My shadow.

Today I had a lunch date, and I have to say, it was different.
There were FOUR of us.
A, M, J, and me.
A knew M and J, but not me.
M knew A and me, but not J.
J knew A and me, but not M.
I knew M and J, but not A.

Are you with me???

So, here's where it got weird.  In any one conversation, someone was totally clueless.  Unless we talked about global warming.
I knew better than to talk about politics.

When I said "knew", I mean that there was history.
But there were blanks, between those who did not have history.
O.M.G.

How did I get myself into this???


OK, lunch was good, and we got through it.   But all the way home, I was muttering to myself, "why, why, why?"

I may becoming a hermit.  Well, ok, I didn't have far to go.  But it feels good, what can I say.
In a world where so much does not feel good.

I've been picking out one area a day and organizing......things can get pretty messy in the studio.
And today I cleaned my dye area out on the inside porch.
Finally.

Miss Naya follows me everywhere......I have to be careful not to step back, because she is right there.

Last week our outing was to the vet, not such a great day.
This week we went to the local pet store, which she liked a LOT more.  She stuck her nose in all the bins low enough to reach, and sniffed all the goodies.
Of course, everyone loved her.
We got a Walk Right harness, which is like the Easy Walk harness, but actually easier to put on.
And we got a leash that extends 16 feet, for when we walk on the beach, or in the fields.
Also, a new dog dish, and a naturally shed elk horn, for her to chew, which she has so far ignored.

All in all, a positive experience for her, so that she knows that getting in the car is not the road to hell.


This weekend, I went upstairs to the "rug room", and worked on a rug for my friend in Georgia.

Naya found a comfy place to keep track of me.

On the towel warp, I am still having fun.   Which is really what it is all about.

And I am emptying all those spools with thread on them from previous projects........with the goal of having all EMPTY spools..............I'm getting there.
AND using up all that thread.

This one looks like pine trees in the wind.

Occasionally in the evening, I retreat from the living room, where DH watches TV CONSTANTLY, and do a little night weaving.

Listen to a little Pandora.

I don't stay up real late, because I get up SO early.  Still.

The bed in my room for Naya gets used a lot by SYD.........because Naya would really rather sleep with me.

Surprise, surprise.

MInutia

Hard to believe that Naya has been here 11 days already, the time flies.
It has not been uneventful though.

On Tuesday I took her to my vet, to get acquainted, and to make sure I had all my ducks in a row regarding her heart worm treatment.

The poor girl had been spayed and treated for heart worm in December, then shuffled around to 3 or 4 places.
So my vet fell in love with her, no surprise there.  And he said she needed to start the heart worm prevention now, then once a month.  In 4 months, she needs to be retested to see if the injections in December worked.
So I got the heart worm med, came home, had lunch, and gave her the first dose.

Within a half hour, I noticed her having trouble walking, and that her breathing was labored.  I dug the med insert out of the garbage, to look at precautions and side effects.  Then I called the vet.

So this all resulted in me carrying her to the car, and dashing over country roads, back to the vet, where he determined, as I thought, that she was having an anaphylactic reaction to the med.

They kept her for the day, giving her an IV, and meds to counteract it. I left her there, and felt like a criminal.  All I could imagine was that she was abandoned, again, in her eyes.  This person who promised her safety and love and a home forever, had just dropped her off.  Again.

I was teary on the way home, and it was a long afternoon, before the vet called and said I could come get her.

She had an uncomfortable evening, started new meds, but on Wednesday morning, she was back to her old self.  And I swear, she did not leave my side.  When I went to the grocery store for a quick trip, Lois said she paced.
I hope that when I went back to the vet to pick her up, that she was comforted, that she knew that I wasn't going to leave her.
Who knows what these rescue dogs must think?   I can't really fathom it.
But for the first week, she slept on the couch all night, but for the last two nights, she has slept on a quilt on the floor next to my bed.
Guess it's time for a comfy doggy bed for the bedroom. (DH) brought one home before I finished this post.

How did she weasel into my heart so fast, I wonder?????

I love watching her settle, making this old house her home, making us her peeps.

During the day, she is in the studio with me, and Lois, faithfully.

My 12 year old grand daughter, who will be 13 next month, texted me this picture, and asked me what I thought.

I answered her that I LOVED it.   She said, " I thought you would."

She's ahead of her time, that one.

Here she is, with her new sylish hair cut, reading to Dale.  

Having them visit is the best, best thing ever.

I love them so.

We made home made pita breads, and they were so, so good.

And I have a confession.  I hate the cold, so I cook, and I bake.  It makes me feel better.  Of course, it will also make me HUGE, but that's another story.

Broccoli, cheddar, potato soup.

Cherry Turnovers.

Homemade rolls, and this is the best recipe!!!!

On the studio side of all this, I have been sewing up stuff that was hanging around.

I love this infinity scarf.  Cotton and bamboo.

And to date, we have 100 towels in stock.  My goal is 200 for the year....then we will be set for summer shows.

Here's my next warp, it's going to be FIFTY towels.

Getting ready to thread.

I have been thinking a lot about isolation, and loneliness, and how we do most of it to ourselves.
It's easy though, to be a hermit, when for whatever reason, you don't like winter.  There was a post on FB today, about how loneliness has become a major issue in the UK, especially for older people.

I, for one, have always loved being alone, even as a child.  My mother would often come into my room, peeking around the door, "Are you OK?"
I had my books, my music, my pens and paper.   I was fine.

Even today, I still am fine with it.  I have my looms, my fabric, tons of thread, my sewing machine, all my tools.  I keep myself occupied, and motivated, at all times.  And when my body gets weary, I have books, and pens and paper, and Netflix.  I am fine.
Even with DH with his headphones on seems pretty normal.

I am unbelievably lucky that L and I both feel the same way about this.....so we work together often in silence, listening to NPR, with sporadic conversation, and a comfortable camaraderie.
She doesn't feel the need to entertain me, nor I her.

Loneliness is a state of mind, and sometimes, a choice.  When it begins to feel not ok, the car is right outside, and there are places to go, and people to see.

But for now,  I like to stay home, and stay warm, as much as possible.

Yep.

I was up bright and early this morning, with a list of things I wanted to get done.

First off, some sewing on some möbius shawls that Lois just finished weaving.


And thank goodness, I have my Bernina back.

This is one I particularly like, it's cotton and hemp.

Did a little funky stuff with the back of it.............what do you think???

Next on my list was to weave off the warp on the rug loom upstairs.   The Union Custom has had a blue warp on it all winter, and it's time to do something else.
So I went up, thinking that I would have to weave a couple of rugs to finish it off.

But no........

 
I had to weave FIVE rugs, to finish it.

So if anyone were listening, which they are not, they would have heard me grumbling.

There were already two blue jean rugs on the cloth beam, so I took off SEVEN altogether, and tied all the fringes.

Naya is not far from me at any time, but she found out that she didn't much like this chair.   It moves.

I am sufficiently sick of winter already.   Naya slipped coming up the back porch stairs, and hurt her back leg.  She limped for a while, looking all sad.  Then suddenly it was better.

I wear my Yak Traks outside to the hen house and such, I do not need to fall again.

Didn't listen to the news tonight, not listening to Meet the Press tomorrow.  Had enough.  Pretending for the weekend, at least, that I live in Canada.
Way up north in Canada.

Have you seen the movie "Maudie", about the artist, Maud Lewis"??   Sweet little movie, you can rent it on Amazon for $5.99.

Tonight while out in the freezing cold, but sitting in the 104 degree HOT TUB, watching planes go over, and listening to the wind chimes on the porch, I thought about how life changes, how people come, and go (mostly go at my age)
I thought about how sad and lonely life can be at times.

Then I came to, kicked myself in the butt, and got over it.

Another day.

Well, we are adjusting here.  Naya to us, and we to her.

She is, for the most part, an easy girl to be around.  She loves to snuggle, she only goes out to pee 2-3 times a day.  She is not a fan of our northern climate, I'm afraid.

She does not bark.  She does not bother the cats.

She is a beggar when food is around.

The rescue told me she had to be kept fairly quiet for 30 days, no exercise, because she was treated for heart worm in December.  So I looked at the medical records they sent with her, found the med she was treated with, Diroban, and did some research.
I went directly to the Diroban web site, and they clearly state that the dog is not to exercise for 12 weeks, NOT 30 days.

So, I guess the weather is a plus, since she really doesn't like to be out in it.

I'm going to make an appointment with my own vet, to let her meet him, and get a baseline.

When Lois and I are weaving, she isn't far away.

That's Roy's blanket.   I know he would be happy, I think he would like her a lot.

On the weaving front, I am still on the towel warp, but will soon be done with it.  I still want to have more towels, but wondering if I should take a break and do something else.

Fabric yardage?  Clothes?

This is a Möbius shawl that L wove, I just put it together today.

Sometimes, I weave towels, when the inspiration for something else just won't appear.
You can't force that muse.
You either wake up in the night with a vision, or you don't.

I do have this one crazy idea.......I have this bag of scraps, bits of things I have woven, left overs, all different textures and colors.
Then I have this CAPE that I bought from the Salvation Army store.......and I have this thought that if I cut the pieces into various shapes, I could kind of "crazy quilt" them on the cape, with embroidery floss and some cool stitches.
This picture is not complete in my head, which is why I haven't started it, so if you all have any ideas, suggestions, WARNINGS, please tell me!!!

My list for myself this month includes INVENTORY,  INCOME TAX INFORMATION COLLECTION, photo shoot of clothes on hand to get online, and a new rug warp upstairs.

I thought about Quick Books again.  I haven't had it in a year, since my computer crashed.  But when I checked on the cost, yikes, I thought twice.   They start you off at $30/month, for the first year, then it jumps to $50 a month forever.

I don't really need that much accounting, so I am looking for other options.

It was 57 degrees today here, or more......with a lot of rain, and fog.  Tomorrow we are back to freezing cold.  It's a huge tease, that's what it is.

I don't like to talk .....or honestly, even think, about politics.  But seriously, when I think of SHITHOLES, I think of our once respected WHITE HOUSE.

And with that, I will close.

what a day

My day started on  the couch with Naya.  Eating oatmeal with blueberries.

She is settling in quite nicely.   I still see the look of nervousness on her face at times, but for the most part, she seems comfortable.
I just want her to know that this is it.  You're home.  It's ok.  No one is going to take you to another place, ever again.

She is definitely a chow hound.  I am pretty sure she was fed table scraps.   The story is that her owners were deported, from Georgia, and she was abandoned.  It is obvious that she has had puppies, at least once.  She is supposed to be between 2 and 3 years old.
She only has to go out to do her business 3 times a day.
Seriously??
When she does go out, she stand there, looking at the expanse of my fenced in yard, and you can almost hear her thinking...........whattttttttt?????????
When there is less snow, she will investigate it more.
But she is obviously impressed.

I miss my Roy.  He was the best, best boy.   But there is nothing that makes that ache less, than giving love to another dog who so desperately needs it.   It brings tears to your eyes, in sadness, and in joy.

I look back at the dogs in my life, from Chip when I was a toddler,  to Naya.  There was a lot of love and life lessons along the way, that I wouldn't change for anything.

Litter boxes changed.
Bills paid.
Towels washed and dried and pressed.

Then I did a little weaving.  Naya came in and stood there listening to the loom, tilting her head.   Her ears perked up.
Then she sat behind my stool.
So I went and got Roy's old blanket, and put it down next to the loom.

That's all she wanted.


Yesterday afternoon was somewhat of a blitz.   Got the jagged light in my eye about 12:30.  Took some Advil and laid on the couch.  Two hours later, and some dozing off, still had the headache.
So I didn't get much done.  Guess I have to be ok with that.

Then today, when I shut the loom down, and made myself a cuppa tea, sure enough, here it comes again.
Whiskey tango foxtrot.
Really??????

I never, ever can figure out my migraines.  I can go months without one, then boom, 2 or 3 in a week.
And there's just nothing I can do, but take some Advil, lie down, close my eyes, and give into it.


I made this soup from the NY Times.  I told Lois I thought it would be very boring, but surprise, we both loved it.

Potato, leek, cabbage soup.
Easy and delicious.

My intended longer post is going to have to wait for another day......my head insists.

Naya says "toodles".