What A Trip!!.....installment #1

At last I am HOME!!
It has been quite a month!! Loads of beauty & visits with friends...as well as work!!
I took off in the van, loaded with our work, like the traveling gypsy that I am, for an excellent trip down to San Diego for the TNNA show (here was our set up...I was happy with our little area).
The drive down (about 1500 miles) was lovely.....warm and sunny, just as I had hoped........
Meanwhile back in the PNW there was snow and ice....glad I missed it!!!!
I shared a booth with friends and had a most enjoyable time...good friends sure can make the lull easier to handle.
Thanks to Denise, Trish, Janel & Becky Rose for sharing the time with me!

I, unfortunately, got sick with some type of flu-ish cold minutes after the close of the show.....so I took it slow coming home.

Stopped in Carpinteria for a day of R&R....the sun shone on me and made me happy!!
Here's the beautiful palm tree that lived right outside my motel room door.

I slowly drove up Pacific Coast Highway....what a delight!! The water was amazing and I stopped from time to time to appreciate the beauty of it all. Here's the sunset near "the kissing rock" where my friends and I went on the summer days...and evenings of my youth. The whole drive was a "blast from the past"...bringing up rememberings from days long gone....people and places that I haven't thought about for a while. A true joy and blessing. Sometimes hard...but always interesting!!


I finally made it to the San Luis Obispo area (Goddess Country) and visited with my good friend Nancy M in Cambria. The visit was short but very Sweet!!
This is near Nancy's home. It's a spectacular view of Morro Bay....who could ask for better? Not I!!

The next day I made it to my friend Karen's home to visit with she & her family (her husband John and daughter Jessica). Michael and I lived next to John and Karen for 9 years (in their little rental cottage in Santa Margarita, CA).
We had our children there, Kate was born in the house, Jennyrose came home there on her first day of life. A very special place indeed!!
Karen is my oldest friend!!...and I couldn't ask for better....we have known each other for 25 years.....by the way....She's not this short, I made her hunker down so that I would look taller....she'd do almost anything for me ;)...and I for her!!!

Here's Jessica, their very precocious...
almost 11
year old wearing the hat that I made her for Christmas. AND this is her yummy Chinchilla.
We had a fun day together in SLO, great dinner with the family.......
AND then Off and running toward home, the next day.....THANKS Karen & Family!!

Another glorious day of sunshine and blue skies greeted me upon arising. I took a coffee break in Shasta City at this beautiful old stone building/coffee house.....the best coffee that I have had in a coons age!!


Mount Shasta was awesome...to say the least. She always puts on a good show....but...WOW!! How did she know how much I needed this beauty?


I had a wonderful trip.....AND I made it home in time to sleep in my bed for two whole nights.....
AND just in time to celebrate Michael's 60th birthday!! He's my Light ;) and my Joy!!
What a lucky girl am I!!

Stay tuned...y'all...for the great Washington Adventure!!

Off to the SUN!!

Tomorrow morning at 9:00 I will be on the road to San Diego & TNNA (a National Wholesale Show).....it's approximately 1500 miles and I am hoping for SUN all the way!! I NEED it, I DESERVE it!! This Saggittarian craves the sun....so, ofcourse, I live in Oregon....something is wrong with this senerio....Now don't get me wrong, I love the green of Oregon and the summers are like Camelot....72 degrees and beautiful....but this time of year will see me craving the old rays! You see I was, for the first 35 years of my life a person who saw the sun almost every day, until I wished for green...never understanding that it came with lots of RAIN!!!

Michael was going to be coming with me...and Autumn too...but when Autumn got "fixed" last Wednesday it seems that they "may" have punctured her larnyx. She (excuse the phrase) hacked up a hairball on Sunday morning...and blew up with air beneath her skin. We spent all day Sunday in Eugene at the vets....to the tune of $350.00!! They took x-rays and gave her oxygen and said that they would keep her another day, to the tune of another (at least) $200.00.
Luckily Michael knows a thing or two about medicine and he took over....I was ashen and crying in the chair....He talked to the tech who told him he had seen other animals that had this "condition" and that they healed with rest & Love.....we could do both of these at home.
Michael looked at the x-rays with the guy, her lungs were alright....so we brought her home.
She's resting and getting Lovey Doos and won't be going any where for a while.
She's still puffy, but she chased a mouse last night and had it in her mouth twice....so I'm hoping that this is a good sign.
There you have it....I'm On The Road Again....by myself.
Sad tale isn't it. I call in all the good, healing thoughts that you can muster!! WE LOVE THIS GIRL!!
I lay awake last night....thinking unthinkable things that I could do to the Vet and his lovely ass-istant.....but one of the things that makes me the most distressed about people is their inability to cop to the mistakes that they make in life. I hope that this changes....we all need to be able to say we are SORRY and we all need to hear it as well!!
I will deal with them when I get back from the 2 shows that are coming up.....FOR...2 days after I return from the trip we are leaving (or I am) for the Madrona Show in Seattle. They will get a piece of my mind....and no more of my business!!

On a good note....I received these wonderful stitch markers from my good friend Barb for Christmas!! Aren't they just the cutest?
Hope you can tell they are little gold sheep with beautiful jewels!!
I am using them on the new socks that I am knitting for Michael. They make it SO GREAT to go round and round!! Thanks Barb!!


I will be seeing some of you at Madrona...looking forward to it!! I will post pictures of the trips when I return!!

Happy New Year ;)

Hope that all of you are enjoying the beginning of 2007. This is my truest wish for the new year....That we can all learn to coexist and be tolerant of one another!

We are all made from the same kind of stardust!!

I hope that your holiday season brought you much joy, fun & LOVE!!!

We had a lovely Christmas!!
We opened our presents...I spun on my new electric spinner....Michael's big present to me was a Wooly Winder for my new spinner.... ;)
Long distance Merry Christmas greetings and off to Kate & Tim's for espresso and more presents. Then......off to our annual Chinese Christmas brunch and a movie....this time it was Night in the Museum...the perfect Christmas Fun Movie. We all enjoyed ourselves....kiss kiss and home......low stress, high residuals.

This is the first yarn that was spun and plyed on "Beauty" (her new name). It's a lovely baby alpaca, such fun to spin!! It's going to be a cable scarf for our daughter's beau JJ.
I have alot to learn and luckily I am blessed with some good friends who help me. Thank you!!


In the midst of the holiday rush I managed to get something done!
My great friend Barb sent me some of her beautiful, soft handspun for my birthday....so I made myself a hat. I think that I look very silly in hats...but I love them....I mean, if I'm going to look silly in a hat I might as well look Very silly!!

Autumn got a new organic, catnip mousie from her "sister" Kate (they even have the same birthday come to find out).
As you can see she's got the mouse under control ;)

I'm off to eat blackeye peas and rice, mexican cornbread and New Year's chocolate chip cookies!
Best of New Year Wishes to you!!