Fibery Friday

Shearing time is nearly upon me and I'm just getting the rest of last year's fleeces processed. I made the trip up to Ohio Valley Natural Fibers on Wednesday and had my very first alpaca fleeces made into roving and, oh my, they are wonderful. This morning was the first opportunity I've had to open these boxes of goodies and pull out some samples to play with and I am so pleased with all of it. I had them processed so that the roving is 70% alpaca and 30% wool, and what little I've spun is beautiful. It makes me want to forget all my commitments and spend the next few weeks playing in the dye pots and spinning this luscious stuff. I spend the whole year nurturing these fleeces (and the sheep and alpacas who are growing them), and I always feel a bit of trepidation when I get to the mill and hand them over. Not that I'm worried about how the mill will process them. Just that maybe they aren't as nice as I was thinking. No need to worry over this batch. All seven boxes are fabulous......if I do say so myself!

Finally, finally, finally the sun is out today and, according to the local weatherman, we have a bit of a warm-up on the way. Not a moment too soon, as far as I'm concerned. I bought these daffodils at Trader Joe's in Cincinnati on Wednesday and I'm wishing they would last until I can pick some from my very own garden.

I'm hoping you have a sunshiney weekend and golden daffodils to brighten your windowsill.

Food Matters

I've discovered some healthy eating for breakfast that Mike and I both really like. I tend to not want to eat in the morning, so finding something this good has improved the breakfast menu around here. I'll admit that before now, I've not been a big fan of granola, but this recipe has changed my mind, and I love being able to make up a batch right in my own kitchen.

The recipe comes from Susie at Juniper Moon Farm. She calls it her "Terribly Inconvenient Granola", but it really isn't that inconvenient. It takes just a little while, since you toast the ingredients separately. It makes a huge amount, so you're good to go for quite a while once you make a batch. We love mixing it with Greek yogurt and maybe a little drizzle of honey on top. It is so tasty and very filling. I promise you, when you have this for breakfast, you'll feel like you've done a really good thing to start your day.

I'm reading "Food Matters-A Guide to Conscious Eating" by Mark Bittman and he makes such a rational argument for changing the way America feeds itself. He advocates what he calls Sane Eating. Meaning: eat less meat, fewer refined carbohydrates, less junk food--eat lots more vegetables, legumes, fruits and whole grains. In other words, eat real food, as opposed to most of what comes off our grocery store shelves. His reasons are all just plain, common sense.

Even though we are having another cold, dreary day, reading this book has me thinking ahead to gardening days. I bought seeds a few weeks ago and plan to start start some seedlings this week. Maybe if I pretend that spring is here, it will actually happen!

Hopes Dashed

That would be my hopes for an Olympic medal. You know that saying, "Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans"? My plans were to get a lot of knitting done during the two weeks of nightly Olympic television watching, but life decided otherwise. It's probably just as well. Not long after I cast on for my Shepherd's Jacket, I read this entry on Kim's blog and thought to myself, "why don't I have enough sense to do that?" By day two of Olympic knitting, I was back to waking up at night with the carpel-tunnel symptoms. A few years ago, during a particularly graceful (!) fall, I tore the posterior cruciate ligament in one of my knees. The orthopedic surgeon told me then that he would see me soon.........because I was working on borrowed time with the carpel tunnel issue. So, between all that has happened around here in the past 10 days and the reoccurring pain, I hereby declare myself Unable to Finish the Course (sorta like Bode Miller--only not as dramatic). I'm still planning on knitting on my Shepherd's Jacket, just without the hope of a medal, though when I do finish all that garter stitch, I'm sure I will feel I deserve a medal!

Those of you who know me and my family, know that my oldest son's wife, Melanie, had a brain aneurysm almost four years ago. It was a very scary time for all of us who love her, but she made a miraculous, full recovery. Just a week or so ago, the unheard of happened and she had another aneurysm. Thankfully, this one was caught before there had been any bleeding. She had surgery last week and is now home and on the road to recovery again. Because this one was caught early, it would appear that recovery won't be such a long, arduous process this time. So, to all of you who have been sending good wishes this way, please know how very much they are appreciated.

February Friday farm scenes

At last, a ray of sunshine coming our way. Boy, have we ever had the gray, snowy days of late and it's almost shocking when the sun finally makes an appearance. This winter weary person is craving sunshine and warm temperatures enough that I can almost fool myself into thinking it feels a little like spring out there today....at least enough to make me pull off the wool hat and work gloves while I was feeding this morning. I know better though. Just as soon as I start feeling relieved that winter is over......here comes the snow again. (The weatherman says it may be coming back this weekend.)

Last weekend, Mike and I went to meet a Great Pyrenees who was looking for a new home. She's a beautiful dog and is going to grow up to be much bigger than our Holly. We brought her home with us and I've spent a lot of time this week trying to acclimate her to our farm and animals. At this point, I'm just not sure if she is going to work out. She and Holly have become friends and that is helping, but she's still awfully skittish. Her name is Penny and she's eleven months old and being that old is part of the problem. She's never known anything but the farm where she was born, so the transition is not as easy as it might be for a young puppy. One good thing is that her former owners will happily take her back and they do have some eight week old puppies available. I'm a fairly patient person when it comes to dealing with my animals, so I'm not quite ready to give up on her. I think she looks sad and worried and I want her to be happy here. So, we'll just have to hope she settles in and starts to think of this place as home.

Holly and Penny heading off to "work".

The weekend. How is it possible that it's here again so soon? Nothing big planned for this weekend, but that's the way I like it. Hope your weekend is the way you like it, too.