I GET TO GO SEE BARACK OBAMA!!!

YIPPPEEEEE! I am so freaking excited! Barack & Michelle Obama will be speaking at a rally in Springfield, Missouri tomorrow - November 1st!

I just found out about it today! My Grandma and Aunt live in Springfield, so.... I am flying up to Tulsa and my Mom is picking me up at the airport. We will drive straight to Springfield which will take about three hours -- we should arrive sometime around Noon'ish.

The doors open at 6pm; but I think I will go to the rally site much earlier to claim a place in line. YOWZAH! I can't believe this! To be a part of this great movement! To be a part of history! They energy at this rally will be absolutely amazing as it is so close to the election!

I feel like a little kid at Christmas! Yippee!

I'm off to Costco to buy a small digital camera with a good zoom on it... the only camera I have is a digital SLR that is *awesome*; but too big to lug to the rally. I promise to post pictures!

My Mom is excited, too, as the last politcal rally she attended was for Bobby Kennedy!

How cool to be a part of this!

YARN! I MADE YARN!

Since getting my spinning wheel, I've been practicing and playing and just enjoying it! The whole process is so mellow and Zen-like; yet still meets and exceeds my creative needs!

So, my first yarn, wow! Oh, it's a mess... over-twisted in spots, too thin or thick in others; but I'm still proud of it! If I had been trying to create a novelty yarn, I would have succeeded with flying colors!

It is a two-ply (made of two strands) of Merino wool. The color is mainly blue with beautiful flecks and accents in purples, teals, a bit of green and a splash of gold!

I'm not sure what I'm going to knit it into --- maybe a scarf?

After spinning the singles, then plying it, I then made skeins using my niddy-noddy. After all the skeins were made, I wash the yarn exactly like I had washed Loki's fleece. Then I let it drip-dry. Wah-Lah! By washing and "snapping" the skeins, it sets the twist so the yarn won't unravel as you knit!

Ewelaunda

It's official... the name of my spinning wheel is Ewelaunda! I LOVE IT! Thanks to everyone who participated in my poll! I want to share some pictures of me (well, not all of me -- my hand) preparing raw fleece for spinning!

Right after my spinning wheel (ahem, Ewelaunda) was ordered, I promptly went looking for something to spin! Well, I found this great place called Houndscroft Farm in Kentucky and I purchased the fleece from two Shetland sheep Loki & Lily!

Each fleece arrived in its own bag, looking gorgeous! Smelly (like "farm" - but I *love* that smell!),but beautiful! Both fleeces (fleece? fleecae?) are black with just a teeny tiny bit of white (literally, strands) thrown in here and there. The wool felt "greasy" to the touch -- but that's not a very good word to describe it. It wasn't like Ew(e) Ha!-You-Haven't-Washed-Your-Hair-In-Days-Ick; but like Wow-My-Hands-Feel-Like-I-Just -Put-On-The-Best-Lotion-Ever! Wool contains lanolin which naturally occurs to help the sheep repel water -- basically making their fleece waterproof so the little baa-baa-baa's don't get soaked to the skin. Since our sweaters and such don't need that protection, it is important to wash out the lanolin; plus when spinning, too much lanolin can gunk-up the moving parts.

I didn't know which fleece to start with (didn't want to show favoritism!) and so I closed my eyes and picked Loki's.

(My directions were provided to me by the owner of Loki and Lily, Tamara of Houndscroft Farm.)

First, I picked up a basketball size of fleece. I looked for any obvious vegetable matter; but, since the girl's were "coated" the bits of hay and such are very small and rare.

Next, I filled the bathroom sink with hot water and dish soap. The water was as hot as my little hands could stand it. I then placed the fleece in the sink and gently submerged it. It is SO important not to excessively handle or agitate the fleece... the more you mess with it, the more likely you'll felt it and end up with a pile of unusable fiber! Once submerged, you can immediately see the first of the natural occurring dirts and grease dirtying the water. It may look gross, but it's really not. Let the fleece soak anywhere from five to fifteen minutes. But don't let the water cool -- you want to keep the temperature constant.

I gently pushed the fleece to the side and drained the sink. Keeping the fleece away from the running water (that, too, can felt it) I re-filled the basin with clean, hot water. No soap. This was the first rinse, and again, the fiber soaked for about 10 minutes.

I kept repeating this rinsing process until the water was clear. After draining the last rinse, I *gently* squeezed the ball of fiber to remove water; then placed it on a towel to wring it out (gently, gently, gently) a bit more. After that, I separated the fleece and placed it on a towel to air dry -- completely. Being that the heat is on here for winter, it took about 12 - 24 hours to dry.

Tah Dah! Fleece that is ready to be made into Punis or Rolags for woolen-style spinning! As I wrote in one friend's email, I'm a pioneer woman! Tomorrow, I churn butter! :)

The Best Trip(p) to the Grocery Store, Ever!

Today Tripp and I took a walk to the local grocery store using his brand new stroller! He loved it!

He sat right up front and enjoyed the "stroll" as much (if not more) as I did!

When we got to the grocery store, I zipped up the stroller and we went through the store with no problems!

It was just a touch chilly today, so Tripp was wearing a little blue tennis sweater -- which unfortunately you can't see in the picture.

We will be going on many more walks to the store and on the Katy Trail in the future!

You Spin Me Round Round Baby Right Round Baby Baby!

Isn't she bee-u-tee-ful? (not me, the spinning wheel!) Yay! My new Schacht Matchless Double-Treadle Spinning Wheel arrived on Friday! I couldn't believe it! I had waited so long... Chris had ordered it on December 13'th; but with the Christmas back-log, it took longer than expected. Each Schacht spinning wheel is made as it is ordered!

Chris and I set the wheel up and I only had 15 minutes that first night to play before we headed out for a hockey game. What I couldn't believe was how fast I adapted to it.

When I went to White Rock Weaving Center to look for a spinning wheel, Anna the owner had me sit down and try the wheel out. Well, I was just a mess! I couldn't even treadle the damn thing and keep the wheel going, let alone spin and feed fiber to the bobbin! My Mom, Anna and me were laughing so hard because I was so mental on that thing! So, I ordered dvd's about spinning and watched every You Tube video out there! All these weeks of watching - and not doing - must've been the trick, because when I sat down with my new wheel, everything just clicked!

Now, I still have a lot of learning to do: speed of treadling, how much twist to give the fiber to form the thread, making a thread that has continuity of thickness and twist, and on and on...
Right now I am using sheep's wool as shown in these pictures. This is the natural color of the sheep! The fleece is sheared from the sheep then cleaned of it's natural greases and any vegetative matter (straw, grass, etc). Then it is combed several times to align the individual fibers into one direction. It is then assembled into this large ball called "top".

To spin the top, I take a small chunk and pre-draft it... that means I lightly pull lengthwise on the fibers to make a thinner piece of top and by doing this, it makes it easier for me to spin and get the continuity I want. I then begin spinning it, literally -- I am spinning the fiber, giving it twist, so that the fibers will hold together and become strong. Once I have achieved the right amount of spin, thickness and texture, I let the spinning wheel take up the thread and spin it around the bobbin.

Now, I could knit with just this one ply of yarn/thread; but that would be crazy (for me)! That would make a lace weight yarn -- but I think even *that* thick of a yarn would still be 2-ply. To make a yarn that is more sport weight, I would ply together 3 or 4 of these spun threads! Then the yarn is "set" by gently wetting it, beating it :) or rapping it on a table corner a few times, then letting it dry completely! Tah-Dah! Yarn!

I'll keep you posted as I create things!

Get Over Yourself

I understood the first time; figured "what the hell" the second time; but this time...

Ralph Nader to Run for President

Testing 1, 2, 3...

I just switched my browser from Safari to Firefox and it's amazing! It's almost like getting a new computer, again! Anyway, there's this add-on called ScribeFire that allows me to post to my blog, edit it and the whole kit and kaboodle with a simple click of a button! Wow! (I say it louder) So, I'm just testing it!

The High Life

I have decided to become a member of both NORML (national organization) and DFW NORML (local chapter).

NORML is a nonprofit organization that stands for the "National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws."

I don't want to insult anybody; but I think it's important to know that I am not some stoner... I lead a productive life and I am a responsible adult. I do *not* condone the illegal use of drugs; however, I do believe marijuana should be a legal substance (that could be taxed and regulated).

I have depression and o.c.d. tendencies and I have been taking medications for this for years. It was a rocky road to find the right meds, with a few mishaps along the way. A bad "side-effect" of the depression and o.c.d. (for me) can be nights of insomnia... so bad that I'll be lucky to get five hours of sleep in 72 hours. Through the years, doctors have tried to cure my bouts of insomnia, with damn near every medication available -- all to no avail. At one point in my life, a doctor had me on EIGHT DIFFERENT MEDS to "cure" me... my anti-depressants, another pill to ease the side effect of the anti-depressant, another to stop making me feel jittery from that pill, a strong sleeping pill, a pill to help me wake up, a pill to give me energy, etc. This combination of LEGAL, PRESCRIBED drugs made me so unwell, I had a major nervous breakdown and was hospitalized for two weeks (thankfully, I found a great dr and I am currently taking one medicine).

Marijuana can help you sleep. One doesn't need to use it everyday. One doesn't feel "hung-over" the next morning. Yes, it can "mellow" you... but nothing more dangerous than a couple glasses of wine.

I don't believe mj is as dangerous as many people believe; however, it should be used responsibly. After reading many facts regarding mj and it's usage, I have realized that these facts need to come to light.

Many people assume that marijuana was made illegal through some kind of process involving scientific, medical, and government hearings -- that it was to protect the citizens from what was determined to be a dangerous drug. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

In the 1937 marijuana was made illegal after roughly 90 minutes of discussion and "evidence", almost all led by a bigot name Harry J. Aslinger. If you think I'm using the word "bigot" just because I don't agree with what he said, please read some of his ACTUAL quotes from those hearings:

"There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and many others."

"...the primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on the degenerate races."

"You smoke a joint and you're likely to kill your brother."

"Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind."

"Marijuana leads to pacifism and communist brainwashing."

Here are some statistics for you to think about:

Causes of Death/Annual Deaths

According to Drug Warfacts.org for the year 2000 in the USA

Tobacco/435,000

Poor Diet & Physical Inactivity/365,000

Alcohol/85,000

Microbial Agents/5,000

Toxic Agents/55,000

Motor Vehicle Crashes/26,347

Adverse Reactions to Prescription Drugs/32,000

Suicide/30,622

Incidents Involving Firearms/29,000

Homicide/20,308

Sexual Behaviors/20,000

All Illicit Drug Use, Direct & Indirect/17,000

Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs i.e. Aspirin/7,600

Marijuana/0

Marijuana is less addictive than Heroin, Cocaine, Alcohol, Nicotine and Caffeine.

There are many great sites out there that can lead to the facts about marijuana.

We Are Fam-Ah-Lee...

This past weekend was a great one! My Mother-In-Law Jackie, Chris' brother Thor and his wife Dio and daughter Antigone came to visit to celebrate Jackie's birthday. We had a blast!

Everybody flew in (from San Diego and Annapolis) on Thursday afternoon. We went to dinner at Texas de Brazil (a churrascaria) and ate a fantastic dinner! The food was delicious, the wine wonderful and of course the company, outstanding!

Friday afternoon we went to the Aquarium and it was pretty cool! We also turned everyone on to "Central Market" -- the most amazing supermarket! Jackie, Thor & Dio are official addicts! We bought waaaay too much food and enjoyed a great bbq/cookout that night!

Saturday was a lazy but enjoyable day! We eventually worked up the strength to visit the Dallas Zoo. It was rather disappointing, I'm sorry to say. What few animals were there did give us their best, though!

Saturday night was the blow-out dinner to celebrate Mom's birthday at Aurora. Freaking amazing/awesome/stupendous/insert-a-fabulous-adjective-here! The restaurant was intimate and beautiful; the staff attentive; the food to-die-for. I'm drooling and shorting-out my keyboard reliving those memories! If you are ever in Dallas, I HIGHLY recommend this place!

Unfortunately, everyone had to go home on Sunday. It truly was a great weekend with lots of laughing and enjoying each other's company!

Hopefully it won't be another year until we can all get together again!

My Goodness! My Fergus!

We just came home from the emergency vet's... Fergus had been diagnosed with cardiomyopathy about six months ago... we knew the end was coming. These last few months had been wonderful... we spoiled him even more than we had before and he totally took advantage of it!

Fergus was such a wonderful dog... patient, kind, loving, playful and incredibly noble. Even tonight when he was in great discomfort, he was stoic and seemed he wanted *us* to be ok.

The decision was made at a little after 11pm that he should be put down. His passing was wonderfully peaceful. Dr. Cox was amazing and she let us bring Elvis, Eddie and Tripp so they could say their good-byes.

Fergus will be missed, and tonight, my heart is broken in two.

My Goodness! My Fergus!

August 24, 1999 ~ February 1, 2008

I'm Generous (With Other People's Stuff)!

My Mom made this recipe a couple years ago for our Super Bowl party. It was awesome! She made it again this Christmas, and we devoured it (she shaped it like a nativity scene - adorable)! I know she won't mind me sharing her super-secret recipe (before it became *her* super-secret recipe, it was Kraft's). (seriously this is totally cool with my Mom, right Mom???)

So, just in time for Sunday's Big Game...

Ze Chez Ball - From Ze Keechens of Krawft! (Mom's title, too cute!)

(Okay, there is a traditional version and a vegetarian version. Um, meat and cheese log??? Oh yes... read on little kids, read on...)

Prep time: 15 min

Total time: 3 hr 15 min

Makes: 3 1/2 cups spread, or 30 servings - about 2 Tbsp spread & 5 crackers each. No more. No less. You may have the urge to give your guests 6 crackers. Really good day? 7. No no no no no.

Ingredients:

2 pkgs (8oz ea) cream cheese, softened

1 pkg (8oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 cup chopped, cooked bacon <--- there's the meat!

Crackers

Beat cheeses and mayo in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add onions and pepper; mix well. Cover. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Form into football shape; roll in bacon bits. Garnish with pimiento strips or roasted red pepper strips for the "lacing" - if desired. Serve as a spread for the crackers.

Kraft Kitchen Tips!

Size-Wise - Since this cheesy spread makes 30 servings, it's perfect to serve at your next gathering of family or friends. (great tip!)

Substitute - Ground red pepper (cayenne) for the black pepper.

Substitute - 1 cup chopped pecans for the bacon bits. <--ahh, vegetarian! niiice.

Remember - 2tbsp and 5 crackers per guest! Dammit.

Party on!

It's Official: I'm A Redneck!

YEE HAW!!!!!

A little 'splainin' first: We're having a big Super Bowl XLII bash and we thought it'd be great to do a crawfish boil > sweet! We've ordered EIGHTY pounds of the crawdads for the fest, so I thought it'd be best to boil them outside on one of those outdoor patio stoves in my big-ass 60qt and 40qt stock pots!

I gather the only time people boil crawfish, lobster and crabs or deep fry a turkey is when they are absolutely plastered. My reason?

Here is a direct quote form the "Warning" section of the insert (there are 15 warnings and this is first):

WARNING! Read and understand before using this product.

1. Sober adult operation ONLY!

Sober? SOBER??? I have *never* read that before! I've checked manuals for my iTouch, the cable receiver, my printer, the microwave, the dishwasher and even Chris' new grill. Not ONE of the manuals mention that you have to be sober to use them! Obviously, these are your more drinker-friendly products... seriously though, do you think a chainsaw - which is way more dangerous - comes with that warning?

I just find it amazing they have to actually print that!

I could just see it: "Yee Haw! Me 'n da missus 'n our littl'uns are havin' us a deeep-friiied turkey... yep, I got me a turkey, enough boilin' oil to kill a a whole herd of dem Huns and I've drank me some ten beers! And I got me some more chillin' next to the stove... yessirree! Oops, pay me know mind! Ethel! Ethel! Bring me dat damn turkey!"

I Live in 1890's London! OOoooohhh!

We live in a townhome "complex" -- I guess that's what you would call it! It's not very big; there's only about 15 to 20 homes. ANYWAY...

It was *really* foggy and creepy here a few nights ago -- the fog was so thick ("As thick as pea soup I say!" [foghorn]) you could barely see across the street.

Our little neighbo(u)rhood has gas lamps through-out and I thought they looked wonderfully spooky! There's also electric lamps - sorry they're so bright.

Anyway, doesn't it look like Jack The Ripper's just hiding around a corner?!

It was cool.

I Hate George W. Bush.

Why didn't I know about this???

Help A Party Hostess (with the "mostess!) Out!

I need some ideas and I'm hoping you, my dear readers (all two of you) can help me out!

We're having this awesome Super Bowl party this Sunday and I want to have some games planned. Yes, party games can be dorky; but, that's what makes them fun! I think adults need to loosen up -- the world and life is too serious as it is -- and remember what it's like to be a kid at a party! Party favors? Check! Games? Check!! Prizes? CHECK!!!

So, I don't want to just "take" -- that's so greedy and *so* '90's! I would like to "give" --- I will share three of my more popular party games with you; then I hope in turn, you will share with me! Niiiiiice!

The Mummy Game

The only embarrassing part of this game is for the host/hostess... heading to the store and buying many, many rolls of t.p. can get you some strange looks.

Buy enough rolls so there is at least one roll for every two people. The cheapie stuff is good because it breaks/tears which makes the game interesting!

Everyone gets into teams of two and are given one, or preferably two, rolls of t.p. One person is the "dispenser" and the other person will be the "mummy." The goal of the game is to be the first to wrap the mummy-person completely from head-to-toe... sounds easy; but here's the kicker...

The dispenser-person can not aid in the wrapping in anyway other than holding the roll; the mummy-person must spin around in place! The dispenser may bend and move their arms up and down so that the t.p. can be wrapped from the feet to the head; but in no way may the dispenser wrap their arms or hand around the mummy to aid in the wrapping process!

Bad wraps don't count! Ideally, none of the mummy-person should show through the new wrapping! However, you need to keep your guests in mind -- a bunch of young, agile guests should be held to the tightest rules as this may be quite easy for the whipper-snappers! Us older folks can be clumsy, drunk, slow and/or have a wicked inner ear infection! For them, you might want to ease-up on the rules... unconscious guests are not fun guests!

Cotton Ball Drop

All you need for this is 10 cotton balls per player and some vasoline. Yes, vasoline.

I like to play this game in the kitchen or somewhere there is a counter or bar-height table because this seems best and easiest for the players.

In front of each player, place a pile of 10 cotton balls. Then, place a small dab of vasoline on the tip of each player's nose.

The goal of this game is to be the first player to "pick up" and drop all ten cotton balls (one at a time) to the floor ONLY USING THEIR NOSE!!!! No hands, no mouth, no nuttin'! Noses only!

This usually is not a close game because everybody feels so silly and are laughing; there's often just one focused player who pulls it off! But what's great is, it's not so hard "picking up" the cotton balls as it is dropping them!

I just always keep a small bag of ice on hand -- the first time *I* played, I got a bit aggressive and slammed my forehead into the counter. No one else but me has ever done that; but I think the ice is a good idea -- Be Prepared!

I.D. The Candy Bar

This one is fun, easy and a great conversation starter!

You'll need six small microwave-safe plates, six candy bars, pen or pencil and piece of paper for every player.

First, number the plates and correspond one candy per plate... record this on paper and keep hidden. Next, you're going to melt each candy bar beyond recognition in the microwave. I like to do this the day before the party, as this can make the house smell like burnt chocolate... I just put the melted blobs in the fridge until the party and this gives the place a chance to air out!

Use your imagine with this game, because the weirder the candy, the better!

Then, I have the candies placed somewhere with paper and pens nearby and as guests arrive, they can peruse the mounds-of-huh? and try to guess what they are! I give the players a list of the actual candy bars I melted and throw in three or four extra to confuse them... but at least this gives everybody a chance to pick some correct answers even if they're not avid candy bar consumers. Whoever has the most correct answers, wins! Yay!

So, there are my three games.

Bring it on!

hugs,

me

I'm On My Way to Cool!

I have a brand new (six-hours-old) MacBook! YES!

I'm so excited and it has so many new features! I'd tell you about them; but I have no idea what all this machine can do!

Tomorrow I go to the Apple Store and have a One-On-One with a Genius to help me get all the information from my old iBook to my MacBook. The "kids" at the Apple Store were all amazed I still had an iBook! Wait until they see my first generation iPod!

More to come...

Super Blehh XLII

I so wanted to see the Bolts beat the Pats. Hate 'em. The ONLY redeeming factor for the Patriots is the fact that Tom Brady guest starred on a very funny episode of "The Family Guy" and "Shipoopi" is one of the best scenes ever!

I also wanted to see the Packers beat the Giants... didn't happen. Brett Favre deserves to be there because he is a legend. No other reasons necessary. 

We're having a Super Bowl party (hey -- if you're in the neighborhood, stop by!) and I think I'll have to plan lots of party-games and such... I have a feeling this Bowl will be a blow-out of epic proportions. Anyone know of any fun party games?

Honey! I Just Shot Me a Boogularr!

I really like living in Dallas. It's a cool city that has exceeded my expectations in many ways. And I believe the reason for that is: No one here is from here. I'm glad to say I'm from Dallas.

However, saying I'm from Texas is a whole different matter:

'Castle Law' Arms Texas Homeowners the Right to Shoot

YEE-HAW!

Someone Was Very Busy...EDDIE!!!

This has got to be one of my favorite pictures! I promise you, I did not arrange or place the yarn in any way! By the way, the big one is Fergus and the little one is Tripp -- both innocent bystanders (obviously, one more than the other)!

I was downstairs in the kitchen and I kept hearing ba-dump ba-dump ba-dump (fast) over head. I knew it was Eddie (the pup in the top picture) - he's always bouncing around! No worries, though; he's got a mess of toys.

As I made my way upstairs, I was greeted by two wayward skeins of yarn. My heart sank... what got ruined now? However, when I followed those skeins and saw this, I couldn't help but laugh! I mean, how did he do it? Up and Over Fergus! On the Bed! Around the Piggy! Through the Piggy?!? Wow!!!

Luckily, the yarns were not important to me.  Well, let me put it this way:

Piggy Toy: $18.00

Four Skeins of Eyelash Yarn: $24.00

Eddie's Adoption: $250.00

Finding Fergus, Piggy and Half My Bedroom Wrapped In Yarn: Priceless

Allow Myself to Introduce Myself

I really wanted a clever name for this blog. Something witty that you'd remember. Sometimes, I just can't think that way; so I racked my brain for days, and then - Wah Lah!!!

Back when I was a kid, we (my Mom, Dad, our dog Pokey, and me) would go camping every weekend. That was fun when I was 7; but at 16 it was the pits. So, I would spend the entire weekend in a phone booth talking to my friend Wendy. Yes, a phone booth --- waaaay before there was ever such a thing as a cellphone. (That's scary science!) It was a good deal though - 10 cents and you could talk for-EVER. Really. Once, Wendy and I tried to "run out" the 10 cents and after about three hours, we gave up (I swear to God we could talk that long!). Anywho...

So, I'm 16 and at the campground bored out of my skull. I went to the main/public area and chose phone booth #1 (of 2) and called Wendy. We were talking and this really, really cute boy walked by! Well, I was boy crazy at that age, and I was also a total geek! We caught each other's eye and smiled! Smooth - so far! Wendy and I kept talking and finally this boy approached me. The Coke machines were right across from the phone booths, and Mr. Cutey-Pie came up to the phone booth and asked if he could buy me a pop! Wow!

I was so nervous (and Wendy can confirm this, she was on the other end of the line), that I looked into his beautiful blue eyes, smiled, and said...

"Me no thirsty."

The look on his face was that "deer in the headlights" look and he immediately turned and walked away -- at a pretty brisk pace. He also avoided me the rest of the weekend.

Eh, it is funny now -- devastating at 16! I was so embarrassed! Anyway, I'm sure I had many dork-moments before that; but, that's what I remember as the true beginning as "My Life As a Spazz (a cute spazz)!"

Enjoy!