Well, I got back just after 6 p.m. last night after a full 12 and 1/2 hours bumping along over the road. I was totally not a good partner for the trip as I was completely bushed from not sleeping much for the last several days. Scintillating conversation was not my forte as we rolled along... I kept nodding off in the passenger seat. My poor driving partner had to suffer the trip with no one to help her stay awake. I did try my best but there was a wall that I kept hitting and the back of my eyelids kept me coming back over and over. When I got to FSJ, Teapot picked me up and we still had to get groceries... argh! Somehow I managed to survived that and I got home quite exhausted. Teapot managed to get some supper into me and then I hit the bed where I promptly closed my eyes and slept solidly for 13 hours before opening my eyes for a quick trip to the loo and another hour and a half of more snoozing. I can't remember the last time I slept for 13 hours straight without a little wake up. I had to be in my teens. But this morning I feel much more rested and ready to face the day. But it is no wonder I was so tired yesterday since I arose at 4:30 a.m. (that's 3:30 a.m. B.C. time) and we were on the road by 5:42 a.m. Alberta time (4:32 a.m. B.C. time) a long day for sure.
So here I sit, breakfast in hand and I know some of you have been lamenting the written word found here at my humble blog.... (snork!) Why on earth you miss the happenings of my life is beyond me. But here I am, back again.
Fibre week was, as usual, a great experience.
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| My class mates, instructor and I. |
The first two days reminded me of how out of shape I've grown this past winter as I would have to stop and take a short few seconds on the many benches for a chance to catch my breath... I have made a resolution to try and get myself in shape this year so that when I return again next year, I will be in better shape to walk the grounds for more enjoyment. Still, by the end of the week I was doing better and though still finding it hard to not puff and pant, was able to walk the whole way without stopping to sit for a moment. I'm definitely needing some exercise though, and that will be the focus for this year. However, the bench moments were a great opportunity to get back to some art and while I was there I had picked up, at Staples, some gel pens, so I took the opportunity to draw whatever was around me.... usually flowers and trees and landscaping. Some of my drawings are quite lovely, even if I do say so myself,
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| This drawing was based on.... |
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| ... this view. |
so I at least used my time on the bench, productively.
Patsy Zawatoski was the keynote speaker this year and she was truly an inspiration. She is a graduate of the COE (Certificate Of Excellence) from the Hand Weaver's Guild of America, which is also something that I am interested in. (That may be my next endeavour but we will see.)
The Olds Master Spinning Program is suffering some growing pains and it is difficult to watch. 2013 will be the centennial year for Olds and the 25th year for the Fibre Week and the Master Spinning program. One would think that after 25 years the college would have their act together but it has only been about seven or eight years that the current continuing education coordinator took over the program and evidently he basically was working from scratch. He has done an amazing job with the program taking it from being virtually non-existent to having over 400 registrations. I think he's amazing and I really hope he stays with the program for a long time yet. In the last few years they have introduced a curriculum which is still being modified and that is where the trouble begins. Curriculum always is difficult when being organized and decided upon. This expert will say that this is required and that expert will say no to the first one and introduce some other topic and that is what the Master Spinning Program is undergoing. This in turn, makes it difficult for the student, since we are constantly second guessing the program and ourselves. It happened for me in level 1 and I thought, "well they'll have it sorted next year." But then it happened in level 2 and once again I thought, "well they'll have it sorted next year." Each year there has been a curfluffle of some kind with the work book requirements or with the Modules/text books and still, in level 5 it happened again. You could say that it is frustrating... I think mostly because I happened to land in a strange year. I came at a time when the Modules were being introduced and have followed along with the updates the whole way. I'm not sure that the other levels are having the same problems. Next year is level 6... its the testing year/ in depth study year for me and I'm really hoping that when the instructors get together next time that they think long and hard about the level 6 students next year and realize that things need to be right for them. We've put up with a lot, I think, and I would like to see it settled for us. I want to know that I graduated from a program that I can be proud of.
I have always believed in life long learning. I think I might have mentioned that here a few times... for me it is necessary for keeping the mind active and it is a great opportunity to get out there in the world and not feel completely cut off as sometimes happens with people who live in the nether (well maybe nether is a bit strong) regions of the world. I am happy to say the there was an octogenarian in my class this year, which was a true inspiration to me. If anything ever encouraged me to continue on with learning, it was him.... (yes him! I had a him in my spinning class!) I hope that if I make it to 80 then I'm as alert as he is and as inspirational as he is.
We had a great group in our class this year and lots of laughter was the name of the game... even though the learning curve was kind of flat this year. We either have reached the pinnacle of learning in spinning or level 5 needs some bumping up. Mostly it was, "try this" and "try that"... but really it was never demonstrated and so we were left to figure out a lot of stuff through reading. I'm not sure I believe my $543.00 in tuition was well deserved in this case and I'm thinking that the instructor I had, may have been better placed elsewhere in the MSP... I hope that doesn't sound terribly harsh... but I came away feeling that something was seriously lacking. I can't quite put my finger on it because I did learn... just not as much as I expected... perhaps my expectations were too high.
Level 4 homework has been left with my level 4 instructor except I did not complete the 150 hour project, as I had hoped... I just didn't get it finished in time... though I am close. I do have to send it to him in the next couple of weeks, so today will be spent knitting. My level 4 instructor will hold off marking my work till then... so I'm on the clock. I had intended it to be a shawl but I really wanted it to be a shrug... so now that I have it home, a shrug it will become... I will have to fix a few things on the write up like changing the word shawl to shrug and bumping up the time somewhat since I've already gone over the amount of time that I had guessed it would take me. But I am glad that I am so close to being finished. Then I will be biting into the next level.
While in level 5, I made a decision. I tried a new fibre called Swalesdale which is a very coarse sheep wool that has tons of guard hair and kemp (a coarse wirey hair for you non spinner types) in it, which makes a lovely scratchy yarn that no one in their right mind would like. But being me and a bit of a weirdo, I fell in love with it... so for my level 3 fifty hour project I am knitting a scratchy winter/late fall jacket and saving my cotton baby blanket for my level 5 homework. Mmmm I can't wait.
The dye retreat comes next and that is only a few weeks away. I will be starting to organize for that and I will be sending out reminders to the guilds for their reports for the summer issue of the Threads Along The Peace... the newsletter that I edit for the PCSW. That will take up the majority of July. Teapot is readying to go away with Daughter #1 for ten days in July and only is back for one night and then off to Australia after that, we hope.... the passport is still being awaited... and phoned about and so on... So July is lining up to be a bit of a freak show. I have a tapestry to be woven and I'm spinning wool and cotton for dyeing in August when a friend and I will be getting together for a few days of nature dyeing with logwood and cochineal... "25 shades of" to be exact. I won't be dyeing at the dye retreat this year, just facilitating those others who would like to.... I will be spinning Swaldesdale for that lovely winter jacket.
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| My roomies walking to class as I sat on one of those breath saving benches. |
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| Looking back toward the gazebo and the rose garden where sometimes weddings are held... there was one while I was there. |
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| Looking toward the greenhouses where much retting, braking, scutching, and other good stuff has taken place over the years. |
If anyone's got balls around here, it's you guys for coming back again and again and again.... thanks... and I'll see ya'll tomorrow.
1 comment:
welcome home...yes, missed you. Beening here is like having a visit with you.Your the girl.....:D
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