il nostro mengele caro bello***

our beautiful beloved mengele

I went to nj today
to the doctor
maybe maybe I can avoid surgery......
I think so as I have been avoiding surgery for a while now.....
shoulder surgery....... back surgery......
so we'll see
and no don't ask.......

it was right up the street from our Mengele
so naturally I had called them and told them I was coming to see them

I ended up teaching Kathy the secretary how to knit
and visiting with mengele as much as she was able which was not a lot
she was very busy with patients
she looked tired and I am a bit worried about her

you all know how I love our mengele

Kathy looked great.......she'd lost some weight and it agreed with her.
she is learning to knit very very fast
I was very proud of her........

meanwhile the thyroid meds are helping immensely
although I probably should have actually EATEN something today
huh?
I didn't.......
I had coffee and ran
so at 5pm when I got home I had a cheese wrap........
maybe that was NOT the best thing to have done?

so I am now really really tired did I mention I am tired

well yup yup I am
tomorrow is spin..............
I am not ready and probably won't be able to go........ ask me now I am way too tired

let's see
I am swatching for the chicken hat............. which is actually going to be a sort of gauge swatch for the latvian mittens
which i will probably get to by JUNE......
meanwhile as mindless waiting room knitting I am doing a shaped sort of hybrid dicky/scarf thingy
I am sort of designing it as I go
this one has long scarf like fronts that I will be able to tie or wrap.
I am going to make another one that is more like a normal dicky
and I am also going to make a mobius sort of cowl neck

all these in laceweight, all in garter stitch and all mindless waiting room knitting

the chicken laid another egg either today or yesterday............bernie found it buried in the bedding
hmmmmmmmmmmmm
guess they really didn't want me to get their eggies

in curly headed cat news

thaddeaus has decided sleeping on our heads is a very good thing for a cat to do..........
mostly my head

with his tail wrapped around my face...............

this isn't working out so well for me
but he is thrilled with it all
until I have to go to the batheroom..

oye
til
next time

vi

And on tuesday....... hearts abound

well I have hearts all over the place.....
or should i say heart SHAPES
all them little chicken breeches are heart shaped...........
we got another egg last night around 4pm
i have confused chickens
this one was a darker purpley color and you can see it trying to be brown
Amie wants to see the two together with something for size referance

so if you celebrate happy valentines day to you........ and I wish you all the sight of heart shaped breeches on chickens!

( it's the back part when they bend over to peck the ground it is lighter in color and heart shaped on my chickens)

ok in other news
I am going to see Mengele tomorrow........... I have a doctor's appointment right down the road from where she works so I am dropping in.
I imagine I am going back to her regularly in about a month or so

the thyroid meds seem to have started to work, I got up before noon!
although I am still not sleeping at night
The wood stove likes that as I load it again at 1am
after bernie loads it at 9pm..............
so this morning at 8am when I got down, it was still burning a tiny bit!!!!!
just a tiny flame in the back of the firechamber in the corner, but a fire no less.


I have a question to ask of you all

I have three files I need to open
one is a .efx which I know is an e-fax
one is a .wps
which I don't have a program for

and one has no file extention

I have a windows based system and I am still running 98SE as I like that OS
can someone point me to a translate program
as I think these are mac based files


Spin group is thursday night
I am still not sure if we are going cause bernie isn't sleeping since I am not sleeping

even though I come down here to see if he can get some sleep

so we'll see

if I can't go I have to drop off the skeins for the skein contest by either kris or carole next week
and a huge soap order is due next week too.

that is about it for now
I have to take those pictures for Amie, which I will do when the sun is up over the mountain


til next time vi



ok Amie
here you go sweetie

OUR First EGG

the chickens laid their very first egg today

I don't know which hen did ( we think it is dulcette however)
but one of the big girls did
I will take pictures later
I am so proud!!!

you can't see the very soft lilac color of this egg..

but there is a few tiny brown spots on this......

this is the color they will be eventually

it is a tiny egg.........

eventually the girls will be laying jumbo brown eggs

Snow beautiful snow.........

Vi’s mixed bean soup

THE BEANS

Small whites

Lentils
Black eyed peas
Black beans
Small reds
Dark red kidneys
Baby limas
Large limas
Green split peas
Great northerns
Pink beans
Yellow split peas
Garbanzos
Pearl barely
Pinto beans
Lt red kidney beans
Navy beans
Cranberry beans

Meaty ham bone

Two stalks of celery chopped fine
Small onion chopped fine
Garlic either minced or powder
Parsley either fresh…..flat Italian parsley or dried
Kosher salt

Water

This mix is best made over time…… make a pot of each beans maybe once a week…..
Hold out ¼ cup or so to add to a gallon pickle jar to make this mix



Rinse and pick over the beans

Add to your kettle, cover the beans with water about two inches above to start.
Bring to a boil…..
Simmer for about ½ hour, adding water if needed
Add the ham and the rest of the ingredients

Simmer until the beans are slightly mushy…..

Serve with a mixed green salad…… really really good with mesculn salads.

And a HUGE glass of ice cold from the well water



Vi
Who loves ya???






Pinetree Garden Seeds www.superseeds.com
Park Seed www.parkseed.com
Vermont Bean Seed Company www.vermontbean.com
Shepherd’s Garden Seeds www.shepherdseeds.com
Vesey’s Seeds www.veseys.com
Johnny’s Selected Seeds www.johnnyseeds.com
Territorial Seed Company www.territorial-seeds.com
Seeds of Change www.seedsofchange.com

tomorrow is our anniversary

we were to go out to eat and then possibly some special shopping but since we are expecting a storm.....
we figured we would stay home warm and cozy with our little furry and feathered family.
I kid around a lot about my bernie....
I tease him an awful lot
but really he is a wonderful person
he is interested in almost everything
loves animals
is mostly really responsible.......
has a great sense of humor
and
loves me totally and unconditionally
( I do know that although I always ask him)
we were so young when we got married
no one thought we would make it
we weren't sure
and there were times where it really didn't look like we would
but
after all these years
we are still together and totally in love.
and we are each others 'center of the universe'

I wish that feeling for all of you..

til next time

vi

Truly I come by it honestly……

I was recently contacted by a family member I have not seen in about 20 years, this is for her really, if she comes by again....... as she was too young when it happened to laugh about it or even know about it. Anyway, maybe you all will enjoy reading about my family's crazys


My whole family is nuts…..I swear the lot of them are certifiable.
I don’t know if it is because we are Italian, and rather…….ah…… unique
Or we are truly just all insane. But if you folks wonder why I see things a bit left from center, well............... this is one of the reasons

I remember one time, when my dad was 70………. he ran away from home!

The first clue I had that something was wrong was there was a bag of grapes on my windowsill……… of course being this is my life….. it was infested with yellow jackets….( you know the wasp)

I knew something was up cause in my family a bag of fruit meant something was up, and it wasn't good news….
( what like the mafia has the kiss of death, & we have fruit? WHAT sort of demented reasoning is that? aunt martha died........quick get the pineapple? gee and some families just call or send a card huh?)

I shoo-ed away the wasps and grabbed the fruit, as I opened my front door the phone was ringing….

Naturally it was mom……( why yes………we are all psychic how did you guess?)
Mom: ‘your father has run away from home’
Me: ‘yes mom I know…..i found the bag of fruit on the window sill’

(this may be Italian for…….’I’ve left your mother in a fit of stupidity, and now I am here to make YOU crazy’- or I could be wrong)

Mom: ‘ so he’s been there already then?’

Meanwhile

DING DONG……….. and it ain’t the avon lady…….


Mom: ‘ don’t tell him it’s me on the phone’ naturally mom knows it’s dad…..I mean heaven forbid one of my friends would decide to intrude on this family melodrama.
Me: ‘no mom, lemme get the door’

I get the door
Yup
Dad………………..

Dad: ‘I’ve left your mother’
Me: ‘oh?’
( meanwhile I am thinking to myself…….. and when did this become MY problem?, ok so I also thought a bunch more to myself but those things are not repeatable in mixed company)
Dad: ‘yes I have left your mother……..’
Me: ‘ok , why?’
Dad: ‘she won’t give me any closet space’

Ok now let’s back this up a bit……. Dad is notorious in the family for not only being hard to buy for…..but for NOT wanting clothes…. He has a suit that is got to be 95 years old, one dress shirt, one tie……….three pairs of work pants with shirts to match….most of which aren’t too holey……
Everything you buy him, he just gives away……
And HE is complaining about closet space……..

THE MAN HAS NOTHING TO HANG UP!

Me: ‘ok, I will make the coffee’

I mean what else you going to do………
Dad stayed a while and ranted and raved……. Bernie got home, we had dinner………

I figured we would put dad up in our room and we would take the floor…. ( one bedroom apartment at the time)

Dad: ‘I’m not staying………….. I will find a hotel’
Me: ‘dad it is 9pm you can’t find one now’
Dad: (forever stubborn) “ I don’t want to put you folks out’
Dad to BERNIE: ‘make sure you mow the lawn for mom, and take out the garbage on Thursdays’ ( remember dad doesn’t want to put us out……. I’m thinking that is code for “I am really pissy, and everyone is going to suffer, while I decide to have my hissy fit’)


Me: ‘ok’ (see I learned early on..........when dealing with irrational people...... simple one word answers are probably best.......and the least likely you get you grounded for the rest of your natural life)
Bernie looks stunned………….

RINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

Dad: ‘I’m not here’
Me: ‘hello’
MOM: ‘is your father still there?’
Me : ‘why yes we have some bananas, how many would you like?” ( I mean this IS the monkey house at the zoo right? You ain’t gonna find Ozzy and Harriet here bucko)

Dad leaves
Mom rails on and on about how terrible dad is……and that I am to feed him and make sure he is ok

Mom hangs up
And I fill poor Bernie in on everything that is going on…..

We go to sleep……
Saturday morning 8 am………..

DING DONG………

Dad walks in looking TERRIBLE like death and taxes

Me: ‘DAD, you look TERRIBLE’
Dad: ‘ I slept in the truck’
Me AND BERNIE: ‘ oh my GOD, why?’
Dad: ‘ I didn’t know that the hotels charged by the hour……….$35.00 an hour’

By this time Bernie and I are trying hard to stifle our laughter……
Because really this is Dad you know……and he is 70……. And it is November…..
But damn he did do this to himself……
So to cover the mirth……
We make the coffee then Bernie gets the bagels…..
We feed Dad and the phone rings……
Of course it’s mom……
She knows dad is there…..but has to go on and on and on and ON….( told you all I come by it honestly)
Meanwhile DAD is going on and on and on and on to Bernie, who is trying hard to look sympathetic……but is still secretly laughing his ass off about dad finding out about the ‘no tell motels’

Ok lets fast forward now a bit…..
Dad has been out of the house and I think by my Uncle Joey for about 2 weeks
It’s Saturday, I am home cleaning…… Bernie is working

Mom pops in…….
We are talking
And DAD pops in

They rush to the door……….and get STUCK in the door way…..
YELLING at each other the entire time….
I swear on my curly cats heads……I could NOT stop laughing…..
So naturally they started to yell at ME……..
Still stuck in the doorway….
It’s enough to have a person be looking around for the hidden camera….

THIS HAS to be some kind of a cosmic joke no? ( and you all wonder why I keep telling you......Larry moe and curly run the universe and they as you all know ARE CHICKENS)

Oh man did I get yelled at
‘don’t talk that way to your mother’ ‘don’t’ talk that way to your father’

I grabbed a set of keys and proceeded to tell them…..

THIS IS MY HOUSE
YOU do not pay the rent here, nor the bills, I DO………
YOU won’t talk to me like that in my own house
And I am NOT giving you back these keys
You all have one set of keys
LEAVE TOGETHER
Either make up or kill each other……
But
NO ONE IS GOING TO DO THIS TO ME IN MY OWN HOUSE ANYMORE

Now if looks could kill, you all would be reading this on a Ouija board……
But they did leave……

( I still can't believe I told them off like that but I do occationally have finer moments........)

The next day my Aunt rose called….. wondering if I knew where my folks were….
I told her what went on
We were both sure that they’d killed each other and we had only to await the state police showing up for us to have to go and identify the bodies
I even CALLED my cousins that are cops to see if they’d gotten a couple of ‘does’ reported

Turns out my folks decided on a second honeymoon….and went upstate….
Scared the living shit outta me, I tell you
Gees raising parents ain’t easy………
But I think it did work out better that way.. I really did not feel like identifying the bodies, or facing the reporters you know.

So I come by it honestly…..
But now that I have told you all…… I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to be awaken in the middle of the night by both my deceased parents……who will again go on and on and on and ON…….. about telling the family secrets…..

In MY family, just cause you’re dead doesn’t mean you still don’t have an opinion, it just means you eat less……


but they better watch their ghostly ass' cause I got a LOT more stories........................

ha
so there
vi

ps: bernie has a crazy sister in jersey..........after we met her I turned around and said 'i am sure glad that the nuts and squirrels are falling out of YOUR family tree for a change'

American Livestock Breeds Conservancy

http://www.albc-usa.org/wtchlist.htm
http://www.albc-usa.org/wtchlist.htm#poultry
someone asked me about the rare breeds recently
my orpingtons are designated as 'recovering'
which is a good thing.
I love the orps, i highly recommend them.
when we move, i plan on getting more orps and
chantecler as well as maybe delaware

we still haven't heard back on the lamb, I imagine that the shepherd is busy lambing.
the goat is due in two weeks.........

I am looking at shetlands as well as ouessants lately.......
( the sound you just heard was Carole from lilac corners fainting)
but I may just start to go with rare breeds

I swear I can't wait to move............... our time in this little stone house in the woods is over now, i can feel that......it is time to move on.
All the signs lately point in that direction.......... while sometimes it makes me sad.......mostly I am looking forward to what's next

I will however miss my big ( allthough cluttered) studio and my 250 year old sugar maples......
time for someone else to be stewards of these ancient trees

til next time

vi

vi here again
the doc called............ thyroid meds to be started tomorrow
well that explains the slug like lifestyle of the past couple months...........

bernie will pick them up on his way home tonight
meanwhile
I got a massive headache which started from sinus but is now something more
so I am going to just go and hang with the cats and chickens

ttyl

vi

mark the calendar with a star.....VI has nothing to say

nope absolutely nothing....
as I still feel like a horse kicked me
I actually DREAMT of horses
so it is pretty bad
I am going to attempt to venture out into the day light

( quick grab the garlic.........cause you know....it's been a while, I could have turned into a vampire you know)

as soon as my legs can hold me...........
ah........
mm.......
that may BE a while

wake me up when it is really spring........oh in about 6 hours

vi

food poisioning is a terrible thing to waste

ok so in addition to the insult that is already my body.....( and I use that term loosely)
I had a goodly case of food poisioning last night

I do not recommend you try this at home

and if you are foolish enough to do that even though YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.......
do
not
be
stupid
enough
to
drink
coffee
the
next
day

and don't ask me how I know

let me tell you
chinese food left over for two weeks is not a good thing to eat
but I thought it was only in there about 3 days.......
damn this menopause
ok so I forgot
it smelled fine
tasted ok
I was sick as a freeken dog
so sick
that thaddeaus sucked his tail in worry all night
FAWN even sat on the bed this morning in sympathy
oye

I decided on chicken broth with rice and mushy broccoili for dinner
I called the doctor
bernie called me and insisted I call the doctor
he sounds like death and taxes.............
well damn
the poor guy did NOT sleep all night
when I started to have extreme chest pains........cause you know I can't get sick like normal people
he was all for rushing me to the hosptial.
I was shivering and cold so I veto'd that idea
telling him
'i would prefer to die at home thank you, surrounded by the feathered and furred family we have assembled'

I finally fell asleep about 4am......... the alarm goes off at 4:30 am
bernie told me to go back to sleep
yeah like I could EVEN STAND UP
hahahaha
sure
I managed to slither down the stairs around 10:30am
more or less I think.......................
I got the fire going about noon
and it got warmish in here at about 3pm
I repeat
do not try this at home

vi

I swear I have the sickest friends

you people all voting for chicken hats.....
and whats more
I got a couple designs in mind
who's the sick one now?

I have a bit of good news
we only used 13 gallons of heating oil in the last 6 weeks.....
yeah!!!!!
of course it was hotter then arizona in the 'snowbelt' of pa
but hey

doctor news ............ tests and I am waiting on results yet again

chickens are fine
the roo's have girlfriends
and moe moe is growing a real comb in
they are getting bigger monica tells me

the girls are doing well
they got all moved all over while their pens were getting cleaned
and I did get down to see them today with some bacon grease
they love their suet
when it gets below 35 degrees I give them bacon grease
not a lot
just a little nibble
they love it
you should see them
I even got sharon out to hold her and give her a tiny bit more..
(one ounce of bacon grease lasts 4 chickens over a week here......)
I love my girls so much

one of my clients called me sunday.................
the first thing she wanted to know was how are the chickens........she also has orpingtons

my laperms are sacked out all over soaking up the heat from the wood stove

I didn't feel well again and laid down upstairs................
little calpurrnia took that watch and came up to 'watch' mommy
fawn took yesterday
thaddeaus, fawn and calpurrnia took saturday..............
after I got home from teaching
but most of the time they are here soaking up the heat from the woodstove
however they will rouse themselves if there is the merest hint of canned food in the air.................

thems my babies................


til next time
love from vi

am I dead yet? ARE you sure?

ok I heard from the doctor..
she said
'stay off your meds until tuesday then call me'

ok cause I really had no intention of going back on them until I got a period
which arrived this morning.........

I am ever so thankful.......
who'd thought that I would be grateful for cramps, bloat, pms, tiredness etc........

well I am
cause it was causeing a TON O PAIN

I haven't slept in days...... with sever joint pain, mental confusion ( no comments do you hear me trish?)

etc etc

I was whining so pitiously I pissed off myself.

meanwhile a friend who just had her husband retire..
called me this morning to complain about him being underfoot
damn

I knew that was going to happen

she didn't like my suggestion........

( humor me here I really am the walking dead)

I told her either shoot him or become a hermit

apparently neither appealed to her.....

I DON"T know why

well she could have neutered him but I think he would object to that.

so that is only an option while he sleeps.

today

I am not alive

this post is being channeled from the other side

I can tell you that it is pretty warm here.....

but not warm enough to be that 'hot place'

and there is a draft

so apparently being on the other side is not permanent............

maybe I should learn to drink?

vi

edited to add.......
for those folks who are wondering about the antics of the cats...... remember that picture of calpurrnia?
well they all look basically exactly like that
they are laying around like slugs soaking up the warmth of the woodstove......
seriously....we poke them to make sure they are breathing at times.........

oh and the poll is still here I think

I just have to say,

there surely are a bunch of smart ass folks that visit here..

everyone voting for 'chicken hats'

so is that a hat with a chicken on it

or a hat FOR the chickens???

what should I knit next
	more socks
	Latvian mitten
	scarf for me out of sisik
	a sweater for me
	something for bernie
	chicken hats
Free polls from Pollhost.com

you've been 'tagged'

Four jobs you have had in your life:
pooper scooper for the "parrot place" in paramus nj
art director
graphic artist
typesetter


Four Movies you could watch over and over: any harry potter
what dreams may come
hocus pocus
the addams family

Four Places You Have Lived:
Texas: Baytown and Texas city
NJ: Fairlawn, Bogota, Fairview, North Bergen, Paterson
PA: the poconos
germany

Four TV Shows You Love To Watch:
I don't watch tv.................sorry dear the chickens enjoy watching out the windows however....


Four Places You Have Been On Vacation:
oregon
virginia
conneticut
canada


Four Websites You Visit Daily:
Knittersreview.com
gmail
google news
yahoo weather

Four Of My Favorite Foods:
cheesecake
icecream
turkey
coffee

Four Places You'd Rather Be Right Now:
at the farm in the barn
upstairs with bernie
at a book store
upstairs with bernie ( that one is pretty good you know)

Four Bloggers I am tagging: ok you know the drill......now..........
let's see who do I have to get back at?????

Minnie naturally

hmmmmmmmmmmmm what other smart ass folks need this???

ah......... yes Trish
kelly........for the smurf hands remark lets see who else do I need to get........I mean tag............ hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
and I will reserve the last for a bit

what should I knit next
	more socks
	Latvian mitten
	scarf for me out of sisik
	a sweater for me
	something for bernie
	chicken hats
Free polls from Pollhost.com

no still no word from the doctor

so I stopped taking my meds
I am feeling a bit better.....not myself yet
but better then the other day
I can't concentrate on much
(thank you minh dear......but I can't concentrate on much..... I am sort of trying to read the spinning book and it isn't sticking)
and I do feel better then the other day
I can get up and walk....
I just don't have any ompfh..........
I don't feel like working on my scarf in sisik which as you folks know....I love
or even picking up the sock I started in the opal petticoat
the border leichester is sitting there unplied.....
as is the ingeo
and the peacock single
which is also un-photographed to show you folks.......

we did put marguerite downstairs in the boys pen.........
she is right next to the girls
but by herself
she isn't too happy but she will get over it
she comes to her brooder for bed now

monica emailed me that the boys are doing well
moe moe is again trying to crow
and curly and moe both whisper to her
she sings them songs about me
I miss the boys so much

now I have that neme or whatever to do
and I did start it
I will post it soon

I will I promise


vi

I gave up and called the doctor

Ok I am on these meds to treat this insulin resistance.....
they had some nasty ass side effects
I suffered through the 'gastric' upsets that had me in the bathroom 5 out of every 24 hours
through the nausea that sets in all the time
through the light headedness.........
( some folks would say I was light in the head prior to this all.......but hey)

however the malise and the lethargy have got to go
I can't even freeken knit
I can manage going down to see my chickens twice a day
and putting a log on the fire every two hours
that's about it
oh
yeah
and laying down
I can manage that
I have trouble with remember to eat
and to take the meds
poor bernie is beside himself

so I called the doctor

naturally I haven't heard back from her
but I didn't expect to for a while........
probably by friday
I hope I am awake for the phone call

oh and I haven't had a period since november either
I had better not be knocked up
or bernie will get a do it yourself Vasectomy

with an exacto and a rubber band

( cause he was supposed to get a real one after the ruptured ectopic.......hmmmmmmmmm wonder who didn't get the big v????)

meanwhile my boobs hurt
like they have been repeatedly mashed in that poundy thing at the fairs......
you know the one that uses the slegde hammer and you try to hit the top
they feel like the sledge crashed THROUGH the top

air hurts
my bra hurts
my SKIN hurts
oh man

isn't it wonderful being a GIRL
gees
can I be a goldfish please now..
I don't see sore boobs on a goldfish........................

ok the roosters
monica informs me that moe moe is starting to crow again
so he is getting adjusted
curly is repeatedly asking for hens to be brought out
( that's my boy)

so the boys are doing well
as soon as I feel better I am going out there with shrimp to see my boys

I wonder if they will remember me???????

til next time

vi

OHHHHHHHHHHH how do you solve a problem like

MARGUERITE????


fa la la

damn
I wish it was that easy

first off marguerite if anyone cares to remember is our youngest little chicky
she is still upstairs in a brooder in the studio

she was spoiled over the fence rotten when she got here

she does NOT know she is a chicken

she thinks she is entitled to my complete and total attention 24/7

( gees every OTHER living entity in this entire HOUSE thinks that as well.........)

if she doesn't GET my attention
she flys to my head

I never get any notice that she is going to land on my poor beleagured head

she is not surprised by this

it startles the crap out of me every single time


it also hurts
she's got tallons

short of wearing a Cambells chicken soup can hat..........

I don't know WHAT to do about this problem



now my boys

Monica informs me that they are settling in
that curly loves her to pick him up
(moe moe does too but he needs to be sweet talked......he likes that first)
and that moe has my sense of humor

WHAT you have never experienced CHICKEN humor??
WHAT sort of deprived life do you have anyway???


shame shame

moe has a sense of humor

he is also adorable

can you tell I miss my boys so bad

I am hoping to get to see them this week and bring them shrimp


oh the curly headed monsters
fawn is mad at me
I won't let her eat marguerite's chicken food

thaddeaus is mad at me........I won't let HIM eat ambers wet food

calpurrnia is in the corner playing with a leaf.........
'oh LOOK a LEAF!!!'

she just likes to sit on my chest all night and purr
LOUDLY
think JET ENGINE size noise
where that is coming from in her little tiny body
I have no freeken idea

she must be pipeing it in


soooooooooooo
that is my current family news
oh
and that this freekishly Warm JANUARY
which I predicted
as we bought the wood stove

is driving me nuts


I so wanted to sit on my fat assets and feel all warm and smug all winter
i mean compaired to the posts from last winter...............
but no
as we went into debt to buy this stove..
naturally we changed the entire global climate both weatherwise and economically


my what power I have.!!!!!!!!!!

gees


vi
~til next time

peacock roving and one ( or so) of calpurrnia

ok first let me tell you
the colors are actually wonderful
I can't get a decent picture of them in the light outside
and the flashe washed them all out......it really does have a lot of that particular peacock blue/green that the word conjures up

I got it hanging by the wood stove

and I am fixing to dye some nylon

to sparkle through it.....( I got icycle for that I think.....)

now my little calpurrnia
this is how the cats all tend to sleep around the wood stove
little brazen hussy that she is.....

oh a chickens life

my boy are at the farm
we of course are heartbroken
they were bullied by a mean roo and monica found them huddled outside the barn in the freezing cold.
so she put them in their dog crate and stuffed straw in
I wanted to go and get them
she said they will be ok
that she is going to put them in with a very elderly roo named chippy.....
and that if they all get on the boys will spend the winter in there
they caught a mouse
curly let monica cuddle him
moe moe follows her around

I miss my boys so much

today I gave the girls popcorn and bacon grease as a snack...
it was cold down there and when I picked them up their little toes were so cold
so I warmed up their toes
I am going to give them a nest box saturday I think


bernie has to go to NYC tomorrow and friday.....
I am a nervous wreck.....
I just sent the check for the life insurance payment and it may be late.....
I hope not

if he dies I would really miss him bad.......
and I would have to bring ALL the animals to the farm
then hire myself out as a donkey

ok I am spinning that INGEO
( that must be indian for............ demon fiber that is going to make me nuts)
I am feeling a bit better too
I have to eat a bowl of cherrios every day I noticed to help some of the 'gastric sideeffects' of the meds
oatmeal didn't do it!
go figure

lets see
I got spin on thursday and a class I am teaching on thursday
I am also teaching on saturday...........

that is if my classes are full.

I have to spin up some alpaca
and either cat or cashmere I think if the ingeo doesn't work for the 100% natural other then wool skein contest..........
so I better call jo and get some alpaca.. what about ? 8 oz?

Linda sent me merino............ I have to make her something for it..cause she wouldn't let me pay her
Monica gave me 12 oz of kid mohair locks. I have to make something for HER
she also wouldn't let me pay her.
I did give her some soap and lotions to thank her for takeing my boys

OH MY BOYS.......................... I miss them so very much
I can't tell you all how dead it is around here without them

oye

til next time

vi

Big Beautiful roo's

my boys went to the farm yesterday
meanwhile I am so worried about them as it is so cold
Monica said that she is keeping them in the crate as it is so cold and she found them outside cause one of the other resident roo's was mean to them
I don't know if I should go and get them or what....

but here are my boy's pictures
( and the girls too)


that is a picture of both of them
curly is in the front
moe moe is in the back


moe moe


curly in the front again



the girls

and a kinda dark one of moe moe

high winds and chicken goodbyes

we had terrific high winds last night
so high that they downdrafted the wood stove and we could NOT keep it going.
I understand that the winds knocked power lines out all over...downed trees and all

now we have them big pines that moron neighbor the 'landscaper' told us would fall on his house.....
not a branch is off those trees at all!
so much for landscaping huh?
anyway...... arborists are tree specialists.....you need a degree.

on to other news

my boys are going today

I am so upset
this is the last morning my boys will crow to ME
they will crow tomorrow but not to wake ME up
I wonder if monica will hear them

I am so heartbroken
I have to take pictures of my big beautiful boys
now I wish I'd taken larry's picture too but I didn't

the chickens don't really like the camera

I wish we had moved already so my boys wouldn't be leaving but instead just going into
the palace of the happy chicken out back

meanwhile

in fiber news
I am still spinning
when I get enough done and plyed...I am going to dye it up and start a latvian mitten
so all the folks that would care to join in.....
It is going to be a bit but I am planning on doing a latvian mitten.....
just let me get the spinning done.....
so you all may want to decide on which one YOU are doing...
I haven't completely decided yet
I know I want to change the colors to something a bit less traditional......
probably purples and such to match my winter coats
with navy, I suppose some cream.. reds?

I will see when I got to do the dye work


til next time

vi~who is going to take the camera to take pictures of my boys

ok ok I am making soap

5 freeken batches of honey oatmeal

you would think I never made soap in my life...
( for the record I been soaping since 1994....but the first batches were so damn bad that even the mice won't eat them)
I have gotten better since then

ok
so I need to make soap
I need to make multiple batches every day for like 2 weeks
yes I got that busy with soap again.
folks are discovering me!
again!

( I was lost but nooooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwww i'm found.............fa la la la la)

anyway, I have a ton to make so hopefully I can get it done
I can't do the 50 pound batches anymore by myself..
so even if I do 20 pounders and split them that is something
I just have to do at least one or two a day


I am still at a loss as to what to knit next
I have to make a cd player cover which I am going to sew
I need to make linda a needle case and fix kris' that I made her for her birthday
I should probably also make one for me
I never did!
I have that snowflake doll to make
there should be a package waiting for me at the post office with stuffs to finish her with

I keep dreaming of farms
of sheep pens and goat pens
gardens full of veggie and herbs
wonderful full orchards and chicken coops
areas to make soap and to make dolls
and to sit and knit and think

I am thinking of starting an active goal for this....... complete with little goal notebook

I want my animals near me so bad I swear I can hear them baaaaaaaaaaa

ok

again with the what shall I knit next........

a smoke ring scarf?

a regular scarf?

lavtian mittens?

a mitten adapted from tudor roses by starmore?

more socks are a given

gloves out of self patterning or striping sock yarn?

or should I just set and spin a while?????


help me out guys

I wish I knew where Amie gets them cool poll thingies..........

cause I would put one up for this


vi