Happy Halloween

May all your dreams come true today :)

Recovery

So after all the hours of shopping, it was time for lunch.   Leslie and I had no doubt where we'd go, Blue Sky Cafe.   It is in Fletcher, and a true fine diner.  We got there at 2:00 p.m.    There were 4 people waiting in line ahead of us.   They said it would be about 30 minutes.   WHY were so many people eating lunch so late on a Saturday?   Nope.  No matter how good the food, and trust me it is REALLY good, we just weren't going to wait.   Not only were we starving, but we had dinner reservtions at 6:30.  So we stopped at the Fresh Market.   Got the best pre-made sandwiches, tried a new to us lentil chip that we must now track down in Virginia, .   We also got fresh made cranberry muffins for breakfast and pumpkin cupcakes for snack on the road.  oh. my.

Drove home to show mom our purchases and rest before dinner.  Which was devine.   There is a restaurant called Larkins in mom's little town.  Casual or fancy wear what you want, it doesn't matter, food is consistently good and they have great desserts.  Not too crowded for a Saturday night, which was a bonus, we took one of mom's friends with us.   She is the smartest woman I think I've ever met, she isn't intimidating about it, and just plain nice.  I'll tell you about her another time though.

                                                                    Winding yarn

mini spinning

the lunch that wasn't

                                                        driving back to the house



SAFF Part 2

Okay, so Monday I had to work, sleep and go to school.   Now that that is out of the way, here's the next leg of our weekend.   Going to SAFF.

We were suppose to leave at 8, grab some breakfast on the road and get there about 8:45 to sit in the parking lot and wait.   Well we were all tired Friday night, so we didn't get up until 7:30ish and then just lazed around not doing anything productive (except knitting) and didn't leave until about 8:30.  Fortunately the drive wasn't bad, since it was pretty much interstate the entire way.  There were only a few cars ahead of us to pay admission, and there was plenty of parking.  THAT was a bonus because we could get a spot in between the two buildings we wanted to visit.

First stop after the obligatory potty stop was to the SAFF booth to buy SAFF mugs.  Sold out.  HUH?   They sold out their mugs on Friday?   Most disappointing .  But I did buy a SAFF bag, which I quite love, so I guess that was good they ran out of mugs.   Then we went around the top of the arena.   If you've never been to SAFF they started in the arena where the horse shows and rodeos are.   Vendors set up around the top with enough room to walk, but once it gets crowded it is definately not handicapped friendly.  Some vendors set up in the stands where there is space.   And the spinners classes set up in the middle of the stands. 

Then there a ton of vendors in the bottom of the arena.   They just throw indoor/outdoor carpet over the dirt.  In the middle ,they corral off squares for classes.   It's kinda noisey and cold down there, but not too bad.  

Then we went to the out buiding where they have expanded their vendors.   Oh my the things we saw.    This was definately a roving event for me, I was finding much more of that that I loved as opposed to yarn.   But I did get some sparkly sock yarn for a new pair of socks for ME.  My friend visited all the dyers that she usually buys from on line.  SIlks, bamboos, merinos, oh my.

Driving West on US 26

Mountains of Western NC, what could be more perfect?

Here we are

Best sign of the day

2nd best sign of the day

Beginning of our journey

spinning class

To be continued tomorrow . . . .

Southeast Animal Fiber Festival

Well.    Since this is technically suppose to be a knitting blog, not a I forgot all about you or I'm feelin snarky blog, perhaps I should start making it about knitting again huh?

Last Friday I piled into my sister's van with our friend and off we went to Western NC for SAFF.  SAFF is technically Friday - Sunday, but since none of us got our acts together last winter while dealing with unusal amounts of snow, we forgot to sign up for classes.  So we were able to take that money and apply it to our shopping.  Score!    We are also fortunate with SAFF in that my mom lives about 20 miles from the fair grounds.   And she is a kind and wonderful mom who allows us to use her home as a hotel.    Of course, we took her out to most awsome dinner but more about that later.   And she doesn't go to SAFF anymore, decided the steps and walking just wasn't her thing.   Since she's 89 we don't argue.  

But we did take her to a Ravelry meet up at the Fairfield Inn on Friday night.   The hotel was kind enough to give us a meeting room for free.    The organizer told them to expect about 100 people, since last year there were about 80.   They gave us a room that held 40.    As Yarn Harlot has said, don't underestimate the power of knitters.  A good time was had by all, even if we had to be a little quiet to keep the noise level to a medium roar.  Door prizes were given out, some dyers donated their stuff, a couple companies donated.  

After a long day (I left at 5:30 a.m.) we put our weary heads down about 10:30, knowing it would be up and out the door by 8 am to sit in a parking lot and wait for the doors to open.

how pathetic is that?

Driving

Dirving

crossing the river

Ravelry meet up

Biology and Proscration and Knitting

I do want my degree.   I truly do.   I do not want to take biology.   I don't care about the differences in plant cells and animal cells.   I don't care why they divide.   I know that they divide.  I have first had experience with the egg splitting and giving me two identical little people.  But that's a story for a different day.

All I can focus on now is that I'm going to have to take another 16 weeks of biology starting in January and we're only about half way though this 16 weeks so how pathetic is that? 

I want to knit.   I need to knit.   I've committed to help run a sock KAL starting in January and going for one solid year.   One sock a month.  We already have prizes lined up.  It's gonna be awsome, and I'll talk more about that in November and December.  I'm doing some test knitting.   I also got a wild hair from somewhere and decided to complete the classes to become a master knitter.   My first year worth of stuff is due soon and I'm no where near done.

I need to buckle down and do it now.    So why am I in the mood to wash my windows?    Saturday when I had a biology paper to work on I cleaned my office and the family room.   True they needed it desparately, but not on Saturday.   I've been wanting to clean those rooms for over a year.  

Off to color in my cells and find two more answers.  

Stranger Danger

This is what hangs on the end of my purse:

Yep, its a voo doo doll.   I have several.  I think they are just cool, great and different.  And fun.   Rarely does anyone say anything about him.  In fact the only person who has ever mentioned him was someone I was having lunch with one day and she said "what is that"   Voo Doo Doll I replied.   She just looked at me and said okay.  I said I like him and he stays with me.  My purse sits on my desk sometimes.   No one says anything or notices.  

Okay, maybe I'm a little quirky.   I like being different.   I have a different persona for whatever the occasion calls for.   Sometimes I allow two to merge.  I behave and dress in a professional way at work.   I wear comfy leggings at home.   At a fiber event, I'm really happy wearing a long skirt.  I made a good hippie.   I was raised as a proper officer's daughter back in the day.   However my dad relished my uniqueness and encouraged it.   I felt lucky and blessed that he allowed me to forge my own path (as long as it was legal).  So yes, I have voo doo dolls almost one for every purse or knitting bag I carry . . . and I gotta get some more now that I think about it.

I was at the market at lunch time today grabbing something to scarf down.   The cashier saw my bag and reached out to touch and said what the heck is that?   A voo doo doll I replied.   He said why?   I said because I think they are great.   The woman behind me got a little upset.  He got a little upset and stepped back.    I looked at him and said they are not bad nor are they evil..   The lady behind me said  it was very strange and wrong.

I almost said thank you.  But I think that would have gone over her head.  They were still discussing the matter as I walked out.  

I also carry my keys on a lanyard that said bail bondsman on them with the 800 number.   One of our friends is a bail bondsman and I am glad to offer free advertising for him.   Plus it's bright orange and black so I find it amusing.  I get a lot of comments about my key chain.  People laugh and then ask why I would carry such a thing.   Why not?   It got your attention and I like it.

Every day just confirms to me that I need to move away from the city and people.  Yep, I'm sure there's gossip and pettiness and all the rest in a small town.   But on my land, I can sit on the porch and enjoy the silence and maybe if I'm lucky I'll become the weird woman who comes into town sometimes.

Taken Back my Life

So I finally got a clue and dropped one of my classes.     I knew I wouldn't get an A in it and am determined to be on the dean's list every quarter.   So I had to admit that I couldn't cram two hard classes into my full time job schedule, knitting, housework, family, etc life.    And I discovered that if I only read text books and not for enjoyment, and can't knit, I'm REALLY cranky.    My boss told me that if I had to take it at anothr campus next semester one afternoon to just sign up and do it.   How many employers tell you that?    Guess he's a keeper.

So now I'm working on studying extra hard for my first biology test this week.   I've got a lot to ctch up on, but know that I'll be okay.   I get some of it.   Some of it is actually interesting.   Some of it I will learn by sheer willpower.  

This is how I wish I was spending my rainy afternoon.