More Memery…

1. First thing you wash in the shower? Usually my hair. With baking soda.

2. What color is your favorite hoodie? Black, with a blue outline of a robot screenprinted on it.

3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? Yes, indeedy. He’s sweet as pie.

4. Do you plan outfits? Ha ha hahahahahahahah!

5. How are you feeling RIGHT now? Disappointed…was supposed to have a movie-date, but C just suddenly started puking his guts out. No date.

6. What’s the closest thing to you that’s red? The cap to the bicycle grease I use on my spinning wheel.

7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having? Blogged.

8. Did you meet anybody new today? Nope.

9. What are you craving right now? A really good, uninterrupted night of sleeeeeeep. And maybe a birch beer float, which I wasn’t thinking of until this very moment and now i WILL KILL TO HAVE ONE.

10. Do you floss? Yes…every night. I have to use old-lady bridge flossers, and not just because they’re a pain in the ass, but because I really do have an annoying bridge that needs to be flossed.

11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? Sauerkraut. We have a half gallon left from the mega-tonnage of the stuff we made in the fall.

12. Are you emotional? Am I? Am I??!?! Yes, a wee.

13. Have you ever counted to 1,000? I think so!

14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it? OMG, does anybody bite ice cream? Makes my teeth ache just to think about it. I’m a licker.

15. Do you like your hair? Hmmm. I’m making peace with it, I guess. Now that I’m not trying over and over again to grow it out and then chopping it out of frustration.

16. Do you like yourself? Sometimes. More often lately.

17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush? Is he paying and can I decide where we go? It’d probably be good for a few chuckles.

18. What are you listening to right now? The rain.

19. Are your parents strict? Were they? Not really.

20. Would you go sky diving? NO WAY.

21. Do you like cottage cheese? Yes! With salt and pepper, but it’s been a couple of years since I had it.

22. Have you ever met a celebrity? Yes, I have made an ass out of myself in front of Robyn Hitchcock twice. And yes,  , he totally counts.

23. Do you rent movies often? Netflix, yes.

24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you’re in? My boy has a lot of sparkly dress-up hanging on the wall. Tunic, cape and the like. Very sparkly. He likes it that way.

25. How many countries have you visited? 7.

26. Have you made a prank phone call? Hundreds! 7th Grade! Nancy’s house!

27. Ever been on a train? From London to Scotland circa 2001…am about to take one across the country in about a month!

28. Brown or white eggs? There’s no difference, so either. Our chickens lay green ones, too. I really really really want Cuckoo Marans next time we get chicks because they lay chocolate brown colored eggs. How awesome is that? We ordered four once, and ended up with all roosters.

29. Do you have a cell phone? Yes. It’s never on and rarely charged, but it makes itself useful sometimes.

30. Do you use chap stick? Badger Balm in the winter time. I’ll probably use it more when we get back to California. Dry!

31. Do you own a gun? Nope.

32. Can you use chopsticks? Yes, and I love love love eating with them.

33. Who are you going to be with tonight? Well gee whiz, I thought I was going to be with C, but…there was that barfing thing.

34. Are you too forgiving? No. I think I’m forgiving enough…too forgiving implies I let myself get taken advantage of…which I don’t.

35. Ever been in love? Yep!

36. What is your best friend(s) doing tomorrow? Depends on whether or not he’s still barfing. If not, he’s coming with me to the farmer’s market downtown. Yay, sandbox! Yay, amazing pastries! Yay, farmer Peter and his amazing butter!

37. Ever have cream puffs? I don’t think so.

38. Last time you cried? Yesterday morning.

39. What was the last question you asked? I asked C if he needed anything before he stumbled into bed.

40. Favorite time of the year? All of them, but most especially the fall. In my Top 10 Things I Will Miss About New England: amazing fall.

41. Do you have any tattoos? Two…an eclipse on my back (my own drawing) and a cacao tree from a 9th century Mayan wall mural (right forearm).

42. Are you sarcastic? Usually not, but I have my moments.

43. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect? Nope.

44. Ever walked into a wall? Many times!

45. Favorite color? Any blue, any green.

46. Have you ever slapped someone? Nope. Maybe when I was in theater, but definitely not for reals.

47. Is your hair curly? Wow, NO! My hair is sooooooooo straight and fine.

48. What was the last CD you bought? Robyn Hitchcock’s Shadow Cat, when he was at the Iron Horse last year.

49. Do looks matter? Sure do! Along with about 50,000 other things.

50. Could you ever forgive a cheater? Couldn’t tell ya and would prefer to keep it that way.

51. Is your phone bill sky high? It’s $3/month for our "special ring" at our friend’s house. My mom still pays for my cell phone (but that’s only because she knows I’d chuck it if she didn’t).

52. Do you like your life right now? UGH. MOVING IS SO STRESSFUL. Ask me again in a few months.

53. Do you sleep with the TV on? No TV.

54. Can you handle the truth? Yes, please.

55. Do you have good vision? Ha hahahhahah!

56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? Yep.

57. How often do you talk on the phone? Daily with my mom, but other than that, hardly ever. Even less now that we live with so many people.

58. The last person you held hands with? The little guy.

59. What are you wearing? Jammies! Consisting of: my old black gym-rat pants, Smartwool socks and, embarassingly enough, a baseball jersey style t-shirt with Opus on it and the words "Penguin Lust." 

60. What is your favorite animal? Cats! Goats! Please don’t make me choose.

61. Where was your default picture taken? Backyard.

62. Can you hula hoop? For about two seconds.

63. Do you have a job? Not in the day-job sense. I have a four-year-old and a small business I’m trying to grow.

64. What was the most recent thing you bought? Groceries for making the Most Amazing Frittata which the poor, puking C was unable to consume.

65. Have you ever crawled through a window? Yes! But I can’t remember when or why right now.

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In Between…

…rounds of soaking yarn and knit pieces to set their sweet little twists and stitches.
I should be felting, but there is always the wee hours.
Thought I would procrastinate a little further in my pre-BBB activities to finally do the 7 Things meme that the fabulous Steph of Rivulette
tagged me for ages ago…

1. I used to be a Certified Spinning Instructor and worked at the best rock gym ever, The Berkeley Iron Works. And no, I didn’t have one of those cheesy, new-fangled mic things or fancy mirrors and flashy bikes…we just shouted at our students the old-fashioned way and were seriously hardcore cyclists when we were out on the road. "And we’re gonna sprint! In ONE, TWO, THREE…GO!!!!"

2. I am hopelessly in love with Horatio Hornblower of the series of historical fiction by CS Forester. I never pegged myself for a fan of Napoleonic era seafaring tales, but C started reading them aloud to me a couple years ago and I was utterly ensnared. Fortunately for C, he and Horatio are so alike it’s uncanny. Hee. I think there are 11 books, and we’ve made it through 8 of them…he reads while I’m spinning. We’ve taken a break from Hornblower for the Space Trilogy by CS Lewis.

3. I avoid chores that involve water. Give me a broom or a vacuum, folding/ironing clothes, general straightening up, anything rhythmic and dry and I will do it all happily. Ask me to wash dishes, mop (ugh) or clean the bathroom and I’ll probably grumble at you.

4. Yosemite is probably my favorite place on the whole planet. I used to rock climb there and really miss it, but I have plans to bring climbing back into my life in the Spring. Apparently there are a few little bouldering spots around here and I just need to ask the right folks where to find them…

5. I have recently become addicted to black tea with honey and milk. I honestly have no idea how I got so far in life without it.

6. I almost went to culinary school…in between when i was a theatre major and finally settling on photography for my BA. I have a fierce passion for baking, especially, and love to tweak recipes over and over again to make them my own. Makes me feel like I’m conjuring love spells…nothing says "I Love You" like a cocoa spice muffin infused with joy.

7. I gave birth to my son at home, in Ashland, OR, with the help of a midwife. 7 months later, we moved to southern Vermont. The little guy’s placenta is in a freezer in California, and I have yet to write the story of our journey and plant a tree…

Okay!

I feel like I need a list ala the super-duper sarahcoyne to help keep me focused for the rest of the week (and this time I really will come back to it and check my progress):

Points

It’s snowing.

I prefer this, because if it’s going to be so damn cold, there might as well be something to show for it.

Cranberries sauteed in butter + honey + yogurt = mmmmmmmmmmm.

Have discovered a brand new level of stress. Moving plus preparing for craft shows = panic attack. I have managed to squeeze in dyeing and felting here and there, but feel woefully unprepared for BBB. Hope to make up for it this week. Really, though, I think I will have a ton more product than I did for last year’s SFBB, so panic probably unwarranted.

Have learned that the barn/studio I will have available to me has a moth problem due to previous improper storage of wool/clothing/books. Am NOT bringing my wool in the first wave of moving, but rather will leave it in my current studio until problem is resolved. Thinking about trying to work through a good deal of my stash and storing the rest in those vacuum seal "space bags" or whatever they’re called, so that I can keep them in our part of the house without taking up too much room until eradication is completed in the studio area. It is simply not worth the risk of contamination. Otherwise, the studio space is beautiful, so I’m hoping it’s cool with my friends to turn off the heat and let the place freeze for a week. That would off the bastards. Any input in regards to those hateful creatures is appreciated!

Am excited to have a show-buddy accompanying me to BBB who knows her way around the area (and who is generally awesome). Am no longer terrified of making the drive to the big city. Hooray!

Wow. It’s really snowing.

Pictures! From the felting workshop!
     

Odd-sized pics, yes…I stole them from the Knit or Dye website.

Meme plus Dog Hair = Tuesday night

Nabbed from supersnackcake !

[1] Who was your FIRST prom date?
My first boyfriend. We were very pretty and in love and I had flowers in my hair.

[2] Do you still talk to your FIRST love?
Yep.

[3] What was your FIRST alcoholic drink?
I’ve never had a whole one…just sips of things here and there…first was a Tom and Jerry’s on Christmas (it has a bit of rum) with my folks. Those little sips make me feel really weird…hot and tingly down my arms…maybe I’m allergic? 

[4] What was your FIRST job?
First job that wasn’t under-the-table work for relatives or friends was for Longs Drugs. I really liked making keys, but hated everything else.

[5] What was your FIRST car?
1984 Volkswagen Rabbit. What a piece of shit. There was duct tape involved, and a rescue on the freeway at 3 AM by the fire department and tow truck driver named "Bear."

[6] Who was the FIRST person to text you today?
Texting? I don’t even get cell service where I live! 

[7] Who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning?
The Little Guy.

[8] Who was your FIRST grade teacher?
A jerk whose name I don’t remember. She wouldn’t let me go to the bathroom during classtime because I "should have gone at recess" and I peed in class. I think I blocked out her name because I suffered for that moment until I left that school after 5th grade.

[9] Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane?
I have no idea…maybe Mexico? (help me out, Mom)

[10] Who was your FIRST best friend and are you still friends with them?
Anne Marie Griffith…never really saw her after 5th grade, but I did see her a few times before I left my hometown.

[11] What was your FIRST sport played?
Basketball. I played on a team in elementary school and through middle school.

[12] Where was your FIRST sleep over?
I don’t remember. Probably 5th grade because it was with the Catholic school girls…I was not very popular (understatement) and so these sorts of gatherings were always painfully uncomfortable (understatement).

[13] Who was the FIRST person you talked to today?
The Husband

[14] Whose wedding were you in the FIRST time?
My Dad and A married when I was five…I lit a candle…other than that, I’ve never actually been IN a wedding.

[15] What was the FIRST thing you did this morning?
I snuck quietly out of bed and took a shower.

[16] What was the FIRST concert you ever went to?
Oh, God. NKOTB in elementary school.

[17] FIRST tattoo or piercing?
I have an eclipse on my back, surrounded by three stars…drawn by me.

[18] FIRST foreign country you went to for vacation?
Mexico.

[19] What was your FIRST run in with the law?
Pulled over for speeding in Danville, CA when I was 16. I didn’t get a ticket, but the police officer screamed and yelled at me after I couldn’t find my registration and I cried most of the way home, with my friends in the car. Remember that, cinderpie ?

[20] When was your FIRST detention?
Don’t remember, but it was probably elementary school, for talking in class.

[21] What was the FIRST state you lived in?
California.

[22] Who was the FIRST person to break your heart?
See [1].

[23] Who was your FIRST roommate?
cinderpie 

[24] Where did you go on your FIRST limo ride?
Senior Prom. I wore a sparkly dress with Converse All-Stars.

Well, that was a nice distraction!
From this:

Which is now this:

20 balls of 50% husky dog/50% wool roving…2.5 ounces each, on its way to becoming 10 5 oz. skeins of 2-ply, some worsted, some bulky. A customer brought this to me at the farmer’s market, saying she hadn’t been able to find anyone to spin it for her and could I do it? It’s taken me a while to get into it, but it’s very soft and fluffy fiber. A bitch to spin, though, as the blend has a lot of little neps and short, fluffy bits, very difficult to spin evenly. Definitely good stuff for honing technique, so I’m enjoying the project. I’m hoping she wants me to dye some of it after it’s spun…I’m sure it would take up color beautifully.

better late than memeless…

The rules:
Take a picture of yourself right now.
Don’t change your clothes, don’t fix your hair… just take a picture.
Post that picture with NO editing.
Post these instructions with your picture.

carryboo informed me that a broken isight camera is no excuse not to participate in the self-portrait meme. So, I precariously poised the point-and-shoot on top of the computer and here I am. It’s cooooooooold today. I am be-hatted. As much as I wouldn’t mind winter holding off for a little while, I very much miss wearing hats during the warm(ish) months. I’m working on a sample hat for the new LYS (Knit or Dye on Main St. in Brattleboro) and am discovering that I really enjoying knitting hats as well as wearing them. I see a giant pile of scrap-yarn hats in my future.

And speaking of the new LYS: I’M SO EXCITED. I’m currently putting together a schedule of classes and workshops I will be teaching, as well as a big order of yarn and batts to be sold there. I’ll be doing classes on nuno-felting, wet-felting and needle-felting as well as some wheel-spinning workshops. This means I get to put together spinning and felting kits and get paid to play with them and show people how to do things that make me happy. Yay!

And, because I know you’ve all been wondering…whatever happened to that Bean Teepee?

Magic Beans, that’s what! I harvested all the beans I could before last night’s frost. Some were already dried and ready to shell and store, and the others are currently drying on a screen…
I think I have a cup and half so far of tiny white soup beans. We may get three cups total…I guess that’s two winter stews worth, so not bad! There are also some scarlet bean runners, but I don’t think we’ll end up with more than two cups of those…
Note to self: next year, plant MORE beans.

care of suncloudedover…

…and perfect for my contemplative, if not somewhat crappy mood.

Here’s a list of things you may or may not have accomplished in your life.
Mark what you’ve done in Bold and what you would want to do in italics.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment (it’s happened once, but i really wouldn’t mind if it happened again).
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie (technically, a Chinese soap opera…does that count?)
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children (well, workin’ on it)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over (“city” is pushin’ it,…how about “town?”)
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Para-sailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad – and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office (at school)
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

The rain just stopped.
I had to set pans in the pantry to catch water that is DRIPPING from SOMEWHERE. Fabulous.
C is going to be late, late, late.
I’m wishing we just had a little yurt and a greenhouse in some little meadow surrounded by woods. Right now I hate this house and how I have to spend so much time in it alone. For a while, I was feeling relieved from our decision not to sell, but now I am consumed with dread for the impending winter and heating this monstrosity.

But, the rain did just stop.
And the little guy is smiling.

ABC meme-ness,…and stuff

Accent: um…northern California girl?

Breakfast or no breakfast: Always. Lots of it.

Chore I don’t care for: Cleaning bathrooms. Really, any cleaning involving sponges and water.

Dog or cat: Cat. A fluffy one that leaves dreadlocks all over the house.

Essential electronics: Laptop and the stereo. Yes we live in the dark ages and still use CDs, records and…cassettes.

Favorite cologne: What’s cologne? Essential oils I use: sandalwood, vetiver, black coconut.

Gold or silver: um…steel?

Handbag I carry most often: What’s a handbag? I carry a Timbuktu messenger bag (from back when they used to let you design your own)  

Insomnia: Yes.

Job Title: Artist? Mama? Neither of which I get paid for.

Kids: One three-year-old crazy bean.

Living arrangements: 200-year-old farmhouse.

Most admirable trait: Resourcefulness. Without it, we’d be starving.

Naughtiest childhood behavior: Stealing, although I hate the term “naughty,” (in reference to children, anyway).

Overnight hospital stay: Never.

Phobias: Elevators.

Quote: “The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. Neither need you do anything but be yourself.” Lao-Tse

Reason to smile: My boy. Our garden. Good friends. Hope. (I suppose that would be reasons).

Siblings: 2 step-sisters, one a Mofo Maven, and the other a Roller Derby Queen.

Time I wake up: Between 5:30 and 6AM. I wait as long as possible to get out of bed, though.

Unusual skill or talent: Lately…hoeing. Yes, my back hurts. Usually, thought, it’s turning a pile of fluff into a beautiful piece of functional art.

Vegetable I refuse to eat: Cauliflower. I’ll eat it, but I think the stuff is awful. Besides, I think white vegetables are creepy, unless they’re roots.

Worst habit: Internet.

X-rays: Mouth.

Yummy stuff: Chocolate. French indigo lentils. Pecans. Kombucha.

Zoo animal I like most: It’s a tie between the Sun Bear and Otters.

I post this because I have too much to say right now, too much I’ve been thinking about, to make a real post. The state of of things (in this country, in the world) are weighing heavily on me and I’m in the midst of major life decisions that terrify me and give me hope all at the same time. We have had two glorious days of rain, thankfully, and all is dreary, wet and gray. In the moment, I can be happy. When I think outside of it, I feel paralyzed.

I carded the wool for this yarn, infusing it with Prayers for Rain. They were answered, and my seeds are happy:

Prayers for Rain corespun bits of everything, including wools, flax, sari silk and easter grass.

Market tomorrow. Off to spin.