NatureWithMe

Cables abound in the Gemma Cabled Scarf

noreply@blogger.com (Sinclair) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 07:00:00 +0000

I am happy to report that I have finished a gorgeous scarf (gorgeous because of the pattern and the mmmmmmalabrigo wool used) for my BFF. Yes, I did just say BFF. Learned it from the kids. Or something like that.

This pattern was simple in that cables are simple once you know how to do them, but it was quite labor intensive in that the cabling occurs often, and stitch counting and accurate row tracking was required. It is a free pattern available on Ravelry.com.

Fire is the phenomenon of combustion

noreply@blogger.com (Sinclair) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 02:24:00 +0000

The first few minutes of the new year began with fire for me. Fire in the pan, fire in the sky, fire on a blog I read regularly. New Year's Eve was a nice, cozy at-home evening of knitting and cocoa and movies. I was thinking about what a nice segue into the new year we were having, and then

KABOOM! The world exploded with fireworks outside. The oil in the pan got too hot to sautee the onions. The first few moments of the new year turned noisy and bright and chaotic. I wanted to discount this as setting a tone for the year, but when I awoke the next morning, one of my favorite blogs had a post about making fire. And so it was that I had my theme for the year. My word. My subject to explore.

And, just as suddenly, tomorrow is the last day of January, and I have not even completed my thoughts for a New Year's Day post, or begun to make any resolutions (see last year's post about how I usually don't do resolutions), or decided if I was going to make resolutions this year, or even lived up to my unspoken resolution to get back to posting 5x per week. This will be my fifth post of the month.

So, what is FIRE? There are many definitions, and many phrases that involve the word fire, but here is the first entry from Merriam Webster:

a (1) : the phenomenon of combustion manifested in light, flame, and heat (2) : one of the four elements of the alchemists.

So, the year began in a combustion of light and flame, if not the heat, and it has been burning ever since. January has been all consumed, and it happened so fast as to be on fire.

Love on fire

noreply@blogger.com (Sinclair) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 07:04:00 +0000

Welcome, month of passion and ardour! Though the origins of St. Valentine's Day, and its transformation into the modern consumerist observance of Valentine's Day are many and varied, the one thread that remains constant is that we spend the month thinking of love and warmth and togetherness. Who shall ignite the fire of passion for you during this month of love?

Definition 1b of fire from Merriam Webster is as follows:

b (1) : burning passion : ardor (2) : liveliness of imagination

Yarncycling

noreply@blogger.com (Sinclair) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 00:44:00 +0000

You've heard of Recycling, Upcycling, and Repurposing...but have you heard of Yarncycling? Probably not, because I just made that up. However, I did not make up the idea of frogging (ripping out all stitches back to the original yarn state) a sweater to recover its yardage. That probably goes back to the first knitters of sweaters, and many of us carry on the tradition to this day.
This lovely orange sweater was purchased by yours truly at a Goodwill store for $2.99. It looks good in the photo, and though I bought it specifically for frogging, I had hoped to get a bit of wear mileage out of it first. No luck, however, because it had some seam holes due to unraveling, and it was wonky in spots with "pulls." So RIP I did, and now I have YARN! Beautiful burnt orange 100% merino wool yarn. I saved the turtle neck part intact and finished the edging so that it makes a great cowl/gaiter.

But, now that I am yarncycling in earnest, I really needed a niddy noddy to properly wind the yarn into hanks instead of just making balls of yarn that are much more difficult to store. So, based on an idea I saw recently on a fellow Raveler's blog, I made one yesterday from PVC (a one-yard size small noddy).It is not particularly attractive, and I cannot take all the price tags off the tubes because when I did take one off, the sticky under it was nigh impossible to remove completely, and I don't want sticky sticking to my yarn...so ugly with price tags wins the day. But the price is definitely right: the entire thing, custom cut, cost $4.92. Now I have hanks...That turn into nice, tidy skeins for storage...Isn't that a beautiful sight? I have one ball left to hank, but so far I have three finished at 175 yards, 175 yards, and 192.5 yards. The last one will be in the ballpark of 175 as well. Where, I ask you, can you get 717 yards of premium 100% Merino wool for $2.99? Goodwill, I say! If you are willing to work for it...

I am pleased, and I even like it in orange.

The new babies are here!

noreply@blogger.com (Sinclair) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 07:06:00 +0000

There's Bernice, Joy, and Chomper (I for one urge a change in that last one!), the Buff Orpingtons, and Opal and Liza Jane, the Barred Rocks. My, but they are so cute when they are this tiny and fuzzy!

The Beauty in Both

noreply@blogger.com (Sinclair) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 06:52:00 +0000

This was Deer Palace on Thursday morning last week. We had snow overnight and off and on most of the day. We had been having some unseasonable warmth and sun in the week prior, so you can see that a chair and some rakes were out at the ready. The rakes were working just a few days before, and now they look completely out of place there. However, the blanket of snow renders the scene beautiful anyway.This was Deer Palace today, and there is Simon swinging on his "tire" swing with no pants and no cares of snow or ice. Though it was cold, the day was beautiful for outdoor play, and we took advantage of the holiday to spend some time enjoying each other and watching the wild birds gobble up the treats left for them.

I love the silent, solemn beauty of snow. And I love the bright welcoming beauty of a sunny day. Soon the sun will win, and we will have warmth to accompany the rays. Even the chickens feel it coming, as they have again begun to give us some eggs.

RAK and such

noreply@blogger.com (Sinclair) — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 04:54:00 +0000

I cleaned out my little jewelry holder last weekend and sent about half of the contents to a person I don't know. I am a member of a group called RAK (random acts of kindness) and someone's wish list included unwanted or broken jewelry. None of my jewelry is of the expensive type, but here were plenty of beaded bracelets and other fun costume jewelry.

Some of the beaded items were made by me, and some were purchased here and there. Most of them had been with me for several years. Now that my stash is lighter, I hardly remember what I gave up. I am glad that someone else will enjoy the items for a time, and that I have one area of belongings that is a little more streamlined.

After the cleaning out, I realized I needed a little pouch to hold my shawl pins and wooden shawl pin circles, so I made the cute little birdie drawstring bag above. Tweet tweet! Chipper the hamster could not resist sneaking into the photo...

How do you rid yourself of items you no longer use?

What have we been doing?

noreply@blogger.com (Sinclair) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 07:33:00 +0000

Among other things, we have been reading. Last year, we heard Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed at library story time. It was cute, but I hadn't really paid attention to the name of the author or thought much more about it until now. Now, when we stumbled across "We Are in a Book" and "I am Going" at the library. We checked these out because Amilia likes animals, and these looked fun.

Fun is an understatement. I LOVE these books. And now I love many more books by this author, and I know the name Mo Willems. We checked out five more books the other day, and will check out more next week when they arrive back in from other readers.

What are you reading?

There is a Bird on Your Head

noreply@blogger.com (Sinclair) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 06:31:00 +0000

More reading...

There Is A Bird On Your Head is one of our favorite Elephant and Piggie books, but really, they are all so fun and whimsical. A new book called I Broke My Trunk came out last month. We have yet to read that one, but it is on our list!

We also really like Knuffle Bunny, and we have begun to mimic the book by having the argument over whether it is pronounced Kuh-nuffle or Nuffle. You don't know Knuffle Bunny? Knuffle Bunny is Trixie's toy bunny. They have some great adventures!

So, I have decided that I am going to rearrange my sidebars a bit and create a reading list for the year so you can follow along with what we are reading. In case you are interested.

Happy reading!

(these are not sponsored posts, in case you were wondering)

Chicken Little

noreply@blogger.com (Sinclair) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 06:34:00 +0000

The chicks have outgrown their cardboard box in the laundry room and will be moving to the greenhouse this weekend. Just a little over a week ago (or has it been closer to two already?), they were so much smaller. This photo is from one night when they were all scuffling and somehow managed to get Bernice all wet. Amilia had a wonderful time warming her and getting her dry by the fire. She cheeped very loudly, but when we would put the towel over her head like a "wing," she would doze off in just a few seconds. I will miss their cute little cheep cheep noises and fuzzy bodies. They are only super cute for a few weeks, and then they start to look and smell like chickens.

This batch is also much more aggressive than our older girls were as chicks. This group pecks at our hands when we reach into the box to feed or water them, or to pick them up. They are extra skittish, and despite the daily hands in their box, they don't seem to be getting used to us. I chose ones that looked feisty in the feed store so I could be sure they were hearty enough to survive. I think that particular bit of feisty translates to something much less admirable when it leads them to peck the feeding hand!

Chicken Digs

noreply@blogger.com (Sinclair) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 07:00:00 +0000

The baby chicks moved to their new "Digs" in the greenhouse yesterday. They got all cozy in their new crate with some straw and a nest box for all five of them to share. They slept there all nice and cozy under the heat lamp, and were just fine this morning.

Then, we spent most of today with no power due to storms, and it wasn't restored until 9:30 pm. What does this mean? This means that the bread we had rising did not make it into the oven until after 9:30 tonight, and that the girls had to come inside again tonight. Since there was no electricity, they had to go back into their small box in the house near the woodstove. So, we just thought they were out of the house for good! Maybe tomorrow...

What Are We Reading?

noreply@blogger.com (Sinclair) — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 08:00:00 +0000

* Are You Ready to Play Outside?
* Can I Play Too?
* Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late
* I Am Going
* Junie B., First Grader: Toothless Wonder
* Knuffle Bunny
* Knuffle Bunny Too
*Runaway Ralph
*Stories from Shakespeare (Illustrated)
*The Mouse and the Motorcycle
* There's a Bird on Your Head
* There's a Wocket in My Pocket
* We Are In a Book

The Nightmare Continues: Japan and Beyond

noreply@blogger.com (Sinclair) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 02:27:00 +0000

I have been rendered speechless. For weeks. I have been "tharn" on the railroad tracks of life while this runaway freight train barrels down on all of us. The strange thing, however, is that I am among very few who seem fettered by this catastrophe. I am not speaking of those who live near the site of the quake, tsunami, and crippled nuclear plant. THEY are plenty shackled, and I pray for them all, every day. I want to scoop up every one of them and move them to a place of safety. My heart breaks for the lives already lost, and for those who lost loved ones. My heart breaks again for the workers enduring horrible conditions and all manner of radiation and toxic exposure to attempt to avert further crisis.

I have been astonished into inertia. I am trying to sort out the thoughts clamoring in my mind, and to rouse any kind of rational thought from those around me. I am amazed that there is no real discourse going on in my community about the catastrophe still unfurling in Japan, or about the real risks and dangers of continuing to use nuclear power anywhere on the planet. I am dumbfounded that most people with whom I speak STILL SUPPORT THE USE OF NUCLEAR POWER.

Really?

We don't need nuclear power. In the U.S. right now, only 20% of our power use is derived from nuclear power. Yet we have 104 power plants! In my opinion, it is about the furthest from "green" power we can get because there is no safe place to store the waste. I love this quote: "radioactive waste shipped off‑site to an appropriate disposal site" ...for long-term storage. And the radioactive waste just lasts, and lasts, and lasts, so much longer than the Duracell bunny (he doesn't last for thousands of years). I hear it said that "a nuclear disaster can't happen in the U.S." Really? They must mean "again." Or perhaps they forgot about Three Mile Island?

I have seen THREE nuclear disasters in my lifetime. That is THREE too many. Wild boar in Germany cannot be eaten because they still carry high levels of caesium-137 from the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. Twenty-five years after the last nuclear disaster, food, animals, and people are still suffering consequences. Many people have died and many have health issues and various cancers. For what? For electricity. For money? For greed? What other reasons would there be to continue to use such a power source? A power source that kills not just one person when an accident occurs, but potentially thousands, hundreds of thousands, maybe millions? It may take years, but does that lessen the impact of cause and effect? I don't think so.

The ground water and food in the direct vicinity of the Fukushima plant is unfit for human consumption, and is getting worse. Beef there has tested positive for radiation contamination. There is fallout from Japan drifting across the Northern Hemisphere. It has been detected in milk in Washington, the air in California, Oregon and other states, and in rain in Maryland and other states.

Don't worry, however, because the levels aren't "out of the ordinary." Really? I think it IS out of the ordinary when it shouldn't be there at all. It is a senseless accident resulting from our egotistical and senseless use of a power source that can easily get out of our control and wreak havoc on innocent lives. Lives, like mine, who did not ask for nuclear means to be used to generate power.

Last time I checked, there were things like water, wind, and sun to convert to our power uses. I was asked if I would be willing to live in a mud hut and give up most power use since not using nuclear power would mean less power availability (because apparently the person with whom I was speaking hadn't heard of water, wind, and solar power). My answer is a resounding yes (though as mentioned, there are other power sources, so I don't think it would be necessary).

If you had to choose to eat, drink, and absorb nuclear fallout to keep your gadgets, or to live simply, BUT WITH HEALTH AND A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT free of fallout and nuclear waste, which would you choose?

Are there no people of reason left in the world? I call for a complete shut-down of all nuclear power NOW. Nevermind that radioactive material in your food, milk, and water. It isn't enough to hurt you.

Chicken Treats, Healthy Eats

noreply@blogger.com (Sinclair) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 04:50:00 +0000

Sorry for the corny title...I am very tired and perhaps a little punchy this evening. Do you have chickens? We now have 10; the five from 2009, and the five young chicks which are almost fully feathered now. We are at the point where it is time to blend the young girls with the older ones, or to decide to keep two separate flocks for an indefinite period of time.

To this end, I have been trying to decide if it is a good idea to combine the flocks. In general, it is recommended to wait at least 30 days when bringing new chickens in so observations regarding their general health can be made. Our chicks have been here for 45 days, and they are very healthy.

Our older girls have always been healthy, but we do often have trouble with droppings that are more wet than not, and this results in dirty feathers on the back end. They have had this off and on since the day we first got them as baby chicks. This problem can be a sign of mites or lice, but not necessarily so. It can be a signal for the need of a dietary adjustment, or may simply be that they sit where they went.

I have no reason to believe that there are any mites or lice about, nor have we observed any on the birds or in the coop. We are getting the normal yield in eggs, and the girls seem happy enough. Since they have been this way from the very beginning to some degree, I tend to think it is just how they are. However, the new chicks are not the same in this regard, and before we do any combining of birds, we have decided to take a proactive approach.

We began today with these steps:

The above photo shows 2 cups oats, 1/2 cup millet, 1 cup yogurt, 1/2 clove of minced fresh garlic, a handful of ground up raw pumpkin seeds, and a bunch of carrot greens cut into small bits, all blended together in a bowl. We will give a similar feed to them once each day for this full week. We also put a clove of fresh garlic, cut in half, in their waterer.

They have been penned in a run for most of the winter and the ground had hardened so that they could not get much out of their usual dirt bath area. We used a garden claw today to make sure the they have plenty of soft, loose dirt in which to bathe. They took a nice, long dirt bath this afternoon. Next weekend, if the weather is warm enough, they will have water baths. They will each be dunked into a warm bucket of water with vinegar and a bit of salt mixed together, then dunked into a warm rinse water bucket, and then dried thoroughly before nightfall.

That should do the trick, and then we can make the final decision on whether to blend or not to blend...

My Fashy Wears Cashmere

noreply@blogger.com (Sinclair) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 05:44:00 +0000

I have a hot water bottle. I LOVE my hot water bottle. When you are living the frugal life and trying to get back to basics, I think a hot water bottle is among the must-haves. It is soothing for any number of ailments, aches, pains, or sore necks. It warms your bed, your toes, your tummy, or anything else you need warmed.

My hot water bottle wears a cashmere sweater. I LOVE the feel of cashmere on my feet under the covers at night. I repurposed a thrifted (purchased at a thrift store in like new condition for $3.99) cashmere sweater with some snazzy argyle detail into a couture sweater for my Fashy.

When I went looking for a hot water bottle, I had no idea it would be so difficult to find the old standard like we had when I was a child. I did a lot of internet surfing to find one that looked promising. Then I read about Fashy bottles on a Ravelry forum, and loved that they are made in Germany and not in China. I ordered one through a seller on Amazon, and I. AM. HOOKED!

I put hot (but not boiling) water in it at bed time, slide it under the covers near my feet, and at 6am, it is still warm. It keeps me toasty all night, and soothes the day away. Electric heating pads are not recommended for prolonged use, or for use in bed or while sleeping. With hot water bottles, I don't have to worry about electrical currents, or any other such safety issue.

I highly recommend a hot water bottle (HWB) in every household! (This was not a sponsored post.) I looked high and low, and I think Fashy is the best bottle out there right now. It is not the old rubber standby, but is a soft, flexible silicone type material that really holds the heat and makes it last a long time. Now, it just needs a name besides Fashy. And Amilia and Mr. Nature are getting their own, because we have all been converted to HWB maniacs.

ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz.............

Chicken Update

noreply@blogger.com (Sinclair) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 06:18:00 +0000

The young girls have moved into their new chicken run. It is not the prettiest run I have ever seen, but it is functional and new. It took 100 feet of wire. Each 50 foot roll carries a price tag of $25.00. Our friend and neihgbor is also building the coop. It will cost less than buying one from another place, and though I built the first one, I do not want to go that route again for some time!Until the coop is finished, the girls have been shuttled back and forth from greenhouse to run each day. They have outgrown the dog crate and the greenhouse, so they will now occupy a shanty (a very large cage made for birds that is covered with some tarp and wood siding) until the coop arrives. They are fully feathered now, and the weather is not too cold at night for them to occupy the new temporary coop shanty.

You would think I would have the coop BEFORE the birds, but that would be too easy. I have always done things the hard way, it seems. Runs in my genes, I think...

On Wearing Out

noreply@blogger.com (Sinclair) — Sat, 14 May 2011 06:07:00 +0000

So, here is the thing: I can no longer whinny. Or squeak. Or neigh in any fashion, really. Nor can I sleep through the night, or awake refreshed, or go through an entire day without something aching or paining. Sometimes it is just a dull ache or throb. Other times it is a quick stabbing pain that comes and goes.

I am busy with work, family, and charity knitting. Trips to the library and the grocer. I try to save a little energy for enjoying the lengthening evenings. Lately, these things have left me devoid of the energy required for keeping you updated here in Blogdom. I have blog thoughts. I have blog photos. I have tidbits of information.

What I do not seem to have is the physique to edit the photos and transform the thoughts to posts. I am exploring the reasons for my clock slowing, as it were. I hope to be back up to speed in the near future. I miss you, and I miss your naturing with me. I also miss my whinny. I prized it over many a tangible item, I can tell you. I have had it in my repertoire since my toddler days. What cruelty that age robs one of the neigh and the wild abandon that is its companion.

How are you all? Wishing you well..

Gluten Free, Caffeine Free, and Feeling Fine!

noreply@blogger.com (Sinclair) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 03:17:00 +0000

Well, hello there! Did you miss me? I missed me. I have missed me for several years now, as I was getting physically worse and worse with some mystery malaise that dogged my every moment. It has been a journey of at least three years to determine the cause of my ailments. I could not believe that aging was the only culprit. Other people my age are very vivacious and strong. The other option was unthinkable. I had a teeny tiny fear that something was REALLY wrong.

Thankfully, I have a doctor who listens, stays abreast of medical research and developments, and was willing to explore the possibilities with me. After many tests which mostly pointed to normalcy, he ordered a celiac test. While the results ended up inconclusive to some extent, he had me give up alcohol (don't really drink anyway), nicotine (don't use tobacco products), salt (WHAT???!!!), AND CAFFEINE.

Alcohol and nicotine were already not in my realm of consumption, so no problem there. Coffee was only my companion for one cup each morning and no more. Salt - I love salt. I am thin, and I don't suffer any hypertension.

So, I gave up the caffeine, and I stopped adding any salt to my food (I do not avoid items that already have salt). I felt better after the 2.5 day caffeine withdrawal headache finally passed. I don't even drink decaf because it still contains caffeine. I did not realize before what trouble caffeine can cause to our adrenal glands and cortisol levels. After five days of this, I decided to also give up gluten.

After three more days, it was like I had been given an energy and vitality injection. I felt GREAT! It has been almost three weeks now, and I am still feeling pretty darn good.

What were my symptoms before?
-daily headaches
-muscle weakness
-chronic sinus stuffiness
-all over body pain
-skin pain (hurt to be touched and sometimes hurt to wear clothes)
-socks hurt and had to have no elastic tops
-bracelets hurt
-necklaces hurt
-seams in clothing hurt
-my hair was brittle and stiff and lifeless
-pale skin
-it hurt the bottom of my feet to walk most days
-eyes hurt - hurt to "track" with my eyes
-light hurt
-TIRED TIRED TIRED
-random unexplained dizziness
-irritability
-"brain fog" - inability to focus, inability to remember things
-a feeling of "just not right"
-stabbing pains in random places at odd times; sometimes in an ear, sometimes in my head, sometimes in my legs, sometimes in my hands
-SKIN and BONES feeling - when sleeping, couldn't have legs or feet touch each other because it felt like bone on bone and couldn't have covers on my feet because they were too heavy and would hurt
-gas
-bloating
-joint pain
-joint stiffness
-body stiffness; total lack of flexibility
-tendinitis symptoms
-ear "stuffiness"
-tinnitis (ringing in ears)
-occasional rapid heart beat
-ear and throat itching
-restless legs at night
-more frequent urination
-inability to sleep through the night- trouble staying asleep
-often cold
-Reynaud's symptoms in fingers and toes

and there are others that may or may not be related.

I give the list because gluten intolerance, or celiac disease, often mimics fibromyalgia or lupus or chronic fatigue, or even sometimes lyme disease, and can be overlooked. I am thankful that my doctor listened to my symptoms and understood. He confirmed that people with gluten intolerance are often accused of being hypochondriacs because many test results can be inconclusive and show "normal." He also said that gluten intolerance can cause many many mystery ailments.

Let me say that the pain is real; the symptoms are real and relief is marvelous. I can go on walks and hike again. I can wear shoes I haven't been able to wear in years - and they don't hurt! I can wear bracelets and necklaces. No more headaches (except when I accidentally ingested some gluten). I feel strong again. I feel like my "fat pads" are back on my hands and feet. No more pillow between my legs at night. I feel energetic and clear headed. No more dizziness. My circulation is back. Even the muscles in my face have tightened up! I have color back in my skin and cheeks.

The lingering symptom is tinnitis, but I hold out hope that it will resolve itself. I am sure you will hear much more along the way, such as how truly difficult it is to avoid all gluten, but not today. Today, I am off to do something fun...

Be well!

Summer in the Sun

noreply@blogger.com (Sinclair) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 03:50:00 +0000

These days, my life is whizzing by at dizzying speeds. I have had difficulty finding time to sit back and relax, much less reflect and relay thoughts here on the blog. Recently, we were able to take a whirlwind mini vacation that had some relished moments of relaxation and beauty infused with hustle and bustle. While driving through the gorgeous and sorely missed California wine country, I was able to catch and distill a bit of the summer sun.

Chicken Treats

noreply@blogger.com (Sinclair) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 06:05:00 +0000

Today was hot and the hens were panting. I gave them running water near the edge of their pen and took them some yummy treats. In this bowl there was cantaloupe, strawberry tops, yogurt, apples, a few blueberries and flaxseed meal. They gobbled it up, fighting over each morsel!

Dog Days, indeed!

noreply@blogger.com (Sinclair) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 03:50:00 +0000

It is hot and sultry (finally!), but my dog days began last Saturday, the 30th of July when my dog went missing. The tree trimmers entered through the gate, but did not shut it behind them. They did not announce their presence before revving up the chainsaws and hacking into the offending tree.

At the first sound of chainsaws and falling limbs, out the open front gate she went - and far and fast did she go. Behind the residence with acreage across the main road, and up into the woods behind. We spent the entire weekend looking and calling her name. We printed photos and made signs. We sent emails and activated the community phone trees. It was an all points bulletin.

But there was no sign of our 'fraidy cat dog anywhere! By Sunday night at bedtime, we were all beginning to wonder if we would see her again. She absolutely will not go to a stranger, and if we couldn't find her ourselves, there wasn't much hope. Cougars and coyotes live out in the woods, and they might like a tasty overweight dog for dinner.

Thankfully, Miss Kate found her own way home and was at her bowl for breakfast on Monday morning. Oh, the relief! She was not too worse for the wear, but did have a limp, and was terribly full of burrs and ticks. We picked 3 ticks off that morning and took her to the Vet. She was given an anti-inflammatory for a sprained front wrist, and she was put on a diet. I had known she was overweight, and had changed her food to one with zero corn and more meat content, but I was surprised to find out she is about 25 pounds over her target weight. EEK!

Tuesday she went to the groomer, where she was scrubbed, brushed, and had another 4 ticks removed. Since then, despite her regular flea/tick treatment, we have pulled 4 more ticks off her this week. The ticks are bad this year, and they don't seem to mind the flea/tick treatments too much. We have sprinkled 20 Mule Team Borax in her dog bed and her dog house, and around the areas where she likes to lie down, and will be checking daily.

This past weekend, we took her to the park for some play, and to the pet store for a new harness. No food treats for at least a month! Have you hugged your dog today?

Dear blog,

noreply@blogger.com (Sinclair) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 04:18:00 +0000

I miss you. I have not forgotten you, but I have been overwhelmed with other obligations of late. I have photos to share, stories to tell, and no time in which to share or tell them. If I had time, I would tell you about how we almost stepped on the banana slug above, but saw it at the very last second. The moon phases keep cycling, the sun keeps rising and setting, and I keep running the marathon on my hamster wheel of life, hardly able to nod to the sun or moon.

I do not know the stars this year. I have not sat under the apple tree this season. The grapes do not know me. The chickens I know only by their early morning clucking that wakes me from the too short slumber. The burgeoning aloe plants overrun their pots, awaiting the much needed dividing and transplanting. The fall garden seeds await their turn in the soil. Maybe next year.

Kate is doing well on her doggie diet. She has lost several pounds and will have a weigh-in this weekend. Her sprained wrist is all healed, and she is much improved in vigor. The feel of fall is in the air, the mornings are cool, and I am ready for my snuggly sweaters.

All my best,

To Seek Happiness in the New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Sinclair) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 08:43:00 +0000

Happy New Year!

I have taken some time to reflect and to determine my blogging goals (or if there even were any such goals), and have decided to continue on in 2012. My direction for the year was almost to explore the word "identity" and all that it entails, but I realized that my quest this year (and every year of my life) is much deeper than I could delve into with a mere noun.

I decided that this year, I am going to explore all the possibilities that lie in the simple verb "seek."

In the end, isn't that what we all do here on this earth? We seek. Even when we don't know it, we are in search of something. Even at the most fundamental level, we are always required to seek - food. We seek warmth. We seek love, happiness, friendship, fulfillment. The tragedy lies in giving up the search.

And so I begin...

Definition of SEEK

transitive verb

1: to resort to : go to

2a : to go in search of : look for b : to try to discover

3: to ask for : request <seeks advice>

4: to try to acquire or gain : aim at <seek fame>

5: to make an attemptWhat do you seek?

Odd Occurrences and Natural Disasters in 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Sinclair) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:58:00 +0000

I wanted to begin this year on a positive note, so I began with the overarching idea for the year of "seeking." Unfortunately, life is not always positive, and there is also a need to seek change. There is a need to seek answers. There is a need to seek to help others.

The years 2010 and 2011 were years that saw increasing occurrences of natural disasters and odd phenomenon. Perhaps there are no "answers" for WHY these things have occurred. At least, perhaps no answers that are readily available. The one potential exception to this is the BP oil spill. There are answers there, but we may never know them. For those to be known, there is a need to seek way down deep in the bowels of a corporate monster for the Truth.

However, there is no denying that odd and catastrophic things are occurring at a more alarming rate, and that means that there are more people who may need help from others. I will attempt to help when and where I am able, and that usually means sending knitted objects to help those who are in need of warmth.

2012 has dawned no different in some ways than 2010 and 2011. This year has also begun with dead birds dropping out of the sky for no apparent reason, dead fish washing ashore and then disappearing with the tide, and a large magnitude earthquake off the coast of the still crippled Japan.

There were so many things going on in 2011 that I lost count. So this year, I am going to attempt to keep a list on my sidebar. To seek to live an aware existence means that one must not ignore what is happening in the world. One must seek to make connections where possible in an effort to draw conclusions about what might be done to alleviate the impact. For example, many people do not know that the Fukushima plant is still not completely under control from the earthquake and the following Tsunami in March of 2011. Radioactive cesium has spread over much of Japan and a full shutdown had still not been accomplished as of November, 2011. A report says that Japan was "unprepared" for the disaster, but TEPCO said there could have been "no way to prepare fora 9-0 magnitude quake..."

That may be the closest to the truth that any story has yet reached. THERE IS NO WAY TO PREPARE a nuclear power plant to withstand a 9.0 or higher earthquake. So, if we seek the most logical conclusion, all nuclear plants on this entire planet should be shuttered for good. We do not need them when the potential risk is so high. I do not think enough people are seeking the answers or drawing safe conclusions.

Since I cannot unilaterally decide for the world that all nuclear power should be abandoned, I will seek to help those whom I can after these disasters strike. I will attempt to find some fragment of hope for the deliverance of innocent people from the maniacal greed of companies seeking to further and bigger the use of nuclear power the world over.

I will pray that I have no more than the three entries already existing on my 2012 list by the end of the year.
I will continue on my journey...

Winter Knitting

noreply@blogger.com (Sinclair) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 07:49:00 +0000

I have been knitting knitting knitting this season. I am always in search of new patterns to try, and new yarns to use. I was recently gifted the book, Natural Knits for Babies and Moms, and have been trying a few of the patterns for the Outreach to Appalachia this month.

I have several projects on the needles at this time, and some of them have been sitting on needles for a year or more. My next search will be for time to complete some of these.

It makes me happy to see the results of the work of my hands. It is also very satisfying to give that work away.

Links for 2009-08-15 [Digg]

Sun, 16 Aug 2009 00:00:00 PDT

Frugal Freebies: Vivitar Vivicam 8025 Giveaway
I love free. And it is available to be won in Canada!! Free and Canada!! Best words ever!!

Links for 2009-08-14 [Digg]

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 00:00:00 PDT

Craft and Hope, Together
Giving to others the gift of hope and handmade. Get involved!