I think we are all still recovering. I'm still sore and achy myself.I had a good festival. The weather was great for once. I actually sold some stuff (I have beadwork and handknits). There was no drama in our camp or even at our end of the Ridge, which was awesome. Since we camped where we vended, there was much more time for relaxing and doing nothing. We apparently had one of the shadiest places in Merchant's circle, so even when it got hot, it wasn't too bad in our booth. The neighbors to our East had the cutiest Chihuahua mix that was only our friend when we fed her. John and Rain and Greg were on our West and didn't bite us, either. Only went to the main fire a couple of times, and spent an enjoyable evening watching my friend Mike try to convince himself to be a bad boy, but he turned to the light side of the Force at the last minute. :-)
Went to a couple of workshops, one on using psychotropic drugs for shamanic journeying, but I didn't stay for the whole thing. The guided meditation made me grumpy. The second one was about Otherkin, or people (like me) who believe we are somehow not human or have souls or part of our souls that are not human. The presenter, Lupa, knew her stuff and Av and I were pretty impressed. The same presenter and her husband gave a workshop on Kink Magic or how to use BDSM to obtain altered states for magical work. It was an advanced version of both topics, in other words, if you have never done BDSM or High Magic, then don't try this at home, kids. I thought it was good, but other people were weirded out by the examples and the heavy edge play nature of the subject. But then again, I am The Evil Dark Faerie for a reason.
Made contact with old friends and generally had a good time.
And I almost forgot Flannigans Right Hook! They kicked festival butt!
This was one of my top 5 Heartlands ever.
Wednesday 27 May 2009
Tuesday 19 May 2009
Heartland again
Av is sick. He has an upper resp. infection. He hasn't been able to do anything at all. I haven't been to the grocery store yet. I haven't packed my clothes yet. I haven't gone through the camping boxes yet. I need to pick out a small knitting project to take. I need to go to the bank. I need some sleep. I slept like crap last night, between worrying about getting ready to go, Av being sick and every time I fell asleep I had sex dreams. Today pretty much sucks.
I have gone through my vending stuff and it is all in order. I have started the bedding pile, it should be okay. That's it. That's all I have done. We are supposed to leave in the morning. Blech.
I have gone through my vending stuff and it is all in order. I have started the bedding pile, it should be okay. That's it. That's all I have done. We are supposed to leave in the morning. Blech.
Tuesday 12 May 2009
Heartland is coming! Heartland is coming! I'm not nearly as freaked as I was. I forget I have friends in high places. Av and I decided to keep the tent for one more year and get a better air mattress and some new tarps instead. I think we have an idea for a topper for the bed frame that may hold a larger mattress so the three of us can share more comfortably. But the backup plan is to have Sheila's tent and matress for backup. Or for me having a snit. Whatever. Last GGG I put down the plywood and carpet from the back of Av's truck and that kept things from getting too mushy underfoot. I'm also thinking of checking out some discount places this Saturday to find a carpet for the booth to help it look nice and keep down the mud if there is any. But there won't be! I'm asking for nice weather. It can be cool, and it can be warm, but not cold and rainy, or warm and rainy, or rainy of any sort! There's nothing wrong with a light shower now and then, but no constant downpours! Pretty please? Heartland should be fun, not a chore.
Getting ready to camp for 6 days is easy, deciding what I want to take to work on is going to be hard. Do I take yarn or beads or both? What sort of project? socks? scarves? shawl? simple bead patterns or involved stringing stuff? ARG! It'll take forever to decide and I'll change my mind a dozen times. I better start deciding tonight.
Getting ready to camp for 6 days is easy, deciding what I want to take to work on is going to be hard. Do I take yarn or beads or both? What sort of project? socks? scarves? shawl? simple bead patterns or involved stringing stuff? ARG! It'll take forever to decide and I'll change my mind a dozen times. I better start deciding tonight.
Monday 4 May 2009
My weekend
I just added this blog to my Ravelry profile. Yay me!
Over the weekend I went to Bead blast and bought some stuff, mostly for me I think. I have some very cool light blue and brown swirly agatey type beads that I was going to try to string on a light blue silk ribbon, but I think the holes are too small. My next thought is to add a wire wrap loop on both sides of the holes and then string them on the ribbon, or cut the ribbon and tie it to each of the loops... I'm not sure yet. I could get a bead reamer and enlarge the holes, but that may be too much trouble. I almost bought some wool beads, but decided that it would be more fun to make them myself.
That reminds me that I need to inventory my show stuff.
I also bought some neat dyed, crackled, irregularly shaped crystal beads and some neon dyed stone of some sort, a grab bag of assorted beads and charms that includes a couple corkscrew charms, and a couple of other things that I can't remember right now. I talked to the guy that I bought the African black opal from last year and he said that he had a new opal stone for next season that is as cool.
Then I went to The Yarn Shop and More just to see their new shop and bought about $180 worth of yarn for $96. That was sweet. I came home and added all of it to my Stash on Ravelry. Now I'm eager to do all of my stash that way as well as add pictures of stuff. Then I immediately cast-on some of it for a scarf in the most beautiful deep eggplant color that is knitting up very quickly, I'm over half-way done already. If I can get away with it, I'm going to knit some more on it here at work. If I'm diligent, I can have it done, washed and blocked before the end of the week.
We went to Beltane at the farm on Saturday night, where I got well over 40% of the scarf done. I love my friends. They don't mind if I knit while socializing.
On Sunday I finished the first half of the scarf, then cast on for the second half before heading off shopping with Mindy and Brittany. We spent 3-1/2 hours looking for the perfect prom dress for her. It's not my favorite one, I thought it was too sophisicated for a 17 yo, but it's the one she wanted. I also got some more summery tops from Nordstrom and Macy's and a pair of Keds boat shoes for less than $9. I have fallen in love with a pair of pruple Ed Hardy shoes with evil mermaids on them and a kick-ass blue patent leather Cathy Van Zeeland bag, neither of which I need, but both of which I may have to go back for.
And then Av and I relaxed for the rest of the evening while I did another 10" on the scarf.
Over the weekend I went to Bead blast and bought some stuff, mostly for me I think. I have some very cool light blue and brown swirly agatey type beads that I was going to try to string on a light blue silk ribbon, but I think the holes are too small. My next thought is to add a wire wrap loop on both sides of the holes and then string them on the ribbon, or cut the ribbon and tie it to each of the loops... I'm not sure yet. I could get a bead reamer and enlarge the holes, but that may be too much trouble. I almost bought some wool beads, but decided that it would be more fun to make them myself.
That reminds me that I need to inventory my show stuff.
I also bought some neat dyed, crackled, irregularly shaped crystal beads and some neon dyed stone of some sort, a grab bag of assorted beads and charms that includes a couple corkscrew charms, and a couple of other things that I can't remember right now. I talked to the guy that I bought the African black opal from last year and he said that he had a new opal stone for next season that is as cool.
Then I went to The Yarn Shop and More just to see their new shop and bought about $180 worth of yarn for $96. That was sweet. I came home and added all of it to my Stash on Ravelry. Now I'm eager to do all of my stash that way as well as add pictures of stuff. Then I immediately cast-on some of it for a scarf in the most beautiful deep eggplant color that is knitting up very quickly, I'm over half-way done already. If I can get away with it, I'm going to knit some more on it here at work. If I'm diligent, I can have it done, washed and blocked before the end of the week.
We went to Beltane at the farm on Saturday night, where I got well over 40% of the scarf done. I love my friends. They don't mind if I knit while socializing.
On Sunday I finished the first half of the scarf, then cast on for the second half before heading off shopping with Mindy and Brittany. We spent 3-1/2 hours looking for the perfect prom dress for her. It's not my favorite one, I thought it was too sophisicated for a 17 yo, but it's the one she wanted. I also got some more summery tops from Nordstrom and Macy's and a pair of Keds boat shoes for less than $9. I have fallen in love with a pair of pruple Ed Hardy shoes with evil mermaids on them and a kick-ass blue patent leather Cathy Van Zeeland bag, neither of which I need, but both of which I may have to go back for.
And then Av and I relaxed for the rest of the evening while I did another 10" on the scarf.
Tuesday 21 April 2009
Heartland
I'm going to bitch about merchanting at Heartland. If you read my blog and you are on the HSA board or a dear, close, personal friend of a member of the board, then stop reading, because I'm not apologizing for being annoyed.
1) Entry day on Tuesday and only between the hours of 9 and 6? Really? WTF? Do people not have real jobs where they have to schedule their time off? Hell, the event doesn't even start until Thursday. I have to work that day. If I try to ask for that day off now, I may as well ask for Monday off too, but that will cut into the time I need to save for our mandatory office shut-down between xmas and New Year's day...
2) 3 hours of mandatory volunteerism? 3! For the merchant and his/her 'staff', (which means anyone who is on the early entry list). The regular participants only have to do 2. I have a booth to manage and a husband to keep fed and happy. I used to look forward to Heartland as a vacation-type event where I can relax, socialize and have fun, but now it is turning into a huge laborious, rule ridden pain in my ass.
3) Fire extinguisher, screw-down tent pegs, glow-sticks, safety-this, worry-that, rule blah...... Next thing you know there will be a lights-out curfew after everyone is required to attend the main ritual and mega-bonfire that can be seen from space that you must keep exactly 25' from at all times or a person with a pointy pole will poke you while making sure you aren't under the influence of illegal substances. Oh, and you must be fully clothed at all times for the off chance that an undercover officer will see you even though the camp is legally listed as clothing optional, it's just not 'respectful' to the nice officers (that actually happened to me one year).
4) I'm starting to get too old for this shit. I want to go to camp, sit around with my friends, listen to good drumming, bands, get a little wasted, dance naked a little bit, and maybe sell something. I don't want to be constantly wet, too cold, too hot, achy, grumpy, listen to achy and grumpy, and a half dozen other annoyances that I don't feel like listing. Why can't Heartland be as fun and relaxing as Fest of Tara?
1) Entry day on Tuesday and only between the hours of 9 and 6? Really? WTF? Do people not have real jobs where they have to schedule their time off? Hell, the event doesn't even start until Thursday. I have to work that day. If I try to ask for that day off now, I may as well ask for Monday off too, but that will cut into the time I need to save for our mandatory office shut-down between xmas and New Year's day...
2) 3 hours of mandatory volunteerism? 3! For the merchant and his/her 'staff', (which means anyone who is on the early entry list). The regular participants only have to do 2. I have a booth to manage and a husband to keep fed and happy. I used to look forward to Heartland as a vacation-type event where I can relax, socialize and have fun, but now it is turning into a huge laborious, rule ridden pain in my ass.
3) Fire extinguisher, screw-down tent pegs, glow-sticks, safety-this, worry-that, rule blah...... Next thing you know there will be a lights-out curfew after everyone is required to attend the main ritual and mega-bonfire that can be seen from space that you must keep exactly 25' from at all times or a person with a pointy pole will poke you while making sure you aren't under the influence of illegal substances. Oh, and you must be fully clothed at all times for the off chance that an undercover officer will see you even though the camp is legally listed as clothing optional, it's just not 'respectful' to the nice officers (that actually happened to me one year).
4) I'm starting to get too old for this shit. I want to go to camp, sit around with my friends, listen to good drumming, bands, get a little wasted, dance naked a little bit, and maybe sell something. I don't want to be constantly wet, too cold, too hot, achy, grumpy, listen to achy and grumpy, and a half dozen other annoyances that I don't feel like listing. Why can't Heartland be as fun and relaxing as Fest of Tara?
Tuesday 24 February 2009
Getting older
My old friend/high school love is very ill. A deadly combination of infections has his life in great danger. We can all only pray that he will be all right, but he will never be the same, regardless.
I'm going to be in great danger of being all sentimental and stuff. I can only hope that my Elf will understand.
I'm going to be in great danger of being all sentimental and stuff. I can only hope that my Elf will understand.
Monday 16 February 2009
Celtic Prayer Beads
I was reading a bead newletter I get and came across this concept http://www.anamcaradallas.org/Celtic_Prayer_Beads.htm. I had never heard of such a thing, so I went to Google and found this site about Pagan prayers http://northernway.org/school/onw/prayers.html. And lo and behold I found reference to our friend Mike Nichols and one of his lovely poems/prayers.
We should play internet based 6 degrees of Mike Nichols. :-)
It seems to be a New Age-NeoPagan-Xtian crossover thing. I think the concept is lovely, but most likely not actually authentic, but what NeoPagan thing is, right? I think I could use the idea to add to my desire to create spiritually themed jewelry and there is at least one festival I attend that it would probably go over well at, but I stuggle with the idea of creating tools for religious concepts I don't follow. Although as a worry-bead chain, it could work... I would have problem trying to pass them off as some sort of authentic Celtic religious concept.
We should play internet based 6 degrees of Mike Nichols. :-)
It seems to be a New Age-NeoPagan-Xtian crossover thing. I think the concept is lovely, but most likely not actually authentic, but what NeoPagan thing is, right? I think I could use the idea to add to my desire to create spiritually themed jewelry and there is at least one festival I attend that it would probably go over well at, but I stuggle with the idea of creating tools for religious concepts I don't follow. Although as a worry-bead chain, it could work... I would have problem trying to pass them off as some sort of authentic Celtic religious concept.
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