Life's been good to me so far (pics)

I've got some cool things to share I'll try to keep it short vs writing a novel ;-)

We got a small stack of letters in from the IRS Saturday afternoon in the mail... Good news - they accepted my amended returns, and I need to contact them to get the new figure as Gaelon opened the mail (his name on them too and he got everything out of order and I'm kinda OCD about stuff like that) but the gist of it is we DON'T OWE 26K ANYMORE and we likely have paid what we do off already. If we haven't - it is going to be covered easily by the check in 2 weeks that will have 17 days of vacation time included in it.

*Wild Grins*

Spinning has been faboo, and I need to adjust the drums on my drum carder, and wash some wool up so I can card and then spin it (OMG what a deal on some lovely lovely lovely Jacob Wool that I have raw) I'm finally starting to get consistent with my spins I think and have gotten the knack of Navajo Plying. I've not been to Knitting in a dogs age, but I may be going bearing a skein or two for a certain friend and getting her opinion on my work (and then leaving it in her care to become something lovely - she's been knitting purses lately and I bet some of this stuff would felt all pretty like... hee hee.)

From the news of the weird... I wonder what this kind of fleece is like to work with... and shearing has got to be a real pain in the arse, and OMG the fleece is likely soooooooooooooooo icky.... it's the pig that thinks it's a sheep. For real...

I've gotten to a comfort zone with my spinning to start the research on where I want to go next with fiber arts... We eventually want to have some land and we keep coming back to the idea of doing a barn conversion... it's so damn appealing, and depending on where it's set at would affect what we did. It's still a couple of years away but I'm feeling reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllly good about us not just settling and putting out into the universe what I need and going from there.

Life treats us kindly when we ask for what we want and then take steps to assure that we can handle what comes to us. I am hoping that where ever we end up that I can have a room for crafts with lots of southern exposure, something where I can set up my wheel(s) and other spinning/dying supplies/equipment as well as eventually getting a loom. Yep - Weaving will be on the plate next, although I plan on starting with much smaller looms than a big old floor loom. I'd rather walk before running. The idea of weaving my own tapestries, baby wraps, etc from yarn I've dyed and spun my self - it's heady. I won't be able to get the big loom for a while, but I'll be growing a dyers garden next year and have a small loom on my list for Christmas this year.

Thursday night I took Tessa out and left the boys home. Garret got some much needed one on one time with Daddy and Tessa got a girls night, as did Daisy... while Daisy was getting a bath, Tessa and I went to Friendly's for ice cream. Yummy. She likes Cherrys... and kept asking the waitress for more, and then when we left she took my credit card to the register and said "I pay for my Ice cream and balloon now please." Cuteness - not just a natural defense for kids these days.

Garret's been a doll. Teething like mad though. Doesn't matter to him what he chews on as long as his mouth gets some relief.

Last night we hung out with Tessa's godfather. His wife got to meet Garret for the first time... and she seemed pretty upset that Tessa cried when Tara tried to say hello to Tessa. There's a whole history there that's ugly and lets just say when you go poof from a child's life they remember. Tessa was very much the unhappy girl when she had to say goodnight to Uncle Brian, although she was very happy to go home, as she was tired and it was later than I'd expected to be out with the kids. (Gaelon went to the movies with a different group of friends and I didn't want to try to find a sitter so I made alternate plans.)

Saturday - I took Garret with me, and went to lunch with my friend Donna and another friend Dan, he's best man in her wedding, and while her sister is technically maid of honor, I'm basically it without the title... suits me fine. Lunch was awesome, poor Dan was a bit flustered that I nursed at the table, but whatcha gonna do - Garret needed to eat too and I've never been one to hide out in the bathroom or a corner to nurse... and since I'm not out for Mardi Gras beads ( my days of being a thin sexy young thing went by when I stopped being a young thing ;-) ) I really don't care to be all flashy. So he saw a whole lot of Baby sling and back of a platinum blonde head, but no boobage LOL.

I think this is the first real pic of my shorter hair I have out on display. Needless to say - I actually like it this length, and it's all back to it's natural color - including gray hairs. I needed to actually look as close to my age as possible when interviewing for jobs this time, or there was a risk of not being taken seriously. I don't get taken serious in the professional world as often as I'd like because I look younger than my 38 years.

Sat Night - Dinner with Lonnie, who I've not seen for maybe 4 months. She's always a treat and I enjoy her company. I wish Tessa hadn't been so overstimulated, and I'm sure Gaelon kinda came across as overbearing, but she'd really given him a time of it, and we probably should have stayed in but we had some errands to run before dinner and then getting the chance to see Lonnie was presented and we went for it. She and Garret hit it off well, when Garret wasn't chowing down himself. My poor single friends - the whole exposure to nursing in public has to be culture shock for them... if nothing else though, hopefully I am helping normalize it for them so it's not so shocking when our other friends or they themselves have kids.

Life has been good lately. I thank the powers that be profusely each day when the day is good. On the bad days - I'm trying to figure out what lesson the universe has in store for me that day. There's got to be something.

Weekend Recap - Now with photos!

Warning - this is a weekend recap. And believe it or not I left out details...

Friday night Gaelon and I decided that we needed to do a couple of things when it comes to our dog. First – she really needs to get up to date on her shots. No more waiting. She also needs to get into training, and I’m trying to see if I can get some training and boarding done simultaneously… or consecutively… I now need to find a new vet as I met with a trainer this morning and Daisy will be going to Doggy Daycare to help her blow some steam and be a reasonably well behaved family pet. (found, scheduled and we're on our way)

Saturday we went to Applebee’s for lunch, while people were participating in nurse in’s (Nurse in = Protest) across the country we had our own little Nurse Out (Nurse Out = Normalizing breastfeeding by nursing in public) from 12-2, as we had lunch and then Garret decided he wanted lunch.

In our neck of the woods there were no protests scheduled, and to be honest – we’ve never had problems at our local Applebee’s with nursing in public, but the staff has known us forever and CT has decent laws regarding protecting an infant’s right to get it’s food from the source.

A quick run into AC Moore to pick up some odds and ends, and then Walgreen’s to get some Alavert as allergies are kicking my arse (seriously – my skin feels like someone’s attacked me with a feather duster and IT WILL NOT STOP without meds,) and then back home. We ran out after dinner and went to check out Dogloo’s too as while Daisy is going to Dog Daycare when I go back to work we also want to have her to have a shelter when she is outside. Second trip out we stopped at Walgreens again as they currently have 10.00 dog beds and Daisy needs a new one. We came home to see this little fellow in the tree behind our house... Tessa was delighted and I think the Opossum was terrified.

I was browsing through EBay on Sat Night and found plans for a wool picker. Looks easy to make, and the cost wasn’t bad. Some of the wool I got in on Friday that finally arrived, and it’s not going to be easy to card out, so a picker is definitely needed before that stuff can be turned into lovely lovely pretty purple yarn. I think the wool was dyed before it was washed, and the tips seem to be darn near fused… the vegetable matter in this sucks too. It’s only about one pound out of 10+ but still… so the seller of the plans and I were emailing back and forth (lovely woman with a farm in NH) and we were talking about my stash of fiber that I need to wash and card… and did she have a carder for sale too or could she recommend me one?

She had one alright. So we made plans to go up to NH to pick it up on the next day (which was Sunday – I’m not sure when I’ll get to post this.) As were in the mid 80’s when we left with just oppressive humidity, I figured that a tank top and leggings for Tessa and a little jumper onesie for Garret would be fine. We regularly go for a long drive on Sunday, and the directions seemed to not be too much longer than we normally do. Urm. Well that’s what it appeared.

The closer we got to the Vermont border, the colder it got. Then the bright sunny day turned into downpour city. I kid you not, the rain just fell like a curtain that I could barely see to drive through for what felt like an eternity. From Northhampton Mass until the Vermont border itself – we were rained on and the temperature was now nearly 20 degrees cooler than at home.

We pulled into the Visitor center, to let Tessa run off some steam, and so I could nurse. There was a corner of the center that had big glass windows overlooking a meadow and a mountain behind it, with two large rocking chairs, anda big old fireplace. T

The fireplace wasn’t lit, but the chairs were nice to nurse in, and I rocked while nursing Garret, while Tessa played decorator with the pictures on the window sill. She brought one to me saying “Uncle Riss, Uncle Riss” and yes it was a soldier, a picture of one of Vermont’s boys claimed by this horrible mess we’ve gotten ourselves into in Iraq. I told her that it was a special picture and to put it back with the other special pictures as it would be lonely without it’s friends, and that we’d call Uncle Riss soon.

I’m pro support of our soldiers, they work their arses off, but I just wish that they had a better Commander in Chief who gave them and the country they serve the respect due.

Ok – my political babblings aside, it was a sweet but bitter experience, nursing my son in such a lovely location with the faces of dead sons lost in Iraq staring back at me. I held my baby boy even tighter when looking at those pics.

Moving on and driving through the country side we watched the clouds and steam rolling off the mountains, and marveled at the fact that the trees seem about 3 weeks ahead of schedule for turning. This inspired conversation about what we could do to make our home easier to handle in the winter cold this year, and what were we going to do about the sun porch which has only screen windows, not real windows.

Crossing into NH from Vermont was an experience. First – we had to cross under a set of railroad tracks and through this tiny underpass that really should only be traversed by one vehicle at a time. Other cars tried simultaneously going through, but I waited traffic out. Crossing the Connecticut river we then went from Rural to darn near Pastoral… and so beautiful.

Getting to the farm we pulled in and as Garret was asleep Gaelon stayed in the car with him. Tessa and I went into the house to get the carder, and also to see the horses, which were on the other side of the house (the house was a converted barn and I’m drooling over her stone sinks and the architecture of the house.) Elizabeth (the gal who sold me the picker plans and the drum carder) had a basket of hay and a whistle ready to call the horses for Tessa, who promptly fell in love with them… my god these were HUGE – and were a draft horse/Arabian mixes… black with a little white star each, they towered over my small girl who was drunk on love for the majestic beasts. The adoration seemed close to mutual, but it could have been love of the food set out in front of them too.

So that Drum Carder? It’s a MAMOTH of a carder, a triple carder made by Anderson. It’s beautiful, but HUGE. Did I mention it’s HUGE?

I also got 3# of unwashed Jacob wool fleece from her. Oh the fluff love… what I can spin and what I will be spinning this winter, it will be very, very nice, as the wool is very soft as is right now.

We headed home and played tourist, taking the pictures you see in this post. All so very lovely, and even Tess got in on the picture taking. I’m thinking for her upcoming third birthday we’re going to have to get her a camera… she’s got a lovely eye too.

Dinner was at Cracker Barrel, and Garret sat at the table with us in a high chair, and was not happy that we were eating and he was given toys to play with. He’s still on mommy milk exclusively thanks to his tempestuous tummy. Needless to say – he bitched a fair bit and tried to grab cutlery. Pics courtesy of Tess, Mommy and Daddy here at Cracker Barrel.

After dinner for the rest of us it was time to go back to boob for Garret, who would gladly just be strapped to my chest for 75% of the day. I sat on the porch of Cracker Barrel while they had their porch (sidewalk) sale in a rocker, and nursed him until he was full. One of the staff members looked at me nursing, rubbed his head and said “Soups on little guy, enjoy, as it never gets healthier” I thought that was a pretty cool thing coming off of the fact that the Nurse In’s had happened all over the place on the same weekend. So while he ate, I reflected on the true good fortune I’ve had – yes I’m losing my job at CLG, and I’ll miss it there terribly, but the time spent has been good to me. The last year at home with my babies? Priceless. Just priceless. When I go into a new working situation, I’ll know that my kids are in the best hands ever, and my future is secure.

So tomorrow I get Daisy in for her shots, get her basic training started and on Friday she goes in for her spay. She’ll come home to her new pillow which I’ll have in her crate with some blankets we’ve laid both kids in with the new pillow for family friendly smells, and as she becomes more family oriented, we’ll get her more integrated into our family like she should have been from the beginning. Never again will I bring a pet home when in all reality I KNOW I can’t give it what it needs at that point of time in my life.

In my defense – she was slated to go to my dad for training, but that didn’t work out as my dad’s off in the great beyond playing with Daisy the first and quayle hunting or something…

Ok – I’ll add pictures to this post later on, and if you got all the way through this – YAY You! It’s 3 pages before images in MS Word.

Change...

I used to not want to live here in New England. Anywhere BUT here in New England, Connecticut especially. I'd dream of being back to the desert, of relocating to the Midwest, and as recently as this spring had thought of trying telecommuting in to work from Michigan.

Now in a position to relocate anywhere I so choose, with time and a little bit of money to do it on, I have found that while I've always been fond of the north east in Fall, (it's so damn beautiful and I live close to the area Norman Rockwell used for his inspiration for his paintings) that I find I just don't want to be anywhere but here.

You know without a doubt you are a mom when...

you'll spend 30.00+ on a pair of shoes for your child, and won't batt an eye at spending on an entire fall and winter wardrobe for your kids, but for yourself, you balk at that 89.00 blazer you really like and need for working in an office environment, but still can't justify buying it even though you aren't spending frivelously on it.