Water bottle time!
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Robert Palmer "Addicted to Love"
Topic: Rabbit Talk

Now that the weather is getting warmer, I feel comfortable going back to using water bottles for the rabbits. While the water bowls really serve their purpose in the winter (allowing the rabbits to drink for longer periods of time since the rabbits can break any ice that forms on the top of the water), the water bottles also don't tip and spill. This allows for them to drink whenever they want when the weather is warmer. And while the bottles might freeze slightly at night, it warms up quickly enough in the mornings so that they can drink by 8 a.m.

I'm sitting here waiting for the carpet guys to show up. I *never* want to have to do this again. What a pain trying to clean out a whole room; empty of furniture and stuff. I still have our tv set and three bookcases in the room, that the workmen will have to help me move. They are too heavy, and DH worked too late last night for me to get any help from him. The nice thing is that by mid afternoon, I should have a family room which looks vastly different than it did a few days ago, including the removal of icky gold carpeting!

ER Knitting?
Mood:  special
Now Playing: Def Leppard "Photograph"

Some people can knit in the ER. I can't. Found that out on Saturday when I had to take my mom over there for dehydration from the flu. I started working on the Basketweave Gansey Cardigan. It took three tries before I had enough yarn to just cast on. Then worked halfway through the first line only to have the middle join on my Denise needles break because I hadn't clipped it right. So rip and cast on again. In the mean time, I'm sitting in a hallway of the ER, with my Mom on a stretcher, waiting for lab results, amid the hustle and bustle (they were extremely busy!). Get through the first line of the pattern and discover I'm short one stitch. Yes, I forgot the first "-" of the chart, so now I'm off one stitch. I decided right then and there that knitting in the ER was a lost cause.

I haven't knit any more since then as I had to spend Sunday emptying my family room and yesterday anywhere else but here as the tile guy had to use an air compressor and a mini jackhammer to get up the horrid brown peel and stick tiles in my family room.

Maybe I'll be able to knit later today?

You know Spring is on the way when....
Mood:  bright
Now Playing: Benny Mardones "Into the Night"
It's time to place your order for potted Easter plants at the local nursery.

Yes, the time has come. If I were more adventurous, I would be ordering enough plants to sell by the roadside next weekend for Easter, but since weather can be a cruel mistress, I'll forego the potential sales and the possiblity of having to store *a lot* of plants in my house if we get cold temps.

All that lovely angora I processed yesterday? Now is on sale over at Webs. They were really happy with it, and couldn't get over just how soft it felt. It does feel really good, but having the actual animals, well, it spoils you as to just how nice it does feel. And after carding for 3 hours, my fingertips look like they were pricked by lots of tiny needles (the tines on the drums do that). I couldn't spin angora or silk right now even if I wanted to as the fibers would stick to the rough skin on my fingers.

One thing I plan to do later today (after I do bunny chores and clean the family room) is sit down and start working on the cardigan. I've put it off as the yarn I purchased from Webs a few weeks ago looked Periwinkle on the shelf, but more lilac colored outside. I wasn't sure if I wanted a lilac colored sweater, but, you know, it's a pretty shade, so I'll go ahead and knit it up.

Three down, one to go...
Mood:  party time!
Now Playing: The O'Jays "Love Train"

After the flu running through my kids and I, my husband is now showing signs that he is getting it. Looks like we'll be missing the Home Show at the Big E this weekend if he gets any worse. The plus side is that the kids are doing much better, as am I. :)

Now, for some actual fiber content.

Remember this picture?

Well, it went from that, to this:

To this:

I used every ounce of shorn angora that I had to create all these batts. Twenty four in all; 12 pure angora, 12 angora/corriedale blend (6 grey, 6 white, using WFB fleeces). All ready to go to the customer tomorrow morning.

I still have angoras that need shearing, but the temps until the last few days have been too cold to shear. Even last night it got down to 16 degrees, and that is too cold for the rabbits, even with coats. So I'm watching the weather reports and waiting to see when we have some 30 degree nights ahead. As soon as those arrive, every bunny that wasn't shorn a month ago gets naked in the barn! ;-) (don't worry, they will all get little coats too, just like the others did).

What can be done with Angora?
Mood:  bright
Now Playing: Bon Jovi "Always"
If you would like to see what can be done with angora, check out Sara's blog. She spun angora from here, and wove it with cashmere. Wow!

And for you New Englanders ready for some color? Check out this Death Valley.

Grrrrrrr
Mood:  accident prone
Topic: Ranting
Flu still abounds in our household. I've been fighting it for a few days and Cal is completely caught in it's grasp.

And to make matters worse;

1. I cut my finger last night while making beef pot pie. Thank goodness my Mom was coming over to make the crust (I can't make crusts at all!), so she was able to finish the meal. I probably should have gone to the ER for a stitch or two, but the thought of sitting over at the hospital for a few hours didn't appeal to me. So I've bandaged it really tight. And now I'm trying to type without using my pointer finger on my right hand.

2. I had to cancel the Beth Brown Reinsel class. :( Thank you to those that signed up. I'll try to get other classes going that are of interest to you all.

Disaster averted
Mood:  celebratory
Now Playing: Loreena McKennitt "The Mummer's Dance"
I've managed to reschedule the flooring guys and my furniture. Now I can concentrate on the tax stuff this weekend, and taking care of my boys.

Whew!

My friend will just have to live with my ratty furniture for another visit. :)

Why do I do this to myself?
Mood:  rushed
Now Playing: Tears for Fears "Break It Down Again"

Now I'm home with two sick little kids. Ack! Boo doesn't seem to be improving; infact, it looks like he's getting conjunctivitis. Cal is now complaining of a sore throat. I know he's sick as the poor kid could barely drink anything last night.

I have carpet people coming next week to install new tile and carpet, and I have to have the entire family room emptied. The furniture people are delivering the new stuff on Thursday.

Did I mention that DH has given me until sometime this next week to have the tax stuff done?

And I have company coming next weekend?

Someone, just send me a very large tranquillizer to get me through next week? :)

Rabbits for sale
Mood:  cool
Now Playing: Love's Unlimited Orchestra "Love's Theme"
I'm trying to help a friend sell her rabbits. She needs to sell them ASAP as she is ill, and needs to concentrate on getting better.

She has 5 German crossbred angora rabbits for sale; no pedigrees. They are as follows:

2 fawn bucks
1 grey doe
1 buck and 1 doe which she calls "grey/fawn" in color.

I have not seen the rabbits, but she loves them dearly. She would like $25 each for them, and says they are good woolers, with sweet, gentle personalities. The rabbits are all related.

She also has cages for sale; six 24" x 30" stacking cages at $50 each. Cages cannot be sold unless the rabbits are sold too.

Please contact me if interested in any or all of these rabbits. Please, good homes only; not for meat. Shipping not possible for the rabbits or cages.

I have several rabbits for sale too. One German crossbred doe who should go to a spinners home. She has a lovely coat, but needs to be "the only" rabbit. :) Asking $50 for her; no pedigree included in that price. To see a not-so-good picture of this doe, you can go back to my January 25th posting, and there is a picture of her there.

One hybrid buck named Cosmos. He is from the new import bloodlines and is almost 1 year old. He will also make a good wooler. Asking $50 for him, no pedigree included in that price.

End of winter?
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: The Spinners "One of a Kind (Love Affair)"

Well, we made it through with only a slight interruption in our cable, but kept our power. Of course we are still having really high wind gusts. The last gust just caused a white-out in front of my office window for a few seconds, with all the blowing snow. And it is REALLY COLD OUT THERE! I'm ready for Spring. And warm weather. And grass. And flowers. And everything that comes with it. I'm ready to plant apple trees, my main goal for planting this year.

And for those interested in a bit of local history:

After reading the blog of a friend of mine, she showed this link. Less you think I've completely lost my mind, my interest in this is because my MIL used to work there as a nurse. The whole place is falling down now since it was closed by the state over 15 years ago. The architecture is beautiful. Some group is buying or (or maybe they already have), and plan to renovate it, turning it into commercial office space, and some housing. My husband has stories to tell of going there when his mother worked there, and being taken through the buildings. There are underground passages so that workers could take residents to other buildings without having to take them outside. DH and I have decided to buy the book for MIL as a gift. She has many fond memories of working there. She liked the staff, and met a lot wonderful people who lived there. While many were seriously mentally ill, she knew them and cared about them and what happened to them. I'm lucky to have one of those MIL's that people wish for. I can imagine she was as good, kind and caring to those patients as she is to every person that enters her life. My MIL surely has a spot reserved for her in Heaven when her time comes.