Fiber Fabrications

A Busy Day

2012-01-31T07:47:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the heavy snows a week ago, I was able to make a quilt for my Grandson to be. I shared with you a sneak peak a few days back, but now all I have left is the binding, and then to wash it.

Each baby has a unique expression on his face. Babies are supposed to love faces, so this will be a good floor quilt.

Here is the whole picture. I tried to make the babies of international races. I've got Saudi, East Indian, Asian, African, and American Indian.

This was really easy, and being quite free form, suitable to my skills.

The baby shower is in two weeks, so I'll be ready!!!

Here are several hats I've made in the past few days. I hopefully have a place to sell them up in the mountains at a guest house. Their clientel like the natural, rugged look. I think they will like these. 3 of them have a faux brim similar to the hats that the US Olympic team wore in the last Olympic games.

Today I need to go get a blood draw, pick up my new glasses that don't have any prism correction in them, which I will hopefully be wearing within a few weeks of my surgery, go to Second Chance, my favorite local thrift shop, and then return home to watch the tree crew remove a dead tree and limb four more trees.

I will rest much easier after that work is done on the trees. They are well over 100 years old, and there are 18 of them surrounding the house.

Should be an exciting day for the local kids.

BTW I've got my Etsy shop up and running again. I only have a couple items posted, but return regularly and I will get my yarns up, one day at a time. I'm "Alpacalady".

LOST RIVER FARMS STARTS NEW BUSINESS

2012-01-28T09:17:00.000-08:00

Oh, everyone, I am so excited. Blessings keep raining down on me, and the brainstorm I had this morning is just the most recent.

I have decided to start a business as an Alpaca Farm Sitter, Halter trainer, and general consultant!!

You can read more about it at my Lost River Alpacas blog. Just click the button on the right margine and it will take you there.

I am stoked.

Other than that, I have finished my crazy Queen Elizabeth hat.

What do you think? Linda, huh? Well, I planned on wearing it to my church's Valentines Banquet, but I will be in Seattle for a baby shower for the little Bambino who will soon be joining us.

I will save the hat for Easter and the Kentucky Derby party.

Have you ever eaten Spaghetti Squash?

Oh, my. I cooked it for the first time, and covered it with my Kick Ass Spaghetti Sauce.

I will never eat pasta again!!!

Let's see, other than that, there isn't much to report. I'm still sewing and will report on those projects soon.

I took time out resterday to have a pedicure. My toenails are now a brilliant shade of Lilac.

I sold one of my alpacas for a comparable value in beauty treatments at a local Beauty Salon, Mane Styles in Lynden. The Owner is a breeder. This is working out so well for me, and I just love everyone at that shop.

Tabatha does not need to Take Over.

Thrift Store Fun

2012-01-24T14:13:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm finally over that nasty cold I had. Staying in my jammies all day Sunday and sleeping most of the time worked wonders. As many of you know, due to the Deep Freeze Western Washington endured last week, I was not able to have the surgery on my eye. Lots of people did not get to have their surgeries last week!!! I was housebound for 6 days and ready to lose my mind I have rescheduled the surgery, but cannot have it until February 21. That has me very disappointed, but I will survive.

Yesterday, a friend took me into Bellingham, the big City, and we did our grocery shopping together, stocking up for the next storm front expected later this week.

Today, I was able to make it to Lynden to my favorite Thrift Store.

This immediately caught my eye:

A 100% queen sized alpaca blanket for $40. Even in Peru, this would have cost 2-3 hundred dollars!!!

Ever since I visited Peru, I have longed for an alpaca blanket for my bed. I don't think I have ever slept as well as I did there. We shall see if it works it's wonders for me here.

Then I found this:

I love hats, and if this isn't something Queen Elizabeth wouldn't wear. I have already dyed the tips of the petals red, and plan to put some red flowers and ribbons on it. I am going to wear it to my church's Valentine Banquet. Then I will wear it for Easter, and finally to the Kentucky Derby party my kids have. After that, it will be delegated to one of the scarecrows for the summer.

I will post another picture once it is finished.

Last but not least, I had the oil changed on my car last week.

Is this the kind of reading material you get at your local repair shop? Good thing I took my knitting.

First Aid Kit

2012-01-20T10:45:00.000-08:00

I came down with a cold Wednesday night. Hmmmm. If I had been able to get to my appointments and to the surgery on Thursday, they would have sent me away. All things in time. I guess I was meant to wait another week.

Well, my nose was running so fast and furious, I had used up all my Kleenex, and the cupboards were pretty bare. My neighbor brought over a rescue kit for me to hold me over until her husband could take her to the store later in the day.

It is day 5 of the big freeze. I'm watching the news, and the snow is all melting in the Seattle area, causing alot of concern about flooding. But here, so far, it is still 26 degrees. Well, I guess that's an improvement over the 21 degrees an hour ago.

Life WILL return to normal soon. I am so bored. Good thing I have lots of sewing and knitting to do.

That is absolutely all I have to share with you, because I have been a prisoner.

Chin up. I'll go out and get that quilt top sandwiched so I can get it quilted.

Peace.

Snow &^%( Snow

2012-01-18T07:43:00.000-08:00

I love a couple of days of snow. The peace and beauty of it all is so wonderful. But then, I don't HAVE to leave home for any reason since I am "retired". However, my surgery was scheduled for this coming Thursday, and it required an appointment for some additional measurements on Monday. I've had to cancel and will have the eye surgery rescheduled as soon as the weather returns to normal. What a disappointment. I have a friend who is a Bellingham cop, and he always reports on road conditions to us, and with my eyes making even a trip to Bellinghan stressfull, I was not about to add ice and snow to the equation.

Monday, however, was a very fortuitous day for me. Growing Washington, the organic farmer that leases 7 acres from me for growing vegetables, asked me if they could lease the barn for raising small livestock. I was thrilled. There is nothing sadder than an empty barn, and for some reason, the building tends to deteriorate without use.

GW plans to raise Range fed chickens for meat, laying chickens, turkeys, a high quality meat rabbit, possibly some goats, and a couple of cows.

I negotiated a fee based on their share of the water and electricity, along with some labor for maintining the farm. At this point in my life, help on the farm is WAAAAAY more important to me than a few dollars that I will just spend on something I don't really need.

It will be so nice to see animals back there again, and the best part? I won't be responsible for them!!! There will be workers there every day of the week caring for the animals. In addition, I get free turkeys, chickens and eggs. Added to the broccoli, carrots and beets they raise here, I'm gonna be sitting pretty!

So, since I haven't been able to get out, I've been able to get some sewing done for my soon to be Grandson. I saw the pattern for this a little over a week ago, and then purchased whatever fabric I needed. I just have the border and backing left to do. The pattern is called "Baby Babushka". This has been so much fun, and if feels good to sew again. I have many more items to make for the little bambino. This has worked to put me in the mood. I've only included one row in this picture. When it is finished, I will post a complete picture.

It's only 14 degrees this morning, and I am thankful I don't have to go out and feed alpacas. I am wishing I had a nice little wood burning stove, so once I am out and about again, I think that will become a priority for me to pursue.

You Meet the Nicest People at Your LQS

2012-01-08T09:36:00.000-08:00

I went shopping for a new quilt project yesterday. It's for my new Grandbaby to be, so I don't want to disclose too much, but this is what I acquired yesterday. I was a jolly good time there, with customers sharing and laughing and carrying on. I was busy on my hands and knees, trying to find some more fat quarters, when I heard a familiar voice. I got up and looked around, and there was a woman I had hired and trained about . . . well. . . darn, I have to admit it was 30 years ago. Well, maybe only 27. What's a year here and there. After hugs and an exchange of business cards, we decided to have lunch next Thursday to get caught up.

So then, there were these other three ladies who were carrying on about Scaprons. What? So I asked to see one. It is adorable, a little apron that can also be used as a scarf or headpiece, or whatever your imagination inspires in you. I bought 4 of them from her.

I took this picture of myself, using a mirror, so I look a bit wonky. You can also see the strain in my eyes. But I folded the apron and then twisted it into a rose and tied it in my hair. Cute! I will wear this!

Then I folded it into a princess crown.

Then, I don't know about you, but these were the perfect remedy for those bad hair days in my teens. You can also tie one around your neck as a scarf, or wear it as an apron. Oh, yea, that's what they are actually made for..

Now, back at the farm, I took a walk out in the broccoli field the other day and actually found some that had not been frozen.

This was promptly made into cheddar broccoli soup. Yum.

Now, even though I feel renewed and am looking forward to my surgery and feeling human again, there has been a bump in the road. Terry is no longer in my life. A small matter of personal values became more important to me than to him, and I chose to leave.

In the time we were together, he brought me so much joy in a very difficult time. We had so much fun together, and he helped me with many many chores around the farm.

I loved him so, and I will be eternally grateful for the special time I spent with that very special man.

It's getting late, and I need to get ready for church.

Dancing for Joy

2012-01-05T19:06:00.000-08:00

I know that most people don't get excited about having surgery, but I am so happy, I can hardly wait. After 6 months of misery, and living with this condition most of my life, I am finally going to be cured.

I explained before that I have 4th Nerve Palsey. What that means is my right eye is out of alignment with the left eye, and the prisms they have been putting in my glasses for years are no longer doing the job of pulling my double vision together. The doc explained it is not my eye that has gotten worse, my brain has just had it, gone on strike. It says "okay, no more of this, I'm tired". As soon as the insurance company reviews my files, I will be having surgery to tweak the muscles in my left eye to pull it into alignment with my right.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS?????

I will be able to read a book!

I will be able to read your blogs again!!!!!

I can sew again~

Oh, My.

Like I said, I am dancing with JOY!

This is an Amber stone that my old time High School friend and neighbor gave me just a couple of days ago. It is over 4 million years old and has petrified vegetation inside the amber. It hails from Lithuania, where it is the national gem. I am of Lithuanian descent, so this is really special. What makes it even more special is that Amber is said to protect you. I think this was given to me at a very appropriate time in my life. I've gone through many changes over the past year, along with many challenges, and I feel as if I am starting over. The correction in my eyesight is just the beginning.

Thank you my dear, dear friend, Kris. I wear it always.

I had been staying in Seattle over the holidays, and missed out on a whopper of a wind storm on Christmas day. Tuesday, I noticed this huge branch had broken off, but is wedged in place by some other branches. I'm afraid that it will fall at any time. There is a reason these are called "Widow Makers".

I have called an Arborist to come in and do a risk assessment on the 18 trees on my property. They are all over 100 years old, and who knows how tall. For now I have my driveway blocked off, because I'm afraid the branch will fall in the driveway when someone is either driving or walking down it. In fact, I'm avoiding all of the trees as much as I can.

Well, folks, that's it for tonight. I'll have more to share with you tomorrow.

My Life as a Pirate

2011-12-30T13:00:00.000-08:00

Did you know that the eye patches you buy at the drugstore are pointed, and won't fit under your glasses? Or, I could wear a stick on one. But while I'm here at Terry's, I wear his patch.

Aaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrggggh.

Until I can have my surgery, I am able to rest my strained brain by covering one of my eyes. They work so hard, trying to create one image for me, that I get to feeling physically sick and unbalanced.

I have not been very good about wearing my patch this week, and yesterday I started to pay the price. So, it's time to rest my eyes more fully, with a nap!! Gotta rest up for the show we are going to tonight.

A Vegan Christmas

2011-12-26T13:27:00.000-08:00

As our families grow, the traditions of our Christmas celebrations change radically. We have our big celebration today at my brother's, but Christmas day looked empty. My son and his friend had no plans, so I decided to have them over for dinner. They are vegan, a lifestyle that is looking very agreeable to me.

My menu was as follows:

Curried Christmas Timbales with Green Pepper Relish

Apple Accent Salad with Cranberry Dressing

Symphony in Squash

Cranberry Relish

Mushroom Pastry Puff

This is the squash dish, which had three types of squash from my garden: Delicata, Acorn, and Patty Pan. It also had garbanzo beans, currents, raisins and hazelnuts. YUM.

Terry chops the parsley for me.

The sauce for the mushroom puff. I gotta tell you, this is FANTASTIC!!

I'm working on the mushroom sauce and the squash.

Unfortunately, the timbales were eaten up before I thought to get a picture of them.

And here is the cranberry relish. The recipe made a huge amount, and it will be great on salads, sandwiches and as a side. Very tart and delicious.

The meal was a total success, and proof that I can prepare a totally vegan meal. Today, I'm a bit worn out and will let the others do the cooking for me.

Christmas Eve, a great day for a bike ride.

2011-12-26T13:09:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had wonderful times with family and friends the last few days. I have been so busy celebrating, I haven't had time to post.

Christmas Eve was such a lovely day, sunny and unusually warm. We decided to take a bike ride.

BTW, I am staying in Seattle with Terry for the holidays. He lives just a few blocks from the Green River Trail.

The trail is for walkers and cyclists, and runs for miles along the Green River. I was so surprised to see these apples, still on the tree.

Here's a view of the river, with the apples in the foreground.

The scenery along the trail is so beautiful. On Christmas Eve, we only encountered one other cyclist, and no walkers. On a regular business day, you will see many, many employees from Boeing and other businesses in the area, taking walks during their coffee and lunch breaks.

This little green bridge leads to Terry's neighborhood. I have gotten so lost, on so many occasions here, that the site of this bridge is such a relief and welcome.

I was shopping at the mall the other day and got lost three times:

1st: The stores are so big, I had to ask directions to get back out to the mall.

2nd: I lost my car in the parking lot and walked around for 20 minutes before finding it.

3rd: I was lost for about 45 minutes in the area, looking for my main drag. Like I said, this bridge is such a welcoming site.

Talk about your Country Mouse in the Big City. I am hopeless, and I grew up here!!!

I had a compass in my old pick up truck and could always find my way using that. I know, GPS??

No, don't got it.

And also, at home I have Sumas Mountain for my point of reference.

I resolve to take Terry's compass with me next time, along with a map of the area.

A Tribute to Alan

2011-12-21T08:02:00.000-08:00

It's a year since Alan passed away, and I long for his smile. We had just begun a new life on the farm, which we had worked toward for so many years.

Alan attempted growing barley and wheat the first year he was here, but the processing of it got to be too difficult. It makes good compost.

Here he displays one of his 12 pound cabbages. He made 42 quarts of sauerkraut in 2010.

Here he is with the same type John Deere his Dad had on the farm. Something I always noticed about Alan when he was driving a tractor: He always had a smile on his face when he wasn't biting his tongue in an effort to accomplish a difficult manuever. A man and his tractor is a special thing.

It's been a very difficult year for me with many changes, but I go on and I am happy. The arrival of a grandson this coming March is a reminder of the cirlce of life, and things will only get better for all of us.

My New Fiber Source

2011-12-16T11:53:00.000-08:00

Meet Yoshi!

I know, you all knew I couldn't bear being without an alpaca. Well, he will reside with the rest of my herd. The owners have agreed to care for him for me. I just knew if I wanted to continue spinning and selling my yarns, I needed a good source of fiber.

Isn't he handsome? He will provide about 8 pounds of super fine fiber a year so I continue making yarn like this:

I just finished these last night. With my eyes under such strain, I can almost spin blindfolded, and it is also very meditative.

So I saw the surgeon yesterday, and I will be having surgery in January. I am so relieved! Someone who listened to me and knew what was wrong!

THIS MESS is my office. Sometime today I need to clean it up because my son will be visiting for a couple of days, and needs to sleep in that bed! Hey, Santa's workshop has never been tidy.

I'm also going to make Buckeyes today.

Saturday is the last day of the Bellingham Farmer's Market. Since I've been feeling so poorly, a friend has been running my booth for me. This week, though, I will be going and celebrating the end of the season. I need to wear an eye patch when I'm not driving, so I'm thinking of decorating it for the event. I hope I have a good, money making day!!!

This Week at Lost River

2011-12-13T09:26:00.000-08:00

It's a very cold morning and I'm having some real difficulty in getting my booty in gear. I should take a walk, but a hot shower calls to me. The walk can come later.

Last Saturday I participated in the Holiday Bazaar at the Senior Center. Above is one of my loyal customers, displaying the BIG skein (208 yards) that she purchased from me.

I'm feeling spunky and festive. The problem with these little shows is that you end up spending all the money you make, or you do trades. I found those valuable reindeer antlers, some Christmas earrings, and all sorts of odds and ends. What fun.

The next day my son, his wife, and half baked baby boy Bylsma came to celebrate my birthday and to pick up some baby treasures that were my sons when he was born. One of them is a handmade rocking horse. They brought me these lovely roses!!

I also received this awsome tote bag and this book for knitting little monsters. Funny thing, I know the author!! I was part of a craft coop that Rebecca ran a few years ago, and she was just then creating her little monster friends and writing the patterns. She has since moved to Birch Bay where I often run into her at the Local Yarn Shop.

So, I'm taking the hint. Monsters, it is.

Tomorrow I see an eye surgeon, and hopefully will find an answer to what ails me. It's been a rough 5 months, and besides feeling awful, my independence is limited, since I can't drive much. I sure hope this is the last and final stop. Surgery or not, there should be an answer by tomorrow afternoon.

My condition is called 4th nerve palsey, so if anyone out there suffers from that, I'd love your input.

Farewell, Josh, I Loved you Like my Own

2011-12-07T17:02:00.000-08:00

A very special young man died yesterday, and today I am heartbroken. Josh was like my third son, and he always greeted me as "Mom", accompanied by a huge bear hug.

The picture above shows my three sons at the wedding of my eldest, Michael, who is in the middle. On the left is my youngest son, Chad, and on the right is Josh.

I have so many memories of Josh. When our family moved to Lynnwood, Wa., I put my boys in a home daycare where there were already 3 boys and a girl, all about the same ages. Michael and Josh became fast friends. They were in Third Grade.

When Josh graduated from High School, he had no where to live. Michael's room was empty, since he was attending Washington State University, so Alan and I invited Josh to move in with us. I don't remember how long he stayed, but that is when I became "Mom", and he developed a close relationship with Alan.

At Alan's memorial service in February, Josh spoke movingly about his relationship with Alan, and how much Alan had loved me and our two boys.

Josh, my wish for you is that you find Alan again in heaven, and you can somehow find the peace you are looking for.

This is how I am dealing with this. I bought this living tree today, to be placed somewhere in my yard. This will be my style "Joshua Tree". When Michael and Adrienne come this weekend, we can decorate the tree with Christmas ornaments.

It just feels right.

To Visit the Alpacas

2011-12-06T06:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my Birthday, and I decided a trip to visit my former alpacas was in order.

This is Poppy, a four month old Jersey heifer. She thinks she is an alpaca, and fits in just fine with the rest of the girls.

Terry found just the right spot to scratch, which she thought was mighty fine. As she gets older, she is going to be a bit to deal with, as friendly as she is. But she knows her place and minds when you use the right commands.

Here I get a reluctant hug from my Chico. He is the one I bottle fed from the age of 5 weeks when his mom died. We've always had a bond, but he doesn't like to appear to be a Mama's boy when the other boys are around.

Here are a few of the new girls that were just purchased on Saturday. They will make a very nice addition to the breeding program.

And here is Phabian, the only baby born at my place this year. He is shaping up nicely and should be a herdsire.

I did really well with my visit, and came away feeling very good, with no remorse. Oh, you are going to love this. A friend is going to give me a nice white male with excellent fiber so I will continue to have a fiber source. Melissa and gang have agreed to take care of him for me.

Now, a total change of subject: I had to show you these two gallon jars of peppers. Terry has been soaking them in vinegar for three years, and they are now ready to be used in the hot sauce he makes.

And, off to another topic, here is my Christmas tree for this year. I decided since I would be traveling back and forth between here and Seattle, I needed an artificial tree. I'm very happy with this little thing. You need small ornaments for small trees.

I have been Productive

2011-11-29T13:54:00.000-08:00

I have been busy on several projects, and thought I would share them with you. Above is the wall hanging I have been working on for Terry. I'm at a bit of a standstill, because I don't have any "doodahs" that are characteristically him. You have to put some personality into these things, and so far it is about me. I will be on the hunt.

Here is the first bootie for my little grandson to be. Yes, there is a second one, I just haven't sewn it together yet.

Today I made a batch of this moisturizing body scrub. I found the idea in FIRST magazine. It is made with olive oil, kosher salt, ginger and grapefruit zest. You put it on your dry areas while showering, and then rinse it off, of course. Leaves your skin marvelously refreshed and glowing.

I'm also working on some new knit hats, made with my handspun. I met a lady on the beach last Friday who inspired me. I'll share when I get some done. For now, I think I will do some spinning.

A Wonderful Thanksgiving Weekend

2011-11-29T09:23:00.000-08:00

I was so fortunate to get to spend my thanksgiving in Brookings, Oregon. It was a 10 hour drive in miserable rainy weather, but once there, well worth it. Above is a piece of driftwood on the beach of our hotel.

This is the view from our room. The sound of the breakers hitting the beach was so lovely, and such a nice sound to fall asleep to.

This is the view from the back door or our room.

Here is the gang, during a walk on the beach. It was the second walk for Terry and I, and a little bit of foul weather was on it's way in.

And look what I found!!! I've been missing this glove for months!!

The beach at Brookings again, in the Sunshine. We even drove the extra 4 miles to California. How the geography changes as soon as you cross the border. Amazing!

Here's Terry at one of the many stops we made along the coast on our way north. The Oregon coast has so many surprises, it can take days to travel it. We made it as far as Lincoln City on Friday, and spent the night at Siletz Bay.

Our morning walk on the beach at Siletz Bay with many people fishing for crab. Across the inlet are hundreds of seals, basking in the sun.

Back at Terry's in Seattle, we are decorating for Christmas. I had to make this arrangement from cuttings of a bush in his yard. The fresh Rosemary infuses the house with a wonderful, warm aroma.

We were sent home with LOADS of leftovers, so I made Turkey Manicotti. I cut the turkey up really small and mixed it with spinach, mushrooms, ricotta and parmesan cheese and basil. It's topped with my homemade Kick Ass Spaghetti Sauce. Yummmmmmmmy. Tonight I will make the ham into a bean soup. That will be the end of leftovers.

I am spending a few weeks in Seattle. Before Thanksgiving, I became overwhelmed at the loss of my alpacas. The purpose for my being on the farm was suddenly gone, and I felt lost and alone. I sealed the place up, arranged for sitters and surveilance, and headed south. I will be back and forth for the month of December, until I can feel my roots take place once again.

My First Baby Project

2011-11-17T17:36:00.000-08:00

I've made my first project for my Grandson to be. Yes, it will be a boy! I sure know how to act around boys, that's for sure. This is a tag bankie. There are three different kinds of ribbons sewn in tags around the edges for baby to suck on and feel. It's only 36 inches square, my size of project. I think I'm going to like making baby things. Small and fast. I've also started knitting booties. I will wait until after the holidays to get going on more sewing. I can't sit in front of the TV when doing that.

I found these in the garden today, so I MUST pickle them, right?

I walked out to the barn this afternoon and found all of the doors and gates standing open, and I started crying. I cried my eyes out while putting everything to rights. I know I have some hard times coming, with the holidays and the anniversary of Alan's passing. My entire life has changed, and I'm really struggling.

Thank God I have this incredible man to help me through it all.

I'm Crazy

2011-11-09T08:49:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling much better today, even though I had a very rough night. The pain from these spider bites is pretty bad. Today it is much reduced, so the antibiotics are starting to work. Happy, happy.

So, First off, below is a picture of the first batch of mushroom dying I did. Pretty funny that the fiber has a slight green tint to it, when the mushrooms were orange.

The fiber is sitting on my heat register, and there are my dying gloves next to it. Below are the mushrooms I used to obtain this less than exciting color.

And, here is my latest skein of yarn!

Then on to the domestic side. This is why I call myself crazy. I was feeling sooooo bad yesterday, but all of my carrots were cut and just waiting to be canned, so I HAD to finish the job.

They are pickled with dill, garlic, and some dried peppers. I love the way they kept their colors. Calico Carrots, hehehe.

These are some pickles I did several weeks ago. My son tells me at the top of the Ritz in San Francisco, these are served in Martinis and called "Palm Olives".

They are actually green cherry tomatoes, the very last on my vines before it froze. They are supposedly a very nice cocktail treat, so I am looking forward to serving them and trying them out myself. I promised my son the big jar for Christmas, since he liked them so much at the Ritz. He had his martini there the night he and his wife got engaged.

Darn Spiders

2011-11-08T22:51:00.000-08:00

My son, who is now 29, still screams like a girl when he encounters a spider. For as long as I can remember, though, he would not let me "dispose" of the critter. I had to take it outside. Well, I've turned over a new leaf, and if a spider comes into my territory, it gets stepped on. Unfortunately, the other night, one apparently crawled into my warm cozy bed with me and had a feast. I have three bites, two of which are infected. One bit is on the tip of my right pinkie and the red stripe runs to my wrist.

Soooo, I went to the doctor today.

This is one of her exam rooms.

Isn't it amazing? I think my blood pressure always registers low when I am in this room.

Her other room is an African Savannah. A high school student painted the rooms in 2003, I believe. I think it was his senior project.

So anyhow, I'm on antibiotics and in alot of pain and just pooped out. Even so, I did manage to get my carrots pickled, and I will write about that tomorrow.

A Funfilled Weekend

2011-11-07T21:04:00.000-08:00

I had another wonderful weekend in Seattle with my Terry. I took the bus down this time and it was uneventful.

I took this picture of an old shipwreck on my way home today on the train.

Aren't these just amazing??

Last Week, Terry had noticed these mushrooms growing in the garden of his parking lot at work. I got all excited and insisted on a bike ride there to collect them.

No, don't get excited. I'm not going to eat them,

Look at this amazing color.

Here's all 4 types we collected.

I'm going to dye fiber with them!!!

Here are those big guys bubbling away in my crock pot. Yes, this one is dedicated to dying fibers.

I'm going to get as much color out of these as I can, and then try some fiber in the pot tomorrow.

I didn't have time today because no sooner had I gotten home, the power went out! It was out for 4 hours. By the time it came back on, I was wearing about 5 layers of clothing and wrapped up in an alpaca blanket, napping in my glider.

Alas, I still had to deal with these. Remember I just put all my canning gear away? Sigh. I just can't stand to see produce go to waste. These are from my fields, grown by Growing Washington organic farmers. There are three colors of beets buried under there also.

The carrots are going to be beautiful pickled. I like the many colors they come in.

I fought the Lawn and the Lawn WON

2011-11-03T20:11:00.000-07:00

It seems like not long ago I was fighting with lawn mowers. I resolved that problem, partially, by hiring a guy to do my yard. I continued to mow the fields that were not being used by Growing Washington. Well, yesterday was a bright sunny day, and it looked as if I had a small window of opportunity in which to mow the lawn one last time before winter sets in. We've already had frost at night. Interesting aside here: Last year this day it was 74 degrees! So anyhow, I would have had my lawn guy come, but he was not available, and yadda yadda. So I barely got started with the lawn when my John Deere broke down. Sigh. I crawled around on my hands and knees for awhile, trying to assess what was wrong, knowing that I know absolutely nothing about vehicles of any size or shape. So there she sits. Next week Terry will come and take a look at her. I did get the job done with my old Lady Bug, but I swear she has no cutter blades left.

I then decided to make another batch of homemade, canned spaghetti sauce. I had made some a couple weeks ago, and since it turned out Fantastico, I wanted to make more. I started by using canned tomatoes from last years crop. Fresh herbs, Pasillo peppers, and it cooks for at least 5 hours. I ended up with 16 pints.

Last weekend, I made Mushroom and Spinach Manicotti with my sauce for dinner. Here is our breakfast the next morning. An omelet with red peppers, mozarella cheese, and my awsome sauce.

Delicious.

So, the last 4 months, I've been really struggling with some "head" issues. I had a CT scan, then an MRI, an appointment with a Neurologist, and today my eye Doc. Seems in July I developed an extreme change in my double vision, and I've been miserable ever since. When the doctor told me he had a fix, I started crying with relief. I get my new glasses next week, and I can hardly wait.

Now I need to go clean up my kitchen and put all my canning supplies away. That's it for the year, so she says for the 5th time. We shall see.

My Latest Project

2011-10-29T08:24:00.000-07:00

This is my latest project, Code name: Terry. What a guy. Building a relationship is alot of work, but so much fun. I'm not getting much of anything else done.

Terry is a true romantic. He sings to me, and we dance in the kitchen.

Girls: Need I say more?

On the farm scene, all of the alpacas are gone, and my purpose for being there is a real puzzle. Especially with a long, cold, winter upon us. I guess I'll be spending alot of time in Seattle. My son announced on Wednesday that they are having a boy, so the sewing begins!!! A grandchild in the future is so exciting.

Last night I cooked manicotti, using my home canned spaghetti sauce. ZOWEEEE! Was it ever good. I should really make this stuff to sell. So, I'm always thinking. I'm sure there will be some big endeavor just around the corner. For now, I'm dividing my time between Seattle and Nooksack and having quite a good time of it.

Lost River Alpacas

2011-10-21T11:05:00.001-07:00

I made my last post on my Lost River Alpacas Blog today. You can view it at:
http://lostriveralpacas.blogspot.com/2011/10/end-of-era.html

A Beautiful Day for a Train Ride

2011-10-20T00:55:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was a beautiful day for a train ride. I had spent 5 days with Terry in Seattle and was returning home by train. The train runs along the coast of Puget Sound and through some of the most beautiful farmland. I sat with some people from California and acted as their tour guide until I fell asleep.

My time in Seattle included a trip to the Pike Place Market, brunch with my kids, and a walk through the Freemont Market.

Terry's house is located right near the Green River Trail that runs for miles along the river, providing beautiful walking and bicycling. Terry bought me this bike to keep at his place so I would be able to use it there. I rode an average of 6 miles each day that he was at work.

This is the seat. The peace sign is also on the chain guard. In honor of the days of the flower children, I named the bike Buffy; for Buffy St. Marie, not Buffy the Vampire.

I mentioned in my last post that I would be dressing in period costume for the Nooksack Centennial next year. Above is the pattern I found for a walking skirt, the equivalent to our blue jeans today. Can you just imagine dragging all this fabric around about your legs every day?

This is the pattern for the apron, or as they called it, the dress protector. In all my research of attire in the early 1900's, I found the women wore mainly black and white. Their only color was in their aprons. I had a difficult time picking a fabric for the apron. We have the Civil War collection, which is too early, and then the vintage 30's reproductions. What came in between?

I finally found this. The picture doesn't do the colors justice, but it is a nice green with yellow flowers. I'm looking forward to making this up, along with the skirt. Then I will just wear a lace blouse to finish off the look of a farmwife in 1912, ready to do her daily chores.

Nooksack Centennial Celebration

2011-10-08T09:39:00.000-07:00

My little City of Nooksack will be celebrating it's 100th Birthday next year. The City Council decided to have a big celebration for the event, and I was asked to chair it. Now, I tend to take on too much, and have signs all over my house that say 'NO' as a reminder to me to slow down and think about what has been presented to me. Well, this one was too much, and I knew I could be a positive note to this endeavor, so I accepted.

I have purchased patterns for clothing from the 1912's, and I will be dressed in period costume for the event. I will be making a walking skirt, and a dress cover. I will share those items in a later blog.

The celebration will be a huge party in the park on September 8 and 9th, 2012. I'm in the process of building a Facebook account. I will tell you more later.

Last week was a wonderful day at the Market. I'm not there today because I have a cold and am dragging my booty big time. Sigh.

I changed the layout of my booth, and it was amazingly effective. Of course, you never know from one Saturday to the next what makes people buy from you. There is my little spinner in the foreground. By spinning there, I attract alot of attention.

It was actually a cool day, and I sold a few more hats to other vendors.

This woman bought her hat in the Spring, and suggested the vendor behind her get a hat since she was in the wind and was freezing.

It's so gratifying to walk around the market and see so many people wearing my hats!!

Isn't she just adorable in this hat? Gotta make more.

Do you just love these Chinese Lanterns?

These are the masseuses that set up shop next to me each week. They are such fun, and we've become great friends.

These Buskers provided some very unique and terrific music for us all to enjoy.

Now that I'm writing all of this, I'm so sorry I am not there today. But, I don't even have enough energy to load the car, so let's get real.

I think it's time for a nap.

Tea for Lavern & Shirley

2011-09-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had a chance to catch up with my friend Nancy, who is Shirley to my LaVern. Due to my tumultuous year, we haven't seen much of each other, or gone on any wild advendures together.

She had me over for tea, after I pawed through the remains of her weekend garage sale. I came away with some very nice items, including a crock pot for the house. I've ruined all of mine using them for dying fibers.

I'm not much of a tea drinker, preferring my Java in the morning, but we had some DElicious teas to drink. The Goji tea was so fresh with honey in it. Then we had Peaceful Feeling. Oh! How nice. I brought some home with me, and plan to drink a cup before bed at night. I do not sleep well, even with sleeping pills. Maybe this will help.

There was a basket of breads, including toasted bagels, cinnamon bread, and Dave's Killer Bread. We slathered the butter, raspberry jelly, salmon spread, and Chipotle cheese spread on the breads as we felt the urge. It was all wonderful.

This is a little music box that plays Tea for Two.

Thank you Shirley, for a Peaceful, Delicious and Delightful time.

Babyworks

2011-09-23T11:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I have the bug. I stopped in at my favorite LQS yesterday to look for fabric for the upcoming Little Monster. The kids have chosen a monster motif for the baby. There are no monster fabrics fout there, but I know they would like more subtle colors and patterns. These fabrics are for Bloomers, aka diaper covers:

The batik on the right is just gorgeous, and is Cougar colors: Crimson and grey, the colors of the Washington State Cougars. My alma mater and the kids'.

Then, I stopped at my favorite Thrift Shop for the second time this week and found this:

Yes, the tag says .99 cents. Wow. Since my house is so small, I knew we would need something for the little one to nap in when he/she comes to visit Granny. I will pad this and line it, and it will be better than a drawer or closet for nap time.

That's about all for today. I have plans to make some green pepper jelly today, and to gather pears for drying. The wind is blowing quite hard, and all of the ripe pears are falling to the ground. I will have to gather them before they get too rotten.

Help with this new Blogger

2011-09-22T07:34:00.000-07:00

HELP!!

All of a sudden, we have this new control page for our blogs. I can't figure out how to e-mail anyone! It takes me to a network that requires a password, and none of mine work! Is there a magic trick to using this new system? I know you can all help this poor, cyber illiterate. I want to respond to your comments.

HEY GRANNY!!!!

2011-09-20T17:56:00.000-07:00

I received this book from my Son and DIL last Thursday, along with a card that says: "Hey Granny, you have alot of work to do." I am so thrilled and delighted. Hm. my last post said I didn't know what to do with all that stash of fabric. Guess I know what to do with it now.

The baby is due in March.

This is a vase I picked up at a garage sale. I love the "smarty-pants" attitude. It's great for one big bloom.

It's that time of year again, and I have been canning. This is the applesauce I have done, so far. In this batch, I included those hot cinnamon candies, along with raisins. It tastes devine!

And here are my tomatoes. I am growing an assortment of red, yellow and chocolate tomatoes, so this has become a sort of "calico" mix, especially since I included a few green ones, too.

Terry, formerly known as "T", taught me how to make fruit cordials. These two bottles are filled with Raspberry. Yummmmmmmmmmmmmm. And in front of them is a tray of little shot glasses I got at the thrift store. Yes, they are asymetrical, you aren't seeing things.

And these are my Blackberry cordials. Very good, but not rich like the Raspberry.

Pippi Longstockings is here to say goodbye. The alpacas should be gone by the end of the week. It is going to be so hard. I start crying every time I talk about it. I've survived some really big changes this year, and I know I will survive this. I've made a good decision, and I can visit my little four legged friends any time I want. It's just going to take some getting used to.

Fall is in the Air

2011-09-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

It looks as if the time for cut flowers in the house is drawing to a close. We waited so long for summer to arrive, while the rest of the U.S. was suffering from extreme heat. We had about 5 weeks of warm weather, and now you can feel the crispness of the air. My apples are all dropping off the trees before they ripen, all shriveled and dry. And, today it was a bit breezy and I noticed the leaves everywhere. Trouble is, they aren't turning color, they are just drying up and falling. Strange year it's been, that's for sure.

Here is my bouquet in the living room, and the first picture is the one in the bathroom. Since my house is small, the corner of the tub has become my favorite place to have flowers.

Then, this last one is in the bedroom.

Now I am going to pick a WHOLE bunch of Sweet Peas to infuse the house with their lovely odor. We are about the only ones around who still have sweet peas in such profusion. If you don't cut them, they go to seed.

I was just informed by the Market Site Manager that I will be outside tomorrow and need to bring my canopy. Sales are better out there, but it's so much more work. Good thing "T" will be here this weekend to lend me a hand.

You know, I have totally lost my desire to quilt. I was going through one HUGE box I have full of fabrics, and wondering why I had them? I guess it has alot to do with how much work I have to do around here now, just maintaining the place. Maybe when winter arrives, my thoughts will change. But, I just might be selling off my stash. Stay tuned!!!.

New Cria and Furniture

2011-09-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

It's been over a year since I've been able to share one of these with you! This is Phabian. He was born last Friday while I was gone. The new owners are ecstatic. Even though I have sold all my alpacas, 16 of them are still here while the owners build fences and everything else involved in having livestock. They come over every day and care for them, and I've acquired some wonderful new friends. They are also the amazing MICE that have done such wondrous things for me.

This is my old living room, before new windows or paint.

Last week, I wandered into a furniture store to waste time while I was waiting for an appointment. I found, much to my delight, the couch that goes with my crazy, asymetrical chair. It was on sale for half price, so how could I refuse?

But wait! There's more! Act now and you can get two for the same great price! Yes, it's a sectional.

Hard to get the entire room, but you get the idea. Yesterday, when returning from being at the Market all day, I had totally forgotten about my new furniture. When I opened the door and walked in, it was such a delight!!! I feel like Cleopatra.

My friend C has been gardening in my field this summer, and this is what I get to look out on. It's been a rough year, with flowers not coming on until mid to late July. Now it is September and they are at their peak, yet starting to droop in the hot weather.

I need to get ready for church, and then this afternoon will have to unpack the car from the Market. Guess what I forgot to take yesterday? Fiber to spin!! You always forget at least one thing, but that takes the cake for me. So, I had to knit a hat.

Resolved

2011-09-09T07:14:00.000-07:00

Summer arrived in the Pacific Northwest in mid August, and it is still here, hot and heavy. I'm a true Native of Washington, and dislike anything above 75 degrees, unless I'm in a dry climate or a Tropical one. Fickle, I know. But when it gets over 80 degrees here, I am miserable. But hey, the flowers love it. As usual, I am missing my battery charger for the camera, and cannot get updated pictures of the garden. It is amazing. Flowers love heat and humidity.

I have been busy and distracted by a number of things, and have not been posting. I have resolved to get back on my blog and get this updated. Here are a few of my distractions:

First of all, I was having some terrible headaches and other symptoms which led to a CT scan and an MRI. Then you worry and wonder. Fortunately, they found my brain and it is healthy. My assessment of it all is withdrawal from some antidepressants I have taken for 20 years, and stress. Duh. I lost a dear friend the other day, and my body went into grief mode instantly, and I slept for about 48 hours. I hope I can function today, since I have to get ready to return to the Market tomorrow.

Secondly, my brother, the dufus on the left, got married last weekend. Fortunately, he changed clothes about 15 minutes before the ceremoney, which took place in his back yard. I was in charge of the food for 22 people. My new "gentleman friend" took on the assignment of cooking the steak and lobster, so my job got alot easier. It was a lovely day, a beautiful ceremony, and a wonderful blending of families.

Thirdly, I have a major distraction in the form of a man.

There we are at a friend's house, after a delicious Vietnamese meal.

The circumstances leading up to my meeting T are too many and amazing, so I will just leave it at that.

My goal today is to find that darn battery charger, and to get prepared for Market. I'm so happy to be returning. I'll be there for the next two months. However, since it is forcast to be 91 degrees on Saturday, I don't think I will make much money in sales. I'll just be having a great time.

The Last Day and I am Pooped

2011-08-03T07:05:00.000-07:00

Isn't the last day of vacation always bittersweet? You want to go home, but you have had such a good time, you wish this could just carry on. As I look at the bikes, I think of all the paths I did not ride this year. But then, I'm so worn out from riding and swimming and laying around doing nothing, I can't summon up enough energy to hop on for one last ride.

Well, I have plenty of places to ride at home, so I need to stay in the mood and ride every day then weather permits.

Having this new mini spinner of mine allowed me to take my spinning with me on vacation. I'm working on a custom order. A woman wants 440 yards in blues, greens, and greys, since her daughter is studying Marine Biology, and these are the colors she wants: Like the water.

Here are the five of us at the Owls Nest Bar for dessert and drinks one night.

Peggy Sue has a new accessory! I follow bike path etiquette by announcing "on your left" when passing someone on the trail. The bell is fun, but I only use it when there are kids who might get a kick out of it, or if I am being silly.

Michael obviously enjoying his breakfast at the Hot Lava Baking Company.

Chad woke up from a nap with his hair looking like this. I offered to let him use my Got 2 be Glued to enhance the look, but he turned me down. And I DID rotate this picture!!!

So, we survived another year at Sunriver. We welcomed a new family member (Harry), and everyone got along splendidly. Now I'm already looking forward to next year.

Sunriver

2011-07-29T07:16:00.000-07:00

Is this a beautiful Bloody Mary, or what?

The kids and I are on vacation in Sunriver, Oregon this week. While waiting for the Farmer's Market to open, we enjoyed drinks and lunch at the Pine Tavern on Mirror Pond in Bend.

Then when the market finally opened, it took us 17 minutes to make our purchases. We've decided we are Market snobs, they with the Ballard Market, and me with the Bellingham.

We got fresh summer squash for grilling, fresh greens, and some incredible mushrooms. I also got some sunflowers and zinnias to brighten up the condo.

Yesterday morning I took an early bike ride on Peggy Sue. It was soooooooo cold. I was wearing two sweatshirts but was longing for a pair of alpaca gloves.

Peggy Sue and I stopped to soak in the warmth of the rays. No one else was out that early to take our picture, so only Peggy Sue is in this one.

Three deer browsing for breakfast.

The porch on the left is our main deck where we keep the bikes, and sit in the Sun.

I was amused by this sign on the front deck of the building.

Yes, I had a pedicure, sitting in a massaging chair. I fell asleep a couple of times. It was heavenly.

The boys do the cooking. Last night Michael, on the right, prepared falafel, tahini sauce, tabouleh and kale salad. Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum. It was excellent to say the least.

Then Chad and Harry, the two vegans, had their own meal. Chad was kind enough to share some hummus and peppers with me.

And, Project Runway started it's 9th season last night. Looks to be a really good one.

So, today my job is to relax some more, while back at the ranch, the mice are busy installing new windows, a new sink and vanity, and caring for my yard and flowers. God Bless the Mice.

A Religious Celebration

2011-07-27T18:03:00.000-07:00

A dear friend of mine was ordained as a Lutheran Minister Monday evening. Jacquie and I have been friends for over 30 years, having worked together for a good number of those. We had our babies together, sharing maternity clothes and baby clothes. I actually knew her husband before I knew her. He was always asking me to set him up with one of my friends, and it never occured to me to aske Jacquie. They figured it out themselves.

So in her 50's Jacquie was called to Seminary in Berkley. It's been a long road for her. I am so happy for her, I can hardly stop smiling.

At her ordination, she asked everyone to wear red, the color of the day.

Here I am in my red dress with the bouquet of flowers I had made up for her.

Present at the ordination were several people I used to work with and have not seen in many years. Below on the left is one of my former secretaries. She and I made a great team. I am a pollyanna, and she is a pessimist. I am scattered, she is organized. I was really angry with her when she left me, but we have remained good friends.

In the middle is another friend that I have known for over 30 years. She gets to retire on Friday.

Here is Jacquie wearing her collar. I started crying when I saw her, and pretty much through the entire ceremony.

And here we are. Can you imagine Jacquie and I sharing clothes? I have a good 6 inches on her, but somehow it worked!

Jacquie has been called to St. John's Lutheran Church in Lancaster, Kansas. If anyone out there lives in the area, you should visit her. She is a hoot.

You just never know. . .

2011-07-20T17:11:00.000-07:00

What the mice are up to while the cat's away. This cat played alot today, having breakfast in
Blaine with my friend who owns Beach Basket Yarns in Birch Bay. A few stops after, then on to the Wednesday market in Fairhaven and lunch with Jo.
I was amazed to come home to this:

I don't know why I was amazed. You tell these two you would like something done, and they do it! Amazing what two 25 yr. olds, some heavy equipment, and good old Dad (Melissa's) can do in a couple of hours.

This 1940 Pontiac has been housed in a small garage at the front of the property for as long as I have memory of this place. The last time we drove it was 16 years ago.

Look at those manuevers! Heavy equipment and lots of patience. Patience is something I still lack.

So here it sits in it's new home, the clean barn. Don't ask what I am going to do with it. I'm just the caretaker.

So, after the car was put to bed, the mice decided to remove some fencing and did some general clean up and hauling away. WOW!!! This means more to me than anything. I cannot even express my gratitude to these guys for helping me in this way. Melissa, Jacob, Jean and Mike, YOU ROCK.

Walk with Me

2011-07-18T11:51:00.000-07:00

Bear with me, this is going to be a long post, since I have so much to share with you. This first picture is the lane into my farm. I bought these two standards/plant hangers at an estate sale and I think they add a nice welcoming look, don't you?

You all know I have an addiction to flowers, so I'm showing you just a few. Actually, the rain has been so heavy, I'm surprised they haven't all drowned. We expect some sunshine this afternoon, so I will probably see everything blooming before my very eyes.

Good use of an old drawer.

Does anyone want some Hollyhocks? Come on by and get some, they are everywhere! Jo, I have a pack ready for you.

This is where I grow my tomatoes. In the Pacific Northwest we have a terrible time with blight, which is caused by the moisture and rain. This shelter seems to work really well. I have alot of salsa to make this year.

Here are the wonderful folks who have purchased my alpacas. They do so much for me, and I love them like family. This is Jacob, Melissa, and Jean. They have been cleaning all the wood out of the barn to burn, and we will be moving the 1940 Pontiac in here so I can do other things with the little old garage up front,.

Isn't this awesome?

Now, thanks to my friend Candace, I am going to paint a quilt square on this. It is the door to the hayloft. If anyone can suggest a square with three or four colors, geometric, no curves, and the colors to use, I'd love to hear your opinion.

Looks like I have raspberries to pick today. And blueberries. I am planning to make raspberry cordial this year.

Zinnias and corn,

Now we are inside. I used to play the guitar as a teen, leading the singing at all the youth gatherings and around the campfire. I can't read a note of music, nor can I sing worth beans, but I can play chords and know when to change them. I just need to re-train myself. For some reason, taking this up again seemed the right thing at the time.

And this is my re-decorated boudoir. Everything was obtained from thrift stores, except for the lamp. I'm going to hang one of my alpaca quilts above the bed.

So the lawnmower man is here today and is doing a fantastic job. Now I can get my house cleaned and tidied for a change.

More tomorrow.

Catch Up

2011-07-17T12:21:00.000-07:00

Let's see, I had a meltdown last week and took off to spend a few days with my brother. I relaxed, went to garage sales, and took alot of naps. That, and a couple of delightful dinners with a new "friend" and I am back.

I've hired someone to do the yard work, so that is a major load off of me, and I'm really excited for him to get started tomorrow.

Last weekend was my family reunion held here at the farm. The weather was lovely, and everyone had a great time. I counted 35 people at one time, but I know I was way short. Then you need to add in the dogs.

Above is the floral arrangement I had in the bathtub. That is my new favorite place to put flowers. If I can ever access my pictures, I will share my remodel of my rooms with you, but my desktop got infected and crashed. I think my pictures are the only thing I care about retrieving from that computer.

A small arrangement on my kitchen sill.

Officer Burke came down the drive with his lights on, but he was just here to say hi to his wife, my cousin, until he could join us later in the day.

Here is the Motley "Moehring" Crew. I can actually count myself as shorty in this group. I'm kneeling on the far right.

Here are the Patriarchs. My Uncle on the left is: ??? Well, late 80's. He is younger than my mom and she would have been 90 this year,. Then her cousin is on the right and is almost 93. He is an inspiration to us all. He had made an 8 foot long family tree that we hung on the fence so everyone could view it. I'm not really into ancestry, but I have to admit I was impressed. I prefer to center my love and attention on those who are here with me now.

The next morning, my Mom's cousin (I can never get straight if she is a second cousin, or removed or added or divided) and I enjoyed brunch at my favorite little Italian restaurant in

Deming: Il Cafe Refugio.

Meanwhile, I am trying to catch up on laundry and put away all the stuff I brought home with me. It is extensive.

LAWNMOWER WARS

2011-07-07T13:18:00.000-07:00

I know, it's been a long time, but I'm ready to come back. Actually, my main problem was losing the chord that hooks the camera to the computer to download pictures. I finally broke down and bought an adapter.

So, life on the farm goes on, but it is rough by myself. I am really proud of what I have accomplished so far, but I have a long way to go. In the meantime, I lead the typical farmer's life, which means when you have a project to get done, the equipment usually fails and you have to spend a day working on it before you can even start.

Why is it that when you have three lawnmowers, not one of them is working?

Here is Ladybug with two flat tires. I just need a jack to lift it and get the tires off so I can take them in to have tubes put in. Just. Around here, I have at least three of everything, but can I find a jack? I'm usually tripping over them. Then it occurred to me I had one in the car!!!

And here is the Jane Dear. I won't tell you all of the problems I've had with her. Today, I had baling twine wrapped around the blades. My dear friend who has planted flowers in one of my fields just doesn't understand the importance of picking up every little piece of twine.

So, there I was, lying on my side with my arms under the mower; I felt like I was delivering a baby alpaca. My arms in up to the pits, feeling around for the legs, er, twine. I finally cut the twine loose and this is what was born:

And here is the oldest model who moved here with me from Lynnwood over 10 years ago. The racoons have chewed on the gas cap, which allows water into the gas. I will buy a new cap today. The big problem is that the starter chord broke. Now, I could call on one of my neighbor men to help me with this, but I am stubborn, and I am determined to fix this myself.

I have a family reunion here on Saturday, so getting my lawn mowed is sort of a priority right now, along with preparing the picnic chicken. Yum.

You know me and scarecrows. This one was left over from last Fall. I just added a new shirt, some baling twine braids, and a hat.

Found this wedding gown at a thrift shop for next to nothing, so we have a demure little bride now.

This little character has been moved to the fence. She looked like she was hanging there, so now I have her climbing the fence like all good children are not supposed to do.

Summer finally arrived last weekend, and the flowers are blooming and the weeds are growing.

I have leased 7 acres of land to an Organic farming group called Growing Washington. It's great to see them out here working, and they have already planted the back 5 acres. Now I'm working on finding someone to hay the rest of the land.

Each day is a new challenge and a new victory. I am thrilled to be doing what I am doing, but I'm getting a little tired.

Sounds like time for another vacation!!!!

Linda's New Hat

2011-05-15T18:31:00.000-07:00

Some of you have seen my new hat on Facebook.

I spent a week in LA with my wild and crazy friend, Jenny, who talked me into this hat.

It's very versatile, and can be worn many ways.

I'm too sexy for my hat, to sexy for my hat, toooooooo sexxxxxxxxxxxy.

Oh, oh.

I feel like the kitchen maid in a medieval play in this do.

This is my Mata Hari Look.

It has a wire in the brim, so you can even make it look like a nice sunhat, if you want. I really like this look.

I wore the hat all over LA, especially since I forgot to take hair product, and Jenny put little pigtails in my hair. NOT attractive.

Jenny was the healing power that brought me back to life. She has inspired me to decorate my house, to paint, to plant. She is a former (sometimes even still) actress and an incredible artist.

Jenny, I miss you!

Please come for a visit.

A Very Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-09T09:58:00.000-07:00

Introducing: The new Linda. These blue streaks are affirmations to myself that life goes on and I will survive! I've had so much fun with this since I got them on Friday, I just might try Magenta next time.

On Saturday, if was my DIL's 30th birthday party, and she celebrated by having a Derby Party at their favorite local bar. Everyone was to wear a hat.

Here I am in my dull hat, along with my son Michael who engineeered the party. Yes, that's one beautiful Bloody Mary in my hand.

This is the hat that my DIL made for her mother. Is it not precious?

This is my DIL's hat.

And this one is for her sister, who loves to bake.

She has an excellent blog: The Dirty Oven.

We went to Mother's Day lunch at a Korean restaurant just a couple of blocks from them. What DEEEEElicious food.

This gem, chosen by our two hosts, was the Hangover Soup.

This was my meal: Shrimp and Thai basil egg fu Young.

Chad told the chef he was vegan, so he just whipped this up for him.

Afterwards, we toured the Fremont Market and absorbed all of the local goods.

It's A Beautiful Day

2011-05-06T20:48:00.000-07:00

Those of you who are my age will remember a group who had one album, and one great song: White Bird by "It's A Beautiful Day". I love that song. Hmmm, maybe I can find it and put it on my blog.
Anyhow, it was a beautiful day yesterday. It was also beautiful today, but I'm going to write about yesterday, since today is another story.

My friend has been house sitting at a very large estate. She invited me up to spend the night. We spent the afternoon working on our Mind Maps, then took a walk on the grounds.

This is the view from the deck. Well, the entire west side of the house. Gorgeous.

Here is the garden shed and green house.

There are real trout in this pond. We were feeding them, and you can see where they have been jumping. We contimplated catching one for dinner, but I knew I would have to kill it. I quit fishing years ago when my husband informed me I had to kill what I caught.

Pat, these are Trillium. It's actually a wildflower that grows in the mountains here.

This is a Goodle. He's a cross between a Golden Retriever and a standard Poodle. I had fun playing with him, but when I started wrestling him like I used to do with my Tibetan Terrier, he almost took me down. Well, it cemented our friendship, at least. In the evening, after a dinner of Nettle Quiche, we watched Black Swan. I got so worked up watching it, the Goodle came and put his head in my lap to comfort me.

Have you seen this movie? I loved it. It's all symbolism, but when she finally found the passion to dance as if she WAS the Black Swan, I was cheering. Weird but wonderful.

Then, we finished the day with a long soak in the hot tub, under the stars. I slept well.

Feeling Better

2011-05-05T11:41:00.000-07:00

It's getting better all the time. I have moments that come up and hit me like a sledgehammer, and I'll be crying like crazy, but that's to be expected I guess. This grief thing is very, very hard. I am an impatient person and want it to be over with now! But I guess I have alot more pain ahead of me, so if I start crying at the gas station or the grocery store, at least everyone knows me and they will talk to me or hug me. I don't have to be shy around here.

So on to the good life. Yesterday was beautiful, and I picked a nice bouquet to put on my front door. I find it to be very welcoming, don't you?

This is a coral bead plant that my cousin gave me for Easter. It's also called the Pincushion Plant, the Greek word being Nerteria. From South America, I'd best keep this little gem in the house if I want it to survive. Isn't it sweet?

Here is my latest skein of yarn. I really like it. But, I like every skein I make. I'm soooooooooooo modest. I have made such wonderful contacts at the Bellingham Farmer's Market, three local stores want to carry my yarns now. Good thing I have that little mini spinner. It goes everywhere with me now.

I've missed blogging, and I feel like I have turned the corner. I hope to be back, at least twice a week. Every day would be asking too much at this time, but who knows, we shall see.
Hugs everyone. It's good to be back.

A Brief Respite

2011-05-04T15:22:00.000-07:00

Looks like we are going to have Spring for a couple of days, which means I have to get some work done, FAST. First of all, I decided to walk out past the sloughs to see if it was dry enough to move my truck, which I got stuck in the mud three weeks ago. There it is, still mired. A few friends have offered to pull me out, but they will just get stuck, too. I knew better than to drive out there, but I just HAD to get this one chore done on THAT day. Like I said, I knew better.

On the way back, I shot this picture. If you look really hard, you can see the 11 alpacas I still have here. They should be gone in a couple of weeks. I am going to arrange to be gone when they get transported to Muddy Waters Farm. I know I can visit them any time I want, and I will, but to actually see them leaving is going to be way too much.

Did I ever show you the potting table I bought at the Craft and Antique show? It's been getting alot of use. I'm so happy to have it.

Now I need to go outside and finish my planting. I've already planted 4 salal, 2 Oregon Grape, 4 Knickknicks and a Witch Hazel. I'm not sure what is left out there, but they are all getting rootbound from sitting in the rain.

Hasta la Vist, Baby.

The End of an Era

2011-04-25T17:30:00.000-07:00

This was a hard one. I believe this sign has been hanging out front by the road for at lzeast 10 years.

Soooo, I finally took it down. Without the alpacas or Alan here, I won't be giving tours anymore, so I will also not have a store here.

I'm thinking of redoing it as "Lost River Farms. I still have all the paint, and I think I could make it work.

And here is the arbor without the sign. Just many of the changes I've been forced to make since Alan died.

Since I have three different farmers leasing the land, I think I should change the sign to "Lost River Farms". Make sure people know this is farmland.

So, I've had some great times with the family the past two weeks. And for Mother's Day weekend, my DIL is celebrating her 30th birthday with a Kentucky Derby Day. Everyone has to wear a hat. It will be fun. Have you seen Secretariat yet? It's wonderful. I remember watching all these races, but I still watched the movie with my breath held, wondering if he would make it. Fun.

Back to Palm Springs?

2011-04-14T08:04:00.000-07:00

It's April 14th, and this is what I woke up to this morning!!

I admit, last week while I was in Palm Springs, I laughed when I heard there had been snow in areas near home. I was warm and enjoying the sun and pool and ambiance, so hahahahah. Guess I got mine, huh?

This was what it looked like yesterday. My friend is planting one of my pastures in flowers to sell at the Farmer's Market this summer. She is using a method called No till, Low fill. I think that is right. It's a layering method, that some people call lasagna gardening.

We put the tent and table in the middle so we will have a nice little retreat this summer. It is going to be so beautiful.

So, last week in Palm Springs, I only got these next two pictures because my battery died and I had forgotten to pack my charger. Do I have the worst luck with cameras or what? So anyhow, these two black swans visited us every morning with their 5 fluffy babies, as shown below.

I had a wonderful time there, staying with my brother and some wonderful ladies that really knew how to have fun. I treated myself to two massages, an Essential Oil Wrap and time in the Eucalyptus Steam Room. Ahhhhhhhhhhh. I should have stayed another week!!

I'm spinning about 3-5 skeins a week now, with my new electric spinning wheel. I could be doing more, but I'm just relaxing.

I've also been making yard art. This sets on a pole in the garden. We need the brightness until the sun finds it's way here.

The snow has stopped, but I think this will be a good day to stay inside and knit and spin. Yeah.

Re-Branding

2011-04-01T16:43:00.000-07:00

I have re-branded. I know, you all know me as FiberFabrications, but I have always done business as Lost River Alpacas. Now, with the sale of the alpacas, I had to change my status at the Market from Farmer to Crafter. This is my new logo and business card. The Market opens tomorrow, and I am psyched. The car is packed and ready, now I just need to decide what to wear. In this crazy Pacific Northwest, you never know if it will rain, sleet, blow, shine, or heat up. Sooooo, boots? Okay, I got it. Layers for sure. Gotta be able to strip when it gets warm.

So the other day, Josie and I took a ride to the vet's in a VeeDub. She was not impressed. I've never held one this size in a car before. We had alot of laughs. Poor baby has ricketts, the first ever for one of my alpacas. She will be getting Vitamin D injections and should recover well.

Here she is getting her hocks x-rayed. Deb, our vet tech, is getting a kick out of this. Look at Josie's face.

At this point Josie says "Okay, I'm done now."

Jumping back to Monday, this is the dumpster that we almost filled with miscellaneous metal stuff. It should bring some decent money.

Looks like it has stopped raining. Think I will go outside and plant.

The Organizers

2011-03-29T06:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had the Penny Pinchers over to help me get my place cleaned up and organized. They specialize in garage and estate sales. They buy storage units and clean them out. They have a store in Bellingham where they sell everything. The greatest thing is that when they help you sort through your things, they are cleaning and organizing.

This first picture is of my studio. Doesn't it look ready for a knitting group or spinning lessons? It used to be my store, but I won't be running that anymore. I will just be selling at the Bellingham Farmer's Market.

Here is a shot from the other side of the studio. I wish I had before pictures, because this room had become horrendous.

Here is my storage area. We converted a two car garage when we built the store/studio, and this is the other half. You could barely walk in here, there was so much junk. What a change, and my dear little bike will have a nice dry home when I'm not riding her.

Meanwhile, I'm having so much fun with my electric Hansen Mini Spinner. Below are two skeins of boucle I have made. I'm pretty excited with them.

I didn't think this skein would be very nice since I was practising on the mini, using all colors, but it came out rather nice.

I wish I could say these are my yarns. They are dyed by Fancy Image Yarns in Shelton, Wa. Myra is very creative with her colors and with her kits. There will be much more to come, since I bought enough from her to become part owner, hahahah.

Here are a couple of hats I finished while I was "at retreat" with the girls.

Today I am going to rest up. I am literally exhausted. But first, a visit from the vet. Josie has not been feeling well. In vet terms its called ADR. (ain't doing right).

I have buyers for all of my alpacas, and they will all be gone by May. I've been very weepy the last couple of days because it finally set in. I've been so businesslike and practical about it all, and reality has hit me like a sledgehammer.

The alpaca business is something Alan and I built together, and is a symbol of what a wonderful parnership we had. I guess this is a huge part of saying goodbye, not only to the pacas, but to him.

The Healing Power of Friendship

2011-03-25T08:08:00.000-07:00

This skein of yarn says it all. Smile again!

I just returned from a week at Hood Canal with friends. Two of them were great buddies in High School, one I have known since I was ten. The other two I met two years ago and instantly bonded with. Then the 6th member is owner of a wonderful Yarn shop in Shelton called Fancy Image Yarn.http://fancyimageyarn.com/. Myra dyes her own yarns and makes up kits using them with an assortment of fun and funky novelty yarns. I loved her shop, since she loves the color and textures the same as I do. I think I now own stock in her company, I bought so much. I will share pictures of her products tomorrow.

I first met Myra when she arrived with these. The girls call them Tall Fruity Drinks, so that's all I can tell you. They sure pack a punch! Myra stayed with us Sunday night, and then asked to stay another night, we were having so much fun. On Monday, we stayed in our jammies until almost 1PM, when Kris arrived. By then, Chris and I had pulled on some clothes and had dug some clams for that evening's appetizers. Dug isn't the correct term to use. I could have gathered them with my bare hands, but we scratched the surface of the beach with a little claw.

This is what we woke up to each morning. Across from us is Treasure Island, a magical place, that is about a mile around. That little bridge is shared by cars and walkers. I felt like I was in a different world, so quiet and peaceful.

Here's the view in the opposite direction. We had bright sunny days and spent them enjoying the local scenery, knit shops and artist galleries.

For breakfast one morning, we had build your own omelette. First you put your eggs in a freezer zip lock baggie.

Then you add any of the cut up goodies you have found in your refrigerator.

Seal the bag and put it in boiling water with the others.

I was impressed! It was delicous!

And

here I am modeling my hat that I bought from Snooter Doots. It's me, don't you think?

I will post more pictures and stories as the week goes by. I have much to tell you, and yarns to show off.

Ta Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

2011-03-20T07:57:00.000-07:00

I found my camera!! In the pocket of my bathrobe. What on earth was it doing there? Although these days, I have been known to wander out to the barn to throw some hay and grain at the alpacas in my jammies, and go back inside to loaf. Now, late last night, I thought of a sweatshirt out in the studio with pockets I haven't checked, and maybe my cell phone is in there. I'm not ready to go there yet, I'm letting the suspension build.

Here's a picture of one of the arrangements I made at the Craft show to mark the entrance to the food court. One of the musicians has his CDs and cards in the way, but you get the gist.

Here is the other side. I used two bicycles in the entry, with baskets full of plants, and there was another arrangement in the back. I was happy with what I did.

The show was wonderful. I had fun spinning and demonstrating my new mini spinner to everyone. I may have picked up a couple of new spinning students.

Before the doors were even open on Thursday, I bought this sweet table from one of the Antique dealers. Coincidentally, the two chairs were purchased from her about 12 years ago!!!

Then yesterday, I saw this beauty and had to have it. I guess my new bedroom will be victorian. This will go nicely with my grandmother's old quilt. Deb Burton has the nicest things, and she won the prize for best booth. You can visit her at her bloghttp://ormolulu.blogspot.com/. She has a great picture of me there.

Here are the "Barn Cats" resting up after playing for hours with their new toys.

Catnip Carrots by Snooter-Doots. You can find her on facebook. She makes the cutest little felted characters, and crazy hats. I bought one, but I need someone to take my picture.

So, I had a wonderful three days working at and shopping at the Lynden Craft and Antique Show.

Not enough hours.

2011-03-14T14:53:00.000-07:00

Oh, I know it's been awhile. I really have a good excuse. I can't find my NEW camera!! Now how did I do that? It's bright pink! But then, my old one is red, and I lost it all the time. My friend's daughter says it's because I'm Sagitarian, and I just need to live with it.

So, I took this with my old, taped together camera. This is my new bike, Peggy Sue. Don't ask me why, but when I look at her, my heart sings Peggy Sue. My old one is in back. It's a 10 speed that is stuck in one gear. I'd much rather have a one speed cruiser. There are very few hills in my area here in the valley.

These two bikes will be at the Lynden Craft and Antique show this week. I will be decorating the Food Court. I'm leasing plants from Hi Hoe Nursery, and it's going to be awsome. I will keep you posted, with lots of pictures. I am also going to demonstrate spinning there for two days. Fun, fun fun.

Speaking of spinning, this is my new Hansen Mini Spinner. It's electric. You can see some buttons to the right, which will put this into perspective. IT IS AWSOME!! I spin so much better on this than any other wheel I've ever used. It has a pedal like a sewing machine to start and stop it. A dream. I can't express anymore how much I love it. I sit in my glider and watch TV while I am spinning. Now how easy is that?

I've recently taught two people how to spin, and one of them gave me this banana fiber. Yep, banana! I have to save it for something really special, but for now I just like to look at it.

I have so much going on, just not time to write about it. The other day I stopped in at a place called Penny Pincher Estate Sales. Well, providence does tend to lead us where we need to be. This lady is going to clean my place out, haul away the garbage, the donations, sell the sellable, and even take the metal to the recyclers, and I will get money for it!! I am just pleased as punch and look forward to a huge relief in getting this place cleaned out.

My contractor stopped by today and we talked about plans for the house. I've decided not to add on. Why does one little me need anymore space?

Tom Sawyer

2011-03-07T10:25:00.000-08:00

Last week I bought two flat screen TV cabinets to set under my windows. And, I knew my current TV was on the critical list and would not be with me long. So here we have the living room as I unpacked all the pieces. My GAWD. This is when you really need a husband, but I'll bet you anything, Alan would have been really perturbed by this set. There must have been 3000 little parts to put the 14 pieces of wood together. I was, of course, following the step by step directions, as a sewer does, when my friend came over.

My goodness, did a tornado come through here? Oh, shut up and help me then. So she got involved.

Then Kirk came by to pick up his food wagon that he had left on Saturday. He and I had some fun going through the old tin shed, oohing and aawing over the old farm equipment, then came inside to see how Cynthia was doing. Kirk, being a man, just took control, and "they" had it completed in no time. I just stood back and watched.
Well, I still had the second one to do, so the next day, I started out, with my step by step directions, and I worked on the sucker for an entire day!!! I still don't have the drawers put together. In the meantime, my TV broke, as anticipated, and I had to go buy a new one yesterday. Now my living room is double the mess because I had to set it up, and I still don't have the wires hooked up through the black box and the Wii hooked in. I bought the Wii and Just Dance to exercise with, but I have yet to use it since I've spent the last week trying to build everything in order to get the @&$%#@ working.

Well.

As you can see, I am frustrated. Everywhere I turn, there is more work to be done, and just little ole me to do it. Slow down, one step at a time, one page at a time.

This is a new chapter in my life, and I'm trying to adjust.

Slow and Easy, slow and easy.

Picture Pages

2011-03-03T09:07:00.000-08:00

I am back. We had the memorial celebration last Saturday, and now my life goes on. I've made it through the fear and anxiety and flashbacks. I know I have alot of grieving left, but I'm better able to handle it.

So today's post is going to be alot of pictures. I just want to fill in on all that has transpired.

Two days before the Memorial.

The day before the Memorial.

How Great Thou Art.

George and Gracie explore the pastures.

Somehow I found time to dye some yarns.

The sign in table. I made this centerpiece using as many fruits and vegetables that Alan grew. They are arranged in an old milk container from the milk pipeline.

Some of my kids keeping warm under one of the patio heaters.

All the food was provided by friends and family, including freshly made butter from Breckenridge Dairy. You can see the pen and ink drawing Alan did for his sister. She brought it to show as a remembrance.

We used the cria creep (a small stall that is rigged so only the babies can get in) for the beer stall. One of Alan's friends contributed a keg in remembrance of their high school days. Oh, they were naughty boys!!!!

My friend, Lori, from the Glass Slipper in Ferndale, painted this old cupboard door from our old kitchen.

Kirk from DEvine Gardens in Custer brought his portable food wagon and kept all of the soups warm. He served up about 350 bowls of chili and corn chowder. On the right is Gayle, my dear friend who spearheaded the event and ran the kitchen.

Another source of warmth. We had two fire pits. This one was frequented mainly by the beer drinkers. Coffee and cookies were served at the one by the house.

Last by not least, my wonderful brother who has been my rock. He gave a wonderful service.

That's it. From now on you will be reading about my crazy life again. The Market starts in a month. I bought an electric spinning wheel that will double my production.

Hugs to all for your love and support.

Picnic Time

2011-02-13T10:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my cousin and her husband came for a visit. It was so sunny and beautiful, we decided to drive up the mountain and see what we could see. I was suggesting places to stop for lunch when Carolyn says, "I have a picnic". Well, of course she has a picnic. She is never unprepared.

Silver Lake is a beautiful County Park, and we walked across the lake on the little foot bridges. The surface of the lake was frozen, making for some very interesting textures. The bald eagles we perched in the trees above. We found a picnic table nestled in a warm, sunny spot, and enjoyed our lunch and the surroundings until the sun went behind a cloud. Wow, this difference in two degrees.

This is the Amaryllis that my kids gave me for Christmas. It has 8 blooms on it, and another stem starting to sprout. I've never had one this nice. It is on top of my refrigertor in the kitchen.

My friend and I were headed into a Chinese Restaurant for lunch the other day and these bad boys were in the back of a truck. Aren't they sweet? But if I got any closer, they started barking and protecting their truck. The entire time we were in the restaurant, we tried to figure out who the owner was, but never did.

And here is my living room, ready for paint, showing the new 8 foot window that used to be about 2.5'.

And here is the finished product:

I am so happy with my new room. My friend, Jody, helped me with the painting. She came over Monday morning and we were done by Wednesday.

I started this post on Thursday, I think, so it's a bit out of whack, but the details are all there.

I'm now off to do some retail therapy.

Busy of a Different Sort

2011-02-04T06:59:00.000-08:00

As you can see, the new barn kitties are adjusting well to their new responsibilities. HA. Actually, they do spend most nights in the barn, nestled in their warm alpaca bed on the top shelf of my fiber storage racks. They love it out there. But, they also love me. I like to let them in the house for a couple of hours each night for comic relief. Leroy hates them, and Fred is either intriqued or frightened by them. Bottom line is, shuffling four cats around is chaotic.

Much progress is being made here, with the sale of several more alpacas, and so many friends coming to help me. Sunday a friend organized a work party, and we got the barn all cleaned out and organized for the memorial service. Then on Wednesday, I went to Cash and Carry to buy all of the dishes, bowls, cups, soup spoon, napkins, etc. for the memorial service. Yesterday a friend took me out to lunch and to my favorite thrift shop. I'm sure you are getting the picture my days are not empty and lonely.

This has been my biggest headache. When I discovered the black mold growing on my walls, I did not hesitate to have the 88 year old single pane windows replaced. The house also has no overhangs on the roof, nor gutters, so the rain just runs down the sides of the house. The siding is pretty much rotten and will have to all be replaced when I do my add-on, in addition to putting in some insulation. For now, the windows are finished, with nice wide sills that I can put plants on and kitties can roost on to look out at the squirrels and birds. Today my friend and I are going to try to pick out colors to paint the room. She loves to paint. I do not.

Above is the post card we sent out to friends, family, and associates for Alan's Memorial. I have a committee of friends and family members who are planning this for me. The love and caring brought to me by the community has been overwhelming, and I have no desire to live anywhere else. I wish you could all join us in this celebration of his life.

To all of you who have sent cards and heartfelt wishes my way, I thank you. This is going to be a long haul, and I treasure my friendships, both locally and in bloggerville. I can feel your arms wrapped around me, and God answers prayers. I know.

A Full Week

2011-01-22T07:30:00.000-08:00

Things have not been dull around here, in fact, I've been so busy I had to take yesterday off for myself. Sometimes I need to be alone and just veg.

First of all, I have to show you the glider chair I bought for myself right after Alan passed.

I have always wanted one like this, and I fall asleep in it just fine!! The test of a comfortable chair.

This is a hall cabinet I got for half price at a furniture store that won't admit they are going out of business, but really.

The flower arrangement was from the Friends of the Library and was just beautiful.

Yesterday I bought this accent chair for next to nothing. This is all in anticipation of the remodel I will be doing in the spring. When I had the windows replaced in the living room due to the black mold, we also discovered most of the siding is rotting. My little addition is going to involve much more than I had anticipated. DH's former employer, an Architect, is going to pick up his computer when he comes for the memorial service and work from the drawins DH had done to come up with my smaller plan. I'm hoping to get started in April or May.

I found this guitar at my favorite thrift shop yesterday for .99 cents. I know it's not a good guitar, but with some new strings, I just might get back to playing. When I was in high school and college, I lead the singing at all the youth camps and campfires and sing alongs, where ever they might have been. It's been awhile.

Last weekend was wonderful. My older son Michael and his wife came on Saturday and stayed until Sunday afternoon. My younger son and his friend and my two nieces arrived at about noon on Sunday, and I made lumpia for everyone. That was my first attempt at preparing a meal since DH died, and they loved it.

The above picture just cracks me up. On the right is my niece Rachael with her dog Quincey who thinks he is human. He just sits there on the couch, leaning on a pillow, and watches us as we talk. As you can see, my "barn kitties" were in the house and Quincey was afraid of them.

Those darn cats are being quite a challenge. They love the barn, and I make a point of always feeding them out there, but they also love me. They want to follow me everywhere. Also, they are so entertaining, I let them in the house at night for laughs. The older cats actually like them now, but fight with each other more.

Time to go out to the barn, and I'm sure George and Gracie will be on the porch waiting for me. I just refuse to have 4 cats in the house.

Oh, and I have sold 12 alpacas!! I've decided to keep 5 males with the best fiber, but sell the rest. Things seem to be moving along well, so I hope to have homes for the rest soon.

What a mess

2011-01-14T06:39:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you discover mold in your house. The two windows I'm having replaced are the original ones; 88 years old. You might also notice two little imps on the not yet window sill.

Yesterday was a tough one for my contractor. First, the chord on his sawsall fried and he had to go buy a new one. Then, being that the house is not up to today's codes, he had to comply with those to make sure the house keeps standing. So, only one window was installed.

This one will be done today. He says this is the easier of the two. He always does the hard ones first. Hope he gets them done since all my kids are coming this weekend.

I found this pen and ink that my husband drew for me years ago. It's been in storage with half of my life. I always had this hanging in my office at work. It's a house in La Conner, Wa.

Here are some of my purchases from Tuesday Morning and Ross yesterday. I had to go in to Social Security and to pick up my new glasses, so I had a fun time shopping for things I don't need. Well, I AM doing alot of dying, so those gloves will be used, and who doesn't want another felting book?

My darling little girl kitty wakes me up in the morning by plopping down on my face. How does one ignore that? I hate to break it to them, but it's warming up, and they will have to sleep in the barn tonight. I had a hard time finding them yesterday, so I know they are enjoying it out there.

Kittens

2011-01-09T19:14:00.000-08:00

I was cleaning out the milk house the other day, and found we had a colony of mice living in there. Hmmmm. Alan and I had discussed getting another barn cat after Phoebe died, but he didn't want another. He'd been setting traps for rats all winter. When I discovered the mice, I called: MouseBusters!!! A friend had been trying to give us two kittens for a couple of months, so I said, bring them on. She arrived yesterday with a boy and a girl, both neutered.

This is Gracie

And this is George. You can tell they will be good hunters because they have built in camoflauge uniforms.

I set the kids out in the barn with food and water, and they commenced to have a grand time. They spent the night out there okay, but today they decided to wander. They followed me everywhere.

I've been having alot of trouble sleeping and took two pills last night. I slept 5 hours and work up feeling drunk and sleepy, and have felt that way all day. I spent most of the day inside napping and knitting. It's been quite cold, and the wind is strong from the north, so I got worried about George and Gracie. I bundled up in my warm clothes and went looking for them.

Sure enough, they were hunkered down in the old shop and very scared. So, I gave in and brought them in the house for the night. I have forgotten what it is like to have kittens in the house. They are like rolling thunder, flying around and getting into everything. What a delight. Fred and Leroy are not at all happy. Guess they will spend the night pouting on the back porch.

I bought this braid of peppers at the Pike Place Market when we were there over the holidays. I think it looks just grand hanging there in the window.

Here are some yarns I've finished in the past few weeks. I finished this one today:

I miss my Mom terribly right now. She lost my Dad when he was only 59. I feel as if I am re-living her life. I know I am doing many of the same things she did. But it seems to be working. I am blessed with loving and caring friends who check on me regularly, and I have learned to ask for help.
Ooops, I am hearing the strangest sounds. I'd better go check on the two hellions.

Sigh

2011-01-06T06:37:00.000-08:00

So many days I have sat here at the computer, staring at the blankness of the screen, and trying to think of something to say. I'm going to try today.

My holidays are a blur since I was still in shock and numbness. I spent most of my time with my kids, and went to several parties with family, but found I would just doze off if I could. Below is a light hearted picture of my son and his wife with the hats I made them in their school colors. I still haven't finished Chad's hat.

Once I returned home, the casseroles started arriving. I am unable to make a decision to eat anything, much less prepare it, so this is such a joy to receive. My alpaca association had instigated a Casserole Brigade, and I will apparently receive two a week from different members. I've had to buy freezer containers to divide it all up in and freeze. Now it looks like I won't have to cook for at least two months.

The shock and numbness is gone, but now it hurts more. Sometimes I am just plain scared.

Last Sunday I discovered black mold growing up my living room walls, so called in a contractor. By next week I will have two new windows which will be a terrific addition. I've also bought myself a few new peices of furniture.

Blessings come my way everyday.

I've sold 9 of my alpacas, and may have a buyer for the remaining.

I don't know what I will do about the market, since I have to commit by Jan. 30th.

I thank you all for your loving care and your big cyber hugs, and leave you with this verse:

I have this feeling

there's one more star

up in the sky tonight.

And even though it's far away,

its brightness and warmth still

reach us here to make the night

a little less dark.

More Info and Many many thanks

2010-12-24T05:32:00.000-08:00

Let nothing disturb you

Let nothing frighten you

All things are passing

God alone does not change

Patience achieves everything

Whoever has God lacks nothing

God alone suffices - St. Teresa

The words above certainly speak to me, and I will be reading them frequently in the months ahead.
I want to thank ALL of you who have sent your love and wishes to me these past few days. Believe me, I do feel your collective arms around me. To think that I would receive such support from all across the country would have been inconcievable just a few years ago. Your friendships mean so much to me now. The phone never stops ringing, and the house is grand central station. My kitchen counters are loaded down with food. My kids are here, and they are taking great care of me. My mind is so adled, I just tell them to make all the plans, just make sure I'm in the car with them if they go somewhere. I have bronchitis, so went to the doctor yesterday morning. The cough syrup makes me very drousy and rummy, so I sleep, which is good. On the way home from the doc's, I made my son stop at the local furniture store and I bought myself a new glider chair. I have wanted one forever. It will be delivered next week.

Now, a few thoughts, I know there are no answers for, I'm just putting them down because writing helps.
Why did he leave me? Why now? This man who brightened the days and lives of so many people, but mostly mine. Was his job here on earth done? I know he will be an exceptional angel. He loves doing for others. I can just suppose God needed him for other work, and knows I am strong enough to carry on here on earth. I don't feel that strong right now, but I know I am.

That's all.

My Dear One is Gone

2010-12-22T11:04:00.000-08:00

My heart is so heavy with grief today. Yesterday morning I slept a little late. We were expecting the Vet at 8a.m. and I jumped up and called to Alan. No answer. Went to the bathroom and looked out the window. The lights were not on in the barn. I went into the living room and there he was, dead in the recliner, having had a heart attack in the night. It is such a shock, and I am somewhat numb, but so grateful for my community of friends and loved ones who have embraced me. I looked outside yesterday and there was a City worker and about a dozen kids cleaning my yard of all the storm waste that has been there for a couple of weeks. Another friend brought a crockpot of soup, and another vacuumed and washed my kitchen floor. My nieces brought my son Chad up yesterday, and my son Michael and DIL and SIL arrived today. So much to do. I feel like I have lead in my body. You won't be hearing from me for awhile. I have so many decisions to make. Thanks to all of you for your wonderful comments and support on Facebook.

Time for a Rest

2010-12-18T23:00:00.000-08:00

Phew. Last day of the Market. The atmosphere was very similar to that in school on the last day before summer vacation. When they rang the bell signaling the start, everyone cheered. Then, at 3 when they rang the bell for the end, it was more cheers, hugs, goodbyes. What a great year it has been for me. I have three months to restore my inventory, and back I will go.

Today I had the pleasure of being next to the girls from Hopewell Farms. They were so much fun! What a couple of characters. We had a really good band playing all day, so we did alot of dancing behind our tables. (I said behind, not on) The dancing helped us stay warm since we were outside. I much prefer being outdoors.

Hopewell Farms was offering everything at $1 a pound as customer appreciation day. Above is $4 worth.

Here are two of our volunteers. They work so hard. See the hat on the right? I simply MUST find a pattern for that.

This girl was visiting from Hong Kong, and had just bought the hat she is wearing. She thought she needed a picture with me. She might come out to the farm to visit us tomorrow, but we may have snow by then. Who knows.

Now, notice the hat I am wearing?

And notice who is wearing it now? Like I said, they buy them right off my head.

Another one finds her hat.

So, I've been busy dying rovings in my crock pots this week. I received about 40 pounds two weeks ago, and I can hardly wait to start spinning it.

Here are some of the rovings I dyed after the fiber was washed and carded.

I had dyed this "in the wool", meaning before it was carded, this summer. I sent all the assorted colors to the processor and this is how it turned out. Gorgeous!

And here is how it is spinning up.

Tomorrow it is cookie day, baking and shipping. What a change in direction.

!~@#%#* Racoons!!!

2010-12-14T18:17:00.000-08:00

I'm not very happy with the racoons that live in our old growth fir trees. This was my sweet little Mrs. Santa holding a garland and smiling out at the world.

Those little stinkers not only tore her hat off, they pulled all the stuffing out of her head!!! This is worst than the Scarecrow of Oz, whose straw could be replaced when it fell out. Mrs. Santa's head was ripped apart and her hat torn to shreds.

The Hubster informs me it was more likely the squirrels that did the damage, since the polyester fiberfill makes for cozy nests.

Sigh.

Never a dull moment. I went to Lynden today to visit my favorite thrift store, and had to take all of the high roads. The drainage ditches were all overflowing, and most of the houses had waterfront property. It continues to rain, though the threat of the river flooding seems to have subsided.

It amazes me to see you all on the other side of the country suffering from blizzards and cold. It was only a few weeks ago we were in the same situation. I knew we were in for it this winter.

Our Bazaar at the Senior Center was a HUGE success last weekend. It took me a few days to recover, since I worked all day Friday getting ready for it, then all the work at the event itself. I also made soup and corn muffins for all of the vendors and volunteers, and they were thrilled with that. I figured we would all be in a better state of mind if we had some good food to eat instead of lunching on the bake sale goodies. Ha.

This is Claire. She is the sweetest woman, and has been a friend for several years. She is a talented artist and painted a picture for me last year of Eve and Pippi. Isn't she beautiful? She always wears a hat, and even has one crocheted out of Walmart bags when they used to be teal green. In her younger days, she was the fashion artist for the department store adds. Remember those, when the dresses were sketched instead of photographed?

Well, time to leave for "Kept In Stitches".

Ciao.

Elf

2010-12-10T07:35:00.000-08:00

Elf, that's me, but I do NOT belch. I remember my boys tried to teach me how when they were young. It must be a guy thing, for sure. Now aren't you glad I shared that with you?

This is what I got for my birthday from my son and DILLY. They know how much I love to decorate outside, and also thought I could use this at the Market, or for cookies. It's actually galvanized steel, so it will be very durable. I can see it with little pots of primroses in the spring, or sedum, or balls of yarn. . . .

I'll be doing up a nice one for the Senior Center's Christmas Bazaar tomorrow.

You may be wondering where I stand with my job there. Oh, boy, you never know from one day to the next. I still have my job, and will for another year, I THINK. We lost our cook yesterday, which means they will be bringing food to me from Bellingham, and I will have to serve it each day. I've gotten very discouraged a few times and have almost quit, but I want to help that center to grow and be a place where seniors WANT to come.

Tomorrow is the big Christmas Bazaar, and I have cancelled at the Market to be there. Wednesday we had a power outage due to high winds, so only three of us were there and we decorated the Christmas tree and spruced up the place. It looks really cute. I have made a HUGE pot of chili soup for the volunteers at the Bazaar to eat while working. Lots to do today, so it will be a full day, as well as tomorrow.

Why is it you can't capture the beauty of Christmas lights? I tried this without a flash, and it is really dull. This is my hops trellis which we string with lights every year. It is so beautiful. It is done with colored lights this year, and then we used the big clear lights to accent.

Time for body maintenance and organizing.

Later, Baby.

Market Basket

2010-12-06T08:13:00.000-08:00

The Market seems to monopolize my time these days. Only two more Saturdays, then a break until April. I'm looking forward to my "hiatus" to experiment with some more felting projects and catch up on my dying and spinning.

On Friday, I called the Market manager and asked her if I could be outside. I feel that if people are cold, they are more inclined to buy something warm, right? So, I had a beautiful location, with my tent set up right in front of the Pavilion. Other vendors offered me heaters, or thought I was just plain nuts. But I did really well, kept warm, and had a terrific time.

It amazes me that there are so many fresh vegetables still available, especially since we have had such cold weather. In this picture is Hopewell Farms, who are right down the road from me. Well, actually, just about all of the farmers are "just down the road" from me, in County terms.

That is something that took me awhile to get used to when I moved here. If you don't live in Bellingham, you are "out in the County". It's like the hinterlands, or the North Pole to the City Dwellers.

This is Rabbit Fields Farm. I just love her display and her products, although if she was really Rabbit field, she would have nothing to show at the market!! It's quite interesting to also note that most of the farmers are women!

This is our manager, Caprice. I had to go through a strict inspection to be qualified as a farmer here at the market. They inspected the farm in September, and I demonstrated all that I do with the fiber, and I have "qualified". It seems everyone is more friendly and accepting of me now. I know they had doubts that everything I was selling was actually from my alpacas, but I showed them.

Now, last, but certainly not least, since this is the master of the household, Leroy is modeling a cria coat that I had just repaired. He thinks this is very nice and warm, and didn't want it removed. Sorry, Leroy, Centennial still needs it.

Our House is just a Little House, but GOD knows where we are

2010-12-01T08:18:00.000-08:00

Welcome! Please come in and join me with a cup of hot chocolate while I show you my Christmas decorations. We have a very small house, so it will only take a short time, so make yourself comfortable.

Most of our decorations have been purchased at the Annual Fall Craft and Antique show in Lynden, produced by my friends Judy and Trudy. This wreath was bought about 15 years ago! I'm amazed it is still in such great shape.

Two ladies, Linda and Sheri, until recently, always had a booth with the most incredible tree ornaments. They must have sold thousands of little snowmen over the years. I bought at least one a year from them and miss them at the show. I guess that makes my ornaments "retired" so very valuable!!

I stitched this little soldier when my first son was just a baby, so that would make it 30 years old.

I could only find Chad's cross stitched mitten ornament this year, but we all have one, stitched by me when my eyes were in better shape.

My husband loved these birds, made by a woman in Eastern Washington who used to come to the Lynden show.

Another "retired" snowman.

And another bird. We like how they are set on wheat stalks, and it brings back fond memories of our years in Wheat country in Pullman, Wa.

We vacation every year in Sunriver Oregon where we own a timshare condo named "The Pines". So appropriate, since it is surrounded by pine trees with pine cones all over the ground. I bring bags of them home with me every year, add some sparkles and ribbon, and enjoy them on the tree.

I love this ornament. It was given to me for my birthday by a very dear friend.

And then in keeping with the Lithuanian tradition, we always have a pair of mittens in the tree.

You will have noticed in all the pictures, the garlands strung of nuts, berries and cinnamon sticks. They were the FIRST major Christmas investment DH and I made when we were newlyweds, and I do believe it was a good one, since we celebrated our 38th anniversary this year. The garlands are made of a resin type material and were originally infused with a spice scent. We have even used them outdoors, and they are still in excellent condition.

Well, that about covers it. So, I'll get my cup of chocolate and we can do some serious gossiping.