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Needlefelted Pumpkin Man

Many things going on. Possibly moving to a new house where we can keep our alpaca, Leah, and some more alpaca friends we'll be buying. Finished up 2 classes this past semester...Modern Art and Web Design. I'll be taking a summer cram course...Music Intro (it's a General Education requirement). This fall I'm taking Personal Finance (another Gen Ed) and Federal Tax Accounting (my minor).

I'm learning to spin and am shopping for a wheel. Dyed 23 yards of multi fabric 2 weeks ago. Got the urge to make something new with the hand dyes.

In the meantime, I'm in crash cleaning mode as we prepare to list our house. Good things happening, but a lot all at once.

Two pillowcases in quart size ziploc bags for our guild charity project. It felt good to do something again!

Many things have happened...some good....some not so good. The unhappy part is that my dad passed away after many years battling ALS. He was 70. This disease robbed our family. Dad always made the best of it. Mom was his tireless caregiver. So I have been helping Mom sort out the paperwork. They had planned well, but I found out that no matter how well you plan, there is still much paperwork.

This course of events once again affirms that you gotta live each day to the fullest and don't put off things...you just don't know how long you have.

Happy events...Oldest son made Eagle Scout.

We are now planning an event called a "Court of Honor"...basically the ceremony where the awarding happens. Calls need to be made, a caterer gotten, invitations out....It's like a mini-wedding or something.

Happy events...We are now alpaca owners. We purchased a 3 month old female...Finaleah Girl (Leah).

Leah is the little one in the center. Her mother on the left is named Judy Garland.
She is boarded at Almosta Ranch Alpacas in Mohrsville (about 20 miles from here). This is the beginning of what we hope will be our retirement activity. We both come from livestock backgrounds and have been "livestockless" for many years. We wanted to find an animal that we did not need to kill and that wouldn't kill us! Alpacas fit the bill. Plus their fiber is just lovely...I've even started knitting again (I am awful at it, but enjoy it anyway). Since alpacas only have 1 baby a year and are extremely expensive, we figured we'd start now as it will take many years to get a small herd on a budget. Our alpaca operation is called Take2 Alpacas. I told my husband "No More Businesses" as I now do the books for Turning Point Media (our bread & butter), Jo Griffith Quilts (which holds its own), Soccer Expert USA (a partnership which sells instructional soccer videos), and now Take2 Alpacas. Way too many tax returns.

Happy events: Spent a lovely Saturday appraising quilts as a fund raiser for Winters Heritage House in Elizabethtown, PA.

There were other things happening as well. We had a fine art appraiser and a general antique appraiser. They were cooking on the hearth. Here are some new friends with their pot of chicken corn soup...Yum!

A friendly blacksmith was making all kinds of goodies.

And their lush kitchen garden was making its last hurrah for the summer.

So I guess that's it for me for now. I hope to have some quilt content soon!

I am (or rather the computer is) recovering from a complete computer failure. I ended up needing to take it in to get completely wiped out and start fresh. I've lost files in the process, had to reinstall all of my programs (EQ, Artista, Quickbooks, Photoshop, and the list goes on). Two things that can really make me nuts...broken computers and broken cars. I am a compulsive "fixer" and the more I try to "fix"...the worse it becomes.

However...I did finally get to do some sewing... And then the sewing machine broke! What are the odds of that? Okay...three things that make me nuts...broken computers, cars AND sewing machines. So I took it in for repair and just got it back. Ugh! Of course when I took it in, my dealer was trying to sell me another machine. No thanks. I'm holding out for when the sewing machine manufacturers wake up and design a machine for quilters like me. I don't want a long arm. Don't have room. Don't like the feeling. Need to touch the fabric when I machine quilt. And quilt sitting down at a nice sized table that supports the quilt. Here are the specs of the sewing machine I think every quilter would want....

1. It must have at least 18" in length in the harp area (under the arm)
2. It must have at least 9" of height from the bed to the underside of the harp.
3. Automatic thread cutter
4. Feed dog drop capability
5. High speed (at least 1000 stitches per min.)
6. It must fit into a decent sized sewing table (like my Horn MultiLift)
7. It needs to have straight stitch, zig zag, and a buttonhole stitch (blanket)
8. Manual thread tension

No embroidery, no other fancy stuff, this is all I need. I really believe that every quilter would want one of these. I told that to the dealer and was told that something might be in the works ("Wouldn't it be nice for embroidery")...I don't want embroidery. That would take such a machine from around $2K (the price it SHOULD be) to (I figure)about $7K. Unbelievable. I really don't think such a machine would be that difficult. But I guess I was out when the R&D people at the sewing machine companies were making decisions. So I'll sit tight and wait. No more sewing machines till they make my dream machine.

Next order of business is to get Photoshop working on this computer so I can post pics again.

It has been so long since my last entry, I barely remembered my log in ID and password. I have learned many things this summer which I will share.

1. Summer classes are hard. The last time I took summer classes was in 1984. I was MUCH younger then and able to multitask better. I have been trying desparately to cram as many classes as possible into my schedule and I have found my limit. I started with a 6 week class in American History-Post 1860. Some weeks we had to read 200 pages. Now, mind you, this is not Harlequin Romance material. This is US History. Tough reading. I will say that the professor chose a textbook which was as readable as one could have hoped for. That class started May 26 and ended July 2. I also took a 12 week Geology class with a lab component (4 credits). That started May 26 and just ended yesterday. Then beginning July 6 I took Contemporary Moral Problems. Writing, writing, writing. Reading. and Thinking about stuff that gives one headaches. That just ended yesterday. I have spent many many hours in front of the computer. I have not touched a sewing machine since June 3. I am losing my mind. I have not dyed any fabric during these wonderously hot wonderful dyeing days this summer. I have been sitting in front of a computer writing papers.

This degree is something I need to complete. I feel very strongly about that. But I also feel that I will not take more than 2 classes in the summer again. It is way too intense. My husband says that if he had to do as much work as I have been doing he never would have graduated. He thinks that I would do better to take some classes locally and transfer them in instead of doing them online. I don't know. Take it from me...Online classes are hard. You have to be very disciplined and able to stick to a daily schedule.

Enough bellyachin'...I have finally gotten to get caught up on my reading. One of my favorite artists is Susan Shie. She has just posted a new edition of her diary which I always look forward to. Some of my other favorites are Melody Johnson Mrs. Mel has just moved to Tennessee and has a lovely new home. Then we have Pam RuBert Check out her blog and wonderful art.

Elder son got accepted to a special week for young entrepreneurs at Lycoming College. Today is being spent readying him for that experience. Beginning tomorrow night, I will be trying to catch up on our business paperwork which has gotten sorely behind due to this last week being finals for 2 of my classes. Well, I am off to iron some shirts and pants so that my son doesn't look like a slob in front of total strangers. It's a mom thing. I hope to have something artsy to show real soon.

My sister in law has been after us to visit her in Portland, Oregon. So we are finally going. I have done 2 weeks of schoolwork in 3 days and will be leaving the house at 3AM to catch a plane.

I am hopeful that I'll be able to relax a bit because work has been nutz. It always gets that way before a planned vacation. Murphy's Law I guess. I have my Ipod updated, magazines...and schoolwork. I have a major test, a quiz, a lab, and a new class starting...all online.

The kids are excited and the cat knew of the impending doom of going to the kennel. He cried the whole way.