Hobo Stewart

I promised you the moving story, not that it's a "Moving" story, it's a funny story!!! Sunday that we were moving, the day Cheryl serenaded my brother with the guitar, and they found a cheesecake photo of me, which has not surfaced, I'm a little worried about where it is? OK, that Sunday!!! I was cleaning the crap out of the garage and came across a box car train, with wheels on that my dad made Mikey when he was about 2 yrs. old. It has sliding doors on it, that had a finger hole to open and close and Mikey could store his play train car pieces in it. It has castors on it so you could sit on it and ride around, the kitchen under mom's feet. So I was saving this train car that Mikeys grandpa made and painted and did some fun Woody Woodpecker drawing on it, until moving day. I pulled it off the top shelf right under the rafters and we all kind of gathered around it...remembering how Bandit, the ferret we had, used to climb inside and when we would shut the sliding door he would open it....and look out. While we were having an "ahhh" moment, I had taped the doors shut and was trying to open it, as I was saying "Watch there be a ....we all started screaming, inside was Hobo Stewart the mouse looking up at us. Not that I'm afraid of mice, but not two inches from my face. Inside Hobo the boxcar mouse had a nice little nest of insulation and Blue Fox fur, bird seed and train parts. So after I compose myself, I turn the car so that all the crap falls out and hopefully Hobo too!!! Out he runs, right up the ramp to the enclosed trailor, we all hollar and he jumps off the ramp and is now probably riding in a nice warm truck owned by my brother. Hobo Stewart was holed up in the boxcar with a GI Joe missle launcher and toy guns....so now is he terrorist Stewart? I actually felt kind of bad uprooting the poor little mouse, into the cold, snow, but better out there than in my basement...now I keep wondering if he had any family.

Happy Valentines Late...I was detained!

I made it....I am finished, I am clean and healthy....!!! Now, the story...I should have learned my lesson many years ago about what everyone says about surgery. Or procedures....In preparation for my colonoscopy on Valentines day, I was forewarned to be prepared...in the bathroom that is. Some comments I took to heart or arse were, "I should have brought the TV in there!", or I read a whole book!!" So that I didn't get caught with me pants down...hahahaa I did bring my little hand held TV and magazines and bought 40 gallons of Gatorade and Apple Juice and Jello. The first day you can only have clear liquids, I was panicking am I going to starve or what? Needless to say, I wasn't hungry ......at all??? I drank coffee, tea and chicken broth, and ate some jello, got my bathroom all fitted and drank the phosporus sodium...3 times in 30 minutes, put on my running shoes and sat on the edge of the couch in wait....2 hours later...wave one. Let's just say at the end of 3 hours, I was Shpeeing, you get the picture, but I never got to watch TV or read more than an advertisement in the magazine....Don't be afraid it is NOT that bad!!! In the morning, I was supposed to start at 5:00am but decided, two hours later puts me in Cheryls car on route to the clinic...? Ha..not to be caught in that situation, I got up at four, took Joey out for her job and started my regimen...let me say I was still Shpeeing, at 8ish...maybe it was nerves? So true to my word, while at home, I stuck a glitter heart on my butt...it survived the ride to the clinic but not the toilet seat at the clinic, as I turned to leave I noticed it stuck nicely to the seat and made Cheryl come and look at it, she did but with great hesitation. Not to be outwitted by a sticker I had a spare, in my pocket. I kept joking with the staff that I should at least get flowers or candy or a kiss for this invasion of my "Exit Only" orfice. When they put me in a little cold bathroom to get on a bunch of hospital gowns, backward, forward, do not tie..blah blah...I place the heart considerably close to exit, so as not to be missed. I get taken into the "Room" and the Dr. talked to me and I again insisted he at least buy me chocolates and he looked at my chart and said ...."uummm this IS your first time and we don't do chocolates till your second time!!" Ok he's cool, then they give me Demeral...ohhh baby, forget the chocolates!!! Next thing I know I am in the recovery room dazed and confused looking at my Dr. that is holding a piece of paper and showing me photos of my insides.....all woozy and bleary eyed, I am looking at a heart and not being able to process how my arse has a heart shape in it...I drunkenly state...AAAhhhhh isn't that cute...hoooooowww diiiiid yyoouu dooo thaaaaat? He smiles and says "You know how I did that? still not processing the sticker and Valentines and being concerned about getting chocolates...I must have looked like a love sick dawg...."That is soooooo cuuteee!!! then I think I went back to sleep....HHhmmmmm jokes on me, I now have photos of my colon and the heart which I share with you, taken by my Dr. with a colonoscopy scope!!! Please for your sake, get this done if you are over 50, it is really not bad, it is more of an inconveniance, than anything!! Besides they give your really good drugs!!

Whew, finally

I think things are finally getting settled, I have a closing date and time..good news. The buyer does a final walk through on the 19th of this month. So I am still not positive it is sold but it is getting closer. So I have been closed for a few days. We emptied the house on Monday, which was sooooo stressful. I guess I found, or my family and friends found more crap than I thought I had!!! It is amazing the things you find. Now the store is full of crap!! First off was an old Valentine gift photo of me posing cheesecake style in a football jersey...now before you get a present visual, I was much thinner, and that makes a whole lot of difference!! This was one of those makeover sexy photos for your "Man"...hahahahaa I still have the photo, bye bye a**h***!!! Then there is the traveling guitar, my family is not musically inclined, my mom is .....ends there. We are however creative and talented in many other ways but to my dismay, the only music I can play is my IPod. I had visions of sitting down to play the piano and I played Mozart and Chopin, with ease. I couldn't understand how everything else comes to me so easy what is the deal with music...how come I can't play? So Cheryl, Scott and I, share a guitar, with a broken string. It has been back and forth a few times with no hope of either one of us learning to play it. Cheryl had visions of sitting on thier front porch with a halter top that tied in the front and Daisy Duke shorts, strumming a song for the neighborhood. Scott, probably accoustic rock...Eric Clapton, in a studio, with tight jeans....me...folk music around the fire pit, singing Kumbya? So Cheryl found the guitar and it was in one of those piles of what to do with it? Cheryl scoped it out and put on a dusty cowboy hat, and proceeded out the front door to serenade her "Man"!!! That made for a photo shot!!! She made a rather tense day into a hysterical situation. I have more stories I just need to bring my camera. This afternoon I start my Prep, for the Colonoscopy!! whoooohooooo!!
I will be sticking close to home!!! Tomorrow for Valentines day, I get the tube!!! Happy Valentines!!!

How I work?

Sometimes I myself wonder ....how do I do things? How do I process projects? So today after cleaning up the left overs from last nights, Meetup, I decided to work on a project. I knew I had sheep fabric, from a few years ago and wanted to make curtains to hide my mess under a counter. So yesterday I found the fabric and today I cut it out and sewed it and ironed it. I need curtain rods now and they will be hung. As I was working on this project, and as I try to take you into my world. I need to remind you that I have the attention span of a flea. I cleaned the store, pretty much uninterrupted. I figured out how long I wanted these curtains...still focused....I lay them out and cut them...still focused...but as I stand up from the floor and cutting these curtains, I notice brownies on the table...hhhhmmmm..Ok just one. Back to business, I get out the ironing board and iron, fill the iron with water, pick up the schnibbles of fabric on the newly vacuumed carpet. Oh I need some music, so now I decide to mark the stereo with marker so I don't have to search for my favorite radio station which is out of Chicago, the DRIVE. Hey this marker is pretty cool, it marks in silver, so I proceed to draw a little on some papers...oh back to the project. I open the sewing machine and it has the color thread on it I need, good going. I serge all of the edges, well I start serging and hhmmmm I thought a movie was delivered from Netflix? Where is it? Oh look more chocolate, ahhhh I need to renew my passport, hey I can also sew a liner for this purse I just finished....I think I will knit some fiber up, maybe I should go to the bathroom, I think I need some coffee, I, I , I, Oh yeah, I need to iron the hems on these curtains. So in my peabrain head I do one set of hems at a time so as not to get too bored, with just sewing and or just ironing. Meanwhile I have made shopping list of things to get to hang these curtains.....I 'm tired writing this stuff. Had a good time last night, lots of food!!! Lots of fun and some new faces!!! Have a good weekend!

I'm on a misson

I am working on a collage of knitting/crocheting hands. Hands that are working with yarns. I realize after teaching knitting, just how fascinating it is that we all knit differently. We all are comfortable with how we do it, and stick with it. Why not it works for us, and if the stitch is right, you're good. I want to take photos of different hands at work, moving yarn to make stitches, young hands, old hands, everyones hands. So if you stop into the shop, be prepared for a photo shoot. Bring your project and I will photograph you playing. No need to worry about your hair, or your wrinkles, or that zit you developed overnight...it's just your hands. Ok enough about that...have you any idea how much we live for our pets? Since my loss I catch myself still doing things that my Tinker trained me to do. Like never leave a rolling object on a flat object...ie: chapstick on a counter, my dog has eatten more chapstick due to the dynamic duo of Tinker rolling it onto the floor and Joey tasting it. When I open a cupboard I do a double check to see if I left a cat inside. I can take the lid off of my coffee cup and water so Tinker doesn't drink out of it. I guess I never realized, just how lucky we are that are pets let us live in their homes.

Welcome Home

It is a buyers market alright. If you want to feel like you live in a dump, try to sell your home. You know the place where you have lived comfortably for many years. Where you have never tripped over the uneven trip hazards of front steps? Where you possibly put asbestos in your attic insulation, to aide in poor health. If you really want to feel like a dirt ball...have a realitor, do a home inspection for the buyer!!! It's a wonder they don't condemn my HOME...so I guess I'll just give the place away!!! I think it is sold, we'll find out, by Feb 22, when the darn papers are signed. So all of you that have ever visited me, if you have chewed on any windowsills or layed in my attic or tripped up the steps...need I go on. Call your physician for possible damage control. Thanks to everyone for the kind thoughts on loosing Tinker, it really means a lot to me!!

Tinker has his wings

I am having a very sad day today. I had to put Tinker to sleep. He was the best cat I ever had. I think he was between 11-13 yrs or older. He was my lap cat, he was a friendly cat. He was keeping my lap warm last night and by this afternoon he was very sick, seriously ill. I chose not to have him tested for what was making him sick, he was too good of a cat to let him suffer through tests. The minute he heard the recliner go back he would be circling the area. He didn't come, I looked for him on the bed...no Tink. I called and he didn't answer or come, something he always did. I started getting frantic, where could he be, he doesn't go out, he has to be here. I started holloring and I heard him meow really loud, he was hiding. He didn't want to come out. I reached behind stuff to where he was laying and he didn't want to move. I picked him up and held him and he closed his eyes and didn't purrrr and he had the loudest purr ever. I threw a towel around him and took him to the Vet. The news was grim. Either kidney or heart failure..I don't know how he could become sick so fast, I made the decision and he is off in the kitty hunting ground, of furry mice and catnip fields. I am reeling with the shock. I put away his toys, and his food, I will get rid of his litter box tomorrow, if I stop crying by then. I will really miss him, so will Joey, no one to tease her anymore. I will be going to the bathroom alone, no more pushing on my shoulder for a little rubbing. No more baths with me, he loved me to rub him with wet warm hands, till he was soaking wet? Don't ask, he was weird. His new thing and most dangerous was trying to clear my arse as I sat on the toilet, his version of "Playing chicken" I guess. He would hesitate and then run behind me and jump on the counter to get to his food. I know alot of you know Tink too...I know you all thought he was a really cool cat too!

Got Guage?

Gauge sucks!! Doing swatches sucks...but other than that knitting rocks!! I am knitting a block for a gift afghan. I doubt it if she reads my blog so not to worry. First off and not my fault, I was given directions to knit a 5x5 block. Now in reality I never jump in and start something when the due date is a week away...au contraire. I wait till it's the night before and then panic and complain about doing it and on and on. To my credit, I am a changed woman....I started this project almost immediately so as not to forget. I got my guage because 5x5 you know...not 6x 5.5 or any other number. I have heard many a time about how the poor knitter that gets stuck, I mean has the pleasure of knitting all of those squares together, has a tough time making them all fit. So I get guage, I actually get guage!! To all my friends, I did make a swatch....honest. I only had to rip twice...I am on a roll...and then I get a rude awakening!!! They changed the block size on me, that's right!!! Because of my haste to finish something, I screwed myself....Did anyone plan on telling me??? Hey ERIN!!! Fondue Pot!!!!! Rule number one...screw gauge!!!

OK Ok so I am blogging too slowly!!!

Hey, this business stuff is ticking me off...I am limited to playtime....I have orders to do....yarn to touch....fiber to spin....labels to make...You think this is easy? I bought a little to do book....(I lost in the move, my idea book?) This is a very helpful organizational tool....it's a tool alright, now I have to fill in the stuff!!! Wednesday was Daytime knitters and it was a nice group...sorry no photos..catch you next time.


Last night we had the rowdy bunch...well a few were or are...not me of course but "others" you know who you are....and I love it!!! I hope we didn't scare a few of the quieter ones away!!! I mean come on how much fun can one person have? Yarn, Fiber, food, Knitting, Spinning....food, cookies, more food....fun, laughing and the infamous story telling.

Check out this hand dyed with Koolaide lace shawl ....Ok her name is....I am going to slaughter this....with a Caryn??? I'm sure that I am wrong? I'm sure someone will tell me.
Thanks to all that came and spent the evening doing what we love to do most!!

Happy Dance!!!

WWWooooohooooooo!!! Yippy I AAAAA!!!! I accepted an offer on my house!!! Now will it go through? She is pre approved and no I don't want to hear any horror stories!!! Closing is Feb. 20th unless of course she wants to up that date she can have it by next week!!! hahahaha I am so happy but apprehensive...too much joy too soon...too bad say Confusus or however you spell his name!! So now that I have had 10 cups of high octane "Joe". I am doing whirling dervish move around the store!! I may even work in the basement? How's that for incentive??? Hey look what I did!! It's the new me!! I had a manicure...oh yeah baby...this girl is stylin` . It beats the broke off, split, peeling nails I have been nursing. Now I feel like Cat lady or Spiderlady with tap shoes on!!! Oh my gawd I'm getting a visual!! I am off now I have cleaning to do!!

March of the Munchies

I couldn't resist putting a photo of these little cuties up. My dear sister in law, you know the one that is a knitting freak right now!! She made these, for Christmas!!! They were so cute, but we did manage to eat them anyway!! We have a 10 second rule with food at our house...and that isn't when it touches the floor, it's when you open the cover!!! Cute or not, we will eat it. She says they are very putsy to make....two size olives, stuff larger one with cream cheese cut a slit. Use carrots for the feet and cut a wedge out of the feet for the beak, use a toothpick to hold the whole works together. Anyone having a party soon I want to bring the "Cute" snack!!! These make Martha Stewart weep!!! maybe she invented them?

Happy New Year

Yesterday I watched a new movie called "What the bleep are we thinking?" It is a good documentary type movie telling you how important positive thinking really is. So in the interest in making life even better, before I got up I reinforced some positive thinking. ie: How great my day was going to be, How I am going to make someone elses day better...blah blah blah
So I got up, took Joey out for our morning walk, she seemed Happy, and came in to do some printing for the shop. I get some signage done and simultaneously I am printing and laminating the printed items. Well that was my plan, because I am happy!! I get one thing printed and I'm out of ink...now I just bought this ink, how can I be out..(remember I'm happy) So OK, I am out of ink, after I close I will go get some...life will go on. So I feed a sheet of verbage into the laminater that is blinking it's ready, only to jam that puppy up? So I have hot plastic sitting in between rollers that you can not possibly get at, because they made it that way. I am now digging into, with a fingernail file, a plugged in, hot laminater!!! Later I am going to close up the store and I pinch the fat part....well it's all fat parts of my pointer finger in the sandwich sign out front. I swore a blue streak, inside my head and rubbed it thinking that will defer the pain....but I'm happy...Then carrying some big freaking box down the steps the cardboard ripped only to end up on my toe....that resulted in Ow Ow Ow..But I am happy..I think my life was better the day before I watched this movie? This has been a great year for me...it can only get better next year!!! I hope all of you, enjoy yourselves in this coming year!! Remember positive thinking!!! Bah hum bug!!!

Sharing

Sometimes I think I am pretty selfish. I am selfish with my time and space and things like that. But...when I retreat to my home, I find I really am not selfish at all. I share every aspect of my life with none other than my animals. I sit in my recliner and I can almost guarantee, I will have two furry creatures, one by my arm, one by my feet, purring and snoring. I take a bath and I have a cat that likes to be rubbed down with warm water sitting on the edge of the tub and the dog is hoping I will let her lick the soap. I cook and I have to watch where I walk, I have two animals circling under my feet. Anyone that has used my bathroom will attest to the fact that the cat seems to lurk by the door waiting for a new sucker to go in, and then he starts his ritual of looking as sad as he can into your eyes while you are perched on the commode. Reaching up with one arm like he is begging for you to pet him. I go to bed and I share that too with both of them, to the point that if I happen to move during the night the dog growls with disgust and annoyance, that I should bother her sleep. I guess when I look at it I am not selfish, just lucky!!! Lucky they let me live in thier house!!!!

My website is fixed!!!! Hurray!!!!!!!!

So Sorry!!

I want to Thank everyone that came to my Open House. It was fun and I got lots of flowers!!! Thanks! Also my website is down, not on your end, but on mine, I can't update it. Of course when I need it most I don't have it. It happened with the move. Tomorrow the IS guy is coming to figure it out...I hope. So when it can be updated I certainly will be doing some serious updates. Until then, I am standing at the top of the basement steps...peering down into a vast sea of brown. Brown cardboard boxes!!!

Mission Accomplished!!

Many of you have met my SIL Cheryl. She is the best Sister in Law anyone could have, she deserves a better name, she is more my friend, supporter, favorite critic. She has NO hobbies!! I know I said it...no hobbies!!! She is a hard worker, likes to shop and grocery shops more than anyone I know, but....no hobbies. While helping me move and carrying bags of yarn around for weeks, I think something rubbed off? Saturday during my open house, she was helping me and I had a pair of square knitting needles with some yarn on it, for people to try. She asked me about it and I showed her and she is addicted. I gave her a book and she is eatting it up....then she has the nerve to ask me, why I never told her it was so addicting? I guess she doesn't remember schleping the million bags of yarn and fiber up from my studio?? So now she is digging through drawers looking for more yarn!! I am so happy, she is finally hooked!!! You will now be seeing her at my Meetups and whatever else she can go to for her addiction!!

Take a deep breath!!!

The time is nearing....Only two more days...till O day!!! Will the Stockings be hung by the chimney? Will the chestnuts be roasted? Will I comb my hair? Probably not..but who cares, while time is flying past me, I am in my recliner, feet up, toe nail polish drying, playing on my laptop? This is how Jan works, wait till the last minute, then work your arse off. Have a panic attack and wonder what the hell is wrong with me? Go and graze in the kitchen...a little Attention Deficit Syndrome here...!!! OK, I'm going downstairs to work as soon as I am finished. Have I told you how much like Christmas it is around here? Oh my the UPS guy and I are on first name basis...I love him, he brings me gifts!!! I think he is a little worried about me, I heard him whisper "Stalker" to his coworker...as I stood in the door of his truck...What can brown do for you? Let me tell you!!! Well it's time to get dressed and assume my position at the window watching for a brown truck!!!

I'm dreaming of a brown cardboard box....

the ones that used to be so fllaaaatttt...While the dumpsters brimming, the store is gleaming with yarns and all my antique stuff!!! I'm dreaming of a.....HELP ME!!! Wake me up from this nightmare!!! NO more boxes!!! I am getting quite creative with them though. NIghtstands, window seats, lampshades..litter boxes. Did I mention ovens, add a lightbulb and by supper time I can have a semi warm TV dinner. Only 7 more days till the opening!!! For my fiber friends that are being kept very busy with Susans Fiber retreat it will be the following weekend!! I wish I could be two places at once. OK so I am checking out the new Louet Victoria wheel....I want to try to spin on it. It fits in a back pack how cool is that? Not that I am hiking anywhere these days. Unless of course it's up and down the stairs. I am sitting in my recliner, with my feet up sipping a cup of Alterra fresh ground coffee and to my left squished in beside me and my laptop are the dog and cat, co-existing side by side, actually head to head.....peacefully....for now. "Joy to the World"!!!!!

My new Open House!!!

For those of you that are getting, switched over to my blog, I better update it!!! I have made the move to my new Store/Home. That does not mean that I have sold my house, so if anyone knows anyone that wants to buy my old house...please help me!!!! I still am not totally settled into the new place, nor moved totally out of the old place...but I am working on it!!!
December 2nd is the Opening day, with the Christmas Stroll in the Market Place. There will be Santa and Carolers and a String Quartet, games for the children and lots of Christmas Cheer!!! That is from 10-4. Then my big Christmas Open House will be December 9th, from 2:00-8:00pm. I will have music, and refreshments....door prizes and Good Cheer!!! I sure hope you can make one of the two events!!! I will have weekly hours to be announced...I know I will be closed on Mondays, no one here at the mall is open Monday. Please stop by!!!
I am located on Hwy 32& Puetz rd. in Oak Creek. My address is 8615 S. Market Place....I can't wait to see you all!!!!

St. Joseph and the Home sale

This is the day, the D-Day....I am signing for the closing on my new store. I am having the POD delivered and I asked for an afternoon delivery but I guess they didn't read the detail instructions and are delivering it between 7-10:am. Let them find it by themselves then. I had dreams last night that they put the POD next door by Bob the dog walker!!! I'm sure I have met him once and he will be thrilled to open his garage to a POD!! This sounds kind of eeiry?
So to St. Joseph...I buried a statue of St. Joseph in the front yard facing the house and had a good Catholic pray while I kind of giggled, thinking this was hypocracy at it's best. Well my theory was I buried St. Joe and 10 minutes later, I would be signing papers to sell my house. After he was deep sixed, it rained and that night I had a dream he was floating out of the ground and down the curb to the sewer. (too many horror movies) It has been two weeks since he was divinely put head first into the ground and I think he suffocated? He isn't doing his trick? Maybe I should go pour some coffee on the sight...a little wake up call? I will be up to my elbows in alligators for a while, so posting will be sparse.....but there will be moments of collapse, so keep in touch.

Fiber Withdrawl

I am sitting here having fiber withdrawl. I have my wheels looking at me, but no fiber, in a house that is full normally? I am about to start digging open boxes looking for some fiber. The cat is even staying away from me for fear I may start spinning his fur. I have been cooking up a storm....real dinners!! I'm talking beef roast, mashed potatoes, gravy and corn....I even baked a cake!!!!! I am drawing close to the closing and not a bid on my home yet? I have St. Joe buried in the front...I guess it has only been a week since we deep sixed him. That thar is a photo of Betty Voodoo felting some dreadlocks for Toy Boy!!!