HERMIT REPORT

I have felt paralyzed the last several weeks/months. Physically weak and mentally fragile. When I have felt reasonably well, I have been able to focus on only one thing at a time. Which of course freaks me out because I have TOO MUCH TO DO to concentrate on one thing only.

I write great blog entries in my mind whilst I am out in the bunny barn or walking Buster. I do, I write whole paragraphs that evaporate as soon as I sit down at the keyboard.

The bunnies are all fine! Clipt Murgatroyd yesterday - sort of a poodle cut, I guess you'd call it, as I cut only his body fur and not his face and legs or tail. Talk about handling a bag of snakes! That boy did not want to sit still, but I was more determined than he was. It's getting to be haircut time for the rest of the herd; all will be sheared by the end of October. Groovy was transformed into Ghouly by his haircut - love those red eyes.

The eBay sales are toddling along. The first two listings were awkward as I tried to remember all the little tricks of selling. All four items did sell. I am going to try to get more listed today.

I am spinning a sport weight yarn from assorted wads of Fuzzarelly's Fibers and knitting it into The Next Shawl, a round one. I found a great lace doily/shawl pattern online with both written directions and a chart and three pictures! There are 600 stitches so far on the needles so progress is slowing down although every other round is just knit. This has been a solace project because when I am unable to do anything else, I am able to spin and knit on it. And it feels so very good in the hands.

So that whole project prompted me to shop on eBay for more lace knitting patterns. Bought a magazine from Germany, Strickdeckchen, with 27 patterns for doilies. Each is charted, but uses strange symbols that had me puzzled. Okay, a U means yarn over. l means knit. But what means the < or >? Or the down pointing arrow? One would think that those efficient Germans would have a printed explanation in the magazine, but I had to go online for help. I would love to start one of them today, but I must finish the shawl I am working on first!

So what else? I finally, finally got back my art work from Home-arama. How long has it been away? Six, eight weeks? I will not name names but - oh, hell, yes I will - Claudia Stoess was particularly lax about returning my calls. Messages were left with real live people, answering machines, and voice mail. I got one message on my machine three weeks ago saying she was sorry, blah yadda blah, she had the art in her vehicle and would meet me anywhere. When I returned the call, the stone wall was back. WTF? I mean really. I eventually got other phone numbers and got directions from an underling to Stoess Manor way the hell on the other side of Louisville and last Thursday, my babies came home with me. All in good shape. Like I said, WTF? My anger had actually subsided to pity. If this person's life and business was being run so poorly, she had some severe problems to deal with.

The man of knowledge must be able not only to love his enemies but also to hate his friends.
  - Friedrich Nietzsche