The weather here has been absolutely beautiful.  Clear skies, lots of sunshine, and a crispness to the air.  There has also been humidity this past week (summer?), but last evening’s cold front has cleared that out for the moment.

In recent news, we’ve been cutting wood to help keep us warm this winter.  The most interesting scene being where we cut down a “standing dead” tree (that fell over the high tensile fence instead of in the pathway where we intended it to fall…), and in the process of cutting log sections, disrupted a mouse nest.  Mom mouse and her three babies (clinging to her for dear life) scurried out, creating quite a scene with 2 kids and a man wielding a chainsaw.  I wasn’t quite sure what I was seeing – the babies (who were hanging on near her tail), gave the impression of a grossly deformed creature.  Once the brain deciphered what the eyes were seeing, we rescued the babies and deposited them back in their nest, then moved that section of log off to the sidelines.  Despite Alison’s great concern that mom would abandon them (“because animals that are frightened can sometimes abandon their nests…”), we were quite certain she would return to their very loud squeaks.

In other news, I’ve found aggravation can be a motivating factor, if not channeled the wrong way.  Having sustained more than my fair share of aggravation this past week, I have picked up my summer knitting projects and will report that my vest (handspun mohair blend with some great accents from Lamb’s Pride “Medieval Red”) is complete except for the stitching of shoulders.  This finishing touch should take no longer than ½ an hour (there are also a few ends to weave in), so it will be ready to wear as soon as we get fall-like temperatures.

If I’m smart, I’ll work on finishing another project.  This not being the case, however, I will probably spend some time rethinking a baby blanket.  The original patchwork idea isn’t a bad one, but it just isn’t grabbing me the way I thought it would.  Time to rip back and do some reworking.

There are other things to be attended to as well.  Vacuuming comes to mind, so I will take advantage of being the only human in the house at the moment and tidy up.  And then there will be a trip to town to retrieve the lids to the storage tubs I just bought, but so cleverly left behind…  Turns out I could use 1 extra tub, so the trip will not be an entire waste, and I can also try one more store in my quest to find okra (frozen or otherwise) to make gumbo for this evening’s dinner.

How 2 major grocery stores don’t have this item is beyond me – although there seem to be plenty of boxes of Twinkies on the shelves. 

Do yourself a favor and go find some nice apples today – they’re a perfect way to celebrate the first day of autumn. 

Peace & Love 

When I was a kid, it was a big deal to watch “The Odd Couple” on Friday night.  I loved this show (and still do).  One episode that ranks way up on the favorite list has Felix acting as his own counsel, defending himself against the accusation that he was scalping a theater ticket (how did I remember this?).  The classic line in the scene requires that Felix write the word “assume” on a chalk board, then declare in his usual flourish that “when you assume, you make an ass of u and me” (circling the letters in the word as he goes).  I thought this was not only hilariously funny and bold (there wasn’t much use of questionable language on family tv back in the 70’s) but also a good lesson and I have remembered it ever since.

Here’s what I’m thinking about the word “assert”:

My good old college dictionary defines assert as – 1) to state positively; declare; affirm  2) to maintain or defend (rights, claims, etc.)

Sounds pretty positive, right?  Being assertive makes you self-confident and is a good quality to have.  People who are assertive go places and people listen to them.

But here’s the evil twin of assertive – when you declare or state positively your opinion, you risk being an ass.  Especially when you assert yourself in a public place, in a loud voice.  Let’s remember that not everyone may be in agreement with your assertion.  Perhaps you have even hurt someone’s feelings.  (Wow, aren’t those the most hideous paintings you’ve ever seen!!?? – all while the artist is standing 3 feet away). 

Here’s the alternative phrase I tell my kids to use when they assert themselves in a way that is unkind – “That’s not something that I personally care for.”  This is much easier to take than “I think that dinner is really gross – why do we have to have that?” (for example).  Despite the fact that you can develop thick skin as a parent, it’s still a little hurtful to hear after spending 2 hours preparing dinner…

So be careful when you assert yourself, you don’t want to make an ass of yourself.  There are so many other ways this can be done.

Peace & Love

This past weekend was lots of fun (despite blistering heat on Saturday and rain on Sunday…).  Thank you, thank you, to all who stopped by the booth.  It was lovely to see so many familiar faces, and terrific to meet new yarn addicts, too.  Your kind words and enthusiasm for the handpaints were invigorating, and I’m excited to dye up lots more!  Look for new offerings on the website, along with tips and ideas for projects.

My heartfelt thanks also goes out to my parents and brother, who entertained me over the weekend and helped out with booth set-up, etc.  This made everything go so smoothly and I appreciate your time (especially loading up in the rain).  And for my family at home, to Bob for holding down the fort and making a terrific meal for my return, and Alex & Alison for doing such a great job cleaning up the house!

I was struck again (although this should be old hat by know), at how great knitters and fiber people are.  Friendly, funny, always a smile.  Talking with so many people over the weekend about our common love of yarn, about sheep (and how many are former sheep raisers like myself, but who still think of doing it again…), and just about life in general.  It was a bit like Disney World and having been sprinkled with pixie dust.  Life is good when you are met by a smile.

So my mission to you (in keeping with my philosophy of spreading nice thoughts) is this – pass on some of your kindness to one extra person today.  Wave at someone you don’t know, let a car out in front of you because they’ve been trying to get out of the parking area for 5 minutes, bite your tongue even if you are justified in making a criticism, hug your kids, kiss your spouse.  I know you’ll find some way to brighten up someone’s day.

Peace & Love

The last week or so has been devoted to last minute school readying for the kids, and I’ve been preparing for the Madison County Historical Society’s Craft Fair (this weekend 9/8 and 9/9 in Oneida, NY).  Preparation for “big events”, especially two that coincide, can make things tricky.

Thankfully, the kids were well rested this morning, ate a good breakfast and stepped onto the bus at 7:05 am.  As we walked back to the house, there was a strange mixing of emotions – a sort of a happy sensation to return to a routine, but also a sadness for the end of summer lounging around and listening to kids voices all day.

Be that as it may, Bob and I talked without interruption, then headed off (after a couple of intervening phone calls) to work on a job together.  I had forgotten that we work well together, and that things go faster and happier that way.  All of our recent home improvement projects have involved interruptions by the kids every 5 minutes or so, making me think that I really hate projects because it takes a million years to get anything done.  But not today.  We were able to accomplish a tedious portion of running radiant heat tubing (it’s strangely like knitting, involving lots of loops and having the tubing laying one loop over another to create a cohesive whole), which makes it way easier for him to staple it up.  Good for us.

And despite the very warm temperatures, the aura of “routine” has me more motivated to plug away at a number of things that have been staring at me for days.

Tomorrow I pack up for my big show adventure, and there are just a couple of quick things to type up before I leave.  I love the thrill of the “two minute warning” (that’s for those of you who are football fans…), so I’ll probably wait on at least one of my remaining tasks until tomorrow. 

My only wish while I’m gone?  That someone remembers to let the dog out.  I am convinced that I am the only person who does this, so it’s making me nervous.  If you think of it, give a call and check on Pepper, won’t you?

Peace & Love