this mornings post is sponsered by ICE

we had ice
snow
sleet
rain
more snow
and then more rain

bernie told me this morning

'don't bring the ducks out'

huh?
what am i supposed to DO with the ducks?
they don't have inside pens
just night crates

he went on to say

'it is a sheet of ice out there and you will fall'

yup sounds about right to me

so
i have decided that i am going to walk WAY AROUND and open the pen doors

then let the girls out

falstaff is easy.....he's right here by the door

the girls nope

cause the winter pen is laying under a tarp all walls and joists very neatly stacked in a pile

a few things are holding it up
flooring
metal mesh for under the floor
and a means to level it

so now i am going out
i do NOT plan on falling
but i AM going to be wearing a LOT of wool just in case
so even if i do fall
i don't stick to metal
sticking to the ground.........well probably
i tend not to be able to get up

wish me luck

ps: good thing i finished that knitted balaclava last night.....even wove in the ends
the ducks are going to be terrified
but i will be warm

pss: it's bad out, but not as bad as it could be..............
i didn't fall for which i am greatful
cleo of course told me off the whole time
including from sitting on her nest waiting for her egg

the list for today

bernie took the cookies off to work today
naturally it was pouring rain like crazy

i haven't spoken to him yet about how'd it go

i am sure he is thrilled with his shop tray as he loves chocolate and i put extra on his tray

on my list today is ducks, dishes, laundry and knitting!!!!!!!!

i am going to sit a lot of the day and knit

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i am knitting a balaclava sort of after the one at knitting in color
it gets COLD out there so a balaclava is it

i have to get a ball of mohair , maybe a few
i may get a fuzzy mohair just to line the inside of the hats i do for going outside
and i may knit a hat with ducks on it
cause you know......i wear it out to take care of the ducks!
( actually i love color knitting and it's warm so for fun......DUCKS!)
i probably need a new 'in town' hat as well

knitting is pretty slow these days
but that's ok

i am thinking of needle felting one as well

3am and stoking the stove

it was really warm here last night
almost 60!
so warm that i could NOT get the woodstove to draft enough
so i got as good a fire going as i could
and went to bed
3am it's getting cold in the house

yup time to stoke the stove
and as it was a 'cold' fire
i am sitting here waiting for the new fire to take off well
it looks like it is trying to so maybe i won't be up too long

i am waiting the results of a lyme panel
although the pa lyme association said that the doctor should be treating me
i had called and asked for the antibotics
and she told me until the test comes back no
our old doctor treated me as soon as i walked in with the ticks
( that was like 9 years ago......too bad he doesn't take this insurance)

we had another doctor in nj that wouldn't even order the lyme test, he told me that pa didn't have deer tick!

so far me and all the uphill neighbors have had lyme at least once
and a few had undiagnosed lyme that cause a lot of problems a few months after the initial infection
needless to say
i am very concerned about no antibotics yet
it's i think 5 weeks out from that last bite
i have i believe a total of 10 known tick bites
never mind how many of the little nymph bites.......only ONE of them did i actually find
they are about as small as the period on this sentance

i have woken up sometimes in the morning to a tiny bite with blood streaks all crusted up from it

so i imagine that would be the smaller ones

oh and i did get a very large hemotoma from the lab work
well that tech did warn me i would

she was right

til a more reasonable hour

vi

cookies are done

finally
bernie takes the trays to work tomorrow
they look so pretty with their cellophane and curly ribbons
i made cute little hang tags for them with the name of the department they go to

it's warmed up here today
i expect we'll pay for that one way or another
with cold weather and or snow

i am so hoping that now that the cookies are done
things wind down around here

i am looking forward to a nice winter knitting
by the woodstove


dreaming of turkey poults and ducklings and chooks dancing in my head


vi

they took it all

my blood that is

i was to the lab
9 viles of blood

huh?
this is the pcp doctor not the vampire doctor

all this cause i got a bulls eye rash on a tick bite??????????????????

gimme the damn drugs and let me keep SOME blood please

and i thought the tick was blood thirsty..........


i do not do well without coffee in the morning
i do worse without coffee and with a duck telling me off yet again
cleo marching purposely back to the day pen
throwing insults back over her shoulder

i better bribe them all with raisins or something equally good

in duck pen news
bernie got yet another wall done
(not up mind.....but framed on the ground)
i think we are ending up with this being like a diy kit
he framed in his first window
my duck pen will have a better window then any of my HOUSE windows are (it is energy star efficent!!!!!! we paid 15 for it brandy new from the lumber yard..... it was a special order someone didn't pick up)

maybe i should just move in with the ducks?
they would be delighted
as long as i brought some nice cabbage for them


ok todays agenda
if i have enough blood left to send to my brain and convince it to operate my body.......is


1) them damn cookies......finish them or toss them to the wolves....i HATE COOKIES NOW

2) laundry, finish that

3) dishes...... bernie was home for the weekend.......enough said......

4) clean the duck crates, before they weigh more then the ducks do ( great for the garden though)

5) try NOT to get a hemotoma in my arm where they took all my blood....... should i just laugh now? ( she told me i would cause she felt it.....and i am, and it hurts)

6) wake up..........i can't wake UP....... it would be advisable to awaken prior to driving but i had no choice this morning

7) roast a pork loin......with peach sauce...... THAT is actually going to get done

8) finish knitting my balaclava cause.......well baby it gets cold outside

ok that is more then enough right?

i tried to get up at my normal time this morning..... 4:30
i managed to go pee
even with cats hanging over my head..... tapping my nose
meowing LOUDLY in my ear
flipping fluffy tails into my mouth
i could NOT get up
this as most people who know me......................know

it not normal

and much as there are times i would love to take it easy
i got too much going on.....and i get too bored

ha

i am thinking of laying down as i type this!

well actually i better get another cup of coffee and start my day
after all it's only the crack of NOON

oye

vi

cleo is not a happy duckie

yesterday and today
i was sorta late getting the ducks out
i slept in
i was tired
can't a body get tired
i was REALLY REALLY TIRED

try telling THAT to a duck
yesterday all three cussed me out and complained all the way back to the day pen
they were pretty good about coming in..........

but again today i got cussed out going out
and coming in........
well
cleo waddled in front of me......crest up
turning her head to throw 'weepweeps' over her shoulder at me

i am lucking i didn't end up on my assets again
i was laughing so hard

it was extremely clear that ms cleo was NOT happy with the laxity of the duck attention over the weekend

and she was going to tell me

the other ducks have also told me
but not with the extreme feistiness of ms cleo

yet when i picked her up to give her a cuddle
she laid her little head down on my cheek

hahaha
she melted!


now in chicken news........
i am thinking i may have 5 roos
oh man i hope not
i was hoping for three hens at least

the babies are growing nicely
i am trying hard not to get too attached as the roos will be in the freezer
i don't like it
but we can't keep the roos
bernie wants to 'sell' them
ha
you can't GIVE them away

so they will make a trip to the nice chicken processor and end up back home with us
in a ahem........seperate and slightly colder location in the cellar......
next to the icecream


ahem.......


til next time
vi

talking turkey.....ahem.....i mean chicken

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

i love that chicken chart

also
here are a few other good links
http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/
http://www.feathersite.com/
http://home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/index.html

chickens are great
i love mine
i have buff orpingtons
the reason i haven't talked about them too much lately is cause raising baby anythings take up a LOT of time if you do it right
and i been raising duckies

right now i got 7 new chooks in the brooder downstairs
i know at least 3 are for certain boys
i am iffy on the 4th one
i think i got 3 hens out of this batch of chickies

and this spring they all go out
into outside poultry housing
plus i want three speckled sussex just to see how they are

for pure all around everything.......me i love my buff orpingtons
but it's only fair to see if there really are any other breeds that may be comparable

ok now as to raising them
i do start the chicks on starter and i do use the medicated starter
so far ***knock on wood*** i haven't lost a chick yet
so i think that's good

when they are bigger i will switch them over to maintaince or layer depending on how old we run out of the chick food

i also give them scrambled eggies...... and tell them

'don't worry chickies......that's aunt martha, we don't LIKE aunt martha.......'



i feed the adult birds either layer or maintaince depending on if they are laying or not
and give them oyster shell, granite coarse sand,
table scraps
and i will flip them a burger during molt as extra protein


i hang cabbage leaves for them to play and peck at too
they like tomatoes....... raisins
popcorn
all special treats for good chickens
they adore bugs and wormies and grubbs

and will eat mice if they can get them

their manure adds to the compost in the garden as does the ducks....( ducks are for slug control)

and of course we eat the eggs
my orps lay brown eggs
i love that

chickens need a draft free, dry, and secure coop
and a secure run
they also need a break from laying occationally

i recommend them to folks
as they really are wonderful pets
they know their names
they come running when i call them
some like to sit in my lap
some are a bit more standoffish

but all are just amazing to be around

they all have their little personalities.......each one different


i have had chickens for about 3 or 4 years now ( i had them as a kid too)

and now i hear........chickens are the new knitting!
hahahaha
well i have often sat and knitted while watching my chickens
and my ducks

i am thinking.....................
next it just has to be a few turkey.........

no?

and so it starts

maybe i should start a 'buy vi a farm fund'

back from easton

we got shrimpies for christmas eve
( i make a sorta shrimp scampi over angel hair pasta.......instead of the traditonal 7 fish)
i saw shrimpies bigger then my FISTS there
4 to a pound!
them's some big ass shrimp

we got shrimpies that are 25 to the pound though
we got all sorts of goodies
raisins
pork loin
chicken breast
locatelli cheese

we got bernie new muck boots.....(which really are snow boots )
and new work boots
and new sneakers
he also got two new sweatshirts

oh and if my typing is screwy.....it's because FAWN is sitting on my chest

could you all say hihi to fawnie?


it's cold again
i want to find some more warm stuff for me to go out with
i freeze my buns off out there
NOTHING is warm enough
i layer and layer and nothing is warm enough

i am almost to th e point of a mohair suit i swear
oye

bernie is watching his christmas present
the last movie from the pirate series

i am typing and fawn is moving up and down on my chest while i do this

i got to hug one of my CLEAN duckies today
i swear those little things just wormed their way into my heart
i love them so much
if it wasn't bad for their health i would put diapers on them and bring them upstairs

oye

vi

todays agenda

apparently everyone does have an agenda

here is mine for today

feed store: wild bird seed and a bale of hay
post office: pick up....( i have stuff to go out but lazy ass me didn't wrap it yet)
lowes: builders sand for the chickens and the path to the duck pen, salt for the conditioner, more wood for duck pen
bank: pay the mortgage, deposit check
store: ICECREAM AND EGGNOG

i need to make more cookies.......
bernie ( and me too) have been eatting my sugar cookie angels faster i swear then i can bake them
man they ARE good
but i got to get his trays done and out to his job
enough already with all these cookies around here
somehow it's been harder and longer this year

i got up this morning to thaddeaus sitting on my head
and fawn staring down at me
apparently the woodstove was out ( coals only)
they were not happy

they mounted a protest...........ON MY HEAD

then thaddeaus decided to keep slamming the bedroom door shut
and then racing around the room to finish by jumping OVER us in the bed
so he sorta stomped on us a little bit too

we got the hint

we got up

i got the woodstove going.....and i am waiting for the chimney to heat while i am typing this

meanwhile the cats are staring at the store

listen, i know that cats sleep 27 out of every 24 hours a day
and i know the way to a cat's heart is through the heat of the woodstove
but occationally........ rarely........
i do like to sleep in

would someone inform the chickens and ducks?

duckie disney land

it's been raining
buckets
and buckets for DAYS AND DAYS
the basement is flooded
part of the duck pen is flooded
the yard is flooded.......well you get the picture

i put up the duck pond
it's the smaller kiddie wading pool from kmart
i think it holds like 30-35 gallons total ( on flat ground.....not sloping driveways)

well it is full of rain water.......enough so three little duckies jumped in and took a bath

did i mention that they did this while the temps decided to plummet
and while it was starting to snow
and hail a bit

and that since i had to be there to watch them
i got a bath too????????


and three little duckies did NOT want to get out of the frigid water
soooooooooooooooooooooooooo

i put my poor long suffering bare hands in the water to retrieve the duckies

not once

but THREE FREEKEN TIMES

can you say ' not of sound mind?"
yes i knew you could


i am STILL waiting for my hands to turn back into a more reasonable color


i am expecting that by morning we will have a skating rink out there
and the bucket i left in the duck pen will have frozen to the ground
oye

in 'are you ready for the holiday' news
i am not
it is going to be a halloween christmas this year
long story but
we are going to be hanging pumpkins and spider webs on the christmas tree

doesn't EVERYONE?

til next time


vi

phoebe is fussy

now that all three duckies are laying
it's a race every morning to get to the 'good' nest

phoebe who started first always seems to lose out

this morning she wanted back in
looking for a place to lay her egg
i brought her back in but nothing suited both of us
she didn't like her crate
or the engine stand ( don't ask)
and i didn't agree with under the work bench

so back out
she settled for inside the duck house ( what a concept)
and i picked up lillianna's and cleo's eggs out of the side nest

i think phoebe doesn't like the hay
she likes leaves but they are frozen right now

cleo meanwhile didn't look too good after laying
i got her to eat and drink but she seems to be having a hard time recovering after laying her egg
lilli is fine
up and eatting like there is no tomorrow

i noticed that if they are scared or not feeling well or confused
they are right under my feet
i step on them all the time!


in peep news
the peeps are two weeks old today!!!
yeah peeps!

they are huge
and are going to move into a larger brooder i believe tomorrow
when the new freezer comes i want to take the box for them to brood in
and i want to put them downstairs
they want out of the brooder.....i can't blame them
it's kinda small for them now

i don't want to get too close to them as i suspect a lot of this hatch are roos
i am thinking....out of the 7 i got two hens

possibly three
oye

i put the big girls on 12 hours of light now
so they go on at about 7:30 now
and off at 7:30
bernie won't be feeding them anymore either
i will be

it's so cold out that i brought our little cooler that i keep the extra stuff in out on the deck
the ice packs on the next to the house wood pile haven't quite frozen through......i figure that is cause of radient heat from the house

i will say
we are burning some WOOD

the back pile we didn't burn last year is about down to half
and most of october and november was warm
!!!!!!!!!!!

i finally got a new coffee/spice grinder
i tried it out last night on dried celery, onions and peppercorns
nice powder
i am going to give it a spin with dried broccoli
if it works well
then i got dried pepper skins to do
and a few other things

meanwhile
if we can get the freezer all set up saturday
i will be making cookie dough all next week for holidays
and i will be baking early december for bernie to take to work

til next time

vi

edited to add
gee i live a boring life
isn't it GREAT

again with the no sleep

and yet i am exhausted

i had a nightmare about my sheep and goat

i dreamt that where i boarded them bred them all without telling me
intending on selling the babies

at 3am, all things seem possible so i had to get up
i need to bring them home or at least closer to me in distance
i miss them so much
and when i ask how they are,......i just get told 'fine'

and i feel that it is not appreciated that i ask about them from the person who signs the boarding checks

i know that they are taken care of well, fed etc
and part of me is certain that this dream is a nightmare

but sometimes i wonder as it is really clear to me that i have not been welcome to visit them nor inquire about them over a year now
( this is a whole nother story, which for now i am not up to talking about)

anyone know a place to board 4 sheep and a goat in nepa or northwest new jersey?
i have 2 wethers, two ewes and a doe who is ( when last i heard) dry

i swear i am ready to bring them all home and hide them in the basement

we were to have moved two years ago.......
maybe in 09 we can FINALLY move to a place they can come home to?

well i finally got my van back.......this time it was over a month with no transportation
i did town errands and food shopping for the past two days
today i am starting work on the duck pen near the back door, to replace the temporary pen i put up last week in that nightmare flood
and yesterday phoebe laid her first egg!
i imagine lilliana and cleo will start soon as well

i don't remember when last i posted, but we did end up butchering the drakes
i feel bad about it but there it is
we couldn't keep them all
and i tried to find homes.....no luck
so two of the three are in the freezer and one paid the person that did the butchering

i am tired lately, i think part of it is i am doing my chores, bernie's chores and the joint chores
we also shut off the hoses.....so i am hauling water for the ducks to swim in......
they don't have to swim but i get so much pleasure out of watching them happily take a bath that i am willing to fill the pond by schlepping back and forth with buckets of water
but my shoulders aren't happy
however i think this is going to be the way it is around here
as bernie's fleet is now HUGH, and even though he is getting two more techs he is still busy

i canned coleslaw........wow is that GOOD
i gave some to a neighbor and she gave me three more heads of cabbage to do up
i will give her some jars out of it

i want a log cart, with 20 inch wheels.
since i have to do all the wood and it's up stairs or up a hill either way you look at it here
i can't throw the wood up on the deck as my shoulders are bad again
i have been using the wheel barrow but a log cart i can bring into the house and right next to the stove unload and get my second load
it holds 200 pound per load and can go up the stairs

til next time
and i hope it is with not so depressing a post

a perspective i agree with

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/recolumnists/story?id=53926

this is what i think of when the market 'crashes'
i remember in 87 when we bought this house......right after in october there was a 'market' crash
i remember calling my dad........
'dad, we just bought a house, the market crashed........are we going to be ok'

dad said........
honey the market crashes all the time.....it'll come back
and yes of course.....dad was right
and it did

now dad was born in 1911, lived through the great depression, the crash of 29
and innumerable other recessions.......
he was not a dumb man by any stretch...........
he was right then
and he's right now

vi

Some things are just priceless

Today, as every day…..i went to take the duckies and falstaff out to the duck pen
The girls were jumping up and down in their inside crate to be let out
Falstaff of course was in his crate in the wheelbarrow ready to go down the hill.
Normally I put falstaff in the back part of the duck pen, then carry one baby at a time out to the front part of the duck pen…….talking and kissing them good morning

Today I knew I had to carry 5 gallon buckets of water out to the pen for them to bath, since Bernie turned the outside water off ( due to frosts) and I can’t reach to turn it on.

So I told the girls……………..
Ok TODAY, you all can walk on your own 6 feets

Opened their door and turned to wheel falstaff down the hill……..
I hear flapping wings behind me
All 3 girls are flying to catch up with me……. They landed right behind me
And waited while I put falstaff in his pen
Then single file……one after another walked into their pen

I was laughing so hard at them

But I still had their water to do
So I started back up the hill…..only to hear flying behind me…..
Yup
3 little duckies following me…….

I put them back in their pen and closed the door so I could get their pond filled

After we all bathed………( except Phoebe didn’t wash her wings and remember they splash so much i get all wet too)
I let falstaff out to bath, and took the girls for a walk around the yard…..
We sampled frozen green beans
And fresh berries…..
And some quackgrass seeds
And some dirt
And gravel
ALL of utmost interest to duckies……

When they seemed to have had enough……..we all wandered back to the pen…..
Falstaff took himself to the back pen
And phoebe walked in…… cleo and lilliana hung around the door, waiting to be picked up and carried but ALL went back into the pen

I swear I love them duckies

In other news
I got my first tick of the winter heating season last night………on my NECK
Little bugger didn’t want to come out
I swear he drilled in me 45 miles or so
It was one of them deer ticks…..i hate ticks of all kinds but those are even worse.

So it took a while but with lanacane and needle nose pliers…..
I got a hole in my neck BIGGER then the whole damn tick was
But
He’s out

Thank goodness

However it hurts like hell……..still……..
Today
Oye

Til next time


Ps since I am typing this in word it automatically puts in capitals……no I didn’t suddenly grow longer less painful fingers………

Just so you all know…….

OH no....it REPUBLICAN BARBIE

*******$150G From GOP For Fashions For Palins?
RNC Said To Have Shelled Out At Least That Much For "Campaign Accessories" For Family

This pisses me off big time

i thought we were BEYOND the 'wanna be barbie when we grow up' thing

nooooooooo

so now we got Palin.....stilletto heels and tight red skirts

is THAT the presidential vp picture we want to be sending?

'our vp is a tart'?

OOPS......... mccain drops dead and palin invades VOGUE?

please

didn't we as woman work really really hard for really really long to be taken SERIOUSLY.....and not as a sexual object

or was i mistaken?

early fall for real

well this weekend past we got our first real frost
monday or tuesday we got a killing frost
my poor little garden

i brought in some plants i couldn't bear to see die
an eggplant
a few peppers

i am wondering if i can possibly lift the wood we got out there to make some hoop houses
or cold frames
no use waiting for bernie
he's ALWAYS at work
i tease him that he's got another wife ( his cell phone.......)
AND a whole 'nother family........( his fleet)

i realized last night i need to deal with the firewood hauling in a better way
so i used a luggage cart to wheel in some off the deck
but i am going to have to get the log carrier from plow and hearth i think, with the 20" wheels
that will go up the front stairs
and up the hill from the woodpile

i am so sorry now that i didn't make him stack out front........
he was afraid someone would steal it
i am thinking...........
i'll take my chances

i had to bath one of the duckies in the basement sink yesterday
she was filthy
falstaff was all over the three of them and what a muddy mess they were

so lilianna was the worst of the lot.....she went in the sink
phoebe has me worried as her feather texture has changed.......
softer and not water repellant
lili and cleo are still water repellant so i am wondering about phoebe

now when i go into the pen
the girls gather around my feet and greet me while nibbling at my pants, boots, and inside my boots as well
they don't hurt
they also like to play with the strings on my barn jacket

they crack me up

we have chicks ordered, so soon i will be raising more orpingtons
we don't have eggs!
can you believe this
all the poultry around here........no eggs

now i don't want the ducks laying right now as it's too cold
but i do expect the house chickens to lay

in fiber news
i am knitting leaves.....in browns, deep reds and yellows
i am also knitting a yellow lace scarf to attach them to
there are beads that could be involved as well..........
red ones......
and

if i get to the store ever again......

beads the color of bittersweet berries as well

are you all ready for winter?

i hope so

i still don't feel ready.......but we probably are

til next time

vi

There is a lot going on in the world………

So very much turmoil and uncertainty
I am reasonably sure that once November 8th comes and goes a lot of the upheaval will settle down.
I am also reasonably sure that the next white house will be democratic
I am basing this on a global need for our stock market to settle down…..which historically it does very well under a democratic white house

‘May you live in interesting times”
I don’t remember who said this……wait let me google……AHHHHH it is an ancient Chinese proverb and curse! ( thank goodness for google)

I would say that right now…….THESE are ‘interesting times’
A historic election, showing the inner workings of the collective mind of America.
either way it goes a first will happen

a woman in high power or a 'black' man
( remember this man is biracial, which seems fitting to me......to ease america into the idea of a race other then white in office)

in my personal opinion........
i am not sure which if any candidate is suited for office during these times
but one WILL be elected
and one will serve

i do expect that one will be democrat.........if nothing more then to calm the waters

i am also expecting that this democrat........most likely will surprise a LOT of folks
and MAY actually be effective!
at least i so hope

now along with this
the energy crisis..... brought sharply into view due to heating costs
higher food prices

this hits home to the average american in a way perhaps a problem in a global sense may not
as we have traditionally had relatively reasonable costs for our food
if not our heating

i don't know the answers
i do know for us.....
we put by more food
we heat with wood ( yes there are increased costs there as well but not as bad as oil, which is what we heated with formerly)

however i worry about later......when i am older
as this mostly falls on my shoulders
bernie helps stack the loads of wood
but i mostly have to worry about day to day bringing in and keeping the stove stoked

i also am extremely worried right now about our sheep and goat
due to local zoning
we can't have them here
but also due to the economy and other issues i won't go into
i have a need to move them from where they are
i want them home

or alternatively, and perhaps better long term
i want to move and bring them with me to a larger property
with more room for growing food

this has been keeping me up nights lately

i can't find a solution easily to my livestock dilemma
which in the scheme of things is not earth shattering
i guess i shouldn't hold my breath waiting for "them' to find a solution to the global problems facing ALL of us living on the earth


i can't help but wonder if what we aren't feeling.....is the growing pains of a new possibly united global era and society?

an actual chance at utopia?

naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

never happen

vi

rhinebeck

as always rhinebeck is beautiful
the fall leaves......the hedgerow berries ( i saw american bittersweet, but on private property.....or it would be on my front DOOR right now)

there seemed to me to be a few less vendors this year.....and some of the vendors had a lot less product.....
or maybe i was wrong....but that is what seemed to me

i naturally started rhinebeck with a stop at Spirit Trail where two orphaned skeins followed me home, one mixed yellows/pale oranges in merino lace
and one mixed blues in silk......
how the blue one happened i will never know!........but i got a blue skein to think of something for

golding had more spindles.........i love those one of a kind ones....with the bracelets etc

i saw one in purple that was to die for

i saw Kathryn Alexander Designs kits at Carolina homespun, and if it had not been so expensive..... ($330 for the pullover which i loved) i would have asked for it for christmas, in medium pastels of rainbow colors

i saw the tsock tsarina booth and the 'vintage' sock i lust after......
which i didn't get as it won't really fit over my calfs.....even if i enlarge it
and what a waste as i won't see and enjoy it......
although that heel shaping she has in this sock intrigues me to no end

she does have a leaf only kit which i should have gotten......and didn't ( kick me repeatedly please)
i thought all the way home......
gee i could make those leaves and put them on a scarf or mittens or even a hat so that i could enjoy them.......

i got a hat block for needled felted hats

and i got nordic felted knits

which has a felted coat

i wore my black and gray color work hat......
it was pretty cold and windy and i am so glad i did
i also got a few compliments on it!
which i was shocked about as it is so very quiet for color knitting
nothing flashy about it
but it is my favorite hat

it was horribly cold when we tried to eat out picnic lunch
so we didn't eat much
but the hot chocolate i brought was a hit with bernie
he also liked the brownies i baked him........
but never ate the ravioli salad

if i had wheels, i would have ran to town friday and gotten a wide mouth thermos and brought stew or something as well


for some odd reason we didn't sleep at all the night before......
so we both were very very tired and didn't really recover all weekend
and neither of us slept last night either!

heating season is upon us
sort of late this year
and i am really only using the stove evenings and over night
it's getting up to the 50's in the day so i let the stove go out
it was nice getting home from rhinebeck to a warm house
even though the stove was out and nothing but a few embers were alive inside

the ducks survived the day in the basement but were NOT happy
when we got home
all the girls were out of their pen.......cleo was in the crate with falstaff
lilianna and phoebe were wandering around ( and FLYING occationally) the basement
they were very happy to see me

i have to laugh as they greet falstaff and me about the same way.......
they don't greet bernie like that

i hand carry each girl in and out
bernie said......'why , just put them in the crate and wheel them in and out'
NO WAY

that is the best time
i hold my ducks
i look into their eyes
i kiss them
rub their bills
examine them
watch their feet
and just enjoy them
i live for that.................




til next time

vi

October 15

I was talking to bob ( Azknitter’s) husband. ( for you folks that are fiber people from KR or Ravelry)
Saturday is not only Rhinebeck……
which trish and bob were to attend this year WITH us
But also the memorial service where the organ donor’s families meet the recipients.

I find that so ironic
Bob is going to meet the folks that got a reprieve because of our trish

( if anyone doubts how great our trish is……….. she gave the ultimate gift……the gift of herself to save so many other lives)

Bob and I were talking about this a bit ago
( I am actually typing this in word on October 14, which is why you will see capitalization)
We both discussed how ironic we found it
I said…( being ever so blunt………but that is part of my earthy charm……no?)
‘well trish will manage to be in two places at once……
since she doesn’t have a body to slow her down anymore’

But you all have no idea how I wish she were here with us and going to Rhinebeck
Bob sent me a ton of her things……..
wonderful goodies I always wanted ( specialized tools etc)
But not from trish……
I want TRISH here using her goodies and letting me borrow them

Not a day goes by when I don’t have a billion things to tell her
I would like to hear what she has to say about this……
or that……….

After all these months……
the loss of trish is even greater then before
I could pretend before that she was on a trip or something

So the excitement of Rhinebeck is bittersweet with knowing my friend……
who SHOULD be with us there
AND planned on being there with us
Will be there in spirit……….
And she better BE there in spirit……..
sitting on my shoulder……


You hear that trish?

Or I will haunt your ass in heaven………..
rest in peace MY ASS
I will nag the crap out of you…….
and burp in your heavenly EAR………


I loves ya kid…….
and I so very much wish that you would be walking Rhinebeck with us

Your friend

Vi

Rhinebeck is Saturday!!! tis that time of year!

I am planning a picnic lunch
I am thinking……. Ravioli salad
Chicken salad on homemade rolls
I am thinking of maybe a fruit salad for desert
Oatmeal cookies
And brownies
Maybe pumpkin muffins or pumpkin roll?
How about some gator aide
And water
And what else?
Something else to drink and nibblies……….
What for nibblies…..???
Bernie won’t eat trail mix
But what else is there
No candy
Ewww

Ok my Rhinebeck shopping list is books this time
Mostly books that have felted jackets/ coats in them
I probably will get them from knitpicks as that is cheaper
But I would like to look at the books
I have visions of a nice felted wool coat, with needle felting on it
Maybe flowers and vines? A couple beads here and there?
A STATEMENT coat for my little round body
Or maybe a colorknit hat or mitten kit……..

I need to get some cash as well I think……..about 30 bucks? Maybe 40
OHOOHOH I finally found my ball winder
Actually BERNIE found it for me
Isn’t that wonderful!
Mine is a royal………. It’s red and white!
I think the new ones are turquoise now

Of course there will be a stop at Spirit trail………
I am thinking that is the highlight of Rhinebeck.
I hope I can afford a skein of silk……..
you know it will be some nice reds/russets etc…..

I wished I could have a golding spindle or one of them new square spindles
But probably not…… it’s ok though I don’t NEED it…………
I have almost everything I need…….fleece, a wheel, dyes, yarns……..needles and tools
So it is really just the visiting and seeing what’s new and all…….
And TRADITION………. Let’s not forget that
The TRADITION of it all
Oh and maybe……….. a doughnut……..