We'll had a few recent setbacks, and are struggling to get the house ready for the Family Visit in two days. The furnace quit two days ago; also, no hot water, and the three cords of wood are green and won't burn. Temp in the house is around 56 F. AND we still have to lay the carpet in the guest room for, yes, the Family Visit. So, if you really want to read a more interesting blog than this, check out and be sure to read days 14-19 of December. Her rant on the Michael's shopper is not to be missed. I wish she would move next door to me. I have lots of cheap wine (well, I do now, but I bet there's less by the end of the evening LOL), and I'm sure everything would be much funnier if she were here.
On a happy note, I have uploaded a few new images to my website.
Hope to upload a Christmas pic in the next couple of days, but just in case....wishing everyone a safe and joyful holiday season. May everything be dipped in chocolate and deep-fried.

Linda

Final GPS testing reports sent to France abut midnight...just in time for their 8am deadline. What a relief that's done. Sot it's back to normal routines today. C is pressing rubber, and I'm onto the wood project again. I bought a wheelbarrow (some assembly required) to haul the wood, but it didn't happen, and today the wheel barrow still looks like this

Yup, that's two jumbo jars of Jif on the microwave, rubber cement on the counter, and a Bedel Kraus box. Those, plus the dog, pretty much describe my Life.

And the wood pile now looks like this.

Here's Batman on his morning Cat Patrol.


Linda

This is my fashion statement of the week. It's GPS Testing Time, and I've hiked miles around this loop near the house the last ten days. The job sounded like a great idea when I signed up in October, but I had NO idea it would turn into THIS. Hope the next testing opportunity turns up say April or May. Two more days to go, and it's done, and then back to the rubber business. Hopefully handling the paycheck will bring some feeling back to my fingers.

I've quoted many times that "there are no bad climates, just inappropriate clothing". Well, if I put on any more layers, I'm not sure I could walk, and I haven't seen my feet all week LOL.

Hey Paula, thanks (sarcasism interjected here) thanks for the pics of Santa Cruz VBG...but truely, I wish you the best with your retreat. Lookin' forward to Dallas! Is it warm there????

Linda

Two cords of wood were delivered this morning. It's gonna be another a-haulin' and a-stackin' weekend. There are a lot of people selling wood up here, but I buy from Jake. He's thirteen. He buys woods rounds, then splits and sells them. His nine-year-old sister helps witht the stacking, and his grandfather drives them around to deliver the wood. I've bought a total of three cords. He says he has another 7 cords to sell this week. I have no idea how many more cords he's sold this winter, but I've got a pretty good idea that he's having a better month than I. I am so danged proud of him :-)

I uploaded some new images to my website. Plates should be here today or Monday. One is for making "To" and "From" Christmas tags. If you want something different for your packaging, you might like these. It's my token Christmas image, albeit a bit late in the season.

Linda

My felting successes. YAYYYYY!

Linda

THE FRONT PORCH
Yesterday was The Day the Kitchen Curtains were hung. They've been lying in the corner since July, waiting for C to get them up. He said that he didn't hang them because he wanted me to talk to him. I explained that it wasn't "talking" at all, but somewhere between bitching and nagging. At least now the endless "talking" will stop.

It's also been a week of continuing the Homestead Mode. The weather stays cold and snowy, so we've been a-splittin', and a-haulin' and a-stackin' skads of wood. Needless to say, we've also been a-burnin' wood at an alarming rate, so two more cords will be arriving next week. I feel obligated to bring home huge sacks of flour, salt, beans, and especially a BIG side o' bacon. Better get two slabs of the bacon.

We were hired by Magellan to do System Test on some GPS equipment. It's scheduled to begin tomorrow, and the weather couldn't be worse for being outside all day. Paula, can Zoey carry a key of Brandy yet? I think we're going to need it LOL.

Update on the felting. Success!! All but one of my projects felted properly. I've since made a couple more bowls, which I'm felting tonight. I'll post pics soon.

Linda

Whew, I've been gone for a long time. Since the last post, I've flown to 4 shows, and driven 4000 miles. I'd fully intended to blog along the road trip, but had such a nasty bout of flu that only really necessary stuff was accomplished. We got back home last Thursday evening, but had several upsets that I just didn't want to write about. C's friend has been evicted and all the pets are OK, and that's all I have to say about it. Now, on to Good Things.....We got the first snow last night. Here's the backyard this afternoon.

The pic was taken at 3pm.
We bought a cord of Tamarack to go with the misc. soft wood the previous owner left, and I'm perfecting the fire-building ability. "Grunt, Fire good". Got the house up to a balmy 67 degrees yesterday evening. C has put on his electrician hat to fix the thermosat. It's been broken since we moved here last April, but we're finally motivated to get the heat on in the house. It was a rather brisk 50 degrees in the living room when I got up this morning. Yikes!

Linda

Well, I'm back in an airport, again This time in Chicago, headed for Point Sunlight, England for a stamp show. Seems that the airport is the only place I'm captive and take the time to post...unfortunately I don't have an SD card slot or reader, so can never post pics....and then when I get home, I either don't get around to uploading, or just forget about it entirely, i.e., my bluegrass festival pics.
This week has been another whirlwind. C, the Batman and I drove to the Portland Art & Show last Saturday night. We hauled the Scotty along, and spent both nights in a campground along the Columbia River about 30 miles east of Portland -- much more fun than yet another over-priced hotel. The show was surprisingly good for us, although the low expenses made the difference. It was NOT as good as last year, and I think many of the vendors did not do as well as we did. I'd been very concerned as the co-ordinator had followed the current trend -- it had been a very good show with 30 vendors, so she upped it to 60 this year.
I signed up for a knitting class through the Spokane Parks & Rec. I have no idea how many weeks it runs. I figure someone will make some closing statements some week, or I'll just show up and the place wil be dark. I'm making a felted tote, and have a lovely pic of it that I took right here at the airport...but that was before I realized I had no way to get it on the PC. sigh.
They have a new intriguing toilet at the Almiralty Club. The "rotating condom" seat covers have facinated many of us for years, but over time, they have become mundane. Now, thanks to modern technology, something else to occupy our hours between flights. These toilets, swear to GOD, have an LED display that counts down to the Flush. How kewl is that? I have pics of it, but of, course, can't upload. When and if I ever think of it at home remains to be seen.
I'll bet back from England late Sunday night, then turn right around and fly to Salt Lake City for a GPS to-do, then back Wednesday night and leave for Chatanooga Friday morning, so don't know when I'll get back here.
Hugs,
Linda

Heidi sent me the pic from Mekka, so everyone can see some of my dearest friends from Germany, Heidi, her husband Friedel, and Doris.

Right off the bat, I must say that we're missing two others -- Andrea and Margaret. They couldn't make it to Mekka this year, and were sorely missed. Mark Kay and I will be looking for you next year, guys!! MK and I have been going to Mekka for at least 8 years, and we've got most of the procedure worked out, but 8 years ago it was a completely different story...fortunately, we were blessed with a group of ladies who showed up to help us, and over the years they have all come to be close friends that we cherish. They've helped with translation, brought us water, sodas and innumerable goodies, run erands when we forgot something, haul out butts around town, and even had my booth set up by the time I arrived. They've turned a Work Weekend into fun Girls' Weekend that we always anticipate with delight.
This year, Doris gifted me with a bundle of yarns. She dyed and spun the wool herself, and even knitted these socks.

Heidi brought us several bottles of wine, but it has already been turned into Linda cells. LOL
I feel SO special :-)

Linda

I was going to post a couple of pics from the Bluegrass Festival tonight, but I always first check for "comments" before I blog. I don't get many, so eagerly checked to see what comment someone had left me. Well, here it is...It's from Kely.

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They really roped me in. A Pox on you, Kely. Yup, just keeping checking your website. My check is in the mail...right along with the one to the guy that promises that my penis can be bigger. Of all the things I don't wish for my body, that's probably right at the top of the list.

Linda