Once again I was awake at 3 in the morning. Once again it was due to the loudness of a drunken party upstairs. No big deal, I'll alert J and hope that he deals with it. If not, then I will allow the police to deal with it. I have more important things to focus on than the utter lack of common decency that group of people display on a regular basis.

~~~

I finished most of the customization of my Blythe doll. Yesterday I matte-sanded her face, removed her make-up, re-painted her lips, painted her eye chips and added new hair. I did cheat a bit with the hair: I sewed a wig onto her scalp. After trying the re-rooting and still not have it look the way I wanted it to, I decided the wig would work. She looks great. I will need to give her a new name now, since she really doesn't look like a "Niniane" anymore.

Lady Dreamer is still waiting for the new wig for her doll and now that she has seen how mine looks, she'd like me to sand her doll's face, too. Not a problem since it didn't really take me that long.

We've used the cherry pit bags for a little while now and I am pretty sure I'll be adding them to my shop. I haven't tried heating them up in an oven yet, but I'll give it a shot. I know there are people who don't have a microwave (I'm thinking about becoming one of them) and I'd like to include them in the sales.

I'll be going to Innovations on Monday for the touch-ups on my right tattoo. Mike will also help me draw up the next tattoo I'll be getting. I've decided what I want, just not where I want it. That will come with time.

Come to think of it, Monday will be pretty busy -

• I need to pick up my papers at the courthouse
• Go to the Social Security office for a new card (for both of us)
• Get my driver license & Lady Dreamer's id changed
• Go to the bank to get that changed & order my new checks
• Go to the auditor's office to have my next paycheck correct
• Fax the information to Children's Hunger Alliance
• Contact CSEA to have that all changed
• Contact everyone who sends me a bill
• And probably a few more places I haven't thought about yet.

Whew! I guess it's good I won't have any kids that day... Well, I'm not supposed to, we'll see how that goes.

Anyway, I have a shawl to finish. Hope y'all are having a great day! 

I finally was able to get a canning set. I'm a bit bummed that it got here after the canning season is pretty much over. I'm sure I could use what I find at the grocery store, but I doubt highly it will taste as good. I may try it anyway with some of the tomatoes or something, but I'll have to finish reading the canning guides and see what options I have.

I really tried not to care about the elections. I really tried not to get involved with the issues. But it didn't work. I voted a couple weeks ago and then worried that I made the wrong choice, then worried that my choice wouldn't win. I'm glad the elections are over. Now we can try to move forward with the rest of this stuff. I do wonder how my personal life will be affected now. Will I lose my right to carry a gun? Will our country get attacked by larger countries just waiting for a sign of weakness? Or will my business really take off and half my money be taken away in the form of "redistribution" to give to people who already get more of the taxes than they deserve?

I'm going to focus on Solstice. There are several gifts I'd like to give the kids that will require a bit of money and I want to make sure they get them. How I will do that with the tiny checks I've been getting, I have no idea, but I'm going to try anyway.

Our weather has turned a bit. Most of this week we are going to be in the upper 60s. I'm pretty happy about it since I can leave the windows open and know the laundry will finish drying before the end of the day. This actually feels like early summer weather (for this place).

Today I found a great chair at the local Goodwill. Normally I don't look at the furniture there since I know how hard it is to get stuff really clean there. I also know they have to disinfect it using chemicals that could cause all kinds of damage to your body and to the environment. But this chair is a low-seated solid piece of furniture. I saw it as I came out of the dressing room and started looking it over. I even turned it upside down to check the springs (and got a couple dirty looks from the employees). Finally, I sat in it to see if I could fit into it. No, I'm not that big, but I do like to sit cross-legged and it's hard to come by chairs that will allow you to do that comfortably. This one was perfect. There was room between my knees and the sides, the back is low enough to keep me from leaning all the way back yet high enough to support my lower back, the cushion are firm without being rock-like and the best part - it was cheap. Now I have a piece of furniture in my living room.

I found out that I need to give my orange tree a "winter" for it to fruit. Duh, I thought to myself. So now it is in the entry. Even though we've been having warm temperatures this week, the entry it better for a fake winter. It has dropped to the lower 50's in there when outside it in the upper 30s. Hopefully that will help this tree do what it's supposed to do.

I've also been reading about year-round growing. I think it's fascinating that people in the same climate I'm in can grow their ow veggies all year. Even though I don't have all the equipment they do, I know I'd be able to implement it.

I've also been researching some of the online MT schools. It seems the course I would benefit most from is online and I could be done within a year. It would give me a job that I can definately take with me, regardless of where I live.

~~~

Anyway, I've got lots of stuff to finish up.

I could have sworn it was supposed to be autumn right now. Today's high is only going to be in the 40s and tomorrow it will only be 39! Argh!

Anyway, I starteed on Lady Dreamer's Blythe re-rooting and realized the hair we got was way too thick. Even after I'd ironed it, the stuff would not lay down smoothly. So, now we wait until payday to order the doll stuff.

I've been feeling a bit odd lately. Very much that I want to be by myself. Luckily, we had a weekend so I didn't need to deal with work or the kids' schoolwork. For the most part I stayed in my room and drank tea, knitted and listened to music. I was able to finish one project and get another one mostly finished. Now I just wish all the thoughts in my head would settle a little bit.

The house smelled like cherry pie last night and again this morning. Why? Because I made 2 cherry pit bags last night, popped them into the microwave and put them into Lady Dreamer's and my bed. Oh! the toastiness of putting our cold toes onto the warm bags. It was almost heavenly. The bag in my bed stayed warm for quite some time. I put it into the bed before I took my shower, tucked Lady Dreamer in for the night, told the boys to keep the noise level down, checked doors, lights and other "nightly routine" stuff, and then got into bed. I read for nearly an hour and the bag was still very warm. I'll have to actually test it a bit to see how long these will send out heat before I put them on the Etsy shop. I also plan to make a couple for friends as gifts.

Another good thing that happened yesterday was that I was able to get some salve over to Midnight Moon and Innovations. Now, Midnight Moon sells by commision and Innovations just pays my up front, so it was nice to know that I had a little cash in hand and some more that will be there later. Hmm... perhaps I should make a couple cherry pit bags with Pagan designs on them for Midnight Moon.

I'll be starting a re-root job on Lady Dreamer's Blythe doll later today or tomorrow morning. I need to finish up some sewing today (costumes, moonpads, my wool coat, Blythe clothing and a couple other items) before I get anything like that started. I'd also like to get a hank of yarn completed to put up on the shop as well, but that might have to wait a little bit longer.

All in all, it's been a good weekend so far.

Well, the kids and I went camping on Sunday. I think this is the last time Sir Goth will be going with us. He has expressed his distaste for the "boredom" and quiet of camping and by next year he will be nearly 18. This makes me sad, but in a good way. My son is growing up and isn't the little boy he used to be.

During the first night raccoons visited our campsite and enjoyed my peach cobbler and a cup of coffee. Sophisticated little creatures. The next morning we all laughed at the antics of the chipmunks running races through the grass. We also heard an owl as the night fell across the valley we were in. Oh, how magickal that sounded! There were ravens (not to be confused with crows), blue jays and cardinals. We even saw an eagle in flight. The squirrels are smaller than the ones in town, but so shrewd looking when you walk past them.

While we were there, Lady Dreamer and I took a walk on the Hemlock Gorge trail. There are so many magickal things to see when you are open to seeing them. For example, there was a long branch overhanging the bank and dipping down into the water. It appeared to have someone swinging on it since it kept going up and down randomly. Of course, we couldn't see anyone there, and scientifically it could be explained that the current of the water was making the branch move, but we knew it was a "someone". (Mock me if you will, I care not.) We also saw areas that I'm sure hid homes of little folk. Or maybe big folk, who knows. The trees had been touched with a breath of color and here & there we could see a lone tree ablaze with Autumn passion.

I'd planned to stay 3 days, but Sir Goth ended up with a fever so we came home early. Yuck.

Since getting home, I've focused on my knitting and relaxing. There are several ideas I need to mull over a bit and ponder upon and if I don't remind myself that laundry can wait a few more minutes, I will lose the time I need to think about all of this. Most of these thoughts are pretty close to being resolved and decided on, but there are still a few details to work out... Another thought was given the other night. One that I am pushing aside for now since there is nothing I can do about it. When it is time to think about it, I will. Until then, I will hold the people in my heart and pray for them.

I went to Midnight Moon yesterday. I've not been there in a while and it seems D is nearly out of my salve. I'll bring her more next week. I'm pretty happy that it is selling and used the money to get myself a new pendant. Currently it is hanging in my bedroom window to absorb some energy from the Sun and Moon. I will begin wearing it on the Full Moon.

If I am still in this house next year (which I most likely will be) I will be expanding the garden area. I plan to use a technique called Biodynamic Intensive Gardening. Using this method, I will be able to grow enough food for the kids and I to set aside for the winter. Even wheat & potatoes! I was surprised at the amounts a person can grow in such a small area (100 square feet/person). I doubt J will get upset about it since I've been a fairly good tenant so far, plus when I'm ready to move, I'll just till the area and he can decide to leave it as a selling point, or sow grass seed. I do want to get a truckload of dirt, though. My thought is to raise the gardens just a bit and that requires a little more dirt than I have in the yard. Looking over the seeds I have now and even some foods I can get seeds from, I think we'll have a pretty good crop.

My vacation ends on Monday morning so I still have a few more days to get things settled in my mind. I know it will be challenging to make it through the winter with the current income, but I think it will be alright. Part of me doesn't really want any more children in here, even though the money is so tight. I would rather make my money selling salve or fiber or something like that. (Yes, I'm considering Angora rabbits, but that requires a bit more of a set-up than I have right now.) And, as selfish as this sounds, I want more time for my kids and myself. I'm still trying to get my Jeep paid down, and am planning to use most of my tax refund as a payment. My goal is to have it paid off by December 2009. After that, I can set aside that same amount for the downpayment on some land.

Anyway, I have a pair of socks that need to be finished and a few other items that need some attention. I hope you are all having a great day!

There are times you can know something, but once the experience actually happens, you know it. This happened with me and a new pair of socks. I found some wool socks at Wmart the other day and decided to buy some for the kids and one pair for myself. Yes, I am knitting socks for all of us, but I'm nowhere near done as I would like. Well, these socks are 85% wool and the rest is nylon. Typically this is the combination when they make something washable. No shrinking. Yesterday I wore the socks all day and didn't notice how cold the floor, or even the house, was until I took them off. Today I was wearing a pair of socks I've had for a while - cotton, extra-thick bottoms. My feet have been cold all day. I think it's time for me to knit faster.

I'd love to write more about many things going on, but I really just want to sit somewhere with a hot cup of tea and relax before I go to bed. I hope you are all enjoying this cooling weather we are having.

Being sick is yucky. Yesterday I treated the kids to Wendy's for lunch and I was sick within a couple hours. Yep, I vomitted in public. I have to say that it was definately not the highlight of my day. I figured it was simply because I ate too much, too fast or soemthing like that. But then Sir Goth woke me around 1:30am to let me know that he was sick as well. Luckily, he made it to the bathroom and didn't make a mess of it. I'm feeling a bit better today, even though I took a 2 hour nap before noon. Now I just hope everything is back to "normal" by tomorrow.

On to better things...

I've discovered the world of Blythe dolls. What? Dolls? Yep, I've bought myself a doll. Sounds silly, huh? Oh well. The one I got for myslef is called "Mod Molly" and I bought it from a Ravelry member. I'm pretty tickled about the whole thing. I will be changing her hair color soon. Currently it is a very vivid red and I'll be adding some dark brown to make it more auburn. I've not decided if I'll be curling it, but there is plenty of time. Lady Dreamer will also be getting a Blythe doll known as "Roaring Red". That one I won a bid on ebay. I was pretty tickled about it and she should be arriving some time next week. I still have a lot to learn about changing eye chips and all that stuff. I was a bit surprised to see how many knitting, sewing and crochet patterns are out there. I'll be trying to figure out a few of my own as soon as I get the sizes figured out. For now I will just improvise the ones available.

Tomorrow we are supposed to go with K to his sister's new cabin. They are having a bit of a party and we're supposed to bring a covered dish. I'll be making Yummy Yams. Lady Dreamer complained a bit by asking me, "Why do you guys like Yummy Yams?" My reply was, "Why don't you like them?" Ah well, I'm sure there will be plenty of food there for her to enjoy.

I'm looking forward to our vacation. I don't know how the weather will treat us, but I really want to go camping. Even though today it's hard to be enthusiastic about much of anything, I know I need to get out of town for a while.

Well, I'm going to get into my pjs and relax a bit more. I've been drinking lemon-ginger tea most of the day and would like to get something a little more solid in me before going to bed.

Every day is a birthday, for every day we are born anew. ~ Ellen Browning Scripps

My birthday weekend wasn't what I planned, but it was lovely none-the-less. I'd planned on camping. It rained the whole time (I consider myself very lucky since the worst we got was high winds and rain. Many people have been without power up here and the people in Texas have been hit very hard.) The kids and I stayed in town and just chilled out. Friday night, K took me out to dinner and Saturday the kids made a big pan of brownies (I don't really care for cake) and I got my presents. Lady Dreamer painted a t-shirt for me (I'll get some pictures on here soon), Sir Goth got me a crystal with a wolf etched into it and K got me a denim jacket. (Oh, the ideas that sprang into my mind about how to decorate it!) The kids and I also went out shooting. I think they will both do very well. There were only 3 shots that missed the target completely, but other than that, most of the shots were well within the 9" circle.

My dad also sent some money and I've decided to get yarn with it. There is some alpaca yarn that would be perfect for a sweater I want to make for myself and it's a little pricey (the whole sweater would cost about $65... and that's through Knit Picks... I don't even want to know what it would cost somewhere else) so I would have to save up a while. Instead I will get the yarn and start my sweater. I looked at KP's site and found the yarn in pink on sale. Pink? Ugh. But... it can be dyed.

I've gotten some larger containers for the Tat-Stick. These hold enough for a large tattoo (.75oz). So many people seem to be getting the bigger pieces lately so I figured this would be the way to go. I've not decided on the price yet, but it will be reasonable. It also gives me more label room. :)

I've decided that this Winter we will be keeping the house much cooler. I already have finished 2pairs of wool socks and have another on the needles. I've also gotten the kids to start knitting a couple items to speed things along. We also tried an idea for a passive solar heater with a little success. There are some things I will be re-designing to add stability and ease of use, but it works. We set it in the window yesterday morning and the temperature of the air rising from the top was 20° warmer than the room. That was with a hazy sky, so I'm sure that on the sunny days it will be even better.

I replaced the license plates on my Jeep yesterday. I don't need the personalized fee attached to them each year. I still just don't understand why there is an extra charge every year. The plates are already made, there is no extra work involved - I pay, I get a new sticker. Still, that's the way it works up here (everywhere for all I know) so I will clean up my special plates and put them away. Maybe I'll hang them in a garage someday.

Anyway, it's time to get the kids up. I hope you are all having a great day!

I'm a little angry today. Lady Dreamer was supposed to start her classes on August 25th, but we still haven't gotten her books! I can understand that they are using a new delivery process, but this should have all been settled long before school started. I have her working on a couple things anyway (she can work out of order in some classes) but everything else requires the books. Argh!

I canceled the two fiber clubs I belong to. That was hard for me. It was a lot of fun getting a surprise each month with the colors and such, but I just really want to get my debt a lot smaller. I am still leaving some money in my budget for crafts. Just not as much. Since the payments already went out, I will still get this month's fibers, but after that... I will be very choosey.

I finally have my Jeep down to $9,005.30. I knew that I'd have it that low by the end of summer, but it feels good to hear the CSR tell me anyway. I'd really hoped to put it up for sale this month, but with the way prices have been, the darn thing is worth even less than it was when I first came up with the idea. (Back in February it was listed at $9K, now it's only $4K!) Sometimes I wonder what my credit is really worth. Ah, well.

Today it actually feels like summer. The temperatures are in the upper 80s and it's very muggy. Funny thing about that? It's only going to be in the mid 70s tomorrow.

This has been a fascinating several days. K & I have had some really interesting conversations about everything ranging from politics & economics (yes, I did type that) to dark matter to reincarnation theories. We've been to an auction (my first) and browsed antique shops (I found a little cast iron stove I once had as well as lots of other toys I had). We had ice cream and played Uno. I found a wonderful gift to send to my Dad for Solstice this year and a cool gift for Sir Goth. I've stuck to my list and budget and still enjoyed my shopping sprees (most of them online). I swallowed my pride and chose a battle (supporting corporations vs. stock up my pantry). I've felt sorrow & trepidation for the people in Gustav's path and I've felt triumph in deterring a groundhog. And today, I am going to finish my spinning and knit outside for a while.

Yes, it has been a bit of a whirlwind and I don't really feel like I've slept enough, but I also feel alive and that counts for so much more than anything else.

Just around the corner is the first day of school. We are still waiting for the kids to get their books, but most of their lessons are online so I'm not really that worried yet. This year K will be helping Sir Goth with math. Yep, I don't do so well with the stuff in the books even though I know I perform algebraic computations on a regular basis (knitting designs). Once it's all on paper with the formulas and symbols it becomes Greek to me. Heck, Greek may be easier for me to learn.

The yard sale went well. We only made $16 but considering everything was only a quarter that was pretty good. Saturday evening I decided to put out a sign that said "Everything Free" and didn't really do much else. By Sunday evening the only remaining items fit into a kitchen trash bag. That bag is now in the back of my Jeep and is waiting for me to drop it off as the local Goodwill. Now I have a large clear spot in the furnace room. As soon as I get the ambition, I'll be heading back there to rearrange things to fit better.

On a side note: We've been trying various natural cat litters and I have to say - DON'T use the stuff that is made from corn! - it really smells gross after the cats have used it. Now, Lady Dreamer cleans out the box each morning, but even with that, there is this choking odor back there. It's not the smell of urine or feces, it's the litter itself. I'm very disappointed. We will be going back to S'wheat as soon as the paycheck arrives.

It's going to be a lovely day today. Highs might reach the mid-80s but I doubt I'll need to turn on the a/c. It was downright chilly this morning when I began opening the windows. Even now it is still only 58°F. No complaints here other than how strange it feels.

Well, I've come to the decision for the name I will be changing to. I will not be announcing it until I am ready and then everyine will know about the same time. I'm still not sure how I'm going to accomplish that since everyone's in a different timezone, but I have an idea on how to make it work.

I've also had some interesting thoughts about my living situation. Some of this has already been discussed with the person it may involve and it certainly needs a lot more discussion, but the basic idea is this: I am perfectly capable of making it on my own. No assistance, no help, no safety net. I've been doing it. Perhaps not as well as someone else might do in my situation, but as well as I can at this point in my life. I used to feel this driving need to "show the world" that I didn't need anyone. Well, I did just that. I didn't need anyone for a very long time. I still don't. Although I've accepted some help this month (the state goofed up one of my billing sheets, which means a reduction in this month's check... to be remedied with the next one), I still could have made it without that help. Things just might happen a little faster if the situation was changed a bit. But that is still only a possibility and may not even happen.

Does all that sound a bit cryptic? Perhaps, but that's the way I am sometimes.

~~~

Did you know it is August? Summer? Swimsuit season? Hottest time of the year? That's what I keep telling myself, but when I woke up this morning the temperature was only 54°F (12°C)! What's up with that? I needed a long sleeved shirt inside the house! Very strange. But it gives me a little more incentive to make the window solar heaters. Hopefully we won't need them for a few more months, but it would be nice if they are ready to use on the first day we need them.

I'm doing more and more to conserve energy around here. The kids still complain about hanging up their laundry, but I can definately see a difference in the electric bill. We've also been draining the water from the washer out into the yard. I don't see the water bill, but I'm sure there is a difference between last year and this. I should ask J about it the next time I see him. There are still so many things to work on, but I am getting there, a little at a time.

I'm going to try having another yard sale next weekend. I really need to get rid of the stuff we have set aside in the back room. I think I'll just put everything out there for a quarter each and, even though I may not make a lot of money, at least I'll get rid of some of this stuff. What I don't sell this time, I'll take down to Goodwill or something. It's almost as if, by having that stuff cluttering up that part of the house, the rest of the house "wants" to be cluttered as well.

I made my first attempt at natural dyeing today. Not quite what I was hoping for, but it was fun.

Well, time to start my evening "routine". I hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Does anything taste better than a tomato, freshly picked from your garden, still warm from the sun? I don't think so. I ate one of our tomatoes yesterday and it was lovely.

I have a 3-day weekend starting today. To celebrate, I am packing up my knitting and my kids and dragging a friend to the beach. I don't like the beach, and I don't think I ever really will. But, Lady Dreamer loves the beach and has been asking me for a while if we could go. Why do I keep saying, "No"? Well, work schedule, weather, driving out there, gas... Lots of excuses, but what it boils down to is that she's a Water person, I'm not. I would prefer going into the woods and listening to the wind in the branches above my head. I don't like the sandy, smelly, gull-infested beaches around here. Or, just about anywhere. However, I love her and we are going.

I'm going to sell my Aerogardens. Why? Because they just aren't what I thought they would be. The herbs did great, but the tomatoes just don't taste as amazing as the ones from the yard. Not only that, but the AGs just aren't big enough. I need something that will feed us through the Winter and these just won't do it. I'll be starting out with a few hydroponic ideas, including something with fish in the bottom (interesting nutrient cycle if I can get it to work right). Anyway, I already have an offer from a woman in New York and will be sending one of them out on Monday.

Serephina seems to be much more loving than she was before she was spayed. Before, when she was about to go into heat, or when she was really scared, she would crawl into our laps and purr, meow and knead us. Now she does it several times a day. She's also growing. I can't tell if it's because she's just gaining weight or if she's really growing. Time will tell, but it does seem that her head is larger, not just her belly.

Well, I have a little time to knit before getting ready to go.

I'm pretty tickled right now. I got my new spinning wheel yesterday and even had a little time to try it out. I have learned that I spin too tightly, but I think that's because I'm still learning. I also know that I love my spindles in a different way than the wheel.

More and more I yearn to get out of this town. I want to live far enough away from civilization that I can be left alone and still be close enough to go into town if I feel like it. I can feel myself growing impatient with the stack of debt that I know needs to be paid off first. The biggest one is the Jeep. I thought about selling it by the end of summer, but with the gas prices the way they are, it looks like I'm stuck with it for a while. I'm still trying to set aside money for emergencies and such, but I'm also paying extra on everything else when I can. I keep thinking that I could have used the money from the spinning wheel to pay something else down and be done with it. I know that would have been the logical thing to do. Well, there isn't anything left for me to get. I've already sworn off new yarn purchases until Samhain. I am still part of the fiber club but that's the only new stuff I'm getting from here on out. So, no regrets on the wheel. Enjoy it and move onward.

I'm supposed to be getting a new scale soon (free after membership, which I will cancel after the scale arrives). That will make it a lot easier to mail off the Tat-Stick samples. I haven't done that in nearly a month. I'm not really sure what happened, but the passion for it has gone down a lot. Come to think of it, the passion has gone down for a lot of things. I didn't even creat a garden this year. Just some tomatoes in pots and the Aerogardens (which I still haven't gotten any tomatoes from, so I don't know how they will taste.) I wonder why... I'll have to think about that when I am left alone for longer than five minutes.

Well, I need to get going so I have some time to knit or something before the kids get here.

Oh, the joys and stresses of being a parent. Sir Goth went camping with his friend's family this weekend. They left Friday morning and he was driven back Saturday morning. He ended up cutting his hand with his knife and actually required seven stitches. I was a bit perturbed over the fact that they had to drive so far to bring him back and cut into their own weekend. He was upset that he was missing the canoeing and the hay ride. Another lesson learned.

We had Lady Dreamer's celebration on Saturday evening. Once again, her friend was grounded. Now, this girl is not a bad girl. Nor is she overly rebellious or disrespectful. I don't know what is going on, but it seems that grounding is the only form of punishment that is used and it gets used for every infraction. Grr. Anyway, she loved the pottery wheel. I am glad for that and if she continues loving it, I may get her a nicer one for Winter Solstice. I realized that there are many different mediums she can use with this wheel, including the paper "clay" the daycare kids used to make their handprints.

We had raccoons the other night! It was so cool to see three little ones and their mom by my bedroom window. I don't know if they will come back and I will most likely wish that they hadn't, but I do love the creatures up here. Even in town we have groundhogs (yeah, I know there are a few out there saying "Eeeww! Kill it!" but it's cool watching the babies grow), raccoons, blue jays, snakes, rabbits and lots of other interesting stuff. I could do without the opossums, but you have to take them all if you want any.

I'm still a little bit "up-in-the-air" about moving into an RV. With things going the way they are, I think I should put my money into a piece of land instead. I'm still hoping for the Wallace farm to come through, but if it doesn't... I need to decide where I want to end up. I've been doing a lot of reading about how to utilize your land the best way (such as rotating crops & pastures). There is so much for me to learn.

Well, my work day is over. The girls left a little while ago and I will have the next 3 days off. The only one here is Lady Dreamer and she wants to spend the weekend watching "Charmed". I want to spend the weekend spinning and knitting. I don't know what we will be doing about the whole fireworks issue but we will figure something out, even if it's just sparklers in the back yard or something like that.

I've been thinking about the whole "patriotic" thing lately. I know I've talked about it a little with some of my friends, but I don't think I've ever put it on here.

I'm not the kind to wear the Old Navy flag shirts, or have a flag waving from my car, or any of those things. But I know that I am very patriotic. After all, I actually enjoy many of the freedoms I have in this country: I am self-employed, a Pagan, homeschool my kids, choose not to subscribe to cable, choose not to be consumeristic, vote/don't vote as I see fit, get tattooed, educate myself, choose not to be educated, I speak out against the government and stand up for some of it... and a lot of other things.

I'm in a funky mood and some of it is very anti-male. I think I need to get off here and spin some more wool. (I do wish my spinning wheel was here, but if it doesn't show today, it won't be here until Monday or Tuesday.)

Serephina is much better this morning. Yesterday was her appointment to get spayed and it was nerve wracking for me to leave her there at the vet. I know, it's better for her to get fixed for health reasons and lots more. But she's just a little thing and so much can go wrong. Luckily, this morning I only have two kids here and they are pretty mellow, so I know she will have a little more time to heal before the younger children get here.

J stopped by yesterday afternoon and said the living room flooor looks "pretty good". Coming from him, I think that's a pretty good compliment. I don't know him very well, but he seems very quiet most of the time. But, he's a good guy.

I did a lot of spinning yesterday. I wanted to finish the Corriedale - Fallen.

Anyway, I want to get ready for my day.