Sunday, October 18, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Inspirational
Over the years Hubby and I have played amateur photographer. These are some of my favorite photos taken in the last five years. I hope you find them as inspirational as I do....
Dust Bunnies
I have dust bunnies. I'm sure this is really not all that astounding as I'm also sure that most of the people who read this blog have dust bunnies too. I have always lived with dust bunnies and no doubt will continue to live with them all the rest of my life. However, every so once in a while, my dust bunnies grow teeth and start biting at my ankles. That's when I have to liberate my house of some of the dust bunnies that tend to indeed enjoy living under my table, my stove, my china cabinet, and any other dark corner they can find their way into.
I think I have a pretty good relationship with my dust bunnies and am quite content for them to be there if only they will hide away when company comes to call. But recent events are leading me to believe that my dust bunnies are rebelling and mocking me behind my back.
Now it came to pass that a friend, who doesn't come to call very often and is the epitome of a neat freak, came to my house in an effort to be friendly. While visiting, I had the horror of all horrors as the furnace cut in and one of my dust bunnies, who was in a rebellious mood, decided to creep out from under its hidey hole and make its way across the floor with my forced air furnace helping it drift along. Luckily, my neat freak friend was back on to this episode of dust bunny frivolity. That's when Daughter #1's kitten decided to make its entry into the living room via the steps leading to the upper regions of our domain. It spotted the rebellious dust bunny and decided that this was something good to play with. The dust bunny would drift along slowly with Kitty pouncing on it every so often. (The cat does not have a good relationship with dust bunnies and tries to eat them regularly). That's when Toots, the wonder chicken herder decided to investigate. Meanwhile I was quite content to keep my friend engaged in conversation so that she wouldn't notice the drama unfolding behind her. Toots as you know loves to play with his chicken and even more loves to play with felted woolen balls that I make for him. I knew what was about to happen. Toots took it into his head that the dust bunny that Kitty was playing with was his old ball. Meanwhile Kitty thought that the drifting dust bunny was his. This led to a fight as Kitty and Toots tried to lay claim to what should have stayed under the cabinet where it had been. With a screech and a yowl, all attention focused on Toots, who by this time had had his nose ripped, and Kitty, who was licking his claws, and a somewhat wet and mangled dust bunny lying directly in the middle of the floor. I quickly grabbed a napkin from the table and acted like I couldn't believe where a ball of fluffy dirt would have come from. How on earth could this have happened!
Leave it to dust bunnies to inform others of what a poor housekeeper you are. Toots is most upset that the dust bunny that he thought was his ball is now in the garbage and Kitty well he doesn't give a damn....
I wonder if there are any other dust bunnies feeling rebellious.
I think I have a pretty good relationship with my dust bunnies and am quite content for them to be there if only they will hide away when company comes to call. But recent events are leading me to believe that my dust bunnies are rebelling and mocking me behind my back.
Now it came to pass that a friend, who doesn't come to call very often and is the epitome of a neat freak, came to my house in an effort to be friendly. While visiting, I had the horror of all horrors as the furnace cut in and one of my dust bunnies, who was in a rebellious mood, decided to creep out from under its hidey hole and make its way across the floor with my forced air furnace helping it drift along. Luckily, my neat freak friend was back on to this episode of dust bunny frivolity. That's when Daughter #1's kitten decided to make its entry into the living room via the steps leading to the upper regions of our domain. It spotted the rebellious dust bunny and decided that this was something good to play with. The dust bunny would drift along slowly with Kitty pouncing on it every so often. (The cat does not have a good relationship with dust bunnies and tries to eat them regularly). That's when Toots, the wonder chicken herder decided to investigate. Meanwhile I was quite content to keep my friend engaged in conversation so that she wouldn't notice the drama unfolding behind her. Toots as you know loves to play with his chicken and even more loves to play with felted woolen balls that I make for him. I knew what was about to happen. Toots took it into his head that the dust bunny that Kitty was playing with was his old ball. Meanwhile Kitty thought that the drifting dust bunny was his. This led to a fight as Kitty and Toots tried to lay claim to what should have stayed under the cabinet where it had been. With a screech and a yowl, all attention focused on Toots, who by this time had had his nose ripped, and Kitty, who was licking his claws, and a somewhat wet and mangled dust bunny lying directly in the middle of the floor. I quickly grabbed a napkin from the table and acted like I couldn't believe where a ball of fluffy dirt would have come from. How on earth could this have happened!
Leave it to dust bunnies to inform others of what a poor housekeeper you are. Toots is most upset that the dust bunny that he thought was his ball is now in the garbage and Kitty well he doesn't give a damn....
I wonder if there are any other dust bunnies feeling rebellious.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
The Long And Winding Road
I love paths. I always have. I remember as a child I would spend hours in my backyard making paths in newly fallen snow, then, when it snowed again, which it did quite frequently in Newfoundland, I would spend hours following the indentations in the snow where I had made the path in the first place. Yesterday, while I was making my bed I happened to glance out the window and saw a path winding away into the bush. This path is not an unfamiliar path to me, I have walked it many times. But yesterday it looked so inviting that I thought I would take a picture of it.
(The ongoing dizziness prevented me from following it). I love the look of winding paths and I love the way it feels to walk down one. There's always a sense of the unexpected around the next turn.
When Hubby and I moved here we were delighted to find that the original wagon trail that the pioneers used to get to HH wound it's way through our property. To the east, the trail is covered with other people's property and is hard to find in among the fields and streets that cover it, but it is there. To the west though the trail is very distinctive. The old wagon trail has become a new quad trail and I walk it frequently. However the trail that you see in the picture is nothing more than a deer trail that my kids follow when they are going to their fort. It is a happy little trail that winds its way through our property and ends up at the fence of our neighbour's property. From there you can follow the fence line and somewhere in the bush down there we have a little spot with a firepit and a nice place to stop.
I can't help thinking that trails are rather like life. There is the main one that you follow every day of your life but then branching off are all the little trails that have the potential to become the main trail. If you look behind you can see all the little trails that you didn't take and kept right on going past. They are all winding and sometimes they connect with other people's trails. Sometimes several people follow the same trail. It's cool (did I just date myself using that word?) to see the trail ahead of you and know that there are others following the same trail, but sometimes it is nice to get off the beaten path and follow the road less traveled.
I think that is why I like paths because there is so much opportunity to see what lies ahead, to share the path with a friend, and ultimately to walk down the path without hesitation, whether it be the path of life or just a path in the woods.
My path, the one that I took the picture of, was never so clear as yesterday with the newly fallen snow making it more apparent. And though I've walked that trail a hundred times I never really saw it before. It took looking out the window and seeing it from a different vantage point to realize how wonderful it actually is.
And so you see, when I see the opportunity to take a picture of a winding path, I take it. It is because they are so inviting to me and a little bit of a curiosity that I love them so. Next time you see a trail or path, maybe you will think, "Ah here's a trail like the one Frankie was taking about", and with any luck, if you follow that trail you will be led to something interesting, something that ultimately makes your life a little nicer. Because sometimes its the little paths that you don't see so well that lead you to the great things in life.
Happy trails to you.....
(The ongoing dizziness prevented me from following it). I love the look of winding paths and I love the way it feels to walk down one. There's always a sense of the unexpected around the next turn.When Hubby and I moved here we were delighted to find that the original wagon trail that the pioneers used to get to HH wound it's way through our property. To the east, the trail is covered with other people's property and is hard to find in among the fields and streets that cover it, but it is there. To the west though the trail is very distinctive. The old wagon trail has become a new quad trail and I walk it frequently. However the trail that you see in the picture is nothing more than a deer trail that my kids follow when they are going to their fort. It is a happy little trail that winds its way through our property and ends up at the fence of our neighbour's property. From there you can follow the fence line and somewhere in the bush down there we have a little spot with a firepit and a nice place to stop.
I can't help thinking that trails are rather like life. There is the main one that you follow every day of your life but then branching off are all the little trails that have the potential to become the main trail. If you look behind you can see all the little trails that you didn't take and kept right on going past. They are all winding and sometimes they connect with other people's trails. Sometimes several people follow the same trail. It's cool (did I just date myself using that word?) to see the trail ahead of you and know that there are others following the same trail, but sometimes it is nice to get off the beaten path and follow the road less traveled.
I think that is why I like paths because there is so much opportunity to see what lies ahead, to share the path with a friend, and ultimately to walk down the path without hesitation, whether it be the path of life or just a path in the woods.
My path, the one that I took the picture of, was never so clear as yesterday with the newly fallen snow making it more apparent. And though I've walked that trail a hundred times I never really saw it before. It took looking out the window and seeing it from a different vantage point to realize how wonderful it actually is.
And so you see, when I see the opportunity to take a picture of a winding path, I take it. It is because they are so inviting to me and a little bit of a curiosity that I love them so. Next time you see a trail or path, maybe you will think, "Ah here's a trail like the one Frankie was taking about", and with any luck, if you follow that trail you will be led to something interesting, something that ultimately makes your life a little nicer. Because sometimes its the little paths that you don't see so well that lead you to the great things in life.
Happy trails to you.....
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Happy Birthday YOB
Good morning all and once again I'm sitting behind my computer screen. This has become a common trend in the last year as this is the one year mark since the creation of this blog. Blogging has become a way of life for me it seems. My goal when I set out on this momentous undertaking was to have fun with a journal of sorts and try to practice my writing skills somewhat. I didn't know if I would enjoy blogging and I was a little scared about what I wrote being appropriate and interesting enough to entertain folks who happen to read it. My thought was to write about the things that I do with wool. But I very quickly realized that it would become so much more than that. I have had people tell me all the time that they read my blog, which is good, but it kind of leaves a hole in your conversation because you really don't want to keep repeating yourself. It also has been marvelous for those down East who keep up with our lives through the blog. I am a terrible letter writer (and Hubby doesn't write at all) and so for all the family back home it is a great way to keep up with our lives. I hope I have done that in an entertaining and light hearted way. I also wanted to provide information to those in the same boat as me. I wanted to let them know how to start up a small hobby farm and small business. I'm not sure I have done this but if you keep following along I'm hoping that it will come as I continue to learn. A huge part of the last year was taken up with renovations on our house and all that goes with it, and while we are not yet finished with that we are still working on it. (I'll keep posting pictures from time to time).
Recently Hubby was able to help me add a counter on my blog. It is really cool (though freaky, I'm told by one of my blog followers) and with it I am able to see how many people follow my blog and where they are from. It doesn't tell me (so don't worry) what their name is or any personal information just how they accessed my blog and what part of the world they are accessing from, (so ISP and the previous page from which they joined YOB). It tells me what pages were accessed on my blog and how long they stayed on my blog. The statistical information that I get from that is really helpful. Yesterday someone joined my blog from Italy.... but their visit was very short lived. I would say they were just surfing. Still it is cool for me to know whose reading here. Speaking of statistical information regarding YOB, I have written 182 times in the last year which works out to be once every two days on average. I think that is pretty good.
Blogging has become a part of my life like washing my face or brushing my teeth. I wake, I get the family breakfast and out the door to school, and then I sit and blog. Sometimes it is really easy to write but sometimes I just don't have anything to say because the reality is that my life is not all that interesting at times. Daughter #1 says I have a talent for turning the mundane into something interesting but I'm not so sure. Still though I like blogging and most of the time I sit here and it all rolls out easily once I get started.
I want to especially thank all my followers, for staying with me this year and I want to welcome any who actually hit here and think well maybe I'll follow what this gal has to say. I also want to thank the blogging gods (yes there are some) for this outlet for public journaling. What an interesting world we live in.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Whorling Around
Unfortunately every so often I have this wonderful (yeah!) problem in the form of dizziness. Not just your run of the mill dizziness but down right holy-cr-p-stop-the- world-going-around-dizziness. Sometimes it lasts a day and sometimes it lasts a few days. I generally stay in bed and get up only to crawl to the bathroom. This morning I woke up and went to go through the normal morning routine and woosh the room started moving at about 90 km an hour. I was back on the pillow in a nanosecond. After an hour of trying to get this under control I managed to get my carcass out of bed and downstairs.... here I am sitting in front of the computer and I am not ripping my head around a lot at all... and I have a headache. Argh!
Thing is, this really ticks me off. Well of course you say. But I live with this problem so it doesn't usually bother me too much as I like to use a day like this to just rest and catch up on sleep, but last night I started working on my level 3 homework and I was looking forward to continuing that today.
A little time on the computer and then back to bed. So no spinning today. : (
Yes... I started on my level 3 homework and I love when I see good progress.
Since I still don't have my cotton cards and don't expect to tet them for 6 weeks, I thought I would have a look at my level 3 books and see what other question would interest me right now. I decided to have a go at the support spindle, and so I gathered some silk /merino blend and tried out my new Navajo spindle. It didn't take very long before I realized that my new one has not got enough weight to make it a good spindle. So out came the guild Navajo spindle and away I went. I have to spin a 10 Metre skein and it can be singles, but I was having so much fun that I decided, to heck with that I will do 10 metres of plied yarn. It's fun.
Meanwhile Tootsie is enjoying his chicken... we call the chicken Bob.
Well now that I've caught you up on my doings... I'm off back to bed, and while I'm whorling around...... my spindle is not!!!
Thing is, this really ticks me off. Well of course you say. But I live with this problem so it doesn't usually bother me too much as I like to use a day like this to just rest and catch up on sleep, but last night I started working on my level 3 homework and I was looking forward to continuing that today.
A little time on the computer and then back to bed. So no spinning today. : (Yes... I started on my level 3 homework and I love when I see good progress.
Since I still don't have my cotton cards and don't expect to tet them for 6 weeks, I thought I would have a look at my level 3 books and see what other question would interest me right now. I decided to have a go at the support spindle, and so I gathered some silk /merino blend and tried out my new Navajo spindle. It didn't take very long before I realized that my new one has not got enough weight to make it a good spindle. So out came the guild Navajo spindle and away I went. I have to spin a 10 Metre skein and it can be singles, but I was having so much fun that I decided, to heck with that I will do 10 metres of plied yarn. It's fun. Meanwhile Tootsie is enjoying his chicken... we call the chicken Bob.
Well now that I've caught you up on my doings... I'm off back to bed, and while I'm whorling around...... my spindle is not!!!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Time Management... Not!
Hubby and I are not the best at time management. Here, it is cold... real cold. I look out my window in our office where I'm sitting, and there's nary a leaf to be seen. They all turned yellow and then orange last week and overnight they fell to the ground and just like that it was winter. Hubby and I were up quite late the other night with guests for dinner and when our guests left a 3 a.m. it was -14 degrees C. I think that is an anomaly and that we will get warmer temperatures again, but then in the North, you never know. As a result of this quick decent into winter, Hubby and I have been caught with our pants around our knees. (Not literally!) We should have had everything ready for winter but somehow here we are and nothing is ready for the inevitable cold and snow. The tent trailer is still standing in the yard. It's up and not cleaned out. The trampoline has not been put away, some of the house supplies are still outside, and we are far from ready for snow. Yeesh! How did that happen?
Today, Hubby is butchering the chickens.
We have had it with the bu--ers since they are the worse chickens we have ever had! They lay their eggs and then promptly eat them. Once a chickens starts doing that it's hats off for them, or I mean, heads off for them. We've tried catching the bu--ers in the midst of their egg eating habit, but they are just too quick. Out comes an egg and they're on it like a bunch of starving Ethiopians at a Thanksgiving buffet. So with the price of chicken feed as high as it is, it is just not worth it to keep them.... besides, they always looked like they were trying to place bombs under the house anyway!!!
Everything has a light dusting of snow and so begins the dark days of winter. I dread it. I went outside a little while ago and just about froze my buns off, but the great thing is that I found a lovely picture.
So I went back in again and grabbed the camera in an effort to capture the image in digital form.
Later I was cleaning up some things that had been in the shed for the last few months because I didn't want to leave them out there over the winter months and in the box was a stuffed chicken that someone had felted for me.
I think it was supposed to be a pin cushion but I never used it as such. I thought, "I bet Tootsie would like to play with this, now that he won't have chickens to herd anymore".
And sure enough he loves it and takes it everywhere with him.
Saturday was a good day for renovation doings too. Hubby got my closet done to the point where I can hang up clothes and so I have been putting clothes away all yesterday and today with a little time out for Turkey with the parents and some time on the tri-loom yesterday. I started a small shawl last week as an experiment and so far it is looking good.
Meanwhile the things that we need to do linger and languor. I sure hope this weather is an anomaly because I'm really starting to wonder if it is. One thing is for sure, I'm starting to think that I need to work on my time management!
Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving...
Today, Hubby is butchering the chickens.
We have had it with the bu--ers since they are the worse chickens we have ever had! They lay their eggs and then promptly eat them. Once a chickens starts doing that it's hats off for them, or I mean, heads off for them. We've tried catching the bu--ers in the midst of their egg eating habit, but they are just too quick. Out comes an egg and they're on it like a bunch of starving Ethiopians at a Thanksgiving buffet. So with the price of chicken feed as high as it is, it is just not worth it to keep them.... besides, they always looked like they were trying to place bombs under the house anyway!!!Everything has a light dusting of snow and so begins the dark days of winter. I dread it. I went outside a little while ago and just about froze my buns off, but the great thing is that I found a lovely picture.
So I went back in again and grabbed the camera in an effort to capture the image in digital form.Later I was cleaning up some things that had been in the shed for the last few months because I didn't want to leave them out there over the winter months and in the box was a stuffed chicken that someone had felted for me.
I think it was supposed to be a pin cushion but I never used it as such. I thought, "I bet Tootsie would like to play with this, now that he won't have chickens to herd anymore".
And sure enough he loves it and takes it everywhere with him.
Saturday was a good day for renovation doings too. Hubby got my closet done to the point where I can hang up clothes and so I have been putting clothes away all yesterday and today with a little time out for Turkey with the parents and some time on the tri-loom yesterday. I started a small shawl last week as an experiment and so far it is looking good.
Meanwhile the things that we need to do linger and languor. I sure hope this weather is an anomaly because I'm really starting to wonder if it is. One thing is for sure, I'm starting to think that I need to work on my time management!
Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving...
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