A Few Thoughts About Ren Fest, the MN Gem & Mineral Show, and Spinning Wheels

DH and I had a lovely final day of Renaissance Festival. The Fest itself does go for another week, but we'll be at the MN Gem and Mineral Show this coming Sunday instead of driving out to the far Western suburbs of the Metro area. 

Having the Gem & Mineral Show at the State 
Fairgrounds makes it SUPER convenient for 
us to get to, and quite a quick drive. They use 
the "Dairy Building" which allows plenty of space, 
and also has a generous exterior "field" where 
their outside vendors can set up their stalls. 

I had hoped to pick up my scarf yesterday, but Kate didn't have it completed yet. She'll contact me when it's ready and we'll arrange for a delivery or a mail shipment. We did get a chance to chat for a bit, though. Apparently she recently purchased a spinning wheel - I don't know whether it's one of the newer electric models or the old-fashioned foot operated ones that I prefer, but I suspect I'll find out. Kate and I are clicking well as friends - sharing many aspects of her love for fiber and fabric. In any case, she's finding spinning to be a challenge - which it usually is for the first sweater or two (or six - LOL). It's not quite as easy as sitting down with a handful of fleece and ending up with a beautifully even yarn. 

My first spinning wheel was similar to this one, 
you would be seated and use the large center 
pedal to move the wheel and that movement would 
direct twist into the wool (or other material such as 
silk or cotton). I still have all of my wheels - I have 
four of them - and each one is quite different. 

Anyway, it's back to the standard work week today. We did purchase our season tickets for Ren Fest at the box office yesterday. They don't sell the season tickets at their deepest discounts until the final two weeks of the current Fest. So we got our tickets purchased for next year, and I'm already missing people whom I only see on Sundays in August and September - LOL. 

My largest wheel is this style - a Rachel Brown Rio Grande 
Spinning Wheel. I adore this wheel. It's smooth as silk to 
operate and you can really move some serious fiber. They use 
this style of wheel at Tierra Wools near Ghost Ranch, New 
Mexico. They make glorious wraps, ruanas and ponchos there 
using this wheel. 

I had been wanting some onion rings, but it came down to a choice between a bowl of Pho or onion rings and I chose the Pho. I didn't have enough tummy room for both treats, so I skipped the rings. The Pho was delicious, as always, so I think it was a good choice. And the scale agreed with me this morning when it said I was down from yesterday's weight, although not by much. Since I'm at my ideal weight range these days, that pleased me. 

The third spinning wheel I own is a Rick Reeves 
Castle-style wheel quite similar to this one. Rick 
eventually sold his company to Schact, and 
they produce wonderful wheels, but not this 
specific style. I love the portability of this wheel. 
It's also extremely versatile, handling anything 
from heavy fleece to linen flax. 

So, I'm out of here. Time for breakfast and then I head to the shop. I hope you had a great weekend too, and that this week that we're all starting out today will be filled with joy and accomplishments (they don't have to be HUGE accomplishments - just doing something simple like keeping the kitchen clean or brushing the dog/cat every day counts as an accomplishment). Don't over-complicate your life - LOL. Slava Ukraini. 

A Day of Starts and Stops - *sigh*

Yesterday was a day of start and stop and start again. I got a lot of work done in the kitchen - cooked my baked fruit and baked four BBQ pork chops for my dinners this week. Then I settled down to see if I could finish framing a painting. Actually three paintings. The two smaller ones just needed hangers attached and that was quick and easy. The third, I had cut a piece of glass for and wanted to assemble it. *sigh* I cut the piece of glass 1/2 inch too short. I'll be recutting it when I get to the shop today. 

Damn! I was certain I had read the ruler correctly, but ... 
obviously I had not. *sigh*

In the midst of all of this I decided to take a quick run over to my framing supplier and see what they suggested for side attachments on frames these days. When I learned framing, we used eye screws either into the frame from the side, or actually into the frame from the back where it stuck out, but minimally. I was never super happy with the choices, but there really weren't any alternatives. 

This isn't the system I'm using, but you get the idea. It 
fits across the back of the picture and doesn't intrude 
into either the wall or the frame. 

So I drove over to my frame supplier - in the middle of "rush hour". What was I thinking!? I finally got over there - it's normally an easy 15 minute drive, but it was at least double that. I hopped in and talked to Rook about new hardware for attaching the back hanger onto frames. I ended up buying a single set for the piece I wanted to wrap up that evening, fought a massive rainstorm on my way home, but finally arrived. Screwing the new findings into the frame was a breeze and I think I'm going to like them. 

Of course, I wanted to assemble everything after I had the hangers attached, which is when I discovered the glass I had cut was too short. So ... everything is in my car now, and I'll be cutting a new piece of glass before I can finish that piece. But ... it's almost 100% done and I should be able to wrap it up at the shop without taking it back home to work on. 

This weekend is "Love and Romance" weekend, and we'll 
have one weekend after this that we'll attend. We have a 
conflict for the final weekend. Fall and Fest - always a good time. 

Tomorrow is Renaissance Festival. We'll attend tomorrow and one week more, but we'll have to miss the final week because of a conflict in schedule. We'll be at the MN Gem & Mineral Show instead of taking in the final day at Ren Fest. So, I've prattled on long enough today. I'm heading up for a cup of tea and breakfast, then heading to the shop to recut that glass and finalize that artwork. Have an excellent Saturday and I'll be back on Monday. Slava Ukraini. 

A Short Post for a Monday Where I'm Running a Bit Late

I had plenty of time when I awakened this morning, but after 45 minutes on the treadmill, a nice comfortable shower, making two cups of tea, and catching up on some emails, my time has compressed into OMG, I have NO time! Funny how that works sometimes - LOL. 

I'm out of time. I need to eat my breakfast and get over 
to the shop.

But, it's a Monday. The start of another work week. I don't get Chickie on Mondays, so I'm always working twice as hard because DH is almost zero help with customers. Just getting a short break for lunch often doesn't happen on Mondays. But I'll try - I do consider that short break in the day to be rather essential. 

We had a lovely, if hot, day at Ren Fest yesterday. We 
wandered here and there and everywhere, saw friends, 
and people watched. 

We had a lovely day for Ren Fest yesterday - perfect weather. We stayed a bit longer than anticipated, but that was fine. We ended up with a great parking spot and didn't have to part at the far end of the known world as we have had to do a couple of times. I saw friends, got hugs and "hello"s from a variety of people, and the weather couldn't have been much better. My kind of day. 

We started the day at Ren Fest with a beverage and 
an Egg Flip. It's egg and cheese and other things 
put into a thick piece of bread that's been sliced 
down 80% of the way, so the egg mixture gets stuffed 
into the bread. It's very tasty. I think next time I'll 
ask for it in a bowl, however. Much less messy to eat. 

So, because I'm out of time, I'm out of here. Have a wonderful Monday and I'll be back tomorrow morning, hopefully with a bit more time to write a blog post - LOL. Slava Ukraini. 

It Was a Packed Four Days of Fun with Sharon

I'm taking Sharon to the airport in a bit less than 2 hours from now. It's been a terrific time - a great visit between my High School buddy and I, lots and lots of walking, lots and lots of talking, some eating, some drinking, and some hugs with other friends both at the Fair working, and those who joined us for a day or two of puddling around. Today's post will be mainly pictures. I'm on a tight time schedule this morning to make sure Sharon gets to the airport and I'm at work in plenty of time. 

Lets start out with this one - I'm on the left, Sharon on the 
right. We're in "The Hanger" where I'm enjoying a flight 
of beer and we're eating some very "nummy" food. 

Of course we had to go onto the Giant Ferris Wheel. It's a 
tradition for us. As usual, we met some really nice people 
on our three revolution ride. We always seem to interact 
with the people in our compartment - it's Minnesota Nice 
in action. 

We ended the day with a steak dinner at "Mancini's", a staple 
of St Paul for decades. When they asked if we were celebrating 
a special occasion, Sharon said "40 years of friendship" which 
I quickly corrected. We've been friends for FAR longer than 
that. So I did a quick count - 55 years! They gave us a 
celebratory cake at no extra charge, embellished with a 
caramel 55. It was really tasty! 

On Day 2, we stood at the doors of Horticulture to see 
this year's Crop Art exhibit. It's a crazy popular exhibit 
and if you don't catch it first thing in the am, you'll be in 
line for hours! It takes up an entire room with hundreds 
of entries. So I'm showing you three photos just so 
you get an idea. We weren't first in line, but we were in the 
room very quickly and used the fast line because we're 
not fools. LOL

I'm always amazed by how popular crop art has become over 
the past few decades. It started out as one wall in the horticulture 
building, now it takes up an entire room, and 90% of the people 
standing around waiting in lines are waiting to view them. Crop art 
means the entire image is made from seeds. Think of it as 
living pixels - LOL. 

Let me focus in on one piece, just to give you an idea. This 
isn't a blue ribbon, or even a red one. It's a 4th (or maybe 5th) 
place ribbon. But it's still really nicely done, don't you think? 

On Day 3, Jim joined us. Because it was a Sunday, all of the 
Park-N-Ride lots at the churches were closed until the afternoon, 
so we ended up at a business lot instead. We entered the line 
here, and by the time we entered our bus (and we were on the 
second bus) there were 2 times this many people still waiting 
for transport. They're good at this now, though. The State Fair 
does an awesome job of getting people through their gates with 
relative ease, and the shuttle busses are no charge - SWEET. 

On Monday we went to the Renaissance Festival where I was able to speak to the lady I've commissioned a silk scarf from, as well as caught up with friends. I introduced Sharon to Cherie - Cherie has always wanted a Maine Coon cat, but ended up adopted by two adorable strays. Sharon actually HAS two Main Coon cats (rescue kittens from the Human Society of Denter - $50/each!!!). The two of them, both good friends, bonded immediately over cats - LOL. We had great weather - not super hot, so we wandered for quite a while before we finally ran out of steam. Sharon and I had walked more than 5 miles a day during our three days at the State Fair. Adding Renaissance Festival to it, we certainly got our exercise over the four days. I'm up 1-1/2 pounds, but that's nothing. I'll be back to the pool tomorrow and back into a more normal regime. It was an excellent State Fair, and I'm already looking forward to next year's. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Sharon Arrives Tonight so No More Posts Until Next Week

In 12 hours I'll be heading to the airport to pick up my BFF, Sharon. I'm totally thrilled that she's coming up to visit once again. It's a tradition that we established VERY early on in my marriage, and it's one that I hope we continue until one or the other of us no longer walks the earth. 

Sharon and I have been best friends since the Fall of 
1969, or maybe early 1970. In any case, it's been a 
LONG time and a lot of life has been lived in 
that time. It's going to be great to see her again. 

The house is clean (my office space is the usual mess, but that's nothing new). Her room is cleaned, flowers were purchased and are in a vase, and I'm anxious to have a chance to catch up with her. She retired from the Denver Public Library system since we last met, and now is a home-person, spending time with her two Maine Coon cats, and her sister who shares the house with her. I'll have a chance to catch up on her family and what they've all been up to. And we'll plan our trip to the State Fair - although not very specifically because we walk the Fairgrounds. We put a lot of miles on during our first day at the Fair. 

Flowers and welcome back cards are 
waiting for Sharon in her bedroom. 
The house isn't perfect, but that would 
be unrealistic at best. 

Tonight's dinner will be Red Lobster. We always enjoy it, they have nice, large tables to spread out a bit, and it's never super crowded, so carrying on a conversation isn't impossible - LOL. There are some restaurants where that would NOT be the case and I'm sure each one of you, dear readers, have been at one sometime in your life. 

Our Red Lobster restaurant is independently owned, so 
when the corporation was closing many of the locations 
last year, ours stayed open. It's rarely much of a wait 
for a table, and we always enjoy chatting while planning 
our State Fair visit the next day. 

Then, tomorrow we hit the State Fair for three days and the Renaissance Festival for one, and I drop Sharon back at the airport on Tuesday morning. I'm not sure I'll post on Tuesday, but I will on Wednesday. I will NOT be posting for the remainder of the week, though. This is my State Fair with Sharon time and nothing else. 

I couldn't resist picking up a copy of Rolling 
Stone's Ozzy Osbourne tribute magazine while 
I was at Target yesterday. He was such a huge 
influence on music for so many years. 

I was at Target yesterday for a quick stop, and picked up the current issue of Rolling Stone which is all about Ozzy Osbourne. I just couldn't resist. He was such a power in music as I was growing up and throughout my life. I also downloaded a full list of all of the Metallica albums. Those may be a purchase down the line. There's nothing much better than Metallica for me. 

So, I'm off to the pool for my final outdoor swim of the season, and then doing the last bit of cleaning and prep work for Sharon's visit. I'll be back on September 2nd. Be safe and be kind. Slava Ukraini. 

A Short Post for a Late Monday - LOL

Just a very quick post today because I ran overtime on the treadmill this morning. It's hard to stop when you're in the groove, you know? LOL So I had a great workout, and a wonderful shower, but I'm now running a bit late for my breakfast and to head to the shop. Just a few more days at the shop before Sharon arrives on Thursday. It's going to be wonderful to see her again and just to catch up on everything that's happened over the past year. 

The caption says, "You have to look at the past in order to 
learn from it and move on. I've done a lot of reflecting 
over the past year. And certainly I've turned the corner 
and am looking more toward the future in a lot of ways. 
- Tiger Woods

It was an eventful year for both of us. Her kitties grew into monsters - she has two Maine Coon cats. She retired from her long-time job as a librarian for the Denver Public Library system, and I had cancer and am on track for retirement next year. We'll have lots to talk about - but we've never had any problems finding things to talk about. And at the State Fair, which is where we'll be on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (with the Renaissance Festival on Monday - Labor Day), there's always something to see, to watch, to eat and to enjoy. 

So, I'm cutting this short because I'm out of time. Hope you have a great Monday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

It Was Hot but Fun at Renaissance Festival

Yesterday was our first day at this year's Renaissance Festival. We walked the grounds, listened to my favorite choral group and walked the grounds again. DH's hip is really hurting him today as a result. I got my miles in and was quite pleased at the day. We finished the day with a drink on the patio and worked on our computers until bedtime. 

We got a late start yesterday, so missed the opening dialogs, 
but it was an easy check-in because we were late too, so that 
was a plus. We got our medallions for the year and we're set 
for the season. Voila! 

The fire certainly hit the Ren, although not quite where I thought it had. I thought it was on the far end of a stretch, instead it was on the near end. But, most of what burned were food stands, and the few shops that burned will have to think about whether they want to reopen in a different space or do a rebuild for next year. Right now there are "Tuff Shed" storefronts along a stretch of the main drag leading towards the wine bar and coffee stand. Thank goodness they weren't affected, nor were the two Mead booths that are the very beginning and the very end of that stretch of Fest. LOL

The damage caused by the fire was extensive, but mostly 
hit several food booths. It hit Pterodactyl Leather, a jewelry 
booth and one other crafter's booth, then two food booths, 
and a beer booth were toast. There was damage across 
the way at the soft drinks booth, and the wine booth 
also had some damage, but was able to be open again by 
this weekend. It was VERY close to the coffee stand which 
would have been truly tragic! LOL

After walking the grounds, which really bothered DH's hips, we settled in to listen to my favorite chorale group who gave their usual excellent and rousing performance. They were a bit disorganized, it was the first weekend after all, but I suspect they'll have the routine totally under their belts by the time Sharon arrives and we're back out there in two weeks. 

I adore listening to the Court Revelers. They open their 
day with an 11:00 am performance at the Vikings Pub. They 
have three additional performances through the day, 
but those are at the Queens Pub which is quite a bit smaller. 
These guys are my favorites, though. I've been listening 
to them every time I'm at Ren Fest for years and years. 

The State Fair opens on Thursday and Chickie, as usual, will take the day off to wander the fairgrounds, sample lots of different foods, and generally give us updated texts throughout the day. I'm not looking forward to working solo with DH for two days this week, but she's certainly entitled to her vacation days and always spends the opening day of the Fair out there. My friend Sharon flies in on the 28th (Sharon, please email me your flight information again, I have lost the printout somewhere on my desk or in my laptop bag - *sigh*). I can hardly wait for my days at the Fair. As I've said many times, there's just nothing like it. 

DH's hips are bone against bone so walking can 
be very painful. Renaissance and the State Fair 
are nothing BUT walking - from here to there to 
here again. It's going to be a tough few weeks for 
him. 

I am worried about DH's ability to walk as much as we'll be doing over the next few weeks. His hips are rubbing bone on bone - very painful. He was a trooper walking the Ren Fest yesterday, and we were parked at the very end space of the parking lot row, so it was a long haul in and out too. Add to that a second day at Red with Sharon, Chickie, Chickie Mama (?) and I, and walking the State Fair for one evening and a full Sunday ... I wonder how mobile he'll be after I drop Sharon off for her flight back home on Tuesday morning after Labor Day. Still, he's a trooper (and a stubborn goat). 

In the far distance of this photo you can see the skyline 
of Minneapolis. The foreground of the photo is all 
State Fairgrounds property. The buildings and other 
structures you're seeing are all on the Fairgrounds. It's 
a BIG spread of land and Sharon and I walk it several 
times each year. Lots of exercise. LOL

So I'm grabbing breakfast and heading out to the shop. I'm quite sure DH will have me doing many things I'd rather not be doing today, and I never know how busy we'll be as we head into Fair week. Sometimes we'll get dealers looking to get a few new items to sell there, other times we'll get people who have come in town for a few days and will drop by on their way to or from the Fairgrounds. It's always an interesting time of the year. Have a great Monday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Framing, Family and Peppers - It Was a Full 24 Hours

I spent most of yesterday working with the mat cutter. I wasn't happy with the cuts I was getting, and the blade wasn't inserting properly, so I tore it apart (again), cleaned and greased the bar along which the cutting heads move, and took the blade holder completely apart to find out what I was doing wrong. I don't know how to explain it, but I did figure it out, got the blades re-inserted (properly this time), and got it threaded back onto the guide rod. Then I adjusted that rod to give me a completely straight cut, and voila! I'm back in business. 

The mat cutter is a fairly simple piece of equipment, and when 
it is adjusted properly, it gives beautiful cuts. It was slightly 
off, so I took it apart and readjusted things. Now it's giving 
me the perfect cuts I demand. 

Today I'm cutting two pieces of glass at the shop. One of them is fairly large, so I'll need to be careful getting that one home. The other one is much smaller, so not as much of a transportation headache. We'll stop by the house on our way out to my oldest Niece's home. Her son is the hockey goalie I've spoken of before. He'll be a high school freshman this Fall, but he's going to be going to school in Wisconsin, while he's joined the feeder hockey club that has recruited him as a potential professional player. This is a HUGE step for him, and we're all very proud of what he's accomplished to this point. We're all considering this a graduation celebration, although it would still be 3-4 years before his real High School graduation would occur. He might not ever have that High School graduation, however. If he continues to excel in hockey, he'll be drafted by a professional team, work in their feeder clubs while honing his skills to a higher level, and (perhaps) be moved up to their top tier team eventually. Yeah ... he's that good! 

Flynn would normally be starting school at Centennial 
High School this Fall, and of course be on their 
hockey team. But he's being snatched up to be on a 
feeder professional team instead, and will be going 
to high school in Wisconsin, staying with a host family 
for the season. It's a BIG step upward towards his 
goal of being in the National Hockey League. 

I'm totally focused on the State Fair now. It opens Thursday, the 21st, and Chickie will be taking the day off to attend the Fair on that day, as she usually does. Sharon will fly in on the 28th and we'll be at the Fair on the 29th, 30 & 31st, and on to Ren Faire on the 1st. I'll drop Sharon back at the airport on the 2nd. 

Not everyone is into the MN State Fair, but I adore it and 
Sharon does also, as does Chickie. Jim tags along on 
one Saturday night, and all day the following Sunday. He 
loves it too, just not as much as the three of us do. We're 
admitted State Fair addicts. 

Speaking of Renaissance Festival, it opens today. We'll be heading out to the grounds tomorrow to collect our tickets and medallions for the year, say "Hello" to various friends, wander the grounds, listen to some music, and then head home early. It's been a hard week for DH and he'd rather spend his time sitting in the back yard than wandering the Fest grounds. I can get on board with that. 

There's something magical about Renaissance Festival, 
even though it's not as much fun as it used to be. It's still 
a good time with good friends, beer and music. All well 
worth my time and effort. 

So, I need to empty my dehydrator and start getting ready for work. I put a bunch of different hot peppers into the dehydrator yesterday and they should be done. If not, I'll turn the dehydrator on again for another few hours. I put in habanero, jalapeno, serrano and that large ristra red that I showed all of you last week. I'm hoping they dried well overnight and are ready for storage jars until I put them through the chopper. 

That's it for now, have an excellent Saturday and I'll be back on Monday. Slava Ukraini. 

Swimming Day, Trash Day, and Photos of the Ren Fest Fire

It's a swimming day, and a trash collection day, and a laundry and housecleaning day and, and, and - it's Wednesday. Rather typical. There's a lot that I need to get done today - the house looks like a hurricane hit it and Sharon arrives in two weeks. I have to get things cleaned up before she arrives. She won't run away screaming - she knows better. But ... I like having a cleaner house when she arrives. I'm not asking for absolute white-glove clean, but I need to tidy, vacuum, dust, etc. 

I'm starting to run out of summer. 
It's already mid-August and I still 
have a lot to do before Sharon arrives 
for the State Fair. I can hardly wait! 

Renaissance Fest begins this weekend. DH and I have agreed that we will go for opening and closing days and once with Sharon and Chickie. So three times this year. We might decide to show up on another day, but we don't feel obligated to do so. I'm curious to see what burned down and what was erected to replace the burned out shops. We had a lightning strike fire over the winter that destroyed yet another part of our Fest grounds. This is the third time (or maybe even the fourth) where lightning has caused part of our Festival grounds to burn down. The shops are completely empty over the off-season, but it's still a blow for the shop owners. 

An overhead view of the Renaissance Festival fire from 
earlier this year. It was a lightning fire, but it burned quite 
a few buildings before they were able to get it quelled. 

I have my State Fair Blue Ribbon Bargain Books purchased, my State Fair tickets are also purchased, my Ren Fest parking passes are purchased, I guess I'm set for the next few weeks of excitement. Now to get going on my house, continue working on getting the shop ready to close by the end of May, and I really need a deep clean of the computer room. I can easily go through my closet and dump quite a few things that are WAY too big for me, and although I know there's carpet underneath, if I can't clear out some of my dresser drawers, I'll never know it. *sigh* I fully admit I'm not a great housekeeper. I keep a very clean kitchen and living room area, but my study/computer room is a bit of a disaster, and that's my closet and drawers area too. Oh well, it is what it is. All of my efforts this year were focused on my health and on getting the store ready for shut-down. We're running five months late on shut down, but at least my health is excellent. That's a total win - LOL. 

Looking outward from the fire zone. The central building 
had roof damage, but I think it might have escaped the 
worst. There's a swath of shops that totally burnt to the 
ground, however. 

So, have an excellent Wednesday. I'm off to the pool. We'll be outdoors for another two weeks, and I plan on taking advantage of it. Today will probably be crowded, but yesterday was lovely - only a single person sharing my lane. I know I won't get that lucky two days in a row. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

It's My 45th Wedding Anniversary Today - And We Haven't Killed Each Other Yet! LOL

Yesterday DH and I spent the day at the Renaissance Festival to celebrate our wedding anniversary a day early. We had a delightful day, going in and out of shops. He enjoyed my little arcane bookstore, "Library of Alexandria" as much as I, and we actually spent a bit of time there, looking through their shelves and stacks. He was captivated by several books that he swears he has - books that were instrumental in the foundations of Tolkien's epic works. I checked out several different Tarot decks, but I love the deck I've been using for several years and don't need a replacement or addition. 

I use the Tarot of Dreams deck, illustrated by 
Ciro Marchetti. I have other decks by this artist 
also, and have always loved the artwork. When 
using a deck, it has to speak to you, his decks 
work well for me over the years. 

I ate several items I would normally have said "No" to, the occasional swerve doesn't mean I'm off the WildFit road, just a swerve. I'm back on the road today, and my body didn't go haywire because of the gluten, so all was well. I bought a bottle of rather unusual soy sauce from a sauce and oils vendor. I'm looking forward to incorporating its' levels of complexity into a dish down the line. 

Gazing to my right as I sit at my computer right 
now, I see several bottles of her Patchouli 
mixes, a bottle of Nag Champa, and my 
latest acquisition, a tiny bottle of Herat. I 
adore her perfumes and oils and have been 
shopping here for as long as I've been 
going to Ren Fest - almost 50 years now. 

I dropped by Lady of the Lakes scarves to see if they were able to make me the scarf I had requested last week. It appeared as though that order slipped through the cracks, but I did get a card and emailed her yesterday evening with photos attached of exactly what I was referring to when I was describing the color progression. We have two weeks left of Ren Fest before the season closes, and I hope they can get this one done for me. Otherwise, we'll have to work it as a mail order. I want this scarf! 

I want an ombre scarf with this color 
progression. It goes down to a deep blue 
at the bottom, starting from a white at the 
top. Gorgeous. I sent her two photos that 
Chickie had taken last week of these scarves, 
and hopefully she can get a large square scarf 
done for me with this coloring.

Today is my formal wedding anniversary - my 45th. We're starting year 46 now, and we'll just go ahead and shoot for 50. If we don't kill each other in some argument or other before then, it'll be just grand - LOL. I hope all of you have a wonderful Monday. My day is a bit crowded today, so I'm plugging in photos and heading to drop DH's truck off at the dealership for a six-month checkup. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Osteoporosis, Renaissance Festival, and my Dehydrator - A Busy Morning/Weekend

My bone density scan results came through yesterday afternoon. I suppose I should be depressed, but all I can do is keep doing what I'm doing and hope for the best. I live in a house with stairs to everywhere. There's no way we could continue to live here if I couldn't get up and down the stairs. So I'd better not have any hip or large-leg bone fractures in my future. But, apparently I've lost 3.0% in my lumbar spine, 6.1% in my right hip and 6.8% in my left hip. The next paragraph in the report is headed FRACTURE RISK and states "The FRAX risk calculator is not applicable due to osteoporosis". Huh? So, apparently my BMD is consistent with osteoporosis and at increased fracture risk. I should be "treated". But the treatment requires breakdown of the bones in order to create new ones. Not always a great way to go about healing. 

Osteo in the spine is never a good sign, and my lumbar 
region is definitely affected. *sigh*

On that note, I'm just going to push this behind me until I chat with my Doctor. I just spent two years on osteo drugs, and she wants me off them for at least two years before putting me back onto the medication course. I can't disagree with her - those drugs are rather evil and frightening and I really don't want to be taking them. But ... yeah. 

I'm a swimmer. I absolutely HATE floor exercises. I may 
have to change my exercise routines or add Mondays and Fridays 
to my gym days so that I can use their equipment. I like 
the schedule I'm on, and I'm a swimmer! LOL 

I just posted my newest writing in our writing contest. I should have details for voting later today, so I'll hold off posting a request for votes until Monday. Tomorrow (Sunday) is our first day at the Renaissance Festival for this season. I'm looking forward to it, DH isn't. He doesn't have to go with me if he doesn't want to, but he'll force himself to go. I'll admit that it's been degrading for the past 5-6 years, and COVID didn't do it any favors either, but I love just being outdoors for a few hours mingling with friends from years back, and listening to music, looking at products for sale, and generally wandering. It makes me happy. So DH dresses in his peasant garb and we'll be at the front gates tomorrow morning ready to enter the town again after a long year away. 

Ren Fest changed their parking last year. It's a purchase plan 
for Fest Grounds parking (last year it was $30 on the day, 
$15 in advance, $13 for season ticket holders). This year they're 
only charging $15 for the general public (which will increase 
the number of people parking on grounds), but it's still $13 
for those of us who are season ticket holders. I have my parking 
pass already printed out and ready to be presented. 

I just pulled out the two season tickets and our parking pass for Fest and put them onto my desk. For that first Ren of the season, I'm often a bit scatterbrained. I DON'T need to be leaving this stuff behind when I live an hour away from the Fest grounds. LOL 

So, I'm signing off. I'm looking forward to reading some of the entries submitted for this session of LJ Idol later today, but right now I have to turn off the dehydrator and get my herbs and peppers put into appropriate containers. Have a great Saturday, I'll be back on Monday. Slava Ukraini. 

Thoughts of Books - Wandering Off the Road

Do you take a daily vitamin (or two?)? If so, thank Casimir Funk, whose birthday is today. Check out Google for additional information, but I'll be thanking him when I take my daily vitamins later this morning. Right now, however, I'm sitting down with my first two cups of tea of the day, and old friends and acquaintances popped to mind out of the blue. 

Sometimes you just HAVE to leave the road, jump 
the fence, and explore what's on the other side - the 
side that might be less safe, but far more interesting. 

You know how when you don't push your mind to stay between the white fences and only walk on the road ahead, it suddenly jumps those fences and you end up thinking wildly divergent thoughts? My brain apparently is declaring a holiday from straight-forward thinking and instead, is gamboling through the flowers and pitfalls of memory. Crazy thing, brains! 

Marion Zimmer Bradley's "Darkover" series has a total of 
27 volumes in it. The Drizzt Do'Urden series I've been 
listening to while swimming has a total of 39 books, and I'm 
getting close to finishing that series. I'm looking for my 
next series, and Darkover might be the ticket. She did some 
amazing world building in that series. 

For some unknown reason, my mind shifted to book series I love, and Darkover came to mind, which of course led to its' author, Marion Zimmer Bradley. She's been dead for many years now, leaving a tarnished history behind her. She had been the Golden Girl - the author at the height of her profession, who had won every award it had to give her. Until her daughter accused her and her second husband of child abuse and the proverbial "shit hit the fan". Those castle walls she had been building around her with her many awards and her rightly-praised series of novels came crashing down. 

Marion Zimmer Bradley was accused of child abuse by her 
daughter. The main force of the accusations fell upon her 
second husband, but she was also an accessory and not just 
an innocent standing at the side. A lot of people got rid 
of their MZB books, and a lot of places pulled them from 
the shelves and refused to sell them any more. I have 
almost the complete set - they're beautifully crafted books. 
She might have been a horrible person, but she was an 
excellent author and world-builder. 

Her most popular series were two very different ones, the Mists of Avalon series which was set in Authurian times, and her Darkover series, science fiction at its' best. Every award it was possible for an author to win, came to her. She founded the well-known Society for Creative Anachronism, and the lesser known Center for Non-Traditional Religion. 

The Renaissance Festivals of the SCA members 
is far more than our light gathering of assorted 
costumes and mummers. It's a stickler for 
accurate costumes and court proceedings. We're 
rather low-key here for our Ren Faire, but 
these folks are the "real deal". 

Why did I think of her this morning? Because I'm in the middle of listening to one very long series (the Drizzt Do'Urden books) but I'm also thinking about what I might want to listen to next. I'm contemplating the Darkover series. I own all of the books, but if I listen to them, I'll have to purchase the audio books, and I'm not sure they're even available. At the time of the scandal, many book sellers eliminated her books from their offerings. I'm also unsure about potentially sending any royalty funds to a convicted pedophile, even though she's been dead for years. But I'd dearly love to return to Darkover - a fascinating world, complex and deep. It's a moral dilemma that I'll work out at some point. But I still have eleven Drizzt Do'Urden books to listen to, so it's not an immediate issue. 

"Darkover Landfall" is the first book 
of the series. I think I own almost all 
of the Darkover books. I might have to 
venture into our library and take a peek 
one of these days. But, listening to them 
on audio might be the perfect thing. 

So I'll leave all of you today, starting a very busy "day off" as usual. I want to get my repairs complete so that I can contact the owners and send them back home again. I don't think I need to cook anything, so it might be a non-kitchen day off - VERY rare. Have an excellent day and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.