It was our first official snow storm today!! Sure - we have had flakes here and there ... but today it SNOWED!! When I first awoke at 4:35 am (thanks to one of the dogs who needed to 'go out') it was snowing. When I left work at 1 pm - it was still snowing! When I shoveled the driveway - it was STILL snowing!! YiPpEE!! Everything looks "OH! So PRETTY!" Tonight will be one of those incredible nights spent in front of the wood stove - contemplating life while spinning!! Tomorrow is Thanksgiving - I prefer to be Thank-FULL everyday!! I think it would be wise for all of us to stop and take stock of our daily blessings. Some blessings are small. Others are in-your-face-huge!! While still others are wrapped tightly - waiting to be opened & acknowleged. Each blessing needs to be 'thanked' for entering into our lives - for each blessing has a name & a reason. This year - I have become extremely aware of the blessing of CHOICE. So - tomorrow I will celebrate & be thank-FULL for all the choices I face each day. The right to choose between right & wrong. The right to choose good over evil. The right to choose between hope & despair. The right to choose between love & hate. Some choices are difficult to make - some choices are easy. But it is the PRIVILEGE of choice that deserves recognition! ..... It has finally stopped snowing - and the sun made a CHOICE to say "hello & goodnight" in a quick breath. I thought you might like to see his whisper! TAG ME ... you are it!

Once again, I am to confess my fibery soul to everyone! I will admit to it NOT being a very productive week for me. I have been cursed with many distractions that have also limited my drawing time. An UNproductive me translates to an UNcreative me. There are high hopes with the impending shortened work week and with today being FOOTBALL day & all - I anticipate a truckload of skeins in the near future! GO PATS!! Well - if I make it thru today without purchasing any fiber - I will be able to celebrate my 20th day of fiber sobriety! This is the day I was actually hoping for! YiPpEE! Now - confession time: I completed my 7th pair of slippers for The Ships Project. These will be mailed most likely on Tuesday! My spinning - I am sorry to say - has only produced (1) 2 ply, 126 yard skein of blue GCNI and (1) skein of 27 yards, 2 ply GCNI, spindle spun. Not too much to brag about here!! So - here is wishing you a fibery day today .... wherever you are! TAG ME ... you are it!

So - today is the day that I confess all my fibery happenings for the previous week. I think I was somewhat successful - although there always seem to be little tid bits of time that I could be taking a few spins or knitting a few rows. It is also day # 13 of the self imposed fiber hiatus. It is actually working well as I need to reduce this mountain of stash!! If I can make it until the end of the month - now THAT would be something!! So - here is my weekly tally: completed & mailed my 6th pair of slippers for The Ships Project!! YAY!! I am so proud to be involved in this wonderful charity!! I also plied & set the twists to 163 yards of a marsh romney sheepie named Debbie and 88 yards of colonial!! But - the pride & joy of the week goes to a needle felted baby dragon that I made for my Spinning Santa. Each year on Spindlers we celebrate the winter holidays with a small exchange. I created this sculpture after I discovered that she (my exchange partner) liked dragons!! I think I had a productive fibery week!! TAG ME ... you are it!

I have decided to itemize a summary of completed fibery festivities on each Sunday. That way - everyone can see progress made. Even if it is a skein completed - that reduces the fiber stash!! Speaking of fiber stash - I am on a self imposed fiber hiatus. I want to see how long it will last!! Today is day # 10. Seems like just a wee bit of time - but for a fiber junkie - it is light years. Especially when so many enabling friends are constantly bombarding you with great rovings! Rovings has some great choices. I immediately fell for the 'PARROTS' colorway. How could I not when I share my life with a very demanding parrot named Kiwi!??? But - I can't!! I am strong!! I have will power!! ( I am woman - hear me roar!!) ~~ I was informed by my sister that my brother in law is requesting hand made wool sox for Christmas. Remember, that was my initial plan, but his size 13 feet scared me?? Well, I have already woven some mug rugs for him, but I will see what I can do. I think I have some yarn in my stash that I can use. He needs them for bed sox so strength of yarn isn't a real issue. Wish me luck! ~~ My husband & I also decided to sponsor one more child. John-larri is our 4th & final. I truly think that for $24 dollars a month sponsoring thru Childreach gives the world that little extra bit of love needed on a day to day basis. (OK- now you see why the self imposed fiber hiatus!! ggg) Anywhoo - please meet our 13 year old sponsored child .... John-larri! Doesn't he have THE most infectious smile ever??
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Long time - no post!! Today was supposed to be in the high 60's / low 70's today with sunshine!! Quite a change from the below normal temperatures that we have been receiving! Well, it is warmer - but no sun to be had. I hung laundry outside this morning in the hopes that it would dry - now, I am not so sure it will. I think it will be out there long enough to get that great, fresh smell into everything. YAY!! It is hard for me to believe that it is now November and Christmas will be just around the corner. I haven't been very pro-active this year in my shopping. My sister is getting her hand spun / hand knit sox and my BIL is getting some woven mug rugs. Their children are getting drop spindles - but I have no idea what else. Since it is just my husband & I - we each buy our own gifts, wrap them and put them under the tree. On Christmas Day - I open his to see what "I" bought him and he opens mine to see what "He" got me. We also throw in several little gifts - just so there is some surprise. So - Chuck, if you are reading this STOP!! It contains gift info!! One the items I have purchased for myself is a Hazel Rose Loom. I chose the Quilt Weaver's set in cherry. I thought that size would be easily adaptable to so many different things. I look forward to receiving it as my friend Nancie is the one who turned me onto weaving. Not like I needed another hobby - but since I am purchasing fiber faster than any animal can produce it (what happened to my self imposed moratorium on fiber purchases????) - any way that I can use it is a blessing. Now - speaking of purchasing fiber - River's fleece arrived at my door. This wool is FANTABulous!! There is nary a VM speck in it!! If I DID process my own fleece - this wouldn't be hard as it is so clean! If you are interested in Linnet's fleeces - run, do not walk to her website!! I have Bernadette reserved in 2003, Krystol in 2004!! Nancie has reserved Dandy & Karen has reserved Maggie!! Just in case you would like a peek at how easy it washed - given this complete novice - just LOOK!!! TAG ME ... you are it!!

I LOVE chilly weekends!! It is perfect FIBER time - and if you throw a football game ( or 2) in there - well - that is just a little slice of heaven!! Yesterday, I set the twist in a 2 ply Tunis skein and spun 2 bobbins of a churro/mohair blend.( This was done while watching Boston College upset Notre Dame. DH is a BC alumni!! ) I plied it this morning. I find singles definitely need to rest overnight. I personally don't like to wait to long to ply as I start to wander in a new fibery direction if I am not timely. I would rather store plied, set skeins - than have many 'dressed' spindles & bobbins!! Today - I will take up my knitting once again for The Ships Project!! I am committed to making 2 pair of slippers a month for this worthy cause. It is a great way for me to concentrate on the The Patriots Game today. They will need all the good vibes and good energy that can be tossed into the Universe for them today!! I also will let you know that I have placed a deposit on another of Linnet's fleeces!! Krystol will come to play with me in 2004!! WOW!! I can't believe how these sheepies book up!! River should arrive on my door step this week! YAY! Hope you all have a fibery day - and GO PATRIOTS!! TAG ME ... you are it!!