By the Way....
Now Playing: "Abracadabra" by the Steve Miller Band


Happy Halloween! :)

After yesterday's comments....
Mood:  mischievious
Now Playing: "867-5309/Jenny" by Tommy Tutone

I've found a burst of energy this morning. So I wanted to sit at the computer and update the blog. If you find typing errors, well, my fingers aren't following my brain, so bear with me.

Last night DH and I had a special evening out. Yes, I know you are thinking "Huh? While she's sick?". The answer is yes. Knowing that we had purchased tickets to see Jim Brickman at the Calvin in N'ton almost 2 months ago, and they were spectacular seats, I didn't eat for 2 days. You got that right; in order to feel somewhat human, I didn't eat for over 50 hours, nothing except water. If there is nothing in the stomach, it can't revolt, right? Wearing on my most comfortable pants, and sitting through a concert wasn't easy, but I enjoy listening to this man play piano so much, that I decided I wasn't letting $40 per seat tickets go to waste. And I'm glad I didn't. During the concert, Jim always asks people to write out questions for him to answer on a piece of paper included in the program. So, DH and I did. They pick out about 5 questions to read, and mine was one of them. My question to him was to ask him to play some of the Sesame Street songs he had written prior to his current career. This might sound like a strange request, but he used to write commercial jingles to help pay the bills, and he mentioned at the beginning of the concert that he had written a few songs for Sesame Street. Being the Mom of 3 and 6 year old boys, AND having watched the very first episode of Sesame Street over 35 years ago, I just had to ask. The really cool thing about all this is that if he read your question (actually, his singer, Anne Cochran read the questions; she has a spectacular voice), you would win a copy of his new Christmas CD. Well, I will have one on the way to me in the mail. DH is happy, as he doesn't have to listen to me asking for it for Christmas now. :)
We also had the chance to meet Jim Brickman after the concert. He's a very nice person, who actually isn't much taller than I am. I enjoyed the entire evening, and once home, ate a cup of soup, much to my mother's delight, when she found that out this morning. We'll see how I feel later today!

Now I'm going back to the couch; it's calling.

Out of commission
Sorry everyone for the lack of updates. I haven't been feeling well since shortly before Rhinebeck, but absolutely awful since. Turns out that I have gallstones, and must have my gallbladder taken out.

Until then (hopefully very soon!), I probably won't be writing much, as I'm not feeling so well.

In any event, after I'm feeling better, I'll get back and write up about the NH Wool Tour, and Rhinebeck, which were both a lot of fun for me.

Color, color, color!
Mood:  on fire
Now Playing: "Died in Your Arms Tonight" by the Cutting Crew
Sara Lamb was here this weekend. She arrived on Thursday evening, and we had a pizza party in her honor. Elizabeth from Rochester, Marcy, Deanna, Sara and I were here to eat pizza and discuss the latest on ST, SOAR, and the upcoming dye class. Elizabeth surprised me with a tasty box of chocolates from Hebert's (yummm!). On Friday morning, Sara and I went up to the club, and everyone was already there (we had to make a side trip to Walmart to buy stock pots for the dyeing, which I get to keep). The main goal of this 2 day class was to make a massive dye workbook, filled with samples of wool and silk, and paper samples which show how the colors would look on cotton and rayon. If you go over to Claudia's blog and read her entry for October 1st, you'll see samples of the dyed wet yarns. We managed to make up over 350 samples on Friday alone. Far more than Sara thought we'd get through, since we had an 8 person class (Hi to Roberta, Linda, Leigh, Charlene, Claudia, Diane, Elizabeth!).

Yesterday was devoted to getting those samples onto cards for each participant, and doing the paper samples. Three class members started on the paper samples, while the rest of us did up the yarn samples. We actually finished all samples by 3 p.m, and were able to dye some fibers for an hour. These are my finished yarns and rovings, which I have drying on the woodstove fence this morning.



L-R: WFB Corriedale roving from Maybe, IAGARB yarn (65% angora, 30% merino and 5% silk), Border Leicester handspun, Polwarth roving, and 100% angora roving

I now have over 650 dye samples, which will really help get me going on dyeing for Bay Colony Farm's inventory for the fiber shows.

And here is a picture of the lovely hostess gift I received from Sara on Friday morning. She made me promise that I would use this dishtowel (like I had to!). The picture doesn't do it justice!



Sara did leave here this morning to get down to SOAR in the Poconos. I wish that I were able to join her and the rest of the Thrillers attending, but it just wasn't meant to be. But I had a wonderful time in class and outside of class this weekend. Sara truly is a wonderful person, and I'm looking forward to having her back sometime to teach the knotted pile class.

More pictures from the class will be on the blog soon, as Claudia has promised to share pictures and I will also post them on the website soon. :)

Preparing
Mood:  party time!
Now Playing: "Whatta Man" by Salt 'N Pepa
Sara Lamb arrives tonight to teach a two day class on dyeing. Be prepared for some eye dazzling colors in my rovings and yarns to be posted on Sunday or Monday!

We are having a small party for her here tonight; Elizabeth, Marcy, Deanna, and possibly Harry will be here tonight to meet Sara, with pizza, beer and wine. Party!

Plundering the fiber place
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: "How Do You Talk to an Angel" by the Heights
My dad was sent back to the nursing home from the hospital yesterday. But he had a rough night, and was still asleep when we went over to visit him this morning. We stayed a while, but decided not to wake him up, since he was so tired. I hope he's feeling better soon.

Tonight DH and I will go over to Alyson's house and look at the van that we are buying for DH's mother. It's an early birthday present for her, and a surprise. Alyson though, used to own a lovely fiber store down in Chicopee. I'm going to see if she still has stuff for sale, and pillage the boxes. :) I'm specifically looking for silk caps if she has any left.

I'm exhausted this afternoon, so I think I'll go feed the rabbits and then part myself in the chair and knit until Dale comes home.

I'm glad my brothers were home
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: "Talking in Your Sleep" by the Romantics
Dad is still in the hospital. We are hoping that he will be well enough to go back to the nursing home tomorrow. I'm going over this afternoon with my youngest brother, mother, and my two boys to visit before Luke flies back to California.

We had an eventful day yesterday. My mother, Luke, my husband and I took my two boys, and my niece and nephew apple picking. I have to say that I absolutely love the farm where we went picking. We've been going there for over 25 years now, and I feel a special connection to the place. DH and I had wanted to buy this farm, but we were a week too late in finding out that it was for sale. I have to say that the current owner has done wonderful things to the property, including fixing up the antique colonial that sits on the property.

Anyway, the kids had a wonderful time, and Dale taught them how to pick apples. Dale is an expert apple picker, having picked for an Easthampton apple farm for several years when he was younger. The kids got the hang of picking quickly, and we filled 2 peck bags in short order with Empires.

As for today, I did have a sad discovery this morning. I found one of the 3 week old baby bunnies dead in the nest. It appeared to have a broken neck. I suspect that Annie might have accidentally killed the baby when she jumped in to nurse this morning due to the way the baby was laying. This is one of those unfortunate things that happens, but the rest of the litter is healthy and active.

This and that
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: "Mambo No. 5" by Lou Bega
My dad is still in the hospital. The doctor had planned to release him yesterday, but he had a set back the evening before. We are hoping that this gets straightened out soon. Any good thoughts sent his way would be greatly appreciated.

I've been busy though, even with Dad in the hospital. I finally got the picture to Kelly are Romney Ridge Farm for the We Fiber Folk Calendar . We are July! The baby shown in the picture is one of Annie's latest litter, which are now 20 days old. They spent their first full night outside last night, and were doing well when I checked on them at 7 this morning.

My brother Luke flew in from California yesterday, and my oldest brother Greg came home from NJ on Thursday night, with his wife and two children, who are each one year older than my two. Our kids have the best time playing together, and it has been wonderful to watch them enjoying this time together. They all visited their granddad in the hospital last night, which made my father very happy.

We are also busy preparing for the renovations to our house. The downstairs bath will finally be finished, and I'm having new flooring installed in our family room and hallway. The FR is also getting new paint. I'm hoping we can have all the windows in the house replaced before the snow flies too. I sure would like to have lower electric bills this winter, and burn a bit less wood! :)

Now Playing: "Hard Habit to Break" by Chicago
Update on my father first: He was taken to the hospital on Tuesday night. He'll be there for 3 or 4 days, until they get his meds back in order, and they've had a chance to run more tests. It's scary, and frustrating all at the same time. My dad doesn't need this.

Other than that, I knit a bit on my sock yesterday, and today I'm going back to the hospital to visit, and then I'm going out to buy carpeting for my family room. My new furniture is in, and I want to redo the whole room before the furniture is delivered. I picked up fabric samples from Templeton Furniture yesterday, and while there, purchased a mantle clock which had to be ordered. It plays the Westminster chimes, so it will sound just like the clock that my grandmother had on her china cabinet (it's still there, but it needs to be fixed). I love that clock and Dale had promised to buy one for my birthday 2 years ago.

Please send some good thoughts my dad's way. He could use them.

Some of the things I see...
Mood:  bright
Now Playing: "Silly Love Songs" by Paul McCartney and Wings
Topic: Daily musings

while on my trips around Western MA for my job is the wildlife, especially in the hilltowns. Last Monday, while on my way up to Middlefield for a job, I saw four wild turkeys crossing the road in Huntington (pronouned Hun-ing-ton) in front of my car. I was able to pull up next to them, and get this photo of two of the turkeys.



And later, in Middlefield, a deer jumped across the road about 200 feet in front of my car.

Not a bad day for wildlife sightings.

And here is a picture of the sock in progress. I'm up WAY too early this morning, so I decided to work on the sock a bit before starting my work at the computer.



And here is a picture of Annie's babies, who are still living in my office. They are now 17 days old. Aren't they cute? :)