Early to bed tonite.... I hope!

Tomorrow is gonna come really early 'round here...  Have a craft show to attend that is a good 2 hours away- if we drive fast...

We have to BE ON THE ROAD at 5 AM... Not leave then, but be actually at cruising speed.  ACCKKK!

Of course, I didn't finish the scarf that is on the structo, I've got a potholder halfway done, and no more totes/purses put together.  Oh well!  The van is full -- no more can go in anyway! 

Thanks to me and my stellar packing skills, we are going to be taking only one vehicle.  Yay!

In my spare moments, I have been working on flyers for a craft fair & luncheon my friend and I are organizing.  The person who has done it in the past decided she couldn't this year, so we picked it up.  Not sure if it was a good idea or not!  Who has the time!?!?!

Pretty sure we have all the vendor spots spoken for already, so that won't be a problem - now we need to attract buyers....  Only 3 weeks before craft show day... and I have another show between now and then! 

I really should go crawl in bed right now, but first I suppose I should find something clean to wear tomorrow :) 

panic attack

I think I'm about to have one...

I have this pit of the stomach flutter of panic that I have forgotten something???

Or maybe it is the gut telling me there is absolutely no well in bloody heck that I'm gonna get everything done that I want to before Saturday...

Been doing the whole deep breathing thing all evening... it ain't workin'...

Any ideas out there other than alcohol?  LOL!

So very depressing....

Snow - the horizontal type... Can't help but be with 45- 65 mph sustained winds...

Before it got dark I saw that one of the wind breaks had come down, and the portable shed's roof metal was doing a shimmy in the wind.  Crossing my fingers that the shed has a roof in the morning instead of blowing off and plowing thru the horses standing downwind in the shelter of the shed - and that the horses stay off the windbreak that is on the ground.  

Dang it - I wasn't ready for this. 

Physically, mentally or spiritually...

Rewarming

Unwanted sweater being re'warmed into a scarf!

I've got an unkitted sweater/scarf  here - a natural color with some subtle stripes on the edges.  I threaded my edges closer together this time - I think it is helping with the selvages.  I had thought to maybe try a twill weave, but i don't think i threaded it quite right.  So I'm going tabby with this one.  I really need to read a little instead of just jumping in all the time!  :)

I've been saving the tags when I unknit... helps me remember the fiber content...


I'm going to try and have this done by this weekend.... Pics to follow!

can I go back to bed?

As I sit here this morning, the wind is howling and the rain is swirling outside.  It sounds downright miserable...

I guess the winds are supposed to be in the 50 mph range today - when there is rain mixed in it's icky.   My dog already refused to go outdoors for his morning constitutional.  He ended up using his "spot" in the garage.  Poor thing gets blown over when he squats in this kind of wind!  :)


What I really want to do is to crawl right back in bed.

Instead I am weaving a pot holder and getting some breakfast in me.  I'll drag myself to work - put a smile on my face and deal... what else is there to do?  Oy.  I am not looking forward to winter...

Newest purse

Purse body woven of upholstery material.  I wove it with the BACK SIDE of the material showing!  Gave it a bit of a shaggy appearance.

Handles were harvested from a salvation army purse - a few beads from the stash and a magnet clasp and voila!

Newest purse. 

Wow - got something accomplished today!  I put in some time on some quilt squares also today - I'm going to be the "guest instructor" - that's the title she's giving me -  at my friends quilt shop next Monday to help 6 - 7 novice quilters do a quilt square.   I needed to get caught up with the group.  They have been coming to the quilt shop every other Monday.  My friend will be taking care of her husband who is getting both knees replaced... I said I'd rather teach than be his nurse for the evening :)

Sigh -- my weekends are MUCH too short.  Not looking forward to the start of the workweek.

Don't Hate Me

I'm going to tell you what I do for a day job.

Don't hate me...  cue the dramatic music


I am a telemarketer--

I call only on businesses.   Yesterday one of my calls, upon realizing that I was calling him to try and sell him our services stated.   Julie! Julie!  Go get a real job!  and then he hung up.

Got me to thinking...

What is a "real" job????

I have in my lifetime been:
*a stay at home mom - that's work, right?
*a convenience store clerk
*a stable hand
*an office temp
*worked in a goose slaughter plant ( talk about messy )
*been and still am a janitor
*farm hand/laborer
*designed and worked on catalogs
*trained horses
*and many other little 'day job' type things that are too numerous to mention.

Not to mention my own little business ventures.

Are these "real" jobs?

Trust me - If I could be doing anything else and be making a living, I would.   I hate receiving telemarket calls myself.

But when you are on your own, and you have to bring in a minimum amount of money, you just gotta make it work. 

This job allows me to work weekdays - no weekends or nights or holidays.  That lets me have weekends to go to craft shows to sell my rugs, and the evenings to do my janitor work and make more rugs. 

It's full time - and there are even benefits available!  I can actually be sick and stay home and not worry about losing a days wage.  That's never been an option for me before.

It's not so physically strenuous as to keep me from putting in another 5 hours or so of work each day - even tho I would like to sit on a couch and watch tv - that's just not an option!

And it's not minimum wage.  I'm not gonna get rich- but it's better than most of the jobs here if you're not a teacher or get into the big manufacturing plant.  Which I can't seem to - I'm guessing it has something to do with the ex being there... :)

I like the other girls in the office, the schedule is great, and the pay is ok.  Just the actual work is the iffy part!

So do you think I have a "real" job? 

I almost dialed back and asked the dude if he had a 'real'  job to offer me.... just to see what he would say!

Cute little rug

Cute little rug made from a woven sofa throw- 

hemmed the ends on this one...

Cramped-

Back from the craft fair - A cramped vanload out, plus a car with more stuff - and it looked like we had just as full coming back.  How does that happen?  

This is one of the burlap rugs I just finished up that got some attention.  Too bad it didn't sell.

Right now I've got two that are hemmed - 

And two that are fringed. 

I have more burlap for about 3 more rugs like this- that are in the works and there are two on the loom woven already.  Tuff, ruff rugs that would be awesome  by the back door to knock some dirt off when you come in from the great outdoors....

It was a steady day yesterday - sold some rugs, sold some purses and sold some flyswatters - Nothing amazing, but it was respectable.  Our setup was a little iffy compared to last year.  We had requested our same spot last year plus one more spot next to it.  When we got there we had our spot - but the size had been reduced!  So our plan had to go out the window.  There were 5 of us vendors in basically 3 spots, but one was a corner that didn't have frontage space.  CRAMPED- 12 feet of front with a corner - so in the end it was actually probably only about 8 by the time we took out space to get people into the corner where two of us were.

Next show- I have 18 feet of booth front to work with.  Should be a little better!  Or alot....

Should be in bed!

A little bag - red belt handles, conchos and fringe!

 A tired vintage rug - re'newed!

I should be in bed - must be up and at 'em at the butt crack of dawn.  

Going to Faulkton SD where I will be exhibiting at the 36th? annual Pheasant Season Opening Day Craft Fair.   All booths are handmade items - no manufacturer types.  This is a well attended fair and I'm taking all 100+ rugs and anything else I could put my hands on.

  Hoping to come home with much less than I loaded :)

Saying this once and once only....

I am sick and tired of having to fight to be treated fairly -

just because I have boobs instead of balls...


I'll spare you the details- but it has been one of those days.

Hoping tomorrow brings a better day...

Where to start?

I've got rugs to tie and hem....

I'm trying to get some flyswatters made before next weekend....

And I need to organize my supplies for the craft fairs coming up...

And did I get a bit of it done this weekend?

That would be a NO -

Yesterday was another outside day - Spent sunup to sundown outdoors.  At least some of it was income producing instead of spending...

Today is a day for 4-H.  I have a meeting for the start of the new year - and the year end Recognition Banquet.

My son is also now a 4-H graduate and will be joining his sisters as alumni.  I will be receiving my 22 year leader certificate and a new year will begin.  Bittersweet day - No longer a 4-H parent.

But I am a 4-Her for life!

 

Scarf number 2

Another scarf made from the same unknitted yarn as the first one I did. 

This scarf is narrower and not woven as firm as the first one. 

Interesting striped pattern emerged with the narrower warp. 

My selvedges could use some work...










 Check out Pudgy - mid yawn.

I am boring you big guy????

Progress and sore muscles

I've made great progress these last few days - with help from my parents.  I am lovin' my dad's skidder with the post auger attachment.  My lord, I don't think I could have done it without it!

Here's an angle that shows the retaining wall we built from old telephone poles, fence posts and whatever else I could scrounge...  Can't really tell how far the yard drops from here, but i had to do something to "settle" the house into the location.  It kinda just stuck out from the ground before.  Also needed to create a way for water to run away when it rains.

Now I need to get the dirt all drug up again and throw a little grass seed on it.  Sometime.

When I moved here late last fall, I kinda just picked a spot and stuck my horse shelter and a catch pen down.  Ended up I had to move it because of how I've decided the fence needs to be.  See the big tall pole?  That was scary to put in!  Gonna figure out a way to put up a yard light there.  Also have about 6 new corner/end posts put in tonight.  All tamped in and ready to string some wire as soon as they firm up.

Interesting that at the bottom of those fence post holes - we hit water.  Less than 6 feet down - not just mud - water... I could dig a hole, stick in a pump and have a ground water well!

I'm hoping to get an auto waterer put in yet this fall, but if not this winter should be easier than last.  The horses will be able to get a whole lot closer to the water source if I have to carry buckets like last year.

I'm feeling a little panicky about the craft fair coming up two weekends from now.  I have so much more I'd like to have ready.  But it just ain't gonna happen, I don't think.  Have to prioritize I guess!

Oh, and by the way -
If anyone wants to come and help me paint my house- I'm not turning anyone away!  lol!

Catching up

It's been awhile since I posted.  I assure you - I haven't been on vacation!

There's been cows in my yard.... several times.

I've been dumpster diving....  These are the original windows from the courthouse in our town.  Couldn't let them be trashed!  Not sure what I'll do with them quite yet.




Things are looking grim in regards to getting my vehicles in the garage this winter...  I keep bringing "stuff" home.

I finally got back to the landscaping project yesterday.  Unfortunately I have run out of posts before I've run out of project!  Hoping my dad was able to scrounge some more up - he's planning on coming back today to run the skidder/auger.   I did the placing and tamping - I am hurting.  This working at a computer screen all day everyday has made me soft!

Time is short for these types of projects.  Can you believe we had frost yesterday morning?

The sun sure feels good - especially when you have someone to share it with!