Good Friends

There is a saying that Good friends are better than gold, and who says you can have just one?  or is that potato chips?  In my life growing up, I had one very good friend, I saved her life when we were small kids.  I was at the public pool and I of course couldn't swim, I had to stand on the shallow side of the ropes, if I went on the other side it was on tippy toes and very risky if the pool was busy.  So I was standing neck deep in water and I could see this girl struggling to keep her face above water, but she was on the other side of the ropes.  Her braids floated past me, she had very long hair and I grabbed them and reeled her in.  We became best friends forever, even before the term BFF.  Turns out she just moved in down the block from my house, and that sealed the deal.  There was nothing that kept us apart and nothing we didn't share.She saved my life many years later, after my first divorce I was a shell of a person, I had no self esteem, no identity and she swooped into my life and rescued me, I too owe her my life.  I got married, she got married, she moved a little further and we kind of went separate ways as lives do, but there is one thing I know for sure, if I called her today and said "I need you"  she would be there and I for her.   Well we still keep in contact at Holidays and so on and I thought I would never find a friend so dear as her, but I was wrong.  I have found more, I have friends that I can call on, depend on, ask for help or just to listen.  It has taken me a really long time to let someone in that close.  It may have been because I worked with men all the time that I wasn't exposed to very many women.  I have good men friends but not that I could call on and meet for lunch, they are all married and there are certain boundaries of respect, and I respect that.  Sometimes I just don't know how I got so lucky to have so many good friends.

Another year is passing

I don't know if it is part of being grown up but it's like the WE energies bill, it seems like I just paid it and it's in the mail again.  I never dreaded tax season till now and having a business, because like all other business's we have to pay taxes and personal taxes and all of this collecting of information starts January 1st.  Doesn't it seem like we just celebrated New Years?  Remember Y2K, when bunches of people bought generators in "case"?  In case of what, some people bought plywood to board of up their windows, my thinking was if I got hungry I would find the boarded up houses or some Mormon, they have to have food!!!  Well anyway with the New Year breathing down our necks, I am thinking what I would like to achieve in the New Year.  I don't make resolutions, I never follow through and I know it so why bother.  I do like to think and I use that term loosely, think about what I would like to achieve in 2011.  I am excited about Sheep in the City getaway and I am teaching at UWM in Spring.  I am not planning on going to Yarn School this Spring, just can't afford it, but I may go to Washington Island for some spinning sanity.  Anything further out than 5 or 6 months is pretty much a long time away for me.  I may rent the Civic Center and hold an Art yarn spinning class for two days?  I am loving recycling sweaters and saving the landfills from good wool and natural fibers.  I am joining a sketchbook challenge which last one year.  I want to write more and take more photos.  More street photography, that is a real challenge, but capturing people being themselves is my quest and the "How we knit"  this is where I am going to different knitting groups and photographing how knitters hold their needles.  It is of great interest to me, because we all hold them differently.  I may do a pod cast?  Well anyway I have to pay the Utility bill again.  Rest a little before another party weekend!!!

Hey who put that statue so close to the road?

Things seemingly are easing up as far as mom and her new transition, well her's and ours.  This morning I took Iggy to daycare and wanted to see if Target was open before 7am, guess not.  I drove a different way home, the way I normally take all the time, as I crested the hill, a familiar Christmas Carol was on and I was singing and thinking about the words, Little Drummer boy.  I used to dislike that carol for some reason but I am finding it very sweet as I get older.  I think it goes back to Holiday Concerts and the droning Rumpapumpum....we all had to sing, well at least I had to because I think I may be a tad tone deaf.  To keep with the theme of being annoying I would Rumpapumpum, either loud or off key.  I think I may have been jealous that I didn't sound like Brenda Lee or Janet Lennon?  So I am singing the words not the chorus and look to my right and mentally say "Why would someone put those deer statues so darn close to the road?  The deer at this point was looking in my window saying "Why the hell is the road so close to my toes?"  Seriously this deer was looking at me through my side window, maybe he heard me singing and it was like a dog whistle to them?  I was only going 35mph but when you see something like that it seems like you are going 100mph.   I kind of laughed to myself, the poor deer was dumb founded....as I am sure I was too.  Rumpapumpum...

They ask us why?

People ask us why we stay living in Wisconsin.  People ask how we can stand the cold and snow.  People like me say, Winter is beautiful, drinking chai tea or hot chocolate just doesn't seem right in 90 degree heat. A fireplace burning and wrapping in a wool blanket or hand knit afghan, can't be done like in the summer. It is snowing out right now, it is beautiful.  Knitting and sipping coffee, and wearing flannel jammies, is all part of the beauty.  I love walking in the snow, I don't like the bitter cold, but snow makes my heart and soul feel lighter, it lifts my spirits, or makes my spirit bright.  Why do I live here in the cold?  I love the snow, I love how the branches on the trees get heavy with sparkly white shiny glitter.  How the moon even looks like it is peaking out from a blanket of clouds, just enough to make sure all is calm, all is bright.  I love to hear the snow scrunch under boots or tires.  I love to watch Iggy run and flip snow with his nose and hop like a baby lamb in Spring.  I have to admit I don't like the snow when it gets dirty, and slushy, but everything has it's downside or the upside would never look so good.  So I am going to put on my coat and boots and go walk Iggy in the snow and catch some snowflakes on my tongue, or mostly my glasses.  I will kick the snow with my boots and smile and then come back into house where the fire is burning bright, the lights are sparkling on the Christmas tree, I will sit by the window and let it snow let it snow let it snow!!!

Tis the Season

Oh I hope you have your shopping done and your knitting has all it's ends neatly tucked in, the end is near.  Christmas that is!  I am not sure if I am ready, but I do know I am partied out.  This last week I had my Miller retirement party and it was very nice, nice to see all the people you worked for and it makes you wonder who is left working?  Then the Steamfitters from Miller throw a party at a bar near work and the retirees party on the working fitters.  I laughed so hard at all of the stories, some I heard and some I had not.  It is always so much fun to see those guys. I also need to mention it is so nice that there is no smoking anymore, I could breath.  Last year it was so cold and I didn't want to take my good jacket into the bar for fear I would never get the stink out of it, so I wore my sleeping bag coat and let it hang outside for a few days and nights.  I have been busy making slippers from sweaters!  I am having lots of fun doing this and also found that acrylic does not felt, like I didn't know that?  I thought it was a wool sweater, and normally I get a breathing reaction from acrylic, but I was working with so much fuzz I didn't really notice.  So into the washer it went and filled my washer with fuzz, fuzz and more fuzz and are now residing in the trash.  I also had to burn test one sweater because it looked like a mohair sweater but it wasn't.  I do have to say they are doing a prettty darn good job of making acrylic feel less plasticky.  So these Ugg like slippers are so warm and fun to design and decorate.

Punch everything and everyone

Have you noticed that a lot of commercials on TV are slapping people and hitting.  If you use Thera flu becareful because it will kick you butt.  Halls cough drops will bring in the Boxing trainer and open a can of whoop on you.  Heartburn causes your food to slap you in the face?  I get the idea, but is this the only way we can get a point across is hitting?  Seriously we grew up with the 3 stooges and yes we did emulate them poking eyes and slapping heads and the sound effects of whopppppppppp weeeeeeeee dunk.  I try as I might to avoid commercials but I noticed this and it can't help but make me wonder what it is doing to our kids.

My favorite mug and a break down

I bought this mug at Starbucks on Downer during a book reading at Boswells bookstore, it was soon to become my favorite mug.  It has a cool lid that pushes on and then you secure it with a twist of the outside band.  It is  a tad larger for a full cup of coffee or equivalent to a grande cafe.  Anyway, we and by we I mean my brother, sister in law and myself are  in the process of dealing with my mom.  She cannot live alone anymore, she has to have 24 hour care or assistance.  She will not be walking, she will probably be confined to a wheel chair and this is to prevent her from falling which she did in her apartment daily.  She has been extremely lucky to not have broken any bones and misses hitting her head by cleverly curling into a ball like a potato bug, when she does fall.  She will be moving into Assisted living and it is a family type group home and she will have her own private bedroom.  There is a mountain of paper work involved and do this and do that and tell them this and today I spent a minimum of four hours on the phone, in preparation for a move next Tuesday.  Last week we met with the funeral home director to prepay for funeral services which by the way if you have aging parents is highly recommended, that money is not considered in their assets and is not taxable.  So I grabbed my favorite mug with coffee and headed to the Rehab to meet for this preplanning stuff and had to leave quickly after for a hair appt.  I left my mug behind and my mom called to tell me, that my mug was still here.  I sighed with relief and said "oh thanks mom that's my favorite mug" the next day they were in what they call lock down, there was a case of the flu on her wing, no visitors, no leaving the wing.  So one day went into another and with phone contact and not being able to visit, I think she felt we left her.  So yesterday we finally got the OK to visit and Cheryl and I dropped in and I looked around and didn't see the mug, and then we got caught up on conversation and forgot to ask about it.  Today I asked where my mug was and she said "I threw it out"  point blank, just threw it out.  I really didn't believer her and did some errands and stopped in and she said , no I threw it out, I thought it was cardboard.  I said it was ceramic how could you not know?  Part of me wants to believe she made an honest mistake but knowing my mom and her history, part of me knows she can be mean, so I really can't just let her off the hook.  I left shortly after that and got in the car and started to cry...I really don't think it is the mug, it is all of the stress of this situation, are we doing the right thing with mom, is she going to love/hate the new place?  Is this going to work out Ok or not?  If you have not gone through this, let me tell you there is nothing you can do to prepare for this moment.   It is horribly stressful and so much red tape and hoops to jump through, it is unbelievable.  I can cry about it who cares....then I had a thought maybe I can stop in at Starbucks and see if they have another mug, just by chance.  Now I look like a street person, I have my black sleeping bag coat on, my dalmation spotted  scarf and a red hoodie sweatshirt with the hood up.   I see Chrismas mugs left and begin my hunt looking behind other mugs and please just one more mug...no luck.  I go to the counter and order a Chai tea and mention the mug and wonder if they have any left.  The young pretty girl says "I just sold the last one about 1/2 hour ago"  that did it, I started to cry and said and get this 56 years old "my mom just threw mine out and it was my favorite and and it really isn't about the mug and I'm sorry, she is old and sob sob, sniffle"  The other girl chimes in, hey I think they had some this morning at Holt ave.  "can you give me the number?  better yet she says, I'll call them...Oh thank you!!!  She says they have two and I said I'll take them both, I will go right over there.  Thanks so much and I'm really sorry to have blubbered, she slid the Chai tea over and said quietly, it's on us....Merry Christmas.....that made me cry some more but knew enough to get out of there before they called the pity police.  What gentle spirits they were, in a time when I was unraveling, a bare exposed nerve, inside and outside.  I hope I can pass that gentle spirit on when someone else has a melt down.  I hope someone will be kind to them when they need a tissue to dry their eyes, even when they are almost 60 years old.  It really isn't about the mug, now is it?

Sketch Book Challenge

Sometimes we all need inspiration.  I am joining this group and it will give me the push I need to sketch what I want to work on.  Now fair warning, I never sketch and idea because it is a deal killer.  For some reason, if I sketch it, it never turns out.  I am a fly by the seat of my pants person.  I write down the idea like, I want to make felted slippers from recycled sweaters, this is what I would do...
Felt sweater slippers, cuff, cute buttons
That's it and that is just so I remember the sketch in my head, if I put it to paper it is pretty much doomed???   I don't understand it but maybe with the help of others I can do this?  So I will be joining the Sketch book challenge and see what happens.

Tis the Season

The needles are clicking and everyone is trying hard to get that last minute knitting in before the Christmas parties begin.  I myself am working on a ruana, using Silk Garden and Nature spun yarn, it is a fun project and I find that it will keep my attention as long as there is either a color change or a pattern change.  I think that is why I love entrelac, it keeps growing and color changing.  It is a wintery blizzardy day today, I really love days like this.  I am glad they are not that frequent but I do enjoy sitting inside with coffee in hand, fire in the fireplace and chili cooking.  I am going to spin today, or actually continue plying a coil yarn I am working on.  I also may go down into the shop and weave, this is the perfect weather to sit at the loom and look out the window at the snow blowing and drifting outside.  I hope you can have the luxury of relaxing today and working on a project that will keep someone warm.  I also want to mention what a big hearted group of customer/friends I have here at my little shop.  Together we donated over 40 knit hats, scarves, mittens, lap robes, cakes, cookies, candies, money.  I had two pick ups of items and I am sure we helped to make a Veteran have a happy and warm Christmas last night.  My thanks to everyone that pitched in.

New Buzz words

This is the age that we become the parents to our parents and our children.  Yesterday, I had to make preburial funeral plans with my mom.  This is highly recommended by all senior living places, in order to shelter money they may have.  This money is put into a fund and the price of the funeral home is fixed but the other costs such as cremation, grave opening blah blah may go up.   When I entered the room I sat down and my first picture is just how frail my bossy, independant, perfectionist mother was.  A strong minded woman is just a shell of her old self.  Slipping out of control of what once was her life.  I felt compassion, something I haven't often felt for my mom.  I took her hands and said "Mom, I know we are shoving papers in front of you and asking you to sign them, I know this is hard for you and you have to know that we have your best interest at heart for you.  There are three of us working to make life as good as it can be for you, My sister in law Cheryl is doing way above what any DIL would ever do, my brother and myself are teaming up to take care of mom.  Prepaying for a funeral is kind of cool, you get to pick out exactly what you want, and you or I, got to cry at your decisions while reading verses that say goodbye to your family and friends on a shiney little piece of paper, with your name and date of birth and death printed on them.  It all seemed so final and I tried to make light of a sad situation.  It is now done, her funeral is planned and paid for and now we move on to the next hurdle.  Finding a place for mom to live, new buzz words are "family care" which is a nice way of saying Title 19 or Welfare.  You can only use that when you run out of the funds you saved your whole life and on and on....  So we never stop learning do we?  We learn life at different levels....now I am learning Senior stuff and how great is that?  By the time I will need to remember these phrases, they will have changed and I won't remember...I need a  nap!!!

The nose

Yesterday it was really cold here, the kind of cold that when you inhale through your nose the little flaps close inside and preheat your inhale air.  I had errands to do yesterday and warmed up the car while I took the Igster for his walk.  Before I left for grocery shopping and dropping the baby off at doggy daycare, I changed my coat, I usually wear the black sleeping bag coat to walk Iggy and it is hard to sit and drive in.  I put on my short coat and got into the car, I wasn't even to the end our short road here and I could feel it begin, the drip inside my nose.  I remained calm, my pockets are filled with neatly folded Kleenix to attend to just this kind of mishap.  I slip off my mitten and try to shove my hand into a pocket that is neatly tucked under my seatbelt.  I pull my jacket up and then the seatbelt down and wiggle my hand looking for that flap that will end this slow moving drip that is getting close to peaking out of my nostril into the cold winter air. I finally find the opening and grab kleenix, it is not neatly folded, it is not in a cute little plastic encased wrap, no it is a previously used wad.  I am desperate and after all it is my own snot that it was used for.  With my mittened right hand I go to wipe the escaping drip and something is tickling my lip and it is long and white?  I snear at my own disgust, but, I get the drip just as it starts to exit my nose and make it's ski hill jump down my lip, I pull the tissue away and who would know it was a long piece of white handspun yarn twisted into the white tissue. Oh the perils of a fiber freak!!!  Pockets are reloaded and ready to go.

The beautiful Season is upon us!!

I love snow, once again it makes my heart and soul lighter!!  I am blessed to live above a little village and all the lights are on and twinkling and snow makes it looks so much more pretty!!!  I am sitting on my couch watching it snow with a cup of hot coffee and a fire burning!!  This is the time for candles and peace!!   Snuggling up with a really good book, a blankie, and a  cup of chai tea.  Today we have our Holiday Stroll through the Village and Santa is here.  I should be more of  treat type person for when the kids come in but honestly, candy canes and yarn/fiber just do not fair well together.  Last year we had a great Santa, this year we have Suzanne from the Bead shop, she will do a great job, it will be interesting to be sure.  She loves kids so it will be fun.   Well I am going to make some breakfast and enjoy the show!!

Me Hurry??

I had my week planned, well as far as "me" plans go.  Monday I had running around and shopping, I call it my money Monday.  That went well, then Tuesday I wanted to make soap, felt some sweaters, finish some odds and ends, bring mom and her roomate lunch.  I started by trying to get in touch with my mom, no answer, for what seemed like hours no answer.  She has rehab a couple times a day, so I keep trying, I get the newsletter written and it just dawns on my I forgot to send it, foiled again!!!  I mean it, right now I forgot.....Ok, one more unfinished task.  I take my mom lunch and I eat a salad and I am done, my belly is aching and I don't feel too good.  Well then I get an email from Germany, they want 20 more DVD's, yes, I have 10 in stock that means burning, printing labeling and now I am behind MY schedule.  Like it doesn't take much to throw me off schedule.  So yesterday I played catch up...made soap with didn't turn out so good, I had to do my hurry thing and the colors on the ivy bled, it will be interesting to see how it looks when I turn it out of the mold?  I worked on a recycled hat, not too happy with it so I will be revamping it today.  It kind of looks like a floppy hat from the 60's...  it's cute but not too current.  I have some really cute arm warmers, done.  So the shop is buzzing.  My head is swimming and there is not enough time to get stuff done.  Next week is party week, and the week after is parties, tis the Season.....I just finished plying my recycled cashmere, it is so beautiful and soft.
For some reason I can't upload photos??  Yet another thing I will be looking into?  sigh

Losing weight?

I know I can't be the only person that buys into the "you've lost weight"  yes a little, and my knees feel better and I feel better and yes there is a glow in my cheeks and my ankles aren't the size of Mrs. Langes and my shoes are loose and.   Ok this is great, so then why, oh why do I feel after all of that, that I should start shoving anything in my mouth to jeopardize my attempts at feeling better.  Potatoes, oh yeah give me an extra spoonful and chips, oh yes and taco dip, pumpkin pie, oh my???  What else can I eat so that my knees will hurt again?  Hmmmmm chocolate something....brownies, can I find a good store bought brownie??   I want to feel the hurt again, I want the fat swollen ankles of salt overload.  I want my eyes to swell from dairy and sodium and boy am I accomplishing it.  What is wrong with me??  Why do I sabotage my great attempts and my health?  Is there something wrong with "feeling better?"  am I afraid to feel better?  Is it the good old Catholic guilt I was raised with that says you cannot feel to good it must be a sin???  hhhmmmm maybe that's it?  Whatever it is, it is stopping as soon as I quit typing, when my hands leave these keys, it is over, and done, finished and I will start to eat better again and when you eat better you can eat a lot of healthy good food, and I think I will never stop typing again.....help!!!!

Long Month

Has this been a long month or is it that I just spent too much money in the beginning of the month?  Our Indian tacos were great and we watched movies, I love a kick back Holiday!!!  Our family really doesn't do too much ado about any Holiday, but my favorite it Christmas eve, it always has been.  So a little update on my recycling project.  I have been sewing most of my life, I have taken many classes and can make my own patterns, how come I couldn't figure out the sweater I was reconstructing.  Part of me wants to blame it on the inattentive mind I have, but part of me knows darn well, I had a thought in my head and it was just plain wrong.  I was wrong, so I cut it apart and as I was cutting it apart I cut into a good part.  I put it down and figured this is something I will tackle on another day, I just wasn't working up to par on this day!!  Some days are meant for watching a good movie, which brings me to another issue.  I bought the book Eat, Pray, Love on audiobooks, it didn't load up right and I only got the first few chapters then I emailed them about it and they refunded my money and I rebought it and couldn't get past the first few chapters due to lack of interest in a rich woman's pitiful life.  So why did I think the movie would be better?  Maybe because Julia Roberts was in it?  So last night we watched it, or attempted to, it was painful to watch, a woman that appears to be having a mid life crisis is just "unhappy" so she leaves her unhappy marriage and shacks up with a free spirit that she is unhappy with and leaves the Country for a year.  OK now let me interject here, I consider myself lucky to take a week vacation in this Country probably this State, and she can leave and live in another Country oh wait 3 different Countries for a year?  I guess I would be unhappy too.  So we waited to see if the scenery would at least be redeeming and very few parts were.  Now I know why I couldn't get through the book, and they were doing me a favor by only letting me hear the first few chapters and did I heed the warning?  NO

Being Thankful

If I were to sit down and begin writing all of the things I am thankful for, it would be such a very long list.  People I have met that have changed my life, people that have come and gone in my life.  Teachers that made impressions on my mind, not my head.  My son, who has been my rock for all of his life, he is supportive and gives me the push that I need sometimes.  My daughter in law, for being so in love with my son and supporting him and me with her kindness.  My family just for being there, and all of my friends for accepting me for who I am.  I am thankful for my gifts and talents that I can't explain, so I know they are God given.  For having enough.....and so on and so forth.
We can all look at life in two ways, we can look at those that have lots of money and lots of things and compare our lives to them or we can look at the less fortunate and think just how lucky we are.  These are very hard times for many families and we can only hope and pray that it will get better for everyone.  I am thankful for a fulfilling life, and with all of it's ups and downs, they create character, my life is good!!!  I am thankful for that.  Happy Thanksgiving

Different in America

My second marriage honeymoon was a wonderful cruise to the Western Carribean and the Panama Canal.  For a special treat, and in preparation for the Captains Dinner, I signed up for a massage spa treatment and a make over.  I have always loved makeup and spend way too much money buying little pots of eye color that I never even would consider wearing.  I was excited about my afternoon of indulgence, not that a cruise isn't enough of a treat.  I wore a little short black cotton jumpsuit with flip flops.  I wore this jumpsuit alot it was really cute and comfy and I probably wore it too much come to think about it.  So off I went for my spa treatment, I was met by a very nice young lady with a heavy British accent, very heavy accent and dressed in a clean white uniform.  I was led to a small little room with a massage bed that was at an angle to fit in the small cabin.  There were jars and dim lighting and it was soothingly warm and inviting.  Ms Brit told me to disrobe, completely, she left the room and as I took off my clothes there was no where to hang or lay anything so I left it in a heap on the floor, not unlike at home, but this was a public place...oh well, Ms Brit enters and I am laying under a soft white sheet on the massage table.  I am laying on my stomach and Missy starts applying oil and massaging me and then says "ould you ike an ott pad eatment, er back is quite ense?"  uhhhmm sure Ok, not quite sure what she is saying because mind you this is in uberfast speak, but I agree and she places a  heated pad on my back and it really does feel good.  After a great rub down she has me turn on my back and she is going to begin the facial.   I have never had a facial so this was going to be special.  There is little talking going on and I am relieved because I can't understand her anyway, and I think this is her intention, I will find out later.  She smooths a heavy cream on my face and begins to massage and push and prod and it does feel great, she wipes it off asks me if I would like "is a spechel pro uct an is oud fer er skin"  sure I say, I am under the spell of feelin good.  So on it goes and is applied with some little buzzing machine and is vibrating my sinus cavities and teeth and my skin is feeling really alive.  She begins to wipe all of this off and applies a nice warm towel and leaves the room for me to relax in my theraputic bliss.  She comes back in the room as Tatiana the Terror, she whips the towel off of my face and begins her speel.  I somehow can understand her better now, "Z cream I used is this one and is for you, I smile thinking I am getting a jar of wonderful spa cream and then she says, "is $100 American dollars.....gulp and that gulp is me...now I am sitting on the edge of the table holding a sheet up against my bareness and she opens the cabin door slightly and I am not kidding kicks my clothes into the other room, one quick swipe of her leg and poof my clothes are gone, I think she may have a soccer backround?  Now I am getting nervous and am very naked and vulnerable.  She is offering me these great deals on lotions and potions and buy all of these at the low amazing cost of $300.00.  My heart is racing there is no way in hell that I am buying $300.00 worth of lotion, I don't care what kind of miracle it can do.  So I am trying to muster up some courage, remember I am naked, this chick has this routine down pat, get them naked and then attack.  She is mad at me, for not purchasing her fantastic cream and shoves the bill under my nose on a clipboard.  I may be naked but I can read, Holy crap?  You know that hot pad, $5.00, you know that little buzzing machine $30. plus the aromatic honey to lub the machine $10.  The only thing extra I didn't have to pay for was the sheet!!!!  So I signed my name and stood up, she left the room once again kicking my clothes that had landed right outside the door, back into the room.  I did the dress of shame, totally in disbelief that I had paid $100 over the already costly service...next the make over.  My stomach was sick, what kind of swindling will I get in the next room.  Little known fact, America has health standards, you do not share makeup, you are not allowed to touch a persons skin without their approval/signature, you certainly do not use the same brushes, mascara etc.  News flash, we were not in America anymore!!!   There was a basket of trashed makeup, spilled powdered shadow, eyeliner pencils shavings, brushes sticking out like a pin cushion.  Tell me they were not going to apply "THAT" makeup?  Oh yes they were, and using the same brushes, no cleaning involved.  I had my clothes on and  told them I was late for "Bingo" and left.  I went back to my cabin and laid down to relax for the Captains dinner, yes I could have complained but no one would care, we left the shores of America a long time ago.  My ego and my wallet both needed soothing.

Let the beautiful Season begin

It is darn cold, and if it is this cold I want snow!!!  I know you are all sighing right now, I love snow and I did shovel it for 12 years and went to work for 30 years.  You have to admit it is beautiful, it sparkles in the moonlight and looks like diamonds.  It flows past windows all fluffy and light.  I hope the first snowfall is during the day, so I can enjoy it.  With the loom, in the shop now, I can weave and watch the weather outside.  I would love to make snow angels but if I fell backwards first it wouldn't be on purpose and second, it would take a crane to get me out!!!  Stay warm tonight, it is a one dog night for me and he is tight against me, we are sharing our heat!!!  And yes I have turned on the heat finally!!

Writing class

So last night was my last class in memoir writing.  This class started out making me feel very inferior and uneducated,  I am very much "less" educated than many of these Lawyers, Teachers, Nurses, etc.  I am normal, well as normal standards go.  I did not write flowery words that flowed off of my tongue like a butterfly, I did not write with deep conviction about a sad situation, I am writing about my childhood, my life.  I have a ton of stories and most of them are funny and great.  We had to read what we wrote, it went around the room like this....death, death, convicted child molester trial, death, fraud, birth, death, crawling on my dad like he was a human toy.  Do you see how I don't fit in!!!  LOL, it was good though I did learn many things, sorry Anonymous I didn't learn that there grammer!!!   I did learn technique.
I also have some fun things up my sleeve I am doing a study on "How we Knit"
I want to be invited to knitting groups that get together to knit, I want to photograph people knitting.  I started this a few years ago and it was so interesting that I think I want to do a Flickr page on it.  So if you want me to come and see how you knit, please contact me, a cup of coffee is all I ask and I could make your hands famous!!!
For years I was told I knit wrong, very strongly, told I knit wrong.  Why?  Because I stick a needle between my thighs more like my crotch  and knit off of one needle?  Who cares if the end result is a perfect stitch.  I always claim I don't care if you use your ears to hold the needles, it is the outcome that is important.  So if you stop in the shop, be prepared to be photographed and don't forget to invite me to your groups!!!

How I became a Spinner

There was a time in my youth that I loved doing things the hard way.  Everything from scratch, which and this may come as a shock but cooking, cleaning.  I always did paintings and drawings, I would knit but on of course whatever yarn I could find and no one ever wore what I made.  My dad, son and I began going to these Civil War re-enactments and I saw a woman spinning.  I circled around a few times and watched her with intrigue.  My dad grew up in the back woods of Upper Michigan and he taught us to live off of the land.  Every time we would walk in the woods, he would teach us lessons from nature, this is a plant you can eat, this one is for a sore throat, these pine needles will make a tea to sustain you, but you have to know how to build a fire.  Lessons from the Earth and my dad, so from an early age, I was taught about natural living.  He saw my affection for the spinning wheel and said I think I could make one for you.  Imagine how thrilled I was about that, so I found instructions.  Then one day I was going to rummage sales and looked into the back of the garage and low and behold there was the most beautiful saxony spinning wheel with a 1/2 sheet of paper sign on it that read $75.00.  I only had about $20.00 on me if that and I asked the lady if she would hold it for me while I ran to the bank.  She agreed and I took out all of my savings the full $75.00.  This was a time when I was not working all that much, work a week laid off two weeks etc.  This was a sacrifice for me, but this was my dream.  The woman told me it was  a wedding gift from her sister and brother in law and that he made it.  They had a falling out and she didn't want it any more.  I told her it would have a good home but she didn't care, it was gone.  I felt kind of bad about that, here in my arms I was carrying a hand made birdseye maple spinning wheel that someone gave as a gift of love, so I started running before she changed her mind.   I got it up the stairs to my apartment and then started treadling, it was all I could do because there were no Wool shops and no Internet.   I probably treadled for hours, envisioning yarn being made in my hands.  I found a wool shop in Cedarburg, and called dad and off we went.  It was Cedarburg Woolen Mills and the woman was very helpful Kay was her name, she took the time to show me some things and I left with a bag of pencil roving.  Let the spinning begin, somehow I got it attached to the leader and started to spin this thick and thin lumpy bumpy yarn, it was the most beautiful stuff I ever laid eyes on.  I did have Rose colored on by the way.  My dad was so proud of what I was doing.  I don't remember what I used for equipment like a niddy noddy and I only had one bobbin, but I wound the yarn into balls and I will have to look at "Wooly" and see if I plied the yarn.  I want to thank Kay Walters for her generous kindness of showing me what to do with wool, and look what a monster she created!!!