Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Technology is not always my friend.......

I'm having some issues here lately, and technology is NOT always my friend.  Quite a lot of the photos that were part of my blog posts have disappeared.  Vanished.  Cyber-invisible. 
Where did they go?
My DH got a really great song downloaded, but I can't listen to it because his i-dud has a glitch.
And, the internet bandwidth available seems to be shrinking as much as the waistband in my pants.  It seemed like we would have plenty of access when I upgraded from the "rocky-limestone" plan to the "pie-in-the-sky" plan that costs more each month than the car payment was on my first car.
Then, there's the Unlimited access phone plans that I've been shelling out for on 3 of the 5 cell phones based in my household.  Turns out that "lifetime guarantee" contract wasn't talking about My lifetime.
Like so many other things in life, they get you hooked and dependent on them, and then they go and change everything.
I remember an Auntie that didn't trust those utility companies to keep delivering the gas and electricity.  She kept her wood cook stove for a good 20 years after her kids tried to haul it off.  The wood was dependable.  Nobody could shut that off!
And there was a Granny-Aunt in the family that didn't trust those people that delivered milk to your door.  It just made too much sense to have it bein' produced in your own barn where you knew what was what.  And then they stopped delivering milk, and you had to drive clear in to town to get it.  And nobody had Real Cream anymore.... 
Hmmmm, maybe they were right???
I'm beginning to think that it is just possible that it is all a conspiracy.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Getting ready to clean VM-ish Fleece

There's a lot on the internet about how to card wool and spin wool; how to start with a commercially prepared Top or the myriad other forms available for purchase.  There are many discussions on how to diplomatically let your esty or eBay seller know that your are displeased with the amount of "the Barn" recieved along with the wool or alpaca fiber.

So, just for the sake of covering the topic: Let's say that I've sheared my very own sheep and it's got a lot of VM and other sheepishness in it. (Because we have, and it does.) Nobody to notify (or complain to) but myself. Can't bear to just throw it away...... Can't let DH know it's been a "worthless waste of time" to have a couple of sheep..........

How's this for a plan:

1. Shake out the fleece/blanket that is still all together. But, it's really more in clumps than a fleece.

2. Gently spray with a hose on Mist while the fleece clumps rest on a sheet of expanded aluminum lath like they use for stucco. Think of a large strainer - only flat; holes are big enough to put a pencil through, but not a finger.

3. Wash and rinse in plenty of very cool water with a tiny bit of detergent.  (Very worried about felting the wool that is "irreplaceable")

4. Let dry.

5. Comb out chunks with livestock combs used to prep show animals.

6. Repeat steps 3 through 5 every time DH goes to work for as many repeats as necessary.

7. Get out the good hand carders.

8. Never, ever let on what a PITA this has been. When asked, smile and recite what a joy it is to work with REAL WOOL we raised our very selves.

9. Find out how on earth the real sheep raising people keep the little beasties clean.

Monday, February 06, 2012

My UFO in the Attic........

My DS1 recently read my UFO blog page (rubyintheroughufo.blogspot.com), and got a kick out of the "lurking in the attic fair" reference.  Actually, said DS1 has been living in the attic since we finished insulating part of it last year.
Which brings up the whole discussion:  is HE an Unfinished Object?  One of my many uncompleted projects?
Or is it one of those "God isn't finished with me yet" situations?
DS1 is, by the way, one of my best knitting victims and is willing to wear several of my hats out in public.  Just saying that so you knitters will know the kind of offspring I'm talking about here.

What are the statistics on adult children living with their parents?  Not the adult children that are caregivers for their frail parents, but the returning to the nest children (in the 18 to 30 age range) that are moving back in with Mom & Dad.

DS1 says that the reason young adults are willing to live at home, when those of my generation weren't, is that today's 20-somethings get along with their parents much better than the Baby Boomers did.  Looking back on the issues that encouraged children to move away from home as soon after High School graduation as possible, I do really see the difference in the generations.  And, I take it as a compliment that my children are willing to move home.  But, it isn't a condemnation of what my parents did.  The times changed, and parenting had to change too.  That Said.......
While there is something to that, I'm sure there are other factors at work here too. 
Examples:  Minimum Wage buying power, expected standard of living, expenses of education, technology required for communication, housing/building market crash, loan unavailability, insurance rates, transportation costs, the list goes on….
And I will too, as soon as I can get enough bandwidth to upload the file……

Counter