so tired tonight that I am going to make this a short blog entry and then I'm heading off to bed at which time I will probably lie there and think about what to write tomorrow.
ZZZZZZ...... oh sorry, I dozed off..... Good night!
ZZZZZZ...... oh sorry, I dozed off..... Good night!
Friday, November 27, 2009
Icicles
We have loads of icicles hanging from the roof of our house. With the slope of our house having changed from a very steep 45 degree angle, to a less steep angle of about 25 degrees, we now have the problem of snow taking its own slow time to making its way to the ground and while that has some drawbacks it also has some interesting positives. One of the drawbacks is of course the added weight of the snow to the roof of the house. I think that the roof is still steep enough that the snow will not hang up too long, but I do watch the load. The interesting thing is the really cool formations of snow as the snow slides down the tin roof and hangs over the edge of the roof sometimes as much as two feet before it finally lets go with a huge "thunk" and drops to the roof below or to the ground. I've been watching the process for a couple of days now because temperatures outside have decided to warm, and while we had a quite warm day yesterday, after dark everything cooled down and froze up. The slow progress of the snow sliding off the roof came to a complete standstill and huge hanging drapes of snow stopped sliding and remained suspended in an effort to reach the ground. As it cooled, the snow that melted, from this drape of snow began to form icicles and we have had some really interesting ones. On the North side of the house as the snow slid down the roof it began to curl under and as it did so the icicles that had formed decided to point in a horizontal manner rather than a vertical manner. It has all been quite fascinating to watch. Here are a few pictures for you to look at....
Looking out the upstairs North side window.
Ice formation with flash
Same ice formation without flash.
Looking out the upstairs North side window.
Ice formation with flash
Same ice formation without flash.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Temperature Inversion
I live in a river valley. It is quite a large river that runs through my valley and there are steep banks on each side of the river. So it is a deep river valley. This valley has an odd phenomena that occurs. Sometimes we wake up and this valley is filled with smoke. It is not smoke from natural sources that fills this valley but smoke from the wood stoves of thousands of houses and dwellings in the valley. Because this valley is so deep sometimes we get a temperature inversion which is to say that the smoke stays close to the ground because there's no up down movement of the air. On days when there is a temperature inversion it is really hard to breath when you step outside your door. On those days smoke is everywhere in the air.
Today is a day with a temp. inversion and it is really hard to breath out there. Basically it is smog... air pollution that causes asthmatics to stay indoors. I am not an asthmatic but I do find breathing on a day like this really hard. More and more I am thinking that geo-thermal technology and solar heating is the way of the future. Hubby and I live with a forced air furnace that runs on propane. We accepted that because that is what our house came with. It was the system that was in place when we bought this house but lately we have been looking at alternative energy sources. Primarily, we are looking at solar power but friends of ours have recently put in a geo-thermal heating system. Both come with a high price tag and while we cannot afford either type of alternative energy our hope is that eventually we will be on a system that uses both. That is not to say that we will stop using hydro power but that we may be able to cut out our propane use altogether and lower our hydro use as well.
We are middle aged and we are still establishing ourselves financially. It will not be easy to make the switch. But our long term goal is to do just that. What bothers me and frustrates me is that the government of Canada and B.C. don't make it more accessible to everyone. There should be huge rebates for those who are willing to put out the money for expensive technology to use cheaper and more world friendly energy. I won't lecture here about the dismal policies Canada has for energy. You can go to any number of green blogs to get that. But keep it in mind that this little family in this remote region of the world takes issue with thoughtless usage of this world's energy. See that picture of the beautiful blue planet in the post from yesterday? Well I for one want to continue to live on a planet that is blue.... and not red or brown like the planets that have nothing growing on them and not grey like the lifeless moon.
Today is a day with a temp. inversion and it is really hard to breath out there. Basically it is smog... air pollution that causes asthmatics to stay indoors. I am not an asthmatic but I do find breathing on a day like this really hard. More and more I am thinking that geo-thermal technology and solar heating is the way of the future. Hubby and I live with a forced air furnace that runs on propane. We accepted that because that is what our house came with. It was the system that was in place when we bought this house but lately we have been looking at alternative energy sources. Primarily, we are looking at solar power but friends of ours have recently put in a geo-thermal heating system. Both come with a high price tag and while we cannot afford either type of alternative energy our hope is that eventually we will be on a system that uses both. That is not to say that we will stop using hydro power but that we may be able to cut out our propane use altogether and lower our hydro use as well.
We are middle aged and we are still establishing ourselves financially. It will not be easy to make the switch. But our long term goal is to do just that. What bothers me and frustrates me is that the government of Canada and B.C. don't make it more accessible to everyone. There should be huge rebates for those who are willing to put out the money for expensive technology to use cheaper and more world friendly energy. I won't lecture here about the dismal policies Canada has for energy. You can go to any number of green blogs to get that. But keep it in mind that this little family in this remote region of the world takes issue with thoughtless usage of this world's energy. See that picture of the beautiful blue planet in the post from yesterday? Well I for one want to continue to live on a planet that is blue.... and not red or brown like the planets that have nothing growing on them and not grey like the lifeless moon.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
I Live On Earth
WOW! I think we should be glad to live somewhere so beautiful. Now if we could just take care of it !
Monday, November 23, 2009
Technology Is Like A Sloth
I volunteer. Quite a bit. I volunteer at the local church as a lay reader. I volunteer as the chair person for the Junior Canadian Rangers here in our town. I volunteer a the local spinning and weaving guild as the the president. I volunteer at the spinning and weaving guild in a nearby city as the secretary and I volunteer with the regional guild as the newsletter editor. Beside keeping two of my own blogs I keep a blog for the NPSW and soon I will be keeping a blog/newsletter for the PCSW. I'm helping my two children to sporadically keep their own blogs and I'm starting a blog for the youth group at the church. I do quite a bit of writing all in all. I spend a lot of time on the computer. People are starting to get upset that they can never reach me by phone because I'm still on dial up and what should take minutes sometimes takes hours.... I want high speed internet and I'm starting to get p---- off that high speed is really really expensive in my neck of the woods.
I mean internet has been around for quite a while now and you would think that after all theses years the techy companies that provide internet service would get it together enough to make a killing in the backwoods. NOOOOOO that is not the way. When I moved to this wonderful little town not quite 13 years ago they still had party lines..... like if that is not the dark ages I don't know what is. I only had to dial the last four digits in any number and I could call anyone in this town. Then about eight years ago out went the party lines and in came the regular lines then about seven years ago they made it mandatory to dial all seven digits and then about two years ago they made it mandatory to dial all ten digits. Meanwhile we linger in this lovely part of the country with antiquated technology. I mean you can get cell service in and around this little town but go 15 miles to the east or west and poof!!! no cell service. So Hubby and I are debating.... do we drop our land line and stick with cell and then get satelite service for the computer? Or do we tough it out with the tried and true dial up...... hmmmm!
What would you do?
I mean internet has been around for quite a while now and you would think that after all theses years the techy companies that provide internet service would get it together enough to make a killing in the backwoods. NOOOOOO that is not the way. When I moved to this wonderful little town not quite 13 years ago they still had party lines..... like if that is not the dark ages I don't know what is. I only had to dial the last four digits in any number and I could call anyone in this town. Then about eight years ago out went the party lines and in came the regular lines then about seven years ago they made it mandatory to dial all seven digits and then about two years ago they made it mandatory to dial all ten digits. Meanwhile we linger in this lovely part of the country with antiquated technology. I mean you can get cell service in and around this little town but go 15 miles to the east or west and poof!!! no cell service. So Hubby and I are debating.... do we drop our land line and stick with cell and then get satelite service for the computer? Or do we tough it out with the tried and true dial up...... hmmmm!
What would you do?
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Sunrise
This morning I woke late. It was almost 8:30 a.m. when I finally opened my eyes. It is still dark where I live at 8:30 a.m. in the morning. But it is just starting to get light. I got up and came downstairs and looked out my window and had a cup of tea. While I was checking out the daily news online, I watched the approach of the sun as it lightened the sky and eventually came over the horizon. What a beautiful scene that lay before me. I had the presence of thought to jump up and grab the camera.
This is one of the reasons why I love to live in the North country. There is a different light here. In summer, when daylight lasts almost 24 hours, the light is rich with colour. It is like things are more brilliant.... like colour is trying to embed itself in our memories and it only has so much time. But as summer fades into fall and fall fades into winter, the colours are more subtle. Shades of grey are enhanced by soft pastel hues. The further south I go, the more intense colour is in the fall and winter and the less brilliant those colours are in the summer. I think it is addictive. The longer I live in the North, the more I want to live in the North. The longer that I've been away from the south the less I want to live in the south.
I believe that it was in Pride and Prejudice that Jane Austen coined the words "wildness and artifice are captured in the North country". I believe this to be true. My first experience of the North was a trip to the Yukon with Hubby before the Daughters were born some 15 yrs ago. We drove the Deace/Casier highway. I had never experienced such a wild unpopulated region of the earth in my life. If only there could be a part of the planet that has not known man. If only you could look up at the skies and not see the vapour trail of an airplane. If only you could walk the face of this planet and see no signs of people.
If I could choose anywhere on the earth to take a trip I would not choose the warmer climated regions of this planet I would pick the unconventional North. Further up and further in, as C. S. Lewis said. That to me is the place to be. Away where no one can see me and better still where I can see no one. Where I have unlimited time and opportunity to see raw nature. What a breath of fresh air.
But for the time being the pastel sky from my deck on a pleasant Sunday morning will have to do.
This is one of the reasons why I love to live in the North country. There is a different light here. In summer, when daylight lasts almost 24 hours, the light is rich with colour. It is like things are more brilliant.... like colour is trying to embed itself in our memories and it only has so much time. But as summer fades into fall and fall fades into winter, the colours are more subtle. Shades of grey are enhanced by soft pastel hues. The further south I go, the more intense colour is in the fall and winter and the less brilliant those colours are in the summer. I think it is addictive. The longer I live in the North, the more I want to live in the North. The longer that I've been away from the south the less I want to live in the south.
I believe that it was in Pride and Prejudice that Jane Austen coined the words "wildness and artifice are captured in the North country". I believe this to be true. My first experience of the North was a trip to the Yukon with Hubby before the Daughters were born some 15 yrs ago. We drove the Deace/Casier highway. I had never experienced such a wild unpopulated region of the earth in my life. If only there could be a part of the planet that has not known man. If only you could look up at the skies and not see the vapour trail of an airplane. If only you could walk the face of this planet and see no signs of people.
If I could choose anywhere on the earth to take a trip I would not choose the warmer climated regions of this planet I would pick the unconventional North. Further up and further in, as C. S. Lewis said. That to me is the place to be. Away where no one can see me and better still where I can see no one. Where I have unlimited time and opportunity to see raw nature. What a breath of fresh air.
But for the time being the pastel sky from my deck on a pleasant Sunday morning will have to do.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Evening
The sun has just set and the crescent moon is beautiful. I thought I should take a picture of what I can see from my window. It is a beautiful sky this evening and I would have to say that if I could capture this moment with the sky yellow on the horizon fading out to a greenish blue and then blue and then dark blue with that beautiful yellow crescent dangling above the edge of the horizon and put it in a bottle, I wouldn't mind being a genie. The snow is a royal blue too with all the dark trees standing quietly with their branches laden with blue snow. It looks like I am looking through a blue wine bottle and all the world has become Picasso's blue period. Lovely and sad and cold all at the same time.
There is beauty to be found almost everywhere you go. Even the most desolate places on earth will portray a certain sense of beauty... you just have to be open to looking at things with an clear eye. I look out my window every day as I sit here writing, and I can always find at least one beautiful thing. I am lucky to live in a world where beauty is so abundant that it is often taken for granted. I walk in the forest to the west of my house and am pleased to find mushroom of such astounding beauty that it could make you cry at the thought of such delicacy. At lichens that are so fragile that one bootstep can destroy it for 100 years. There are so many exquisite things to look at in this life that there is hardly time to enjoy it all.
The sky always has something of interest to look at. Next time you have the opportunity to look at a raging tempest sky, or a peaceful puffy cloud sky, or an blue winter crescent moon sky, do so, I guarantee that you won't be sorry. All you have to do is look up and you can see the glorious beauty of a boundless sky displayed in its awesome splendor. What's even nicer is that you can even see the beauty of the sky in a city.
For those of us who have the privilege of living in the country, it is not only the sky that grants us the wonderful pleasure of a glorious display, but the feather formations of frost, the golden hues of leaves and grasses in the fall, the chartreuse green of the early spring buds, the velvety softness of a caterpillar crawling along the ground. I can go on and on because luckily there is no end to the beauty that I find daily just living right where I do. How lucky I am....
The sun has set and still that crescent moon shines down from the now dark sky. I wonder if you see it where you are.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Random
So I need to whine a little more. I'm allergic to my puffer. My tongue hurts. I'm wheezing in the chest. I have a bad back. And I broke my mouse.
I thought mice were quiet and non-troublesome creaatures. Seems not these days at Nicholsville West Farm. My mouse is broken... well sort of. My mouse fell on the floor yesterday when I was moving furniture and a large piece of wood fell on it and so now it only works when I hold it up in the air a squeeze it. I can get the curser to move on the screen normally but it won't click on anything without me having to squeeze it. (Ha I bet you thought I was talking about a real mouse.) So here I sit move and lift and squeeze every time I want to do anything. And let me tell you it is not easy to click and drag something from one place to another. I want a new mooouuussseee!
My tongue hurts because I am having a reaction to my puffer.... at least I think that is the problem.... Hubby says my tongue is hurting because I talk too much! I think he is just miffed because he wants to hunt and I want my house fixed up before the dreaded event (that would be Christmas)! Meanwhile my tongue is severely limited in what it can do (like taste anything)! Get your mind out of the gutter people!!!
I went upstairs a little while ago to lie down for my get over H1N1 nap and while I was lying there I kept hearing an odd wheezing sound.... I thought it might be the cat that has taken to sleeping in my closet. (It gives new meaning to 'coming out of the closet") So I went to investigate however, the wheezing stopped. So then I went to lie down again and the wheezing started up again. It was me wheezing!!! Oh no! I can't go on medication again. My tongue is too sore. So I will take over the counter cough syrop to combat this cough which I thought I was almost over... but nooooo.... its going to linger a little longer. Try coughing with a sore tongue and a bad back... no picnic I assure you.
OK I'm done whining now.
I thought mice were quiet and non-troublesome creaatures. Seems not these days at Nicholsville West Farm. My mouse is broken... well sort of. My mouse fell on the floor yesterday when I was moving furniture and a large piece of wood fell on it and so now it only works when I hold it up in the air a squeeze it. I can get the curser to move on the screen normally but it won't click on anything without me having to squeeze it. (Ha I bet you thought I was talking about a real mouse.) So here I sit move and lift and squeeze every time I want to do anything. And let me tell you it is not easy to click and drag something from one place to another. I want a new mooouuussseee!
My tongue hurts because I am having a reaction to my puffer.... at least I think that is the problem.... Hubby says my tongue is hurting because I talk too much! I think he is just miffed because he wants to hunt and I want my house fixed up before the dreaded event (that would be Christmas)! Meanwhile my tongue is severely limited in what it can do (like taste anything)! Get your mind out of the gutter people!!!
I went upstairs a little while ago to lie down for my get over H1N1 nap and while I was lying there I kept hearing an odd wheezing sound.... I thought it might be the cat that has taken to sleeping in my closet. (It gives new meaning to 'coming out of the closet") So I went to investigate however, the wheezing stopped. So then I went to lie down again and the wheezing started up again. It was me wheezing!!! Oh no! I can't go on medication again. My tongue is too sore. So I will take over the counter cough syrop to combat this cough which I thought I was almost over... but nooooo.... its going to linger a little longer. Try coughing with a sore tongue and a bad back... no picnic I assure you.
OK I'm done whining now.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Clean-up
The renovation Gods do not like Hubby and I. We have come to the conclusion that they hate us. Hubby is cursing loudly because he is putting a panel in our bathroom and for some reason he cannot cut a piece of paneling without making a mistake. Measuring seems to be the problem. He says there is something wrong with his measuring tape. I am hiding because I'm afraid that I might get hit with a randomly flying measuring tape or hammer or something.
I'm afraid it is all my fault.... that and Scrooge's fault. It is my fault because I got it into my stupid head this past spring that putting up a 4' x 8' piece of paneling would be easier than cutting a whole pile of tongue and groove boards. This, by all the cursing that's going on, is not true. I am really wishing that back in the spring when we decided on what we wanted on the walls I had stuck with the tried and true tongue and groove wood. It is Scrooge's fault because Christmas is coming and that's always a threat to Hubby because he knows that I will want stuff done to the house to make it look nice for the most dreadful season of the year. Did I say that? Naaaa couldn't be me putting Christmas down!
I didn't go to Knit Night. I pulled out my back moving furniture around... (see above regarding Christmas preparations)! I'm most disgusted because for the next few days I will have to take all kinds of meds to get rid of my bad back while I could be spinning in my newly neatened and tidied studio. Argh! That's not fair... whine, whine, whine...
It was a day to clean up in the office/studio/dining room.
It looks much better now and I can find everything.
I was spinning more cotton... I've really enjoyed spinning on my charkha.
I actually have a little ball of ginned cotton done. It is full of stuff like husks and sticks but still it was fun. Now I am working on organic cotton in a natural beige.
Lovely. I like to get my hands on some of that lovely green organic cotton and then some say you can get a natural blue cotton... I guess I will have to do an internet search on cottons.
It's snowing again (see the eight inches of snow on the table on "My Deck"??)
and while we had a couple of days to enjoy the winter sunshine, I think this time we will not only get the snow, but the reason that I hate winter so much, that would be the horribly cold temperatures. When it gets to -20 degrees C I want to crawl into a warm bed and hibernate. It is definitely a wintery day here with a wind chill of -18 degrees. Brrr! I'd be perfectly happy with winter days if we could have snow and temperatures of +5 degrees C. But with icicles hanging from the eves on the house and near white out conditions I am happy to be home thinking up things to do for Hubby over the weekend..... maybe I can get him cursing again on the paneling!
I'm afraid it is all my fault.... that and Scrooge's fault. It is my fault because I got it into my stupid head this past spring that putting up a 4' x 8' piece of paneling would be easier than cutting a whole pile of tongue and groove boards. This, by all the cursing that's going on, is not true. I am really wishing that back in the spring when we decided on what we wanted on the walls I had stuck with the tried and true tongue and groove wood. It is Scrooge's fault because Christmas is coming and that's always a threat to Hubby because he knows that I will want stuff done to the house to make it look nice for the most dreadful season of the year. Did I say that? Naaaa couldn't be me putting Christmas down!
I didn't go to Knit Night. I pulled out my back moving furniture around... (see above regarding Christmas preparations)! I'm most disgusted because for the next few days I will have to take all kinds of meds to get rid of my bad back while I could be spinning in my newly neatened and tidied studio. Argh! That's not fair... whine, whine, whine...
It was a day to clean up in the office/studio/dining room.
It looks much better now and I can find everything.I was spinning more cotton... I've really enjoyed spinning on my charkha.
I actually have a little ball of ginned cotton done. It is full of stuff like husks and sticks but still it was fun. Now I am working on organic cotton in a natural beige.
Lovely. I like to get my hands on some of that lovely green organic cotton and then some say you can get a natural blue cotton... I guess I will have to do an internet search on cottons.It's snowing again (see the eight inches of snow on the table on "My Deck"??)
and while we had a couple of days to enjoy the winter sunshine, I think this time we will not only get the snow, but the reason that I hate winter so much, that would be the horribly cold temperatures. When it gets to -20 degrees C I want to crawl into a warm bed and hibernate. It is definitely a wintery day here with a wind chill of -18 degrees. Brrr! I'd be perfectly happy with winter days if we could have snow and temperatures of +5 degrees C. But with icicles hanging from the eves on the house and near white out conditions I am happy to be home thinking up things to do for Hubby over the weekend..... maybe I can get him cursing again on the paneling!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Spinning Cotton
I started spinning on my Bosworth Charka today. I was spinning ginned cotton. I can't wait till I get my cotton cards because I want to try spinning carded cotton... I'm sure it will be a whole lot easier to spin ginned cotton if it has been combed into punis (long tubes of cotton carded and then rolled into little tubes). My charka, which I bought last year for my birthday gift (yes I bought my own birthday gift.... Hubby would never have gotten me a charka), has been staring at me all week making me want to spin cotton on it. I finally got my wool off the Navajo spindle and frankly I think my first sample is the best sample. Anyway... I digress again... I have spun a nice amount of ginned cotton on the charka this afternoon and honestly I'm fairly pleased with the results. I had to use a park and draft method to spin the cotton and pick out tons of sticks and husks and bits of stuff and the results are somewhat slubby but considering that I didn't card the cotton at all I'm very pleased that I was able to spin the fibre at all. The ginned cotton was cotton that I got last year at Olds College. A gentleman in the next level was giving ginned cotton away and how could I turn down a freeby. It is nicer than the cotton that our instructor gave us though as I said full of "stuff". I managed to fill a spool... mind you the spools on the charka are not all that big though I think they are meant for finer spinning than mine. The stuff I spun would probably be equal to a single of a medium weight crochet cotton so I thought that was not too shabby considering that I really haven't spun much on the charka and certainly not cotton.
Last year after I bought my charka I gave it a whirl with a small sample of cotton that came with the machine. I didn't really enjoy it so I thought in order to get used to the machine first, I would try something in protein fibre with a short staple. I had a bag of Yak and so began a little trial and error with that fibre. When I had spun two spools, I set it aside and really didn't pick it up again till this afternoon. So considering my lack of experience I think I am doing ok. I can see that spinning on the charka could become a very relaxing pass time. I sat at the table, which is now in the south facing sunroom, and spun while the afternoon sun sunk lower and lower into the sky. With all the snow that is outside my window, and the setting sun it was quite spectacular. All purple and blue and pink. Who would think that a gal in the north would be sitting spinning cotton, a plant that thrives in heat.
I just planted my cotton seeds and I hope they will germinate here in my sunroom. We will see how this experiment works. It is quite a nice warm room and has lovely sunshine all day. But then there is very little light as the days get shorter. Right now I am receiving about eight hours of light a day and there is still a month before the shortest day. The cotton may not do well in these conditions.... oh well I guess it is worth a try. The soil is free and so were the seeds.
I have decided to buy two sets of cotton cards in the end. The first set of cotton cards that I bought are Ashford cards and I will use them for blending cotton and the second set of cards are from the Woolery they are made by the Howard Brush Company. The Ashford cards will be here hopefully by the end of the week but the Howard Brush cards won't be here for another couple of weeks. I may keep the Howard Brush cards for Christmas.Hubby never kows what to buy for me so I buy and he wraps. For now though I spinning cotton uncarded... so there.
Last year after I bought my charka I gave it a whirl with a small sample of cotton that came with the machine. I didn't really enjoy it so I thought in order to get used to the machine first, I would try something in protein fibre with a short staple. I had a bag of Yak and so began a little trial and error with that fibre. When I had spun two spools, I set it aside and really didn't pick it up again till this afternoon. So considering my lack of experience I think I am doing ok. I can see that spinning on the charka could become a very relaxing pass time. I sat at the table, which is now in the south facing sunroom, and spun while the afternoon sun sunk lower and lower into the sky. With all the snow that is outside my window, and the setting sun it was quite spectacular. All purple and blue and pink. Who would think that a gal in the north would be sitting spinning cotton, a plant that thrives in heat.
I just planted my cotton seeds and I hope they will germinate here in my sunroom. We will see how this experiment works. It is quite a nice warm room and has lovely sunshine all day. But then there is very little light as the days get shorter. Right now I am receiving about eight hours of light a day and there is still a month before the shortest day. The cotton may not do well in these conditions.... oh well I guess it is worth a try. The soil is free and so were the seeds.
I have decided to buy two sets of cotton cards in the end. The first set of cotton cards that I bought are Ashford cards and I will use them for blending cotton and the second set of cards are from the Woolery they are made by the Howard Brush Company. The Ashford cards will be here hopefully by the end of the week but the Howard Brush cards won't be here for another couple of weeks. I may keep the Howard Brush cards for Christmas.Hubby never kows what to buy for me so I buy and he wraps. For now though I spinning cotton uncarded... so there.
Silent Sentinels
There must be a full moon somewhere close by. I'm awake.... and nobody else is. Like what's that all about? As I was coming downstairs I happened to look out the window. It's been snowing a lot in the last couple of days and the trees are loaded with snow. Right now the street light, that lights the road out in front of our house, is shining on the trees and it really does look like a scene from a Christmas card. All the trees are white. I thought I would call this blog post Silent Sentinels because that is what the trees look like out there.
There have been some exciting developments. First, we are getting new furniture! Hubby and I sat down last night and had a look at our house and decided that it was time to buy a sofa! I was given a second hand couch last year and you can see the results of the reupholstery job I did here and here and here, but when Mudder and Fadder's couch died on them, just before Christmas, I gave them my new old couch on permanent loan. Since that time we haven't really had the need for a sofa since it was only a few months later that Hubby and I started the "Big R" and the house became a complete disaster zone. But things are starting to look better and so it is time to think about Christmas decorating... which means we need a couch. I went online to our handy dandy website for our local furniture stores and started perusing... we found this.
It will match our nice red floor (har har!) Since we are buying a couch we have decided that we had better move things around... (how do you know I'm on the mend????... I start moving furniture!) We now have the office moved over in the sunroom taking up some of my studio space and we have moved the dining room table into where the office was. I would put some pictures here but my camera's batteries need charging and I can't find the charger. I'll try to get on that later.
In addition to that exciting news, we are losing June the chicken.... I couldn't see her so lonely and so we have a friend who will come and take her to their chicken coop to live among the other chickens and roosters..... I think I've had it with chickens. I can think of much better uses for our chicken coop. Hubby suggested that we use the coop for an outhouse.... I'm thinking that might not be such a bad idea. You can never go wrong with a two holer!
The next exciting news, (well... it is to me) Hubby has lost his boot. The snow has become deep enough that it is time to bring out our winter boots and jackets. Hubby went looking for his and can only find one boot in the heep in the shed. He has gone through pretty much everything and can't find the second of his pair. I'm thinking it might be time to buy him a new pair anyway. He has managed to clean up a huge pile of junk in the shed. He will take the pile to the dump but meanwhile where is his boot? I know, just know, that if I buy him new ones he will find the old one the day after. It's Murphy's law you know.
Ok.... I'm getting cold and it is almost 5 a.m. and I'm starting to yawn. I think I've pretty much covered everything anyway so ta ta, I'm off back to bed to warm up and catch a few last zzzzzzzz.
There have been some exciting developments. First, we are getting new furniture! Hubby and I sat down last night and had a look at our house and decided that it was time to buy a sofa! I was given a second hand couch last year and you can see the results of the reupholstery job I did here and here and here, but when Mudder and Fadder's couch died on them, just before Christmas, I gave them my new old couch on permanent loan. Since that time we haven't really had the need for a sofa since it was only a few months later that Hubby and I started the "Big R" and the house became a complete disaster zone. But things are starting to look better and so it is time to think about Christmas decorating... which means we need a couch. I went online to our handy dandy website for our local furniture stores and started perusing... we found this.
It will match our nice red floor (har har!) Since we are buying a couch we have decided that we had better move things around... (how do you know I'm on the mend????... I start moving furniture!) We now have the office moved over in the sunroom taking up some of my studio space and we have moved the dining room table into where the office was. I would put some pictures here but my camera's batteries need charging and I can't find the charger. I'll try to get on that later.
In addition to that exciting news, we are losing June the chicken.... I couldn't see her so lonely and so we have a friend who will come and take her to their chicken coop to live among the other chickens and roosters..... I think I've had it with chickens. I can think of much better uses for our chicken coop. Hubby suggested that we use the coop for an outhouse.... I'm thinking that might not be such a bad idea. You can never go wrong with a two holer!
The next exciting news, (well... it is to me) Hubby has lost his boot. The snow has become deep enough that it is time to bring out our winter boots and jackets. Hubby went looking for his and can only find one boot in the heep in the shed. He has gone through pretty much everything and can't find the second of his pair. I'm thinking it might be time to buy him a new pair anyway. He has managed to clean up a huge pile of junk in the shed. He will take the pile to the dump but meanwhile where is his boot? I know, just know, that if I buy him new ones he will find the old one the day after. It's Murphy's law you know.
Ok.... I'm getting cold and it is almost 5 a.m. and I'm starting to yawn. I think I've pretty much covered everything anyway so ta ta, I'm off back to bed to warm up and catch a few last zzzzzzzz.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
And The Snow Comes Down
It's still snowing and it is hard to tell the sky from the ground. The animals are not happy though they have a barn to hide away in. Instead of going in out of the snow they stand there or lie there and stare at the sky like they have never seen this stuff before. I too look out the window and am astounded at this constant snowfall. It is a lovely day to stay indoors and just read a book. Or weave.... which is what I am doing... I'm weaving on the tri loom today... the small tri loom with the child's poncho. It is looking lovely.
June, the chicken, still lives in the chicken coop but she is all alone and I think she pines for friends. I will probably give her to one of our friends who already has chickens. I hate to see her so lonely. She never lays any eggs.... so sad....
In the house two cats and two dogs snore incessantly... they are happy to have a nice cozy house to sleep in with all this snow. The young cat looks out the window in disgust and heads back upstairs to sleep on Daughter #1's bed, and there he stays till his bladder calls him to go out. But let me tell you it is not long before he is back meowing to come in.
There's a huge chunk of snow about to fall off the roof right past the window that I'm sitting by. I wonder if it will fall soon or just hang there.....
Have a happy wintery day...
June, the chicken, still lives in the chicken coop but she is all alone and I think she pines for friends. I will probably give her to one of our friends who already has chickens. I hate to see her so lonely. She never lays any eggs.... so sad....
In the house two cats and two dogs snore incessantly... they are happy to have a nice cozy house to sleep in with all this snow. The young cat looks out the window in disgust and heads back upstairs to sleep on Daughter #1's bed, and there he stays till his bladder calls him to go out. But let me tell you it is not long before he is back meowing to come in.
There's a huge chunk of snow about to fall off the roof right past the window that I'm sitting by. I wonder if it will fall soon or just hang there.....
Have a happy wintery day...
Monday, November 16, 2009
Reprieve
Today is a day of reprieve. Here I sit with the lovely white grandeur of snow outside my window.
Our company left early this morning and Hubby and the Daughters are back in school. So I am having a peaceful reprieve. I've even written some more poetry which you can read here. With a fairly heavy snowfall accumulating outside it is a good day to think and just be. No one to cook for, no one to appease, all my own, a day of reprieve. The wind is not blowing at least not enough to notice and everything looks quiet and pristine. The sheep and alpacas are bedded down in the quiet too.
Hubby managed to finish putting in the sink in the bathroom downstairs over the weekend and I am wood burning one of my poems onto our bedroom door. It is a poem that I wrote to Hubby a few years back and somehow seems appropriate for our bedroom door. So things are once again progressing on the renovation. It is somewhat slow and maybe even painfully slow, but at least it is progress.
This day of no demands is such a gift. For weeks I have been fighting ear infections and bronchitis and H1N1 and it has taken it's toll. I still am tired all the time but it does seem to be getting better. I do more every day and I am not coughing nearly as much... I think that it's due to the steroids and anti-biotics that I am on the mend. I will stay in much of this week in an effort to get rid of any lingering illness and hopefully that will put me back to my old healthy self. Still a little knitting, spinning and weaving won't hurt and while my motivation to do these things is sadly lacking, I think it is just that I need to do it to be motivated. So for now it is wood burning and poetry but tomorrow it's spinning and weaving.
I never thought I'd say it but thank heavens for this snow.... it's quiet fall to the ground forces me to have this lovely day of reprieve.... there was no twisting my arm I assure you.
Our company left early this morning and Hubby and the Daughters are back in school. So I am having a peaceful reprieve. I've even written some more poetry which you can read here. With a fairly heavy snowfall accumulating outside it is a good day to think and just be. No one to cook for, no one to appease, all my own, a day of reprieve. The wind is not blowing at least not enough to notice and everything looks quiet and pristine. The sheep and alpacas are bedded down in the quiet too. Hubby managed to finish putting in the sink in the bathroom downstairs over the weekend and I am wood burning one of my poems onto our bedroom door. It is a poem that I wrote to Hubby a few years back and somehow seems appropriate for our bedroom door. So things are once again progressing on the renovation. It is somewhat slow and maybe even painfully slow, but at least it is progress.
This day of no demands is such a gift. For weeks I have been fighting ear infections and bronchitis and H1N1 and it has taken it's toll. I still am tired all the time but it does seem to be getting better. I do more every day and I am not coughing nearly as much... I think that it's due to the steroids and anti-biotics that I am on the mend. I will stay in much of this week in an effort to get rid of any lingering illness and hopefully that will put me back to my old healthy self. Still a little knitting, spinning and weaving won't hurt and while my motivation to do these things is sadly lacking, I think it is just that I need to do it to be motivated. So for now it is wood burning and poetry but tomorrow it's spinning and weaving.
I never thought I'd say it but thank heavens for this snow.... it's quiet fall to the ground forces me to have this lovely day of reprieve.... there was no twisting my arm I assure you.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Basic Black
Boom Boom.. out go the lights.... Last night with all that wind we lost the power. We had just finished dinner and whamo everything went black. Out came the candles and the kerosene lamps and we sat around gabbing till 10 p.m. then I think there wasn't much point in staying up and so we all headed for bed. 1:45 a.m. the lights came back on. It was a quiet night here in the house but outside the wind continued to rage until the wee small hours of the morning at which time everything finally settled down and peace was once more restored in the form of a gentle rain..... well except that the rain was freezing rain. Still after all that wind it was a nice quiet reprieve.
Hubby has been hunting but with no luck. The company has picked up a buffalo and are in the shed gutting and cleaning and quartering the meat for the early drive home tomorrow morning. It has been a pleasant chance to catch up with our company and enjoy a bit of a reunion.
Today the weather is just as drab and grey as it has been and some sun would give a much needed lift to the spirits but the forecast is calling for more of the same as this in the next few days so I expect it will be dull for a few days yet. Sunday afternoon is turning out quiet and peaceful which is good I think. I am needing this peaceful day.
I have been back at the triangle loom and working on the child's poncho. It was a welcome diversion and is getting back into wanting to create. I am also thinking about getting those cards out for round 2 with the jacket commission maybe later tonight I will do that.
Right now I'm off for a lazy Sunday snooze!
Hubby has been hunting but with no luck. The company has picked up a buffalo and are in the shed gutting and cleaning and quartering the meat for the early drive home tomorrow morning. It has been a pleasant chance to catch up with our company and enjoy a bit of a reunion.
Today the weather is just as drab and grey as it has been and some sun would give a much needed lift to the spirits but the forecast is calling for more of the same as this in the next few days so I expect it will be dull for a few days yet. Sunday afternoon is turning out quiet and peaceful which is good I think. I am needing this peaceful day.
I have been back at the triangle loom and working on the child's poncho. It was a welcome diversion and is getting back into wanting to create. I am also thinking about getting those cards out for round 2 with the jacket commission maybe later tonight I will do that.
Right now I'm off for a lazy Sunday snooze!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Wind And Ice
Today as I look out the window here at Nicholsville West Farm, the sky is grey and the wind is blowing a gale. The trees are wavering back and forth and somehow everything looks dull and drab. Hubby is off hunting with the "company", Daughter #1 is in the kitchen making cookies for the craft sale next week and Daughter #2 has a friend here for the afternoon. I'm just going to sit here a while and fool around on the computer. I'm not really in any mood to do anything artsie. I think it is the wind.
For days now the wind has been blowing steady and while generally, I don't mind wind, today somehow it seems to be disturbing my peace of mind. Sometimes it sounds like the roof is going to lift off. I remember growing up in Newfoundland, wind was a constant and in those days I would cuddle in my bed at night grateful for a roof over my head and a safe place to hide away from the howling gales that swept the shores of that province. I didn't mind it and listened to the sounds of those gales and passed peacefully into sleep listening to its lullaby.
Now, I hear nothing of those dulcet tones that rocked me to sleep in my youth. Now I hear the constant drone of the wind and think about how I hate to go out in this stormy blast. I wait for the wind to die so that peace of this lovely farm and valley returns once again. I look out the window and see that the wind has swept over the lingering snow and turned everything into a hard packed surface of ice. I dread going out in it because the one thing that I don't like about living here is that the snow is never shoveled to the ground surface below. We also have an unanticipated problem... the snow that falls off the roof falls right into the path that leads from the driveway to the steps. Just this afternoon I went out to pick up Daughter #1 from a horseback riding lesson and when I came home I walked across the uneven ice that has formed on the path and down I went skinning out my knee and ruining a perfectly good pair of jeans! Harrumph!
I would much prefer the soft lovely flakes of snow drifting lazily to the ground on a peaceful hot cocoa day. I could sit and watch those flakes in their hypnotic fall as I knit on my lace gloves or card rolags for my jacket commission. But here I sit with neither hot chocolate, gloves, or hand carders. I just stare at the hard grey sky with thoughts of happier times, and wish for a moment of peace.
For days now the wind has been blowing steady and while generally, I don't mind wind, today somehow it seems to be disturbing my peace of mind. Sometimes it sounds like the roof is going to lift off. I remember growing up in Newfoundland, wind was a constant and in those days I would cuddle in my bed at night grateful for a roof over my head and a safe place to hide away from the howling gales that swept the shores of that province. I didn't mind it and listened to the sounds of those gales and passed peacefully into sleep listening to its lullaby.
Now, I hear nothing of those dulcet tones that rocked me to sleep in my youth. Now I hear the constant drone of the wind and think about how I hate to go out in this stormy blast. I wait for the wind to die so that peace of this lovely farm and valley returns once again. I look out the window and see that the wind has swept over the lingering snow and turned everything into a hard packed surface of ice. I dread going out in it because the one thing that I don't like about living here is that the snow is never shoveled to the ground surface below. We also have an unanticipated problem... the snow that falls off the roof falls right into the path that leads from the driveway to the steps. Just this afternoon I went out to pick up Daughter #1 from a horseback riding lesson and when I came home I walked across the uneven ice that has formed on the path and down I went skinning out my knee and ruining a perfectly good pair of jeans! Harrumph!
I would much prefer the soft lovely flakes of snow drifting lazily to the ground on a peaceful hot cocoa day. I could sit and watch those flakes in their hypnotic fall as I knit on my lace gloves or card rolags for my jacket commission. But here I sit with neither hot chocolate, gloves, or hand carders. I just stare at the hard grey sky with thoughts of happier times, and wish for a moment of peace.
Friday, November 13, 2009
What Am I Going To Blog About
Daughter #2s vote was chocolate.
Daughter #1s vote was Tootsie licking off lip balm and making his tongue silly.
Hubby's vote was windy nights and how hard it is to find a good husband and how lucky I was to do so!!!!!!
I wanted to blog about further renovations to the house and now driveway too. But then I got scared that Hubby would read this and die of a heart attack.
In the end, I was no further ahead. Nothing seemed any good to blog about so.....I think I will tell you about what I want for Christmas... I'm not sure why other than it just popped into my mind.
I really don't want much this year.... I'm really thankful that I feel this way because there are millions out there who will never know what it is like to have enough. Pops (a.k.a. my father) asked me earlier this week what I wanted and I just sat there with a dumb look on my face.
Daughter #1 asked me too and I really didn't know what to say. Then when Daughter #2 asked, I knew that I was a hard person to shop for.
Here's my Christmas list.
Unrealistic....
1. To have the renovations done.
2. A new car.
3. A Golding Loom ($11,000.00... not likely! ever!!)
4. My Christmas decorating done.
5. My Christmas shopping done and enough money to pay for it all.
6. A new driveway so that we don't have to crawl over crunchy snow from the roof of the house to get to the steps.
7. A new puppy (I love puppies!)
More realistic....
8. New boots.
9. New shoes
10. Nice woolen hand knitted socks (preferably lace)
11. Foot cream. (are you noticing a trend here?)
12. A Golding spindle (but not the painted ones)
13. Knitting needles from Knit Picks and the case to hold them.
Wishful thinking....
14. World peace especially between the Muslims, Christians and Jews.
15. For the sponsor children we support and all children to experience enough to eat and good access to medical facilities.
16. No abandoned animals (dogs and cats etc...) starving and with no one to care for them.
17. The end of the Pine Beetle infestation.
18. No more CFC's so that we have a world rich in water and oxygen.
19. The end of Cancer, Heart disease, Alziemer's, and Diabeties
20. A Real Santa Claus (because I'm still a kid at heart!!)
Daughter #1s vote was Tootsie licking off lip balm and making his tongue silly.
Hubby's vote was windy nights and how hard it is to find a good husband and how lucky I was to do so!!!!!!
I wanted to blog about further renovations to the house and now driveway too. But then I got scared that Hubby would read this and die of a heart attack.
In the end, I was no further ahead. Nothing seemed any good to blog about so.....I think I will tell you about what I want for Christmas... I'm not sure why other than it just popped into my mind.
I really don't want much this year.... I'm really thankful that I feel this way because there are millions out there who will never know what it is like to have enough. Pops (a.k.a. my father) asked me earlier this week what I wanted and I just sat there with a dumb look on my face.
Daughter #1 asked me too and I really didn't know what to say. Then when Daughter #2 asked, I knew that I was a hard person to shop for.
Here's my Christmas list.
Unrealistic....
1. To have the renovations done.
2. A new car.
3. A Golding Loom ($11,000.00... not likely! ever!!)
4. My Christmas decorating done.
5. My Christmas shopping done and enough money to pay for it all.
6. A new driveway so that we don't have to crawl over crunchy snow from the roof of the house to get to the steps.
7. A new puppy (I love puppies!)
More realistic....
8. New boots.
9. New shoes
10. Nice woolen hand knitted socks (preferably lace)
11. Foot cream. (are you noticing a trend here?)
12. A Golding spindle (but not the painted ones)
13. Knitting needles from Knit Picks and the case to hold them.
Wishful thinking....
14. World peace especially between the Muslims, Christians and Jews.
15. For the sponsor children we support and all children to experience enough to eat and good access to medical facilities.
16. No abandoned animals (dogs and cats etc...) starving and with no one to care for them.
17. The end of the Pine Beetle infestation.
18. No more CFC's so that we have a world rich in water and oxygen.
19. The end of Cancer, Heart disease, Alziemer's, and Diabeties
20. A Real Santa Claus (because I'm still a kid at heart!!)
Thursday, November 12, 2009
So Company's Coming!!!
September was the end of our house renovation. I knew it would happen and so I put a big push on to get a bunch of things done that last week of summer. Hubby managed to finish the ceiling in our room and the upstairs bathroom and hall over the steps. I ran out of clear coat about mid-week with the intention of getting more. I wrapped up the paint brush and laid it on top of the old paint can and there it has lingered, hardening till solidified till today. Hubby,since then, did manage to get our front door working but has not completed the trim boards around the door. The kitchen does not have the door to the pantry finished nor are my shelves that hold dishes and glasses put back up and as a matter of a fact the shelves are fading and greying in the outdoor sunlight. The downstairs has a working toilet and a tub that is in the right place but not hooked up. There is no sink hooked up either. The mirrored cabinet is not on the wall in the downstairs bathroom and that is just plain laziness since that is just screwing it into place. Either way, the renos have come to a resounding halt. I think we are just too burnt out to do any right now. This week when our company called to say that they were coming I jumped on the opportunity to get us back into action. Mike has been busy each day, in between working and other obligations, to get another panel up in our bedroom and I have clear coated the door for our bedroom. The door is not hanging yet but I'm working on that. I am going out to the shed in a little while and dragging in the mirrored cabinet for the wall in the bathroom and then if my energy doesn't die on me I'm hauling in the shelves for the kitchen. That at least will be a little on my part. Hubby has taken the trim boards for around the front door to plane them on the planer at work, and hopefully they will go up tonight. Every little bit helps. Here are a few pictures to see our progress.
Bathroom vanity still a mess with no sink in yet. the sink is still in the box.
There still needs to be paneling put up behind the toilet in the downstairs bathroom.
The tub is in place but not hooked up and the paneling needs to be done here to cover in the plumbing... if it ever gets finished.
Yes, the pantry door is not in and there isn't even a framing board to attach it too anyway!
Temporary table in corner and stool. Notice that there are no shelves above the the table and stool.
The sunroom/studio is still a mess. Notice there is still paneling to be done, flooring to be done and ceiling to be done.
The electrical box is still exposed and waiting for the next round of electrical renovations.
The front door still needs the trim to be done.
Our bedroom door is not in yet but Hubby only put up the paneling yesterday and notice we still have paneling to do at the top.
Around the door to the balcony there is still a lot of work to be done. The closet is in but there are no doors to it and the top is not on. Two whole wall have to be paneled and the bathroom has no paneling at all.
There is still a lot of work but I'm not pushing the issue. I figure if I can get a little done every month then Hubby won't hate me for nagging but it eventually will get finished.
I just hope the company won't mind the mess and lack of privacy.
Bathroom vanity still a mess with no sink in yet. the sink is still in the box.
There still needs to be paneling put up behind the toilet in the downstairs bathroom.
The tub is in place but not hooked up and the paneling needs to be done here to cover in the plumbing... if it ever gets finished.
Yes, the pantry door is not in and there isn't even a framing board to attach it too anyway!
Temporary table in corner and stool. Notice that there are no shelves above the the table and stool.
The sunroom/studio is still a mess. Notice there is still paneling to be done, flooring to be done and ceiling to be done.
The electrical box is still exposed and waiting for the next round of electrical renovations.
The front door still needs the trim to be done.
Our bedroom door is not in yet but Hubby only put up the paneling yesterday and notice we still have paneling to do at the top.
Around the door to the balcony there is still a lot of work to be done. The closet is in but there are no doors to it and the top is not on. Two whole wall have to be paneled and the bathroom has no paneling at all.
There is still a lot of work but I'm not pushing the issue. I figure if I can get a little done every month then Hubby won't hate me for nagging but it eventually will get finished.
I just hope the company won't mind the mess and lack of privacy.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Feathermist
What is this? Back in July, I created a blog with the intention of being prolific with ATCs. It didn't pan out very well as I really didn't do many. I had named the new blog ATCs For YOB, which is not a very inspiring blog name. Perhaps you saw it in my favorites list.
I've been perusing so many very creative blogs lately that I just decided to vamp up my other blog. I gave it a new title, Feathermist, and a new URL, a whole new look, and a whole new concept.
I've always had a need to create.... not just fibrey things but I've painted and sketched, wood burned, and written and as you've seen of late I've even played a little with photography. Perhaps you read my spooky Halloween story on the 31st... Well, I wrote that a few years ago. It is based on my mother's youth, with a little embellishment. Over at Feathermist you will now find lots of my creations, from poetry to short stories, from paintings, to whatever captures my mood. Please have a look and if you like it I'd love to hear your comments. Thanks... enjoy....
I've been perusing so many very creative blogs lately that I just decided to vamp up my other blog. I gave it a new title, Feathermist, and a new URL, a whole new look, and a whole new concept.
I've always had a need to create.... not just fibrey things but I've painted and sketched, wood burned, and written and as you've seen of late I've even played a little with photography. Perhaps you read my spooky Halloween story on the 31st... Well, I wrote that a few years ago. It is based on my mother's youth, with a little embellishment. Over at Feathermist you will now find lots of my creations, from poetry to short stories, from paintings, to whatever captures my mood. Please have a look and if you like it I'd love to hear your comments. Thanks... enjoy....
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
On The Brink
Monday was a strange day. I'm not quite sure what happened. I woke up with a terrible burning in my chest and by mid-morning I knew I was in trouble. I felt like a steam roller had run over me and left me there for dead. I called the clinic. I was able to get in just after lunch and I'm glad I went. I feel almost embarrassed to say it but I suppose there's no shame in getting sick. I had a temperature and a sorry case of Bronchitis. I figure that having just gotten over an ear infection and my immune system having been severely worn down with that, and then catching H1N1, it was bound to happen. A secondary infection which can lead to Pneumonia is nothing to snuff at. Bronchitis is bad enough and I'm glad it got no further than that. I'm back on Prednizone which I don't like and I have to do a puffer thingy too and then there's those dreaded antibiotics. I hate taking all these meds. I wish I could have fought this myself. The good thing is that I'm feeling way better today though not anywhere near beating this business. Meanwhile Daughter #1 is still fighting and is exhausted all the time. No meds for her though and I hope she is able to beat it without them. Daughter #2 came home yesterday feeling wiped out and coughing a little but has no temperature and so went to school today. Hubby came home tired and feeling like he had a tickle in his chest. He's still going to work though, with no temperature and no visible signs of illness. So it is Remembrance Day and we are all thankful that it is a day at home for the most part. Hubby still intends on going to the Cenotaph for the ceremonies and he will probably go to the Veteran's Dinner tonight. But we do seem to be hovering on the brink of a family meltdown. While this seems true I am hoping not.
We are also on the brink of the busiest time of the year for me. The church here in my community is very much run by me and one other lady. Christmas for any church is huge and very busy. I am organizing a reading of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. I am also working on our Christmas pageant and some work for the Christmas Craft Fair. We also have a big Christmas Raffle which we draw for on the day of the pageant. So all in all it sometimes can get overwhelming. I sat down and made a Christmas list of things to buy/make/recycle for Christmas gifts. Wow!! that is going to be a tough order let me tell you. Wave #1 starts this week coming up. Cards have to be made and gifts arranged and wrapped for the family members down east. It will probably take me a week just to get it done and in the mail. Wave #2 comes at the end of November when I get done all that needs to be done for outside family close by. Then Wave #3 takes place after Dec. 15th for us. I hope to be finished everything by Dec. 22nd giving me 2 days of relaxation before the big event. Then boxing day I will take it easy as I always do. Hubby and I will celebrate our 18th anniversary on the 28th of Dec. and then after that it is level 3 all the way.
With all this in mind my jacket commission is looming. I have not worked on it since getting really sick and I'm on the brink of panic. The warp is done, but now I have to spin the weft. I still have to weave it and all this before Christmas too. I do not want this hanging over me when I get really serious about level 3. February is the deadline for the commission but I want it done long before that!
How did I get this far into my year and be so on the brink of panic. This always happens and you would think I would learn. I guess I'm not too smart. Just once I would like to be ahead of the game instead of standing on the edge of an abyss.
Sometimes I think....arrrgh!
We are also on the brink of the busiest time of the year for me. The church here in my community is very much run by me and one other lady. Christmas for any church is huge and very busy. I am organizing a reading of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. I am also working on our Christmas pageant and some work for the Christmas Craft Fair. We also have a big Christmas Raffle which we draw for on the day of the pageant. So all in all it sometimes can get overwhelming. I sat down and made a Christmas list of things to buy/make/recycle for Christmas gifts. Wow!! that is going to be a tough order let me tell you. Wave #1 starts this week coming up. Cards have to be made and gifts arranged and wrapped for the family members down east. It will probably take me a week just to get it done and in the mail. Wave #2 comes at the end of November when I get done all that needs to be done for outside family close by. Then Wave #3 takes place after Dec. 15th for us. I hope to be finished everything by Dec. 22nd giving me 2 days of relaxation before the big event. Then boxing day I will take it easy as I always do. Hubby and I will celebrate our 18th anniversary on the 28th of Dec. and then after that it is level 3 all the way.
With all this in mind my jacket commission is looming. I have not worked on it since getting really sick and I'm on the brink of panic. The warp is done, but now I have to spin the weft. I still have to weave it and all this before Christmas too. I do not want this hanging over me when I get really serious about level 3. February is the deadline for the commission but I want it done long before that!
How did I get this far into my year and be so on the brink of panic. This always happens and you would think I would learn. I guess I'm not too smart. Just once I would like to be ahead of the game instead of standing on the edge of an abyss.
Sometimes I think....arrrgh!
School Pics
We missed school pics this year and as a result I did the honours of taking photos of the girls and preserving them on paper for prosperity. Here they are...
Daughter #1 Grade 8
Daughter #2 Grade 7
Daughter #1 Grade 8
Daughter #2 Grade 7
Monday, November 9, 2009
How Lucky We Are
20 years ago today the Berlin Wall came down and in a short few days the lives of millions were changed forever. When they announced on the radio yesterday that we would be hearing lots in the news about this huge event today... well my first reaction was, "Gee, is it really 20 years since the Berlin Wall came down?" I remember that day very well and although it didn't affect me directly, I knew that somehow the world had changed. I was happy for the people of the Eastern Bloc who were beginning to experience all the things and freedoms that the western world took for granted.
Later this week, Hubby and Daughter #1 will take part in the aanual Remembrance Day services held at the Cenotaph in our community. Daughter #2 and I will stand in the crowd and we will hang our heads in remembrance of the fallen victims of war. The JCRs (Junior Canadian Rangers) are a big part of our lives,and will be there too. As Chair person (me) and one of the leaders (Hubby) we try our best to get the JCRs (including Daughter #1) involved in what that day is all about. It is about fallen soldiers, it is about the freedom that we have to read, write, practice our chosen religion without fear of persecution, to think and feel and simply be without political reprisals.
I was born in 1965, the decade of the flower child, and while I still remember when blacks were persecuted because of the colour of their skin, and females were looked upon as evil when they had children without a husband, I really have not experienced atrocities against me because of who I am. I was born without a thumb... I was born with a curved spine... I was born with crooked elbows and had I lived in Germany in the 1940s I would have been put to death, along with Jews and Gypsies and homosexuals because I fit the description of a disabled person. I'm a relatively educated person, I'm also a relatively creative person and I would have died as an unwanted because I look different. The strange thing is that you can hardly notice any of my physical problems... you have to look hard to see them. I might have been born in a decade of freedom, but I never forget that I am less than perfect.... and therefore not good enough for Hitler's world of the Arian race.
I have two beautiful children and a husband who loves me and friends who think of me as someone worthy of their friendship. I live in a beautiful part of the world where I can go to church on Sunday, and get an education without hiding my face, I can work if I want to and read and watch whatever I want. Health care is offered to me so that if I get sick I can see a doctor without having to starve for the rest of my life while my paycheck is eaten by debts to insurance companies and hospitals. And all of this, my friends, is something to be thankful for.
So while the dominoes in Berlin come tumbling down tomorrow, in a symbolic reenactment of the Berlin Wall falling, I will think about all the things in my life that make me who I am... that give me peace of mind and soul. And on Remembrance Day I will think about all the good men that did not get the chance to experience the world that I live in and sometimes take for granted. It is because of them that I have what I have. And while I Remember all those who died in WWI and WWII, I will think about the people in this world, at this time, who will never know the joy of waking to a fear free sunrise.... who walk a country lane knowing that rape is a real possibility, who carry a gun long before they can think the thoughts of men, who get their education in hiding, who cannot show the symbols of their faith, who cannot make ends meat, who are persecuted because of their ethnicity, who hide their appearance from those who would see them as something they are not. And then I will think about all the men and women of the Armed Forces, of aid agencies, and those who are teachers, doctors, nurses, social workers, etc., who are trying to make a better world for those people who deserve so much more and have so much less.
And I will remember that privilege should not be taken for granted.
"For upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all." Alexander the Great
Later this week, Hubby and Daughter #1 will take part in the aanual Remembrance Day services held at the Cenotaph in our community. Daughter #2 and I will stand in the crowd and we will hang our heads in remembrance of the fallen victims of war. The JCRs (Junior Canadian Rangers) are a big part of our lives,and will be there too. As Chair person (me) and one of the leaders (Hubby) we try our best to get the JCRs (including Daughter #1) involved in what that day is all about. It is about fallen soldiers, it is about the freedom that we have to read, write, practice our chosen religion without fear of persecution, to think and feel and simply be without political reprisals.
I was born in 1965, the decade of the flower child, and while I still remember when blacks were persecuted because of the colour of their skin, and females were looked upon as evil when they had children without a husband, I really have not experienced atrocities against me because of who I am. I was born without a thumb... I was born with a curved spine... I was born with crooked elbows and had I lived in Germany in the 1940s I would have been put to death, along with Jews and Gypsies and homosexuals because I fit the description of a disabled person. I'm a relatively educated person, I'm also a relatively creative person and I would have died as an unwanted because I look different. The strange thing is that you can hardly notice any of my physical problems... you have to look hard to see them. I might have been born in a decade of freedom, but I never forget that I am less than perfect.... and therefore not good enough for Hitler's world of the Arian race.
I have two beautiful children and a husband who loves me and friends who think of me as someone worthy of their friendship. I live in a beautiful part of the world where I can go to church on Sunday, and get an education without hiding my face, I can work if I want to and read and watch whatever I want. Health care is offered to me so that if I get sick I can see a doctor without having to starve for the rest of my life while my paycheck is eaten by debts to insurance companies and hospitals. And all of this, my friends, is something to be thankful for.
So while the dominoes in Berlin come tumbling down tomorrow, in a symbolic reenactment of the Berlin Wall falling, I will think about all the things in my life that make me who I am... that give me peace of mind and soul. And on Remembrance Day I will think about all the good men that did not get the chance to experience the world that I live in and sometimes take for granted. It is because of them that I have what I have. And while I Remember all those who died in WWI and WWII, I will think about the people in this world, at this time, who will never know the joy of waking to a fear free sunrise.... who walk a country lane knowing that rape is a real possibility, who carry a gun long before they can think the thoughts of men, who get their education in hiding, who cannot show the symbols of their faith, who cannot make ends meat, who are persecuted because of their ethnicity, who hide their appearance from those who would see them as something they are not. And then I will think about all the men and women of the Armed Forces, of aid agencies, and those who are teachers, doctors, nurses, social workers, etc., who are trying to make a better world for those people who deserve so much more and have so much less.
And I will remember that privilege should not be taken for granted.
"For upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all." Alexander the Great
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Sunday.... Ahhh The Most Relaxing Day Of The Week
What a day.... poor Hubby has worked hard again today, but I, on the other hand, have had a lovely day.
A day to sleep in is always appreciated but they don't come often in our house. In the last week, I have given myself permission to rest more as this cough settles in for a hard fight. Hubby on the other hand has had to work double hard because I'm not feeling well. This weekend was meant as an opportunity to do some more work on the renovation, which has come to a grinding halt. Next weekend Hubby's brother and sister-in-law will come for a visit and so, while the house is livable for a family of four who don't care about seeing each other strut around in their skivies, it is not really appropriate for company.
Problem #1: Hubby had to haul hay for the animals which took the better part of a day. Yesterday to be exact. Between feeding the animals and doing chores and hauling hay... well Hubby was in no mood for house renovations.
Problem #2: The cistern was almost empty and so today Hubby had to haul water because I need to do some laundry to de-H1N1 the house. Daughter #2 plopped a load of reds in the washer and turned the washer on without consulting parents and so the cistern went dry and the pump had to be primed. This did not please Hubby. It did not please me either because Hubby had to spend an hour priming the pump instead of getting the renovations done.
Meanwhile, I spent a great deal of time enjoying the morning listening to the radio with CBC programing. (Hubby did do that too with me) then made a nice, no stress, no fuss lunch for everyone and went to lie down for a nap. That's the kind of Sunday I enjoy. The only thing that could have made it better is if Hubby could have enjoyed the day too. We are now listening to a program on CBC with an interview with Terry Eagleton, who is outspoken about atheism... interesting! Hubby will take a few moments to relax, and listen to the program too... but then the next two panels will be put up in our bedroom in an effort to give us privacy before our company arrives next weekend....
Sunday with no demands.... they're great! They're just too few....
Here's my picture for the day.... this picture has a feeling to it.... it's the kind of feeling I get on a lazy Sunday....
A day to sleep in is always appreciated but they don't come often in our house. In the last week, I have given myself permission to rest more as this cough settles in for a hard fight. Hubby on the other hand has had to work double hard because I'm not feeling well. This weekend was meant as an opportunity to do some more work on the renovation, which has come to a grinding halt. Next weekend Hubby's brother and sister-in-law will come for a visit and so, while the house is livable for a family of four who don't care about seeing each other strut around in their skivies, it is not really appropriate for company.
Problem #1: Hubby had to haul hay for the animals which took the better part of a day. Yesterday to be exact. Between feeding the animals and doing chores and hauling hay... well Hubby was in no mood for house renovations.
Problem #2: The cistern was almost empty and so today Hubby had to haul water because I need to do some laundry to de-H1N1 the house. Daughter #2 plopped a load of reds in the washer and turned the washer on without consulting parents and so the cistern went dry and the pump had to be primed. This did not please Hubby. It did not please me either because Hubby had to spend an hour priming the pump instead of getting the renovations done.
Meanwhile, I spent a great deal of time enjoying the morning listening to the radio with CBC programing. (Hubby did do that too with me) then made a nice, no stress, no fuss lunch for everyone and went to lie down for a nap. That's the kind of Sunday I enjoy. The only thing that could have made it better is if Hubby could have enjoyed the day too. We are now listening to a program on CBC with an interview with Terry Eagleton, who is outspoken about atheism... interesting! Hubby will take a few moments to relax, and listen to the program too... but then the next two panels will be put up in our bedroom in an effort to give us privacy before our company arrives next weekend....
Sunday with no demands.... they're great! They're just too few....
Here's my picture for the day.... this picture has a feeling to it.... it's the kind of feeling I get on a lazy Sunday....
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Hope You're Enjoying The Weekend
Sleeping in late on the weekend is always a joy. I slept in which considering that my chest still feels like it's on fire when I cough.... well let's just say that sleeping is good.
Hubby was up and at em this morning and hauled in three new bales of hay for the sheep and Daughter #1's horse... Daughter #1 is no longer having a high temperature but like me is coughing lots.I'm hoping Hubby and Daughter #2 will not catch it.
I thought I would post a few more of my favorite pictures... just for you to look at...
I hope I haven't duplicated any.... I lost track of where I was in my line up of pics... I'm sorry if I have but just think of it as an opportunity to look at them again...
Hubby was up and at em this morning and hauled in three new bales of hay for the sheep and Daughter #1's horse... Daughter #1 is no longer having a high temperature but like me is coughing lots.I'm hoping Hubby and Daughter #2 will not catch it.
I thought I would post a few more of my favorite pictures... just for you to look at...
I hope I haven't duplicated any.... I lost track of where I was in my line up of pics... I'm sorry if I have but just think of it as an opportunity to look at them again...
Friday, November 6, 2009
Mid Autumn Witlessness
It would appear that my wit has departed.... I complain about all the bloggers that I follow not keeping up their blogs, and then I find out that most of them are trying their best to fight off H1N1 in one way or another. If that is not witlessness I don't know what is.
Update: My H1N1 is still a tight chest with sporadic coughing though I do feel more energetic. (I swept today!!) Daughter #1 is showering and rinsing the slime of H1N1 off her carcass which has built up over the last two days, is coughing sporadically and dealing with an elevated temperature. Hubby, not home yet, doesn't seem to be ill affected nor is Daughter #2. H1N1 is certainly nothing to snuff at. Any communicable disease that has the power to kill is a serious thing indeed. I just wish it would dry up and blow away... (this Chinook wind could do that) but it seems to have ideas of its own and so it rampages around the world and I find more people fight this nasty thing in their homes quietly with only slight references to it in their blogs. I can only pray that those who are touched by its furor are able to fight it off.
My wit flu (pun intended) out the window weeks ago. For a while, (a very short while) I felt that my writing was of interest. But today I've come to the conclusion that perhaps in autumn my mind goes on standby for a few months. (this occurred after reading a series of very good blogs and feeling somewhat intimidated and slightly jealous), I'm not sure this is due to the longer nights and the shorter days or whether this is due to the exhausting flu I've been fighting for a while. Either way there it is... or isn't as case may be.... I'm witless! Please excuse any witlessness on my part over the next few days.
Here's an observation: I have a spider (several actually... but we won't think about that as it might lead you to believe that I am a bad housekeeper!) It is a tiny little spider that has made himself comfortable on the wall by the back of the computer on my desk. I have been watching the spider for two days as spiders interest me. This wee spider is about the size of a pencil dot. Yeah, like the period at the end of the last sentence. His web is tiny too. Now if you know anything about my computer you know that it is a dinosaur. There is a fabulously large fan at the back of it and that fan goes pretty much constantly (because I'm on the computer way too much). The fan has been blowing on spidey for days now and that wee spider is bouncing on his web up and down about a million times a day. I should call spidey Timex because he just takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'. That spider never stops bouncing... I'm sure he must be taking seasick pills or something. End of observation!
Witlessness is not something I am proud of and so I try very hard to hide my witlessness as it is shameful to me. You know, I was one of those girls who never had a come back for sarcasm until two days later and then I would think it was so good that I couldn't just toss it away and so I would scheme to use it in some other context but it never ever came off. Sad I know!
So there you have it... witless autumn days are upon me... I think I'll go watch spidey bounce.
Update: My H1N1 is still a tight chest with sporadic coughing though I do feel more energetic. (I swept today!!) Daughter #1 is showering and rinsing the slime of H1N1 off her carcass which has built up over the last two days, is coughing sporadically and dealing with an elevated temperature. Hubby, not home yet, doesn't seem to be ill affected nor is Daughter #2. H1N1 is certainly nothing to snuff at. Any communicable disease that has the power to kill is a serious thing indeed. I just wish it would dry up and blow away... (this Chinook wind could do that) but it seems to have ideas of its own and so it rampages around the world and I find more people fight this nasty thing in their homes quietly with only slight references to it in their blogs. I can only pray that those who are touched by its furor are able to fight it off.
My wit flu (pun intended) out the window weeks ago. For a while, (a very short while) I felt that my writing was of interest. But today I've come to the conclusion that perhaps in autumn my mind goes on standby for a few months. (this occurred after reading a series of very good blogs and feeling somewhat intimidated and slightly jealous), I'm not sure this is due to the longer nights and the shorter days or whether this is due to the exhausting flu I've been fighting for a while. Either way there it is... or isn't as case may be.... I'm witless! Please excuse any witlessness on my part over the next few days.
Here's an observation: I have a spider (several actually... but we won't think about that as it might lead you to believe that I am a bad housekeeper!) It is a tiny little spider that has made himself comfortable on the wall by the back of the computer on my desk. I have been watching the spider for two days as spiders interest me. This wee spider is about the size of a pencil dot. Yeah, like the period at the end of the last sentence. His web is tiny too. Now if you know anything about my computer you know that it is a dinosaur. There is a fabulously large fan at the back of it and that fan goes pretty much constantly (because I'm on the computer way too much). The fan has been blowing on spidey for days now and that wee spider is bouncing on his web up and down about a million times a day. I should call spidey Timex because he just takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'. That spider never stops bouncing... I'm sure he must be taking seasick pills or something. End of observation!
Witlessness is not something I am proud of and so I try very hard to hide my witlessness as it is shameful to me. You know, I was one of those girls who never had a come back for sarcasm until two days later and then I would think it was so good that I couldn't just toss it away and so I would scheme to use it in some other context but it never ever came off. Sad I know!
So there you have it... witless autumn days are upon me... I think I'll go watch spidey bounce.
Pics And Chinooks
We had a MASSIVE Chinook blow in last night. About 2 a.m. the ice started falling off our tin roof with resounding thumps.... So that was the end of all sound sleep in my world. I was up in the middle of the night medicating Daughter #1 as I'm pretty sure she's got H1N1 too. Then I sat down and had a look at Blogs Of Note and found a couple of real gems. The first one is called Milkmoon about an ordinary Irish lady who loves her kids and has a sweet blog.... really anyone who uses words like nutter and jaunty have got to be o.k..... anyway she made me cry with the adorable pics of kids and anyone who can see beauty in clothes hanging on a clothes line..... well check her out I'm sure you'll enjoy her blog.
The next blog of note that I enjoyed is called Style Rookie by a young little 13 year old gal who has got to be the cutest and most precocious kid you could come across. But it's really wonderful for an old jaded gal like myself to read about the younger set and really feel the enthusiasm of young whipper snappers like her. It is good to know that some kids out there feel things passionately and try to do something with their passion.... she has the hutspa to make her meaning clear on fashion get enthusiastic enough to not care what her peers think and write about it too. More young people should be like her... or maybe they are but are just too beaten down to talk about the things they like. I really debated about whether I would include this blog in my favorites because my jaded self bore it's ugly head.... I hope this gal continues to feel passionately and I'd hate to follow her blog and note that as she gets older she loses her joi de vive... ( I think I spelled that right?).... anyway... even if you are not into fashion it is good to read her blog just for her cute and humorous attitude.
Anyway... while I write and upload pics the Chinook is blowing steady outside my window. There is no doubt that the animals are enjoying the reprieve from the cooler temps. Water is flowing everywhere and it feels almost like spring. I just really hate the wind because I .... just do. Wind always makes me feel spooked out... I guess. Like a deer in the woods who can't hear because of the wind. I always feel like the wind is something scary.. no matter how much I try to talk myself out of it. Maybe I see all the trees that have turned red from the pine beetle devastation and I think we are going to lose a tree in this wind maybe it is something from way back in my childhood.... well I'm not Freud you know! Anyway... it's windy and I'm not sure I'm liking it.
I made it to Knit Night last night and we had a really good turn out. It sure was nice to see everyone again after missing three (get that 3) whole weeks. Lots of socks were on the go.... a dish cloth and a scarf and a crocheted dress which was lovely and little old me who doesn't have DPNs was not knitting at all but working on the Navajo spindle once again. I have enough spun now for my third sample and will ply today so that I can get on with the next question.
One of the ladies at knit night was admiring the pics I posted a while ago so I thought I would post a few more.... so have a look and see y'all tomorrow.
The next blog of note that I enjoyed is called Style Rookie by a young little 13 year old gal who has got to be the cutest and most precocious kid you could come across. But it's really wonderful for an old jaded gal like myself to read about the younger set and really feel the enthusiasm of young whipper snappers like her. It is good to know that some kids out there feel things passionately and try to do something with their passion.... she has the hutspa to make her meaning clear on fashion get enthusiastic enough to not care what her peers think and write about it too. More young people should be like her... or maybe they are but are just too beaten down to talk about the things they like. I really debated about whether I would include this blog in my favorites because my jaded self bore it's ugly head.... I hope this gal continues to feel passionately and I'd hate to follow her blog and note that as she gets older she loses her joi de vive... ( I think I spelled that right?).... anyway... even if you are not into fashion it is good to read her blog just for her cute and humorous attitude.
Anyway... while I write and upload pics the Chinook is blowing steady outside my window. There is no doubt that the animals are enjoying the reprieve from the cooler temps. Water is flowing everywhere and it feels almost like spring. I just really hate the wind because I .... just do. Wind always makes me feel spooked out... I guess. Like a deer in the woods who can't hear because of the wind. I always feel like the wind is something scary.. no matter how much I try to talk myself out of it. Maybe I see all the trees that have turned red from the pine beetle devastation and I think we are going to lose a tree in this wind maybe it is something from way back in my childhood.... well I'm not Freud you know! Anyway... it's windy and I'm not sure I'm liking it.
I made it to Knit Night last night and we had a really good turn out. It sure was nice to see everyone again after missing three (get that 3) whole weeks. Lots of socks were on the go.... a dish cloth and a scarf and a crocheted dress which was lovely and little old me who doesn't have DPNs was not knitting at all but working on the Navajo spindle once again. I have enough spun now for my third sample and will ply today so that I can get on with the next question.
One of the ladies at knit night was admiring the pics I posted a while ago so I thought I would post a few more.... so have a look and see y'all tomorrow.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
In Limbo
I'm feeling a bit in limbo this evening. Do I or don't I go to knit night? What if I do have H1N1? Do I want to pass this on? I'm feeling pretty good today and so I'm thinking I will go. Besides I was probably contagious last week...
I'm also feeling in limbo because I just checked all of the blogs that I follow and no one is keeping up their blog..... I've nothing to read..... that means I have to go on an interesting blog hunt again. Let me tell you that it is no small task to find good blogs to follow... I read dozens sometimes before I find one that is worth going back to read again and again. Some of the blogs I land on haven't been updated in two years or more so they don't even get a little read. I enjoy having a look into people's lives. It is more entertaining to read what they want to write about themselves... it's my form of entertainment.What really is cool is when you find a blog about an ordinary person who has some skill in writing about the things that they enjoy.... I hardly ever get sucked into blogs that are written by professionals.... they are stunningly boring.More often than not if it is a recommended blog it sucks. I checked out one blog list for the top 100 read blogs in the world not one was interesting. What in the world are people interested in... it is usually politics this or financial world that.... if I want to read about that stuff I'll look up a news website. No I like peaking in the windows of ordinary people like myself.... people who are just moms and dads... people who talk about their garden or their jobs, or the new hair cut they got or the new car they want.... those are the fun blogs... they tell you a little about other people the world over and it is a little reassuring to know there are other people out there who are living interesting and equally grueling lives. Common and that's just right for me. So take it from me if you make it into my blog list.... wow!
I'm also feeling in limbo because I'm not sure what I want to do next.... well actually that is a lie... I really want to knit my gloves.... but since I don't have enough DPNs then I want to knit my headband.... and since I don't want have enough wool..... I want to knit my Karaoke project..... but I can't find that.... sooo I don't know what I want to do.
There are plenty of things for me to do.... all I have to do is look at the Christmas list to the right and I can see what I should do but are these things thatI want to do..... well you get the drift.
By the way things are happening in the barnyard. Yesterday Hubby separated out Izzy and put her in with the lambs.... she has been sold to the highest bidder for a lot of bushels of oats.... the lambs will be fattened up for butchering probably in January or February.... Meanwhile Ipwitch, the new ram lamb.... the white one.... is in the paddock with the ewes.... yes... its sex season again!! They are far enough away this year and my desk is facing the other direction so I'm not seeing sex this years but as I had enough o that last year this time I'm quite content to turn my head and live in blissful ignorance.... I just hope that Ipwitch does not shoot blanks! He does appear to have more interest in the grain we feed than the girls... hmmm!
Sorry that last paragraph really doesn't have anything to do with being in limbo does it? Well if we really wanted to stretch we could say that I'm in limbo about Ipwitch being the stud I hope he is.... hmmm.
Perhaps I should get out my $500.00 dollar charka and have a go at that..... yeah maybe that's what I should do.... hmmm.... I wonder are there any blogs about charkas???
I'm also feeling in limbo because I just checked all of the blogs that I follow and no one is keeping up their blog..... I've nothing to read..... that means I have to go on an interesting blog hunt again. Let me tell you that it is no small task to find good blogs to follow... I read dozens sometimes before I find one that is worth going back to read again and again. Some of the blogs I land on haven't been updated in two years or more so they don't even get a little read. I enjoy having a look into people's lives. It is more entertaining to read what they want to write about themselves... it's my form of entertainment.What really is cool is when you find a blog about an ordinary person who has some skill in writing about the things that they enjoy.... I hardly ever get sucked into blogs that are written by professionals.... they are stunningly boring.More often than not if it is a recommended blog it sucks. I checked out one blog list for the top 100 read blogs in the world not one was interesting. What in the world are people interested in... it is usually politics this or financial world that.... if I want to read about that stuff I'll look up a news website. No I like peaking in the windows of ordinary people like myself.... people who are just moms and dads... people who talk about their garden or their jobs, or the new hair cut they got or the new car they want.... those are the fun blogs... they tell you a little about other people the world over and it is a little reassuring to know there are other people out there who are living interesting and equally grueling lives. Common and that's just right for me. So take it from me if you make it into my blog list.... wow!
I'm also feeling in limbo because I'm not sure what I want to do next.... well actually that is a lie... I really want to knit my gloves.... but since I don't have enough DPNs then I want to knit my headband.... and since I don't want have enough wool..... I want to knit my Karaoke project..... but I can't find that.... sooo I don't know what I want to do.
There are plenty of things for me to do.... all I have to do is look at the Christmas list to the right and I can see what I should do but are these things thatI want to do..... well you get the drift.
By the way things are happening in the barnyard. Yesterday Hubby separated out Izzy and put her in with the lambs.... she has been sold to the highest bidder for a lot of bushels of oats.... the lambs will be fattened up for butchering probably in January or February.... Meanwhile Ipwitch, the new ram lamb.... the white one.... is in the paddock with the ewes.... yes... its sex season again!! They are far enough away this year and my desk is facing the other direction so I'm not seeing sex this years but as I had enough o that last year this time I'm quite content to turn my head and live in blissful ignorance.... I just hope that Ipwitch does not shoot blanks! He does appear to have more interest in the grain we feed than the girls... hmmm!
Sorry that last paragraph really doesn't have anything to do with being in limbo does it? Well if we really wanted to stretch we could say that I'm in limbo about Ipwitch being the stud I hope he is.... hmmm.
Perhaps I should get out my $500.00 dollar charka and have a go at that..... yeah maybe that's what I should do.... hmmm.... I wonder are there any blogs about charkas???
A Whole Bunch Of Stuff
Right... just off the spinning wheel and I managed to finish some lovely Karaoke fibre. I bought some of this two years ago in Olds and thought it was lovely. When I had finished spinning it I started knitting a project that I knew I did not have enough fibre for. The idea was to just use what I had and buy more as I needed. I wanted to keep it going. So this year when I went to Olds I discovered that it wasn't going to be so easy since I couldn't find a single person selling the blasted stuff. In came my good friend who is a dealer for Louet. (I really want to name her and give her a little boost to her business but I never name names on my blog....) She had just brought in this new great product and was I interested.... well considering that the new product was Karaoke I was all for it.... For the last few months this fibre has sat in my studio on top of my storage units taunting me and making me really want o spin it.... But I have had other things that I had to do or needed to do.... yesterday I needed a fun spinning day.... so out came my Karaoke. I just finished it and I love the stuff. It has this beautiful creamy colour and spins like silk.... such a divine sheen when it is finished. I spun it in my usual easy Baby Weight (a little lighter than sport weight) 2 ply yarn at about 14 wpi (wraps per inch) and an even 4 tpi (twists per inch). It is very nice even if I do say so myself. I can't wait to knit some more on my project.... I just have to find it first!!! I think it is buried under stuff in the shed.... scary!
I just also finished watching "Band Of Brothers" all I can say is WOW! Pretty awesome and moving TV. I watched with Remembrance Day in my mind.... how could anyone watch this program and not be moved. We had a friend lends us the DVD series and I just couldn't help being totally enthralled. We got rid of TV years ago and only watch now what we want to watch...in the form of movies and DVDs that are TV shows. It has made for a much better life style for us and we feel very strongly on that. Our children are not exposed to adds constantly and so they are less inclined to jump on every band wagon for new and improved products. Christmas is not nearly as commercial and we just find that loosing TV has enriched our relationships as well. We get enough advertising through the computer media. I get more done too. Last year we spent several days in a hotel in Edmonton and spent the four days there remembering how horrible it is to sit in front of the TV with a remote control clicking through channel after channel in the search for something that would be of interest and nothing was good. We ended up watching news and reruns! Well at least while we were in the hotel room... which wasn't too often. But it reinforced our decision to not have TV in our house. Anyway I digress.... I told you this was about a whole bunch of stuff.... If you get the chance to watch this great program I definitely recommend it..... it is not for the faint of heart though as there are some very gruesome depictions of battle situations... including body parts and lots of blood.
I am attempting to sit today to do a little spinning for the level 3 again. I am still working on a better sample for the support spindle. Third try lucky. We'll see.
I have one last item that has been on my mind of late..... for all you bloggers that I follow.... keep blogging.... I miss it when you guys don't write. It is such a disappointment to open your pages and there's nothing new.... (pout!)
I just also finished watching "Band Of Brothers" all I can say is WOW! Pretty awesome and moving TV. I watched with Remembrance Day in my mind.... how could anyone watch this program and not be moved. We had a friend lends us the DVD series and I just couldn't help being totally enthralled. We got rid of TV years ago and only watch now what we want to watch...in the form of movies and DVDs that are TV shows. It has made for a much better life style for us and we feel very strongly on that. Our children are not exposed to adds constantly and so they are less inclined to jump on every band wagon for new and improved products. Christmas is not nearly as commercial and we just find that loosing TV has enriched our relationships as well. We get enough advertising through the computer media. I get more done too. Last year we spent several days in a hotel in Edmonton and spent the four days there remembering how horrible it is to sit in front of the TV with a remote control clicking through channel after channel in the search for something that would be of interest and nothing was good. We ended up watching news and reruns! Well at least while we were in the hotel room... which wasn't too often. But it reinforced our decision to not have TV in our house. Anyway I digress.... I told you this was about a whole bunch of stuff.... If you get the chance to watch this great program I definitely recommend it..... it is not for the faint of heart though as there are some very gruesome depictions of battle situations... including body parts and lots of blood.
I am attempting to sit today to do a little spinning for the level 3 again. I am still working on a better sample for the support spindle. Third try lucky. We'll see.
I have one last item that has been on my mind of late..... for all you bloggers that I follow.... keep blogging.... I miss it when you guys don't write. It is such a disappointment to open your pages and there's nothing new.... (pout!)
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Hmmm...again!
Poop!( I don't say words like sh-t online)... I ran out of yarn with only three inches to go.... the great thing is I just have to spin more..... Sh.. I mean Poop!... I have to buy it first.....problem.... maxed out credit card is still maxed out..... rats! Ok plan C.... I just have to wait till payday..... I can do that.... I know I can..... : )
Feeling a little better today but I have a lousy headache..... Chest pains are noticeably better.... woo hoo! Cough is noticeably not as bad....I just have to rest and drink fluids.... I wonder does booze count??? I'm sure Martha Stewart wouldn't agree but I'm thinking a good stiff belt of Rum wouldn't go astray right now. (Hmmm... rum in hot chocolate..... I could get away with that in the middle of the day.... Oh yeah I'm allergic to booze.... D-mn!)
Hi ho, hi ho, I think I'll spin something....
I knew I took up spinning for a reason... oh yeah it was to replace the booze.... ; }
Hmmmm
So finding baby booty patterns for fat yarns seems to be a bust. Plan change......headband ear warmer for fat yarn..... hmm... bust too! I will make my own pattern... ha! So there world of knitting patterns online.... bite me.
Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go.... again!
Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go.... again!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Vehicles, Videos, and Knitting
So Hubby and I are thinking about a new vehicle. Our old truck is almost eight years old and has seen better days. I'm stuck home feeling sick with what might be H1N1 Flu and nothing to help me pass time in the way of TV. I want to knit my gloves but am needing a second set of DPNs and so I've been looking up patterns for baby thingies with some pretty fat yarn that I don't have a lot of. Never a dull moment at Nicholsville West Farm.
OK so lets back up.... Hubby and I started looking a vehicles last week and we took out a Ford Focus ZX5.... nice little zippy car but pricey for second hand. They haven't made these babies for a couple of years now and the one we looked at was fully loaded with only 40,000 km on it but the monthly payment would be about the same as a brand new Ford Focus. So x the one we were looking at. Then we took out a Jeep Compass....
nice but not fully loaded and Hubby and I need some serious lessons on driving a standard which I haven't done in twenty years. We will go looking again later in the month. We are in no rush so that is one good thing.
H1N1.... the thing that scares every person half to death.... for days I have been having chest pains and worrying myself half to death that I am on the verge of a heart attack... Along with it I have been having dizzy spells and so I went to see the Doc. I have an ear infection which is being treated but along with it I have been having inhuman fatigue. I can't get through the day with out feeling like my legs are made of jello and the only thing that soothes the chest pain is nice hot lemon and honey.
And on top of it all last night was the full moon..... the werewolf wore it ugly head... I slept all of 1 hour 45 minutes. So today after Hubby and the girls got off to school I turned off the phone and went back to bed. When I finally did get up, I just mugged out in front of the T.V.... Problem..... I have nothing to watch that I haven't already seen half a dozen times. Blah!! So I'm looking up video rental companies on line..... a friend tried out one and gave me the name of it.... I think I will give it a try.... stand by.... I'll let you all know how that goes.
I got 225 metres of fibre plied and washed and dried yesterday for my great jacket commission.
Woo hoo!! It looks great. So today I wanted to knit while lying in bed.... this is not easy... you want something light weight and relaxing. Lace gloves that I started last week... ahh perfect..... wait no there's a problem.... I'm up to the finger part and don't have enough DPNs. Order from Knit Picks..... nope... credit card is maxed out..... d-mn! Ok.... plan B. Baby knitting. Booties.... yes that is what I want to make with the lovely pink and blue, and yellow fat yarn
that I spun a couple of months ago..... so I am about to embark on a treasure hunt. I need a pattern for baby booties that I can make with nifty fat yarn.... hmmm!
Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go....
OK so lets back up.... Hubby and I started looking a vehicles last week and we took out a Ford Focus ZX5.... nice little zippy car but pricey for second hand. They haven't made these babies for a couple of years now and the one we looked at was fully loaded with only 40,000 km on it but the monthly payment would be about the same as a brand new Ford Focus. So x the one we were looking at. Then we took out a Jeep Compass....
nice but not fully loaded and Hubby and I need some serious lessons on driving a standard which I haven't done in twenty years. We will go looking again later in the month. We are in no rush so that is one good thing.H1N1.... the thing that scares every person half to death.... for days I have been having chest pains and worrying myself half to death that I am on the verge of a heart attack... Along with it I have been having dizzy spells and so I went to see the Doc. I have an ear infection which is being treated but along with it I have been having inhuman fatigue. I can't get through the day with out feeling like my legs are made of jello and the only thing that soothes the chest pain is nice hot lemon and honey.
And on top of it all last night was the full moon..... the werewolf wore it ugly head... I slept all of 1 hour 45 minutes. So today after Hubby and the girls got off to school I turned off the phone and went back to bed. When I finally did get up, I just mugged out in front of the T.V.... Problem..... I have nothing to watch that I haven't already seen half a dozen times. Blah!! So I'm looking up video rental companies on line..... a friend tried out one and gave me the name of it.... I think I will give it a try.... stand by.... I'll let you all know how that goes.
I got 225 metres of fibre plied and washed and dried yesterday for my great jacket commission.
Woo hoo!! It looks great. So today I wanted to knit while lying in bed.... this is not easy... you want something light weight and relaxing. Lace gloves that I started last week... ahh perfect..... wait no there's a problem.... I'm up to the finger part and don't have enough DPNs. Order from Knit Picks..... nope... credit card is maxed out..... d-mn! Ok.... plan B. Baby knitting. Booties.... yes that is what I want to make with the lovely pink and blue, and yellow fat yarn
that I spun a couple of months ago..... so I am about to embark on a treasure hunt. I need a pattern for baby booties that I can make with nifty fat yarn.... hmmm!Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go....
Monday, November 2, 2009
Catching Up
I've been spinning a lot this weekend. I wasn't feeling all that great on Saturday. I'm not quite sure what is going on there. I'm told I have an ear infection and have been taking ear drops, anti-biotics, and prednizone to help with keeping the passages open so that they drain. But this is the second week of that and my ear still hurts and my energy level is low.... really low. I've got all I can do to walk up the steps without wanting to lie down and catch my breath when I get to the top. But the weird thing is that I don't really feel sick. I just don't want to do anything. I guess I will get over this eventually. I had a bunch of blood tests done when I went to see the doctor and the only thing that was bad was that my white blood cell count was up which would indicate the ear infection so no worries there but I'll tell you this if it is just an ear infection it is the most stubborn ear infection I've ever had.
What staying home has done has given me an opportunity to spin. I've been working on my jacket commission a lot in the last few days and I'm thinking that I have almost got enough spun for the warp. Woo hoo. I also finished my second sample on the support spindle and have decided that I like the first sample that I did better. So now I'm working on a third sample. If I'm not gone on this one I will pick the best of three and that will be that. Then I will be cabling yarn for my wrist distaff. At some point you just have to cut your losses and go on to the next question because you could be at one question for the whole year. I have too many questions to do that to get level 3 finished in time for June.
Hubby has been cleaning out the shed in an effort to get the windows that have been leaning against the west end of the house since June in out of the elements before the weather has its way with the wood and ruins them so that they are unusable. We are feeling the pinch and though the house remains in limbo we are thinking of getting some more work done this month. Hubby can't do it. I have resigned myself to the fact that I will have to pay someone to finish the work we didn't get done. And so at the end of the month I will hire a fellow to come in and finish the plumbing in the bathroom and put the paneling on the walls in the rest of the house. I will finish the paneling with clear coat myself and the flooring will wait till after Christmas. The counters in the kitchen will wait too. I can see we will be at this until March break.(sigh)
Christmas is coming too and I am beginning to think about Christmas cards which will have to go out by the end of the month and I am beginning to think about Christmas gifts for loved ones and all that. My list grows daily as I try to get everything done that needs doing. With a little less than two months to go I am beginning to feel the pressure of all that needs to be done.
So there you have it.... a little bit of catch up. I am starting a new list to the right "T minus ____ to Christmas". Look out, New Year's here I come.
What staying home has done has given me an opportunity to spin. I've been working on my jacket commission a lot in the last few days and I'm thinking that I have almost got enough spun for the warp. Woo hoo. I also finished my second sample on the support spindle and have decided that I like the first sample that I did better. So now I'm working on a third sample. If I'm not gone on this one I will pick the best of three and that will be that. Then I will be cabling yarn for my wrist distaff. At some point you just have to cut your losses and go on to the next question because you could be at one question for the whole year. I have too many questions to do that to get level 3 finished in time for June.
Hubby has been cleaning out the shed in an effort to get the windows that have been leaning against the west end of the house since June in out of the elements before the weather has its way with the wood and ruins them so that they are unusable. We are feeling the pinch and though the house remains in limbo we are thinking of getting some more work done this month. Hubby can't do it. I have resigned myself to the fact that I will have to pay someone to finish the work we didn't get done. And so at the end of the month I will hire a fellow to come in and finish the plumbing in the bathroom and put the paneling on the walls in the rest of the house. I will finish the paneling with clear coat myself and the flooring will wait till after Christmas. The counters in the kitchen will wait too. I can see we will be at this until March break.(sigh)
Christmas is coming too and I am beginning to think about Christmas cards which will have to go out by the end of the month and I am beginning to think about Christmas gifts for loved ones and all that. My list grows daily as I try to get everything done that needs doing. With a little less than two months to go I am beginning to feel the pressure of all that needs to be done.
So there you have it.... a little bit of catch up. I am starting a new list to the right "T minus ____ to Christmas". Look out, New Year's here I come.
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