Empty Hands

After all the hype of finishing a project is the lull of deciding what you will move on to next.  I just finished knitting the Iced sweater in the previous post and I knit on it almost every waking moment, because I loved it.  This morning I got my coffee and sat down and..hmmm nothing next to me to pick up and knit, nothing on the floor to do...what will I do next?   Ok now I have several projects in the works but I don't want to knit right now I need to give my hands a rest, from knitting.  But...knitting is such an easy thing to pick up and do??  Mundane, relaxing and just so portable.  I do have some ply split braiding to work on but I need to get all the pieces together to start, the collecting and assembling all of the items is the part that is so distracting.  I am weaving but certainly can't bring the loom to the couch...not the one that I am working on.
A hot new knit is the Eternity Cowl on Ravelry, it is really pretty, but, with my swan like neck I can't wear anything that close to my neck, I would die of suffocation.  Another one of those, sure wish I had a long neck, it would take up some of the fat from my face.
Speaking of suffocating, in this humidity we are all talking about how hard it is to even get dressed or undressed after working in this heat.  One time I decided I wanted to wear a bra with no hooks, a sports bra type thing, no support just being there.  My idea was comfort as always, so I picked one out and then realized when I got home this has to go on over my head?  I have no idea how else it would get on, the bra fairy doesn't zap it onto your boobs.  So I took a nice hot bath and being a little wet, started to embark on putting on this bra.  Over my head arms up and this once 8" piece of fabric rolled into a tournaquet, it was lodged just above my boobs, under my arms, the more I pulled the tighter it was getting.  It has turned into a boa constrictor, tightning and my panic is rising.  Now if you are a reader you know I can't tolerate anything tight, it makes me turn into the hulk and rip and panic.  The harder I tried to unroll this rope, the worse it got and I was sure it was going to strangle me, so I got out the scissors and cut it off.  A rush of relief came to me blood once again went to my brain as I stood with a now vest like looking rope that stayed on only by my armpits, with no hope of ever meeting in the middle again.  Into the trash it went with no plans on ever getting one of them again!

Mother Earth

Finally finished!!! 8 days from casting on to blocking. I did have to rip the collar off, because due to my math adversion didn't count how many stitches I picked up on one side and the other so one side had 72 stitches picked up and the other side had mmmm 50?  For some reason it hung kind of funny but it was Ok if I leaned to one side and hunched forward and held my hand on the edge....that's all.  This is Happy Hands new colorway Mother Earth, in chunky wool and she dyed matching roving so I could felt a pocket, I have to have a pocket.  This sweater will be going on tour...and then it is mine...I just hope that it stays cold for a long time, this is my go to sweater.  If you have been wanting to try a sweater and never had the guts, this is an easy knit...seriously it is top down, has great directions and fits beautifully.  The pattern is Iced from Knitty.com it has very large size, the changes I made are no decreases on the body because I am so shapely so it may take more yarn and then I did an I chord bind off on the bottom and sleeves.  I felted the pocket with roving she dyed also.  This was a fun knit, now don't get me wrong I am glad it is done, but what beautiful colors and each stitch was a journey.  Two skeins of Kim's yarn!!!   So now back to weaving which I did some this afternoon, not much but a little, I was kind of busy ....today was Admiration day....sit back and admire what I did all week!!!

Oh Star doesn't buck.

My relationship with horses has been something of a love hate thing.  I love them, their main concern is getting me off of their back.  They say horses can sense a beginner and treat them carefully, I don't know what horses those were.  I always wanted to run like the wind, one with the horse, wind blowing through my hair, carefree and bareback...Ok so that is what I wanted?  When I was dating we went to Kettle Moraine to ride horses...everyone gets on their horse and my horse is a huge, I mean huge tall horse, I am thinking Clydsdale but it was an American Quarterhouse or something??  Quarter horse to me meant 1/4 the size of a real horse.  I had to stand on a picnic table to mount this beauty.  Which also means my legs were pretty much straight out from the horse and we will just say some arse pounding went on.  Then up north we got my brother to go riding and I was behind him, watching him and his horse blanket had ball fringe on it, so when the horse would move that ball fringe would bounce around and the horse was a gas emitting machine, all I could do was laugh and gag.  My friend was getting married and lived on a farm and the one horse they had, was used to pulling a buggy, but I with all my horse sense said I wanted to ride...it was a job getting the horse away from the barn.  After about 45 minutes we got a mile away and I the horse decided to go back, it saw the silo and we did a minute mile getting back to the barn.  I had bugs in my teeth and my hair was slick back, so much for the wind blowing through my hair.  Then there was Star, a pretty horse with a star on his forehead.  I had my barn boots on and the "kids" wanted to go for a ride.  I said give me a mellow horse..."Ah ol Star here don't buck"  no sooner out of his mouth and as I was swinging my leg over the saddle, Star decided he would prove, farmhand wrong.  I really had no clue what was happening because my leg kept getting higher and didn't clear the saddle and suddenly I was launched into the mud of the corral.  I missed about 20 little round rocks the size of loaves of bread with my butt, I was not hurt.  Then there was the horse back riding at the Dells, my sister and I decided it would be fun and really they were trail broke old horses...so they are helping my sister get on the horse and I am looking at my horse kind of strange?  not sure what kind of horse this was it was tall but had really big ears and slanty eyes?? So when I sit on it, my head is in a tree...uhm can we get out of this evergreen tree??  Jokingly I say "come on hoss, let's get moving.  The guide says "that's not a horse it's an ass," well that was all we needed to hear from one ass to another!!!!

Ohhh do I itch...

I am allergic to perfumes and lotions and soaps with perfumes, mineral oil, latex and I know this.  Why oh why do I feel I can go to a little shop and smear the free sample all over my arms???  Ok I think I brewed the perfect storm, I have been using mosquito repellent, who hasn't, I use home made soap.  , but I have  a zillion squeeto bites on my arms, so they are itching.  I went to a little ditty shop and they gave me the cutest little container of lotion.  On a normal day, it probably would not have bothered me too bad but with all the other irritation....I have topical dermatitis.   I have tried Bendadryl lotion, calamine lotion, nothing and then my tattoo goo, which is all natural and soothing...nothing is stopping this itching.  A call to the Dr and trip to Walgreens and I have some relief, if nothing touches it and starts it itching againg.  I could take a  benedryl pill and be in a coma for about 12 hours, no kidding if not longer?
I am on the second sleeve of the sweater so I am almost home to the collar....sweet victory and then I am felting two pockets that will match.  I want to go and knit at a coffee shop today??

Sweetness of doing Nothing

Julia Roberts was on GMA this morning talking about Eat Pray Love.  She made a statement about the "sweetness of doing nothing"  isn't that just the greatest phrase?  I love that and I do have the ability to enjoy the sweetness of doing nothing.  One of my nothing moments occurs when I would go squirrel hunting.  It is a fun thing to do and those furry creatures are pretty predictable even though if you don't know their habits you would not think so.  It goes like this, you walk into the woods and they scamper and watch you or you don't see them at all.  If you are a team you split up and go two different directions, this has to be planned before you get out of sight of one another.  Then you sit and wait, quiet and you must not fidget, or twitch or move.  You must sit very still for at least 20 minutes...me sitting still for that long takes great discipline, but while I am sitting, I listen very hard....I hear the woods, I go zen.  It is my "sweetness of doing nothing"  It is my church, my closeness to my God, me sitting quiet and becoming one with the foilage of the woods.  No one preaching, talking or even stirring around me, my time to listen to my self.  My distractions are a leaf falling or wind blowing and I can feel it on my bare skin, tickling my face and the smells are earthy, fresh dirt or of Fall.  After about 20 minutes you will hear the woods start to move again. You will see the movement come to life.  And the squirrels will either feel you have left, or have gotten comfortable with you being there.  Then you motion for your team mate to start moving, the squirrels will move to the opposite side of the tree that they see movement on and you draw them into your sight and this is your shot....hopefully you will see them with a mouth full of winter stock, it makes a really cute photo.  Try the Sweetness of doing nothing, it is amazing how much you learn about yourself.  Start with 10 minutes and work up to 20, see if you don't look forward to this buzz.

Are you itching yet?

I have not heard of anyone suffering from West Nile Virus yet and with all of the mosquitos, I am truly surprised. The door to the studio is laden with squeetos, sniffing a warm body behind it and when someone opens the door they ride in on that human sacrifice. I have never seen them so bad, never, poor Iggy must have bites on his legs because he is chewing on them. Of course he is the one that stirs them up with his sniffing in the grass and meandoring around in the weeds. Personally I can't wait for Fall/Winter. I know I kind of made a comment about I wish we could stop wearing heavy coats, but how I yearn to curl up with a blanket and hot coffee, and no bugs. I look out at my deck and think, someday I may get to go out there for something other than to feed the mosquitos and water the flowers. Then there are the phantom bites...that is when you quick look at your arm thinking you are getting bit and there is nothing, or you just slap because you may be getting bit, nothing. This must be a funny phenomenon to someone, certainly not me. I want to see the leaves turn orange....cooler weather. I am even tired of my Margerita machine, yeah I know but I have drank every frozen concoction you can think of....I want hot chocolate, coffee... chai tea...I want Winter....
disclaimer: I do not want bitter cold

My first weaving project

My first weaving project was probably making pot holders, but that too came with those darn rules. Don't waste the weaving cotton thingys and don't do this and don't do that....so that project ended pretty quick...too many rules. But my first weaving and public Art statement was on a bridge. After what must have been a boring summer day, and finding golf balls to sell from the golf course up the street, one had a big smile in it. So with some prodding and carving found that if you remove the outside covering of a golf ball, it was an endless rubber band? Best part was the hollow rubber center, that was a precursor to the super ball. So this was an awful lot of rubber band and being bored, I decided with the assistance of a Franklin my boyfriend/partner in crime, to thread the rubber bands between the two side rails of the creek bridge. We picked the bridge with the least traffic so not to break the rubber bands while working diligently on this public art project. Now really what possess someone to do this? Where did this brainstorm come from? I puzzle myself and just a warning when I get bored stuff happens. So with Franklin on one side of the bridge the golf ball was tossed carefully back and forth from the top rail to the bottom rail and all over, till we had a huge web of rubber strung across the bridge. I think one of the ideas was a huge car sling shot/trampoline and who knows what other crazy idea I had. So after about 3 hours of this (20 minutes) We got bored and we left. We had the inside treasure to go and bounce around the playground, so off we went. With such a short attentions span, we took another bridge home and then wondered if any cars broke through our web of steel...did it ricochet off and with all of those stands of rubber get caught up in it? Is that car on the Moon right now?? In those days all of the focus was on going to the Moon.....Mind you we are speaking of a car here? The summers were so long and so much time to think of new and creative ideas.

Chicken Salad

If you think that my translation of words is funny, my brother is a real trip. We were at a fish fry and he said I hope they have marble eye bread? huh....Cheryl and I were both cracking up we tried to explain it is, Marble rye.....but an even funnier one, on Channel 12 we have two woman news reporters and ones name is Sally and the other in this situation is Porsche. Sally does the weather and was saying how the Greek Festival is on and the weather should hold out, and it has the greatest food at this fair. Porsche remarks, "I can't wait to get some of that chicken salad" so my brother goes off on rant, "can't wait to get some of that chicken salad?" can't wait to get some of that chicken salad" and Cheryl is looking at him, with a blank look as he carries on saying "who has chicken salad at a fair?
Cheryl has to cut in and tell him, she said "Can't wait to get some of that chicken, Sally!" So now whenever I hear these too talking I can't help but here Scott saying Chicken Salad. I can't stop laughing about it.
Maybe we were both born with a genetic hearing gene. But it is funny how when you grow up hearing something wrong you perpetuate it, without even knowing. My mom always said Kinny garden, so does my brother, somewhere along the line I lost that one and have always said Kindergarden. But mine was Great fruit, oh we were having great fruit and once I ate it didn't think it was the great, (grapefruit). Reading and translating things were my downfall, my mom was making supper and on the counter were black eyed peas, but I read the label..."Birdseye" Holy Crap mom is feeding us birds eyes...and they looked like it. The best one is Philadelphia, till about 5 years ago I think I pronounced it as Philadelthia, I never read it, I just said it, Cheryl heard me say it once and that was when I got busted, I never read the word, and how much cream cheese have I bought? Cheryl is trying to idiot proof us Massies....lots of luck

What we need?

Today on GMA, there was a segment on Chelsea Clinton's Wedding. I am happy for her and I used to pity her when they dressed her in Pollyanna dresses with her extremely corkscrew curly hair and she was kind of homely. Not her fault this is how she was presented, they pulled her hair back and she looked like a dork. She should not have had huge bows all over. I have this vivid photo seared in my mind because that is when my heart went out to her, remembering my mother dressing us in clown suits that she made. We too looked like dorks, she claims they were Vogue, not sure where she bought Vogue maybe at Barnum and Baily. So this woman is saying, This wedding is what America needed, we are in a depressed state and this wedding was what we needed? Really, why do depressed people that are not working, have no money, no jobs, no hope, need to see a million some dollar wedding? I had no desire or need to watch anything about the wedding, I can't relate. Don't get me wrong, I am happy for her, it is great, I think she handles herself better than either parent has. I don't need to know that it costs more money than I will ever make in a lifetime, or even dream about. I do not see how rubbing it in our faces (not Chelsea, but the media) makes me feel better that business's are closing, jobs are lost and people are running out of unemployment??? I don't feel better knowing they spent blank amount of dollars on a cake? That price tag could feed me for a lifetime, who cares? This is not what America needs, don't even think this was the Royal Wedding of the Century...I am sure Chelsea would rather have remained virtually under the wire of publicity. If someone has a lot of money, good for them, it is something that has never bothered me they I am sure have their own issues to deal with. I am content, but on the other hand don't rub my nose in the fact that You do have money, I don't care....to me, if I have "enough" I am fine. Other Countries think that America is what they see on TV....all the glitz and friviolty of Bridezilla, The Bachlor, jetting off to various Countries...don't know about you but that isn't my America..Won't those legal immigrants be surprised when limos don't roll up to pick them up....
I am working on Color on Color scarf by Kathryn Alexander, in the book scarfSTYLE. It is a fun knit with lots of changes of color and an uncounted amount of ends to sew in!!! But it is holding my interest and I am on phase 13 out of 19, so I am moving right along, I think the finishing may be more intense but I am actually working on this quite steadily, that is until Kim from Happy Hands brings me the hand dyed yarn I want to knit Ice from Knitty.com. it will be a chunky yarn so it should knit pretty fast. I hope

The turn is made

August 1st is the first day of the new Studio. I feel so good about where I am going and what I will be doing. I have made lots of changes that you can't see and some you can. Moves that will save me money, little things. I have cut hours so I have more time to do the things I want. So where do I begin....today is the first day....I am going to drink my coffee right now, and I have family coming over later for a cookout. I have not had family over for a while, we all get so busy and they go up north a lot. It is supposed to be nice out let's hope so. I want to go visit the Quilt exhibit, I have heard it is wonderful at the Art Museum, I love the Art Museum. So this week I open on Thursday, 10am....Looking forward is better than looking back.

Rich People, Poor People

There now is no in between, you are upper poor class or lower upper class. Well unfortunately all classes got hit with this flood. Funny thing the God/Universe is non partisan, non discriminative and not politically correct. I went to my son's house last night and he lives in Whitefish bay, so I drove down Lake drive. There were mounds of basement garbage, couch's, games, dry wall, this was probably the first hit they got with flood water. Go to the north side by Hampton and 60th and the piles are smaller, only because this is the 3rd time in 3 years, so their piles of rubbish and turd infested objects are smaller. 11" of rain falling within an hour or so, created flood waters like we have never seen. So many people have lost so much and my heart goes out to each and everyone of them. I don't care if you have a million dollars or no money, a loss is a loss. It breaks your heart when you have to throw out that suitcase of old photos you never got to. Some irreplaceable items that have sentimental value and no money will fix that. It is a loss and heart wrenching. I remember two years ago the 1" of water that flowed into my unsuspecting basement. I had carpeting and boxes from moving and when I watched it come in, it was a feeling like no other. I am a pretty capable and get to it person, but the wind was knocked out of my sails. I looked around and was devastated at what I was seeing. I started picking up a few things and it was already soaked....I didn't know where to begin and that sound, that sound of squishing under your feet every time you took another step. I took the rug scrubber and thought I can suck this out...and couldn't, I didn't know where to start. I turned around defeated....head down and fighting back tears, it was a Saturday evening. I closed the door behind me and went upstairs where I was safe and denying there was a problem at all. Sunday was open knitting, I knew I had to do something or the mold would start growing, I knew it had to be done but my mind was saying you have to roll the carpeting up as a whole, or I have to empty everything...I really couldn't think, I could not wrap my mind around this. When I opened the shop, I was so happy to see my friends coming to knit, I just wanted to see a friendly face, but it turned out to be so much more. My friends that I thought came to knit, came to save me. The had box cutters and said let's do this? Huh? Come on let's go down there and get this done. There was rug cutting and pieces being rolled up to be carried out and boxes thrown out. It was the Cavalry, I heard the horns and if it weren't for that group of friends, the door would probably still be closed. Thank you to the friends that bailed me out. None of them were professional disaster specialist, just friends with a plan. They will never know how much it meant to me. So if you know someone that is dealing with a disaster, don't think there will be enough help for them....bring a box cutter, rags and old clothes, bring them a meal...bring them a smile...no matter how much money someone may have, no matter how poor they are...this levels the playing field....a loss is a loss.

If the phone rings answer it!!!!

My moms phone was out of service for a few days... : ) ...my sister in law got her a cheap trac phone so she could call us if she needed anything. So she calls me Sunday night and we set up a breakfast date for Monday morning. I tell her I will call her to make sure she is up and ready. Monday I get up and start calling at 7am, no answer, so I kept calling and redialing and dialing and no answer. I figure she is sleeping, so leave her sleep. I get a call at 8am...."Where are you?" I am on my way home, I tried to call, you didn't answer. "The phone ring isn't the same as my other one?" huh? It doesn't sound the same? So you don't answer.....silence? Now please tell me what do you do or say, I try to be patient but this is a two edged sword, My mom knows what buttons to push and she loves to push buttons.....I don't like to play games, and I won't so she loses, no breakfast. Is she actually getting this bad or is she playing games that she is so good at. So this can be a "you reap what you sow" moment.
So many women my age are experiencing the same thing. The games mothers play especially with their daughters. Having my own personal travel agent, my mom has put me on more guilt trips than you can imagine....I am now immune, it doesn't bother me anymore, it only works so long and you build up a resistance, too bad for her. I have visited that island so many times it bores me.....The games people play. But why? She likes to pit my brother, sister in law and me against each other, subtle, she is very subtle, the good thing we are aware of it, Cheryl is not quite as aware but after living with her for so many years Scott and I are. We can bounce it off of each other and Cheryl feels we are not compassionate, then again Cheryl has never witnessed the wrath of Pauline. A year or so ago, I had a fight with my mom and I told her she was starting trouble, why did she like to make trouble between me and my brother, my son? My mom can't remember how a phone rings but she will take that statement to her grave....she brought it up the other day......Want to know something sad? I am going to miss her when she is gone, I know I will, but what is it I am going to miss? The banter? I have tried to create moments of fun, she doesn't find joy in anything, she never did. I try to take her places I think she would enjoy, if it cost money she doesn't enjoy it. Out to dinner....she doesn't enjoy it. I think this is what makes me most confused. I want to miss her for something loving, something good. Not for her cutting remarks and malcontent ways....I certainly hope that I have learned from her what not to do to my child and maybe that is what I have learned from her, but what will it be that I miss?

911 and How I got stuck

For those of you that have never used a large floor loom I will try to be as explicit as I can with out boring you. Somewhere along the line my arse got big...there, that is pretty much it. Now I know mirrors don't lie but what the hell was I thinking. So my dear sweet loom, has all of the warp wound on the back beam....this is a usual process, Ok this is the first time I am weaving on this loom and it is a beauty and a beast, it is heavy!! All of my other floor looms had wingnuts that you undo and the front beam came off or down or out of the way. You get a comfy stool and sit in the middle of your loom and thread the heddles. Now besides being big, my arms are rather short, so now I have to figure out how to thread the heddles???? This way, uuhhmm no , this way...not....??? So I look at the front beam and there are hex head bolts on it?? Kind of recessed too? This is pretty permanent? Ok so I take a look at the distance between the harness's and the beater bar and think in my drug induced stupor, Alice drink this? ....that I could possibly fit in there, not just me but sitting on a swivel chair besides. Oh yeah my mirror has been lying to me. So I sit on the chair and try to bend my short fat neck under the beater bar and front beam....picture this like an elephant trying to get into a box, a small box, first of all my neck doesn't bend that much because my chins are in the way, so I wack my glasses out of alignment and try to get out. Ok my thinking is the chair is what is so big? don't ask....so Timba gets on her hands and knees and trys to weasel her way into the little area....hhhmmmphhh.....meanwhile the thought did pass my mind how was I going to get out? I had my cell phone with me just in case, I did get stuck....ehhh 911, Hi, I am stuck in my loom? no not on a boom, inside my loom, I am a weaver and I crawled into my loom and can't get out....yeah bring a hoist!!!
So I start to wiggle and the only thing going in this space is my head?? Where or when did I ever think first off that I was agile, and small? I was the kid that couldn't tuck her head and do a somersault? But I could beat you up for laughing at me?? So now I back out of this spot gingerly I might add? I am on all fours and Iggy is smirking at me...I put one hand on the chair that was too big for this job and then try to ummph my way up on my bad knees and now everything hurts including my head. I call Dawn, the go to girl for looms....after she stops laughing at me hysterically she says "Oh I keep a ratchet wrench right on the side to undo those bolts that look really permanent....Thanks Dawn....today, without kneeling and bending like a contortionist, my loom is threaded and I am weaving....now I need a nap!!!

Things to make you be thankful!!!

Thursday night while I was watching water run into my basement, I am thankful it was clean water. When I went to bed Thursday night and the cable was out, I was thankful that the electric was still on. Friday morning when I was digging through wet stuff, I was thankful that it was not contaminated with feces. When I watched the news I was thankful, it was my basement and not my whole living area. If someone doesn't declare Milwaukee a disaster area there is something wrong. Watching videos of the flooding makes me so thankful all I lost was nothing. A few boxes of things that I should have taken care of years ago. Yes they were antiques but, they must not have been that great because I forgot I had them. It is Sunday and I waited till all the rain moved out of here and will go move stuff around today to avoid mold growing under totes and things. All the rubber matting is up and dried and if I do stuff a little at a time it will be OK. I think I need to consider getting a generator. Living in Wisconsin the main concern would be no heat in Winter. Not that I don't have family to go to but, if a storm is bad enough you won't get there either. Today I am dressing my loom, not in a suit or tutu or anything like that but with the warp I have been winding. It is a long process but I love this part, almost as much as I love weaving. My worst part is over, thanks to a few encouraging customers that kept prodding me on to finish the 178 ends of warp. I will take some photos of the process so you can enjoy the beauty that developes, oh I am not being conceited, the pattern I am following was written by someone else. It is a black and white semi houndstooth check scarf, well three to be exact. In Fall I am going to have a class on Warping on a shoelace, it is a great way to learn to warp your loom if you never tried it. Oh I am sitting on my deck, my secret little spot, with flowers and herbs, a breeze and no bugs. I have a second cup of coffee and Iggy is patroling the area. First time out here in two weeks other than to water the flowers, which by the way are blooming like crazy!!! I love my little corner of the World. I am counting my blessings today!!!!
Video of the flooding

Sign up now for Iron Woman triathalon alias Viking knitting

So it started out as a regular event/class. The woman were all preparing for the long haul of knitting on their dowels...it was intense. Suddenly event #2 went into effect, the (tornado) alarms went off and the sprint began to the basement (tornado shelter) Dowels in hand, cutters and purses of course purses...then a road block..."Hey there is a guy at the door?" Leave him there and then I saw it was Chris the jeweler, not a robber, "I don't have a TV and heard the sirens...come on join the sprinters to the basement. We are all getting chairs and setting up class in the basement/studio/shelter....cell pnones are ringing, some lose the signal, the sump pump is humming and we are making comments on "wow the sump pump is running non stop and I am getting that pit of the stomach feeling we are in for flooding. Since the last flood I do have things properly raised off of the floor to allow a free flowing stream instead of ponding. Another thing why is every time woman need to be somewhere important does a potty break become a matter of life and death....I think we all had to pee....!!
So some participants/students decided it was clear enough to go upstairs and me being the freak stayed in the basement, the teacher was upstairs I was just a helper and race director. I just said,"you may want to take your purses off the floor it may start getting wet" no sooner did I say that and we had the next phase to our triathalon, the wading....through water that was ponding. Then I am in a frantic hurry trying to siphon the crock, up steps a volunteer and you heard that right a volunteer to suck on the hose. The other two of us, were bumping into each other trying to look busy and not interested in the "sucking" job? This heroine went right to it and we had success for about ......a minute?? Water was flowing quite freely all around. I said "let's just get out of here before one of us ends up with curly hair. So then the sprint to the finish line. phones again were ringing and yes we were all OK....getting home was going to be a problem for many!!! What a class!!! I want to thank all of the participants in the first Viking Knitting Triathalon ....you were all great sports and all did well, hey we were finished by 10pm World record for a class at Just 4 Ewe.....and I am hoping everyone got home safe!!! No pictures we were all too concerned with our projects...

What have I been eating?

Pornless Porn???

So for months, actually almost after I opened, this nice sounding black man called and was asking me questions, like, "I am interested in knitting and want to find a store that sells nice yarns and things"
Me- Well you have found the place and I am more than willing to show you...
He- I am in a local Reggae band and in between, I thought I could do this stuff
Me- That is a great idea
He-Can you tell me where you are located
Me-Well where are you coming from
He-Germantown
Me-Oh that will take a while and I close soon..so I give directions
He-I come pretty quick
Me-silence...more silence and then say well I close soon
click
Me alone in the shop, no vicious dog, is nervous now. Will he show up? was it just a prank? Am I going to be alone when this guy walks in knife in hand, telling me to do bad stuff, stealing my yarn while he sings Bob Marley tunes??? Poking me with knitting needles...oh man what should I do??? Ok, I have hornet spray strategically located all over the shop, yeah I know it's inconspicuous and sprays 20 feet and you will be blind till you go to the ER. I get one can closer to me. I am loaded and ready and I get to thinking.....I haven't had sex in umpteen years, if that is what he is after I may kill him??? He may say, I'm going to tie you up and I'm going to say "Oh baby bring it on" It's been a long time...put the knife away I am ready and willing ....are you? He may end up calling the police..Help me she is killing me."
Ok so my mind went on a tangent there...and please don't miss understand me there is nothing funny about rape or abuse, but if you know me, he should be afraid, very afraid.
Instead I call Chris the jeweler, and he sits with me till I close. He never showed, but I continue to get the calls periodically and sometimes he doesn't block his phone number, so I have it.
After about 20 calls, I finally recognize his voice and hang up or say something snide, he called yesterday and I told him one more call and I am reporting him to the police. Now in reality what can I say to the cops, "this guy calls me and asks for directions? " I have hornet spray...
I do hope if a black man ever calls and asks about knitting stuff and is legitimate, I don't start screaming obscene things in the phone.....that is not good for public relations???

By the way...

The internet has become somewhat of a shark feeding frenzy for people that have nothing better to do than sit in front of a computer/phone and write comments about other people. Take Ravelry for example, it is one of the greatest resources for yarners that exists. It is a useful tool and reference tool, it is a great way to meet other kindred spirit, it is also a place where if you slip up just a little and say/write something someone doesn't agree with ....bam...you are swarmed with comments and remarks and ripped apart, by who??? We really need to make note that when you write something, depending on your style, it may not come out how you would say the same thing, it is kind of like listening to kids talk.."my bad?" "that is the bomb" Now depending on how you perceive these statements, you can take what I write two different ways good or bad. When I was growing up bad was not good and the bomb meant it was a failure??? Sending emails to someone you don't know can be a trick if you are trying to be funny. If I were talking to someone I knew and said "Look Bitch" we would all laugh and carry on and then someone would call me bitch and so on, but write that ...Hey Bitches....if you knew me it would be fine and funny, but if you didn't you would be typing a nasty remark and I would be back paddling trying to explain it was in fun. I love Ravelry for the same reasons I love the internet, it is a great tool, but it too can be abused by people with nothing better to do but make nasty comments, some of them may lead boring lives and this is their entertainment. There are a zillion creative people working hard to offer non creative people patterns and fibers to use in their lives and then there is the one disgruntled person, waiting to pounce, waiting to smear someone's name. I like to read on Ravelry but just have to shake my head when somebody has worked hard to accomplish something and the shark feeding frenzy begins...Steve Jobs said it all here

"By the way, what have you done that's so great? do you create anything, or just criticize others work and belittle their motivations? " Steve Jobs

I love this quote, it says it all..what have you done that is sooo great?? Everyone is a critic..and so quick to criticize. What happend to sending a personal message first to address the situation? Everyone makes mistakes so let them know off line!!! Instead of running a smear campaign and being pleased that you brought it to the Worlds attention.
I am an Apple fan....I have all Mac stuff and have little to no complaints about any of it. I have a third generation Iphone and love it, I dislike the carrier, but love my phone. Apple put out the Ipad, I own it...it has changed my life, seriously changed my life, I am reading again, like a fiend....I use it to take credit cards in the shop. It is a thing of beauty and I sincerely love it. Now the new I phone came out and it has a glitch....feeding frenzy, utube videos, rants...I have faith that Apple will make good on this, it is a glitch...relax......sit back a bit, and think about it before you get on the band wagon, "what have you created that is so great, what have you contributed to the technical world? " Give someone a break, let's be kind, that is of course until you don't get a response then " Unleash the menopausal bitch" LOL
disclaimer
"this is just an observation from reading the internet/ravelry, this is not a personal situation" LOL

What age would you be?

While driving Iggy to daycare, the radio had a contest and this woman won and added, I wish I was 39 again. I don't, I like my age, to go back and do it all over again is a tiring thought. Furthermore soon enough I will be crapping my pants and drooling, so it goes full circle. But really, what age would you love to be again? The best years of my life started at 40, I think when a woman hits 40 her life is at it's peak. A mother is pretty much done raising children, your life is, or should be rather settled. You will know by then if you will be a millionaire or averagaire. You become either comfortable in your skin or do something about it. I love my age now, my motto when people comment on my hair is (for those of you that don't know me, is pink, turquiose and purple) For years I have done what I "had"to, now I do what I want to. I get tattoos, because I love art and I get them where I can see them and enjoy them, to me putting a tattoo on my back would require a mirror to see it and there is nothing about a mirror that I am impressed with let alone purposely to look at my backside? No I wouldn't go back, it has been a great journey, i have met so many people and friends, I am happy!!! There is a saying, "Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, worn out, and loudly proclaiming, "Wow!!! What a ride!!"

hhhmmm how long????

So we all know about fighting with the loom, and we all know the heat is high here in Wisconsin, but, do you know how long I was walking around with the butt of my pants blown out????? Tuesday morning I put on some old clothes to do this sweaty fighting routine with the loom, pants crack intact. Two young men come to help move the loom, I am assisting with an emphasis on the first three letters of that word. I can only think of one time and that was when I went to bend down and my pants stuck due to excessive sweating, to the top of my legs increasing the stress on my arse. I then went on like nothing was wrong, well let me put it this way, I didn't know my big girl panties were exposed to the World. So I go upstairs after all of this lugging and pulling and that was just the guys doing it. I started running bath water and took of my pants and hung them on the hook....hhhmm, a 12" rip on the seam of my pants, now something had to be exposed??? I feel a bit of red rush over my face, how long was I walking around like that???? Did I sear those boys eyes with my arse hanging out???? So I retrace my steps....no they were ahead of me on the steps, thank God, hmmmm, did I bend down at all in front of them??? Did I scare them for life??? What a nice way to start the day...

My affair

I have a confession to you. I am in love, I have been in love before, but this is different. I have been sleeping with him for a few months now and some of you know about him and some don't. I am not ashamed, he has changed my life. I really mean that, not like my exhusbands did, but in a good way. He is broadening my horizons. I hold him at night and always comment on how much I love him. I would like you to meet Paul, Paul is my ipad. God how I love my ipad. I am reading books at a pace I have never done before. First of all he is a beauty, he is sleek and dark and so wonderful to hold. I had to name him because I sleep with him and I like to know someone's name before they are in bed with me. just a little formality. I take him to bed every night and I can read without glasses, and a light. What this means is, I go to bed, like I am going to bed. I read on the ipad, which is backlit and has a font that gets huge!!! When I get tired, I turn it off, I do not have to get up, turn off the light, take off my glasses, readjust myself, no mo, I just go to bed. It also has a great knitting app, that has lots of stitches and ideas and then there is Angry birds, a game that you fling birds at pigs, don't ask. anyway if you are deciding between all of the readers out there, check out the ipad, seriously beautiful....I have had it since it came out and my love keeps growing. I just thought of something, for it's screensavor I should download a photo of Paul Newman....how great would that be....not a bad face to see before drifting off to sleep.....Ok this is so out of character for me....I will just call him Paul.

Moving a loom

So I am at the mercy of two young men that will assist me to move the loom from the basement studio to the upstairs. I am probably going to make these young men sterile (their parents can thank me later) This is a Kessenich 32" 8 harness loom and it weighs more than I can imagine. They stopped by yesterday and I had cleared a way to walk the loom out of the basement. This is a folding loom, or supposed to be. One guy on one side and me on the other directing them to do something they have no clue what they are working with. I am trying to be explicit and yet patient, so I don't scare them off, they are really hard working kids. We are both on a side and grab the beams and try to fold the loom, nope it ain't moving??? Well I am sure you should just have to push together this isn't rocket science??? So we try jiggling it, sweet talking it and then swearing at it, well I was, I haven't heard them swear ever??? One of the guys had to leave, so Dan came back later, his arm span is as wide as I am tall and it starts to fold and then binds up. hhhhmmmmmmmm I called the only woman I know that moves looms for a living, '"well you need two people and then you just lift and push it should fold up?" nope......uhm, have you loosened all the wing nuts...oh yeah. So I have a stubborn loom and it is waiting for us to challenge it this morning. My plan of attack, we will try to fold it one last time, maybe a little more forceful, then out comes the tools and I will take it apart. The LOOM will be upstairs today!!! and no I don't have the spot cleared out for it, but with the added incentive I will.
That little coil of cashmere/wool in the picture is a start to something really cool.

Whew, so the strong men came and with three heads, theirs lifting and mine trying to see the issue, we found it....the treadles were jamming the whole operation. Tied them up and off they went. Let me tell you for these guys it was a heavy mother. All done, I just need to clear the center island and let the weaving begin....So, the shop, my shop is a mess, not just my desk.

New Religion

I warned you if you see me with my new sheer burka, I am safely behind a screen of mesh. After spending an hour at Gander Mountain fashionalby trying on different mosquito nets to see what suits my needs, I bought the above. I have a big head and am clostraphobic. The first one was too tight and had elastic at the neck...oh no that will not work, second had a spring ring, that sprang out and flew across the floor with this little yamaka, (I know that is not how you spell it but it sounds right) on the top, that made me look like a flying saucer. The rang in price was $2.99 to 30.00. Then there was the beekeeper style, but it still had elastic on the neck. I tried one on that made it look like a nylon stocking on my face and looking to rob a bank it was so tight, then I read after if was a kids net...duh!!!! I settled for this hangmans bag, it is just a bag with a drawstring bottom, it has enough slack to cover my neck and upper shoulders, $5.98....sold. So I proudly wore my bag on my head....oh God that is so dangerously close to the double bagger joke, but not ever having been a fashion plate, and hating those darn mosquitos, I will wear this bag. Mind you I walk on a busy highway, I can just imagine the comment in the commuters cars. Guess what it works great, either that or the squeetos quit biting and buzzing?? just my luck. Iggy isnt quite sure what to make of it? He looks at me like "who are you?" I respond with "Just Pee will you?" I feel rather Holy wearing this attire....in an odd way, like Sister Mary Francis. Like I should bless the runner, speeding past me. Really speeding past me, secretly hoping I don't hold him up!!! I could be in mourning the veil is black, and for some odd reason you have a tendancy to bow your head a tad. I think the drawstring may weight it down. So beware the black bagged babe....she must be some kind of fanatic.
Day of rest, I am participating in Tour de Fleece...we spin on the days the bikers ride and today is a day of rest. Each person kind of sets their own goals and mine is to spin a bobbin a day or more. I am doing pretty good with that goal, I did miss Thursday because I traveled that day and spinning and driving don't mix. So I am not taking a day of rest today, I am spinning the last of three bobbins to ply together.

Why is it??

Why is it when you are told not to do something the urge to do it is so strong, it becomes something you want even more than ever. Such as, we did our morning mosquito walk, it has cooled down a tad, so I shut off the air and opened windows for new air. About this time, after all of the hot days, we need to refresh, so I longly wanted to sit on my deck, it is calling to me. The flowers, the swing, the solitude and the mosquitos. I probably have over 20 bites as of yesterday and they keep cropping up. I confess I am a scratcher, picker and itcher. I could never wear shorts in the summer because I looked like I had chicken pox on my body. It is not an attractive thing. I made a cup of coffee and longingly look out on my deck.....it is calling me, the birds the fountain, the cool air. Maybe I should see if the plants need watering? So bravely in my nightgown, I push aside the screen curtain, all that is separating me from the wild. After a little St Vitus dance, hands and feet flailing, and enough exercise for the day, I came back in, no I can't go out on the deck. but what if......
What if, so this is where we need to learn appreciation. Sometimes we run through life, go to work, come home, go to sleep. We miss the little things that make us so happy, moments not hours. I remember a few weeks back sitting on my deck with coffee in hand and thinking this time is so limited, enjoy the moment....I was right. One time I read a book and it must have been some inspirational book, these words are something I live by. "be where you are when you are there"
Now that alone doesn't sound so life changing but try it. An excellent example is when you are having your hair done. When I put my head back to have it washed, I make the most of that moment, the pleasure I feel when someone else is washing my hair, massaging my head, I savor every minute. I stop my mind, no thinking of the shop, or family or what to eat, I take the moment and enjoy where I am...the touch, the water running over my head the smell of the shampoos, which by the way never smell like that at home. The first time I practiced "being where I am when I am there" was at the hair salon. Don't let your mind wander to other things...It was life changing, try it you will see, concentrate on the moment you are doing something. It isn't as easy as it sounds, we tend to multi task without thinking...you will see when you start trying this, just how easy we slip into the " I need to.... and do this" mode.
Eatting a meal, with a friend...really enjoy the conversation, listen to what your friend is saying, enjoy the food, bite by bite, look at it and revel in it's presentation. Sip your drink like you never had a taste like that. Listen to the sounds around you, do not think about the bills you need to pay, the wash that you need to do. This small habit can change how you feel about so many things and make the simple things filled with pleasure.
This is how I enjoy my first cup of coffee....oh how I love the smell when it is brewing, and the way it fills my favorite cup and foams on top. I love to hold that cup and wrap my hand around the outside...then the first sip, which is the best.
Just try it once and you will you see, try it twice and you will be hooked, make it a new habit.

Aliens are landing

If you see me walking Iggy and you have to do a double take, I am resorting to hunting tactics. Tonight after I close I will be at Gander Mountain purchasing a mosquito net hat!!! I am done!!! There were less mosquitos in Necedah woods than there are here. I have this light black zipper t-shirt jacket that I have doused in mosquito repellent and I put that on and the buggers go for my neck, ears and eyes, forehead and cheeks....I look like I had those bumps that kids have injected under their skin on purpose. The back of my legs have so many and if I start itching it sends me into a frenzy of itching. The worst yet was the death defying squeeto that bit me in my butt crack?????? Had to be when I was sleeping and yes I do have undies on and a nightshirt, like that matters. I have one on the back of my armpit, but my arms are too short to scratch it so that resorts to an old aluminum knitting needle, see needles are not just for knitting. So if you see me walking Iggy with a hunters hat on and squeeto netting but a huge smile, you know it's me. Oh I even bought a squeeto stop, app on my phone. They loved it they were riding my cell phone like a rodeo??? Now remind me again what good they are, besides spreading some kind of disease. These things are ruthless, I killed three with one swat yesterday. When I pull up to my spot with the car, they attack the car waiting for a hot lunch. It is almost scary to get out and that is when Iggy will do his little trick of running to the back seat and playing a "catch me game" as my butt is outside the door of the car and I am inside trying to grab him. So shopping I will go tonight!!! Don't be afraid

Red Rover, Red Rover....

When I was a kid in grade school, we played Red Rover, we picked sides and held hands and called for the opposite team to come running into our hands and we would hold tight and hope the opponent would not break thru, if they did they could pick one of our team to bring back to their side, if they didn't we won that member. I remember Rita, Rita had a bad eye, I don't know what was wrong with it but, because of it she was shy and quiet and thinking back I think she may have been a little slow, but she was nice. When picking sides, no one picked Rita, I remember her standing there as the awkward lone person, it magnified her bad eye and her overweight body, she would look down and kick her large saddle shoes (they were not in style when I was young). My heart went out to her, determined this would not happen when I picked, I would pick her first, and then no one wanted to be on my team. I would rally them and when we would win, I would try to make Rita feel really important, I would tell her she was the strong one that saved our game. I really thought that we as people would move on from those days of picking sides and saying hurtful things and lifting ourselves up by putting someone else down. I am so foolish, I guess it is what I want to believe, but there are people out there that just can't wait to plant nasty seeds about someone. They sneer and make snide comments, my feeling on that is they are either extremely jealous or very insecure, to resort to those tactics. To go around bashing someone else's work or being, and then getting people to pick sides is so stinking juvenile, it makes me sick. Grow up!!!! Karma is a bitch and what you put out there you will get back and you will. No person on earth can monitor you at all times, but Karma will.....be nasty, you will get nasty back. Then you will wonder why your life sucks so badly.....We are all in this game together, you don't have to like what anyone does, or doesn't do, you don't have to even pretend to like someone, but, you don't have to go around bashing people because you feel so bad about your life and self that it will make you feel better to put someone down. Funny thing is word travels fast and what you say comes back to who you say it about, really quick. If you have a bone of contention, bring it to the one that you have that issue with!! Gang mentality if for the weak and insecure. Lifting yourself up by making someone else look bad only makes you look really ugly!!!!! Lying about someone, or their children or their animals, also counts, if you have something to say, face up!!!!!! This is a public service announcement from the "stop the gang mentality, and grow up !!" LOL

I am back!!!

Three days of total solitude, Iggy doesn't count and a few days with my brother and sister in law. In the woods, in the quiet, one with nature, I went to my church. I needed to renew my spirit and I always can count on nature to do that for me. I am doing the Tour de Fleece, which to me requires me to spin fiber every day, I am trying to do at least one project a day but today after 5 days of spinning I am slacking, I came home and it was hot in here and I slept and had to put stuff away, (because if I don't do it asap it will not get done) It is always great to go but it is so good to come home. I was in the woods and the mosquitos were no where as bad as they are here. They flocked on the windows of the car when I pulled up and when I went to walk Iggy later, I killed two at one time. I downloaded an app on my phone to keep squeetos away, we will see how it works in a few minutes. When I turned it on Iggy was looking around so it makes some sort of sound??? LOL
I spun lots and finished 5 different projects and am on 1/3 of a 3 part spinning, meaning I have one bobbin spun and am going to 3 ply this roving.
Tomorrow the shop will be open and plans will resume to bring the loom upstairs so I am moving yarn around to make room. It is a good thing. I love photography and some of the great photos come from the Great Depression, I have been searching for photos that would capture our Depression. For sale signs?? I went past a village up north and four houses in a row were for sale, this could mean no work or widening the road so I opted not to take that photo. I will keep thinking about this
Eileen Hendrickson a Fiber friend got hit by that tornado in Cambria, no one was hurt but the farm is badly damaged. I know she has been working hard to get a Spinning Mill set up and I am not sure how far she has got on that plan, only to be scorned by this. Her and her family have had a bad 5 years, with health issues and what not, she really deserves a break. She was at Sheep in the City , Coed Mauwer, she used to be Elaines Carding. Please keep her and her family in your prayers, I am going to see if we can help some way.

If it walks like a duck

Not that I am some financial analyst or anything, but, I blogged a while ago about the empty business's all around this area. Not to mention big companies with big names. Then we have the huge companies that Americans have stood behind for just that reason, threatening to move out of the Country HD comes to mind and Miller always were threatening it's workers. I and all small business's have been taking the hit. Thanks to Knit picks where you can buy lots of cheap stuff from India, a Country where labor is cheap and they don't care if a 6 year old is working 12 hours or not, hey but it's cheap. Or you can go a less concious less route and buy off of someone on the Internet that is doing the same thing but you don't hear about it, so it makes it easier.
I had a woman come into the shop and pick up a yarn and say "I found this online for this price, I want to come to you first...what can you do for me?" 1. I can thank you for the generous insult 2. Tell you this isn't rummagarama 3. Tell you I have overhead to pay and they will look at me like so????
I am not alone, this is happening all over the Country. We will be sorry when the little business's are gone. Remember full service gas stations, you pull up a person comes out fills your tank with gas, washes your windows, checks your oil. You pay and pull away. Lots of us didn't know how to use a gas pump, but the big companies offered cheaper gas if you went to them and look where we are now. I do not know of any full service stations.
Now you can buy yarn on line, well you can go to your LYS and visit to see if it is what you like, then go home, and order on line. If you get stuck on a project you can go to "you tube" they will help you. You don't need us? The yarners that will miss us will be the ones that buy yarn from Big Box stores and come in and ask for help on that yarn....so what does that mean? Those big box stores do not have a "service".
It's like buying a part from Menards, those people have little to no clue, but go to an independent hardware store and they will cut it grind it and glue it for you. Wake up America.....we are in a depression....look around....how many people are out of work? Oh I love this one, the unemployment rate is down.....no it isn't.....the people are out of unemployment....!!!! Soon we will be like India, your kids and grandkids will be working to help out the family....to make ends almost meet. Parents are working two jobs because no one pays enough to be able to live off of one job. Who are raising our children? I know things locally can be more expensive, it is only because we are used to importing from third world countries that is seems more expensive. If you read this you are more than likely some kind of fiber person, you know the work entailed in making something, should you just give it away?? Or sell if for just above your cost?? How long will you last doing that??? How long could you pay the rent/mortgage selling a couple of dollars over cost? I am by no means a wealthy person, I am rich in many ways but money has never been one of them, it isn't a priority for me, but paying my bills is.
A trucking company here in Milwaukee, let go of their billing staff and sent it overseas, because they work cheaper. We use these trucks to ship across America, in America and they let go of Americans to use a Foreign company to do the billing. We as Americans should not use this company or any other company that is doing this. We should also let them know why, we won't use them. One of the telephone companies did that with their service calls or maybe it was a computer company anyway, people couldn't understand them and they complained bitterly that they were not getting proper service and were going to switch plans, and the company switched back.....!!! We have the power to change things!!! You have the power to change things, it starts with you and me. Next time you got to click "Check out" on your computer think about the fact the next job loss may be you or your spouse. We need to think that Americans that wave flags are true Americans, anyone can be a flag waver, but to be a true American we need to support Americans!!!! We need to pay that extra dollar to keep America working. We are in a recession/depression....just look around...if it walks like a duck...it is a duck.

The times they are a changin.....

So, I will be closed from Thursday to Thursday this week coming up, for the Holiday, for sanity, for fun, for awhile. I am going up north to my brother and SILs place, they will leave and I will stay for a little longer, unless of course the bugs are so bad. I am looking forward to some spinning. You will begin to see some changes coming in the shop, the loom is coming up. I will never weave in the basement, weaving needs light and energy. The loom is coming up, I am going into my Artist mode, a feeling I have been missing for a long time. I want to start creating, using my gift, I am not one to write patterns and keep track of what I do, it is very hard for me to do that, it is pigeon holing me, I am spontaneous, a free spirit and I have been craving creativity....oozing, it has become overbearing and like a dragon inside me it is not content sleeping any more. I want to do something. So I am going to bring up the loom, I have a bunch of weaving ideas, freeing the dragon....I also am spinning more, my love, my fiber love. So if you see changes know that I am feeding the dragon...I am smiling just thinking about it.

Storm runner

Yes I am a runner, I run away from storms...I am a certified freak. I spend pretty much of my time in the Summer in the little shelter I have made for me and Iggy. If you are in the shop I will cram you in there too. I do not take chances when it comes to storms. It is under a beam, and below the steps. Last night Eagle Wi got hit by a tornado and the sirens didn't go off, luckily no one was hurt. I can't believe it when i hear about people that stand outside daring it to come their way!!!! When I was a kid we didn't have a basement, this was a very major concern for me, we also had no rooms with out windows, another thing against this house. I also had no idea what direction we were supposed to hide in, I kept forgetting. We had a laundry area when you walked in the back door which was on the east side of the house that we would go to, not that I remember ever going there. My dad was one of those that would stand outside and keep a lookout, he was a tornado expert, or so I thought, he wouldn't let anything happen to us. False hope? One time when I was visiting over there with my baby, the sirens went off, I took Mikey and wrapped him in a wool afghan and sat by the washer and dryer, my thinking was I would protect him from flying glass. My dad was outside as usual and I was pleading for him to come in to safety, so the washer/dryer and refrigerator could fall on us for a quick and sudden death as opposed to becoming a flying person torpedo. He walked into the house and almost stumbled over Mikey and I huddled on the floor, Mike was wrapped up and sweating profusely and dad says "What the hell are you doing? " taking cover, "I mean with that baby, he is suffocating, it 's hot, take that crap off of him?" But, but...you'll be OK, he could see my freak coming out and he said, "Keep it close but don't put it on him right now, it's too hot"
I am still a freak, I have two rechargeable lanterns, a small battery TV, a crank radio, flashlight, comfy chair, knitting, and a jug of water, because we all know how long I would be down there??? Last night I went down as soon as I heard the sirens, I figure earshot is close enough to me, but I didn't stop to pee before I got down there, then it hit me?? I started looking for a place to go, against my better judgement, I went back upstairs to get rid of some nervous water. She's a very freaky girl...

Father's Day

My dad has been gone for over 20 years, but let me tell you something about him. He was the best father ever....I know you are saying you had a great dad, but my dad was better. He was a teacher, he was an inventor, he loved to play, he always loved his family and we did things together all the time. He was an explorer, a woodsmen, he was smart. He was gentle and had a big heart, he was slow to anger, but when he did it was over, he held no grudges. I loved him so much and thought if anything happened to him, my life would end, he died and my life went on. He would have wanted it that way. He was proud of us kids, and we were proud of him. Did I mention I miss him. He loved getting together on Sundays for dinner, watching movies and coffee, pie and a smoke. I have no regrets with my dad, I loved him, he knew it, we were never afraid to say it. When I see other dad's I know how lucky I was, my own son's dad was a absentee father, my dad stepped in and helped raise Mike, did the man things with him, I am glad Mike got to know him. So on this day, I want to let you know I had the best dad ever!!!! It's hard for me to think of him without smiling. Love you dad!!!

It's here!!!

The lusted after machine has come.....first off, I worked up a sweat just trying to get the blasted and those aren't the words that I was using machine out of the box. I am now covered with the tiniest little styrofoam balls, that are attached to my sweating brow/head/neck. I threw the boxes out instantly because that is a bad omen right from the start. First off when I was reading the reviews, I was laughing at some dope that cut his finger on the blender blade....duh no kidding. So as I was getting all of the foam paper, duct tape, insulation tape, scotch tape, surgical tape and every other darn tape out of this machine, I reached into the cutting blades to remove paper that was in there and sliced my finger wide open....I'm not laughing at that guy anymore. I open the directions which are 160 pages long and written in every language but where is the English?? Ok so I find the English and do what it says, but, no I am an expert at drink mixing, I am going to use Watermelon that I have to eat to make a slushy....so I clean all of the food parts, quickly, how badly can you get sick from blood on the blade and oil?? I place a bunch of watermelon in the holder, ice in the hopper, after a little coercing I got the blender properly seated into the machine and turn it on....shaved ice is shooting out of the top, oh baby this is gonna be sweet!! Then like it is supposed to do the blender kicks on and nothing is moving???? Hey TV shows it moves????? No blending action going on here. So I stop it, what now??? I am still sweating profusely and in dire need of this smoothy. I shake it up a bit and while I am trying to once again persuade it to sit properly onto the machine , unbeknown to me I am unscrewing the bottom and now watermelon juice is flowing out of it. I am a pipefitter and we all know righty tighty, but this is a left handed thread, see where this is going?? I now am wringing wet and have sticky stinky watermelon juice cascading down my counter front onto the floor. I am grabbing paper towel to wipe me and the counter off. The machine has a death grip on the now leaking blender and I can't get it out.....Please no don't have a fit right now, you have waited two years to get this machine, don't break it now.....relax, wipe the stinging sweat out of your eyes and be gentle. all I needed was for the phone to ring. Ok we got it out and threw it all out, let's start over, let's look for a recipe that they give you...hhhmmmm one, tequilla, margerita mix and lime juice. there is adding involved it comes to 13 oz. total. I grab lime juice, gingerale and look for the mint?? no mint, oh well this will be just a wet iced drink!!!! Voila, now I wish I had tequilla!!! So I guess you need to buy the special 4,000 drinks book to make the rest of them....I need a shower and a drink!!!!!

Pretty Sad State...

I have been doing some serious shop watching. Not sure how the areas where you live are but around here there are lots of empty shops and business's. I was on Layton Ave a busy area and right by the airport here in Milwaukee, there were lots of empty business's. It looks rundown and depleted. You go further east and into areas that are well established communities and there are storefronts with Lease signs in them. Faded Lease signs. You pass strip malls and they are empty. Small business's are shutting down at a rapid pace. We need "Change" that change that was the key word in the last election. I listened to Our President say he was going to help the business's in Florida that the tourists are staying away from on the gulf. Business's all over the Country are in need of help. We are all in competition with the internet. We have to compete with prices from someone that sits in their basement or garage and sells over the web. Minimum overhead zero service calls. I remember a nice yarn shop in the area selling yarn that the big box stores sell, every color and it was a unique idea, she sold a service. If you needed help she could help you. She didn't have 40% off coupons, but she taught how to make a project and fix things and if you had a question you could ask? Who do you ask at the 40% off shops??? She had open project nights and had a great following, but service just didn't keep her in business? It is hard for small business's. Look around there are no small little candy shops, ceramic shops, the little shop that was a dream of someone, the shops we grew up with. Quality Candies are closing shops around the area, (that may kill me) So when you go to hit the Check out button on your computer, rethink that decision, can you get that product closer to home??? I am comparing this to the Superhighways that went through our Country. On my last trip to Yarn School we took all back roads through the Midwest. We were disappointed in the lack of sightseeing tourist traps and how many rundown empty business's, we did see what Real America is about. On our way home we took the Freeway, it makes sense I guess, there were all the signs of a tourist haven and trap all along the Superhighway.....sounds like small business's, the Internet is coming through and gone will be all of the quaint little business's that knew your name when you walked in. That when you showed them a broken part on an old piece of equipment, they would go in the back room and come out with another one just like it, but not broken!!! Where you can sit and chat about your kids, life and feel a personal connection. I know you maybe paying a little more for this service but let me tell you something, "you're gonna miss it when it's gone" .

Weirdest thing happened on the way to ....

I went out to dinner tonight, I had a hunger for Mexican food, this after vowing to never eat again only this morning. Hey I ate a walnut burger on the grill for lunch and that was it. So I thought I would give this one Mexican restaurant another try. It is huge and runs like a well oiled machine. The workers are all polite and know very little English. So I am eating the chips they serve and watching them clean off tables. As I was watching I quickly removed my eating utensils from the table and put them on my napkin. They were washing off the tables...fine....then they washed off the seats of the chairs, I was impressed and then they went back and wiped off the table again...Oh no you didn't!!!! I am not a germaphobe but come on, they say they find the most fecal matter on seats in a movie theater, what about a restaurant??? Well it get's better, I am eating and the guy next to me but across the table from me is looking at me and I looked and he said, Sorry I am looking at the desserts....now at one time I would have said "just call me sugar" but that was once upon a time and now I was confused when all of a sudden Broomhilda his wife says, why do you keep looking at her, you don' t have to talk to her. Now I look over my shoulder and the huge dessert display is right there and he HAD to look past me to see it and I wanted to shove a tamale in that witches mouth. So she gets louder, "Instead of looking at her, go walk over there and look, you idiot!!!" wow, and mind you this is loud. I wanted to just back hand her but she was bigger than me, and really scary!!! She carried on for what seemed like a long time and I was embarrassed for him, why is beyond me but I was. So her little girl starts dancing right next to me staring at me. It wasn't her fault her mom was an inbred beast, so I say, "Oh what pretty shoes you have on!!!" Have you ever heard of nursemaids elbow where people grab their kids by the hands and dislocate the elbow from a yank....well this poor little girl got yanked off of her feet while Mama Cass started dragging her out. Good bye and go take a chill pill, so I too pay my check and leave thinking they would be long gone....au contraire, she is right ahead of me walking while the little child is dawdling behind her, I cut across the parking lot and I hear the most fowl mouthed language coming from Broomhilda way across the parking lot. She was hollering at her dear hubby for something, not sure what but about that time I would have put the car in reverse and used her for a speedbump.

I ate my way through Monday?

It all started with breakfast and while I was eating breakfast, I read on FB that the Miller's Ladie's retirement lunch was at 11:00am, Oh I want to see everyone. I did some stuff in the morning and had to repair some stuff in the morning and then got gussied up and went to lunch, of course I was there early. I found these ladies are all late, except two....so we sat and waited till 12:30...Ok I did have a list of thing to do, nothing serious. We finally ordered and I got some shrimp Maison swimming in grease, not Oil slick grease but it could have been..I looked at the plate with great hesitation. I was to have dinner later that evening with my cousins and family for their 35th anniversary, I had cake and decorations and this didn't look good. Sometimes when you look at something you know it just may not be the best choice, if you want to be able to leave home??? In a few hours or days??? I looked for a napkin to soak up some of the grease, I actually thought of calling BP and seeing what would work most effectively but obviously they wouldn't know either. I ate it, it was OK tasting, I ate the shrimp first and picked at the soggy sliced potatoes. Round two, it didn't make me sick but now I have to go to dinner again six hours later, I looked at the menu and nothing looked good, but salad and rattlesnake bites???? Then we had cake....ugh, I am toast, I am done, I drank a cup of coffee this morning and have vowed to never eat again. I am excited because my Aunt from Michigan and cousins are coming to see the shop today. Iggy and I had our usual battle with the vacuum cleaner, I vacuum he barks and bites at it and he just never gets used to it...I am sure my neighbors enjoyed the barking and vacuuming going on in the wee morning hours. I am getting hungry from all of this work....did I just say that???

Are you serious???

I am one of those people that loves to walk on the beach and collect smooth or odd stones. Honestly I have a fetish for sea glass, but on Lake Michigan it is not always an easy find. I also have had an eye out for Witch rocks, all my looking for most of my adult years has been to find a Witch rock. So after WWKIP day, Angela and I took Iggy to the lakefront thinking we may catch a glimpse of the Air show going on downtown. There was no airshow because of a low hanging ceiling of fog/clouds so we walked along the beach. I said to her outloud, "oh I hope to find a Witch rock!!" I always have hopes of finding a witch rock and she bends over and says "Hey look this rock it has a hole in it" Seriously????? She found a Witch rock?? 2 minutes of walking and SHE didn't even know what a witch rock was??? I was supposed to find it!!! I am looking for one...how come she found it??? I am going to the beach today and looking till I find one!!!!

Graduation sadness

Is it me or have you noticed, every year at Graduation time, there are about 3 or more deaths of young students that either are or are going to graduate? Is it that they are preoccupied with the parties or the grades or what is it? We just lost an Oak Creek high school student yesterday, he was to graduate tomorrow. I don't know if he was at fault or the other guy and it was at noonish so I hardly think alcohol played a part on either side. Not saying it couldn't have but not likely. How sad it is any time for this to happen but then add the graduation to it. "yes we have to cancel the party, we lost our child yesterday" Yes we are planning a funeral instead, so keep your gifts and send flowers. I can't imagine the terrible ripping out of your heart and soul when you lose a child. How awful it must be, no matter what the tragedy of how they were taken, a loss is a loss. I guess in the pecking order of things we don't want to lose anyone but we know our grandparents are old, our parents are old, it is the "normal" progress. But when we loose a young life and of course it is always the good kid, it isn't the serial killer to be...not that that would make any difference to a parent, it is still their child. How would you cope with this? I don't want to experience it, my heart goes out to anyone that has. Are these parents of this young man going to attend graduation? Will his friends stop by and sooth the parents or will this cause a hint of jealousy that it was him and not you. What do you say to someone? I worked with a guy on third shift and he got THE call. Your son has been in an accident, we are here to take you to the hospital. Not a good sign when the cops pick you up at work. His son died and I believe he had just graduated. It shook us all to the core. I remember my own son was in Jr. high, at that moment, I so wanted to hold him in my arms to know he was alright. We were all scared, it could have been one of us, it could have been our child. And then the sigh of relief, it wasn't....is that mean??? Is that wrong to think you dodged the bullet? I feel so bad for these parents and the kids friends, it is a hard lesson in life. We have to remember to give our kids a hug when we can. My mother used to say "always kiss each other goodbye you never know if it the last time you'll see someone?" sounds gruesome but the last time I saw my dad, I kissed him goodbye and was walking them to the car, when I turned and said "Hey where's my kiss?" he said "you already kissed me!" I kissed his other cheek and said "Oh this is to even it out!!" he died a day later, but I remember my kissing him on both cheeks, to even it out!!!

I wanted to add that there was another victim in this accident, it was a 53 year old man. I wasn't being unsympathetic in his families loss. It was just the fact that this young life was lost on his graduation. My heart goes out to both families.

Revenge of the Hot Flashes

Never speak too soon. I should know this, you go on a diet and say "I will never gain that weight back again" and poof, you get zapped with the fat stick and an extra 10# to boot. Never laugh at someone that has a pimple, "snap" you will have one twice as ugly. Never ever say you are over menopause....hear me never NEVER!!!!
I have a theory, if you went through life getting your period and never having any issues, menopause is going to kick your butt. I have had every and I mean every symptom or whatever of menopause that was ever written on paper. I never had a problem with my period, I got it and that was it, I had friends that would wince in pain for days before and days after, not me, I breezed through it. I was the commercial of swimming, running, riding horses, I didn't miss a beat, then came menopause. At first I laughed at it, it was kind of funny I could feel the heat rise up in me like a cartoon thermometer, whoosh up it came and just as fast it receded. Then I was working under a brew kettle the size of a room, did I mention it was at boiling temp, and then it came the hot flash from hell, that almost killed me, hot outside and hot inside, I almost passed out. I sat on the grating and thought to myself I am not going to die here. I went asap to the Dr and Premarin became my friend, I loved it, I worshipped it, I felt great!!! But when I got a bad batch from Caremark, a batch that didn't even look right, I decided it was time to quit taking fake third World pills. Cold Turkey I went through the withdrawels the red face flushes, the being hot all the time, I also got a streak of curly hair in the back of my head, lovely. I thought last Fall i was pretty much done....Winter is a woman in menopauses friend. The only symptom I didn't get was night sweats, well now I can add that to my list. I wake up hot, not sweating but so darn hot I can't breath. My hot flashes by the way were dibilitating, I could throw up hot, pass out hot, weak in the knees hot, and now they are back. Chocolate is not my friend in this situation, it causes hot flashes. I want Winter back, cold on my face. I think this may be my 5th year without Premarin. Like the little train that could, I will do this I will do this...when you are going through hell keep going.