Spidey web

I'm moving!!!

2011-06-28T16:34:00.000-05:00

Yes I am moving, or my blog is moving to
just4ewe

STDear, you are invited to come along, because it is a free World!

I am having so many problems with photo uploads and what is a blog without photos so I am making the move. Bear with me as I work through the transition. Enjoy this awesome weather!

Cafe Knitting trip

2011-06-27T08:55:00.000-05:00

Warning: This is a positive blog for my disgruntled followers? Why would you read something you don't like, isn't that kind of weird? or is that stalking?

Yesterday was a great day, friends and I traveled from one outdoor coffee shop to another knitting. Not to mention we were riding around in a convertible, and just enjoying the wonderful day. We get those perfect days so seldom, in Wisconsin, it was great to take advantage of them(positive). I finished the Smocking Square for the KAL and I really like it (positive)! I also started the Exploding Moss Stitch square, (another positive, how is my score?) or is that a minus because it is not finished yet? We drank plenty of fluids (positive) and ended up having a great dinner outside. So the whole day we were outdoors enjoying the sunshine. (positive) We took a ride through the park and I realized it has been ages since I was on a picnic. A real picnic with a grill and coolers and knitting or spinning. I think I need to plan a picnic potluck for fiber friends! (positive, right?) I have an idea where it can be held, with a shelter, just in case we get some rain. (positive planning, veering slightly to the negative thinking it may rain.) So this event would be open to anyone interested, I just need to find a date. Wishing you all, today and this week, boundless happiness and peaceful thoughts, and please remember to treat your neighbors as you would like to be treated.

Like I always say...

2011-06-25T08:28:00.000-05:00

I would never want to be a landlord, ever. People do not take care of your things like they would their own. There certainly are exceptions and yes you can get really good renters but oh the nightmares of bad ones. The lady that owns the condo next to me rents it out to what I thought were nice people. I actually have not had problem with them until the kid gassed me with exhaust fumes. Cuckoo Sue's response was something like, "If you treat your neighbors like you would want to be treated, it would go a long way." Now to preface this I did not gas them, seriously I did not, so I should be smiling as I am choking on Carbon Monoxide? I thought she would address the problem and it is a serious problem if he were to keep doing it, but her remarks are..about everything but the issue. Now I get an email with all sorts of lies in it that I complained about their barking dog? Their dog doesn't bark, why would I ? When they first moved in the dog howled painfully for days but I felt bad for the dog and with a big mouth dog like I have I would Never complain about that. Then I don't like where the kid parks his car? He isn't parking in my spot so I don't care, he rattled all the neighbors on the east side of the complex, not me, and the kid got really nasty with them on that side. I know that I probably ticked off the mother, because I am complaining about her adult child that lives in the basement, and she is defending him and the fact that she likes living where she is, so of course, I am going to be made to look like the problem. Believe me I can handle that! But cuckoo Sue as she is referred to in our little village, must be off her meds again....oh did I say that? Anyone have a long hose to gas my neighbors, I guess that is how you do things in her World.
So on a great note, last weekend I had the dye class and it was a perfect day for it, today it is snowing fuzzies that are actually two weeks late this year ..thankfully.
One of the students that was overwhelmingly happy brought me a dozen roses yesterday. What a wonderful unexpected gesture. It made me feel good to know, I can't be that bad. Maybe it comes in moments!! LOL

Things go in Cycles

2011-06-22T07:05:00.000-05:00

The World is round, we rotate in a circle, things go round and round. I have been living in a Condo for 5 years now and have had cycles of problems. This latest one takes the cake or my breath away. The kid next door is working on an old car, I think that is great, however when he starts the car up the exhaust fills my condo and shop with exhaust fumes, not good. I talked to him about it and he seemed to be apologetic, for that day and then again it started yesterday. He is biligerent and I understand he thinks he owns that garage and should be able to do whatever he wants to do, but when it affects your neighbors, go buy a house. We are all connected here and that sucks, but you still have to be considerate of your neighbors. I talked to the owner and her response was "Treat your neighbors as you would want to be treated." How that has anything to do with this issue is beyond me, but I guess he wants to gas me and I should gas him back? I wish I could move, I am tired of all of the crap that goes on and we have no control over. I want to pay rent to someone else that I just need to make a call and it is taken care of. These places don't sell well but maybe if there is a business in it already someone would want to buy it as is....Doesn't everyone want to own a yarn shop?

Worst Pedicure ever~~

2011-06-21T16:45:00.000-05:00

So I stopped to get a much needed pedicure. I went to a new place on 76th and Rawson, I think the name is CN's nails, I am trying to think of the real name that would use those initials, like Crappy Nails, or Cuticle Nicking! I get this beautiful and I mean really pretty Asian woman, she has perfect bone structure and a little nose with full lips and smooth skin, her hair is of course long and layered. I can see why so many men google after Asian woman, that and the fact that in their minds these woman are submissive Geisha girls that will walk on their backs and serve their every need. Well pretty Asian girl speaks no English but knows how to take a Credit card, with ease. She points with a grumpy face to the footbath and starts running the water, I put my feet into a Shrimp boil temp...whew I say and retract my feet like it is hot lard...this should have been my first inclination that she is a "mean bitch". She may be pretty but watch out. She keeps her head down as she cools the water off and then hits the bath for me to replace my feet. I put my foot cautiously into the water and then she takes the well loved Asian potato brush and starts scrubbing, she removes the old nail polish and then with lightning speed clips my toenails almost off. Yeah not all the way off, but almost, and then pulls them when they pick her? Then she files them....kind of. She is much better at filing my skin. I normally can read while I get a pedicure but I am keeping an eye on this one. So she gets that shovel like clippers for the cuticle and starts pecking at the my cuticle using a stabbing motion, she is cutting and plucking and Holy Crap she nicks me, I retract my foot once again and I see blood, she reaches for a little green bottle...she puts green soap right on it....now I can do an Indian Spirit dance and I am not even moving. It burns so bad but without even a look she just keeps pecking plucking and pulling at my cuticle. I am sweating now, I want to go home, but I am not done, my toenails are hanging at 1/2 mast, my toe is bleeding, my soles are burned. So much for freeking pretty, this is one ornery bitch. I guess I can't quite believe she is so mean and I here I was going to compliment her cute top, but now I see her little gut roll smushing tight against it. I start wishing bad things on her, and not because she is so damn pretty but mean. She starts to color my nails and from where my head is at and that is the other end of my feet I can see she is missing top coat on the edges but I don't care, I hate her now and I am not leaving her a tip. I am walking out if I can and going home to sanitize my feet. So I did, and I had to file my toenails to get the rough edges off of them? No wonder the place was empty when I walked in...and I will never go back there for the Asian torture treatment.

I so need sleep

2011-06-20T20:53:00.000-05:00

So yesterday was Father's day and Village Spinners spinning at Fixx. My SIL went with her mom to visit her brother in Minnesota. My brother was up north at their trailer with the dogs relaxing, then my phone rang. I kind of wasn't going to answer it, I figured he was just bored and wanted to chat, but I did answer it and glad I did. He drove or was still driving with a kidney stone attack. I asked where he was and he sounded like he was dying, he said he was trying to get home because he had the dogs in the car. I calmly told him to go to the hospital and I would be there in a few minutes to take the dogs to his house and it would all be fine. I did that and then went back to the hospital where he was in a room on a bed, writhing in pain. When asked to measure his pain it was 12, this coming from someone on two percocets already. It hurt me to watch him suffer so, but I was glad I could be there for him. We got out of there at 9pm where I decided, I would not want to be alone in that kind of pain and his pain had subsided a bit but they told him, if he gets nauseated and feels like he is passing out he should go back in. So I spent my night in a recliner, needless to say I got about an hour of sleep. Iggy was happy he slept with his Uncle. I watched every crappy movie and sitcom there is at that hour. He woke up feeling pretty good, no stone passed. I left took Igster to daycare, dropped off his prescriptions and took a two hour nap. Then I went back to spend some more time with Scott. I left about 3, did some errands came home. He is in the midst of another attack right now but Cheryl is home and at least someone is with him. I am sitting in my living room and I hear a low humming like a boombox car, Mr Fix it next door started his fixer upper up and is gassing me. The house is full of fumes and so is the shop, he had the door open a foot or two. I run out and holler at him that he is killing me and my house is full of gas fumes. He apologizes to me, he didn't realize what was happening. So now I have a migraine the phone rings it's my mom, Scott has a kidney stone, I know mom, I was there,
he said you were, I wish I could do something for him
well unfortunately we can't
what? he has a kidney stone
yes I know
what?
I know, mom (I am now yelling and my neighbors know too)
what?
MOM, I AM YELLING WHAT IS WRONG?
teeehheeeeee heeeeeeee tteeee heeeee, it must be my phone were you open today
YES, (it's my new canned answer)
I thought you were closed on Monday, How much did that lady send you a bill for
$7.00
$17.00?
Mom I better hang up now,
What?
Oh I have another call mom, bye...
I am going to bed right now, before my head explodes..

Traveling Knitters

2011-06-19T08:34:00.000-05:00

It has occurred to me that I need to put a map in my shop. I want to have visitors pin point where they have traveled from. This week alone I had knitters from Washington DC, Philadelphia and New York! I think it would be fun to watch the pins dot out across America!! I am thrilled to have such a vast group of knitters come and explore our Village. They are always seeking local dyers yarn, or roving so, it is then that I pull out the Happy Hands to share our little treasure of Kim's yarns. I am selling bags and recycled items also. It is so exciting seeing my creations go to the corners of the States! It makes me create more and be more creative! I am now looking for a cool map...map store here I come...tomorrow on Money Monday

What a great day!!

2011-06-18T19:17:00.000-05:00

Today was the Village Spinners dying class at the shop. There were 18 dyers and we each did three 4 oz rovings. It was great the weather was perfect, there were no mosquitos, wasps, and it didn't snow white tree fuzzies. We had enough tables so there was only one person that had to share. Everyone brought a dish to pass and it was awesome!!! There was help setting up and help cleaning up!! I think we are all pooped. I know I am...but it was a good day!! We have a great guild ...really!!!

Nice weather, good book

2011-06-16T07:15:00.000-05:00

It sure has been nice and cool here. I love this weather it keeps my Cranky Pants in the closet I do not do well with heat, it really makes me crabby!! Yesterday I ran to Whole Foods, thought I would grab lunch and the milk chocolate covered graham crackers that are to die for. I was filling my bucket with food, they use these paper mache plant holders for their buffet bar, then they weigh it, and I try to keep it under $10.00 but one time with all the heavy stuff it went to $12. As I was standing there debating on my choices, my DIL walks up. What a surprise, she was home from work with a bad cold and came to get soup. We had lunch together it was such a pleasant surprise and a joy. She is such an independent thinking woman, she is also very supportive of her husband my son. She is very good for him and supports him in all of his ventures. She is not the type of person to say this stuff to make me feel good or to "win" me over. She is too confident for that, and not the type to try to impress me, she is far too smart for that. I love that about her. I know where she stands, she is not sugar coated. On the other hand it can be a little off setting because you just get used to people saying what you want to hear, and she comes along and blows that out of the water. LOL. I knit her a cashmere cowl, and, I could see didn't like it, she couldn't hide that. I was a little miffed, but then appreciated that she wasn't just going to take it and put it away and never use it, and me thinking she liked it and showering her with more of the same. It is a win win for us both. I don't feel obligated, besides she has a grandma from Serbia that knits Aran sweaters with no pattern. She is a wonderful lady and doesn't know what they call knitting, it gets lost in translation. It was a very nice lunch that we had, I hope she feels better!!

What a ride

2011-06-09T06:59:00.000-05:00

This has been some weather ride we are having. Yesterday was the end of a three day stretch of hot humid weather. The heat makes me crabby, can't help it, I am miserable. I can't breath and breathing is such a basic function, and when you can't take an easy breath, you just get crabby. Today all the windows are open and I would do coffee on the deck but the chairs are wet. I am still enjoying this cool weather. The shop is getting ready for WWKIP day and Square Up the afghan KAL. All of this is on Saturday. Brown Sheep yarn is always so good about, I call in the order I get the yarn 2-3 days later. This time they are so busy, due to an article about them being American made, I called on Monday just to check and she says, we will get it out Tuesday!!!! Ok some pressure there so I think it is coming in Friday....then I have to get it ready for Saturday...or maybe I will get a gift and it will come in today!! No pressure?
I am also out of my life giving Oil!! I use Moroccan Oil to moisturize, it is a miracle for me, it is expensive but remember your skin is the largest organ you have on your body and what you put on it goes into it. This Winter I did not get any dematitis on my legs or arms. I am squeezing the glass bottle trying to get the last drips out of the little brown miracle oil. That is due to arrive today also...please. I can feel the difference, skin is getting a little tight, and itchy. The thing with Moroccan oil, is, it is only harvested in Morocco and a woman's co-op is the only place you can buy it from. It is from an Aragon nut, and harvested and processed to develope jobs for woman in that country. Win win win, where the hell is my oil?

Erly Bird

2011-06-03T07:20:00.000-05:00

This morning on my nest check, look what I found? A huge mouth!! It's funny because yesterday Ruby the red breasted Robin for those of you late comers, was a little restless on her nest. We even made a comment about how she was adjusting and readjusting herself, well now I know why. I must have miscalculated on the hatching, I figured about Tuesday, I am glad they are earlier so they will be bigger for the WWKIP day event and we won't be disturbing the hatching process. I wonder how she sits on the rest of the eggs with that big mouth straining for food? I will have to look it up. I named it Erly because he/she is!! Thanks to everyone that voted for my Art Piece, "Changes" at Fiberwood studio Fiber Challenge. I got voted Peoples Choice!!! thanks so much

I'm back

2011-05-26T08:18:00.000-05:00

Something was going on and I couldn't log in or post, but seems they fixed it. Why is it we always feel it is something we are doing wrong. We check and recheck our work and think what am I doing? Thing is we should just walk away and try again later, sometimes it works and sometimes not so good. There is going to be lots of things going on this Summer at the shop. First off, I am being a snoopy baby cam for a nest that a Robing built on my door wreath. I carefully removed it from the door where she would be disturbed often to the window box next to the door. I can spy on her through the window while she is being such a good mom in this cold dreary weather. When I first looked into the nest I was disappointed to find only one egg. Ms. Robin was getting all my sympathy for not being very fertile, until I did some research. I was amazed, Robins lay one egg a day, they do not start sitting on their eggs to begin the incubating till they are all laid. The average is 3-4 eggs, with sometimes laying 6, wow, that would be one crowded nest. When all of her eggs are laid, she begins the sitting, she has a bald spot on her belly to conduct the heat to the eggs better, a birds temp is 104', the cool thing is she will with her beak turn the eggs to heat them evenly. She leaves the nest for 10 to 15 minute intervals only during this time, she gets food and sometimes daddy brings her worms to eat. I have yet to see any man coming around. She, has been sitting through all of this stormy weather, but she is sheltered, and I do worry. So hopefully in about a week we will have some chirpy little baby birds.

Becoming a Parent again

2011-05-20T08:32:00.000-05:00

No I am not pregnant, but my roomie is, well she isn't anymore, but she is happily sitting on her baby to be! Of all the places to build a nest, a Robin built one on a wreath on my shop door. Ok so she thought it was dormant because I was closed for a few days and come to think of it she is the bird that flew into the shop (the door was open) last week and promptly exited just as fast, wondering where the door went? So I didn't want her to fly into someone opening the door, or startle someone or even upset her, so I carefully moved the wreath to the window box. I peered into the little nest quickly and saw only one egg, so she is limited with motherhood. I was worried that she wouldn't go back to the nest but she has found it and is sitting on her egg, being a good mom. I can spy on her from inside the shop but she knows I am there, she sees me moving around. I am anxious to see the little baby hatch and grow. I was going to put a sign out saying Baby sleeping but I am afraid to draw attention to it and some idiot will have to go look into the nest, probably saying to their young child, "honey look, I'll take this wreath down so you can look at it. AAACCCKKK so you may look but don't touch. I am naming the baby "Apple" because they will be born in a wreath of pink apple blossoms.

Great start

2011-05-17T14:40:00.000-05:00

I had a great start this morning, no rush coffee, looked forward to Art class, some photo taking and preparing to frame my Poppy painting. So I had my coffee, set up the camera for some photos, it didn't go so well but not a problem I'll change lens after I come home from class and won't have to rush it. I go for breakfast at George Webbs and it was good, not cheap though but good, took a sausage to Iggy who was acting weird before we left and seemed weird now, he gobbled the sausage and on our way. It is still cool enough to allow him to be in the car while I paint and then I can go to my mom's and hang some photos she has been wanting hung. I get to class and Iggy thinks he is going in, and he is not so I go in and do my thing, meanwhile poor Iggy had a bad accident, in the car. Needless to say I opened the door to "OHHHH MYYYYY Gaaawwwwwdddd" and he was cowering. I took him out immediately and he went again, I found a baby blanket from when he was a puppy and just covered it up so he wouldn't step in it. Forget stopping anywhere but home. Now my stomach is sick, but it is all cleaned up and he has gone again. So, I am not straying too far from home till he stops with the runs. I have some pumpkin for him and I will wait till this evening to give him that. Maybe it is a good thing to just sit here and knit for a while. or maybe nap, maybe we both are not feeling good! I just can't get the smell out of my nose.

Loving Frank

2011-05-17T07:05:00.000-05:00

I just finished listening to "Loving Frank" by Nancy Horan. I really liked it, I can tell when I like a book by my can't wait to listen attitude. Frank Lloyd Wright has always interested me anyway, he is truly an architectural genius. He is also a jerk, but I think that came with the territory. This story is told from Maemas, his mistress's view and you can see why she fell in love with her and how he really loved her. She was a woman ahead of her time in a era when woman were supposed to shut up and raise the children. She was an independent thinker, I can relate to that. I really enjoyed listening to it and recommend it, of course you will know the ending.
I am working on Lucy Neatby's Paintbox scarf, it is holding my attention..score!! I love color gamps and have all of the yarn to weave one, I just need to find the pattern I am searching for to do it. The one I am knitting I plan on wearing, the one I weave I am planning on putting on my wall.
I have the framing stuff to frame my Poppy painting, but I need to try to photograph it first to see if I can make copies to print. I have a lot on my plate this week. Today is my Art class, I am working on a Matisse. Wed. is knitting at Fixx, Thursday is the Opening at Fiberwood Studio of the Fiber Art challenge "Changes" I will be there as will wine and snacks. You are invited!!

Can you spot Iggy?

2011-05-11T08:06:00.000-05:00

When I take Iggy to daycare twice a week, I am so happy to watch him walk into the back playroom. I am not so happy that he could care less about me but that his tail is wagging and they are doting over him. He loves it there, he plays with other dogs and chases balls, his most favorite thing. They do such special things and they have people working there that actually love the animals. Imagine my surprise when I walk into the daycare and Tia that works there says "I have a game for you to play" really, ok I can do that, she says "it's up here." I step up to the counter and there is a photo of four Westies, she says "can you pick Iggy out?" hhhmmm it was tough but I saw his collar. Their hair was all the same length and some are related, and they are so cute. I was so excited and then she gave me a photo of them. I asked her how she got them all to line up, she said they wanted me to kick the tennis ball...LOL Now you tell me where else do you get that kind of a staff. Gail is always keeping things exciting and has no problem stooping down to dog level and getting a face full of doggy kisses. I highly recommend Central Bark in Franklin on 60th and Ryan rd. It is always a surprise when you go there. One time they had a "banana bread cook off" the staff all made their favorite recipe and we tasted them and voted. It was a win win for me!! Cinco de Mayo, we had salsa and chips. They have birthday parties for their patrons and one time they had a "best listening dog" yeah we won't discuss that one. I just enjoy the whole crew over there, but this photo, warms my heart!! Thanks Central Bark

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-07T08:26:00.000-05:00

There has been a lot going on around here. Classes are doing well and lots of students willing to learn new things. The Fiber Festivals are happening all around us and I think we may be heading into Spring. I just had to share this photo. I opened Ravelry this morning and checked out a "Yarn Camp" in Rhinebeck NY and this is the first photo I saw? Not a good early morning illusion....at first glance it looked like a beard and a guys nose, then I won't even go there but ends up it is a llama fleece being exposed to show how beautiful it is...I think it could have been shown much nicer.
Hope you Mother's day if you are one is wonderful, if not you have or had one, so enjoy it either way.

Getting it right

2011-04-28T08:35:00.000-05:00

From Anderson Cooper to Whoopi Goldberg, people are really tired of being misquoted or construed. The "Oh I heard you said this or that or they said this or that" Unless you hear the whole story and don't take it out of context, you can hurt someone with what you repeat. We as a whole have gotten so rude and mean, but think nothing of it. Politicians are setting horrible examples of this, quoting one part of a previous speech and playing it over and over and over, and when you hear the whole speech in context it is nothing like what the competition is quoting. What does this accomplish, or better yet this is why we ALL need to do our own research. There is a rare quality called honesty, you can find it but it is hard to recognize under all of the lies and embellishing. We all sensationalize when telling a story but that is just a few adverbs, and doesn't hurt anyone, it just makes things more colorful.
Being honest has it's cost too, the dreaded "how does this look?" uhhh, remember you can always say, "It is you!" try to be positive in your critique, regardless, don't lie but search for the right words, it is OK to stop and think about an answer. Be nice, if someone shows you their knitting, your first judgement might be....ew that is one ugly color arrangement or weird pattern, but look past "what you like" it isn't yours anyway, you will not be wearing it, so look at how beautifully it is knit and comment on the good stuff. If we would all encourage one another instead of looking for fault, we would all walk a little taller. And quit pulling one sentence out of context and passing that crap along, we all have enough to deal with on a regular basis.
@DalaiLama: Overcoming negative tendencies and enhancing positive potential are the very essence of the spiritual path.”

Seriously?

2011-04-26T08:20:00.001-05:00

There is a site called Kickstart. What Kickstart does is help support small business ventures trying to break into the world of business's. One of the ideas for instance is those darn Joulie coffee temperature beans. I have been stalking them with great interest. You place these Stainless steel coffee beans about he size of a small cookie (large enough not to swallow) into your coffee cup when you pour in the hot coffee and it cools the coffee to drinking temp, then when the coffee starts to cool it emits stored heat to keep the coffee at the same temp. I think it is a great idea, I love coffee and I drink it rather cool, than some with asbestos mouth. They do say to keep the coffee at it's ultimate best you should drink out of a stainless steel covered mug. That was the deciding factor, I love my coffee out of my special pottery mug, my special mug is whichever one I pick for the day. So anyway the idea is if I like this Idea, I can send some money as starter money to help fund their start up. They do need seed money and I know this, so that is not the problem, you get something in return on this venture, for the most part. In this case you get a bag or 5 beans for $50.00 investment. The problem I do have is, there is an Artist that wants to move into a new studio and is looking for funding? This artist has a history of not having any money but does workshops all around the World and not for free, has written a book and more. They are self exclaimed partiers? So I am all for helping feed someone, shelter someone, give them some livestock, but a new studio? I am thinking how I can work this angle. Hhhmmm I need a new place to do my work, how about you send me money to help support my move and buy me a new place. There is just something wrong with that, in my ethic code, that is. But people are sending money to this Artist, some people are blinded by the celebrity to notice that some things are just not right. I guess this Artist is a smart cookie for doing this. I think seed monies should be sent to start up business's and yes you can lose your investment nothing is a sure thing, but better I drink hot coffee, because they couldn't get the whole funding, but are trying a new venture than funding a constantly misfunded endeavor. Bernie would be proud. We all can decide where our money goes and it is an individuals decision, but, seriously?

British words

2011-04-25T09:15:00.000-05:00

Mel B from the Spice girls is on Regis (whom I really don't care for), but I am doing computer stuff so it is backround sound. It is so fun to listen to British sayings, she said about Lindsey Lohan, she may need to get banged up (put in jail)....it just cracks me up. That I watched all of Doc Martin didn't hurt either. It takes me a while to get into their accent but once I do, it is just fun. Buggers? not to be confused with boogers. Listen to some of the sayings they are hysterical.

Oh the craving!!

2011-04-18T12:14:00.000-05:00

The power of suggestion is such a strong one and I get suckered in on many occasions. My brother and I were talking about oysters. He had watched a cooking show and the Southern woman was cooking fried oysters to put in a Po boy sandwich. He went shopping and $40 later he made two very good sandwiches but not that good. I didn't get to taste them but he said the woman's cooking looked much better. Today I decided after a long workshop weekend with Jacey Boggs which I will blog later, I decided to do minimal running today. What prompted this running to Outpost was deodorant, Jacey smelled like Nag Champa, she is too young to know what a great Hippy smell that was, right up there with Patchoulli mmmmmm , I kept smelling it, to the point of her, (and she is very approachable and down to earth) whips up her armpit and says "is it this?". Why I think it is? as I grab her beautifully tattoo embellished arm and sniff, yes sniff near her armpit! Well by Gawd I think it is? So she showed me the deodorant bottle, an organic roll on. She prefaced it with, it is very expensive...but if it works and it is natural I am okay with that. So on my run for deodorant which I did not find and had to order online, I went to the City Market. I have not been there since it probably opened, how nice it is. You park for free and hey they have Fried Oyster Po Boys....I am there about 10:30 and they are not open for lunch yet but the guy takes my order, I call my brother who works downtown and tell him I am bringing him Fried Oyster po boy...he is salivating as am I! I found the best peanut butter chunk cookies at the bakery down there, they have a sample tray and I should say "had" I did a few walk bys. I had a cup of coffee and waited, I did buy bread, that was still warm....OMG! I went to the Cheese Market but was being blocked by two woman that kept stepping in front of the cart and I just could not get away from them and knowing how crabby I am today ~~I wanted to ram them with my cart and tell them get the hell out of the middle of the aisle.~~ I left that area. I went an picked up my Po boy order, and left, I drove to where my brother was working, and dropped off his sandwich, we were both smiling like cheshire cats. I am two blocks away and the phone rings, I am thinking he was overcome with glee at the wonderful sandwich...but.....I answer to _uck em shuck em...we got Shrimp not oysters! What? are you kidding me? he says check yours so as I am driving, I look and I should have said nope mine is oyster but I was so disappointed I said "mine too" Even though it was good, it was not fried oysters....I am staying home and napping before I kill something, or someone.

Robbed/Stolen or just plain thieved

2011-04-13T08:09:00.000-05:00

As many others I am not a person that has a huge savings account. Try as I might through the years, I am unable to keep money in an account without the back of my head saying...you have $$$ at the bank. I also imagine what I could buy with the money and spend it over and over again. While I was working my regular job, I had a bank account with my Credit Union, I had $5.00 taken every week out of my account so I would consider it my Christmas Account. When I retired I realized money was not going to be added but that was OK, it was a little nest egg and really it wasn't much money a little over $300, so it wasn't burning a hole in my pocket to spend it. I watched the statements for 4 months to make sure they didn't take money out for non use. I watched and nothing was taken out, I felt secure that I had me a little extra cushion in case I needed it. Not so....I have been retired for 5 years and this Spring has just been a tight one, seems all my insurances are due and blah blah blah....car repairs, my pseudo heart attack, glasses. I went to draw my money out and actually maybe put it somewhere closer to home. I stood at the window and the woman says $175.00, I swallowed hard....swallowed hard again and asked what happened to the rest of my money? Inactivity! hhhmmm Inactivity? I have my mortgage at this Credit Union, if I had the time and effort and the money I would refinance. Yes it is my fault once again in handling my finances for not watching the statements that come each month. I have come to a new conclusion, spend the stuff, just go and throw it away on any crap you want because if YOU don't some bank or man will come along and do it for you. I am just thankful that I didn't get a bill from the bank saying that I owe them. I am holding tight onto my $175. and no I am not buying lunch...LOL

Sticker Shock

2011-04-05T07:39:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was Money Monday. That is where I do all of my errands and spend all my money. I went to a couple of quilt shops in search for some cool fabric for Iggy Pops, little bags I am making that are selling quite well for yarners or someone just browsing. Just as a beginning knitter goes into a good yarn shop, my eyes got really wide looking at the prices of fabric. Now in my defense the fabric I was looking at came from Japan and was stunning. I envisioned beautiful tops made from the fabric and would consider it, if I had a pattern I really wanted to make. I love linen fabric and let's just say, I may start sewing some tops once again. Now back to the bags, I will not be using expensive fabric from Japan unless it is a scrap...sorry! I did find some really cool fabric though on my hunt. I was almost seduced into wanting to quilt again, the slow simmering seed has been planted. I am fighting the urge to just get sucked in.....I have all of the equipment...I saw a beautiful silk quilt that was drawing me in, still in my head...the colors swimming about.....then the reality of Iggy laying on 100% silk, or a drip of condensation from a cup, dripping on the quilt, made me realize I need something more substantial for my home. I am one of those people that use my stuff, I am not going to make something and store it in a closet...I don't have closets so it is on my couch with the beautiful afghan I wove from Mountain colors Mohair and Wool that darling Iggy has claimed as his comfy blanket, not that he ruined it or has destroyed it but a bad choice of fibers is Mohair, rub it a few times and you have felt. So today I will be creating!

Jan against machine

2011-03-29T07:44:00.000-05:00

What started out as a really good day quickly turned sour. I took the Igster to daycare and needed to pick up some sour cream for the coffee cake I was going to bake. Not being a big fan of Pick n Save, but it was right on the way home and with the price of gas, it became an option. I walked in and went to the dairy case, picked out 3 containers of sour cream and some butter, because I figured if I was going to run out of anything it would be butter. I walked the mile back to the check out counters and there is no one checking out, no human that is? So, there are a few customers using the do it yourself lanes and I am not a fan of those either. I push the Start button and scan your first items is said to me. I scan a sour cream, dink, it registers, Place item in the bag, I did, place item in the bag, I did, place item in the bag, I DID!!! Figuring it wasn't going to stop telling me to put it in the bag, I tried to scan another item dink it worked, then another sour cream, nothing, another sour cream nothing. Then out comes, place item in the bag...again. I leaned forward and said, I DID!!! Finally a kid came over and said they are having problems with the machines? Well then why is no one checking out? So I said to the kid, I did not start out my day to fight with a machine and he said neither did I .....we were both laughing.

Been a while

2011-03-23T08:23:00.000-05:00

Can I tell you what a blast I have been having. I am selling off stuff that I have been dragging around for a while and I put it on Craigslist and cleaning house. I feel much better, some of this has been a weight around my neck and I am letting go. I am in a few challenges, one is the Sketchbook Challenge and the other is the Fiber Art Challenge at Fiberwood Studio, the challenge is called "Changes". I have the last one done, and the Sketchbook challenge is every month, this month is "Spilling over". I love the fact that I am being expanded to create more and more and I love this kind of challenge. Now if it were a foot race, I would let you win, these are not winning things, these are just what their name is "Challenges". I am on an endless challenge to clean up and make my basement studio workable. It is an endless state of chaos, and that is pretty much how I roll. Try as I might to clean up and organize, my default setting is organized mess. I am hand knitting a sock from handspun yarn, it has a shaped instep, so it is proving to be kind of weird. All is well here, Life is good.

In a time of Pain

2011-03-11T08:05:00.000-06:00

It is the time of year when many people get depressed. The political unrest, the economy, and now the earthquake. The color here in Wisconsin is blah and after a long winter, it takes a pretty hardy person to endure the long dismal days of this Season. I was cleaning stuff out and found this little story by Charles Swindoll, from many many years ago. I thought it was appropriate
The Oyster and it's Pearl
Pearls are the product of pain. For some unknown reason, the shell of the oyster gets pierced and an alien substance- a grain of sand- slips inside. On the entry of that foreign irritant, all the resources within that tiny, sensitive oyster, rush to the spot and begin to release healing fluids that otherwise would have remained dormant. By and by the irritant is covered and the wound is healed. by a pearl. No other gem has such a fascinating history. It is the symbol of stress...a healed wound an precious tiny jewel conceived of irritation, born of adversity, nursed by adjustment. Had there been no irritating interruption, there would have been no pearl. Some oysters are never wounded...and those who seek for gems, toss them aside, fit only for stew.
No wonder our heavenly home has as it's entrance "pearly gates". Those who go through need no explanation. They are the ones that are bruised and have responded to the sting of irritations with the pearl of adjustment. It is possible to endure adversity and come out a winner. When your first irritation of the day comes along, quickly tell yourself, "God is in control" and mentally make the pearl of adjustment.
I think I know very many Pearls, I just love this comparison or description, and when I get to feeling like, "shit", I think of what a pearl I will be.
If you are feeling down take a moment to think of how beautiful you are going to become from that little piece of irritation!!!

A Small Security and Comfort

2011-03-07T19:24:00.000-06:00

A small endearing little gesture, a couple holding hands. You don't see it so much anymore. I was in my car and a young couple was crossing the street and the guy put his hand back to lead her across the street with him securely guiding her. I miss that, it is such a sweet sincere thing. Sometimes you see older couples walking hand in hand and it just makes me smile. There is a tenderness when a man wraps his hand around yours and makes you feel so safe. I remember the first time I held hands with a guy, his name was Peter, he was a little dorky, this coming from the tom boy dork. We walked to the Zoo with about 10 other kids and he grabbed my hand and my heart jumped. I looked at his big 8th grade hand encompass my girly hand and I think I can almost still see it. I feel in love with his hand, it looked so tan and masculine holding mine. Seriously he was just a body connected to "that hand". I always liked holding hands. One bad experience was one Sunday when I was real little we went to church and a lot of men had those gray tweedy dress coats and my dad had one. I got pushed away from my dad and saw his coat and and grabbed the hand hanging there and then looked up to see it wasn't my dad, sheer panic, but my dad grabbed me and lifted me into his arm and saved me. They both exchanged laughs but I still remember how panicky I felt. Good thing it wasn't the pirate or I would have been scarred for life, and that my friends is another story. The last time I held my boyfriends hand that I remember we were sitting on the couch pretending we at a movie, he was too sick to go anywhere and we had popcorn, soda and a movie on TV. He was a good hand holder, and I can still see his hand too, it was rough and calloused from Ironwork, but it made me feel so secure. I am missing him today, a little more than usual.

Baby I'm amazed!

2011-03-06T08:43:00.000-06:00

Can I just say how much I love music. I am watching the DVR with Oprah and she has talented kids on. Lenny Kravitz just came out and is jamming with a teen, like they have played together for years. How do they do that? He just gave the kid a signed guitar, what a great gift, what a great talent. I am one of those people that God did not grant the gift of music to. My gift is my creative brain/mind and hands, but he did give me the gift of appreciation. I appreciate music and I am not picky, I love Opera to some Rap and everything in between. I love the twang of the Hillbilly music my dad loved, I secretly love the backwoods country/bluegrass, to the Black Eyed Peas. My music collection is eclectic, I love yodeling, and if I hear a Native drum beat my body moves to it. I love Pink Floyd, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin. God gave me the ability to turn on electronics, Ipod, stereo, Pandora and appreciate the music of others. Don't get me wrong I have tried my hand at playing an instrument, I envisioned myself playing folk guitar on the porch with my halter top on and ripped jean shorts and wedge sandals. Oh yeah, my long dark hair swishing around as I sang from my heart, when in fact. We had no porch, I had a guitar but baby I could only pick, G-L-O-R-I-A Glllllooooooorrrria, so slow I made it into a waltz. I don't know what a rift is or a bridge unless it's the thing you drive over. My dad could blow a harmonica like a star, I blew spit into it and swelled the reeds and made my tongue raw. I just don't have it. I love to sing and loud, because the rule is if you sing loud you sing well...LOL NOT. So I have the greatest appreciation for music, not mine but for other gifted people that have that talent. I will stick to what I do best fiber. It is my passion. Now to put on some music.

End in sight?

2011-03-03T09:29:00.000-06:00

I really don't want to get involved with this political stuff, I am tired of this bickering. I understand people are upset, I understand we have problems to fix.
There are so very many things we are never made aware of, until after decisions have been made and the damage is done. Our State is in financial crisis, as are many families. So the first thing a family has to cut to try to make ends meet is probably Cable TV, or at least premium channels. I had to do this and I enjoy my TV, but something had to give. I am not a martyr in any way, but people are complaining that the parks are going to take a hit. Well look at it this way, I love my parks like anyone else, if in fact I love it that much there is nothing stopping me from going and planting a million dollars worth of flowers, other than I don't have that kind of money, or mowing some grass. We can live without "beautiful" parks and they can be regroomed when the economy kicks in. The land won't disappear, it will go back to what it once was. I say let the parks go. Education trumps all of the Parks and Parties. We need to educate our children and young adults, this also falls on the parents. I think it was last year that MPS was giving Ipods to students that came and ate breakfast for free. Excuse me did I say that right? Yes, they want to encourage children to come and eat a free breakfast. Here is my take on that. Tough crap! If you don't want to come and eat, I am not going to bribe you with a steak let alone an Ipod for which you need an account to upload songs and if you are eating free breakfast you don't have the money to buy songs, you should buy food. What is that about? Now I do believe that the children shouldn't have to pay for their parents inability to feed them and they should get food at school, but when I was poor, I would buy a loaf of cheap gooey white bread and generic peanut butter, we had to eat it not only for lunch but sometimes supper. I am not a fan of PB & J to this day, I have had enough. My son did not get free "anything" at school. So MPS wastes alot of money and I don't care where it came from Federal whatever, put it to better use, you are not a soup kitchen, educate our children to get better jobs. Little known fact, my SIL works at company that sells bags and boxes, here in Milwaukee, Ex Gov Doyle sweetend the pot for an Illionois company to come to Wisconsin to help create jobs, I am not sure of the actual $$ amount but it was let's just say billions. The company moved across the border in Kenosha and all of the workers commute except maybe 20 new hires. Now that was profitable for Wisconsin. How long will it be to recoop that billion? Instead of working with companies here, we will bring other States companies and their workers over the border and still not create jobs. They say if you want to fix the fat, ask the little people, the bottom feeders and the low on the totem pole people to find out what is going on above them. We all are going to feel the pinch, as a small business owner I am feeling the bite, I am not alone and I know this. I will survive this, but will our State if we don't all do something? I do not believe in Union busting, but for over 30 years I paid to work, does that sound right? If I didn't pay my dues, I would not have had a job, I paid into a pension that I am thankfully collecting and my family doesn't or won't have that ability. If I missed a day of work, I did not get paid, I had no paid sick days, I did not get accumulated sick time. I only got paid for the days I was at work. In my Union contract, I paid into my health insurance, my vacation pay, my pension and negotiated raises that were for the last 20 years pretty much defunct. These items were all negotiated, and called collective bargaining. If you are Republican or Democratic, or Independent these are all Collective Bargaining units. I am none of the preceding I am for a fair government.
I read this story many years ago and it has resonated with me forever, think about it.
A Repulican father calls his Democratic, college daughter and asks how she is doing in school. "oh dad, I am working my butt off, trying to get good grades and I study and I am tired of all of this work, but I want to do well" the father, I am proud of you sweetie, how is your roomate doing? "Dad she is partying and having a great time but her grades reflect it, she is flunking." there was a silence....Honey, why don't you go to the Dean and ask if you could take your A's and give some of that grade to your roomate to bring up her F to a C? DAD!! I work hard for those grades, she is out doing nothing, how can you even think that I should do that? Honey welcome to the Democratic party.
I used to think that I wanted to be a Democrat because of course they believed in Democracy and defended our freedoms like speech etc. I thought Republicans were affiliated to the Republic of China which I thought was bad. Now I don't think either, I think Independently for the Right person to do the Job, I don't care what party is, they are all crooked and all have bad ideas and good ideas. There is an old saying " when you retire you want a Democrat in office because they GIVE so much money away and while you are working you want a Republican in office. I am retired and have not got a break yet? I just want someone to FIX this mess we are in, I don't care if they are a Factory worker, Millionaire, Nurse, Teacher, let's just all share this hit and move on to a better Wisconsin, or we will all go down. Besides I haven't done my taxes yet and I want my refund, if I get one. I am done and this is the last you will hear from me about this subject. We need help, we need to all share in the pains. I don't know what it will take but we need to pay our debts.

Behind me now

2011-03-02T06:48:00.000-06:00

With Sheep in the City behind me, I have been busy getting back into the groove. I have some loose ends I need to finish. I have my "Changes" necklace to finish. I am spinning Quivet, need to finish that. I bought some Alpaca, want to spin that. I have sweaters coming out of my ears and I need to catalogue or put them so I can see what I have to and this is a swear word "Organize" them. The shop is clean after the show. I just unpacked my suitcase, and filled the dirty clothes hamper, so that means wash. I have my new Sketchbook challenge, "Spilling Over" still thinking about it, I was going to do something with my brain spilling over, I need to think on that one. Spinning Guild is this Thursday and I am the program, doing Garneted yarns. So what am I doing? Making notes..hey I went to visit my mom yesterday and I was laying on her bed watching her knit on a baby blanket she probably started 10 years ago. It is a fan and feather knit, and it was so good to see her knitting and guess what she knits wrong, she twists her stitch on the purl...LOL I tried to explain it to her and then I thought, who cares. She mentioned there is an aide who is expecting and she would like to make this for her. I told her I am a little embarrassed, here I own a yarn shop and she is knitting on crappy and I mean crappy acrylic. LOL, she too laughed. I will have to bring my knitting with me now. I am going to buy her a shuffle today and put a book on it, so she can listen to a book while she is sitting in her chair. I think the shuffle is easy enough for her to use, the only button she will need is the big middle one. I hope. It was cute, she took forever to get across the row and she said "look how slow I am" I said when was the last time you knit?? Why do we expect to be so good at something we have not done in Years. We are our worst enemies aren't we? I want to go roller skating...can you say broken bones...I used to skate, but I want to do roller derby. I think it would be great, what the hell am I thinking, I can hardly walk some days. Our mind still thinks we should do it, but man our bodies say...hell no!!! Step back and give yourself a break.

Spilling Over

2011-03-01T07:20:00.000-06:00

That is the theme this month for the Sketchbook Challenge. Last month it was "opposites" I did a portrait profile, kind of like can you see the Old lady and the young girl. This months theme is perfect, because my head is exploding with spilling over things. I have so much I want to do now that Sheep in the City is behind me. I bought some beautiful gray alpaca to spin, it will make an awesome beret, or cowl, I do wear cowls. I have some dying to do to make silk caps for the mitten class, coming soon. I also have some dying to do for some nuno felting and hope to have a class when it gets a little warmer. I think it is starting to feel like Spring is in the air. It just smells like it outside, even though there is snow on the ground it smells like spring. just a thought!! So yesterday we go out for our walk and it looks like some furry animal has slept overnight in between my back steps and a trash can. Iggy is smelling around the steps and I can see furry hair between the dark slot. For fear that it is a rabid raccoon, or scratchy cat, I pull Iggy to the car and hope that the animal leaves now that we are gone. I come home from taking him to daycare and it's still there, great, is it dead? So I stand on the landing of the steps and pull a bag of garbage off the top so I can see it better and maybe it will take off running. Uhhmm it was a rice broom, that was bent over, no running away there. I need some more sleep!!!

In case you Missed it!!

2011-02-23T06:39:00.001-06:00

I have been so lucky, so lucky to have been able to experience what I have in the past two weeks. I have been on a podcast, loved it, a radio interview, totally want to start interviewing people and the latest TV. Each experience was unique, each one let me see something different behind the scenes type of stuff. I actually used Skype for something other than talking to my son to see if it works. That was for the Homespun Journey podcast, Sherry did a great job and got my feet wet.
Then there was Lake Effect WUWM I got to go into a real radio studio and you know, I kind of liked it, now I want to try my hand at interviewing people about Fiber arts. I am stricken by this, it was so cool. There was a quiet hum to the room which was dimly lit, with an open U shaped table, having two black sponge Qtip on steroid type mics on one side and another inside the U. There was a monitor to test the voice level and I sat on one side and Coley on the other. She said please start talking, I need to check the voice levels and everything was so hushy like. I pulled the mic to my level and began and had a hard time to shut up. I know you will all find this kind of surprising. I think what I liked about it was the atmosphere? I so could see myself doing that...and now for the Just 4 Ewe radio show, this is your host Jan Massie aka Spiderlady, today I will be interviewing...Judith MacKenzie! Oh please that is what I want to do. Can you say Bucket List, so now I am thinking of adding a recording studio to my photo studio to my on and on. LOL
Then Thanks to Blue Tulip and Gosh Yarn It, two vendors at SITC, John and I went on the television for a live interview yesterday on The Morning Blend. Let me begin with, it snowed the night before...so what you say, that is what I say too. We were to be at the Station, a short 30 minute drive through the City on a good day, no problem. I am NEVER late, being late irks me probably the most of anything, so I am not late. John spent the night so we could leave early, and we did, we left a little over an hour early. We spent 30 minutes of that time sitting on the freeway parked, "it was just snow People!" the radio said gridlock all over, why?" I finally could get off the freeway and began moving and called, "we're on our way, I am so sorry" Molly "take your time we will move you to the end....OMG thanks thank you so much. My heart is racing, not because all my chins are going to be revealed to thousands of people but I am going to be late. I am driving through the City, coming to Stop signs and John says, " just go through them no one is coming" Boom Boom boom, my heart is coming out of my chest, now I am a violator too!! I am late and violating....I slide into the parking area covered in snow I tell John hurry get out, he is getting dressed? WTH, seriously I have been driving like a freeking maniac and now you are changing shoes? I think I am parked in front of a stairway? but it is covered in snow, no one will see it. We run in and then they say, go have a seat....huh? Sit? I can't sit, can you see that I am late 9:05, see that and I slid through stop signs and I parked at the top of a stairway and John is putting on his shoes and putzing in the car and you want me to sit!!! Another door opens and the director comes in and takes us to the "Green room" which has no green in it but a plastic plant. Another guy comes in and I am just taking a breath, swoops us off, walks us through the offices and brings us to the studio. Here we go, can you say I have to cough, clear my throat and my eyes are following these large black R2D2 type cameras moving in and out and around the two women sitting on the couch. Now I have to pee, not really but when I get nervous my bladder pretends it has to pee to add to the anxiety. I start yawning and I can feel the beginning of hyperventilating. I look there are three cameras which means 10# each Holy Crap that is 30#s it is going to add to my already round face!!! The dieting didn't work, I think I ate another 20# on, due to stress!!! ~~and no exercise does not help me when stressing, food does.~~ The guy says Opps you are going on at the end, so we hike back to the Ungreen room and sit. I may just loose some weight before I get on TV with all of this hiking. It's our cue here we go again and this time they mic us up and just tell us to sit and that is it. This is live people, no rehearsal, they told us don't look at the cameras, look at who is talking. Here is the scoop, there are 3 robot cameras, no camera men zooming in, there is one that I saw teleprompters for the hosts not us. There is no way of know which camera to look at even if you did look. I saw a moniter when John was talking so I thought whoever is talking the camera is on THEM, not me looking down at the table ahead of me. So while John is lying his ass off about sitting in the airport knitting...uhhh John is afraid of flying and the last place you will find John is in an Airport or a dentist chair. I almost giggled while he is committing perjury on the stand, but he is sounding pretty good to me with his bullshirt. I look like I am sleeping.. so then Molly asks me a question and I go into my schpeel and I say there is a fashion show and .....and she looked at my like "its my show, remember?" so I stopped trying to remember my place and drew a total blank, John stepped in and said there are classes. I am sure she wasn't saying "I AM THE STAR HERE" but I was the guest and didn't want to take over, not that I have that gene or anything. So I was kind of quiet and just resorted to making faces like I do......We got in the car and were hysterical...John sitting in the airport and me totally drawing a blank......it really was fun!!!

Do Over

2011-02-17T07:36:00.000-06:00

With all of this fighting, all around the World and Wisconsin, I just want a do over button. When will this all end....I am going to Staples and get an Easy button.

Recipe for Internal Combustion

2011-02-12T06:57:00.001-06:00

So the way this is going instead of losing 100# by the time I make my television appearance, I will be gaining 100#. My jowels will be the least of my problem. So here is a recipe for Internal Combustion
Breakfast
Hot Cinnamon Rolls anc coffee
Lunch
Spicy Chinese
Dinner
Quality Candy Fairy Food (and there is nothing like it)
Some cookies
Some fried food
Common denominator Sugar
So I get to sleep just fine and boink, 4am, I am laying in a position similar to the chalk outlines on a sidewalk at a crime scene. I can feel my body radiating and can actually feel the glow. I am waiting to hear the "you have just entered The Twilight Zone" and here dedededdeddedee. I can almost feel the gamma rays coming down from the UFO, that is radiating me and all that will be left is an outline of body ash..Oh wait it isn't a UFO, it is me just combusting into flames, no sweating involved just internal combustion. I have heard this happens to people, and you just may read about this, remember you heard it here first.
Starting tomorrow, getting rid of the sweet tooth if it means pulling it.

Recipe for a Hot Flash

2011-02-10T09:03:00.000-06:00

Being it is below zero here in Wisconsin, I am nervous and I confess I am ~~happy, sad, spontaneous,~~ nervous eater. I had a Super Bowl party here and have some crappy left overs ~~all the bad stuff.~~ Here is a recipe for a Super duper heat you up, no blankets in sub zero non heated bedroom, that the dog even can't touch you hot flash!!
Start your day peering into the fridge.
Breakfast
Put left over guacamole on eggs, with salsa and chips -finished off Super bowl guac and threw out rest of chips.
Find left over sour cream from the Super Bowl chili, and other various fattening treats such as chips, fritos etc.
Decide that dip would be good and throw in all sorts of great Pampered chef seasonings to make it spicy,hot. Let sit till 6 ish.
Lunch
Find a Bavarian cream heart shaped donut, four days old, but that is Ok, so many preservatives it won't matter.
Supper
Eat dip with chips first and the Chipotle seasoning was very spicy, wash that down with some Chili and cheese over left over Fritos. Only a few bites, just had it for Super Bowl and sick of chili, no matter how cold it is.
Found a bag of jelly belly's , devour over 2/3rds of the bag and then realize this is really a bad idea, throw out the rest, even though Iggy is begging for one more.
Finish knitting a mitten.
It's nine and I am tired, probably a sugar crash, go to bed and promptly fall asleep. Then it hits....2:00am, I have my temperature controller (leg) hanging outside the covers and then, realize I am burning up, off with all of the covers, Iggy moves away in disgust over being bothered in his sleep. I lay there wide awake, not sweating but extremely hot!!! Watch tv, and thinking of opening the window. Decide that is a bad idea, turn off tv and go back to sleep.
Today, no garbage digging like a did yesterday!! I do have healthy food, but make bad choices. Filling the trash with left over Super Bowl crap....oh wait I ate it all yesterday!

Been a long time

2011-02-08T07:54:00.000-06:00

Seems like I have been so busy, taking care of business that I almost forgot to blog. So very much is going on and great things. I have to say February is proving to be an awesome month...awesome. Let me start with, Handspun Journey, Sherry Johnson did an Podcast for Sheep in the City and it will probably be broadcast next week. We did it on Skype, I asked my son to go through it with me to make sure I knew how to talk my voice level, etc. but what he forgot to tell me was not to drink a pot of coffee...LOL. Poor Sherry didn't have to talk much on HER podcast. I think it went pretty well other than I am recovering from that crud yet and my voice sounds like I am in a can!!! Then I get an email from Blue Tulip, she is a vendor at SITC, her boothmate met Molly from channel 4 Morning Blend and she invited me and John Loeffelholz (a male knitter) to be on the Television show Tuesday the 22nd, to talk about SITC..can you say, I am nervously going to eat another 20# of food or do diet tea for the next week and use packing tape to get rid of my jowels. Then I thought maybe the camera can be mounted on the ceiling, so I can look upward and loose some chins. Then, I got another email from Nicole, Lake Effect Milw. Public Radio UWM, and we are doing an interview on Monday, which should air Tues....I am so thrilled that we are finally getting the publicity we deserve. This is going to help our attendance by leaps and bounds so if you are waiting for the last week before you register...move it....We are on a roll.

Getting Old

2011-02-01T09:44:00.000-06:00

So now that I am feeling better, I am able to process things better too, well sort of. I have done quite a bit of TV watching and most of it was stupid garbage and I sat there judging America and their taste in entertainment, like Rock Star wives, Tiny divas etc. One thing that did catch my eye and or my sense of wow, is a commercial for depends, one shows a woman, my age walking away from a shop, camera pointed at her rear, advertising "Depends" and how they now look like regular panties. Then shortly thereof, was a good looking man in a bookstore I think, giving a sexy eye to the camera and walking away, once again the camera zooms to his butt and then the commercial for "Depends". So I know that incontinence is a serious problem but how does this fit into the dating scene? Can you imagine meeting someone you like or are attracted to and they grab your butt and " they grab a bunch of pampers? I have a cpap machine and the first time I put it on my head, I was sitting on the edge of my bed and I could see my reflection in the window, giggling to myself I realized my days of sleep overs are done!! Not that it has been an option but if it were in question, it was answered at that moment. Now add to that incontinence and then of course erectile disfunction, which of course there is a pill for, and then you get the diapered man chasing after you with an erection that is lasting longer than his bladder? Oh the advantages of youth, but I would not change a thing honestly. I am smarter, more self confident, self assured and content than I was when I could undress with the lights on!

January Crud

2011-01-31T19:09:00.000-06:00

I got it, the crud, the crawl under your skin into your bones hurt. The sneezy runny, snot machine nose and the small annoying cough. That was last week Saturday and I am still coming around. All that helped was, rest, Advil cold and sinus, Mucinex DM, and the green serum, the wonderful green crappy tasting serum they call Nyquil. So no posts for the last week, because my brain was mushy and i couldn't concentrate on anything. I did not knit, spin nothing but rest, read a little, ate, ate and ate some more. I cleaned out the fridge, of anything I could make warm. I was drinking warmed up water, and that helped hydrate me. So today I had a list of things I had to do....go to the dump, go to the bank, get groceries and clean the kitchen. I did all of that and then had to rest...I was pooped. I have heard this crud keeps coming back and going around and just kill me now. I am feeling so much better and I am excited for the snow we are supposed to get. I have soup fixings and cooking to do and some good movies to watch, so let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!

Go Packers and a ban on knitting

2011-01-23T10:39:00.000-06:00

This is going to be short, but sweet. If you are watching the game today do not knit while viewing it. I am warning you that your knitting will show each stress you are incurring. I was knitting at the last game and holy cow, I had to rip it out it was so tight. So if you are watching the game, put food in your lap instead of knitting, yes I said food, nibble away. Trust me you don't want to knit!!! My mom asked me where I was going to watch the game. I told her no one wants a germ bag. I was supposed to have the party here but I am too sick to want anything but soup!!! It will be worth it if the Packers come home with a Bear head trophy!!!! Remember eat popcorn no knitting. You will thank me later.

Hazard Warning

2011-01-21T07:50:00.000-06:00

Alert, cleaning house is bad for your health. I have Asthma and dust is a trigger, so is vacuuming and mopping and household cleaner smells and doing the wash and and. Seriously though last time I scrubbed the stairway, the next day I thought I was having a heart attack, it was actually shoveling that gave me the pseudo heart attack. That is just one more thing I can add to my list, but you know what makes me feel so good and it's like a miracle fix....spinning, knitting, playing. I just pick up the needles or start to treadle and voila, I feel better. So my thinking on that is "if it feels good, do it!" Isn't that the theme of the 70's? I started a new scarf called Spitcurl, it is a fun knit, you cast on 200 stitches so it is a long hike along the needles but, if you look at the fact that you are building it the long way, you don't have to go too wide? So it does grow fast. It's also an easy knit for those Knit nights with a group, just plain garter stitch. The Pattern is from Staceyjoy Elkin (Patternfish) and uses two colors of yarn, I am using Happy Hands, Spirit in the Sky and Plum and it is yummy. I will send a photo when it looks like something. Well it doesn't look like anything but the colors are soooooo beautiful I have to share anyway.

Isn't that pretty and ohhhh so easy and relaxing. It sure beats cleaning house, cooking, washing, whatever else brings on an Asthma attack.....insert a little chuckle here.

Determination

2011-01-19T08:01:00.000-06:00

On our cool morning walk today, Iggy is looking for the perfect spot to do his duty. We have a thick blanket of snow so navigating the proper position and getting into a snow bank can be very frustrating. Although to do his little potty he maneuvered up a steep hill of snow, only to be up to his back in snow, just to get under a little evergreen tree to pee. So we keep walking, now we are standing next to a short wall of railroad ties and he stands up next to it as if he wants to go up there? No that is not what he is after, seriously there is a white tissue about 2 feet from the edge of the wall. A stinking white Kleenex, that he is jumping up and trying to get atop this wall to eat the treat? I mean he is persistent, his little legs are bobbing up and down, as if it is a meaty bone. I begin to shake my head and pull him in order to distract him. What is so funny is, the white tissue was hard to see in the first place because it is resting on top of white snow. The other thing it could be, is that he just wanted a distraction from his regular sniffing of every pee spot including his own for a four block area. hhhmmm "dog e mail" So after dragging him away from that stupid little tissue he was once again on track for the perfect place to do his job, right on the sidewalk...sigh.

Slush Baby

2011-01-18T15:50:00.000-06:00

Today I ran errands I didn't get done yesterday. I thought as long as I am out I will stop and see what kind of soup is cooking at Soup Market. I pull up in front of the shop, get my quarter for the meter and try to find a spot to get up on the curb. There is a slush moat for three feet in front of the curb, in front of the car, in back of the car, in back of the next car and actually the whole street. So the option is I can jump and land with one leg in front of me and doing the James Brown split in front of the store window, or chose an alternative route. I chose an alternative and walk to the end of the block and find a storm sewer which I also know is glazed with ice like a donut. As I start gingerly walking across it I make it safely to the sidewalk. I get my soup and begin my trek back the same way, only thing is, as I am walking tightly along side the cars in the street a nice big old city bus goes by, spewing a fin of slush about, let's say mid thigh high and naturally gets me with this yucky brown, cold wet slop. I didn't see it coming but I saw them going, because I stood there frozen like my legs were, and in shock I think it was instant hyperthermia. I don't really know what to do, do I scrape the wet junk off of my pants or jump wet into a warm car and let it melt into the seats? I am needless to say not thinking this is too funny, I'm sure not as funny as the bus driver may have, if in fact they even knew what they did. So with a frozen rootbeer colored pant leg, I take my bare hand and whip off the chucks and then use a blanket for Iggy to soak up the rest. I didn't want to stand out there too long looking like a darn target for the next bus. Boy the heat sure felt good and better yet a bath when I got home. I even took a little nap in the tub!!! So beware the slop is upon us!!!

Art Institute of Chicago on a budget

2011-01-18T06:47:00.000-06:00

January is the month to go to the Art Museum in Chicago, it is free. Normally it is about $18.00, so that is quite a deal. They are also exhibiting a Fiber Art event. There are tapestries and weavings that are drop dead gorgeous. It is mind boggling how intricate some of these works are. I did look ahead of time to see if you could photograph, the answer on line was yes, the answer at the door was no? Although there were several people photographing the minute I aimed my camera, I got reminded, so I put it away. There was one work that looked like a Jellyfish with hundreds of tendrils hanging down and it just looked so peaceful and like a huge cat toy!! We took the Amtrack down and that is such a nice ride, and quick with no traffic. My face is wind burned from the early morning snowy walk to the Museum, it was a tad brisk, but we broke it up with breakfast and more coffee. Then we took a cab over to Loopy Yarn on 47 W. Polk, where I deposited a fair amount of dollars. If you are in the Chicago area it is a very nice yarn shop and Vicki is really sweet!! So our day went well and was fun! I love Chicago, other than Sunday, I will not be rooting for the Bears.
Amtrack trip $44.00 round trip
Breakfast for two with free coffee $7.00 (I know what a deal)
Museum Admission Free
Coat Check $1.00
Wasted money on Audio tour $7.00 (nothing in the Fiber exhibit had an audio)
Cab to Loopy Yarn $7.00 for two
Lunch at Pot Bellies for one, $7.00
Cab to Union Station $7.00 for two
Parking at the Amtrack station $5.00
I think the day was pretty reasonable for Chicago and Oh 10% sales tax...whew

Cherry tea and me

2011-01-15T06:56:00.000-06:00

Last night I met with a group of knitters for a casual dinner party and the hostess offered a variety of refreshments. I chose Cherry Green tea? I am not a tea fan,I prefer coffee but this tea tasted like those neatly wrapped foil Violet flavored candies at the check out. It was so good, I think I drained the pot, and I drank it well beyond a respectable time of night to be drinking caffeine. Well at my age anytime after 4 is a respectable time I suppose. I went to sleep just fine and at 2:48 boing, I was awake, wide awake. I slipped on my shoes and dragged my feet to the bathroom and released about four cups of the wonderfully flavored tea, and drudged back to bed. Crawling under the covers and finding that warm soft spot in the bed, I was not going to go back to sleep. I slipped my arm under the pillow next to me and found my Ipad, or fondly referred to as Paul, turned it on so the bright light lit up my face and made me fully aware that I was not returning to sleep. A game of Mai Jong, Crossword puzzle, that I had no clue what the clues were, not even the faintest idea, paged through Face book, Twitter and Ok Ok I'm am not going to try to force this issue. I get up and dressed and "who walks their dog at 4:30 am, unless of course you are not retired?? Now I really do love this time of day/night? It is quiet and there is a white blanket of freshly fallen snow, the plow went through and that may have woke me too? Up the hill we go Iggy pulling feverishly at the end of the leash, in a hurry to do his duty and me eyes half open, so badly wanting to be back in my bed, that warm spot with the covers pulled up around my neck, nestled into the dent in my pillow. This whole week has been hard for me to sleep, in retrospect this whole week I have been either eating late or drinking caffeine late. Oh Chai tea? full of caffeine. This week, I am making a point of not drinking or eating after...6:31pm only water. I may even add a little melatonin to my already growing supplement program. I want a nap and now it's 7am.....My heart goes out to people with insomnia, I love sleeping, I could make a habit of it, as a matter of fact I could easily slip into the part of a Koala bear, sleep 23 hours and eat 2 hours and do it all over again....

How can something so cute!!!

2011-01-13T18:53:00.000-06:00

Stink so bad...seriously? There is nothing as stinky as a teenage boy, but this dog takes the cake! I sleep with a Cpap machine, my nose is covered and the air is filtered, last night I woke to something familiarly stinky and snoring away is the dirty white boy! It didn't wake him up but, it woke me up, whew. This brings a renewed awareness that if there were smoke it would probably wake me up too. I certainly didn't need the little gas bag to prove that to me though. He also has a knack for laying under the shop table when all the woman are around knitting, and soon you see the look of disgust on one knitters face and then it waifs to the next and then the whole table is gagging!!! It amazes me, but that is why he is so cute, so we don't get mad at him!!! My own personal gas bag!!! P U.....

Good Teachers

2011-01-12T16:23:00.000-06:00

There is nothing so good as a someone that can share knowledge with others and do it well!!! I have been stuck on ripping this burgandy wine colored beautiful cashmere sweater. The color is rich and dark and so are the stitches. I am unable to see it very well and then I talked to a friend. He explained to me which way to start and which way to rip and I learned more from him in a 10 minute conversation than I could have read in hours. If you are thinking of redoing sweaters I highly recommend John Loeffelholz's class on Reconstructing sweaters!!! He is a genius and makes it so easy that when you find that magical thread that zips the whole sleeve off a sweater in one little pull, you will be as thankful as I am. Oh and a good set of magnifiers helps too, I couldn't see the stitches let alone describe them but now I am in ripping heaven!!!! Rippppp

What's it gonna take?

2011-01-11T10:50:00.000-06:00

I have things I need to get done. I have a busy two months and seem to be in an energy slump. I have some spinning that I have to do. I have a Sketchbook challenge that I am stumped on, instead of just plowing through it, I am not getting inspired. The challenge is "highly prized" this is a tough one. Of course my family is first and foremost, but I want to go beyond that, so I drew a picture of my camera, because IT can capture all the highly prized things in my life. So a drawing of a camera, just sitting there is not complete, I need to do something else, color or something, maybe a splash of water color in the backround???? Then there is another fiber challenge called "Change" I have the idea in my head and now I am going to get to work on it. I am planning on dying the silk today to do the project, if I can get off of my arse and do it. It will take me 20 min. at most to do this and I am dawdling my time away. I also need to felt some clogs...am I doing it? Normally it takes a new venture to get me going and I have new ventures what is the hold up??? Wednesday I am taking my camera to knitting to start my photo project called "How we knit"! Speaking of knitting, I am bored with everything I am doing right now.....so I need to do something else, like finish my weaving, or at least work on it. In the shop, I will soon be doing inventory...let me say one thing...ugh, it won't take long to do but it is another one of those, has to be done, don't want to do it. I want to watch movies and take a nap. What is it going to take to get motivated??

Crocheting my Way!!!

2011-01-08T17:47:00.000-06:00

In the shop today, I was asked what stitch I used when I crocheted a shawl many years ago? Uhhhh it was a double crochet?
Well when I did the double crochet at home it didn't look like yours?
I don't crochet like anyone else.
How do you do it? I really like the way it looks.
Thanks I dunno, here I'll show you (taking a crochet hook and whipping the yarn around and catching it through the loop and pulling it through?
(giggling) Do that again.
k
Uhh what stitch is that?
Mine
So I think it is or should be called the embedded double crochet
Why
Because there is no stitch like that but I like the way it looks and I want to knit a shawl using that stitch.
Careful you will reteach yourself and forget how to do it correctly, but then again who says mine is wrong, it works...for me? Show me how you do it.
like this
hhhmmm I can do that, but crochet hurts my hands
So today I learned to crochet right and showed someone else how to crochet wrong?

Knitting toys

2011-01-04T08:32:00.000-06:00

Isn't it fun when you get some new shiny or not gadget. I love my gadgets! Some were, or are, better than others. Some have found their way to the darkest corners of my studio, but then you hit on something really good and you wonder how you lived without it. Companies are always putting out new and improved yarn gadgets and I'm on it. Who doesn't love putting all of your projects into the bags and filling the pockets with little trinkets or treasures. The Oh so sweet little stitch markers you got from a friend, and they came in a little round tin with a see thru lid. (I love little boxes with lids) Sometimes they are pretty useless because they catch on everything in sight, but they are so cute. I got a new toy for Christmas and am going to fill it up today because it will hold this huge project with 20 balls of yarn. So I will be absent for a while playing with a new toy!!! What new toy did you get??? or love?? I lost the photo????

Avoiding the gripper

2011-01-03T09:02:00.000-06:00

I watch Law and Order and just love it and it always amazes me that they even ask someone, what were you doing on December 27th at 3:00? I would have no idea, and here's proof. Since Friday, I have had a weird tight feeling in my chest...almost to the point of saying to my friends on New Years Eve, " I think we need to take a ride to the ER". It is still a tight feeling, not a pain but you know heart attacks in women are not the same in men. I fear the "gripper" my dad used to get that, he had angina for as long as I can remember and we were taught that if dad is laying down and doesn't respond or if he is gripping his chest, he has a little bottle of pills in his pocket a brown bottle with a screw on cap that has little bitty pills in it hiding under the white cotton ball, and we needed to place one pill under his tongue. Thankfully we never had to do this but it had come close. Needless to say heart trouble is prevalent in my family and is in the back of my mind. I have an enlarged heart and have had for a very long time, but this tightness wasn't going away? I decided last night if indeed it was not gone by the morning I would go to the ER. So this morning up at 4am, took a bath in preparation for admittance and a heart cath, I even defurred. Took Iggy to daycare and told them my friend may be picking him up, paid my bills and went to the ER. I was the only one there and they were very attentive. IV, EKG, Blood drawn and Xray, then they gave me this awful drink, just in case it was indigestion, it numbed my mouth and throat. Everything came up negative, so I am good to go, but he asked if I did something this last week that could have caused chest muscle discomfort? HHHmmmm let me see? uuuhhhmmmmmm this made me think if I would be a suspect in a murder, and they asked me what I was doing on so and so day.....I can't remember last week? But I am still thinking about it, I did scrub the floor?? Dust...Vacuum, which once again leads me to believe housekeeping is BAD for your health. So until I go to do the same thing again, I won't remember until that Ahhhha moment!!! Now I am going to spin, some cashmere.

Displaced outrage

2011-01-02T09:49:00.000-06:00

Today on the news they are cutting more city bus routes? I don't understand why no one is upset about this but losing the High speed Lite rail was such a tragedy. We didn't get the money or the hassle of upkeep on a rail line that no one, that is supposed to be able to use, it can or could afford. The people for it are arguing that the rail will bring inner city people to the burbs for jobs.. ? at what cost? Apparently we can't afford to keep inner city bus lines running? These are the lines that get people to jobs. We lost a bus line right out here in Oak Creek the southern most burb of Milwaukee County and there are at least three Senior living centers here, and lets face it the lowest paid hardest jobs go to the inner city or lower income people and where do they live? They have to walk about 5 blocks to get to the bus, this is what is wrong. People that work in Brookfield need bus lines to go there, or Waukesha, not to Madison, if they work in Madison and don't have a car they LIVE in Madison. The high speed rail is for the people with money. How often I wanted to take the Amtrak to Chicago but if you have two people it is cheaper to drive. It cost $50 round trip, you don't hear of the inner city workers taking the Amtrak and that is, as high speed, as any rail that makes stops along the way will be. My support goes to accomodating the workers and people that need bus lines IN THE city!!! What would be better yet is to get high enough paying jobs that low income people could afford rent where they work. If you work in Brookfield, Mequon, you should be able to afford to live where you work. I am all for progress but if we look at the big picture and avoid the small picture we are really missing out. We need to get some sort of affordable transportation for everyone!! I give kudos to those that wait everyday at bus stops in the bitter cold or horrible heat to get to any job! I did it when I was in high school and after I graduated, and when I turn the key in my ignition, or pass people standing at the bus stop with little kids or bundled up, it always reminds me just how lucky I am.

Good Friends

2010-12-29T08:58:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-26T15:26:00.000-06:00

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?

2010-12-23T07:54:00.000-06:00

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?

2010-12-20T20:39:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-15T08:36:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-14T20:54:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-14T07:53:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-12T05:23:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-09T08:14:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-07T07:54:00.000-06:00

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!!

2010-12-04T07:48:00.000-06:00

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??

2010-12-02T07:11:00.000-06:00

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?

2010-11-29T15:47:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-26T09:03:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-25T11:42:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-24T09:15:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-20T18:11:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-18T08:12:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-16T09:14:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-14T09:15:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-13T18:40:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-10T07:41:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-09T22:29:00.000-06:00

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?

2010-11-09T07:17:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-06T07:19:00.000-05:00

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

2010-11-04T06:55:00.000-05:00

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

2010-11-03T18:24:00.000-05:00

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

2010-10-30T07:58:00.001-05:00

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

2010-10-28T16:04:00.000-05:00

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

2010-10-26T05:42:00.000-05:00

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

2010-10-23T08:11:00.001-05:00

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

2010-10-22T18:20:00.000-05:00

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

2010-10-20T08:22:00.001-05:00

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!!

2010-10-19T07:41:00.001-05:00

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

2010-10-18T13:07:00.000-05:00

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

2010-10-15T18:51:00.000-05:00

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

2010-10-14T07:37:00.000-05:00

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

2010-10-13T06:45:00.001-05:00

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

2010-10-12T07:28:00.000-05:00

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

2010-10-11T12:41:00.001-05:00

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

2010-10-09T15:07:00.000-05:00

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

2010-10-07T07:31:00.001-05:00

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

2010-10-06T06:20:00.001-05:00

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

2010-10-05T07:55:00.002-05:00

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

2010-10-04T18:51:00.000-05:00

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

2010-10-04T08:25:00.000-05:00

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!!!

2010-10-03T08:20:00.000-05:00

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

2010-10-02T07:51:00.002-05:00

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!!