Life

For the past couple of weeks I've been trying to stay focused on preparing for the Black Sheep Gathering coming up this weekend. I'll have a booth there selling alpaca fiber, yarn, etc. Now that it is almost here and I'm really feeling the pressure to get more done and feel like I need to keep my nose to the grindstone life keeps happening.

As I was working on fiber Sunday Rocky was getting the truck ready for me. He thinks I can't drive it when it's dirty. We also put the canopy on and I left him to install the clamps that hold it down. I was back in the barn vaccinating and de-worming the few alpacas who were left on the list to do. I got all but three done; these three are not halter trained and are a little too uncooperative for me to administer the medications without help so I figured Rocky could help me the next evening.

So, as I'm finishing up Rocky calls me on the walkie talkie, it's bad news. As he was about to put the last clamp on the canopy he ran his hand under the lip of the bed of the truck and ended up knocking a bees' nest loose. He said the bees buzzed straight for his face, one even bounced off his forehead. When he took a step back and around to run from the bees he felt a pop in the other hip and fell to the ground. He ended up staying home yesterday and today with pain medication nearby. Today he is still tender and limping, but seems to be getting around a lot better and I think he'll try going to work tomorrow.

Last night Rocky came to bed with more bad news. As he was brushing his teeth a piece of one of his front teeth broke off. No pain involved and it isn't a large enough piece the somebody would notice, but it still has to be annoying.

I'm hoping this isn't one of those things that comes in threes.

Today I got inducted into the mamogram club. Oh boy, that was a treat. It did not hurt like you hear and I'm not bruised. It was more akward than anything else.

I have to tell you what I witnessed on my way there. I was about the fourth car in line at a stop light and I could see this woman standing on the corner with a sign. At first glance I didn't think anything about her, but then I looked again and noticed that she looked clean and well kept. Her clothes were every day jeans and t-shirt, but they too looked clean and not overly worn. I couldn't read much of her sign from where I was, but the top line read, "Engineer laid off." The person in the first car must have spoken to her because I watched her walk over and take something (I assume it was money) that was handed to her. I could see, even from where I was, the despair and sorrow on her face. As soon as she stepped back on the sidewalk she turned away from the traffic and sobbed into her hands. I could see the side of her face, red and twisted in pain and her shoulders convulse with each sob. By this time the light had turned green and I had to drive away. All I could do was say a prayer for her and try to keep my own eyes dry enough to navigate the traffic.

To the lady on the corner: You have made me count my blessings today, and I thank you for that. I hope and pray that your situation improves soon, and that you will be able to look back on this time of your life and feel that it has made you a stronger, better, and happier person throughout the rest of your life. When I feel life is unfair I will try to think of you, and the courage it took for you to stand on that corner and ask for help.

Depressing Day Yesterday

Thursday evening Rocky was getting ready to go to the coast fishing while I was doing my chores feeding everybody. When I went to feed two of my pygora goats I noticed the smallest one, Mini, seemed reluctant to move and not interested in food. On further observation I noticed her quivering which was really weird since it wasn't that cold out and she hasn't been sheared yet. When I reached over and pulled on one of her horns to bring her closer to me she was so shaky that she stumbled and fell. She managed to get back up, but I could tell that her quivering was from the effort it took to stay up. She had her little legs spread out in order to keep her balance.

Rocky was kind enough to stay home a little longer to help me give her antibiotics and check her out a little more closely. (This mostly meant that he had to keep Billy away from me.) We decided it did not look good, but calling a vet would have been a waste since she was 14, which is ancient in goat years.

So the first thing yesterday morning I went out to check on her. At first I thought that both she and Billy were dead. They were both laying on their sides in the shelter and didn't move when I first called them. The second time I called Billy jumped up, but Mini just twitched and ear and kicked her feet a little. She was stuck on an incline with her feet in the air facing uphill. She couldn't get up.

I called my father-in-law since Rocky was fishing and he sent Ricky (not to be confused with Rocky) out. I had to wait for Ricky before I could try to help Mini or else I would have had to deal with Billy who could have put me on my back right next to Mini. I tried to help Mini get upright, but it just wasn't working and she kept groaning like she was in pain. I finally settled on turning her around so her head was uphill, hopefully making her more comfortable. Ricky volunteered to put her down, for which I am very grateful.

After that was done I asked to have her horns cut off, so they did that and then buried her. Now poor Billy is in a run all by himself and not very happy about it. I'm going to wait a week or so before I move the other goats in with him just in case he gets sick.

Poor Mini. I'm going to miss her, she was a sweet goat. (Too, bad it couldn't have been Billy.) Anyway, now we're down to just three goats and I'm wondering if I should start looking for replacements so Rocky doesn't have to start mowing the ditches again.

I Did It.

I can't believe what I am about to do at the age of 40, but it's all set in motion now. I have enrolled for Summer term at Lane Community College. I am very excited, but also quite nervous. My current plan is to become a Medical Lab Technician (they are the people who perform the tests on blood, urine, tissue, etc.). If all goes according to plan and I don't flunk out of the biology and chemistry classes I should complete the program in three years. From there I could end up at a place like Oregon Medical Laboratories, in a hospital lab, a doctor's office, veterinarian clinic, or even a blood bank.

Now, I have been down the college road before with big plans, so I know they can change. For now I am looking ahead at this exciting new career possibility. It will feel good to do something that feels important and helpful.

In exploring this venture I found out that college credits don't expire or rot, so I get to make use of the year I spent at the University of Oregon in the mid 1980's (too bad I didn't take any Biology or Chemistry classes while there). I also found out that I might be able to get Art credits for my spinning, knitting, and weaving hobbies. Both of these things really excited me.

You have to check out this webcam. I'll let it be a surprise, but let you know that it is on the USDA Forest Service's website.

Holiday Weekend

Our long weekend wasn't very exciting, but we did go to Odell Lake fishing on Sunday with friends. The fish weren't biting very well, but we did bring home enough for dinner.

We did watch a couple of good movies: P.S. I Love You and Gladiator (the one with Cuba Gooding, Jr.)

Projects

I've started a couple of new projects.  The weaving project is more dish towels.  These will be in the cat track and snail trail pattern (I couldn't find a link to show you the pattern so you'll just have to wait until I start the weaving).  These photos are of the warp that is ready to be beamed; that is wound onto the back beam.  The colors are mauve, navy, and cream.

This photo shows the raddle on top of the loom.  The pegs are spaced 1" apart so you can spread you warp out to the width your project will be woven at.  This way it will get wound onto the beam a the proper width and your warp threads on the outer edges won't have added stress on them from being pulled in or out.

I forgot to take a photo of the warp as it was being measured; I'll try to remember on the next project.

This is my new knitting project:
It is a Huggable Hedgehog.  Actually the knitting is all done.  I need to throw it in the wash to shrink and felt it, and then it will get a face and stuffing.

Mothers' Day

First let me start by telling you about the movie Australia.  We watched it the other day and almost turned it off.  The start of the movie is a bit shaky, making you think it's going to be silly,  but if you keep with it it turns out to be really good.  I would say that it is a must see.

Tomorrow is Mothers' Day.  For the past 19 years this has not been a good day for me in several ways.  My mom died almost twenty years ago while I was still living at home and not quite old enough to really appreciate her and all she had done for me, I never had the opportunity to meet my biological mother since she drowned in the early 70's when I was still a toddler, and I have not been fortunate enough to be blessed with children of my own.  These are facts that I usually accept well enough, but there are days like tomorrow that are just painful reminders of these great losses in my life.

My mom was a very loving mother who was always there when I needed her.  Nobody's hug ever felt as comforting as hers.  My mom loved her children and grandchildren like nobody else could.  She was always doing or making things for us whether it be our favorite birthday dinner (mine was roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy) or an afghan.  She loved to cook and bake, and she always had several crochet projects in progress.  Since I still lived at home when Mom passed away I didn't get any afghans or tablecloths, she made those for my brothers' and their families.  Mom did leave me with this:

A handful of unfinished projects.  There is a baby set and a couple of tablecloths shown here with the photo of a third tablecloth.  The third tablecloth has come up missing and I do my best not to let that eat me up inside.  This is the tablecloth she loved making the most and the one she left was almost finished and would have been perfect for my table.  I can't tell you how many times I have torn my house and attic apart looking for it, but I must not dwell on it anymore.

I have decided that I will spend tomorrow honoring my mom by working on one of her projects; I think it will be the beige tablecloth.  I don't need a special day to think of my mom since she and my dad enter my thoughts every day, but tomorrow I will devote some of the day just to her.  As I crochet I will see her hands as they used to work on these projects.  I will see her long, skinny, bare feet, crossed at the ankle, resting on the recliner stool.  It will be sad; I miss her as much, if not more, than I did when she passed; but it will also be comforting to have her hand work spread across my lap.

Happy Mothers' Day, Mom.

Patricia Gayle Bean  

December 28, 1931 - July 11, 1989

Shearing Day

First of all, I forgot to tell you something about Bandon. I was reading a list of events they have in the area and one of them is a cranberry festival. The thing about this that I thought was neat is that the high light of the event is a high school football game they call the Cranberry Bowl. I just love the idea.

Anyway, on to shearing.

Yesterday was the day so all day Wednesday was spent in the barn, cleaning, sweeping, rearranging. It was a hard day of work that paid off just in time. About ten minutes after my help left in started pouring down rain and I had to lock the alpacas in the barn. Nobody likes to shear wet alpacas and if the fleeces are even a little damp you have to find clean, dry places to spread them out to dry or else they'll mold in the bag and then it becomes compost.

So yesterday when we got started it was just like all the other years. The shearer has to teach us again how to hold, put the animal down, etc., but after the first three or four we all fell into a routine and we managed to shear all 24 alpacas in about an hour and 45 minutes. All in all it was a good shearing day, and now I have to start skirting fleeces all over again. (I skirted the last fleece from last year on Monday.)