My opinion.

Alert:  Photos are some my daughter took of mushrooms in her yard, and I love them.
Plus I have no photos that reflect my subject matter today.

OK, he won the election.   He's going to be the President of this country.
To say that I am appalled doesn't really cover it.
It's truly almost inconceivable to me.
And it's not so much that people didn't want HER.  I kind of understand that.  She did have a lot of baggage.
I really loved Bernie.

My problem lies here:  how did people gloss over, jump over, totally ignore his racism, his hatefulness, his misogyny, his lack of character, to decide that he would make a good president???
Perfectly sane, good people.  Because I believe they are.  They did some kind of mental gymnastics, to make it work.  For their party?  For what?

That's where I'm lost.

I grew up in the 60's, and too well I remember how it was.  How we never want it to be again.

It wasn't even that he was educated, or brilliant, or had a PLAN.
Nope.
None of the above.

Redeeming qualities?  Rich?  Famous?  Tells it like it is??  REALLY??  If that's how "it is" to those folks who bought it, then I am sorry.  Sorry for their lack of insight.

But here we are, and this is what we have.  I truly believe that  the people that supported him are going to be disappointed, maybe not as disappointed as the rest of us, but disappointed just the same.
I fear for our country, I abhor the violence and the division that is bound to happen.
For all the rhetoric, we AREN'T going to work together, because our core values are so different.

I admit that I got myself in an awful state over this election.   I tried to understand how he could be  acceptable to anyone.
Facebook drove me crazy.  I was sickened and  a little obsessed.   I unfollowed several acquaintances, so I wouldn't have to see their continual onslaught.

Then one day, after the election results were known, I posted an encouraging meme about what we have to do now, to get over it.
A long time friend, and converted Christian right, commented: "Enough already."

Huh?????
So just for curiosity's sake,  I went over to her page, since I unfollowed her some time ago.  I wanted to see if perhaps, she was taking the high road, and not posting political stuff, hence her admonition to me.
But NO, not the case.  She was posting pictures of her 'adorable, deplorable, Trump necklace, plus much more.
OK, I admit it.  I lost it.
I unfriended her immediately.

I then questioned my action, but came up with this.

I never see her.  She drives by my house often, she never stops.
She never calls me.
I've invited her for lunch many times, but she is too busy.

We used to be great friends, many years ago.
Times have changed.  We have changed.  We have lost our connection.
And she thinks it okay to dismiss my pain on my page, while she still gloats over on hers.

So this election has done one thing for me. It has made me very aware that FB is my distraction, when I want it to be, and it's a way of keeping in touch with people who I do have a connection with, who do call me, who do email me, or message me, or in some way are part of my life.
There  are  people on my FB friend list that  I have not actually met, like some of my baby wrap or blogger friends, but we have a connection none the less.
And I have decided that anyone who posts things that I find offensive, is gone.  Period.
It's my choice, and I am not going to be aggravated on a daily basis.  The end.  Differing opinions are fine, as long as they are delivered respectfully.

I know that my life here on earth is limited, more so than ever at my age, and I know also that I can not change any of what is happening globally.

I can only live my best life, be my kindest self, my most generous, and loving self.

And first off, that means loving myself.

Back so soon?

I can't believe that October is over...my favorite month of all.....it went by so quickly, and now I have to wait another whole year for it again.
November.....well, you know....sometimes it can be gray and cold and grim.
We'll see.
Yesterday I decided to take a wee break from weaving.  I'm not sure how I got onto it, but I decided to try my hand at free motion quilting.
I watched a few You Tube videos.   I searched and found a foot that came with my Bernina sewing machine, that would work.
I figured out how to drop the feed dogs.
And I started.
Whoa.
Can I just tell you that it is MUCH harder than it looks.
Getting your feet to manage the speed, and your hands to match that speed.....well, it ain't easy.

While I was dreaming of bigger and better equipment to do it on, getting 100 steps ahead of myself, as usual, I realized that this was not going to be a venture of mine, no matter how appealing it might be.
And it is very addictive, difficult, but addictive.

Because after about an hour, my NECK, my fused, finicky, moody neck, began to talk to me.
It said some pretty nasty things.  I had to listen.

So back to the loom, with an occasional foray to make an occasional potholder, or quilt square.  That's a more reasonable scenario.   For me.

It's amazing, how I have managed to adapt.  I never imagined that I could.  But I find, these last four years, since my first surgery, that I have had to go with the flow, even if sometimes I hated it.  I had to change the perception of myself that I had.  That "can do" everything me.  It sounds depressing, and sad, but to be honest, when I let that perception go, I found a new me, one that I think I like even better.
This revised version of me  is more thoughtful, more reflective.  She has learned how to take breaks, how to be better to herself.
Still busy, oh yes, but in a kinder way.
Reminding me of advice an old weaver once gave me, "Shake it up.  Change what you are doing.  Don't do the same thing all day long.  Your body will love you for it."
So I weave some.   Then I do chicken duty.
I organize a little.
I weave some more.
I bake, then I sit and study something.
I weave some more.
Sometimes I kick back for 30 min.  A power rest.

Then I sew a little.
I plan projects.
I play on my laptop.
I weave a little more.
I go to the store.

You get the drift.  Busy, yes, all the time.  But not chained to the loom for production.  I just recently did that to myself, committed to a 100 yards of weaving.   I don't know why.....I guess I have to be vigilant of the "old me" sticking her nose in.
I finished it, but by the time I did, I hated it.  I vowed right then and there that I would be much more careful.   I would put solid boundaries on how much weaving I took on.

This is my life.
This is my retirement life.
I need to do just what I want.

I read a friend's FB post recently, about her venture into production weaving, and how happy she was to be able to do it.
And I smiled.
Because I am very happy, thrilled  in fact, to say no no no no to production weaving.  I have had enough.  I want to weave at a pace that makes me content, not frenzied.
My little 100 yard slip really convinced me of that.

I look ahead, and think of the time I might have left ahead.  No one knows.   We just hope for the best.  But however much time it is, I want to do it well, spend it well,  do meaningful things.   Meaningful to me, means slowing down enough to savor them.

Life is short, my friends.
Savor it.

OOPS.

I can't believe that it's been a month since I've posted. Time just flies by.

I love autumn, and I love to bake.  It seems the perfect time to start making soups, and that rhubarb
I froze this summer was calling to me.

It makes the best crisp.
And bread is a snap, when you've got the pellet stove fired up, nothing makes it rise so well.

 I'm taking a break from baby wraps for a bit.  This is the last of the Mermaid wraps.  I hope to be taking it to the Hudson Mohawk Weaver's Guild show in November.

This is by my driveway.

One of my favorite maples.  I just love the gold/yellow/oranges.  In fact, it's one of the warps I love the best.

There's this weaving draft that I have lusted over for some time.  But I don't have a computerized loom, so I thought it was out of reach for me.
Then I decided to try it anyway.   It took two hours to peg 110 dobby bars, and they drag on the floor.
I wasn't at all sure it was even going to work.

I was thrilled to find out that it DOES work.

Is it feathers?  Or trees?

I don't know but I love it.

So I decided that pegging dobby bars is not that much fun, and since I really don't want to buy another loom, I ordered the Compudobby from AVL for my loom.  It won't be here until Christmas, or after, but wow, it's exciting still!!!!

I am blessed with my family, and it's a special joy when my youngest grand comes to visit.

Here she is giving me the look.  She had instructed me to STOP taking her picture.

But a little later, she forgave me.

Life is good.   I'll try to be back sooner.  I'm amazed that anyone is still out there reading.

Little vacay.

DH and I  took a few days off, went to Maine, and New Hampshire.

My foot has been killing me for a couple of months now, so I took the advice of my physical therapist, and bought myself a pair of Birkenstocks.

I was shocked when I realized how much they helped.  I don't care if they are ugly.

 I love the water, I could sit by it for hours.

 The weather was perfect.

 I  am not good about resting though.  After a couple of days, I'm antsy.

I know, that must be a shock.

I tried, honestly, I did.  I read three books, knitted a pair of mittens, went for walks.
The quiet was lovely.

But I have to be honest here.

I was ready to come home.

Game changer

  Four years ago today, I had the surgery that changed everything.  Well, it also probably saved my life.
Funny how those two things go together.
I just went back and read my daughter's post on this blog, on that day.


http://crazyasaloom.blogspot.com/2012/08/did-you-blog-yet.html


Amazing.  All of it.


Life goes on.  Busy as usual.

There were 7 old windows left to be replaced in this old house, and I decided now was a good time.


The old windows did not open easily, did not stay open, were filthy dirty, and there was no way to wash them on the second floor.

The new ones are awesome.  Clean,    They open, and stay open, did I say they are awesome??

Five in, two more ordered.
It's the little things.

Out on my inside porch, these old beams reside.  They were here when I bought the house..

I did not weave today.   Horrors.
I spent the morning on the inside porch, getting it ready to be my dye room.

It was an awful job, but it is shaping up nicely.

The shelves are perfect for all my dyes and paraphernalia.

I had to quit after a few hours, my plantar fasciitis was screaming at me.
So ice and rest were in order.

I read my book, "A Man Called Ove".....which I highly recommend.

Here is one of my garage sale finds this weekend.........it came from the house of an old pharmacist.

I love it.

This is the wrap I just finished....

And this is the one I am working on now.

Sometimes I worry that I am not packing enough into my life.

Then I laugh.

August.

Is it over???   Summer?

Oh, sure, there are things about it that are amazing, like my huge zinnia patch.

But overall, the humidity has been overwhelming.

I know I've said it before, but I do love this old house.

The light, the incredible feeling about it.

I have been weaving hand dyed bamboo, and I'm calling it Mermaids.

Though it is one of my LEAST favorite jobs, we had another rug to seam together.

Lois has been working hard on this for weeks........three sections, altogether, it makes a 9x12 rug.

It took us about two hours to sew it together, and when we were done, I needed a crane to get me off the floor.
Can anyone say "STIFF"????
Yikes.

Here's the runner that goes with it.

I'm busy as usual, weaving, dyeing.

But today, I spent with this little love.

Priceless, let me tell you.