books meme

Leslie from Greenberry House has tagged me with this meme of books...(she had no idea how difficult this was for me, (....I used to work in a book shop remember...)

 

I save books like I save seed...each book not only tells a story, but has a story behind it...When I look at a title, I am transported to a different time, or place or even an exact moment...there are memories about my books...and so it was very hard to pick favorites.

1) Name five of your favorite books.

 

Treasure Trove with illustrations by S. Eytinge, Jr.  copyright 1873

 

Idylls of the King by Alfred Tennyson   copyright 1910

 

The Streams  1867-1872

 

The Biography of a Grizzly  copyright pre 1910

 

Balm of Gilead published by Luke Loomis & co.  1830

 

These are my favorite books because they are my oldest books.  I wonder about their previous owners, and I know exactly where and when I became the new owner.  Take the Treasure Trove...when I was a SYT there was a restaurant/bar called "The Library".  When they first opened the place-it was decorated with shelves of books...floor to ceiling.  They used to promote themselves with a "bring a book, take a book" night.  I took a haiku book of poetry and exchanged it for the Treasure Trove.

 

  
2) What was the last book you bought?

 

Actually, I brought a book home from the library today!  It is called "Creature Crossing" by Betty Levin.  The SAME Betty Levin who sold me the beautiful Border Leicester that I recently spun up.
She is an author of children's book, as well as a shepherdess and sheepdog trainer.

 

3) What was the last book you read?

 

The Colour Cauldron...history and use of natural dyes in Scotland.

 

4) List five books that have been particularly meaningful to you (in no
particular order).

 

The Prophet by Kahill Gibran

 

Gifts from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

 

More Little Visits with God

 

Love is a Special way of Feeling by J. Anglund

 

Journeys through Bookland

 

These books are meaningful to me because they were read aloud to me, or read aloud by me ...when was the last time someone read to you?

5) Name three books you've been dying to read but just haven't gotten around
to it?

 

Unfinished Tales J.R.R. Tolkien

 

Tolkien & The Silmarillion

 

The Dogs of Bedlam Farm by John Katz...(because all the dog lovers are raving about it!)

 

6) Tag five people and have them fill this quiz out on their own.
Hummm..well...only if you read this and you want to...good luck...its hard choosing!

 

Cindy of Yarnspinners Tales

 

Judith of Knitagarden

 

Karen of Treheima

 

Judy of Happy Acres

 

Dawn of  All who wander

 

Just one more book....

I have mixed feelings about this book...It is a beautiful book with an embossed cover...my librarian knows that I like old books, so she snagged it for me when someone brought it in for a donation.  I was delighted until I opened it....and found that some child had colored in all the engraved black and white illustrations!  Still ...it remains one of my favorites and has a bit of its own character.

"D" is for

my darners

and my doorknobs....(yea, I collect doorknobs...)

the weather is fine

It was so nice outside that  I opted to work in the garden doing some long overdue clean up.  In the process of picking up stray pots, I turned over some critter's winter stash of acorns.

Before long, I was scolded for my actions.

The black berry bushes are needing pruning.  It should have been done two months ago, but there was to much snow on the ground.  Last years berry bearing canes need to be cut back down to the ground, and the growth of the newer canes need to be topped off at around 5 feet...and then they need to be trellised.  This will force the side shoots to branch out more, and hopefully produce more fruit.

There is a little bit of snow left on the ground, but most of it is melting and running off down to the river.

Just a few rows left on the needles and the hat will be finished...I spun a blend of the Border Leicester and angora, so the earflaps are nice and soft.  This hat was fun to make, so I think I will make another.

mid feb

Not much snow from the big nor'easter, but that is fine with me.  Our water tables are where they should be, so, less melt to have to deal with. 

I have started weaving the 2/2 twill on the triloom with the Border Leicester yarn that I recently spun.  It goes pretty fast with the use of the shed stick to hold the warp open. I am starting to see the diagonal pattern of the twill appear.  It should become more defined after I full the finished shawl.  The sett is a good half inch across the top, so the take up should be noticeable.

Finished the hat and packed it up and sent it out! 

 

The early morning moments of daylight are starting to get  longer.  The chickens are at the gate at the gate by the time I get out there!  They are happy too,that we didn't get much in the way of snowfall.  They enjoy coming out to walk around, and tend to stay in the yard when the snow is deeper than 3 inches.  Take a look at this hen getting her new feathers...she looks like a porcupine!

She is a late molter, and I miss her eggs.  With the increased daylight, I should start seeing more in the way of production out of my hens...(it's about time).  The hens will not lay while they are moulting.  Their bodies get a chance to rest and put all the energy into making new feathers.  Feathers are mostly made of protein.  During the winter months, there are not very many bugs around to provide the protein.  I sometimes supplement with a treat for them of leftover stew meat which they attack like a swarm of piranhas.  I also offer cheese and  yogurt when I can.  Here is an interesting link that will take you to an article about sauerkraut, yogurt and bird flu.

A Valentine

from me, to you!

seed basket

"Of all the wonderful things in the wonderful universe of God,
nothing seems to me more surprising that the planting of a seed
in the blank earth and the result thereof.  Take that Poppy seed,
for instance: it lies in your palm, the merest atom of matter, hardly
visible, a speck, a pin's point in bulk, but within it is imprisoned a
spirit of beauty ineffable, which will break its bonds and emerge
from the dark ground and blossom in a splendor so dazzling
as to baffle all powers of description."
-  Celia Thaxter

Finally getting around to going through my seed basket, and figuring out what I need to order.
I am a big seed saver, and have been growing as many OP and heirloom types as I can-- for more years than I care to admit!  As I sort through the basket, it seems a lot like sorting through old photographs or letters...because I remember when I brought the seed, or who gave it to me, or why I ordered the particular variety.  I save seed for more reasons than just to plant it.  I save seed and plant seed that has some significance to me ...either spiritually, culturally or historically...so most of my seeds are like a snapshot of my life that can only be viewed by me.

Since I am a big believer in bio diversity...I buy seed like I buy wool...checking the market for rare seed (rare breeds).  Like the breeds of sheep, types of seed are disappearing because they are not popular to the grower.  This year I  will order just a few new (old) varieties to plant alongside some tried and true favorites for my vegetable garden.

I have a few germination tests to do before I plant.  Some of my seeds have been sitting 10 years or more, and its time to see if they are still viable.  Did you know the
 record life span for seed longevity is held by a species of lupine, (Lupinus arcticus)?  Those seeds were found in the  Arctic permafrost and they germinated after 10,000 years!

 

Compare that to The seed of the Silver Maple.  That seed only lives for about a week before it looses its ability to germinate.

 

"So I sing to my seeds.  What about it?"
-   Leslie Gaydos 

I have finished spinning all of the Border Leicester.  Totals equal 1278 yards and 26.4 ounces.  The remaining basket of "waste" (or the  combings that I cleaned out of the dog slicker) were blended with the angora that I combed out of Jack recently.

snow shadow

All the trees were wearing them this morning.

staying on task

I have been plying, winding off and setting the twist on skeins of the Border Leicester P-29.  At one point, I decided to use the Jumbo Flyer attachment to ply with.  I think this changed the drive ratio, and subsequently the take up was different and inconsistent with the other bobbins that I plied with the regular flyer.  The jumbo bobbin easily held the 315 yards...but the finished yarn is different from the other skeins I have completed so far.  Not to worry, I will keep this for myself to make the shawl, and package the remaining skeins for sale.

I plied using a sort hand over hand technique...counting the number of treadles between moving my hands together and then apart.

Plying can become mesmerizing as I watch the little bumps flow past my fingers and into the bobbin.

The weather has been recorded as the second warmest January for us.  Most of the snow has melted off the mountain and the ground is showing itself once again.

The stream is rushing on its way to the river and the ground is soggy in spots....but the advantage to having raised beds that terrace down the hillside is that they drain off pretty quickly.  It helps that the garden is situated on a southerly slope!   I wandered over to the carrot bed and pulled a few for the rabbits.  Soil temperatures and drainage really influence the carotene pigment of the carrots....I think the optimum is between 60-68 degrees...these do not look half bad all things considered.

I managed to do some clean up in the broccoli and kale beds.  It was nice working out there!  The river is up and the sound of the water over the rocks is so peaceful and constant.

However, there was a steady damp breeze that finally got the best of me and sent me back indoors.  I planted the corn bed with some winter rye...I know I am taking a chance, but it's an experiment.

"C" is for....

C is for camel that's been processed to roving...

which spinners will tell you is easier than Carding

C is for chamomile, homegrown tea to drink...

my supply is dwindling..which leads me to think....

C is for Catalogue...my seed order is due..but C is for another thing that might interest you..

 

click on the link  to go and see what the mystery C could be!

 

For those of you who are wondering about the letter "C"...I have joined the ABC along........."C "olor me "C" razy..

what?? no furnishings?

When I made the change from water bottles to crocks, I noticed Jack starting to "wash" his face more often.  I tried keeping up with combing his furnishings out, but I noticed they were starting to matt.  Finally, I trimmed them off because I couldn't stand it anymore!  He does not look as distinguished as usual, but I think he is more comfortable....and I feel better about trimming those wads off!

 

This winter has been sorta weird with the warm spells, followed by freeze snaps.  I have wanted to clip Jack because it seems he is dropping coat like crazy.  I am afraid if I clip him, he will be too cold....so I have been making sure I comb, and comb, and comb some more.

Here is a basket full of combings.

I also spent some time trimming off other areas where he was starting to matt (around his back end and on top of his back feet.)  He is such a good bunny with a tender and trusting heart.

 

Jack is two years old already.  He was born on Dec 9, 2003.  My husband brought him for me for Christmas, but we didn't bring him home until February of the following year.  I searched through some old photos to find this one of him.  It was his first day living along the riverrim.

Claudia has a picture of Jack's mother (Liebchen) on her Bare Hare blog....(as well as a beautiful rabbit named Merry).  Maybe it is just me, but when I look at Liebchen, I see so much of Jack.  It is something in the eyes and face.  I never realized that rabbits could look so much like their kin...sorta like people.

 

There are many eagles along the river these days.  There are many "eagle watchers" as well.  I understand that the National Park shut work down on one of the local bridges, due to the fact that the eagles are pairing up for the breeding season.  I tried to get some good pictures today...but it started to rain, and they came out rather dark.  I noticed may immature eagles today...they do not have the white head yet.

It is interesting to me that there are several groups tracking eagles with radio telemetry.

 

There have also been lots of seagulls flying over the river this week.  I think they are ringed-billed gulls that are feeding on Alewife.

Leicester Locks

I have been finishing up what is left of the Border Leicester Fleece that I brought from Betty Levin at the MSW this past spring.  Every morning, I wash up another batch of locks for that evenings spinning.  I sort the locks as carefully as possible, arranging them neatly, and then floating them on the hot soapy water.  When the water cools, I gently lift them out and place them on terry.  They are rolled, and then placed on the screen to dry.  This fleece has wonderful luster.

When I am ready to spin, I take a handful of the locks...

I use a dog slicker to flick the ends out.  I start with the butt end, grasping the middle, and then turn the locks over and do the same to the tips.  These locks are the prettiest shade of pewter at the butt, and they turn golden blonde at the tips.

While spinning, I do a long draw, starting from the butt end (always) and the bottom of the fanned lock, and working my way up to the top right corner of the fan.  This process is very systematic...but has lately become part of my daily (and nightly) routine.  I am trying to stick with it until I have finished the fleece.

tagged

Yikes, I have been tagged by Judith!

It's a meme of fours....

 

 

Four jobs I've had

 

1. private airport secretary

2. book store

3. mortgage company

4. gallery/picture framer

 

Four movies I could watch over and over

 

1. The wizard of Oz
2. Fantasia
3. Waking Ned Devine
4. Marx Brothers Duck Soup

 

Four places I have lived

 

1. in the mountains
2. by the bay
3. in the city
4. in the suburbs

 

Four favorite t.v. shows
1. 24
2. Frontline
3. JH Stargazer
4. Modern Marvels

 

Four places I've been on Vacation
(vacation??  What's that??)

 

1. Niagara Falls
2. Kentucky (to see the moonbow's)
3. Grand Canyon
4. The Bahamian Islands

 

Four favorite foods
1. fresh picked peas
2. fresh picked corn
3. the first lettuce of the season
4. pie (any pie at all)

 

Four places I'd rather be right now

 

1. There's
2. no place
3. like
4. home

 

Four sites I visit daily

 

1. yahoo
2. google
3. weather
4. space weather

 

Four people to tag

 

1. Claire

2. Judy

3. Leslie

4. Soobie

diversion

di-ver-sion
n.

 

1.The act or an instance of diverting or turning aside; deviation.

 

2.Something that distracts the mind and relaxes or entertains

Lately I find myself being diverted from what I intend to do.  This fun yarn was a quick diversion from shawl I have been working on.

 

Even the forsythia blossom on my window sill provides diversion from the winter landscape.  They stand in stark contrast to the bush outside, still sleeping in the bud.

The melodic sounds of my son's guitar take my mind to a different time and place...and thoughts are diverted.

The January thaw is over, and the snow cover returns.  Time to get things back on track.

blue sky, smiling on me

The blue sky this morning is beautiful, and the rains of yesterday have washed away all of our snow!

This little chickadee follows me around while I tend to chores.  One of my daily chores involves a trip to the coal bin, where I fill two buckets of coal for the stove.  My weather man informs me that we are 1/3 of the way through the winter now.  I am pleased with the amount of coal left in our bin at this point.  Each day when I shovel the coal into the buckets, my mind shifts to thoughts of the coal miners in WV, and the recent accident.  I still keep the families of the coalminers in my prayers, and think of how hard people have to work sometimes.

Back in the house, I kick off my old boots.  I notice the new Yak Tracks (thanks mom!) on my beat up old boots.

I have been needing new boots for some time.  I don't know what it says about me that I have not gone out to buy any...

a.  it will take time

b.  it will take money

c.  the new ones will feel "different"

d.  all of the above

I am comfortable in my old beat up boots, but it will soon be time to chuck them. I take off the new Yak Tracks, as all the ice and snow is gone, and I don't want to wear the Yak Tracks out.  My old pair broke, and I was lost without them!

Here are the finished felted footies before felting.  They are big and cushy on my feet.  The pattern calls for the fulling process to be done in the washing machine.  I always get nervous at that prospect, and may do this pair by hand so that I can keep a careful watch on the size.  The Finnsheep wool has a tendency to felt quickly, and the same may not be true of the angora.