Desert Mesa Spring 2009

Another great retreat under our belts…Toni and Isabel came up a day early and spent the night with us…they finally got to met Larry, who they were sure did not really exist…and of course Toni, who is a real dog lover, fell in love with DIXIE… and of course Dixie fell in love with Toni..but then Dixie likes anyone who pays attention to her… We had Ben staying with us for the week, so he got lots of attention and slept with Toni that night…we had a great visit..headed off to the retreat early so had a few hours to waste when we got there..stopped at Coyote corners, and the Jade Shop…didn’t buy much..but love to look…Everyone showed up nice and early so we had a great visit..Jan from AB was a little late, so we were very glad when she finally showed up..i always worry when someone is late…was finally able to give Lynn her shawl..she was very pleasantly surprised, and pleased… this is Bev modeling the shawl at our last guild meeting, it was alpaca and merino.. and very soft and cozy… this is a more detailed picture of the little bit of lace… i had to use stitch markers as you start from the top and work down… so of course when you get to the pattern row, you are working with 163 stitches on each side of the centre panel.. the first couple of tries i ended up with the wrong amount of stitches left over… thanks to the wonder of stitch markers i finally got it right… This is Isabel and her friend Helen from Hazelton.. Beth Johnson reading her gift from the gift exchange… Beth has moved into the interior, and we are so pleased that she loves it here.. Trixie, Heather and Mary, the goofy girls from Vernon..always worth a good laugh when we get together.. This one is Diane, Rosalie, Julia, and Gudie..hard at work.. Renata and Sue concentrating very hard..

We really enjoy our weekend together… I had a real ah haw moment this weekend… I was raised as an “Army Brat”, (dad was in the service), so I don’t have any childhood friends, we all went different directions, as our dads were transferred..I only have one friend left from Highschool and she was my bridemaid..and of course we have gone our separate ways… but i decided this weekend, that my spinning friends have taken the place of my missing childhood friends… and i love seeing them.. it is like old home week when we get together… lots of hugs and plenty of laughs and giggles..

We were all out of there by 1:30, and i was home by 3… i was really tired, but managed to stay awake till bedtime, and by then the wind was really blowing and i couldn’t get to sleep, must have been after midnight before i finally got to sleep..and the wind is really blowing again today, Dixie hates the wind, and spends most of her time in the shop..Jackson barked a lot last night, i think cuz the gate was rattling in the wind..got laundry caught up today, so will go swimming tomorrow… it was great to see ya all………… hugs

Technorati Tags: Desert Mesa,shawl,gift,dogs

Young Parents

We went out for supper at friends’ place last night…had a good supper, turkey burgers, and all kinds of salads…  company was good, a strange mix though… L and I were the oldest, then several other couples in their 40 and 50’s, and then 2 young couples with little ones… the kids were good, but the adults a little strange… i guess they bothered me, as they had such different ideas about raising kids… I raised two grubby, fighting, laughing  boys, and enjoyed every minute of it… the little 3 year old girl, was cute, and well behaved, but her mom drove me nuts… I have never liked whispering…with anyone.. this young Mom whispered to her little girl all the time, instead of just saying “thank Denise for supper” she whispers it to the child, as if the child could think of something like that on her own..Mom was very attractive, but doesn’t like dirt, farm eggs, food that doesn’t come off Styrofoam , food that touches on her plate..and her child getting dirty… they are also working on the child’s potty training, but Mom put her in blue jeans, with a zipper, and a scarf for a belt… looked cute, but the child couldn’t go to the bathroom with out help..it was almost like the child had to be all dolled up, instead of being practical..I guess that is the problem, i am too practical…the other couple were very nice also, but they were vegetarians, and they were (baby included) very pale, I know i am weird, but if i can’t complain to you all, i will fret about it for a while…

Only 5 days to Desert Mesa… not a full house, but we really enjoyed it last year with the same amount of guests..  although i do miss an agility class on Saturday, but one does have priorities… and spinning will always come first.. will take lots of pictures and get them up on here, seeing it is so easy…watching the “masters” out of the corner of my eye… what a beautiful place, i don’t care for golf, but i do appreciate a good shot..Larry is off having a nap as we are off for supper out again to nite… and then again tomorrow nite again for me… going way party for an agility buddy…going out for Chinese, and i do love their ‘ginger beef’… Happy Easter to ya all………. S 

mistake

it has been some time since i made those Hot Cross buns…. don’t add the yeast to the dough with out proofing it first… just tried it and it is taking forever to rise… mix yeast with some of the milk (i use water instead of milk).. i think the yeast they suggest must have been the rapid yeast…so sorry…

Broken puter

After that big scare about that awful virus, i got a really bad spyware thingy.. couldn’t do a thing with the puter, so took it into local puter gal, and she fixed it up… had to laugh at Larry, he has always said he hated computers, but since he has been working on these old hit and miss engines, he has been looking for pictures and parts and books, well he was just pacing the floor waiting for the computer to come back…he almost knocked me out of the way to get to it…

The weather has been great the last few days, we went to Kamloops on Monday to get our passports, our pictures were rejected so had to go and get new ones, i was worried about the guarantor, but they just kept the original pictures and sent them along with the new ones., i have to go to  our local Wal-Mart and complain…those pictures cost me $22..they should know that their pictures are not good… one thing with “Service Canada”, they put you back in the front of the Queue when you come back… that way you don’t have to wait again, and again..

Sheep shearer was here last week too… he did 10 Shetlands, 4 alpacas, and the llama in 2  hours… he is fast, Larry had to remodel our barn, we have always sheared in the lean too next to the shop, but the barn works much better, that reminds me that i have to go out there and sweep up all the crappy alpaca fibre… their fleeces are very hairy… and the llama’s is terrible… I have finished spinning up the BFL(superwash), just need to ply it,dye it, and find the right pattern…Guild meeting today, i am starting on some lovely alpaca fibre from Kathy.. I also finished up Navajo plying some hand dyed silk… it is okay, my Navajo plying is not good… won’t be doing that again…going to get the pictures of the shawl done today, kind of hard to wear the shawl and take pictures of it…Spinning retreat the weekend after next… not fully booked, but will be nice..  Last summer we had a pair of Great Blue Herons living in the trees in the back, and we saw them back yesterday, so we are hoping that they will nest here this year… we are off the busy road, and right next to two rivers, Nicola River is a mile away, and Spuis Creek in 1/4 of a mile away..so easy fishing for them..

Jesse and i have several agility trials this summer.. there is a new group having a single day trial the end of May, so I have decided to put Dixie in it too, just for one class… costs $12 a class, and they are having 4 classes for her group, and i will probably kick myself for not entering her in all 4, but i don’t think she will do well, although she might surprise me… i am going to take her back to agility classes as a drop in, to get her back into the swing of things..I have going to the pool, riding the stationary bike, and exercising in the pool for an hour or so… just to get fitter, if that is a word..

Back from Guild meeting, not many of us there, but we had a few good laughs…I ended up taking Dixie with me, as she was sitting beside the truck waiting for me… she was good, visited everyone, and then laid down with her nose at the door, she would have loved to go walk about..got the pictures taken of my gift shawl, you will have to wait till after the retreat to see it..it turned out good..

Here is an excellent recipe for Hot Cross Buns

3.5 –4 cups flour

2 packages yeast (or two tablespoons)

1/2 to 1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup oil

1/3 cup sugar

3 eggs

2/3 cup raisins

3/4 tsp salt

Combine 2 cups flour, yeast,cinnamon, heat milk, oil, sugar and salt, till warm 115 degrees

add to dry ingredients, add eggs, beat low speed for 1 minute to mix, then 3 minutes, add raisins, add remaining flour for a soft dough, shape into ball, grease and let rise till double, make into buns, let rise, brush tops with eggs whites, bake 375 for 12 to 15 minutes… ice the tops…enjoylll