It is really here! Summer, for the first time in two years. I have real peaches and they are ripe and sweet. So it is time to do some canning. I am looking forward to it. It has been difficult to get the garden under control. The weeds are hard to work on in the drizzle and chill wind. It is much nicer when the evenings are dry and lightly cool/warm. Tonight I will mow the lawn, pick some weeds and work lightly in the garden beds. It is pleasant work after the hustle and bustle of the last two weeks.
I have been to Oregon to the fiber festival. Driving, working, shopping, playing, driving, driving, and more driving. Whew! I was glad to get home. Then taking the car to the shop, getting the house cleaned up and stocking in the food and beer for Eduard's party. Plus my other work. I feel like I came home in a dead run and have been running for another week.
Finally, on Monday, July 4th, I collapsed in a heap and could barely get out of bed. The party went on without me, mercifully. I was able to be lazy and drift for most of the day. I have so much to do still and so little energy left. I spent Tuesday cleaning up the kitchen, refrigerator, and cooking the last foods that the party missed. I have a packed week and need to get some control over the chaos. Again, a long nap in the afternoon, helped restore the energy for the evening.
I am pleased with the fleece I bought and all the fibers and toys. And as usual, after running wild for a week, I just want to stay home and play with my new stuff. Hopefully, I will get the work done and have a chance to play this weekend. I need a slow, lazy, warm summer to take some of the hustle out of my bustle.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Strangely Silent
For several days, I watched in silent fascinated horror as Tsunami waves washed over Japan and people picked through the wreckage for parts of the life they had known. Then the awful truth about the nuclear meltdowns started to drift over, slowly and insidiously, first as full on lies then part truths. Finally, when the initial interest faded, the real truth slipped into the back pages of the news. It was leaked out like the leaking radioactive water. It floated by like a radioactive steam cloud.
In the recent days, I have searched the news for follow up information. There is none, but an occasional paragraph on some world conference on nuclear safety. There is some discussion by world leaders that maybe we should be looking into safer technologies.
The real truth is that the Japanese nuclear reactors are still melting down, releasing outrageous amounts of radiated water and waste into the environment and nothing is really being done to stop it. When Chernobyl went, the US rushed to help dump concrete on the facility to stop the release of radiation. Last I heard, it was marginally successful, but the area is still seriously contaminated and uninhabitable. At least there was a stop. Well, that is what we were led to believe, anyway.
But now, the world has lost interest in this event in Japan. We are poisoning the Pacific ocean, our food, water and air. We are not even watching in fascinated horror as our planet becomes uninhabitable. We are watching baseball, politician's exposing themselves, and a rather messy trial on the death of one baby. Not one person I have spoken to in the last month is aware that this meltdown is still happening.
I am nearing the end of my time on earth. I have had my children, played on the beach, eaten fish, and breathed somewhat clean air. But this is not available for my children and grandchildren. I am so sorry for them I can hardly speak it. And I am helpless to make any difference or changes. I can not make it stop. I am strangely silent and pensive.
As I get ready to go to Oregon, I think about the poisoned salmon in the rivers- they have swum in the poisoned ocean. I think about the poisoned rain that falls from the radioactive mist over the poisoned ocean. There is no safe place on the planet.
This year I will spin wool, knit socks, be with my friends, grow vegetables and fruits in my garden and be silent. The disaster will spread over the world in silence as contaminated products move from one place to another. I cannot knit a big enough blanket to hide under or enough socks to protect my family from the terrors that will come.
So I will continue on, mourning in my depths, for the loss of the future. Silently.
In the recent days, I have searched the news for follow up information. There is none, but an occasional paragraph on some world conference on nuclear safety. There is some discussion by world leaders that maybe we should be looking into safer technologies.
The real truth is that the Japanese nuclear reactors are still melting down, releasing outrageous amounts of radiated water and waste into the environment and nothing is really being done to stop it. When Chernobyl went, the US rushed to help dump concrete on the facility to stop the release of radiation. Last I heard, it was marginally successful, but the area is still seriously contaminated and uninhabitable. At least there was a stop. Well, that is what we were led to believe, anyway.
But now, the world has lost interest in this event in Japan. We are poisoning the Pacific ocean, our food, water and air. We are not even watching in fascinated horror as our planet becomes uninhabitable. We are watching baseball, politician's exposing themselves, and a rather messy trial on the death of one baby. Not one person I have spoken to in the last month is aware that this meltdown is still happening.
I am nearing the end of my time on earth. I have had my children, played on the beach, eaten fish, and breathed somewhat clean air. But this is not available for my children and grandchildren. I am so sorry for them I can hardly speak it. And I am helpless to make any difference or changes. I can not make it stop. I am strangely silent and pensive.
As I get ready to go to Oregon, I think about the poisoned salmon in the rivers- they have swum in the poisoned ocean. I think about the poisoned rain that falls from the radioactive mist over the poisoned ocean. There is no safe place on the planet.
This year I will spin wool, knit socks, be with my friends, grow vegetables and fruits in my garden and be silent. The disaster will spread over the world in silence as contaminated products move from one place to another. I cannot knit a big enough blanket to hide under or enough socks to protect my family from the terrors that will come.
So I will continue on, mourning in my depths, for the loss of the future. Silently.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
My Grandmother Said
That there were "benefits" to being deaf.
We were driving down to Mississippi from Missouri to visit my cousin, Leigh. My children were small then, and this grandmother would be their great grandmother. So Great Granny Inez was in the front seat. Little people 8 and under were in the backseat. I got to drive and listen to the whining and bickering behind me.
My grandmother looked at me, askance, and said, "There are benefits to being deaf." Then she removed her hearing aids and took a nap.
I have just finished, again, the painting in the guest room. I did the touch up on the wall where the painter's tape ripped the paint off. And I did the touch up in the oil base window casing, with a small artist's brush no less. As I did the little details, cleaned the brushes, hammered the lids down, I was reminded of my grandmother's words. I now believe that if there are any remaining flaws in the window paint job (and I know there are), I will just remove my glasses and slip into fuzzy vision. I won't see them close or far, due to that age of bifocalizm. And if anyone complains, they won't be invited to stay ever again.
We were driving down to Mississippi from Missouri to visit my cousin, Leigh. My children were small then, and this grandmother would be their great grandmother. So Great Granny Inez was in the front seat. Little people 8 and under were in the backseat. I got to drive and listen to the whining and bickering behind me.
My grandmother looked at me, askance, and said, "There are benefits to being deaf." Then she removed her hearing aids and took a nap.
I have just finished, again, the painting in the guest room. I did the touch up on the wall where the painter's tape ripped the paint off. And I did the touch up in the oil base window casing, with a small artist's brush no less. As I did the little details, cleaned the brushes, hammered the lids down, I was reminded of my grandmother's words. I now believe that if there are any remaining flaws in the window paint job (and I know there are), I will just remove my glasses and slip into fuzzy vision. I won't see them close or far, due to that age of bifocalizm. And if anyone complains, they won't be invited to stay ever again.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Paint, then paint again
This was a great weekend for almost getting done with stuff. We worked on the yard and got some trees cut down and the weeds removed, but the pile of wood for the fire wood stack still sits in the yard. And I painted the window frame in the guest room (around the new window). But as I peeled off the masking tape (yes that blue painter's tape) a bunch of wall paint came with it. So now I have to "touch up" before I put stuff back into the room.
We have a phrase, we borrowed from another person, who borrowed it from another person-
"It is done, but not finished." So the painting is done, but the job is not finished. Touch up, clean up, re-arranged. There are many details left to finish. The project will go on for years. Even the living room which is 99% done is not finished. Project started 2008. There are two cabinet doors looking for me and I have the hardware sitting in a box. The dinning room has wall holes to patch and paint. Project started in 2003.
Things seem to get to a "functional" place and rest there for an indefinite period of time while they ripen. The bookcase (2010) is still not filled and organized. The garage boxes (2001), let's just don't go there.
Stuff keeps leaving but the pile doesn't get smaller. Things are checked off the list, but the list doesn't get shorter. Things seem to get done, but there are always some little details left to finish that linger.
Socks on the other hand- get done, get worn, get mended, get washed. I think that is why I love knitting. Something actually gets done.
We have a phrase, we borrowed from another person, who borrowed it from another person-
"It is done, but not finished." So the painting is done, but the job is not finished. Touch up, clean up, re-arranged. There are many details left to finish. The project will go on for years. Even the living room which is 99% done is not finished. Project started 2008. There are two cabinet doors looking for me and I have the hardware sitting in a box. The dinning room has wall holes to patch and paint. Project started in 2003.
Things seem to get to a "functional" place and rest there for an indefinite period of time while they ripen. The bookcase (2010) is still not filled and organized. The garage boxes (2001), let's just don't go there.
Stuff keeps leaving but the pile doesn't get smaller. Things are checked off the list, but the list doesn't get shorter. Things seem to get done, but there are always some little details left to finish that linger.
Socks on the other hand- get done, get worn, get mended, get washed. I think that is why I love knitting. Something actually gets done.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
May 26, and alls well
Today, another step in the never ending battle against natural forces has moved us forward. The "fix" of the new windows is done. My last post was 2 months back and I was ready to do a happy dance about getting the windows done. Hmmm. A bit premature, I think. I have finished the wall in the guest room, repaired and painted the baseboards, and moved in all the furniture. BUT, and its a cute butt, I have yet to paint the window frame. I need some warm weather so that I can open all the windows and have "adequate ventilation" so that I don't get stoned from the fumes. It looks like this is the weekend for such weather and activity.
I am still trying to organize the "wooly room". Most of the stuff is in it, but in boxes. I have inventoried my Wool collection and still have 8 pounds to put away. I was thinking today about my wool collection and realized that there is no wool shortage here. Maybe there is for other people, but in my house, I have enough wool to spin for the rest of my life. And that would make enough yarn to knit, weave, crochet and felt for the rest of my life also.
I like to knit socks. There is about 4 ounces of fiber in each pair of socks. My wooly room contains the raw ingredients for 1000 pairs of socks. Well, that is an exaggeration. It is more like 500 pairs. But that is just the processed wool. That doesn't include the silk, the fleeces, the alpaca, and the cotton. Or the commercial yarns. As much as I hate to say it, I may have reached the limit.
I am going to buy another fleece at Black Sheep Gathering this year. I can't help myself. The fumes overwhelm my judgment. But I have limited myself to one- one lovely, gray, fine wool, fleece. And of course, the one that is for my students. So that is actually two fleeces, but one doesn't count. And I did sell some stuff this year so I do in fact let some of it go. There may be a little bit of room left in the corner of the closet by the end of the summer.
So back to the remodel issue. The chair for the guest room is too big and will go into Eduard's room (when Sara moves into her apartment). And I will find a nice, rustic chair for the guest room that is a more appropriate size. Then I will finish painting the laundry room which is still 80% painted, but fully functional.
Then I will replace the dishwasher and drinking water system (again). There is the yard- which is a mess and not getting better at any speed. And the new shed. In truth, I think that the "fix it" obsession is a life style rather than a need driven experience. It doesn't seem to matter how much gets done, the list is never shorter. I can think of new things to do faster than I can get them done. Faster than I can save money to do them. Faster than I can organize the last one or clean up its mess. Like buying more fruit trees for the fruit we don't eat, I am acquiring more and more stuff to take care of and have less energy to take care of it.
But the rest that comes with age will at some point end all this. I will sell off everything and move to the senior home. I will play cards all day and let someone else cook and repair stuff. Frankly, I am not looking forward to that. I think I like the constant activity, work, planning and mess. I will post pictures in June of the Guest room when the window is painted and the last picture frame is hung. It is so close, I can feel it.
I am still trying to organize the "wooly room". Most of the stuff is in it, but in boxes. I have inventoried my Wool collection and still have 8 pounds to put away. I was thinking today about my wool collection and realized that there is no wool shortage here. Maybe there is for other people, but in my house, I have enough wool to spin for the rest of my life. And that would make enough yarn to knit, weave, crochet and felt for the rest of my life also.
I like to knit socks. There is about 4 ounces of fiber in each pair of socks. My wooly room contains the raw ingredients for 1000 pairs of socks. Well, that is an exaggeration. It is more like 500 pairs. But that is just the processed wool. That doesn't include the silk, the fleeces, the alpaca, and the cotton. Or the commercial yarns. As much as I hate to say it, I may have reached the limit.
I am going to buy another fleece at Black Sheep Gathering this year. I can't help myself. The fumes overwhelm my judgment. But I have limited myself to one- one lovely, gray, fine wool, fleece. And of course, the one that is for my students. So that is actually two fleeces, but one doesn't count. And I did sell some stuff this year so I do in fact let some of it go. There may be a little bit of room left in the corner of the closet by the end of the summer.
So back to the remodel issue. The chair for the guest room is too big and will go into Eduard's room (when Sara moves into her apartment). And I will find a nice, rustic chair for the guest room that is a more appropriate size. Then I will finish painting the laundry room which is still 80% painted, but fully functional.
Then I will replace the dishwasher and drinking water system (again). There is the yard- which is a mess and not getting better at any speed. And the new shed. In truth, I think that the "fix it" obsession is a life style rather than a need driven experience. It doesn't seem to matter how much gets done, the list is never shorter. I can think of new things to do faster than I can get them done. Faster than I can save money to do them. Faster than I can organize the last one or clean up its mess. Like buying more fruit trees for the fruit we don't eat, I am acquiring more and more stuff to take care of and have less energy to take care of it.
But the rest that comes with age will at some point end all this. I will sell off everything and move to the senior home. I will play cards all day and let someone else cook and repair stuff. Frankly, I am not looking forward to that. I think I like the constant activity, work, planning and mess. I will post pictures in June of the Guest room when the window is painted and the last picture frame is hung. It is so close, I can feel it.
Monday, March 28, 2011
End of Things
It is time to post about things that are winding to an end. Some of this has been a long time coming. I will start with the major house (inside) remodeling. We started working on this house the day we bought it. From roof to floors, walls and windows, we have been slowly making it worthy of the next 25 years. Well, after 10 years, we are finally getting the last of the windows done.
We bought the house in 2001 and did the absolute necessities right away- roof, carpet, paint. We did the kitchen window and sliding door, then the dining room window in 2003/04 along with a total kitchen remodel and tile flooring. Most of that work has held up well and still looks great, although the carpet is showing wear. But the roof is good and sound. The kitchen is a dream. And the windows are terrific.
Next we started the living room- 2008. It took a long time to financially recover from the kitchen. In there were cars and other projects that got to the front of the line, but 2008 started the living room. It also was the summer that my mom got sick enough to need lots of attention for awhile. We managed to get the windows done and the fireplace, but the rest of the room got stuck in time. We finished it in 2010.
2011 is the year of the windows and patio. We are doing the guest room window and the remaining bedroom windows in a couple of weeks. That will be the end of the major indoor remodel stuff. Kind of hard to believe. I will actually get the rooms set up and organized and have nothing to do be clean them afterward. The thought is rather shocking. We will have window coverings, and functioning windows. We will have fully painted and clean walls, cleaned rugs, no more tile work.
Wait, what's this I see?... left over wall paper in the bathroom... broken cabinet in the other bathroom... skylight decay.... garage door falling apart.... wait! I thought I was getting to the end of the list. I thought I was going to be done and have some princess time. Will this mess never end?
I am going to go take a nap.
We bought the house in 2001 and did the absolute necessities right away- roof, carpet, paint. We did the kitchen window and sliding door, then the dining room window in 2003/04 along with a total kitchen remodel and tile flooring. Most of that work has held up well and still looks great, although the carpet is showing wear. But the roof is good and sound. The kitchen is a dream. And the windows are terrific.
Next we started the living room- 2008. It took a long time to financially recover from the kitchen. In there were cars and other projects that got to the front of the line, but 2008 started the living room. It also was the summer that my mom got sick enough to need lots of attention for awhile. We managed to get the windows done and the fireplace, but the rest of the room got stuck in time. We finished it in 2010.
2011 is the year of the windows and patio. We are doing the guest room window and the remaining bedroom windows in a couple of weeks. That will be the end of the major indoor remodel stuff. Kind of hard to believe. I will actually get the rooms set up and organized and have nothing to do be clean them afterward. The thought is rather shocking. We will have window coverings, and functioning windows. We will have fully painted and clean walls, cleaned rugs, no more tile work.
Wait, what's this I see?... left over wall paper in the bathroom... broken cabinet in the other bathroom... skylight decay.... garage door falling apart.... wait! I thought I was getting to the end of the list. I thought I was going to be done and have some princess time. Will this mess never end?
I am going to go take a nap.
Friday, March 4, 2011
What to do? Rav is down.
I know that many of you have your favorite sites to chat or check things. News, sports, entertainment, hobbies. I spin yarn and knit/crochet, so I am a part of Ravelry.com. My favorite gathering place for spinny/crafty stuff and I visit daily. I contribute often. So today, it is broken and suddenly I feel a bit lost.
I check the different forums once or twice a day. Sometimes I get caught up in a thread and play for a longer period of time. I was going to have work done on the house today and would be staying home to do things. I just knew I would have some time to play on Ravelry.com. Except, today, it seems to be broken. I can sometimes get to the log on page and sometimes log on, but I can't go anywhere else. Boohoohoo.
Stuck at home with no one to play with. Well, I could spin or knit or work on cleaning up the kitchen or weed in the garden, fertilize fruit trees, saw up old wood, train vines, plant vegetables, mow the lawn... I mean, it is a long list of work I should be doing. And it is not awful work. Still, for some reason, I feel like I am missing my buddies and friends and favorite chatty circles.
I know that Rav will get better and be working by tonight. They always manage to fix whatever server is on the fritz. But that de-railed feeling, like all is not well in the world, has broken my concentration.
So I resolve to work in the garden to take my mind off of Ravelry.com. That way, I can feel productive, get vitamine D, and wait patiently until they return. Sniff.
I check the different forums once or twice a day. Sometimes I get caught up in a thread and play for a longer period of time. I was going to have work done on the house today and would be staying home to do things. I just knew I would have some time to play on Ravelry.com. Except, today, it seems to be broken. I can sometimes get to the log on page and sometimes log on, but I can't go anywhere else. Boohoohoo.
Stuck at home with no one to play with. Well, I could spin or knit or work on cleaning up the kitchen or weed in the garden, fertilize fruit trees, saw up old wood, train vines, plant vegetables, mow the lawn... I mean, it is a long list of work I should be doing. And it is not awful work. Still, for some reason, I feel like I am missing my buddies and friends and favorite chatty circles.
I know that Rav will get better and be working by tonight. They always manage to fix whatever server is on the fritz. But that de-railed feeling, like all is not well in the world, has broken my concentration.
So I resolve to work in the garden to take my mind off of Ravelry.com. That way, I can feel productive, get vitamine D, and wait patiently until they return. Sniff.
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