A week ago Canada had it's annual groundhog day. While the official Groundhog Day is on the 2nd of February, Groundhog Day in this house was just yesterday.... and I'm the groundhog.
You see the sun came out yesterday and a welcome bit of light it was.... I was spinning away for the big j.c. and I suddenly had the desire to check out the temperature. But instead of walking over to the window where we have the thermometre I decided to step out on my deck... I looked out the window and saw that the snow that Hubby had shoveled off the deck was glistening like it might actually be melting in the noonish sunshine. I carefully opened the door and bravely stepped out on the deck. Hmm I thought... then the cold penetrated and I quickly reopened the door and stepped back into my nice warm kitchen..... I think I will stay here for another six weeks!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
It's Morning?!! Already?!
I've come to the conclusion that a comfortable mattress might not be such a good thing. The story of our mattress is long and, as with most things in this house, a convoluted one.... and when you hear it you will think we are saints, I'm sure.
Four years ago Hubby and I took a wonderful trip down the river here in our valley. We spent a day packing and getting everything ready to go. Packing for a canoe trip is not easy as you have to make sure that things are packed as small as you can make it and you only take the things that are truly necessary. We had things all over the floor of our living room and it was quite a confused mess here for a while... but eventually we got everything packed and we were ready to go. Pops came to pick us up as the Daughters were staying with them while we were away, and his vehicle was easier to pack up for our trip. We made sure the cat was out (at that time we only had one), and that the dogs were with us. With the back of his van loaded down with tent, water, sleeping bags, food, dishes, paddles and life jackets and with canoe brightly sitting on top in all its yellowness... we headed off to our push-off place at the Landing.
It was a lovely day during an awesome summer of sun and heat.... we packed the canoe once it was in the water, and settled the two dogs in their places, and pushed off, stepping into the canoe as it drifted out into the current. We turned to wave goodbye to the Daughters and Pops and began what was to become one of the most idyllic times of our marriage. It was like a second honeymoon.
It was only after we had paddled about 15 minutes that I realized that I had left my drop spindle and fibre home on the couch and that I would be spending the next three days with nothing to do while Hubby was fishing in the evenings... argh! Hubby was gracious though and since we had to pass by the road that lead to our house he suggested that we could pull in off the river for a half hour while he climbed the hill and headed up the road to our house to retrieve the spindle and fibre for me. Of course I was going to take him up on that!
I sat there enjoying the sun and shortly Hubby returned.... spindle and fibre in hand. We pushed off again and the rest of the three day trip was truly wonderful.
What does this all have to do with our mattress you ask?.... Well, that fateful walk up the hill to the house was more fateful than you can imagine..... while Hubby and I were having our idyllic trip, the cat that we thought was out, had slipped between Hubby's feet when he opened the door and had hid away to an unknowing Hubby. A cat in a house with food and water and no way to get out for three days is not a good thing. As you all know cats like to dig a hole before defecating and we don't use litter.... (I'm allergic to it).... and so it was that after our three day idyll, we opened the door to our very hot house.... (we had plus thirty degrees the whole time we were away).... to smell.... OMG, What A Smell!!!! Plugging my nose I searched the house looking for the terrible mess..... and there it was... poop on our bed.... !
Suffice it to say... three day old poop on a mattress is not conducive to keeping said mattress.... the smell had penetrated.... there was no point in trying to clean it.... we would have had to rip the mattress open to do so. As a result, the mattress made a one way trip to the dump. Hubby and I slept on an air mattress for a couple of nights and then when my back was in terrible anguish I went to the tent trailer and pulled out the foam mattress there.
Surprise surprise the foam mattress from the trailer was more comfortable to sleep on than the one that we had just taken to the dump which was not a cheap mattress by any stretch of the imagination. Well, being summer, and with Hubby a teacher, and pay not being regular, we decided that we could manage on the foam mattress from the trailer until we could afford a new one.
That was four years ago.... and it was only this sumer past that we shelled out the money for a new mattress. When we finally went looking for a mattress we went looking for one of those memory foam ones.... it was not cheap.... but it was well worth the money. My back, which is really sensitive to what I am sleeping on, as is Hubby's (remember last winter?... see previous posts) is really happy with this mattress. Memory foam.... ra ra ra!
Getting up this morning was not easy.... the bed was warm.... the bed was comfortable... the bed was attached to me.... the bed was not letting me go..... Hubby had to give me the boot!
"Waaaah, it's not fair... it can't be morning already......!!!"
Sigh! and so my day begins while all the time, upstairs the mattress has my name on it.... I just want to sleep in occasionally.... well ok maybe every day.....
Four years ago Hubby and I took a wonderful trip down the river here in our valley. We spent a day packing and getting everything ready to go. Packing for a canoe trip is not easy as you have to make sure that things are packed as small as you can make it and you only take the things that are truly necessary. We had things all over the floor of our living room and it was quite a confused mess here for a while... but eventually we got everything packed and we were ready to go. Pops came to pick us up as the Daughters were staying with them while we were away, and his vehicle was easier to pack up for our trip. We made sure the cat was out (at that time we only had one), and that the dogs were with us. With the back of his van loaded down with tent, water, sleeping bags, food, dishes, paddles and life jackets and with canoe brightly sitting on top in all its yellowness... we headed off to our push-off place at the Landing.
It was a lovely day during an awesome summer of sun and heat.... we packed the canoe once it was in the water, and settled the two dogs in their places, and pushed off, stepping into the canoe as it drifted out into the current. We turned to wave goodbye to the Daughters and Pops and began what was to become one of the most idyllic times of our marriage. It was like a second honeymoon.
It was only after we had paddled about 15 minutes that I realized that I had left my drop spindle and fibre home on the couch and that I would be spending the next three days with nothing to do while Hubby was fishing in the evenings... argh! Hubby was gracious though and since we had to pass by the road that lead to our house he suggested that we could pull in off the river for a half hour while he climbed the hill and headed up the road to our house to retrieve the spindle and fibre for me. Of course I was going to take him up on that!
I sat there enjoying the sun and shortly Hubby returned.... spindle and fibre in hand. We pushed off again and the rest of the three day trip was truly wonderful.
What does this all have to do with our mattress you ask?.... Well, that fateful walk up the hill to the house was more fateful than you can imagine..... while Hubby and I were having our idyllic trip, the cat that we thought was out, had slipped between Hubby's feet when he opened the door and had hid away to an unknowing Hubby. A cat in a house with food and water and no way to get out for three days is not a good thing. As you all know cats like to dig a hole before defecating and we don't use litter.... (I'm allergic to it).... and so it was that after our three day idyll, we opened the door to our very hot house.... (we had plus thirty degrees the whole time we were away).... to smell.... OMG, What A Smell!!!! Plugging my nose I searched the house looking for the terrible mess..... and there it was... poop on our bed.... !
Suffice it to say... three day old poop on a mattress is not conducive to keeping said mattress.... the smell had penetrated.... there was no point in trying to clean it.... we would have had to rip the mattress open to do so. As a result, the mattress made a one way trip to the dump. Hubby and I slept on an air mattress for a couple of nights and then when my back was in terrible anguish I went to the tent trailer and pulled out the foam mattress there.
Surprise surprise the foam mattress from the trailer was more comfortable to sleep on than the one that we had just taken to the dump which was not a cheap mattress by any stretch of the imagination. Well, being summer, and with Hubby a teacher, and pay not being regular, we decided that we could manage on the foam mattress from the trailer until we could afford a new one.
That was four years ago.... and it was only this sumer past that we shelled out the money for a new mattress. When we finally went looking for a mattress we went looking for one of those memory foam ones.... it was not cheap.... but it was well worth the money. My back, which is really sensitive to what I am sleeping on, as is Hubby's (remember last winter?... see previous posts) is really happy with this mattress. Memory foam.... ra ra ra!
Getting up this morning was not easy.... the bed was warm.... the bed was comfortable... the bed was attached to me.... the bed was not letting me go..... Hubby had to give me the boot!
"Waaaah, it's not fair... it can't be morning already......!!!"
Sigh! and so my day begins while all the time, upstairs the mattress has my name on it.... I just want to sleep in occasionally.... well ok maybe every day.....
Monday, February 8, 2010
The Big j.c. (cont.)
It's all I think about anymore. I eat, sleep, and drink the big j.c. I wake up and think about carding fibre for the big j.c. I go to sleep and dream about spinning fibre for the big j.c. I nod off in my chair (from not sleeping well because I'm thinking about the big j.c.) while weaving and it is all about the big j.c. I am starting to picture the big j.c. in its final metamorphous. I'm sure it will look awesome.
The weaving has come along fairly well. I have the bottom panel just about done (I have about 1 inch left) and am working on spinning the weft for the next panel. The warp is still not on the second loom as I have been getting too many interruptions but I will probably get time to do that today.
I think the whole house is sitting with baited breath.... will she or won't she....I'm determined to meet my deadline.
Feb. 13th.... hmmmm....
Bets please!
The weaving has come along fairly well. I have the bottom panel just about done (I have about 1 inch left) and am working on spinning the weft for the next panel. The warp is still not on the second loom as I have been getting too many interruptions but I will probably get time to do that today.
I think the whole house is sitting with baited breath.... will she or won't she....I'm determined to meet my deadline.
Feb. 13th.... hmmmm....
Bets please!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
The Great Big Suck
Teenagers suck! Deer suck! Arguing sucks! Sox suck! Teaching sucks! Snow definitely sucks! Being tired and falling asleep while your watching a movie during a two minute break from weaving sucks! Cold sucks! Sore throats suck! Hay bails that are well wrapped and still tantalize the deer suck! White on the ground and everywhere sucks! Iron grey skies suck! Stinky horsey Daughter #1's suck! Flippant can't tell anything to Daughter #2 suck! Bossy husbands suck! Cats that get under your feet and trip you up suck! Waking earlier than you wanted sucks!
I think I'm ready for a retreat.....
Ahhhh.... the Blueberry Lodge.... coming on a weekend soon.... I'll be one happy spinner and weaver....
I think I'm ready for a retreat.....
Ahhhh.... the Blueberry Lodge.... coming on a weekend soon.... I'll be one happy spinner and weaver....
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Visiting My Blog
I never realized how many people look at pictures of old people doing crazy things.
Since I have my stat counter on the right I am able to check out how many people are visiting Ye Olde Batt and what it is they are looking at.... I have quite a few people who are regular followers and read my blog posts daily. But I also get hits from all around the world with people who are doing Google searches and happen to hit the blog because of some key word. For a while I was getting lots of hits because of the Howard Brush Company Cotton cards that I had done a write up on. The recently I've been getting hits from people who are interested in my article on Argyle socks. But in the last few days I am amazed at how many people want to look at the picture at the bottom of this page of the two old folks sitting on their lawn chairs in quite an interesting situation. I knew when I saw that picture on the web that it was hilarious and I wanted to incorporate it into my blog somehow, even if it is only for a little while. My idea is to change that picture every few months and show some new bizarre picture that reflects my life or what I would like to aim for in my life..... mostly because I like a little bizarre-ness in my life. What would life be if everything were plain and normal. You see I love to laugh. Not just a hoo ha but a belly-wrenching, bend-over-and-touch-your-nose-to-your-knees, gasp-for-breath-after-falling-on-the-floor, laugh!
A few months ago I had a picture in that spot of three ladies obviously three different generations with boob scarves on and I loved that picture too. But when I saw the one of the two old folks sitting in their chairs with such interesting aprons I thought this is great! Somehow it just seems to be the right amount irreverence to life.... who wants to be serious when life is so short.
Anyway there are several people from all over the world who are visiting my blog just because of that picture. They are from Sweden, England (three or four from England), Moscow, New York, India, and nearest I can figure is someone on a boat in the gulf of Guinea or possibly an island that's in the gulf of Guinea (that's near Nigeria for those of you who don't know).
Anyway, if you like that picture on the blog keep watching because I am going to make this a regular part of the blog.... every two or three months I will go looking for a very funny or odd picture and put it there..... you never know what you are going to find!
Meanwhile thank you to all of my regulars who are coming to read about what I am doing, thinking and saying. It makes me feel like it is all worthwhile.
Since I have my stat counter on the right I am able to check out how many people are visiting Ye Olde Batt and what it is they are looking at.... I have quite a few people who are regular followers and read my blog posts daily. But I also get hits from all around the world with people who are doing Google searches and happen to hit the blog because of some key word. For a while I was getting lots of hits because of the Howard Brush Company Cotton cards that I had done a write up on. The recently I've been getting hits from people who are interested in my article on Argyle socks. But in the last few days I am amazed at how many people want to look at the picture at the bottom of this page of the two old folks sitting on their lawn chairs in quite an interesting situation. I knew when I saw that picture on the web that it was hilarious and I wanted to incorporate it into my blog somehow, even if it is only for a little while. My idea is to change that picture every few months and show some new bizarre picture that reflects my life or what I would like to aim for in my life..... mostly because I like a little bizarre-ness in my life. What would life be if everything were plain and normal. You see I love to laugh. Not just a hoo ha but a belly-wrenching, bend-over-and-touch-your-nose-to-your-knees, gasp-for-breath-after-falling-on-the-floor, laugh!
A few months ago I had a picture in that spot of three ladies obviously three different generations with boob scarves on and I loved that picture too. But when I saw the one of the two old folks sitting in their chairs with such interesting aprons I thought this is great! Somehow it just seems to be the right amount irreverence to life.... who wants to be serious when life is so short.
Anyway there are several people from all over the world who are visiting my blog just because of that picture. They are from Sweden, England (three or four from England), Moscow, New York, India, and nearest I can figure is someone on a boat in the gulf of Guinea or possibly an island that's in the gulf of Guinea (that's near Nigeria for those of you who don't know).
Anyway, if you like that picture on the blog keep watching because I am going to make this a regular part of the blog.... every two or three months I will go looking for a very funny or odd picture and put it there..... you never know what you are going to find!
Meanwhile thank you to all of my regulars who are coming to read about what I am doing, thinking and saying. It makes me feel like it is all worthwhile.
Friday, February 5, 2010
The Big j.c. Is Moving Right Along
It's pitch black out. I can't see for looking. My alpacas and sheep could be mauled by coyotes for all I know. I would be blissfully ignorant. Actually it is not pitch black it just looks that way with all the lights on in the house at this hour of the morning. There's actually a very small amount of light in the sky because the sky is not black anymore but a very inky blue. I like to watch the sky this time of the year because you get to see all the shades of blue that come in the sky as it lightens.
Yesterday was a really busy day.... I worked on the j.c. all day.... 9 p.m. last night I was pooped. My shoulders were very sore and so I went to bed done for the day. I spun quite a bit of weft and I have Trudy (the loom) warped and ready to go.... today I will be setting up Gertrude with its warp. And hopefully I will get a chance to actually weave.
Hey! Look at that.... the sky is now a confederate army uniform blue/grey. The alpacas have not been mauled, the sheep are up and eating (what else is new) and all seems well.
This is me in the midst of warping yesterday.....
Yesterday was a really busy day.... I worked on the j.c. all day.... 9 p.m. last night I was pooped. My shoulders were very sore and so I went to bed done for the day. I spun quite a bit of weft and I have Trudy (the loom) warped and ready to go.... today I will be setting up Gertrude with its warp. And hopefully I will get a chance to actually weave.
Hey! Look at that.... the sky is now a confederate army uniform blue/grey. The alpacas have not been mauled, the sheep are up and eating (what else is new) and all seems well.
This is me in the midst of warping yesterday.....
Thursday, February 4, 2010
The Big j.c.
Today I begin to weave.... today I begin to get nervous... The big j.c. looms ahead (no pun intended). I have two looms out today. I am using a Rigid Heddle loom for the lower portion of the body and I am using an eight harness table loom for the arms/shoulders. I had to go to FSJ on Monday to pick up Gertrude.... Gertrude is the eight harness loom. You see I name my looms.
The eight harness loom that I just picked up is Gertrude. My big Rigid Heddle loom is Gerty and my small Rigid Heddle loom is called Trudy. I have a number of pin looms too and I have named them as well. There's big Mert, which is a 7' tri loom, Merty the 3' tri loom, (he's a boy) and the babies Insy, Winsy, Tinsy, all Hazel Rose Looms in various shapes and sizes, and lastly there are my two Weavettes, Mini and Maxi. I have also named my spinning wheels... I have several. My Little Gem is called... what else.... Gem and sometimes Gemma. My old saxony style wheel is called Gene (after my Grandmother whose name was Genevra and a very old fashioned name it is like the wheel). And then my black wheel is called Aunt Jemima even though she is funky with poetry painted on her and lady bugs glued to her. Then last year I bought a Charkha which I promptly named Ghandi.
Anyway, I am using Gertrude and Trudy for the big j.c. Yesterday was a day of interruptions so I am not as far along with the big j.c. as I had hoped but today is "the day" ! Da, da, da, da! So a day of work ahead...
I want to write more but really I shouldn't spare time... so seeing how I do today, then maybe I can post some pics tomorrow.
I'm off to ply some weft and then weave, weave, weave.....
The eight harness loom that I just picked up is Gertrude. My big Rigid Heddle loom is Gerty and my small Rigid Heddle loom is called Trudy. I have a number of pin looms too and I have named them as well. There's big Mert, which is a 7' tri loom, Merty the 3' tri loom, (he's a boy) and the babies Insy, Winsy, Tinsy, all Hazel Rose Looms in various shapes and sizes, and lastly there are my two Weavettes, Mini and Maxi. I have also named my spinning wheels... I have several. My Little Gem is called... what else.... Gem and sometimes Gemma. My old saxony style wheel is called Gene (after my Grandmother whose name was Genevra and a very old fashioned name it is like the wheel). And then my black wheel is called Aunt Jemima even though she is funky with poetry painted on her and lady bugs glued to her. Then last year I bought a Charkha which I promptly named Ghandi.
Anyway, I am using Gertrude and Trudy for the big j.c. Yesterday was a day of interruptions so I am not as far along with the big j.c. as I had hoped but today is "the day" ! Da, da, da, da! So a day of work ahead...
I want to write more but really I shouldn't spare time... so seeing how I do today, then maybe I can post some pics tomorrow.
I'm off to ply some weft and then weave, weave, weave.....
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