Wool Market Weekend

The Estes Park Wool Market begins for me tomorrow. I am taking a two-day workshop on spinning, and I am quite excited about:

#1 2 days off work to do so.
#2 the workshop itself. It is led by Maggie Casey.
#3 Wonderful Guy and I are spending the 4 day weekend in Estes, a mini-vaycay, as it were.
#4 2 days off work.

I have Molly, the Marvelous Matchless, all set to go, oil and hand carders and extra bobbins and lazy kate ready, too. I have clothes laid out…for high 70’s, and for when the temps take a 30 degree dive on Friday.

Yep, that’s what those weather people say is going to happen. While they may be a bit off, I imagine the weekend is not going to hold 'shorts' weather for us. Too bad really. This week has really been nice and toasty, and it would have been sweet for it to hold over. I would have enjoyed some nice weather in the mountains, and not underneath twelve layers. But it’s the weather, and what am I going to do about it?!?

I am sure we will have a good time. And that I take plenty of photos. Of goats and sheep and alpacas and bunnies.

And I am wondering whatever should I be thinking about shopping for….

Maybe I will just look. Maybe I don’t really need anything. Maybe nothing will really appeal…

Maybe.

Or maybe NOT!!!

This weekend past, our neighborhood held its annual garage sale. While we don’t ‘sell’ every year, we do generally participate in the social nature of the event. This year we numbered among the sellers, though. With all the re-organization and clearing out and moving of things around, the timing was propitious, don’t you know.

Before Wisest Sister arrived, most all the goods were staged in the garage. After Sister left, we priced and arranged and readied things. And by things, I mean from Wonderful Guy’s old dirt bike equipment to old fabric of mine. Bookshelves, truck tool box, office chairs, computer equipment…out stuff ran the gamut.

My fabric consisted of yardage lengths of woven cottons/blends and knits, and a sack of cotton/blends scraps. Not to worry!  Nothing of import was among the cast-offs!  At least to my thinking...this stuff went back a few decades, but not so many that made it anything but hohum. To my thinking.  A couple of women arrived and the younger zoomed in on the bag of scraps. The older remarked that she made charity quilts for Haitian children. To which I remarked that I would give them all the woven fabric they wanted.

Let me get a box! Or two!

They were very pleased and took all the cotton and cotton blend yardage I had. I was glad for that. It wasn’t…you know…moving, and I was going to make a trip to Goodwill when the day was over anyway. They ended up with two large boxes full.

Also? She said something about me being blessed for my generosity.

She has no idea how I have been blessed already.

TGIF

So glad it’s Friday. It’s been an unusual week for me, and I prefer my quietude and routine!

That’s ironic.

Not so long ago, my life was crazy wild and too, too busy. And not so much in a good way. I spent all my time and energy doing everything I thought I needed to for everyone else, and I didn’t know it should be any other way. Some of it I needed to do as a mother, and I don’t regret nor resent those efforts. I suppose some of it was necessary as a wife, too. I no doubt overdid some in that wifely role. As a minister’s wife, I always claimed I defined that role for myself (very liberated!), and took on only what I choose for myself to do. Unfortunately, I had no healthy boundaries, and that leads to unhealthy choices. So mother of 3 daughters, plus working full time, plus doing the minister’s wife thing, plus being a wife the only way I knew added up to no time for me, except for an occasional soak in the tub, behind a closed door. Then again, I didn’t know there was suppose to time for me. I felt guilty about taking time for me. I was all about giving myself and time and energy to others. Until there was nothing left, except resentment and anger when no one seemed to appreciate my sacrifices.

Not anymore. I choose what I do, then I do it gladly. Like helping the Only Step-Son. Or taking food to the recovering Middle Daughter tonight! Or the Youngest Daughter with her sewing. And I take time for myself without guilt (mostly!). No more over committing. When I took a position on a service board, I gave up hand bells. Would have been easy to be involved in both, but I knew where that would lead me. This is one lesson I have learned.

So we are closing on the end of January. It has been bitter cold this past week, and even though this weekend will be unseasonably warm, the wind will blow. It won’t be enjoyable for me to be out. With the end of this month, then the short month of February, and a trip scheduled for the end, March will soon be here, and March is almost spring! (in a snowy kind of a high altitude way.) I might be rushing time, but I am getting cabin fever, itching to garden, itching to hike, itching to ride my bike.

Sunday Afternoon

(The photo is of Horsetooth Rock, which one can see from the street where I live. It was taken a couple years ago in May. It does not look this green now...but hope springs eternal!)

Time to wrap up another weekend. There are some things undone that I intended to do since getting off work on Friday, but rather than dwell on the negative, I will remain positive in my thinking.

I already shared about Friday evening's happenings. Laughing bebe! What I didn't mention is the added possibility of helping Youngest Daughter start sewing this week. Another of my mother's legacies I have the chance to pass on.

Saturday morning, I got all brave on myself, and emailed the blog link to my Wonderful Guy. Wonderful Guy's computer is across the big desk from mine in the office, where he works from home. When the email arrived, he was curious, and as he read, he was encouraging. All in all, very supportive, and after the fact, I am wondering why I thought he would be anything but. He is, after all, a Wonderful Guy! He said he might even start his own, but keep it all private- like. He is very computerish, and spent much of the rest of the morning tinkering, while I cleaned house. I even did some of his chores this week! Not all of them though.

I had a jade plant that had been doing a bit too much thriving, much to my delight. It had become top heavy, and having tipped over a couple times this past week, I determine it required transplanting. I accomplished that, and while watering the rest of my house plants, I discovered an african violet whose stem had begun to get mushy. I believe that is the correct botanical term. I removed it from the pot it shared with it's roommate, trimmed off the mushiness, and stuck it in fresh potting medium (my own secret recipe). I have little knowledge of african violets beyond sunlight, water, and occasional food. Mine grow as they will, and bloom when they want. I hope this treatment works for this guy. I would hate to see him croak (another technical term, I believe).

I then attended a bra party. Hmmm. I did not choose to make a purchase, even if they are Oprah's favorite.
I backed up my hard drive. (How pro-active of me.)

After dinner, while watching 'Antiques Roadshow' (love that show!), I practiced with my drop spindle. Surprise! I was sort of able to draft while spinning, and the yarn was actually...yarn-like! Thin, and consistently thin. I can't wait to practice more this evening, even if there won't be Antiques Roadshow on tonight.

Today was our meeting and fellowship, and time for a drive in the foothills. The sun is shining and it is a bit warmer than it has been. Nothing like a sunny Colorado day in January! While driving, I finished up (to the grafting) a four-corners dishcloth (Abigail - 1870 Pearl) for a late x-mas gift for a friend who I will have lunch with on Wednesday.

Not a bad weekend, upon review, and maybe, when tomorrow morning rolls around, I can roll out of bed, ready for the week.