I see London

So I was looking at photos from Yarn School on the web when I noticed I had on a dk blue/navy t shirt for dying. It is a soft comfy shirt and is quite old, there was a line across the front of it, that looked like a salt sweat line???? Uh no it was my bra, it was pretty sheer. Now I am not the person you want to see in sheer anything unless it is sheer excitement, not sheer clothing!!!! I never looked in the mirror, it is my dying shirt...never again in public. Which brings to mind I had this really hot looking dress in the 80's it was Navy Blue with white polka dots and a peplum skirt and white shiny belt. The top was fitted and I had my Streisand hairdo, just rocking this dress. Someone took a photo of me and oh look, you can see my bra through the dress like I had no top on at all!!!!! Do cameras have Xray vision???? I would look in the mirror and didn't see that???? To make matters worse I had huge kaboobs at that time also, I didn't need one of those thought clouds saying "LOOK HERE" it was an eye magnet! I guess all the dates I got wearing that particular dress had underlying meanings....and I mean underlying, more like underwear!!! Who needs sexy lingerie, wear navy blue!!!!
I am spinning mohair today and it is getting warm, so if you see me and I am sporting a Guido mustache, beard and hairy chest of bright red, please disregard, it is MO hair not JAN hair.

Yarn School

So you want to know about Yarn School? Well Yarn School is the brainstorm of Nikol and Ron. They bought an old high school and elementary school in the middle of the Midwest. They really recycled a school that had consolidated school systems, leaving old unused buildings. It is charming and a great idea. The gym is the heart of Yarn School, sleeping rooms are in the revised classrooms, that still have chalkboards and speaker systems. The beds are wonderful, with down comforters and great pillows. It is dorm style sleeping, unless you get the time out room, above the gym. The huge windows cannot conceal the fact that you are in a classroom. The Science lab with bunsen burners and sinks is the dye lab, chocked full of jugs of premixed dyes and buckets. The cafeteria is in the basement, where we all meandor to in the morning looking for our first cup of freshly ground coffee. Nikol has thought of everything, we use cloth napkins to be more "green" there are recycle bins for all object and a food scrap pile for the chickens or compost pile. You can watch Nikol and her helpers cook in the kitchen and we eat at real lunch tables. The food is organic and wonderful, locally grown, either on Cupcake ranch or nearby, Nikol sends out a survey a few weeks before you go and she asks for any special needs such as Vegan, Gluten free, Diabetic, and she covers all her bases, she is a fantastic cook!!! We all wait like locusts for our next delicious meal. You can go walk with the sheep and corral the chickens back into their coop. In the gym we have a huge circle of spinners, there is a carding area, combing area and huge pillow (old gymnast safety pillows) that Nikol covered and we lay their exhausted with thought. Nikol has wheels to use and some to sell. We run a tab, which is extremely dangerous, when you check out. Once during your stay we visit the Alpaca ranch, what would school be if you didn't have a field trip. They feed us again and last year it was fresh aspargas soup, I wanted to lick the bowl, this year it was a tortellini and fresh salad, with cupcakes for dessert. We eat in the barn with the animals looking over our shoulders and the four farms that sponsor the event have their fiber and finished objects for sale. They teach us about the Alpacas and their wonderful guard dogs. This is my second year going to school, my goal each year is to learn at least one thing. Not to sound arrogant but I have been spinning for 33 years, it is hard to learn something new but you can!!!! I go because, I love the fact that you are around other people that "Get It" or are learning to get it....It is a vacation for me, you can do what you want to...and each year I do come home with something I learned and a ton of fiber!!!! I am planning on going next year, it is a good time for me with the shop and I love to go see some old friends and meet some new ones.

I'm back...

Vacation is over, and I had a great time. We really got a taste of Midwest America, some of it is very sad. We did conclude a couple of things, the freeway really killed small towns away from it and they really needed rain in Missouri. When we decided what route to choose we went with the river, we had visions of river towns and following along the mighty Mississippi, tug boats and barges moving slowly and shoreside attractions. We both agreed we would stop and take in any sights that may interests us. The trip down that Lazy river fell short at that, I don't know what I envisioned but it certainly wasn't there. The Great River Road, does not follow along the river, and if it does it goes through the butt side of the towns that are there. I think we agreed that the best part of the Mississippi is in Wisconsin/Minnisota. The bluffs and hilly landscape are breath taking. So on with our trip, we made a designated stop at Hannabal MO, the birthplace of Mark Twain. Kim was sure she saw it on the internet and it had beautiful pictures of a husseling small town, all decked out with little shops and drenched in history of the south. So we went....needless to say it became the brunt of our trip. I will and have teased Kim relentlessly about the beautiful city of Hannabal, which had an old jail, a trip to the cave they whole city used for a Fallout shelter (we did not partake) a dinner cruise on a boat, we were there at lunch, but it did have a light house as pictured above. If by chance you made plans to go to Hannabal on your vacation, uhhhmm you may want to do more calling about that one. The downtown area is very cute, but just like so many other places are pretty much closed up. We did look for yarn shops and ended up at one in Columbia MO, which led us to another shop and that was fun, I bought a Turkish drop spindle that is carved and beautiful and was brought here from Turkey. Missouri needed rain there was so much dust and it was so dry, we may have brought some rain there for them. We drove all back roads and both of us had to pee, so our quest was for a bathroom and lunch. We were in the middle of nowhere and I mean nowhere and there was this really large restaurant/bar, that looked clean and had quite a few cars in front. We stopped and had probably the best BBQ brisket sandwich ever, it was so good. It was just kind of weird where it was located and it was busy!!!!! My favorite city has to be, Lawrence KS. It is a college town and has a really cool downtown and is easily navigated. It is clean and I really wish we would have had more time to spend there. More about Yarn School later.

Sleepless in Oak Creek

Actually I did sleep well last night, tonight might be another issue. Getting ready for vacation is stressful. I have a dog that needs to be cared for, a shop that needs to be shut down. There is wash to do, cleaning and grocery shopping for the house/dog sitter. Packing is something I hate, but unpacking is worse. Don't forget your pills!!!! Tonight dinner with my son and DIL, the last supper...Lol. Tried to take my mom out for Breakfast but she has church??? Go to the dump, buy dog food, finish the wash, think about what project to bring, this is a tough one. I am working on a sweater I started when I opened the shop, my ideas where that if you own a yarn shop, your knitting will become showpieces of art....hhhhmmmm I guess you need to finish something first, also you need to have time to knit. I have Art yarn spinning to get done, planning is the longest process in that. I am excited to take photos on this trip, beautiful captures of life in America, National Geographic stuff. (I tend to be dillusional) but that is what I strive for Art photos. So when I come back we will see what ends up on the web. I will update if I can get WIFI, in the middle of nowhere!!! Have a good week and see you next week.
On Desperate Housewives last night the Russian Bride left with my suitcase, it is a funky hard sided black and white houndstooth with fushia pink trim. Who knew I was fashionable?????

Project holdup

I am working on a special project to bring to Yarn school. I ordered some white nepps from etsy and have been waiting and waiting and waiting and private messaged the seller only to find out, they are coming from Scotland??? seriously Jan you didn't look where they came from???? nope....but I will from now on. So I am still holding my breath that they get here by Saturday. I would still have time use them and time enough to spin the project, on Sunday of course. I am getting things ready here for vacation. Having someone stay at your home and dogsit is a little strange. I have to grocery shop, clean and make sure everything is set here. I also have to leave the house clean, I detest coming home to a messy house, I should pay the sitter to clean while she is here???? hhhmmmm
It is beautiful here today and I am heading to the deck to sit outside with a cup of Joe

Won't be long now

We are going to have a magic show....today is supposed to be warm and the trees are all ready to pop!!! I have been watching this very very close on our walks. It always seems to happen overnight or when my back is turned. This year I am waiting and watching, I am going to see the earth turn green....it better happen before Tuesday. So the packing came to halt. I have the suitcase ready but have nothing in it, I am in the note mode...headphones, camera, pills etc. you know. I remember going somewhere one time and having to buy underwear because I forgot to pack some, and there is just something gross about wearing new underwear without washing them. or is it just me??? I am also waiting for some white nepps to come in the mail. I ordered them about a week ago with great expectations of seeing them four days later. So I pm the seller and she is in Scotland?So these are very special little wool nepps. I have a project for the Dying teacher, Adrian Bazillia, at yarn school, her shop is Hello Yarn. She is a fantastic dyer and a very fun person, she has knitting patterns on Knitty.com. She also has a roving club that is virtually impossible to get into and I am doing my best to suck up...yeah I know but I hang my head in shame and will do what it takes....I plead just one more, just me....come on....she is firm, so I have gifts and bounty up my sleeve... She better be careful, I am in WANT mode.

Wake up call

Last night I cleaned what I think is going to be an extinct Senseo pod coffee maker. I just add vinegar and run it through and then supposedly throw the water out. I left a little in the reservoir last night and made a nice fresh cup of Joe this morning...whew....that'll put some pucker in your morning. I don't even need to brush my teeth after that.
It is seven days till yarn school. We are not really planning our route but looking for interesting things to see on our way. I am in charge of that, but how far we go and where we go are two different things to me. I have some fun things up my sleeve. The jean saga continues and I am shrinking jeans as I type, you know if you hem jeans before you wash them they always shrink up but if you don't hem them, they don't shrink??? Why is that??? I have some great ideas for Late Summer this year, and yes it involves a Tea Party.

Weirdo magnets

Ok, so yesterday my brother Scott is going to go to Bass Pro shop in Gurnee Il. I said I'll ride along I have nothing to do and it would be a nice change of pace. So we did and on the way is Mars cheese factory, it is a landmark and I have never ever been there. Someone recently told me that they serve food, so we went for lunch, it is a big place and busy. So we continue our trip to Bass Pro and commence to shop, Scott goes one way and I just wander. I am standing by the jewelry counter and a young man stands about two feet from me and looks left and then right and I am watching him, because he looks like he is going to steal something, well he stole my attention. He passes gas, really loud....whoopee cushion loud and I say "Nice timing dude" he turns and gives me the dirty look. I move and I am embarrassed because he makes me look like I did it....uh uh buddy, I have control of my valve and there was two of us there and it was NOT me...I quick had to go run and tell my brother. I think he was in uniform, probably from Great Lakes Naval base. LOL....lucky me. Today was a no incidence day...no weirdos or wackos and I got a ton of running done. Errands complete...check. I am getting ready for Yarn school wahooooo!!!!

Jeans saga

Just a note, womans jean sizes lie....men sizes don't....In woman sizes, woman can fit in depending on where they are shopping from a range of 6 sizes.....I know I have a big butt, I know I am not a size 16, but a pair of jeans I am wearing says they are....lies lies lies. So I already blogged about my small pocket jeans and it turns out I spend a good portion of wearing time tugging the jeans up so the crotch doesn't hobble me when I walk. Bad Jeans....so i went to the Men's department where for whatever reason stopped shopping in and they fit me the best ever. I have no waist, never have...I have a belly button and I know it is somewhere around that vicinity but I think it is bulged out from where it may have been. So I am looking at numbers now, I know I am short so I go for a 32 inseam, and I am looking at a waist size that according to the numbers, I am larger around than I am tall??? So pretty much these should be Sponge Bob square pantsish...but they have deep pockets and no embroidery and glitter crap on the arse. On my way out I went through the womans dept and found elastic waist pants...oh these look pretty comfy and old ladyish. I buy petitie, with hopes the crotch won't hang down between my thighs....What makes a pant petite??? I am presently rolling the waist, in order to walk like I am not hobbled. Why did I have to stop and pick up the pants....could I not leave well enough alone. Could I not just walk out with the man jeans....??? I just want to wear pajamas...I want to wear a bib when I eat and pajama pants....all the time... Me thinks I want to be a kid again and be careful what you wish for they do say When you get old you revert back to childish ways.....Pampers here we come.

Dawg tired

My bebe is so tired he fell asleep with the ball in his mouth...what a life. I am working on the ruffled shawl pattern using Kim Leach from Happy Hands yarn. I cannot believe how many variations there are on this pattern. Since we have been knitting on it, I bet four different variations have surfaced and other knitters are knitting. It is such a nice easy mindless knitting project. It is fun and Kim took the hassle of figuring out what yarns and colors go together in her kit. If you are so inclined the pattern is free on ravelry, it is loosly based on a Vogue knitting pattern, someone changed it up and it is FREE!! You heard me FREE, on the Internet, imagine that, don't you love Ravelry, there are so many Free patterns on there. You can also purchase tons of patterns, I highly recommend that if you don't already have a membership you should join., it's FREE!! Enjoy the day!!!

Opening your eyes

You know how you look at something and don't see it??? It might be a crack in the wall that you get used to looking at, or a tear in something. I don't know if we tend to avoid things that we know need addressing but just don't want to open that can of worms or what. I see my mom often, at least weekly, I talk to her almost daily. She is falling constantly, she is hitting all parts of her body and fortunately not breaking anything. She has cracked her head numerous times and had lots of stitches.
We are not a neglectful bunch we have had her to the Dr. and had every test they could think of, they have no idea what to do. We asked for a prescription for a scooter and the Dr. said no, she needs to walk. We agree, but, what would you rather give up, your legs or you mind??? Her legs are weak, her mind is good, if she falls and has a stroke she is trapped in a useless body. The Dr. recommended her wearing a helmut.....I so want to superglue a helmut to his head and see how he would like wearing a helmut all day. We got her a scooter, she doesn't want to use it, so she falls. Basically we know the call will be coming, she has fallen and broken something or worse. We as a son and daughter and daughter in law, at least are all in agreement with her situation. We all do our part and what we can, at least we share that and there is no question as to where this is going with her. We also discuss the situation getting worse, but sometimes it just hits you.
Yesterday we went for Easter, I met her at the entrance to her building and had to remind her when getting in the car, butt first mom, she still is used to moving like she did as early as 4 years ago, she always ran and never walked so to say....this has got to be killing her. I keep reminding her, she is 87 and not 30 and you will feel different, we all will. I say these things but don't really process them. We had a good day and Mike helped her to move from one place to another and she so enjoys his attention, she just glows with pride when she looks at him.
I dropped her off at the end of the day, I kissed her, hugged her and watched her walk into the building. I saw her as my mom....not some other old person....I saw my old mother slowly work her way to the door...her swift sure footedness had diminished into a slow unsteady shuffle, like she is carefully dragging concrete blocks through an obstacle course. She is tilted...my mom...the one whose posture was tall, straight and erect a proud woman...it was as though I saw her for the first time yesterday. Removed...Distant yet right in the midst of it. How it hurt me to see that woman, my whole self weeped for the person she was, to the person she has become physically.....I saw my mom, yesterday it made me cry.

Opps there they go.....

There is a group of us going to Yarn School the end of this month. We are so excited and decided to have a little preplanning party at Gbabys home. It is a beautiful loft, on the fourth floor. We ate and laughed and had a really great time, visiting and discussing the Yarn School trip. It was getting late and the driver has an hour and half drive home from my house, so we packed up our cooler and headed to the elevator. HH had keys in hand and reached out or something to do over the hole to hell (the elevator crack that has swallowed many unsuspecting items) I am standing in the back of the elevator, the spot where you check out the back of everyones heads. I hear a CLINK, CLINk, CLInk, CLink, Clink, four stories of clinking. I see the two in front both staring down the hell hole....uhhhmmm tell me those weren't the car keys??? I get two heads looking back at me like I had a third eye, or they were going to kill me, one of the two. Yes they were the keys...now tell me...One keychain, with remote, two keys, a palm tree, and some other chotchke thing hanging on it, slipped through the crack without hanging up on any of that dangly stuff????? Our theory was we were not meant to leave at that moment. We may have been saved from some horrible accident or incident or some intervention. So we trapse back to the Loft and review our options. We are kind of laughing, kind of feeling bad for HH, after all it is her loss and she lives on the edge of the earth. Ok, Gbaby can drive us home.....rothfl...she has a two seater car??? Ok so that won't work, she calls the Manager, he answers and tells us great news....only the elevator company can retrieve those keys and he thinks that may cost $600-800. but if it makes you feel better there is another set of keys down there....Well Halleluhia it now will have company!!! Plan B...Gbaby will drive me home and I will go back and pick everyone up...Ok, so it is a fairly nice warm evening, for Wisconsin and Gbaby says want to put the top down on her car??? Oh hell yah...can we turn the heat on??? sure we can even turn the seat heat on....no way??? So off we went on our escapade to save each other.... It was fun and we all got home safe and sound, I think Zannaree slept for most of it, but who knows what we avoided....Happy Easter