# FAC ~ July 2014



## Marchwind

JULY?????? Wow this summer is flying by. The Michigan Fiber Festival is next month :dance:

This is the Fiber Arts Chat (FAC). We come here to check in if we are busy and just want to touch base and say "Hi!" Or if we have other issues in life we want or need to talk about. This thread is also the perfect place for anyone new to the Fiber Forum to pop in and introduce themselves, or you can start your very own thread 

**A message to our new members**
If you have any questions, issues or answers please feel free to jump in. Ask your questions. There is no question that is "silly", "stupid", or "dumb", we all started at the beginning so we know exactly what you are going through. If you are experienced in the fiber arts and can answer or offer help PLEASE jump in and offer advice. We may know a lot but we sure don't know everything. I'm always learning new things from the questions asked or the advice given.

The weather this summer sure has been odd. We have had days that were so steiflingly hot I can't function, you know it's bad when you are sweating in the shower, seriously. The, the next day it will be zero humidity and a perfect 75* outside. We have had buckets and buckets of rain, everything feels damp, I'm sure I'll be growing moss between my toes soon. We are just going through one of oppressive heat waves. We had severe thunderstorms last night and now it's going to go back to feeling nice out. I'm being stubborn too and haven't put my AC units in my windows yet. I just hate closing windows and with the fluctuations in the weather it just hasn't seemed necessary.

On the fiber front. I'm going to be getting my Kromski Sonata cleaned up to sell. I need to figure out a price for it. If anyone thinks they might be interested please let me know. I've been trying to work with this commission fiber from a friend. I think I've talked about it here. This is an Angora, fine wool (Merino?), silk blend and the mill that processed it do the most gawdawful job of it. They ruined the whole batch, over carding the blend and making horrible nups all through from the fine wool :shrug: She contacted me about the stuff yesterday and I told her I wasn't happy with the results and I'm really not happy about working with this stuff, there are pounds of it. She said she new it was bad but she just thought it was her spinning abilities. I let her know it we as not her but the fibers. So I will give her the 3 skeins I've spun up and the bag of fibers back at the MFF next month. It just makes me angry that a mill, that is very reputable, could ruin such great fibers like this. I want to go through all of my fleeces and get rid of the ones I know I will never do anything with. In my mind I'd love to get this done this summer but I just don't see it happening like that :teehee: Maybe in the fall :shrug:

The Michigan Fiber Festival is next month. The animals barns which used to hold many of the vendors and several of the animals, as well as the fleece and skein judging, had their roofs collapse this winter. There was other damage to other buildings too but those have since been fixed. We had been hoping that since the fair is the week after the fiber fest. that they would have the barns rebuilt by then. They informed us earlier this month that the new barns will not be finished. Sooooooo, they will be putting up one or two big circus type tents. This could go either way, it could be the best thing going with lost of air movement or the worst thing going. Our next board meeting will be at the fair grounds to go over everything <sigh>

What have you all been up to?


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## MDKatie

Ooh, a wheel! I may be interested, but I'm just not sure I have the money for it. Maybe if I can get my goat milker sold!! Is the Sonata a good all-purpose wheel? I'll have to do some reading on it. I'm not ready to commit though, so if anyone else is ready to buy please don't hold it for me. 

I hate hot weather too! We're having a little heat wave now, and I hate it. We finally got our window unit put upstairs in our bedroom last night though!! The AC in our house doesn't do much cooling in the very upstairs, so we've been trying to make do with a fan. It was so nice to not wake up sweating this morning! Blech. 

And less than 6 months until Christmas!! :lookout: I'm excited, because I'm just not a fan of summer!

The fiber festival sounds fun! That's too bad about their buildlings! I hope the circus tents work out well! Hopefully there will be a nice breeze so the tents won't be stifling.


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## hercsmama

A Sonata eh?
Katie you get first crack, but if you aren't interested I sure am. You and Marchie have a chat, and let me know what you want to do...

Well, it looks this morning, like our humidity may have broken a bit. It's been soooo humid lately, but is fairly dry this morning. I do believe I will head out to the gardens, and put some more t posts up for trellising...
Dh is up to something, he got up early, fed the sheep, and the cats...not like him at all. Not that he doesn't ever help out with the animals, he does, but never in the mornings......somethings up.
He even cut down the cherry tree I've been after him to remove late yesterday afternoon......hmmmmm...
Maybe he is just being a good boy as his birthday is looming...little does he know I already picked out his present! :teehee:

I managed to get all my Yak combed yesterday, so I have a bag FULL of rolags ready to go for TDF. This afternoon I'll work on more of that Alpaca.

Off to drive in t posts!
Take care all!


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## Wind in Her Hair

It can't be July already!!!  That means our summer is almost OVER (and that's okay with me as long as we get a nice long fall! :teehee 

Actually, July is usually the worst month we have here - what with the crossover plagues of mosquitoes and deer flies. :shocked:

They make it difficult to enjoy gardening or foraging in the woods because they dive bomb you. You must wear head nets and that takes all the fun out of it. 

Sitting in the sun doused in insecticide or sitting close to the campfire is the only way to enjoy the outdoors in July. But sometimes we get lucky - our high today will only be in the 60ÂºFs and tonight we get down in the lower 40ÂºFs. North of here they are expecting temps in the 30ÂºFs. 

(We haven't had to turn on our A/C yet. :grin

July is for parades, fireworks, time spent on the water, weeding the garden and mowing the lawn, watching for spotted fawns to come out of the woods and campfires. 

If its too buggy to get outside, then I'll stay inside and spin! *PERFECT timing for the TDF!*


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## SvenskaFlicka

Depending on what you want for your Sonata, I'm interested too. Philip has been wanting a portable style wheel, and right now he is very interested in a Sonata. I think it would be a good wheel for him.


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## Taylor R.

Unfortunately we didn't get good news yesterday. Our friend was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, and though he's young and strong and his prognosis is better than many who are diagnosed, it's still not great. I'm so heartbroken for their family. He's got a 4 year old, a 2 year old, and his wife is 20 weeks with their third child. My kids are having a hard time coping with knowing he's very sick and in the hospital and not being able to see their Uncle Dustin.

Off to work on some crochet projects and get a little zen time.


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## DragonFlyFarm

Finally got the seeds started for our annual pumpkin patch. Set 250 seeds from our local seed bank (baker creek), we will transplant them as soon as they sprout true leaves. Since the patch gets planted in the field the sheep sleep in, we are now in a rush to extend the sheep shelter and enlarge the pen area. Picked up my new Jacob ram along with a BFL/Jacob cross ewe on Sunday. Evenings have been spent combing a beautiful Corriedale fleece I purchased at a local fiber mill gathering. Taylor, I'm so sorry to hear about your friend...hugs to you.


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## MullersLaneFarm

I love my sonata! I have it equipped with a WooLee Winder and it is my main wheel.

No A/C here yet either. We have had some tremendous weather the last couple of nights. A small tornado passed by within a mile of us last night ... whoa!! the days have been quite pleasant for the most part. 

I'll be having out patient surgery next Tuesday to get the long screw out of my ankle (it goes from the plate through the fibula and into the tibia). I'll still have the plate & 5 screws keeping my fibula in place.

Oh Taylor, what horrible news. I will keep him in prayer.

Kasota, don't worry about the weight of the yarn for the feather & fan shawl ... just use needles the appropriate size for the yarn you are using!


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## Kasota

Marchwind, you sure have been busy! Bummer about the fiber from your friend. That is heartbreaking that it was processed so poorly.  I hope all turns out well for the MFF! I wish I could go...

MDKatie, I don't like hot weather either. Blech! I will be able to ship off your fence charger on Saturday. I can't get to the post office during work hours but there is an office not too far that is open on Saturday morning. I'm sorry it's taking me so long!

Debi, I do wonder what your DH has been up to! Is it driving you crazy that you don't know what it is? LOL! Post pictures of the yak if you can. I wonder what that is like to work with...

WIHH, I don't know where June went either but don't say the summer is over! It just can't be over yet...

Svenska, are you all moved? 

Taylor, I am so, so sorry about your friend. That is just heartbreaking. A friend of mine got the same diagnosis and it was almost too much to wrap our minds around. He was the poster boy for healthy living, was a body builder and a fitness coach...and then it just changed so fast. (((hugs))) 

DFF, that's a lot of pumpkins!! Wow! Post some pictures of your sheep so we can share in the joy.  

Cyndi, prayers for an uneventful procedure. How are things healing? 

Life has been so crazy I don't know whether I am coming or going. They laid off a bunch of people in the building where I work.  No one in my department but it is heartbreaking. Between work and home I feel like I have to make an appointment with myself to pee. I have been running 12 hour days and not getting near enough sleep. Mom and my sister seem to consume the bulk of whatever is left of my day. I am for sure missing my vacations this year but there is nothing for it. One foot in front of the other...


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## lambs.are.cute

Ac time here. We have a cool 98*f here and we haven't hit the peak for the day. And the radio had the wonderful new that Wednesday and Thursday will be even hotter, but Friday will only be in the low 80s. My poor ewes are in the shade feeling sorry for themselves.


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## SvenskaFlicka

No, Kasota, we are not all moved yet. We are looking at moving sometime soon after the 15th. I've got a huge pile of sewing and weaving to do before then. (I need to find a way for my weaving to fit into the TDF, lol.) It's all that sewing for the Runestone museum-- I'm partly done with some of it. :teehee:

BUT, we did find a house! It's in Stromsburg, my hometown, and it's a 1920's Arts and Crafts style house. Just a few blocks from my old storefront which I am hoping to rent again, and close to a lot of good work opportunities for Philip. We are going to rent it for a couple of months, but it is for sale, and we are hoping to buy it if there is nothing drastically wrong with it. We would appreciate prayer that everything will work out the way it is supposed to, and that Philip will find the right job for him.

In the meantime, we have a lot to do to get ready to move, and we have to find appliances and furniture. (We really only have a couple of random heirloom pieces and then Craig's List finds, so it seems silly to move the cheap things. We don't love this $25 couch that much!)

Kasota, I hope you get some rest soon. 

Taylor, I'll be praying for your friend and his family.

Debi, isn't that driving you NUTS?!?


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## Kasota

Svenska - we need pictures of the house!  I love arts and craft style homes. The character is just soooo homey! Is this the one that has a garage/shop for Philip?


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## MDKatie

Taylor, I'm so sorry about your friend. 

Kasota, don't worry, I'm in no rush! Please don't stress yourself about it, whenever you mail it is just fine. I haven't had time to pack up your box yet, either!


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## SvenskaFlicka

I will get you pictures of the house as soon as I can.  I have a few on my phone, but I'm on my computer... You know the drill. It is really beautiful, all original and not remuddled at all!

It has TWO built-in workbenches in the basement and a shed in back! I think Philip will have lots of space.

My mom says that house is so big that we'll loose each other in that house after living in an apartment all this time. :rotfl: It has three bedrooms.


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## ejagno

Hey everyone;

For the past several months I have been helping my dear sweet father in law go through 55 years of memories he and my dear departed mother in law had as we prepared to move him. It wasn't easy in the least so I decided that last weekend was going to be MY TREAT to myself. I had the patterns and yarn all picked out and waiting for an entire weekend of fiber arts all to myself. Heck, I even had some great movies and snacks waiting. 

I got home Friday afternoon to 2 1/2+" of water in my house from 9+" of rain we had in 24 hours. Needless to say the only fiber I had in my hands was the cotton on the end of the mop head. Now it's adjusters, roofers, sheetrock contractors, etc....... I'm beginning the think I'll never get those needles or hooks back in my hands.


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## Kasota

> My mom says that house is so big that we'll loose each other in that house after living in an apartment all this time. It has three bedrooms.


Do you mean two bedrooms and a fiber room? 

Ejagno, it's good to see you post. I was wondering how you were doing. I'm so sorry to hear about the mess at your house. That is just heartbreaking!!! I hope your insurance company takes good care of you! How is your dad holding up? That's got to be rough...

Sunny, cooler and lower humidity here. yay! I'm looking forward to the three day weekend. Maybe I can get some sleep....


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## Wind in Her Hair

everyone is soooooooo busy - I am having trouble catching up!


After a couple of days of TERRIBLE pain (due to the spinal issues) I woke up this morning feeling amazing! :shocked: :nanner: :bouncy:

One of my coworkers is on vacation, so I am doing double duty and working through the pain has been horrible. I have been near tears :sob: for several days and have come to appreciate and admire all those folks living with chronic, unending pain. Wow. Just. wow. :bow: :bow: :bow:

Thank the Lord, a respite from the pain - even if for a few hours - is such a blessing! YEE HAW!!!

*taylorR,* prayers coming your way, *ejagno *- how awful. Hopefully the insurance guys will make it right and you'll be back to your fiber and needles in nothing flat. Maybe knit an umbrella or a lifeboat! 

I knew SvenskaFlicka had been too quiet for too long - and figured the big move to Nebraska was in the works. Glad you found a house that suits you - and yes, your sewing and weaving will certainly "fit" into the TDF -if only because moving can seem like the "end of the world".  See, I can pretty much stretch anything to fit the theme! 

Kasota - I know what you mean about the potty break - mercy. :grin: I am happy to be employed but some weeks are just cuckoo and this has been one for the records books. 

Everyone else - have a great day!


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## SvenskaFlicka

Kasota said:


> Do you mean two bedrooms and a fiber room?


No, I mean three bedrooms! There is a sun/morning room downstairs on the northeast corner where my loom is going to live-- as well as my spinning wheels, sewing machine, etc. The three bedrooms are all upstairs. 

I have been quiet because almost all of last week was spent away from computers. First we went to Nebraska to investigate houses, and didn't find anything. Then Wednesday we drove back, and my mom texted me to tell me about this house her friend's son is selling. Then Thursday I sewed like a madwoman, and we headed up to Moorhead to their annual Viking Festival! 

And oh hey! Here are some pictures I found of me weaving at the Viking Festival! 



















Then after the Viking festival, we went to Alexandria, and they interviewed me on Sunday for a documentary on doing the Viking costumes for the Runestone museum! 










Now I just have two weeks to finish all the Runestone museum costumes and four other tunics, and a bunad! :run:

Ejango, water in a house sucks. I hope you get everything sorted out in a timely and low-stress manner.


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## Taylor R.

ejango, I hope it all gets fixed up quickly and your life can get back to normal.

Kelsey, how exciting about the house!! Wahooo!

WIHH, glad you're feeling better, and I hope it stays that way!

Our friend started his chemo last night while we were up there visiting. They're attacking this thing hard and fast, and hopefully it'll get it taken care of. He'll be in the hospital for the next month receiving chemo, but hopefully he'll get out of ICU once they get his lungs cleared up. His diagnosis hit him pretty hard, but I think he was coping better once the shock wore off. I think he's having the hardest time now with the idea of not being able to see his kids for a month. I set him up a Skype account yesterday and left a tablet there so he could video chat them today.


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## Woodpecker

Everyone is so busy. Prayers for all. I am still having wicked neuropathy that I too have been driven near to tears and sometimes beyond. I have treatment Monday and will ask about it then.

Taylor he and his family are in my prayers as are the rest of us who must fight this dreaded disease. If I can do anything please don't hesitate to PM me.

Mom is holding her own, thank God.


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## hercsmama

Kelsey, that is so amazingly awesome about the museum commission, and the moving, and the Viking Festival, and the interview! But most especially about the moving!!
Can't wait to meet you in person!
Wp. as always, keeping you and your Mom in my thoughts.
Taylor, you're a great friend, I'll be keeping your friend in my thoughts as well.

Well, I really did it this time.
I have the big smoker going out back, cooking down a bunch of pork for pulled pork. Then I realized I needed to tie up tomatoes, too. So, I figured no biggie, went and got some t posts from the pile, and used them for the uprights, 18 of them, then realized we are low on wood for the smoker. No biggie, dh hacked an old Cherry tree down for me so I'll use that, right?
Got out MY chainsaw, and went at it. Chopped it all up, took it to the splitter, and split the entire thing.
Yea, so now, after driving in 18 t post, and cutting and splitting about 5 wheel barrows worth of wood, I'm sitting and waiting for the 4 Motrin to take effect.:indif:
What was I thinking? I ain't 18 and I ain't a big bad man!:hrm:

Needless to say, the smoker smells amazing, and I'm just going to tend my fire, and spin the rest of the afternoon..rincess:


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## Marchwind

Taylor keeping your friend in my thoughts. How sad . Is he going to need a bone marrow transplant? I know that sometimes that is a think they do for some types of leukemia. I was just thinking if people wanted to get tested to see if they could be a donor. I know it is something I have always thought of doing. I think it is pretty involved but I don't really know. It was just a thought I had. Great idea to get him hooked up with Skype. Is he not allowed to see his kids because of his resistance being too low?

Hercsmama, you will have to figure out what is up with our hubby, I'd love to know. Hopefully, the meds kick in and you feel better.

WIHH you never really know how much you hurt until it stops and you have a relatively pain free day. I'm so glad you are feeling better.

Ejagno that just stinks about all that water. Hopefully it all cleaned up alright. Can you reschedule your weekend?

SvenskaFlicka how exciting that you found such a great house. It sounds perfect for the two of you. When things fall into place I am convinced it's a sign that it was all meant to be.

Cyndi wishing you a speedy surgery and recovery.

LAC Yuck! Hopefully you will have cooler weather soon.

WP so glad your mom is doing well.

Kasota I hope you can get some time for YOU. You cannot keep burning the candle at both ends.

Life here has been crazy too. We are so short staffed at work, especially females (yes, my job is gender specific at times). Things may get interesting soon because there are people with scheduled time off (scheduled last fall), there may be big problems if they can't find coverage for the people who have time off. Between the storms, fireworks and nervous dogs I'm exhausted.tomorrow is my Friday and I cannot wait to take a nap.


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## Taylor R.

Exactly on the kids, Marchie, plus they aren't allowed into the ICU at all. His immune system was shot from the time he got into the big hospital, and now with the chemo on top of it, we have to be very careful. We have to get all decked out in a mask, gown, and gloves to go in and see him. They'll see about the bone marrow transplant after they see how the chemo does. It may be the case in the near future. so I'll start looking to that. I've been working on getting some fundraisers set up to help them out with all of the expenses. He went to his doctor for a sore throat, and they sent him to the local hospital for tests, and within an hour he was being taken by ambulance to KU Med in KCMO, two hours after that, he had developed severe pneumonia and his 02 sats dropped off dramatically. It is all so crazy. His med team seems pretty hopeful, though.


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## IowaLez

Hi everyone!

We have officially gotten over 14 inches of rain here in June! A large, nearby quilting shop was ruined by a flash flood, and some county roads were partly washed out. Our cellar had to be pumped out a few times, just some few inches of water in the big room and the pumped-out water goes down the gray-water drain in the small room, and nothing to damage other than some boxes of empty wine bottles... The other night we had 60 mph winds come thru with a deluge of rain, but Stan had tied up the vulnerable young apples trees full of small fruits, and the other larger fruit trees are okay, too. No hail, thank goodness!

I have been too exhausted to post here for the last week, altho I wanted to. Last Saturday Stan and I spent 12 hours rearranging and cleaning my bedroom to fit some of my Mom's and my Gramma's stuff into it. It was such a dirty mess, spider webs behind pictures or mirrors; I must have gone thru 70 Lysol wipes and 5+ towels, and oodles of polishing/dusting rags, and as we moved the furniture I vacuumed each section a million times to get all the carp out of the ancient carpeting, that used to be blue several decades ago...

My 92 yo Mom put her twin-home up for sale 2 weeks ago this past Monday, and it sold after just 4 days on the market, for a bit more than she was asking. Stan insisted, over my protests, she was going to have to "declutter" her very well-decorated home to get it to sell, but my Mom's home sales history has always been less than a week on the MLS, every single time (7 times). The home she designed and built in south Mpls. in 1960, _sold in less than 3 hours, _back in 1969, and never made it onto MLS!

So my daughter and I went up on a Tuesday morning to help her pack things up, and take home the items she wanted us to have. I got back home last Thursday. She is selling so many things; I was having emotional trouble with her selling some long-time family things I thought should be passed on, but I got a pretty huge amount of stuff to do that with, and I snitched 2 pieces of my Gramma's embroidery for my daughter to have, along with the things she was given to take home. Mom gave me her large scale collection. I took a majority of her cut glass collection, as I have a huge one of my own that I keep on display in the china hutch and built-in, along with my glass deviled egg plate collection (15). I give thanks every day for no earthquakes here! I LOVE cut glass and china! I have 3 sets of fine china, and my Mom's sterling flatware... I use the stuff on holidays and for special occasions.

I have heard little mice say that my home is "starting to look like Gramma's". 

She was driving me nuts tho, she is real intense and for the whole three days there I felt like I had joined the Army with stiff marching orders! The amount of food she tries to cram into me (she eats by the clock, not when actually hungry), I managed to avoid the criticism of my hair length (long) and the red color from henna to hide all my gray, by keeping it put up in a small bun; but the worst is how she uses her cane to fling things around that she can't bend down and reach. Except she flings while I'm bent down trying to pick the item/s up, and nearly get whapped! At one point "This goes!" means it gets packed up and moved, but five seconds later that means "it stays and gets sold". When she made me put her used, heavy plastic shower caps out to be sold, I just sighed... An estate sales/antiques man from Red Wing is going to be holding a sale of her stuff soon.

My Mom is going to an assisted living unit in her town (not too far south of Lake Elmo and SHF), and in the Fall, when snow flies, she will be giving me her little Chevy Malibu car. I am looking forward to having my own small vehicle, and the feeling of total freedom it will bring me. Luci and I worry she will have too much stuff to fit in her new space, and she won't like it there...

I am getting ready for TdF, and have my 2 Drs appts worked into the TdF rest days, so I won't miss any tv coverage! Things are all arranged here at home for me to watch the Tour on TV each day, and spin while I watch. I have no garden to tend this year, which is a relief actually, and no formal fireworks show to prepare for, so my time is freeeee!

I have been really enjoying getting library books on knotted carpets, natural dyes, and Mid-East travelogues by women. Inter-library loans! I never knew before that the library can do a *world-wide* book search via computer, for book titles for me to borrow from other countries! All for the low, low USPS $1.50 postage fee they charge me per book! Amazing!

And I want to tell you guys that my home life is so different now, than what it had been for years, that it is like night and day for me! Stan has made some amazing personal changes and we are both _much _happier now! We have both made some changes. I feel so much happier and emotionally relaxed! I can use the truck when I want to, basic courtesy in the home is the norm now, respect is for us both, and the nasty stuff is 100% banished. None of the bad stuff that was upsetting me every day and hurting my psyche. We actually enjoy each others company now! Starting with small things adds up pretty fast! I think he figured out he didn't want to lose the 18 years of mutual history we share, and some sense got knocked into his head. We have only had 2 flare-ups in over 4 weeks, once by him and once by me, but it got settled fast. We are going to go see the movie "Tammy" soon, over in PdC. It looks pretty funny! We don't go to many movies at all, and its a cheap date if we buy matinee tickets and get the bottomless popcorn and soda pop. Too full to go out to supper afterwards and spend more $!

I want to thank all of you who extended me your time, love, comfort, support and advice, during my darkest hours, it helped me a lot, to figure out what I want/ed to have happen and how things to be in my life. To set boundaries. Healthier ways of interacting with Stan...

You guys are the best ever!!! :grouphug: I luv you all so much!!!! I am so lucky to have you all as my friends!


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## Kasota

Thanks, MDKatie! I was feeling pretty bad about not being able to get to the post office. Normally I can make a run on my lunch break at work but I haven't been getting any lunch breaks lately - too much on my plate! 

Svenska - oh my heavens what a wonderful thing to have all that space for your fiber! I am so happy for you! I'll bet you can hardly wait to move. The pictures are awesome. You are such a lovely and talented woman. What is that thing you are weaving on? That certainly looks unique! 

WIHH, my heart sure goes out to you what with all the pain you have been suffering. I'm glad you got a little respite from it. And to be so busy at work, too. Have you ever tried one of those massage thingies that are motorized? A while back when I injured my back and it was so out of wack...what also hurt so much was the tension in the muscles. I was in such pain that they would all tense up and then my poor spine couldn't catch a break. I bought one of those things that you put in a chair and it has these knobs that rotate AND go up and down...so it runs up and down along the length of your spine. It was utter heaven simply because it helped the muscles relax. 

Taylor, that was a wonderful thing you did to get your friend set up with a tablet and video chat! 

(((WP)))) Is there anything they can do for the neuropathy? 

Debi, I think you are superwoman! You should have a cape! You are moving so fast you probably meet yourself coming and going around corners! 

Marchie, I hope you can get some rest, too! It's not fun working short staffed. 

IowaLez, I'm so glad to see you post! It sounds like many things are really looking up for you! (((hugs))) I'm really proud of you! Isn't it amazing how much of a difference simple good manners can make? I'm glad things are more peaceful for you. 

I have been working with a new team that we have in Manila. It is really amazing how the different cultures create learning challenges. Some things they have been struggling with and I decided to have some PowerPoint cheat sheets made up for them. I'm working with a young lady in California who loves to make them. This also helps with team building between my California and Manila groups but it can also chew up a lot of my time...so fun, but exhausting. We surely do have different styles of learning. Here, my training classes can be very boisterous. People ask questions and push back when they don't understand something. In their culture it is considered rude and a criticism of the instructor to ask questions so it is sometimes hard to know if they really understand what is being taught.


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## weever

Enjoying reading about all you busy people. Taylor, I'm sorry about your friend's diagnosis. And egagno, you have my sympathy about your water problem. 

Marchwind, I just heard about the barns in Allegan. My friend has backed out of being a vendor this year--she has spent enough time in large tents in the summertime to know that she doesn't want to do that again... So sad about the barns.


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## SvenskaFlicka

Kasota, that is the magnificent tablet weaving loom Philip started carving for me before we were even officially dating! It's a loom in the style of the Oseberg tablet weaving loom from the Oseberg ship burial in Norway. It is believed to be the grave of Queen Ãsa, and she was buried with anything and everything one would need to set up a household in the Viking age-- cookpots, skillets, tripods, horses, clothes, wallhangings, looms, spindles, niddy-noddies, nostepinnes, a reel, needles, whetstones, tablet weaving cards-- EVERYTHING!!! 
It's a pretty famous grave, and you can find lots of information on the finds if you search for it online. The tablet weaving loom in question is basically two uprights with a base and a crossbeam, and your work is simply tied between the two uprights and worked right to left. It works surprisingly well. I love it, and it is portable!


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## BlueberryChick

July started without me! I feel like my summer "break" just got under way. We had so much going on in June--finishing school, family reunion at our house, camp for the two younger children, and the business trip to Hilton Head. 

On the fiber front, I've been working on my Tea Leaves cardigan. I have one sleeve finished and the other is now about a fourth of the way done. After that, it's the button band and blocking! Hoping it will be done by cool weather and in SC, that gives me plenty of time.

View attachment 32050


I also made a pair of Vanilla Latte socks for my daughter. It's yarn I bought at Shepherd's Harvest. She took care of her younger brother and sister for DH and me to go, so I told her I brought her socks, some assembly required. They are so colorful and squishy!

View attachment 32051


We still don't have our RV! The day we were supposed to bring it home, the generator stopped working. They "fixed" it once, but hadn't diagnosed the problem correctly, so back to the drawing board. It seems that they've figured it out this time, but the part just came in this week. Now we're waiting for the repair to be done so we can pick it up. None of this is really a problem, but it's been a bit frustrating.

I know I'll forget some of your posts, but I want to remember as many as I can.

Marchwind, what a bummer about the fibers! 

Hercsmama, yak fiber? How fun! 

WIHH and Woodpecker, I'm so sorry you've both been in pain. WIHH, good to hear that it's been better. WP, I hope your medical team has some good answers for you.

SvenskaFlicka, yay on the new house! It sounds like it will suit you perfectly.

Taylor, I'm so sorry about your friend's illness. You are such a blessing to his family.

DragonFlyFarm, your pumpkin patch sounds so nice. I remember hearing that you should plant pumpkins around July 4 in order to have them ready for Halloween. Perfect timing!

MullersLaneFarm, best wishes for your surgery to go smoothly and for a quick recovery.

Kasota, good heavens, girl! Please remember to take care of yourself.

Ejagno, water damage is such an aggravation. We've had several major plumbing leaks here that led to big renovation projects. 

IowaLez and ejagno, bless you both for helping older family members with big moves. That is such a difficult time for everyone.
And IowaLez, so glad to hear that things are improving at home for you.

*waves to weever* 

LAC and MDKatie, I know what you mean about the weather! It's been consistently in the 90's here for weeks. And WIHH, summer is almost over for you?! Around here, we're about halfway though a five month summer. Our first frost likely won't arrive for three more months.

(Whew! Did I miss anyone?)


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## lambs.are.cute

I think it would be hard to live somewhere that has summer almost over already. But then again I don't care too much for the winters around here, all miserable, windy, rainy, icey, then not icey, than icey. The temperature bounces round willy nilly rarely staying freezing long until the last part of December. Even then we can't have outdoor ice rinks. Also little to no snow. We count ourselves lucky to have it for a morning. Even luckier if you can sled on it. 

Yesterday we got up to 105 , and today is suppose to be in that range but it's pretty windy so it won't be too bad. Problem is it's support to be windy tomorrow. As in 20 mph steady with gusts up to 50. On a day when every ninny will be shooting off fireworks wind or no wind, and hang the dried brush. We've already had one fire from fire works that burnt 100 acres and that was on a lightly windy day. 5 years ago it was this windy and there was over 100 fires........ So


HAPPY 4th of JULY!! Hopefully everybody is safe, has fun with family, and their animals are peaceful.


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## Wind in Her Hair

lambs.r.cute - how due the sheep take such awful temps!?!?!?

(our high yesterday was 65ÂºF and today it will be a blistering 75ÂºF - last night got down to 49ÂºF and it was PERFECT sleeping weather with the windows open. :grin: )

mercy, I remember Texas summertimes and I do NOT miss ONE SECOND of that weather. I tell Cabin Fever that I married him for his climate.  

Tomorrow is the big 4th of July parade and Cabin Fever is home polishing up "At Ease" his military Jeep and getting it ready to chauffeur 3 WWII veterans - all in their 90s  

I will be watching (and probably knitting) from the sidelines.  

Looks to be a beautiful mild and sunny Independence Day up here.


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## hercsmama

BC, very nice work on the sweater, and those socks are adorable!
LAC, which side of Washington are you on? We lived in Yelm a thousand years ago, loved it over there.

Can't keep up with ya'll on here, everyone is just flying through the summer!

Today is gorgeous, about 80* for the high, and the humidity is low. 
But we will be up around 95* by Saturday:grump:, I could do without that, thank you very much.
I've got two canners going this morning, and spent the last few hours in the garden watering.
Trying to be patient with my Jackwagon of a neighbor, he has a bunch of people camping over there this week, and they are shooting AK's off like crazy this morning. Needless to say, my sheep are not happy, they keep jumping and running like crazy when they go off.:grumble::grumble::grumble:

But, they aren't shooting towards us, and it is his property, so what can you do?
One of my big Mommas is limping a bit this morning, I'm going to try to catch her later after Keith gets home to find out why. I'm hoping she just turned her leg a bit jumping up, or something simple like that......
Gotta go! My timer for the canners just went off!


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## Taylor R.

Debi, it was 49 here when I woke up, record lows. It'll get right back up in the 90s by Saturday here, too, though.


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## Woodpecker

Thanks Kas. I have to ask my oncologist on Monday. The med my GP gave me made it worse due to it interacting with the drugs from the hospital.

Mom still has a fever. She is thinking she might have a bladder infection. Talk about being worried. 

At least we got some good rain last night we sure needed it. Nothing going on on the fiber front, maybe this weekend.

ETA: Katie the goosenecks I got from you are blooming. I love them! They spread too so I have quiet a few.


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## lambs.are.cute

The sheep do okay in the heat. They are not happy but they tolerate it. They graze from 8 pm to 10 am and sleep in the shade the rest of the day. I keep the water in the shade and if it is getting too warm they get ice water. Funnily enought I was always told that I could never have wool sheep here because it got too hot, but I didnt listen and got them anyway and the Romnys do better than he meat sheep in the heat. They used to raise Romney sheep here in the 20s until about the 60s when the meat sheep the size of ponies caught on and irrigation became more main stream. Without irrigation there would only be tough range land which romnies can thrive on but not sheep ponies. 

Hercsmama I'm on the other side (east Washington). Our adverage yearly rainfall is 10 inches. They consider us high stepp desert.


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## lambs.are.cute

Here. This is what I see when looking from my front door and back door. Anything green is purposely planted. It is not as bad as Phoenix area, we do have grasses and that but this time of the year nothing other than sage brush and rabbit brush are growing without irrigation. 


These hills are bare of all but grasses because we had a fire 10 years ago that killed all the sagebrush. It was started by fireworks and burnt 600+ acres before the 2 helicopters, 1 plane, and who knows how many trucks and men were able to put it out.


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## Kasota

Oh, people have so much going on! 

BBC, your sweater and socks are so pretty! The socks remind me of those candy sprinkles you put on top of cookies or cupcakes. Now I want to have a cupcake. LOL! 

LAC, your place looks like an oasis! 

I picked the first of my radishes tonight. Yes, I know it's July, but up north here that's not unusual. I planted several varieties and they look so pretty in a little bunch. 

What a wonderful thing to have a three day weekend with nothing planned. Well, I still need to keep moving some things from my storage locker to my sister's for the garage sale and I need to package up MDKatie's fencer and get a picture of some things from my brother's place, but other than that I am a free bird. 

I had a different company come out and give me a quote on the siding. This one was for 9K and I really liked his product and that includes insulating the whole exterior and wrapping the house. The other company was 11K for less insulation. Funny thing is many years ago my mom actually used to hire this guy's dad to do fix-it work on the house back when she was a single mom. He replaced a couple windows for her. She was so pleased to meet his son and find out that he followed in his dad's footsteps. So far I am inclined to go with his bid. It's 2K less than the other guy and I get more goodies and way better insulation.


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## Marchwind

BbC I love how your sweater is turning out. You will have to model it for us when it is finished. Those sock are so cute, love that yarn.

WP what are goosenecks? Can you take pictures for us?

LAC I never would have thought Washington would be desert like, huh!

Hercsmama my neighborhood is sounding like a war zone, seriously, it bad and some of the fireworks are just like cannon fire and the boom shakes the house. Those are just the ones average people are shooting off. I hate it and my animals are all freaked out about it . Tomorrow night we will all go to the basement where all the noise, which will be worse than it is tonight, will be muffled.

Tonight our temps are supposed to be in the 40's. Perfect for sleeping . Today our high was maybe 70 and it was a bit breezy but nice. All weekend is supposed to be in the 70's.


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## Kasota

We had so many firecrackers going off here last night that my little dog was afraid to go outside and pee. I had to go out with her. In my jammies. I got skeeter bites on my toes.


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## Marchwind

Yup Kasota. Belu wouldn't go out even if I went with him . They pretty much stopped around midnight, he came out of the bathroom, glued himself to my side, sat for a bit and then was okay to go out to potty. I hope your keeper bites aren't too itchy. I hate when I get them on my toes and fingers.


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## Kasota

I slathered on some of the lotion a friend of mine makes for me. She puts MSM and colloidal silver it in and heaven only knows what else. What I know is that it takes the itch out of skeeter bites.  Glad your wee dog was able to get outside, too. Poor things! Tonight will be worse.


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## Taylor R.

Fireworks aren't allowed in town here, so we don't have to deal with it too much, but my dog is terrified of them. He hides in his crate.

Our friend's beard started falling out, so he shaved it. I'm hunting down a pattern so I can crochet him a new one


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## Marchwind

Taylor that's a great idea. Here's a pattern I found http://www.jjcrochet.com/blog/crochet-beard-hat-free-pattern/. If you google crocheted beard pattern there are a ton of pictures and ideas. Most seem to have a hat with them . Ravelry has several also.


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## Woodpecker

Here are pictures of the goosenecks. Aren't they cute? I tried to get good pics despite the rain.


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## BlueberryChick

Kasota, I agree, the socks look like cupcakes with sprinkles! 

I hope you all have had a good Independence Day. We went to my sister-in-law's house for swimming and hamburgers. My 8yo daughter spent most of the day in the pool. She should sleep well tonight. I sat inside for a while, visiting and working on my sweater. I'm about halfway through the second sleeve. Progress is being made!

Tomorrow, I'm on my own for most of the weekly house cleaning, but it's for a good cause. My oldest daughter is working and Andy and the two younger children are tackling cleaning out the playroom upstairs. They don't use it all that much, so we're going to take over part of it for a school room. That means that the current schoolroom/sewing room can be a full time craft room!! Woohoo!

My clever, creative friend (who just happens to be my SIL) is coming over next week to help me organize the switchover. I'm really looking forward to a better place for sewing and crafting. I would do before and after pictures, but I'm too embarrassed by the "before" look. :teehee:


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## Wind in Her Hair

the Fourth and fireworks are a HUGE thing up here and every nearby community has a massive display over an area lake. After all, the summer vacation season is THE season for most of our merchants to "make it", so they jump on board and support the parades and fireworks displays to help bring in revenue. Since 60% of my neighbors are "seasonal" and only come to their cabins for the summer months, the fireworks are insane.

I hate it for the wildlife  and because of the risk of forest fire. 

We started the morning by hooking up the military Jeep to take to a nearby community parade. But before we got out to the hardtop road, we had a problem.

A big jackpine had fallen during the night blocking our way. Knowing that time was tight, Cabin Fever ran ( okay, he walked really fast) back to the pole barn, grabbed his trusty chain saw and got to work. I grabbed limbs and hauled them off the road while he cut and start to finish- 12 minutes.

We make a pretty good team. 










The parade was wonderful. Cabin Fever had the honor or driving three WWII veterans in his Jeep. These men were thrilled with being the "toast of the town" and being escorted in a military Jeep again. 

Each veteran is more than 94 years old, one being 97. 

Along the route, people stood, cheered, and clapped. Poor Cabin Fever had a hard time keeping the tears from his eyes. 

These are our heroes! The Greatest Generation! 










I was as proud as I could be- of my Cabin Fever and of these wonderful heroes (all gentlemen that I know and love) that fought and sacrificed for our freedoms.


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## BlueberryChick

Oh, WIHH, I am tearing up just looking at the pictures! I don't know how Cabin Fever was able to drive.


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## Taylor R.

I'm right there with you on the tears, BBChick. That's so very special.


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## Woodpecker

Very special indeed. God bless them for their service.

I took a picture of Loretta a while ago and forgot to show you. Apparently she thinks she's my dog! :happy2:


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## Kasota

WIHH, CF must have been so proud! What a great picture! God bless each and every one of them. 

WP, Loretta is a hoot! What kind is she? I used to have a RIR rooster who was so tame it made me laugh. He liked to sleep on top of my miniature donkey. I have to admit I have been looking about in my yard thinking about a small chicken coop for maybe 6 hens. They let you have hens here these days even though it is in the city. Several of my neighbors have already put up small coops. 

My roses are blooming and they are just beautiful! The ones in this picture are old fashioned roses that have been blooming here since I was a little kid. My mom was raising 4 kid on her own and didn't have 2 nickles to rub together. Sometimes neighbors would give her starters or slips of things. One person gave her a couple small rosebush starters from ones in her back yard and my mom tended them like they were the most precious things ever. 

The peonies are blooming and my wee little cherry tree is doing her best to put forth a bit of fruit. Strawberries are coming in now, too! Yum!!


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## Woodpecker

Nice pics Kas! Loretta is a New Hampshire Red and loves me. She definitely knows where her food comes from. Every time I shake her jar of treats she comes running. I have been meaning to get a video of it to post here. She's so cute and funny!


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## Kasota

I was looking forward to a nice quiet day. Phone rings. It's my brother. "We are coming over to visit. We'll be there in a little while." It throws my whole day off and what I had planned. 

While I am glad for my mom to have visitors, I find it odd that people never call and say, "We'd like to stop over for a visit. Is now a good time?" I could do other things while people are here but that seems rude and beside which, mom would be calling me every 5 minutes to get something or other or come and listen to a story. 

I was just fixing to get my domestic stuff done like vacuum and clean the bathroom and finish up the laundry. By then the little roast and potatoes and carrots I put on for an early supper would be done. I would have all my stuff done that needs tended to before I go back to work on Monday and could settle in to some knitting. 

No one ever asks if it is a good time or if I have other plans. It's just "We're on our way over." If it was just me I would tell them I have other plans but there is mom to consider. I have such little free time that sometimes I get cranky when other people make plans for my day and with mom there is really no way out of it. 

Okay. I am done grumbling now.


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## weever

Hugs, Kasota. I've got nothing else for you...


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## MDKatie

Woodpecker said:


> ETA: Katie the goosenecks I got from you are blooming. I love them! They spread too so I have quiet a few.


They're looking great! In a year or two you'll have lots more! :grin:

Kas, those peonies are gorgeous!! They're just like the ones I used for my wedding bouquet! 


I've been super busy making soap. I just applied to do a very huge, very potentially profitable juried craft show in Sept, and I'm already signed up to do a large 2 day show the weekend after that (in Oct). I have the potential to sell LOTS of soap...I just have to make that soap first!


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## Marchwind

Kasota it is rude of them, yes even your brother, to not ask. In that case I would have no problem letting them know that you have work that has to be done so you will be flitting about while they visit. Then tell your mother the same thing. Either that or just tell your brother that "now" isn't a good time, how about in an hour, or maybe they could take mom out for cup of tea and a visit. Sorry if that seems harsh but I've had a lifetime of kowtowing to other people's wishes and needs without them or me even considering mine. What is it that Ann Landers used to say, no one can take advantage of you if you don't allow it :thumb:


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## BlueberryChick

MDKatie, congratulations! I hope you get loads of soap made and sell it all!

Kasota, definitely carry on with your plans for the day. You can be absolutely lovely and polite about it, but goodness, this is his mother too, right? He should be able to manage her needs for an afternoon. I would say something like "Of course, come right over. Mom will be thrilled,to see you! I have some things I need to get done today, so I may not see you much, just make yourself at home."


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## hercsmama

:goodjob:
Great advice there Kas.
I had both mom and daddy dependent on me for the last four years, I finally got to the point when if someone wanted to come over, that was very well known, I simply thanked them profusely for keeping an eye on things for a bit, and did what ever I wanted to do for me at that time.
Amazingly enough, most people can get a cup of tea, or a snack for an elderly person all by themselves! 
You are not a servant, remember that.


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## Wind in Her Hair

Kasota - your garden is absolutely gorgeous! My stuff is so far BEHIND yours, it's not even funny.  I really need to plant myself some peonies and asiatic lillies and daylillies and roses- but sadly, if I plant them where I can SEE them - so can the deer.  Venisonpoopieheads. 

So sorry about the issues with your brother and his timing and inconsiderate behaviour - but the advice given here is spot on! This place is amazing. :bow:

I also think I'd keep a "Brother Do This" list handy - and I'd be adding things he can do to help and then I'd call HIM when it was a convenient time for ME for him to come do them!


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## BlueberryChick

WIHH, "venisonpoopieheads" made me giggle.


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## lambs.are.cute

Sometimes I can't believe how rude people are getting. I was always taught to call and ask if now was a good time to visit. And to send a thank you even if it is only a email, but usually a card. I sent something to my cousin because she was feeling down because she broke her wrist and can't compete in ice skating this year and the only way I know it arrived was because I checked the tracking. No thank you in any shape or form from her or her parents. It wasn't a hugely expensive gift but it was something she could use and I did go to the trouble of buying it for her, and tracking down her exact address and paying the extra shipping so that it would get to her before next month.


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## SvenskaFlicka

I have an awesome husband! This morning, I saw on the Weaver's Guild of Minnesota page that they had a table loom FREE to whoever got there first. I showed it to Philip, and he bolted for the door to put on his shoes, hollering "Write down the address!" So I did.

So now, I have in my apartment, days from moving, this beauty:

(That is not my apartment. That is the loom at the Weaver's Guild. The loom is now on my living room floor!)

I love that man. :kiss:


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## Wind in Her Hair

great score, SvenskaFlicka and way to go, Philip!


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## SvenskaFlicka

This day keeps getting better and better! I am officially confirmed as a teacher in the first ever Hostfest Folk School in Minot, ND this fall! Hostfest is a week-long Nordic and Country Music Festival in the first week of October every year, and this year they are adding a folk school of traditional folk arts! 

I will be teaching two 4-hour nÃ¥lbinding classes, and one 4-hour tablet weaving class. I get paid, too! :teehee: 

Turns out I don't need to go to Folk School in Sweden, they already have me teaching here! 

Now back to sewing. I have four tunics and a dress to sew and hem yet today!


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## Woodpecker

I had treatment today. While there I asked my oncologist about my neuropathy. She said it is mostly likely caused by my increase in work as well as the chemo I had. It also is a side effect from one of the meds I'm on. I have to go see my GP again and ask him for something else.


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## Kasota

Thank you all for the good advice. I have no trouble continuing to do what I need to do IF I can get at that room...and this place is so tiny - there really is only the living room, kitchen and bedroom. Well, we do have a bathroom. LOL! It is very hard, for example, to vacuum the living room floor and clean the kitchen floor when there are people in the living room and in the kitchen. Maybe what I need to do is simply be more clear with them about how my weekends run so they have a better understanding. Gotta figure something out because this is nuts. Maybe instead of visiting here they could take mom out for lunch or something. 

Svenska, what a total score on the loom!!!! Wooooot!!!!! That is just awesome! 

WIHH, the deer are here, too. Sometimes they hang out in my parking area and they won't even move when I drive up!!! Grrrrrr!!!! The only thing I have found that works is Liquid Fence. It is frightfully expensive to use on extensive gardens like this if you buy it all mixed up...but the concentrate is way cheaper to use! I bought a bottle of concentrate last year and I'm still using it this year...have about 1/4 of the bottle left. It really does work but you have to be diligent. If it rains you have to re-spray. If it doesn't rain...I re-spray every couple days.

(((WP))) I hope you can get some resolution and relief on that pain!!

WIHH - how are you feeling?


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## hercsmama

I just cannot sleep anymore. Too much on my mind.
I have been taking two ZQuil every night, and still I'm just up and down all night.
I give up. I'm going to try to make more lists, maybe that will take it off my brain, and let me sleep.
It really doesn't seem like alot though, when I list it, I don't know.
Let's see, I need to finish tagging lambs, trim hooves, and give Blue Tongue vaccines, too all 40 sheep.
I need to do take offs and order materials for 3 large construction jobs we have coming up in the next two months.
Constantly working in the garden, that is never ending.
I lost my mind and decided to have a yard sale, the second weekend of August. No biggie, but I figured I'd ask around, and now 15 families are going to be in on it, at our house of course as we are right on the highway.
So I have to organize that mess, and go through the Broken House to decide what goes of ours....
Run another 1000' of wire fencing.
Get another shed built for the Alpacas coming in a week and a half:smack.
Line up the roofers to come out and give us a new quote to re-roof the broken house.
Get a hold of the Cemetery in Crystal regarding firming up the date for Mom and Daddies burial....

Ok, maybe it is a bit more than I thought.
Eh, only way to get it done is to do it right?
I suppose Winter will be here soon enough, and I can sleep then.:goodjob:


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## Kasota

((((Debi)))) Oh, you have so much on your plate! Granny Annie says that when you are overwhelmed stop making lists. It just adds to the sleeplessness. Just do the next thing. Don't worry about how MUCH there is...just do the next thing. When that one is done there will be another next thing. It will all work out. I have to say that insomnia is the worst. I go through bouts of that and it drives me nuts. 

I have this Friday off to sort through things for the garage sale. It's all been so crazy busy that I haven't gotten to most of it...but I guess...well, I guess I will just do the next thing....


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## weever

I have found that this spray: http://www.amazon.com/Barbara-Hende...id=1404821091&sr=8-3&keywords=magnesium+spray

helps me sleep. It's also good for achy muscles. But you must use it in moderation, as a side effect is (ahem) loose stools. The name totally screams "snake oil" to me, but I can't argue with the results.


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## MDKatie

How sweet of Philip to run right out and get that loom! What a great score! 

WP, I hope your GP can find you another med that won't have the bad side effect of neuropathy. 

Hercs, I'm sorry you're so overwhelmed! Kasota has some good advice...just one thing at a time. I wish we were neighbors...I'd do the sheepie stuff for you!


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## Wind in Her Hair

trying to drop in and catch up with everyone! 

It seems our "Fourth of July" just keeps going and going, parades, weekend guests, more company, cookouts, dinners, work squeezed in, retirement dinners,  , oh my! 

Our "soon-to-be-in-laws" are vacationing on a nearby lake and we are seeing them several times this week. As much as we love company and fun and nights out, it is amazing how much we CRAVE our dumb old routine. 

Nothing like hercsmama's list but still - sometimes the "To Do" list can become overwhelming. 

The stress from all that worry is a killer. I like Granny Annie's advice - and I have been know to follow it with wonderful results. I will add to that my advice. Prioritize - and what ends up as more of a "con" than a "pro" - cut it loose.

Or get MDKatie to come stay with you for a couple of weeks to get those critter chores "did". 

Hey, wait a minute! I am having a brainstorm!!! Why don't some of you folks that need help with the critters - why don't you set up a week or weekend "camp" or "farm work day" and invite HTers to come over and help out? How cool would that be? 

You could have Forerunner handshearing sheep and trimming hooves and I'll give the shots and do the tagging and we'll have Kasota washing fleece and we can get a bunch of folks to help with the fencing and shed building and attack the garden - and ...see? You just get to be the "supervisor" and make sure it's done to your specifications! Then at night, we could all sit around the campfire and visit. 

Woodpecker - how you can continue to work while going through so much physically and medically is beyond me. :bow: :bow: :bow: You are amazing. :grouphug:

Kelsey, were having such an amazing day, I hope you went out and bought a lottery ticket, too! Wow! That's so exciting. I didn't know they taught classes at Hostfest!

Weever, I may have to try and find some of that spray myself. The one thing I am struggling with this week is being able to sleep. 

Kasota, I am actually feeling really good! I have a chiropractor appointment on Thursday morning and we'll see what she thinks - but for the most part, I am comfortable and feeling no pain. So I am at least headed in the right direction! :grin:

Hope you get all that garage sale stuff taken care of and have a nice weekend for sales. 

Just remember, hercsmama, and all the rest of us that are overwhelmed with the demands of summertime - only about 13 weeks until our first expected snowfall!


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## Woodpecker

I hate winter but at 93 today that snow looks nice! Thank you for your kind words WIHH. I took off yesterday and today because of treatment and the neuropathy. I also need to stay hydrated after treatment so the heat isn't going to help. 

At least it rained last night. My tomatoes were all wilted. The goosenecks looked great though. 

Moms fever returned today, it's 99. Darn she had it gone for days. I bet it has something to do with the heat. 

Stay cool all.


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## Taylor R.

Well _that_ was a pretty stinky birthday. It was one so-not-cool thing after another. I woke up, made coffee but forgot to put the filter basket in..oh what a mess. I went outside to work in my garden for a bit before I had to go to work and got stung by a dang wasp (which I'm allergic to). My hand swelled up like the Hamburger Helper mitt, and then it was off to work, where it was one problem after another (plus all the problems that backed up throughout the day while our computer systems were down). I got home, got in my jammies, and a wicked storm blew through, landing a giant branch on top of my van. Ugh..I figure at least today can't get worse. Right?? Someone tell me today can't be any worse. I'm trying to look for the positives today, for example, I can almost move my pinky and ring finger on my left hand again.


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## MDKatie

Woodpecker, good for you for taking today off! I hope you can rest up and enjoy a quiet day. I'm sorry about your Mom's fever. I hope it is only heat related.


Taylor, oh no! You need a birthday do-over!! I'm sorry I got a small chuckle from your Hamburger Helper mitt reference, but i really do hope your hand is feeling better soon! I say load up on Benedryl and sleep the day away! Did you take your ring off before your hand swelled up?


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## SvenskaFlicka

Debi, Kasota, I can add that I am also pretty overwhelmed, but I'm just doing the next thing. I have all sorts of sewing to finish, and after that we're MOVING!  I have ten things to finish sewing and at least three pieces of trim to weave as well! But I just keep trekking. (Hmmm, maybe all this sewing deserves a Star Trek marathon?

I hope you are able to get some sleep, Debi. Make a list, if you feel it will help, then tell yourself when you go to bed, "I have done this and this and this! Aren't I accomplished! I deserve a good night's sleep after this!" Take a Tylenol PM or your sleepy medicine of choice if you need it. Sometimes a person just really needs sleep. 

WIHH, the classes at Hostfest are brand new this year! I get to be a teacher the inaugural year of classes! Let's hope they are popular and people want me back!

WIHH and Kasota, my mom got those Niteguard lights to keep deer and ***** away from her garden, and they work better than anything else she has tried. The flashing red lights look like predator eyes to deer and keep them away. You have to move them around once every week, and have them pointing in all directions at different heights, but they really seem to work! Niteguard Lights Link.

Taylor, I agree that you need a birthday do-over! Take some Benadryl and sleep! 

Woodpecker, I hope you get on the right meds soon!


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## hercsmama

Hmmm... sleepy med of choice eh Kelsey?
Well then, tonight we skip the ZQuil and head straight to the Chivas!








:cowboy:
Three fingers straight up please!:goodjob:


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## Taylor R.

I actually don't wear a ring Katie, so at least I didn't have that to worry about! My fingers are kind of webbed and it makes rings incredibly uncomfortable. Someday when I quit being such a wimp I'm going to have one tattooed on to avoid uncomfortable situations :hrm:

I can't do the meds today as I'm home alone with the kiddos, but I'll do another dose at bedtime every night this week and it ought to be all better by the weekend. I think my husband is taking a day off this week (he thinks we're going out..I think he's watching the kids while I go the Yarn Barn), so hopefully I'll get a do-over


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## Wind in Her Hair

YARN BARN BIRTHDAY DO-OVER!!!!!!!!!!! :clap: :clap: :clap: :nanner: :bouncy:


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## Taylor R.

Another positive today: I've raised $350 from t-shirt sales for my friend with leukemia. Wahoo!!

P.S., here he is in the beard I made him.


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## hercsmama

:clap: Taylor, that is just the sweetest thing I ever saw!
I bet he has a lot of fun with that around the hospital. Too funny.


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## MullersLaneFarm

Love the beard & it looks like he does also!

The best thing about making lists is seeing the items crossed off.

Dreamy, you are a miracle ..
I couldn't imagine working & taking care of your Mom while going through what you are. You are in my daily prayers.

WIHH, so glad you're feeling better.

Re: sleeping. Daily Magnesium & Melatonin when needed helps me a lot.

Surgery went well & I need to keep the ankle elavated the next 2 days. Now that I've had the 'loose screw' removed cain't no one tell me I "have a screw loose!" (Groan)


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## MDKatie

Oh good, at least there was no ring to cut off, Taylor. LOL. My DH doesn't wear a ring either, since he's a mechanic and he doesn't want to risk getting it caught. A tattoo ring would be cool!

Cyndi, glad the surgery went well!! Sending you lots of positive healing vibes!! :wizard:


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## hercsmama

MDKatie said:


> Oh good, at least there was no ring to cut off, Taylor. LOL. My DH doesn't wear a ring either, since he's a mechanic and he doesn't want to risk getting it caught. A tattoo ring would be cool!
> 
> Cyndi, glad the surgery went well!! Sending you lots of positive healing vibes!! :wizard:


For mine and Dh's 20th Anniversary, we had each others names tattooed on our ring fingers. I suppose it's a bit corny, but we like it, as neither of us wears a ring due to doing too much hand work stuff.


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## Woodpecker

Thank you all for the kind words, prayers and encouragement. I have a 12 hour shift at work, ugh. I'll get through it and with the extra money I will buy myself an AC as that really helps. My legs still hurt today but life dosen't stop so neither am I. Prayers for you all.

ETA: I got this wedge yesterday to elevate my legs. So far it makes them feel better. I also talked to my GP yesterday who told me to double up on one of my meds. God willing they will kick in soon.


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## raccoon breath

MW - I can't find the thread right now, but about that Shetland, thanks for the info about your friend. I did end up purchasing that fleece and holy smoke!! Awesome. I think the seller is a member here too, Psalm 23 Farm. Its the kind of fleece we were talking about.


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## raccoon breath

Thinking of you all and hope you all are doing well. 

Woodpecker - You're in my prayers. I hope you have some better days ahead.


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## Kasota

RB - we need pictures of that fleece! LOL! 

I got my alpaca fleece yesterday and it is simply lovely!!! Wooot! My dog, as ever, thinks it is something for her. Her happy smiling face just lights up. Something new to smell!! "Surely, this must be for meeeeeee...." 

I got another huge project at work. Oh, egads...I don't know how I am going to pull it off. I will, just haven't figured out how quite yet. Had a meeting with my manager today for an hour to figure out how we can shift some of my duties and projects around. Basically I will get pulled off all the day-to-day stuff so I can focus on other things...but I still have my own 17 people who report to me to manage, attend to their troubles, do regular 1 on 1 meetings with, etc. Oh, and I am also about to be given 5 more people. Supposedly these projects will be done (at least the intense part) by September 1st. Just in time for my other big project to take center stage. Then in November it will be ramping up for open enrollment. I need more vitamins. 

I would rather be knitting but somehow that doesn't pay the bills.


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## lambs.are.cute

He heat is really taking it out of everybody here. This is what the car said 


I did get 1 pound of peppermint put into tea bags and some house cleaning done but little else. I'm ready for this heat wave to be done already.


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## Kasota

Oh, LAC - I would be melting!!!! (((hugs))) Hope you have ac....


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## SvenskaFlicka

This evening:

View attachment 32479


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## Marchwind

Yay, Philip is spinning on a Traddy!! Is that the one you bought for him that was such a deal? I hope he falls in love with that wheel, I still love mine bunches. Make sure he oils all the moving parts every times he starts a new bobbin, they love their oil.

RB when you have one of those super soft single coated Shetland fleeces you will never be able to buy any other type. I have 3 or 4 in my basement. I almost hate to use them because my friend no longer raises them and I don't know where to buy more. Granted I do NOT need any more fleeces so don't even think about giving me the name of the person you got yours from, seriously. I really NEED to use what I have and knock some of my stash down. They really are luscious fleeces. Have you ever spun or worked with Shetland before? If not be very gentle with it when you wash it. It felts if you look at it wrong. That's why Fair Isle and true steeking works, the movement and warmth of your hands causes the wool to felt and hold together. If you store it put it in a rigid sided container or in a place where it won't be moved around much, that will cause it to felt also. If you don't believe me try an experiment. Pull a few locks off put them in a ziplock baggie and put it in the pocket of your jeans and forget about it. At the end of the day pull it out and see what it's like. That is actually a good way to tell how well a fleece of any breed will felt.

Kasota hugs, delegate, delegate, delegate. You are NOT superwoman, you are human and need to find your limits without pushing them. Over seeing people is not the same as doing their work for them, they aren't your children, they are adults. Draw those lines in the sand and make sure others respect them. You don't have to be a harda**, but you have to take care of yourself. I know, I know, I'm not the boss of you . But lady, you have a hellofa lot on your plate and something's gonna give if you don't start protecting yourself, really! And oh by the way, that means delegating things having to do with Granny Annie too. She has other children that can help out a bit. Are you by chance a middle child?

WP it good you are finding some relief for your legs. I don't have the same health issues but I am on my feet all day long standing, walking and working on concrete. My big thing is to make sure I spend good money on the best shoes I can find. I don't know what your work is but if you are on your feet a lot seriously think about the shoes you are wearing, even if you aren't on your feet all day just having to walk short distances can really tire legs if you are wearing good shoes. Another thing to try maybe is to take a bath I'm Epson salts before bed. If you want some names of shoes I've found that are super comfortable and have helped with aching legs and feet let me know.

Listen to me :sob: :smack :hrm: I sound all schoolmarmish.

Kasota hearing you talk about how excited your dog get reminded me of last night. I did my volunteer work last night at the county pound. We had finished photographing the cats and I was helping with the dogs. I took this one dog out of his cage/kennel and was taking him down to be photographed. He was so over joyed to be out of the cage he was doing a happy dance all the way to the photo session. Everyone was laughing as he danced his we ay down the hall. If was very funny and sad at the same time. He must have still been a bit of a puppy maybe just shy of a year, very sweet.

I have done nothing in the fiber area to speak of. I'm still working on MamaJ's socks from the KAL. My hand is giving me fits and I'm only able to knit for about 2-3 rounds before it cramps up . I think this may be something I'm just going to have to learn to work around. I have been too busy to pay much attention to what actually makes it feel better. I've been taking ibuprofen as a quick fix but that doesn't do too much and I hate taking meds if I don't have to. I don't think long term is good for you anyway, at least not in high doses.

I started cleaning/shampooing my carpets at home a few week back and got as far as half of the living room being done and life got busy again :smack. So my house has been in disarray now for weeks and it's getting to me. I'm hoping I can get the other half finished this weekend and my living room put back together.

The neighborhood I live in is called Edison, apparently it is a largest neighborhood in the city of Kalamazoo. The association applies for a grant called Building Blocks, it's for homeowners and communities for help "beautify" or keep the neighborhood looking good. This year it is my streets turn. The street is broken into blocks. There has to be at least 8 households that participate in the projects in order for the block to qualify. There is $4,500 per block for any project for the outside of the houses, not including fencing or paint. It is funny how even with free money and help people aren't willing to participate in something like this. I'm renting my house but my land lord is great. He has given me carte blanch to do whatever I want and he will help me with my projects. I that've two projects I'm working on. The first one is ripping out the shrubbery in the front of the house, and redoing all the gardens, front and back. I'll take before and after pictures. I have all my supplies to complete my projects. Project number two is to repair the shed/garage. I don't really have a garage but there is an 8'x8' storage shed where I keep my freezer and other stuff. It's pretty much falling apart from the outside. It's a stick built structure and the frame is great. The whole thing is getting a make over. Then after we all got out supplies for our projects we still had about a $1,000 left over. So I'm going to get a screen/storm door that can be locked from the outside as well as the inside. I had my bike stolen from my porch last year. I keep furniture and other things on my porch and I don't want them to walk off either. Al the projects need to be finished or close to finished by the 27th. Our group has our first work day this Saturday. We are also able to work on our own projects in our own time. I'm excited to do this 

My happy note for the week is that the above mentioned bicycle was found :clap: On Sunday or Monday of this week I was driving home from work and the block before I turned off the main drag I see this bike chained to a stop sign and I did a double take. It was my bike I was sure of it. I drove around the block to where I saw it, got out of my car and went to look. I had my iPad with me and the picture of my bike that I had sent to the police when it was first stolen. The basket was missing and the mirror was gone but it was my bike. I called the police and they came to check it out. After lots of phone calls and me running home to look for paperwork they decided that it was mine and brought it to me at home. I am so happy to have it back, I'm sorry the basket is missing that was one of the best parts, I hope I can find another one like it. Here is a picture of my bike before it was stolen.


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## raccoon breath

MW - I have worked with and spun Shetland before, but not like this one. The finest Shetland I've worked with is a dual coated lamb. The finest sheep's wool I've worked with is 13 micron sharlea. "If I don't believe you"..??..silly goose. Of course I believe you. Thanks for the tips. It arrived Mon or Tues and I have been carefully washing it. So far, so good and enough was dry yesterday to start spinning, but needed to finish up some other TDF yarn before starting. Thanks for the advice. Will post pics.


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## Kasota

Cyndi, I'm glad the surgery went well. No fun to have a screw loose! LOL! 

WP, hope you get your ac! That would surely help you to feel more comfortable. (((hugs)))

RB and Marchie - what is this amazing fleece of which you speak? 

Svenska - the title of the photo should be "Priorities." There he sits in the midst of all the boxes and bags and chaos of moving...taking time for the most important things in life. hehehehe Thanks for the link to the Niteguard product. I would love to try that but I am afraid my neighbors would not thank me. There is a woman a block away who leaves her blinking Christmas lights up year round and everyone in eyesight of her house just groans about it. 

Taylor - how is your friend holding up? The beard looks great! 

Marchie, wise words for sure! Thank you. I will remember. I don't do my people's work for them at all.  I'm on a leadership team in a contact service center (phone, email etc). My people have to take their own calls and handle their own work loads and projects. We do service work for members, account holders, employers, brokers, billing companies, providers etc. However - this is a huge company (UHG - Optum financial services side of the house) and they are all about metrics, goals and documentation. I have monthly individual meetings as well as team meetings all of which needs to be documented with goals and progress notes. My job is really split into pieces/parts. We have day to day duties of call center operations for multiple business lines plus we administer some things for other insurance companies, third party admins, etc. Service levels are managed right down to 30 second average speed to answer in 30 minute intervals. Weee! Another large part of my day is project work as I am a subject matter expert (SME) for several products and we are forever working on new computer program/platform/applications. I'm also the liaison for those product owners, have career development goals for my people and process improvement projects. Think Black Belt 6 Sigma type projects. Then there is curriculum development either for new programs or for changes to existing ones. Curriculum writing I delegate but still have to review, give feedback and send back to the tech writers multiple times before sign off because its my responsibility to make sure they got it right. Testing I can delegate. There is also never-ending compliance training throughout the year for everyone to be scheduled and documented. Thankfully, I am getting pulled off the day to day operations and compliance training so that I can focus on the SME work. One of my peers is going to handle our current hiring so that is pulled off my plate, too, other than I will mentor her through a few process things. So now you know more about my work life than you probably cared to know. I'm busy but I look at it as job security.  

Like I said - I would rather knit. 

That is so cool about the neighborhood improvement project!!! I am so, so happy for you! Yes, we need before and after pictures! And how WONDERFUL that you got your bike back!! Woooot!!!! 

Today I have the day off! Bless my manager. She told me to take the day off. I'm going to work on organizing for the someday garage sale!


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## Wind in Her Hair

Seeing Philip all hunched over his new spinning wheel just made me giggle with joy. Remembering that feeling- getting to "know" a new wheel and all it's little nuances and sounds and feels. How fun is that!?!?!? 

SvenskaFlicka, I cannot imagine how you do it - producing such gorgeous things, organizing a move, AND dealing with all that cyclonic energy that IS Philip! My hat is off to you, lady. 

lambs.are.cute. -no. huh uh. Can't do it. No way. I lived in Texas for 41 summers and no, never again. It was in the mid forties this morning and we still have not hit 80ÂºF here - :nanner: and I could not be any happier. 

Minnesota summers are magical. It's true. &#9829; I married my man for his climate. And I have come to love Arctic air masses. 

Marchwind, I am so glad you got your bike back! I can hardly believe it!!! I had to giggle when you apologized for being all "schoolmarmey". That was hilarious. I LITERALLY could hear you talking - in your voice- as I read that. Your community project sounds amazing and I am so glad you are participating and your landlord is so accommodating. :goodjob: 

Speaking of Shetland, :teehee: I looked at a bag of clean Shetland lamb fleece I bought at the fleece auction at Shepherd's Harvest and it is just so fine and gorgeous. I want to spin it to preserve the color striations - it was a black lamb that grew out from black to gray to white and it is simply beautiful. It looks like storm clouds so I think it will be part of my TDF fiber to spin. 

I am taking our guest to my knitting group tonight so that will be fun, tomorrow kicks off the second week of TDF and tomorrow is PRIZE DAY announcement - so if you haven't participated yet- it is NOT TOO LATE - you can jump in anytime.  

(I myself am a little behind in posting my activities but I hope to catch up later today/tonight and start fresh tomorrow.  )

Kasota, I will be thinking of you. Your schedule sounds very STRESSFUL. I hope you are compensated accordingly. 

Boy, I do NOT envy anyone working in the medical healthcare field/ insurance business these days - the changes are GI-normous and the climate is not a pleasant one. Everyone seems on edge and confused and the bureaucracy is an unending nightmare. I have friends that have been laid off after 30 years and others that are so frustrated and stressed that they are quitting.  I only deal with a teeny little corner of the medical insurance world and even so, nowadays I oftentimes find myself pulling out my hair trying to make sense of it and I have been doing this a LONG time. :shrug: 

When I get an email from the state telling me I need to watch 6 "EASY" tutorials to be able to file claims online :umno::hair

you must be kidding. Who has time for that?!?!?!

as it is, I am thinking of running away and becoming a camp cook on an island somewhere along the Canadian border. Care to join me?


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## Kasota

WIHH - I am right there with you!!! :sing: Sign me up! I love camping and I can wash dishes as well as cook. Do we get to spin and knit after lunch?

I have to figure out something to give as a prize. How does that all work?


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## SvenskaFlicka

Wind in Her Hair said:


> Seeing Philip all hunched over his new spinning wheel just made me giggle with joy. Remembering that feeling- getting to "know" a new wheel and all it's little nuances and sounds and feels. How fun is that!?!?!?
> 
> SvenskaFlicka, I cannot imagine how you do it - producing such gorgeous things, organizing a move, AND dealing with all that cyclonic energy that IS Philip! My hat is off to you, lady.


Easy. I'm channeling all his energy into organizing and packing for me! Believe it or not, that mess behind him is an improvement over what things looked like earlier in the day! :teehee: He's been organizing all his tools and things like that, and decluttering, and I can trust him to make good decisions about packing and tossing without me having to supervise. He is a gem of a man! :kiss: 

And man, is he determined to learn how to spin. First thing this morning while I was getting breakfast ready he was back at it. I keep wanting to try out his wheel, but no! That's his wheel. 

Last night he was telling me that instead of putting the TV in the living room (once we get a TV, lol), he wants to put it in the loom room so I can weave and he can spin or knit or do other projects with me in there in the evening. He seems to have made dibs on the little table loom I got too. He wants to weave the yarn he spins. Meanwhile my mom wants to use that loom for classes! :catfight: I will make them take turns, though mom gets priority if she is actually in a class. I will have my big floor loom soon anyway. :nanner:

Kasota, wow, you sound really busy and important at your work! I'm glad it's you and not me! 
I'm really not sure your neighbors would hate you for the niteguards. You don't need dozens of them, just four, all pointing in different directions. It's a single red light and not super obtrusive. Still, you probably know your neighbors better than me. 

I'd better go get to my sewing. I am sewing tiny adorable little boy Viking pants this morning, then I will be working on tablet weaving!


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## Taylor R.

Kas, our friend is doing amazingly well. He finished his first round of chemo Monday, and still no fatigue, nausea, or any of the other symptoms associated with it except the beard loss (and his head hair, oddly enough, stayed firmly in place). They were doing a spinal tap this week to see how the cancer is reacting to it. The chemo knocked the pneumonia right out of him, too, so he feels so much better. He still has 3 weeks to go in the hospital, though.


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## Wind in Her Hair

and Cyndi - so glad you are all done with surgeries (you are, right?) and that now you can just concentrate on healing and getting back to normal - well, as normal as you. :grin:


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## hercsmama

It is 10 am, and I have already had the morning from he!!.
I'd like to request a do-over please.

Dh and oldest ds have been at each other all morning, and throwing me in the middle of it.
Apparently, ds told dh that he needed to take the morning off to go to a dr. appt. with our gs. Well dh's take on that is that he never went to any Dr. appt.s with the boys, so why does Trev need to be there.
I tried to explain to him that a lot of dad's do go with their kids to the Dr., and then dh started with the whole thing that I was calling him a bad father, and that I was accusing him of ignoring our boys.
Oh for pete's sake!:hair
So round and round that went. Then ds calls me to ask me why I told dh that HE said dh was a bad dad:heh:. 
I called dh back and told him to stop being such a "sphincter orifice", and that he wasn't listening, nad no one said anything about him being any kind of dad.
Lord have mercy! What a stupid argument.:huh:

So now everyone is back on the same page, but I'm all stressed out, and just want to go back to bed.

I have a ton of stuff that needs doing, and think I'll just chuck it all and sit and play with my fiber instead.:bored:


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## Kasota

(((((Debi))))) So sorry you got stuck in the middle of things! Egads. Glue your hair back on and zen out with your spinning! Sure sounds like you earned it!!


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## Woodpecker

My legs are better today. I've been telling my mom I'm going to run away. Whoever wants to join in is more than welcome. If only my tomato plants had flowers I'd be happy. It looks like I have to work 8 hours OT Saturday. They can't get rid of this asbestos fast enough.

Thanks Marchie for the shoe suggestion. I'm on my feet all day and was thinking of getting orthodics.


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## SvenskaFlicka

Philip took a spinning break this afternoon. He treadles like a madman! That is the most over twisted yarn I've ever seen!
Still, he's getting drafting down pretty well. 
View attachment 32503

I'm proud of him.


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## Kasota

(((WP))) I hope work slows down a little for you. OT can be a bear. I didn't think my tomatoes were going to do much this year because Spring was so late in coming and it was cool for so long. In the last few days they have just exploded with blossoms and I even see some small green fruit. So don't give up hope. 

I picked some strawberries this afternoon and a cucumber. My lettuce is going nuts. I am going to have to turn myself into a rabbit before I can eat all the stuff that's ready to pick. Carrots are REALLY slow this year but my kohlrabi took off and the peas and beans are doing real well. And I see some tiny squash, too! Yay! 

I hauled 3 car loads of stuff over to my sisters for the garage sale. Making progress...


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## Taylor R.

Wish we could send some squash up north to tide you over Kas! We've been getting about 15 good sized yellow squash a week and I don't even put it up at all. The zucchini is rolling in slower, but we've got squash coming out of our ears. The green beans are going nuts, too. We picked over ten pounds of them tonight, plus a whole lot of snap peas (which should be starting to slow down, but they aren't!).


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## Marchwind

I figured you know but info like that is good to put out there for others too  I am not typically a huge fan of fine fleeces, Merino comes to mind, but i love the Shetland.


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## lambs.are.cute

Yay for squash. Last year we planted 4 zucchini plants and got not a single zucchini. This year we just got our first! I love zucchini relish so use as many as I can grow.


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## MullersLaneFarm

RB, I had to look up "sharlea"



> Sharlea
> a type of sheep, called after a locality in Australia where they were developed by the Sharlea Sheep Society. The sheep are superfine Merinos with an average fiber diameter of less than 17 microns. The sheep are kept indoors at all times and are usually clad in nylon coats to minimize contamination of the wool that is used in the manufacture of superior garment fabrics


sounds mighty fine!!!


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## Kris in MI

It seems like forever since I've been here. First had the 2yo granddaughter for a visit, then the computer had an 'oops' and was sent for repair, then I was out of state taking the granddaughter back home and getting to see her baby brother (my first grandson) born last Saturday.

Finally back home, computer is repaired, and all the laundry is caught up. We'll not talk about the weeds in the garden, ok? :teehee: Maybe some time in the next week I'll get all the posts in this thread read so I'll feel back on track with what is happening with all of you.

Meanwhile, here are a couple of pics of the granddaughter--1st in her new sweater I finished while she was here, 2nd 'helping' me knit at her house (she was very interested in knitting and even though she couldn't say "knit" she came up with her own sign language to let me know when she wanted to knit with me) Also a picture of me with the new grandson.


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## raccoon breath

Phillip's yarn is beautiful!!  It looks like my husbands about month ago. I kept telling him he wasn't racing and to slow down. It was so funny. I tried not to laugh but because of his fast moving feet, the twist would move in on him and one little slip up holding the twist would let all of that twist cut loose up the fiber. As the wire got tighter and tighter, he'd panic and go even faster. I wish I had a picture of the panic on his face! ha ha Its hard to correct a mistake when the feet are at high speed running like the wind. I kept telling him what he needed to do, but he is a stubborn man and sometimes learns his lessons after lots of destruction. He's past that now and getting much better.  

MW - I'm a fan of fine fleeces  My hands aren't though. My hands are pretty swollen from working with Shetland last night. I can work and work with other fibers, but I spin fine and swelling lifts up between the knuckles and looks like a swollen and shiny mass from pinky to index finger. I know my days of doing fine work are limited with these hands.


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## Kasota

Kris, the picture of you knitting with the little one on your lap just brought tears to my eyes. I was not a whole lot older when my mom taught me to crochet. She did it the same way. If I close my eyes I can still feel her hands holding mine, guiding me through each stitch. Bless you so.  

RB, I have had that same look on my face. hahaha! 

Taylor, isn't squash ever so amazing? I have one squash in particular that excited about. I lost the tag and I'm not sure what it is...but it is growing like crazy and escaping the confines of it's raised bed at a rate that makes me shake my head. I swear I can look out the window and watch it grow. All kinds of little squash on it but they are too small yet to figure out what they are. 

I am so glad it is the weekend!


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## Woodpecker

I treated myself to new pillows from Lehman's. They are great. Plus they honored their old price of them since I had them in my cart for a few weeks. It is so much better sleeping now!


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## MullersLaneFarm

Wind in Her Hair said:


> and Cyndi - so glad you are all done with surgeries (you are, right?) and that now you can just concentrate on healing and getting back to normal - well, as normal as you. :grin:


As far as I know, I'm finished with the surgeries :clap:


and 'normal' is just a setting on the dryer and does not apply to me!! 

hercs, that just blows ... you got your fiber time in, right?

Philip's yarn isn't over-twisted ... it's Energized!

Kris, great photos of the grands!! 

Kas, you wore me out with your job description ... whew! My head would explode!

Spent 5 hours in the garden yesterday and still have a few hours left to get it straightened back up to where it was 3 weeks ago. Plenty of tomatoes & peppers ... just waiting for them to mature. I've seen a few beans (they're all soup beans, not green beans). The cucumbers are just beginning to produce and I picked enough for a pint of garlic dills that went right into the refrigerator.

The herbs are exploding!! I cut a bunch to dehydrate for this year's seasoning . 4 trays of egyptian onion greens, a lot of the outer stalks off 10 celery plants, marjoram, stevia, basil, lemon basil. I pulled out my back up dehydrator and found out it quit working while sitting in the pantry! Grrr! Put in a call to a couple of friends and within an hour I had two more dehydrators to work with. Trays are all loaded and I have a cacophony of fragrance in my home!

FR contacted me ... he had a direct lightening strike ... everyone is okay but there was a small fire (contained) and all their electrical items were fried, including their phone & computer ... so if you don't see him around, don't worry, he & family are doing well ...


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## hercsmama

Cyndi, of course I did!
You "sound" so good! I'm so glad all the surgeries are behind you. It has certainly been quite awhile since you got hurt.:kiss:
Tell FR we said HI! Bless their hearts, we had a direct lightening strike here last summer. Luckily, it just took out one tree, and the power line next to it. 

I'm in the middle of firming up dates for our two trips coming up. First we ned to get to Minnesota, and take care of Mom and Daddy, then a few weeks later we will be going to the Missouri/Arkansas border, to pick up our new ram lamb from another member here.
Very excited about the second trip!:rock:
My garden is doing well, although my tomatoes have had way to much water, all the leaves are curling upwards, and I have been fighting Potato beetle larvae on them for the entire time.
But I have a ton of blooms, and little tomatoes out the wazoo,
I did manages to get pictures of a few things around here, so will post them in the morning!


----------



## raccoon breath

Kasota - Me too! lol

Cyndi - Nice cormo on the left, sharlea on the right. It looks like a cloud and if I could feel a cloud, I bet it would feel like sharlea. Very soft.


----------



## Wind in Her Hair

hercsmama- where in MN!???!? (you probably already told me, but I have slept since then, so it's gone!:teehee Maybe we can get together! 

Cyndi, I plan to get out to my garden on Sunday and see what the last deluge did to it. Gardening on weekends is tough- I am not out there as often as I'd like but during the work week it is nigh unto impossible. I have a feeling my greens are ready and I should really dehydrate some basil. 

Poor FR. Those lightning strikes are scary- especially when there is a fire. I once lost a dryer and a stove and phones to a strike back in Texas. I must say, this part of MN has relatively few lightning storms as compared to the gazillion we had back in Texas. 

Y'all have great day. We are off to another classic car show. The US Army Jeep is all spiffed and polished up, the lawn chairs are packed, my knitting is packed, sun screen- check, bug spray- check. 

Where we are going is beside a lake and along the Paul Bunyan Trail- a 120 paved old railroad trail that winds trough pristine forests and beside lakes so I hope to get a nice long hike worked into my morning. 

Looks to be a gorgeous day ahead with low humidity and a high of 78ÂºF. Ahhhhh. I'll take it. See ya.


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## hercsmama

WIHH, The cemetery is in Crystal, but we'll be possibly going up your way to"Look about", so we will definitely be making time to visit if ya'll would like.
I'm also hoping to get together with Kas while we are there.:happy2:


----------



## Marchwind

My youngest son called last night. He officially asked his long time GF to marry him . He told me not to post anything on FB or anything yet, not until they tell her whole family. They won't be getting married for a few years, until she is finished with her PhD.


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## Kasota

WP, I just love new pillows, too! Good for you! 

Yay for Cyndi! So glad you are done with surgeries! That must be a relief. Sounds like your garden is going to town. We need pictures!  When I had my big gardens at the farm I used to dry my herbs in my car. Picked a hot sunny day, gathered herbs in small bunches and put them in paper lunch sacks. Fill the car with the sacks and park the car in the sun. Crack the windows. It's amazing how well it works. The paper protects the herbs from sun damage. If you ever try it you will find your car remains herbalized and aromatic for many long days. LOL! 

Tell FR hi and that we're thinking of him. What a bummer to have all the electronics fried! Glad the fire got put out. That is just flat scarey. 

Debi, let us know when the trip to MN is.  

WiHH - hope the garden wasn't too overwhelming and that you have a really fun day at the car show. 

It's going to be a perfectly beautiful day today! Everything is so lush and green. My mock orange is in bloom and it's just covered with white flowers that smell like heaven. I am stunned because I have NOTHING on my plate that I have to do. My sister is taking mom on her trip to the dollar store so I don't even have that on my plate. I'm going to spread some grass seed on some bare spots and put some fertilizer on the lawn and...if GAM would answer my PM...I would have the fun of putting her TDF prize box together. GAM...where are you??? LOL!!!! 

I might make a trip to the garden center today and see what they have left for herbs and if they are on sale yet. I like to get a bunch going in pots that I have scavenged from garage sales, let them grow a bit during the summer months and then sell them at the fall craft sale. They are probably my best seller and people really pay a good price for them. People tell me they don't feel guilty for spending money on the herbs because it is - after all- something they use in their cooking. One woman said, "This is coming out of the grocery money and not my craft fair money!" lol!


----------



## Kasota

Marchwind, what exciting news! Such a handsome couple!


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## Wind in Her Hair

congrats, Marchwind!


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## Woodpecker

I finally got my AC! My brother went and got it for me since I had to work. He is so sweet. The good news too is that the abatement is over. There is some other news, I dropped a fire extinguisher on my foot last night. Thank God it wasn't a big one and all I have is a bruise. Sometimes I feel like I'll never learn. Well at least my check will be good so I was able to treat my self to the AC.


----------



## Kasota

Whoooo Hooooo, WP! Oh, I am so glad you got your AC! What a blessing your brother is to run pick it up for you. I'll bet you'll sleep well tonight! 

I see FR lurking about. How is your place faring after the lightening strike? I hate lightening. Glad you are okay. 

I messed up on a row of my shawl. I have one stitch too many on one row. That's what I get for not paying closer attention.


----------



## Wind in Her Hair

hercsmama- we would LOVE to have you and remember, we have a guest cabin, so you are welcomed to be our guest. (It is "off the grid" but we do have all the "amenities" -meaning , in addition to the outhouse, you are welcomed to use the bathrooms in the house and we can always run an electric chord over there to give you some juice!)
If you are coming this way, you MUST get up to Lake Superior and meet Kasota! She is just 100 miles from here and the drive up the North Shore is incredible.


----------



## Kasota

WIHH, Debi has to meet up with me. I have her garden tiller. :grin:

I have a goodly sized generator, too, if either of you are interested. I used it at the farm before I had power out to the barn and in the last couple years have let my brother use it for Boy Scouts but their troop recently bought their own so she's going in the garage sale unless either of you need one. 

I still have to get up to my brother's place and take pictures of that other item. Sigh. I have been bad...just not enough hours in the day.... Maybe I can do it today...

My sister and I have been making progress on getting ready for the garage sale. Bless her heart, my sister is a snoop. I have been hauling boxes and boxes and boxes of things over to her place. Poor thing has been torn between "I wanna see what's in those boxes" and "I shouldn't snoop in my sister's stuff." It's been driving her crazy but she has not touched a single box. Yesterday she asked (innocently), "Is there anything you would like me to do with the things in the boxes?" I gave her the green light to dig, snoop, see if there was anything she wanted, etc. Her face lit up like a Christmas Tree. It would have lit up anyway because she is a snoop...but...she is convinced that I have _The Golden Bird._ 

_The Golden Bird_ is a much coveted Christmas Tree Ornament that has been in our family for years. She wants it. Badly. After snooping through the Christmas decoration boxes at the house and not finding it...she thinks I have it. She thinks I don't know how much she wants it. Everyone knows she wants _The Golden Bird_ but she has tried to keep the depth of her desire under control. But I know my sister. Every Christmas she asks if we are going to have a tree. "It would be nice to see _The Golden Bird_ again..." I can tell by the look in her eye how much she wants that bird. She is spiritually torn between her desire for _The Golden Bird_ and "thou shalt not covet." 

ound:

The truth is, I DO have _The Golden Bird_. :icecream: She will not find it in any of the boxes in her garage, snoop though she may. Mom gave it to me many long years ago. I am going to give it to her but not until Christmas. 

I have probably been bad all these years for not giving it to her seeing that she wants it so much more than I do, but it's been so much fun. I am a dickens, yes. Sad, but true.


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## Woodpecker

Too bad we don't live closer Kas. I do the same to my brother.


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## Kasota

WP, I am glad to know I am not the only one who (lovingly) bedevils a sibling!!!! I think you and I are sisters at heart. LOL!!


----------



## MDKatie

Just popping in to say hi! I hope everyone is well. We're supposed to get some strong storms today, but we'll be getting some nice cool weather, so I'll take the storms! 

Life has been busy, but I've still been making time to knit at least a few rows every night.


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## Taylor R.

Last night of work this weekend (well, I guess it's the week to normal scheduled people, but Monday is a part of our weekend). I only have to work Friday night next weekend, thank goodness.

Just so you know, putting together a t-shirt fundraiser will make you want to pull your hair out :grumble:. If you consider doing so, consider again and again until you talk yourself out of it. Everybody wants the dang shirts, but no one wants to pay for them. Enough people have paid to cover the order, so now every jerk-wad that is saying they want the t-shirt but not coughing up for it is literally taking money straight out of the proceeds if they don't get with the program. :grump:


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## hercsmama

Taylor that's horrible! Do you have to give them the shirts before they pay for them? What's the fundraiser for? Did you say and I (as usual) missed it?

Guess what I did this morning?
After I got done babysitting my adorable Grandson, I went to the Alpaca farm, yes I did!!
I picked!!
I am getting a Suri and a Huacaya! I couldn't make up my mind, and really just don't have room for four right now, so i got one of each!
Their names are Elmo and Honey, both males, neither bottle fed, and 4 years old.
The woman selling them is a certified fiber sorter, ad showed me how to "read the fiber". Both are a grade 2 with a 24 micron count, very nice! Elmo is registered, Honey is not, but is able to be. I have pics on my phone, and am trying to get them loaded now. Honey is the Suri, and is obviously honey colored, Elmo is a lovely shade of cocoa brown, with just a hint of red to him, and the sweetest face! He even has a cowlick just like dh's, too funny.
We will pick them up this weekend, as I just wasn't able to get the fencing done on time. But, she gave me Elmos papers, and a sample of both of their fiber so I can give that to dh for his Birthday tomorrow.
Also, there is no money changing hands, they want several of my wethers, so we are simply trading straight across! How amazing is that??!!!:nanner:

Her husband has also offered to come over next Spring to teach me how to shear them, AND, they have a livestock scale they are getting rid of, so are selling it to me for a whopping 40.00!!:happy2:
I just love living here! Everything just seems to be so much easier here than it was in Texas. 
We are truly blessed since moving here.:happy2:


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## Kasota

Whoooo hoooooo, Debi!!! I am ever so happy for you. You simply must take a picture of your hubby's face when he gets the fiber samples for his birthday. And such a score on the scale! And getting one of each... Sounds like a thoroughly delightful arrangement!  

Taylor, that is just rotten on the fundraiser. If someone backs out let me know and I will buy one if you have a big size avail. I'm a tad "curvy." 

MDKatie, I hope you get through the storms safe and sound. 

Someone at work may want to buy my snowblower. That would be great. Then I wouldn't have to haul it over to the garage sale. Crossing my fingers...

I found a Rubbermaid container full of electric fence insulators. These are the plastic kind that are longer. If anyone with critters is interested let me know. If no one is I will put them up on the barter board. Probably not tooooo likely to sell electric fence insulators at a garage sale in the city. I trade for fiber related goodies but would like the cost of shipping paid for so that I don't have a cash outlay. 

The hiring at work continues. Twenty three people at our location, 15 at another plus another supervisor plus another manager in our California location. And that is just the start. If the project goes well we could add another 75. Glad it is not on my plate. I picked up just one additional employee rather than the 5 they were going to give me. I just don't have capacity. I'm tickled pink at the person I picked up...she is a delight and I've worked with her on many projects. She will not need much direction from me at all. 

There is a guy on the crafting site who makes tables. They are simply beautiful and he uses wood he harvests from his own farm. He is going to make me up an especially beautiful piece of wood so that I can make an over-sized blending board. There is a person on ETSY who sells blending board cloth for a reasonable price and I can simply order the length I want. Neat, eh?


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## hercsmama

Kas, just toss those insulators in with that tiller. We will see you next month to settle up!:goodjob:
Still waiting on my phone to get those pics loaded.....think I'll set it in the middle of the pasture..might get a signal out there.


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## Kasota

Debi, The insulators have your name on them.  Many thanks. I probably have various and sundry odd pieces like the gate handles and wire connector thingies for grounding as well. I'll just toss anything fencing related together and you can have a look-see. I might have some small feed buckets, too. Those always come in handy with livestock.


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## Marchwind

Taylor that stinks! Surely you don't have to give the t-shirts to the people until they pay. I wouldn't even order them if they haven't paid up front. I hope it all works out in the end.

Deb I can't wait to se pictures and to hear how surprised your DH is. Are the boys gelded already? They sound wonderful.

Kasota it good that your company is hiring right?

MDKatie hope you made it through the storms alright, they just missed us. I'm loving the cooler weather too, it's great for sleeping.


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## hercsmama

MW, neither of them is gelded. As Elmo is registered, I'll leave him intact. But I'm going to get Honey cut next month.


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## Taylor R.

The fundraiser is for our friend with leukemia. They definitely were _supposed_ to pay before I placed the order, but at this point if I take those ten shirts off the order it will actually get MORE expensive because the price per shirt will go way up. So I guess I'll order them, and then charge a $5 late fee if they want them, if they don't I'll donate them to the various charity auctions, bike runs, poker runs that are coming up in the next few months. I can probably sell some at work, too, as his mom works with me and the word hadn't gotten around the water cooler very well (and I don't do social media with co-workers as a rule). One of the asset protection managers almost made me late yesterday when he stopped me at the door to ask about them :huh:


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## Kasota

Marchwind, yes it is for sure good that our department is hiring. Other departments have been letting people go.  Our director is really good at securing business for us. The work we are hiring for almost went to another state but he made a solid case for why we should have it at our site. Bless him, for sure! 

I probably mentioned this but I am making my own blending board. I have a craftsman from HT building me a board that is oak and walnut from his own woods, with a bit of a routed edge and a removable thing on the back so I can either use it flat or I can put the piece back on and have it angled at my table. He's going to put a handle on it for carrying.  And it is going to be over-sized...so that it will hold a piece of blending cloth that is 12x18 (give or take). I succumbed to the desire for pretty things for fiber that I will probably use less frequently than I imagine I will. LOL!


----------



## BlueberryChick

I'm trying to get caught with all of you! It's been quite a week. In the past seven days, we've had a car bite the dust, been to the hospital in the middle of the night with a friend and spent time on the phone checking on a family member in the hospital (she isn't having visitors at this point).

My daughter's car had to be towed last week after it left her at the side of the road. Turns out, the transmission is done. Over. Finished. Andy (DH) has been helping her look, but she has a somewhat limited budget. We'll help her out, but she will be taking responsibility for it.

Last Tuesday night, we got a call very late that a friend was in the hospital. She's had a great deal of stress in her life lately and it just seemed to catch up with her all at once. I've talked to her almost every day since and she's doing much better.

Sunday morning, I checked Facebook. I'm not on it very much, just a quick check once a week or so to see how distant family members are. I was shocked to see that my aunt had been in the hospital since Thursday. She has pneumonia and is still not home. I called my cousin (her son) right away and talked to his wife. My aunt is doing okay, but they aren't recommending visitors until her coughing settles and her breathing is better. 

This aunt is my mother's only sister and we have been very close since my mother died. She's an amazing woman. She spent three months in India last fall, teaching American children of missionaries. I would appreciate your prayers for her.


On a happier note, I bought a sewing pattern online today and started working on a two-at-a-time sock project bag. It has a zip pouch/divider in the middle, snap yarn guides and a a drawstring top. I don't do TAAT socks, but I'm planning to work on the Water For the Elephants sock pattern soon. It's a colorwork pattern, with elephants on them. Obviously, I need a new bag.

ETA: Link to sock pattern (Stop laughing! I can do this...I think...)
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/water-for-the-elephants


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## hercsmama

BC, of course you can!!:goodjob:
I've had those on my knitting bucket list for a while now.


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## BlueberryChick

This is my new project bag! It has a zip pocket as the divider, which I find super cool. There's room for two balls of yarn and each side has a snap yarn guide. I've been hoarding...ummmm, saving... the fabric for a while. It's out of print and I have searched high and low for more, but no luck.



View attachment 32805
View attachment 32806



ETA: Link to the sock bag pattern:
http://www.ramonarose.net/archives/2578


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## Wind in Her Hair

when are these gonna be in your etsy store, BBC???? That's an awesome bag! LOVE it.


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## BlueberryChick

Wind in Her Hair said:


> when are these gonna be in your etsy store, BBC???? That's an awesome bag! LOVE it.


Funny you should ask! I just sent the designer an email requesting information on a cottage license to sell them.


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## MDKatie

Love that bag!!


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## BlueberryChick

BlueberryChick said:


> Funny you should ask! I just sent the designer an email requesting information on a cottage license to sell them.


Just call me Jane Bond.
'Cause I am licensed to sell! :rock:

(If I can get organized to do photographs tomorrow, I have one sock size bag done!)


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## Woodpecker

That's awesome BC, congratulations!

Once again I am having wicked neuropathy. I will be seeing my doctor next week and will discuss it then.


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## Wind in Her Hair

Woodpecker, I thought I was having neuropathy - turns out it was pinched nerves in my spine.  My big toe goes completely numb as well as the side of my foot - how crazy is it that the cause is way up in my lower back!?!?!?)


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## BlueberryChick

Woodpecker, I'm so sorry you are still in pain. I pray that your medical team can find an answer soon.

Well, for the third time in a week our power is out- no storms in the area, nothing to suggest an explanation. Grrrr!! And I was just finishing listing my new bags on Etsy. Now I'll probably have to start over.

Grrrr. Again.


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## Pearl B

Eek, eek, me in hospital. I tripped over a box yesterday afternoon, and broke my femor bone. They gonna do surgery, hopefully today.

I really don't want surgery, no way out of it. I'm hungry. No food till after, eek..


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## Miz Mary

Lordy Pearl ! Praying for a speedy recovery ! 

Woodpecker, prayers for pain relief ......

BBC..... LOVE that bag ! You do amazing sewing !!!


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## Pearl B

Thankfully I fell right next to the phone. This leg aint moving, at all


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## Wind in Her Hair

PEARL B!!!!!!!!! OH NO!!!!!!! Between your femur and Cyndi's ankle- lordamercy!!!!  Y'all be careful out there. 

I cannot imagine what would happen if I broke something. Could I even manage a night's sleep to be able to face a day of work?!?!?!? Goodness!

BBC, I was so taken with your bag, I found myself measuring MY simple drawstring snowflake project bag and wondering what fabric I have stashed away that I could send you for a custom order.  :teehee: Do you think making the liner in something slippery like a satin would help things slide and not "stick"? 

I bet the power outages are due to power companies "borrowing power" during peak usage summer season.

They rob from one area to provide service to another that is needing MORE than the regular load (or something like that.)

Woodpecker, I pray they find a way to resolve your pain issues.  :grouphug:


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## MDKatie

Oh NO, Pearl B!!!! I'm so sorry! Yikes! Good luck in surgery, and please let us know how you're doing as soon as you feel up to it! 


Woodpecker, I'm so sorry you're still having neuropathy issues.


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## BlueberryChick

Good heavens, Pearl! Get better soon. My 8yo daughter is reading over my shoulder and she also sends her sympathy.

Thanks for all the kind words about my bags. I love them too! I now have two of them listed in my shop, Bede Sisters sock bag

WIHH, I could probably be talked into a custom order  As to using satin for the lining, I think it would matter more for fiber than finished yarn. All the bags I use now are cotton and they work fine. However, for unspun fiber a slippery lining would be ideal.


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## hercsmama

Oh no Pearl!! Bless your heart.
Which leg was it? Not your spinning one I hope????? That would truly be catastrophic! Not that a broken leg isn't catastrophic at the best of times, but talk about putting salt on the wound, so to speak..
So, I lost my debit card yesterday, didn't realize it until I was checking out at the grocery store. Luckily, I had enough cash to cover the bill, but talk about going into a panic!
I hadn't used it in three days at that point, so I immediately called the bank, and there was nothing odd that had hit our account. So they cancelled my card and are sending me a new one.
As soon as I got home, I found my card sitting next to my computer.:facepalm:

So now I can't buy one of those wonderful bags of yours BBC, until my new card gets here next week.:huh:
RATS!!!


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## Kasota

PearlB - oh, NO!!!!  That is just rotten!! Keep us posted on how the surgery goes! 

BBC, I love your bags! They are so pretty!


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## Kasota

The rotten deer got my peas last night. :hair They are nothing but rats on stilts.


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## Pearl B

Thank you Everyone!!
Luckily it's not my spinning leg. I'm now the owner of a 9 inch nail and surgical grade bailing wire hahaha
I know it's an odd time to think of food, I'm starving. I barely ate the day it happened


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## MDKatie

Pearl B said:


> Thank you Everyone!!
> Luckily it's not my spinning leg. I'm now the owner of a 9 inch nail and surgical grade bailing wire hahaha
> I know it's an odd time to think of food, I'm starving. I barely ate the day it happened


NIN! :rock: 


Glad you're doing well!


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## Marchwind

(((((((((((((Pearl))))))))))) I'm glad you came through surgery alright. Sending healing thoughts to you. I hope they have you on good pain meds but not too good :teehee: do you have someone who can help you out at home?

WP, I'm not sure I really understand neuropathy, I hear from passengers all the time how painful it is. I do understand nerve pain well though, I have quite a bit of it. I wish you well and hope you and your doctors find some resolution to this.

Kasota those stinking deer :nono: I used to call the country pigeons. Fishing line and jingle bells can help to keep them away. They can't see it but the feel it on their legs and the jingle bells help to scar them.


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## Wind in Her Hair

Marchwind, I used fishing line for a couple of years until they figured it out. :sob: Then I used this stuff that looks like video tape but it hums in the slightest breeze and spooks them. One year I had to resort to those attractive Walmart bags tied onto the fence. That worked pretty well- but they LOVE peas - and eventually I had to stop growing them along the fence. 

Some years they never touched my pumpkin vines that sprawled through the fence and down the hill- other years they decimate anything that pokes through the fence. All depends on their nutritional needs and browsing habits. 

We toss out a little corn to give the deer mamas something to snack on BESIDES my vegetables and flowers and maple trees.


----------



## Woodpecker

The neuropathy is still from the chemo and one of the drugs I get at the hospital. I will see my doctor Tuesday. Until then I plan on having a fun and relaxing weekend.


----------



## Wind in Her Hair

hugs, Woodpecker and prayers. You are sooooooo amazing for one so young. When you come through this storm, just imagine how much MORE amazing you will be! :grouphug:

for those not following the TDF thread, just to let you know, I AM actually doing some fibery things including these hand spun, handknit, needle-felted slippers.


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## hercsmama

I'm loving those slippers! Needle felting is yet another thing I would like to try, I really think I'd enjoy it..just that whole who has the time issue.

Pearl, so glad you came through surgery alright! Having a good appetite is a good sign! Sending good thoughts for speedy healing your way!

MW, do you think the jingle bells and fishing line would work on rabbits?
Maggie is eating them as fast as she can, but they just seem to keep coming!:grit:

WP. I'm with MW on the Neuropathy, I really don't understand it. But it sounds very painful. Keeping you and your Mom in my thoughts as always.
BTW, how is Momma? We haven't had an update on her lately..

Speaking of peoples Mommas, Kas, how is yours?:bowtie:

What a flipping week!
Just yesterday alone I had to drive literally across the state and back again. Pulling permits, meetings with builders, blah,blah,blah.
I feel like an idiot for mislaying my debit card. Dh laughed and said that at lest I couldn't spend any money for a week..he forgets that cash works too!:whistlin:
I'm getting ready to set up a website for the farm, but honestly have no idea how to do it..I see lot's of researching on it in my very near future.
Today is all about banking and bills, but I will be finishing up my second bobbin of that tonal purple Merino this afternoon, if it kills me!


----------



## Taylor R.

Pearl, hope you heal up quick!!

Debi, I've done similar things more often than I like to admit. I hop online and check my statement first off, then go home and search for it. To this day I haven't actually 'lost' it, it's always somewhere in my house. My husband takes my card to work occasionaly (he _has_ lost his, so we decided maybe it's best if he doesn't carry one all the time), so it is usually in his pants pocket :grit:

I've been crocheting for the most part for the last week, just a little bit here and there with very little spinning in between. I feel like I've been in the kitchen far too much. The produce, for some reason, won't put itself up. The darn green beans are going to get the best of me if I don't get a batch of them canned very soon, but I don't even really like green beans unless they're fresh. It's terrible motivation.


----------



## Woodpecker

Hercsmama my momma is getting better slowly but surely. They discovered she has gout in her toe while looking for reasons for the fever. She has good days and bad. She is sore today. My Aunt was nice enough to color her hair for her. She feels good about that. I don't think that bending over the sink helped though.

Yes kas how is your momma?

Talyor how's your friend doing? I think of him often.


----------



## Miz Mary

WIHH, you are so dang good at fulling/felting slippers !! I cant never seem to get them to come out right .... 

My elderly neighbor lady is convinced the deer do not like white .....so she has tied DOZENS of white rags...plastic bags etc ...to all her trees ..... at dusk it looks like a graveyard with ghosts all over !!! 

Some of you know DH & I care for my FIL .... over the last few days he has changed .... ( he has COPD ) Hard for him to walk , and talk ..... like when you have a sore throat and its raspy ....he says he doesnt have enough air .... he has his oxygen on ...has all his inhalers ...but he seems...different ..... his Dr app is Monday morning .... just 2 months ago he had GREAT Dr reports..his 1 kidney is up from 33% to 60 % ...blood work good .... dont know if we are just paranoid .... when he is gone, DH will only have a sister left, who we dont really care for  .... Maybe the Lord is preparing us ...I dont know ...... but thank goodness for fiber ....my only stress relief !!!


----------



## Kasota

PearlB, I am so glad that you came through the surgery and that it was not your spinning leg! ((((hugs))))

WP, I so admire your ability to keep a positive attitude and to stay engaged in positive things. ((((hugs))))

Marchie, I just might try the fishing line and jingle bells. Ugh. Anything is worth a try. I've been having good success with the Liquid Fence spray but for some reason all those blossoms on my peas were too much temptation. And once they come in...ugh...it's hard getting them to leave them alone.  My peas were up the trellis about 6 feet and now they are munched down to 3 feet. I was so mad! I so want to
put a fence up but it seems the $ is always needed elsewhere. 

WIHH - those slippers are so beautiful!!! I am impressed! I bought the duffer pattern off of Ravelry and it's on my to-do list. Someday...when life settles a bit. 

Debi, you have more on your plate than Heinz has pickles! Egads! 

MizMary, it is hard when you see changes. Lake of oxygen will sure cause some of that. I hope he gets a good report and it's just paranoia. 

Taylor, any news on the house? 

I have today off of work. Still cleaning and organizing for the garage sale but my sister, in search of _The Golden Bird_, has been making wonderful progress going through boxes, washing things and sprucing things up. :icecream: Well, I did tell her I would share my garage sale money with her seeing as she is doing so much work on it. She is not employed right now. 

My pooch is at the groomer, a woman whom I love dearly for putting up with my dog who is NOT an easy one to deal with. She has been doing her since she was a puppy and the dog loves her but even though we have been working with her on it forever...she HATES having her feet touched or her face trimmed. She doesn't bite but you would never know she wasn't going to. Patty, my groomer, knows all her quirks and loves her anyway. I've never had a dog that was such a pain when it came to grooming. Honestly. You would think someone was trying to kill her. Thankfully, for whatever reason, she doesn't mind the clippers. Anyway...Patty's mare has a brand new 6 week old filly at her place so I spent an hour playing with her. It was soooo much fun! Now I smell like horse. Heaven, yup! I may not bathe all weekend. :cute:

Mom is doing a little better today. She is up and down a lot in terms of how much strength she has. Doc put her on some potassium supplement and that is helping some, but she gets so tired. Yesterday my sister took her out shopping for my nieces baby shower present and then to the grocery store. She had a good day and a busy one but she was in bed by 6. Today she was out watering a few things in the garden, so she has recovered some.  I have to admit she is more forgetful than she used to be. I have to remind her more often about this and that. But all in all, she is doing remarkably well for her age. At 88 she can still putter a bit in the gardens and she is still in her own home, so it's all good. 

Thank you all for asking about her! :grouphug:


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## hotzcatz

Just in general, hugs for everyone! :grouphug: Broken legs, sick relatives, too much work, not enough work, etc. Ack! Just hugs everywhere.

Great slippers! Nifty looking bags! Cute alpacas! Ya'll have been busy!

Nothing much chaos over here other than the van's dead about fifteen miles away, but we'll work on that later today. Probably just a fuel pump but there were too many things going on yesterday to deal with it so it was left at the grocery store parking lot overnight. 

It's been rainy and haven't been able to mow the yard for I'm not sure how long but it's getting pretty hairy out there. Aught to go freshen up the garden and toss bunny berries everywhere for fertilizer. All the rain washes the nutrients out of the soil pretty quickly so the bunny manure helps a lot in keeping fertility in the soil around here.

Couple of bunnies flew off to Kauai where they will have a good home. Another one may go live at the quilting store. It's in the same parking lot the van is at, so I'll take a cute bunny along and let the quilt store owner see her. I'm figuring it will be love at first sight and if I take the extra cage that someone gave me last week at quilting group along with, then there won't be any reason for the bunny not to move right in. Hmm, swapping a bunny for fabric might be even better than money! Ha! So those are my evil enabling plans for later today while rescuing the van.


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## Taylor R.

Loan junk is coming along Kas..our loan type is kind of a pain in the hind end, but they'll give us a good interest rate that'll lower our payment significantly so that we put up with it anyways. 'The one' is still on the market, hasn't even been shown.

Our friend is doing quite well all things considered. His LP results came back and the first round of chemo helped so much that he doesn't even need a bone marrow transplant (though that could change in the future). He'll get to go home and see his kids in the near future, which he is VERY excited about. He's very thankful for all of your thoughts and prayers!!


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## Marchwind

I had my spinning group today. In the summer we meet at various members houses. Today we met at Letty Kline's house. Letty has written a book by the name of, The Shepherd's Rug, she is a fleece judge (Shepherd's Harvest, Maryland Sheep and Wool, Mich. Fiber Festival to name a few), Letty raises Karakul sheep, she is also a great person. Her property is stunning. We sat on her back deck over looking the little stream and some of her woods.


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## Marchwind

Her is the view from the deck


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## Woodpecker

Marchie what's that thing on the right?


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## Kasota

Marchwind, what a beautiful place she has! 

Taylor, I am so glad for your friend that he will be able to go home soon! 

Hotzcatz, did you get the van back home? I hope it is not too expensive of a fix! 

I did not get much accomplished today. Just feeling kinda blue. Maybe I need sleep.


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## Pearl B

Thank You Everyone!!

My heart and prayers go to all as well.

I made it about 30 feet in a walker today. Cool. I got a rod and incision from hip to knee. When they told me about the rod, all I could think about is Nine Inch Nails songs,:hysterical::hysterical:

About 4 years ago I went through all this hospital and training on a walker when I discovered I have a bad hip. So it's still pretty familiar. I just thought it was happily behind me. 

I'm doing more with my hip already than I could do before, even though they didn't repair it.
So maybe some good will come out of this after all


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## raccoon breath

Pearl - I am glad you are on the mend. You have a general idea of where I'm at, right? I make it to Flag quite a bit and if you are in the general area, I'd be happy to bring you by soup, sweet yummies, or things to help you heal if you need. 

Check this pic out! ha ha A new fiber friend gave it to me and it's been driving the truck. Had to move the sun visor so he could see with that long neck.


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## Marchwind

WP are you talking about the last picture? The loss of depth perception makes things look funny, lol! There is a new retaining wall, the light grey with the rocks, that wall is probably 4 feet high. To the right is a raised up sprinkler, new grass was seeded in a large area there, that light brow under and around the sprinkler base (tripod). Behind that and some distance away are two shed structures. The grey one is actually a canvas covered, carport sized structure. In the picture because of the lack of depth perception it looks like a big speaker, lol!


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## BlueberryChick

What did I do yesterday? Why, I'm so glad you asked! My sister-in-law helped me totally reorganize my craft area. It used to be shared with our schoolroom, but now it's completely devoted to sewing and other crafts. The school area is now on one side of the playroom. Since the children are getting older, they don't use the playroom as much, so it's school/reading corner/play area.

I bought a few new, matching storage boxes but everything else we added was from our storage building. The table in the middle was from my parents' house, as were the chairs. We also brought in a small wooden table and chairs that my older daughter used when she was little. My 8yo is very excited about having her own craft corner. I'm also using our old changing table as a shipping and gift wrap station. It's the perfect height!

View attachment 32950


The reading nook in the playroom may be my new favorite hideaway spot. It has two hand-me-down bookshelves and two recliners, also inherited from my parents' house. 

View attachment 32951


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## Kasota

Oh, BBC how very wonderful for you!! Nice that you have good light in the room, too! I was peeking at your shop yesterday and you sure do have some beautiful items. Now you will have an even better space to make your creations - not to mention the new bag you are making! Wooo hoooo! 

RB, that picture is a hoot. LOL! Caption: "What do you mean I didn't pass my driver's test? I only bumped that other car a little bit!"

I got my application for the church craft fair that I do each fall and they have, yet again, bounced their table fee up. It used to be 20.00 a table and now it's 40.00. I always get two tables. For a little church craft fair I think 40.00 a table is getting a little high. These are not booth sized spaces...it's just a little table. 

I keep telling myself I should open up a shop at Etsy but I get bogged down in the details...and it's not like I have a lot of time to maintain an online shop...which is why I liked my little once a year craft fair so much.


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## BlueberryChick

Thanks, Kas! I love it and you're right about the light. The ceilings are low (it's finished attic space), but there are two windows in the sewing room. The one you can't see in the photo is a dormer with a window seat.

I agree that $40 seems high just for a table. Is it more than one day? I'm doing SAFF this fall. It's a three day festival and the rental for a small space (8x10) is $150. Larger booths are more, of course, but I feel good about the price for my space.


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## Kasota

This is just for one day. If it were two days I wouldn't mind at all. But for just one day when it seems a bit steep especially when it only runs from 9-3.


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## MDKatie

Ohmigosh ohmigosh ohmigosh!!!! I was accepted as a vendor at a HUGE craft show in D.C. in September!!! It's a mega huge, very professional show and I am freaking out!!! I don't even know where to begin. I'm only going to 1 day of the 2-day show, and I'm splitting the booth with a friend who makes block printed fabric and items. 

I"M FREAKING OUT!!! :stars: I'm going to have to order a huge amount of supplies, and start making soap non-stop. 

And on top of that, I already signed up to do a 2-day show the very next weekend here in town. It's not as big of a show, but it's 2 days. :huh:

I'm so excited, but very overwhelmed!


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## raccoon breath

Busy, busy today. I thought I'd pop in for a minute to post a pic of one of Kasota's samples from her week 2 TDF prize. She's getting a sampler of my favorite fleeces I've collected, including the most recent that should be here Mon or Tues. Here's colored corriedale hogget fleece from Marble Peaks Ranch (EXCELLENT!!!). Because of limited space, the samples will be packaged individually and vacuum packed so they will take up little space until used. Pic is the sample. Here's a FB link to Marble Peak where you'll see their pretty animals, pretty fleeces and pretty ribbons they've won. 
https://www.facebook.com/marblepeaks.ranch/photos


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## Kasota

MDKatie - what a great opportunity!! You will do great, I am quite sure! Take a deep breath and make out your lists. If you ever have time I would love to see pictures of how you go about making soap. It's so much fun to see what folks are up to! I've no doubt you will be a huge success at the show! (((hugs!!))) 

Tomorrow there is a BBQ and a baby shower up at my brother's place. It is going to be hot, but should be a fun time. I wish I had been able to get my hair cut today but it just didn't work out. I did, however, tackle tinking my prayer shawl back to where the error was so now I can go forward. Tomorrow I have to find some time to blanch and freeze a bunch of broccoli. I have reached maximum capacity in terms of eating it. Time for it to go in the freezer for Winter. My squash is coming along and I've been picking cucumbers for salads and fresh eating. We have salads almost every day and it's been fun to just go out in the garden and get what I need, excepting tomatoes. Those are still green.


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## Kasota

OMG, RB!!! We were posting at the same time. That is utterly YUMMY!!!! Thank you so much!!!!

The fleece on that FB page...oh, heavens! Those are beautiful!


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## raccoon breath

More pics to come. Hopefully, I'll have you so excited that you break into giggles when the box comes. ha ha


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## Kasota

I will probably pee my pants. :bouncy:


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## BlueberryChick

MDKatie, yay you!! 

Take a day and just bask in the glory of getting into a great show. That itself is an accomplishment. Come Monday (am I the only one hearing Jimmy Buffet right now?), start making those lists and get ready for your best show ever!


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## MullersLaneFarm

Oh.My.Goodness, Pearl! I hope the surgery went well. I couldn't imagine being immobile this time of the year.

Corriedale hogget fleece ... my absolute to die for fiber.


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## Wind in Her Hair

Cyndi, I am amazed at your recovery and how you didn't let it stop you from your :bow: :clap: spring gardening and harvesting. You are amazing. But, what other choice do we have? A lot of people are depending on you. :bow: :goodjob:

PearlB, I hope your recovery will be as quickl. (Still shuddering when I remember those first photos of Cyndi's ankle break. :run:. )

MDKatie, I have no doubt your show will be a great success. Like BBC said, take a deep breath, and then get moving. 

Kasota, where is your little show? I remember one time we accidentally went through Virginia, MN on a weekend they were having a HUGE arts and crafts fest, though we didn't get to stop, I have always wanted to go back when it was in full swing. 

RB, that fleece is gorgeous. 

Friday I mowed yards, paths, roadsides and trails - put in about 6 hours on the mower and I am so thankful my back and hips took it just fine! YEE HAW! Things are definitely looking up and if anyone that tells you that chiropractors are wackos, they are out of their minds or haven't found a good one. Mine has worked wonders and I feel like a million dolllars. 

I still have a bit more once-a -year mowing of some trails to finish up- maybe today if the weather allows. While mowing yesterday, I discovered several stumps where bears had ripped them open foraging for termites and grubs. There is a LOT of bear sign out there in my woods. 

The woods were full of wildflowers- some I had never seen before and I also spotted some fall mushrooms that we usually don't get until September- that's how strange our weather pattern has been this summer. 

So yesterday morning, I started the butter to melt in the cast iron pan and onions on to sautee, then I hurried out into the woods and plucked a couple of these guys from one of the hiking trails. I had noticed them the day before when I was mowing.

These are Strobilomyces floccopus (Old Man Mushroom, Old Man of the Woods, or Old Man's Beard) and they are what I call poor man's Northwoods portabellas. They seriously taste like portabellas and make an awesome meat substitute. I sauteed them with onions and jalapeno peppers and tomatoes and made some awesome omlettes with them. MMM mmmm.

After breakfast we got the military Jeep ready and Cabin Fever once again chauffeured a WWII veteran in a summertime parade in nearby Emily, MN. The day was gorgeous and I knit while waiting for the parade to start (finished a sock!)

Because we KNOW WHAT IS COMING  , Minnesotans celebrate EVERYTHING in the summer and look for any excuse to have a parade. 

Berry festivals, corn festivals, apple festivals, other fruit and flower festivals, bird festivals, Bob Dylan festivals, Paul Bunyan festivals- every single cultural and community festivals -

and all of those festivals have parades, biergartens (beer gardens :buds: ), fair food (deep fried cheese curds, twisty tators, deep fried pickles, kettle corn, roasted corn, BBQ, pulled pork, bratwurst, pork on a stick), craft tables, live music, dancing in the park, and fireworks. Every single Friday and Saturday night throughout there summer- fireworks. 

So we are recovering. From the sun, the food, the beer, the music- we did not make it to the fireworks. In fact, we were in bed by 0830pm.


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## Kasota

WIHH - you simply have wings on your feet as you cram pack everything you can into our short summer days! Breakfast looks delicious! Ikwym about the summer festivals. We had a Rhubarb Festival a few weeks back. The little craft fair I do is at Hermantown Community Church. I usually do pretty well there. The best craft fair I ever did was at a town hall in a little rural community in Central Minnesota. Town hall building literally was sitting in the middle of a corn field and was as plain jane building and set up as you could imagine...but the sales were mindboggling! That was some years back when I lived in the area. I am not sure what I will do this year. 

I simply need more than 24 hours in a day. That or I need to be able to be sharp and functional on 1 hour of sleep. LOL!!!


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## Wind in Her Hair

another 6 hours on the mower and the mowing is all done. It took much longer than I had anticipated and several trees down on the trails required a handsome lumberjack's skills. :kiss: Amazingly,we managed to get it all done and I even had enough energy leftover to walk through the woods and pick berries. 

There were only a handful of raspberries ready but I did manage to find quite a number of blueberries that the bears must have overlooked. Actually, I could see where the bears had munched the tops off the blueberry plants and taken the early berries from the top side of the plants as they grazed along- but they left me a few beautiful dark blue berries on the underside of a few plants. I felt like I was gleaning after the bear's harvest. 

The raspberries ought to be ready next weekend, anyway. 

Cabin Fever is getting supper ready to go on the grill. All I need to do is make a vegetable for a side and maybe a rhubarb/berry cobbler for dessert. 

We're both exhausted but so pleased with what we got accomplished this weekend.


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## Kasota

WIHH, there is a Far-Side cartoon somewhere in that description of you gleaning the blueberry patch behind the bears. Two bears talking. "Okay, okay. I'll leave a few for that woman...but I'm going to lick them first." 

I'm off to water the gardens. Tomorrow will be beastly hot. Blech. If I don't water tonight everything growing in the pots will be dry as a bone. Gotta dye my hair tonight - lots of senior leadership in next week and I have to look all sparkly. Gag. When I retire I swear the first thing I am going to do is stop dying my hair!!! Then it's slide into comfy clothes and knit the rest of the evening away....


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## MullersLaneFarm

I can just see that Far-Side cartoon in my head!!! Love, love, love it!!

I've been uber busy with the garden & the house the last few weeks. I haven't had this much energy in YEARS!! My doctor reduced the amount of paxil I was taking from 20 mg to 10 mg. The first week, I couldn't believe it ... now I'm just enjoying the heck out of it! Even _(and sometimes Paul)_ had to ask what I'm on. (Nothing, dear, it's what I'm Not on!!)

Kas, that was  the first thing I did when I retired .... let my silver shine through!!


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## Pearl B

raccoon breath said:


> Pearl - I am glad you are on the mend. You have a general idea of where I'm at, right? I make it to Flag quite a bit and if you are in the general area, I'd be happy to bring you by soup, sweet yummies, or things to help you heal if you need.
> 
> Check this pic out! ha ha A new fiber friend gave it to me and it's been driving the truck. Had to move the sun visor so he could see with that long neck.


Thank you RB!! 
Depending on the rehab they send me too, I might be close enough to take you up on that!!


MullersLaneFarm said:


> Oh.My.Goodness, Pearl! I hope the surgery went well. I couldn't imagine being immobile this time of the year.
> 
> Corriedale hogget fleece ... my absolute to die for fiber.


Thank You Cindy! 

In a way it's not so bad. I have a metal rod with surgical bailing wire wrapped around. From hip to knee. No cast. Thankfully!! I can move with a walker as of now. About the only thing I can't do is putting on socks that foot. No cast, no being really laid up. I will likely be in a rehab for 1 to 2 weeks, just till the swelling from surgery goes down, and my muscles and tendons are a little stronger.
Plus I live alone. They don't think I would be safe enough on my own at this point, and I'm inclined to agree. So it's all good. A few weeks at most and I will be back at all my usual activities.

Thank You Everyone. I still can't believe that happened.


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## hercsmama

So much going on,and so little time left to the summer!

We spent the better part of the weekend, getting Elmo and Honey properly settled. Switching feeders about the place, and water troughs. It is crazy hot here right now, and yesterday the plan wa to first catch and worm all the sheep, then put p a shade tarp for the "Pacas. Neither thing happened.
We ended up watching Colton Saturday night, and ran him back to town yesterday morning, then got a call on our way home from a neighbor lady with a shed she wanted to get rid of, did we want it?
Heck yea we did!
So it was a matter of figuring out ow to move it, with out it falling apart. We took our big trailer over, and Keith got on her tractor, with some rather skillful maneuvering on his part, it got MOSTLY loaded, it was hanging about half off the trailer actually....
Drove the 5 miles home with him following me in the big tractor, then the trick was to off load it.
That didn't go so well as the silly thing tipped off, and landed on it's back side.:runforhills:
No damage done though! So dh rigged up a chain and some pipe and whatall, he's clever this man of mine, and managed to get it tipped right side up. 
So I now have a very nice 10x10 garden shed, and it was free! I love free.

Naturally he then decided rather than catch sheep, it ws already about 4 by this time, he would grade the driveway, and the drive leading into the pasture.:bored:
Then the kids all showed up for his Birthday dinner,and the rest of the night just got away from me.
So I get to spend this morning, slamming in 6 t-posts, and up on a 9 ft. ladder, trying to screw hooks into the Alpaca shed, so I can hang that shade tarp, then trying to catch all 37 Sheep to give them worming shots, then I seriousl need to get the garden watered, as we are supposed to hit 100 again today...
Naturally, everyone is at their paying jobs today, so now it's all me. Hoping I get done by noon. before the heat turns itself all the way up....
BTW, anyone here know how to set up a website?
Pm me if you have time, I really need to get one done for the farm...


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## MDKatie

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you all have a great day! :wizard:


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## Taylor R.

LOOONG weekend behind us. Whew! I worked Friday night, then went to a going away party for a colleague that left our company until 3 am. Ugh..I'm so not used to those hours. We got up at 8 Saturday morning and went to get our kiddos from my mom's house, then went out to my dad's house to take care of the chickens and the garden, then I had to go shopping to get a new dress for my cousin's wedding (a very formal fancy affair), take the kids to my husband's aunt's (45 minutes from home), and headed back to my mom's to catch a ride to the wedding because I don't drink and drive . Then we went on to the wedding and danced the night away at the reception. Went back to my mom's and slept for a few hours and then drove back out to get the monkeys so we could come home and get ready for my nephew's birthday party. After that, we went to a barbecue at a friend's house and wound up there until 2 am. I realize I'm not that old, but I'm too dang old for all these late nights and events that involve wine two days in a row. I got next to nothing done this weekend fiber wise, but I did a little here and there. Is it bed time yet????


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## Wind in Her Hair

Kasota said:


> WIHH, there is a Far-Side cartoon somewhere in that description of you gleaning the blueberry patch behind the bears. Two bears talking. "Okay, okay. I'll leave a few for that woman...but I'm going to lick them first."


that is HILARIOUS :hysterical: and probably very accurate! 

I am so thankful that I never STARTED coloring my hair (much to the dismay of my sister-the-former-hairdresser) and my daughter that goads me all the time to "DO IT! DO IT! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO!" :teehee: - Nope. Really, I don't. :shrug: I am getting rather sparkly around the edges but whatdya expect, right? I got a few miles on me. :grin:

Kasota, I hear we are in for a bumpy night.  I don't like these air masses this time of year and the potential for bad things - hail, heavy rains, 70 mph winds, those dadgum twisters. I hope I get home in time to batten down the hatches and I fear for my precious tomatoes. 

This is the kind of air mass that created the big blow down in 1999 in the Minnesota Boundary Waters all the way into Canada. I do not like this kind of volatile weather. 

Cyndi, glad you are feeling so good and that you were able to reduce your doseage. :clap:


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## Kasota

WIHH, we are indeed in the path of some volatile weather. Often enough the really nasty stuff kind of skips over my house. I'm on the top of the hill. The bad stuff usually comes from the west or north west and somehow vaults over me and lands in the lake. At least the scary stuff, anyway. I get my share of snow, for sure. I am more worried for you. Right now it looks like the bad storms are in North Dakota and headed our way. There is enough heat/energy in the atmosphere to fuel some nasty weather. 

Far Side cartoons are some of my favorites. I met the man once and he told me most of his cartoons came to him while enjoying some adult beverage and he wrote them on the napkin in the bar. I don't know if he was joking or not. 

One of my favorites had two spiders. They had built a web across the bottom of a child's slide in a playground. One spider says, "If we pull this off we'll eat like KINGS!" I don't know why that struck my funny bone but it did. It was probably the look of happy expectation on the spider's face. (Do spider's have faces?) 

If WIHH makes a pie or a cobbler after gleaning behind the bears she could call it "Bear Spit Surprise." Then you could make up T-shirts and sell them. "I ate the Bear Spit Surprise." It would be like a badge of honor. You could serve it up with some of that strange pine flavored beverage that you make.... :hysterical:

I have battened down such hatches as I have. Everything will survive the storm or it won't. Likely somewhere in between. 

Cyndi, that is great about being able to reduce the dosage. I know more people who have had issues with that med making them tired than I can count. 

Taylor, you must be plumb worn out! Calgon....take me awaaaaayyyyy. You deserve a nice soak with some nice essential oils in the bath and some candles. Of course, round about that time someone would knock on the door and say, "I gotta peeeee!!!" 

Debi, I hope you get some rest, too. You work so, so hard! 

PearlB, I pray you are not in too much pain. there is a trick to getting your other sock on. You can probably make one for yourself if you have a piece of plastic from an old milk jug. Cut an oblong piece or an oval that you could slide your sock on to. Attach a long loop of yarn at the top (poke some holes in it.) Make the yarn long enough so that you can put your sock on the plastic part, toss it toward your toe and slip your foot inside. Here is a picture of a store-bought one but I have made them from milk jugs.


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## Taylor R.

Kas, that's EXACTLY what would happen!! I managed a very low key day today, thank goodness.


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## Miz Mary

UGH ! FIL 's Dr app didnt go so well today ..... they took him to the ER ! He has/had a cardiac issue and not much oxygen in his blood ...... they will be doing more tests , but things dont look good ..... and he has said he doesnt want my SIL to know because she has too much drama ..... oooo boy . 

WIHH, stay safe in this weather ..... I cant get the picture out of my mind of you meeting up with a bear , and the bear running after getting an ear full from ya ! "Bear Spit Surprise " ...Kasota you are hilarious ! 

Hope you rested up Taylor , WHEW what a weekend ! 

Debi, I LOVE reading about your adventures !!

Pearl, heal up quickly !

Woodpecker, I hope your doing alright ... your in my prayers ....


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## Kasota

((((Miz Mary)))) Oh, I am so sorry about the bad news for your FIL. I will sure be keeping him in prayers. Hopefully they will be able to do something to help him.


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## Woodpecker

Your in my prayers to hercsmama. 

So far the neuropathy is really bad this morning. Thank God I see the doctor today.


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## hercsmama

WP, your so sweet, thank you! Hoping your Dr. visit goes well and you are feeling better very soon.

Well, all that work yesterday morning and those two goof balls didn't even use their "Front Porch" all day yesterday!:hohum:
They did enjoy their hosing down though, I went out there several times and gave them a good dousing. They really do love that hose, lol.
Today is alot of inside work for me. I have bills to pay, invoices to process and mail out, and several lien releases on jobs to sign and get mailed as well.
I'm still needing to get into the Broken House and get the things pulled out for the yard sale in a few weeks. Ya'll sort of saw the disaster of that place in the TDF pics yesterday, what a mess!
The good news is, with the addition of the round bale feeder, I don't have to go out twice a day to feed the sheep, saving me about an hours worth of work. I'll still go visit, and bring them their treats, but it just won't take quite as long.:goodjob:
Frees me up a bit to catch up on my "Office " work.
Off to do more research on this whole web site thing.
Hopefully I'll get some good spinning time in later, maybe as a reward for getting all these bills paid....:help:


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## Wind in Her Hair

made it through the bumpy night- lot's of wind, some hail, massive deluge, minor power outage. On the way to work, there were big beautiful mature trees down everywhere.  When I GOT to work, the 40 foot tall blue spruce tree outside my office door was uprooted. It broke a window in the upstairs on it's way down and took some shingles with it. Yikes. I called the landlord and made his morning. :sob: 

WP, praying you will find some relief at your appointment today. Have you ever talked to your doctor about accupuncture or massage therapies? Maybe something to look into. :grouphug:

MizMary, I am sorry your FIL had such a bad report. I hope and pray that he, too, will find some comfort and relief. 

Kasota - I see there are still storms in your area. Hang on and let us know when you are out of harm's way!


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## Miz Mary

We have rain today .... hope y'all are out of the storms and safe !! 

Went and visited FIL ... good news.... PNEUMONIA ! Good news because that means his heart is ok and he didnt have a stroke .... With the COPD , this is "normal" ( ?! ) .... so he is on heavy antibiotics and learning breathing therapy .... may be home in a few days ! Prayer works ! Scared the dickens out of us though .... we now know where all the wills and titles are ..... 
I also learned something interesting .... A person with COPD can get over exerted eating tough meat .... the chewing alone can wear them out ...WOW . Good thing we are not big meat eaters ! 

Thanks y'all for your thoughts and prayers .....


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## Taylor R.

Miz Mary, I'm so glad it turned out to be something fixable, at least. He's been in my thoughts.


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## Kasota

((((WP))))) How did your appointment go? I am so sorry you are in such pain. That is just rotten. 

Debi, that is good news about the round bale feeders! Yay for you! I'm so glad that the business is keeping you all so busy even though the paperwork is a pain. 

WIHH - what a bummer about the trees!  That is just so sad. I am glad to know that you and CF are okay. Hope you didn't get too much tree damage at your place. 

We just got rain. The nasty stuff skipped over us and landed in the lake. Not so much as a leaf out of place in the garden. 

Miz Mary - give what it could have been, that is great news about your FIL! Yes, it really is common for people with COPD to get pneumonia. In part it is because they can't really clear their lungs as well and it is in part because anything that impacts our body will impact our immune system. Strange as it sounds, a probiotic to help the digestive system can actually help with that. Our digestive systems are a huge part of our immune system. Keeping it healthy helps everything else. 

I am so exhausted today that I don't know if I am coming or going. I should be blanching and freezing broccoli but I am flat too tired. 9 1/2 hours today without a break. I stole time from meetings while someone else was talking just to run to the restroom. Hopefully tomorrow will not be as bad. I just want to snatch a bath, crawl in my jammies and sit in bed and knit. LOL! 

On a positive note, I got a quote from my tree service guy to take down three dying trees in the very back corner of my lot...and it is 300.00 less than I was expecting. I had a quote on it a year ago so I was anticipating the same price or maybe a wee bit higher...but this time my mom was the only one home so she showed him which trees need to come down. He must have taken pity on the itty bitty old white-haired granny and given her a deal. I gotta remember that.... :cute:


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## Woodpecker

Thanks for asking Kas. My appointment went well and I am to take a bit more medicine. At least its the same one. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.


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## MullersLaneFarm

I'm so behind (like a month)

So much going on here and with family that I'm having a hard time keeping up.

I know I lotion to make and get out (please be patient ... some things came up ... surgery, garden, canning & family matters that I cannot discuss)

Who was asking about a web site?? Wix.com may be one that you could set up and navigate by yourself.

eta: I just checked out Wix myself. Depending what you are looking for (not selling items to having a shopping cart attached), it may or may not be for you.

My website  is $12/mo via yahoo and I do all the HTML myself


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## Woodpecker

No worries Cyndi, you've had a long difficult month.


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## Marchwind

I'm so busy and tired most day this week and last that I've only really had time to read . When ever you see that I have "liked" a post it doesn't necessarily mean I like what there it's more just to let you know I've read it and I'm glad you are alive and well enough to post. Yea I know kind of odd but that's me.

All this week I have either gone to bed late and not slept well or just plain not slept well :yawn::stars: the heat, the dogs and strange noises they bark at, work, blah, blah!!!! 

In my community, well my entire street this year, there is a grant called Building Blocks http://www.epa.gov/dced/buildingblocks_faq.htm. Our neighborhood association applies for these grants, this year it was our blocks turn. It's a great thing. Each block got $4500 to do fix up and stuff to the outsides of our houses/properties. There had to be at least 8 households per block that participated in order for the block to qualify. We just had 8 so we made it in. We then met every week and each of us came up with project ideas we would like to do, then we had to go and get quotes on materials. The only things they wouldn't pay for was paint and fencing and labor, you couldn't hire someone to come and do the work. My projects were to rip out all the shrubbery in front of my house, and redo the gardens in both front and back. My second project was to rebuild the shed. It is a stick build 8x8 structure but all the wood is rotting and the roof leaks., my third project was to get a new storm/screen door that I can lock from the outside as well as the inside (no more stolen bike off my porch). My landlord is all on board and gave me permission to do whatever I wanted . He and his father in law are doing the rebuild on the shed and installing the door. I got the shrubbery pulled out last weekend. Now I have to dig the beds, put in the edging (little terra-cotta scalloped edge things), and then plant all the plants. Everything has to be done or close to finished by the 27th. Phewwww! Lots of work to do still. The weather hasn't cooperated much raining and too hot to work outside. The rest of this week should be cooler and I'm hoping to get the plantings finished. I'm also supposed to be getting some dirt delivered and some gravel. I wanted to have pea gravel put on the side of the house where the dogs poop and pee the most. I'll try to remember to take pictures and post them.


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## SvenskaFlicka

We are moved in, and have internet. This is a huge house. Seriously, 1 and a half baths, three bedrooms, huge downstairs rooms... and our "master" bedroom has THREE CLOSETS. Two are walk-in! :teehee:

Not everything is unpacked, but I have been doing some sewing this afternoon. There will be more sewing this evening, then hopefully some knitting!

Where do YOU buy your Murphy's Oil Soap? I need some. I may possibly need it by the 5-gallon bucket. There is SO MUCH WOOD in this house. Wood floors, wood cabinets, wood shelves, wood trim... 

I'll try to get some pictures when everything is unpacked.


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## featherbottoms

I've been gone from here for a while. I've started this post several times but just couldn't finish. Maybe today I will.

About the 22nd of April my mom was diagnosed with inoperable cancer. Her doctor gave her 2, maybe 3, months to live. A few days later my husband drove me to NC so that I could stay with her. On May 21 (30 days later) she passed away. She was 76.

For the last year I had called her almost every single day and I always called her when I went out shopping because my stops are 45-90 miles one way. Sometimes we'd talk almost the whole drive and sometimes I'd call her coming and going. Emotionally, I think the last two months have been the hardest I've ever experienced, even harder than losing my daddy. My heart has hurt much more than I expected.

We were able to give her one last big surprise. Just a few days before she died two of her best friends came by to visit. One of them is an ordained minister and he married my sister and her fiancÃ© on the back deck with momma sitting beside her and holding both their hands (momma knew they were getting married but thought we were going to the courthouse). I videoed it with my phone and it's one of the most precious things I've ever seen.

My husband has been wonderful during this whole time. Driving me out there and then coming back when it was time. Sending her pretty pictures of the desert so she could smile. Telling jokes to get her to laugh. Letting me talk and cry and understanding that some days I just don't want to get out of bed.

I know it's clichÃ©d, but time does help.

We're still working on a weaving studio for me to work. I bought a used 45" 8 harness, expandable to 12, floor loom in March. I now have that loom, a 45" 4 harness floor loom and a 22" 4 harness floor loom, all LeClerc. I also have the 18" Glimakra rigid heddle loom (which I am really enjoying), a Navajo style loom and a frame loom (we made both those). I also bought an Ashford Traditional spinning wheel (I posted previously about that). I am hopeful that the studio will be finished within the next couple of months and I can get in there and get everything organized and start really learning to weave and spin.

Once we move me in there one of my first projects will be weaving some hemp/cotton (because that's what I have) fishnet type curtains for the 5 large windows and 2 doors with windows. The building is only 14x24 but the 5 windows are 30"x72" and let in a LOT of good natural light so the fishnet design shouldn't really block the light - I really want to take advantage of that light. One of the doors and two of the windows are on the south side and we expect them to also provide passive solar heat for winter. Eventually, we're going to drop a small greenhouse off that side, hence the door. I am still unsure what type flooring I want, but we're not there yet.

I've enjoyed reading all the posts and trying to catch up on what everyone is doing. Without mentioning everyone, I hope all of you that are facing illness, or family trials, continue to hang in there.

And to all of you, it's just good to *see* all of you again (and lots of new folks, too)!


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## Woodpecker

My whole heart goes out to you featherbottoms.:kiss: If you need anything please don't hesitate to PM me, even if it's just an ear.


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## MDKatie

Oh featherbottoms, I'm so sorry. My heart hurts for you. (((HUGS)))


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## Kasota

((((((Featherbottoms))))))))) Words simply fail. What a blessing that you were able to spend some time with her and give her that one last big surprise. May you find peace and comfort in your cherished memories. :grouphug:


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## hercsmama

:grouphug: FB, I'm so very sorry.


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## betty modin

You're in my prayers at this difficult time. I can't even begin to imagine how hard this has been for you.

betty


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## Woodpecker

Sven I buy my Murphys at either my local grocery store or my hardware store.


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## Marchwind

Featherbottoms how sad . I am glad you have the understanding and support of your DH, it has to help thing heal. You are so lucky to have been able to be with your mom during her last month and to help give her some very wonderful last gifts. I'm sure those few memories will be treasured always. ((((((((((((((((Featherbottoms))))))))))))))))))

SvenskaFlicka if you have a Target store they sell it. Either that or as WP said a hardware store or grocery store. I'm pretty sure the big box hard wear stores like Home Depot, Lowes, or Menards sell it also. Your house is going to smell sooooo good. I love Murphy's Oil Soap


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## Wind in Her Hair

aw, featherbottoms. :grouphug: I hope it is not clichÃ© to say that my heart goes out to you during this unbelievably difficult time. You will be in my prayers. 

I mean, we all know that sooner or later we are going to lose our loved ones - but a sudden loss of one so dear...I know firsthand from experience how that just knocks the air out of you. 

Bless your heart. 

I know what you mean about the phone calls - I talk to my children almost every day and sometimes several times a day - about everything and nothing at all. I miss talking to my mom and dad on the phone and I always say "I wish there was a phone number to heaven". 

Time will soften the blow, featherbottoms, but nothing will replace that special relationship you had with your mom. Cherish her memory.


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## Taylor R.

featherbottoms, you're in our hearts. I'm so sorry for your loss. Thank goodness for the men who stand with us through it all. :grouphug:


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## Miz Mary

Featherbottoms, hugs and prayers for you .... never ever an easy time .....

My FIL is still in the hospital...cant get his oxygen level to stay up in the 90's .... yesterday the Dr's talked to him about if he wanted to be resuscitated if say, he had a heart attack .... and we have to fill out papers so my DH can make medical decisions for him if he is unable ...... I know it's all routine, but it sure makes it "real" .... 

Does anybody know about living trusts ?? Wills ? Trying to get our ducks in a row now..... FIL has both, and wants to put the vehicles and house in our name , now .........rather than later ...... My question is, if he puts the house in our name ( its not paid off yet ) do we need to qualify with the mortgage company to finish paying it off ?? We will be receiving FIL's pension after he is gone to make the payments ... same address, same bank account .... He wants to Quit Claim the house/property ?

thanks for any knowledge !


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## MDKatie

I wish I had some advice to share with you, Miz Mary. Unfortunately I'm clueless in that department! I hope your FIL can keep his O2 levels up. I know it's a scary time. It's hard to plan things out and not focus on the worst case scenario.


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## Woodpecker

I'm in so much pain today. I was really good until last night and then the neuropathy struck. My brother and I had to take his Boxer to the emergency vet the other day. It seems she had a seziure. Poor thing, she's doing somewhat better but now is having a problem with her urine. I'm worried sick about her.

I also hurt my back yesterday at work and am really feeling it today. I think its making my neuropathy worse. I could go on and on right now, such a bad week. At least I got my new needles, that cheered me up.


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## MullersLaneFarm

featherbottom, I'm so glad you checked in. I only wish your heart wasn't in such upheaval. I am so very sorry to hear of your loss. 

Yes, time helps, but there are times (like today when I harvest my first red tomato) that my eyes fill with tears because I can't call my Daddy and tell him.

You our in our prayers.


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## Wind in Her Hair

Woodpecker, I am so sorry you are having "one of those days". 

I wish there was something to cheer you and make it better. Maybe the best you can do is crawl in bed and take your knitting with you. I have never actually knit in bed, but on day like you are having, maybe that would be the thing to do. 

We had two Boxer grand dogs and one had to be euthanized in May. We miss her very much. I hope your schmooshface friend feels better soon.


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## Woodpecker

Thank you for the encouragement WIHH and hercshmama. God willing tomorrow will be better.


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## featherbottoms

Thank you all for the kind words. I know we were lucky, we got to say goodbye. It doesn't make it any easier but I know it will get better as life goes on.

SvenskaFlicka, congratulations on getting moved!

Woodpecker, I know it doesn't make the pain go away, but you know that there are a lot of people thinking and praying for you.

Marchwind, that block project sounds really cool. You are fortunate to have such an agreeable landlord.

MizMary, good luck with that.

Taylor, some of us are way more lucky than others in the man department. I just love mine to pieces.

Cindy, I wish I'd paid closer attention with your making this batch of lanolin lotion. I still have about 1/2 of each of my two bottles but would have ordered a couple more. I'll pay more attention this fall/winter. Maybe I won't be out yet .

It's been hot here in my corner of SE New Mexico. For the whole year we've had less than 7 1/2" of rain and over 4" of that fell at one time over the Memorial Day weekend - while we were away. This month we've had just about 1 1/4". I don't hardly ever complain about the lack of rain but we have almost 100 Arizona Cypress seedlings that we planted in the spring for a future windbreak and they have to be watered about every 5 days when it's this dry and hot. Today is day 6 and I've been watching for storm clouds before I go out. It's not going to happen so it's up to me this evening (I usually water in the mornings and might just put it off till then).

One thing that's NOT affected by the heat are the pullets. We have 24 that turned 5 months old this week and we've started getting close to a dozen eggs a day. I've been freezing the excess but once I get about 30 dozen in the freezer we're going to have to seriously think about what to do with eggs. My favorite idea is a pig but that's not gone over so well yet. My second idea is to feed the excess to the dogs. We have a 10 month old Saint Bernard and a small mixed breed. I am sure they would eat most of the extras. The third idea is to just give them away to the neighbors. Because we're not interested in selling them I don't have a fourth idea.

Again, thank you all for listening. Now I'm going to see about watering at least 1/2 of those trees. Or maybe I'll work on weaving a scarf.


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## hercsmama

FB, I'm getting three bottles from Cyndi, I'll gladly let you have one of them!
No one should run out of lotion, especially Cyndi's.

Wp, I hope you get some relief from the pain soon, I agree with WIHH, sometimes it's just best to tuck in with your knitting and rest.

Miz Mary, I can tell you with Mom and Daddy, They Quit Claimed thier house to me, but they owned it outright, I don't know if you can do that if you still carry a mortgage, I don't think so..
Make sure he sets up a will, and check with your states laws on inheritance as opposed to gifts. In some states, if he gifts you everything now, it's exempt from any probate issues, but in some states that isn't true. Also, if he does gift you everything, t avoid probate, and later needs to go into a nursing home, or requires state assistance for medical care, they can go back three years, and assess his qualification on those assets and income.
It can get very complicated, we used an attorney to get it all straight for us.


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## Kasota

((((WP)))) I am so sorry you are having such a rough time. Have you asked your doctor about alpha lipoic acid supplements? This has been used in Europe for years to help with neuropathy. I think I first heard about that from an article in the Mayo Newsletter. I had forgotten all about it. My aunt used to take it and it did help. Granny Annie mentioned it. 

Miz Mary, I am so sorry he is still having troubles. Yes, that paperwork sure does make it feel real. (((((hugs)))) As far as the legal stuff goes, there are so many twists and turns and "gotchas" to those things that honestly the best thing you could do would be to consult an attorney. There are ones that specialize in elder law. Mom and I found one a few years ago so that we could have all her ducks in a row while she was feeling well and able to make clear choices about what she wanted. She wanted to get the house in my name and get power of attorney settled, bank accounts, etc. Not that she has a huge amount of anything, but the house for sure she wanted me to have seeing that I have been taking care of her all these years. It was actually my siblings that suggested she just give it to me because they all have homes and much more generous retirement pensions, etc. Oh, these are such difficult days. You will have to ask whomever holds the mortgage. Sometimes they will let you do paperwork ahead of time. Others will not. Since there is a mortgage on the place it does make it more complicated plus there is the fact that there are instances where the state or the feds can come after assets if they have paid for some things in certain circumstances. Depending on the state, if you can show you have contributed time/$ to maintaining him in his home some of that might be off-set. It's all so complicated... Ugh. I will sure keep you in prayers! 

Cyndi, I can sure feel your heart as you talk about that first red tomato. ((((hugs)))) 

Featherbottoms, my heart sure goes out to you in these oh so sad days.... 

I was out in the garden the other day and thought of how sad it will be when the day comes that I cannot run into the house and tell mom that the lilies are blooming or the first of the radishes are ready to pick or the robin's eggs have hatched and you can hear the babies peeping from the nest under the deck. At 88 every day is a gift. I don't even want to think about what it will be like when she is gone. 

I took tomorrow off work. Have to move more stuff over to my sister's house. Need to shift the pink wringer washing machine and move my mountain bike over. I bought it when I left the farm thinking I would need the exercise but the hills of Duluth are just too much for me and it has been taking up space in the shed for years without ever seeing the light of day. I have thought about a three wheeled "bike" with a basket for when I am old and just want to go to the corner store. lol! 
And I still have boxes and boxes of things to go through... I will be glad when this ordeal is over. 

I need to order some gravel in to level a spot and provide drainage for where I want to put a small storage shed. If I can get that done I will have a spot to keep my canning stuff, etc, and could get out from under the monthly storage locker bill. 

Step by step....


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## featherbottoms

hercsmamma, did you order any of the unscented? If so, I'd love to buy one bottle.


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## hercsmama

I'm pretty sure it was unscented that I got.
Cyndi, could you please go ahead and let FB have one of my bottles?:goodjob:


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## Kasota

I have the day off! How kewl beans is that? It's going to be nice for 1/2 the day and stormy the other 1/2. A perfect combination. I'm headed over to my sister's house to see how she's coming along with the garage sale stuff and then...when it rains...I will have some time to practice my spinning and some knitting time! 

I have to go quick harvest my broccoli and get it blanched and frozen. I don't know why I planted so much broccoli. I hope I have room in the freezer. LOL!


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## Taylor R.

Kas, our second freezer is already full of stuff we've put up. My dad keeps talking about buying a deep freeze (we have no where to put one) for the chickens, and I'm hoping he does it quick. Hubs and I took care of 3 grocery sacks full of corn, peppers, and eggplant last night, but we dug potatoes last night and picked MORE corn so I'm not done yet. The tomatoes have barely started to turn...when those get going it's going to get crazy around here.


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## Miz Mary

Thanks for the info Debi , Kasota ....... He has a living trust AND a will .... but he was thinking if he quit claimed the house we wouldnt have to go through probabte or pay alot of $$ for lawyers later ..... I wasnt sure about the mortgage issue either ..... we will have his pension after he is gone, to make the payments , but thats " assuming " the mortgage company keeps everything the same .... I wonder if they will have to do a new mortgage/refinance when DH & my name goes on the paperwork ?? 

Woodpecker ... (( hugs)) I hope you get to feeling better soon ......


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## MullersLaneFarm

Heading down to FR's area for Dawndra's annual noodle day (Dawndra used to be a moderator on this board years ago).

I've made a note about the lotion. Will deal with that when I get home on Sunday.

tootles!


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## Wind in Her Hair

Kasota and featherbottoms and those grieving for the sad days to come - :grouphug:

If it is any consolation, I talk to my folks all the time and tell them about what is happening - shooting stars, and ripe tomatoes, wishing I had asked more questions about their memories of their grandparents and great grandparents and moments in history they lived through. 

Just because their physical journey has ended here on earth is no reason to think we have to stop having a relationship with their spiritual being - and so I do. 

And sometimes, when I least expect, it, I am blessed with a visit from them in my dreams. :kiss: :angel:


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## Kasota

I am almost done making runs from my storage locker to my sister's place. She has been working her butt off washing and organizing. It's amazing how much stuff is there that I plumb forgot about. It feels good to get rid of stuff, though. 

I can't believe how many garden hoses I have. I suppose it makes sense. I had hydrants all over the farm and they all needed a hose for filling stock tanks. I will be glad to find them new homes so that I am no longer "Keeper of the garden hoses." LOL! 

I found two boxes of photos. Wow. I used to be so young. And I was thinner. Then there were pictures of my old farm and pictures of my son riding his horses. I can still hear his voice, "I wanna be first up on that mare, momma." "You sure?" "Yep." "Well, I suppose it's only 4 feet to the ground...." hahaha! 

Found a whole series of Western Horseman books. Reining. Team Penning. Solving Problems. Solving Problems seems to have seen the most use...  

I wonder why I had 4 crock pots. 

Then there were small treasures to be found. The lace hankie with my initials embroidered on it that my mom gave me when I got confirmed. I small jar filled with tiny agates that my son collected. A gold painted metal tool box that he made in shop class. A picture of Buck, my best dog ever, now decades gone. A piece of paper, folded and creased, tucked in a book about butterflies the letters scrawled in blue crayon - "I love you mama."


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## Woodpecker

It's so nice to finally be able to rest.


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## Kasota

Oh, I am so glad all the running around is done for the day! I went grocery shopping, ran to WalMart to pick up some plastic shelves that I'll use in the garage sale and then later use in the storage building I'm going to put up, back to my sister's to drop off more stuff and put the shelves together, back home to tend to the gardens - they were dry as a bone! It took me several hours to water. Found the new belt for the Oreck (sp?) vacuum that is going in the garage sale. Quick run to Michael's with a 50% off coupon where I picked up one skein (sigh) but I will run back tonight and get a match for it. It is not all that expensive but if it's 6.00 a skein and I want 3 skeins that's 9.00 instead of 18. I hate paying full price.  Spent some time paying bills. Now all I want to do is knit. LOL! 

Did not get to Yarn Harbor. I decided to wait until next weekend because I get paid on Friday. Maybe that is a mistake. I have only been there a few times but there sure a lot of yummy fibery goodness there. I wonder if they ever have sales....


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## MDKatie

I hope everyone is having a good weekend! I got an email from my aunt asking if I'd be interested in teaching a needle felting class at their fiber guild's retreat in March! I'm excited about it. It's not 100% set, but she wants to make sure they have a teacher before they offer it as an option. Exciting!


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## Kasota

MD Katie, that's just great! 

I am hoping I can pick your brain in the future about needle felting. I have an old wool blanket that has been hot water washed and is ready to go. It is cream colored. I want to make some journal covers that I can sell at the craft fair this fall. I have some colored bits of roving that I bought in packages at Hobby Lobby and I have single needles as well as a one of those thingies that has several needles in it. I have a piece of blue wool that I can use as a practice piece to see how this whole needle felting thing works.


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## hercsmama

Holy Moly. Poke me with a fork, I'm done. 
I just finished picking up and stacking the second batch of 75 straw bales. Every bone in my body is just tired. I get that it was a rather hectic weekend, and ok, so I have a little boo-boo, but wow. I'm just flat out tired. Not like me at all!:shrug:
I'm one of those weirdos who should have been on medication for being hyper as a kid, it is only slightly better as an adult, and only because I have learned to control myself as a grown up. For me to feel this wore out is really odd....
No time for a nap either, need to go get the dogs fed, and start supper... maybe a bit of knitting after that...


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## MDKatie

Kasota said:


> MD Katie, that's just great!
> 
> I am hoping I can pick your brain in the future about needle felting. I have an old wool blanket that has been hot water washed and is ready to go. It is cream colored. I want to make some journal covers that I can sell at the craft fair this fall. I have some colored bits of roving that I bought in packages at Hobby Lobby and I have single needles as well as a one of those thingies that has several needles in it. I have a piece of blue wool that I can use as a practice piece to see how this whole needle felting thing works.


Yes, absolutely! I recommend just jumping right in! It's very easy, and once you start you won't want to stop!


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## MullersLaneFarm

Back from the weekend. Brought home a lot of noodles, bunch of green beans, a few (11) dozen ear of corn, laundry basket of onions.

Last night, onions were cut & put in a couple dehydrators. Beans were snapped for today.

26 pints of green beans, about 1/2 gallon onion powder & a start on the corn (27 pints). 3 loads of laundry finished & stuffed cabbage rolls for dinner.

Labels made & applied to the lotion. Just need to get them boxed, weighed & postage calculated so I can get notify those that ordered them & these in the mail.

Thank you for being so patient. I now remember why I don't offer this in the summer .... just too busy!!!


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## Wind in Her Hair

wow, Cyndi, you sure get a lot done! :shocked: :bow: 

Summer is a super busy time, isn't it? 

My garden is just now starting to demand more of my attention.  

I remember when I lived in Texas and the kids were young, summertime was all just a blur. Nowadays, not so much. 

We live much more "seasonally" and we actually really look forward to "hibernating" in the winter. :grin:


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## Taylor R.

I feel like I missed a lot here this weekend. I wound up working 44 hours in 3 days and was kinda feeling like I'd rather punch the computer than look at one anymore by the time I got home from those very LOOONG shifts. Those kind of days are exhausting, but it's hard not to love making that much money in just three days. Now I'm off until Sunday, so I'll have plenty of recovery time. I actually got quite a bit of crocheting done as I was too tired to get anything else done 

Also, my baby brother is flying back from Baltimore tomorrow. He's only been gone two months, but I miss him so much. We are so close in age that we've always done everything together and not having him stop by a couple times a week has been a big adjustment.

Katie, congrats on the potential teaching gig! What an honor!

Cyndi, summer works that way for us, too. Full of crazy busy, but it makes me appreciate the slow down that comes with cooler weather all the more.

Kas, is getting rid of all the excess stuff a very freeing exercise? I'm working on it slowly but surely at my house, too.


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## Wind in Her Hair

Taylor R, I have a pile of "stuff" to let go of this winter, too. When I am stuck inside, thats when I feel the weight of the stuff that's been sitting unused and unloved for too long. We will likely do Ebay to get rid of our excess. 

I always reminded of George Carlin's famous comedy routine about "stuff".  If you haven't heard it, look it up on youtube. (I am afraid to link it here because I can't remember if it might have a naughty word...or two...or three. So you have been warned. :grin: )


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## MDKatie

Oh how I long for winter! This past weekend we had a morning where it was rainy and gray outside, and it reminded me of winter. It was lovely! And our HUGE cherry tree outside is losing its leaves (loses them this time each year) and seeing the yellow leaves flutter to the ground makes me wish it was fall already!

I get so overwhelmed with all of the busyness of summer that I really can't wait for those lazy days of fall and winter, where there's no garden needing my attention, and where there's really nothing much to do except sit inside and knit.


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## Woodpecker

I haven't started with my new circs yet. I feel like I've hit a wall, I'm just not that good anymore and therefore disinterested. How do I find the passion again? I do find that the winter helps.

So far my legs are much better. Praise the lord I can walk without stumbling. I have treatment Monday and next Friday I am taking a vacation day to go upstate for 2 nights with my brother. This is the first vacation day I've been able to use for a whole year. We usually only stay for one night so I am super excited.


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## Wind in Her Hair

You need to find yourself a good yarn shop and some knitting friends! If that doesn't work, then do what I did - I went on ravelry and searched for a fiber festival in my area and then checked the bios of every person that was part of that goup until I find myself some FRIENDS! 

Fiber friends really help get you over the "speed bumps" on that old learning curve! Or you COULD come and stay with me for a week or two!


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## Kasota

> Kas, is getting rid of all the excess stuff a very freeing exercise? I'm working on it slowly but surely at my house, too.


Getting rid of excess really IS liberating. For me it kinda becomes a spiritual thing. It's also nice to have the liberty (I have no space...so there is no choice) to get rid of things that other people gave me that are simply not my style and not what i want to have in my space. I love my dearly departed Aunt Fran with all my heart, but she made some really ummmm odd ceramic stuff. I love my Aunt but I do not love her faeries. LOL! It's time for them to go to someone who will love them and tuck them in a garden. 

You also start to realize that the object is not the memory. So often I would hang on to this or that memento. I'm sentimental and it's easy for me to get overloaded with sentimental stuff. So and so gave this to me. I picked this up on this or that fabulous trip. But the object is neither the person or the memory. Letting go of all the extra stuff and keeping just what you really want/need to makes a person feel lighter. 

Some of letting go of stuff is simply having faith that I will have what I need. I spent so much of my life poor as a church mouse that I never wanted to get rid of anything because I might need it or I might be able to make something else with it or whatever. So for me it is quieting to simply make better choices about what to keep and what to let go of. 

And there is a whole lot less to contend with when I am not keeper of the stuff. 

My old farm house was 3800 square feet. My current house is hmmm something closer to 800 if I count the 1/2 story which is not as fully functional as a normal second story would be. There is VERY little wall space. So I had to really pare things down when I moved in here. I sold so, so much. That was liberating and sad at the same time because so much was farm stuff I had worked forever and a day for. This is kind of the last stage to that. 

The best part is that it makes room for things I am doing NOW rather than things I was doing THEN. 

Does this mean I can buy more yarn?


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## MullersLaneFarm

Kasota said:


> Does this mean I can buy more yarn?


why Of Course!! Yarn is squishy and more than enough counts as insulation ...


FINALLY! All the lotion is boxed up and PM's sent.

Put up another 2 dozen pints of corn and 9 half-pints corn cob jelly.

Going to sit back and work on my shawl


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## Taylor R.

We got rid of a lot of stuff (it's amazing how much we accumulated in so few years of adult life) when we moved into our current home as we were losing a few hundred square foot of living space. 650 square foot was just not even close to enough to contain all we had. We've had to learn to get rid of things quickly as the kids grow out of them or we'll be overrun with baby toys and tiny clothes. I dream of those well laid out tiny houses that I see in magazines, but we only have the tiny part without the exceptional layout


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## Woodpecker

Thanks WIHH, I can't wait for Rhinebeck but that's a ways off. Thanks for the offer WIHH I might take you up on that!

I forgot to take my neuropathy pills last night. I'm supposed to take them at bed time but fell asleep instead. At least I finally have little green tomato's!


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## IowaLez

Hi My Friends,

I'm writing a brief, less detailed message than yesterday, so it is approvable by the wise and capable Mods on our forums. I hope this post is okay.

I am leaving my "Honey", for real. He's been gaslighting me just like before, my happiness at things being better was false hope, and it didn't last long.

I caught him doing things twice last week. And also lieing to me about his extracurricular activities, online and in town. And how he "never did them".

Well, now I know how much he loves and cares about me, so on Sunday afternoon I sent him my final good bye email. I have just had it, I'm not wasting any more time on a person who hurts me so much, for so long, and is only concerned that he was caught, and not that his actions were shameful to me. I now know I can't trust him at all, in any way. It is a hard blow to get whacked with, but I have survived so far and come out just fine...

Ever since the goodbye email, I am being gaslighted even more than in the past. I know my own reality, inside and outside, and that it's true, and no amount of games regarding my sanity or poor logic, or anything else, will bring me back where I was. My Mom, at 92 yo, knew exactly what the Gas term means, as she saw the movie, long ago. But she remembers it well.

So the night after I sent the email, I threw myself my own private good bye party out in the weeds and grass, talking to Frazz on my phone.

Frazz and WIHH have been wonderful supportive friends during this time, and I am so glad to have them be my friends. Luv U, both of u!

I am trying to figure out exit plans, but I don't have money to do that yet. I have options, but I can't see all of them, yet, so hopefully my new counselor can help me find them. She is on vaca til next week, tho.

I feel really happy, and a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders, as I will not apologize for myself being hurt, and then plead and beg to gain back someone who doesn't love me and keeps me around because of convenience and a love that was blown out a long time ago, and is just a distant memory kept close, and roll over again, ever, to any one!

So, I am looking forward, yes I'm a bit scared, with some anxiety, not much excitement yet, but I'll be okay. "Success is preparation and opportunity meeting". So I just have to forge ahead and do the right things for myself and myself only.


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## MDKatie

Wishing you all the best in your journey to your new life, Lez!


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## Wind in Her Hair

:grouphug:, Lez. 

And huge kudos to our mutual friend - Frazzlehead - she is an angel :angel: and has truly helped direct me on a healthier emotional path with her wise counsel. 

She has been my late-night-can't-sleep-while-having-a-panic-attack-private-message-friend. :kiss: :buds:

She has been such a blessing to my life.


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## Miz Mary

BIZZEEE !!! 
FIL is still in the hospital ... going into the second week ..... they cant seem to get his Pneumonia to shake, but he doesnt need to wear a heart monitor anymore, they tested his legs yesterday to make sure they were getting enough blood I guess... his oxygen level is slowly staying up ... going from 86 to 94 ......now from the antibiotics he has c-diff ....... he was having a hard day 2 days ago ... depressed, wanting to go home, teary ... they gave him Ativan for anxiety , and yesterday when I went to see him he seemed SO sedated !!! hmmmm.....

I decided since he was in the hospital, I could use this time to re-do the kitchen ! A physical project is always good for stress ! I scrubbed all the cupboards, and am staining them dark , then will put new hardware on ..... He cant handle the smell of paint/stain with his COPD ..... 
Have some wood floor planks I can put down ... then I will just need new counter tops and a backsplash ! 

Hubby had a guy come out from Home Depot and gave us an estimate to re-do the kitchen , without the floors ..... $17,000 !!!

:shocked::shocked::shocked: :nono:

Im a DIY girl ! Im barely at $300 so far !! YAY !!!!!!!


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## IowaLez

Kinda funny, but this morning I found out that my phone time with Frazz since just last Friday, ran up $77 in international call charges! I mistakenly thought Canada might not count as international calls, but what the heck, it's the cost of one tank of gas, and it can come out of his private budget just fine! I have to check if there is a calling plan thru Verizon for lower rates. I need to be able to have my time with Frazz when I need it!!!!

So the fit of anger thrown at me was doused pretty quickly. 

Today I am writing a letter to my Mom, I haven't been able to go visit her at her news digs at the Assisted Living unit, and so I want to send her a nice card and letter. And there's more to do by bedtime tonight, too, so I'm going to be one busy little bee for a while.

Thanks for the good wishes and support from all of you over this Summer so far, it means a lot to me that people care about me and what my future may be, even if we don't see each other in person. So many of you have experiences like mine, and I am grateful for your help, invaluable advice, and such great encouragement!

It is such a beautiful day here, sunny but not too hot, and not too windy. I have to spray the fruit trees to kill some pests damaging some of them, peach tree borers in their trunks, that like other stone fruits too - my plums, apricots and cherries. They burrow under the bark, into the cambrium, where the trees get their food and water through, and if it's bad enough the tree will die. After years of waiting for them to be big enuf to bear fruit, I'd hate to lose them to some dumb bug. I have to do it with no wind, and today might be a good day for it.

I hope you all have a good day, and I hold all who are having troubles of their own, or their families, or friends, in my thoughts and prayers. And I wish more goodness and happiness for those who are enjoying good times, good happenings, and a nice Summer full of wonderful activities to enjoy!


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## Taylor R.

Lez, I've been looking into a StraightTalk home phone for my dad..you just buy the base system ($70.00 at Wal-Mart), then the plan with unlimited international calling is $30 a month. It's a no-contract deal through Verizon. Might be worth a look if you are able to get Verizon cell service at home


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## Kasota

MizMary, good for you for taking on the project DIY! It's amazing how much money you can save! Prayers continue for your FIL. What a rough road!! (((hugs)))

Lez, I surely do wish you all the best. I know (BTDT) how difficult such days can be and my heart just goes out to you. My son (who is on my family plan) also discovered the hard way that Canada is NOT in the plan. 125.00 extra on the cell phone bill. Being in northern MN we kinda think of Canada as "us" not "them." LOL! As hard a road as these days are you get to find yourself in whole new ways. 

(((WP))) prayers continue!! How is the neuropathy today? As far as getting "stuck" knitting...I regularly sit in front of my computer and knit along with a video. I'm always tickled pink when I get to the point where I can knit on my own without the video. You will get there!  

Both my manager and my director are on vacation for the next two days. This means I will not have anything to interrupt me for the rest of the week and I can get caught up on things I've not been able to get at. LOL! 

Prayers for all in need!


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## Kasota

Oh, what a crazy day. My wee dog escaped and mom went into a panic. Turns out the kid who mows the lawn unhooked the front tie out from the stake that is in the ground and forgot to re-attach it after he was done. Mom put the pooch on the front tie-out and of course when she went to let her in...there was no pooch to be found. She was out calling for the dog when she ran into the same boy who - of course - felt horrid but was calm and said he would find her. Which he did. She was a couple blocks over checking out the annual Persing Street Rummage sale where most all the houses have stuff out for sale. They do it every year. She was having a good time. 

With mom in a high state of anxiety even after the dog was home...I ended up leaving work early which was fine by me since I had spent the afternoon taking Banking Compliance Courses, which I have to do once a year and they drive me crazy. 

Come home to find my brother's wife has been at my sister again. Sigh. She is convinced that her life is better, her boys are more successful and she has everything in the world that she needs because she goes to the right church and makes good decisions...and things are hard for my sister and for her boys because "God is not blessing you the way he blesses me." Then she recites a list of things my sister did not do well enough. Why my sister listens to her is beyond me. I just feel sorry for my brother. 

It's WAY too much drama for one day! 

Therefore.... I must knit. 

Of course, I would want to knit if I were having a calm day, too. 

:grin:

I am ALMOST done with the garage sale preparations. That means I will be able to spend some time washing up a fleece or two and try to get back to finding time to practice spinning. My poor neglected wheels have been gathering dust because life is so nuts I haven't the energy to even think about it. 

Tomorrow is a new day.


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## Dixie Bee Acres

Kasota said:


> Tomorrow is a new day.


And a new month


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## Kasota

> And a new month


LOL!! 

I can't believe in the morning it will be August already!


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## MullersLaneFarm

Prayers going with you during this time, Lez. You are a Survivor!!!


I've been canning this week. Corn & beans are finished. Put up a couple dozen jars each of ketchup & pickles/relishes. Granddaughter is coming this weekend!!!


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## Marchwind

The new FAC is up :bananalease post there from now on. here is the direct link http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/co...s/521439-fac-~-ausust-2014-a.html#post7168344


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