A New Path

It's December 1st, and I'm officially retired! My last day was supposed to be last Friday, but they closed the office so my actual last work day was Wednesday. It's still all a bit odd in my mind. I've had to make a little index card reminder system so I actually know what day of the week it is. There's been a lot of sorting and tossing going on. I find it hard to just sit and play until the work is done, even if I'm not sure what the work is supposed to be. And nope, I haven't hit the basement yet. But some will have to be done soon so I can get to the Christmas decorations.



I was blessed with the corporate party and it was great fun. I only have a couple of pics..I never seem to remember to take them but there are more in a throwaway camera that I've yet to drop off for developing. The banner almost made me cry. One of my most beloved young patients nicknamed me Rambo and it traveled throughout my community. I still here "Hey Rambo!" from time to time when I'm out and about. I still miss ya Jarred!



I received some a lot of super cards and lovely gifts. I'm well stocked for the time being on soaky bath stuff (and the time to really soak!) and books and candles and gift cards to Bath and Body Works and Hastings and Barnes and Noble. Oh and two soft throws and softie socks! These folks really know me! One of my coworkers presented me with a little album of candid shots of all my coworkers which I treasure.

So now it's a new path. I don't know where it's gonna take me. My mental backpack is filled with enthusiasm and curiosity and I'll have to send you postcards along the way! It's gonna be a real trip!

ETA: My friend Jackie just called from the office. In a sing-song voice she said "It's end of the month and you aren't here!" Now that's one thing I won't miss! :-)

Da Basement

Ummm after much thought, I've decided that this post needs to be saved for a later date..one in which I can have before and after shots. ~~waves to Jackie and Mary-Catherine and Mac and all the others who didn't believe me when I said it was bad.

Ramble Rambles

So, after a short time here on the prairie, Ramble and I...along with our friends Suzy, Sierra, Mary and Erin headed east. We'd been invited to Juniper Moon Fiber Farm to celebrate the new home of our fav sheep and goats..and to participate in a photo shoot.

It was way early when we set out. Ramble was excited that rather than traveling in a mail bag, he'd actually get to sit in a seat. And very excited to meet his new best friend Sierra. She promised to take good care of him and to make sure he saw all the sights.
He behaved very well on the plane, stayed in his seatbelt, but was really glad to get off in Dallas to meet Mary and Erin. Before long, it was back up in the air on our way to DC.

We had a bit of time to explore DC and Ramble was right there as we gazed at the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Wall and the cool neighborhood we got lost in. Then it was off to pick up Lori at the airport (she came from CA)and head out to VA.

Part of that trip was a bit scary but he slept through it..or else he was hiding his eyes. :-) But finally we got to our hotel AND an IHOP...whew were we ever hungry.

The next day found us at the farm where he got to meet Susie and Erin and Paige. We helped around as much as we could, visited with the animals and just generally enjoyed being there.



On Saturday, the excitement reached a new high. The shearer was there! The photographer, the stylist and the writer were there. And loads of "aunties". So many people wanted to meet him, he was just all a twitter. He was really rather afraid of the shearer. He actually liked his wooly coat. But after she said he wasn't in the deal he relaxed and even got to sit on her lap.



He just had a lovely time but was sooo tired that he slept all the way home. And after an extended rest, he's now on his way once again. Stay tuned.

A Visitor on the Prairie

Saturday morning I came home from errands to find this on the porch.



Uh oh, have I ordered something and forgotten about it?? Nope. Inside this box was a slightly travel-weary sheep named Ramble. A friend on Rav is moving to a new place and while packing up stuff this guy was mentioned. It was decided that while she was making way for a new space, he would have his own adventure somewhat like Flat Stanley.

Groceries put away, we headed off to our first adventure. To the LYS of course! I had already planned to run over and get some Cascade 220 for the Red Scarf Project and well...he wanted to go.

He immediately struck up a convo with this guy telling all about his adventures so far. And, I understand that the other sheep regaled him with stories about all the unique personalities he's met at the store. Then it was home and time to watch a bit of football because there would be more adventures tomorrow.



Sunday was a sunny, warm, gorgeous Indian Summer sort of day. And we were off to help my friend Suzy with a bit of sheep deworming. Ramble was a bit hesitant. This was far away from his normal life. But with a quick shake of his fleece he 'sheeped up'. And off we went. Initially he was slightly intimidated by these larger members of his 'family'; but after Tank had a serious moment with him he sat placidly on the crate and watched all the fun. Let's just say that the score was Suzy 1, Sheep 2. He was really happy though to make the acquaintance of Tank, Lucy, Bob and a few roosters.





Monday, it's back to work. Amidst the chaos of end-of-month and teaching my replacement about my job (12 more actual work days since tomorrow starts vacation), he managed to have some up close and personal time with my friend Jackie.



You'll note there is someone standing on his back. She's a tiny little needlefelted goat named Linda. Jackie's a huge LambCam fan and Linda is her favorite so I got her the little goat to tide her over while the LambCam is quiet. And then he waited patiently staring at my desktop while I took care of the end of day business.



Early tomorrow morning we leave on our adventure to Juniper Moon Farm...airplanes and every thing. So while I run around like a chicken looking for Cheerios, he'll have a beauty sleep. And now back to my never ending lists!

Sunday Morning Coming Down

Lest you think all is quiet and boring here at my home on the prairie, I'll tell you about the latest adventure.

Preface by saying that last night my phone rang. My friend down the street asked 'What's going on?' I replied some inane comment about watching football or polishing my toenails. It seems she had noticed a lot of headlights in my block. I'd closed the curtains and had totally missed seeing this. I looked out the window to see two cop cars and two young men, one who was sitting on the front bumper of one of the police cars and the other being interviewed. I sorta hoped I'd hear one of the officers yell "Get Down! Get Down Now!" like on tv but it was way low key. I did get to see the drug dog search the car but apparently it didn't find anything as eventually one young man drove off and I 'think' the other one was taken in for whatever.

Ok, so fast forward to this morning. I woke up a little before 6, let Zoey out and fed the cats. Zo was NOT excited about going out as it was raining lightly and she doesn't like being wet. Coffee ready and me off to read email etc. Cats finished eating and still Zo wasn't barking to get back in. I go out the back door and realize thSat both gates to my back yard are standing wide open! Now yesterday afternoon, I was out there sweeping the patio and taking out the trash and they were both closed with latches in place. Hmmmm...now WHO opened the gates? And WHO didn't close them again? Any connection with the goings on in the street? Dunno.

So, I throw my slicker on over my pjs and wander around a bit but no Zoey.
I drive around in the car. No Zoey. Oh shit! So I eat some cereal, take my bath and get dressed so that at first light I can get back out there. As I put on my shoes and socks I said a little prayer to my previous dog..my soul dog, Cassie who died before Zoey came into my life. I asked that if Zo was dead, would she look after her. And, if she was alive, could she help me find her. I walked out the front door and heard Zoey bark. I looked up and down the street but ...nada. So I started the car and with all the windows down in the rain, I listened carefully.

There it was again! And closer. But no dog to be seen. I parked up the street and started yelling. (Zo doesn't hear all that well or else she is quite selective) Zoey! bark bark. Zoey! bark bark. Closer, but where the hell is she?

She kept sounding closer and then.... I saw an eye... in the weeds and grass of the drainage creek that runs through the neighborhood. Wayyyyy down in the creek. I stepped off the pavement to see if I could coax her out and WHAM...stepped on the very wet weeds and down I went and slid almost into the creek. Stopped just before my feet hit the water. Bark. She looked at me as if to say "Well, don't just lie there..do something!" I pulled off my shoes and socks and stepped into cold, murky water up to my knees.
I'm not sure if she was tangled in the grass or just totally fed up with the morning but she wouldn't/couldn't move. So I grabbed her collar and dragged her over to me.

Then we need to get up the hill and back to the street. It's not all that far, just 10 feet. But it's rather steep, and did I mention, very wet and slick. And Zoey is an old lady with back hips that sometimes aren't too cooperative. And me...well we're a pair, that's for sure. So I got her in front of me, and I'd push her up a few inches from behind and then I'd go a few inches and retrieve my shoes and socks and do it all again. Of course, she was being all goofy and trying to lick my face. Eventually we got back to the vehicle and home.



ETA: This is a pic from last spring when the rains were pouring and the creek was rising. Now it's much narrower and thankfully much more shallow.

Muddy? OMG. I think she'd just sat down for awhile cause her butt was just mud. And so was mine but fortunately I had jeans on. Weeds, grass and thankfully I didn't find any ummm water critters.

We've both had warm baths, my second for the day. She's asleep and I think that sounds like a good idea.

I want the rest of the day to be ever so boring!

Hahaha I wrote this much earlier and then wandered off in search of Theragesic and the heating pad. When I came back to it I realized it needed some pics. As I looked through Picasa, I also found some pics of some roving that I apparently bought sometime or other. I have NO idea where this gorgeous stuff is..and once I get a bit more energy, I think a search is in order.

It's Fall!

My most favorite time of year, second only to winter. And, I'm back. I'm not sure what happened other than summer. Quite a lot of the time I was a bit of a mess due to work stuff, but that's mostly settled down. More about that at another time.

There's been knitting, and Ravelry, and meeting sheep, and knitting, and discovering that part of the sheetrock in my leaky utility room was on the floor. (I have a rather wonky plan about that...I'll let you know if it works. But it will be awhile because it just keeps raining)

All of that recedes as FALL becomes real. Leaves beginning to turn. Delightfully unseasonable temperatures which make me sing (badly, but that's the way it is). And yesterday......oh one of my favorite things.

The Oklahoma State Fair! I do so love the fair. I hear people say "oh it's not as good as it used to be" or "I used to go but haven't been in years". I dunno, to me it's still magical! All those jars of canned goods. Quilts. Tatting. Knitting. 4H Projects. The midway barkers. The food...Indian Tacos. Gyros. Cinnamon Rolls. Caramel Apples. Turkey Legs. Funnel Cakes. Corn Dogs. Corn on the Cob. We won't discuss what all I ate. Let me just say that supper was an impossibility.

For the last several years I've been lucky enough to go on Senior Citizen Day. Which means I get in free. Free is a good thing and there really are good things about getting older. Although I was a bit sad that this year a lady just gave me my entry pass as I walked towards the gate. No more carding :-(

Grabbing a corn dog first thing (oh I forgot. I wasn't going to talk about food) right after I entered the gate, I was off to see the sights. And such sights there were. I spent a long time looking at antique John Deere tractors. When I was a little girl in Ohio, my best friend down the road had a daddy who was the county Ag agent. And as such, he brought home toy tractors given to him by dealers. And I LOVED the JDs. I really thought being grown up would mean you could have all the blue tweedy covered Nancy Drews AND your own John Deere green tractor. I got the Nancy Drews, but the closest I got to one of those green beasts was painting a shed roof with John Deere green.

There were so many pretty things in the Hobbies, Arts and Crafts building. Spun wool, beautiful quilts, jars of fruit so pretty that they looked unreal.

And the vendors...oh my gosh, so many free things being given away. I signed so many tickets..surely they will pick me!

Now you might think that going on Sr. Citizen Day would mean that the crowds would be free of youngsters, teens etc. Not so, but I didn't see even one incident of unpleasantness. Oh wait, there was one. In a building with lots of vendors, I paused at a booth offering sterling silver jewelry. I was interested in the rings as they had larger sizes and I have big fingers. As I waited my turn to browse behind 3 ladies, I noticed a woman in a power wheelchair farther down the counter. She told the seller that she wanted to see sterling rings, and he indicated the area where the 3 ladies were. I thought I would let her in in front of me, since I am a nice person. But not to worry. She put that chair in gear and practically mowed down the 3 women, saying "I need to see these". They jumped back in alarm and Ms. Chair Person began to happily try on rings.

The ubiquitous yard sticks were everywhere, but I resisted. I have plenty from earlier fairs...it was a great temptation though.

The vineyard section of the Made in Oklahoma building was ummm nice. And yes, a bottle came home with me. Must support local agriculture. And, I even know someone that grows grapes for one of the vineyards. Yes, that's the reason it came home with me.

One of my favorite things to do is to tour the mobile homes. If I didn't live in tornado alley, I'd surely have me one. I find them fascinating and much better designed as far as space goes than most stick built homes. One couple and I played house in one, talking about where we'd put the dining table, and how one bedroom could be for her hobbies and he could have another and then a bedroom to sleep in. I'm not so attracted to some of the huge showplace types. Hello? A Grecian arch in your living room?? Not for me.

And then, off to the barns. The great big show barn had a barnyard nursery section. Baby chicks pecking their way out. This year I did share with a lady that some of them were just resting from their endeavors, not dead..and thankfully they raised their little heads after a bit, got to their feet, and got on with their chicken lives. There were HUGE sows with their newborn litters, one is due today but I have to go to work. AND, there were little kids. Goat kids. Now, since I spent much of my spring glued to the came at Susie Gibbs CSA fiber farm watching little angora goats being born, I was sad that I didn't actually get to touch them. One of the vet people was holding a two day old kid. O.M.G. what a delicious softness. And I swear the little guy was smiling at all the attention.



There were others in the pens with their mothers all snuggled down happily. When I finally moved on from the nurseries, I entered another barn to visit with the Express Clydesdales. Massive, majestic, and oh so gentle. Then off to stumble across a 4H or FFA goat show. Not sure which. And I do hope those kids actually learned from the judge. I've never heard anyone speak that fast except at auctions. And wow..there were surely a lot of different kinds of goats. From the pygmies to goats with names longer than I can type.

Such a fun day. And after about 5 hours of walking, I called it quits and headed for home. And the heating pad and the muscle relaxers. Well worth every step.

Lucky Me!

The stars were certainly aligned correctly for my well-being on Saturday. Friday night when I came home from buying groceries, my oil light came on as I pulled into the driveway. Then immediately went off. How weird. I thought it was just a loose wire or something. But hot and tired, I unloaded stuff and called it an evening.

Saturday morning, it was all about getting to Petsmart in the next town. I pulled out of the drive and the light came on..went off..came on, etcetera. So I drove to the oil change place a couple of blocks from my house. Check the oil, please.

The guy pulled out the dipstick, called his friend over, did it again..

"Ma'am there isn't enough to even show up on the dipstick" What??? OMG! He went down in the pit to see if he could see where it had gone; then came back up and told me I needed an 'oil sending module'.

Oh great..just what I need. Vehicle repairs. He said it wouldn't take long to put one on, but I'd have to go get one. So they poured in some oil, and I headed downtown. Remember, I live in a small town, so this isn't far. I walked into the NAPA place with debit card in hand and purchase one. Cost? $5. I didn't know there were any car parts that cost that little.

Back to oil change place. They put it on and fill the oil up. Cost? $20!!! And off I went to load up on cat food.

As I was checking out, I saw the daughter of a former coworker. She's a manager at that store. And, before I left she had my email address. Apparently, they occasionally have specials for friends and family of their associates.

Afraid to push my good luck, I then headed home and cleaned house and was ever so grateful. A very nice day indeed.