Beautiful Buttons

I made buttons this morning. Had to, as I was really low, and some of the fancy buttons I bought from Diane Edwards (Sweet Annie Designs) at Fingerlakes were really too small for my bags. I took some advice from Annie T. and tried pressing some clay into a wooden disk to make a stronger button. We'll see how it holds up. My buttons do break if smashed, as I have done a few times with the car door as I'm getting out. Wish I had time to make up a lot of buttons to sell seperately, but the clay is expensive and then there is the time factor, my old nemesis. Matt wants me to clean the house but I want to make product for Rhinebeck. I want him to clean the house so I can work, but my work doesn't count since I look like I'm enjoying it too much (which is true!). Maybe Izzy will help out???

At Home Today

It's the first day in a long time that I don't have to throw on clothes and get the heck outta here. Feels weird, but then, it feels like it should be this way all the time. I know I'll work until they carry me out feet first, wherever it is. Would I appreciate staying at home if I didn't have to leave it so much? I think I would, but who knows. I invested a LOT of anxiety, sweat and tears - not really, my last job made me cry but not this one so far (I'm older and meaner), and no blood (yet) and once a teacher has tenure she's reluctant to start over with that three year trial period somewhere else. Besides, the older I get the more set in my ways I become. I have a LOT to do today, bags to sew, soap to wrap, fiber to organize into sampler packs, critters to take care of, an apartment in desperate need of cleaning (so what else is new) and all these vegetables I bought yesterday to cut up and cook down. Two giant bags of gorgeous peppers, different colors, with lovely seeds inside that my chickens will enjoy. The air is crisp and cold outside and the sheep I left out last night are lying on the hillside. No wood stove going yet. It's too big for this apartment and once going it will drive you outside. Great for January, but October? I'd rather throw on a sweater and not light the stove. I miss a real fireplace, where I could have a little smoldering fire to sit in front of and spin and make the house smell good. If I get my studio built upstairs I could put grates in the floor and this big stove will heat it. Dream on...I'll get another cup of coffee and spin my dreams into the yarn.

Cold Tonight

Forecast says 28F tonight. Better clear the fiber and fabric away from the wood stove. I got home from the market and just had to climb the hill with the doggies to take in this glorious sunshine. You never know when it will stay away for extended periods here in my valley, just east of Lake Ontario. I love living on a hill. Flat land is better for farming, as in making hay, but a rolling hillside is so very picturesque and full of character. I think the sheep like it, too, as they can climb up high and peer down on their world below. I climbed up to the pond and found our little cabana blown down, with the colorful rafts looking rather forlorn on the rocks. The water is crystal clear and I thought I might see the big goldfish, or is he a carp by now, floating around. Maybe he's buried himself in the mud already, and gone to sleep for the winter. Maybe the snapper I pushed into the pond to save her from the dogs has eaten him. Oh, the secrets that pond knows.

Last Farmer's Market

It was a leapt of faith that took us to the market this morning. I was hoping the weather report erred on the side of sun, which it did last weekend when I didn't believe it. We drove to Hamilton in fog and drizzle and I thought I must be insane. There were few vendors in the dreary town square so we decided to get breakfast and wait for the weather to improve. The Utica Cafe, right off the square is a fabulous new restaurant with comfy sofas, two flat screen TV's, all kinds of snacks and treats, and the NY Times. I ordered a spinach omelet which took at least a half hour (there were only two other customers there) but it was fine with me since I got to read the paper for the first time in weeks. We set up at the market and although there was no downpour the temperature held steady at about 40 and the sky stayed grey. It was one of those "business was lousy but I had a great time" days. The sun came out around noon, as predicted, but my pop-up almost blew away twice and I just caught the bag rack toppling over a few times. Notecards would fly through the air like birds. Fortunately I had on wool socks and Lisa's birthday present, my fantastic waterproof North Face windbreaker. Her husband is "in the business" and she shipped it to me from San Francisco just in time for winter to arrive. I had some good recognition of my new bags from two customers who already own bags, and would have sold another had I not made it so big (it's a curse!!) Susan Carr, my dear fiber friend from Earlville came by to say hello. She's the one who, last week in Saratoga, when she found out I was in desperate need of a car but found out too late as she doesn't have internet in her log cabin since she's one of my three best sheep friends who are not "online" and like it that way, came running up to me and said MAGGIE! You can have my VW Cabriolet!! I'll call David and tell him to get it ready for you! Fortunately I had made plans to get the mini-van and didn't need her car by then, but the fact that she wanted to help and offered it to me was very, very gratifying. I may be able to brave upstate NY winters in small trailers with no heat or water, but when it comes to having transportation to work, and my birthday, I am very needy! I made enough money to buy some gorgeous peppers and veggies to make some hearty meals for next week. I'm trying so hard to eat nutritious foods and keep the various flu viruses from taking hold. I bought us lunch, a cup of Mexican lime soup, at the Hamilton Whole Foods and bought my Clan of Candace earrings there, as Candy was not at the market today (smart girl!) Now I can give Gretchen back her ear bobs which she kindly loaned me when I lost one Clan of Candace under the bed. Home to my critters and my sewing machine. Life is good.

Friday Finally

These five day work weeks are tough. We have staff development at a local high school today. Don't know why we can't stay at our own gazillion dollar facility, but I have nothing to say about it. I have a three day weekend, but with the farmer's market tomorrow (weather forecast is good) and NY State Sheep and Wool looming next weekend, I won't have much down time. I will find time for a walk around my beautiful old farm anyway.

My Hidden Pond

There is a small pond tucked under the ridge behind my barn. It's struggling to hold water, and not swimmable except for lots of little watery species, but very beautiful. Yesterday I took the doggies up there for a walk. So lovely this time of year, and so little time to enjoy it.

Thinking About Snow

Just remembered I turned the hot water heater off when I left the house for work yesterday to save money. It's wash hair day and I won't have hot water - not fun. It takes a good half hour to heat up again. I braided my hair yesterday instead of washing it, but it can't go another day. I got two bags half done last night, real cute. Need to make more clay buttons, always fun if I have the colors I need. It's so easy with the Sculpey clay and people think it's just amazing. I'm trying to get a big skein of my pumpkin orange roving spun before Rhinebeck next weekend. It's a fabulous roving, so bright and cheery. My first inclination is to ply it with a dark, natural colored roving, for a tweedy effect, but I'm resisting. I don't want to diminish the orange color. So dark and dreary outside, hard to get moving. Tomorrow we have staff development at Norwich High School. No students, a free breakfast, and I get to hang with Robin all day. She's so cool, with two young daughters and PONIES!! Three day weekend coming up, lots to do before the big show. I don't have enough bags, but three more are half done and I'll do one per night until I pull out with the trailer. Rhinebeck comes once a year and I have to make the most of it. I have a big run of lavender soap to wrap, too, and another of clove bud. I have really pretty fabric for the clove and need to stop at the local Sew-Nice for some more tie-dyed purple quilt fabric for the lavender. I'm still a fabric junkie. I heard snow is forecast for next week. Rumors are flying. My wood stove needs a fan installed to keep smoke from coming in the room, a real problem last winter. If there is no wind outside it works perfectly, but any gusts fill the apartment with black smoke. Fortunately, many of my students wear the same aroma to school.

Lavender Soap

Just put out a new batch of lavender soap to cure. What a lovely scent, and so perfect to put me at ease for sleeping. I'm really tired and hope to get a 11 to 6 stretch tonight, starting in about five minutes. I walked up the hill with the doggies after school to get some exercise and take in the gorgeous scenery. A week of rain is forecast starting tonight and the foliage will be ruined. My commute to work is spectacular and I can hardly keep from running off the road for gazing at the colorful vistas. School was alright today, with the usual drama on the part of a couple of students but nothing I can't handle largely due to my fabulous aide, Robin. I was upset about losing my Vietnam Veteran, Dick, early on because he wanted to work with wheel-chair bound kids on another campus. Then they gave me Robin and OH, what a gift she is! Robin keeps me organized and keeps notebooks on all the students. She comes back to my room after her PM assignment (I only have her half a day) and tidies up our room and washes the coffee cups. We talk over what we need to get ready for the next day and any problems we had with the kids. I asked my boss to PLEASE not take Robin away, as I know how people get pulled for this and that all the time. I hope she let's me keep her. I didn't get any more bags cut out tonight but did get the soap cut and spread out on the rack. I spent an hour going through a mountain of big plastic tubs looking for just the right lining for some marvelous fabric Carol sent me. Low and behold, there it was, just what I needed. Someday I'll have shelves with cabinet doors to store my fabric and keep it safe, where I'll be able to look through it easily. Dream on. Speaking of dreaming, I better get to it.

My Barn, My Rules

I climbed the hill with the doggies in the predawn this morning, looking for my sheep. I had to go to Utica to pick up Matt last night, where he had managed to get a ride from work. Still dealing with transportation issues until I get my new old van on the road. I couldn't let the sheep out until I got home after nightfall and felt sorry about putting them back in before I went to bed. I love the pre-dawn time, when little tickles of sunrise are feeling their way across the sky, and the stars are still bright. No sheep up there so I returned to the barn to find they had tucked themselves in. Back outside to close the gate. They are in for the day. There's still a bit of grass out there and I hope to use it as long as I can. Not a lot of hay came from across the road. Jan's owned that field for three years and for three years I've watched other farmers haul hay out of there. Not what we had planned when they moved up here to go into the hay business with me. Oh, well, gotta deal with it. I have to be in to work early today for a family meeting. It got a little rough in the classroom yesterday. I find out what kind of guts I have when they start testing their limits. The pillow Kim gave me says it all: MY BARN - MY RULES!

Apple Hill

The first Southern Tier Natural Fiber Celebration took place in Binghamton today. Big name for a cute little show. Most people who came were more interested in the restaurant on the ground of the pick-your-own apple orchard. I made a few new fiber friends and some good contacts for sheepy things. My dear friend, Rebecca Dioda, drove up from Glen Gardner New Jersey with her husband, Mark, to visit me at the show. It was a real treat to see her and finally meet Mark. I tried out a Norm Hall wheel, made by the local celebrity who gets $5,000 plus per wheel and has a seven year waiting list I'm told. Not real impressed. It has lots of pretty wood, but the treadle requires rather hard pumping and I have to sit at an awkward angle to draft. I was more interested in the pattern for the sweater the owner was wearing, from Priscilla Gibson Roberts book, Knitting in the Old Way. I adore Ganseys. Wish I was a better knitter, but with a full time job and all these critters it is a wonder I can get some yarn spun, let alone improve my knitting skills. I'm more likely to sell the yarn I spin to pay for hay. After loading up I walked over to the lovely apple trees, heavy with their harvest. I confess I picked two up off the ground to eat on the way home. It was perfectly ripe, crisp, tasty and delicious. Home to do chores. I'm not spending nearly enough time with my four footed friends, or the feathery friends, either. I have a three day weekend coming up and hope to make it up to them. I get so homesick for my dogs and sheep when I'm at work. Gotta deal...

Goodbye Jack

Jack passed away today. He had been going downhill for a while now, and was totally blind and crippled. I know he's been in a lot of pain for a long time. I think he broke his leg on Thursday night while going down the wet step out of the barn. He got himself back in the house okay, but couldn't move since. I think that pushed him over the edge. I know he had been having strokes for some time. We had to carry him up the stairs every night at the last place we lived. Jack hated to be carried, but he would bark at the bottom of the stairs until we came to get him, then try to bite us while we ran him up the stairs as fast as we could. He hated to sleep alone. He was very loyal to his pack and never, ever ran away. We'll miss Jack. He was given to us by Eric and Annie after Hannah was born. They had adopted him from the Louisville, Ky, animal shelter to celebrate their engagement. Jack was very feisty and stubborn and had some bad habits. He loved to jump up and pull all the magnets and papers off the refrigerator door. Eric had him very well trained otherwise. He was not allowed to beg at the table. I remember eating dinner in the kitchen in Louisville, with Jack sitting just outside the door of the room. He had gotten a piece of kibble out of his dish and dropped it in front of him on the floor, as if he was wanting to share his dinner with us. Jack's favorite pastime was waiting for the mailman to come up to the door and put the mail in the box. He would shoot through the doggie door and chase the mailman out of the yard. Jack loved food more than anything in these last years and I have been feeding him all his favorite things the last couple of days. I know he went out with a full belly. It's been a tough year, losing so many of my dog children. First Jasper, then Bodie, then Jack. The others are younger, thankfully, and I hope to have them a while. They just don't live long enough...or maybe we live too long.

Yes, It's Purple!

They call it maroon, but it's purple. This is my new ride. I picked it up this morning. It's old and has a lot of miles but it runs great and has new tires. No rust, either, but it must have hit a deer (oh, dear) or run into something as it has an ugly replacement hood in front. I'll get a BOCES consultation next week and hopefully the auto body students will paint it for me. This van will act as my sheep show/farmer's market truck, motel on wheels, and sheep transport if necessary. It will actually be easier to get sheep into this van than up on the bed of my F150 (oh, my aching back!) I will get studded snows all around and with front wheel drive I should be able to make it to BOCES in the snow. Wish it got better gas mileage...but it was cheap, cheap, cheap and Holly likes it just fine.

Such a Day!

My first birthday present came to me in the form of a paralyzed goat who decided to get up and walk around. I couldn't believe my eyes when I climbed the ladder to the hay mow. I expected to see her in the same spot I left her in after re-positioning last night, but she had moved closer to the ladder like she was waiting for me. When I looked at her, she stood up! Meningeal worm, which is what the symptoms she exhibited told me, does not go away. The paralysis is permanent. All you can do is arrest the progression of the parasite up the spine. Could she have something different? She has not been able to use her legs for almost a week. Whatever it is, I hope she continues to improve. On to work at BOCES with another batch of sewing to work on through the second Open House night. My GED section includes a "life skills" component, so I am not that far afield with sewing. I walk into my room to find an array of gift bags and presents, TWO chocolate cakes and a bouquet of flowers from Eric and the California crowd. I'm overwhelmed and my students are excited. I was showered with Happy Birthday wishes all day. My presents include: a lovely handmade, tie-dyed sack filled with coffee, chocolate candies and lingonberry jam with a kiwi torte from Gretchen, a selection of Mary Kay make-up from Laurie, an adorable sheep spoon-rest from Robin, a coffee grinder with beans from Rosanna, and a sack of delicious chocolate candies from Kelly. My GED students all sang Happy Birthday to me and we ate cake at the end of our morning session. I am happy and exhausted from so much excitement. Don't know what the night will bring. I think Matt is coming home from the Bronx but I don't know. Sure would be nice to have help with the chores tonight. Is it Friday yet????

And So To Bed

I can't wait to feel the sheets. Left the house at 7 something and got home at nine. We are required to stay late after school until 9 for Open House. I brought my Singer Featherweight and some cut out bags in and got three of them almost done. I only had one former student come in my room - Randy Dungey and his parents. It was a lovely visit and Randy promised to come back and help me on the farm again. I went back to sewing in my very well-lit room. Drove home in the rain to find my poor doggies howling and yelping with joy to see me and cats tripping me up for food. Only one bag of fiber shredded and a precious Louet bobbin on the sofa but not chewed up. I wish I could have kept them outside longer but I had over an hour of chores ahead of me. Missed most of Jay Leno. Had to turn the heat on - cold and damp. I cooked some corn on the cob for me and my last piggie meat for the doggies. Now they forgive me. Same deal tomorrow night - can't leave until 8. Yikes, two nights in a row??? Better bring more sewing.

Box O' Goodies

As I dragged my weary behind up the milk room steps with a bag of cat food, kitties clamoring all around me, I spied a UPS box. Oh, yay, do I love a surprise box that I didn't order myself! What could it be??? I tore it open then and there. It was full of gift wrapped packages with pink bows. My darling Mia sent me a pair of Dansko clogs (just in the nick of time - I was getting desperate!), Starbucks coffee, biscotti and homemade banana-nut bread to go with the coffee, pot-pourri (always appreciated in a barn apartment), and a new cell phone!! Hurray!! The phone she bought me two years ago when I was about to travel home from New Jersey in an ice storm is kaput. No car, no cell phone, I was feeling a little, well, shaky I guess...but I'm happy now. What a thrill, and what a joy to have such a daughter. I will see her in two weeks when she comes to babysit so I can go to Rhinebeck. I very excited. Now to get through this week...taking it one day at a time.

More Peepers

As I was rushing around getting everyone fed and watered for the day and myself out the door to work, I heard the unmistakable sound of newborn peepers. It's amazing how loud they can be. I had to make a decision - catch them and put them safely in the bathroom and risk being late for work, or let mom try to fight off the cats. They could also drown in the sheep water bowls, not a pleasant thing to come home to. I decided to catch them, which can be futile since they tend to scatter in all directions and are very fast, not to mention being attacked by mom while I'm chasing them. I ran back inside the apt. Yes, the lamp was still there from the last batch of chicks, and the old box was clean enough. Ran back to the milk room and got some chicken feed to distract mom. Climbed over barricades and squeezed through stanchions to get to the Little Lamb Fine Dineing pen where the chicks were born. I threw down the feed and proceeded to scoop up the chicks and some of the remaining eggs. Mom had a teenaged chick with her to keep her company so I didn't feel too bad. She might even hatch more chicks from the eggs I left her. I got the newborns situated in the bathroom and jumped in the tub. Holly was thrilled to have new peepers to love. No time for hair or face, just grab some clothes and go. I always look like the Farmer in the Dell anyway! I had to drag three giant construction garbage bags full of more bags of dyed fiber out to the truck to ship out to the mill after work. The big bags were rained on all day long as I fretted inside the building. Why didn't I put them in the cab???? The bedding from the weekend was still in there, so I had put the bags in the back. Got to the UPS store in Norwich and had to sort it all out, shaking out as much water as I could. Should have gotten it shipped last week when it was dry outside but put it off to do other things. Never enough time to run this business properly, and hold down a job, and take care of all these critters. At least the new chicks are safe. Maybe one of these days I'll start to take care of myself. But not yet...

Chasing Rainbows

When I let the sheep out to graze after work the sky was clear with a few clouds scattered here and there. A storm blew in from the west and brought the rain. It was wild, standing on my great hill with brilliant blue on one side of me and black, angry weather behind me. I was taking a look at my lower pond, nestled in a lovely spot, completely private, under the ridge. Someday I plan on building a little guest cabin there, next to the apple orchard. Trouble is, the pond failed to hold much water, and is a big puddle now. One entire side of the bank is missing. I will ask Mr. Maine, my Brookfield neighbor who put in my septic tank, to fix it someday. I made it back down the hill with the dogs before the heavy rain came and watched from the hay mow (miss Hannah and Luke!) as most of the sheep continued to graze. Some ran in and I threw them some bales. I played with them a while then went about my chores. Matt is in the South Bronx, teaching a workshop on the Health and Safety of the Weatherization Worker. He planned on attending church tonight with AJ at St. Vladimir's for the evening vespers. Chores take me forever, as I like to take my time. Now I want to sew, as Rhinebeck is looming, but I'm so tired I don't think I will. I climbed back up the hill to get the sheep in but every time Izzy and I tried to collect them, they scattered in all directions. I can't go to bed without them in, so I'll go out and try again. The waxing moon will give me some light. I'd rather be chasing rainbows, the way I did earlier in the afternoon, when a nice one stretched over the ridge behind the barn. The sheep enjoyed it, too.

Southern Adirondack Festival

The first Southern Adirondack Festival went very smoothly and brought in a moderate amount of patrons. They had to divide themselves amoung a grand total of 90 vendors, however, spreading the wealth a little thin. Great for the customers, tough on the vendors. I had a decent weekend, made much easier by assistance from the Big Daddy Trucking Company. What a change from last weekend at Fingerlakes, when I worked all day, drove 5 hours, then set up my big booth until midnight. I slept in Hotel F150 while Matt pitched a tent on the ground for some leg room. We went out to dinner with Lisa Merian of Spinner's Hill, Susan Carr of Earlville, and two sweater vendors from Bolton, Mass. After dinner we set up to spin in the ladies' room on the fairgrounds, the only place open, warm, and well lit. I love to hear other farmer/fiber people talk about their hopes, dreams, adventures, and troubles. I slept a grand 8 hours in my snug little truck cab bed and woke up to rain. Remembering the Dunkin Donuts I passed the night before going to dinner, I fired up the engine and drove to Schuylerville. I marched in the door in my LLBean green plain jammies and Carhart vest at 5 am. The cappucino tasted better than anything I could get at the fairgrounds. Drove back and Matt was still sleeping in the tent, which had not sprung a leak yet. Back to the buildings to spin some more. I got some lovely yarn spun and plied over the weekend, between customers. Most vendors I spoke to said they would come back. Many customers said they preferred this festival over Rhinebeck, which is very crowded and stretched out over much territory. I would like to explore Saratoga some more. Looks like a lovely city.

A Match Made in Heaven

Every year I make a Mega-Tote, a ridiculously big tote bag designed to carry a spinning wheel, a rug hooking canvas, a quilt to quilting class, a small child, etc. I usually carry it around for a while but always sell it within a year. The stories of the people who buy these bags are very interesting. At the Southern Adirondack Fiber Festival a vendor, one of the 90 vendors who attended this first-time show, visited my booth a couple of times. She came back and brought her little Doug Dodd spinning wheel. It fit like a charm. I was thrilled, she was thrilled, and the little custom wheel has a very special bag to ride around in.

Young Love

I saw something very inspiring today. Sometimes we get caught up in the hectic chaos of life and forget that it's all about love. I follow a blog created by a young woman living on a little homestead in the wilds of Maine. She and her man planned a wedding on a tight budget. Running the farm and taking care of their animals always took first priority. I was amazed when I saw this video, posted recently on Anna's blog. The wedding was classy and beautiful, and OH, so romantic. Take a look at www.househarrison.blogspot.com. Guaranteed to give you warm, fuzzy, romantic notions!