Update from springtime

Dear blog readers, I am not sure how many of you are still out there!  Some friends may still visit?  It's hard to tell --I used to receive lots of comments and make conversation on every post.  Now?  Nothing.  Hard to tell...So here are some updates from my world...

I made an unfortunate knitting project choice back in March.  One of my twins asked for a gray sweater and I agreed to knit it during our most gray, long, wet, puddle filled and flooded time of year.  True, the yarn is Polwarth wool so lovely and soft.  It will make a nice dress sweater. I finished it on one of the first warm days and my kid didn't even want to try it on long enough for fit.  Good news with twins is that if one does not want it, the other likely will...assuming it still fits somebody in the fall.

We also happened to hear about a new baby...so I made an "upsized" Worry Bear.  I took the pattern for a small pocket sized bear, which is really supposed to meet specific needs for those with anxiety, sensory issues, autism, dementia, etc. and I knit it on #8(5mm) double pointed needles and I used three strands of sportweight yarn.  Stuffed with wool, it will be perfect for a toddler to carry around or chew on.

The world news has also really gotten me down. I've struggled to keep cheerful. Our province has opened up to crowded events, without masks, despite an increasing rate of COVID deaths and health care cannot keep up. Meanwhile, war and gun violence are happening-completely avoidable deaths that politicians refuse to be mature enough to take prompt action on...people who can resolve conflicts peaceably seem to be in short supply.

When I'm particularly stressed by these things, I "make" a lot more...more sewing, spinning, knitting and cooking.  To my surprise, I discovered I'd cranked out over 900 yards of 2 ply Clun Forest wool  (Western Canadian wool) while processing bad news.  I washed and skeined it, and? - have absolutely nothing planned for it.  So, if you're taking on a big dyeing, weaving, knitting, or other project and could use handspun for it, let me know.  Let's make a deal!

There's also been an uptick in special life events.  Twins turned 11!  Alas, the gelati cakes from the past no longer are made at our favourite shop, but birthdays continue.  Mommy cake came to the rescue....although I truly failed "buttercream 101" in my 'breads and desserts' course in university...I made a big cake, and everyone seemed happy.  Yes, this is true, I took an elective course in breads and desserts at the Cornell hotel school.  Since I already knew how to bake bread, I ended up cranking it out to feed people during our labs and sales rather than getting tips on, say, icing application.  That's ok though, even poor icing skills taste good and satisfy my household!  

Work has been slower, despite the insistence that everyone is bouncing back now. It's kind of discouraging. Some of the markets I used to write for have stopped publishing or changed what they print. In one case, the publication's even been so disorganized or slow to respond that the short deadlines/low pay/weird responses have made it impossible to continue with them. 

In any case, I still had wool to wash this spring, and surprise!  I still know how...even if I wasn't able to write about it for publication. (This was the first of several loads for my household, no way I could do it one garment at a time...)

I'm still here... continuing to pitch publications, I write my column and my knitting designs are still out there on Ravelry, Payhip and Lovecrafts.  I post a bit more frequently on Instagram here: @yrnspinner.

I'm also celebrating our glorious (and short) spring in Winnipeg.

Last but not least?  I've had a very strange work email snafu...if you've reached out to me via email for work reasons since last October?  I may not have your message!  Last weekend, my account somehow disappeared messages from the last 7 months.  No amount of customer service or 'restore' functions seem to be working. Please do reach out if you need anything!  I'm still here, even after this new challenge.

It's been an important reminder, too.  No matter how hard I'm trying, many things are out of my control.  For instance, due to some infill construction near us, we have this large dead tree hanging over our power lines. It's not on our property, so legally, we can't do a thing about it, though of course, like losing work email in a strange blip, it's out of our control.  We cannot fix this.  So I'm trying hard to tilt my head, look at the blossoms in our yard, and hope for the best. 

Popping by

This has been a long time between blog posts...it's not usual for me. Lots has been happening, but it's kind of overwhelming.  Like, when the weather finally warmed up, and we had a radiator pipe burst in the basement.  Like that.  

When each challenge has happened this year, we've worked as a family team and well, just kept our heads down and dealt with it.  Often, it means I'm doing home school/remote school with kids and dog while closed up in the guest room while the masked professor deals with a procession of tradespeople.  But, you know, now our pipes work, our heat works, our hot water works, our dishwasher has stopped leaking, and even the mice influx seems to have finally stopped ... lots has been fixed while we continue to stay home. 

 I hear some people take exotic hot weather vacations. (not us) However, it's a pandemic, and last I checked, there are still 250,000 people ahead of us to be vaccinated in our province... so we just spent that money fixing stuff.  Thank you, careful, masked tradespeople! Did each bit of damage happen for a reason? because of construction nearby?  Because of the extreme weather? Because that one little dishwasher valve wore out? Who knows.

In the work department, I've had some articles published, but it's not been frequent work. In one case, somehow the article's comments became like, well, a real tire fire.  I've been told by my Canadian friends that in Manitoba, people say "dumpster fire" to mean the same thing. When I say the words 'TIE ER FIE ER" --my accent comes out, straight from Virginia, with hints of my time spent in North Carolina and Kentucky.  It's slow just like when you're driving on the highway and see the huge plume of black stinky smoke.  Everyone ahead of you slows down to rubberneck and you're stuck in this horrible endless traffic jam. People are all aghast at the fire, which will take forever to put out and how did it happen?  And what kind of nasty pollution will it leave?  While the thing burns on endlessly and stinks. It's so awful that it's hard to look away.  (OK, now you can imagine how negative the comments were.)

So, I'm not linking to that article.  No need for anyone to go read those comments.  Hint:  it ran on the CBC and in this personal essay, I implored people to hold on, the pandemic's not done with us yet. I say this despite really missing my family and being so tired of this, we'd been lucky so far.  We were privileged, despite losing a family member in NYC last spring. The article ran at the end of March, and well, here we are now, starting the third wave. Just. Not. Over... yet here, folks. (Sometimes the true news is an opinion that hits home.  That's what people really didn't want to hear...)

While all this is happening, I am actively making things.  Sometimes, it's lots of food to get ready for holidays.  (We had a great Passover and spring break, and having a Zoom seder works fine for us. It's also awesome not to have to go anywhere and pack soggy matzah sandwiches for lunch...)

I've also been sewing, knitting and spinning up a storm as I find it a tremendous way to relieve stress right now.  I made a really large scarf out of beautiful red silk from Japan (a deadstock fabric remnant sent to me from Fabcycle in Vancouver) and a tiny bit of coordinating floral print.  I am knitting a sweater...probably for me, maybe a new design, but I'm sort of winging it so we'll see how it comes out. 

I finished the big new wool bathmat from Churro and Hebridean wool.  It's been a great addition to kid shower or bath time!

--Also, I was recently told by one of my twins that there was no way he was going back to wearing store bought pajama bottoms as the flannel ones I made were so much more roomy and cozy.  But oh, by the way, spring is coming and both twins grew.  So, now I'm sewing a pile of lightweight pjs in cheerful colours.  There has been some dispute over who gets which fabric. (pretty much all from stash or deadstock remnants)  I've encouraged both kids to realize that since they share the same room, they can always get to see the pjs across the room, even if they aren't wearing them.  This seemed to briefly mollify them!

I've also been spinning up some Dorset/Rideau (I think) wool.  This fleece was handed to me as a gift.  It's really soft and cozy.  The first couple skeins were ones I processed myself from start to finish, but then I decided to have the rest of the fleece processed by my favourite local woollen mill.  The roving came back clean and lovely to spin. 

 Alas, despite everyone's best efforts, this fleece still has a lot of field left in it. At each stage, there's lots of vegetable matter to remove.  I'm likely to still be removing it as I knit.  However, the wool is really something...I have spun it as a chunky two ply and it will possibly make a sweater for one kid or another for next winter (after dyeing it) as they are growing like weeds.

There's lots more to tell you, dear blog readers, but no more time in a day to fit it all in.  For now, I'll leave you with one finished pair of pajama bottoms  and our table, set for the first Seder.  It was great having my parents 'sitting' at the end of the table with us.  The table was really long.  Thanks to Zoom, it started in Virginia, and ended in Winnipeg. 

-And, because we live in Winnipeg, and it's mid-April, we're expecting another snow storm.  Happy spring time!!

Make & Hue's Tradition issue

My article, Made by Anonymous, has gone live in Sweet Georgia's Make & Hue Tradition issue!

Do you sign everything you make?  Put your initials in one corner?  Sew in a label?  Here's an exploration of the pros and cons....why we do what we do.  It's a quick survey of how women have historically labelled their needlework (or not) and how.

It's finally sunny and warmer here in Winnipeg today, so I'm off to walk dogs and bask in the sunshine's rays without a hat.  If you'd like to knit one of these mitts (it's never too early to get ready for winter in Canada...), here's a link to many of the mitten patterns featured in this photo.

Article spoiler: ...while I don't tend to label my knitwear, I am really proud of all the effort that goes into my design work/writing/intellectual property.  I'm a "sometimes anonymous, sometimes not" kinda person!

Together on path to freedom-& cleaning

My piece on Passover and Reconciliation came out on the Jewish Independent's website on Friday.  Please read it! 
Together on path to freedom

On household topics:
So, I wanted to post a cheerful photo here or some knitting, but honestly, it is snowing here today, right around freezing, and very mucky. (we had bright sunshine and lots of playtime on the weekend though I forgot to shoot photos then.  Oops)  I could see nothing outside today that would be inspirational.  Inside, well, I have been very busy with kids and Passover/spring cleaning preparations.  Knitting opportunities have been limited.  With the springtime muck outside, it does feel like two steps forward, one step back.  Or in more specific terms, I clean up the muddy paw prints from the hallway, and then someone goes outside (kid or dog) and I have to do it all over again!

One thing that has helped?  OK, this is a little strange, but I'm just going with it.  A very small, portable vacuum.  I think ours looks most like the photo here, but here's a cheaper option, if you're shopping.  I believe ours is a Bissell. (Note, ours is a different color, but I am really not sure that matters in terms of function!) We have always had an old style, heavy duty Hoover which really works...but it is heavy and big.  This little stick vacuum doesn't clean up everything, but it sure has helped with the endless dog fluff and kid detritus that seems to accumulate.  Best yet, it is very lightweight and one of my twins likes to use it.

In the middle of this, we have quietly celebrated Sadie the dog's one year anniversary with us.  She has added such joy into our lives...along with a lot of muddy paws!

I'm not into cleaning as a rule, but it does has to be done to stay healthy and I feel calmer when things are not totally chaotic.  I'm making slow inroads into cleaning up at home, but the emphasis is on slow since I am fitting it around taking care of kids, dogs, and my work life.  I think the key is to get buy in from everyone in the family to help. (...and when the Professor is away for a work trip right before a holiday, it means everyone else needs to help.)  As soon as I figure out how to get the dogs to help out more, I'll be sure to let you know!

You are here.

Here's my latest opinion piece on the CBC-Manitoba website:

7 parenting strategies to help you skate through the end of winter

Although my boys are now definitely older than this stock photo, this is how several of us felt this past week!  We have been taking turns with having a bad stomach bug (rotavirus) that is going around.  I keep hoping we are done with it, but as one of my twins said yesterday (and his face looked green), his tummy felt all 'wiggle waggly.'  So far, both adults in our household have had it the worst.  I wouldn't wish this on anyone!

This morning, while walking dogs and dodging ice and puddles, I heard honking and saw long lines of Canada geese flying north in formation.  It's getting warmer outside...and that is a very good thing.    Take care!

Perfect

Here is an amazing follow-up blog post by Hugh Stephens that emphasizes the serious difficulties in copyright issues in knitting and crochet patterns and writing.  Thank you, Hugh!

We've been in the middle of Passover, which is a big deal holiday, lots of family, lots of different foods.  Some years, I cook it all myself.  This year has been so different from last year.  No big medical issues (thank goodness) and some actual breaks for me, which has been great.  The twins have just completed their first big overnight (without parents!) with their grandparents.  HUGE!  What did I do?

I sat outside (hint, I may not be on my Winnipeg back porch...) and drank a little wine, did some knitting, and listened to an audio book.

I looked at the trees.  I heard birds sing.  I sat still for over an hour.  Whoa.

The weather was warm.  Here's another look up at the trees.

So warm, in fact, that my new AllBirds wool runners  (sneakers) felt a bit too warm, but were very comfortable on a long walk, right out of the box.  (These are some new, eco-friendly sneakers that I had to try.  So far only available in the US and NZ, but I got US connections, that's all I can say, here's hoping they become an enormous international hit so I can order my next pair from home in Canada.... :)  Here's another review of the runners...  and they look cool.  I would wish for some more colors, maybe a brown pair, or maybe something a little less bright, (they are very aqua green in person) but otherwise, they are super.

The last bit of this post is about a pep talk my brother gave my kids.  He suggested that if they were absolutely PERFECT on their way to bed after the Saturday night seder, he would reward them with a dessert of their choice next Saturday night, after Passover.  The boys' preliminary choices are: a chocolate cookie, and blueberry pie. (I have never made or served them blueberry pie, so that is an exciting option, apparently!)

Well, the truth is that they took that pep talk very seriously.  I have been so impressed with both little guys, and they were active and smart participants at the seders, too.  It was all sort of amazing.  So, we're aiming for a perfect (or almost-perfect) vacation week (no school, either), cause you know, we want those special desserts.  My homemade pies --apple, peach, key lime, whatever.  Not as good as their imagination, cause their uncle is a great cook, and he is exotic and different than Mommy, too!

For me, a long walk, a bit of sunshine on the back porch, some knitting and some wine?  By myself?  Nothing could be better.

Woolly wash!

 It's suddenly spring-ish, and time to wash our woollies.  I always try to do a wash of our mitts, hats, etc. before tucking them away for the summer.  I love the moment where all of this hard work, these handknits and handspun garments, are clean and dancing in the warm breeze.  A good once-a-year image!

Moths are attracted to dirty wool, so our wool should get cleaned now and then. :)

Here's a close up of two different pairs of Due North Mittens.

These are variations on The Hole Inside Mitts.  The one on the right is all handspun, hand-dyed purple and natural brown finnsheep wool.

Here are the special order handspun mitts  (placed last fall by a twin with a fondness for a special flock of sheep!) with a stripe from Margaret's Shetland gray wool.  These show hardly any wear, but sadly, will likely no longer fit the twin in question in the fall.

What else was on the line?  Handknits/handwovens by Didi (the twins' grandma), Slippy the cowl and some gorgeous green wool scarves from Ireland, used for wrapping up preschoolers' faces when it is -40 out.

Also this week, another new column of mine came out:
Young people are interested in social justice...let's engage them

(Again, definitely not my title.)  The way this is framed, it sounds as though community elders must condescend to younger folks to get them involved.  On the contrary, I believe Gen X, Y and Millennials are already reaching out to make change...their elders need to acknowledge it and make space for them in established institutions.  If you want to meet someplace, why not your place of worship?  If you make it too hard to gain entry into your building, we'll just meet at Starbucks (or wherever) instead...

Suddenly I'm humming..

People get ready, there's a train a-coming...You don't need no baggage, 

You just get on board

3 cheers for spring!

A week ago, we had a lovely day--warm enough to wash and hang out almost all our winter woollies...or at least all the (mostly handmade) mitts, scarves, and hats that the twins and I had piled up.  The weather has been unpredictable...everything was in use just a few weeks ago.  In fact, it sometimes flurries in May, and our kitchen sink is still dripping, as the ground is still frozen 8 feet down.  While it is warm on top of the soil, there are still reports of properties whose pipes are frozen.  (522 properties without water, last I heard)

All of Winnipeg is rushing around in practically no clothing to enjoy the short season of warmth...and I have finally gotten to wear short sleeves. :)

Here's a series of shots of the warm day, the clothes on the line, and the bits of green as we begin spring.  It's all a celebration for me as I used to wash wool and sweater type things every spring, before twins.  Clean woollies, packed in airy, sunny places and rotated frequently, are best for avoiding moth damage, as per the advice of my Professor husband, who does actually study butterflies and moths for a living...

Right after the twins were born, I tried using the clothes line, but it was too hard.  I had not recovered sufficiently healthwise, and I could not manage carrying heavy things up and down stairs or outside.  I also could not bend and stretch too well, and it's all even harder to do while wearing a baby.  (or two) 

So, the clothesline has not been out in quite a while.  Of course, doing extra spring cleaning was also not on the agenda.

I am surprised by and enjoy small things these days.

The last bit of news was knitting related.  In April, I was surprised by wonderful online pattern sales on Ravelry.  I have no idea why.  I'd done no advertising and only one new pattern in the last several years.  The only different thing was posting those new pdfs from Knit Green and Fiber Gathering.

So, I seized upon the opportunity and decided to do a small notebook ad on Ravelry to see if good sales continued.  As May closes, I can conclude that it did absolutely NOTHING and I have sold almost no patterns in May! 

I am trying to embrace unpredictability.  It goes against my nature, but then, life with almost three year old twins is different from one moment to the next.  (Potty training, for instance, is a truly unpredictable enterprise--different with each kid and from day to day.)  Time to try to enjoy any small positive change...like the first cherry blossoms and flower bulbs blooming this spring.

Drip drip drip

If you're looking at our kitchen faucet and wondering what the green tape sign says, it says..."Please leave water dripping."  I bet for many people reading this, they are totally confused.  Why is a person who cares about environmental issues a little bit, one married to a biology professor, purposely leaving her water dripping?

We're on the risk of frozen pipes list.

In Winnipeg, it is still most definitely feeling like winter.  Yes, the sun is a bit brighter and spring is slowly moving northward. (we hope.)  The ground is still ice and snow covered, and boy, that snow is looking dirty! This morning when I walked the dogs, it was -6F.  Right now, it is -15C, or 5F, with bright sunny skies.

This winter is the coldest Winnipeg has seen in 35 years, and the frost line-that is how deep the frost goes beneath the soil- is at around 8 feet.  (2.5 meters or so)  You might guess, if you were thinking about plumbing, that there are water mains at that depth, and you'd be right.  Water mains are breaking in Winnipeg, and a whole lot of houses in our city do not have water.

Our next door neighbor's pipes are frozen, and she has water because her water line was connected with the neighbor on the other side of her house.  We live on the corner, and our one neighbor has no water and is connected to the other neighbor.  We hope our pipes don't freeze.

In our favor, we have twin two year olds and use a lot of water so it is still flowing!  We run the dishwasher and washing machine every day (potty training, but still using our share of cloth diapers...!) and that has helped.  Then in mid-March, we heard our neighbor had lost water and we started the trickle at the kitchen sink, 24 hours a day.  The city put us on the at-risk list and may compensate us for some of the water loss...but it is a necessary cost, no matter who bears it.  We so don't want to lose water!

If I think about it (and I try not to), this situation begins to sound like one of those bad comedies where things have to be funny so you don't cry--there are businesses and homes here who have been without water for weeks.  The professor talks about our "coy pond" and makes jokes about streams, water falls, and fountains.  In between my sleep deprivation (the boys have had a cold and they just don't sleep through the night) and the dripping water and a sinus headache or two, I think maybe I am feeling a little like I know how people in horrible war time work camp environments might feel.  (just kidding, definitely a first world comment)   I am even more upset now that so many people in the world do not have easy access to clean water...just the threat of it is scary to us.

We collect the water in the pitcher and try to water plants, fill the dog bowl, our water glasses, etc. with it, but we're using a lot of water.  Luckily, we are blessed with a lot of water here in Canada.  Drip drip drip.  Can you hear it running over there at your house?

I so can't wait for spring.  Please drop me a note or leave a comment or something if you can see flowers or the ground or even a melting pattern where you live!

Things to celebrate

1. I've made it to 37 weeks of pregnancy--full term with twins! Now I am just waiting for them to decide to arrive naturally, which I don't mind doing at all. I figure the discomforts I know are easier than the unknown ones to come... The good news is that when they arrive, they should hopefully be fully developed. The bad news is that the doctor can't imagine why anyone would willingly hang around waiting, and wants me to be induced. I'm holding out for now. The pressure to have a medicalized birth when carrying twins seems to be pretty big. That's ok though, I'm pretty big now too--I'm carrying around roughly 50 lbs of twins here. I'm hoping I can take it.

2. I've finally finished the red sweater! I started this back in September and described all my yarn choices there. This is one of those "Joanne designs" that will be unlikely to be repeated. I wrote down all my choices, but this sweater took a long long time to do. The mohair boucle on the bottom raced by, but the dk weight yarns for the upper body and the arms took long time due to my swollen hands. Even sewing in the sleeves took me way too long. I designed it to be flattering with a big belly...but I think I misjudged how big a belly I would produce. For now, I think it looks great on this very skinny clothes hanger!

The pin is a special thing on its own. It was a gift from my nephew Nate's mom. She worried it would be a bit too gaudy for me--I tend to wear plain things--but I've been eyeing it for months because I thought it would work perfectly for this kind of sweater. Here is a link to the artist who makes these. They are truly masterpieces of felt. Very quirky and interesting things...

3. We had a lovely visit earlier this week with the professor's brother and sister-in-law. They came to Winnipeg and soaked up our sunny spring weather and we enjoyed their company enormously. They went to see things with the professor, saw Assiniboine Park and enjoyed lots of good food and gelato. They were also very patient with me when I disappeared to take naps all the time. It's hard working shlepping around twins and I need lots of rests.

4. It's "May Long" this weekend-a three day weekend! The professor says things have emptied out at the university and overall, it is relatively quiet in town. I am hoping that means we'll have a lot of good quality time this weekend to rest and enjoy each others' company. Either that, or it means we'll be hanging out at the hospital. Just have to see what happens...

That's the news from here.

Springing along

The Nanking cherry blossoms in our yard are making a gorgeous display here! Here's a close up that the professor took. Everything is "greening up" nicely and we are having some gorgeous sunny weather after a week of clouds and rain.

Normally a little spring rain is "good for the flowers" but we have very serious flooding in our province right now. This happened because of a combination of factors--a lot of precipitation in the fall and winter, for one thing. However, so far, here in Winnipeg, we have very high water in both rivers but are doing fine with the help of some sandbags here in there. In other parts of the province, folks aren't so lucky. (over 3,000 people evacuated so far)

I mention this because some of those close to us read our local news on occasion and it does sound like Armageddon if you read or listen to the news. To reassure you, we are pretty darn sure we can still cross the bridges necessary to get to a hospital in time. :)

I am now at 36.5 weeks pregnant and doing a lot of resting. The doctor has indicated that it could be "any time now" and that most women with twins who give birth to healthy babies at this point do not have to worry about prematurity issues too much...usually they can go home from the hospital with the babies at the same time. That is good news!

However, the fetuses inside me seem perfectly comfortable (I am not!) so I am being patient for now.

The other big news of the week is that for now, our big fix-it projects in the house seem to be complete. The professor put on a last coat of paint on a wall on the 3rd floor last weekend--and we think that is the end of the ice dam/roofing/insulation mess that started in January. (Finally complete!)

The other big fix-it was our front door lock. You see, one of the charming parts of having old house is that sometimes, everything in it is, well, OLD. Our front door lock was roughly as old as our house. Just shy of 100 years old. Last year, we had a problem where the temperature shifted abruptly from very cold temperatures to warmer ones--and the lock wouldn't work. We found the locksmith in town who could help. They came out, reconditioned our old lock, and put it back together for us. It worked again.

The fix came with a warning...this lock lasted a good long time. Don't expect it to last forever.

This winter, we had the same problem and the professor suggested I just wait for spring and it would work again...who needs two exits from a house? (Uhh, our house is wood...in case of fire? I do.) The difference? I was now pregnant with twins and trying to imagine getting out of this house with my lumbering pace, only one dependably working door lock and two dogs in a dangerous situation worried me.

We again called the locksmith. This time, they did a temporary fix and recommended getting a replacement lock. We ordered one from the USA and discovered when it arrived that every measurement would fit in our (original) door but one crucial measurement. Since replacing the door as well didn't sound good, we decided to return the lock.

Guess what got damaged in the post? $400 plus dollars later, we're waiting for that claim to be settled. In the meanwhile, the locksmith helped us find a perfect solution, and the new (but old looking) lock was installed on Friday. It looks beautiful. This is the photo of the new lock so you can see it too!

Should I mention that everyone has admired the old lock? It had been repaired at one point and it was a beautiful welding job. It was worn, but it served us very well. It has been hard to part with that old lock.

How long did that repair project take? Well, I think I last wrote about it in March...about two months total, perhaps.

We're hoping that in the next few weeks, the only thing likely to shift, change, fall apart or re-structure itself might be me! We'll keep you updated on the baby front as best we can.

Thanks for all the lovely emails and check-ins--I'm mostly resting (and eating) these days. We'll tell you when something changes!

Next year?

I don't want to leave any readers hanging--so a short update is in order. I am fine, I'm still pregnant at 35 weeks, and I'm trying to wait patiently with my feet up. I don't go out much these days and I'm doing a lot of reading and resting. Harry and Sally are the best dogs ever. One or both of them are almost always by my side.. possibly the best companions ever in the circumstances!

I'm a bit sad to be missing festivals this year but my mom went to Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival and gave me a brief report. Wonderful weather, a good time, my friends say hello...but it's not quite the same as going myself! (Honestly though, I couldn't stand up for more than about 10 minutes at a time, so there's no way I'd manage it, never mind all the traveling!) That said, it is hard to smell the sheep barns over the phone. :)

Locally, the professor went to a plant sale and got herbs, flowers and other delights for the summer. He planted them, and the rain is now hopefully going to make them grow big. When I'm up for walking around the yard later on, I'll get to enjoy his efforts. Our forsythia is blooming and everything is beginning to look green around here. I am finding the prospect of spring exciting!

That's the news from here. I kept hoping I'd feel up to snapping photos for the blog, but in any case, haven't seen any sheep at all in downtown Winnipeg! Perhaps you'll just have to refer to past years...look for the beginning of May and you're likely to see sheep in those posts. In any case, I am now much more empathetic when it comes to those ewes who always bear twins, triplets, or quads.

(Oy. I think I know how you feel!)

hot, hot, NOT!

Like a game of duck, duck, goose, the weather has been playing with us. Last week was warm (70F/20C) and sunny. On Saturday it rained a lot, which didn't help our enormously flooded rivers. Then, overnight the temperature dropped way, way down and it turned to snow.

The professor knows that I am missing some of our regular household routine. My world has gotten increasingly small. I am now 34 weeks pregnant and have to spend a lot of time in bed with my feet up. (I've got a lot of swelling going on, as well as a variety of other symptoms--it isn't so fun just now.) Anyhow, I usually wake up earlier on the weekends to feed the dogs so my lovely spouse can sleep. Since I'm not so able-bodied, the professor is doing this too.

Here is a photo he caught of Sally the dog, rushing into the house for breakfast. I love how it is all ears and tail and long pointer/hound legs in a blur. This is definitely Sally's morning attitude!

In order to prove to the world that indeed, all the snow had melted and we did have sunny days last week, the professor includes this photo of the new condo construction across the street. We are baffled as to why they changed the design and construction plans to make a frowning face that is pointed directly across from our house. When the professor sits at the dining room table, he looks out the window at this building and spends time debating what would make the face more cheerful. I'm wondering if we need really thick curtains or something so he'll stop worrying about this!

After breakfast, the dogs go on their walk. I have not gotten to take a solitary dog walk since January, and I really miss it. The professor brought his camera along to show me how much everyone still enjoys their walk. You can see the amazing skeletal canopy of our elm trees, which line the streets. Even in winter/spring/late fall, their size and natural architecture is impressive. Although Winnipeg has to actively fight against Dutch Elm Disease and a percentage of the trees die each year, it is one of the few cities in North America that still has its elm trees left. This is one advantage of our very cold climate. I love the majesty of these trees!

Sorry for the brevity of this post--wanted to tell you that I am still alive over here and that there are no babies on the scene as of yet. I'm just waiting patiently and now having a doctor's appointment and an ultrasound every week....along with a lot of unpleasant "twin pregnancy" symptoms that I'd prefer to live without.

Patience is a virtue, right?

spring in Manitoba

On the weekends, I try to let the professor sleep in a little bit. I often get up earlier than he does to let out the dogs. This is what greeted me last weekend at 7 or so in the morning--a nice sloppy spring snowscape. All of the accumulated winter snow had melted off previously, so this was just a fluke spring storm.

We could enjoy it because, well, we have a new roof and knew it would melt quickly! Yes, I still like snow. I like snow even AFTER living in Buffalo, which gets about 250 cm (about 100 inches) average a year! You can see in the picture that includes the streets that it wasn't too cold--the snow melted right off the streets but accumulated on the grassy areas.

Last night was the start of Passover. Traditionally, I wouldn't be posting right now--it's a holiday--but I wanted to share our technological solution to the Passover Seder. The professor and I had never had a seder for just the two of us...it's meant to be a big event for family and friends. We've always traveled to be with family or had a full table of friends and family at our house. Just the idea of a two person seder got me sort of down. It was the most practical solution, of course, as I couldn't have managed to travel or cook a meal for a lot of people, but I still felt sad.

However, my dad's idea came to the rescue--we decided to use skype for our seder. Here is our modest set up for two at the dining room table. On the far left of the picture, you can see the computer...we skyped with my family in Virginia so we could all "be together" for the holiday. It's a non-traditional thing to do--the seder is not really a time for phones or the internet--but in this case, it allowed us all to be together. It was pretty special. Other things to note about our table this year:

1) The professor drank some of his homemade wine--hence the bottle with the weird blue label.
2) I got to eat Egg Matzah because I'm pregnant. (I like it and think it tastes better but usually stick to regular matzah on Passover because egg matzah is considered to be for the "infirm." I qualify this year!)
3) We used the matzah cover my grandmother embroidered for me--she finished it when I graduated from college. She was at my parents' seder and I was pleased as punch that she is still around to share a seder with me 16 years later!
4) We finished our seder very early, so I was off to sleep early as well...note it is still light outside in Winnipeg if you can see the window beyond the table.

All in all, a great solution for a challenging confluence of holidays, health, etc. Tonight, we're going to a friend's house for an informal second seder-I'm hoping I'll be able to stay awake!

Other random notes about spring time and your comments:
-Today, the professor reports he saw his first crocuses while walking the dogs. I thought he was joking but he said no, they were actually growing outside. Spring does eventually come to Winnipeg. Really.

-I'm still enjoying E.B. White's essays and am so pleased to pass along the recommendation to Alison and to discuss an oldie but goodie with Deb!

-Are the fix-its in my house finished? (Uhh, no. We live in an old house. They will never be finished.) There is someone coming this week to finish the painting on the third floor. After that, we will likely take a break on house repairs if nothing further goes wrong. There's still plenty to fix, but the chaos can be unsettling, and now is maybe not the time for further fixes. We're running out of money and patience for now!

may-be it's spring

Whenever people talk about where we live (Canada, the prairies, or Winnipeg) they seem to act like we exist in a continual snowy steppe, a blur in blizzard. Here are some photos to say it ain't so.

This is one of our lilacs. Our yard is really overgrown, but when we arrived last July, we decided to wait the better part of the year before doing too much hacking and killing of the weedy bits. After all, we needed to figure out where the actual plants were. What we've found are some gargantuan lilacs, among other things. We've begun to discuss the hacking plans....and I've started dismantling the "crop circles."

Apparently a former owner of the house liked making little circles on the ground with stones or bricks-with no apparent order or design. Some of them surround trees or what used to be plantings. Whatever they are, they make mowing and walking across the yard a scary thing for toes...unless you look down, you're likely to hurt yourself! Each time I move some of these things, I feel as though I'm regaining more of a garden and less of a weird new-age spiritual ritual that I haven't quite grasped.

The professor and I bought some plants last weekend but were in no shape to put them in the ground. It was also a bit too cold to get started. This weekend, I spent several hours in the dirt, planting flowers, herbs, a tomato plant or two and other odds and ends. Mostly I put these in pots and containers, but I did a bit of digging and weeding in the ground, too.

Our ornamental crab apple tree is flowering--wow, it's a thing of beauty. I find it even more exciting because the apple tree grafts are taking. The professor and a friend/colleague decided to splice on some apple grafts in hopes that we'll grow a few apples in 3 years. We're planning ahead.

My third warp of curtains and rugs have finally come off the loom. I washed the curtain length of fabric. All the supplies for this were "reclaimed" so I wasn't entirely sure of the kind of fibers I was using. I discovered that even though the warp is cotton, and there's nylon tape in it, the wool sections were definitely wool and it felted. I still like how it came out but now have to rethink how I will cut it up to make curtains. It is distinctly smaller than it used to be--pre-felting.

When I finally took everything off the loom though, I remembered why it took me 2.5 months to finish it all. 5 rugs and several yards of fabric--it was a lot more work than I'd expected. The fourth warp (already in process) is for 2 or 3 scarves. Much easier to complete!

I'm also beginning to plan ahead for our busy summer. I've got some potential teaching lined up, some editing, and of course, lots of spinning, knitting and weaving in the sunshine. Also, we're expecting a lot of visitors. This week I am trying the "bake ahead" method. I'll make a whole bunch of stuff and put it in the freezer for later in the summer. This is the first loaf of whole wheat-the second loaf I made is going to a party at someone's house this evening. White bread, challah, cookies, cake....freezer, here we come!

(Also, the professor and I are getting better from the killer cold but it's been very slow.)
That's the news from here... What's going on over in your house and May garden?