Last Hoorah of Summer

The last weekend of summer is turning out to be absolutely lovely weather-wise. Woke up to a chilly house, how nice. My sleep is all screwed up again. Stay up late sewing, whatever then wake up too early. Will have to get all that straightened out next week when work starts. Mia started working at Morristown Memorial Hospital where she was born, in the town where she grew up. She is a nursing assistant on the stroke ward where she will begin her RN job later this month. She is a little shell-shocked, bells ringing, jumping here and there taking care of patients all day. She claims she is not ready but I think she's lucky to have an aide job on the same ward where she will be doing the serious stuff in three weeks. Graduate nurses have mentors for a year to make sure they transition from classroom to clinical smoothly. Several UMDNJ graduates are working at MMH now and she can visit them on their wards. She sounds a little down, and I feel that way too. I think it's natural to let down your guard after hard charging for three years in school, then the stress of passing nursing boards and finally getting a license. I miss her more now than ever and wish I lived closer to help her with her apt., etc. I know, I know, I have to let go...but don't want to. AJ in California, Eric and the kids in Nevada, Mia in New Jersey. I hear all the time about families getting together for this and that. We've never had that since the kids left after senior year in high school and went their seperate ways.

I made Bay Lime soap today for Gretchen. Ohhhh, it's so nice. Once again, the soap set up so quickly I barely had time to pour it before it hardened. The lime essential is so expensive, more than the Bay Rum, I was worried at first. Looks okay, though. Have to start cutting up soap quick, will take me most of the day tomorrow. I know I should have a soap cutter by now, but I do enjoy cutting it myself, if the consistency is right. It should cut like room temperature cheese. Have to order the gingham bags I like so much. I am on a soap making jag now, good thing, after a long hiatus. Mia will have lots of soap to give to the nurses on her ward.

I sent pictures of the new Terri Palmer sheep signs I received last week to Greenberry House to put on the web site. Oh, are they adorable. They don't sell like hot cakes, but they sure do make my booth look cute. Have to figure out a way to display them. I have a bunch of beautiful bags to photograph tomorrow and send to Leslie, my fairy web mother, to post on the site. They don't sell on the site, as they are the type of thing you have to see in person to appreciate, with all the work on the inside, etc., but I still like to have them on the site so people can see what I am doing and what I have to offer. Leslie is so good about using all the pictures I send her, and is happy to do any work I throw her way. I highly recommend her to anyone who needs a web mother.

I am skirting fleeces. Currently working on Minerva, a BFL, Cheviot cross. What a magnificent fleece that would be a show winner if she had been coated. When I mention it to Matt he grimaces...but with Randy helping me it would be possible. Have to invest in coats! Coats have to be fitted when the sheep are shorn, then changed as the wool expands under the coat. It adds a lot of value to the fleece as it keeps out hay bits and dirt. That's what handspinners like! Then I won't have to spend hours picking it out at washing/dyeing time. I dyed a pot of Minerva's wool today - wonderfully long and soft.

Time to take Finn and Knut off the lines and take the whole crowd up to the pond. The views are stunning and the fresh air and exercise, combined with the positive doggie attitudes, tend to straighten me right out. It will be wonderful when Jan is living up here and I can bug her to no end. Her kids are also living far away from her and show no signs of coming closer. Someone told me the better you raise them -the less they need you! Guess that is the case here!