Howdy, y'all.
Bob and a friend used actual swords for cattail control. No casualties.
Re: Matrix Reloaded, why would anyone use silk for toilet paper? To each their own, I suppose.
Catherine at Bossy Little Dog (http://yorkiedog.blogspot.com) got me started on rooibos tea. Muy bueno! I recommend it highly! I've been using the Numi tea blend (www.numitea.com), it was on sale at our local health food store, Brazos Natural Foods (www.brazosnaturalfoods.com). It's very pretty when brewed and very tasty. Check out Catherine's site if you're in the neighborhood.
The abandoned puppy is still with us, I am growing attached to him. Little girl sleeps with him at night.
I'm still working away at crocheting a single chain of 2 1/2 pounds of silk/acrylic blend that is very, very fine into sportsweight yarn. It's good mindless work, my fingers can tell when I mess up.
One of the knitting discussion groups was unhappy with the ebay yarn lady that I like. It seems that they don't like the fact that she has lots of listing and clutters up the yarn offerings on ebay. They mentioned that it is possible to exclude her in your search, so you don't have to view her thousands of offerings. I do agree that she does sell lots of yarn, that most of it is not to my liking, and that her statements that "100% wool is rare and hard to find" are misleading. However, she gives great service and I've liked everything I've gotten from her.
Our local Hobby Lobby has expanded their yarn offerings and they now have some Paton's yarns. I was picking up skeins and looking over the newcomers when I spied "Katrina". It's stretchy! Stretchy like bungee cord, how do they do it? I've never seen it before. I bought a skein to play with. At $6.31 it was somewhat pricey for my budget, but I get a small amount of personal money every payday, so I bought a skein to tinker with.
I cast on 25 stitches on #9 needles and knit in a 2X2 rib until I ran out of yarn. It makes a nice headband, the stretch in the yarn holds onto my head nicely. It could also be a sash, a hatband, and in an emergency would make a nice arm sling. I think that it would make a nice dress, long tunic, even pants! (I loved Shirley Paden's lace bell bottoms in a recent Vogue Knitting, how wild!) I am definitely going to get more of this stuff. If you've not tried it yet, you should!
I don't know about durability since Katrina is a rayon/polyester. Woven rayon doesn't wear like denim, but frankly most of us do not keep items in our wardrobe forever. Styles come and go, you clean closets, you wonder "what was I thinking (WWIT)?", rejects go to Goodwill where they'll wonder "what was she thinking", and you move onto other clothing. Even something you made with your own two pitty-paws can become a WWIT and will go to Goodwill someday. The universe giveth and the universe gets it back, usually in large garbage bags.
I was listening to "Fresh Air" on our local public radio station while I made dinner last night. They were speaking about the Gospel of Thomas, which was left out of the Bible in the early days of the church. We're Episcopalian, so I was aware of books that were not included in the official canon. The book they were discussing was titled Beyond Belief by Elaine H. Pagels. The reviewers seemed to like the book, although one was obviously of the "If the King James Bible was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me!" crowd and could not wrap his/her mind around the concept that the Bible was compiled by - gasp - people! I am very tempted to get it.
However, budget is tight, tight, tight right now. One skein of yarn is about what my pocket money can handle. The nursery business is ship it now, wait 30 days - or longer - for your check. Orders are not exactly pouring in right now. We need to pay our property taxes, the car and truck need servicing, Little Girl has to get started on her braces, the dogs need to go to the vet, Second Son needs to see the eye doctor and the dentist, I need to get some lab work done, the younger kids need school clothes (they've really grown in the year and a half they've been with us!), etc.
There's more good news: our state legislature, in all their wisdom, took away some of the subsidy for health insurance for educators. So, we'll be paying even more for the large deductible/barely adequate coverage that we get now. Remind me again why nationalized health insurance is so evil? AND since our district is facing a 5% or more budget reduction, no raises for staff this year! BUT, the school board gave our superintendent a 5% increase, raising his $120,000 salary another $6000. This guy makes $10,000 each and every month and the board gives him more money in a time when he makes as much as 4 teachers?!? This was one of the reasons I ran for school board. At least Bob has a job.
Yep, it's one big pity party for me. I have to once again credit my depression era ancestors for giving me the skills I need to get through periods of extreme poverty. Chicken hindquarters are $.39 per pound, a 10 pound bag will feed your family for a week, swiss chard is easy to grow, milk should be viewed as a nutritional, not recreational beverage. Water is cheap, sodas are wasteful. Making your own bread is cheaper than buying it. More tips from the poverty lady as time goes by.
At least we have a roof over our heads, food on the table and we are able to give the kids a decent home and still help our college boy. Bless him for doing a little work each semester so he has some extra cash. Thank goodness Oldest Son has graduated and got a job! Whenever I feel blue because of all our family has been through, I remember to be thankful for what I have.
Take care, I'll be posting to you later.
Bob and a friend used actual swords for cattail control. No casualties.
Re: Matrix Reloaded, why would anyone use silk for toilet paper? To each their own, I suppose.
Catherine at Bossy Little Dog (http://yorkiedog.blogspot.com) got me started on rooibos tea. Muy bueno! I recommend it highly! I've been using the Numi tea blend (www.numitea.com), it was on sale at our local health food store, Brazos Natural Foods (www.brazosnaturalfoods.com). It's very pretty when brewed and very tasty. Check out Catherine's site if you're in the neighborhood.
The abandoned puppy is still with us, I am growing attached to him. Little girl sleeps with him at night.
I'm still working away at crocheting a single chain of 2 1/2 pounds of silk/acrylic blend that is very, very fine into sportsweight yarn. It's good mindless work, my fingers can tell when I mess up.
One of the knitting discussion groups was unhappy with the ebay yarn lady that I like. It seems that they don't like the fact that she has lots of listing and clutters up the yarn offerings on ebay. They mentioned that it is possible to exclude her in your search, so you don't have to view her thousands of offerings. I do agree that she does sell lots of yarn, that most of it is not to my liking, and that her statements that "100% wool is rare and hard to find" are misleading. However, she gives great service and I've liked everything I've gotten from her.
Our local Hobby Lobby has expanded their yarn offerings and they now have some Paton's yarns. I was picking up skeins and looking over the newcomers when I spied "Katrina". It's stretchy! Stretchy like bungee cord, how do they do it? I've never seen it before. I bought a skein to play with. At $6.31 it was somewhat pricey for my budget, but I get a small amount of personal money every payday, so I bought a skein to tinker with.
I cast on 25 stitches on #9 needles and knit in a 2X2 rib until I ran out of yarn. It makes a nice headband, the stretch in the yarn holds onto my head nicely. It could also be a sash, a hatband, and in an emergency would make a nice arm sling. I think that it would make a nice dress, long tunic, even pants! (I loved Shirley Paden's lace bell bottoms in a recent Vogue Knitting, how wild!) I am definitely going to get more of this stuff. If you've not tried it yet, you should!
I don't know about durability since Katrina is a rayon/polyester. Woven rayon doesn't wear like denim, but frankly most of us do not keep items in our wardrobe forever. Styles come and go, you clean closets, you wonder "what was I thinking (WWIT)?", rejects go to Goodwill where they'll wonder "what was she thinking", and you move onto other clothing. Even something you made with your own two pitty-paws can become a WWIT and will go to Goodwill someday. The universe giveth and the universe gets it back, usually in large garbage bags.
I was listening to "Fresh Air" on our local public radio station while I made dinner last night. They were speaking about the Gospel of Thomas, which was left out of the Bible in the early days of the church. We're Episcopalian, so I was aware of books that were not included in the official canon. The book they were discussing was titled Beyond Belief by Elaine H. Pagels. The reviewers seemed to like the book, although one was obviously of the "If the King James Bible was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me!" crowd and could not wrap his/her mind around the concept that the Bible was compiled by - gasp - people! I am very tempted to get it.
However, budget is tight, tight, tight right now. One skein of yarn is about what my pocket money can handle. The nursery business is ship it now, wait 30 days - or longer - for your check. Orders are not exactly pouring in right now. We need to pay our property taxes, the car and truck need servicing, Little Girl has to get started on her braces, the dogs need to go to the vet, Second Son needs to see the eye doctor and the dentist, I need to get some lab work done, the younger kids need school clothes (they've really grown in the year and a half they've been with us!), etc.
There's more good news: our state legislature, in all their wisdom, took away some of the subsidy for health insurance for educators. So, we'll be paying even more for the large deductible/barely adequate coverage that we get now. Remind me again why nationalized health insurance is so evil? AND since our district is facing a 5% or more budget reduction, no raises for staff this year! BUT, the school board gave our superintendent a 5% increase, raising his $120,000 salary another $6000. This guy makes $10,000 each and every month and the board gives him more money in a time when he makes as much as 4 teachers?!? This was one of the reasons I ran for school board. At least Bob has a job.
Yep, it's one big pity party for me. I have to once again credit my depression era ancestors for giving me the skills I need to get through periods of extreme poverty. Chicken hindquarters are $.39 per pound, a 10 pound bag will feed your family for a week, swiss chard is easy to grow, milk should be viewed as a nutritional, not recreational beverage. Water is cheap, sodas are wasteful. Making your own bread is cheaper than buying it. More tips from the poverty lady as time goes by.
At least we have a roof over our heads, food on the table and we are able to give the kids a decent home and still help our college boy. Bless him for doing a little work each semester so he has some extra cash. Thank goodness Oldest Son has graduated and got a job! Whenever I feel blue because of all our family has been through, I remember to be thankful for what I have.
Take care, I'll be posting to you later.
