New Phone---Yeah!

When we got home we checked and found out we were eligible for a new phone with a two year contract extension---for  $49.95---yeah!  Fortunately I had backed up my phone while we were at the lake so it was easy to recover all the information.  I didn't even have to cry----went to the AT&T store instead of the Apple store.

Tomorrow is a day in the dye pots getting ready for the Caraway Rug School.

This coming Saturday is my next race---Hospital Hill.   I am as ready as I'm ever going to be.  A couple more easy training runs this week...I sure hope it is not too hot Saturday morning.

http://www.hospitalhillrun.com/

Anita

Cell phone at bottom of the lake

I had one of those "oh *!*##!! moments about an hour ago.  I was getting out of the boat and had just taken my car keys and cell phone out of the bag am put the phone in my pocket---big mistake.  I bent down to pick up something and plop!!!  the sound you don't want to hear.  I was so mad at myself!

I'll have to make a visit to the Apple store and see what they can do for me.  Maybe if I cry???

I caught one crappie---if we don't catch more we'll let him go.

Where there's a will there's a way

We came down to the lake on Friday afternoon and I brought a couple of my Cupboard designs with me to hook samples.  When I got here I realized that I forgot my frame.  Not many shops here at the lake---I found a plastic ring for a dollar---don't know what it was used for---got some clips at the Dollar General, found a wood frame at a garage sale for 25 cents, knowing I had some thumbtacks at the trailer.

Here are pictures of my make-do inventions.

You would think I would be smart enough to just leave a frame here.

We are about ready to go try catching some crappie.  It is warm and sunny today.

I got into some poison ivy yesterday---have some blisters by my left eye---I am hoping it doesn't spread---not fun!

Tornado warnings in Kansas

Good thing I teach classes in my basement---the sirens were blasting this morning---tornado activity was in our area this morning---about two miles from my house---it never developed into a full blown tornado but headed east to Sedalia.  The girls hung around until we were sure it was safe for everyone to head home.

The afternoon class was small due to the tornado threat.  Welcome to Kansas and the land of Dorothy and Toto too.

I hope it is a quiet night.

My thoughts and prayers are with the people in Joplin and Sedalia, Missouri.

Dentist and doctor day

Today was the day to get my final crown and I also asked the dentist to look at a small chip on the backside of my front tooth---well he smoothed it out and on my way to the car a bigger chip came off the front---yikes!!!  So back into the office to end up with some bonding material to try to repair it---I don't think it is going to work long term---I will probably need to get it fixed more permanently as it is still not right---but at least it looks okay even if it feels funny.

Then it was off to the doctor for what might be called a well woman exam---yeah!!!     I have to wait for the blood work to come back, but everything else seems to be good.   I am happy to say that I have kept off  45 pounds for 4 and a half years now---doctor was very happy with me.

I came home and worked on patterns today---I have finally gotten my geometric figured out and drawn up properly for two students from Wisconsin---and then I realized that I drew the big one 24 by 48 instead of 32 by 48 so it is back to the drawing board.

Here is a picture of the pattern.  I am calling it Pinwheel Star Geometric.

Here is my smaller version I did as a test.

Here is an updated picture of Paisley Hex---almost finished.

Well gotta go---time to go do my run before classes this morning.  My next race is Hospital Hill on June 4th---yes it is hilly---not looking forward to the big hill---it is uphill from mile 1.4 to 2.4---the reward is a downhill finish!

Storming at the lake

We came to the lake yesterday to set up our fifth wheel trailer on our lake spot.  We got here just as the rain quit---so we got to set up with some sunshine.  We had some minor problems but all is well---our electric meter is still not working on 50 amp, only 30 but since we don't need air conditioning it is not a problem.  It has been raining hard for several hours today.  Here is a picture that I took early this morning before it clouded over.

I have been hooking today on Paisley Hex---however I forgot to bring my cutter---had some wool cut and have had to do some hand cutting.  No problem---it reminds me of my favorite quote from "Choice Hooked Rugs" by Stella Hay Rex..."you need some of the irregularity that  comes only from hand cutting, that slight lack of perfect coordination between the hand and eye resulting in uneven strips contributes to the texture in a rug.  To be told of a handcrafted product, it looks as perfect as if it had been made by a machine is scarcely complementary.

Here is where I am on the piece.  Photo is not very good as I took it with my phone because I don't have the cord to download from my camera.

Here are a few more photos from Wisconsin.

Here is Hazel's Santa's Helpers from Ewe and I.  Santa has some  might big boots---she decided to make them a bit smaller and fill in with more reindeer on the left.

Rosann was tackling a new Edyth O'neill pattern with Jonah and the whale---the paisley shapes will be done in off-whites, blue-greens, pinks, purples to resemble waves and shells.  This is a very big rug!

Carol designed this rug herself to be a companion to a larger rug she is hooking.  The border went through several color changes before settling on this one---it will be a tablepiece.

Here is Margaret's Thistle Penny Rug, by Red Barn Rugs, a great little primitive floral.

Okay...back to hooking.

Anita

Cream city workshop

Well, it is good to be home.  This morning I am planning to put away my wool and get reorganized at home.  We are going to go get our fifth wheel set up at Pomme de Terre lake in Missouri either Thursday or Friday.  We have not been able to put it on our site due to high water at the lake but all is well now.  I can't believe that I am leaving home again for a few days.

Here are some more pictures from Wisconsin.

Cheryl hooked this runner for her daughter.  I love what the striped wool did in the border.  She is going to bind it with the striped wool with about 3/4 to 1  inch showing.

Jackie hooked this piece designed by SharonSmith---Off the hook  wool rugs---what fun!

Sally hooked Pumpkin Pie designed by Carrie Martin---do a close-up on the bittersweet!

Harriett hooked this pattern from Bea Brock called Spring has Sprung.  She is off to a very good start.

Here we are at the end of the workshop---minus three people.

Thanks everyone for a great workshop.

I will try to post more pictures in the next few days from both workshops.  There are so many more to show you.

The sun is shining and it is a good day to go for a run before I start to work.

Home from Wisconsin

A big thank you to all my students in Wisconsin for two great workshops---I had a great time working with all of you and I know that some great rugs are going to come out of these workshops----can't wait to see them finished...as much as I would like to post pictures of all of the rugs I just don't have the time to do it so I'm going to select a few to give you some idea of the talent in Wisconsin.

I was also very lucky to get to attend a rug show in Waupaca at the city library---160 rugs on exhibit!

There are far too many rugs to show you but I've selected a few to showcase...I do not know who hooked most of these rugs as not all were labelled but hope you like the show.

Here are a few rugs from the class...

Here is Sandy's grandson holding his big catch!

This is Pat's Narcissus---those are some great watering cans!

This is the Soule family house...sorry i can't remember the year---I think it was in the 1700's???
I can't wait to see how this comes out.

When my daughter got married the photographer said hand in the air and say 'Whee!"---here is the group  from Waupaca saying "Whee!"

Thanks again---I am home safe and sound but tired----in a good way!  'the car in unpacked but I have a lot to put away tomorrow...

I will post the Cream City pictures tomorrow.  So stay tuned.

Heart and Sole 2011

This morning was my first 5k since I hurt my knee back in January.  I completed it in 31:51---not my fastest but I still finished first in my age group.  I was pooped when it was over---and very red faced.  Here is a picture that my hubby took near the finish line.

Here is my award---I am proud of it.  I was afraid that I wasn't going to be able to run again when I hurt my knee but it is getting better...thankfully.  This late in life runner actually enjoys it---I never thought I would ever say that.  It is good for my heart and my stress.  The race today benefitted Special Olympics.

I am about ready to start loading the car---hubby went to fill it up with gas first.

Wisconsin---here I come!

The Barn, packing for Wisconsin and more

Well I thought about posting more picture from The Barn but Amy did such a great jog that I decided it would be better for you just to go to her link.  Here it is:  amysdustytrail.blogspot.com  Great job, Amy!

I have been getting ready to leave for Wisconsin on Sunday.  The bags are packed, well mostly.  I did dye a bit more wool yesterday afternoon that needs to be packed---got some good stuff.

Yesterday I also went to the dentist---not my favorite thing to do.  I got my final crown from an implant that was started in December...yeah!  It was dampened by also having a new crown prepped because the old one broke.  Now you know where my money went this month.

I am running in a race on Saturday, the Heart and Sole race benefitting Special Olympics.  This will be my first 5K since I hurt my knee.  I am excited to be doing it!  It is supposed to be a relatively flat course so that should help.   I have also signed up for Hospital Hill in June---it is not flat!

Well I can't do a post without at least one picture so here it is:

I took this picture at the rug show in Ohio.  It was hooked by Madonna.  I love looking at it!

I hope everyone has a great weekend...looks like some warm weather for a change.

Happy Mother's day!

Home from The Barn

What a great weekend.  I arrived at The Barn on Friday at noon and got home around 11:30 today.  We had a small but mighty group---12 of us settled in for a weekend of food, fun and lots of hooking.

The first night there was a group of women from a church having a retreat and a couple celebrating their anniversary, and a group of five sisters from five states in addition to our group.  The church group was having a great time---they made a lot more noise that we did.  I'm not sure what they were doing outside at midnite but they sure were having quite a good time.  I did not hear or witness it because I was pooped and went to bed early.

The second night besides us, there were the five sisters, and an assortment of other couples who probably did not know they would be spending the night with a bunch of noisy hookers.

There are so many pictures to share...I don't know where to start.  No way I can share them all so...too much to do this week to finish getting ready for Wisconsin.

Here is what I worked on.

This is the almost finished geometric---16 by 24 that was my test for a larger one that I want to do.

This is Paisley Hex a Jane Flynn pattern from House of Price.

Here is a picture of the group in out hats.

I only have time for one more picture so here if Amy's Crazy Horse runner.  You can see more of this on
Amy's blog---amy'sdustytrail.blogspot.com

Okay---one more---I am expecting some hookers from St. Joe and they aren't here yet.

Here is out guild rug---State Line Rug Hookers, and ATHA guild.  It was hooked by 11 members with only one more square to go.  It is going to be raffled at some point in the future and the fund being donated to a worthy cause.  I'll post more info on purchasing tickets at a later date.

The squares are 12 inch blocks---so it is about 36 by 48...who wouldn't love to own this one!!!