Reduce Speed

Well shit. Somehow I deleted the post I just spent a half hour writing.

Long story short. Stabbed myself in arm. Sweetie says not to worry about taking a machete this weekend, as I am not to be trusted around sharp and/or pointy things for awhile.



Two of Winehouse's babies.



And Winehouse on the lookout.





And here is something I found on the Interwebs -


THE HILLBILLY'S TEN COMMANDMENTS
Posted on the wall at Cross Trails Church in Gainesboro, TN.
Jes’ One God
Put Nothin' Before God
Watch Yer Mouth
Git Yourself To Sunday Meetin'
Honor Yer Ma & Pa
No Killin'
No Foolin' Around With Another Fellow's Gal
Don't Take What Ain't Yers
No Tellin' Tales Or Gossipin'
Don't Be Hankerin' For Yer Buddy's Stuff

This Side Up

I am strangely not psyched about this weekend's fiber festival in Troy, Ohio.

Part of it must be anxiety about going to a new place. (I'm not a great traveler.) I've been going to Greencastle, either as a buyer or a vendor, for 8 years. The first time I went, I was in the care of several veterans. So now, there are no surprises. This weekend, however...

Hippie Art Chick and I will be camping, and that is out of my comfort range. I think I've camped out before - I just can't seem to remember when. She has the tent and sleeping bags and stuff; all I need to bring is my pillow. Sweetie wants me to take a hammer or machete - you know, just in case. Geez. (Amanda, I promise not to freak or anything.)

I will get over this and I will be fine. I don't know why I am surprised at my unease, except - isn't this what the drugs are for?

On the plus side, I have dyed some of the merino/angora mill roving and cranked it into batts. Nice! I've spun some of it, too. There are teeny tiny neps in it, from less than ideal length angora, but in the spinning it matters not. I also had the brilliant idea to sell four ounce balls of the plain roving! du-u-u-h! I am the marketing jeenyus.

I may or may not do another show before the Fiber eXchange Guild's gig in October. (Which is The Best!!! and is a Must Attend!!!) There's a show in September in Illinois that I may do. I really should be more gung ho about selling, but at the moment, I am having a hard time leaving the house. Maybe Sweetie, (or Amanda,) can come with me to Illinois. I don't even go to my Fuzzarelly.com website to update. My head hangs in shame. Luzer!

Received the Placating Tax Refund today. It will help pay for some work we had done on the barn. A retaining wall began giving way several years ago, and structural damage to the barn was imminent, if not already underway. This was a must do.



The barn is old, extremely well built, and definitely worth saving. Here's the work in progress, with our house in the background.

We voted today. How strange it is that today's outcome in Indiana actually makes a difference! I hope you all voted and plan to vote in November!

Strike on Box

I got nothin.

Had an allergic reaction something, something I think I ate. Taking Benadryl and sleeping too much and still not feeling chirpy.

Sweetie is working way too much and I miss him.

Winehouse had her litter - 5 white, 1 black and 1 white with black eyes.

I will be in Troy, Ohio this Saturday for a fiber fest.

Store in a Cool, Dry Place

In an effort to decrease the predator presence* around here, I took Sheila's body down the road a piece to an old family (not my family) cemetery and laid her in the woods there, on the wool she had collected for her nest. Sweetie suggested that we get a little bunny statue for the site. I don't know who was affected worse - me or him. Unless someone complains, that area will become our new Tibetan burial ground.

Saw Wednesday yesterday. Sweetie and I feel particularly fond of Wednesday and we are always glad to see him/her in the back enclosure. Here is Wesnesday and mom, Floppy. Gosh, isn't that sweet?

Claudia's four babies are thriving outside. They pretty much stay close to home but it's hard to get a good shot of them because they are always running or frisking. They won't keep still.

The barn bunnies are all fine, thank goodness. It is clipping season again, so the living room is coated with a fine layer of angora.

*Many of the yard bunnies have suddenly disappeared, amidst sightings of dogs clenching bunny bodies in their mouths. Also, a hawk got one, and cars got a few others. They breed prolifically for a reason. The girl bunnies seem to stick closer to home. Home meaning our house and the neighbor's house. Bambi, Jackie Brown, Ramsey, and Barbara Bobo are all seen regularly. The boy Jump and two other white ones are still around. (One of the white ones has the loveliest lion head mane!)

Here is a shot of my hair and flowers. Did anyone like the pattern??? Did anyone read that post?



"From my earliest childhood I wanted to be a genius, but my parents were against it…" ~
playwright Nikolai Erdman

"A study in the Washington Post says that women have better verbal skills than men. I just
want to say to the authors of that study: ‘Duh.’”~ Conan O'Brien

"Those who believe in telekinesis, raise my hand." ~ Kurt Vonnegut

Remain Seated Throughout Ride

The kids got me up this morning around 7:30. Buster was at the foot of the bed (on the bed,) Milly was sitting on me, and Sugar was sitting beside my face. Ok. Time to get up. The kids are hungry. (This is not like Bonnie, our late dog. Bonnie would wake me up around 7 or 7:30, and her job being done, would go back to sleep.) No, when these kids get me up, it is because they are hungry.

So I filled their bowl with pellets and Heizen and Sugar eat. Sheila? Where's Sheila? Hmmmm. I made coffee and looked for Sheila. Front of house. Back of house. No Sheila. I take my first sip of coffee, still calling for Sheila. She is not one to miss her food. Sheila appeared and came to me. Yay! There you are -- uh-oh. She was obviously sick, the little bit of hopping wore her out. I picked her up and she whimpered. Her eyes had that far away look. WTF? I held her and loved her. Sweetie and I were there when she died - maybe fifteen minutes after I found her. Sheila was just over a year old and had lived all of her life inside with us. A healthy and happy bunny, with 6 healthy siblings in the barn.

What I got from the Internets is that sometimes bunnies just die. Jaw problems. Stomach problems. Dain Bramage.

Fuzzarelly died, too. April 9, just before Greencastle. Four and a half years old. Her lungs gave out.
That was a sad, sad day, too.

Run through this until you know it well.

The Bunny Speaks

Select Firm, Ripe Fruit

How about a little knitting content, hmmmmm? This blog is not all knitting, all the time, although I usually have something on the needles as I do now. It's the same old and some old. Same old purple cashmere laceweight shawl. I would guess that it is about three feet across, but it is also a hexagon so that number is almost of no use. I'll have to slip it onto a string to see what she really looks like. When I do that, I will take pictures. This is my erstwhile Kentucky State Fair entry. I will get a blue ribbon this year. I will.

Haven't touched the double helix socks for almost 6 weeks. I am committed to getting this shawl done in time for entry, so there will be no other knitting projects until then.

Older Brother took the great bumblebee photo that I posted yesterday. He said that {he} "walked next door and took several pics of the tree we got for Tracy & Chad. This is its 3rd year and it just bloomed Monday. During my visit the bee decided to gather a little bee stuff right in front of the camera. 97 % luck and 3 % skill."

He lives upstate Indiana even though he does not like the cold.

Ha-ha.

While at Greencastle, I took the opportunity to save shipping costs and sent four pounds of raw angora and 6 pounds of prepared merino roving off to Zeilinger Wool, Co. in beautiful Frankenmuth, Michigan. I have learned the hard way that it takes a shit load of time and effort to create batts on my wonderful but non-electric Louet drumcarder, especially when I have to crank and card and re-card to blend it well. Upshot is...

the roving arrived yesterday!! Very Prompt! (Your mileage may vary. I think I was just lucky because I was told it could be up to 6 to 8 weeks.) What a nice job they did! No affiliation yadda yadda. I'm just so pleased and now I will have something new to take to Troy, Ohio's Upper Valley Fiber Fest. Date is Saturday May 10.