That's what I'm talking about.

I had one of my grandkids today, and she wanted to weave.
Say no more.

The Wolf Pup had a narrow warp on it, and it seemed the perfect size loom, so I set her up on it.

Amazingly, she settled in to weave, and didn't make a peep for  the longest time.

She seemed to be an old soul there weaving on that little loom, totally immersed in what she was doing.




It was lovely to watch.

She persisted with it,  finished it, and I tied the fringe for her.


First, she tied in around her waist.

Then she draped it over her shoulders, quite proud of herself.

And rightfully so.

Heart be still, finally another weaver in the family.

We do have to work on her color sense, though.

Next seems to approve.

 It was a good day.
A feel good day.
Amen.

A stroll and a chat.

While I was away, I got to go to the Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge.  If I lived near here, I would be walking this path EVERY day.  It was that lovely.

The paths were well maintained, the views were refreshing, and the quiet was music.

So come along, I've taken some pictures to show you what it's like, while I chat about other things.

I can't wait until the 14th to draw for a name.  The winner is so OBVIOUS, that it's embarrassing.
Kidding.
It's wonderful.  I knew she would come up with a marvelous name, but she outdid herself.
So without further ado.........

The winner is Hilary, of  The Smitten Image
The tag is already being made at the printer's.
Here it is:

So the FIRST monkey off the production line will be headed to Toronto, with a note to Customs, to refrain from 'feeling' him up.
 

The first monkeys will be up for sale on Monday or Tuesday, with any luck.

Today was back to work.  Weaving to be done.  Sewing blue jeans.  

Update on HH.  It is still my constant companion, day in, and day out.

But it's better.   That sounds strange to say, but it's true.  I still have days when they are nearly debilitating, but those days are few and far between.  Mostly my headache hovers at a 3-4, and occasionally ramps up to a 7-8, but usually not for long.

I am still going to acupuncture.
And I have had my thyroid medicine adjusted, and I am on the mother lode of Vitamin D, since it seems I have none.

And I am still hopeful.  Thinking positive thoughts.

I know that HH has changed my life.
Not just the last 7 months, 3 weeks.
But the rest of my time on this planet.

Because how can I ever take anything for granted, after a headache 24/7 since last October??

I don't think I can.

I know now that I am grateful for days that don't get above a 3-4.
I think a day with no headache will be like being reborn.

But because this headache just descended on me one day out of the blue, I will never feel safe from it.

I will always know how quickly it can put me to my knees.

So every day that it doesn't level me, is a day to celebrate.

I learned, years ago, in Al Anon, that acting "as if" was a way to get through tough times.

So I act "as if" I don't have a headache, whenever I can get away with it.

Whatever works, right?

So other than some 'monkey business',  I am planning to weave and kayak the summer away.
What about you??
What are your plans for the summer?

Oh, brother, this is getting long......are you still awake??

It was hard to pick pictures to show you, so I am probably showing you too many.

Bear with me, we're almost at the end.

We met a couple of locals on the path, power walking.

It was such a beautiful place to walk.

The ocean was pretty far away, this was taken with my zoom, so it looks closer than it really was.

Thanks for coming.  Stay tuned for the monkeys!!!  

A little Roy.

We did manage to get away for a few days,  and for anyone who has shared a residence with an aging
parent, well, you know how precious that time can be.

Roy went, too.   I couldn't even contemplate leaving him in a kennel.
Not. Ever. Happening.

He loved the beach, and for once I didn't have to grumble about how many times he stopped to pee or sniff.
There was no place really to do either.
So instead, we walked.  And when Roy walks with a mission to get somewhere, you better fire up your engines, cause you're going to be moving right along.

There is no kid ANYWHERE that is as easy a travel companion as Roy.

He is quiet, and agreeable, and very low maintenance.

Whatever he is doing, he does 100%.  And whatever the circumstance, he does his best to go with it.

Anyone could learn a lot from Roy.

He was not distracted by these birds.  In fact, he is not distracted by much.

He did, however, make certain not to get his feet wet.  

He doesn't like 'wet'.

Right, Roy?

And when he's done, he's done.

For real.

Good night Roy.

Sleep tight.

Monkeys vs Food.

I have two things on my mind tonight.
First off, MONKEYS.
Yes, they are almost ready.  In fact, by the end of the week, they will be looking for new homes.

As before, with the Hip to Be Square Loom, I have found that perfecting a product from beginning to end, is  not as easy as it seems.
There are always choices to anquish over,  decisions to be made.

I am almost ready to pick a name.  I may jump up the date from June 14th, which is when I said I would pick one.  This is for two reasons:  1.  I think most people comment in the first week, and 2.  I need to get tags made so I can put them on my web site.

But first:
I have to take a consensus, about my most recent concern.
Buttons.
Buttons for eyes, small, round buttons.

I am concerned that small children might get their hands on a monkey, and next thing you know the buttons will be up a nostril, or eaten like Sweet Tarts.

So I need your opinion.......do I make monkeys two ways????  With buttons?  And without buttons?
And let the customer choose???
Or do I forget about buttons, and go with these??  Eyes are felt, sewn on, no danger to anyone.

I think they make his face very expressive, don't you??

 
I don't think names will be an option, because they are all going to be one of a kind.   Pictures will have to suffice.

I really want...........and need........you to weigh in on this one.
I have to decide, quickly. Buttons.  No buttons.  BOTH.
Production continues.


OK, I have to talk a bit about food.   I have been asked why I eat the way I do, and how I got to where I am.
So briefly, I will tell  you.
In April, 2009, I gave up eating meat for 30 days.
You can read about it HERE

After the 30 days were up, I tried to eat meat a couple of times, but I was really turned off.
It didn't take long before I realized that I was really done with it.
If you pressed me for WHY, I would have to say that the FEEL of eating FLESH is what really ended it for me, along with the THOUGHT/BELIEF that really we shouldn't/don't need to kill animals to sustain us.  It just sounds bizarre to me.
I haven't eaten meat now in three years, and I don't miss it.  If I smell chicken cooking, it smells like road kill to me, and it is pretty sickening.  Sometimes, a steak on the grill smells good, but I know that chewing into it would be unpleasant.
I have found that I can eat a veggie burger with onion and ketchup, lettuce, tomato, and not miss the beef one bit.
Same for a hot dog..........a veggie dog with enough toppings is plenty good for me.

SO...........  I eat a lot of vegetables, fruit.  I like quinoa, couscous, brown rice.  I am fond of making up dishes for myself starting with a lot of garlic.
I don't drink milk, but I do eat cheese.  I do eat eggs.
Can you tell this is a diet of my own making???
Yes, it really is.  It is one that makes sense to me, and one that makes me happy.

Breakfast is usually a high fiber cereal with almond milk, and maybe a banana.  Or oatmeal.
(unless DH takes me out to breakfast, then all bets are off)
Lunch is often salad, boiled eggs, sometimes a bagel with peanut butter.
Dinner is my biggest problem, as both DH and my mother eat meat.
So I either eat everything BUT the meat, or I cook myself something without meat.
I love Mexican, because there are so many things to eat that can be made without meat.
I drink a load of water, and tea.
I don't drink coffee, I don't drink soda.
I love dessert, and I try to be moderate, but I am not always successful.
I love ice cream, but try to limit it, because I don't really think it agrees with my stomach.
So there you have it......my exciting food intake.
I wish I could go back 30 years, or more, and leave off the meat way back then.
But I didn't, for whatever reason.
I am doing it now, and happy with my choice.
And all the gastric distress I used to have..............gone, gone, gone.
Enough said.

Gibbs

Sometimes life unfolds exactly as it should.

After being away for a few days, I didn't get to the studio until about 2pm.

My plan was to only stay long enough to check things out.

But that was before I saw the plants for sale down the street from my house.

Seems that one of my neighbors was working in her perennial garden, and decided to thin some things out.

I turned around and went back, and ended up with the back of my Santa Fe full of ferns and hostas.

This got me late to the studio, and then of course, I knew I needed to get the ferns into the ground, before it rained.

So by the time I left the studio, it was 4pm, and it was raining sideways.

Suddenly there was a dog in the road, dodging traffic on busy Rte 4.  I pulled over and jumped out, soaked in seconds.  He wouldn't come to me, and he kept going out in front of oncoming cars.

So in desperation, I opened the back door of my car, and hollered,"c'mon, we're going for a ride."

And that's how I ended up with a large, wet, yellow dog in my back  front seat.

Sigh.

There was a moment there, when I wondered if perhaps he wasn't a friendly dog.   But the thought left me quickly, when I looked into his eyes.  

I proceeded up and down the road, going house to house, knocking on doors.   NO LUCK.

Called home to tell DH I would be here when I got here.

Called L to help me do some detective work.

No answer from the dog catcher.  No answer from the SPCA.  No answer from my vet, who has a kennel that I thought might work short term.

I wondered, aloud, what I was going to do with this dog. (He reminded me of Eddie, btw)

Eventually, I noticed that there was, in fact, writing on his collar.  At first I didn't see it, it was so faint.

It said, "Gibbs".

And there was a phone number, but when I called, the person on the other end didn't know Gibbs, and they had only recently got that number.

There was also an address, 10 miles away.   So I drove there.

Nobody home. Of course.

So I went to the neighbors' houses, and basically asked, "Do you know this dog?"

And thank you Lord, one of them did.

But he didn't belong to the people that lived there NOW, he belonged to the people who lived there 2 years ago.

And they think that they sold this house, and moved over to Rte 4.  (right where I found him)

So back over to Rte 4, with a name, no address.  Back on the phone to L, but there was no address listed for them, no phone number.

I was beginning to lose hope.  Then it occurred to me.  If you sold your house, you likely bought another, rather than rent.

So where, in the area that I found him, had I seen a house for sale in the last couple of years???  

 And I remembered one.

When I got to that house, and drove in the driveway, I saw immediately  a woman on the porch, with a phone to her ear.
As I got out of the car, she came right out.

Did you lose a dog, I asked, knowing the answer.

If you look closely, you can see Gibbs stopping to relieve himself, glad to be home.

And I finally got home, pretty wet, but relieved.  Content.

Glad I stopped to buy those plants, and took time to plant them, so I would be driving down the slick-wet road, just about the time that Gibbs was running wildly down the yellow line.

Who says that things aren't exactly the way they should be.

Except for Roy, who says.................what is that SMELL on you, MOM???????