FIBER AND BUNNIES

Friendship Spinners was yesterday. Pictures? Prohibited - everyone there was in the Witness Protection Program.

It was a lovely day! A July gathering is always a crapshoot as far as the weather is concerned and we lucked out. (Is that throwing a 7 or making point? It's been so very long since I shot craps.) Partly cloudy, low humidity, and a high of 85. A nice turn out and excellent food as usual. Lots of fiber for sale, too.

I've been trying to get fibers ready for next Saturday in Columbus (Indiana) for Knitty Paws First Annual Dye Day and Fiber Fest. Fuzzarelly will have Al Gora, Silky Al Gora and Silky Al Gora with noils. Also, Shee Gora, Silky Shee Gora and Silky Shee Gora with noils. And silk. All dyed and beautifully blended by me. I also will be taking the 4 little babies and Caspar Milquetoast to sell. It's not too hard to sell Caspar as I've gotten good wool and good genes out of him and I have several other boys. But the babies will be hard - they are at their most adorable, being 8 weeks old.

Getting the fiber ready is way too much like having a real job - except without a regular paycheck. Rather like being an artist. Of which I have been reminded being. (How is that for grammar?) Say whut? I have an art quilt show lined up for the late fall and the best part is the gallery called me! After the FiberMania fiasco last year, I was tempted to set fire to all my pieces. But did not, mainly because of the effort it would have taken.. I have had ideas for new art quilts, but now I have the motivation and the incentive to actually create something. Now I'll really have to clean the studio. Crap. It's always something.

Here is a picture of Stuart. He's going to be Lady Murgartroyd mate.

And Heizen, who lives under the shed now. We've put up a little fence but he can still come and go. He's becoming quite the
neighborhood character.

LACONIA NIGHT LIFE

There isn't much good to be said about Bonnie's dementia. I clean up her poop once or twice a day. Her eyes are vacant. Her brain is toast. She's wakes up every night around 3 am and paces and/or barks loudly and suddenly. I try to keep her quiet for Sweetie's sake - he who works second shift and lately, lots of overtime too. (Today for example - in at 1 pm and work until 3 am.)(Of course, my sleep is shattered, too, but I can take naps!)(Mmmmm...naps.)

The Pollyanna in me has found a silver lining in this thing, though. The other night, I took her for a walk at 3:30 in the morning with the hope of either tiring her out so she would sleep or getting her to poop - so she would sleep and maybe not poop in the house. Ha.

Lovely LAconia is exceedingly quiet and still at that hour. One car drove the state road that passes through town - probably a shift worker on his way home. I was marveling at the night sky, lost in the cosmos, when I heard the mockingbird singing. First the sound of a cardinal, then a water bird, a wren, a grackle, and then other, less familiar songs. How enchanting! He sang without stopping for breath, so loudly and so close but invisible in the darkness.

Last night, I waited for Sweetie to get home. I took his hand and said "Come with me. I want you to hear something." We walked up the hill and turned the corner and we could hear him singing. There was no other sound - no insects or other birds. No planes or cars or tv sets. Just the mockingbird.

Why does he sing at night? Is he a juvenile practicing until he gets it right? Did he not get a mate and so sings for himself? I don't know but I am glad that Bonnie brought me out of the house so I could hear him.

It rained today. It has been dry here for a week. Rain to the north, rain to the south, but no rain here. These are pictures of Indiana corn fields and clouds.

YOU ARE SO LUCKY!

I was going to write some long and probably boring piece about my first marriage and how my d-i-v-o-r-c-e was final 15 years ago today and all my experiences as a free woman that spring and how I met Sweetie the very next day and how we got married 2 years later on the Fourth of July. blah blah blah

Even I am tired of the story.

GOOD THINGS

THE LIST:
1. Sweetie.
2. My Mercedes.
3. Sweetie fixing the transmission on my Mercedes.
4. Air conditioners.
5. Mimosa trees in bloom.
6. Being able to smell again.
7. Phone calls from little brother.
8. Emails from big brother.
9. The internet.
10. Free Blogger.
11. Digital cameras.
12. Losing weight.
13. Not drinking.
14. Bunnies that are well.
15. Angora and silk.
16. Riding lawn mowers.
17. Spinning.
18. Knitting.
19. Pharmaceuticals.
20. Friends.

ONE HORSE TOWN

That's what Lovely Laconia is and here is the picture that proves it. The hitching post is brand new. Must be the gas prices (2.89 regular, 2.98 premium) - no word on how many miles the horse gets to the bale. In the background is the Laconia General Store and the 4-way stop sign.

HEAVENS TO MURGATROYD, EVEN.

Little Murgatroyd got her first haircut last week; beautiful tawny wool with a great crimp. She was such an adorable fuzzball that I hated to clip her but it was hot and she was very fuzzballish. And because of her fuzzballishness, I was Shocked! Shocked, I say! at the extent of her mother's appetite. She's missing the toes and a bit more on her left front leg but she's missing her ENTIRE RIGHT PAW and then some! Her two front appendages sort of splay to the sides, especially on a smooth surface. The little baby looks rather like a seal, front part on the ground, butt sticking up, scoonching along but also with her front legs paddling back and forth ineffectually. Or maybe a water skimmer is a better description. Definitely not bunny-like. On grass or carpet, she still looks odd but hops all over the place - awkwardly and not real fast - but she is motivating over the hill. What is so endearing about all this is the fact that she has no clue. She is so unbelievably sweet natured and curious about everything and scared by nothing.

Last night, I decided that Murgatroyd will be a House Bunny from here on out. I've even been thinking about making her a little peg leg, if only to even her out since one leg is an inch shorter than the other. I obviously have too much time on my hands.

I found this link today for Deutchland Cats Uber Alles. Be warned that there are a lot of pictures and will take a while to load.

RANDY BOB STOPS BY

Today's blog is brought to you by the Laconia General Store in beautiful downtown Laconia. Russell Grubb says that if you have a hankering for a tasty summer treat then come on over to the snack bar. This week's special is Mayonnaise on Wonderbread and Pork &Bean Milk Shakes. Mmm, Mmm, Good!

Fuzzarelly had a visitor!

It was last weekend and it was Randy Bob. How can I describe Randy? When I met him, he was a newly divorced, bankrupt architect that rode a vintage Harley. He ended up selling the Harley and pretty much everything else that he owned and thus became a free spirit that lived in the old concession stand at the ball diamond behind the old school. He kept that place neater than a pin. Now, several years later, he's divorced again but with two little girls to show for his effort and a job as a truck driver. He even lives in a house.

Randy Bob had spent the evening tossing back a few cold beverages with our friend and neighbor, T, and as he was leaving he saw me on the porch knitting or some such. After a few pleasantries, he up and asked if I would leave Sweetie and run away with him.
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes I'm sure. It ain't gonna happen."
"Well, I thought I'd ask."
And he shook my hand and drove home.

I saw him a couple of days ago and he asked me, "Did I ask you to marry me last week?"
"No, you asked me if I'd leave Sweetie and run away with you."
"Oh. (pause) I'm so sorry."
"Well, it never hurts to ask, now does it? Sweetie thought it was funny."
"You told him?? I mean, I'll take him on in a fist-fight but I don't want him hunting me down. He's not gonna shoot me, is he? "
"Most likely not."