good help

We. Made. It.

Actually, by following the "Just One Cow" principle
(note benevolent cow totem), we made 30 of it.

I'll post some of the fruits of the exchange on the weekend.

And so to bed.

Shhhhhhh . . .

inquiring minds want to know

Stella, the art cat, asks: You have to make how many?

You cannot be serious.

By Thursday? I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

Carry on, then.
I'll be right here if you need me.

Labor Day potlatch

I was determined, determined I tell you, that this weekend would be put to the good use of Cleaning the House. I have determined this before, but cleaning is not my favorite thing, so my so-called determination usually evaporates, and also, this particular cleaning involves sorting through more of Mom's stuff, so I was even less eager, though no less determined. In theory, determined.

But then, on Thursday night, I was scooting around catching up with blogs, and Vivien -- bless her -- had posted about IBOL. Qu'est-ce que IBOL? you ask? Iraqi Bundles of Love, of course. A soldier in Iraq has organized a drive to collect and distribute to the population -- fabric and yarn! The catch is that everything must be in the mail by tomorrow 9/8. So Friday I went to the Post Office asked for ten boxes, was told "Just take all of them" (which turned out to be 19) and was given labels, and off I went. Unable to defer, to procrastinate, to have determination evaporate -- or I would miss the deadline. Ya gotta love a deadline. So motivating.

I was braced for a long, sad time of it this weekend sorting through all the heaps, and I was skeptical about finding a good place to send the culls, and particularly sad that Mom's yarn stash might end up as compost. (The nitrogen is good for the soil, but still...) But this project turned something that might have been profoundly sorrowful -- sorting Mom's stash -- into something uplifting. I can't tell you how much it means to me to know that Mom's legacy of warmth, self-sufficiency, and home-grown beauty will, in this small way, make it around the world.

And 19 large, APO boxes just fit in the trunk of my trusty Focus. Off we go. . .


And now I can move on to the second big project of the weekend -- working up 29 4-inch squares for a swap at the monthly meeting on --eek! -- the 10th. Even with help, it's going to be tight.

on being a redhead

Much as I appreciate the compliments, there's a down side.
For example, does anyone have a good comeback for the many occasions when absolute strangers (usually male strangers) have asked: Is all your hair red? There are some variations, but that's the gist.

It's been going for 54 years now, but that question still takes me by surprise. I usually turn and walk away. Not the best repsonse to a "teachable moment" perhaps, but someone who thinks that kind of thing is a witty opener is probably unteachable.

nor custom stale her infinite variety

Guest post from the top cat*


awgusst iz Mine's brrthdy month. wich meens therr's brrthdy paprr on a puhjomma string. it duzznt get enny btrr than thiss.
~^:^~

*Ed. note: Despite his fondness for Shakespeare, spelling isn't among Halloween's assets. Some translation must be puzzled out. Perhaps, like Shakespeare, it's easiest understood when spoken aloud.

self promotion

eek. I mean seriously eek!
I'm going to do a one-day writing workshop at the Wallkill River School in Ulster County NY on the 29th. On the one hand -- yay! -- they want to feature the class on the website. On the other hand -- eeeeeek-k-k! -- they want a photo. I hate having my picture took. (yes, I know that should be "taken") But what's a girl to do? I haven't had a picture taken since . . . college? In the mid 1970s?
Happily, I saw my friend Jane the other day and she suggested the very arty "hold the camera at arm's length and snap" method. So I had a go at it. Very arty. I hope it will do because this is pretty much what it looks like when I'm working. Except that actually working is messier. And uses more coffee (which is just offstage in this shot). And usually actual work entices Beau to sleep on the printer (also just offstage in this shot--the printer, not Beau. I'm only pretending to be working for the sake of the picture so there's no reason for the cat to be on the printer "helping" me).
More info later. Stay tuned.

temptation

Is four cats too many cats?

She's been in the yard for a while. Last night, she had the sense to come in out of the rain.