Followers

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Hard, but Fun Work!

Laying over 1100 ft of cherry hardwood is mighty hard work. I select the wood according to shade, grain, length etc. Some people call me "picky" .... can't imagine why! After the selection process, I lay in place and John follows behind with the heavy nailer and nails the wood. He also does all measuring and cutting. Do you know how many times you say thanks and you are welcome in a day of work? The more we work, the more we look forward to getting in the "Road House" and heading to warmer weather. We are having a sunny day of 27 degrees.....and this is only December!

Sad thing is that I've not been in my fiber studio for over a week! Withdraw hurts! Still getting vendor contracts for Hoosier Hills Fiberarts Festival. It won't be long until I have to return contracts and put people on the waiting list.

Christmas is only a week and a day away. I'm about ready. Shopping is done...99% was done on-line this year. Thanks Holly and Chad for the suggestion. It is so fun to have young grandkids to buy for! Lucy - 5 1/2 and Ross 2 bring joy to the times.

We are new to Motor Home life and have totally fallen in love with the lifestyle. The only problem is our lack of experience. I have read that some RVrs drive their motor homes once a month (when they are not out on the road). Is this a common practice or something that just a few people do? Ours has been parked just under a month. If necessary, we will get in and take it for a ride. BUT sure don't look forward to driving on our icy, snow packed roads.

Time to get back to work....gotta get this done for family Christmas celebration, ya know....anyone wanna come help?????

For now....N

Friday, December 10, 2010

Preparing house to sell

Carpeting is up, thanks to Zack - grandson #1. All squeaks in the floor eliminated. Roofing liner partially down and John is resting today. This is hard, slow work for someone with COPD. Today is a day of rest for him. He has slept most of the day. BUT, he says that If he enjoys this, we may remove all carpet and lino in RV and put down hardwood.

I'm working on Hoosier Hills Fiberarts Festival today. Placed ads in Spin-Off, Interweave Knit, a special edition of a Knit magazine, Interweave Handwoven, Crochet, Piecework. Guess I've spent enough money today.

Tomorrow, move that huge antique, finish the liner (serves as a moisture barrier) and begin laying the cherry hardwood. I'm getting excited, but sad that we will not enjoy the fruit of our labor for long (we hope).

I sold my desk and credenza! Another positive move. Now to take photos of antiques and get them on Craig's List.

The Road House (name of our 35'Winnebago Adventurer) is in the drive calling our names. It's ready to roll. Wish we were.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Brrrrr.  but yet, I still sleep with the window at night.  Do you?  I just love snuggling under the comforter, being toasty warm, and breathing fresh air! BUT, I sure want to be warm during the day. I love spinning yarn on cold days.  The fiber feels sooooo soft, I just want to jump in it the way we do leaves after they have been carefully raked into a pile.  Better not...might felt it! 

I have been spinning my hand dyed fiber and the yarn is turning out to be sooo pretty.  It is in shades of burgundy, lavender and green.  When I finish it, I will see how many yards I have.  What will I do with it?  Well, lets count the ways....I can knit it into something (depends on yardage), I sell it (and buy more fibery stuff - poor John), I can embelish  my felting with strands of yarn....BUT, I do not knit and full (some call it felt, but it is really fulling), or I can hang it in the studio and admire it.  Hummmm, I need to think about this. 

This fall we took at long vacation (our first long trip in 10 years!).  Both John and I have fallen in love with traveling in our Winnebago 34' home on wheels.  So looking forward to our next trip.  When is that, you ask???  Well, that depends. 

At the present time - after removing walls in what was the "living room" and turning our home into a open, airy family centered home, cherry hardwood is being installed in all but the bedrooms and 2 baths of our house.  Then comes the new columns, all new paint and a kitchen update, and last, but not least.....remodel all bathrooms.  Do you think we will be able to head south this year?  Don't know, but hope so.  If we go, we plan to head to southern California to see daughter #2 then to Texas to spend a few weeks. 

If not, I have a new toy, an antique Legare 400 sock machine.  I knit socks using knitting needles, but gee, I started a pair 16 months ago and they are yet to be finished.  Now, with the sock machine, they tell me a pair takes me approximately an hour?  hummm, I wonder, it that a pair or one sock.  Heck! either way, it beats 16 months!  

Much of the yarn I hope to use is from my llamas.  Until 2 months ago I had a wonderful herd of the most loving animals...llamas and one token alpaca (to show I am open minded, ah hem...unlike some people).  John's health has made it necessary for the llamas to live at many wonderful new homes.  I miss them terribly.  I feel so sad when I look out to an empty pasture.  BUT on the bright side, we can now travel without worrying about them while we are gone,  without hiring someone to feed, water and look over them, without checking fences to be sure that they don't do their Houdini act, without wondering if I locked each gate. Again on the down side, they coyotes seem to coming to the bedroom window to sing.  That, I don't like. 

I'm putting together my show schedule for 2011.  I hope to do more art shows. In Louisville, the St James Court Art Show, the first full weekend in October is so much fun.  I plan to apply to the Broad Ripple Art Fair, Talbot Street Art Fair.  Both are in Indianapolis, so we can be around family more.  The other part of the schedule will be fiber festivals where I will teach at some and be a vendor at all.  We have developed some outstanding friendships at the fiber festival.  Each time we go, it's like seeing family again.

OK, enough time on the 'puter for now.  Thank you for reading my ramblings and do come back soon.  Bring a cuppa and we will chat.  Till then  Nan