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  • Suddenly, nothing happened.

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    Box A: Louisa Harding Kimono Angora 4 balls. 25g 125 yards per ball. 70% angora, 25% wool & 5% nylon. Fingering/lace weight.

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    Box B: Regia Stretch 2 balls. 50g 200 meters per ball. 70% superwash wool, 23% polyamide & 7% polyester. Fingering weight.

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    Box C: Ironstone Yarns Bouquet of Colors Mohair 4 skeins 2 different colors. 2 oz. 75 yards/skein. 90% mohair, 5% wool, 5% nylon. Spun in England & Hand dyed in Scottland. Fingering/lace weight.

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    Box D: Plymouth Yarn Baby Alpacka Grande Tweed 1 skein (shown) and Schulana luxair-print baby alpaca 1 skein (not pictured here.) First skein is 100g 110 yards. 90% baby alpaca, 7% acrylic & 3% rayon. Bulky weight. Second skein is 50g 110m. 40% alpaca, 28% virgin wool, 20% polyester & 12% polyamide. Worsted weight. (Link to pic of shulana: http://www.fiber2yarn.com/custom/schulana/2013/luxairprint.jpg) look at color #50.

  • It took me all morning to write the little bit I actually got to:

    FIRST I had to read and respond to various and sundry xangans.  Watch out for the sundry ones! 

    Then I had to field at least 27 political calls.  Because it seems there are always political calls coming thru.

    Finally my hubby kept reminding me of things I really should have been doingI know, I know, I'm in shock - there are other things to do rather than sitting at the computer?!  So, I'd get up and do them and then run back here and get back to the important things...

     

    So when I finally got down to write, I found some totally fun quotes that I blatantly stole.  If I knew who they were from, well of course I would tell you.  Without further ado (adieu, adieu to yu & yu & yu):

    A morning without coffee is like something without something else.

    You can name your own salary here - I like to call mine Fred.

    There is absolutely no substitute for a genuine lack of preparation.

    If you can smile when things go wrong, you have someone in mind to blame.

    It takes 8,460 bolts to assemble an automobile, and one nut to scatter it all over the road.

    There can't be a crisis today, my schedule is already full.

    Arguing about whether the glass is half full or half empty misses the point, which is this: the bartender cheated you.

    War doesn't determine who's right but who's left.

    Everybody lies, but it doesn’t matter since nobody listens.

    If it weren't for Edison, we'd all be watching TV by candlelight.

    Did you ever stop to think and forget to start again?

     

    Gotta run, the phone's ringing again!

  • Misc. Mind Drippings

    I used to have a handle on things, but it broke.

    Politically, I’m about  40% Green Party, 30% Libertarian, 20% Independent, 10% Malamute, and 10% Dachshund

    You should also know that I like my men like my pencils - refillable and in assorted barrel colors!

  • Chicken Run

    The last few days have been busy ones.  (ORDER UP! - one week of running around like a chicken without a head! DING) Hey, I like to dance the Funky chicken, not the headless one.

    * I attended an aforementioned Wednesday spinners. The soup was sublime.  We discussed the installation we are putting up at the library; it is our hand-spun work - the show is up for a month.

    * I answered phones at a fund-raising drive for public radio (gotta help those friends of big bird after all!)

    * I drove my daughter all over and got horridly lost while looking at high schools (nothing like being late for an appointment and getting lost!  Or was that getting lost made us late for those appointments?  At least the drive was pretty.  And the schools, they were pretty too.)

    * Finally last night I performed in a radio show (including singing as Rosemary Clooney.)  This is an all day event as we set-up and rehearse during the day and perform after dinner is served at a local inn.  We performed an adaptation of the Daphne DuMaurier's short story "The Birds" which was made into a movie by Alfred Hitchcock.  The movie is more horror and doesn't end on quite the downer the story does, but it was a good Halloween thing. 

     

    Earlier in the week I lost a beloved pet to cancer.  We buried Ladybug in her favorite garden. This is actually her head shot for a play she was in, "Lettice & Loveage." 

    Lady played Felina Queen of Sorrows

    Non sequitur:

    My world is complete.  I have just now realized that I have my own personal bouncing satellite.  Not only that, but MY satellite likes giving kisses and scratches my feet if I don't pick her up. 

    Mimsy as a puppy.

    I am loved beyond all boundaries and you are jealous and in need of a good hair cut.

     

     

  • Wicky Tempts fate...

    OK, so I'm feeding my flock and the Jehovah's Witnesses come up with their literature for me. (feeding my flock - get it?!  Do I crack you up as much as I do myself?!  Sorry, off track again, sigh.)

    And, no shit, the cover title says: "PORNOGRAPHY."  Whoa, this is not what I expected of this religion! 

    OK, OK, I am a proponent of faithful marriage/relationships and I am not fond of porn, but the whole thing hit my funny bone just so - so I have to play devil's advocate - you understand.

    So, curious I checked it out - all in the name of good investigative reporting, mind you.  Here's a sample box in the article (typos are mine, but the weird grammar is all theirs):

     

     

     

    They are giving me a choice?  I could pick this apart on both sides (and get lots of folks upset with me) but I'll just let you do that for yourselves.  

    I don't know about you, but I don't think that any of this stuff changed any minds on the subject.  Again the worst part is that I'm not a fan of porn.  While I'm not knocking the Jehovah's Witnesses, I am making fun of the article that was written.

    ************

    Here, I thought prawnography (click for link) was really bad, not silly... only I guess I didn't know how to spell it before.

    That's my opinion and I'm sticking with it.

  • Hen Pecked

    So, as stated before, I have chickens.  Of all shapes and sizes.  About 50 of them.

    Chickens are very hard on the earth.  High nitrogen poop & constant digging makes the ground muddy and smelly.  We move the panels around to give them new grass every few days, however the common ground is always stressed.

     

    There is such a thing as a pecking order.  The hen with the least seniority gets picked on by everyone else, but is not allowed to peck on anyone above her.  The top bird, on the other hand, can pick/peck on down the line with nary a problem and everyone in-between knows who they can peck and who they can't.

    I think this one looks the worst.

     

    But she is not alone.  These ladies are also a little chilly around the tail.  Sorry about the focus, I didn't change the shutter speed.

    Thing is, once chickens see blood, they pick and peck at it, causing more trauma and it can kill the victim.  Kinda reminds me of bullying.

     

    LATELY, I've been seeing around here lots of passion without compassion... it's one of the reasons I dislike discussing religion & politics.  However, I have read a few posts where the 'chickens start pecking' and the stuff that comes out of people's um, keyboards, makes me wonder "WTF is going on?!"  Once the sharks start to circle, watch-out!  I've seen people calling for the death of children with peanut allergies.  I've seen mothers criticized viciously for their fairly normal parenting techniques.  I've seen people harass others for whom they date.  Finally I've seen posts about bullies become bullish in the comment section.  I think I need to stay away from the themed featured areas...

    I also would like it to be known that any trolls around here will be deleted and blocked.  If people can't treat each other with respect, they can go elsewhere to do it.

    I knew I hated people.

  • click here for outrageous EBAY items 

    I think the food section is pretty silly!

     

    I think that the article above shows one aspect of how people have been hypnotized by their cats.  You thought that tail swishing was just a pissed off cat, but NO! you are being told by the government to 'help the economy grow' via your pets to make ridiculous sales & purchases.  I have escaped from this because my cat is a Manx type.

    Well, I found this picture in my e-mail today and all you have to do is watch your pet goldfish to get un-mesmerized and then follow the directions below that pic to keep from purchasing garbage:

    It's the best use of duct tape I've seen in a long while!

     

     

  • Old post re-visited

    The Country Mouse & the City Mouse - Chapter 17

    starring my sister & me

    Awhile ago I joined a spinner's group.  When I told my sister about it, she was excited for me.

    I was telling her about where we meet, and that we all bring these wonderful goodies to munch on, while the hostess makes a terrific pot of soup, "...and I didn't even get dizzy, ha, ha, ha..."

    J- asked me how long did I spin.

    "I don't really know, I didn't keep track of time.  I spent a lot of time talking with the spinners about gossip, about families, about philosophy, etc."

    "I have a friend who works in our office that joined a spinning group.  She spun under an hour her first time." J- said.

    "I guess I was spinning on and off the whole time I was there.  We got there at 10 and left at 2." I replied.

    "What kind of spinning do you do?" J- asked, rather perplexed.

    "Of course I was just kidding about being dizzy J-.  I spun wool.  All the spinners spin mostly wool, although Sue showed us how to spin flax; that was neat because I thought you needed a different wheel.  What kind of spinning does your friend do?" I asked.

    "Stationary bicycle spinning."

    I guess I am just a real country mouse.

  • The incredible edible

    Are your loved ones plotting to eat you?to take the test yourself, just click the pic

    Created by Oatmeal

     

    It's good to know that I'm somewhat desirable.  Since my tongue is firmly implanted in my cheek, perhaps it is myself who wishes to eat me... but that would require more energy than I can muster at the moment.  *Note to self: Get more sleep before self-cannibalization.*

    In looking up the spelling for cannibal, I found a site for Cannibal The Musical! It says it's a black comedy and I would imagine that it would have to be.  I don't think I'm really all that interested to be honest.  Let me know if you find anything worthwhile there if you go. 

    My eldest daughter likes zombie movies and I never really got into them.  It is a shameful secret, I know.  Like the middle school dance thing - I am too old to exist in that world.  My 'almost as old as me' friend would balk at this, "Really?!  You don't like zombie movies?"  Then again, there is plenty that I do that my daughter doesn't comprehend AND my friend still isn't as old as I am. 

    Not sure why I'm on this track, but it's an odd path, and I like odd paths...

    So, I haven't visited Oatmeal in a while, and it is such a silly place to read - maybe not as weird as sponge monkey, but still a fun place.  If you haven't been before, it's worth a look-see and if you have, go back again - just for a good giggle.  Please note that all words in red are linked to their websites.

     

    Hope you all have a tasty day!

  • Egging on

     

    Normanly I like to write with my tongue firmly inserted in my cheek - it is more difficult to speak that way, but writing is not so difficult.  I fear today's chatter will be on the less silly side (until the end when I eggspecially have egg on my face - or at least my arm and my dog's face.)  So Ladles & Gelly-mints let me get started on a cereal note:

    Egg puns just CRACK me up!

    (OK, NOW I'll be serious)

    a rainbow of eggs - I gather these beauties daily -

    well, not THESE eggs, but ones very much like them.

    After the events of the day - which I shall relay in a bit - I was reminded of an old tip I learned as a child.  Since I have chickens and lots of eggs I thought I'd pass this tip on.  It surprised me to learn that not a lot of people had heard how to tell if an egg is fresh.  So without further ado (and what is an ado anyway?) my tip:

     

    If you put an egg in water and it sinks to the bottom it is fresh.  If it floats on the top it is rotten. 

    ***warning, do not throw your eggs in the deep pond unless you only want to gather the bad ones back*** 

    I looked this up as my knowledge was unsure as to why, but I found out it is because as an egg decomposes water vapor and gasses are released through the porous shell and the air cell increases.  The larger the air cell, the more the egg floats.

     

    The egg on the right is older than the egg on the left.  It is tipped up higher.

    If your egg is lying flat on the bottom, it is very fresh.  If it is touching the bottom but is tipped up, it is less so, but still not rotten.  The latter eggs are great for hard boiling as the older eggs are easy to peel after being boiled.

     

    NOW for my 'event' today.

    (actually it was yesterday if you want to be technical)

    In the gathering of eggs, my husband found one outside of the hen house on the ground.  Since the birds are young, this is fairly normal, the younger girls haven't cleaved to the nesting box readily so I didn't think much of it.  When I went to wash it, it literally exploded with a loud pop.  Shell pieces hit me hard in the arm!  The yolk was definitely on me!

    The smell was incredibly horrible and I ran out into the back yard with what I could gather of the mess and threw it into the woods.  Of course, this was the best time for company to show up and I greeted my guest by running out the door and laughing at the situation (because what ELSE could I do?) yelling over my shoulder, "Nice to meet you, I've a bad egg to deal with.  Hahaha!"

    Upon entering the kitchen with guest in tow, I opened the windows and started to scrub the mess up.  I passed the visitor off to my husband, since it was his thing any way and got to work.  Now, they say that the 'rotten egg' smell is added into the gas line to let you detect a gas leak.  Let me tell you, that gas scent is not the 'real' rotten egg smell.  What I had a whiff of was much stronger - to the point of my eyes tearing up.  It smelled like a skunk had hit me dead on; not the after smell, but the sharp smell.  Then the 'lesser' smell was more like really rotten potatoes or onions, which is gagging.

    Meanwhile I sent my daughter out to bring the dogs in as it was their supper time.  While she knew about the rotten egg, she didn't know I'd thrown it in the woods and (you know where this is going, right?!) didn't stop the dog from going into the wood to roll around in the fresh smell.

    Now the smell in the kitchen was REALLY bad with the smelly dog, so out the dog went again until I could bathe her.  It took a long time for the smell to dissipate and then I had to deal with it again to wash up the dog.

     

    One very contrite, but clean dog.

    Omelette you make your own conclusions for this story.  Did you know there are two ways to spell omelet?  I didn't   Any egg puns are welcome in the comments.