Showing and sharing

Our guild meeting this month featured me for a moment of trunk show fame. I have been thinking about the event for a while and had trouble deciding what is the appropriate number of items and what are the most meaningful items to share. I could have backed up a truck and unloaded bundles of hand dyed yarns, hand spun yarns, sweaters, pillows, socks, scarves (oh the scarves!) baby clothes, afghans, more sweaters, wraps, bags, felted stuff, woven stuff, you name it. But I decided that a sampler that says who I am in a couple of simple totes would work.

So, if you were at the meeting, I hope you appreciated the attempt at brevity and the edited sampler. Now you know what I like, I hope that you will keep me in mind when you see wonderful things on sale and would like to alert me!

We had a great little environmental workshop as well. I made a great little felt covered bar of soap (more are likely on their way) and am bringing home all kinds of colorful plastic bags from a collection at school that will be wonderful totes. (Like I need another bag of any sort!) But hey, the landfill has me beat!

I met a couple of new friends and saw some that I have been missing over the summer and generally the night just flew by. What a great bunch the fiber gals are.....it is always a pleasure to show and share with this great group of friends!

She lives!

(African Penguins....soooooo cute!)

Yes, I am still around, only in a much different place, mentally. I am the lead in my art department and have a few adjustments to make in my schedule at school and at home. No, I have not stopped traveling. This past summer was a treat. Not only did I get to spend my first summer at our log home in the mountains, but that bit of heaven was interupted by an 11 day excursion to South Africa!

(African Elephants.....sooo huge!)

Everyone knows how I love to discover people, culture and the world in general. So take those ambitions and increase the intensity to "beyone belief" and you would have my summer experience.

(African termite mounds.....sooo strong!)

Now, I am not saying that all is perfect in the world, nor even in my own little corner. We arrived to the cabin only to find that it had not been winterized by the previous owner (in the contract!) so when the pump came on, the water came out! All over! Luckily it had not cracked the water heater and leaked over the winter. Yin/yang, I choose to look on the bright side. The plumber came out, literally as it said on his truck, "The Plumber" and he got us going.

My family was on their way to visit, so we were busy tidying up, making beds and painting. They arrived only to find on the second day that the septic seemed to be BACKING UP! "The Plumber" came again and suggested we have it snaked. Did I mention that we live in the mountains? The snaking fellas got lost on the mountain for 2.5 hours and couldn't call since the cell service is almost non-exsistant. My husband and sweet son in law dug up the line and found the crack, replaced the pipe and got us going, again. We then got a land line so that we could call out and receive calls...such a luxury!

Our neighbors out there are awesome, they are like a new family in the new area and we miss them terribly since our return.

As for knitting, I have been fiddling around with unfinished projects, something that I rarely have, but have recently accumulated for one reason or another. I have also found that almost every female at school is pregnant, so I have an excuse to make sweet baby clothes. Never have, never really thought about it, love it! So fast, so cute and so reasonable...well, comparatively since I have always made full sized sweaters and paid full sized prices for the yarn even on sale.

Check out the Ravelry and see the latest!

As for pictures, I have posted travel albums to "Where have I been?" a Shutterfly site, I "think" that they are available to see, let me know if you need an invitation, I am new at this!