Continuing On

Since last I was heard from in this forum, lo these many months, I busted all out of my comfort zone and entered handspun in the Estes Park Wool Market and the local county fair.  Yes, I set myself up for the judgey-ness of others.

It was worth it.  I received reinforcement and accolades for my mad spinning skilz.  I also received valuable comments, insight, and...well...confidence.  Not to mention some of the big ribbons!  Yeah, that part was pretty sweet. There were some nice awards/prizes that came with some of those big ribbons, too, but really, the former 4-H-er in me was all about the ribbons!

In addition, a fellow knitter, who also spins, bought some of my handspun, even after seeing it up close, offering to pay the going rate.

Add to that, a fellow weaver's/spinner's guild member asked me to be part of the Sheep to Shawl team at Estes Park next year. Now while I am not sure about being able to spin as fast as that requires, I said yes anyway because I think it sounds like a whole lot of fun to be in the mountains among like minded people, and furry creatures, spinning the day away.

My point is, and I do have one, I have the confidence that I spin a decent yarn than can be knit into decent garments. (Some of my entries were items knitted from my handspun.) I am considering offering some skeins for sale again.

(I installed the app so I might blog from my smarty pants phone. Who knows where it might lead? Bear with me while I figure out the formatting issues and auto-correct eccentricities. And the photo thing...there is, of course, photo capabilities with the phone but gah! Not the fancy smancy camera kind.)

No Answers Here

I am overwhelmed by the events of this past Friday. I can't wrap my mind around the idea of sending a child to elementary school, and having that happen. Six and seven year olds. My God. My oldest granddaughter will be six in April. My heart goes out to the parents, and my total and honest repect and highest regard for those teachers and administrators that kept the toll from being any higher, even at the cost of their own lives.

I don't know the answer to the all the questions, but I do know something somewhere needs to be fixed. This is crazy...continuing on as we are believing something is going to be different while more and more people buy more and more guns that can kill more and more people.

I know we have a fundamental right to bear arms. And I know the reasoning behind that...we don't want only the government to be the one with the guns, herding us out in the streets at night because of our religion...or because we printed a broadside opposing the current leader...or perhaps helped the 'wrong' people. Examples abound.

I have heard the argument, from people in my town frankly, that if someone had a concealed weapon in Aurora, things would have gone differently that night.  And I was reminded of the Saturday Live skit years past (I have searched and searched for it) where neighbors were 'protecting' themselves by ever increasing their armament.  It was first pistols, then rifles, then bigger things, like you know...bazookas, and in the nature of SNL comedy they were eventually carrying around bombs. Because that would protect them from what the bad guys had...until the bad guys had them too.

I am positive that is not the answer.

It has been bandied about that if we do not give press to the crazies, they will die alone in their basements. Well, maybe or maybe not. We are the ones that crave the answers to who and why and how.  The press fills our needs.  I have also heard those that cry 'don't take away my guns' also say 'we need to identify and help these people before hand'.  Mmm-hmmm...as long as it doesn't take any of the tax payers money.

Mental health issues are damned expensive and very long term to deal with.  Like a life time's worth.  And those against any additional gun control by and large I have found are those wishing to cut back on programs that would help those with these problems.

It's a conundrum.

The most recent discussions included blips about 'we don't need gun control, we need more law enforcement in these places'. I don't think so.  After Columbine, school security was ramped way up.  How much more like prisons do our schools have to be? And I get pissed off every time I have to go through security at the airport. We pay extra for the TSA and I have to leave early for the airport just to stand in line. And when we went to Mexico and Canada this past year, we needed passports. I feel the terrorists won.  We were eating Friday evening at a local semi-fast food place, and I thought out loud to the Guy, someone could bust into this relatively crowded establishment with a couple of semi-automatic handguns, and do some serious damage.  Do we have to have law enforcement at Every. Single. Place. people gather?

Surely not. I cannot let them win that way.

And in the meantime.  People are out stocking up.
Just in case.

And there are probably presents under Christmas trees in Connecticut that will go unopened this Christmas.

Oh Ho Ho!

Here's hoping your holidays are being kind to you. For myself, I am feeling remarkably chipper, having just shut the back door on the second cold of the season.  Amazing how good I can feel when I have been feeling so lousy.

I am in the midst of holiday things. The usual suspects...shopping (almost done), wrapping (not started), creating gifts (getting close), cards (procrastinating by writing this) (and since it's been 8 months since I have done 'this', that says much about the Christmas cards...). Not baking much, not much partying, really looking forward to seeing some of the kiddos for the holiday.  We are fortunate indeed.

I have been a busy little camper, working, knitting and spinning, traveling...but apparently not blogging. Here's to new starts and catching up and keeping up. (Maybe!)