Riverkeeper Update

So much to tell. Real busy four days and I'm tired. Not a good way to go into Christmas, but gotta deal. A short report on the last few days...
Friday -
Arrived in New Hope, Bucks County, Pa., at the Delaware Riverkeeper Crafts Show, after sunny but bitter cold and windy ride from upstate New York. 254 miles, grateful that I found the place okay still in daylight. Still had an hour before they closed the firehouse, with a very fancy ballroom where the show was held, and decided to get my space set up as much as possible. Worked like crazy for an hour until they threw me out. I grabbed some Chinese and found my bed and breakfast, a Christmas gift from my dearest friend and benefactor, professor George from St. Elizabeth, and collapsed in my room. What joy - a king size bed with layers of plaid Ralph Lauren bedding and piles of pillows, hunter green carpeting on the floor, a big white leather sofa piled with pillows, and a little TV that got C-span and the Weather Channel. I was in heaven but missed my sheep and their big beautiful eyes. Too bad I forgot my bottle of Harvey's Bristol Creme! Downstairs there was a giant living room with overstuffed sofas and a lovely Christmas tree. A holiday train from town ran through the front yard and looked like it was coming right into the living room. I could see people in their seats wearing Santa hats. When I went down to breakfast there was a fruit cup and luscious French toast souffle waiting for me. I left for the show, tummy full but needing some stronger coffee, the kind that daylight didn't show through. Found it at McDonalds with their McCafe Cappucino. Saved me for the day.
Saturday -
The show opened with decent traffic and steady sales. Many fabulous talented crafters in this show but I was the only one with carded fiber and yarn. I didn't plan on selling much of it, but was surprised when six skeins and a pound of roving went out the door with happy customers. I was situated right next to my basketmaker friend, Martha Mulford Dreswick, which guaranteed a good time. I not only adore her work, but admire her hard-working artisan drive and sense of humor in the face of hard times. Martha had three kids "later in life" and drives a school bus to keep hearth and home together when she is not weaving her world class baskets. My show gift this year, the treat that I reward myself with when I have a good show, is a Martha Hen Basket. I will use it to display my handspun skeins at Maryland this spring, only four months away. Sales continued and old friends came by to visit. Blog readers came to see me in the flesh - hugs and thanks to you all - and I was validated body and soul by all the support from them. I bartered here and there for beeswax candles and honey, more jewelry for a certain daughter of mine, and a pair of felted mittens for myself. Went to dinner with a friend in Lambertville and back to the Inn at Stoney Hill to lounge on the plush velvet sofa, stare into the flames and watch the train go back and forth in the front yard. Jumped into the Ralph Lauren bedding and drifted off to sleep.

Sunday - Woke up way too early, the Curse of My Life - at 4:40. Luckily I had brought my Robin up to the room so I spun for a while. Went downstairs to get some of the sinfully weak coffee and told the Innkeeper I would be down for breakfast at 8. Spun some more wool, washed my hair, and packed up my stuff. Said goodbye to my country plaid hideaway and set out for the show. A freezing rain was falling and the world was covered with ice. An ambulance was taking someone away from the WAWA across from McD's. I thought, oh, no, we're in for a tough day. Sales were slow as molasses as a few dedicated Riverkeeper supporters slipped and slid over the toll bridge from NJ and came up from Philly to make their purchases. Reports came in all day about accidents and road closings. I thought, lucky me - I'll be headed north into the worst of it. 287 was closed with four hour waits for tows I was told. Mia told me later ambulances were lined up at her ER dropping off the victims. What was I to do? I decided to forget about it for the time, as I was having some sales and couldn't pack up until 4 anyway. By four it was raining steadily and I had to pack up everything wet. Took me an hour to take down and load up, running back and forth with my hand truck and dragging everything else, going as fast as I could. It was a ride home I would like to forget, with little traffic, but a few unlucky drivers down embankments with emergency vehicles pulling them up. I went very slowly and steadily, terrified of the black ice on the road, but was blessed when the temperature went up a few degrees and the rain stopped. I pulled in at 11, 265 miles, beyond exhausted. Matt managed to keep everybody alive while I was gone. No new lambs, with Loki and Luna doing alright. I did the chores, as Matt was holding on by a thread, and fell into bed. Home safe, thank you Lord!

Monday - Yes, I seem to be a road warrior these days. Got to work to find Robin and Melanie, my aides, had done a fabulous job with the kids and finishing our decorating projects. Matt was going in to have his 8 mm kidney stone blasted in the Basset Hospital in Cooperstown and I was going there after work to bring him home. I found him ready to go in the post-op suite, but with bad news. The stone was more dense than anticipated and they couldn't pulverize it. Matt was in bad shape from the drugs and manipulating, and the ultrasound I think, but insisted on driving home. We got a bite to eat in the Doubleday Cafe and headed into the dark, deserted countryside to journey home. Pulled in at 8, another 100 miles on the odometer for me. The screams that come from the bathroom whenever Matt tries to pee are no different than before. I thought I would have to take him back to New Jersey for some proper medical care, but now the surgeon wants to go in and get the stone and stent out on Monday. I sure hope this is over by Christmas. Thank God I have coverage for him...and all the work he is missing can't be helped, but he has the sick days in the bank. Much to be thankful for.

Tuesday -

Back to work. Kids are great, but I am still tired and still holding on to this cold. Now my knee is acting up. All the loading, packing and now slinging the very large bales I bought from Jim Postma. It is hay from heaven, giant, green, fresh dry bales of second cut hay that the sheep adore. Twice as big as any other bales around and a real good price - delivered!! But I still have to pull them around. Should have had that pulled muscle from last year shot with cortisone. Better make an appointment with an orthopod for my knee and my shoulder, but it will take three months I predict. Good docs up here but not enough of them. I had to attend a special ed. workshop on IEP writing in Sidney after school, an hour in the wrong direction from Brookfield. Dragged in a little while ago and thought I better sit down and put it down before so much had gone under the bridge and I couldn't retrieve it. I don't know how much longer I can keep this up, but when I see those little noses poking up under the wooly bellies I think it's all worth while. It's been a long day, with another hundred miles on the road and I want to go to bed...but have to make dinner for Matt, sling bales, fill kitty, bunny, dog and chicken feed dishes, get the hose out and fill water tanks, and give Luna her bottle. Then I may pour myself a little glass of sherry, or maybe a dish of light vanilla ice cream, or maybe I'll take Izzy to bed and skip the night cap. I'll let you know tomorrow.