Purse mode.

I have been finishing up some small totes. These two are denim, and my sewing machine would NOT sew them. So I sewed them up by hand. Good reason not to make many blue jean bags.
Yup, they are all different, whatever moves me at the moment. I like to make a few of them, and then sew them up. One time I made about 15 of them, and I was sewing for two days. I would rather weave. So if I just do this many, and put them all together in a day, it is more enjoyable.
I get in purse modes/moods, or sock rug mode, or lodge rug mode. That is why you can never have too many looms.
New development. My foot is killing me, all of a sudden. Pain that increases over the course of a day, right under my 3rd and 4th toe. I told my husband I have Morton's neuroma. That is my diagnosis. Treatment is injections, and as a last resort, surgery.
I am getting an xray tomorrow, and on to a podiatrist as soon as I can get in.
But I am taking bets that I am right.

Remember I talked about forgiveness not long ago??
I did let my resentment go, and I felt so much better.
Now I am struggling a bit with this question. Do people who do hurtful, shameful things, change?
Can they? And at what point do you believe them when they say they have changed? When they say so? Or only after they have shown you?
And what about people who suddenly get religion when they are caught being "not so nice"? Is it just convenient? Is it just more deception?

Questions. Questions.
For now, I am just letting it go, hoping that clarity will come.

I took half of today off.......I did.
I relaxed on the couch, and started knitting a cable scarf. I drank tea, and waited for the lasagna to cook.
That man of mine is a GOOD cook.
mm, mm.

I'm being watched.

Mug rugs. Mug mats. Whatever you want to call them. They are instant gratification......well, almost instant. And what I love about them is that I use up all kinds of scrappy stuff that I don't exactly know what else to do with.
And that is fun, to me. I make them in sets of 4, sets of 2, and then I make a whole bunch of singles in different colors, for those people who like to mix and match.
I just ordered a Wolf Pup, which is only 18" wide, so I can have it set up for these all the time. I can't wait.
This 60" Cranbrook has been upstairs in the front bedroom, also known as the "President's Room", for 4 years. It was in my attic at home for a year before that. I bought a sectional beam for it 3 years ago. And finally, I am putting a warp on it.
I am going to make 4' x 6' lodge rugs on it, hopefully a stack of them.

Problem was that I couldn't put the tension box on the round metal bar. I called my friend, Chris, in Indiana, and she suggested a table.
This little stand was actually in the front bedroom, and the little towel rod actually keeps the tension box steady.
I put 40 yards of brown tweed warp on, and I will thread it tomorrow. I will be weaving on this loom by next week.


The cats like to be wherever I am. I suppose that they have a schedule that is different from cats who live in a regular household.
They wait for me every morning. Then they play and sleep wherever I am. Not all of them, all the time. But there is usually one or two of them in the same room that I am in. Sometimes they lay on whatever I am weaving, and sometimes they make me stop and give them attention. They know what they want.
So while I was warping the Cranbrook, Kizzy and Jinx were playing on the bed.
Oh, Kizzy.........you love me, don't you??
Ooh, that's my neck..........ooh.
Be gentle, Kizzy.
Listen, buddy........
Oh, that tickles....stop....stop.
Oh, I can't breathe...stopppppp.
What.....you don't want to play???
I know you do..........
Where'd he go?

Sometimes, at the end of the day, when I am getting ready to leave, they are sitting around watching me, and SOMETIMES I suspect that they are thinking......whew, good, she is leaving. Now we can really play.

Oh, OK, bye....see you tomorrow.......

good morning sunshine

I love sunny mornings at the studio. This is what greets me, besides the 4 cats milling around the door waiting for me to get inside.
This room used to have dingy gray wallpaper, and brown painted floors. I chose this color, Florentine clay, and with the floors refinished, the room glows, don't you think???

I have been fighting fatigue all week long. I want to sleep later in the morning instead of popping up at my usual 7am. Not sure if it is the cold weather, or just getting older. Or both.

I have discovered that my inventory skills are somewhat lacking. A rug ordered off my web site is no longer on the shelf.
Hmm.
So I went back and logged in all the lodge rugs, and then checked them against my web site.
There was more than one rug on the web site that was long gone.
Ouch.
My mother says I need a secretary.
Yeah, and a cleaning lady, too. And a grounds keeper.
That's it. I want to be the Lady of the Manor.
I am "orderless".....and loving it. I have been weaving up a storm, stocking the shelves in the shop. That is a very good feeling.
I have also been doing some organizing, at the studio, and at home. I get these urges every now and then. Cleaning closets, throwing things out, finishing things I have started and set aside.


Tomorrow is window washing day, so weaving will have to wait.
Gotta let that sun in.

Every day, another door.

After many days of worrying, it looks like Ava may be on the mend. Still waiting for lab tests, but she is improving. And THAT is good news.
Thanks for all your kind words.
I will keep you posted on her progress.
I am officially the grandmother of a TWELVE year old. Happy Birthday, Nev.
And here he is, driving the electric scooter his Mimi bought him.
Got to get some weaving in here.......finished this over the weekend.


Sharon, over at In Stitches left me an award, the Honest Scrap award. The rule is that you have to leave it to 7 other bloggers that are brilliant in content and design.
Then you are supposed to list ten things that readers may not know about you.
Unfortunately, most of the blogs I like and admire, are award free blogs.

I was very impressed with Kate over at Chronicles of a Country Girl when she received this award. She was very open and honest with her list, and I was inspired.
But to me that is what blogs are about. Reading them at the end of my day is a gift. They can make me thoughtful, make me laugh, move me to be a better person.

They can be the light shining through an open door.
It is pretty incredible that people you have never met, can touch you with their words.

So here goes......ten things you may, or may not, know about me.

1. I have the ugliest feet on the planet. Don't believe me, ask my kids. It's true.
2. I am a tad obsessed with weaving. Oh, c'mon......don't say you didn't know.
3. I could still cry over my pit bull, Chickiwu, who died several years ago. But I love Eddie, who is still with us, beyond reason.
4.I love the rain. LOVE IT.
5. I am a tea addict. Made properly, in the pot, with a tea cozy to keep it warm.
6. I have notebooks everywhere, filled with drivel....and some good ideas, and things I want to remember, which I won't have a clue about when I read them again.
7. I save cats. But I have to stop adopting them, I do, I really do.
8. I love the Red Sox. It is my husband's fault. It doesn't hurt that some of them are really NICE looking. (Don't tell you know who.)
9. I have 10,000 lbs of fabric. No, it is not a problem.
10. I love the Sopranos, and Everybody Loves Raymond, and I watch the same ones over and over.

Ta da.

And to pass this on:
1. Sunrise Lodge Fiber Studio because I am so impressed with her weaving skills.
2. Original Art Studio who always has inspirational posts.
3. Snappy Di/Blue Ridge Gal,
because she is so funny and irreverent.
4. Spruce Hill because she is so brave, and full of life.
5. Two Peas and Their Pod, because they have fantastic recipes.
6. Sea Glass Designs for her lovely jewelry, and great pictures.
7. The Things We Carried, a new blog I just found, that just speaks to me.
Later.......

A little weaving, a little worrying.

Sunny corner with a loom. It doesn't get any better than this.
Yup, I know I am crazy.
Certifiable.
I am also a little messy, just in case you might have gotten the idea that I was neat and organized.
Not quite.
Blue jean chair pads. 20 of them, for an order.
But I am liking them so much, I may make some to put on my web site. And they are washable.
I think I am going to make one with ties on two corners, and I already have an idea how I will do it.
14 are done..........6 to go.

Today I worried while weaving. My granddaughter has been sick, and she has been having xrays and blood work. She is only four, and it breaks my heart to think she has to go through this. She is a little trooper though, and kept telling the doctor, "I'm OK, really, I'm OK."

She also has a sense of humor. From the bathroom, my daughter heard her say, "Aunt Momo, I've got some bad news." Guess she didn't get there quite in time.
There should be an option, that grandmothers could take whatever infirmity was inflicted on their grandchildren, because I would take this from her in a New York minute.

But I am trying to take some advice that I heard in Al Anon years ago.
If you're going to worry, don't pray.
If you're going to pray, don't worry.

It sounds easy, doesn't it?

Don't be rude.

After a night of heavy rain, and dark skies this morning, it finally cleared. The sun actually lit up the studio for a very short time.
I was in cleaning mode, ah yes, it happens occasionally. I just tackled one room. I knew it would make me feel better if I did.
And I need to get started, I have three weaving weekends, back to back the end of this month. So the house needs to be cleaned.
Then I did a little weaving, and some sewing. Then more weaving.

Sydney has settled in. As a matter of fact, she is feeling much like a princess.
I saw her and Jinx touch noses, which is a very good sign.


My husband is a pretty good cook. I take full advantage of this. My days are usually pretty busy, but I do try to cook a couple of times a week. Tonight I made pork chops for him and my mother, but I am not eating much meat.
So.......I had to do a little experimenting.

This is onions, mushrooms, red and green peppers, and brussel sprouts.
And garlic, salt and pepper.
But something seemed to be missing.
So........

That bag of leftover spagetti in the fridge was perfect. Chopped it up, threw in some fresh basil, and topped it with a little feta cheese.
DH just made a face.

But honestly, it was delish.

I am reclining on the sofa with my laptop. Eddie is asleep under the coffee table. DH is waiting for a baseball game to start. He doesn't fool me.
I was at the Y swimming at 6:30 this morning, and it has been a long day. The hot tub is calling to me.
It would be rude not to answer, don't ya' think???

Slim Pickins

Time to pick the apples.
We go in the week, because to go on the weekend around here is insanity.
What with the corn maze, the apple picking, and the CIDER DONUTS, the cars are lined up forever on the back roads.
So we go on a Tuesday morning, early.
Luckily my husband is quite tall, which allowed me to take pictures, and give direction.
Which we all know he needs.
He's a man, right?

The apples are spectacular though, right off the tree. Perfect.
Here it is. The lavender and light green rug with just a touch of purple. Done, finished. A wrap.
That's the inspector, looking it over.

You can click on any picture to make it larger.........this is a close up of the rug. I wove it with my rolling stool, since my arms do not reach across 4 ft of the width of the rug. I roll myself back and forth on a stool I bought on Ebay........thanks to the suggestion of my good friend, Chris Gustin, who sells rugs on her web site here .
You all heard about the latest cat to land at the Wayward cat hotel.........let me tell you, the story does not end with me picking them up at the vet, and paying the bill.
No.........we have to all "get along"....and that does not come easy.
Sydney spent a couple of days isolated, and then we went for the gold.
She has been doing pretty well......ignoring the other three for the most part.
Here is Jinx. I had just tied the loom up after taking the lavender rug off, and Sydney jumped up to try it out as a napping spot.
Soon Jinx appeared.
Can you imagine this conversation???

Uh, hi...........uh, do you want to hang out, or something?
C'mon, it'll be really fun. I'm fun, can't ya' tell?
Hmm........maybe she is asleep. Maybe I'll just wait here for a bit......
I'm not doing nothin'......I'm not! I'm just layin' here.
Fine then, I'll just wash up while I'm waiting.
(Huge sigh)
I'm just stretching.....I didn't touch her. Honest. I didn't.
Fine then.

Lately, it's just me and the cats at the studio, with a little Sirius radio. I am another Coffee House fan. So their interaction is the only show in town.
Or maybe I am just easily amused in my retirement.
It could be either, but I guess it doesn't matter, cause I am having fun.
If I won the lottery, I would still want to go to Crazy as a Loom to weave.
How CRAZY is that.

All grown up.

Finally......this is what we grew up to be.
Gourds. LOTS and LOTS of gourds.
Custom order today........lavender, shades of light green, and a little purple.
Not my favorite combo, but I am trying to get into it.
I would rather make purses.
Like this one.

I went to the Y today, to swim. I made the mistake of getting there at 8am. This "older" lady kept crowding me. She seemed to have a problem with boundaries. I was getting very annoyed.
So I have decided that I need to treat this like a job, and set my alarm on the days I am swimming, so I can get there any time after 5am, and be done swimming by the time the blue haired ladies arrive at 8am.
No offense intended.
I am going to my class reunion on Saturday night. I have mixed feelings about it. I am not that sure I want to see the people I went to high school with. But one old classmate has been bugging me pretty regularly, til I caved, and said I would go.
I was not one of the "clique" in high school. I guess I was somewhat out of the loop. I had my own ideas of what was cool, and I guess I had some selective inattention going on.
At any rate, I don't really know many of them any more, and the ones I was close to won't be there because they live so far away.
It is a very informal affair. Bring your own drinks. Bring a dish. The invitation actually said dress casually, but not in your birthday suit.
Do you wonder why I am somewhat reluctant.
Hell, let's be honest. I only want to go to see who looks older and fatter than me.
HA!
There. I said it.
And I'm glad.

I'm Alive

Something about these trees just pulled me in. My husband was afraid I would get arrested, but I took photos from the street.
It was the perspective that caught my eye, I guess.
Update on the kitty. She had her surgery, and the vet very kindly gave me a "good citizen discount", which helped immensely.
I kept her isolated from the other cats for a couple of days, and then introduced her gradually.
Jinx wants to play with her, Kizzy is just enthralled, and Miss Puss is her lethal self. But new kitty is not interested.
All in all, I would say that this girl, who I have named Sydney, is going to be just fine.

I sat in the rocking chair, holding her. She laid across my chest, with her head on my shoulder. I rested my chin on her back and rocked the chair gently, while she purred.
I never planned on having cats. I am a dog person really. I have a wicked soft spot for all dogs, and especially pit bulls, though I have had golden retrievers, Irish setters, border collies, Newfoundlands, and assorted mixed breeds in my lifetime.
But somehow, they found me. The first one born in the barn, then I trapped his feral mother who I had neutered and then released. Then I went to the shelter to get a second one for company for the first. Ha! That's a joke. I should have known I didn't need to do that.
Then the third one was a stray litter born under the back of my house, now this one.
As I sat there rocking with her, it struck me that they slow me down. They make me take time for them, and because of them, I am learning to have more balance.
Isn't it true that you get what you need?
And it all seems like the right thing to do.
Kenny Chesney and Dave Matthews have done a song together. Odd couple, I know. But I love it. I get cold chills when I hear it.....well, not really, but you know what I mean.

It's called "I'm Alive".
Here are the words.


So damn easy to say that life's so hard
Everybody's got their share of battle scars
As for me I'd like to thank my lucky stars that
I'm alive and well

It'd be easy to add up all the pain
And all the dreams you've sat and watch go up in flames
Dwell on the wreckage as it smolders in the rain
But not me... I'm alive

And today you know that's good enough for me
Breathing in and out's a blessing can't you see
Today's the first day of the rest of my life
And I'm alive and well
I'm alive and well

Stars are dancin' on the water here tonight
It's good for the soul when there's not a soul in sight
This motor's caught its wind and brought me back to life
Now I'm alive and well

And today you know that's good enough for me
Breathing in and out's a blessing can't you see
Today's the first day of the rest of my life
Now I'm alive and well
Yeah I'm alive and well


Busy week at the studio...........3 orders to work on. Where's that damn Tammy, anyway??????