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!!