Bike Trip

It is very early in the morning and my bike is in the truck and I am all set to go. I am anxious to go. In a way I've been getting ready for 8 weeks, that's when I started exercising. I was invited on this Bike Trip about a week later, it has kept me motivated. Now it is before 5 am and I am all set and ready to go. I have had a crazy week and I am set to have a crazy week when I return. But this week starting today is all about doing what I want-I am not sure what it will entail as I have not been involved with the planning at all. This trip has been happening for over 20 years and the women who plan it have had a bit of practice. I hadn't thought about is previously but I am the planner when it comes to any sort of trip that myself or my family go on. So this time I just sent a check and the whole thing has been planned out already. All the coordinating, shopping, renting of the house, all the details have been taken care of. It is kind of amazing for me. All I have to do is show up.

I am a bit nervous...I still have a way to go before I consider myself fit. But, I am going for it. I will be back in a week and I will do my best to post next Sunday before the crazy week starts. Have a great week everyone, I know I will...

Try To Hold It All Up or Just Get Out From Underneath?

We all seem to lead lives of extreme busyness (business). With. Too. Much. Too. Do. Sometimes it can be overwhelming and you get so rushed and stressed that you smash your finger in the car door. Right before an actual date night. Instead of going out to eat you spend the evening in the ER and it is not interesting like on TV, just boring and painful. Not so fun.

Then a trip to Colorado to spend some time with Mom. Taking an extra few days more than planned because it's important, Mom lives far away. When there less than 24 hrs when get a fever that goes up and up for several days finally peaking at 103.6, and then after going down it stayed around 99.5 for the rest of the time there. It really put a damper on visiting.

Return home to: new employee gone bad and the fun of letting her know that she didn't make it past her probationary period. Search for new employee, frustrating. Still having effects of trip Virus at random times: light headed, dizzy, headaches, fatigue. Eldest child in distress and needing rescue (1100 miles away). Etc, etc, etc.

Then the good parts:

The employee (you know who you are) who I can depend on no matter what!

The sometimes entertaining task of finding a new employee, some people really don't want a job despite the fact that they show up an ask for an application. It can be funny what they say or ask (Will you change your store hours to fit my schedule?). Oh, and a tip for all you job hunters out there: washing is good.

Going away overnight for 22nd wedding anniversary.

Finding a new employee! Yaaayyy! (cross your fingers)

Getting invited on a women's bike trip for a week on Martha's Vineyard!

Joining http://sparkpeople.com and changing my lifestyle.

Life is busy but the good seems to outweigh the bad so I guess I'm gonna keep on going.

If I actually have any readers left please click on the comment link and let me know you are there and if I should continue writing this blog.

It Is Really Spring and I Am Outta Here

Happy Spring!

You can tell it is really spring because of the above example of the humble and much maligned dandelion. I wanted to try to make some dandelion wine this spring but that is not in the cards this year. I must say I have not had much time to post lately and last week I slammed my finger in the car door and it is pretty screwed up. One handed typing is not so fun. Hence the no posting.

I am off in a bit to go to Colorado and visit my Mom and get some much needed R&R. So just a quick post before I head out the door. Don't give up on me!

I will be back in good time for the arrival of Black Fly Season!

Cheesemaking to Follow

Guess where I went yesterday with my son's 4-H group? Yes, that's right a sheep farm. I was in heaven (Now of course, I want some sheep of my own. As well as some chickens and maybe a couple of goats. It was always a fantasy of mine to produce my own food or at least some of it.). I think of everyone there I may have been the most excited, I kinda felt like a kid myself. Sometimes being a Mom takes you places that you might never get to on your own. At least, for me that is true.

We had a cheese tasting and then the children feed some of the sheep and we got to hold the lambs. Brand new baby lambs. It's too bad my camera battery was dying, the were very cute. Then we went to the dairy and watched as all the equipment was made ready. Then came the milking, the above photo shows the sheep all lined up ready to be milked. It was fun and interesting and just so basic. When we have milk or cheese we just don't really think about the animal and what it takes to produce these products, we are all so detached from it. I think that most people prefer it that way. I myself was fascinated by the whole thing. First they are washed and then they are hooked up to the machine. They get a little smack or some manipulation so their milk lets down, their udders and teats are constantly being touched and checked thoughout the entire process. When one group is done another is let in to be milked.

I was given a bag of milk as we left. It was still warm. I will be making cheese in the next couple of days. I am going to be making cheese and possibly some ice cream with our 4-H group in the next few weeks so I have to figure it all out. I have only made cheese once, look here: http://auntkirstie.blogspot.com/2008/01/im-maker-of-cheese.html so I am not exactly a pro. I am however, motivated to learn.

Trying to Review the Book

Here is L checking out the book the morning after I went to the book launch. He looked at it for a little while and we talked a bit about possibly taking some of his drawings and embroidering them on to cloth and making a quilt. He liked that idea.

I read the book for over a hour at 11:30pm when I got home. I don't remember too much, my eyes were glazing over but I was so excited to finally be able to read the book, not much stuck though.

There is a great idea to hang a up a wire(like a clothesline) for art, things found, inpirations, and whatever. I am going to do that, it seems like a good way to display things and yet it is not permanent(except the wire).

I gave embroidery a try the other night, just some practice stitches but it was fun. My brother called me in the middle of it and said "What are you doing? You sound so calm and relaxed." Hmm. Not a comment I hear a lot lately. I know I need to find time for it. I was inpired by The Creative Family. I needed some instuction however, so I pulled out Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Needlework. This is a great book it has soooo much information in it. It is different than the guidebooks that are published today-it has everything from embroidery to rug making. Oh and the best part,I bought it at the thrift store for 99 cents! Here are my practice stitches.

So all in all I feel as though I have only skimmed this book and haven't read too much it at all. I am enjoying it and look forward to reading some more. When I find the time.

Soulemama Book Launch

A Friend and I ventured out to Portland on a rainy Friday evening to go to Soulemama's book launch and to purchase her book and meet her. I was excited to go because I read this blog daily and I wanted to meet her and tell her how I loved to read her blog and how much we had in common. I wanted to thank her for being such an inspiration. I wanted to ask her how she manages to do it all without going stark raving bonkers.

When we arrived I sorta expected there to be more people there. It is a 2 level store and on the street level there were a few people but is was not crazy busy. It sounded like there was a party going on in the basement. Oh, and copies of the book everywhere. Finally, I get my hands on this book and it is suprisingly small. I expected it to be about the size and shape of a magazine but is smaller than that about 6.5" x 8" , somehow I thought it was bigger. But, no matter, I expect it is less expensive than a larger book and so I am all for that. I purchase 2 copies one for myself and one for my nephew's wife as a gift.

We head downstairs and there were several people in groups and Amanda was standing by a table talking with someone. It did seem like a party. A party at which I knew no one except the person I came with. We went up and sorta stood nearby with our books and no one noticed. We then wandered around looking at her show and all the other cool stuff in the store. Where else can you get a onesie with 'The Clash' on it?

We wander some more. I decide that if I want these books signed I must stand nearby and wait in a obvious way. This works. I am feeling so shy, I am overcome with it and don't know what to say (I'm your number one fan a la "misery", I don't think so.) So I look up an say Hi and notice that she is by all appearances feeling very shy too. She signs my books and is very nice but I don't know what to say and so it is over very quickly. It is a strange feeling to meet someone that you know so much about and yet she doesn't know you a bit and so it truly is this one sided thing. Weird. I did ask her if her photogragher friend was there because I wanted to tell her how much I love her pics. She says that yes she is and that I should meet her and tell her what I think of her work and that she needs to hear how good it is. So she is a good friend to think of her friend on her own big night.

So I go over and introduce myself to Jessie Fields, a photographer who does amazing work and whom is very modest. I really enjoy her work and I tell her so and we have a nice conversation. She asks for my blog address and even writes it down. Hi Jessie it was nice to meet you!

I then snapped a few pictures and it was over, rather quickly for me.

Then there is the book...

Who's Hat is That?

I finished this beautiful hat for Uncle Paddy and put it on and ran into the bathroom to admire my handy work. I don't normally toot my own horn but I really dig this hat and I thought it looked great. I was pretty pleased with myself and so off I went to give it to Uncle paddy who was in his favorite spot amongst his tools in the basement.
"I finished your hat! It's really cool! I love how it came out! Isn't it awesome?" I say.
"Wow, that's really nice. Thanks." He says.
"I love how it looks. You try it on" He dutifully puts on the hat.
"It's really soft. It's nice, Thanks." He says.
"I just love how it came out! I just love it!" I exclaim.
I go back upstairs and he comes up a few minutes later and checks out the hat in front of the mirror. I secretly think that it looks better on me. We go into our office and I put the hat back on and I maybe make a few more statements about the wonders of this hat.
"I think you should keep the hat." He says.
"No, I made it just for you. I finally made you a hat." I say.
"I'm giving it to you. It looks better on you and you can make me another hat next year." He says.
"No I can't, I made it for you. I finally made a hat for you. I think it looks good on me though." I say.
"It's for you. It's yours. You can make one for me with just the charcoal and grey. I don't really like the colors. You keep the hat." He says.

And, so I did.