MAKING MUCH PROGRESS ON THIS JOURNEY

For a long time (over two weeks, I think) I have not blogged.  When preparing to list a house for sale in order to full time, it gets pretty redundant to say we are working hard, but it is taking sooooo long to get everything done.  


As I told our realtor,  If we were thirty or forty or fifty something, we would be moving so much faster.  We are like lumbering turtles, slowly but steadily moving along.  It is difficult to guesstimate how soon we can actually put the house on the market.  Maybe three more weeds, if we are blessed with continued energy.


These are photos of what the weather was like here last year.  This year, the grass is still green.  Daffodils are reaching for the sky at five inches! (I'm sure the are in for a rude awakening some of these days.)

Discouragement is our enemy right now.  At the same time, we are so pleased with the mild January temperatures!  We have, unlike last winter, had no ice storms, no blizzards, no unbearably cold temperatures. 
This weather pattern has made it possible for us to work outside and in the barns getting ready for show and sell.  I actually feel a little heart flutter when I think of the  progress we have made.

Yesterday, we said good bye to our hot tub.  It is going to a new home in Minnesota!  The gentleman that is taking it is transporting it to his hunting / fishing cabin.  Another job checked off our outside to-do list!  (do you see the green grass? Compare that to the last winter pictures above.)


We have hired two workers to help us with the barns and oh, my.  The progress that is being made is wonderfully remarkable!  We are working in the barns and outside.  

  




In the smaller barn I have llama and alpaca fiber that I must decide what to do with it.  I can send the lesser quality to Texas to be woven into rugs to sell.  


Then I can send the best quality fiber to Connecticut  to be spun into yarn to sell to those that knit, crochet or weave.  
   

 But, I can also have some made into roving for me to dye, then spin or wet felt when we finally are able to start our full time journey.  I will probably choose all three options.  Just talking about  about fiber and traveling in the same blog is a joy!  Oh how I look forward to the future journey.  


Well, that's all for now.  Keep us in your prayers that we can keep turtleing along.  


God bless you all...

GLUTEN FREE LIVING AND OSTEOARTHRITIS

I wrote a post for today hours and hours ago.  Every time I clicked on the publish box, everything came out befuzzled.  I have tried and tried to correct the mistake that I cannot understand that I have made, so I just say Geesh.....and write another.


What I was trying to share today is my adventure into the Gluten free diet world.  Gluten?  What's that?  It is a protein found in wheat, barley, wheat products.  And it is been found to cause inflammation of joints.  Joints as in body joints, not dives and other yucky places.  


Many people have found that by no longer eating wheat, their osteoarthritis improves.  I, personally, have two friends who have testified to the benefits of living gluten free. 


I ventured into this program after visiting with my orthopaedic surgeon at Ortho Indy, one of the nation's leading group of orthopaedic physicians.  


My physician, Dr. Mark DiLella, made the comment that after looking at the x-rays of my hands, that I am one arthritic person.  That comment gave me visions of being so crippled with arthritis in the years to come, that I might end up in a wheel chair or something similar.  


I know, I know, I have a vivid imagination and sometimes tend to see the worse case scenario.  That's okay in this instance as it has given me the kick in the arse to take charge of my future when it comes to how I will be able to move about.


Since we have returned home, I have not been able to do much felting due to the pain in my hands and back.  I was fortunate to have some inventory to take to the St. James Court Art Show in Louisville, Kentucky last week end.  


To be able to work  at the show, I had to have pain medication beyond the typical Alieve or Ibuprofen.  That was not "a good thing" for me and I sure did not want to think I had to rely on narcotics to get me through the rest of my life.


Two of my friends have been preaching / touting / sharing the benefits of a gluten free diet.  Bah humbug, I thought for the last two or three years.  


Last week, I asked myself what I had to loose if I tried the gluten free diet.  When I could not come up with one reason.  When I knew that I wanted to have a better life than sitting in a chair all day.  When I knew that I wanted to explore the deserts of the southwest this winter, I gave in and started to live the gluten free life.


Guess what!  It is an easy way to eat!  No wheat, that's it.  No bread.    So?  I can live without bread.  No pasta, hummmm.....well I guess I can live without linguine with clam sauce.  I can live without chicken and noodles....I think.


Well, I am on day nine.  I am still alive!  I have survived and it is no problem.  I feel like I am doing something positive about my discomfort.  As a matter of fact, I feel better already!  I am moving more fluidly and no pain!  I had no idea it would happen this fast.


It happened in such a sneaky way.  I didn't realize how much better I am until John and I were talking about it and voila!  I said, "hey... wait"  I feel better already!  


The next action I have taken in increasing my physical activity.  I am not sitting and reading all the time.  I am getting up and walking. I walked for about eight blocks with no discomfort!  This is tremendous!  I hope to get to the point that I walk a minimum of an hour daily.  


The weather is beautiful and is conducive to walking.  Arthur is going to have to chase me to get me down again!  Now, if I could just get rid of these crooked fingers.....  hehehe.  


I still must have the surgery on my thumb this Tuesday.  I have totally ruined that joint.  But guess what????  I will be able to enjoy my fiber art once again.  Life is good!  


I have put my life in perspective in the scope of all life.  A fellow blogger is fighting Lymphoma.  She will have surgery on Wednesday.  


Another blogger, at the age of thirty eight just lost her husband to a heart attack.  Sure makes my life simple, doesn't it.  


Yesterday, I wrote about the buds of life and the process we go through in living our lives.  I am so thankful for God and His blessings and His COMFORT in times of stress and need.  


My prayer for each of you is that your days to come are enriched with his love and blessings.  


God bless....N

RAIN YESTERDAY AND A GLORIOUS DAY TODAY!

  What a glorious day!  It has cooled, there is a gentle breeze, and at five o'clock, I even heard birds!  What else could a person ask for.  And you know what?  Money did not, could not, will never buy any of those pleasures.  


We had rain late yesterday afternoon.  Of course with the rain, came thunder.  With the thunder came Oliver right on my lap.  That huge thunder boomer that was located right outside our motorhome door while we were in Iowa has totally put him on edge.  He hears the thunder long before we do and is stuck to us like wallpaper is stuck on a wall.  Poor thing.  


The rug is done.  We hung it outside so I could use the hose to spray  it with the hose to remove all traces of soap.  Now, it is drying.  I am pleased that I can place a check mark next to the rug  on my to-do list.
Photos will come as soon as I can locate my camera!  (Here we go again)  That camera and I have a hide and seek relationship.  


The rest of the day is going to be spent doing laundry and laying out slippers for the class I am teaching at the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival September 9, 10 and 11.  I am not teaching for three days, but the WSWF is three days!  I'm so hoping that Karen in the Woods will be there.  I'd love to meet her and Steve. 
Hey Karen, there are camping spots right on the fairgrounds.  If any other readers come, please stop by, introduce yourselves, and camp!  


A friend sent me a link to a You Tube video that is totally awesome!  I am enclosing it here because I feel it is worth twenty minutes of your time. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SIMqQZWvFY&feature=share


Tonight is my Fiber Arts Guild meeting.  I'm pleased that I am in town and can attend.  The guild, at first, met in my studio, but has grown and we now meet at a local yarn shop.  It is really nice of Jill to share her space with us for an evening each month.


Not only is it guild night, but it's our Mexican date night.  Already, I'm going over the menu in my head - just trying to decide what new dish I want to try tonight.  They are soon going to need to expand their menu though.  This has been our Wednesday night routine for about three years.  


When we were in the Southwest last winter, I called them and gave them my usual greeting of Ondelay, ondelay!   I don't speak much Spanish, but I'm sure you get the idea. They all laughed and gave us a huge welcome when we returned home in the spring.  When we came back into town, we went there before coming to the house.  Now that is our routine each time we come home. 


It's time to put my nose into the fiber and create....Let the juices flow!  


Till next time,   God Bless

HOW QUIET CAN IT GET?

Late summer.  The birds are not around as much.  Father Mockingbird no longer sings his chorus.  The chatter of the Wrens and the  Sparrows is gone.  The Cardinals and Bluejays are not around much.  Even the Robins no longer talk to their young.  All is quiet..... and brown from the lack of rain.


If Snowbirds are northerners that go south in the winter,  what are those that go from the south to the north in the summer?  Just wondering.  


Ah, there is a song.  A Cicada is singing or would you call that squalking?  


I'm feeling a bit down today.  There is a chance that we may not be able to make the trip to the southwest this winter.  We are trying to ready the house to put it up for sale and there is still much to do.  I am concerned that there is too much for the limited time we have left.


The art shows and fiber festivals on our schedule are fast approaching.  We have had a few weeks to be home and do things around the house.  I also have been felting to build the inventory. Time, need more time.  

Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival is only a month from now.  I will be teaching as well as vending.  We are looking forward to seeing friends that we only see there.  The next weekend we need to be in Yellow Springs, Ohio for the Wool Gathering. Then it just goes on from there.

Sooo, you know what, maybe the quiet is good!  Once we are on the road, things will not be so quiet!  

Update on the silkworms.  All but five cocoons have "hatched".  I have enough eggs for next year and beyond since a female will lay between one and four hundred eggs.  

Update on the rug.  It is, as I write, on the rolling machine.  I have been rolling it for just less than a week.  The timer is for only thirty minutes at a time and I will forget to keep my mind on it and have large lapses of time between rolling sessions.  Tonight, it will be completed. I have also finished another hat.  Now or the embellishments on the hats.  

I am looking forward to having my circular sock machine home.  I want to have socks knitted for the shows.  

Do you think I have enough to do?  I think so,......till next time....

God Bless

Silkworms Are Emerging from the Cocoons

I have no clue what Blogger is doing, or if I have made an error.  Please excuse the hard to read white background.....maybe tomorrow will be a better view....N

First, I want to welcome fellow bloggers The Bayfield Bunch, Al and Kelly  http://thebayfieldbunch.com

Because of Al's writing and photos, I feel like I know him.  He writes a terrific blog.  Be sure to stop by and read his posts.  It's worth your time.  

Second, I welcome Pam to blog land.  She and her husband Donn are starting a new farm in southern Indiana.  If she doesn't have a blog, she needs to write one about establishing a new farm, building fences, strange neighbors and her animals.  Go for it , Pam.   

Third, I'd like to welcome all readers.  If you would like, click on the follow button and become a regular follower.  I have a way to go to catch up with The Bayfield Bunch!  He has been blogging, I believe, since 2007.  .  

Now, to the Silkworms!   

I have been keeping the cocoons in egg cartons.  One cocoon per egg space.  I have no idea why I went over to look at the cocoons, but voila there was a hole in one cocoon!  Oops!  I was not expecting them to emerge so soon!  Where is the moth?    I found it on the underside of the egg carton and there was another cocoon from which the moth had emerged. Ah ha... a third has joined the other two.   I found it on the lid of the second egg carton.  They are a bit early!  Maybe it is the hot days?  Maybe my mental calendar?  Who knows! (Only the Shadow Knows, hahaha)

The last of the stubborn silkworms spun their cocoon just last week.  I guess we will have guests with us on our trip to Danville, Illinois next week.  Thank goodness these critters do not have the ability to fly. 

While inside the cocoon, the silkworm sheds its skin and becomes a pupa as shown below.  Inside the brown pupa shell, it slowly changes into a moth.  This process takes three weeks.( or a bit less time). Yep a bit less.

The moths usually emerge at dawn. The adult moth has a special spit which is used to dissolve the silk so it can push its way out of the cocoon. Silkworm farmers kill the moths before they emerge and make holes in the silk thread. When they emerge, the wings are crumpled, but they get pumped full of fluid and harden it about an hour. 

Moths cannot fly, and neither eat nor drink. They mate, lay eggs, and then die within five days. After the moths emerge from the cocoon, they look for an opposite-sex moth to mate with. Females are significantly larger than males. Females periodically extrude a scent gland through the hole in their abdomen. Males have a flap of skin at the end of their abdomen and flutter their wings a lot.  Each moth will "urinate" a reddish-brown fluid shortly after emerging from the cocoon.   It dries to look like blood.

The moths stay mated for about a day. At the top of the picture, notice how much larger the female is. So far, we have two female silkworms and one male, I think. The third moth's wings are not fully extended, but the body looks smaller.  

After separation, the female lays eggs and the male looks for another female. Sometimes another male grabs the female before she can lay eggs. Each female will lay between 200 - 500 golden yellow eggs!  

When first laid, all eggs are lemon-yellow. After three days, they will turn white if they are infertile, or turn black if they are fertile. Fertile eggs might hatch in about two weeks after being laid in the middle of the summer, but they usually won't hatch unless subjected to "winter" in your refrigerator for at least several weeks. Wait until the eggs turn black before putting them in the Zip Lock bag in the refrigerator. Once you take eggs out of the fridge, they will hatch in 7-20 days, or maybe not at all. Direct sunlight in the morning for a few hours hastens hatching.   Eggs will remain viable in the refrigerator for about five years, but I don't think they will be in our refrigerator.  I'm not up to that yet, Zip Lock or not. 

It is interesting to note that 40,000 silkworm eggs (once ounce or 28 grams) will hatch into worms which will eat 6,500 kilograms (3,500 pounds) of mulberry leaves, and will spin cocoons which will produce 8 kilograms (18 pounds) of silk thread. It takes 1700 to 2000 cocoons to make one silk dress!

I plan to use the silk from the cocoons to spin and to use in my wet felting.  It will be harder to spin since I decided to let them complete the full cycle. The moths will create an opening or "doorway" in the cocoon and exit.  Most people that want to spin the silk will boil the cocoons, killing the larva, so there is no opening and the silk threads are in one continuous thread. 

Since this is my first experience, I have chosen to enjoy the full cycle then use the cocoons however it is possible.    

 See you all tomorrow.... God Bless

Fab Friday!

Now, the day has yet to get into full swing, but I am thinking positive!  Thanks to Big Bad John, I now have a cough to beat all coughs.  At first, I thought it was my allergies as the first symptoms came immediately after mowing, but this has lasted for almost a week.  It is wearing me out, but is much worse for John with his existing breathing issues.  Right now, he's out picking up a prescription, that his lung specialist has ordered, along with cough medicine with codeine.  Needless to say, this is going to put a stall to finishing his installation of our Ultra Allure flooring in the motorhome.  That's the way it goes, sometimes....

I started a H. U. G. E.  felting project.  I am making a rug.  Right now, the lay out is six feet square and the fleece is seven inches high.  When finished, the rug will be much smaller and thinner as the felting process shrinks as it felts.  The fiber scales open up, lock together and the air between the fibers is pushed out.

The scene on the rug will be a primitive view of hills with trees.  Very minimal looking.  This will go the the St James Court Art Show in Louisville, Kentucky the first week end in October. 

Finding a spot for the motorhome is difficult in Louisville!  We had to pay fifty dollars a night for a hook up at the Kentucky Expo Center for water and electricity!  I hope we can find a less expensive place this year, but I'm not holding my breath. 

I just received a telephone call and  have been admitted to Ribber Rendezvous and Fancy Stitches Too the Danville, Illinois COWS Crank in.  There will be no livestock there though.  For the life of me, I cannot remember what C O W S stands for, but it is a gathering of circular sock machine crankers.
 
This does not mean that I will be cranky though, I promise!  This is a photo of the kind of sock machine that I have.

Another reason to be happy about attending COWS is that we will be out in the motorhome at the Kickapoo State Park in Danville.  We have never been there and are looking forward to presenting you with a positive report.

This brings the thoughts of boondocking.  We absolutely love boondocking!  We love the privacy, the quiet, the scenery when boondocking.  There are no neighbors "next door" or next door is a half mile away!  The solitude speaks to our souls and quiets our hearts.  Many people have called it cheap docking.  The fact that we pay nothing when we boondock is only one small factor.  Yes, it's nice to choose to spend our money in other ways, but the reasons I have previously stated are the best.  Boondocking is not for everyone.  Some could not do without their electricity, their television,  people to talk to, etc.  Different strokes.

Well, I must get to the rug.  I hear it calling to me from the studio.  If I am lucky, I will start the felting process today.  With the hot, hot weather returning tomorrow, I prefer to have most of this done as the air conditioning  is not the best in the studio.

Until later............. God Bless

Sizzling Saturday

All I can say is hot, hot, hot.  The high was supposed to reach eighty-eight degrees today and it is now eighty-nine.  It is not the hottest part of the day yet.  We will see. 

Our day started with an eight a.m. drive to our local farmer's market.  Corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, zucchini, early potatoes and Indiana cantaloupe were all there for the choosing!  And choose we did!  There were also two producers of meat, beef and lamb.  Yum!  It is good that we arrived early.  The corn was reduced by at least fifty percent as we stood in line to pay.  Everyone is really happy to see our Indiana grown produce!
                   
                
Our next stop was good ole Sam's to pick up a few things.  We were home by ten.  Then into the yard for John and the studio for me.  I am anxiously trying out a new procedure and we will see if it works.

Stay tuned....bye for now and God Bless...

A Day of Challenges

Today's challenges have not been monumental.  They are just challenges.  But for some reason, they bug me today.  The heat, the air quality, the sock machine, the silk worms, the grass to cut, the weeds to pull, the motorhome floor to finish, the kitchen to finish as well as painting the house so we can sell it.  That's all. 

Today, the heat has been oppressive and the resulting air quality has made for a difficult day for John with his emphysema.  Working on the motorhome floor is impossible after about one o'clock in the afternoon.  He is so eager to get the flooring down and it is discouraging for him.  He pushes himself further than he should and this is a concern for me. 

The sock machine and I had a round today.  I am using a new / different yarn and am having a terrible time making all the adjustments.  I've knitted and ripped out more times than I can count!  As I have said before, this is a HUGE learning curve.  On the positive side though, I have found the perfect number of rows to fit my foot.  The first socks were too large for my feet, but the last pair.....just right.   What is so funny is that as I was ripping out a sock for the umteenth time, I was thinking that maybe I should get my spinning wheel and spin.  I had to laugh at myself.  When I was learning to spin, I would think that maybe I should just go felt something.  Nothing like wanting to take an easier road.  

The silkworms.....I have three very stubborn fellas.  They just don't want to stop eating those mulberry leaves and make their cocoons.  I have had cocoons for four days now, but these guys keep hanging on and eating.  I still can hear these three chewing on the mulberry leaves.  At first, as wee babes, they needed the youngest, most tender mulberry leaves.  Now they enjoy the large, mature leaves.  When I go out to cut more branches, I see those young, tender leaves and thing, ooooh they will like these.  I put the leaves in the silkworm container and what do these fellas want?  The old, hairy, tough leaves.  I guess my love of the spring mix for salads does not equate here.  I love the young and tender.

You can see the two coocoons and the worms here. 

I am tempted to reduce the amount we are cutting.  With the price of gas, I feel it is a waste of money.  It takes a lot of gas to cut 5 acres every 3 or 4 days.  The grass is still growing at a speedy rate and with most of our grass being out of sight, why not? 

And the weeds.  I just wish everything were level and we could just cut it all down....The woes of summer and home / mini farm ownership. 

We did have a cool visitor today.  I really do not know what it is.  It looks a bit like a dragon fly, but I don't think it is.  "He" was resting on the side of our house and I saw him as I was sitting at the circular sock machine.  Maybe you will be able to tell me it's name. 

Dinner is ready, time to go.....God bless all tonight~!

Catching up on Home Duties

Laundry and other chores are about completed.  We are working on the mowing and oh my gosh, the rain brought out the weeds.  How it makes me long for the open road.  Let the highway road crews mow and take care of weeds with their huge tractors and bush hogs.  You go fellas! 

I've been looking at inventory and checking it twice....to order more inventory.  Hum, vicious circle, isn't it.  We have a short break until the next show.  This affords me to get fiber artwork done for art shows and to work with the circular sock machine......knitting socks.  The dye pots are also coming out.  Lots of  work to prepare for the coming shows. 

It has cooled off a little and I am thankful for that.  We actually were able to shut down the air conditioning and open windows to sleep.  I love a fresh breeze as long as it is cool. 

The silk worms are growing, and growing.  We have increased the size of their habitat four times.  The runt died yesterday.  He had a case of failure to thrive or something.  He/she just did not grow.  So, now we are down to 26.  The day is coming that they will be spinning their cocoons of silk.  Then the cycle will continue.  They survived the traveling.  Mulberry trees are everywhere, so we had a good supply of food for them. Collecting stems of Mulberry trees created quite a few questions though, and the critters had quite a few inquisitive observers. 

Good wishes go to Marilyn and Ed, The Happy Wanderers /www.mytripjournal.com/travel-607759  You can read about their RV fire and see the photos of the damage. 

Thanks to God for the successful surgery of Gene Woodard.  Gene's wife, Barb is a fellow sock machine cranker and had asked for prayer.  Gene's surgery was yesterday and he wants to go home today~!  God is good!

Blessings to all, God speed till next time.   ..............

Busy Days

Yesterday as a very productive day.  More work in the motor home was completed.  Those little things that seem to bug us when we are having a quiet evening have been fixed or cleaned.  Why is it that we pick, pick, pick.  It's almost impossible for me to just sit without visually inspecting everything to see what needs to be done next.  Oh well, really, it is fun to work on the "roadhouse". 

I also worked in the studio.  At the last show people were happy to find our knitting, weaving, handwork lights.  We almost sold out!  I ordered more and they have arrived.  Also, the wet felting kits were a very popular item, so I made more for the Great Lakes Fiberarts Show in Wooster, OH that is coming up this Memorial Day week end.  This is a super show and again we look forward to seeing the friends we made last year. 

Happy Birthday Ross!

Today is our grandson Ross' birthday.  You can see Ross' pictures along the side of this blog.  He is a hoot and a sweet, sweet boy!  We will be attending his birthday party Saturday.  Some of his gifts came from our travels this winter.  While at the Grand Canyon, then at Joshua Tree Nation Park, we admired the cutest Junior Park Ranger outfit - including a Ranger hat!  We didn't get it and now we are so sorry!  Next year! 

The sun has been shining all day.  Most of the ground is no longer wet so I mowed.  It was good to be outdoors and I plan on working outside again tomorrow - if the weather man will let me.  I still cannot get all the way back on our 5 acres.  A huge "pond" of standing water blocks the way.  I think we will have to bale it if it does not dry up soon.  If not, we will have to have a bush hog and that's expensive. 

What do you think about the price of gas?  It has gone down from $4.29 to 4.15 in the last two days.  Thank goodness the Miata gets wonderful mileage.  We have just parked the truck for now.  I sure wish Obama would do something about the gas prices. 

I want to knit another sock on my circular sock machine tomorrow.  Looks like I have a big day planned!  Oh, I also have a hat in the studio that I need to finish felting.  The St. James Art Show in Louisville, KY is sneaking up on me.  Art shows, fiber shows, oh my! 

Have a great day all!  Blessings....

Rain, Please GO AWAY!

It has rained so much that we have not had a day to mow the lawn.  It is about long enough that we could cut and bale it!  The rain started a week ago as we went to Greencastle, IN for The Fiber Event.  The Fiber Event was great!  Sales were up and I met many new friends and had such a great time talking with old friends.  Dinner at Greencastle's restaurant, Almost Home was again a treat.  A great big YUM! 

After coming home from Greencastle, I taught a felting class.  The class was using a resist in felting.  When one uses a resist, they can make an object with no seams such as a vessel, mittens, slippers, etc.  This time the student wanted to make a saddle pad for one of her horses.  By making the pad by using a resist, she will be able to add padding to the hollow inside of the pad.  This project is the largest using a resist.  I was very thankful that I have the felt rolling machine or we would have been totally exhausted!

Late Thursday, Edmundson RV called and said that the motor home would not be ready for our trip to the Fiber Arts Festival in Kendallville, IN.  (again)  We loaded the truck and were on I 69 heading north.  Since we had such a late call from Edmundson, we arrived with only about an hour to set up our booth, but we made it. 

Friday, we were greeted with more rain and a cold that was totally bone chilling.  Since my silk long johns were in the motor home, I was totally unprepared for the cold and drank more hot chocolate than I had all winter!  Surprisingly enough, the die hard fiber artists came out and shopped for supplies.  I was very pleased that our sales were as much as they were and looked forward to Saturday's sales since it was not supposed to rain before 7:00 p.m. and the show was to end at 5:00.  Saturday's sales were also good and for a first time show, I was mildly pleased with our sales.    We packed up and headed home and of course it began to rain as we approached Indianapolis.  

It has rained all day and we have had a quiet, thoughtful Easter.  Our California daughter, Jojo, sent me a picture of Joshua Tree.  They are camping there this week end.  Later, she called and we talked for a wonderfully long time.  It is so hard to have a child 2000 miles away.  Her phone call made the day wonderful! 

The rain is supposed to continue all week.  This will guarantee that I stay in the studio and get some work done.  I also need to order more pottery knitting bowls and the knitting lights.  I have sold about 50 lights in a week.  They are truly a hit with knitters, weavers, and those who do other kinds of needle work and reading! 

The end of this week we will be heading for Nashville, IN and the Brown County State Park.  John will be fishing and I will be attending a 3 day crank in for owners of antique circular sock machines.  This is going to be a great time.  I have yet to make a second sock because I keep running into a problem when I get to the increase portion of the heel!  There will be plenty of people to help this newbee cranker.  So far, I have just been a cranky cranker and I plan to leave as a happy cranker! 

Wow, this week is going to be really productive!  I'm going to felt hats and vessels in the studio and then crank some socks!  What else could I ask for other than 2 dry days to mow!  Hey, maybe we will meet some campers in Brown County! 

Till next time.....may the meaning of Easter bless your lives.....He is risen! 

Smoky Mountains

The Smoky Mountain Fiber Art Festival is over.  We have made many great, new friends.  My classes were fun to teach and students have returned home with their scarves, purses and felting materials.  Oliver joined the class for a while and eagerly helped the students as you can see on one of the photos.  Felting is not an art for the weak.  It takes tremendous energy.  What I love about teaching is seeing the creativity of each student.  You can see their personalities come out in their work.  The students give me energy and gives me the desire to return to my studio and continue with my experiments with color, fiber and design. 

Again, the knit lights were a huge success along with the hand thrown pottery knitting bowls by John Todd of Paw Paw Pottery.  I am amazed with the colors that I regularly have great sales.  It seems that black is hard to find and, of course, I have it.  Choral is the new color for 2011 and is running a close race with black for top sales.  The student that chose to make a choral purse, of course, had to leave early and I didn't get a photo of her finished product. 

Thank goodness it is time to rest.  Three days of sales and two of teaching can make a person weary.  Now we are parked next to the Little River in Townsend Tennessee and letting the sound of the rapids sooth us.  John is planning on getting his fishing rod out and I may even join him.  Last night, he saw fish jumping and it totally excited about finally getting to fish.  In seven weeks of travel, he was unable, or unwilling to pay the high price of an out of state fishing license to fish a day or two to fish. 

We will leave for home Tuesday.  John has physician appointments Tuesday and Wednesday, then we are off to Bowling Green, Ohio, for the Black Swamp Spinners Guild Market Day.  I hope to see some of you there!

Smoky Mountain Fiber Arts Festival

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We have just finished our second day in the company of a great committee that has planned a great festival.  This morning's class was terrific.  I had 4 super students and they did a marvelous job following directions.  They completed some attractive scarves. 

This student's daughter in law is an actress in Hollywood and a member of Screen Actors Guild...My daughter is a shrink contracted with SAG!  What a coincidence!   But that's not all!  Hang on there!
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This student's daughter is a set designer for TV and Movies in Hollywood!  Now how many times would 3 strangers from 3 locations have family all in the same place and in the same industry?  Go figure! 

This is the lay out that was fine and very delicate.  I should have taken a photo that was much closer to show the detail....

Here in the Smokey Mountains is so different than out west.  What a contrast.  When the show is over tomorrow night, we will take Sunday and Monday to explore and you will hear more of the RV/motorhome side. 

Tomorrow brings another class day.  I will be teaching a class in handbags / purses.  Sooo looking forward to working with these students.

In the meantime, God Bless and stay safe everyone! 

Joshua Tree & Borrego Springs CA, Tuscon, AZ

It still amazes me how the scenery can change in a matter of a few miles.  In Twenty-Nine Palms, it was flat and there were, of course, many palms.  We had planned to stay at the RV park there, but when we arrived the girl at the counter said they no longer accepted Passport America discount cards.   Then as my disappointment showed, she says, well, if you will stay two nights, we will honor your Passport America for one night and charge you full rate the second.  Sounded like a scam to us, so we left and went on in to Joshua Tree National Park. 

We were fortunate enough to find the Jumbo Rocks camping area. The camp sites were arranged in, out and around huge, huge "jumbo" rocks of granite.  This was a nice change from campsites that we in the desert sand.  The granite does not track into the motor home like sand.  It is a mecca for rock climbers and photographers and a bargain for $6.00 a night.  Finally, I was able to work with my circular sock machine.  I was also able to show another camper how much fun it is to knit socks on the antique. John and I enjoyed ourselves at Jumbo Rocks  for2 days then moved on down to  the other end of the park to the Cottonwood campground.  We were to meet Nancy Jo and Cathie there for the week end.  Jojo was to take part in a photography seminar with famed photographer, Ralph Nordstrum on Friday Saturday and Sunday.  We had the evenings to sit around the campfire and do more catching up.  Sunday, Jojo was smooth enough to talk her  dad into staying another night.  Yeah!!!!!! 

It was a blessing that we did stay Sunday night.  The National Park Ranger came around to warn us that we were have a wind storm (another one) with winds gusting to 60 and 70 mph.  He said that the Interstate 10 has been closed around Palm Springs, which was nearby.  This time, we were parked into the wind and did not feel as much motion as we did during the windstorm in Ridgecrest, CA.

The extra time allowed us to hike to the Cottonwood Desert Oasis.  I had seen an oasis in a movie and on TV, but to experience this in the middle of the desert was way cool.  Yes the oasis was named Cottonwood because there are actually Cottonwood trees there.  Another thing we saw was a rock the Indian women used when grinding grain.  It has been used for so many years by the Indians that the round hole(mortar) in the rock was about 12 inches deep.  Their "pestle" would be another rock or a sturdy trunk or limb of a tree. 

Monday morning came and we had to say our good bys. I fixed  breakfast for all and John prayed for safe travels for all of us and thanked God for such a wonderful time with loved ones.   It was so hard,  I would have stayed if I could.  I will have to be content planning next year's trip.  And to be sure, it will be longer! 
We were off to Anza Borrego Desert and Jojo was off to work.  This commute was a 3 hour commute for her compared to a 30 minute one she would have had if she had gone home Sunday night.  We all had wind during our travels.  Jojo said it was pretty frightening for her and we experienced a dust storm that cut the visibility to about 50 yards. 

Arriving at Borrego Springs, we went directly to the state park to register for a camping site.  Oops! they were booked until May!  It is time for the wild flowers to bloom in the Anza Borrego desert.  We did find great camping at the Borrego Springs RV and Hotel Resort.  We splurged a bit and went to a nice Mexican Restaurant that also had a Mexican Grocery.  More tacos for me!  After dinner, we drove around a bit then went back to the RV and played one of our favorite word games NABBIT.    Shortly after dark, we went to bed, continuing the habit of up with the sun and to sleep with the sunset. 

Yesterday, Tuesday, we were up and off to find wildflowers and Big Horn Sheep.  The wild flowers, but no luck finding the Big Horn.  The park ranger said we probably would not because this has been such a wet winter and the sheep are not coming as close to civilization as they usually do in search of water. 

This morning we were up and on our way towards home.  Our stop tonight will be in Tuscon.  We are not going to  be able to stop much on our return trip due to the Smoky Mountain Fiber Arts Festival in Townsend, Tennessee where I am vending and teaching wet felting classes. .

Well, we are approaching Tuscon.  Until tomorrow...be save and blessings to all

“One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art.” -Oscar Wild

Wet Felting is my passion. I love to create pieces that people can wear and feel very "special" when wearing them. Teaching classes, teaching people who appreciate fiber brings me joy and brings the student joy.

As I continue to schedule my 2011 felting classes, I think of the joy that felting has brought me and then schedule these classes. The classes can be from making a light weight, drapey scarf to window treatments. From a wonderful messenger bag to a dainty handbag ..... from a warm winter cloche to a stylish "Derby" chapeau.... from a piece of prefelt to an enchanting landscape.....

I am looking forward to teaching at the Smoky Mountain Fiber Festival in Townsend, TN in March, the Hoosier Hills Fiberarts Festival in south central Indiana (20 minutes south of Indianapolis) in June, then at the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival in early September.

All these classes as we travel in our RV....the "roadhouse".... While in Indiana, we can either camp at the Johnson County Fairgrounds, or stay at our "bricks and sitcks" 5 minutes away...guess where I'd rather be.....no contest....Anyone want to purchase a home on five acres with two barns and ready for horses, etc?

T Minus 4 .... Finally

In four days, we are outta here! OH Happy Day! After installing the cherry hardwood floors in the majority of our home and being dog tired from the effort, we are ready for a break. We have and more delays than there are M & M's, but finally, the brakes are fixed as well as the list of other fixes on the motor home. Sigh......

Zack (grandson #1) and Danielle's wedding is Friday evening, then we are free to roam westward. Ya know, it seems like yesterday that I was rushing from Indy to Cincy to be with my daughter and help with my first grandson. Oh, what a joy he was! (and is)..... And his big sister was such a hoot. Now, they are adults, making their own decisions, planning for their futures. What is a grandparent to do? We pray. We pray for them to have God's guidance and wisdom as they make their life choices. We pray for their safety as they go through life. That, my friends, is what we are here for...... to pray for our children and our grandchildren. That is the best thing we can do for them.

Speaking of children, our first direction will be westward to California. Daughter # 2 is there. She has been there for a long time (a mother speaking here). It will be so good to see her and share her new life for a while.

After California, we will head for Texas - taking our time. We will then spend the rest of our time exploring the "wild, wild west".

I will be taking my spinning wheel, fiber to spin, wet felting supplies and my new to me antique circular sock machine. Oh my gosh........what a learning curve there is to mastering making socks on that dear ole antique Legare 400. Let's see, I've started and restarted a sock so many times that I have lost count. BUT....each time, I get a bit further along on the sock. Today, I finished the heel and started on the foot before I dropped stitches and took it off the machine.....again! big, big sigh along with an eyeroll. Oh yes,,,, John will be taking his new rigid heddle weaving loom. Thanks goodness we have plenty of room!

I don't think I will be able to work on the CSM any more until we are on the road. Tomorrow, we shop for my shoes for the wedding, get a wedding present, pick up some food items from GFS, do some health food store shopping. Then we make a stop at the vet for micro chipping of Noah, the cat and Oliver, the dog.
purchase more ink for the printer so that I can finish copying information for the Hoosier Hills Fiberarts Festival that is coming up in June.

I am co-chair of the festival and this will be my first year directing the activities from a computer in route to many destinations. The classes have been scheduled, most of the vendors are set, competitions are in the planning stanges, so most of the work is done.

We pick up the motor home Thursday, pack and be ready for the great escape on Saturday. My suggestion was to take the motor home to the wedding and head out right afterward, but for some strange reason there was a veto....spoil sport!

We have another winter storm watch,...another 6 inches of snow predicted....oh happy day! Calgon....(motor home), take me away!

Until next time....