Hot Day, Fun Time

So Pumped

Tomorrow I go to the National Zoo to meet with a lot of Molly the Owl friends! So I have been making a couple things to go with... as it turns out, one is not going to be necessary, I made a bag to carry water in, but decided on a larger container and so will carry a larger bag and will just use one I have already. That's okay, that other will come in handy at Maryland Sheep and Wool or another place. But I decided I needed to have a little owl to carry around and take pictures of as we go around together to tour DC (some are coming from as far away as Boston) and this is the result. Molly and McGee Barn Owl had four little owlets: Max, Pattison, Austin, and Wesley, and this is Wesley! She is about four months old, and cute as a button, I think, though turning quite beautiful as she matures. Max is a female too, and Austin is a male. Pattison, we think, is a male too, though there was some discussion about that. Plummage is the only key, and at this age, it can be a little iffy sometimes. When they were named, no one could tell, so boy names were chosen. Anyway, little Wes will have her photo taken at the Zoo, and where ever else we go to record the experience. I will post when I get back!

Teddy

So after not making anything for a long time, I got to make several things this past week... and it really felt good. One of them was this cute little teddybear. Way back when Grown Man was Small Boy, I made a faceless teddy with no pattern out of plain fabric and stuffed it rock hard. Not a favorite toy, but I always knew it had potential. I found it and took it apart and remade it from a soft old felted sweater and then stuffed it softly and sewed a minimal face on him... I think he needs a smile. I will fix that this weekend. I like this so much better... squeezable, huggable, soft, and yummy. At least I think so! I will post on the rest of the things I made later.

Quietly Coming Back

You know it really was a long three week illness. I am much much better, and have been back at work a week, but I still tire easily, and still can't hear well out of one ear. I saw (yet another) doc today re the ear, and got yet more meds, but the good news is that it really is only inconvenient and not a danger to permanent hearing loss. Whew. BUT WHAT A PAIN IN THE NECK. Ear. Whatever.

I have done a bit of stitching, and a bit of spinning, but not much. I am really just hanging out. A different feeling, that, since I seldom do nothing. I just feel the need to not rush things. Yet I do need to get things done for October, so I can't lollygag around, but I think I may have learned that a few days well taken may save many days later on. If I hadn't tried to keep on going to work, doing the regular, could this have been a one week virus? Sigh. The cats are my constant companions, and give good scratches... oh wait, that's me scratching them! Hedonists! But then they are cats, so that is to be expected.

Back Among the Living

Well, I appear to have survived, though for a while there I wasn't altogether certain I wanted to! I am still taking it very easy, I made it through two days at work last week, and did a little shopping Friday, but whether it was the heat or the walking or whatever, I found myself very dizzy and faint feeling, and rushed back home and ate a bite and napped. I took it easy the rest of the day. Saturday I made it to the Quilt Show for a couple hours, and left BEFORE I got too tired. The air was cool, so I do think that was an issue Friday. I bought a pattern and cd from a company http://www.critterpat.com/ that sells animal patterns of wonderful quality. I have a couple others of theirs. This is a sheep pattern I plan on doing all in wools on a wool background for a winter's night! I am not sure if I will do it as a crazy pattern or on a woven background, I am still thinking. But I like it. I must say, though, I had hoped to feel better by now. I still feel pretty rocky this morning. Still don't have much of an appetite either. And my ear is really annoying, not clearing up at all. It is crackling, but still very clogged. Maybe I will give it till Thursday.

In the throes of a virus...

Oh my, this one is a doosey. I haven't had a virus this bad since 2004 when I had meningitis. This is really awful, the sorest throat I have had in memory, I don't want to swallow. Headache. Cough. Ears clogged and stuffed. Sinuses full. Ugh. After my shower I had to sit down to brush my teeth. I haven't eaten but two real meals in ten days, Gil is feeling better (he is the one who gave this to me!) and will feed me, but I have no will to eat. I am vaguely hungry and know I should eat, but have no energy to do so. I am trying to think of it as medicine, without fuel, can't get better. What a bother.

I actually ate breakfast, and after recovering from the shower, saw Tipper (That Brazen Squirrel that has been giving us all the problems) and one of her babies on the deck. Trouble and I went out to have a chat and take pictures. Trouble knows better than to chase her... Tipper has been known to jump onto cats who chase her and scare the jeebers out of them. She appears to have little fear of people either. Doesn't want you to get too near, but she will get pretty close. We had to put hardware cloth on our window screen to keep her out of our kitchen... we still haven't figured a way to stop her from eating through the screen door, so that has to stay closed til we get smarter. She is to be respected. Rodents are brainey. Good at puzzles. So far though, the up-armoured window is holding.

Dog Fox

Last night there was a fox outside my window barking so loud I thought he was right on my windowsill. I jumped up to look, and it was very dark, couldn't see a thing in the rain, but the coughing, sighing, barking, singing sounds continued several minutes. He must have been right below in our neighbour's yard... I don't think he would have climbed the fence to get into our yard... though from this picture in the tree (not mine) they are well capable of it. They are lovely creatures, verminous though they may be. He must have been a big dog fox, deepvoiced and brave to come so close. No paw prints this morning, but there were some things knocked over on the deck... hhhm, maybe he WAS right under my window!

My Dyeing Day

Oh it felt so very good to be dyeing again! I haven't done indigo in way too long. It is undoubtedly my fav natural dye, it is just magic! If you haven't seen an indigo pot, you really should... when you first pull the cloth out of the bucket it is a weasley yellow brown, not at all attractive. As the air hits it, and the oxygen reacts with it, the cloth begins to turn blue, slowly, then faster. As it passes through green it is still a bit sickly looking, but getting more interesting, but the richness of the blues as it developes its full color, ooh, lovely! One dip, light, two dips, darker, a linen/rayon blend shirt I had that had a stain I just couldn't get out got three dips and turned a deep rich blue that gave the true indigo its name. These pieces are samples for a dye class I will do later this month at G Street Fabrics in Falls Church VA. I will probably also make a wall hanging from some of them. I wanted to do something patriotic but couldn't get the reds together... now they all go! Overdyeing is a wonderful thing! Maybe another piece too, I am not sure. Unfortunately, one of the gloves had a hole in it. Ugh. Skin is protein, and indigo dyes protein very well.

I got more cleaning done too! I am actually able to see my whole floor now! That only leaves the table and desktops and the ledges underneath! I am making progress! EeHah!

Oh Please, Must You?

As I talked to my sister on Skype tonight, my kitty Trouble climbed up on the bookcase next to me and settled in for a nap, making himself comfy. Very comfy. After awhile, his head slithered off the pillow he sleeps on and wedged itself upside down on the shelf. When I tried to get the camera to get a shot, he somehow knew it and woke a little, then more and more and finally got up and stomped off in a huff. Pluleeze, can't a fellah sleep around here?

Not Creative, but Necessary

This weekend, I actually found the floor of my studio! Now, that doesn't mean it is empty, no, not yet, but we are moving in the right direction. I am determined to be done by the end of the month. I will be creative again, and do it in a nice and organized place. I still have too much stuff, not enough room, but it is getting better. I am going to take the rest of the year off teaching after this quartewr and develope fresh new classes for the new year. I am going to purge stuff and pare down activities and really try to get to what is important to me. I am not able to do everything. I have to figure out what I really want, what I can do, and what I must do to achieve it. Surprisingly, it is feeling good to get rid of things. Not some things, of course. Some things are hard. But on the whole I think I will benefit from slimming down on some of the stuff and commitments. I have an awful lot of interests, but I need to figure out what is really important. Anyway, here are some before and after photos.