Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Blah! Cold!

It's still cold.... -31 : \ I am not impressed. We were all up at 6 a.m. this morning to get the girls on the bus for he regional science fair which is being held in FSJ today. Daughter #1 won in her category for an experiment in acidic soil and plant growth. Daughter #2 won in her category for an experiment in food tasting and how smell affects taste. The standards are very high at the regional level so we will see how they do.

I am taking my mom and heading to FSJ later this morning to bare witness to the event and to do a little shopping too. I need batteries for my camera so that I can post pics here of my weaving. A few groceries will make it into my cart and hopefully a new toaster oven which I miss greatly since mine caught on fire last summer and I have been doing without since then.

I just read my post from yesterday and have decided that my brain really was frozen when I wrote it. Sorry that it was so incoherent. I am not going to write about spring today.... I refuse.

I am instead going to write about what I am doing which for the most part has been weaving on pin looms and doing research for a level 2 question on spindles. I have spent an inordinate amount of time working on research for spindle information. I have discovered a number of different kinds but frankly it is pretty hard to find out background information on them. Spindle spinning is not terribly popular and so I gleam bits of information from here and there but never finding any really good sites. The one that I am having most trouble with is a double whorl spindle called the Balkan spindle. This morning before I go will be an opportunity to do some more research.

The other time consumer lately has been my pin loom. I have been weaving 6 inch squares on my pin loom with yarn that I bought for socks a while ago.... you may remember my secretive purchase from my local yarn shop.... and I am weaving squares with it as I have decided I like cotton socks better than wool. I am doing alternating squares. Ones is woven on the bias and one is woven straight. So far it is looking quite nice.... I am no sure I like my HRL loom as much as I like my Weavette.... well I know I don't actually... but it is ok.

Anyway when I am done I am hoping to have a baby blanket for a new child we support through Foster Parents Plan. We have three now. The new one is named Thavyne and comes from Brazil. We have Maria in Peru and Rosa in Dominican Republic. It gives me great pleasure to be able to make things for these little girls. Maria is 12. Rosa is 5 and Thavyne is not quite 2. Maria is getting a quilt and Rosa is getting a woven purse. I will see about posting pics here next time.

I will end here today as I have to get ready to go and still want to do some of that research....

Monday, March 9, 2009

I'm Over It... Yeah Right!

It is now a balmy -11 degrees and there is water dripping off my roof. I did go back to bed but then I had a friend drop by for lunch. This picture was taken a couple of years ago.... we look like a couple of real winners. Anyway we had a very nice lunch and it is not often that we get together to do that. She is my fitness instructor but primarily she is a good friend.

I've pretty much decided to hibernate until spring. I have to take my girls into FSJ tomorrow because they are both in the regional science fair. I'm really proud of the fact that they have made it so far. But after tomorrow I'm not leaving the house until it goes above freezing. Then I might think about leaving the house. So for now I will only think spring thoughts and I will only spin spring things and sew spring things and weave spring things...... if I deny that it is STILL winter like out then eventually it will have to change to spring..... make sense????? I thought not?

Who says you have to make sense anyhow.... my brain is too frozen to make sense. I need some spring to thaw me out. It's all good, as my friend who came for lunch says, it's all good!

Well I'm sorry... winter sucks! I'm tired of winter... I NEED spring. I love to hear that first pattering of rainfall when spring comes. I love to hear the buzz of the flies and bees. There's chirping in the air and you can almost hear the sap rising in the trees. And the smells... oh the smells of spring. I just love the smell of the earth and the warm air in the leaves. The musty smell of last falls debris rotting. Then there are the smells of the flowers. You can't beat spring.... well I like autumn too.

I'm weaving and hope to have pictures of it soon.... my weaving looks like spring, with its Easter colours....see ya soon.... here's hoping its spring in your neck of the woods.

@%#$^%&%^*

-44 windchill! It's March 9 for God's sake. No wonder there are Snow Buntings flying around..... they'd freeze their wee bums off if they stayed still. Brrr... I'm going back to bed. : {

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Snow Buntings And Cold

Yesterday was stormy. It was stormy pretty much all day. I would look out at the falling blowing snow and wonder where spring was. It's March for God's sake shouldn't we be getting more seasonal temperatures by now. I just checked the thermometre and it is reading -23 degrees. Brrr! Hubby and I are heading off to church this morning and Hubby had to go plug in the truck because otherwise it might not start. It is sunny today but yesterday was a different story altogether.

Hubby left early in the afternoon yesterday, to take a bunch of kids sledding. I can't believe that they braved the storm and went off sliding. Daughter #1 who is a JCR did not go as she was hoping that her friend would come over and stay overnight... I think she was avoiding the cold too. I stayed home because I thought they were nuts to go sliding in such frigid temperatures.

It was while I was watching TV and weaving on my pin loom that I glanced up and noticed a flock of Snow Buntings flying around out over the sheep paddock. Snow Buntings are harbingers of spring. So while it is -23 this morning I know that it can't be long now. I think Hubby thinks I'm nuts but hang on I will until the gentle breezes of spring blow instead of the frigid winds of he North.

Crows are also a harbinger of spring. Not the big ravens but it's smaller cousin the crow. When I lived in the south there were always ravens and crows around, so it was strange when I came north and discovered that crows actually fly south for the winter. When I see crows now I know that it is spring. Then come the sparrows. With the sparrows come the wild crocuses and then dandelions.

For now the ground is white and everything is still frozen. The sheep are not moving much today. They are saving their energy and trying to stay warm. I have been watching closely because we are only a matter of weeks away from lambing. Each morning I look out and watch to see if there are any changes in behaviour. Lambs mean spring too. So i diligently watch for all signs spring.

What are signs of spring for you?

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Blow Blow Snow Snow

11 years... it's been 11 years since the last blizzard and Hubby is most disgusted that it fell on a weekend and not on a school day. Why couldn't this blizzard show up on the weekday.

We woke this morning to cats scrabbling around out on the deck trying to find a hole in a wall somewhere so that they could get in out of the desperate wind and blowing snow. Lying in bed, we didn't know what the problem was. We had our curtains closed on our window because the moon is approaching full and I am having werewolf feelings again. We heard the blighters outside scrabbling around on the deck and I just thought it was spring fever. How wrong was I. When I pulled back the drape it was clear that today would be spent indoors. I checked the sheep and alpacas and accounted for all of them as white lumps of snow. Honeydew too was a white lump of snow except her head was up. Poor things were hunkered down in the hay and were white with blowing snow.

The snow is blowing and I mean blowing. It is actually horizontal. I came downstairs and let the dogs out and proceeded to the kitchen door where the cats were looking into the window with pleading looks on their faces. I knew exactly what they wanted. Warmth and food. The dogs were white when they followed shortly after.

There was supposed to be a sledding party today for JCRs but I'm thinking that a sledding party might not be the best idea. I've emailed our patrol leader and am prepared to do some phoning as I expect everyone will have to be contacted.

Usually this region does not have snow and wind at the same time, so stormy weather like this is unusual. But it is just plain nasty. If I were a superstitious person I would change my colours back from spring colours....

And I can't even take pictures!

Friday, March 6, 2009

Home Is What We Make Of It

The 10th of March Hubby and I will have moved into this house 7 years ago. Who would have thought that much time would go so quickly. When we first moved here things were pretty rough. The house was built prior to our moving here by a Norwegian sailor/cowboy. He had built it for his wife and himself to move in to as part of their Canadian adventure. She came and took one look and decided to move home... he didn't want to go and so divorce seemed the best option. The house went up for sale as part of the divorce settlement. Enter Hubby and moi.

Let me tell you that purchasing this house was no small task and especially from a Norwegian sailor/cowboy with grand ideas of the wild west. He didn't have a clue really about the laws of Canada and felt that he could sell us the house and use the same lawyer that we had.... He wanted to come visit the lawyer the same day we did and thought it all could be done in one afternoon. We eventually got it all worked out but it was a painful process.

We have never regretted living in this house and we have never regretted our lifestyle here which believe me has been a little uncooth at times. The needs of a Norwegian sailor/cowboy and his wife are quite different than a family of four with two dogs and two cats. For example, when we fist moved into this house there was carpet on the kitchen floor and only one bedroom. Hubby and I, in our wisdom, moved the kids into the closet in our bedroom and managed to squash the possessions of four people into 600 square feet. We eventually closed off the cathedral ceiling in our living room, and built a large upstairs room for the girls. Over the years a number of changes have been made to the house the least of which was not the extensive renovations to the kitchen (where we took up the carpet) or the addition of a front door and porch. We have added a 600 square foot deck. It's a cozy home and though it has a very lived in look most of the time, I for one love it here.

I'm sitting here listening to the CBC show, Daybreak North, which is broadcasting from the local cafe in our little town. They are interviewing the Boones from Bears Flats just up the highway from here and they are talking about Site C. Site C is like saying the "F" word in our neck of the woods. Site C is a proposed hydro electric dam that will ruin a river valley which is one of the most beautiful valleys anywhere, and we happen to live in it. People will be displaced and the town will will be cut off from the nearest centre so suffice it to say that it is a touchy subject for sure in this locale. My family will not actually be affected directly but the new lake will certainly be our neighbour. What people don't realize is that reservoir lakes are dead. They cause horrible amounts of sluffing (sloughing) and the wind turns all the sluffed banks into dust whirlwinds. It is a horrible sight to see when that much dust lays a coating of inches over everything.... it looks like an atomic bomb has gone off. And of course no animals can survive such conditions. I hope Site C doesn't go ahead. Our property will lose most of its value.... not a nice thing I assure you.

The Boones are not alone in their fight against Site C. Many people like us have bought homes in this valley because it is so beautiful. They want to see life in their chosen homeland stay beautiful and I can understand that.

So it is with this in mind that Hubby and I embark on renovations to our home... not lightly let me tell you. We are sitting on a time bomb really. If we invest another 40 - 50 thousand dollars into our home we do not want to see it lose value but rather gain. We do not invest the money for the reason of gaining or losing but because we need the space, but gaining in value is certainly expected when investing that kind of money. The reservoir will basically lick at the edges of our property and the property of our neighbours. We have the risk of being buried under those inches of blowing sand and dust. Our land will become basically valueless.

It is interesting to hear the people talk on the radio about Site C. Some people are for Site C and some are adamantly against it. I realize that it may bring with it economic growth but then I look out at my animals and wonder what will happen to me and my family.

Hubby and I canoed the river about two years ago. We canoed the area that will be affected if Site C goes ahead. We want to do it again this year and we hope to take the girls with us this time.... at least part of the way. I want them to see what beauty will be destroyed if Site C goes ahead. I want them to know what life was like before Armageddon.

It is interesting to listen to people talking so coolly about something that can be so significant in their lives and ours. But listen I do... I just pray that when all is said and done, the good Lord above is watching over us and will touch us and this valley with only good things.

Anyway renovations are certainly in our future.... whether Site C is, remains to be seen.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

I'm Back

A week in Victoria went a whole lot faster than I expected. I left here last week after a visit to FSJ hospital for a kidney infection. So on antibiotics, and feeling more rotten than good, I landed in Victoria in the late evening and was assigned a room which, praises be, I didn't have to share with anyone (thanks Stew). I made up my bed and unpacked in a matter of a few moments and prepared to renew some relationships from a year ago. I then hit my bed and tried to get a decent night's sleep. I have to say that the life of the sorority is not something I fit well into and so for most of the week I felt like a fish out of water. J, we will call him, my travelling companion from Hudson's Hope was a blessing, because he has an easy way about him and helped my awkwardness many times. I was up at 5:30 am the next morning to shower and prepare for class which was to start at 7:45 am sharp. I had breakfast at the mess hall at 6:00 am and began my ritual of yogurt and fruit for breakfast. Class began with filling out and signing contracts for the week. I will get paid for this course that I took! still find that to be a surprise. We started in right away. The courses that I took were Advanced Dispute Resolution and Non-violent Crisis Intervention. Both were exacting and both were immensely fulfilling. I think the only complaint is that I hate roll playing (I have never been an actress). I find roll playing to reach too deep into my inner turmoil and draw out things best left buried where they belong. It doesn't help that the feminine psychy rears its ugly head at particular times of the month. Though the moon was not full I felt the workings of the monthlys heavy on me about mid-week when roll playing was at it height. At one point I was reduced to tears and embarrassed for it. I don't like to be in the limelight and there I sat for all eyes to bear witness to my discomfort... ugh!

The second part of the week was better with Non-violent Crisis Intervention. I thoroughly enjoyed getting the ideas behind that course. I also thought that the actual deflecting exercises were brilliant. I came away reassured that what I try to do in a melt down with teenagers (mostly my own) is the correct method and the courses gave me some strategies to deal with kids that are difficult and unresponsive. Believe me, as a Mom wih two teenagers (one almost) the course is a great way of aiding you and balancing you as a rounded human.

After hours was a different thing altogether. I spent a lot of time working on my book reports for my Master Spinner level 2 homework. I am pleased to say that I have finished all six book reports and I have several of the other research questions done too. Thanks to Hubby, I was able to use a laptop and get all my work done. I went shopping and spent way too much money on beading supplies. The great thing about Victoria is the great down town area where cool and nifty shops abound. The last day there I spent and afternoon in Market Square poking about in the shops there. I found a great fudge shop and brought home a log of something that I can't remeber the name of. It was nougat with cherries and raisins and nuts in it rolled in caramel and pecan nuts.... with the way I love nougat it was yum! I bought Hubby a hat made of waxed cotton and looked like the hat that Indiana Jones wore in the movies. The girls got braclets from an East Indian clothing shop and I wish I could have afforded a sari for them. J and I had challenged each other to tattoos but we both didn't feel that the tattoo shop we went to was what we were looking for so in the end we decided to wait until we could do a tattoo and get exactly what we wanted. Dinner out happened twice. Once at a Thai place and the other at a Curry East Indian joint. Both restaurants had great food. The highlight of the trip I think though was the opportunity to go to the Tournament of Hearts and see the curlers for real. The curling was amazing and the whole experience was top notch. I did have to choose between the Tournament of Hearts and the night that everybody went out for dinner. But in hind sight it wasn't so bad. I think there was too much flirty crap that went on for my enjoyment. The most disappointing about it was that my WO and his wife were there and for the second year in a row and I have not had the opportunity to meet her and socialize with them both. I would have liked to do that. I did hear that some of my fellow class mates were outrageous in their behaviour after over indulging in booze. I did that years ago in my college days and I don't feel I have anything else to proove. I am glad to say that the politics of such an event are beyond me and I am always glad to forgo people politics and machinations..... that is what makes me a loner. I am happy to be just me and not have to worry about who is flirting with this one or that one or who is sucking up to this one or that one.... it is kind of sad to watch.

This trip has been an eye opener for me and I have discovered that I am too hard on myself and certainly too analytical. I need to just live and let the others take care of themselves. People who are out to proove something usually only just end up hurting themselves. I have decided to stay away from people who don't deserve my friendship and loyalty, and enjoy the ones who do. In the end my friendship is good and I am a worthy friend and companion. I renewed relationships and solidified others, and in the end hopefully built a little respect among the ones who took the time to get to know me. A little self discovery is good from time to time.