How Time Flies!

Just wow. It has indeed been a long time. There are so many things that have happened since I last posted I don't even know where to start. Ben and Anissa moved out, Mike and I are buying the house, I broke my back, had surgery, injections etc to no avail, quit Head Start and went to K-Mart (where I broke my back) quit K-Mart and went back to Home on the Range. I do love it there. The kids ( my kids) are much older now.

Abby will be going to Europe this summer with a group called Northern Ambassadors of Music, Dre is going to be getting a job and Kali is a much more mature sweetheart than the last time I posted. Still gardening, though now it is harder because of my back. Still a joy though! I am thinking about building raised beds to help with the bending. Maybe a garden stool also... We will see. I spend most of my time trying not to think about my new best friend, chronic pain, but it doesn't always work. So I have come up with a lot of work around a to get through the day. Man are humans adaptable!

So, for now, back to nights at HOTR, loving it, spending time with family, missing Lynn, Lou and Jesse, also Ben and Anissa and kids. We have a plan in play to move to the flathead valley in about 3 years, so we will see how things are going then! We want to live in a tiny house, which will make cleaning easier, and should provide enough space for Mike and I as we move through early retirement. Maybe one day we will want more, but for now I yearn for simplicity!

New update from BzzAgent... I was feeling like I would never be invited to another campain for a bit there, but BzzAgent gave me a chance to try Smarterer and let everyone know how I feel about it... so here goes! 

I enjoyed the BzzAgent test I took when I signed up - I found out a lot of things I didn't know, but mostly found out that I knew more than I thought about BzzAgent.com!  Go me!  I plan on taking more tests as soon as I have a few free minutes to see how "Smarterer" I am!  Pop on over and see for yourself!

Gauging saved my Thanksgiving!

So, if you know me you might have noticed that I have a rather unconventional look.  I have tatoos and gauged ears, amongst other things.  As the title of my post suggests, I was able to combine my gauging with my holiday activities to "save the day," or rather "save the turkey."

We fry our turkey each Thanksgiving, ever since the last Thanksgiving I had with my father.  That makes our frying rig 7 years old.  I have never had top update our setup.  Why would you?  Why fix what isn't broken?  That is until this year.

We hooked the propane tank up to the hose that runs to the burner just to hear the sound of leaking propane.  Upon further inspection we discovered that our "o-ring" had disintegrated and had a large gap.  Enter the gauging... I have a ton of o-rings, as anyone who has gauged before would.  These things are free (practically), but when you need one you need one and usually can't wait.  So I swapped out the o-ring for one of my jewelry grade silicone o-rings and voila!  Thanksgiving was saved!

I hope everyone else had as good a Thanksgiving as we did, and here's to the holidays to come!

Back (again.)  So, I have moved back to Glendive, started working at Head Start again, and am considering going back to school.  I have had exactly no time for the crafts I love, but seem to have more requests than ever.  I don't know how on earth I plan on keeping it up, but I guess time will tell!  At least the living situation is good - I am loving sharing a house with Ben and Anissa - their family is so cute and they seem to have their heads screwed on straight.

On another front, I have started doing surveys through a website called swagbucks - I have already gotten paid $10 for a minimum amount of work.  Awesome!  I am also enjoying being a BzzAgent - I get to try things (free) and just spread the word - did I like it?  Did I hate it?  Did it fall apart in the first five minutes of use?  Was it the greatest thing I've seen in my life?!

Overall everything is going to work out great because it can.  And I have the best family to help me make it work.  Finally, a parting shot of my baby, growing older everyday...  and no I don't mean the cow.

Look ma, I'm Spinnning!

I love my kids.  I love their enthusiasm for anything they see me doing that they think might be fun.  Today it was spinning.  Brand new to me wheel?  Check.  Roving to start with?  Check.  5 year old that wants to treadle like the wind?  Check.  13 Year old that wants to do the same?  Double Check! 

So off to the races we go!  I purchased "Start Spinning" off of the interweave website, (Spinning daily if you are interested...) watched the first few minutes, and then the begging began. 
"Can I try that?"  followed by "Mom, it's MY turn!  Abby had it a long time!"

I did manage to make a skein today.  It isn't gorgeous, but it's workable.  I had a bit of a problem with my brake band, and will probably end up going with the counter weight tension brake system, but for now the leather strap will have to suffice.  I also need to pick up some rubber feet or something, 'cuz she likes to glide right out from under me when I'm treadling...

Pics coming soon of my first skein on the Babe...

Making time for wool

I  have recently joined the "Tour de Fleece" on Ravelry... I am one the teams:
Team A Spinner's Study 2011

Team Rookies 2011


I can't wait to get started!  I am goiong to attempt challenge #2 for a spinners study - I am goiong to process some of the fleeces I have had sitting around here.  I got my fleece a year (2?) ago and have had it sitting in the garage in bags since...  So my ultimate goal is to process enough wool to spin a little each day. 
 
I also have a spinning wheel waiting for me at the post office.  It's a Babe Production Wheel with a total of 10 bobbins, an optional single treadle, and extra goodies.  I was able to find it here in North Dakota - the other side of North Dakota, but North Dakota none the less.  That made shipping ultra cheap.  Thank you Ebay!  I will post pictures of the wheel when I get it - the fleece I can add pics of before processing, but as far as the rest of it, I have to wait until July...
 
Vivé la Tour de Fleece!

New blog...

For anyone who's been wondering, I have a new blog.  It is my crafty side.  If you are interested, just look for me at http://erikasarts.blogspot.com/ and come see what crafty stuff I have in store... 

Other than all of that, I got new tires for my car, only to find out that one of my rim's is cracked - must be fixed or replaced.  So, I had to drive home from Dickinson on a donut, in a snowstorm at 50mph with no wipers, as they seem to be out as well.  What a great day for a drive!  (At least we made it ok, and before the worst of the storm.)  The family seems to be doing well, but my phone is a piece of junk.  It randomly makes calls, or just loses them.  Sometimes it doesn't ring.  Sometimes when I call my hubby I reach his mom.  Or the school.  Or a restaurant.  Just anyone in my phonebook, really.  I so can't wait for my new phone from AT&T.  At least I'll have a little while to decide if I want to keep my service.  Hopefully any problems will show up before I have to make my final decision...