Well, I'm sitting in the Detroit airport after the Novi show. I had a chance to voluntarily give up my early morning seat in exchange for another free round-trip ticket (at current prices, this is quite a prize. Most tickets are in the $500-$600 bracket)...but I'm here for most of the day. Can't post the pic, but Teresa did magic with my crocketed bowl, and it's beautiful. I'll post the pic soon.

So that leaves us with just dialog. I've been wanting to start a Pet Peeve of the Month, and this seems like a good time to start it -- no pic and in an airport; not pissed yet, but it's probably just a matter of time....and I'll be here for HOURS. It could easily be PP of the Week, but my New Year's resolution this year was to be a nicer person, so I set a tighter limit. I actually kept the resolution for about 6 days before I seriously want to bitch-slap someone, but, I didn't whack her, so it doesn't count.

You'll find that most of my peeves have something to do with traveling ( airports, hotels, convention center personnel, the all-powerful, get-them-out-of-the-gene-pool, your-tax-dollars-at-work TSA security), and this month we're going to start with Airport Baggage Claim Ediquette (which I can't spell--sure doesn't *look* right, anyway). Wouldn't it be nice if everyone just stood back from the carousel and waited until they spotted their luggage, and THEN approached to take it. Crowding around while your luggage hasn't even been unloaded isn't going to make it arrive any sooner. And when I can see mine, but you're in the way, so I'm jogging along in the background looking for a break in the mass of people so I can grab my luggage, it makes me cranky. And let's discuss the rugrats that also line up at the carousel along with mom and dad. It doesn't take all of you to get the bag. Really. And they don't need to pat each bag with a sticky fingers benediction as it passes. You might they're cute, but I don't. Finally, I'm probably tired, and most certainly cranky, and I'm trying to lift a 50-pound bin off the carousel. I'll try to not doink you or the kiddies, but I might not try too hard. So, next time you're getting your luggage, please keep these thoughts in mind, because ya never know, it could be ME next to you. LOL
Wow, I feel better. How long until next month :-)

Linda

Looks like Batman tripped getting out of bed, and then didn't have the energy to get up. Ah, what a Dog's Life.

I was going to tell the yarn story first today, but 1)Paula beat me to it, and 2) in the meantime, Mary Kay was kind enough to send me a pic of my clothes abandoned in her dryer.

Yup, I'm sure it was a kind gesture...hey, wait a minute...was that a jab? OUCH! Yeah, it sure feels like a jab LOL
Anyway, back to the yarn story. I haven't been interested in yarn since about 25 years ago when I made 50 granny squares for an afgan, and then didn't have the temperment to deal with stitching all those wretched squares together. Too bad I didn't know 50 mice to gift with little afgans. Well, a couple of months ago Paula and Teresa, especially Teresa, innocently introduced me to felted knitting/crocheting, and unleashed to yarn money on my back. Thus far I've crocheted two bowls. Here's one before the felting .


It looked pretty much the same afterwards -- it got fuzzy, but didn't shrink...so it's too floppy. Ditto on bowl number two. Ya know what they say about people who keep repeating the same failed procudure and expect to get diferent results.... Teresa currently has bowl #2 to see if she can get it to shrink.
These were made with Walmart and Joann's wool, so no big loss...however, the Dallas Yarn Frenzy has me stocked with high dollar yarns to screw up. Teresa, I'm counting on you :-)

Paula already posted our pic, but mine doesn't chop off Teresa LOL. It's me, Mary Kay, Paula and Teresa.

Next time I need to remember to stuff a hank of yarn under my chin. Hell, I might just have to carry one all the time. :-)
Paul's already described our day on her blog http://www.blogger.com/www.paulabestsilver.com/blog, and it's much better than I could do. We all had a grand time, and came away with great, albeit pricey, treasures.

Linda

ACK! It's been over two weeks since I posted. Most has been traveling, but I've been home for several days, albeit totally emersed in pressing, packing for orders and upcoming shows. I have too many thing to post, so that it's turned into an emense Hydra that grows another head every day...so instead of abandoning the blog entirely in panic, I'm going to break it down into manageable (I hope) parts. Tonigt it's the story of Lost and Found.
At the music camp, I'd managed to lose my keys within hours of arrival. Considering my Key Handicap, it was no surprise (I'm much too old to change my behavior, so this is just going to be a way of Life for me), but still upsetting. Additional stress factors were 1)the poor guy blocked in by my car, 2)we were way up in the middle-of-mountains nowhere, 3)my mosquito repellent was still in the car. Bummer. After a couple of days, the loss was announced at dinner, so everyone could be on the lookout for them. The week progressed with no sign of the illusive keys. The departure day, I gave up and called my Roadside Assistance. Once they could figure out where I was, NO locksmith would go there (the spineless bastards). I'd have to be towed HOURS to a dealership and get the car re-keyed. I think sometimes one just has to give up all hope before the clouds part, cause this is what happened. I found the keys behind a tree stump behind my tent site, and there was Great Joy throughout the camp. The camp editor took my picture fondling the keys for the next newsletter, and I'll be forever known by all as the Ditz Who Lost Her Keys. Fortunately, I could cancel the tow truck guy, because he was still tring to find me on a map.
But the Curse continued....
While at the Grapevine show in Dallas, I washed my clothes at Mary Kay's house. I still had four more days traveling in California before returning home, including several business meetings. Well, I got back to California, but all but what I was wearing was still in Mary Kay's dryer :-( ...well, at least it was clean... I had to do some emergency shopping for business-type no-fun clothes. YUCK!! I'll be really glad to get my normal clothes back, cause I'm really getting tired of wearing the same stuff.
Well, I'm I'm not so Blog-challenged tonight. Soon I'll post the story of the yarn shopping frenzy (and pic!!) instigated by Paula and Teresa.
Linda

I've put on quite a few miles this week. We were driving back from Kansas and feeling a bit down because we were missing all July 4th activities, but we passed trhough Bozeman, Montana right as dusk and saw a fabulous fireworks show. Montana doesn't have the rigid verboten laws, and the town was alight with fireworks. We dropped into the valley and drove for at least 20 minutes with fireworks exploding in every direction. A wonderful experience. I guess Montanans believe that adults can play with matches, and if you blow yourself up it's your own fault. Ah, out comes the Libertarian.

Anyway, got back home and immediately repacked and headed for California for Music Camp. Spent an awesome (Yup, it really was AWESOME) week in the Coast Mountains completely emersed in music. I'm socially challenged outside of my little comfort zone, so it was difficult being dropped in with 129 strangers, but it was certainly worth the effort. My banjo picking has improved (Hey Steve, I got the book because of you and the shrew...and thanks for the HTML code. I'll be trying it in a minute), and I have a slight grasp of the mandolin. If any of you have any interest in folk/bluegrass/blues, you should take a look at California Coast Music Camp...and if you're in the Bay area and even remotely thinking about the guitar, check out classes by Carol Maccomb Carol McComb at Gryphon Strings in Palo Alto. It is a unique opportunity to become one with your guitar, and Carol is one of the few gems that sparkle in the urban sprawl of Silicon Valley.

I'm now down in Fresno spending a few days with my mother and the boys. No WiFi at the retirement house, so I'm at Starbucks. I'll be leaving Thursday morning for the Grapevine show. MaryKay, Paula, Theresa and I are yarn shopping, then off to the show. Hope to see some of you there.

Linda

Creighton and I are road tripping to Kansas to visit his family and celebrate his folks' 50th wedding anniversary. Geez, I can't imagine being with anyone for 50 years (well, maybe George Clooney would have a chance -- I'd just stand him in the corner and look at him LOL). Fortunately, the pressure is off now, as a 50-year commitment is unlikely for me unless it includes an interim visit to the taxidermist.

I still haven't mastered mobile uploads, so we're going into the Archive. Today we present an old pic of Tigger in a relaxed moment.



I've decided to learn to play the banjo. I recently read that Steven van der Meer, www.meerimage.com/blog is learning the banjo, and since he is my third non-related friend to play one, I took it as a Message From God that I, too, must go forth and do the same, despite the adage "Play a Banjo; Go to Jail". I got the Mel Bay book "You Can Teach Yourself the Banjo", so we'll just see if ol' Mel knows what he's talking about.

BTW, I am incapable of writing the code so Steven's web site is a hot link. I'm close, but no cigar. If anyone would send me that line of code, I'd really appreciate it.

Linda

Hmmmm, Ten days since I last posted. Sure doesn't seen like that long ago. I'm now legally driving, so it's hasta la vista to public transportation. I had to take both the written test AND the driving test -- the first one since I was 17. YIKES! My tester lady was SCARY!! I think that driving testers fall into the same group as property tax collectors. The image of Dudley Dowright's Snidly Whiplash comes to mind. I wonder if those types of jobs just natually appeal to certain personality groups, or they become like that because of the job. Sounds like a potential Sociality Masters' Thesis to me. LOL
In celebration, we called the rest of the day Free Time, and spent it roaming around Spokane. We found this "antique" store stuffed with reproduction cast iron lawn ornaments. This one looks like the animals trying to escape....


I'd like to have a pair of the lions in my driveway.


And this gazebo would look mighty fine in the yard...but this month I think I'll pay the phone bill instead.
Then we had lunch here. Great burger; lousy fries.

and finished the afternoon with a really stupid movie. I won't say which is is...but I thought that John Travolta couldn't be in a dog of a movie. Well, I'm wrong again. It was worth $3.50 for the mindless entertainment (and believe me, I do have shallow taste when it coments to movies/books), but not $8 for an evening ticket.
Off to Orlando in the morning.

Linda

I'm back from Collinsville. It was a good show, but the trip had a few hiccups. MaryKay (StampCamp) was going to haul me around, but she was ill and I ended up on public transportation again. She's better now, and I'm safely home, so no whining...but the night tour of East St. Louis bus and train routes is definately right off the list.
I didn't take any pics, so I'm digging into the archive of stuff that I thought amusing.



This one is a baggage cart taken at the Denver airport.

-Linda

Finally, my Woody Guthrie Memorial pic...
I don't want to say that Springfield was slow...but on Sunday I arranged all my coins in chronological order :-(
I never intended this to be a pet blog, but you've gotta see Kona, Zana's (Stamp Zia) new puppy. Zana brought her to the show. She's SO cute -- very calm for a terrier puppy. She was delighted to be picked up, but raised no ruckus in the booth. Hope to see her at many more shows.


I'm doing some GPS training tomorrow, and heading for Collinsville Friday morning, so won't be back here until next week.

Linda

I'm in Springfield, and still no pics posted. I lost my driving license in Texas, so spent my few hours at home Thursday trying to get a new one. No luck. So I flew ito Boston this morning and had to make my way to Springfield on public transportation. It would have been a fun adventure if I hadn't been dragging 150 pounds of luggage along with me, but I'm here and booth is set up, so can't complain.
I DID get Cosmos to the vet. He got the stitches removed, and said goodbye to his plastic collar. He's a very happy boy again.
By the time I get my Pampa pic posted it will be a bit anti-climatic. It's a small town, but I spotted a sign for the Woody Guthrie Memorial Center. As an old-timey guitar player, I was pretty danged excited, had to make a visit. It was closed the days I was there, but I peered throug the windows and left lots of nose prints. Woody lived there in the 1930"s during his teen years, and worked at a soda shop which was later converted into this memorial center. Pic will go up on Tuesday.
Hope to see some of you at the show tomorrow.

Linda