ARE you sure it is Sunday?

Bernie didn't wake up channeling bacon this morning!

I am assuming his internal clock is off huh?
I mean most Sundays I have to hear him tell me over and over.......' I smell bacon'

( I guess it is better then him telling me he smells dead people or something like that huh?)

Maybe it was because we had talked about maybe getting bagels for today's main event.....

Sunday breakfast for us, as for most folks it s big deal........ HE ALWAYS cooks Sunday breakfast.......even when his sisters were here visiting he cooked Sunday breakfast.

So right now as I sip my coffee (which is not very good today for some odd reason) he is cooking his bacon.


finished lace scarf for my lace class in Siskin red.

The laperms meanwhile have taken this special time to of course get into trouble.....
I just shooed calpurrnia out of a doll house.
the little blue eyed one who can do no wrong was stuffing her fluffy little body into a story and a half doll house after the accessories.......
remind me again how much I LOVE THESE GUYS??
quick before I have to crate them.............

Thaddeaus is to get a bath today.................
calpurrnia is not due one but if she pisses me off enough........ BOOM she is going to be in the tub.


closeup of that scarf pattern


long shot

***STATS, this is based on a pattern from The Knitting Fairy, however I modified it a wee bit....



Ok I am going to start a tiny personal journal............... not this blog it is a public journal
I am going to start a personal one........( for my eyes only........hahahahaha)

the reason???
I am thinking I am at another transition point in my life.......... ( they happen to everyone periodically) and I would like to work out the next segment for myself.

I have done this at other transitions in life, I kept a journal while dad was ill for a while, until I got too busy to do it...... ( and too exhausted.......Alzheimer's is no joke)

So I picked up a tiny little note pad, just until I get the signatures that are lying around the studio sewn into a book .......... I have been wanting to do a bit of bookbinding anyway.....

(what you don't have signatures laying around in YOUR studio???????????????
and you call yourself an ARTIST????.......... oh.............wait you don't call yourself an artist?....... ok sorry.....never mind)

I really could get into bookbinding on a larger scale if I had a bit more space in the studio and bookbinders press....... Or even a hot type letter press......

like I NEED another thing to do around here...

but anyway back to the transitions..........

I have to decide what to do with my business, close it, ? grow it? change it? sell it?
then what to do with my professional life........
after all........now that I am down to one chin, a loose hump and lost part of my stomach rolls.........
I need to do SOMETHING no???
til next time
as my breakfast is ready
vi

ohoh....... I think I did me in

as I was released from pt, I figured that I was ok to start doing heavy work again....
well wouldn't YOU think that???
I started by cleaning the living room and throwing myself into workbench work

BIG freeken mistake

can you say........ vi is a moron.......
yes I know you can cause I am

my shoulders are killing me and I am having a bit of trouble keeping them down again......

can you say STRESS?????

I am doing my pt faithfully.. ( I don't want to have to have mengele rip my head off and shove it up my ass........this time she may NOT retrieve it.......cause I was a moron)

ok so what do I do???
more stretches.........and ICE

ice is my friend.....
I am going to encase my sorry ass and painful shoulders in a glacier I loves me so much ice
I am going to bath in aspirin and ice.......
see that blue woman over there.............. shivering......
that would be me

ok in other news
bernie is picking up 20 pounds of on sale boneless skinless chicken breast so I will be cooking all weekend....
no I never do learn do I

someone come over here and hit me over the head with the frying pan I so richly deserve??????????
hurry before mengele gets to me

I may not survive her wrath...........


NOW the big announcement

THE VAN IS ACTUALLY IN THE SHOP AS I TYPE

and on the lift!

ok that is the good news........I am waiting to hear the bad.....

which I hope isn't too bad.

lets see......

I finished that lace scarf........did I tell you all already? it is washed, slightly blocked and ready to go to the yarn store.

that was my pt scarf...........knit throughout most of pt.

so that is also over.

am I the only one that gets a bit lost at endings???

the end of a project?

visit?

season?

LOVE beginnings so I need to have a new project FAST...

something all consuming and endlessly fascinating.......

til next time

vi

Rosemary

Rosemary Jayne Zook

Rosemary J. Zook passed away peacefully on Tuesday, July 19, at the University of Medicine and Dentistry in Newark, N.J.
Born on Jan. 1, 1936, in Villisca, Iowa, she was the daughter of David and Wilma Zook.
A member of Morristown High School class of 1953, she held a B.A from East Stroudsburg University, 1971, an M.S from the University of Scranton, 1979, and a Ph.D. candidate from Bryn Mawr College.
A licensed psychologist who practiced in East Stroudsburg for over 25 years, she was founder and director of The Center for Human Growth Inc., East Stroudsburg.
An accomplished musician and songwriter, who had several compositions featured at a variety of venues, including the Delaware Water Gap Jazz Festival, Ms. Zook was also a published author, recently featured in The Seattle Times and The Baltimore Sun. Her commentaries The Monster Under The Bed' and Color Me Scared' eloquently spoke to how best to confront our fears in this ever-changing post-9/11 world.
Ms. Zook was actively involved in numerous community organizations and philanthropic causes. A trusted friend, loving mother and grandmother, and mentor to many, Rosemary had an irreverent sense of humor, a sharp wit, and possessed a unique generosity of spirit that was unparalleled. She will be sorely missed.
She is survived by two sons, David Robert Anderson, wife Chilon, of Cary, N.C., and John Stephen Anderson, wife April, of Cresco. She was also the proud grandmother of Crystal Cervino Dawson, and husband, Corey, of East Stroudsburg, David and Jessica Anderson, of Cary, N.C., and great-granddaughter, Stephanie Gross Cervino.
In addition, she is survived by her assistant, office manager and devoted friend, Janice Rushen, of East Stroudsburg; one sister, Muriel Fancher in Easton, Md.; and three nieces: Elizabeth Fancher, Ellen Fancher-Ruiz, and Susan Fancher-Ruzicka.
There will be no public viewing. A cremation will take place on Tuesday, July 26.
The family will receive friends and visitors from 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 27, at the home on 3871 Cranberry Road, Stroudsburg.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to AMDA, The Acid Maltase Deficiency Association, P.O. Box 700248, San Antonio, Texas 78270, or www.amda-pompe.org.

Personal points of view

My friend Marilyn and I were talking today, about view points.
She said that my view point is a bit unique from the average person.

Now I have always thought I was a forgettable type person, someone who blended into the woodwork.
Marilyn it would seem, differs with my opinion of myself.

I do however realize that I have a slightly left of center sense of humor.
As well as a rather distinctive voice......( stop me if you think I am wrong here)
beings as I am from jersey and all originally.

I was informed that it is highly unlikely that folks that have been exposed to me for any reasonable length of time would forget me........

I am not all that sure about that....... but Marilyn did say that so I imagine it may have some truth. As Marilyn would not lie to me

I am however not exactly shy when I do have something to say.

what brought this all up?

well as I am in the middle of endings and new beginnings....... I got to thinking if folks ever remember me after I am gone.

And In light of Rosemary's crossing, I wonder how my stint on this earth affects folks......

Also I don't know when or if I am going to be able to go back to pt, which in a way terrifies me as I am so afraid I will do my shoulders and neck in again. ( Will they remember me when if I have to go for my hands and knees???? )

NOW I realize how limited my world had become before, when my arms and shoulders did not work. ( MENGELE IS A SAINT I TELL YOU)

I did make the appointment with the neurologist so that they can start doing whatever to my hands...... which go numb FAST when I am actually working at my normal pace. Then the numb leg..........then the last thing is the knee that is numb and yet hurts all the time.

I also guess that with Rosemary having crossed over.. (the last day of PT) I wonder if she will remember me when I get to heaven???

( hush now I am going to go to heaven..........if for nothing more then the comic amusement-you all know how much Larry, Moe and Curly love me, and also in SPITE of all them folks that always seem to 'damn you to hell' hahahahah stubborn cuss I am)

I also just realized that I have to do some deciding on my business.
I have to change it to meet this new market climate, as well as my bodily limits....... no longer can I do 15 hours of production a day. So I have to grow it in a new direction.

The soap part will pretty much stay the same basically.. the marketing for it will change however.

The doll part is going to have to change the most. I am thinking of patterns and how to books now. With me only doing prototypes.

oh and I finished that lace scarf for the class I am teaching, I knit the entire scarf while doing pt.
it will always be my 'pt scarf'

gee true to the aries I am ...... I HATE endings.........

but I dearly LOVE beginnings..

til next time
vi

Endings & Beginnings

***First---------fast note to Kathy...... please go and click your link.......

well I have happiness and sadness today.
First the happy stuff.......
the doctor released me from pt, and said he was very happy with my results.........

that I did good in pt, YEAH for MENGELE!!!

I worked my ass off but if it wasn't for her magic hands......I would not be able to reach over my head.

( yes my beloved Bella Mengele, I did my exercises today and will do them tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow............. )

Now them folks down there at the PT place had BETTER miss me!
hahahahaha

ok I am now going to be going to get my hands done, so first I have to go to the Neurologist......who will look in my ear with a candle and wave to the squirrels that inhabit my head..............

well it is nerve stuff in my hands.....not bones....

After all that stuff then I get the knee done.......and I think then Mengele will have me back and be happily beating the crap out of me while I make smart ass remarks and document it all on this blog....

now on to the bad news,

a Person I respected highly died yesterday, she had MS.

In spite of her medical problems, she had courage and humor..... both things I respect highly.

I last spoke to her on July 6, and we caught up with what is going on.

Now while this was not unexpected, it still was a shock to me.

Rosemary, I know you can hear me...... And while I will miss you...... you are finally free of the prison that your body became.......

and now......

you can fly

I will miss you

vi

Thaddeaus ate it

fast note to Kathy...... please go and click your link.......

my little curly headed son, you know....... the one in the picture (click on his name to the right)
is such a darlink...... so innocent......... so sweet, mild tempered, loving, lovable.......( yeah right my ass)
he as some of you know.......will EAT anything
He disemboweled a woolen snowman I laboriously needle felted for Bernie.........
and now..... he ate my hat for my halloween doll........
and it was ALL FINISHED too......
sniff
he waited until it was finished
all weekend this hat has been kicking around the studio being pushed and pummeled into a remarkable semblance of a sugar loaf hat from the 1600's

in purple no less...........

sniff

not any more

now it looks like an ass wipe

with hair.

at least he left me the FEATHER that was decorating it

that was soooooooooooooo big of him.

ok in other areas.......

Mengele said I got about 75% strength and movement back in my left arm....... YEAH for mengele.

she didn't kill me today either......

ok you guys.......tell me the truth........am I dyink??????

after all mengele didn't rip my head off and toss it on the table...........she didn't forceable extract my shoulders and invert them......

so I ask you all again????

am

I

dyink?

you can tell me...........................

( after all you are all in the will.......)

ok so I called the orthepedic doctor and found out that my appointment is 9:30 on wen. I also told them....... lets do the wrists, elbow and my knees

damn, mengele gave me back shoulder and neck movement........lets see if I can again use my hands without them going numb every two seconds..

the woman is a miracle worker, but you better be good with pain if you go to her.

if mengele puts THIS body back together I want a 90K warrenty, and julia roberts legs.......

OH and if mengele pulls this off........she is deffinately going to cannonized....... saint mengele.......of the crushed and broken bones.

patron saint of formerly handicapped folks in this and any other world.

oh and she said my hump is moving around....... it is soft and pliable.

I don't know if I actually want a moving hump.............. ( shades of mel brooks frankenstein.....)

unless this hump moves off next door onto the moron's face.......and SMOTHERS him

with my luck this moving hump will slide down my back and add to my already impressively huge back end.........

hey but at least I can turn my HEAD

hahahahahahah

oye til next time

vi

rain rain............go away

it is overcast today, ordinarily I would adore it.
(yeah for misty overcast eerie fay type weather!!!)
however I wanted to take some pictures of the dolls and the knitting so today isn't all that great lighting wise to do that.

I am about done with the Halloween doll........ I made YET another basket as thaddeaus ate the first one.
this second one is oval and I think I am going to put a supportive bottom on it......
I have to make her little hat and cape next.....
I have the pumpkins and JOL's to fill her basket up
( thank goodness for sculpty huh?)

Bernie is going to recycling.......I am sitting home typing this.
He is going to online school for Kia today so I won't be on the computer.
I will finish my sample for my lace class.....and rewrite the instructions for my students.

I have a few more things to make for the fair and also halloween stuff to make.....
and I have to put some stuff up on ebay.

I don't know if I am going to enter any photo's yet in the fair..........I have a few I would love to enter but I don't have a color cartridge........ and I am not entirely sure that even if I had one, would this printer do the pictures justice????

TUESDAY night I am going to go to an online chat........... someone remind me ok? it is at 7pm

I am doing my pt excersizes faithfully and running around waving at the ceiling.........
I can't believe I can get my hands over my HEAD again!
oh MY
I feel so young!
Bernie even commented that my neck IS longer.... Bless mengele and all her descendants........

it isn't being held down and jambed up

And while I did NOT lose weight, I look like I did a bit
as there is a stomach, chin and part of a hump gone!
( that damn dowagers hump on my back.............ewwwwwwwwwwwww...... I remember my mom had one............ewwwwwwwwwwww)
my shoulders are down and back now instead of up and forward......
which means clothes fit a bit better as well!

ok
off to work I go
hi ho hi ho
til next time
vi

ALMOST done!!!

and this is how the wigging started

sorry about the blurry photo's

ok off to work I go
vi

violet's newest craze

is her arms!!!!
yes yes it is official
I can lift my arms over my head again!!!!!!!

yeah for JUNE ( la bella mengele)

I keep putting my arms up in the air.

It is a good thing I am home alone as I look pretty freeken funny walking around like that.

In other news, I was pretty wiped yesterday........
( mengele truly whipped my ass but good, quivering mass of jello doesn't begin to describe how bad off I was yesterday, and of course imminent menstruation isn't helping matters)

I also was pre-mentral, and had intermitten hot flashes.............
I think if I was a horse they woulda shot me huh???

Ok todays schedule after putting my arms in the air.....(thank GOODNESS for deodorant huh?)
is to finish this doll and do my pt.
I am painting fall leaves on the little apron that is going to go on her.........
I did her stomacher (stomacher and again here for a stomacher ) in orange! I may paint it with something later
and her bodice now I have to finish her apron, then needle felt her hair and do the last touches on her.
I am not rushing her however
But she looks like she will be cute however when she is done.

today I am exhausted, I can just go upstairs and sleep. I didn't even eat yesterday I was so bad.
Thaddeaus caught his little toe in the crate lock thing, and was yowling at 5am so I rushed to help him and then of course I was up
the ladies were up and wanting breakfast......
hell even the field mice were up after that racket.
a bowl of cat food made it all better for him
the little glutton.....
hahahaha

ok I hope for pictures for you all later so check back late this afternoon
til next time
vi

La Bella Mengele strikes again

well Mengele was in rare form today.

ok so let me preface this with telling you that she is really a wonderful lady. Her name is June and she is a miracle worker, she gives people back their lives again.
She knows her stuff and has given me back so much of my life I can't even tell you all.
I have actual motion now, and I can move my neck!
I also have some pain free times............I haven't been pain free in about 20 years!
she does this really odd thing where she twists you, and then holds you like that for about 2 whole minutes....... let me tell you the woman is a miracle worker.

There is a very special place in heaven for her, cause she really does go above and beyond.
And most importantly she cares.

She really does, you can tell.

And I am forever grateful and in her debt.

ok that being said...... Mengele reached new heights of torture today
Contortions like you have NEVER seen before
I didn't know that a human body of this size could actually bend that way.
Ok well last week she bent & stretched my poor little neck so far I swear I am three inches taller

seriously

I actually lost one of my many many CHINS!!!!!!

BERNIE noticed it!

( I told him that Mengele ripped it off)

Today Mengele got the big guns out...............................
she got the manual and her eyeglasses........

ok so here I am head hanging off the end of the table...... she tossed my wig down the other end of the table, and was yanking and twisting my head off until I looked like Linda Blair in the Exorcist
or at least a barn owl
The only thing we were missing was the projectile green pea soup......

she put the manual on my chest....... I Can't even See over my own boobs, even lying down the damn things are so freeken huge............. like a mountain range..........what toes????

which of course I was still breathing so it slid off to the side...... and down the slope
I did grab it
I held it as I know she needed to see it


you know you're in trouble when..........

Mengele is looking for a spot to place her feet so she can get better traction when she goes to twist my head off, and she decides that under my ass is the perfect place. Well the weight would hold her foot in place.

She puts me in to positions that even BERNIE wouldn't get me in...only her positions hurt like hell.......... ( he couldn't get me in.........I don't twist that way..............NO ONE twists that way)

Mengele has one hand on my neck and the other in the book........

after my little head is jammed down into my chest which caused me to talk like Minnie mouse.............
She asked me how I was doing...........

squeak squeak

ha
it's ok who needs to breath?????
I got shoulder movement!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I told bernie that she ripped my head off....shoved it up my ass and pulled it out my ear............
rinse and repeat........
I swear that is what it feels like........

however after the intense and excruciating pain goes away................. I really DO have a lot more range of movement and more and more pain free time!!!

but until that point there is not enough ice..........glaciers don't have enough ice..........


all this for me to come home, and hold the phone with my right shoulder AGAINST Mengele's orders.........
while yacking away a mile a minute with Mary, and typing this blog entry

talk about multi tasking
hahahaha
Mary is now afraid that Mengele will blame her................

I think mary is afraid mengele will rip HER head off.............hahahahahahahahahah

however Mengele did replace my head before I left.........
after all I couldn't be the headless violet, as I don't live in tarry town and my last name isn't Irving

Mary wants to not be in the middle of my shoulder and mengele's wrath.................
hahahahah
she wants a beeper on my head set (the one that thaddeaus took off with......HE DID!~and he ate it)

So Mengele dear if you read this ..........Please comment and tell mary that her head isn't next on the block as she really is afraid of you now.

til later..
oh and I will post more pictures of the doll later as she is pretty much almost done
but I am going out with Diane today for ICECREAM
and I got priorities you know
vi

after bath cat pictures and update on the halloween doll

ok here is Calpurrnia, she is all fluffy and curly again! isn't she the sweetest little thing?
don't let her kid you, she put us through the ringer for her bath!.

here is a better view of her ruff curls.
She just makes me melt.

here is our 'little guy' thaddeaus, as you all can see he is all fluffy and curly after his bath.
he actually likes the bath, he just doesn't like the towel part after!
he is a REALLY big cat, when bernie holds him, he covers bernie's entire chest and one shoulder....


Fawn didn't get a bath this week, she is due next week, but she was all concern that her great great grandcats were getting one.

When Calpurrnia cried Fawn got VERY upset and kept getting under our feet and calling Calpurrnia to reassure her. It didn't work really well however. but calpie is all clean and fluffy.....and has forgiven her dad...... me she loves today!

ok now that those guys are done,

here are the finished boots on the doll............ they enable her to stand up on her own but they are a bit large for her.

and here is the finished underskirt, I just finished painting the fabric for the overskirt, I am not sure if I should do any metallic printing on it however.

Time to think about ............

HALLOWEEN!

What you folks don't start thinking about halloween in july???
Why NOT?
Now I am not talking about the slasher, bloody, scary, icky halloween crap that is served up every year by hollywood............
noooooooooooooo

we all know that is crap right???
I am talking about vintage halloween

Friendly little jack o lanterns, ghostly folks, Happy rosy cheeked witches.......
those vintage vegetable people......

( insert hugh sigh here.....)

If you read me regularly ( and if you do thank you, I hope you enjoy your visit) you all know I am doing the halloween cloth doll...... nothing gorie at all, just sweet and pumpkinie....... ( it is a word NOW)

well I also joined a couple of new ( to me) yahoo groups, a halloween one, cloth doll one, and primitive one. At one group was the instructions for making a feather tree........hmmmmmmmmmm
always wanted one of them..........
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhmm
have them little pumpkin ghosts for the dollhouse I couldn't stop making last year.............
hmmmmmmmmmm
I am thinking I really have got to clear the time and space in the studio to make one of those feather trees.

I have the wire, I have dowels, I think I even have the florist tape.............. CAROLE has the poultry feathers.............
this just may actually happen!!!!
which would make me very happy to finally have.

So my question to you all is................. in BLACK or ORANGE????

if I had poll scripting I would insert a poll here
but I don't at the moment
so if you have an opinion please post it in the comment section..........????

if you would be so kind
til next time
vi

stormious interuptus

damn don't you HATE when that happens?
a small but overly confident storm blew through here a whiles ago.
all puffed up with itself.
ha
it didn't last 10 minutes
all huff and no puff.
however it made me shut the computer down and it is still really dark in here.


For the doll folks looking for my halloween doll I am still working on ........ click HERE scroll down to the bottom for pictures
I will be putting updates on here either today or tomorrow

I am working on the boots for her right now

I am on a really tear right now.
I have stuff to make for competition, as well as the fall seasonal sales.
And inbetween I am making stuff for me.
( me, me, me......... mememememememe........ ok so actually it isn't really for me, but for the house............ but it makes ME happy)

ohohoh and I am making a new fall leave set of bags, ( small shoulder bag/sock tote, little matching tool bag, and large knitting/spin group tote)
I have a tapestry fabric with oak leaves woven into it. I am going to lightly hand tint these leaves in my favorite trio of colors......... ( magenta, orange, yellow)
I didn't start this set yet as I need to find some lining fabric .............
I think I would like a muted sort of fall leaves print.


right now, right this second i am having a blast
ok off to finish the macaroni salad and to finish the boots for the halloween doll
til next time
vi

The Cries of London

First off, I don't understand terrorism.
there are so many things in life that cause pain, 'acts of god', natural disasters, illness, natural deaths, accidents.......I can even understand crimes of passion.

I don't understand how someone could possibly do an act of this much violence to another human being.
how can a person in their heart between them and their idea of god justify this?
I can't even begin to fantom this
I can't get my mind around it.

it literally is too large for my brain to comprehend
my heart goes out to the folks there.
Mengele spoke to her family there and everyone of her folks are ok and accounted for...... thankfully.

Now the post that I had planned for today, I am still going to post, almost in defiance of the disruption that these people have tried to perpetrate.

How I design and make a cloth doll.

while I do start with a rough idea or sketch, ( which I did not scan sorry) from which I draft a pattern and make the body, I am not going to bore you all with that part....... nor with the endless tweaks that I do before I get one actually together so here are the 'work in process' photos

This is the overview of the finished body, with head attached

A close up of the face, this is the color that is most correct.

Wigging fiber just laid over the head to check coloration, this is a warm butterscotch and it is definitely a go. However the color of this picture is way off

the over view of the sewn, but not gathered skirt with hand painted pumpkins.. this color is pretty accurate

close up of one of the pumpkins, color is very off

and on WENDESDAY....... violet did nothing!

for the most part
I got up LATE.........
ok so I was up at 4 AM, but I hung out in the bed with the cats to almost 7am

I ate a scrambled egg, cheddar cheese, cream cheese wrap sandwich for lunch......
I got the mail
I paid the insurance
I argued with the insurance company over a claim that they had originally paid
I talked to the doctor......
I painted pumpkins on one of the dresses for a doll for competition.......
I made tetrazzini

in other words
I did absolutely NOTHING today

( that is my story and I am sticking to it)
I got pt tomorrow......
I was a very good girl and did my excersizes..... even though they HURT
sniff
am I getting ANY sympathy here????

( well I don't get much from bernie either......he said it was good for me)

ok well I am off to finish dinner
and bernie just pulled up
til next time
vi

what the hell is this???

http://blogshares.com/blogs.php?blog=http://notashyviolet.blogspot.com%2F#
???????????????????
oh my!

SOAP, beautiful SOAP!!! Loverly SOAP

I just cut up 10 pounds of freshly made patchouli soap. All slated for a client who can't live without patchouli, ( she wanted 30 lbs-they must be a VERY clean family.........)
I cut it different then normal so there is much less then 40 bars, but some are nice and large for the men in her family.
She is going to be thrilled!

I made it yesterday and now it will join the older more experienced soapies up in the soap room.
They will instruct it on it's future career.....

I worked on another cloth doll this weekend. She is very somber in an Addams family sort of way, without being macabre.
Soooooooooooo I was thinking..............
how about a sort of halloween without being scary sort of a doll?
I have been wanting to play with that sort of theme for a while....

( I LOVE halloween, but none of the horror and bloody crap, I only like pumpkins, and ghosties and witches...... maybe an occational banshee thrown in for good measure, although a dancing skeleton is pretty good here and there............... oh and BATS.... love me some bats and black cats......)

so anyway, I have her made, and I am painting tests for her petticoat, with pumpkins on it!, after I do the clothing I will do her hair.
( I switched last year to needle felting hair on these cloth dolls after I got the felting needles in Rhinebeck in October........... LOVE IT, and won't go back to doing it any other way!)

I drew out the next couple of dolls.... I am doing some experiments with cloth so we'll see how much makes the final grade and into the competition at the fair.

I still have the Toadcroft sisters to do as well.......

Hey I got the BESTEST present today!
mengele gave me a delphinium!
I have tried to grow them from seed, but they get about 4 inches high and keel over.
( and I have a VERY green thumb, ask bernie...........he swears I can grow a stick!)
she gave me one she divided off of her established plant so I have high hopes for this one.
wasn't that the sweetest most wonderful thing????
I love delphiniums, they are one of the definative english perrenial border plants, and really beautiful.

So thank you so very much mengele, you have no idea how wonderful that was of you........

I am thinking of what out in my garden I would have to share with you....... as it is not in good shape lately but IS full of obscure medicinal plants........ stuff no one grows anymore but really still work so very well..............?
agrimony?
red valerin

oh one more thing.......... Today our little calpurrnia has been with us a year!
and on july 17 her and her brother will turn two years old!
I just took a nap and little calpie slept up on my chest with her tiny pink nose next to mine.
hahaha
she is my little lady.......... and I am so thrilled that she joined our little family.
whatever did I do without them?
til next time
vi

FINALLY, I took the pictures of this doll finished

head shot


and with the red ribbon.....
oye

channeling bacon part 2

again it happened.......
my husband woke up channeling bacon

is this normal I ask YOU????

he said to me...... 'someone is COOKING bacon'

yea right bernie......and you can smell it even though it is 6am, and the air conditioners are on, AND one of the cats just used the facilities.......
but you smell bacon....

not just any bacon mind you........
PLUMROSE bacon!!!!

then because he is who he is
he also started to smell toast!

ahhhhhhh there is nothing like a sunday morning huh???

in other news, I can't make the weights I wanted to, as the rim weights were recyled by the tire people thursday.
Of course they didn't realize until AFTER I called and they said I could have them.

but I got a pair of ankle weights that I can remove the weights by the pound for 19.00 so it isn't too bad.
( target in case anyone needs to know)

I also stopped at the fabric store and got two new remnets for my bags, one is a dark navy with burgandy flowers very very sophisticated in a traditional sort of way.
and I got a yellow/peach/green with oak leaves, which I plan on tinting with watered down fabric paints in shades of magenta, purple, orange and red...............
however the tinting will wait until I get the lining fabric for that one.

I am thinking of lining the navy one in a dark reddish burgandy, really understated ( especially for me, huh? someone quick see if I have a fever???)

I am on a knitting bag/tote/ tool bag kick lately, even though I have been doing stuff like this for years, now I am determined to have sets for every mood.........
why I DON'T know
but I am
gees.......... and here I am with no closets!

also lately a song is running through my head........ 'wouldn't it be nice'
remember from the 60's..........
only I have changed the words a tad............
hahahah
just a tad......

'wouldn't it be nice to have an ipod
wouldn't it be nice to have a farm
wouldn't it be nice to have some savings
wouldn't it be nice for moron to be gone...............'

hahahah
oh man the stuff that inhabits my mind is SCARY

anyway it is playing over and over in my poor head......... there are other verses as well
that include things like closets and tunis sheepies

ok now I am off to sew dolls and bags........... possible a tunic top if I can figure out WHERE bernie put my rayons

oye
til next time
and I will post pictures so stay tuned
vi

Mengele just upped the anti

oh MY.........
just when I thought it was SAFE and pt was over.......
Mengele informs me that they DID get me approved for 4 more weeks
and guess what else???

she got some new torture devised for me

apparently I have no upper body strength.....
( ah, Mengele, did you NOT say to me......'nothing more then 5 pounds'????? see how good I listened!!!!!)

she has decided I need weight training for strength...........

oh my........
I can't tell you the screaming mass of heat that my muscles are right now.......

and I was informed by everyone that they will 'be really sore in a day or so'

oh man.............
and I need to do this weight stuff at home.

ok
I have some weights here...
but they are too large, they are 10 pounders.
so I need weights and I can't afford to spend a kidney on them
I have thunk
and thunk
and decided to make my own weights that will be able to be adjustable is weight.
and will velcro around my wrists and forearms.
I will use wheel weights from bernie's shop as the actually heavy stuff.
and some thing stretchy for the carrier........... with velcro for the fasteners......... maybe a fleece backing?

I plan on doing the little weighty thingies in tiny pillow of about 4 oz to 8 oz each...... and put them in little pockets in the carrier thingy that straps on.

it shouldn't take me alot of time to make and weight up the pillows

the most expensive part of this project would be the weights, but used wheel weights don't cost anything from a shop.

they are thrilled to get rid of them!

I figure a couple squirts of "DAWN" detergent should take the grease out.

If I am able to do this (and make it work, which I can't see why not) I will post either directions or pictures or something.......

Even if I have to buy the stretchy fabric and velcro I am assuming that it won't cost more then 12.00 for the entire thing!

and I am also assuming that I can do some pretty wild fabric no????
maybe even MAGENTA??????
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
hahahaha
I am thrilled with this whole make the weight thingy
if not really thrilled at the thought of actually struggling to USE THEM

let me tell you, it wasn't easy today, who know that 4 pounds and 5 pounds weights so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!

who knew muscles could get that hot and painful so fast????
oye
til next time.
vi

added to KC, Thank you so much sweetie, but Mengele doesn't want too much strain on my hands, and some of the excersizes involve movements that if I had a milk jug in my hands would deffinately do the carpal tunnel in.
we did discuss that option but she doesn't want my wrists stressed at all.
I am deffinately falling apart here.......
hopefully mengele and this tape will hold me together a bit longer?