Getting Started Again

Wow, I find it difficult to get my writing started again after such a long break. Keyboard inertia? Or just not knowing where to start?  Most likely its the latter.

I wasn't upset when my grandfather died, it just came so hard on the heels of my cousin's son's death. My grandfather truly was at the end of his time here on earth, and by all accounts he was tired of waiting for the beginning of the next journey. He spent is last days in his home, amid people who love him. My cousin's son was only just starting his life, only 19 years old, and he died of a drug overdose, alone in a Tijuana motel room. The contrast wallops me every time I think about it. So it goes; the unexpected can and does happen any time. And I still spin and knit when I can.

My grandfather left behind a house full of stuff, and now I have a small portion of that stuff. I brought home a marble topped table I call the toaster table, for years it sat near the dinning room table and held the toaster, so my grandmother wouldn't have to run back and forth to the kitchen for the morning's toast. It might have belonged to my great grandmother, I'll have to ask my dad if he knows. For years my dad was planning on taking the roll top desk that belonged to his grandfather, but now that he can take it, he's decided he doesn't have room for it and so it has come to me. I've decided to call it The Grimes of the Fathers, as it is so very dirty. I selected a few of my grandfather's woodworking tools, see below, but they'll need some work to become useful. And finally, I brought home Caddo, the Whippet that belonged to my grandparents. Nobody else seemed to have space for her, but we have plenty of room here. She's in her teens, in good health, and an easy going dog.

My updates are very far behind; at the end of August I started a woodworking class at Palomar Community College. I completely love it, I'm building a clock body (carcass, according to the instructor) and once again I'm very busy learning from my mistakes. But just like with sewing, once the wood is cut, it cannot be made whole again. I'm astounded at how when I'm completely sure I'm being very clever, I am actually making huge mistakes. Wood glue can fix some, but thank goodness I bought extra lumber. Any way, I hope to eventually construct my own spinning wheel(s)

The dog hair spinning is complete, and I decided on a simple garter stitch scarf, uncomplicated, like my dog. I may also get a hat or mittens, but for now a scarf is fine. Since the dog hair is now yarn, I'm spinning up the remainder of an alpaca/silk roving that I started soon after I began spinning. Hopefully there is some difference between the first skeins and the most recent, I'd like to think there is. What I really want to be doing is prepping fleece. Everything is washed, and I want to get it picked and get some of it carded, and some if it should be good for spinning without carding, I think. I really like handling the fleece, something about it grounds me. On the other hand, it takes me blinking forever to actually turn out a carded batt or two.

I think that covers every thing; string, fluff and random stuff...