Life

To the soul, there is hardly anything more healing than friendship.
Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852)

Thank you Amber.




Thank you Barbro for the Forest sheep of Värmland fleece you gave me on my trip to Sweden. I love it. Kristin was kind enough to lend me her carder to prep it. I laid some locks on the batt to show the color variation.

There is a funky video on YouTube showing how to use a drum carder. Rexene is pretty entertaining ! It was great to see how to blend, clean, and more.

Started a baby bolero jacket using Queensland "Cotsoy" It's 50/50 cotton and soy. It is sooooo soft. I figured a good way to learn about sweater construction was to knit up various styles of baby sweaters. Not so intimidating as an adult sweater.

We had the shortest summer ever ! Two weeks of nice weather maybe ? As my father said about the climate here " If summer falls on the weekend we all go to the beach !"
No kidding. I miss him so much. He brought so many unique experiences with his Renaissance style of life to me. One of his wood carvings which was carved directly into a cedar stump in our yard. It's from an illustration of the "Tortoise and the Hare" from James Thurber's "Fables for Our Time"


Well, if I called the wrong number, why did you answer the phone?


There are two kinds of light--the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures.

Why do you have to be a nonconformist like everybody else?


He who hesitates is sometimes saved.

All human beings should try to learn before they die what they are running from, and to, and why.

Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.

I am not a cat man, but a dog man, and all felines can tell this at a glance - a sharp, vindictive glance

This and That

Etsy is a dangerous place to go window shopping ! There is too much fun stuff to look at and it's very hard to resist sometimes as evidenced by this purchase of Tencel "Prairie" from Exclusively Linda Lee



Dogs laugh, but they laugh with their tails.

Max Eastman

The dog lives for the day, the hour, even the moment.

Robert Falcon Scott

What a life ! Betsy is such a snugga puppy. Here she is cuddled up to Marc. She makes me smile ! Actually they both do !


Anna, looking lovely ,heading out for a wedding.


Dave and Trella came out this morning to take away some firewood for me and afterwards we had a little jam session on our nyckelharpas. I hadn't played mine in several years so was pretty rusty to begin with. It's a very unique instrument which I should start playing again. For more information on this check out the American Nyckelharpa Association

















Spun up BFL roving for an Allspunup Ravelry Spin along. Would like to learn how to Navajo ply this.
I don't know why I can't get going on any knitting projects. What is wrong with me ?








Katie was great enough to organize a "Knitters for Obama" fundraiser. Inga is helping me carry the message

Melancholy

My little red house with the Carl Larson accents on the porch which I hope makes this look at least a little Swedish.


It has been quite painful to look about my home of late and try to decide what to do. It's been a part of my life since 1984, loaded with many memories both good and bad. Can I afford to stay here, do I have the mental strength, can I take care of it ? First in order is to fix it up in either case. Lots of conflicting emotions. I wish there was an easy answer................


Your heart says stay and battle the pain, but your mind says leave for all this isn't needed, broken into pieces for that one an only. But follow your heart because the heart can only take so much.

Jamila M. Allen


Hired friends Cindy and Tim to start chipping away at the many, many projects that need attending to.
When Cindy tore the overgrown plants away from the foundation these were still there, fragments of glass and char from the fire when the firefighters smashed windows and burnt wood tumbled from the roof. It was so horrible to watch it going up in flames. We ended up with a nicer house but what a way to get it.


The kids have been helping with the dejunking and yard work. Marc got carried away with the pruning here ! It was a 20 year old overgrown honeysuckle. He got tired of using pruners and started hacking away at it with a Civil War reproduction sword. Oh my, that was a shock to come home to !


Mia staying cool in the shade. Quite a head of hair !!



I have many things to be thankful for and need to remind myself at times like these.
Caring family, friends, and coworkers, loving children who make me laugh when I don't feel like I can anymore, a roof over my head, a wonderful job which I wouldn't trade for the world, and so much more.

We are so often caught up in our destination that we forget to appreciate the journey, especially the goodness of the people we meet on the way. Appreciation is a wonderful feeling, don't overlook it.

Source Unknown







I am drawn to this pair of Latvian mittens from the exhibit. It's faded appearance evoking thoughts of times past.














Purchased this lovely Jacob/Romney fleece from
Katie who was having a little destash sale.