Friday, December 21, 2012

Hubby got his keys back

I love this cartoon picture.  Sooooooooooo darn true.  Sorry guys!  Along that line,  hubby did get his keys back and is getting back to doing what ever he wants.  Still having trouble sleeping more than a couple hours at a time as he gets this crawly feeling in the knee and it drives him crazy, till he puts an ice bag on it, then it calms down and he can go back to sleep.  Dr and PT says it will go away and his other knee did the same thing.  He was out at 6 this morning at 21 degrees to buy doughnuts for a couple business's that I got to deliver to this morning.  He loves to do that and rarely eats one himself.

Got all the taxes paid up and business license renewed so guess I am good for another year.  Obviously the world didn't come to an end today, well at least not yet.  I have found it interesting that we made such a big ta do about it.  We do let our imagination run away with us and an whole industry was created to investigate and report and dig up wacky folks that believed it.  The History channel has been loaded with all the Armageddon stuff lately.  Interesting at least.

Thought for the day:  I smile because I don't know what the hell is going on!

Saturday, December 15, 2012

My prairie dress

I was going thru my old posts yesterday and realized that I had talked about the Prairie State Park weaving demonstration I did in Sept.  So I decided better late than never and here is a picture of me in my finery with my little table top loom.  It was a fun day and beautiful.  Weather was perfect and the prairie was wonderful.  I may have just been invited to do another demonstration in Branson one day soon.  My reputation is growing.   "Big Head"  Either that or people are just desperate for entertainment.  Either way I do enjoy it so what the heck.  If you will note in the picture that my pantaloons are below my dress line.  LOL  I made them separately and tried them on separately but not together till the day of the demonstration.   No one noticed.

Friday, December 7, 2012

December newspaper article


December column
I have to apologize for my strange store hours for the month of November. Hubby had knee surgery and I have been the designated driver for all the appointments and numerous other errands for our household. I am glad that he is doing very well and will be taking back the his car keys.

I have finished with the last craft show for this year, Carver Elementary School Craft show was awesome! I am back to my usual store hours of Wed. 12 to 4, Thurs. and Fri. 10 to 4 and Sat. 10 to 3. Not sure if I will continue my Wed. morning weaving class next semester. It may depend on my getting the project finished that I have started and right now that is not looking like it will happen.

Just a reminder, I have gift certificates available for those on your Christmas list that love to read. I also have rugs that I wove on my floor loom available for sale, along with assorted other craft items. Buy recycled and American made!

The Giver
by Lois Lowry

I have looked at this book several times and had it on my “to read” stack for some time. I finally read it and truly enjoyed it. This book is for anyone 10 and above and can come in a box set with 2 other books that follow the same line. I will be reading those soon. It is a small book and easy to read and follow. The setting is in the future where the world has no poverty, no crime, no sickness, and no unemployment. Sounds wonderful doesn't it? Think again as it also offers no choices. 12 year old Jonas is chosen to become the Giver, which is an honor only bestowed every generation or so. As Jonas begins to receive the “memories” of what life before was like going back and back and back, he begins to feel things and see light and color, and experience pain for the first time. Will he decide that he cannot pay the price to become the “Giver”? There is no turning back or is there? This is an unforgettable book that will stay with you for a long time and may make you even wonder where our own society is headed.
A Summer Affair
by
Elin Hilderbrand

I read and reported on another of Hilderbrand's books a couple months ago. I am not sure I enjoyed this one as much as the previous one but it was still a good read. It is about a woman who is professional glassblower with a husband and 4 children. She is chosen to co-chair a summer gala in her town of Nantucket. Things get out of hand when she is attracted to the man who runs the charity that the gala is funding. It has a lot of complicated twists and turns but basically focuses on Claire the perfectionist trying to juggle way to much and finding herself lost in it all. Of course in the end she makes her choices and all the conflicts will keep you reading to the end.

I will continue to have Nora Roberts as the feature author and will offer $1 off each book through December.

I want to wish every one a very Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year! Thank you for helping to keep my little book store going.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

New selvage fabric

I ordered 65 lbs of selvage from Leesburg looms in Ohio recently.  I usually get a nice assortment of cotton selvage in nice bags full.  This time 2 of the bags had a different fiber so I called them but guess they are middle men/(lady) and didn't know the answer.  I took a sample to weaving class and the instructor did his tried and true method of testing,  lit a piece with his lighter.  He can tell by the smell and how it burns if it is wool, cotton, or synthetic.  It was synthetic as I figured, prob polyester.  Anyway it turned out real pretty,  The color is more golden than the picture shows.  I washed and dried the rug to get a better feel for how it would turn out.  It is quite soft and for some reason smells like downey!

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Sold!






I made this pair of (almost matching) "sweater" rugs for a lady that ordered them when I was at the craft show last Saturday. She came by this morning and picked them up.
Second picture is the rug on the loom, you can see the colors better.


 The next set of pictures is of the process of preparing the sweaters to weave if you are interested. 
It is a different rug I did a few weeks ago.  I cut the strips vertically from the sweater.  I like the cotton ones the best but will use the acrylic ones alot too. I sew the ends together then trim the excess. 



I mix in a little cream colored cotton selvage for some texture. These make good bedroom rugs or I like to hang them over the back of the recliner.

I am the queen of recycling!!!

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Latest Craft Show, over at last

Here are the Two Recycled Sisters,  errrrrrrrrrr,,  I mean, Two Sisters Recycled!
This is our last craft show this year.  Alot of work, and this one was really huge, held at a local school and they had over 100 vender's!  Had to set up Fri evening for the preview event that they sold 200 tickets at 10$ a pop for folks to get a first looky look.  They got fancy snacks and we got one slice of crappy pizza and an ice tea.  But it was a good fund raiser for the PTA.  Then Sat. we were there from 8 am till 4 pm.  So now back to reality.
I am the designated driver for another week or so.  Those two are keeping me hopping to keep schedules straight with Therapy, Dr. apts, hair apts, Groceries,  banking,  ect, ect!  Glad when hubby can drive "Miss Daisey" again.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

My Nov. Newspaper column


November 2012 column

My sister Mary Funk and I enjoyed being craft vendors at the Maple Leaf Festival in October. It was a productive but long day. We call our selves “Two Sisters Recycled”. I will be closed on November 17th, going to a craft show at Carver Elementary School, in Neosho. Come see all the crafts for sale in time for Christmas. Buying local made items helps our community.

I would like to make one correction for my column last month. The Prairie Jubilee that I attended at Prairie State Park in October is held every other year, not annually.
While I was there I met a young man who lives in Columbia Mo and is the photographer for an amazing book that I will review this month. His name is Noppadol Paothong and he has won many awards for his wildlife photography.
I have one of his books in my book store here in Granby. Please come in and see it. It would make a beautiful Christmas gift. If I can get enough interest I will order some more from him. You will not find this book on Amazon.
Save The Last Dance
A story of North American Grassland Grouse
Photos by
Nappadol Paothong
Written by Joel M. Vance

What a beautiful book. This is one you would be proud to have on your coffee table and a delight to read. The photography is amazing with large color photos of the grouse, most commonly called the prairie chicken.
Mr. Paothong has made a long journey from his homeland of Thailand as a student to end up here in Missouri with a full time job as wildlife photographer for the Missouri Department of Conservation. He previously worked as a photo journalist at the Joplin Globe.
He spend hundreds of hours in photo blinds to capture the native grouse with impressive results. The story with the book tells of the disappearing beautiful birds and their shrinking habitat. This book will inspire you to see the beauty and help preserve what we have.


The Weight of Silence
by
Heather Gudenkauf
Callie is a seven year old selective mute. Petra is Callie's best friend and acts as Callie's voice. The two girls go missing in the middle of the night and from there the story takes you on many twist and turns while their parents and police look for them. It will keep you on the edge of your seat till the end.
The book is told from many different points of views that switch off throughout it. I liked this because you got a glimpse as to what each person was going through and how they saw the events that played out. Their voices tell their stories both present and past. But will the trauma that caused Callie to stop talking be discovered in time to save the girls.
I enjoyed the book, and its bittersweet ending, and would definitely recommend it.

Feature Author for November

My feature author for this month is Nora Roberts, born in 1950. She has written more than 200 romance novels and also writes a series of mystery novels under the name J.D. Robb. At least 11 of her novels have been made into movies. She is usually my “go to” author when I don't know what I want to read. So for November I will offer $1.00 off any of her novels.


Thought for the day: A synonym is a word you use if you can't spell the other one.

Dorothy Cliff is the owner of Read Again Book Exchange in Granby.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Demonstration at High School

Our Fiber Guild was invited to do some demonstrations in the use of fibers at a local highschool that was having their VoAg banquet Thurs nite.   Our spinner had a family emergency so there were just 2 of us there with a couple different looms.  I had my table top loom with my current table runner in the works.  Here is a pic of me.
I was real proud to see so many FFA jackets in the room.  There was a pretty big crowd.  We didn't stay to eat but headed home.  It is always fun to show someone a little about your craft. 
Here is a pic of the other gal with her small rigid heddle loom,  and after seeing it, I am not so sure I want such a large one like I mentioned before.  So may look at something smaller to use at the store to make mug rugs and runners.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

My Serendipity moment

Our booth from last Saturday.  I felt we did pretty good.  Put a little money in my savings to pay for the new loom I am looking for.
Have to tell about a little serendipity that happened to me last week.  A weaver friend (Mike) sent me a link to a weaving sales thru Yahoo for someone who had a rigid heddle loom that was just perfect for what I was looking for.  So I copied the info then went on line for with the name of the manufacture.  It is a Kromski Harp 32" Rigid Heddle/
While checking out Kromski I found their prices less than the ad, but also I found someone local who carries this brand.  So I copied this info.  All this was on Friday last week.  On Sunday I had my Fiber Guild meeting and I took all my info with me to pick some brains and ask for a workshop on the rigid heddle weaving.  Well you won't believe it but a couple ladies in my group are the owners of the distributor that I had found on line!  Soooooooooo to make a long story a little shorter, they were able to give me a good price on a new one and they are working on dates to do an all day workshop and if that's not feasible they will just do some one on one with me if I want to buy it. 

So now with my sales from the show Saturday I have enough money set aside to buy the loom.  I am excited to try something new.  I forgot to mention I sold 7 rugs!  Plus some other stuff, but the rugs were the big ticket items.  3 of them were the wool selvage rugs, so I am out of them.

I have registered for one more craft show at a local elementary school that is reported to do really well, in the middle of Nov. Folks buying stuff for Christmas.
Will be off line for a week unless I go to the Library,  hubby having a second knee done next Tue and so I will have the store closed for over a week.  Will have lots of catching up to do. 

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Weaving update


This is the table runner that I finished off about 3 weeks ago from my weaving class at the college.  It is cotton warp and weft, with a diamond pattern through out.  But the pattern shows up best in the gold.
I am warping the loom now for a scarf.  My goal to learn how to beat the weft SOFTLY.  Since I make rugs most of the time this will be a challenge.  Also am going to put a floating selvage in.  Never did that before.  I am using a fine warp in cream and tan, very shuttle for my pretty pink yarn.  Have forgotten the contents of it but a mixture.  I am doing a simple warping of 1,2,3,4-3,2,1  repeats.  Then the pattern is a simple twill.  So unless you are a weaver I am just using gibberish here.  LOL

Been having trouble getting in the mood to weave.  Hope when this craft show Saturday is over I can put all that stuff away.  I am hoping to make enough to buy a rigid heddle loom to use here at the store.  I think it would be fun to learn another way of weaving that is a sort of throw back to simple times.  Yet I understand that you can do many patterns and textures on it too.  So will see.  May put an ad on Craigs list that I am looking for one. 

Fall is definately here,  the air is crisp and the trees turning beautifully this year.  The 2 nites of frost a couple weeks ago must have triggered it.  Hummers are gone south to their winter homes.

Will post pictures of the craft fair next time.  Wish me luck!

Thursday, October 11, 2012

BookSneeze: explained

Sometimes I have to review a book for this web site.  booksneeze.com.  So you can read them or ignore.  Often I incorporate them in my newspaper column that I do, so lucky you, it is on here twice!  
If you go to that site you can log in and get free books too.  They are mostly Christian/self help type books but I have found some that are just good fiction, too.  Lots are E-book, so I am more limited.  I pick a book and they ship it to me.  All free.  I just have to do a book review and post it on a site like Amazon, which is easy and on my blog site.  Then I link my reviews into BookSneeze and then I can order another book.  Easy as pie to get a free book and I am all about getting FREE!
So just for heck I will leave you with this crazy cat!

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

For Book Sneeze, review of The River

The River
by
Michael Neale

Why is Gabriel Clark so mysteriously drawn to The River? The book starts out with a chance meeting at an airport of the “author” and Gabriel. Gabriel is in the mood to tell his story about The River and so it unfolds into a wonderful story that the “author” claims changed his life. When he was 5 years old, Gabriel experienced something at the river that was so traumatic that he lived the next 15 years in fear and sadness and a lot of anger. He grows up in Kansas with his hard working mother and at age 20 a friend coaxed him into a trip back to Colorado where he was born and lived till age 5. He encounters the river and is changed forever. You could feel what he felt as he is challenged to find his inner peace, to give forgiveness, and to find love. This is so well written you forget that it is fiction. You must read the paperback copy as it has the look of a worn journal and that is a key part of the book as he finds his fathers old journal that speaks to him as the river speaks to him. The conclusion is so unexpected that you will be amazed. This is just one of those books that can change the way you see things.

October Newspaper column


I hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful fall weather. We had a great trip to Wyoming and Colorado in September and enjoyed the beautiful fall foliage and a little trout fishing.

On the 22nd my sister and I did our first craft show at Crowder College. It was a great day and a lot of vendors. Sadly it didn't seem like there were very many buyers. Hopefully when they do this next year it will get more advertisement and there will be a better turn out. As I type this I am preparing to do a weaving demonstration at Prairie State Park on Sat the 29th. I will be wearing my prairie dress that I made for the event. This is an annual event with all day activities to enjoy for the whole family, complete with food and music.
I will be closed on Sat. the 22nd of October so I can do a craft booth at Maple Leaf in Carthage. I will be giving out coupons for the book store so find my booth.

As I mentioned last month I want to list a feature author and tell just a little bit about that person. I will also be offering $1.00 off on any of this authors books for that month. For October I will start with James Patterson since he is such a prolific author. Born in 1947, he started writing seriously in 1996. There are 17 books in the Alex Cross series about a forensic psychologist. Many know him by his Women's Murder Club series. He is up to book 11 now. He has many stand alone novels and my favorite was a surprise to me, a really sweet love story “Sundays at Tiffany's.”

While we were in Wyoming we got a private tour of the Saratoga Museum since my husbands cousin is one of the main volunteers. They have been promoting a Wyoming author who writes books about a game warden in Wyoming. I was given a copy of one of his books and really enjoyed it so it is my first book to review this month.

Winterkill
by
C.J. Box

Joe Pickett is a game warden in Wyoming. This is one of several books that Mr. Box has written about Joe and his family. The title is accurate as the area in the mountains in Wyoming is experiencing a very bad winter with blizzards raging. There is also a murderer loose and the prime suspect is just too good to be true. With several levels of authority trying to handle the case, you soon find a few people to hate and you are on Joe's side as he fights the elements to find the real suspect and save his family at the same time. An action packed book. Made me want to wear a warm parka while I read it.

The River
by
Michael Neale

Why is Gabriel Clark so mysteriously drawn to The River? The book starts out with a chance meeting at an airport of the “author” and Gabriel. Gabriel is in the mood to tell his story about The River and so it unfolds into a wonderful story that the “author” claims changed his life. When he was 5 years old, Gabriel experienced something at the river that was so traumatic that he lived the next 15 years in fear and sadness and a lot of anger. He grows up in Kansas with his hard working mother and at age 20 a friend coaxed him into a trip back to Colorado where he was born and lived till age 5. He encounters the river and is changed forever. You could feel what he felt as he is challenged to find his inner peace, to give forgiveness, and to find love. This is so well written you forget that it is fiction. You must read the paperback copy as it has the look of a worn journal and that is a key part of the book as he finds his fathers old journal that speaks to him as the river speaks to him. The conclusion is so unexpected that you will be amazed. This is just one of those books that can change the way you see things.
Michael Neale is also a song writer of gospel songs too.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

My Sept column for Newton Co News


  1. Lincoln Jones returns to his Newton County roots with High Grade

My book store in Granby will be closed for the week of Sept. 9th for our annual family trip.
I have signed up for 2 craft fairs this year, so will be closed Sept 22nd for the one at Crowder College, and Oct.20th for the Maple Leaf in Carthage. I will also be closed Sept 29th because I will be doing a weaving demonstration (in period costume) at Prairie Jubilee, Prairie State Park, north and west of Carthage. These are all on Saturdays. For information about any of these events feel free to call me at 472-7111 or you can find info on line.

Weaving class has started for the fall semester at Crowder College, so I will open the book store at noon on Wednesdays again. Sorry for any inconvenience.

I plan to start doing a feature author each month. I am still working on my idea and plan to have specials on a different author for each month. Look for that in October.
I mentioned last month that I had received a call from an author in Arizona. Mr. Jones was born in Granby, raised in Neosho and after retiring he finally had time to write this book that he says has been in his head for 20 years. After my column last month I got a call from a cousin of Mr. Jones and I was able to connect her with Mr. Jones and as a result located a picture of his Great grandmother and her tombstone for him. It has been fun being the “Granby Sleuth.”

High Grade
by
D. Lincoln Jones


What if a soldier returned from war: but he had no memory of home? This first novel by Mr. Jones is part non fiction but mostly fiction. It is based on stories passed down from his family of story tellers. Using old documents to keep it authentic he nails this one. His Great great grandfather (Ben) went off to fight in the Civil War, leaving behind a wife and 4 children. He is later followed by his son ( Matt). When Ben is seriously wounded he is sent to a boat to be taken to St. Louis, the nearest hospital of the time. He never showed up, dead or alive. He is gone. The story line goes back and forth between 1860 to 1865 and you get a feel for Ben and his family and his needing to go into the Union Army. Then you see him as a lost man who ends up in Colorado with no memory of his past life, only his bible with names that haunt him. Even though he had no memory, Ben retained the values and skills he had before his injury and that carries him to start a new life.
I feel Mr. Jones really developed the characters and probably stayed true to the family stories that he was told all his life. He wanted to tell a story of “What if” Ben had lived and what might his life have been like. We learn about Matt who ended up in Granby Mo. Will Ben find his way back? I will have to ask you to read to book to learn the answer. In real life “Matt” is the Great Grandfather of the author. He was a minister and a sheriff in Granby. His real name was Nimrod Columbus Jones. He died in 1920's in Granby and his descendants live on.

I loved this book and will keep copies in the store to sell for 14.99. The same price that it sells for on Amazon but no shipping fee for you. You can also order it thru Amazon for your E-reader. I understand from my communications with Mr. Jones that he is wrapping up a sequel to this book and I look forward to learning what happened to the rest of Ben's family.

Explosive Eighteen
by
Janet Evanovich

Evanovich is up to book eighteen (that I know of) with her Stephanie Plum series. By the way, I read in the paper that Evanovich ranks up there with the top money makers with this series.
In this book Stephanie is still the ditsy bounty hunter in Trenton NJ. She gets a photo slipped into her travel bag and everyone is out to get it back, as it is linked to a big international murder. Of course while this is playing out, she and her sidekick Lulu is trying to round up the local bond jumpers so that she can make money to live on. She somehow manages to solve the mysteries and not get killed. She counts on her luck more than any real skills. Her romance still is going back and forth between the same two guys and you are left to still wonder who she will end up with. These Evanovich books are fun to read.

At the present time I find there is a book #19 available, plus she has another series started featuring Lizzy and Diesel. I picked one up at the library in audio book form. That is new for me and I was amazed how many audio books are available there.

Thought for the day: Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Heresssss your sign!

I had this sign made for my sister and I.  We are doing a couple craft fairs this fall and I thought it would be cute to make a sign to hang.  I think it says it all, don't you?????  I am keeping the sign hanging in the store over a shelf unit that has some of our stuff displayed.  I think we have a tiny addiction going here.  We just can't help ourselves when we see a garage sale then have to get together and squeal over what we FOUND!  Help!!!!

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Love the banging sounds of making that loom work

Back in class:  This is the project that I left on the loom at the end of last semester.  Plan to do about 20 inches of the turquoise then repeat the gold, etc for the other end.  Will be a wall hanging or runner.  It measures about 15 inches across.  I have some South West pictures on my wall in my "studio" so it will prob be hung there.  Think the next project will be learning to do a soft open weave on a scarf. 

Friday, August 24, 2012

BookSneeze review

As a member of Booksneeze.com I get a free book to read but am required to do a book review of the book before I can request another book.  Fair enough.  The book I received last is called: Alienation book 2, by Jon S. Lewis.  It is part of the C.H.A.O.S. Trilogy.  It is written with the young teen in mind, but was fun to read.  It is ffuturistic with lots of action and computer whizzes. With the alien shape shifters trying to take over the world, this young man named Colt and his buddy Oz must fight to save the world and maybe get back to normal lives. 

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Won't you be my friend?

A stranger called, and before I knew it I was wrapped up in his family history and loving every minute of it.
David L. Jones is working on his second book that is part fiction and part non fiction.  Any interested soul can go on line to Amazon and look for his book,  High Grade and either download it to your electronic book or order a book.  I have the book in my store for sale and there is no shipping to pay.
I loved the book but mostly I have really enjoyed getting to know the author and know I have made a friend.  He may live in Arizona but his roots are right here in Granby and Neosho.  His cousin (once or twice removed, what ever that means) came in today and trusted me to scan and copy 20 pages of their family history and send on to him.  The last several pages were tributes to the Grandmother that they share, written by different family members over a period of years.

Something that scares me is that in future generations will anyone care about this stuff?  So many people are being cremated and remains scattered to the winds.  So no physical evidence of their existence.  Then what about all the children born in this generation that have such blended families, many who have no legal ties.  How confusing will all that be.  And will anyone really care??

So on that thought I leave you with a picture of my moon flower that is having its last hurrah for the summer and the honey bees that are making honey for the winter.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Cemetery Sloothing




Got the chance to visit a really old cemetery in this little town where I have my book store.  This one has many stones that date back to Civil War times.  These stones are what I believe to be the Great Grandparents of the author that contacted me recently, David Jones.  A relative of his came in the store yesterday and showed me a picture of the woman who is buried under that square stone.  So I took a picture of it and e-mailed it to David.  He was really surprised and happy to have it.  Now I have to go back with a brush and take the mossy stuff off it so that I can take a better picture.  It is a shame these old cemeteries are so poorly kept up.  Many of the taller stones are toppled. Many of the ones I saw were alive during the Civil War.  And in case you didn't now that was 1861 to 1865.
The guy who helps run the old Miners Museum here in town was in this week and he gave me alot of Granby history of the boom days of lead ore mining here in town.  The museum is over the Wooly Bugger Mine (really, I wouldn't make this up) The mining was going on before the war, but the Civil War lead to a big increase in mining.
Another nugget of information that I know.  Up till not very many years ago most the sewers in Granby were funneled down into old mine shafts that run all thru the town.  FACT!  They put in mandatory sewer system around 1990ish.  I always said that when it was completed the town would fall into a big pit because the mine shafts would be empty.  OK I won't go any further with that thought. 

http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/faq/  I found this to be a great site to get basic facts about the Civil War.  Check it out.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Poem about Heaven





BEST POEM IN THE WORLD
I was shocked, confused, bewildered
  As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
    Nor the lights or its decor.
But it was the folks in Heaven
    Who made me sputter and gasp--
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
    The alcoholics and the trash.
There stood the kid from seventh grade
    Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
    Who never said anything nice.
Herb, who I always thought
    Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
    Looking incredibly well.
I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal?
    I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
    God must've made a mistake.
'And why is everyone so quiet,
    So somber - give me a clue.'
'Hush, child,' He said, 'they're all in shock.
    No one thought they'd be seeing you..'
JUDGE NOT!!
Remember...Just going to church doesn't make you a
Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.
Every saint has a PAST...

Friday, August 10, 2012

Four Degrees of Seperation

I have written here before about the author I have been chatting with and trying to sell his book here in my store.  He called this morning and we had a good visit.  Then just an hour later I got a call from a gal that was so excited because she had seen my newspaper column about the book and author, David Jones.  She subscribes to the paper even though she lives at least 150 miles away.  She thanked me for helping her find her Cousin!  Seems David's dad and her uncle were brothers or cousins, not sure.  Anyway I gave her info to reach David,  then as we chatted I found out that her sister here in Granby is a gal that my brother dated for about a year, about 4 years ago!  Now how is that for Four Degrees of Separation???  I could have ended up actually sort of related to David! 

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Recycled the recycled!

Did you know you can recycle the recycled?  Thats what I have done with a rug I am weaving.  In the past I have taken apart a favorite old rug and rewove the warp.  This rug is one I bought from my friend in Iowa many years ago and loved it to its actual death!  So I took it apart and could only salvage part of the old denim warp.  So here is the small pile I had to work with.  I am using my little table top loom and making a small runner about 14 inches wide and how ever long the warp lasts.
So this is what it looks like so far.  Ignore the greenish stuff, that is just filler. 
Spent most of my weekend working on recycled jean bags.  It is fun to make them and put linings in and then figure out how to decorate them.

Big news that I will add more about later,  I have signed up for 2 craft fairs this fall and also a weaving demonstration.  Woo Hoo.  I am the demonstrator in case that wasn't clear.  I have my Prairie dress and apron (and pantaloons) cut out and need to get busy on that.  Have to dress in costume for the demonstration!  Here is the pattern:

I bought new fabric for the dress, but the apron is to be out of the recycled bed dust ruffle with the beautiful crocheting on the ednge.  The pantaloons are going to be from a recycled batiste night gown that I found at a garage sale, it is so soft and even has lace at the bottom already.  (I might be talked into modeling)

Thursday, August 2, 2012

My August column for Newton Co News



I had a very interesting phone call from a gentleman in Arizona this last week. His name is David Lincoln Jones and he was born in Granby but grew up in Neosho. He has written his first book and called to see if I would carry it in my book store. I enjoyed a great conversation with him and said “Yes, of course, I would be glad to do this”, especially after he told me a little about the book. It is called High Grade and since I just got a copy I haven't had a chance to read it but you can bet I will do my review next month on it. On the back cover it says “What if a soldier returned from war, but he has no memory of home?” It is about a true story of his great-great grandfather who came home from the Civil War but never actually made it home. So it is part fiction and part non fiction. I have a feeling I will love the book as it is right up my alley of historical novels that have some truth to them. This is a quote from the book:


“My Great Grandfather who moved to Granby was named Nimrod Columbus Jones. He's Matt in the book. He died in Granby in the 1920's, a few years before I was born. My Aunt, Bertha Jennings told me the story, which is in the book, of Nimrod taking the gun away from a miner who was complaining about the Hell Fire and Damnation sermons Nimrod was preaching.
Bertha was the daughter of Tip Jennings, a real live Granby character. He was still driving a matched pair of mules wherever he went in the early '40's”
I will keep a copy of the book in the store and take orders if anyone wants a copy. It can be purchased through Amazon, but you will have to pay shipping. I hope I have piqued your interest. Come by the store or call me at 472-7111 for more information.

Weaving class will resume for me Aug 22, so store hours on Wednesdays will be from noon to 4.

I did manage to read 3 books to report on this month, but may only have room for 2 in the column. The first is a fiction novel that closely parallels the Bernie Madoff case. Now I really didn't pay close attention to all the details on the Madoff family but have Googled to get more info.

Silver Girl
by Elin Hildebrand
Meredith Delinn is the main character and she has lost everything. After 30 years of marriage to a very wealthy man, Freddie Delinn her house of cards crumble down. He is convicted of cheating rich investors out of billions of dollars. But will any one believe her when she says she didn't know? She lived a lavish life, spending the money, then seeks refuge with her long time childhood friend Connie on the island of Nantucket. The story is very well done and weaves their lives growing up as friends into their lives as women 50 years old. Meridith is targeted by someone who wants revenge, plus she is racking her brains trying to give info to her lawyer to help the FBI find the billions that are hidden. I found the suspense, romance, and tie in with her family and Connie's family very well done. I thought the similarity with Madoff quite an unusual touch: they met in high school, had 2 sons, 150 years prison sentence, and spending time with a female sister/friend after losing everything and being hated by most of the world. In the book Meredith actually had no knowledge of the fraud but was guilty of not paying attention to warning signs that things weren't right. We will never know if Ruth Madoff could say the same thing, but the more I read about Ruth it seems her life is a pretty tight parallel to the Meredith in the book. What is fact and what is fiction here?
I have found I have one more book by this author and it is definitely on my read list.

Intervention
by Robin Cook
Three men, 30 years after graduating from high school find themselves tangled in a mystery. Jack is a medical examiner still recovering from the loss of his wife and 2 daughters several years ago. He is remarried and now has a son who is desperately ill with a rare cancer. Jack is exploring alternative medicine. Shawn is a renowned archaeologist and biblical scholar who gets permission to do a dig beneath Saint Peter's trying to find proof to uphold his long standing grudge against the church. James is now a Bishop of the Archdiocese of New York and he doesn't want the new findings to come to light or it will discredit the church. He turns to Jack to help talk their friend out of publishing his findings. The Intervention is the key at the end of the book, a last ditch effort to stop Shawn. I found this to be a rather good book by Robin Cook. He is known for his medical mysteries and this one had a new twist that kept me going.

Try to keep cool, keep an eye on your elderly family and friends and conserve our water. Did you know it takes about a gallon of water to run before you get hot water? I have been catching it in a little bucket and putting it on the shrubs.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Don't laugh!


I put this on my FB but couldn't resist posting it here too.
I have a wonderful book story to tell real soon.  Got to get my book column written first and off to the paper today.  Be back soon.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Where are my Peeps?? I know you are out there!

Got all the rugs cut apart and hemmed.  I really like the machine hem on the rugs.  Think I will just weave a header that is just a bit wider from now on.  They are 27 inches wide and I think 25 really should be plenty.  I will have to warp from scratch next time so will do a different set up.  Usually spend my Sunday afternoons weaving and listening to the radio behind the loom.  I like the Sunday NPR station that has that guy,  Garrison Keillor from Lake Wobegon.  He is pretty funny.
Don't know if I have put this picture on here before, but I just crack up when I see it so now here it is again. 

Friday, July 13, 2012

My Marathon of weaving

Last PM  I finished off the 24 feet of warping I had on the loom.  Ended up with 4 good size rugs and one small one.  Could barely weave at the end as this roll was so large.  Good thing I didn't put any more warp on the loom.  So this is my rug roll.  All rugs done end to end with that green stuff hanging out that is the filler.  The next picture is the rugs rolled out but not cut apart!  Whoooo Hoooo!
The last pic was taken from the other end.  Now I just hope I put enough filler between each rug, cause I will have to cut them apart to put on the sewing machine to stitch and hem the ends.  Did I mention that it measured about 21 foot of actual rug in all.  Someone in the store asked about me making a hall runner.  Bring it on!

Saturday, July 7, 2012

My book review for July


I think I have mentioned that I write a column monthly for a little local paper.  So since this blog is supposed to be about my books and crafting, I thought I should throw in some book stuff.  This was a book that I really enjoyed, so will share my review here.


Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
by Jamie Ford
Now this is a book well worth reading and one of those keepers that you want to share with your family and friends. I do enjoy a good historical novel that teaches me something that I didn't know about our history as Americans or just citizens of the world.
This book is a debut novel by Jamie Ford. I hope he continues to write. The main character is a Chinese gentleman named Henry Lee. He is present when the Panama Hotel in Seattle Wa. is opened after being boarded up many years. He sees a Japanese parasol that he recognizes. This sends the reader back and forth from when Henry was 12 years old in 1942 to the present of 1986.
When he was 12 his father enrolled him in white school under a “scholarship” which I felt was more like a work program, so he could get his education and work in the kitchen. He was bullied by white boys but would not tell his father as he was supposed to be getting an “American” education, even though he was born in America.
He finds a friend in a Japanese girl named Keiko and this was a forbidden subject at home as China was at war with the Japanese at this time. (As you are probably know, when Japan attached Pearl Harbor the US the Japanese Americans, many second generation were rounded up and interred in camps.) Through the black outs, raids, and long standing prejudices of their old worlds, a sweet innocent love develops. When Keiko seems lost to him forever, Henry grows up, the war ends, and he marries and has a son. Henry has many regrets and struggles with his relationship with his son, not wanting to be like his own father. As the story went back to his childhood memories you could feel how he struggled to be his own person and yet honor his own Chinese roots. Of course you have to read the book to see how it ends, I don't want to spoil that.
The author is a great grandson of a Nevada mining pioneer Min Chung, who emigrated from China in 1865, where he took the western name Ford. Jamie Ford is half Chinese and grew up near Chinatown in Seattle. There really was a Chinatown and Japanese town in Seattle and at hotel named the Panama Hotel. And of course there really was a war and the interment of thousands of Japanese people, who lost all they had by the time the war ended.
I always like to find where the title comes from and you will find it in this terrific book. From the back cover: “This is a beautifully written book that will make you think. And, more important, it will make you feel.”

Friday, July 6, 2012

I learn from every mistake

When I warped the loom this last time, I thought I was being pretty smart and saving time by tying onto the old warp on the loom.  Here is a picture of it in progress.
I just kept the old warp ends (blue) on the loom and tied the new warp ends to them, then giggled the knots thru the reeds and heddles.  Then when I started to crank it all onto the back beam I noticed some loose ends.  OOPS!  So I figured it out and was able to tie some extra ends in, and again thought I was pretty clever.  Well after I got the warp all beamed and started weaving my filler, I noticed 2 more spaces that were blank.  OOPS!  So I had to tie new ends onto the filler and now have 2 strands dangling from the beam with weights on them and you know what? It all weaves beautifully!  I totally missed at least 6 strands when I did that easy tie up.  Not sure if I will do this again or just go from scratch and thread it all thru, but that is a back breaker for me.  I will try to leave longer ends next time if I want to do this tie on again.  Oh, and I am warping front to back now and have it down pretty good to keep good tension.  The warp laying down over the front beam onto the floor gets all combed out smooth then sections are clipped together with big paper clips, then I lay a short length of a 2x4 across it as a weight.  As I crank it all goes on smoothly till I have that yard taken up.  Well it works for me and I guess we all do things that work for us and make us happy.  Here is the end results before I found the 2 missing spots.  :)

Thursday, July 5, 2012

I may have ADD



I keep seeing ideas that I think I just have to try!  I will get the loom set up and weave awhile, then I get lost at my sewing table and ironing board with things to sew.  Working on several denim totes and denim aprons.  Now I want to learn how to make the big gaudy fabric flowers to decorate with. Guess I will google those words and see what I get.  Here is my current weaving,  it is recycled sweaters and some cotton selvage that I ordered  a few years ago.  I like it with the pastels of the sweaters.  Makes nice bathroom rugs.
Well that picture was supposed to be down here but guess I will leave it alone. 
Hope everyone is keeping cool.  I am, of course I have the air on and a fan blowing on me, here in my little store.    

Friday, June 29, 2012

Maybe this will be a favorite

About every 10th rug that I make I look at it and think that maybe I will have to keep that one.
This one is all cotton "rags". Recycled old shirts, with a little flannel thrown in and other cotton from skirts and such.  I like the dark colors.  It is 60 in long and 27 in wide.
This is the first that I have done the sewing maching hem on the binding.  I like it alot, but it is hard to see in the picture.

So I took a picture of my thumb so you can see the turned hem. 

These are a sampling of the pin cushions that my sister and I are making.  We pick up the cups and things that we think will be cute at garage sales then make the cushion and decorate with all kinds of things.  I am about done with them, but don't tell my sister. 

The little town where I have my book store is having a celebration this weekend.  They always do on the weekend just before the 4th of July.  Plan on setting a table out front with some rugs, cows, and books.  I usuallly do this on Saturday anyway.  Not real sure it helps but you never know. 

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY.  Lets hope we don't lose any more of our freedoms!

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

What have I been up to?






This is one of my rag rugs I worked on this last weekend.  I am hemming this batch of rugs.  I got 4 rugs from 40 to 70 inches long and a mini one at the end that is about 25 in. long.  So I ran them back to back and only ran 4 rows of filler between them.  So had to take them to the sewing machine in mass to run stitching before I cut them apart.  Not to sure that was smart.  But I like the clean turned under hem.  May make more that way.
 
Did I mention that my sister and I are making cows with dresses?  I am the cow maker and she does the frilly stuff.   This is our herd so far.  Got info on a big craft fair this fall, so we are gearing up for our first one.  We are doing pin cusions now, and I will prob make a few more cows. Plus I have alot of my denim tote bags that I make and my fabric bowls. 

Saturday, June 23, 2012

First tomato!

Got just over 1 inch of rain Thursday morning. Our lawn said thank you very much as it was getting the July Crispy a little early this year. This is our first tomato to ripened so we had BLT's for supper last nite.  My favorite summer meal.  Also had half an ear of sweet corn from a local farmer that sells it $5 a dozen, and I think they put 13 in the bag.  Summer is here.  Might as well go with the flow, we enjoy the early mornings with our coffee on the west porch and watch the humming birds eat.  In the evening if is cools down we can go to the back deck, it faces the east is a good place to catch a breeze and watch the brown thrush and cardinals bath. 

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Old books!

A guy stopped by my shop last week with all these books that he insisted that I should take off his hands.  Being an old softy that I am, I offered him $20 for his gas money and he unloaded them.  One box was full of books he had bought from me when I closed out 3 years ago.  A lot of Harlequin books that I don't really want so after wiping them all down, I made alot of small boxes of books to sell for 25 cents each.  I have some folks who come in who can't afford to pay $3 to $4 for a book so I always have several boxes that I price cheap.  They are all good to read but maybe too worn to ask any more for them.  Business has been really slow this summer, but I still enjoy getting away for the 4 days I am open.  I use the computer, sew, clean and of course this is the local visiting place.  My brother and sister live in town and often drop by to chat.  In the case of my sister she brings her quilting stuff with her and keeps after me to quilt.  Well I have been doing some quilting, have a denim one all cut out and have started on it.  Will post some pictures soon.

Went to Branson Monday, took the sister-in-law with us for the first time.  Stayed at our time share and took her out on the Branson Belle Paddle Wheeler for their cruise on Table Rock Lake, dinner and entertainment.  A little 3 hour cruise.  I think she enjoyed it.  Our unit had a screened in patio with a nice view of the lake that spills out of Table Rock Dam, just a few feet from us.  We enjoyed watching the birds and the fishermen on the lake.

Now if we could just get some rain!

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Warping finally done and let the weaving begin

Finally got the floor loom warped.  Boy did I warp a bunch!  Took most of my week off and on fooling with this.  Only found one boo boo.  When I was threading the warp thru the heddles I found that one of my light blue sections got an extra round on the warping board so there are 2 more strands, which threw me off on the threading, but since I am doing tabby weave it is OK.  You will have to look hard to see the section on the last pic. 
All threaded thru the beaters and the heddles.

All beamed up!  I just like to look at it!

 
Using my fav. denim.  Am learning after all this time that I am liking the denim strips narrower that I used to use.  I also like to rip the denim so the edges are a little fringy after I pull the extra strings off.  Then I let it fall with a twist sometimes and it gives it a wavy look that i like.  Don't like something to look to perfect.  Heck the factories make that stuff.  I like a little character to my rugs. 

Looking at my stash of "stuff" that begs to be woven and can't figure out what else to weave after I do this rug.  I should have enough warp to do 4 or 5 rugs.  Oh, and I threw out the plastic blind slats.  Don't ever try to use them for spacers when beaming the warp.  Gotta use wooden slats.  I ran out and had to go to the garage and confiscate all the yard sticks.  They worked perfect!  Sorry hubby, you never use them anyway.  Remember whats yours is mine.  :)

Friday, June 1, 2012

Front to Back??

I am trying something new for me.  I am warping my "new" loom for the second time and am warping from front to back.  I am following instructions in Deborah Chandlers book.  At least most of them  So I have pictures now to show what I have done so far. 
The first pic is of my "Studio"  LOL  We have a large living room that we don't use, so I sold the sofa and the dining room table is still in there and gets used for my table top loom.  We have a family room/eat-in kitchen that we mostly live in so I have claimed this space for ME> You can see what I use my tread mill for!  Oops.
We have a large window to the west and the sun was shining in a little bright.
I am using 2 shades of blue, with 20 ends alternating.  This is my "chain" with lots of choke ties.  So far so good, as there is about 9 yards on here.
I tied the lease stick on the front apron, nice and snug.  At this point I still have the loop in the ends.  Was scary to cut the first set of loops as I knew I was committed at this point.

Almost done feeding thru the reeds, following the cross over at the lease sticks.  All looks smooth.

 Finished a little more this morning,  Will be ready to thread the heddles next.  This will measure about 28 inches so I should get some nice rugs out of it.  Will probably do a denim one to start.   When I warped the warp on the warping board I did it in 4 sections as you can still see by my long chains.  That really helped with that much warp and I think it will help keep it smooth when I start winding it up.  I have some wooden window blind slats to use on the beam.  I am anxious to see how this process will work doing it alone.

Want to add a picture here of the wall hanging that I found at a garage sale this spring for $3.  I think it is made of jute.  Any ideas on it?  I got no history, and it was a little musty.  I sprayed some fabrize on it and aired it good.  I like it!

It is real bumpy, lots of texture and I think pretty old.   Have a good weekend!