Living the Home Life

Back Up and Running-AGAIN!!!

Get It in Gear, Already!

     Have you ever met one of those people that have great intentions of doing big things, but it never quite gels for them?  That's me.  Wannabe writer, knitter, jogger, domestic goddess, and Super Wife/Mom all in one.  After some consideration, I think I'll have to try to knock them off one by one.

     Writer- I am currently researching to write a short biography about Queen Victoria and the Victorian Age.  I will attempt submission, and if it doesn't happen, I will turn it into a homeschool unit study.  I've got many websites bookmarked, several books out of the library, and have even started notecards! woo-hoo!!!

     Knitter- OK, I spin and have yarn coming out of my ears.  I currently have several projects going, including socks, a hat, and I dream of a scarf made from this 50/50 merino-silk that I dyed and spun.  It's breathtaking, but I'm afraid to screw it up.  I also have a bunch of silk that is supposed to become a scarf for my wool-allergic sister in law.

     Jogger- This is tough, because I have bad joints and mommy bladder (Mommies, you know what I'm talking about).  This I need to work up to, I think.  I ran cross-country in highschool, and while I was slow, I could go out and run 5 miles.  I miss that feeling you get when you're running out of steam and slowing down, and then you get the big sweat and everything loosens up and you breath again.  Runner's high is definitely good.

     Domestic Goddess- I stay home, I homeschool, and I have one kid.  You would think I could get my act together.  I idolize Flylady and all those people that can get a schedule and stick to it.  I wish I had money for gourmet meals.  I wish German Shepherds didn't shed.  This is a bad subject for me and the object of much controversy between me and DH.  I need supernatural intervention.  Pray for me, people.

     Super Wife/Mom-  Until I can get the Domestic Goddess thing down, this isn't happening.

     I look at this list, and think "tall order, ain't happening", but we'll strike that here and now and say "Slow and steady will get you there.  You see where you want to go, and that's half the battle."  Now I have it here on the blog, and won't be able to hide from it.  I'm good at the out of sight, out of mind game. 

     That's all for now.  I need to try to get my sister over here for project and critter pics.

Let it Snow

Well, at long last, we have snow! For all of you out there following the funky weather here in the Northeast (we're less than an hour from Albany,NY), you know that it's been unusually warm.  That all came to an end last weekend with a huge ice storm, and now we actually have about half an inch of snow.  Ds has a friend from his homeschool co-op over,and they're gearing up to attempt to sled.  As far as I'm concerned, winter is just fine and dandy as long as I don't have to go out in it.

This afternoon, we are going to the library for a presentation on birds of prey.  For all you homeschooling Charlotte Mason sisters out there, does this count as nature study?

Crazy, Crazy, Crazy!

I know it's been a blue moon since I've posted, but since my last time updating you, it has been rough around here.  Not only do we now have two sheep (RomneyX and Cotswold) and two pygmy goats, but we went right from the fair, which went very well by the way (Chris did very well with Izzy the RomneyX and Wayne and Garth the Pygmies), to kicking into full gear homeschooling, to a major family illness. 

My dear aunt has cancer, which was diagnosed on Halloween (a real treat, huh?) The diagnosis was preceded by a long period of illness.  She ended up moving in with my sister, who is not only sick, but now pregnant, and I spend most of my week at her house, which has no internet access!  Talk about a bummer.  At least her radiation treatments are over, which were Monday-Friday mornings. 

I spend most days at home either sleeping or cleaning.  On the road though, I have my trusty drop spindle, a good book, and at least one knitting project.  I lug a big bag of stuff with me everywhere I go, and that doesn't include ds's school books.

My big hope is that things will settle down and I'll find some way to get back into a routine.  Please, G*d, let me get back into some semblance of a normal life!

I'll try to do better about posting.  I've got several spindle projects going, including 2 silk and one wool blend that I dyed and hope to turn into socks at some point.  I have an alpaca/angora blend going on the Schacht.  I bought an Ashford Joy recently with some inheritance money, but ds has hijacked it, and is spinning some nice wool roving.  I also managed to purchase a really nice drum carder and some wool combs.  If I ever get home, I want to try out that rigid heddle loom and the triloom I made, but you need more than 5 minutes at a shot for them!

Yesterday's Picture Session

Well, yesterday my dear sister came over with her digital camera to take some pictures for me.  I needed one to send to Kris Price for the Homeschool Nations site, and I wanted to have a few in case I got the urge to post them on one of my blogs.  I got some of me spinning, sitting with my cat Patches, the chick murderer, and some of me with one of my dogs, Nyssa, as you can see in this pic.  I'm not particularly photogenic, and I hate having my picture taken.

We started out with the spinning pics.  I have a Schacht Matchless, which is a dream to use, and like many spinners, I spin in socks or barefoot.  Last year at the county fair, that was the most common question I was asked, and as any spinner knows, the treadle on a spinning wheel is like reins on a horse, you feel what's going on, and you want good contact.  Anyway, I digress.  I'm a challenged housekeeper, so first I had to find a clean spot to take pictures.  This means moving toys, books, runaway crayons and matchbox cars; you never know what you'll find.  I made a spot in front of the window, which has no curtain, by the way, put on my apron, got some fiber(some lucious merino/silk) , and started spinning.  Sandra took a few pics, showed them to me, and we started over, because I looked like I was undergoing some type of torture, out of apprehension caused by picture taking.  Then I was told to just pretend to spin.  Ok, I could do that.  Then it was duck feet.  Did I know I looked like a spinning duck?  I do now.  Then it was my double chin; not very flattering, but a fact of life.  Pretend I'm a turtle and stick my head out to hide that flab. Ok, did that.  So we moved to the Patches pics, but he looked so evil and foul at being coerced into sitting with me that we gave it up.  The next bright idea was to take pics of the infamous feral chickens, but it was too snowy and windy.  We moved along to the pic you see here with Nyssa, my long coated shepherd and working dog extraordinaire (she does a bit of everything, agility, obedience, Schutzhund), and she was cooperative for us.  I tried hard to minimize my ugly neck fat for you all, and not look like I'm undergoing the tortures of hell.  Hopefully soon, you'll get to see pics of my wonderful wheel, and my feral poultry.