Coming In Like A Lion......

March, that is.  Last week we had 25 inches of snow in three days.  Four days later temps were in the  50s and it mostly melted.  Three days after that....back in the teens.  I won't show you pictures of the snow because aren't we all just about done with that by now?  However, I do know one thing we are not tired of and that is pictures of cute corgis in the snow!

I can't help it.  The snow on the face kills me dead every time.  


I think you can tell by my latest bit of handspun what I've been dreaming of.......

Yep, just look at the beautiful sunny yellow.  If I can't have sunshine outside, well I will just make my own.  
To go with it, I am working on this:

Doesn't this look like I'm spinning up a bit of the ocean?  This is from hand dyed roving I ordered from an Etsy shop called Woogatherings.  Oh, she has the most beautiful fibers.  This is polwarth, which I've never spun before, and I have to tell you it is a dream to spin. I'm going to try to Navajo ply this.  I've been practicing.  We'll see.  There is a little more hand-eye coordination involved than regular plying and I'm most definitely in a learning curve.
So.......what's going on with all this yarn?  I really want to make this shawl by Carina Spencer:

It's called the Faraway-So Close shawl and I think it is just stunning.  Many people on Ravelry have made this with their bits and bobs of their handspun and it makes a beautiful sampler shawl. 

Three Degrees

See that number three in the left-hand corner?  That was the temp yesterday when I went to take Lucy for her walk. Oh, and don't think I have a choice in the matter.  This is the way things work around here.  I have until 8:30 to wake up, eat breakfast, check my email and get dressed.  By 8:20 the whining starts.  And by 8:30 Lucy is using all her herding skills to move me towards the door.  And if that doesn't work, I get THE LOOK......the laser-like stare that pierces your brain and makes you unable to do anything else but her bidding.

What's the big deal?  The weather is perfect!

So I put on my 8,947 layers of clothes and off we go. (I'm not kidding about the clothes.  At last count I wear a long johns, a sweatshirt, my jacket, a wool headband, a wool hat, my hood, a black skiers mask that my husband says I can also use to rob banks, a scarf, a pair of gloves and a pair of mittens.)

Because it is so cold, we seem to be the only ones crazy enough to be out.  The air is crisp and you can hear the crunching of your foot steps as you walk.  In fact everything seems to be a bit brighter and clearer.

Along the way, we see little footprints of night visitors. While I would prefer to hurry,  Lucy has to sniff in each and every footprint as we walk.  So we walk and we take a little time to notice the things around us.  The trees are heavy with snow..................

and soon we pass these towers that guard a neighbor's driveway.  As usual, I take a few minutes to think about who might have made them and the time it took.  I admire the colors and think about how they would look in a rug or in a skein of hand dyed yarn.

One the way home, the sun rises.....

and while my fingers are frozen and my nose running; I'm glad my little pup made me come out and greet the day.

Who Let the Dogs Out

As I've mentioned, we a fortunate to live on a small cove that is part of a larger lake.  The lake is a big all-sports lake, but our cove is small and cozy.  The lots are tiny and most of the house are remodeled cabins.  Everyone knows everyone else and, all in all, it is a really nice place to live.
So, as it happens in life, our neighbor passed away a few years ago and her house has been empty since that time.  And, because, let's face it....this is pretty much all about us all the time,  we've spent that time worrying about what will happen to the house.  Because, like I said, things are close around here.  It's kind of like living in a dorm, but with water in front of you.
Anyway, this past summer our neighbor's daughter decided to move back with her boyfriend and their three--yes count them--three dogs.
Now, don't get me wrong.  I like dogs.  I have a dog.  But I like dogs who are well-cared for and whose owners have a healthy respect for their dog's place in the world.  And I knew I wasn't going to find that here when I met Mr. Boyfriend and he proudly announced that one of the dogs was a pit bull that he used to fight. 
What the hell?  Who does stuff like that?  And who feels that this is something that you proudly announce to neighbors that your just met? 
Of course, this sets me into overdrive.  I call animal control and they tell me that they really can't do anything based on something that someone told me.  They need physical proof that the dog is being mistreated. 
That's where we are right now.  As I talk more to Mr. Boyfriend (and yes I am talking to him because I am gathering information and will be ready to squash him once I have proof.) I'm seeing more and more that he is one of those men who has to blow up everything he has/does to make you think he is really hot stuff.  And he's not too bright.  And he's an ass.  And he keeps telling me that his dog hates other dogs and will kill another dog if it has a chance. 
Really, Mr. White-Trash Boyfriend?  Really?
So I'm in high alert.  And I'm watching my dog very, very carefully.

Peace Out 2011

New year.....New blog.  I'm not sure why, seeing that I have a perfectly good blog that I already don't post on, but there you go.  Actually it's a very good indicator of my personality...good at starting; not so good at finishing. 
But it is a new year and I do feel the need to start this blogging thing all over.  For whatever reason, my last blog came to represent to me performance rather than a place where I could document things I was learning and a place to reflect about life a little bit.   And let's face it, during the last two years life was, in many respects not-so-good and I never felt that I could be honest about those type of things.

So here I sit, starting off the new year...warm in our little house on our little cove.....looking out at the snow. 

Both kitties are curled up next to me; Moses on the back of the chair and Jasperkitty vying for a spot on my lap....doing his best to push this pesky laptop off to the floor so he can claim his rightful place. 
Lucy is snoozing on the sofa.

The little corner of the rug you can see behind Lucy is my "Expect Good Things" rug.  (Pattern by Brenda Beerhorst) 
And while I don't want this blog to be about finishing things.....I did finish this rug and really hope that this year my life will be about expecting and cherishing the good in my life.