Feeling Stupid

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

Imagine

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

Holy Hill

Holy Hill
Originally uploaded by spiderladyj

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

Tangled Mess

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

Bare Beauty

Winter solstace
Originally uploaded by spiderladyj

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

I win, the Spinners challenge

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

Not a cold front

Not a cold front
Originally uploaded by spiderladyj

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

Hard to believe

Snow Iggy
Originally uploaded by spiderladyj

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

Bean

Bean
Originally uploaded by spiderladyj

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

Becoming Anonymous

Definitions of anonymous on the Web:

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

Great kids

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

Why I hate Puke and Save!!!

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

A Simple thing of beauty

DSC_0010
Originally uploaded by spiderladyj

A Simple thing of beauty!

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

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

The Help by Kathryn Stockette

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

School

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

Mad Hatter tea party

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

A very happy Unbirthday to me.

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

Now tell me why?

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

Costumes

So this weekend is my Mad Hatter tea party.  Everyone is invited and all you need to do is wear something you knit as a hat, scarf, socks, mittens etc.  The more zany the better of course.  So I needed to tweek my costume and went to the Halloween shop which are gearing up for Halloween next month.  My first desire was to be the Red Queen, this would require a extra large huge,  red prom dress or bridesmaid dress, something red....uuuhhmm not happening.  so off to the shop I go.  Since when did Alice in Wonderland and every other costume turn into slutville?  I almost thought I was in an Adult Sex shop, actually mentioned it to the sales girl who by the way had no idea what, where or why she was there???  All the costumes looked like French Maids, short with boobs galore???  Alice, short skirt, thigh highs and popping boobs?  Really the Alice I knew didn't look like that?   Red Queen?  uhhhh we have this red long dress, oh it's a queen dress?  Oh it only comes in Medium, but here's one that is a G large and it's "short".   No thanks...Do you have wigs?  Uhhhh I think there is this red one....it looks like an overstuffed pillow?  Look I don't think this is working too well?  She says "for me or you?"  huh?  I think maybe both of us??  Do they do drug testing at those employers?  I went to Bartz where they know what they have and are very nice to help.

Life saving

You know how sometimes life just gets nutz?  More often than not, we get so caught up in life that we don't take time to be with people we love and enjoy being around.  I love the word Kindred Spirits because it is all encompassing.  For me spinning is so relaxing, fiber running through my fingers and twisting itself into a wonderful yarn is zen for me.  Plying it is pleasing...watching two energies wind around each other in a motion of dancing, twisting and then sometimes contorting.  When I sit with other spinners, it is enjoyable to watch each one handle the fiber differently.  There is no "right" way or wrong way, you can do what ever you like to yarn and make it what you want.  I am thinking it may be like clay to a potter.  So this weekend was great, my spinner friends all taking time from busy lives and spending time with our wheels and fiber, food peace and quiet!!!  It was wonderful, and I am thankful for friends like that...they "get it"  So many of us don't take the time and we really need to, kind of like refilling our pitchers with life, so we can pour some in each glass again until it is gone, only to refill it and life goes on

Washington Island Retreat

So the photo above it a second before Buster the dog, snaps at Dear Martha for trying to pull a burr off of his ear....Buster was not happy and I think Martha moved pretty fast herself.  I just spent a week up on the island.  It started out kind of rainy but I didn't care, I was spinning and felting and playing.  It was so quiet and relaxing.  I stay a Cedar Point Inn, right off of the Ferry, it is quiet and very very reasonable.  A friend of mine owns it and he is a super guy.  So if you want to get away this is the place to go to write, read or just sleep.  The island is nice and my favorite coffee shop is Red Cup Killer coffee, (of course it is Alterra)  Ann the owner is very nice.  The Swedish Mill is Ok they have free WIfi, but they atmosphere just isn't the same as Red Cup!!!   A drive around the island is a must and there are lots of deer and sandhill cranes.

One persons idea

I have always wondered about the fact that one person with an "anti" attitude can make millions of others involved in their views.  Such as, Atheists, now I am not a statistician, but really how many atheists do you know vs. Christians?  How can it be one woman Madeline Murry O'Hare, she is now dead, cause the government to stop saying the Pledge of Allegiance in school?  She has been influential in lots of this kind of work...one woman.   Now we have one, and I use the term loosely Pastor in Florida that is going to burn the Koran.  How on Earth did this even make International news?  One person, one person that scammed people out of money before and is holding on to a thread of a so called church.  He has the Nation watching and waiting to see if God says he should proceed with the burning or not?  The President is talking about it?  Seriously one man, if this one person has this kind of power, it scares the hell out of me.  Personally I am not a believer in book burning, witch burning, or flag burning or any other kind of burning, "my view" but I as one person do not make the news on that view, I don't have Angelina Jolie saying it is right or wrong, General Protrykus saying it is putting Our Troops in Afghanistan at risk.  Why are they giving this guy any air time.  Take this off of the air and send his address to some radical extremist Muslim, they deserve each other, each are "one of a kind" and do not express the views of a Nation.  Take away his air time and he will shrink away like the Wicked witch of the West....get a clue

Rated X

Now walking down the aisles of a grocery store, and happened upon this little treasure I had to buy it.  First off who in their business minded self would think this is good advertising?   Is it funny yes?  and did I buy it?  yes, only because I forgot I could take a photo of it in the store.  Does it crack me up and provide a 5th grade boys humor?  yes...So for 79 cents I keep laughing at this.   So I was looking for Seitan, which is a wheat product that vegans love?  I am not a vegan I am a carnivore, but it really tastes good, kind of and thought I could try to duplicate a recipe.  I went to Sendiks my favorite shopping place, where life is good, peaceful strolling down the aisles and wonderful smells wafting from the deli dept.   I even like looking at the wines and I don't drink.  I just like shopping there.  But no Seitan so I went to Woodmans, Ok, if going to Woodmans can save me a few pennies, it certainly can raise my blood pressure past a safe level.  I enter, any of which two doors takes you into the place but heaven forbid you are on the wrong door when you have to check out at the one door that lets you out.  I start looking for Seitan...I try to find someone to help me....meanwhile trying to dodge mom's and grandma's weilding their carts like we're on the Indy  500.  I move aside and take in this sight...3 people fighting over in the "out of date, ready to rot eat at your own risk" bin, and yes it is meat.  One would put down a  package of meat and someone else would swoop it up.  I guess vultures behave like that over a corpse too?  So onward with my search, there are boxes of crap everywhere and customers are trying to fanagle their way around this maze of stocking shelves, me included.  I am getting tired of walking the 60 foot length of chips and snacks, are there really that many snacks available?  I find the Seitan way back where I started from, before the meat aisle and proceed to the check out.  I can find no cashiers it is all do it yourself which I have terrible luck with.  So I walk up to one, and push Start, it reads, please remove something from the bag?  I didn't put anything in the bag, I push start again same thing....now I am getting upset, I want to check out and go home...I start to walk to another one and this nice lady says "I cleared it for you."  Thanks, now can you check me out...so back I go and start scanning, and it actually scans my few items, so now I want to pay.  I swipe my card enter my pin and "sorry please reenter your pin....5 times.  I then clear it and push cash, I pay with cash and steam is coming off of the top of my head.  I on a normal day, do not like to grocery shop...I hate it, but when I go to Sendiks I enjoy it for some reason it is small, personal and they actually know me.  If I need help, they are there, they check me out and bag my stuff and greet me.  If you look sideways twice they ask you if you need help.  It is a service store, a locally owned service orientated shop.  I will support them and my sanity AND, I bought Bel Giousa?  mozzarella cheese at Puke and Save it was closer and I thought cheaper it was $2.00 more expensive than Sendiks where I find pleasure shopping!!!  Yes I am now a grocery shopping snob!!!!  Also the fruit isn't rotting in the car on the way home.

Knitting Idiot

I am knitting on these wristlets that are in Knit Scene magazine which by the way is a pretty good issue this month.  I have ripped these mitts about 5 times because
1.  I was socializing
2. Not paying attention
3. Forgot what I used for what marker
4. I am attention deficit
This is why I don't knit lace...every row is different.  I like a repreive, just purl a row or knit a row...just an easy row.  Because I do have ADS, you would think something different would be a good thing, I watch someone else knit on them with ease and my problem is I want to watch something else while I knit like TV???  I may have to rip them out once again to get back on track....arg....
I am waiting for the rain to roll in, it seems to be a heavy one, which means sump pump watch.  At least it is cool.
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Labor Day

Did you know that our forefathers fought and lives were lost for a 35 hour work week?  Not a 40 hour week but a 35 hour work week.  Did you know that if Unions hadn't stepped in workers would be working endless hours and at the mercy of the company they work for?  Did you know the Union idea was actually thought of as a Communist plot.  Anyone associated with the Union was thought to be affiliated with Communism.  All of this to see people working 60 hour work weeks.  What is happening to America, we work more and make less money, or we work more to spend more and live beyond our means.  When I worked at Miller we could have all of the overtime we wanted.  There were guys there that worked every day and sometimes 12 hour days.  They hated me...they couldn't understand how I could work 40 hours and survive.  They were miffed when their wives decided to leave them for someone that was not "working" all the time.  What happened to living on a 40 hour check?  I and the bank, owned a home, a car, I had a child, what I did not have was a boat, land up north, extravagant taste.  I lived modestly, because it was all I could afford.  It was my decision to forego fancy stuff to work a regular work week so I could have a life out of work.  I don't begrudge anyone for having those things, but at what cost?  Your family, I would explain to them that woman really want you around.  Yes the money is great, but you are forgetting your family.  You can never go back....ever...your children grow up and you get older and you can't redo that.  As you get older, life goes by faster, the years blur on into the other.  Take time to live life, play and balance things out.  Spend time with those you love.  Let's not go back to the sweatshop eras.  Remember to take time to enjoy life.

Flavored coffee

I am not a fan of flavored coffee, I like plain black coffee, a mild blend, in a mug.  Flavored coffee smells so good but I just don't like the aftertaste it leaves.  I went to a house party this week and she made Hazelnut coffee and it was really good, really good.  I asked her what kind it was and that I normally don't care for flavored coffee.  She blends it herself, a small amount of flavored beans to a larger amount of regular coffee.  What a great idea, it really cut the strong flavored coffee and left just a  hint that made it taste very good and no aftertaste!!!  This could be dangerous?  Although I still think flavored coffee is somewhat of a dessert type of coffee.  It is for having conversation and visiting with a friend, not for a meal or my favorites first and last cup of the day!!  A stand alone, social cup, now this is just my opinion and being that I have not liked flavored coffee for all of these years which is about to change I am looking forward to Holiday Grog from Berres brothers....OMG good!!  But I am going to cut it with real coffee, mmmm can't wait.
I went to the Quilt show at the Milwaukee Art Museum, it is a beautiful exhibit.  The works are from the early 1800's and the fine stitching they accomplished is breathtaking.  This is the last weekend it is here and really worth seeing.  We went for schneck at the cafe, the desserts were very good, the service was very poor.  It amazes me that a hostess seeing that we were pushing a wheel chair, or even when my mom has a walker, puts us at the farthest table away from the entrance.  As I was pushing the chair and hostess was 20 feet away I looked at her like "seriously?"  do you not see this wheel chair and the fact that I am going to make everyone move to get by???  There were several empty tables I had to pass to start the obstacle course.  So I pushed her where the hostess wanted and two whole tables had to get up and move.  Use your head people.  It's like a pet peeve of mine when you are at a drive through window and they give you your change back, they lay the paper money in your open hand and pour the coin change on top of it.  Now this should be a taught thing during training.  It is better to put the loose change into your palm first and then the paper money can by grabbed after.  But the balancing act of holding your hand flat in order to keep the change from sliding off of the paper money and winding up on  the asphalt can be a trick.  I guess it's better than maybe just throwing the money at you??

Fickle Trickle

Tell me this isn't a weird happening?  In the last two weeks I have had to put gas in my tank, what a surprise.  My "normal" gas station is a Pilot and in these two situations I used "other" gas stations.  One was a Speedway and I was filling the tank and it was not an extreme weather day nothing unusual but the tank filled at $20.00.  I thought it was odd but didn't matter, when I was on my way to my destination I did notice the tank was only 3/4 full???  Normal fill up is in the $30.00 range so it made sense.  The gauge went to almost empty on the freeway traffic jam and once again went to a different station and filled it up and it only took $17.00.  Oh oh my gauge or my sensor on my tank must be faulty.  One last try, I will go to my favorite Pilot and see if it was just a fluke or I need to schedule an appt.   This morning I go to the Tucson's favorite gas station Pilot and she guzzled her usual $30.00?  I got in the tank was full?  So apparently my little car only likes to drink a certain gas, and burps on the generic brand?  Who knew?

Renaissance Faire

So I picked the hottest day of the year to go to the Ren faire.  I was at the gates 10 am and when everyone goes to the right I went left, I was ahead of the herd.  You are not allowed to bring in anything to eat or drink which is fine, but I am a water baby and there is no water there.  First stop a henna tattoo, I love the paisley type tattoos and I get it on my hand.  Right out of the gate, first thing, 20 steps in....it is really pretty, then they pat some lemon sugar stuff on it and we have 98 degree sticky sweet stuff on my hand.  Can you say bee invitation?  So I start trekking down the hill and it is in the sun and hot and I am thirsty....sarsaparilla that is a thirst quencher right?  I also have my camera, I am traveling light but two thick straps around my neck, my left hand full of goo and I am ordering the root beer, oh I have to pay for this right....money is in my left pocket where it always is, just a minute......so I just removed a small part of my henna...enter the bee, as I go to swoosh it from attacking my sugary hand I smoosh the rest of it....and I am hot, did I say it is hot out.  I guzzle down the drink, pitifully look at my hand and figure it was not a good idea to do this, it was kind of like me and glue, I can never wait till it is dry.  So I sit down by the pond and there is this chunk of wood sticking out, here comes this cute little nymph, she starts to climb out on this dead limb I am sure she is going to be swimming any minute and me being the non swimmer is the closest to her will have to put my new henna hand in the water to rescue her  one foot after the next, she must have done this before, she sits on the end of the stump and starts doing her nymph thing....I think I have 20 photos of just her, she is so cute it is almost hard to think she is not truly a fairy perched on that limb.  But I am hot so that lasted a few minutes and then off I went in search of more watery stuff....to drink....On the good side my foot didn't hurt???  I find another spot to catch a breeze more like hot dragon breath and some really old lady dressed in costume comes by me and says, "it is really hot isn't it sweetie?"  I agree and I think she wanted to ask if I was going to make it, I am sure my face was tomato red and sweat was running off of my head like a sprinkler.  I shook it off like a horse and headed for the gate....I did the Ren faire in two hours, I did not eat a thing, it was too hot to even breath...the next challenge getting to the car....then wipe of what is left of my pretty henna.

Itching

This morning I am itching to do something.  I want to go to the Renaissance fair, but it is supposed to be hot and poor air quality today, of course.  I am still toying with the idea?  I can always leave if it gets too bad right?  I do have stuff I need to do here....did I just say that?  I want it to be Fall, when I walk outside the leaves are already falling on the ground and are crunching and the smell is of wet leaves.  The orchards are opening and apples are a good sign of Fall.  I don't want to sweat anymore....I don't like Summer.  I do know however without Summer there would be no flowers and and, mosquito's and bees and tell me again oh yeah flowers, and I do love flowers.  I want to go to a farmers market this morning.  I think I am in a restless state right now, and this could get scary.  I could clean the hou....nevermind, bad idea, housecleaning makes me sick, you know asthma and dust and ew unhealthy.  Housework is over rated anyway.  My mom used to move the furniture to vacuum behind it every Friday, I hated when we had off of school because we had to help.  I always say no one ever says at a funeral, "they kept such a clean house!"  I am going to say that at me moms funeral I promise!  I don't remember having to clean our room because we never played in it, our house was always magazine staged.  Right down to the plastic runners, let me tell you how much I hate plastic protective anything!!!!  You will never find any protective cover on anything I own and tend to peel it off even when I don't own it.  When my brother and I were bored we would turn the runner over and pretend we were walking on a bed of nails, the other side of the plastic had these pointy plastic prongs, no wonder I have feet problems.  One time we forgot to turn it over and my dad walked on it and we were rolling on the floor laughing as he did a hollering hop and dance, and there was much swearing.  Our couch had a sheet on it, and washcloths on the arms, this was the one we were not allowed to sit on unless we had company.  Fact is the minute my mom left the house, I would deliberately drag my arse all over that couch (not naked), like I was marking my territory , I would lay on it and rub my body all over it like a cat?  Ha little did she know I "did" sit on that couch and I did enjoy every minute of it.  So this pristine living room that only company was supposed to use became my fascination.  We had a stereo that we never played, or they never played, I did I listened to Herb Albert, Taste of Honey over and over and over, remember if on the record changer you left the arm out it would keep playing the last album?  Remember those yellow plastic things you put in 45's to make them fit on a stereo player?  I loved those things, I used to put them in my mouth and blow through them...easily entertained.  Ok, I need to find something to do....

Bad eyes

I am the first to admit that my eyes are getting worse.  I can see like an eagle if it is far, but up close it is getting harder and harder to see things clear.  True confessions, for years I was one of those that shaved their legs faithfully, no stubble no picky hair folicles, I was a clean shaven babe.  My theory on that was I was afraid if I got hurt at work and they had to lift my pant legs or see my underarm in some freak accident that I had to lift my arm, I was going to have baby smooth skin.  I didn't get to shave my legs till I looked like Magilla gorilla, and then I would wear nylons and that black wirey hair would wrap around like a huge comb over.  I used my dad's straight razor to shave my legs the first time...needless to say I did not do a good job and almost plugged the bathtub.  I remember the first time I got to wear nylons, it was the Christmas party at my dad's shop.  I had a really pretty dress and patent leather shoes and begged to wear nylons not ankle socks.  My mom brought in the flat package that held the neatly packaged pair of nylons, they looked like an ironed pair of legs, silky and fleshy colored.  Now how do these stay up???  You will not believe what contraption she had in mind, where the hell she got this thing is beyond me, no one has ever heard of or had one like this.  It looked like a harness, it went over your shoulders and had garter like straps that you had to untwist and tangle and really mom where on earth or not  did you find this thing.  I guess my enthusiasm for wearing nylons was more important than the harness to hold them up.  I can describe is as a cross between suspenders and lederhosen??
So now after all of those years of shaving and being smooth, I opt for "who cares"  it's not like I might have that magical " get lucky" moment and I sleep alone and I can't see?   One time I went to a hotel for some retreat and had on my suit and was in the hot tub, it must have been winter and my legs were clean but as I raised my arm to relax in the hot tub, this bush of black hair made me whip my arms back to my sides...opps must have forgot about those babies.   So I was going to do a clean up job and in the bathroom mirror, I held up my arm and did a hmmmm, my underarms look like I just shaved them??? When did I last shave them?  I don't know, maybe it all fell out???  Mind you this is without glasses and about 3 feet away from the mirror.  On closer examination, the hair did not fall out and it has not been shaven, it just went white....yeah, another aging moment white hair in my armpits?  

Where did it go??

Yesterday I went for a ride, the Igster, friend and I...my intent was to take some photos.   When I intend to do something for some reason it never turns out that way.  I guess my final destination would be Port Washington, Smith Brothers restaurant, a landmark.  We get there the sign is there and we park, walk up and it is a coffee shop?  Is there an entrance to the restaurant here?  No that has been closed...what? we were a little in shock.  Port was known for it's restaurant, not that it had great food but you felt like it was fresh from the lake, perch and gills that were just taken from a freezer pack, caught and cleaned and put in front of you.  It was an integral part of Port Washington, so in search for another place to eat, we found a somewhat interesting looking place but it turned out to be, a multi ethnic place which makes me think "family" restaurant.  It was Ok, not what I was looking for.  If you have been to Port Washington it is a quaint little town, lots of closed business's just like the rest of America.  No more Smith Brothers, Ewig brothers is still there and they have the best smoked fish around.  I just looked on the net to find their name and found Newport shores just north of the harbor...go figure we missed that one.  I see another road trip coming.  No photos were taken?

The hardest delete....

I was driving to go to breakfast this morning and passing over roads, my boyfriend and I would travel when he was sick.  He would get this deer in the headlights look from his medications, and I would say "let's go for a ride"  it distracted him and I loved to take rides.  He would drive slow and deliberate, sometimes it made me kind of crazy, I liked to drive...the "speed limit" at least.  As the cars would pile up behind us, I felt agravated and wanted to turn around and yell at them "he's dying, let him drive slow"  He would say, I don't want to drive fast, just to get there I want to enjoy the ride....lesson learned...enjoy the ride.  After he died, the hardest thing, the thing you can hold on to for just about ever, is the voice mail he left.  The voice from the grave, it was the hardest thing to delete.  I knew it was not healthy to keep playing it over and over, I knew I had to delete it, but it was my link to hearing him.  It wasn't a wonderful message of loving thoughts it actually was something like..."hey what are we doing for dinner? "  or "how did work go today?"  or maybe it was just a "give me a call when you get this".  I knew when I would press the delete, I could never retrieve it again...my finger hovered over the button, I knew it was not good to hang on to the past.  My finger feeling the soft smooth button beneath it, he is gone, let him go..."delete"
Of all the things in my life I deleted, that was the hardest, now I kind of wish I could hear him.  Sometimes when you lose someone you love, you are afraid you will forget what they look like or sound like....but you never really do....He reminded me today of our time together, driving slow and enjoying the ride.

I feel the need

.......to take some photos.  It has been so hot and humid, I can't even think about walking around and taking pictures of anything.  Do you have anything in your life that you just miss doing???  I have lots, if I am not knitting on something, I miss knitting, if I am not doing something at the time that seems to be what I am missing.  Like a spoiled little kid that wants the one thing they are not to have at that moment.  I have set up my knitting machine with the hopes that we get along better this time around or it is out the door....we are doing well, now why is it the last time I had such bad luck with it...is it maturity, patience???  Maybe not under the pressure of learning so intently????  Whatever it is,  it is going fine, I am up to the armpits of a swing coat, which by the way took every needle on the machine.  Then I never do anything easy like using a pattern written for a knitting machine, oh no I am using a knitting pattern that I realized is just a lot of stockinette knitting, so decided to try the machine.  If I can get all the pieces to match I will be happy, I am taking notes and hopefully won't leave it sit for a few years and forget what I did.
I still want to take some photos and I want to paint too...now that mom is moved, maybe this week I will fulfil some needs!!!

Asian Pedicures

I normally go to a Vietnamese couple that do pedicures and manicures, but due to a time constraint, I needed to go somewhere else.  So I went to this place I went once before in my old neighborhood, I am sure this is one of those indentured slave type places and no one speaks English only "pay now" and "what you need"  "we do"  and "you like?"  I asked if they could do a pedicure in 30 minutes and maybe that was my mistake?  One girl runs the tub with water and throws the blue crystals on my feet?  Not sure they weren't going to burn a hole in my skin.  Then comes the older woman, kind of like the boss or someone with some authority.  She smacks the leg I am to take out of the water and put in front of her, she clips my nails, she is holding her head really close to the feet and I get grossed out thinking of the woman next to me's toe nails flying in my direction, this Asian is going to get toe nails in her face....ewwww.   So she does the cutting and the trimming and gives me a reassuring grinny smile and I smile back???  She smacks my other leg and has this brush in her hand like a vegetable brush but pretty pink and she goes to town scrubbing my legs like she is cleaning a dirty potato?  I fear I will have no skin left when all of a sudden, she pushes my leg up in the air and my butt check is dislodged from the comfortable spot on the vinyl chair.  Still smiling I am sure she is thinking "I am going to give this one a work out"  meanwhile she is still scrubbing and soaping and scrubbing and then she goes to the bottom of my feet which are normally not too ticklish but add the vegetable brush and hard scrubbing and I am jumping around like I have a burr in my pants.  She smacks the other leg and here we go again twisting my leg like I'm Gumby and she is smiling to the point I am now going to smack that smile off of her face.  She stops and now she is lotioning my legs, it feels good after the burn I got from the brush, she is gentle and then goes to the toes.  Now my little toe is permanently bonded with the toe next to it, they don't move away from each other and a long time ago someone said never split your toes apart or you will get athletes feet...so I never did, I never did but she did and I could feel the skin split and burn between those toes.  Now I am thinking great I am going to get some fungal infection in my foot.  I am waiting for her to do the next leg but she must be getting tired and we are in the polishing phase...whew, she does one coat and then a top coat and slaps my legs and I'm done.  I am also very tired and my legs are sore, burning and red......so if you want to get Asian exfoliation and a work out to boot, I can give you their number.

To do list

I am not normally too structured, but I do have to have a to do list, partly because, I will forget what I wanted to do?  I learned the list method a long time ago to help with my attention span problem.  So in the morning or before bed, I write down if I have some specific things I want to do in the day ahead.  It also helps me sleep better, other wise I keep thinking about it so I don't forget?  Then I pick the poopiest job on the list to do first so that the bad job is done and I always reward myself with something fun!!!  Pretty easy concept actually.  On another note, musty wash....I started to do my wash on Sunday morning, then went to my mom's to start packing.  When I hobbled into the house the last thing I was thinking about was the wash.....Monday moving day and Tuesday Oh oh, guess what I remembered???  Yeeaahhh, schtinky vash...so with some added vinegar I had to rewash....When my son lived at home he did the wash and apparently if you leave the wash in the washer long enough it will dry and he folded my work shirts after they dried in the washer.  So at work, I began to sweat which in turned ignited the stink that was on the shirt, I kept getting a whiff of funk and it was me!!!!  My shirt stunk so bad and with no alternative but to chew his butt out and threaten him with wearing the clothes he left in the washer, that never happened again.  I can still smell that shirt....ugh

Come on and take a Free ride...

These two couldn't be happier, and who took my mom and please keep her, I really like this new one?  The difference an apartment makes???  I actually went over there again yesterday to just check in on her and to see if she was her old self and we went for a ride, or Iggy and her went for a ride.  Iggy really likes this riding thing, also she did a walk with her walker up and down her hallway to get some exercise and he was following her to make sure she did her walking...what  a goof. She was dusting and cleaning a little, good for her.    On the other hand I am getting nothing done around here but next week it will change.  The weather here is beautiful so who wants to work in the basement or inside in general.  I have to go get a shot of cortisone in my heel today, this is a usual procedure and I try to hold off for as long as I can.  I have planter faciatus and it feels like I have a nail pounded into my heel, this time it is a little different and is on the back of my heel...I have an awesome foot Dr and he will fix me up.  Today is a a good day!!!  Knitting tonight at Panera!!!

Smiling

I am tired and sore but the move has been done and my mom is in her new apartment.  We still have lots of unpacking to do and I am lucky to have such a great sister in law and brother.  I spent the day yesterday directing the movers as to what had to go and where it had to be put.  Who knew two bedrooms would require 3.5 hours of professional movers?  The great thing is the new apartment is laid out exactly as her old one was, but is much closer to the center hub of action.  She had been located on the end of a long hallway of a wing and with her walking ability diminishing she is now close to everything.  That is one perk!  The other wonderful thing is her view, her old apt. had a view of the garage and parking lot and lot's of highway noise, this one is the serenity of a garden and trees and wildlife.  I put her kitchen table right by the window so she can have her coffee or breakfast and look out the window.  Very rarely does my mom ever state she is happy about something.  It makes me feel so good to hear her repeatedly saying " This is so wonderful, this is really like a nice apartment, I never really thought of the old place like that"  It makes me so happy to know that she is accepting this move as a positive and wonderful thing... I believe she is truly happy and I agree it is much more pleasing to be in this place than the old one.  It just seems brighter and more comforting than her old place.  My mom was always on a regiment, she did everything by the clock and maybe that is why I rarely do.  I am very spontaneous, prompt but spontaneous.  There is no structure in her life and we think maybe this is why she is doing "nothing".  Hopefully moving closer to the hub of events will encourage her to be more involved.  So many of us are dealing with aging parents and we can all relate.  Making these decisions are daunting, you want to do what is right and some seem so radical and heartbreaking.  We are also hiring a Granny Nanny to get her into some kind of schedule, a companion.  My mom falls for no apparent reason, she fell yesterday while we were chatting and just and I mean just missed a corner that would have cracked her head like a nut.  She is pretty good at falling and I think she could be a stunt person for old people, she hit her head but got up and walked back to her apartment, I choked back tears walking behind her.  This is so hard, I am so glad my dad died in his sleep, no warning , no suffering, we just had to deal with the loss...no watching his decline...just his loss.  I guess it doesn't get any easier with aging parents.  On a good note, after I left, Cheryl looked out mom's window and Doe and her fawn were eating in the garden.....this is a good thing.

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?