Saturday, May 30, 2009

It's hot!

We moved up here to get away from the heat, but it found us. Yesterday was 93 and today was 92. Not too long ago there was snow on the ground and we were complaining about too much snow. There's just no pleasing some people. I guess I need to summer in Alaska and winter in Washington. At least there was a little breeze that helped. I had to break down and turn on the air conditioner. The ceiling fans just weren't cutting it. There is a towel hanging over the back door and cardboard in the skylight. Those helped. It's a good thing it gets into the 40's and 50's at night. Good sleeping with the windows open weather. I do worry about some critter coming through the windows at night when they are open since they are low to the ground. Who knows. You may get a there's a moose in my house blog. You would think since I've lived most of my life in deserts I'd be used to the heat. I've never done heat well. I just don't do heat. Give me weather in the 70's and I'm happy.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Snail mail vs E-mail

A long time ago, I received a post card that says "There's nothing sadder than an empty mailbox". I agree with that. Except for junk mail and bills, I don't get letters in the mail very often anymore. I'm also guilty of not sending letters often anymore. I have a friend who refuses to get a computer, so I write to her and she writes to me. E-mail is nice because you usually get it right away and you can reply as soon as you read it. I'm really bad about sending letters by snail mail because I seem to run out of stamps, so the letter just sits there. When I do write a letter, I,more often than not, call the person up and tell them I wrote them a letter and tell them what's in it so it's not a surprise. Our driveway is 450-500 feet long with the mail box at the end of it. I always walk down there looking forward to getting mail. Any mail, but a letter would be nice. Today I walked to the mail box and there was nothing in it. Not even the usual junk mail or catalogs. How sad. Oh, well. At least I got some exercise.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Missing Pockets

Have you ever thought about pockets before? Or the lack of pockets? All my shorts and most of my capris have no pockets. I need pockets. I carry my house key in a pocket so I don't lock myself out of the house. Now, I have to wear it on a lanyard around my neck. I have no place to carry my cell phone. No place to keep kleenix or bits of paper. No place for my cinnamon candy. But most of all, no place for my hands. What's a pocketless person to do?

Friday, May 22, 2009

My spinning wheels are calling me

Now that I've finished the closet fiasco, (almost), I hear my spinning wheels calling me. All three of them. I never thought of spinning as something I would do. I'd see people at fairs spinning and didn't really give it much thought.
It all started with a white Pygora goat named Q-Tip. She looked more like a cotton ball. That was her name when I bought her. I have a friend who spins, so I'd give her Q-Tip's fleece. One day, Barbara told me I should learn to spin. I tried her wheel, and was hooked. I bought my first spinning wheel, an Ashford Traveler double drive, in 1993. I was really looking forward to being able to pick up my wheel. I bought it from one of "those" people that spin at fairs, no less. I was so disappointed when I first saw it. It came in a little box and had to be assembled and finished.
Once it was together, I was ready to go. It wasn't as easy as I thought. I had to get my hands and feet coordinated. Finally, it clicked, and I was spinning. It was lumpy and uneven, but I made yarn. Yipee!! I was so excited.
Then I used the handcards I bought at a spinning show. They turned my white wool orange. I thought that was weird, but maybe it worked that way. Seems the carders were rusty under the cloth where it couldn't be seen. After running some very greasy wool through them, the problem was solved.
Of course, I had to get my own angora goats so I could have an endless supply of fiber. Then it was dog hair and just about anything else with two ends. I'd send the kids out to brush the dog, and have them save the dog hair while they were brushing. I know they thought I was nuts.
I'd wash the mohair (the hair off of an angora goat) and spread it on towels on the dinning room table. It really didn't smell like a wet goat for long. Really it didn't. It wasn't as bad as dyeing. I'll leave that for another blog.
There's something about making something from animal to finished project. The first lumpy, orangish yarn turned into a bathroom rug and I crocheted a little lamb out of the yarn that wasn't as orange. I call it my recycled lamb. It's stuffed with the last of the orange yarn.
Anyway, I have a large stash (OK. A really, really, large stash) of fiber to spin. It's something to keep me busy with in the winter, since I'm not allowed outside in the winter anymore.
There is no comparison between hand spun yarn and store bought yarn. Hand spun feels warm and alive and has personality, unlike store bought yarn. I must admit, though, that I do have a lot of store bought yarn.
I've gone to schools, libraries and fairs to spin. Yes, I've become one of "those" people. I like to get other people interested in spinning.
I spin for the relaxation and the soothing, calming effect. All is well when I spin.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Why do I start these things?

I thought I'd clean my out closet. What a big mistake. When we moved in here a little over a year ago, I just stashed things in my closet (and the guest room) to get them out of the way. I started cleaning my closet out late last year, but took a long break because I slipped on ice and broke my arm. The arm's as good as it's going to get now, so on with the closet fiasco. I took everything out of it and decided I'd straighten up the guest room at the same time. So, everything ended up in the family room. Because I started this, Tim had to rearrange his closet so we could put blankets and pillows in it. (No linen closet to speak of). My closet doesn't have a lot of useful storage in it. That lead to adding 2 extra shelves in the laundry room, which lead to cleaning under the kitchen sink. Now all I need to do is go through books and decide what to keep. The keepers will go in boxes under beds in the guest room because we have no shelves to put them on. I went through boxes marked "misc stuff" and found lots of collector items, according to reruns of the Antique Roadshow, so I kept them. They will also go under beds. Now, I have junk in the family room that wasn't there, flattened and need to be flattened boxes and assorted shelving in the dining room, and smaller boxes if I need them, in the spare bathroom. None of the shelves are suitable for my books. I'm tired of working on it now, since I've made a bigger mess than I originally had, so it's waiting for me. After this, hopefully, most of the house will be the way I want it until one little thing will through it all out of whack again. I can't work on it tomorrow. I'm making cookies, washing clothes reading books I found in boxes, and tripping over boxes as I get to the stereo for my listening enjoyment. Another project for another day. On reason I think I drag it out is, because, if I finish everything, then what will I do?

Friday, May 15, 2009

Baaaaad sheep

Well, the 8 sheep trampled and ate our garden. Tim finally was able to get hold of their owners, who said they didn't know the sheep kept getting out. Other neighbors are tired of the wandering sheep, also. At least I have more seeds left. And I was worried about deer in the garden.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

The sheep aren't in a jeep

Yesterday, we had the neighbors sheep in our yard. All 8 of them. They walked through the garden and found the berry plants to nibble on. It's usually their mastiff and great pyrenees teenage puppy. The mastiff goes home if you tell it to. The great pyrenees puppy looks dopey and just goes on his merry way. It would really like it in the house and has tried that. Anyway, I suppose it could have been worse. The 4 cows and 3 llamas could have come over, too.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Summer

Rumor has it summer is on the way. At least that's what the weather forecaster says. Today we had winds, thunder storms, lightning, pea sized hail, rain and cool weather. At least we didn't have snow. The storms out here are pretty spectacular with the thunder and lightning. Luckily, they are also short lived. The rain also makes everything so pretty and green. I stare out the windows all the time thinking how lucky we are to live up here in "Gods country" as my husband calls it. The wild flowers are flowering and the trees are getting leaves and flower buds. Baby animals of all kinds. It's great.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Garden

It seems that out in this area, Mother's Day weekend is also plant your garden weekend. I wish I knew that in March when I started most of my plants in the house. I'm a desert rat and it seemed like the right time to start the seeds to me. Anyway, my seeds, of course, really took off. The tomatoes are about 18" tall, the peas have wrapped themselves around the tomatoes. My spaghetti squash, zucchini and cucumbers have tendrils intertwined in the venetian blinds and have blossomed. We have green onions and garlic in big flower pots in the living room. The way things are going, I won't have to go far to harvest anything and the deer won't eat them in the house. Everything goes out this weekend. I still have more onions to plant along with potatoes, carrots, radishes lettuce, etc. We had planned on a large garden because, I'm sure, we will also be feeding the white tail deer that come around. There's a lot to learn about living in a snow globe world. Knowing my luck, it will probably snow on Monday.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Oh boy! I have a blog.

Well, here I am trying to figure out this blog stuff. Some of it seems easy and some of it seems confusing. I didn't know there was so much to blogging and so much you can do with one. I'll get the hang of it. I have nothing but time. Anyway, if someone asks me if I have a blog I can say yes instead of "huh?". Who'd a thunk.