Good Friends

There is a saying that Good friends are better than gold, and who says you can have just one?  or is that potato chips?  In my life growing up, I had one very good friend, I saved her life when we were small kids.  I was at the public pool and I of course couldn't swim, I had to stand on the shallow side of the ropes, if I went on the other side it was on tippy toes and very risky if the pool was busy.  So I was standing neck deep in water and I could see this girl struggling to keep her face above water, but she was on the other side of the ropes.  Her braids floated past me, she had very long hair and I grabbed them and reeled her in.  We became best friends forever, even before the term BFF.  Turns out she just moved in down the block from my house, and that sealed the deal.  There was nothing that kept us apart and nothing we didn't share.She saved my life many years later, after my first divorce I was a shell of a person, I had no self esteem, no identity and she swooped into my life and rescued me, I too owe her my life.  I got married, she got married, she moved a little further and we kind of went separate ways as lives do, but there is one thing I know for sure, if I called her today and said "I need you"  she would be there and I for her.   Well we still keep in contact at Holidays and so on and I thought I would never find a friend so dear as her, but I was wrong.  I have found more, I have friends that I can call on, depend on, ask for help or just to listen.  It has taken me a really long time to let someone in that close.  It may have been because I worked with men all the time that I wasn't exposed to very many women.  I have good men friends but not that I could call on and meet for lunch, they are all married and there are certain boundaries of respect, and I respect that.  Sometimes I just don't know how I got so lucky to have so many good friends.

Another year is passing

I don't know if it is part of being grown up but it's like the WE energies bill, it seems like I just paid it and it's in the mail again.  I never dreaded tax season till now and having a business, because like all other business's we have to pay taxes and personal taxes and all of this collecting of information starts January 1st.  Doesn't it seem like we just celebrated New Years?  Remember Y2K, when bunches of people bought generators in "case"?  In case of what, some people bought plywood to board of up their windows, my thinking was if I got hungry I would find the boarded up houses or some Mormon, they have to have food!!!  Well anyway with the New Year breathing down our necks, I am thinking what I would like to achieve in the New Year.  I don't make resolutions, I never follow through and I know it so why bother.  I do like to think and I use that term loosely, think about what I would like to achieve in 2011.  I am excited about Sheep in the City getaway and I am teaching at UWM in Spring.  I am not planning on going to Yarn School this Spring, just can't afford it, but I may go to Washington Island for some spinning sanity.  Anything further out than 5 or 6 months is pretty much a long time away for me.  I may rent the Civic Center and hold an Art yarn spinning class for two days?  I am loving recycling sweaters and saving the landfills from good wool and natural fibers.  I am joining a sketchbook challenge which last one year.  I want to write more and take more photos.  More street photography, that is a real challenge, but capturing people being themselves is my quest and the "How we knit"  this is where I am going to different knitting groups and photographing how knitters hold their needles.  It is of great interest to me, because we all hold them differently.  I may do a pod cast?  Well anyway I have to pay the Utility bill again.  Rest a little before another party weekend!!!

Hey who put that statue so close to the road?

Things seemingly are easing up as far as mom and her new transition, well her's and ours.  This morning I took Iggy to daycare and wanted to see if Target was open before 7am, guess not.  I drove a different way home, the way I normally take all the time, as I crested the hill, a familiar Christmas Carol was on and I was singing and thinking about the words, Little Drummer boy.  I used to dislike that carol for some reason but I am finding it very sweet as I get older.  I think it goes back to Holiday Concerts and the droning Rumpapumpum....we all had to sing, well at least I had to because I think I may be a tad tone deaf.  To keep with the theme of being annoying I would Rumpapumpum, either loud or off key.  I think I may have been jealous that I didn't sound like Brenda Lee or Janet Lennon?  So I am singing the words not the chorus and look to my right and mentally say "Why would someone put those deer statues so darn close to the road?  The deer at this point was looking in my window saying "Why the hell is the road so close to my toes?"  Seriously this deer was looking at me through my side window, maybe he heard me singing and it was like a dog whistle to them?  I was only going 35mph but when you see something like that it seems like you are going 100mph.   I kind of laughed to myself, the poor deer was dumb founded....as I am sure I was too.  Rumpapumpum...

They ask us why?

People ask us why we stay living in Wisconsin.  People ask how we can stand the cold and snow.  People like me say, Winter is beautiful, drinking chai tea or hot chocolate just doesn't seem right in 90 degree heat. A fireplace burning and wrapping in a wool blanket or hand knit afghan, can't be done like in the summer. It is snowing out right now, it is beautiful.  Knitting and sipping coffee, and wearing flannel jammies, is all part of the beauty.  I love walking in the snow, I don't like the bitter cold, but snow makes my heart and soul feel lighter, it lifts my spirits, or makes my spirit bright.  Why do I live here in the cold?  I love the snow, I love how the branches on the trees get heavy with sparkly white shiny glitter.  How the moon even looks like it is peaking out from a blanket of clouds, just enough to make sure all is calm, all is bright.  I love to hear the snow scrunch under boots or tires.  I love to watch Iggy run and flip snow with his nose and hop like a baby lamb in Spring.  I have to admit I don't like the snow when it gets dirty, and slushy, but everything has it's downside or the upside would never look so good.  So I am going to put on my coat and boots and go walk Iggy in the snow and catch some snowflakes on my tongue, or mostly my glasses.  I will kick the snow with my boots and smile and then come back into house where the fire is burning bright, the lights are sparkling on the Christmas tree, I will sit by the window and let it snow let it snow let it snow!!!

Tis the Season

Oh I hope you have your shopping done and your knitting has all it's ends neatly tucked in, the end is near.  Christmas that is!  I am not sure if I am ready, but I do know I am partied out.  This last week I had my Miller retirement party and it was very nice, nice to see all the people you worked for and it makes you wonder who is left working?  Then the Steamfitters from Miller throw a party at a bar near work and the retirees party on the working fitters.  I laughed so hard at all of the stories, some I heard and some I had not.  It is always so much fun to see those guys. I also need to mention it is so nice that there is no smoking anymore, I could breath.  Last year it was so cold and I didn't want to take my good jacket into the bar for fear I would never get the stink out of it, so I wore my sleeping bag coat and let it hang outside for a few days and nights.  I have been busy making slippers from sweaters!  I am having lots of fun doing this and also found that acrylic does not felt, like I didn't know that?  I thought it was a wool sweater, and normally I get a breathing reaction from acrylic, but I was working with so much fuzz I didn't really notice.  So into the washer it went and filled my washer with fuzz, fuzz and more fuzz and are now residing in the trash.  I also had to burn test one sweater because it looked like a mohair sweater but it wasn't.  I do have to say they are doing a prettty darn good job of making acrylic feel less plasticky.  So these Ugg like slippers are so warm and fun to design and decorate.

Punch everything and everyone

Have you noticed that a lot of commercials on TV are slapping people and hitting.  If you use Thera flu becareful because it will kick you butt.  Halls cough drops will bring in the Boxing trainer and open a can of whoop on you.  Heartburn causes your food to slap you in the face?  I get the idea, but is this the only way we can get a point across is hitting?  Seriously we grew up with the 3 stooges and yes we did emulate them poking eyes and slapping heads and the sound effects of whopppppppppp weeeeeeeee dunk.  I try as I might to avoid commercials but I noticed this and it can't help but make me wonder what it is doing to our kids.

My favorite mug and a break down

I bought this mug at Starbucks on Downer during a book reading at Boswells bookstore, it was soon to become my favorite mug.  It has a cool lid that pushes on and then you secure it with a twist of the outside band.  It is  a tad larger for a full cup of coffee or equivalent to a grande cafe.  Anyway, we and by we I mean my brother, sister in law and myself are  in the process of dealing with my mom.  She cannot live alone anymore, she has to have 24 hour care or assistance.  She will not be walking, she will probably be confined to a wheel chair and this is to prevent her from falling which she did in her apartment daily.  She has been extremely lucky to not have broken any bones and misses hitting her head by cleverly curling into a ball like a potato bug, when she does fall.  She will be moving into Assisted living and it is a family type group home and she will have her own private bedroom.  There is a mountain of paper work involved and do this and do that and tell them this and today I spent a minimum of four hours on the phone, in preparation for a move next Tuesday.  Last week we met with the funeral home director to prepay for funeral services which by the way if you have aging parents is highly recommended, that money is not considered in their assets and is not taxable.  So I grabbed my favorite mug with coffee and headed to the Rehab to meet for this preplanning stuff and had to leave quickly after for a hair appt.  I left my mug behind and my mom called to tell me, that my mug was still here.  I sighed with relief and said "oh thanks mom that's my favorite mug" the next day they were in what they call lock down, there was a case of the flu on her wing, no visitors, no leaving the wing.  So one day went into another and with phone contact and not being able to visit, I think she felt we left her.  So yesterday we finally got the OK to visit and Cheryl and I dropped in and I looked around and didn't see the mug, and then we got caught up on conversation and forgot to ask about it.  Today I asked where my mug was and she said "I threw it out"  point blank, just threw it out.  I really didn't believer her and did some errands and stopped in and she said , no I threw it out, I thought it was cardboard.  I said it was ceramic how could you not know?  Part of me wants to believe she made an honest mistake but knowing my mom and her history, part of me knows she can be mean, so I really can't just let her off the hook.  I left shortly after that and got in the car and started to cry...I really don't think it is the mug, it is all of the stress of this situation, are we doing the right thing with mom, is she going to love/hate the new place?  Is this going to work out Ok or not?  If you have not gone through this, let me tell you there is nothing you can do to prepare for this moment.   It is horribly stressful and so much red tape and hoops to jump through, it is unbelievable.  I can cry about it who cares....then I had a thought maybe I can stop in at Starbucks and see if they have another mug, just by chance.  Now I look like a street person, I have my black sleeping bag coat on, my dalmation spotted  scarf and a red hoodie sweatshirt with the hood up.   I see Chrismas mugs left and begin my hunt looking behind other mugs and please just one more mug...no luck.  I go to the counter and order a Chai tea and mention the mug and wonder if they have any left.  The young pretty girl says "I just sold the last one about 1/2 hour ago"  that did it, I started to cry and said and get this 56 years old "my mom just threw mine out and it was my favorite and and it really isn't about the mug and I'm sorry, she is old and sob sob, sniffle"  The other girl chimes in, hey I think they had some this morning at Holt ave.  "can you give me the number?  better yet she says, I'll call them...Oh thank you!!!  She says they have two and I said I'll take them both, I will go right over there.  Thanks so much and I'm really sorry to have blubbered, she slid the Chai tea over and said quietly, it's on us....Merry Christmas.....that made me cry some more but knew enough to get out of there before they called the pity police.  What gentle spirits they were, in a time when I was unraveling, a bare exposed nerve, inside and outside.  I hope I can pass that gentle spirit on when someone else has a melt down.  I hope someone will be kind to them when they need a tissue to dry their eyes, even when they are almost 60 years old.  It really isn't about the mug, now is it?

Sketch Book Challenge

Sometimes we all need inspiration.  I am joining this group and it will give me the push I need to sketch what I want to work on.  Now fair warning, I never sketch and idea because it is a deal killer.  For some reason, if I sketch it, it never turns out.  I am a fly by the seat of my pants person.  I write down the idea like, I want to make felted slippers from recycled sweaters, this is what I would do...
Felt sweater slippers, cuff, cute buttons
That's it and that is just so I remember the sketch in my head, if I put it to paper it is pretty much doomed???   I don't understand it but maybe with the help of others I can do this?  So I will be joining the Sketch book challenge and see what happens.

Tis the Season

The needles are clicking and everyone is trying hard to get that last minute knitting in before the Christmas parties begin.  I myself am working on a ruana, using Silk Garden and Nature spun yarn, it is a fun project and I find that it will keep my attention as long as there is either a color change or a pattern change.  I think that is why I love entrelac, it keeps growing and color changing.  It is a wintery blizzardy day today, I really love days like this.  I am glad they are not that frequent but I do enjoy sitting inside with coffee in hand, fire in the fireplace and chili cooking.  I am going to spin today, or actually continue plying a coil yarn I am working on.  I also may go down into the shop and weave, this is the perfect weather to sit at the loom and look out the window at the snow blowing and drifting outside.  I hope you can have the luxury of relaxing today and working on a project that will keep someone warm.  I also want to mention what a big hearted group of customer/friends I have here at my little shop.  Together we donated over 40 knit hats, scarves, mittens, lap robes, cakes, cookies, candies, money.  I had two pick ups of items and I am sure we helped to make a Veteran have a happy and warm Christmas last night.  My thanks to everyone that pitched in.

New Buzz words

This is the age that we become the parents to our parents and our children.  Yesterday, I had to make preburial funeral plans with my mom.  This is highly recommended by all senior living places, in order to shelter money they may have.  This money is put into a fund and the price of the funeral home is fixed but the other costs such as cremation, grave opening blah blah may go up.   When I entered the room I sat down and my first picture is just how frail my bossy, independant, perfectionist mother was.  A strong minded woman is just a shell of her old self.  Slipping out of control of what once was her life.  I felt compassion, something I haven't often felt for my mom.  I took her hands and said "Mom, I know we are shoving papers in front of you and asking you to sign them, I know this is hard for you and you have to know that we have your best interest at heart for you.  There are three of us working to make life as good as it can be for you, My sister in law Cheryl is doing way above what any DIL would ever do, my brother and myself are teaming up to take care of mom.  Prepaying for a funeral is kind of cool, you get to pick out exactly what you want, and you or I, got to cry at your decisions while reading verses that say goodbye to your family and friends on a shiney little piece of paper, with your name and date of birth and death printed on them.  It all seemed so final and I tried to make light of a sad situation.  It is now done, her funeral is planned and paid for and now we move on to the next hurdle.  Finding a place for mom to live, new buzz words are "family care" which is a nice way of saying Title 19 or Welfare.  You can only use that when you run out of the funds you saved your whole life and on and on....  So we never stop learning do we?  We learn life at different levels....now I am learning Senior stuff and how great is that?  By the time I will need to remember these phrases, they will have changed and I won't remember...I need a  nap!!!

The nose

Yesterday it was really cold here, the kind of cold that when you inhale through your nose the little flaps close inside and preheat your inhale air.  I had errands to do yesterday and warmed up the car while I took the Igster for his walk.  Before I left for grocery shopping and dropping the baby off at doggy daycare, I changed my coat, I usually wear the black sleeping bag coat to walk Iggy and it is hard to sit and drive in.  I put on my short coat and got into the car, I wasn't even to the end our short road here and I could feel it begin, the drip inside my nose.  I remained calm, my pockets are filled with neatly folded Kleenix to attend to just this kind of mishap.  I slip off my mitten and try to shove my hand into a pocket that is neatly tucked under my seatbelt.  I pull my jacket up and then the seatbelt down and wiggle my hand looking for that flap that will end this slow moving drip that is getting close to peaking out of my nostril into the cold winter air. I finally find the opening and grab kleenix, it is not neatly folded, it is not in a cute little plastic encased wrap, no it is a previously used wad.  I am desperate and after all it is my own snot that it was used for.  With my mittened right hand I go to wipe the escaping drip and something is tickling my lip and it is long and white?  I snear at my own disgust, but, I get the drip just as it starts to exit my nose and make it's ski hill jump down my lip, I pull the tissue away and who would know it was a long piece of white handspun yarn twisted into the white tissue. Oh the perils of a fiber freak!!!  Pockets are reloaded and ready to go.

The beautiful Season is upon us!!

I love snow, once again it makes my heart and soul lighter!!  I am blessed to live above a little village and all the lights are on and twinkling and snow makes it looks so much more pretty!!!  I am sitting on my couch watching it snow with a cup of hot coffee and a fire burning!!  This is the time for candles and peace!!   Snuggling up with a really good book, a blankie, and a  cup of chai tea.  Today we have our Holiday Stroll through the Village and Santa is here.  I should be more of  treat type person for when the kids come in but honestly, candy canes and yarn/fiber just do not fair well together.  Last year we had a great Santa, this year we have Suzanne from the Bead shop, she will do a great job, it will be interesting to be sure.  She loves kids so it will be fun.   Well I am going to make some breakfast and enjoy the show!!

Me Hurry??

I had my week planned, well as far as "me" plans go.  Monday I had running around and shopping, I call it my money Monday.  That went well, then Tuesday I wanted to make soap, felt some sweaters, finish some odds and ends, bring mom and her roomate lunch.  I started by trying to get in touch with my mom, no answer, for what seemed like hours no answer.  She has rehab a couple times a day, so I keep trying, I get the newsletter written and it just dawns on my I forgot to send it, foiled again!!!  I mean it, right now I forgot.....Ok, one more unfinished task.  I take my mom lunch and I eat a salad and I am done, my belly is aching and I don't feel too good.  Well then I get an email from Germany, they want 20 more DVD's, yes, I have 10 in stock that means burning, printing labeling and now I am behind MY schedule.  Like it doesn't take much to throw me off schedule.  So yesterday I played catch up...made soap with didn't turn out so good, I had to do my hurry thing and the colors on the ivy bled, it will be interesting to see how it looks when I turn it out of the mold?  I worked on a recycled hat, not too happy with it so I will be revamping it today.  It kind of looks like a floppy hat from the 60's...  it's cute but not too current.  I have some really cute arm warmers, done.  So the shop is buzzing.  My head is swimming and there is not enough time to get stuff done.  Next week is party week, and the week after is parties, tis the Season.....I just finished plying my recycled cashmere, it is so beautiful and soft.
For some reason I can't upload photos??  Yet another thing I will be looking into?  sigh

Losing weight?

I know I can't be the only person that buys into the "you've lost weight"  yes a little, and my knees feel better and I feel better and yes there is a glow in my cheeks and my ankles aren't the size of Mrs. Langes and my shoes are loose and.   Ok this is great, so then why, oh why do I feel after all of that, that I should start shoving anything in my mouth to jeopardize my attempts at feeling better.  Potatoes, oh yeah give me an extra spoonful and chips, oh yes and taco dip, pumpkin pie, oh my???  What else can I eat so that my knees will hurt again?  Hmmmmm chocolate something....brownies, can I find a good store bought brownie??   I want to feel the hurt again, I want the fat swollen ankles of salt overload.  I want my eyes to swell from dairy and sodium and boy am I accomplishing it.  What is wrong with me??  Why do I sabotage my great attempts and my health?  Is there something wrong with "feeling better?"  am I afraid to feel better?  Is it the good old Catholic guilt I was raised with that says you cannot feel to good it must be a sin???  hhhmmmm maybe that's it?  Whatever it is, it is stopping as soon as I quit typing, when my hands leave these keys, it is over, and done, finished and I will start to eat better again and when you eat better you can eat a lot of healthy good food, and I think I will never stop typing again.....help!!!!

Long Month

Has this been a long month or is it that I just spent too much money in the beginning of the month?  Our Indian tacos were great and we watched movies, I love a kick back Holiday!!!  Our family really doesn't do too much ado about any Holiday, but my favorite it Christmas eve, it always has been.  So a little update on my recycling project.  I have been sewing most of my life, I have taken many classes and can make my own patterns, how come I couldn't figure out the sweater I was reconstructing.  Part of me wants to blame it on the inattentive mind I have, but part of me knows darn well, I had a thought in my head and it was just plain wrong.  I was wrong, so I cut it apart and as I was cutting it apart I cut into a good part.  I put it down and figured this is something I will tackle on another day, I just wasn't working up to par on this day!!  Some days are meant for watching a good movie, which brings me to another issue.  I bought the book Eat, Pray, Love on audiobooks, it didn't load up right and I only got the first few chapters then I emailed them about it and they refunded my money and I rebought it and couldn't get past the first few chapters due to lack of interest in a rich woman's pitiful life.  So why did I think the movie would be better?  Maybe because Julia Roberts was in it?  So last night we watched it, or attempted to, it was painful to watch, a woman that appears to be having a mid life crisis is just "unhappy" so she leaves her unhappy marriage and shacks up with a free spirit that she is unhappy with and leaves the Country for a year.  OK now let me interject here, I consider myself lucky to take a week vacation in this Country probably this State, and she can leave and live in another Country oh wait 3 different Countries for a year?  I guess I would be unhappy too.  So we waited to see if the scenery would at least be redeeming and very few parts were.  Now I know why I couldn't get through the book, and they were doing me a favor by only letting me hear the first few chapters and did I heed the warning?  NO

Being Thankful

If I were to sit down and begin writing all of the things I am thankful for, it would be such a very long list.  People I have met that have changed my life, people that have come and gone in my life.  Teachers that made impressions on my mind, not my head.  My son, who has been my rock for all of his life, he is supportive and gives me the push that I need sometimes.  My daughter in law, for being so in love with my son and supporting him and me with her kindness.  My family just for being there, and all of my friends for accepting me for who I am.  I am thankful for my gifts and talents that I can't explain, so I know they are God given.  For having enough.....and so on and so forth.
We can all look at life in two ways, we can look at those that have lots of money and lots of things and compare our lives to them or we can look at the less fortunate and think just how lucky we are.  These are very hard times for many families and we can only hope and pray that it will get better for everyone.  I am thankful for a fulfilling life, and with all of it's ups and downs, they create character, my life is good!!!  I am thankful for that.  Happy Thanksgiving

Different in America

My second marriage honeymoon was a wonderful cruise to the Western Carribean and the Panama Canal.  For a special treat, and in preparation for the Captains Dinner, I signed up for a massage spa treatment and a make over.  I have always loved makeup and spend way too much money buying little pots of eye color that I never even would consider wearing.  I was excited about my afternoon of indulgence, not that a cruise isn't enough of a treat.  I wore a little short black cotton jumpsuit with flip flops.  I wore this jumpsuit alot it was really cute and comfy and I probably wore it too much come to think about it.  So off I went for my spa treatment, I was met by a very nice young lady with a heavy British accent, very heavy accent and dressed in a clean white uniform.  I was led to a small little room with a massage bed that was at an angle to fit in the small cabin.  There were jars and dim lighting and it was soothingly warm and inviting.  Ms Brit told me to disrobe, completely, she left the room and as I took off my clothes there was no where to hang or lay anything so I left it in a heap on the floor, not unlike at home, but this was a public place...oh well, Ms Brit enters and I am laying under a soft white sheet on the massage table.  I am laying on my stomach and Missy starts applying oil and massaging me and then says "ould you ike an ott pad eatment, er back is quite ense?"  uhhhmm sure Ok, not quite sure what she is saying because mind you this is in uberfast speak, but I agree and she places a  heated pad on my back and it really does feel good.  After a great rub down she has me turn on my back and she is going to begin the facial.   I have never had a facial so this was going to be special.  There is little talking going on and I am relieved because I can't understand her anyway, and I think this is her intention, I will find out later.  She smooths a heavy cream on my face and begins to massage and push and prod and it does feel great, she wipes it off asks me if I would like "is a spechel pro uct an is oud fer er skin"  sure I say, I am under the spell of feelin good.  So on it goes and is applied with some little buzzing machine and is vibrating my sinus cavities and teeth and my skin is feeling really alive.  She begins to wipe all of this off and applies a nice warm towel and leaves the room for me to relax in my theraputic bliss.  She comes back in the room as Tatiana the Terror, she whips the towel off of my face and begins her speel.  I somehow can understand her better now, "Z cream I used is this one and is for you, I smile thinking I am getting a jar of wonderful spa cream and then she says, "is $100 American dollars.....gulp and that gulp is me...now I am sitting on the edge of the table holding a sheet up against my bareness and she opens the cabin door slightly and I am not kidding kicks my clothes into the other room, one quick swipe of her leg and poof my clothes are gone, I think she may have a soccer backround?  Now I am getting nervous and am very naked and vulnerable.  She is offering me these great deals on lotions and potions and buy all of these at the low amazing cost of $300.00.  My heart is racing there is no way in hell that I am buying $300.00 worth of lotion, I don't care what kind of miracle it can do.  So I am trying to muster up some courage, remember I am naked, this chick has this routine down pat, get them naked and then attack.  She is mad at me, for not purchasing her fantastic cream and shoves the bill under my nose on a clipboard.  I may be naked but I can read, Holy crap?  You know that hot pad, $5.00, you know that little buzzing machine $30. plus the aromatic honey to lub the machine $10.  The only thing extra I didn't have to pay for was the sheet!!!!  So I signed my name and stood up, she left the room once again kicking my clothes that had landed right outside the door, back into the room.  I did the dress of shame, totally in disbelief that I had paid $100 over the already costly service...next the make over.  My stomach was sick, what kind of swindling will I get in the next room.  Little known fact, America has health standards, you do not share makeup, you are not allowed to touch a persons skin without their approval/signature, you certainly do not use the same brushes, mascara etc.  News flash, we were not in America anymore!!!   There was a basket of trashed makeup, spilled powdered shadow, eyeliner pencils shavings, brushes sticking out like a pin cushion.  Tell me they were not going to apply "THAT" makeup?  Oh yes they were, and using the same brushes, no cleaning involved.  I had my clothes on and  told them I was late for "Bingo" and left.  I went back to my cabin and laid down to relax for the Captains dinner, yes I could have complained but no one would care, we left the shores of America a long time ago.  My ego and my wallet both needed soothing.

Let the beautiful Season begin

It is darn cold, and if it is this cold I want snow!!!  I know you are all sighing right now, I love snow and I did shovel it for 12 years and went to work for 30 years.  You have to admit it is beautiful, it sparkles in the moonlight and looks like diamonds.  It flows past windows all fluffy and light.  I hope the first snowfall is during the day, so I can enjoy it.  With the loom, in the shop now, I can weave and watch the weather outside.  I would love to make snow angels but if I fell backwards first it wouldn't be on purpose and second, it would take a crane to get me out!!!  Stay warm tonight, it is a one dog night for me and he is tight against me, we are sharing our heat!!!  And yes I have turned on the heat finally!!

Writing class

So last night was my last class in memoir writing.  This class started out making me feel very inferior and uneducated,  I am very much "less" educated than many of these Lawyers, Teachers, Nurses, etc.  I am normal, well as normal standards go.  I did not write flowery words that flowed off of my tongue like a butterfly, I did not write with deep conviction about a sad situation, I am writing about my childhood, my life.  I have a ton of stories and most of them are funny and great.  We had to read what we wrote, it went around the room like this....death, death, convicted child molester trial, death, fraud, birth, death, crawling on my dad like he was a human toy.  Do you see how I don't fit in!!!  LOL, it was good though I did learn many things, sorry Anonymous I didn't learn that there grammer!!!   I did learn technique.
I also have some fun things up my sleeve I am doing a study on "How we Knit"
I want to be invited to knitting groups that get together to knit, I want to photograph people knitting.  I started this a few years ago and it was so interesting that I think I want to do a Flickr page on it.  So if you want me to come and see how you knit, please contact me, a cup of coffee is all I ask and I could make your hands famous!!!
For years I was told I knit wrong, very strongly, told I knit wrong.  Why?  Because I stick a needle between my thighs more like my crotch  and knit off of one needle?  Who cares if the end result is a perfect stitch.  I always claim I don't care if you use your ears to hold the needles, it is the outcome that is important.  So if you stop in the shop, be prepared to be photographed and don't forget to invite me to your groups!!!

How I became a Spinner

There was a time in my youth that I loved doing things the hard way.  Everything from scratch, which and this may come as a shock but cooking, cleaning.  I always did paintings and drawings, I would knit but on of course whatever yarn I could find and no one ever wore what I made.  My dad, son and I began going to these Civil War re-enactments and I saw a woman spinning.  I circled around a few times and watched her with intrigue.  My dad grew up in the back woods of Upper Michigan and he taught us to live off of the land.  Every time we would walk in the woods, he would teach us lessons from nature, this is a plant you can eat, this one is for a sore throat, these pine needles will make a tea to sustain you, but you have to know how to build a fire.  Lessons from the Earth and my dad, so from an early age, I was taught about natural living.  He saw my affection for the spinning wheel and said I think I could make one for you.  Imagine how thrilled I was about that, so I found instructions.  Then one day I was going to rummage sales and looked into the back of the garage and low and behold there was the most beautiful saxony spinning wheel with a 1/2 sheet of paper sign on it that read $75.00.  I only had about $20.00 on me if that and I asked the lady if she would hold it for me while I ran to the bank.  She agreed and I took out all of my savings the full $75.00.  This was a time when I was not working all that much, work a week laid off two weeks etc.  This was a sacrifice for me, but this was my dream.  The woman told me it was  a wedding gift from her sister and brother in law and that he made it.  They had a falling out and she didn't want it any more.  I told her it would have a good home but she didn't care, it was gone.  I felt kind of bad about that, here in my arms I was carrying a hand made birdseye maple spinning wheel that someone gave as a gift of love, so I started running before she changed her mind.   I got it up the stairs to my apartment and then started treadling, it was all I could do because there were no Wool shops and no Internet.   I probably treadled for hours, envisioning yarn being made in my hands.  I found a wool shop in Cedarburg, and called dad and off we went.  It was Cedarburg Woolen Mills and the woman was very helpful Kay was her name, she took the time to show me some things and I left with a bag of pencil roving.  Let the spinning begin, somehow I got it attached to the leader and started to spin this thick and thin lumpy bumpy yarn, it was the most beautiful stuff I ever laid eyes on.  I did have Rose colored on by the way.  My dad was so proud of what I was doing.  I don't remember what I used for equipment like a niddy noddy and I only had one bobbin, but I wound the yarn into balls and I will have to look at "Wooly" and see if I plied the yarn.  I want to thank Kay Walters for her generous kindness of showing me what to do with wool, and look what a monster she created!!!

Be careful what you say

When I was a kid, my brother and I lived next door to a nice neighbor lady, we didn't like her because my mom had lied to us for years and told us that Mrs. Lange told her we did this or that and Mrs Lange never did. That Mrs. Lange didn't want us to play in their huge yard, and that Mrs Lange wanted us to be more quiet.   So poor Mrs. Lange was the brunt of our sneering and even though we were always polite we knew she was a spy and agent for my mom.  Mrs Lange was a big lady with a weird shape, she wore the small printed house dresses and a full bib apron, the matronly type, her heavy boobs rested over the band on the apron and there was one tight pocket across her chest.  In the summer she wore dirty canvas mules with a hole for the toes, but her ugly big toe would stick out of that hole like it was trying to get away from the rest of her foot.  She also had a shelf butt, seriously she had a butt that protruded at a 90 degree angle to her body, we used to think, she could put a coffee cup on there and have a party.  Or rest her hand on it and say " Well, I never?"  She also had big ankles, that overlapped her shoes.  Her voice was a whiney cranky old lady voice, we knew she was sizing us up when she would ask " is your mom busy?"  knowing she was probably going to squeel on us for something we would quickly retorte," yeah.... she is ....uh taking a bath, yeah that's it."  Well years went by and we found out that my mom had lied all along about Mrs. Lange and through weddings and showers I found out Mrs Lange was actually a very nice woman and a very good, but still nosey neighbor.   She developed diabetes and lost lots of weight and wore pant suits and looked really cute.  She was a typical housewife from that era, but she was not the monster we created as kids.  Or maybe I should say my mom created in our minds.  All of the poking fun of, the thing I remember most about her is her ankles,  and we would look at them and actually both my brother and I can visualize her ankles.  Well, as I got older I realized they weren't that bad.....after all, I have the same ankles, all swollen, and my butt has the capabilities of jutting straight out from my body, and if I wore an apron the belt too would be covered with my boobage.  My brother also has swelling feet, we still blame Mrs Lange for our feet, it is because we used to laugh at her that we are paying for it now....God Help me, I have a laundry list yet to get paid back for.....and it is happening!!  So warn your children, the curse is real!!!  It will happen to you!!

Empty Nest

This weekend was the Happy Hands trunk show here at the shop.  Kim stayed with me from Thursday till just a few minutes ago.  Then Gretchen had to get to the Airport by 5am this morning so I said come stay with me and you will be that much closer to the Airport.  Then it turned into spinning and knitting and a dinner and Family Feud and more friends.  The house was bustling with activity and there were bodies everywhere.  All the dishes were dirty the cupboards were empty and so was the refrigerator.  You could hear the wrrrrr of the spinning wheels and the once in a while swear word.  Needles were clicking and the dog was eagerly chewing on a smoked bone his Auntie brought him.  We had an awesome time, and finally went to sleep like a group of little girls, just about passing out from exhaustion.  Then this morning very very early we got Gretchen off to the airport, had coffee and then yet another visitor!!!  After a busy day at the shop and lots of friends I haven't seen for a while, I came upstairs and my house is empty.  No lumpy pile of blankets on the couch.   No suit cases standing at attention by the steps.  No dirty dishes, no trace of the party the night before....except ....one flame less candle flickering atop the pie safe.  It is quiet but for the sound of Iggy still chewing on that smoked bone.  The sound of silence is deafening other than the fact that I am dead tired.  I am like a little girl, I didn't sleep knowing Kim was coming, I didn't sleep knowing my friends were coming, I didn't sleep in fear the alarm would not go off....I will sleep tonight!  I miss my friends and the laughter and how we make stupid jokes about stupid things.  It is so true friends love you for you, no matter what you do or who you are.  They accept you and are there for you, well feeding them helps.  My house is so quiet and clean, you know woman clean up after themselves, if you could have seen it last night it was like a bomb went off and now it is clean and sparkly, but so very, very quiet.  How come I love the quiet but I miss the noise, I miss all the different conversations going on all at once.  I love my friends!!!

What we do for cute shoes

I have the cutest cowboy boots, they were on sale...really!!!  They are pink patent leather with an almost black brown suede top with scroll work on them, in pink and cream.  They are extremely cute, they are also a tad hard to get into.  I have a high instep and arch, so when getting boots I have to order them a couple sizes bigger and I did.  I know my feet are smallest in the morning , so I  immediatly tried to pull these lovely boots on early this morning and I needed some slip, so I found some thigh high nylons.   Where or what was I going to do with thigh high nylons?  I have no idea unless it was a mistake?  There can't be a scarier picture than these legs in a thigh high nylons, black none the less.  So I figure they are slipperer than skin, I do know that a plastic bag like we did when we were kids would be like grease to my foot into the boots!  I just couldn't bear the feeling of my foot suffocating in a plastic bag.  So on with the nylons, hhhmmm maybe some lubrication would help so I oiled my foot with some organic body oil and slipped my foot into these hot pink beauties.  Get this picture, I am in my purple shower can print nightgown, with black nylons to my knees, I opted out of pulling them up to my thighs, and the cutest shiney pink patent leather cowboy boots you can imagine!  My toes got pulled up and are crammed into the toe of the nylon due to friction in pushing my foot into the boot, most days my toes would have ripped through the nylons but no not in this case, no they are being pulled skyward as if I have elf shoes on instead of cute riding boots.  I am going to do this torture method a little each day till I can slide my foot comfortable in and out of these "new boots" !!   I just had a scary thought, how am I going to get these darned tight boots off?  Well if you see me walking limping around, with the hottest pink cowboy boots you know I am stuck in them.  Did you know tight shoes can give you a headache??

A happy post

I am going to have to reconsider how I must sound when writing this blog.  I have had yet another negative comment about basically being a malcontent.  Here is the issue, most of you know I bought a Spinolution wheel in March this year.  I was excited and had hoped to have it to debut at Sheep in the City, it came too late but was still thrilled.  The wheel wobbled on it and I contacted the owner, he told me how to adjust it and was very happy to help.  It didn't fix the problem but he was happy to help.  I took the wobbly wheel over to my brother who took it apart to find an elongated and sloppily drilled hole in the body of the wheel, the part that the wheel itself spins on.  He said he could fix it but I stated I paid too much for this wheel to be fixing it on the same day I got it.  I contacted the owner that said Just send it back and we will shim it just like he did?  hhhhmmm $1,000.00 wheel and you are going to just put a paper shim it?  I know I am sounding negative here, but I expect better than that.  Well I have been trying to get this situation taken care of since March, it is now November, I know I am impatient too!!  I emailed the owner and said I really hated to post on Ravelry because it is pretty bad publicity, but after reading all of the complaints and "how to" fix this wheel it already has bad publicity.  Oh and I took this wheel to Yarn school to show it off in March and while I was spinning the front footman fell off, it came unscrewed.  It was a real crowd pleaser.  Now I am smiling while I am screwing this back together mind you.  So I finally did post this issue about the wobbly wheel on Ravelry and met with "you need to talk to the owner"  uuuhhh did that?  One man said he never has encountered any issues and would have thought they would just send a new wheel.  Kind of what I thought, but then this woman sends me an email asking for photos and I sent her the poorly drilled hole pics that we took when it was apart.  I also sent her (I think she works with the owner or something) the emails that were sent to me, basically telling me they would fix the wheel and send it back, which I considered unacceptable, it is a poorly drilled hole that will eventually elongate and be my problem.  So she sent me a nice note about how I should send the wheel back and get my money refunded if I am not satisfied and she will follow up with me about this situation.  How nice of her and remember how I say be careful of the hissssssss in nice, she also sent me a note not meant for me telling the owner that she did a little research on this woman (meaning me) and it seems that I have a  decidedly negative view of life and any situation that is not perfect according to my terms.  Hopes he can get me calmed down (didn't know I was agitated after 8 mo.)   and satisified and off of the forums with complaints!!!  She read my blog and has decided that I have a negative view of life?    LOL   Wow I guess the coffee pot dying put me over the edge, I knew I should have been more happy about shelling out money for a new coffee maker?  How silly of me to not smile and say Oh Pshaw, at least I got 6 good years out of the coffee maker.  I've had a Spinolution wheel that wobbles for 8 months and it still doesn't work right!!!  Hope you read this post too Ms Spinolution

What is going on?

My mom fell last Thursday, this is nothing new she falls all the time.  I don't mean to sound cavalier about this, but her Dr. seems to think, instead of making her use a wheel chair/scooter, we should get her a helmet.  I asked if he would wear a helmet?  no answer, so my thinking is, I would rather loose the use of my legs than have a stroke from hitting my head and being stuck in a non working body.  I guess he doesn't share that theory.  I explained millions of people have led fulfilling and wonderful lives without their legs, he doesn't budge, we all want her to go to a different Dr.  she won't budge.  So now she falls and she did it in public of her senior living elevator and they call the perimedics.  The hospital ER room is a filthy mess and a disgrace to a hospital, they check her vitals but not her body.  They do a CAT scan and draw blood, I asked if they saw the lump on her shoulder?  no...She complains of chest discomfort which sets off alarms and they keep her overnight.  They run tests all kinds of tests, we call the nurses station, no answer, we call her room, no answer, we call the unit station and get some stupid kid that doesn't even know where she is?  not my mom, herself?  I ask if anyone knows where my mom is what test is she having?  no one knows, Cheryl calls, no one knows, she gets disconnected.  I'm ready to go up to the hospital and find out what is going on and my mom answers, she had some tests.  I go up there and no one knows anything.  There is a lap top in the room that apparantly is for looks and no one in the whole system puts any information into it.  I was very strong when I said "Will you please not diagnose her without a family member present"  We will mark her chart, no one apparantly can read there either because they gave her a mammogram yesterday and told her she has breast cancer?  No biopsy, and as far as we know just a mammogram...I question this, my mom tells us the Dr wants to see us all, to talk to us.  When?  tonight?  when, where, no one knows.  I request a Dr come and talk to us and this doofus come in and says he doesn't know anything?  So if you want to go to a hospital and find out nothing, check into Froedert, they have computers that are probably just fake, they sit and type in front of them, but do not enter any information.  She is now in a Rehab center until we have to take her for these other bullshit tests that they won't tell us what is going on.   I think we are going to have to intervene and get her to another Hospital where hopefully they will take better care of her and keep us in the loop.  Froedert has turned back into County hospital.  Maybe some of the areas are good but if you need to find out any information about a family member forget it.   Disgruntled daughter

It's not your fault

I just finished watching Oprah's TV show with over 200 men that were molested/raped when they were children.  It made me cry, and cry .....and cry!   How can these people that do this horrific thing to any child, be allowed to live?  They are thieves, they steal a child's soul and go on to live a normal life, and to do it again.  They can not be rehabilitated, they go under the radar to live among you and your families, they can be your family, and very likely are.  What an awful thing, as a parent to worry about it and try to be diligent about people surrounding your child.  I was molested by my sister's husband.  Every time I talk about it, it makes me feel lighter, no less burdened.  It is something I lived with in the weirdest of ways, I had to accept him at the dinner table as a family member.  I don't know how long it went on or when it started, I did tell.  I told my dad, and he wanted to kill  David, my mom said that he (my dad) would end up in jail, if he did.  My dad went to my defense, he wanted to protect me, my sister stayed married to him.  I think part of my betrayal is she chose to be with him a child molester, he hurt me and she went to bed with him every night knowing what he did to me.  I didn't comprehend that, then and or now, it disgusts me.   I realize just how fragile her life was and is, how he emotionally blackmailed her too.  I am sure he most likely told her, that I was lying.  Another form of abuse, but using her this time, not some kid.  Life went on, just like nothing happened and I felt that there was no punishment for him, I bear the burden of what he did to me.  Years of this and thinking it was my fault and doubting myself as if I was making it up.  Well I wasn't and it wasn't till years later when, I was told I do not have to have these people in my life, it is "OK" to not socialize with my Sister and her Husband, I took control of my life.  I do not go to functions that involve them and I am fine with that,  I feel liberated that I can make that decision, something I couldn't do as a child.  I forgive him, but I did not forget, my worry is that he has gone on to do this to some other child, his grandchildren who are oblivious to this monster.  I also blame my sister for not being more diligent and being aware of feeding these children to the wolves.  So life goes on and they live in their world and lurk behind the shadows of being a "nice" guy.  No one will know what he is capable of, no one can identify the family member or friend that has the beast inside him to do what they do to our children.   How scary is that?  Who do you trust?  How do you not become a distrusting person?  I personally want to see these people :marked: in some way, maybe a tattoo on their forehead, something that signals, this guy won't steal your wallet but he will hurt your child.  Some sort of warning, a Scarlet Letter.  No, there is no sign that they are sitting next to you, conversing and making you laugh and that I think, that is what scares me the most.

How I fell in love again

At the push of a button.  About two post ago I said farewell to my pretty red Senseo coffee maker, she was growling and groaning and only filling my cup about an inch.  I cleaned it and cleaned it and she would come around for a cup or two.  I knew the day was coming and why not, it has been a Season of replacing and fixing things!  So I ordered a new Keurig coffee maker, it is smaller than the one I have in the shop, but I thought it would be a good companion and I can swap coffee between both of them. I got it yesterday and set it up and cleaned off my counter.  It looks good, fits well where I put it and a couple things I didn't notice is it has a timer.  I have never been a timer person, really is it that hard to get up go to the kitchen, push on, go pottie, walk Iggy and then push brew.  Well let me tell you, I set the timer so the machine heats the water for 5:30am.  I do not hear it or smell coffee brewing because it doesn't make noise, it is whisper quiet.  I get up go pottie and then push brew!!!!  Oh baby it's that easy!!!  Who knew?  Well I have website changes to make today so I best get cracking.

America has spoken

There is some rejoicing and some somber faces today after the elections.  I did vote but not for the governor, I could not see giving either one of the candidates my numbers.  The idea was not to vote against or for either one.  This was probably the hardest election I can ever remember.  I consider myself an independant I do not vote a straight ticket, I vote for whom I chose.  I know this may tick off some people but this is how I do it, Either of the parties, can have bad candidates so why just because your mom and dad were Democratic, would you vote that way, or why if you don't care for the candidate do you feel you should still out of obligation vote for that party.  Anyway, I did not get an "I voted sticker"  I got some flack from grandpa that was registering me and then grandma, helped him out after I said Market Place, Marquette Place, no my name is right there and I reached to point and he said "Don't touch this"  Oookkkkayyyy?  Top secret business there.  So now it is over and we can answer our phones for a while without chances of getting a prerecorded message, telling you some crap that you don't want to hear at supper time or later.  So I got my fiber club envelope today from Happy Hands, oh it is so pretty and I spun it up thik n thin and plied with a hand dyed rayon yarn she included.  I did a hard washing on it like a little felting to bring it all together...pretty nice and beautiful colors.  I also took a trip to the second hand shop for some wool sweaters, slim pickings are what I got, but it was fun to look.  I am skipping out of class tonight because I am pooped, just tired of running around.

A Little Scary

Millenium Park steps
Originally uploaded by spiderladyj

I have a really weird thought process, I get pictures like snap shots in my head, quick snippets of images that flash. I also get creative ideas the same way, finished projects, I see something like a skein of yarn or fiber and I get a finished image. If I do as I was taught and draw out the image and make a small cartoon of what I want, I cannot recreate it. It just doesn't work, I have to jot down keywords, to remind my of the picture. When someone tells me something I get the same thing, a photo image, or short film. I guess I always thought this is how everyone thought and then I watched the movie Temple Grandon last night, it is a wonderful movie, I really recommend it, scary part is she sees pictures too and she is Autistic. uuhhhmmm Ok so she can remember every picture she ever saw in her mind and she is a genius in her thinking and socially she is not very adept, but it is pretty scary watching your thought process in a movie. Now not only am I attention deficit, I may be Autistic? It is a very interesting movie that touches on how misunderstood these conditions are and how they had to put the blame on someone in their lives. It is also interesting to me to see how animals behave around challenged people. Animals are much more perceptive than we can even imagine. Watch the movie, it is very good, and she really opened the way for woman in many ways.
Meanwhile after a three day workshop and running, my brain is mush. I am finally resting on a normal time frame not getting up at 3-4 am? I think the weather man had a lot to do with it. I was subconciously nervous about driving in a hurricane, which really didn't happen at all.

Almost dead

My hot red Senseo coffee maker is dying.  She has been dying but seems to get a second wind, so I run vinegar through her and she worked for a bit, but, now I get one inch of coffee or water in the cup.  I have had her for a long time but I need my coffee.  It has been a great relationship but I am moving on.  I have a keurig maker in the shop and for cost benefits it would be best if I could share the cups, instead of having to buy pods which are getting harder to find.  So the coffee maker is in the mail, it isn't pretty red and that is sad too, it is just black and boring.  One good thing, it has a timer, like it doesn't heat up fast enough.   Another good thing is I can use my own coffee which of course will be Alterra!   I tried to make it last, and kept worrying that they were going to discontinue the pods, looks like little red gave out before the pods went out.....Seems like a lot of things are dying around here, my roomba died, the senseo, my  television, hey that can be the three things,, seems like something else went too??  Oh well, I hope she keeps limping by till I get the new one.

Drink the Kool Aid Janny

Some of you may remember Jim Jones and how he had his followers prepared and eventually did drink Koolaid laced with Poison.  Over 1,000 of his followers died in South America somewhere following the charismatic Jim Jones.  Well I refer to Judith McKenzie as my Jim Jones.  If she said Drink the Koolaide  I would be first in line.  She teaches in a style of story telling and wonderful historical events and life stories.  I sit and listen to her with my jaw just a little slack and I am mesmerized.  I can sit and I repeat, I can sit and listen to her for hours.  I am not beneath elbowing my way to be close to her, I will weasle my way close enough to listen intently...she is my spinning guru and most of everything I have learned and taught to others I have learned from her.  I am taking a the recycling class from her at SOAR Spin Off Autumn retreat, in Delavan,WI.  I have learned a wealth of knowledge in the first day!!!  I can now take apart a cashmere sweater that would fit Twiggy and make something I can wear!!!  I can make an ugly colored yarn look awesome!!!  If you would have told me less than 24 hours ago I may even want to disect a sweater, and if you heard me moan when we started, you would laugh, now I am on the hunt for sweaters to rip.  Oh and get this our lunch which consisted of salad, sandwich and soup  $22.00 each!!!  You heard me, I could have gone to a nice restaurant and had a great meal for that!!!!  I am on my way to my class, through Wind and Rain and Sleet and Snow, here I go!!!  Panic is setting in I have to do my writing homework too!!!  Oh oh brain overload!!!

I know better

Beautiful
Originally uploaded by spiderladyj

I do not cook in plastic, I have not cooked in plastic. I hate to eat out of plastic, it smells. Why then did I reheat vodka sauce in my good lock and lock plastic? What makes someone do something they know is wrong? I now have a ruined piece of plastic wear. It has tomato burns on it, that can only breed germs. So into the garbage or use it for buttons or something non edible. I know better, what was my reasoning, now I can't fix it. Maybe this is yet another reminder Do not cook in plastic it will make you sick.
I started on the vest I am making, I am not so sure about it, so it is not holding my attention. I need to zip it up or something??? On a good note, Sheep in the City getaway is coming together so well, and class registration will be open November 1st. I am so excited.

New Diet plan

Tonight I went for my typical Friday Fish Fry, I admit I go at 4pm to avoid the huge crowds so I know I am eating with the "old" people.  I am old but older people, the ones that have had this "eating early" figured out for a long time.  I walked right up to the hostess and she seated me right away, next to a very old couple that were already eating their dinner.  I was at a table for two and they always seem to seat people in this certain restaurant, at a precarious angle, with you, almost elbow to elbow with the table next to you.  I  squeezed between the table and chairs and found myself looking out over the dining room and elbow to elbow with a very old gentleman.  So when an old person exhibits what could be dangerous, life threatening behavior, it makes me nervous.  I seem to attract this kind of behavior.  One time my son and I were going for Chinese food and were waiting to get seated at the booth, when the very old guy that was waiting behind us, made a comment to his wife that "He" wants that booth.  I wrinkled my face, like I know how, and my young son looked at me like "what is that about?"  I ignored the old man's comment when all of a sudden this 6 foot balding old man pushes me into the hostess counter.  Before I could turn around and give him a piece of my mind, he was on the floor, dead....yes dead!!!  He fell over onto me and his dead body pushed me.....My poor son had this horrified look on his face and I still was pissed that he shoved me into the counter, dragging my son with me, the realization that he was "dead"  hadn't resonated yet.   The peramedics came and took him away and I tried to calm his wife who was for the most part as confused as I was........so you can see my terror when the old man next to me starts hacking up a lung.  He is on a coughing binge, and spittle is flying from his mouth and I am trying to ignore this whole thing and keep picking at my food, dragging my fork over the mashed potato as he is spewing chunks of his fish fry all over the space between him and I... a very small space I might remind you.   His wife didn't seem distressed so I kept my mouth shut, normally I would say "are you alright?"  but my days of giving CPR are pretty much over.  If I knelt down over someone, I would never be able to get back up and giving chest compressions would make me have an asthma attack and they would be taking both of us in the ambulance...if you are with me, you will most likely die, just saying.   After I decided I was "done" eating, his wife finally said, "did you swallow wrong"  he says no, I just have this "tickle" ????  Tickle?  Out of the corner of my eye, half his meal was airborne and he calls it a tickle...needless to say I left my meal sitting there and considered this my "new diet plan".

Knitting

Long fence 2
Originally uploaded by spiderladyj

Is it wrong to knit on damp yarn? I have yarn that I am working on a for Happy Hands. I had to have it right away, kind of like the Mother Earth, now, so I got it Now, wet. I hung it to dry but these are humoungous skeins and they do not dry quick. This color way will go great with jeans. So I am working on a vest, I love the stitch and it looks pretty good for an inch. Tonight is class, I am anxious to see what blubbering writing I will be doing tonight. If anything I am persistant! On my agenda today is cleaning up a huge table full of stuff, it was after the rain and I just threw everything up on the table to avoid water touching it. I keep looking at it. I keep thinking how am I going to tackle this mess? I guess one object at a time.

This is it!!

Leave Pile
Originally uploaded by spiderladyj

This is my favorite time of year, look at all of that color. The trees are doing funny color things this year. I read that this should be the best year for color and I took a ride to Holy Hill, the best place to see colors and it was pretty brown and yellow. Here it seems to be beautiful, with splashes of color on isolated trees. I love this weather, anyone that knits or works with wool, loves this weather. I was looking at photos from Rhinebeck and you see everyones knitting there...lots and lots of sweaters and hats. It was so colorful and wonderful to see all of that talent!!! I am working on getting the website for Sheep in the City ready for November 1st. I am excited about the classes and the whole experience in general. This year it will be bigger and better and new things to do!!!! If you get a chance today, sit outside and really look at the leaves and the color and the changes in nature, happening right before our eyes!!!!

Homework

I have homework to do.  How come I can write when I am just sitting around but give me something to do and duh?  drawing a blank!!  I am supposed to write about something about my book?  Actually someone in my book, but I have lots of characters in my book..where do I start?  So I am writing what they call bones, just put it on paper.  I am having the kids over for dinner tonight and we are having the famous vodka sauce with ravioli...and I bought enough bread to sop up the sauce with and I have wonderful olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar to also mange bread.   Hey Martha Stewart has the same Ipad case as I do..wow she has good taste.   I am ready for a nap...

Feeling Stupid

Ok here is my education status....high school diploma, trade school, Steamfitter jouneyman' s card.  Self taught after that, no formal college classes, I do not do school well.  Continuing education for math, grammer, stuff like that is not interesting to me....at all.  I can pretty much see me drawing on my books and playing with dead flies?  But as I said, before I signed up for this writing class, not a "grammer" learning class but how to write creatively.  There are 15 students in this class and it is taught by a writer for Milwaukee Magazine.  He seems very nice and we had to do quick writing exercises the first night.  I was ready...the room had a real mix of ages and people and I felt confident that I will do an Ok job.  So the first exercise is write about your day, something you did in that day.  Now you already know the writing I am planning to do is more comical than serious?  I can't write what I don't know....so it was Wed.  I went to the "Dump"  and I wrote about it, and proud as a peach to be the first to read it...seriously  I looked like Horchack from Mr. Kotter's class, raising my hand smiling like a proud mama....I read what I wrote and there were a few chuckles and the lady next to me asked if I lived in Oak Creek?  Holy crap she knew the guy I was writing about?  So I got it over with and then the other shoe dropped....the other writers are really good....really good, as in I would read whatever book they were writing?  They probably have book deals in the making, they are professors, teachers, college degree collectors and an impersonator, (not quite sure about that one)  I am a dirtball,  I am a welder and a fiber artist, I can make things, I never felt so lacking of edumacation in my life.  Then some nice lady comes up to me after class and tells me, in an almost "sorry your dog died" voice, I wrote books for my children when they left home......and then she looked at me.....and I smiled a smile like...yeaaahhhhh?  Then she once again said in this sympathy dripping voice...I found I wrote them more about myself....pause.....OK, I am still smiling politely and wondering where the hell this is going?  I can swear because I am a construction worker.  I didn't want to read the rest of my exercises quite so hurriedly this time...I actually sunk into the chair and hoped I wasn't called because now all of my stuff sounds like an elementary compostition.  So I came home and already I am having trouble doing my homework....I will go back, we all need to abuse ourselves in some form or other.  I actually had a huge creative not in writing burst so this lack of education has come in handy!!!  Now I know how those contestants on American Idol feel when the judges look at them blankly and ask "did someone actually say you could sing?"  LOL

Imagine

Can you imagine all of the prepping the miners had before exiting the mine.  I can almost hear the grooming speech they had to go through.  "now when you come up, Jose will undo your harness,  you will then look towards the crowd and cheer, then graciously walk over to the President,  (all the while your family is longing to hold you)  be sure and hug his wife and 2 other people."  It will be interesting to hear the fallout of this tragedy.  I watched mesmerized as each man ascended in that tube.  My first thought was holy crap I will not go underground unless I loose 100 pounds, I would still be down there because I couldn't fit in the tube, they would be saying...."uh, I think you need to miss your tsp of tuna" !   I am so happy to have been able to witness this great event.
Hey Anonymous, last night was my first night at class, guess what they don't teach grammer, so you are shit out of luck if you are reading this!!  What they did teach me is name name's and don't worry about who you write about..."that you will probably like the "negative" comments about you anyway!  Just saying

Holy Hill

Holy Hill
Originally uploaded by spiderladyj

6 hours in the car, with my mom and Iggy! We had a great day!! We went to the Widmer Cheese factory or I went and it is a small little business with awesome cheese in Theresa WI. I bought some Brick cheese curds that squeek so loud on your teeth your ears hurt!!! It was a sunny. sunny day and photo taking was not that great with all that sun. It also got really warm so we couldn't go inside to eat anywhere because of Iggy, so we had Subway!!! It was a fun day, it did lack the color we were hoping for, I think we missed the Fall. Oh we also had apple cider and apples and topped it off with Ice Cream at DeLucas and mom had her favorite Butter Pecan.....life is good. Kind of funny, mom always remembers that ice cream stand, I had taken her to it on another road trip.

Tangled Mess

The Geek Squad came out today to hook up my electronic equipment to the new TV.   Well let me tell you this guy took about 10 minutes and most of that was disconnecting all the unneccesary cords that were hanging there.  So after spending almost $100. on these super duper Hdmi cords, it made a world of difference, who knew.  I thought the picture was good before, but now it is out of the park!!!  So I have to move my knitting close to the couch, oh wait it is already here....but I may have to take my eyes off of the TV....will I ever get used to this picture???  So I guess what I am saying it was worth the Geek Squad coming out and fixing my stuff.  It all works well and he walked me through the use of the three remotes that I will be using, vs the 4,  I used before...lol.  The back hall is all cleaned, no lie I used to open the back door and use the leaf blower and start at the top of the steps and walk the dirt down and right out the door.  I can teach some great housecleaning tips.  So after I get the downstairs hall put back together, I am done cleaning....The shop is done, the living room is done, there is the basement that looks like a heaping pile of projects gone wild.   Today I am taking the mom and Iggy, for a ride to look at the leaves by Holy Hill

Bare Beauty

Winter solstace
Originally uploaded by spiderladyj

Funny thing is happening to American Woman...seems the last few months, there has been a rebellion against plastic surgery. Accepting ourselves for who we are...hhhmmm what a concept. Seems all the talk shows and series are gearing towards, "wrinkles" and aging and accepting it as "normal" No more surprised looks and bee stung lips. I think Hollywood may finally be tired of looking like monsters, beautiful woman that morph into something scary. In case they are not aware of this, it is going to happen, wether you pull your skin tight or not, you are going to get a year older on your birthday and you will eventually get old enough and die. No plastic surgery can stop this. So either you accept it or hate it and hate your life and spend your life hating getting old. Now the option is to embrace it and enjoy the ride. Think of each of those little wrinkles as a life line, a smile line a credit to what you have been through. or a Get in line..!!! So pay attention and you will notice the " new, old" idea of growing old naturally!!

I win, the Spinners challenge

I win!!!  I win!!  Only a time or two in your life will you come this close to splitting roving and spinning two singles and then plying the two together.  Yes siree, one inch difference, so close the I wanted it to stay that way so I could show someone!!!  So I am showing you!!!  It is something us spinners do kind of subconsciously, how close will we come?  The dark is the singles.  I just spun, Hello Yarn, Romney Wool Top "Timber"  from this months fiber club.  Sitting outside today is a gift...I consider each day like today a gift, because these days are limited.  So spinning amongst the chipmunks, hornets and a beautiful warm breeze with the sun shining bright.  Tonight another night on the deck, crunching on the fallen leaves with a cup of coffee.  Tomorrow I get the new TV!!  Between 7 and 9 am...so my housecleaning and moving furniture starts early!!!

Not a cold front

Not a cold front
Originally uploaded by spiderladyj

That blue stream towards the top of the TV screen is not a cold front, it is a problem! From the blue stream up it is yellow and on the bottom are yellow stripes. Big Bertha is dying, she is 15 years old and is a huge projection stream TV. She has served me well. Sunday I will be getting a new sleeker model, flat as a board and better picture and a few inches smaller. I was worried how I was going to get rid of Bertha....advertise a Super Bowl special, pick it up and keep it in the garage for free! I can still watch it and it doesn't seem to be getting worse. I have to admit, I love to watch TV. I am selective and love movies. I DVR some shows to watch without the hassle of commercials. One hour shows come out to be about 40 minutes long. It will seem funny to see that huge box TV gone. I am not sure where I really want the TV so I am putting it right back where I have this one. I am not mounting it on the wall in case I change my mind, I can always do that later. Tv is a great companion to knitting and spinning. I put on Concert DVDs and spin. Oh and Pandora is on the new Tv, this is almost worth it alone!!! I am excited.

Hard to believe

Snow Iggy
Originally uploaded by spiderladyj

My baby is 2 years old, and I came across this photo and it is hard to believe he was so small. (He has grown into his ears) Customers and friends would come into the shop and hold him and he would nuzzle their necks and loved to be rocked! He was in a play pen and we all had an active part in his potty training, while we were knitting. He has grown into the Welcomer at the shop,it is his job. I keep threatening to make him a blue best like Walmart. He pretty much goes with me everywhere, and I just enjoy his company. He is laying tight against me right now, I really like that except in the Summer!! Dogs really are Woman"s best friend!

Bean

Bean
Originally uploaded by spiderladyj

For Mother's Day and my Birthday, I asked my son and daughter in law to take me to Chicago's Millenium park for photos of the bean.  It is a beautiful piece of art!  They also took me to Wigglyville and Mia Francesca restaurant.  It was a great day and the weather was perfect.  Thanks for such a nice present!!
Question for you?  Where do buttons go in the laundry?  I lost two bigger buttons and cannot find them.  They're not in the filter, the drums, the vent?  They pretty much have disappeared?  Odd thing isn't it?

Becoming Anonymous

Definitions of anonymous on the Web:

• having no known name or identity or known source; "anonymous authors"; "anonymous donors"; "an anonymous gift"
• not known or lacking marked individuality; "brown anonymous houses"; "anonymous bureaucrats in the Civil Service"

Great kids

We all know great kids, but one story sticks in my mind.  When I first opened, it was a late day almost 7.  I was alone in the shop and it was dark outside, probably this time of year.  A young man walked in dressed very neat with a black leather jacket and strawberry blond hair.  To get a customer that late, let alone a guy, was just kind of weird.  I asked him if I could help him, he said, "my mom is sick and I want to get her a knitting project"  I said I was sorry to hear that and asked if she knit allot, or just a beginner.  "no she is a good knitter"  Ok, here is a nice pattern, it was a mitten pattern and some yarn that would make it.  He liked what I picked out and then he started to look at needles and I said, "she probably has needles"  He said she might but I want to buy her everything she will need to make this pattern.  All I could think is what a lucky mom and what  a great kid!!!  Later I did meet the mom and she is a wonderful person and deserves a great kid!!!  October is breast cancer awareness month and already this month I have had two friends waiting for results from screening.  How scary it must be,  one time I had to have a second mammogram and that upset me.  Hearing those words must just knock the wind out of you.  On the other hand I have a friend that has, had,a double mastectomy  and  is so willing to talk about it and share her experience that it makes you sigh a breath of relief.  Her family is riddled with the C gene.  When I was in my 30's there was a high number of girls I went to school with that died of breast cancer.  It was a scary time they were too young to have it and my friend and I were getting so freaked out we were doing breast checks and self molestations every hour.  My high school was built on a dump sight so we were sure there was a link.  They say every person knows or has a family member that has or has had breast cancer.  My mom is a survivor, she is 87 and is cancer free for 6 years, when she got it they told us, if you live long enough you will get it?  Because of research we can all be thankful that it isn't the death sentence it once was.  So if you know someone that is dealing with this, take a moment and talk with them, give them a call, listen to them, take them to lunch.  Be there for them, be a friend.  Support Breast Cancer Research!!!  and don't forget to Squeeze your boobs!!!

Why I hate Puke and Save!!!

I started with a great morning!!  It is cool, I took the Igg for his walk and the sun is trying to peak out!  I need a few non essential items for making Vodka sauce, for the game.  Canned goods like tomatoes and olives, I do not like to grocery shop, I do not like Puke and Save I rather would go to Sendiks.  Sendiks is small, family owned and so polite and friendly and customer service and I repeat service is far beyond what most grocerie stores offer!!!   Yes they are a tad upscale but after getting screwed on packaged Mozzarella cheese at P&S $2.00 more than Sendicks, it just sealed the deal.  The game starts early today and you know a little housecleaning, bath, and cooking I bit the bullet and went to P&S.  First off I get a really great parking spot, for some reason their parking lot is all far away.  Maybe it's for terrorist reasons but trust me P&S you are not worth their time!  Score!  Good parking spot my day is going good.  Second, I need dessert, I will pick up a small Madeline cake, now the past two times I have been to the bakery counter the same scenario played out, no one is there, no bell, no one, last time I went behind the counter and into the kitchen to get someone's attention.  This time two woman are down by the meat counter, one looks at me and I am waving my lime green jacketed arm.  Now people, I am big, I am not hiding it!  My hair is bright, no hiding it, this woman turns her head away and continues talking!  I am pissed, another clerk passes behind me and says I saw that, I'll get you help!  I blurt this is why I hate shopping here, this seals the deal I WILL drive to Sendiks!!  This is not the first time.   Someone gets my cake and the woman that looked at me and away is pointed out by the nice clerk.  she says I didn't see her and I say!  Really?   I am not small!!!  REALLeeeey!!!  I tromp around and pick up my tomatoes and you will NEVER see me step in Pick and Save again unless it is matter of no other option!!!!  So much for a good start to a day!!!

A Simple thing of beauty

DSC_0010
Originally uploaded by spiderladyj

A Simple thing of beauty!

I have always had a fascination with eggs.  I went to a Farm Market and paid too much but aren't these organic eggs just so pretty?  Each one has such an individual color yet the same shape every time, smaller on one end and larger than the other.  Some eggs are a tad bigger than the others.  Sometimes they are always white and some chickens lay colored eggs, blue, brown, green.  Their shell is so ...."seamless" and perfect.  Crack one open and they are all the same inside, an egg.  I wonder if other chickens are mean and jealous of the hen that lays the pretty colored eggs?  Do they just accept the chicken that lays colored eggs as their own?  Chickens are mean for the most part and have no problem picking on one another that is the least bit weak, or different.  Nuff said!

Now if I don't get salmonella from playing with the eggs!!

The Help by Kathryn Stockette

I have finished one of the most endearing books I have ever listened to.  When someone explained the book to me, I was less than interested, actually blew it off.  How lucky I was to buy the audio book from itunes, what a great listen.  It is about the 60's and the south and how white people, mostly woman treated their colored help.  Done through the lives of the Black help, it has a whole different perspective than we are used to.   It is done in the voices of black woman and one white woman.  You have to listen to it to get the whole picture, the accents of southern woman makes the whole story come to life.  I laughed at some spots and was ashamed in others, ashamed that anyone could treat a human being less than they are.   I strongly suggest that if you get the book please get the Audio book, it is well worth the listen.
The Help

School

I have never been a good student, school was something I had to do to do something else.  Kind of the story of my life, the trade off.  I have to do this to do that.  I have taken a few classes here and there and you know what I enjoy them..  This Fall I am taking more classes than ever..I am registered for Judith McKenzie McCuins class at SOAR and I signed up for a writing class, something I have wanted to do.  Some of the people that read my blog, or my newsletter think I should write a book and I have kept snippets of things I have written about life experiences.  So I thought a writing class will be a good thing, a fun outlet, away from the fiber things I love, but a portable diversion, we always have a pen and paper or laptop or Paul (IPad).  I love telling stories, I love sharing all of the fun stupid things that have happened in my life.  I am excited and class starts in a couple of weeks.  I will also be teaching at UWM in Spring, so that is good news!!!  Fiber Arts of course...Life is good!!!

Mad Hatter tea party

Knitters can have fun at anything, did you ever notice that?  I could throw a walk on hot coals party and knitters would be laughing and enjoying themselves.  How about a mid winter picnic party?  I'm sure they would be there knitting with mittens on and having fun.  I had a Mad Hatter Unbirthday tea party last Saturday.  The order of the day was to dress funky or costume and bring a teapot, teacup and your favorite tea.  I had the hot water and cake!!  It was fun and there were many types of tea to choose from, some better than others and if you didn't like it you threw it over your shoulder.  It started out not so cold but got pretty damp and cold later and the party ers still knit.  We had layers on!!!  Knitted layers and it was fun!  I must have been walking on the tables or doing splits because for some reason the back of my knees are killing me, like I over extended them???  hhhmmmm sitting in a car?  I guess another year older and another ailment!!!  Oh and Dragonfly actually did knit herself into her project...note to self don't knit with gloves on.  Mike and Danijela also took me to Chicago for dinner and to take photos of the Bean.  What a piece of work!!!  and to think we in Milwaukee have the orange I beam sculpture?  For some reason I can't upload photos, the server is down so use the link to see photos of the party and the Bean!!!

A very happy Unbirthday to me.

We had a really great time at my unbirthday party!!!  There was lots of knitting going on and tea passing and cake, yes there was cake.  The idea was to have a Mad Hatter tea party, each person brought a teapot, cup and their favorite tea.  I provided the cake and hot water.  The tea stayed pretty warm early in the day but then it got really cool and the tea was a tad more chilled!!!  It was fun and yes there was lots of layers of knitting outfits!!!!  Hey we know how to keep warm!  So thanks to everyone that made it and those that wish they had!!!  It was a Frabjous time and I forgot to do the Flatter wacker dance....shoot!!!  Next time!!

Now tell me why?

Just a question...why in the world would Rick Harrison from Pawn Stars follow me on Twitter?  just saying.....what could that possibly be other than a computer glitch, or some hacker trying to add him to my Twitter??  Not quite sure what that is about, not quite sure I want to know.  I have watched the show a few times but don't like the drama and arguing between each other.  I prefer "Pickers"  it is so funny how human beings do not want to let loose of anything they have in their possession.  I can't watch Hoarders because Hoarding is a disease, filthy is another problem and to have 6 dead cats under a foot of garbage is just sick.  There is not enough soap to clean me after I watch that show!!  Ugh...I am trying to get into work mode after vacation mode....I am still idling down or revving up whichever it goes.  I am looking at a mound of paperwork on my desk....a pile of "stuff" on the table...fiber all over?  Did I say, I don't like to watch Hoarders?  Whenever I am hanging on to something I think of the woman that had a plastic broken hanger and she justified it by saying " some crafter may be able to use it?"   Maybe she is right?  at that point I toss whatever it is...unless of course it is Seaglass...oh how I love seaglass, the feel of it the color the frostiness of it's finish, the smooth round edges...somewhere I have a bag of it...I find it now and then and just breath deep and sigh......ahhhhh Seaglass.  So now you know my weakness!!!  Up on the island some Artist had some Sea Glass wrapped in what looked like rubber cording.  I almost.....almost picked it up to look at it and then thought.....it may be rubber...and rubber and I have a plain old hate relationship, it will kill me not doubt.  Speaking of yesterday I went into Goodwill to complete my costume for the Tea Party Saturday....I thought I just smelled perfume...oh no that place is swimming in Febreez.....I turned and ran out of there and spent 15 minutes trying to breath.  I did the inhaler thingy and had the hardest time to recover from that little trip.  Choking and coughing and saying in a little voice please open my air ways!!!   So shoppers beware if you are allergic to Febreez, stay out of Good will at all costs.