Friday morning, Cindy phoned to invite me for a fibery lunchtime.  After a week like this last one, I was ready.  The furthest I’d taken myself from the business was the post office, or maybe the bank, all week!  I had managed a couple hours for Tuesday night knitting at Su’s and had, at least mostly, been buried under mounds of silk plants and bound to the desk by the never ending ring of the phone.  I was ready.  I waited (patiently) while she went through the list of possible drink choices.  I needed her to say  "wine" and she did.  What a lovely lunch.  Su joined us.  We spent several hours thinking about a wedding shawl for Cindy’s daughter, checked possible yarn matches against the gown, and sat knitting.  Somewhere in the afternoon, I mentioned again that I was driving up (alone) to Amherst Sunday morning for the Alden Amos workshop at the Fiber Arts Center.  Something clicked this time and we went right over to the computer and put Su on the list.  I’ve spun for years but never really taken a basic ‘how to spin’ class.  This should cover production spinning.. making it work out the way you want over and over again.  That would make it a pretty handy skill to have.  I do make my yarns over and over, a project or so at a time.  But, to match yarns, hmmm… I do it more by eye.  You can get the report here on Monday.  Let’s hope that the teacher’s cultivated attitude is..  well… judge for yourself… here.
and for those of you needing an update..  here goes:
Grandpa babysat all day for ewe-no-hoo, ran him ragged, I guess. He got
very little work done and she wouldn’t eat for him!! She jumped me as
soon as i got home and proceeded to try and nurse my chin. She is now
well fed, diapered and in a small pen  (loaned to me) out by the pasture so
she can "visit" her friends. Its the only way I can get the house
cleaned…put her somewhere for a half hour or so and vacuum, bathe,
drink, whine…she is truly amazing-every day she just floors me with
what she does-like a mischievous (sp) kid who just looks for trouble to
get into. I don’t know if I can ever send her
out to live in the barn…
troubles brewing there, folks.. she will grow up, and she most likely will not be housebroken (yes, she is precocious, anything might happen) and she will have horns, well again, probably, and she will be.. well.. a grown Jacob sheep.  One bottle baby I know well, wanted to sit and be cuddled (on Grandma’s lap) for a couple years.  Picture it in your head.. sort of like a St. Bernard with horns in / on your lap.  More than your lap. No lap big enough, strong enough, but with an animal pushy enough to tell you exactly what he/she wants NOW!  Get it??

This week has been nonstop.  I mean that literally.  I’ve been up ’til the wee hours of the morning getting 400 silk plants ready for the ‘fireproof’ man and their installation today.  That, and answering the phone and interviewing the many dozen people that answered our help wanted ad that has been running this week with the one most important word ommitted ( I’d like to personally throttle the person who left it out, I know it was completely accidental, non the less it has contributed to a very hectic few days).. that being the word ‘FAX’, so everyone has phoned, NOT FAXED in response.  I’m telling you this as my excuse, uh.. reason.. for not getting more than the few rows done that I knit at Tuesday night knitting.  The sleeves (there are two) look great.  Thank goodness there is silk in the wool, it makes it bearable to knit in even this high 80’s, triple H weather. 

I did get a report from ‘Sweetie Pie’.. Katherine.. via her Grandma.  Seems she’s a been a bit of a trouble maker at school.  She may have to be home schooled if she keps these shenanigans up.  Here’s the scoop:
well, katherine, aka sweetie pie, went to school yesterday and rode home
at the end of the day in my lap as i drove, watching everything out the
window.  (navigation skills)     she LOVES anything papery-wants to paw it and mouth it. she
pulled all daves folders on the floor of his class yesterday and later
when i had her in my office, she pulled all my paper off the bottom of
the bookshelf and proceeded to mouth every piece as she peed on the
carpet in front of the principal-thank God, i’ve already signed my
contract for next year!   (it’s that kind of behavior that I’m speaking of here, do you think she’s bored with class already, not challenged??)
and this about her behavior / skills that she’s learning at home.. she stayed home today (grandpa was a little nervous) he came home
at noon (can you believe it?) and she did just fine.  now that she knows how to go up and down
stairs, i can’t get away ANYWHERE-she goes to the bathroom with me,
computer (she’s on my lap as i write), knows how to jump on the  couch
to cuddle.
There you have it. 

  home again, home again, jiggety jig