Long Overdue Update

But then, that is so typical of me, a chronic procrastinator! o_0

My girls have really caught the crafting bug, so I have spent the summer teaching them all sorts of crafty things (not all related to fiber arts). Spoonflower has been particularly addictive for my oldest daughter Deborah, while Rachel has been experimenting with weaving.

However, the latest fiber craze at our house has been felt making of the wet variety. About two weeks ago we spent the entire day making some felted scarflettes for ourselves to get the feel of the process. The girls desperately want to try to make a felt beret, but I have no merino roving left. I'd buy more, but we'll be leaving on a 4 month RV adventure soon, so ordering online is out of the question to get delivered in time & I don't have the time to go hunting down a local supplier.

Since I still have 3 barrels full of lincoln wool left, I'm sorting, cleaning & carding so that we can have some workable fiber available for one last felting project before our trip. Should have some photos of the scarflettes posted here tomorrow.

I started crocheting some squares to go into blankets for the homeless shelter in Moose Jaw about a month ago & will bring enough yarn along with me on the RV to while the drive away. I think I may have already made up enough for an entire blanket so far, just need to check with Donna, the project co-ordinator to see what sizes the blankets need to be. I'm really happy that my girls contributed some squares of their own too - makes me so happy to see them give back to the community :)

We've had the wettest summer ever here & a curiously warm autumn (for the prairies), but the cold weather is just around the corner - I can't wait to go on our trip and head to warmer climes.... and hopefully visit a few yarn shops along the way! :D

Giving Thanks

Happy Belated Thanksgiving to all of my family & friends down south :) I know that I have many things to be thankful for, despite the trying times with our finances over the past 3 years:

I am thankful for family & friends that care about us enough to continually pray for us and to help us out when they are able. I am thankful for these same family & friends to be able to return the same in kind to. When times are down we are each others moral support, when times are up, we are each others cheer-leaders.While my own biological family is very near & dear to my heart, I can gladly say that I have many friends who are special brothers, sisters, aunties & uncles to me! I am truly rich with loving people in my life.

I am thankful that we own our home outright. As hard as things can get sometimes, I know of one certainty - we will not be thrown out on the street, even if we were to lose the bicycle shop & my online business. Knowing this gives me peace of mind for the safety & security of my children. I sure hope I'm not coming off sounding smug - I know all too well the feeling of desperation that comes with homelessness. When we moved from St.Helena, CA back into Canada, the house that we thought was going to be a good match for us turned out to be a complete dud (I'm also thankful we hadn't signed the contract yet!), and so instead of moving in in 2 days, we lived out of a hotel for 2.5 weeks while we scrambled to find a storage space for our things, hope Dan's job offer was still open and find another house - all while I was 8 months pregnant with baby #5. I am extremely thankful that it all turned out well for us.

I am thankful for Dan's new job at the glass manufacturing plant. Although all the money he is earning so far is just being funneled directly into debts, it is better than going bankrupt. I am thankful for a wonderful husband that not only is a hard worker, but even in times of financial stress, he does not lose his temper, give in to self-defeat, or otherwise be negative (unlike me, the worry-wart of the family - LOL!) I've truly blessed by him, and I love him very much :)

I'm thankful for my lovely children, just for being them :) I love when my oldest daughter shows me a new craft project or reads me a poem she just wrote. I love when my oldest son draws his "ant wars" doodles and makes plans to live sustainably on an island in the South Pacific as a scientist. I love my youngest daughter's obsession with all things pink & princess related and her wild hair. I love watching my second son's ability to build with Kinex and imitation of a T-rex. I love my third son's constant happy smile & the way he says "Otay", just like Porky in Our Gang (Little Rascals). And last, but not least, I love my youngest son's laughter when he sees a cat or tries to type on the computer keyboard.