gone, all gone

I got rid of all the fibre and most of the yarn that i took to the guild meeting, took 1 huge garbage bag full of fibre, and about half a garbage bag full of fancy yarns and weaving yarns... and only came back with one small bag of fancy yarn, and Judy Sue will get that, she likes fancy yarns...

the other Sheila showed us her first Tea towels, she did a really good job..i will try to get a picture of it to show you as i won it in our guild raffle which we have every week we meet, we donate gifts and then buy tickets on the gifts, and we use that money to buy books.. we bought 4 very nice books at Desert Mesa this spring....



Have you ever heard of this website http:///www.afghansforafghans.org/... there are several sites that you can knit things for the unfortunate, but they have to be out of acrylic yarn, this one they insist that the knitting be out of WOOL or other natural fibres..you can knit socks, vests, shawls, baby stuff, hats and scarfs, i am hoping the guild will try to make something that we can send over there.. i really like the idea of it being out of natural fibres.. I have to figure out how to set up the proper links... anyone out there know how... nite, nite..........

time flies when you are having fun

Yup... spring clean is just so much fun... i hate it... started on my bedroom this past week... so much junk, i don't know why i am such a pack rat, as i can throw things way when i get at it... at least i am not a HOARDER... have you seen hoarders on TV... i am not a competent housekeeper, but even i couldn't live with all that junk...i don't have a linen closet, so keep sheets and blankets on top of my highboy... just tell me why i was keeping single bed sheets, when i haven't had a single bed in the house for 5 or 6 years...i have 3 down duvets, with 5 covers for them, 4 comforters, an electric blanket and a fancy summer blanket... and only two beds, our king and a double bed in the spare room... (which i can see now)...cleaned off the headboard, put away the shot gun shells, two pair of binconculars, 5 books that i have been reading..put away the cream for my feet, the cough candies, set the 2nd clock, put away two boxs of photos ... like i said junk... I have set aside one huge garbage bag of fibre that i won't ever use, two big bags of yarn, one of single balls that i bought to see how they were made, a huge bag of yarn that i was saving to weave with, and i don't weave.. and i have no idea where i got it from..acrylic yarn that i can't stand the feel of...going to take it to the guild meeting tomorrow, so hopefully i can get rid of it... if not, yarn will go to the thrift shop and the fibre (from my own sheep) will go to the dump...don't hassle me about that, i have a whole shed of raw sheep wool and i will have another 15 fleeces when the shearer comes... no sense keeping the crap....Larry is off to Kamloops again this week, my friend and i went over last Wednesday and had supper with him, just to help break up his week, he is bored silly, but will put up with it until the weather turns warm and then he will want to come home... I even worked on one of my garden boxs on Sunday, dug all the weeds, but it is so cold outside..
Took Jesse and Dixie to agility on Saturday, Dixie was a real pain in the butt...she worked good for 30 minutes then just quit... even my instructor tried working with her, and she just won't work... i sure wish i knew what to do with her...i need her to want to please me, and then there is Jesse, ( known around the arena as Little Super Dog)..who gives me all she's got, and then is ready for more... We are off to our 3rd agility trial in June... two whole days, we are staying with a friend who has a motor home.. at least 2 humans and 3 dogs, and probably more...should be fun...
Toni, Isabel, Melody and Marie and me are going to have a Wee spin in at Fenn Lodge owned by Diane Brady, Diane and Gary have it up for sale and have someone looking seriously at it, so this might be the last time we get to meet there...so we will meet there the first week in June, they plan on staying from Monday to Thursday, but i will leave on Wednesday as i have to get ready for the agility trial, and make a couple of meals for Larry before i go away again..but what the hey... it is my birthday that weekend, no sense having a birthday unless you can do what ya want to do.. right??? the birthday will start on the First of June and go to the 8th..a birthday week ???
I didn't start the fire yesterday, and i should have, it is cold in here today... so will go start it when i go out to feed the sheep... just to get the chill out of here..
I started spinning some beautiful 17.6 micro merino at the retreat, I bought it years ago from Andrea, they usually don't allow anything under 20 microns out of New Zealand, and this order was a mistake, so i took advantage of it... must have at least 500 grams of the stuff, only have 100 grams left to spin up... i get about 800 yards out of 200 grams.. beautiful and soft.. Marie will be turning 60 in 2009, which she reminded me at the retreat... so i told her to pick out her fibre...thinking she would pick something from Andrea, but nope she pick out some of her own alpaca, Cria, a very soft shade of grey... she gave me about 250 grams, and then at the gift exchange, what did she get but 80 grams of the same fibre, so she gave that to me to, so now i have 5 bags of Cria alpaca to spin up for her, I have a whole year, but i have several friends turning 60 in 2009..so have several shawls to spin and knit...bought some Royal Purple for a friend who is 6 feet tall, think it will look good on her..i think i will have to put a list on the fridge of all the shawls i have to do for 2009, i also want to do shawls for my friends who are over 60, mostly guild members.. now i just have to try some new patterns...time for chores...and to start the fire... cheers............. S

Another great Retreat

Morning, got home safe and sound from the Retreat about 3 pm... some of those girls just won't leave... Toni, Melody, Teresa and Wendy...
I ended up sicker than a dog on Friday..got to the retreat about 11:30, and went right to bed, Andrea showed up just after me, so kept things going till Donna got there... i was up and down several times, and finally went to bed around 9 and was down for the count... woke up Saturday feeling much better.. We had 30 guests this time, and it was a nice amount, several new guests and that made it interesting.. it was Sonia Gregg's 65th birthday so we had a little party for her..Show and tell was fabulous as always, spinners are so talented...and there were only a very few who didn't bring anything...it was good to see old friends again.. Food was good as usual, we are hoping we can change the date for the spring retreat, so the girls from Williams Lake can come, we conflict with their Miocene (not sure that is still what they call it) spin in, on Saturday..we will try our darnest.. This the lovely shoulder shawl that Melody made out of a single batt that was full of all these colours...isn't it a real beauty... this is Ellen Munroe, the wonderful woman who braved the weather to keep Marg company on her long journey from AB.. what a spinner and interesting lady she is..I lost my camera for a bit, (it was hanging on my chair the whole time), so didn't get many pictures taken... Didn't buy too much, will take a picture of it and post tomorrow... need to go muck out the bedroom... a bit a day till it is all done, i have 6 containers that i have to go thru..3 i know are full of fibre, and the other 3, i just can't remember... off to the pig pen... Sheila

damn doctors

hi.. went to Dr today about my knee, it was okay, but then started hurting really bad, so that when i took a step, i felt like my knee was giving away under me and i had to grab on to something, hurt really bad... so I made an appt last Monday for today, thought it might get better on its own, but it got worse, so after he poked and pushed every sore spot on my knee, he decided he would give me a cortisone shot, I said, hopefully "MONDAY" and he said RIGHT NOW... oh damn... i thought he only did them at the hospital.. so he says lay down, and relax your leg... how can you relax your leg when you know he is going to stick a needle into your knee joint, I said, it is going to hurt, and he said "well no, yes" I said 'have you every had one', answer of course was NO...so he stuck the needle in the joint, and of course i tensed up, so of course it really hurt... i am trying not to scream too loud, (major moans and lots of tears), and relax my leg so he tried again... same thing... he kept saying "scream if ya have too", i couldn't scream with all those people in his office..so i yelped a lot..so then he went into the left side of my knee..three times before he hit the right spot.. lots more yelps and tears.. and then he went into that little hollow below your knee... again more pain and tears.. he rubbed and flexed my knee, again hurting me...not as many yelps this time... but when i put my pants back on, the pain was gone..by the time i left, NO PAIN... a friend was sitting in the office, and i asked her if she heard me and she said no, but i think she was being polite, cuz i made a lot of noise... it started to ache pretty good by the time i got home, took a couple fo T3 and i am without pain, again... he said i could go to the Retreat, and that treddling would be good for my knee... keep it moving but no heavy stuff..there is no way he would keep me away from the retreat..althougth he said it might be worse before it gets better, so i am taking lots of T3... almost everything is done.. and loaded... just the suitcase, and the pillow and my big bath towel... i hate showering with a hand towel.. Toni has phoned me a half dozen times this week, making sure i made the carmel corn... so just have to wash the floor and remake the bed... and i am done... have my camera so will take lots of pictures... hugs sheila

one more sleep

I can hardly wait...only one more sleep... till the Spring Desert Mesa Retreat...Larry came home last night, guess he missed me, but he sure screwed up my plans for the night... had planned on wrapping the door prizes, making a batch of Carmel corn, and washing the floor and vacuuming the living room... only got the gifts wrapped and he hassled me as i did that and the living room vacuumed, right in the middle of a show he was watching...he wasn't impressed, but i didn't mind...., I had raided his shop and took a couple of dozen of his handmade wooden Christmas decorations..he said he won't come home next week as i was annoyed he came home, how right he was, normally i would have been fine with it, but i had plans and he didn't care... anyway he is gone back to kamloops, and i won't see him till Sunday afternoon, I will leave the retreat early so i can spend some time with him, and get his clothes washed..Have to go back into town today, Dr appt, my knee has been acting up again, so will go whine to Dr..and pick up birthday cake for friend who will be 65 tomorrow at the retreat..
I am sure you heard that they caught the murderer of those 3 kids, the guy that caught him is a little different, and does have a criminal record himself..just glad he was caught, can't believe he didn't leave the area...
Had a guild meeting yesterday, was a good one, Andrea is back from 6 weeks holiday in the Antarctic and Chile..Annie is recovering well from toe surgery, and is able to spin, Caroline is looking better after her hubby's major surgery a month ago...we had ordered Sue Rex's colour cards and they came yesterday, they look great, didn't have much time to look at them, will do so after the retreat...lots of colours...i am impressed, we just have to figure out how to use them now, might get us into dyeing more... I decided i needed some thing to knit at the retreat, and the little scarf i am working on needs concentration, so found some lovely black alpaca from Marie that i had spun and plied with a thread with clear beads on it...so decided to make a shawl, just a triangle no pattern and use the beads as the accent... so took it to spinning yesterday and got it well started, looking good...better go, time to do Chores and get ready to get back to town...and then home to get packed up.... will write after weekend.... have a good one.... Sheila

Another beautiful day

Hi... another great day today, sunshine and the damn wind..we were out playing canasta last nite and were late coming home, but we did have a good laugh or too.... L slept in today, which is a real shock, and i was up by 6:30.. I had taped 5 episodes of Coronation Street, (my only soap opera), it is off prime time till after the Stanley Cup...I always liked it as the actors are just normal looking folks, absolutely no model or movie star types... I can remember watching it with my Grandmother when i was about 12... she loved it... you would be surprised at how many people watch it... while i was volunteering for Hospice, one of my clients always watched it, so i would keep her company for that half hour, and then we had something to talk about.. my friend Toni and her mom Marie watch it religiously.. even L comes in to watch it, and my youngest watches it too... Larry is away in the morning for his occupational therapy, i can hardly wait, i have so much to do before the Spring Retreat, got the mailing lists done, and dug out all the raffle stuff that i have been buying since October...I forgot to get a gift for the exchange, will have to look tomorrow, i have to go in for my 6 month blood checkup.. being a diabetic is a real pain sometimes... i hate not having my coffee in the morning..12 hours without food... Larry will leave early so i will be able to get out and do the chores and head to town..get my blood taken, do some quick shopping for treats just for me...and be back home by 10 i hope. I want to start on mucking out my bedroom while Larry is gone..i am going to throw away junk..and clothes that don't fit me anymore... the food bank will get another load.. nite nite... sheila

beautiful day

Hi... what a gorgeous day, plus 20 at 2 pm... had a really great day at agility, only took Dixie today, Jesse is recouping from her surgery, Dixie was really good today, probably the best she has ever been... and my knee was fine, a little tight and achey but otherwise really good... was able to run for the full class.. was nice to get home before lunch time today... although i really love to run Jesse as she loves it so much.. nothing to exciting around here today... I am knitting a shawl... like the bright pink one i put up several months back... Doreene, Bev and Sheila S gave me some lovely silk and camel, about 3 oz and i got 430 yards out of it... this one is for ME...it is an easy pattern, but i do make mistakes, i try to remember to count the stitches every pattern row, cuz if i don't, that is the row that i make a mistake in, never fails..it won't be too big, just enough to wear around my shoulders.. Guild is meeting this Wednesday, Andrea will be back and Annie will come if her foot is okay, she had major surgery on it a week ago... sure don't know where the time goes.. We are out for supper tonite, bar b qued steak, salad and spuds... and i don't have to cook it which is the best part... have a great day.... Sheila

Dr appt

hi... went to the Dr and he decided i had a "baker's cyst", happens at the back of the knee, and the POP i heard was the cyst breaking, he said it couldn't have been a tendon as it would still be hurting... he says it will probably happen again, and if it does i will need a cortisone shot to fix it up... still aches a bit, but i can handle that.... Damn cold here today...just got off the phone with Andrea, she just got back from 3 weeks in the Antarctic and 3 weeks in the mountains of Chile..and is coming to 'Desert Mesa', I can hardly wait, i need some girl time away..we are not booked up completely, but we are happy with the numbers... Marg Sjorstrom is coming as a Vendor, Andrea, Marie Caron/Nixon, and a lady from Kamloops... so we will have enough shopping..
One of the guest is turn 65 on Friday of the retreat so we will have a celebration for her, and a cake of course....Larry didn't go to Klps for his occupational therapy this week, will start next week, for 6 weeks...he will either come home on Thursday, or i will take his truck to Cache Creek..not looking forward to that... but i am sure he will come home on thursday.. see ya

leg is better

hi... I know i should have gone to the Dr on Monday, but i was at another Dr appt in Vancouver, and i just got home this afternoon, but i did make an appt for tomorrow, my leg is feeling much better today, but twice in less than a month is just too much pain for any one..and i don't want it to happen again anytime soon...x rays that Dr took last time didn't show anything but arthritis, but this time i heard a POP and then pain that brought tears to my eyes... but it is feeling much better today, just the odd twinge, although i really watch the dogs when they come flying at me... but Jackson is pretty careful not to run into me...I was really surprised how cold it was at the coast, and hardly any trees in flower, and only a few daffies around... coming home to Merritt was almost the same, cold and no trees in bloom... what a terrible news item we have become, I have seen that guy before, maybe when i worked at the food bank... i know i have seen him somewhere, but when you live in a town of 8000, there is a good chance you might see someone like that.. what a shame...it happened a long ways from here, as we live 20 minutes toward Spence's Bridge, but i do know the area.. mobile homes on private lots..
I took Joe's little dog Jesse (my agility partner) down to get spayed at the Langley spay and neuter clinic... way cheaper than having it done in Merritt... cost us $91, and here in Merritt it would be at least $150, she did really well although she was feeling sorry for herself today...poor old girl...now i don't have to worry about her coming into season when i want to trial her, now we just have to worry about my knee...and there is a trial coming up begin of June that i really want to go too...better go get supper on the table... see ya soon

&*(^%$ $ Leg

Don't know if i told you i hurt my leg at agility 2 weeks ago, i am sure i did, we had almost two full weeks off, so i thought it was doing pretty good and x rays didn't show anything so took the dogs to agility yesterday, was warming Dixie up, and hurt it again... instant pain and a pop...then that was that, i could hardly walk...i did try to run Dixie, but just couldn't, lucky for me, my instructor stepped in and ran them both for me...I could hardly walk when i got home, but fed the sheep and the dogs, but of course as the nite worn on, i could hardly move... the first step is always the hardest, then i hobble around... went to bed at 11, and i just couldn't get settled, i was floppy around like a whale trying to get comfy...ended up moving out on to the couch, and finally stealing one of L 'T3'... finally settle down enough for me to get some sleep... I am off to Langley today, i have a Dr appt tomorrow, i had planned on staying till Wednesday, but we just found out that L has to go to "occupational therapy" for his leg for the next 6 weeks, and he starts on Tuesday, so i will come home on Tuesday, as it really isn't fair that he get up at 5, have breakfast, feed sheep, let the dogs run, then tie them up, and be in Kamloops by 8 am..and then come home and do the same again, and make his own supper...i sure would like it if life started working out for us...i hurt so bad last night that i didn't get the laundry finished or my suitcase packed, so am waiting for the dryer and will finish packing.. Guess i will call Dr when i am at the coast, and make an appt for when i get home on Tuesday or Wednesday..there is a major agility trial the first weekend in June that i really wanted to go too, so i have a month to get better before the entries close...why does life get in the way of my fun...
I will be at the spring retreat at Cache creek if i have to be there in a wheelchair.... i can still spin...darn it anyway.... I know i am a whiner, but i don't get hurt very often, and i don't like PAIN.......... will write again when i get home from Langley.... S

Yankee Bird

I am sure that there is a lot of folks out there that just can't imagine why after our kids left home and we had a nice quiet life that we decided to get an African Grey.. It has been a dream of our to have a bird that talked, we don't travel, or visit much, don't go snow mobiling, party or anything really interesting, Larry has always wanted exotic animals, eg a giraffe, orangutan, chimp, raccoon... so settling for a African was a real easy choice for me..We have owned him for exactly 4 years, and what a character he is.. We got him from the daughter of a friend, we had been talking about it for a year or two, so we had got to know Laurie really well. She pick one out of a clutch of 3 for us, and delivered him to us, as we had been waiting so long, we got first choice, turned out the one she picked for us, didn't like me, he bit me twice in the matter of 15 minutes, but when we walked into the room, the other little guy was ringing the phone..so i gravitated to him as he was already copying sounds...so i brought him home, had him in the house for an hour and he got his head stuck in the cage... so here i am all by myself with a baby bird with his head stuck... lucky for both of us, he let me get his head unstuck, which wasn't an easy task as i need one hand in the cage to hold him up and the other on the outside to get his head unstuck...He started talking within the first month, and has learned so many words in the last 4 years. When he first started talking it would take him a month or so to figure out how to say the new word, now it takes him 2 or 3 days...and he picks up words off the TV .. He almost drove Larry nuts during his two leg surgeries... poor guy couldn't get away from his noise.. Larry would tell the bird to "give me a break", which Yankee says more than several times a day now, but he changes these kind of phrases to his own...he now says "give me a BRIDGE" the only thing we can figure out it that we watch the Global news in the morning and he hears the traffic reports about the bridges, as we never ever say Bridge in the course of a day..He sneeze and then says "bless you", i have trying to get him to say "bless you" when i sneeze, but he hasn't figured that one out yet.. right now he coughing like an old man, asking to come out, asking me what i am doing, chirpping like a wild bird, asking for kisses, saying "what a bird", then "what a pigeon", hi cleo, do ya want out, cough, cough, bye bye, see ya, Dixie, dixie, come on, get out, bad bird, come on, what a mess, do ya want out, Meg, hello, dixie,dixie, get out..dixie, no, come here , dixie.. whistle..cookie, do ya want a cookie, cookie please,micro wave beep, Jackson, bark bark,bark.. cookie please, Dixie, no.. bad dog, do ya want out..dixie, come here, good boy, bad bird, come here... hi cleo bye, bye, see ya, what a bird, what a mess, what a vulture, Yankee's a good bird... hi how are you,... okay see ya man..goofy newfy, what are ya doing..Dixie, smarten up... cleo....(i am typing as fast as i can as he talk) , the funniest thing he says now is when i bring out the vacuum to clean up under his cage, he yells at me "What a mess"... it is just too funny...we don't cover him up at night, as he usually talks till we go to bed, and is very quiet till we get up in the morning..Don't know what we are going to do with him when we get too old to have him in the Seniors home.. neither of the boys want him, D in Law hates birds..although she is getting better with him...parrots don't live as long as some people think... usually about 40 years.. oh well, i hope we find someone to look after him..he does swear a bit, not much, Larry gets excited when we play cards, and Yankee copies him for a few days... guess this enough about the bird... he is quiet now... I can hardly wait till we can put him outside, he loves it... see ya