Rhyolite, Nevada

Just want to share a few pics of our past year's travels.

Death Valley

Rhyolite, Nevada

Doorknob on house built of bottles. circa 1900

Bank building, and store. Rhyolite, Nevada, circa 0900

Storefront of Jewler's in Rhyolite, Nevada. circa 1902

Who lies here?

Rhyolite flourished for a few years due to mining and eastern money. When the mine played out, the investor's did too. Once home to about 8000, is now home to the ghosts, wild burros, lizards and the occasional curious traveler.

We spent the better part of an afternoon exploring the town, cemetery and surrounding desert. Truly a haunting and desolate landscape.

To learn more about this ghost town, go to this page.

Hello Again

It seems like forever since I have written anything. I often get the urge and say I will write later. Then I don't. Always busy with something else like petting my dog, spinning some yarn, knitting something that may or may not get finished. Always something.

Because there is always something maybe I should talk about it here. In the past that seemed to be the thing to do. Why not now?

So, some of the changes since 2018...

The BF and I are living in and traveling (well, not right now) in our RV. We began this little journey in February of 2019. Since then we have been from New York state to California and back again. The COVID pandemic threw us back to our starting point for the summer. Hope to be on the road again by fall.

Because we can't travel, hobbies have come back to the forefront...cooking, spinning, knitting and writing of all things.

Have been working on a few new recipes that I will post in my cooking blog soon. Fun stuff.

As far as the others:

Purchased this amazing silk to cable ply with some equally amazing sure alpaca. Spinning silk is an art. Not one I was familiar with until a couple of days ago. Spinning silk is like trying to tame a kitten by holding it in the palm of your hand while it struggles to get away. You have to find just the right grip to keep it (the kitten) from jumping out of your hand. Silk needs a gentle hold, but not so gentle as to allow the twist to creep up into the gently held sliver. It takes a bit of practice. But, once mastered, silk can be spun into the finest wee bit of singles!

If you can see it, the single is so fine that it falls between the b and the e in Liberty. I didn't notice this until I saw the photo!

As for the Suri, it was a challenge because of the VM, second cuts and noils in the fiber. Made for slow going in the spinning process. But, it is finished and N-plied into a beautiful, soft 3 ply.

Really curious as to how the finished product will look. Have never cable plied before. Should be interesting.

 

Take The First Step

If you would have asked me two, three, or five years ago what I would be doing, living in Ecuador would not have been one of my answers.  Not because I didn't want to live in a foreign country. Not because I was afraid to travel. Not because I hadn't dreamed about living an unusual life. I just thought that it was a dream and was financially unobtainable; something only rich people do.

The second half of my life has been blessed with dreams. My BF has helped with that. Every dream I have had, he has helped make it happen.  

On my 30th birthday I was alone. Raising 2 daughters. Looking at a future of hard work. I lived in fear and I wasn't happy.

Then I met my BF.  I never dreamed of someone like him until he was "stalking" me at Torrejon AB in Spain (that was a dream too). I think I fell in love before he did, but it doesn't matter. We are together now, still best friends after 30 years of play and laughter.

Flash forward ten or so years. Ever since I was a child and I saw the Disney movie about the dancing horse, I had wanted a Paso Fino.  On my 40th birthday - I had one.  And not just any Paso, but a granddaughter of a world class Paso. She was amazing!  She was a dream come true. She won ribbons and even won a class at the Rocky Mountain Regionals.

I raised sheep, llamas, and had an organic egg business for about 10 years. Why?  Because I wanted to and the BF made sure I got to.

Then we moved to central New York state and another dream fell in my lap. With the help of my father and the BF, I was able to open a yarn shop. A yarn shop? Why? Same answer, I wanted to. It was fun. I made many good friends and miss them all so much.

But as with all good things, there comes a time when you have to let them go and focus on the next dream.  The next dream was the BFs rather than mine, but that is alright. It was something we had been tossing around for almost 20 years. We had looked at Costa Rica back in the early 90s. My fears stole that at that time. The fear of change, the fear of not having enough money. Oh, and don't forget the fear of having young children and "What would they do?" It was all crap and I robbed my entire family of what may have been the greatest adventure of their lives.

When my BF mentioned vacationing in Ecuador I was puzzled.  Why Ecuador? Well, he preyed on my love of all things Spanish. My love of the Spanish culture was the carrot he dangled in front of my nose. 

"It is less expensive than Spain." he said.

"They speak Spanish there." he said.

"The U.S. dollar is the currency, so no exchange rate." he said.

"Buy the tickets and book the hotels and I will go with you." I said.

He did. We went. We went again. We sold everything and came back. To stay.

Now, we are living not only his dream but mine as well.  I love the differences in the lifestyle, the ease of each day, the new sites and sounds and tastes. 

Looking back at my life I see a trail of dreams fulfilled. Some by chance and others because of the wonderful man that I married. He helped me overcome my fears (there were many) and truly live. He helped me live out loud and be joyous. He allowed me to dream and never told me that dreams don't come true, no matter what your age.

They do!  All you have to do is take the first step.  Oh, and don't forget to take the next one as well.

This post was inspired by Cindy Wood, and her FaceBook post this morning.  Thank you Cindy!

My Little Ecuadorian Dog

Thought we had lost our little Ecuadorian dog this morning. We (the BF, my little Ecuadorian dog, Tessa, and I) were out walking near the mouth of the river as the tide was going out. Tessa loves playing in the water and fetching things that are tossed in. This morning, she saw a coconut floating on the current and jumped in to bring it to shore. The combination of the river current and the outgoing tide was so strong that she could not make it back. I thought about going in to help her and was thigh deep before my husband told me to stop.

"I would rather lose a dog than my wife." was his reasoning.

He was right. The current was so strong that we would both have been swept out to sea. All I could do was watch helplessly as she struggled to make it to shore. Then struggle to keep her head above water. Then I held my breath as I lost sight of her beneath the waves.

It was a horrible thing to contemplate - her drowning. I could not watch. But, as we turned to walk back up the river, my husband spied her on a wave, being washed ashore on the other side. A wave or two later and she was out of the water and running along the opposite bank looking for a way back.

Then, the silly girl, jumped into the water and began trying swim back! Again, as I watched, she was caught in the current and pulled toward the sea. Again, as I watched, she struggled to make it back to shore, to us. Again, I saw her, in my mind's eye, being pulled under as the tide joined with the river to produce a current so strong.

But, this time, she was closer to the sand bar so the current was pushing in her favor. I held my breath as she struggled toward the safety of the shallows. I watched as she appeared to be carried out into the main part of the river and out to sea once again. But this time she made it. Her little feet touched solid ground. She struggled with the current still, but she was almost home free. Then, she jumped and bounded across the shallows that were chest deep for her. She had made it!

I wanted to grab her and hold her close. She wanted to stay just out of reach but close enough to know safety.

She is downstairs now, lying in the warmth and safety of her yard. I am happy she is there. My little Ecuadorian dog.

Dreams For The New Year

I am sure that everyone is looking back at the past year; thinking about the changes, the successes, the losses, the happiness, the sadness.  All of that is a part of life.  And, being human, I will do the same.

The past year was a gentle one for me - sort of.  I lost my father shortly before the beginning of 2017. We are always told not to make big changes after the loss of a loved one.  But, I didn't take heed.  The BF and I sold everything (except the house my father left me), packed what clothing we needed, grabbed the dogs and moved.  We didn't just move a little.  We moved a lot!  To Ecuador.  Do I regret it?  No.  It is different.  Although it is far from my children, it is alright.  It is quiet.  It is relaxing. It is liberating.

After that, not much more happened.  Every day has been just like the last.  The tide comes in, the tide goes out.  Life is simple.  We want for nothing as we don't need much.  We have a few friends and each other.  We eat well on fresh seafood and veggies taken from the earth that very day.  I feel as though I am living in a movie - I just don't know what the plot is yet.

We got our Visas without a hitch.  Then, the next milestone occurred when we headed to Guayaquil for our Cedulas - Ecuadorian I.D.  Now is is just a waiting game until we have our residency.  We cannot leave the country for more than 90 days a year for the next 2 years.  But, that isn't difficult.

What are the plans for the next year?  Not much.  Exploring our new country is the top of my list.  There is so much to see that I don't know where to start.

The top of my list is visiting Mindo. It is one of Ecuador's most visited locations; very touristy, pay for everything, must see.

Then, I want to take a train tour  to the last stop on the line, wherever that may be. 

Seeing the countryside from the train will make it fun to choose the next trip, the next adventure.  We will see the volcanoes, the lakes, rivers, valleys, villages - all that cannot be seen from main roads. We will see the country from a wonderful vantage point.

I want to swim in the ocean every day that I am home.  I want to walk the beach every morning and evening and enjoy the tranquility. I want to savor fresh seafood daily - until I tire of it and want nothing more.  

Yes, 2018. A year of tranquil living.  A year of stress free existence. A year to look forward to.

"Year One", The Book She Was Born To Write

Year One by Nora Roberts
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Where to start? I have been reading Nora Roberts since I picked up an advanced reader's copy of Montana Skies. I fell in love with her prose and her ability to paint a picture with words. And, yes, I also enjoyed the brain candy provided with her romance and family relationships held between the covers of each of her books I have since read. But, with this new novel, I feel that Ms. Roberts is truly flexing her muscles and delving into new territory. I LOVE it!
In the opening chapter she begins setting the stage for a new world order. She builds the tension. She introduces characters. She weaves a spell. Then, as the book progresses, the battle lines begin to form.
I also feel that this book is a statement. It illustrates the lines between those that are "different" and those that "discriminate". It paints a picture of the trodden upon and those that trod upon them. It weaves a tapestry of a polarized world, in which there is more than one side - good and evil and everything in between.
Yes, this book did contain Ms. Roberts signature leanings toward all that is magical, both dark and light. However it didn't have the main character with the typical romantic struggle. The struggle contained was that of life and death; the struggle of light over dark.
I cannot go into much more without giving spoilers. But, it is well worth the read.
When is the 2nd in the series? I want it NOW!


View all my reviews

Life Is Crazy

It has been so long since I have posted.  It has been so long that I seem to have forgotten my voice.  Which person blogged here?  Is she still around?  Does she still think the same way?  View the world with the same eyes? Or has life thrown a few curve balls and caused her perspective to change?

Me. Yes. No. Only one of them. And Yes.

I haven't posted a thing here since 2012.  Holy Mackerel Andy!  That is a lifetime!  Since then, I have closed the yarn shop.  My dad passed peacefully, at home, surrounded by his children and grandchildren.  Hijo Primero graduated from college with a degree in Bio-Chemical Engineering (where in the hell those brains came from I will never know).  Hijo Segundo graduated from college with a BA in Political Science (Magna Cum Laude, again with the brains).  Hija Primera is living in New Hampshire with her husband and son. The BF has retired from the Air Force after reaching the rank of Chief Master Sergeant. And Hija Segunda is living with her dad and I in...and this is the Crazy part of the Life is Crazy...Ecuador!

Yes.  We have kicked everything we knew to the curb, packed a few belongings, bid farewell to our friends and family and left the country!  We bought a guesthouse, Casita Las Mareas on the Pacific coast, in the province of Manabi' in the village of San Jacinto.  It doesn't keep us very busy.  Life is simple. Life here is idyllic.  It is still so new. 

Casita Las Mareas

There are days that I feel as if I live in a movie.  The sun is shining, the waves are out there - in my front yard no less - doing what waves do and making the most peaceful background noise, the locals are playing their music that makes me want to dance and life is unbelievable.

I do miss my friends and my family that we left behind.  There are days that I miss them terribly.  But, the show must go on and life must be lived - even if it seems crazy at times.  

I hope I can keep coming back and put new life into this little corner of my world.  Maybe it can keep me sane.  Or maybe I can just get back to sharing the insanity as it happens.  Who knows.  Who really cares?  

Melon Collie

I don't like to post when I am feeling melancholy.  My biggest fear is that I will come off maudlin and really embarrass myself.   That wouldn't be good at all!  If someone in the local area read it, would they look at me and point and say "Oh, look, that is the woman that writes the melodramas!"  Or, "Poor thing, she hasn't had a happy day in her life."  Or, worse yet, "Quick, run, she might tell us how her day is going!"  All of those things would put me into such a downward spiral that I might never recover.

So, melancholy means silence on the old blog.  But, sometimes it isn't melancholy.  It is simply the lack of inspiration; the inability of my old brain to transfer the thoughts in my head into something worth reading.

The past couple of weeks haven't been without blog fodder though.  Took my dad to Antietam and Gettysburg.  Both were awe inspiring and heartbreaking.  Found a couple of lost relatives as well.  One in the Antietam National Cemetery...

And the other was listed on the Pennsylvania Monument at Gettysburg.

My dad thought is was fun when I asked him to hold his license beneath name on the memorial.

We stopped at so many places and saw so many things.  By the 5th day, we were both ready to head home.

And, because this is a blog about my life and the things I love, I just have to share the picture above!  It is my most recent shipment of Frajous Fiber's recycled sari silk and banana silk yarns.  Both are so soft and have a wonderful drape.  See a color you like?  Drop me a line.  We can talk.

And, yes, I may be a little melancholy, or melon collie as my friend Becca would laugh, but, it will be over soon.  I have my friends.  I have my family.  I have my wonderful life.  What's to be melon collie about?

I Still Knit

Posting hasn't been something I do much any more, but knitting...yes, knitting still happens.
Currently I am working on several things.

My favorite has been BekahKnits Baby Newsie. My grandson is going to get one, maybe two or three.  The pattern is such fun!  There are a several things I would caution any prospective knitters of said pattern though.

First, CHECK GAUGE!  I started using the recommended US Size 6 needle with Universal's Classic Worsted Tweed as my yarn.  The thing was huge!  I got 4.5 stitches to an inch.  So I frogged and got it down to 5.5 stitches to an inch on US Size 3 needles.

Second, Rebekah recommends using magic loop for the knitting of this hat.  At first I was wondering why, when there are so many stitches.  I mean, come on!  It is only a hat, why be so fussy?  I started knitting with a 16" circular and was moving right along.  Then I got to the top of the hat and discovered why.  As you close the top of the hat, you are going back and forth, decreasing as you go.  It gets tighter and tighter.  The 16" needle quickly got abandoned for a longer cable and magic loop.  Save yourself the time and start with a longer cable.  I went to a 47" cable when I switched out.  Made all the difference in the world.

Third:  Just follow the directions.  Don't try to second guess.  If it tells you to knit to the marker, then knit to the marker.  My problem was that the markers weren't named.  Yes, I name my markers.  Usually just an initial - like A, B, C, etc.  I copied my pattern, mainly because I never write on my patterns, and did just that.  Then, I went through the entire pattern and put each markers initial next to it.  Made going so much easier.

I am now at the point of adding the elastic to the edge and then on to the brim.

Another project that is on the needles is a  Ten Stitch Twist afghan by Frankie Brown.  This is a free pattern on Ravelry!  I am using Universal's Classic Shades, a machine washable "handpaint" type yarn with a long color repeat.  The afghan in the link used the same yarn.  It is beautiful and so reasonably priced!  The pattern is my go to when I need a few hour of mindless, brainless knitting to distract me from...well, we won't go there.

Then, there is a simple, heart shaped shawl that I am working on for a woman that comes to my shop.  She wanted a simple shawl to present to her future daughter in law on her wedding day.  It is being knit with Cascade's Ultra Pima in an apricot color.  Really nice yarn for a heavier weight shawl.  It shines and drapes beautifully.  Will be a lovely shawl when done.  All I need to do is figure out how to do a lace, heart shaped motif at the bottom point.  Can't be that difficult, can it?

That is what is going on with my needles this week/month/summer.  And, right now, I want to get to it.

Giving Back

My father came out to visit for the summer.  It is such a blessing having him here.  When he is at his home in California, I worry.  I worry that he is alone.  I worry that he isn't eating.  I worry that I won't see him again.

Now that he is here I still worry, only not as much.  I know he is safe, being taken care of, and not by himself.  It is my pleasure to have him here with me - I don't want him to leave.  

As a child I was so afraid of my dad.  Not because he was abusive or mean.  But because he was larger than life.  He made me laugh.  He was a tease.  He loved to be teased back.  He was fun to be with and easy to be with.  So I suppose afraid wasn't the right word.  I was more in awe of my father.  I still am.

Now that he is over 80, he doesn't get around as easily as he once did.  But he is still a tease.  He loves to laugh and joke.  He is still easy and fun to be with.

Having him here makes me wonder why so many seniors, our parents, end up in care homes.  No, not those that need round the clock care or have special needs beyond the capabilities of  family members.  But those that just need a comfortable chair to sit in.  Those that need a ride to the doctor, library, grocers.  Those that can't do for themselves as they once could.  I am thrilled and honored to do this for him.

He gave me so much during my youth that it is pleasing to me to be able to give back to him.  

I hope he stays.

One Word

I have been debating the whole blog thing lately.  Do I start blogging again?  Do I not start blogging again?  Can I dabble on paper?  Or, should I go to the net and tell the world?

If you are reading this then you know what camp won.

And, it was due to something a friend said to me last nght..."It all starts with one word."

Closing the Door

This is a post to let any reader that remains know that I am closing the door to my room.  Well, not really.  I am still babbling away.  But for personal reasons the babble is now on Facebook and available for my FB friends to see and read.

Why the move?  FB allows for a bit more privacy.  And, most of my friends are there anyway.  If you aren't sign up and look for me there!  Bev Warner, at Face Book.  My logo is my avatar.  Looking forward to seeing yo there.

Unexpected Hilarity

Years ago I saw a segment with Steve Martin - "Teaching Your Children To Talk Wrong".  Although not his most famous routine, it was one that I found to be his funniest.  When I had children, I set about doing just that!  It was fun, it was entertaining, it was interesting to watch them wrap their limited experience around the concept.
How does one teach their children to "Talk Wrong"?  It is simple really.  All you do is take one of the small, baby babble words they use everyday and use it too. 
With my oldest daughter it was Kikity Kat.  I must admit, she was very bright.  It didn't take her long to figure out the Kikity Kat was, in truth, a kitty cat.  The day I discovered this revelation on her part was a sad day for me.  Very sad  indeed as she refused to play along.  She would not allow me to repeat after her.  It was always, "Mommy, what is it really?"  She questioned to the point of me feeling absolute distrust on her part.  To this day I just don't understand. Where did I fail.
Hija Primera must have clued her sister in on the evil game as Segunda never uttered a word until she could speak in complete sentences with a preciseness reserved for a professor of phonics.  Not just complete sentences, but sentences packed with three and four syllable words!  Where is the fun in that.  A child that is quiet until they are six years old, save the occasional bleat or whinny.  No, I am not kidding.  This child wanted to be a horse when she grew up.  Her animal sounds were so convincing that creatures large and small would answer!  Cattle were lowing right along with her.  Horses would stop their grazing and run to the fence to see the small human that spoke their language.  Cats would meow, dogs would bark, Segunda would answer in kind.  Then, one day...She spoke!  And. Never. Shut. Up.
Then along came Hijo Primero!  Another opportunity to excel in the art of parental mis-guidance.  I waited the first year as he learned the basic sounds.  Then, as he uttered his first words.  The normal Mama, Dada, and mundane words for his day and needs.  Then it happened...Da Da Da Dumm... "Look Mommy! A hoe hopey!"  He shouted pointing at an antelope.  There is was!  The perfect thing to teach him to say wrong.  From that day on it was Hoe Hopey.  Not antelopey, not Hoelopey, but Hoe Hopey!  Always said with delight and exuberance.  This went on for years...and years...and years. 
Tonight I found out just how long his belief that antelope were Hoe Hopeies went on.  He was 18!  All I could do was fall over in fits of laughter.  Tears running down my face, legs crossed to alleviate the urge to...well, you know the result of hysterical laughter.  As it turns out, he was driving home with his brother and his girlfriend.  They turned onto our country road as a large herd of antelope ran in front of his 4-runner.  "Look and all the Hoe Hopeies!"  He said with delight and exuberance.  His brother thought nothing of it as that is what we always called them.  His girlfriend on the other hand, hadn't gotten the "Talk Wrong" memo.  "What are you talking about?" she asked him in puzzlement (she had no sense of humor that girl). "The antelope?" 
And I was busted.  The child/parent bond was shattered.  I was evil.  From that day on he asked his father things.  Everything from how do you get to Denver from Cheyenne to how much salt to put in a pot of water for pasta.  I was unworthy. 
Was this Grand Canyon of a rift worth it?  Hell Yes!  Steve Martin, you are my hero.

Small Victories

Last fall I whined and moaned about my Dr.'s request that I go on a diet and stop with the sweets.  The diet she suggested was a Mediterranean, not difficult - actually rather fun.  The sweets were difficult.  I am of the opinion that humans are genetically wired to eat sweets until they explode, thereby decreasing the surplus population.
The weight loss seemed to be non-existent.  In fact, my scale was really stubborn about allowing itself to decrease in the numbers shown. 
What was going on?  I analyzed my food intake.  I looked through a microscope at the ingredients on my food purchases.  Any more than 4 ingredients (sometimes 5) and it didn’t make the cut in my hunter-gatherer expeditions to the grocers.  I shopped the outside isles of the store, rarely venturing into the center isles.  My vegies were fresh; my meats organic.  What was going on?
Then, one morning a few days ago, after looking at the stingy movement of the scale, I got dressed.   I looked in the mirror.  Now, this is something I avoid for the most part.  Mirrors and I don’t get along.  But this time, as I gazed at my reflection, I noticed that my clothes didn’t fit quite right.  The jeans were baggy in the butt.  They required a couple extra notches taken in with the belt in order to stay up.  My shirt was lacking that little bit of padding around the mid section. 
Had to be my imagination.
Later that day I went out to purchase a bit of new bedding and decided to get a pair of jeans as I had worn out a pair earlier in the month.  I grabbed my favorite brand in my “size” and tried them on.   Low and behold!  The mirror in the store revealed the same poor fit.  The sales woman ran, giggling, to grab a size smaller. 
A. Size. Smaller!
Yes!
It took months.  Lots of months.  My weight is almost the same.  But, I am a size smaller than when this little ordeal began! 
Small Victories.  

Playing Well With Others

This year is ending on a high note.  And, by virtue of the new year coming immediately after the old one, it is starting on that same note.  To end the old and ring in the new, we are doing our family cioppino night and I am starting 2 new Knit Alongs. 

Cioppino is a given.  We do it every year and look forward to it all year long.  The recipe will be posted, if it isn't already, on the kitchen blog soon.

The KALs on the other hand, aren't something I do very often.  These 2 will be my 3rd and 4th. 

The first one is hosted by my friends Jewelspurls  Sheriffofknittingham and Wrappedaroundmyfinger .  A group of us on Ravelry are going to be knitting Norwegian garments.  The ones I will be working on are a Hat and Gloves . 

The second KAL is an impromtu thing.  It came about from a comment on another message board at Ravelry.  One of the members Phro5gg said that in 2010 she wanted to knit 12 pairs of socks.  That was one I could get on top of!  A pair of socks each month for the entire year.  Don't have to buy a thing to accomplish that one.  Sock yarn stash - beware!  The first pair are Thuja, designed by Bobby Ziegler for Knitty.com.  They should take very little time and make one of the men in my life very happy.

So, here's to a new year, right around the corner.  Here's to knitting with friends.  Here's to being an active member of these KALs and playing well with others.

I Don't Know What To Call This Game

Okay, it goes something like this...

HP (Hijo Primero) - I need a new tooth brush.
Me - I just gave you one.
HP - But it isn't soft enough.
Me - So now I am a hard person.
HP - Why do you not like light fixtures.
Me - and you don't like my lamp either.
BF (boyfriend) - puzzled look on his face as he comes up the stairs.
Me - Hon, your son doesn't like the lamp in his bedroom.
BF - I picked out that lamp.
HP - All I want is a new toothbrush.

Later in the day.

Me - coughing because of this stupid cold I have had since before Christmas.
BF - Your Mom is dyin'.
Me - (to HP)  Yer dad dosn't want me to live here anymore.

Again, later in the day.

Me to HP - What are ya drinking?
HP - (Rishi) *Irish Macha.
Me - That stuff tastes like poo.
HP - It tastes far different from poo, I'll have you know.
Me - Yer right.  It tastes like horse doopy.
HP - Why do hate beverages?
Me - I don't hate beverages, it isjust that green isn't my favorite color.
HP - So you hate the planet too?
Me - (to BF)  Hon, yer son is being mean to me.
BF - Stop bein mean to yer mom.
HP - I am not being mean to mom.  She hates the planet and beverages.
Me - And you hate your father!

This is basically how my day has gone.  And I still don't know what to call this game.  It all ends when you don't know what to respond.

Oh, and here is my shopping list, amended by HP.

Butter
Cream Cheese
Whole Chickens
Corn meal
chicken feathers for voodoo.

Maybe it should be called "Its not what you said, it is how you said it".  Or, "This is what you said, but here is what you meant."

I guess you have to be here to really get it.  Have a happy New Year!

*Irish Macha tea is a vibrant green color, almost too green!

Life Is Like A Valley Full Of Fog

 
With each and every one of us going into it blindly, not knowing what we will find or where we will go.  But we venture forth and, quite by surprise, find many amazing things.
If we are lucky, we find love, we find good friends, we find a mate with whom to start a family and share life’s moments. 
Enjoy your valley, with all its twists and turns, gifts and surprises, for it is yours and yours alone.

Homecoming

Today Hijo Primero arrives from Wyoming.  He chose to stay behind when we made our move.  However, after his visit last Thanksgiving, he became smitten with this area of the country.  Last month, Thanksgiving day to be exact, he made it known that he wanted to move out here to stay.  He wanted to come home. 

"Home is where your parents are," he explained.  So, home he is coming.

He has a job to get him by until he can find full time, meaningful work.  He has put college on the back burner for the time-being.  That is alright as long as it is a temporary thing. 

As the Mommee Person, I am both thrilled and concerned with his move.  Thrilled that he is going to be close, concerned as to how he will blend with this society.  It is far different than that of his birth state.  I like to think that because of his father's and my background we raised him to be flexible and adaptable.  Although he has never lived anywhere but Wyoming, he wants to expand.  This should be a real experience for him. 

His flight arrives tonight.  I can't wait to see my son! 

Its Gonna Be A Crocus!

Ordered Opalescent beads from Beadwrangler and silver bead bells from Fire Mountain beads. Should look great with the black Gloss yarn. The bells are clapperless so doubled up the amount to give the proper sound when wearing for belly dancing. Getting really excited about this project!

This shawlette is smallish; only 25" at the point.  As the daughter is smallish as well, this should be perfect.  Can't wait to see it on her as she teaches a class.  Everyone is going to want one of these!

Anchovy, Anchovy

"You are so delicious!
I love you more than all the other fishes!" said by Dawn Summers, Buffy, Season 7.

As I looked at my fledgling shopping list, I noticed that Anchovies were at the top.  Now, don't get me wrong, I do enjoy these little fishes on occassion.  They impart a subtle flavor to things like pizza, sauces, and the ever popular Ceasar Salad Dressing.  But, alas, last time I made my favorite Ceasar Dressing, the anchovy was very flavorful and not so subtle.

Hence, I have decided it is time to re-evaluate my relationship with the tiny object of my flighty affection.  We must take a bit of time apart to see if we still enjoy one another's company; or, if our affair was one of culinary lust, each of us wanting something from the other that neither could provide.  Did I try to change my little anchovy into something it wasn't?  Or, did my little anchovy try too hard to be what it thought I wanted?  I prefer to think it was the latter. 

We shall give a trial separation a shot.  Maybe with some time apart we can both determine if we want the same things in life.  If, after a period of time, we cannot come together as two individuals with different tastes and different purposes, then it is time to move on. 

Maybe to salmon.