Where I've been

It has been a bit of time, months! since I've posted here. That's because I've started two new blogs on Wordpress: Memoir Creator and Elder Life Design. I've also been working on my website, which is due to launch in the next few weeks: Memoir Creator

The Memoir Creator link has a coming soon page for the moment, check back in mid-August for the real thing.

Lots of fun and a great deal of work as I build an on-line presence as a preliminary to an on-line coaching business.

Join me on the journey if that interests you.

Six weeks into winter and counting...

There have been a few, a very few, bright sunny and above zero celcius days. I welcome such days. For some reason this winter seems unduly long and relentlessly cold. Perhaps I'm simply noticing it more because I'm home this year so have more time to notice many things. I'm not a fan of winter, mostly because I can't see what you can do outdoors in a world of ice and snow. I'm not the outdoors type so don't do winter activities such as snow-shoeing or skiing. Any walking that I consider is put on hold until I can take a simple walk to the corner post-box without falling and breaking something. Apparently it will be a while before that's possible.

Meanwhile indoor activities of the knitting and spinning sort continue to flourish. I'm making progress on a sweater that only needs the second sleeve and the button band/collar; have a new sweater begun, have a Shetland style shawl underway and the usual collection of socks. On the spinning wheel we are making good progress with the lace weight qiviut which needs to be done before I go on my 'winter' vacation later in March, so I can knit it up before the end of May.

More needs to be done in the work project department but as there is more light every day outdoors and faint hints of spring eventually, so too will my project revive and unfold. Everything in due course.

Ringing in the new...

Oh, that ringing isn't still happening is it? I mean it is now the 9th of new and the ringing should have stopped by now. Or you had some party.

I have yet to get the butt in gear to get real work done, but I'm making the approach. Or so I tell myself in response to the query: self, you working yet? So, okay, as far as approach--wow, that's taking tremendous effort.

It is cold which of course slows me down some too, but really, truthfully(!) everything slows me down and I have to get over myself and get at it. The 'it' in question being working on project tasks and preparing for website, workshops, and book completion. Sigh. You can see why I curl up in a ball next to the wood stove and wait for spring or inspiration, whichever comes first.

Caffeine does help, even though I have to adulterate my cuppa with the decaf variety to ensure I actually sleep at night. 

Ah, then there's the birthday on Sunday. Somehow that always requires a significant amount of self-reflection and noodling in notebooks and I'm at least making a bit of progress there. Perhaps though, because I've been doing that for so many, many years, even that particular pleasure pales a bit eventually. I've got a couple of days to go however so I may yet come up to standard on this.

In other news the root ball of the uprooted pine tree that blew over in a storm mid December is slowly making its way back into the pit created by the uprooting. A friend came by with a chain saw a couple of days ago and cut the tree from the root ball so the thing could fall back into place. A pit that size in one's yard is dangerous to small animals of the two and four legged variety.

This brisk January day requires that I make a thick black bean soup and I can hardly wait to enjoy that deliciousness. Of course I will need biscuits to go with it for the perfect lunch. Off we go to putter in the kitchen then...

December in the Maritimes

One of my big reasons for moving to this part of Canada is that the bitterest cold usually doesn't arrive until January and then only lasts for a few weeks. The down side, there's always a down side to winter in Canada, is that in exchange we have days like today--freezing rain is forecast to last for many hours with potential for dramatic icing of power lines and tree limbs with the additional happy thought of all roads as curling rinks. And then tomorrow, it'll be +12C, with of course, more rain. I can never quite decide what clothing or foot gear will work for the entire day. 

For you prairie readers, I admit to enjoying the rain. I know that's hard to understand in the land of 'dry cold' but trust me, the dry cold thing is a myth, -35C with a hefty wind chill factor is simply unbearable. Oh, and I wear my parka a couple of times a winter.

In other news, the web site and project work for my new venture are both beginning to take shape. I'm very excited about the direction my life and work are taking. It's under wraps yet, but expect an announcement and launch some time in early 2009--once I sort out all my funding issues.

The Xmas knitting list is slowly acquiring check marks for finished projects/objects. Yay! Now if I could just figure out how to set up for regular photos of WIP and FO's I'd no doubt be able to create a much more interesting blog experience for you all. It's on the list, with a gazillion other things, but closer to the top than otherwise.

Time to get the wood stove going, which requires that I dump the ashes first, something I ought to do before I have to skate to the ash bin (see freezing rain, above). Then it is lunch, some soup from a rich chicken stock, decision on what exactly still pending and from there we'll go to Xmas knitting for the afternoon along with note taking for project tasks for the new venture.

Ciao.

'Tis the season...

For 'startitis'. Oh but I have it baaaadddd! What else is a person to do with a lot of time attached to the sofa enduring a virus that simply will not let go? Come up with too many exciting projects, that's what. 

So far we have another version of the Eye of Partridge Shawl because the one I made last summer, and thought very little of at the time, has proven to be such a treasure in the wearing that I want/need to make another in a fun colour: purples, blues & lavenders. There's the Orkney Pi from a previous post.  There are three new pairs of socks, one pair completed. The arm warmers are making good progress, as is the Rhinebeck Sweater. A sweet little neck warmer in merino cashmere was done early in the week. The top down roll neck sweater in cochineal dyed merino has the neck portion done and miscellaneous other still orphaned socks get picked up and put down as I madly try to do a little of everything. It helps me feel that I just might live through this stupid endless virus. 

And just in case you are shaking your head at my knitting folly, please note that the Farmer's Almanac is calling for a 'numbingly cold' winter. I'm simply making sure that I have something to warm every single part of my person for the duration, with multiple layers should that prove necessary.

What I really want to be doing though is preparing content for my website project, but sadly there's nothing I can do to clear my head of virus & snot to make that possible at the moment.

I did spin on my Quebec wheel (aka Ida) for about 20 minutes a few days ago, but that was all I could manage for upright in several days. The new bobbins my friend Soren turned out on his lathe work wonderfully well and the wheel 'goes like stink'. Once we make friends a bit more, Ida and I, she'll be the dedicated sock yarn wheel because of her incredible speed. I'm still learning how to make my twist consistent, I think we need a good long draw technique--but she's a lovely old lady and we'll be fine once we spend more quality time together.  

Pictures of all of the above to be posted soon....

Post-election blahs

Wouldn't you know it, all that exposure to electors made me sick! Not from them being electors of course, but because many of them were generously sharing viruses. My theory about a virus is that it won't leave me alone until I share it with you. 

The election itself was probably enough to make me sick. In the poll I worked the turn-out was, in a word, pathetic. Less than 50%. Either nobody cares that we have a democracy or as I also heard during the day, that people whose families have lived in the same place since before Confederation refused to vote if it required them to show picture ID. I mean really, people. What's the big deal? We show picture ID in lots of other contexts. Apparently elderly rural folk find this requirement beyond obnoxious. But while others in the poll knew these folks, I didn't. In an urban or any large poll you wouldn't know the people. A requirement for identification (and there were dozens upon dozens of options) hardly seems a good reason to stay home. I think what I find so appalling about the voter turn-out, whatever the reason for it is that in so many places in the world people pay with their lives to vote and we can't get our butts off the sofa to go do this? Sad, very, very sad.

And then there was the outcome. Not a surprise but a great disappointment to me. My wish (okay, fantasy) was for a NDP/Green party coalition to run the country, not a increased mandate (albeit still a minority one) for wacko Tories who don't get the urgency of environmental issues, and in fact deny there are issues at all. I was very impressed by the moxie of the Green Party leader. One of these days Canada will elect someone with vision. Meanwhile I promise not to hold my breath until that happens.

I took a jaunt to Wolfville on Friday to look for likely properties. I'd hoped to stay overnight in the valley but felt too rotten to inflict myself on dear friends, and didn't want to share my virus there. I prefer to share anonymously so you (whoever you are) can't track it back to me.  How very nice of me, eh?

One of the highlights of my day trip though was a view of a house that meets all my criteria in terms of cuteness, breathing space, location, size, studio and office space, but fails to meet the price range I'm working with by a mere $100K. Ah well, can't have everything I suppose--but it's good stuff to be dreaming on even so.

The other thing that was a spectacular first for me was apple picking. How is it I have lived 10 years in Nova Scotia and have never before been in an orchard to pick apples? We found a U-pick place where they had Northern Spy apples as well as the usual Cortland, Gravenstein, Macintosh, Ida Red, and Russet varieties. I now have 10 pounds of handpicked Northern Spys in my pantry and as soon as I share my virus with someone and it leaves me alone, I'll make something deliciously apple-y.

Finished the chocolate lama/mohair sweater coat and it is wonderful, everything I hoped it would be. I think there may be enough sunshine today to take some photos. The next spinning project: beige lama/mohair will make a good lap blankie. I have a pattern for one that uses a variety of gansey patterns. That might be fun. Need to track the pattern down so I can figure out how I need to spin the fibre for this. 

We had hard frost overnight so that's done in the geraniums I forgot to take in last night. Ah well, I felt too rotten to bother with them and believed the weather channel that the temperature wouldn't drop below freezing.

My only activity in the last 36 hours has been to throw logs into the wood stove to try to get warm. The ambient temperature is fine, but the virus tells me that I'm still cold. No amount of wool sweater layers seems to make a difference either. Some part of me believes that if I keep knitting sweaters I'll be warmer this winter. While that works once I'm up and dressed in same, it doesn't do a thing to get me out of bed on a morning when the house is cold. I still have the oil furnace thermostat set really low as it isn't winter, but I might have to reconsider for the duration of the virus.

In my quest to share my virus anonymously I believe I'll head to 'China-Tire' for a replacement wheel for my wheel barrow--one that can't go flat. Wish me luck?

Three months and counting

Oh the joy of paid unemployment! I'm having the best summer in five years, even though the weather has been too humid for me to get outdoors much, or move more than my knitting needles some days. Summer is a great time to knit socks, preferably with an oscillating fan nearby slowly moving air across my person. I don't even have to be upright to knit socks--bonus!

There is a bit of work being done of course. Not enough, but some. We'll ramp that up in the next few weeks and get the book draft done. I also have a web site draft and a couple of workshops in draft.  Stay tuned for that!

Wednesday I had an energy audit done on the house by a guy from Sustainable Housing. I knew I had a lovely wind tunnel effect going and that air leakage was so pronounced I did wonder if there were actual walls behind the wallpaper in winter.  Now I have proof!  Apparently I have all the energy efficiency of a tarpaper shack with paper windows.

So this perhaps explains why I spin wool and knit sweaters, shawls and socks at the rate I do--I need them to keep something approaching warm for at least 8 months of the year.  That said, I'd not be happy in a warmer climate as I do enjoy wearing wool sweaters and socks.  My biggest complaint about the air leakage and lack of any insulation is that it costs so much money to pretend to be heating the house.  I don't mind the thermostat set at 16C, but I'd prefer not to pay (or require help to pay) a king's ransom for heating oil to achieve that stupendous amount of warmth.  And the costs are rising at phenomenal rates: in 2000 I paid 54¢ a litre for heating oil; now it is in the $1.10 range (I'm afraid to call and ask for the official cost, and the tank is near empty).

Now I do have a wood stove, a very pretty and efficient blue Pacific Energy, and without it I'd be really cold.  This heating source works best when I'm home during the day so I can keep it going and I sit in the room where the stove is located.

My mind is on winter heating as a result of the energy audit, but today we've got a pleasant summer day, big fluffy clouds, a bit of a breeze and about 25C.  Too bad there was no way to store up summer heat for winter use.  

And just in case you thought that cobwebs had no earthly use (except for spiders of course) I can report that they do show air movement rather well as pointed out by the energy audit guy. That made me chuckle.  Good thing he wasn't looking at dust bunny drift, that might have been embarrassing.

The sky is falling...

Yes, it is. More than usual this humid summer. It has been falling (in the kitchen) for some years, but this summer it is a positive snow storm of falling sky. And this year the 'texture' that some folks I know like, is more on the floor than on the ceiling. Living in interesting times....

Stash wrangling and trash toss

I have (what is known in fibre circles as) a stash.  Perhaps, by some measures, even a rather significant stash especially if I include unspun fleeces.  Spring is slowly making itself known in this area and with it comes without fail the critters that enjoy dining on stash.  Something must be done.  

I read today that knitters and spinners are serious consumers of ziplock bags.  I did not know until recently that said bags come in very large sizes, including a 'Hagar' size lunch bag which is large enough to hold an entire 6 to 8 pounds of fleece.  Well.  Now we have potential stash management on a whole new order.  Fibre stored in ziplocks can be seen and that means that I can glory in my stash much more easily than when it is stored in plastic storage tubs.  And why have stash if you cannot spend time with it, fondle it, dream it into projects and if the need is great, roll around in it.  

Even more is possible however.  I can organize the stash, so that all the sock yarn is in one place; all the lace yarn projects are safely zipped up with their patterns; all the UFO's can now be bagged and so shuffled without the needles falling out or critical bits unravelling.  I can leave notes to myself in each project bag or go wild and actually write on the bags.  There's no end to how much I could organize: little bags in bigger bags for instance.  The mind boggles.

Trash toss also requires bags and boxes but happily neither are expensive, though they aren't much fun either.  Trash toss is fraught with much more angst than stash wrangling and comes with guilt too.  You'd think I'd be normal and have guilt about stash accumulation; but no, I have guilt about what I throw out; or need to toss and don't.

The trash toss is long overdue, and things are in such a state that I've felt the need to ask for professional help.  I cannot seem to get motivated for clearing or cleaning--there's so much stuff to do that is infinitely more entertaining.  So everywhere I look there is stuff that either ought to be shuffled into some permanent and practical home if it is living here; or tossed if it has lost its claim to usefulness in my life.  Anything I consider tossing though seems to be stuck to me with some boomerang quality.  

Why, for instance, do I need to keep a ten year old computer that I haven't used now for at least two years?  I've done my best to find a home for it and should not be surprised (but I am) that nobody wants it, even for free.  All this equipment has done in the last several years is take up way too much space in my office.  Now part of the reason it hasn't moved on is because some of it is so heavy I cannot move it by myself; but that's not the critical factor between me and the recycling.  No, the issue is, as soon as it goes, I'll find some wonderful use for it.  Or, as in the present case, worry that I have done something extraordinarily stupid by dumping perfectly useful plastic.  

Sigh.

What I really hate about trash tossing is all the decisions it requires of me.  I have to weigh each of these decisions in several bizarre manners.  Will I need this again in the next decade? Have I used this in the previous decade? Did I pay too much for it (or am I still paying for it)? What story does it represent in my life? Is it a story I'm willing to to live without (not, you might notice, the item)? Who gave this to me--and what's the story of that? 

I can see, theoretically, that if the item is unused and likely to remain so, it should not be taking up real estate in my too cluttered life/world.  But get rid of it, forever?  Way too hard to do or make a decision about.  Hence the need for professional help--someone who isn't wrapped up in the stories but, because I have asked her to help me get organized, sees things in terms of their real function.  Which is not to say that I'll give up everything with a story to it--that won't and doesn't need to happen.  I will however have less stuff that's just in my way and that I have to figure out how to clean around and/or not trip over when moving from point A to point B in my house.  Apparently where other people see a hallway as a passage, I see an area that can hold 5 or 6 book cases and stacks of boxes with yarn and fibre stash.  And what are stairs for except as a kind of filing system for things on their way up or down?  A bedroom is a sometime library, right?  For books to be read or books newly read, or books to be read again--the books I want to keep especially close for awhile.

Ah, the books.  I know it is time for a major cull--and with seventeen mostly double shelved book cases, is it any wonder that even thinking about this task makes me weary?  On occasion I have begun the cull only to find dozens upon dozens of books I want to read again to see if the experience is the same as the first time I read the book, or whether I or the book or both have changed in thirty five years.  So far only my favourite Victorians and pre-Victorians have any staying power.

On the needles this week:  the Pi Shawl, have knit it backwards several times (tink, tink, tink) and will do that again--I think I finally see what the problem is.  A lovely first Primavera sock, a Moss & Cable sock and a 'yarn over' cable sock.  Socks, as usual, well represented in the current projects pile; there are two other shawls projects on the needles and neither is moving forward. Now that I'm not so weary and beginning to realize that I am NOT presently employed, I hope to make progress on several of my languishing projects.

Softly snowing, even in my head

It's one of those days, when the fog turns to snow inside one's head, it being December and all. An inordinant amount of strong coffee has been consumed and still the snow keeps softly dancing, and no clear thought can form in its midst. It is snowing outdoors too.

The good news is that the stole is done, and goregous, though I can't post a picture until after Xmas. So on to other Xmas projects. Do we hear it for socks?--omigod do we have a sock list, some of it from LAST Xmas (it's in my head with the snow). Sorries go out to all friends still waiting even if you don't know who you are.

What I'd like to do today: sleep (the usual low pressure system response), start the next shawl (waiting on yarn so that's not an option), or just about anything except what I'm supposed to do--edits and content creation for my current income earning project. Maybe having a wee snack of something with almond paste in it would help? I bought a pound of the stuff last week and will attempt to make myself an 'almond ring' with phyllo pastry assuming I can find instructions some where.

Okay, to make the work stuff seem more palatable I could have a look at my stove, to discover where the bottom oven element is and whether I can replace it and have a working oven. This thought (inspite of inner snow) follows on thinking about baking something. Haven't had a working oven since June, but recently discovered that the bottom element might be the problem and not the electronic panel as I first thought.

December makes me yearn for Xmas baking, mostly the baking part because I no longer eat much of what I make but love to have it to give away. So I will in fact make myself attempt the repair of the oven element soon even though it requires major physical contortions to get at it. I hate that beached whale thing when I get down on the floor and can't get myself up easily or with much dignity; imagine that and crawling, somehow, into the bottom drawer area of the stove. Sorry, can't take photos of myself doing that!

Nearly done spinning the Blue-faced Leiscester for the trim on my 'marmalade' sweater and hope to have that done as a Xmas gift for myself. Also have two vests in progress and many, many socks. Will start carding and spinning for the gansey I want to make during the Xmas break. There are always more projects in waiting than I can probably do in this life, but that doesn't mean I won't keeping on building that list. When inner snow isn't falling I find the list quite entertaining, exciting even.

Ah, excellent....

It's been a week to endure and grin, whether I feel like grinning or not. Did a road trip to St. John, NB Monday and Tuesday, to present for and hour and a half on my favourite topic--how to get boomers motivated to take on new life challenges, post job loss, post depression and the 'what the @!*# am I doing with my life anyway'? Been there, done that, continuously re-inventing myself and with more revenue sources would be happy to do so even more enthusiastically. So driving 1000 kms in two days isn't my favourite way to spend time, but as a) I didn't do the driving, and b) I got to knit most of a sock in good company while Amie drove, I have nothing to complain about. Besides I was out of the office-cave for two days and spent those two days in daylight--what a concept!

Meanwhile on the knitting front the shawl project continues to grow (at last, attempt 7 is working). If my other six attempts had been successful, I'd be done by now, but we'll call this a learning experience. And another shawl I'm contemplating will be started in January so I have a year until my deadline, not two months and I don't know what I'm doing. I love knitting denial, it is so very entertaining.

Sunday afternoon, listening to opera on the internet, having already schlepped firewood to the porch, laundry in progress and knitting soon to be.

My biggest frustration, always, seems to be that I can think up so much more I want to do, try, play with, than I have time to indulge. I've had my painting stuff out and ready to play with for months and have yet to put brush to pigment. I've only been at the spinning wheel about 2 hours in the last month, I need to map out my new web site and revamp content for the present one; I have a dozen knitting projects I'm just twitchy with wanting to begin; there are a stack of books to read; I've not written anything except blog posts (and haven't they be massive and often?) since the summer. One would have to wonder what one does with one's time.

Do we have a time theme here? What me, the 60 year old Capricorn late bloomer boomer worried about time? Nah, couldn't be. For the record--I don't want to work at a job, I want to play, all the time, everyday: as a writer, painter, weaver, spinner, knitter, gardener and amateur chef. I don't have time for a job; but without one I don't eat, so what to do, what to do??? Oh joy, your other name is Old Age Pension! Four more years....

October weekend

Fall photos taken recently in Mahone Bay where I go each Friday morning to get bread from the French organic bakery for the week. And the occasional treat, chocolate croissant anyone? This was the view from the market's location throughout the summer. Now the bakery will move indoors for the winter, to the Biscuit Eater Cafe--what could be better than that, I can get all the essentials at one stop.

Down with a bacterial infection this weekend so haven't been having any fun, haven't been to the B.E., or even had coffee for that matter. Mostly I've been curled up on the sofa knitting a top down cardigan from handspun. Just got the Japanese Sukori vest out of exile so I can finish that up over the next couple of days. Fiddlesticks shawl pattern nearly done, only 5 more rows, but as friend Cindy said, that's 2000 stitches. Not sure I wanted to know that. The cooler weather inspires me to finish projects faster than summer humidity does which is good considering how high the current UFO count is (unfinished objects). I'll post pictures as I get things blocked and ready to wear.

No spinning this weekend either, haven't been able to sit upright never mind move anything other than knitting needles. Ah well, there's always next weekend isn't there?

So Thursday I managed to do two 'smiley face' events, one of which got me written up in the Halifax paper. Very pleased with my wee speech and considering the state of misery I was in at the time, I'm impressed I stayed upright--though I won't make any claims for coherence for anything I said that wasn't in writing.

I'm to begin working full time tomorrow, but hey, I'll start that with a sick day, I'm sure I've earned one by now, even working part time. Still too wobbly to attempt anything much, and then I need a nap.



I thought this was a particularly lovely fall shot; from the farmers market up the hill where I buy strawberries, raspberries, apples, pears, potatoes, onions, cukes and all the other usual farm produce. Great place to shop from June through December.

Are we having fun yet?

One of the rituals of autumn that I have participated in the last few years is to take Caitie shopping in the city for school attire. This means trawling through a long series of shops that cater to teen fashion at what is to me horrendous prices for the quality of the goods on offer. I recognize that fashion is paramount here, not durability, classic design or clothing that one can wear for several seasons and that I have to pretty much keep my gob shut about these things so I don't distress or otherwise take the pleasure out of the experience of this for her. But it is always a challenge to see money put down for things that either won't fit in a couple of weeks (or after the first wash) and that won't be wearable because they'll be a fashion crime by Christmas. Perhaps it is the weaver of near 30 years experience in me, but I demand a certain amount of quality in any garment I buy, and nine times out of ten will buy it used where I can buy better quality for less money. Then again fashion has never been a driving force in my life (see earlier post on being made over...) because I've never had the money to participate in that particular shill game.

My current goal is to create with my own handspun, a series of 'classic' knitted pieces to go with my standard khakis and jeans. The pieces I've made so far give me great pleasure and I feel good when I wear them. When I tire of a particular sweater or vest I can always choose to rip it out, and recycle it into another or simply pass it on to someone else via the donation box at the local hospital auxillary shop. My cost is primarily time.

I'm not suggesting that my young friend ought to do what I take such delight in, I just wish that what was fashionable for her age was of better quality, durability and price point, in a word, less disposable. I'd wish for precedent that things, including clothing are meant to last, and not to show up in landfill within the year. I'd wish for an understanding of the concepts of durability, quality and things built to last. Unfortunately these ideas seem to have gone out of the culture so it is small wonder that they are difficult for the young (or anyone) to grasp.

Pesto, oh pesto

Handsome eagle, ain't he?

I found lush bunches of fresh basil at the Farmers Market in Lunenburg Thursday so made up two batches of pesto in the amount of 2 cups for the freezer. This is pesto without butter or cheese so it actually goes a lot further than two cups may sound. If however I use this pesto as a pizza sauce, two cups won't go very far at all. I'll have to consider the best use of my little pesto stash, or perhaps make another 2 cup batch.

What hasn't yet happened is dill pickle production. The baby cukes are coming on fast they tell me at the market garden up the hill, but I'm not in gear to take advantage of the bounty. Perhaps tomorrow I'll see what I need to do to prepare, make a list of supplies and get on with it. We'll see, I may be compelled to spin for a good part of the day instead--which would be a different sort of comfort in the winter. Last time I made pickles I put up 18 jars of tiny cukes--each wee cuke needed to be scrubbed clean in several changes of cold water so the whole process took many hours. Tracking down sufficient fresh horseradish for my recipe is always a challenge as is peeling masses of garlic cloves. Barry and I usually did 50 pounds of cukes, and that with water that had to be pumped and hauled by hand, though with two of us working it only took a day to do that much. That was in another life or course.

Have begun spinning the fleece from Pia's 'Dottie' and oh my is it some lovely. It just flows onto the bobbin and I don't want to do anything other than sit there and facilitate such a wonder. Life as usual has a way of intervening and insisting on pesto making, nagging about good dills which won't pickle themselves.

Writing work on the current project has begun again, so spinning is reward for serious head work. But then so is talking to people, hanging out at the Biscuit Eater in Mahone Bay or knitting on the half dozen projects I have in the WIP piles. Began the Fiddlesticks Rainbow Shawl (3, count 'em, 3 charts to knit through!) today, though I'm knitting it in a single colour Zephyr called Ruby. Also knit most of a sock in handspun merino which is so lumpy that it looks 'handspun' as that is understood by the untutored. I have 4 skeins of this yarn which was the first spinning I did in over twenty years. I've improved considerably in the three years since and now couldn't spin such 'novelty' yarn no matter how hard I tried. Now ask me for fingering weight 3 ply--that I can do.

A very soggy day on the south shore of Nova Scotia today so I stayed in and played with fibre all day long. Even cleared space on the work table to try the wool combs I borrowed from Sharon, but there seems to be something missing in my understanding of the process for I didn't get the result I thought I would. The Cotswold cleans up nice however, even if the combing process needs some refinement. Will read the instructions I found on-line and try it again tomorrow.

A month of all manner of stuff, none of it memorable to record. Well maybe that's not quite true. Last month of freedom for a while, might warrant a notice. Began a job this week, part time, around my other part time job. So yes, I have two part time jobs which add up to full time and leave me very little (no) play time.

Twice this week I've travelled Hwy !2 to Wolfville in an attempt to connect with an Acadia ID card and computer. Was successful today thankfully. Next week I'll work from the office here instead of spending my time in transit between here and there.

Sunday the Boulder Brook Spinners will be at the Ross Farm Museum with all our gear/wheels and enough woolens to keep us warm. It is supposed to rain and not be more than about 13C on Sunday so it will be nippy in the unheated barn where we sit to spin. But with experience we'll know to dress for the day with plenty of layers. I need to organize a picnic lunch and plenty of coffee to keep me going. Caitie the 15 year old is considering coming along, though I doubt she's considering it seriously. Drove her and two other hyper giggling teenage girls to their last junior high dance. Between the scents they'd slathered on and the raging hormones emanating from them I had trouble keeping the car on the highway!

I now have two computers to use, my Macbaby and the Dell for work. Set up the Dell to recognize my router so if I have to work from home I actually have a wireless internet connection. Good for me, only took a couple of hours of fiddling to get that done--and still don't have the connection to the library I need. That'll wait until tomorrow.

Landed in an office for this three month part time gig, which contains too many used toothbrushes abandoned by the previous occupant as well as the remains of an enormous jug of Pepto Bismal. What can I deduce from this I wonder.

So the third day of the second part time job tomorrow and then a rest of sorts until Tuesday. Might consider doing some laundry and kitchen chores over the weekend, as I no doubt should.

Mid-week blahs

My energy has tanked today; and why that should be so on a gloriously sunny warmish day I'm not sure. Possibly because it has now been two days without any spinning. Clearly life is not happily sustainable unless I spin something every day, it's either that or alcohol and as I can't afford the latter, spinning it will be. Think I'll have a salad for supper and then go to the wheel for some productive meditation time. Then knitting and perhaps a movie until bedtime.

Have decided that I need to WORK the next several days, prepare for the portfolio sessions which I'm facilitating next week and just generally catch my breath in terms of my work commitments.

The road trip was unsettling because we were asked if we wanted to present at a major conference in June. More on that when I have details and confirmation. Even more unsettling was news that the career resource centre in this town is very likely defunct. This is a terrible bureaucratic move, a waste of resources as well as a reputation for excellent work with clients which has been built over many years. Who is going to do this work now?--persons/organization so far unknown. And does that leave me any options to do contract work for the CRC?--I doubt it. It's the old 'one door closes, another door opens' but at the moment it seems to me that doors and windows are bolted and I have too few options for income earning in the immediate future. Much as I enjoy subsistence on pogie, it has a very limited run--until sometime in September. Then what?

Well I can always bury myself in books. I have a huge stack on loan from the library and the CRC. Books on the history of Naples and the library of the Papyri in Herculaneum, American Fascists by Chris Hedges, Work Identity, Narrative Therapy, Ellis Peters mysteries, and a knitting mystery. Throw in a few cutesy self-help books and knitting and spinning magazines and you have a fuzzy picture of what I'm entertaining myself with at the moment.

Meanwhile (I'm very fond of this word lately) I have to get off my duff and do something--either about supper or spinning but have been sitting here for an hour without the ability to make up my mind which it should be. That energy thing you know.