I completed three whole rows in the car before C felt ill on the drive south.  After the third stop in less than 30 minutes, the writing on the wall was in big BOLD CAPITOL  letters.  This was going to be a long ride home.  So, I drove.  We got here.  I’ll unpack, do the laundry, and start to repack for Florida.  Minus whatever degrees to 80..  that’ll take a little preparation.  I don’t travel light.  Knitting, should there be spinning involved, a spindle or wheel, or none of the above.. books, knitting, a new project, find a pattern, yarn, computer?, just a memory stick?  These questions must be answered in the next couple days.  The flight is Monday morning.  We’re taking care of C’s elderly and somewhat addled Mom in a very small rented apartment in a city we know nothing about.   I need diversions.  I don’t sit still well.  Anyone know of a LYS in Fort Lauderdale?  I just remembered the Must Have.  I’d sort of put it out of my mind the past week or so.  (Is that what happened to you, Norma?)  ;-))

Wendy and Margene recently wrote about their first blog entries.  I couldn’t remember when I started to blog so I went back in my files and found that my first post was August 1 2003.  I used Frontpage.  What a learning curve that was.  I sweated it out and learned a lot.  Cindy and I had been reading Wendy’s blog for several months or more, and had been talking about it during Tuesday night knitting.  She showed me Frontpage.  Having a blog made so much sense to me.  Traveling back and forth between Vermont and RI while keeping up with friends and sharing projects was always a challenge.  Blogging seemed like the perfect sharing medium.  Cindy and I agreed that this would be a great way to stay ‘in touch’.  The conversational catch up would be so much easier.  It wouldn’t have to stop.   It’s been great fun.  Last winter, Cindy co hosted ‘smatterings’ by inserting my emailed posts from Honduras into my blog for me.  It’s been an enriching experience.  I’ve met (virtually and in person) so many people; friends that I have morning coffee with, bloggers sharing ideas and life stories.   That’s blogistory. 

This is what I did during the snow storm.  Dyed all day!
6 skeins of this:  It’s darker than it looks, more like a merlot with pale rose and a burnt orange.   1050 yds.

and 10 skeins of a purple / olive blend..  It’s so hard to get the colors to come out exactly right.  1750 yds. 

I’ve decided to start selling some of this stuff, I can’t possibly use all I make.  Interested?  I’ll post more in a day or so to a file on the side bar.  But these… how about $15.00 / skein?  It’s a merino & silk single, about a fingering wt. and 175 yds each.  I’ve been working on this stuff since late in the summer and have used it for a shawl with a beaded edge.  I’m thinking I’ll take some with me to Florida next week (while we’re there looking after C’s mother, there will be loads of time on my hands)  and start another shawl, maybe the flower basket this time.  I have a feeling that the gold teeswater will be a bit heavy to work on if it’s warm down there.  I mean WARM, here we sit on the porch and have tea if the temps go into the 20’s and the sun is out.

One of the best things about doing the billing is that all
other responsibilities (within reason) are suspended for the duration. C takes over making lunch, going to the
freezer in the barn, bringing in the firewood, and whatever. Today, he made leftover meatloaf sandwiches,
on croissants, with my favorite ketchup in the whole world. I buy the Natura’s Salsa de Tomate once a year, in Honduras. Which leads into the ‘poor me’ (tongue in
cheek).  I do know I’m the lucky one, but
with reading the Jimmy Buffet book (that is set in Yucatan,
another home away from home for me), and
my Roatan Red…. Hmmm.. I don’t see the
world of the Maya in my near future. I’m
heading into overdue territory here.

But, we’re having that (overstated) Nor’easter and it’s as
pretty as it gets, none of that measured
in feet stuff, but the woods is fresh and white again. Yesterday when I took my trek through the
sugarbush (on snow shoes, the shorties this time) trails crossed trails, tracks
were everywhere… mine included,  everybody crisscrossing the woods floor. Although all critters follow the same trails
time after time, after a while the footprints become packed trails. Pine cone debris (leftovers from a pine nut
lunch) and shredded bark collect in any little depression. Snow fleas pepper the foot prints. Time for a white wash. We’re getting it now.

Absolutely no knitting, it’s strange.  I haven’t made a stitch in two days. Instead, I’ve been spinning every chance I
get. And, dyeing! I just finished 10 skeins of fingering wt. (nearly
lace) of the merino / silk singles. I
actually dyed in the kitchen, I never do that. I just didn’t want to wait to see how this wt. would come out. Yummm… there are 1750 yds. Drying in the
tub.

multi mohair in the Dixon…