tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40025322012-01-23T08:01:25.698-05:00my world and what's in itCarlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.comBlogger4001100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-28807092601102259242012-01-20T16:04:00.002-05:002012-01-20T16:04:56.346-05:00

Port Mortuary, Patricia Cornwell originally published: November 2010 finished reading: abandoned in disgust, 18 January 2012 cost: $27.95 (library and boy am I glad I didn't pay for this!) It's official, Kay Scarpetta has jumped the shark. I got to the middle of this roughly 500 page book I realized that we had only traveled about 5 hours in time. Why? Because Scarpetta has to think about the

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-20265663403873658482012-01-17T21:24:00.001-05:002012-01-17T21:24:27.757-05:00

On Ravelry there's a group called, yes, 12 Shawls in 2012. My friend Katherine pinned a couple of shawls and I got pulled in. I had started a shawl on New Year's and I figured, "what the heck"? So here's my first shawl of 2012. This is the Easy Pie Wedge Shawl. When you bought the Helen's Lace (multi) from Lorna's Laces, the pattern was on the ball band. It took about 1200 yards (there's still

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-46820305205863268222012-01-13T17:10:00.002-05:002012-01-13T17:10:21.886-05:00

I've been reading lately about people who commit to doing something creative for an entire year. It's an interesting concept and one I'm thinking about trying. There are a couple things holding me back: What if I attempt it and don't complete it? Are there enough different ways to be creative about something? When it gets hard will I push through or will I give up? When I'm thinking about

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-28056542180649623452012-01-12T19:08:00.001-05:002012-01-12T19:08:40.363-05:00

I'm sure I've talked at some point about my allergies, but not recently. Is there anyone in the US who isn't allergic to something? I don't think so. Here's the thing, I'm allergic, but to weird stuff and it's taken me years to figure it out.  When the Hub and I came back from our honeymoon (1988), I was sick a lot. I would get up to go to work and feel so crappy that I'd just go back to bed. It

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-44424478851785492612012-01-11T20:59:00.002-05:002012-01-11T20:59:51.401-05:00

I left it all on the course today. I was up at 4:30, out the door by 5:30, in my office by 6:40. It was a non-stop e-mail, telephone, people walking into my office kind of day. Everyone needed something 10 minutes ago and it was REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT !!eleventy!1!!. So, now I'm back at home and I'm done. I want to crawl into my bed, turn off the light, fall into the deepest slumber ever, and

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-36206424326876111172012-01-10T19:22:00.000-05:002012-01-10T19:22:25.149-05:00

I love this show. The Hub and I started watching over the holiday break (he wasn't as into it as I was). We sped through seasons 1 and 2 and then he went to Florida to teach some people how to fly. I wanted to make it last and only rent 1 disk at a time. Yesterday I was feeling so crappy that I threw caution to the wind and rented the first 2 disks of season 3. Then I sat and watched them both. (

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-45094313102529515542012-01-09T09:49:00.002-05:002012-01-10T19:07:05.035-05:00

Last Thursday I went to the dentist, a place I've been to much too often in the last several months. I'm a grinder - not only at night when sleeping, but during the day, when annoyed. So I had a toothache and called the dentist. It's a tooth that's been hurting on a minor scale for a couple of weeks, but it has a really deep filling and I knew that at some point I would need a root canal and a

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-18192504583445404422012-01-08T05:21:00.000-05:002012-01-08T05:21:54.680-05:00

Death Comes to Pemberley, P.D. James originally published: December 2011 finished reading: 7 January 2012 cost: $25.95 (borrowed from friend) P.D. James loves Austen. I've read a lot of fan-fiction and they all seem to love the characters, but James has an affinity for Austen herself that many of the other authors lack. This book feels closer to Jane Austen's own style of writing than any other

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-87394374566539639832012-01-07T19:34:00.002-05:002012-01-07T19:34:47.965-05:00

Pirate King: A Novel of Suspense Featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, Laurie R. King originally published: December 2011 finished: 6 January 2012 cost*: $25.05 - borrowed from a friend I will admit to being something of an Anglophile. I do love the British and their unique way of seeing things. Except...I emphatically do not love Gilbert and Sullivan. Never understood the attraction,

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-85503075377374614822012-01-06T07:48:00.002-05:002012-01-06T14:11:40.789-05:00

That's Dolly. She's our 6.5 year old Brittany Spaniel and she's missing. My son let her out while he put his boots on yesterday afternoon (4:00 pm) and when he went out to walk her, less than 10 minutes later, she was gone. The kids looked and looked and even my mother-in-law drove Little Big Man around looking. I've put an add up on Craig's list as well as a lost dog post at our county's

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-76499819818270397882012-01-05T07:54:00.000-05:002012-01-05T07:54:07.920-05:00

I've been a follower of David Allen off and on for the last 3 years (or so). I don't always follow GTD (Getting Things Done) to the letter and frequently do exactly what Allen says not to do, which is pick and choose what I want to do and leave the rest for "later" - of course "later" rarely comes. Every January, Allen sends off an e-mail talking about what he does to review the past year and

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-66197980506758646342012-01-04T02:13:00.001-05:002012-01-04T02:13:37.643-05:00

Again, in the quest to spin up the stash I dove in for another couple of chunks that would spin well together.  Spunky Eclectic 80% Corriedale/20% Alpaca blend in the Cowgirl Blues colorway. I'm pretty sure someone gave this to me, because I would never have picked the colors myself. I ganked a photo that someone posted on Ravelry and this is exactly what my braid looked like. It's essentially

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-86595612261970496052012-01-03T17:30:00.001-05:002012-01-04T02:14:55.740-05:00

I've been working on a technique my friends Erica and Jillian have been encouraging me to try. Stop me if you've heard this one, but you take 2 different rovings/tops with at least one color in common, strip them down to about the width of your thumb and then hold them together while spinning. This creates a barber pole effect in the single that becomes dots of color when plied.  It is amazing

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-7204003330144328902012-01-02T18:03:00.000-05:002012-01-03T16:45:24.588-05:00

Jemima Rooper as Amanda Price I spent most of the day spinning with my buddy Jillian. We frequently take a hooky day and watch movies (or television series) one after the other. Today we watched Lost in Austen and part of the new Tempest with Helen Mirren in the starring role. I sat next to J's daughter and we made fun of the costumes and decided which actors we liked best (Mr. Darcy) and

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-43483913405723387782012-01-01T21:57:00.003-05:002012-01-01T21:57:49.361-05:00

http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/everyday-innovations/fireworks.htm I hate New Year's Eve, but I love the new year. It is a fresh start and it's wonderful. I truly look forward to 2012 and hope that it is a fabulous year full of good things for everyone.

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-26749169199310514652011-12-31T04:05:00.000-05:002011-12-31T04:05:06.504-05:00

Went to bed in an absolutely foul mood last night and now I'm awake waaay too early. I think the mood was an indicator that it's time to go back to work. I do best with structure and almost 2 weeks of very little structure is wearing me out. I've drifted from reading, to knitting, to spinning, to watching movies, to eating...it's a little exhausting. So today, we'll journey up to my parents'

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-61903209487024298752011-12-30T08:47:00.000-05:002011-12-31T05:03:09.460-05:00

Spin Art: Mastering the Craft of Spinning Textured Yarn, Jacey Boggs originally published: November 2011 finished reading: 30 December 2011 I must admit, the first time I saw Jacey Boggs' yarns I wasn't impressed. As a knitter and a spinner, what use did I have for yarn with felted eyeballs in it? I figured she was a fad and that she'd blow over and disappear, leaving the field for serious

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-8379236916067422712011-12-29T22:30:00.000-05:002011-12-31T04:31:02.107-05:00

My Friend Dahmer, Derf Backderf originally published: March 2012 finished reading: 29 December 2011 (review copy) Extremely disturbing. I have this fascination with serial killers and I'm not sure where it comes from. I love watching the shows where they take you into a prison to talk to the prisoners and look into why they committed their crimes. My husband frequently says, "Why do you watch

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-82853543585839472722011-12-28T17:07:00.000-05:002011-12-31T05:09:12.291-05:00

The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York, Deborah Blum originally published: January 2011 finished reading: 28 December 2011 I almost gave up reading this book halfway through the first chapter. I'm intrigued by any book using science to figure out how people died, but the first chapter was full of the politics of how the medical examiner's office

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-52782213618176718972011-12-22T18:22:00.002-05:002011-12-22T18:23:16.336-05:00

Ladies First: Revelations of a Strong Woman, Queen Latifah originally published: 2000 Finished reading: 17 December 2011 I love music, always have. My tastes are all over the board, hard rock, country, even rap. However, I have a couple of rules when I listen to music:  I have to be able to understand what they're saying  There's a no repeat rule (repeat something too many times and they're

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-73602150194830130452011-12-21T19:32:00.000-05:002011-12-22T18:31:48.858-05:00

and I'm having a hard time getting back up. I was doing so well with the blogging thing - then work blew up. I had a week of meetings for which I had to prepare (not just show up and look engaged). Then I was in the process of cleaning off my desk for my 2-week holiday (hooray). This just doesn't leave much time for blogging and thinking about creativity. However, I was creative and engaged in

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-6922821260412880342011-12-13T17:32:00.000-05:002011-12-14T07:06:35.659-05:00

Do you read the Knitty blog? Do you know what Knitty is? Let's start there. It's the longest running ezine for knitters. Free patterns, wonderful columns, and a great review of all things fiber. My friend Amy is the founding editor and my friend Jillian is the editor of KnittySpin (Knitty's sister publication) and the glue that keeps it all together. There's also a Knitty blog where Amy,

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-32073306492076290322011-12-12T23:15:00.000-05:002011-12-14T06:50:59.352-05:00

We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families: Stories from Rwanda, Philip Gourevitch originally published: September 1999 finished 12 December 2011 I have always felt an obligation to read books like this - books written about the terrible things human beings do to one another. In 1994, I was safe in my little house taking care of my 3-year-old son. Not worrying that

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-84426186869777232752011-12-10T21:09:00.001-05:002011-12-10T21:26:38.596-05:00

I was Jillian's second today, Uhura to her Kirk. We tripped over to the west side of the state to pick up a loom she had loaned to a friend and drop it off to another friend. As expected, we had lots to talk about.  Earlier this week I received the e-mail that let me know I'm officially accepted as a vendor at Fiber Expo 2012. There's lots to do between now and then. Jillian told me I needed a

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-12995023626832024872011-12-09T23:33:00.000-05:002011-12-10T01:49:57.730-05:00

Gratuitous fiber shot Hmmm, it doesn't seem like I've done much creatively this week. I am slowly getting pictures of fiber up into Etsy. Not very creative, but the photos are fabulous and it makes me feel better about having all this stuff around the house. I am plugging along on the stocking. I will be turning the heel this weekend and that means I'm in the home stretch. Not much sense

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-71328916672002146582011-12-08T20:03:00.000-05:002011-12-08T20:03:54.660-05:00

As a spinner, it's important to try new fibers. In the beginning, a lot of us want to "wait until I'm good" before trying exotic (read: expensive) things. We don't want to ruin our good stuff because our yarn is lumpy or drifts apart or just doesn't look the way we want it to. There were lots of expensive things I avoided, but other things too - like superwash. Sarah on merino superwash

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-82013823213601753522011-12-07T19:32:00.000-05:002011-12-08T20:05:49.287-05:00

Paula Deen: It Ain't All About the Cookin', Paul Deen and Sherry Suib Cohen originally published: 2007 finished reading: 4 December 2011 I love biographies, always have. I'm in the middle of reading another non-fiction book that's really bringing me down and needed something to pick me up. Paula Deen fit that bill. I loved that the book sounded the way she sounds on her show (and I've been

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-35327002968407705702011-12-06T21:55:00.002-05:002011-12-06T21:55:23.343-05:00

Today, I got nothin'. I've been trying to take pictures of everything to get them into my Etsy shop. It's a huge job and exhausting (but it will be worth it when I'm done). I can't even show you some of the pictures. My daughter informed me when we were pulling into the driveway that the batteries in the mouse had died. She couldn't have let me know before we drove past at least 3 places that

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-69672979262747901802011-12-05T21:18:00.001-05:002011-12-05T21:53:47.225-05:00

Orange luxury pack In August of this year my friend Lynne Vogel was teaching a color/spin/dye workshop at Harrisville Designs in New Hampshire. If you're a knitter, you should have heard of Harrisville. They do the yummy yarns in the Vivian Hoxbro kits and they do a bunch of other amazing yarns for knitting and weaving (tweeds - mmmm!!). Harrisville has a giant classroom space as well as

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-18886036892205816952011-12-04T20:56:00.001-05:002011-12-06T21:57:56.566-05:00

The purple paper stash I cannot take the credit for this idea. As I mentioned a couple of days ago, I have become addicted to Pinterest. I kept seeing people repin this blog post and figured it would be fun for the girls to have a go at it. We went to Michael's yesterday and picked up the flat bottom marbles, glue, and magnets. After homework was done tonight, they sat down and started. I still

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-13617922459191300352011-12-03T17:23:00.001-05:002011-12-03T17:34:21.350-05:00

I have an Etsy shop. I opened it a couple of years ago because I was dyeing so much fiber and I couldn't spin it as fast as I could knit it. Then I decided to start dyeing sock yarn. That was a lot of fun too, but again, how much sock yarn can you stash? (Okay, a lot, I know, but it was getting ridiculous). I spent some time today taking pictures of some of my yarn to upload. It's kind of a

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-43293037538814597702011-12-02T19:17:00.001-05:002011-12-02T19:57:38.170-05:00

Friday is going to be the roundup day for creativity. I'll revisit anything I've done during the week and provide any updates as well as look forward to what I'll be doing next week. I managed to snag the work camera and wow! I had forgotten what a great camera can do. The ease of taking these fabulous pictures made my head swim. I think my search for a new camera is at an end - I want one of

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-11889649397740900452011-12-01T08:52:00.001-05:002011-12-01T09:14:17.747-05:00

We have an exchange student from Germany living with us this year. She has really integrated into our family and is a joy to have here with us. Many years ago I knit my own babies Christmas stockings and 2 years ago, knit some for my sister's kids. It would be weird for everyone to have a hand knitted stocking except for Hens. During my Thanksgiving break, I started. She loves greens. When she

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-57272435290953604692011-11-30T22:37:00.000-05:002011-12-01T03:32:31.866-05:00

Imagine: How Creativity Works, Jonah Lehrer originally published: 13 March 2012 finished: 30 November 2011 (galley copy) I have a friend whose husband is a book rep - she passes me the books that she thinks I'll find most interesting, so I lucked into a galley copy of this book. I consider myself a creative type and have often wondered why sometimes the ideas flow easily and other times it feels

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-34456145393252894632011-11-29T19:06:00.001-05:002011-11-29T19:18:16.683-05:00

Okay, it's almost the end of November and I'm just now looking at the BlogHer site. Apparently there's a prompt for every day! Who knew? Today's prompt is what is the last thing you do before bed? What a lovely room!* Since I have insomnia, I try to go to bed at around the same time every night (between 9 and 10 - hey I get up at 4:30, so that's reasonable). The thing is, I always have to

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-20467473194489053592011-11-28T22:43:00.000-05:002011-11-29T12:27:44.680-05:00

I am crazy. I signed up for the December blog every day thingie on BlogHer. I've signed up as a crafty blogger, so I'm thinking about things I can do on a daily basis and post them on my blog. I haven't gone back to my Artist Trading Cards since that Sunday that I worked with Lisa. I think I may have enough cards to be able to do one/day or at least a couple of weeks worth. I have a couple of

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-28365270905340562312011-11-27T07:20:00.000-05:002011-11-28T07:23:46.054-05:00

How is it that I've just discovered Pinterest? How long has it actually been around? All I know is, I can waste spend a lot of time looking at cool stuff and being excited about DIY, but NOT ACTUALLY DOING ANYTHING! That is wrong and I've had to tear myself away from the computer for the last 2 days to actually knit or spin. Craziness.

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-70715838555979458582011-11-26T16:10:00.000-05:002011-11-27T03:48:02.480-05:00

Really, I had 5 days in a row off? Tomorrow, the Hub and Little Big Man will leave again. The Hub is heading for Florida. He has a flying student who wants to start on Monday. Actually, his head was still in Florida this whole trip. Understandably it was a short one, but I expected him to be fully here and he just wasn't. When I pointed it out, he was at least aware he was doing it. His

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-32966648171745060522011-11-25T10:14:00.000-05:002011-11-26T07:38:13.212-05:00

I found a great design website while cruising the web this morning (and eating pumpkin pie). It's written by Kara Paslay who's had careers as a basketball player, designer for Anthropologie, and has now set out to create with her husband - they're working on having their own TV show. It's called Kara Paslay Designs and is chock full of great ideas that you can do yourself. Bubble mobile

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-59149851146098924782011-11-24T11:00:00.001-05:002011-11-24T11:04:42.248-05:00

This is not my turkey, you understand. We never put the whole bird on the table. We carve in the kitchen and carry platters to the table. Everyone is on their way to my house, the turkey is in the oven, cranberry relish is in the fridge, pies are on the sideboard, and the stuffing is in the crock pot (I know, it's a new technique this year - I'll let you know how it turns out). Happy

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-72592235494875450012011-11-23T21:47:00.000-05:002011-11-24T10:57:58.816-05:00

A couple of years ago I bought a Western Digital 100 GB portable drive to back up my music. After the investment I've made in music I'd hate to see it disappear in a puff of smoke. The drive cost somewhere around $125. Now, I have too much media to put on it. So I had to go get another one. This drive is 1 terabyte - that's 1,000 GB! I think it might take a while to fill with media (music, TV

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-23169960341369636452011-11-22T21:24:00.000-05:002011-11-23T03:37:20.191-05:00

My whole family will be in the same house tomorrow. I'll be picking Little Big Man up from university at noon. His one class on Wednesday has been cancelled. I would have picked him up tonight, but he had to work. He hasn't been home since we took him up there and moved him in. On one hand, I'm proud of him for finally finding his place (after 2 years). On the other hand, I've missed him this

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-40372758222503203902011-11-21T20:57:00.000-05:002011-11-22T06:55:55.610-05:00

I just came back from a meeting with 2 really cool women who have a great idea for a project. I can't tell you much, but it involves fiber and the great outdoors. I'm incredibly excited to be working with these women and I'm hopeful that we can pick up some interest from the other great women I know. I will be documenting my process - just in case anyone is interested after the fact. I always

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-79994414189178975332011-11-20T19:47:00.060-05:002011-11-28T09:24:37.112-05:00

My daughter convinced me to read the Twilight books a couple of years ago. She loves them so much; it seemed like the thing to do. I raced through them in a weekend and felt a little sick afterwards, but my Sassy was happy. If you've been living under a rock for the last several months, the latest movie based on the books came out this weekend. Sassy has seen every movie with a group of

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-17974076998209658822011-11-19T19:28:00.001-05:002011-11-19T19:41:54.506-05:00

Have you seen a Lexie Barnes bag up close? They're magnificent. She makes the most gorgeous, most functional bags ever. Well, she did. She recently stopped making bags. I had always anticipated buying a Coco (the bag she made for holding circular knitting needles). A few weeks ago a friend told me that she's no longer making them and I panicked. I went online and managed to find one that

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-29955839084616285662011-11-18T15:21:00.001-05:002011-11-18T15:22:13.367-05:00

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-45075829052112431182011-11-17T21:32:00.001-05:002011-11-17T21:34:03.754-05:00

We have an exchange student staying with us this year. She's a lovely girl and has settled into our family nicely. Here's my dilemma, what do I get the kid for Christmas? I want to give her something similar to what I would give my own kids, but honestly I haven't known her for that long. Sassy's getting an iPod - will it cause hurt feelings if I get the same thing for our student? Little Big

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-10313443679003771932011-11-16T18:27:00.000-05:002011-11-16T18:27:44.601-05:00

The Hypnotist, Lars Kepler (audio) originally published: 2009 translated from Swedish: June 2011 finished: 16 November 2011 I loved the Stieg Larsson books. Enjoyed reading them, enjoyed the movies - all of it. When a friend of mine suggested that I read this one (listen really) I jumped at the chance. I was hoping to get another great Swedish mystery that would keep me hanging to the very

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-56935634999243619142011-11-15T18:55:00.002-05:002011-11-15T19:48:48.781-05:00

My friend Erica makes the best yarn. She has a great color sense and blends colors on the fly. She puts things together that I never would, and they look fabulous. My friend Jillian set out to do what Erica does. She watched Erica spin and watched how she put colors together and figured out a way to explain it to me so I could do it too. I have a stash of fiber that's so special to me that I

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-23887006402268746562011-11-14T22:00:00.000-05:002011-11-15T07:58:56.600-05:00

Here's the list of festivals I want to do next year: January 28 Winter Wine & Wool, Jackson, Michigan May 19 Michigan Fiber Fiesta, Greenville, Michigan July 28-29 Castle Farms Fiber Festival, Charlevoix, Michigan August 17-19 Michigan Fiber Festival, Allegan, Michigan September 29-30 Northern Michigan Lamb & Wool, West Branch, Michigan October 27-28 Fiber Expo, Ann

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-73823685115986374682011-11-13T12:07:00.001-05:002011-11-13T12:19:19.783-05:00

The House at Sea's End (Ruth Galloway #3), Elly Griffiths originally published: 10 January 2012 (I read a review copy) finished: 11 November 2011 The third in Ruth Galloway book is a wonderful addition to the series. There are several things I love about these books: the setting (bleak English coast), Ruth's job (forensic anthropology), and the characters. They are regular human beings - no one

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-7209493806485298192011-11-12T22:37:00.000-05:002011-11-13T11:53:40.127-05:00

I've done this show since its beginning. My friend Kate Kehoe organizes it and the table fee is basically a fund raiser for the senior center where the show is held. She does one in the fall and one in the spring. Every show I wait and wait to see if I want to spend the table fee to get myself in. Every time I miss the deadline and Kate drops me an e-mail, "Are you interested? You've got a

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-51035820613885236762011-11-11T21:40:00.000-05:002011-11-13T11:57:32.633-05:00

I've been doing a couple of small shows for the last couple of years. I didn't start dyeing because I'd make a lot of money. I started dyeing because I love the colors, so small shows have suited me fine. As long as I made my costs back, I was happy.  This last August I did what was recommended as a good show. It wasn't. Something good did come out of it, however. It was a multi-day show and I

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-11069363135852099572011-11-10T21:30:00.004-05:002011-11-11T06:29:17.187-05:00

View of the back deck

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-87392068547590365862011-11-09T22:03:00.002-05:002011-11-10T11:03:26.737-05:00

There was a big storm blowing through tonight. Wind, some rain, 20 degree temperature drop in 3 hours - the works. I was worried all the way home from our field hockey banquet that our power would be out. I was right.  We all stomped around being pissy and lighting candles. I called the Hub (who is currently in Florida) for instructions on how to start the generator and called in to report

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-26405843922565569482011-11-08T19:05:00.000-05:002011-11-08T19:05:32.760-05:00

I love to swim and had to stop several years ago because of right shoulder pain that turned out to be a torn rotator cuff. I had to have surgery (which was the most painful thing ever) and it scared me off swimming. This spring a co-worker and I signed up for the gym on campus and convinced each other it was time to move. I decided since my right shoulder hasn't given me any problems since

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-69199361753897542212011-11-07T19:42:00.001-05:002011-11-07T19:44:37.623-05:00

Lisa and I played for several hours with our inaugural ATCs. (Of course, I also had to check out her studio and while she mostly loves making art at her dining room table, she also has a way cool nook in her well-lit basement.) This was my second attempt. I choose another ATC that I had put gesso on thickly and swirled with the paint brush. Layer 2: I used 4 different watercolor crayons to

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-71575807818528712942011-11-06T19:23:00.034-05:002011-11-07T19:34:12.150-05:00

I went to my friend's house and she was so interested in the artists' trading cards, that's all we worked on. Here is my first: Please excuse the slight fuzziness of the photo. Our digital camera is on its last legs and the screen was all wonky when I went to take the picture. I think I need to add something for scale as well, but there it is. I'm not exactly sure it's finished, but it's

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-21747916080325449882011-11-05T22:14:00.000-04:002011-11-05T22:14:05.915-04:00

I've been thinking a lot about doing something daily to just be creative - to play, really. I have tons of supplies from my scrapbooking days and have been looking at Artist Trading Cards. This is a form of art that's about the size of a baseball card, but is personally created. The scale is tiny (2.5 x 3.5), so doing one every day is completely within my scope. The problem for me is ... getting

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-38568579698489109642011-11-04T21:45:00.000-04:002011-11-04T21:45:39.156-04:00

Tomorrow I take my youngest for her first campus visit. It's a small, liberal arts college here in the midwest. She doesn't want anything too big and eventually (thinks she) wants to do physical therapy. It seems like a good place to get a well-rounded education that will set her up right for graduate school. The other couple bonuses are, it has a field hockey team and it's only about 1.5 hours

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-58440554631547883732011-11-03T16:03:00.000-04:002011-11-03T16:03:37.010-04:00

I've always had headaches. Seriously, ever since I can remember I've had them. In high school, the doctors thought it was because I needed glasses. So I got glasses. Still got headaches. The older I got, the more severe they got until I had the classic migraine - flashing lights, nausea, photophobia - the whole nine yards. These necessitated trips to the emergency department and 3 different (

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-82878316527973471172011-11-02T09:25:00.000-04:002011-11-02T09:25:44.333-04:00

Stop me if you've heard this one.... My sister used to go to a needlepoint store that was half needlepoint and half knitting. It was right around the corner from where she worked. One Christmas, she drew my name in the family exchange and gave me a small needlepoint canvas with all the thread needed to complete it. It was fun, helped pass the time so when I finished, I asked her to take me into

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-67999540138297909042011-11-01T15:37:00.000-04:002011-11-01T15:37:47.316-04:00

I have a posse. They are women I've know for a while (from 2 to 16 years) and we all share a passion for knitting and/or spinning. Last year, we were bummed out because we couldn't afford to go to the Spin Off Autumn Retreat (SOAR) even though it was practically in our back yard. We decided we could have our own retreat, and we did. We call it BLAR (Black Lake Autumn Retreat) even though BLAR II

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-57078426228132304612011-07-19T13:34:00.001-04:002011-07-19T13:36:26.133-04:00

I just came across a blog called Creative Every Day and thought "what a great idea!" While I have great intentions of being creative every day, somehow between working 9-10 hour days and (sort of) making sure the house isn't a sty there just isn't enough time. We got rid of satellite TV, so now I'm reading more, but I need the impetus to "make something". I have lots of ideas, so I'm going to

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-68419198343297180352010-07-05T22:26:00.000-04:002010-07-05T22:26:16.419-04:00

I understand the appeal of fireworks - I do. There's nothing like a match and a flame for some good, clean fun. Pretty lights, loud noises, I get it. I also understand the run up to the Fourth of July - set off a few every night to get the anticipation for the big night going.  It's July 5. I'm sitting in my dining room listening to the neighbors set off yet another round of fireworks. They've

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-10806376301202324972010-07-04T23:19:00.000-04:002010-07-04T23:19:58.955-04:00

I resisted reading this for a long time - mostly because I didn't know what it was about and I hate to read a book because everyone else is reading it. It came up as a selection in one of my book clubs and I thought, "Oh why not". I'm so very glad I did. Even my mother, who doesn't much like crime stories is enjoying it. I loved the characters and enjoyed

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-74244778016605497952010-07-03T22:15:00.001-04:002010-07-04T07:19:15.300-04:00

If it's July, it's TdF. I'm in front of the television spinning yarn and watching Bobke call the race. It's heaven! The Team Radioshack blog is here. Should prove to have some interesting pictures and commentary this month. I will be there for the recap every night.

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-91642136827505205072010-07-02T22:50:00.000-04:002010-07-02T22:50:51.468-04:00

My daughter and a couple of her friends from elementary and middle school made a pact a long time ago that they would all watch the Twilight movies together. Tonight was the night for the latest version of teenage, vampire angst. Since they were all coming to my house afterward, it made sense to stay and watch the movie. I kind of wish I hadn't. First, I couldn't sit with them because that

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-9805927476048585552010-07-01T11:01:00.000-04:002010-07-01T11:01:24.082-04:00

Remember when I said I was going to write every day? That lasted all of 2 months. So, here we go again. At least this month, I'll have things to write about as the Tour de France starts just 2 days from today! Because I know myself, I need something prodding me to make sure I do write everyday. So, I've signed up for July NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month). I'll have daily prods in case

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-51092503655241510392010-04-08T17:24:00.000-04:002010-04-08T17:24:04.265-04:00

It was a great show last time. Drop by and check out the great art!

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-29199549429654430312010-03-22T15:21:00.000-04:002010-03-22T15:21:08.784-04:00

The Help, Kathryn Stockett  originally published in 2009 My friend Jillian has a great library system. I do not. She helps me out by reading voraciously and then passing on the good ones to me. I never would have read The Help if she hadn't given it to me. The story is set in the late 1950s early 1960s in the south. The help referred to are the black women who clean the houses and raise the

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-69821152323416872592010-03-21T13:31:00.001-04:002010-03-21T13:32:41.112-04:00

February kicked my ass. I know, it's the middle of March, what am I whining about? I had a big deadline at work, winter was dragging on and on and on, and I was (still am) a single parent (Peter Pan went to Florida). The last couple of days of sunshine and spring-like weather have me feeling so much better. It's enough to make me want to invest in one of those happy lights next fall. Allow me

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-11383831086642574712010-02-13T21:13:00.003-05:002010-02-13T21:30:09.858-05:00

I will say it right here, I LOVE the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. Summer, winter, it doesn't matter - bring it all on. I love to see the national clothing, the dancing, the singing, the athletes walking in the parade with their cameras and their million dollar smiles, it's all amazing. What I love most is the pride the host country brings to the celebration.Canada did not disappoint. I'll

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-68592776115240275462010-02-07T19:35:00.002-05:002010-02-07T19:38:50.416-05:00

Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously, Julie Powelloriginally published in 2007My mother-in-law saw the movie based on this book twice in the theater. Then when it came out on DVD, she bought it and brought it over to watch with my husband and me. While the book isn't quite as precious as the movie, it was close. From someone who lives in the middle of the country, I get a little tired of

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-65097706595441113732010-01-31T05:45:00.002-05:002010-01-31T06:01:21.947-05:00

I ran into the admin from my accountant's office on Friday (our daughters play field hockey together). I asked if tax season was ramping up. She spent 5 minutes telling me how screwed up this year's tax season will be because rules are still changing and they don't have all the forms for filing, so people are turning in their taxes, but they can't get them done because they're waiting ... for the

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-69255771747849363752010-01-26T06:24:00.000-05:002010-01-31T06:26:02.986-05:00

U is for Undertow, Sue Graftonoriginally published in 2009I could just say, "the best one yet" and be correct, but that seems a little too simple. I started reading this alphabet series after Grafton had written four of them. I loved her descriptions of everything and felt like I was sitting on a park bench in Santa Teresa. I still feel that way.I met Sue Grafton at a book signing once. She had

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-72357681402145113422010-01-24T06:19:00.000-05:002010-01-31T06:22:14.863-05:00

Personal History, Katharine Grahamoriginally published in 1997Last year I read Warren Buffet's memoir and he spoke endlessly of Katharine Graham. I figured she'd be an interesting person to read about - and she was.Graham survived the curse of living in extraordinary times. I found it endearing that she was so worried about whether she was up to the task - any task (dressing herself, picking out

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-49621723270934511682010-01-20T06:30:00.002-05:002010-01-31T06:16:56.586-05:00

I confess that I love graphic novels. I don't have a hard time imagining what everyone looks like or what the layout of the house is. I can just immerse myself and see exactly what the author wants me to see.I didn't always want to see what Small was showing me. Stitches was really painful to read. It's the story of growing up in an emotionally stunted household where

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-4968407383538263532010-01-19T06:09:00.002-05:002010-03-21T13:47:14.862-04:00

Celebrity Detox, Rosie O'Donnell originally published in 2007 I've always loved Rosie O'Donnell. I remember watching her show and thinking, "she's a star-struck kid with these celebrities." It seemed so real and genuine. Turns out it was genuine, but it came with a pretty big price tag. Celebrity Detox is the story of how O'Donnell took a much needed break from her own show only to fall into the

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-90129210583307945452010-01-18T18:37:00.002-05:002010-01-18T18:44:04.787-05:00

Hub was driving me to work today. It was a typical Michigan January morning. Temp was hovering around freezing and there was a thick fog enclosing everything. The trees had a layer of ice outlining all the branches. It was really quite pretty and we were companionably silent, untilHub: "You know, it's a Cullen kind of morning."Me: " ! " Thinking 'WTF?' "Did ... you ... just ... make ... a

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-23802499031239345422010-01-17T16:15:00.000-05:002010-01-18T02:22:34.413-05:00

There's a new post up over at 13 Pounds.Don't go if you're long wool averse!

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-12618024285856476582010-01-16T19:00:00.001-05:002010-01-18T03:29:07.807-05:00

I grew up thinking my mother was a feminist, and she is - to a point. She talked about Gloria Steinem and about how women are equal to men and how my sister and I could grow up to be anything we wanted. She also said things like, "You know, men are better friends than women. Women are so bitchy!" Or, "I'm glad I work with mostly men - they're so much easier to get along with." It's funny how we

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-88965714495835105382010-01-13T05:58:00.004-05:002010-01-13T06:06:45.497-05:00

Beat the Reaper, Josh Bazell originally published in 2009 I am a smart ass. If there's a comment to be made that is slightly cynical or even crossing into mean, I'll make it. I feel like I could sit down with Josh Bazell and be among my people. Bazell is literature major, a doctor, and a certified smart ass. Beat the Reaper is the story of a young guy in the witness protection program. He'd

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-74701154704424084652010-01-12T22:00:00.001-05:002010-01-13T06:07:11.225-05:00

Me: Stories of My Life, Katharine Hepburn originally published: 1991 I started reading this book in October 2009 and didn't finish it until the absolute end of the year. It's not that it wasn't good - it was. It was actually like sitting down with Kate Hepburn, having tea, and letting her talk. I couldn't read much at one sitting without getting a little irritated. I don't have many older

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-5055780063780360522010-01-11T21:17:00.002-05:002010-01-11T21:27:33.955-05:00

Part one in an ongoing saga of progress for 2010. These are a couple questions posed by David Allen for followers of Getting Things Done.What would you like to be your biggest triumph in 2010?Since I've set 3 attainable goals, my biggest triumph will be succeeding at all of them.Blogging as much as possible (at least 5x/week)Spinning 4 oz/weekMindful eating and exercise.What advice would you

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-22748055872254730132010-01-10T20:47:00.002-05:002010-01-13T06:07:32.094-05:00

There's a new post up over at 13 Pounds.Post has been sporadic this weekend - for some reason our internet connection has been down. Freeing on one hand, yet also annoying.

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-50981267369294510322010-01-07T21:46:00.007-05:002010-01-07T22:06:50.660-05:00

I knew that by today I would be toast at work. Not much good for anything. So I pre-planned to leave work early. But you can't just go home when you leave early - so I went to Jillian's house.Jillian, Erica, and I have committed to spinning 4 oz of fiber every week in 2010. (We'll be blogging about it at 13 Pounds.) I wanted pictures of all the fiber before I started to spin it, so J suggested I

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-27186047305632145302010-01-06T21:21:00.003-05:002010-01-06T21:27:58.782-05:00

Sometimes, all you have to do is ask the universe for something and it provides. My boss came into my office today and asked me a question he frequently asks, "Are you still happy with your job? Still excited to be working here?"I answered like I usually do, "Yes, I'm happy here. There are some things I want to change, but for the most part, I'm happy."Then he said something he's never said

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-89274666551359689462010-01-05T20:51:00.007-05:002010-01-05T21:39:08.606-05:00

I use Getting Things Done, by David Allen, as a general guidepost. I have gone through the book a couple of times and have even attended a seminar where I breathed the same air as he did for an entire day. When I use the system, I am more productive and feel better about what I'm doing and how I'm doing it. I think it's appropriate to get back on the GTD wagon ASAP.I get e-mails from David (okay,

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-481667342695917712010-01-04T19:08:00.006-05:002010-01-04T19:47:17.966-05:00

It was a very long day. I made it almost to the end - left the office at 4:15, only a few minutes early. Here's the thing about e-mail, I find it almost impossible to keep up when I'm at work for 8 hours a day. I tried to keep up with it while I was out, but failed miserably. There were almost 300 unopened mails in my inbox (294 to be exact). It took me all day, but I got it down to about 30

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-64781633458797206782010-01-03T19:27:00.002-05:002010-01-03T19:38:18.730-05:00

I've been off work on medical leave since November 16. I'm very appreciative of the time off, especially since after the first 3 weeks or so, it's been kind of fun. I go back to work tomorrow. I had a big list of things I wanted to get done today:Mix dye stockDye some superwash fiber for my Etsy storeOrganize my backpackClean up the houseGet started on 2009 tax organizerHere's what I actually got

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-80200467135667579932010-01-02T20:21:00.005-05:002010-01-02T20:42:51.557-05:00

My 23-year-old, unmarried niece is pregnant. It really wasn't a surprise, as we've been expecting this from this particular child for several years. She has a dead-end job with no insurance and because of where she lives, there isn't much hope for anything better. She attended college for 2.5 years, but got kicked out because of bad grades after her last semester. In short, she has made bad

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-2830536307698273672010-01-01T18:52:00.004-05:002010-01-01T19:19:09.254-05:00

I didn't have a good 2009. No one big thing threw me off; it was a whole bunch of things that did it. At Thanksgiving my husband said he was hopeful that 2010 would bring us better fortune. I said, "It has to be better for us than 2009!"However, since it does no good to dwell on what sucked. This year I'm dedicating myself to progress. I can't change the Michigan economy and give my husband work.

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-1159556987263443152006-09-29T15:09:00.000-04:002006-09-29T15:11:10.043-04:00

Come see me at my new space.

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-1154981940033549372006-09-27T07:17:00.000-04:002006-09-27T07:24:02.243-04:00

A friend sent me this video on YouTube. Most of the time, I think these videos are silly. This one had me from the first minute.So, I haven't been around much, here's how the end of the summer shaped up for me:July 27: I go in for an outpatient procedure and end up spending the night in the hospital because of a drug-pushing nurse who couldn't leave well enough alone. Pain meds on a 24-hour

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-1154008704924762512006-07-31T10:15:00.000-04:002006-07-31T10:35:25.803-04:00

What color does this look like to you? It's supposed to be shades of purple. I think it looks "purple-like", but I hesitate to call it purple. Hub thinks I'm crazy, but I think it looks more blue. This was the last of the Chasing Rainbows hanks that I had. The other 4 hanks spun beautifully. This one seemed to have clumps of silk that made drafting difficult. There are sections of slubby

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-1153744842755691632006-07-24T08:35:00.000-04:002006-07-24T08:49:40.453-04:00

As Floyd persevered, so did I. My goal was to spin the equivalent of 1 oz of wool/silk fiber per day - 23 oz in total. While I didn't spin 1 oz every day, I did spin every day of the tour, including the rest days. Yesterday, I woke up knowing that I had roughly 2 oz left to spin to complete the race. I spun it, plied it and rushed to measure. The boys were already circling the Champs Elysees

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-1153675223714397482006-07-23T13:19:00.000-04:002006-07-24T08:51:00.290-04:00

Favorite Color Swap Questionnaire1. What are your top three favorite colors?Orange, green, blue2. What crafts do you really enjoy?Knitting, spinning (both wheel and spindle), dyeing, scrapbooking3. What products do you really covet?an upgrade on my drum carder, Bosworth spindles, cashmere and silk fiber4. What other activities do you enjoy besides your favorite crafty things?Reading, Tour de

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-1153411193950364902006-07-20T11:57:00.000-04:002006-07-20T11:59:53.966-04:00

After cracking in yesterday's stage, losing a little more than 10 minutes and all hope for a podium finish in Paris(and breaking my heart into more pieces than an impressionist's dropped vase) Floyd took the stage win today and came out in 3rd place. Hub had to call me at work to tell me the news. Unbelievable!!

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4002532.post-1153245781144896922006-07-18T14:01:00.000-04:002006-07-18T14:06:22.603-04:00

I rarely do these quiz thingies, but this one makes sense to me (okay, except for the kind and merciful). You scored as Judge. You are a Judge Empath, one who is a "truthsayer". You can tell truth from lies, good from evil. You do not tolerate wrong doing. You are a defender of the good and the innocent. You are kind and merciful but do not play foolish games. (from "The Book of Storms" by Jad

Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046646341508287922noreply@blogger.com0