Hello Weekend

The snow day we had on Tuesday did nothing to make this week easier.  The only promise we have, no matter how tough the week is, is that Friday will roll around at some point.  We finished our Monet's Garden Giverny paintings today, then began a Jackson Pollock themed abstract painting with marbles in boxes.  It was my aide, Fawn's, idea, with the paper placed inside a box with dabs of paint and marbles that the student rolls around making designs.  Pretty cool and a lot of fun.  We spend a lot of time exhibiting our art in the halls.  It's good for the students to see their work displayed and lets everyone know that we are producing art, not just playing music and fooling around.  I was pretty knackered when the day was done, and finally gathered up my goods to make my way home.  I always stop to pick up the NY Times at Stewarts, then Dollar General to pick up cans of fishy Friskies which are a great deal cheaper.  Trouble is I spend too much money on other  cheap goods there.  If I was still in school I bet I could get a good paper out of the ubiquitous dollar store.  There is an interesting slice of local life there, from people in their pajama pants to the middle class working folks.  The other day the principal of the high school was behind me.  To get this stuff so cheap we would have to drive 30 miles in one direction or 20 in the other.  Gas is $4 a gallon - ouch.  Today I picked up the Easter egg dyes and goods I need for Monday's classes with the little ones.  Hope that goes well....I have to haul a ton of stuff into school for that activity.  Oh, the joy of being an art teacher.  Arrived home finally and faced the wild doggies.  Heard a truck pull in and was curious about why UPS was here.  I wasn't expecting anything.  He hands me a package that looked familiar - it's one of the two boxes I shipped at Staples in New Hartford last Sunday!  It's supposed to be at the mill in Michigan! That set off an hour or so of phone calls, to Staples where I got in an argument with the supervisor of the copy center where I mailed the package, then on to the UPS claims people.  I got so sweaty and shaky when one agent told me my big box of several dyed fleeces was lost that I tried to slip off my jacket and disconnected her.  Had to start all over with another agent who told me it got to the carding mill and was signed for by John, my personal carder, himself.   It seems the shipping label fell off the other one somewhere in Ohio.   I wonder how they even got it back to me?   I could never begin to recoup all the hours I spent picking, washing, dyeing and drying that fiber, forget about the year I put into raising that wool myself.  Will definitely insure the next shipment for what it would bring if I sold the fiber.  The evening didn't get much better with Matt coming home totally fried and frayed from his job at the non-profit.  He says he can't take the pace of the job and the farm, too.  Yep,  Figures.  Might have to replace him with two 25 year olds. That might actually be interesting....Anyhoo....I'm spending the weekend tending to critters, sewing - it's a great stress reliever - and working with more fiber.  I've got a navy blue - purple - orchid mohair run going.  Love the stuff.  I need to ask Matt to hold the horns of a couple of goats so I can shear them but I'm afraid to rock the boat.   Cooper slipped his choke chain yesterday and killed a couple of chickens.  I saved one he was about to crunch and put her in the milk room.  I think I need one of those shock collars where I can zap him when he goes for a bird.  Took hours to get him in.  Can't wait to get my Amish neighbors over here to put up a dog run when the ground thaws.  Better get busy.  Keeps me from worrying.   I love walking up the hill in the snow with the doggies.  I love the cold weather, but I need that grass.  Grass is life.