I've fired up my computer and my email is just not cooperating...neither is my browser, but as long as its letting me update my blog, then I'll take what I can get for now...I was hoping to draw a winner of the April freebie and announce it for ya'll, but its just not gonna happen for a little while, until my machine settles down...email is just hanging...and I can't hit any other website but my own...wow, talk about not being able to surf the net or waste time on the computer - its like its giving me the big kiss off...bah...
I've finished felting the bowls and my clutch, and I wanna show ya'll, but alas, it has to wait...
We planted all the butterfly bushes we bought yesterday, and transplanted a bunch of stuff, and we are hot, tired and dirty...as a reward we had some fancy ice cream, and later I have to go mulch everything and foliar feed it when it cools down...but in the meantime we are taking a break and doing some inside chores like laundry and vacuuming...what a very exciting Sunday it is in my world...Brian did spot some interesting eggs on the redbud leaves, so I took some pics...they are small and kind of opalescent with gold sheen...pretty groovy...they are in a grouping of 4, so I suspect some awesome bug layed them, but i have no idea who...guess we need to wait till they hatch and see...its all about the waiting game today...sorry 'bout that...go and have a good day and I'll be back as soon as my machine lets me...I hope Santa is bringing the new machine very soon...
A storm blew thru last night, bringing a gorgeous day today, so we hit the nursery early to beat the rush...while picking out some new butterfly flowers, we found 4 large black swallowtail females all eating, so we bought the exact flowers they were feeding on...AND, while walking down the path, ran into a hummingbird eating from the salvia greggii (which we already have in the garden)...it was a great way to start the day...I checked and there are 3 swallowtail caterpillars on the fennel now and we bought lantana, verbena, pincushion and purple coneflowers for food sources...Brian is moving some old plants out of the way to get these new guys in...
Because the storms were coming thru and the weather men were warning of hail, lightning and tornadoes, I unplugged the kiln and stopped working...however, I did work on my knitting, and finished my clutch at 1:30am...I just finished felting the two bowls and clutch - my first felting attempts and am pretty happy with them...i probably coulda used a bit more aggitation, I ran them thru 3 times, and decided that was enough...right now they are outside, drying off in the sun...pics to come...
And what about beads? I just got an interesting email from a very well known beadmaker that cracked me up...I didn't have an answer for her, but I thought it was amusing, so I'm posting it here...edited to protect the identity of the innocent...(and I don't think the bones are crappy actually, I thought they were pretty cool really, but she can have her own opinion..)
Okay my dear friend. YOu've GOT to fill me in on this? Why do people like XXXXXXX, YYYYYYYY, ZZZZZZZZ get these insane bids on poorly executed beads???? Because they use the word "(I edited out the word she used)" in their auctions? I am getting sick in my stomach about seeing all these stupid bones and crappy stuff on ebay, and beautiful and wellmade beads like this set of yours go for nothing. WHAT THE HECK AM I MISSING HERE? Any ideas?
More rain and storms here today...awesome!
The computer is back, but not for long...Brian did a good job talking to the Dell troubleshooting dudes (having done that same job at Dell for a year, he knows the secret handshake), they've come to the conclusion that the cooling fan is not working, and therefore is a fire hazard, and therefore will be sending me a brand new computer...rock on! But it won't be here for a few days, so to keep from burning down the house, I'll be on and off here sporadically, and let the thing cool down...
I'm in the middle of downloading yesterday's emails and responding accordingly...
I ended up doing yardwork yesterday, instead of making beads...got some pretty cool pics of creatures as well...will post those eventually...
And I have a question for ya'll...I was talking to a friend yesterday who took a class with lots of other beadmakers over the weekend and the subject of eBay came up...another beadmaker said that compared to this time last year, there were HALF of the bead auctions on eBay as there were last year...I don't follow eBay all that much, but would you agree with that? I assumed there are MORE folks out there making beads, are there less out there now? What's the pulse...those of ya'll who keep up with the trends and movers/shakers in the beadworld - what is your opinion? Are there less auctions? Is Austin Hamilton causing problems for the unestablished beadmakers? Are more folks just selling directly on their websites? I'm just curious, I'm not writing a book or anything...was just surprised...you?
Wanna own a piece of Texas? what about Hawaii? This is so weird...
Brian took my computer with him to see if he can find out why the hard drive is heating like liquid magma...i only hope he can fix it before the thing collapses and I lose all my info...now that would be bad...
So, I'm unable to answer email, I'm only able to magically log in and update this page...and since i'll be sans email, I hope to get some beads made...After I take all the remaining packages to the post office...everything is packaged and heading out the door today...
Our two swallowtail caterpillars have hoofed it from the orange tree...both were there yesterday, but it sounds like they've headed to safer ground for the chrysalis process (like the monarchs did)...I hope we can find them and keep an eye on their development...on another note, i found FOUR new Black Swallowtail instars (the pre-caterpillar stage) on our bronze fennel, so I'll be watching their progress, dontcha know...
I played at the torch yesterday, which was nice cause i haven't had a chance to do that much lately...however, the results weren't all that hot...i guess that's part of playing at the torch - sometimes its not all 'gold and candy' as I like to say...heh...but I'll keep at it today and see what comes of it..
I gotta go to the PO now, and get some breakfast, so I'll be back later...maybe get a car wash too...its pretty messy when you leave the top down overnight...yeech...
A sneak peak of the fun beads going up on eBay tonight...groovy!
The columns on the website are off kilter, I know...if I haven't already mentioned this, I apologize - every once in awhile the blog code freaks and the columns take a holiday...it'll be fixed as soon as I can get Brian to put it back together...hang tight...i hate horizontal scrolling too...
I have a set of beads I'm gonna put on eBay today..no, really...crazy, huh...
Nice day today...outdoor airconditioning...its 57 outside right now...that's crazy for this time of year...but i'll take it!...more beads to be made...
Oh yeah, we watched the Narnia movie the other night...wow...amazingly boring...I was expecting a real treat, knowing it made a gazillion dollars, but we both just sat there, wondering when it was gonna get good...the Ice Queen was the best thing, she out-acted the lion and all those obnoxious children with no problem...but there was no reason to root for these kids...the Ice Queen did mean things and she had to be destroyed...the end...I guess if I was 10 I woulda loved it...oh well...I'm waiting for The Da Vinci Code (Sorry Tom Cruise, I can't deal with you and your alien child, so I shant be giving your movie any money, you'll have to save the world without me)...The latest Entertainment Weekly is all about the new summer movies coming out, and its sad how unimaginitive Hollywood is...we hardly ever see movies anymore cause they are so frustratingly bad...bah...
Monarch update: while watering the plants in the backyard, I spotted the third of four monarchs, having just hatched...she was climbing the pavillion next to the crossvine..my guess is that she went thru metamorphasis in there, as its near where the other one was on the chair...but better camouflage...
Granite Rocks and or rolls...I have a few strands of granite beads, and a few focals for ya'll...i'm tickled because the beads came out with a blue-gray color, even tho I didn't use that color...isn't chemistry cool?
And Annik sent me this fabulous site with monarch chrysalis beads...I want one!
on my way to the dentist this morning, I took a chance to look at the monarch chrysalis - and the monarch had already hatched and was hanging off the empty case! I was hoping to get pics, but I was in a hurry, and unable to...so, he or she has hatched and flown the coop..at least we know now that even if the piece is still green - they can hatch at any time...I hope it was a female and that she deposited some eggs for us...
And on another note, my dentist managed to file a hole in my crown while trying to fit it to my bite...so, I was there for an hour, and came away with nothing...except 2 more impressions done (that oozy goo is gross!), and another appt for 2 weeks from now...On a good note, I hit the local very groovy yarn shop and picked up more wool for more bowls..I'm working on a small clutch from the OneSkein book, and want to do that small striped purse next...but i'm slow...so don't hold your breath!
I want to live on 20 acres and grow Llamas and chickens...
I did make beads yesterday and am happy with them, but I didn't make enough...so i think I'm gonna sit on them and wait till I have more to offer...does that sound decent? I think you'll like these, they are very granite-like...groovy...
And my last dentist appt is this morning, just popping the permanent crown onto my tooth and I'm done...shouldn't take long...
Brian is freaking out at all my mispellings of 'swallowtail', so I must go and fix them...before his head 'splodes'...speaking of which, I am at fault for the columns being out of alignment, so he's going to work on that for me...the dreamweaver code freaks sometimes and we're left with this...its a long story, involving trolls, white wizards, magic spells and someone named "Borgon the Evil"...hopefully he'll fix them today...
Update on the garden: I spotted a second swallowtail caterpillar on the orange tree today, they both look to be about the same age, so i bet they'll be going into chrysalis about the same time...I saw another black swallowtail flitting around this morning, and just a few mintues ago, I spotted a fully hatched monarch resting in the passionvine...Brian took some pics, it was a female, so I hope she was depositing eggs on the milkweed...the green chrysalis (shown to the left) is getting darker, we can see a definte wing outline inside, although its still green, so its not ready to hatch just yet...its a crazy day in the garden today...!
Yesterday we spent most of the day at the water garden fest, learning how to put in a 'disappearing fountain' and Brian bought a water bowl and some plants for the butterfly area...there's a small bamboo fountain to keep the water moving and hopefully the butterflies, lizards, toads (and maybe even cats) will get their water during the hot days...we've been watching the swallowtail caterpillar and its morphing from poop-looking into 'snake-looking'...after some research, we've come to the conclusion that this is a Giant swallowtail caterpillar and that it probably came with the tree when we bought it a few weeks ago...they like orange and lime trees and I hope he doesn't devour the leaves, but we'll keep an eye on him..I'll relocate him to the lime if he puts the hurt on the orange tree...
and finally, I'm working today...I feel like making organic rock-looking beads...probably not what you're looking for, but I think all this garden and nursery stomping has me bonding with the rock and gravel...so we'll see...you never know what will happen once the fire is lit...
And everyone's beads will be shipping tomorrow...they are all packaged and ready to go...so keep an eye out this week in the mail!
We are heading out to our local water garden place, to listen to the local garden gurus who are broadcasting their radio show out there today, and to learn more about water gardens, although we aren't ready to put one in the ground just yet...we have a spot picked out, and eventually we'll put one in, but we do all our digging in the fall/winter, so we have awhile yet...but it'll be cool to see our local heros in person, and I'm gonna take a quick side trip to the yarn store and pick up some more bulky stuff to make more bowls...hee...
We caught the new movie w/ Kiefer Sutherland last night...its like '24-Light'...if you like '24', you'd probably like this movie, i enjoyed it, but then I also checked my brain at the door and did not pay attention to the plot holes that I could drive my Miata through...if you have some extra $ and don't mind eating $10 popcorn (I had some ciabatta bread w/ goat cheese, salmon and capers, with creme brulee for dessert - did I tell you how much Alamo Drafthouse rocks?), then go check it out...Kiefer on the big screen is always worth the extra cash...
I found yet another cool garden friend yesterday, while trimming the orange tree, I saw what looked like a large piece of bird poo (I know, pleasant, right?)...but after having learned what to look for from the Austin Butterfly society a couple of weeks ago, I didn't flick it off the the leaf immediately...and as it turns out, its a Swallowtail caterpillar...they are rather ugly, very poo-looking, but they'll turn into the most fantastic butterfly...last week we had our first adult flying around the garden, dropping eggs on our fennel (its host plant)...I doubt this caterpillar was sprouted from an egg last week, so I have no idea how it got here, but then I didn't see the parade of monarchs arrive either, so I'm not gonna ask questions, I'm just gonna enjoy the scenery...its all good...
Time for some Cocoa Puffs before we head out...yum!
Remember me getting all freaky about 'something' in the backyard that I was excited to see? The other day I found four very long, fat and juicy monarch caterpillars on the milkweed...(its their host plant, so you'd expect to find them on it)...I talked to them awhile, made sure they were all alive, eating and doing ok...The next day, I went to visit them and they were all gone...all four, just vanished...no note, no call, nothing...I thought perhaps a bird had snatched them, or maybe they were hoofing it to New Mexico, I didn't know...
then on Saturday, I was talking to Brian and when I looked over a the chairs on our pavillion- I saw this guy..hanging there...being all green and gold...he's fantastic! I have no idea why he crawled so far from the plant where I first found him, I have no idea where his buddies are hiding (I've been searching the garden like I was looking for Easter eggs, but so far, no one else has turned up)...This guy is the only one I've found, and I've been treating him like a god...making sure no one bothers him - especially Abby who likes to kill butterflies and eat worms...
I'm happy to say he's still out there, hanging around, and I can't wait until he's ready to spring forth...just look at his awesomeness - he's pale green with actual gold accent dots...just like the grooviest bead you ever did see...Here's a wonderful website showing each day of the cycle...I bet we are in day 5 or 6 by now...he's still very green yet...I'll be taking pics once things start to change...and I'm gonna be really excited to see what happens next...stay tuned kids!
3:30pm Its so dark outside, it looks like its 8:00pm...i hear rain, and they say tornados are possible...i have the doors and windows open to help keep the pressure down...its awesome...!
I am knee-deep in the Easter Buffet orders, but i think I'm on the other side...I made nearly all the Garden strands yesterday, only a few beads left to make, and a few hearts and I'm done...and that's my first priority today...
To give myself a bit of a break, while watching American Idol last night I made a fun shiny set of lentils...I like these, I hope you do too...
And on a very fun note - my 5 ton air conditioner in the studio seems to be petering out...actually its been slowly collapsing since last Fall, but we lingered thru the winter, not needing to run it much..now that its been 95-100 the past few days, I can tell the thing is kaput...we don't need a 5-ton unit, the studio is the same size as the house, and it runs on a 1.5-ton unit just fine...so it looks like its time to get the A/C dudes out here to haul this thing away...yeehaw...in the meantime, I've been sitting w/ fans and sweating while working...I do suffer for my art...
Beads have landed...I picked out any that weren't up to par - there were a few, yes indeedy...I also tried to keep the sets smaller to keep the prices lower, since I know some of ya'll are on a budget this month...
Today I plan on working on the Easter Buffet orders, I have almost all the hearts completed, so yes, things are moving right along...no, I didn't forget about ya'll...I am trying to do new work with existing work and keep it all moving...today I have to call Stamps.com and work out the Catch-22 with my updating of my credit card...its a long story, but I can't ship until its resolved and their customer service dept doesn't understand my problem...whatever...
The BF arrived unannounced last night...I need to see what she left...
I got up early and made these yesterday...I really enjoyed playing around with the different designs and now I want to make some for me and string them...maybe I'll just buy them back from ya'll after YOU string them and offer them for sale...ha...i do that all the time - I do love to buy my beads back already strung and ready to wear...makes my life easier, indeed...
For ya'll who were asking about getting a poker of your own - I'm working with Corina to get some of the metal blanks from her (Steve makes nicer ones than me!) and I'll get some beads made and you'll have your poker...oh yes, you too can poke like a pro...maybe I'll charge extra for 'phallic-looking' beads...you'd like that, wouldn't you?
I don't watch SNL like I used to, but I hear they are becoming known for their movie skits...I loved the Chronic(what?)cles of Narnia and this Laser Cats is pretty silly too...I'm going to watch their spoof of Deal or No Deal next...hang on...
I like this chick's cat...and her knitting is interesting too!
Yes, the time change is still wreaking havoc with me, its always the hardest time of the year for me to adjust...but I'm working on it...so I woke up around 6:00am today - very unusual for me...and I'm up early with the sun...which is pretty sweet, actually...
The Easter Buffet orders are coming right along, I'm going to leave them up for today, and keep an eye on the orders, cause I'm pretty close to having enough for me to tackle...but seeing as how many of ya'll weren't here yesterday, I don't want ya to miss out...but they'll be closing soon, trust me...
We planted all three of the citrus trees in the whiskey barrels, so hopefully we won't lose them in this blistering heat...yeah, it was only 96 yesterday, not quite 97...but today is expected to be 100...woohoo! Anyway, we are winding down in our gardening, less planting, more watering...I still need to show ya'll the exciting thing that's hanging in my backyard...I looked at it closer yesterday and there is GOLD on it...man, nature rocks...we saw our first black swallowtail butterfly in the yard yesterday, she was laying eggs on the bronze fennel...there were butterflies popping outta their cocoons, six of them flitting around, drinking, eating, drying their wings...it was a good garden day yesterday...
I finished the blue bowl (the knitting part, anyway, its not felted yet), and started and finished a deep teal one last night...I'm getting better, but what's cool is - you can make a mistake and never know cause once its felted - everything is hidden...its great for n00bs like me...(n00b=newbie)...
Will my hacking cough ever go away...blah...
The Easter Bunny has delivered the goods...I hope you find something you like, and then eat some chocolate eggs and enjoy your Sunday...!
How are the egg hunts coming? Did you find them all? One year we came down to find the eggs, and found our Pekingnese had rolled a couple out of hiding and had 'peeled' them as best he could and munched them...pretty ingenious...
And if you've ever even remotely considered moving to Austin, lemme help you make your decision - its gonna be 97 here today, 100 tomorrow and 102 on Tuesday...no, I'm not making that up...our normal temps are 82 this time of year...I should be lighting fireworks and eating watermelon, not hiding eggs...where did Spring go?? bah...
Evening - TaDa! After hearing from ya'll who HADN'T seen what the hubub was about, I've returned the pictures for your viewing enjoyment...no, the roses aren't the phallic symbols of which I was speaking, although that's a pretty good guess!!
BEAD NEWS- Tomorrow may be Easter, but if you have time, stop by and check out something new I'm gonna try...I'm working on a set of beads right now and will offer them 'on order' to ya'll (once enough orders are in, I'll have to stop accepting them or i'll be making these beads till Halloween)...So, if you're in the mood for some beads and chocolate, come and see me...I'll have half that equation for ya...
Morning - I have removed the phallic symbols from my page, but don't let it be said that I won't put something up equally as weird in the future...you just never know what you'll find here, you can bet on that...
So now you're stuck with the stupid yard pics until i can find another, but I have something 'cooking' that I want to post here...Not beads, yet, something very cool tho...I saw it in the backyard yesterday and was very excited...but we are off to a shop across town so I can pick up some real wool for more bowls...my stash isn't that of a real knitter, its mostly bits and pieces of things...first I need to finish my breakfast, tho...
My Dreamweaver is overloaded with outdated pics...time to clean them off my hard drive and the server...so I'll be working on that, which will take some time...thankfully, I can do things in the background, like make breakfast and water the plants...
I've been working on some ideas bouncing around in my head and I'm gonna take the plunge and try some things at the torch today..I have a bunch of ideas, now its just time to put them together and see what happens...
Happy Passover to my Jewish buddies...I ate some matzo balls yesterday for lunch, yeehaw!
back in a bit
One of the things I was working on behind the scenes yesterday was a 'flower poker' like C put on her site the other day...I had written to her and said "i wanna poker, dammit!" and she laughed and said 'you can make one yourself' and I had to reluctantly admit that yes, i could, but its so much easier to just buy one and be done with it (otherwise, why would we all go to restaurants when we could eat the food we have at home, right?)...So, I grabbed a mandrel, whacked it in half and ground down the edges...granted, mine are nowhere near as pretty as the ones Steve makes, but then I'm not a skilled metal worker as he is, I just used my bench grinder and tried not to kick too many sparks onto my thumbs...I made 3 beads, and these were the two best, so I glued them on...I'm gonna give them a test run at the torch to see how well they go..and no, I don't plan to hone in on her market for these, I just wanted to make them for fun..and now I have...lets see if they can make a decent bead, tho!!
While you might not hear from me, it doesn't mean I'm not working...now that I'm feeling better, I'm getting the house back in order and am back at the torch...I like taking time to play with ideas and see where they take me...Yesterday I had the idea of using the same Hipster Doofus 70's colors and making hollows with them...which is trickier than it looks, cause opaques are softer than transparents and can collapse easily...Each bead is a bit different in size and shape, they'd be a super cool necklace 'as-is' or you can make each a focal on a chain or leather...I wouldn't use them on your wrist - too much clacking, and the walls of these beads are thin (strong, but thin), so don't risk it...There are 2 sets of the 'pip' beads (why pip? I dunno...)that match, so buy the whole shebang and go designer-crazy!
I've had a shower and am feeling better, but still have my hacking cough and am somewhat lethargic...however, I can tell I'm on the mend...right now I'm having a battle with my ears - I am trying to open them up and they are trying to help me, but neither of us is winning...probably this afternoon they'll pop open and I will hear again...In the meantime, I'm gonna find something to do around the house...there's lots to be done, its just a matter of how much energy I have to do them (but isn't that true when I'm not sick?)...
Did you watch the American Experience on PBS last night? It was about the 'Bubble Boy' and I found it much more interesting than the Movie of the Week staring John Travolta...
What was most interesting was the three doctors who signed on to find the cure, then one by one abandonded the boy to pursue their own careers, saying they couldn't do anything more to help him...but when a new doctor wanted to give David a 'real' life, they all jumped in and said 'no'! There's a great debate as to whether it was right to keep him in a bubble to survive the 12 years he did, or if it was a human experiment gone wrong at the cost of a boy's humanity...Apparently now a days if children are born with this same disease, they are given a bone marrow transplant, but it doesn't work, they are not put into bubbles for survival...I can see both sides of the argument, there isn't a right or wrong, just two sides to the story...Science is great at extending life - at the cost of happiness, comfort and dignity...would you want to live on life support as a vegetable for 20 years? I spent time with a woman who had a major head injury and couldn't function on her own...she was 33 years old and her life was basically over...but her wealthy family kept her alive (probably so they could figure out how to handle her inheritance within the family and her children)and it was all rather awful...they moved her from Austin to Dallas and I lost touch with her...I still wonder what happened to her, her brother is a major politician in Dallas and I think of her when I see him on television...its a crazy world out there...
With my last vestiges of energy this morning, I'm updating my Yardwork page w/ the pics of our newly aquired citrus trees and the tiny herb garden...and then I'm going to go collapse...bah...
Well, its not allergies...I caught whatever Brian caught at the Warrant concert...and its not allergies...the good news, I'm feeling a tad better than I did yesterday, but I'm still sick...tired and fatigued...coughing, head congestion, achy bones...its not a flu, but similar...stronger than a cold, weaker than the flu...I haven't been sick like this in a long time...and I picked the nicest days in Austin to be sick too..its fabulous outside, not too hot or humid, and I'm stuck inside...boo...
back later when I feel better...
I think the Karma god has played a joke on me...while I was blabbering about not getting allergies, I seem to have picked up something and my head is about to 'splode...hacking cough, ears plugged, chest coughing, I'm a real piece of work...But I'm up and we are heading to look at citrus trees and I'm picking up some more yarn for some more bowls...a cool front has blown thru, it was 95 here yesterday, but its 56 outside right now, and I couldn't be happier...before we go anywhere, its time to drop off the taxes...
Hopefully I'll feel better and not worse and will have some beads to offer soon...we can only hope...
After 4.5 hours, I think I'm pretty much done with the bulk of the numbers...I might have a few more entries to add, when I give myself some time to think...I'm taking a break and saw this bit of good news - The biggest news is that Nigella Lawson will joining Food Network celebrity-dom. Her show, Nigella Feasts, will be a show about food, family and holidays and kicks off in Sept 2006. Kick ass! I do love me some Nigella...
I shoulda done my taxes ages ago and now its snuck up on me and I HAVE to do them today...since the 15th is on a Saturday, does that mean we have till the 17th to get them turned in? I'll take ours to our accountant this weekend, and they'll love that...I hate this part of my job, but it has to be done..thankfully, I only have to do with once a year, not four times like others folks do...
I guess I could do it four times a year, oh man...once is bad enough...Brian does all the house taxes stuff online and I do all mine on paper...I asked him this morning to install his program on my machine so I can come into the 21st century..he laughs at my pencil and paper system...I know...
Dentist and Hair went well...no pain..I never get nervous at the dentist...they gave me headphones and I was good to go...the worst part was coming home after the haircut - I hit 4:15 rush hour traffic, I had the top down, and it was 90 outside...hot...bah...
The votes are going well, my plan for world dominance is coming together...#1 on Top 25 is unheard of for me...I'm usually 10 or 12 and happy with that...I do like being at least in the Top 1, 2 or 3 on Artzee, but if I'm not there, I try not to complain..I figure ya'll vote for what you want and I can't twist your arm cause that's a bit bullying (or whining I guess)...so thanks for voting me up, I feel so validated...ha!
The allergies are bad here in Austin right now..folks are freaking out, including Brian who can't sleep or barely function...he does feel better today, but he came home yesterday and slept for 4 hours..for whatever reason, I am still immune to all the allergies..i know my time is coming, it always does...you might live here 40 years and then the allergies will getcha...I'm grateful I'm not suffering, but I know its coming...
Today is when I feel like a horse...dentist appt to have my teeth worked on, then hair appt to have my curls coiffed...If they ask me what time it is, I'll stomp my hoof twice and ask for a carrot...
I was excited last night for a funny weird reason..while Brian is mowing the front yard, I'm deadheading spent rose blooms and noticed that since I've let mother nature to take care of the aphids and thrips, they are doing a bang up fantastical job...super duper..I saw nary an aphid or thrip (a few, but not many) and ran across the most excited thing - lacewing eggs...(aren't they cool? see how they are on teeny threads and suspended in mid air? awesome)...normally, I'd just remove any/all bugs and figure I'd done a good thing...but no longer, Mr. Greenjeans...I am learning what the GOOD bugs look like...lacewings=good...ladybugs=good...I even have a mystery white spider looking thing that seems to be doing a good job, so I'm leaving him alone...
Overall the roses are looking good...I'll go snap some shots when I return from the stable...
Oh, and the FELTED BOWL!! I kinda got sidetracked doing other stuff yesterday so i'll go get a pic this morning...
I have to do my taxes in the next couple of days so I can get them to my accountant early next week...they'll love that...but our taxes aren't hard, I just am not math-enabled, so I let them plug in the numbers and keep me outta jail for yet another year...So I'm not sure exactly when I'll have new beads, I need to get these done before I feel comfortable firing up the torch, but I will get to it asap...I gotta...its making me a little nervous...
South Park wins a Peabody Award...Butters is going to accept the award...
Mandisa! is gone...we missed the vote-off last night...I'm surprised and sad...she's better than Bucky or Ace...bah...
Ok, I just got done cruising thru the emails and ya'll are voting like crazy! wahoo! Someone said I was #1 on Top 25, which I don't think I've ever been before (and am probably not now, but that's ok)...
While I've been away from the torch, I've also taken a bit of a break from emails...and now I'm paying for it - I only hope that all the email I'm downloading is MOSTLY spam...so that I don't have lots of ya'll mad at me for not replying...yet...at least if its spam, I can simply delete it and get it outta my life...lets hope...
So, I supposed perhaps you'd like to see the new bowls I've learned how to do? I shall take a photo of the finished one, and the one in progress...it will keep me outta the yarn stores for a few minutes, before I go stock up on bulky weight wool yarn...bah...
Its green and really wonderful outdoors today, rumour has it the 90's will appear...boo...go away 90's...no one likes you...
email is still downloading...8 minutes worth...good grief...
I need to get some pics, the roses are starting to go bonkers, but the yard hasn't been mowed yet and we haven't treated for weeds, so it looks really awful...the typical 'weed & feed' that we've used is not good, so we have to be smarter and use stuff that won't harm the trees and new plants...the basil is practically jumping outta the yard...its pretty groovy...
back with some pics in a bit...rock and roll chickabooms...
Apparently, Brian thrashed his head at the Warrant concert Saturday night for real...and his neck is feeling the pain..sounds like whiplash to me (is that one of the band members?)...So Clementine is trying to give her remedy, but she's only 5lbs, and not heavy enough to do any magic on his neck...I suppose Bagheera could walk on it, but he'd probably break it, so I guess Brian will just have to work the kinks out...next time, less thrashing, more jumping...
I finished and felted my bowl, it looks weird and fun, but its a bowl and I can eat cereal out of it...well, probably not, but I can put treasures in it and that's all that matters...I've learned how to increase and decrease, so I'm working on a little potholder that makes me practice a 'yarn over' stitch...I rememeber when I taught myself how to put a zipper in a garment...
it opened up my entire sewing catalog, so I could do more than just straight seams..and then I taught myself button holes (they were pretty gnarly, but they worked)...and that opened up even more patterns for me to sew...that's how it is with this increasing decreasing thing...I'm not trying to knit an irish sweater with loads of cable crossings and puffy sections and whatever..I just wanna know how to add and remove stitches...gotta start somewhere, and this is a good building block..I also saw how stripes are done - I didn't know you cut the yarn each time you ended a row and started again...so now I might even do a stripey thing or two...striped bowls sound promising...its not like I'll be wearing wool hats in the 90 degree heat, right? I was thinking of making little hats like toadstool tops and sticking them around the garden...they could get rained on, or the sun can bleach them, and they'd be organic...maybe I'll grow some cotton from seed...and then, I'll take the laundry to the river and pound it on the rocks, and I'll churn butter, and I'll fix the wagon wheel...yeehaw...
Ha! You thought I was missing in action, didncha? Well, I'm just taking a bit of a break, hanging out and having fun...nothing really new to update, I'm actually doing some intense knitting with a friend who's teaching me how to increase and decrease...finally...so I'll be ready to start doing round things...hats, hats, bowls, hats, that kind of thing...before today all I could do was straight back and forth, mostly scarves...and lemme just say - not much use for scarves in my part of the world...not unless they are made of ice cream...
So, I'll be back in action later this week, ready to go...its all good...rock and or roll and I'll check back in with ya again...now go play, eh...!