Random: Overhaul, Felt, Jam

So it took me almost two weeks to write about our trip.  But it's not like I had anything to do over those two weeks other than sit around and write.

I got to attend a dye workshop last week.  That's right--just attend.  As I was leaving, Bob said "what is it that you're teaching today?"  I told him I wasn't teaching.  So he assumed I was assisting.  Not that, either.  Not setting up, taking down, or organizing.  Just attending.  It was supposed to be as part of the monthly meeting for the local weaver's guild (which I recently rejoined.  I join about once every five years).  But only two of us showed up, plus the person running it.  So I got to do my personal dye sample run on some small skeins of cotton--I'll probably weave them up on my new little loom (and take pictures them).  But the person running it--Michelle--is a friend that I don't get to see very often, so after we cleaned up we went to a local pub (smaller, quieter, and friendlier than a bar) to have a beer and hang out for a bit.  I had a beer float--which sounds godawful, but made with a good stout is actually quite tasty.

Meanwhile, back at the house, Bob has been working on a major project.  28 years ago he got a desk out of surplus for his office.  He's changed jobs and offices several times since then, and his desk has followed.  But he recently lost his office for a desk in the bull pen (group office), and he decided to keep his desk for a worktable.  It's bigger and better than his current work table.

As the saying goes:  It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time.

He's had the current workarea set up for some 20 years, and in that time has managed to effectively fill every square inch of space.  In order to take the old desk out, it would all have to come out.  So it did--and one corner of his room managed to fill up quite a bit of the living room.

 Now he's faced with the rather daunting task of getting it all back in there.  It's a slow process--as this is a good time to sort, organize, and toss a lot of stuff.  But we think it all fluffed up, and who knows where it will eventually fit.

Last March I wrote about showing a couple of friends how to make felt scarves.  I was invited to teach a class on it at the local knit shop, and did that yesterday.  I had four students--two were exuberant and unrestrained, and two laid their wool out very neatly and carefully.  All four had fun (which was, of course, the important part) and had one-of-a-kind scarves to take home.

 

 In the early spring I posted pictures of our plum trees in bloom.  Bob has been trying to beat the squirrels to the plums.  He's had a fair measure of success--so today we made a couple of batches (10 jars) of plum jelly.  Before we started, I made up a batch of bread so when we were finished we had fresh bread coming out of the oven.  Bread and jelly--just about as basic a treat as it gets--but some people go their whole lives without ever tasting homemade jelly and fresh baked bread.  And that's just too bad.  Of course--after eating a whole loaf of bread we might not bother with dinner tonight.