I've been over before how I go in and out of cycles of crafting, well I'm back on the spin cycle. You know it's getting a little warm so of course I have to do something all out of season. Or maybe the real reason is that the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival is coming up and I really want to go with Tracy again. But I can NOT justify that until I use up some of the fiber I've been hoarding. Oh and I might have signed up for Hello Yarn's fiber club (Adrian is so talented and they are so yummy I could not resist). So ya I'm spinning. In the summer. And trying to keep my hands from sweating. So yesterday I finished spinning some stuff that has been on the wheel since Christmas (!), and plied and soaked it:
Today it was try and I can't wait to knit it up, I'm thinking a cap.
But first I am going to spin up my souvenir from Alaska:
I wanted to get some thing to take home that wasn't like a traditional gift or whatever. So I got this at this super cute little yarn shop called Knitting Grounds (hello Zaynab is you're reading this). These bats were only six dollars each, what a steal! I also finally got some Zimmerman books there. OH I might have to make a baby surprise jacket with this!!! I've already started:
Now this is what I call a lovely relaxing birthday!
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Then and Now
By the time I finish posting this it will be my birthday, and I will be 27 years old. To give you an example of how much I've changed here I am 20 years ago:
Awe. And 10 years ago:
Some where in between there I had to work on an "about me" project for my eighth grade English class. Here was my finished project.
I really liked to go above and beyond on these types of projects and made a replica of my much loved back pack as the covers of the book. I opened up the zippered pocket today and it was complete with mini Hello Kitty pens and pencils. Anyway we had to choose from a list of projects and put them together in this book. I have a sampling for you. Here is how I described myself:
I love the people person graphic, check out the necks on those guys! So that's what I thought of myself. And a lot of those still hold true for me. I wonder how I would change it now I'm a Garrison. Hmm, it's hard to think of things like this. I guess that's why I added a 'most of the time' and 'kind of'! Here's another project, a joint time line. Things that have happened/and made up future stuff:
Can you read that? Basically I'm a super star actress/archaeologist/philanthropist/contractor who has 10 kids in the span of 5 years (scared Bj?). Oh ya and I win lots of Oscars and travel the world in a balloon. And my kids are geniuses who star in movie with me. Right... because that's a totally feasible future. I do like that I gave myself eight years to finish college, and until 2009 to get married, I have both those beat!
So life. I've been thinking about getting older, not really because of this birthday, more because of hanging out with grandpa so much I think. It's hard to talk to him sometimes, so set in his ways. His mind made up about things that make no sense to me. Like telling me my house is old (1940s) and there for worthless to invest in. Saying that things aren't worth anything any more, that everyone wants to take advantage of everyone. When it boils down to it grandpa is frail and weak. He's 87 years old and only has his grandson and me for company. I'm happy to know him, and I'm sure my life is more affected by this fact than I may even know. But it's sad, so so sad to me that his life is what it is now. I've never been good around the elderly and I don't want to fear growing old. I want to embrace my life one day at a time. I want to look back on fond memories but leave them there and move on. I want each day to be better and I really think it can be. I want to surround myself with family and friends, and things that I love just like I did when I was little.
There are many things I know now that I could tell my 13 year old self to make it easier for her to get where I am. But I never would because I wouldn't be me. Even the things I wish I could have changed I don't call real regrets. My grandmother had a birthday party days before she died and I didn't go. I can't remember why now, her mind was gone and I had other things to do I guess. It's sad that I didn't go but I don't regret it, because I will never say no to another opportunity like that with out thinking about all the consequences.
I'm so glad my parents had a stressful thanksgiving vacation almost 28 years ago and made me. I love being alive. I love my husband, my family, my friends. I'm crying right now, but I'm not sad. I just don't understand how I got it so good. And I don't know how I am going to pay karma back and do enough good things so I grow old to be surrounded by lots of love and not all alone. I suppose I'll spend the rest of my life trying to figure that out.
Lets talk nasty motels for a minuet
Bj and I did not plan for this trip. Not really. Two weeks ago in Vegas I pulled out the big map that came with the guidebook and said, "okay so we'll take this road, than the Alaska Highway, then a little cut-off and we'll be there." And since we had no idea how long any of that would take, me being the notorious, "That was a cool sign, are you sure you don't want to turn around and take a picture?" Bj, "I don't want to, do you?" Me, "No.... that's okay" (my voice trails off a little at the end there). And then Bj has to turn around so we can get the sign.
Or read the historical plaque, or what ever the thing was that my mind can't get down to my mouth fast enough to say "stop" in time. So this puts us at a disadvantage of precisely timing where we are going to be when, and that's not all that fun to travel like that anyway, so we didn't make any reservations. Now I would like to point out that the milepost did tell us to make reservations, but we didn't listen. It also said stuff about water and gas, but I figured we could melt the ice, and we never needed the extra gas. Listen to the milepost, if you do this trip with out it, I'm sorry to say, but you're an idiot. So the first night, the night we were going to make it all the way across the boarder only we didn't we ended up staying here:
Which I knew would be alright even though it totally was NOT a Scottish Lodge, and a bit on the dodgy side. Why did I know? They had a flower garden in the front where some clever person had tucked in tomato plants, and I'm pretty sure you can't be murdered in your bed in a motel where there are tomato plants being lovingly cared for. But I'm pretty sure you CAN be murdered in your sleep when your room has a blood stain on the floor, a bathroom type door as your outside door (read: no real lock), and soap this big:
WHAT IS THAT? I was laughing my ass off at this soap. What do they repackage the slivers of other hotel soap? They must. So let me back up here. The whole day we were driving towards Dawson Creek (NOT Dawson's Creek FYI) and we didn't know how far we were going to get and I started to be concerned about our hotel options. But we couldn't use our iPhones for fear of the 79 cents a minuet special Canadian rate (now looking back this does not seem like all that much). So I say, "maybe we should stop somewhere and use a pay phone to reserve a place." And Bj is a bit indifferent, so we don't. So we get to Prince George and the place I had just randomly picked from the guide was a nasty dive right (and I mean RIGHT) next to a fire station. Loud much? So we drove around, and around, and around. There was a swim meet and by the time we got back around to the "downtown motel" it too was full. So we had to head outside of town. When we pulled up a drunken man opened his door with a huge beer can in his hand ahhhh, run!!!!!! But we couldn't, it was late, and the more north we got the further in between things got too. So we stayed there. And I was thanking every ounce of common sense I have that I brought my own blankets.
I called my mom to check in, quickly saying, "We're in Prince George, Bj didn't want to make reservations, we're probably going to get killed in our sleep at this dive," and hanging up. I'm sure that was really comforting to her. At least the soap and the towels lightened the mood. Oh the towels, you want to hear about that? So there were no towels in the bathroom, Bj went to get some, and the woman said she was sorry she forgot, and would bring some. She showed up with a stack of towels, looked Bj up and down and said, "you're tall I bring extra." (Side note this lady was seriously way too sweet to be at this place - it's only redeeming quality). The next morning after I showered I started chuckling, the towels didn't even fit around me! Slightly bigger than a hand towel, but not by much.
Needless to say, we made reservations for the rest of the trip the next day.
Crafty Little Sister
So every Tuesday during the school year I picked Emilie up from school and we had a good old time watching Veronica Mars and being crafty. This summer we thought we would continue with Tuesday, only she's been coming over to help me with some Ribbon Jar work. But we still manage to find time to be crafty. Yesterday we resurrected an old favorite easy craft project of mine: tacks! Here's Emilie's mess:
Not really mess but crafty in progress, I just have her pack it up like this between Tuesdays. And my fun tacks:
The key to this project is the cheapest, most flat topped brass tacks you can find and E600. Smelly, but perfectly clear and strong.
Oh and I loved all the comments on the laundry. He did go back and fold them after I posted that, and it was funny to watch him pick up one of my skirts, "you're clothes are so small!" He doesn't know it but that made my day!
Helpful? Doubtful.
So... I'm upstairs cooking in the kitchen (with my vintage apron on - how 1950s housewife of me) and my dear husband decides to help me out. I hear the dryer going, and four hours ago before I went to the grocery store and the bank I told him he could switch the laundry, none of my shrinkable things were in the washing machine. So like I said I heard the dryer. I went down to put another load in (the laundry is my job after all - we divide and conquer the housework). And this is what I see.
Please note the nice folded clothes in the basket. Those were sitting right under the dryer. I thought that clearly meant: "fold me and put me in the basket just like this" But he had other ideas. I would be pissed if I wasn't laughing so hard. Boys, sigh.
We're home
Okay so I guess the guest blogging thing didn't really work out. It turns out Sciarrino moved while we were away. In addition to taking care of our place and helping with Ribbon Jar and all of that she was painting, and cleaning and painting some more. I'll bring you updates to that soon, but first a little glimpse of our time up north. I've only gone through some of the pictures and I can already tell you they are going to need their own photo album. My whole desktop is full of versions exported from aperture ready to post on the blog. Here are a few of my favorites (so far!).
I was rocking these Uggs the whole trip. Best early birthday present ever, thanks mom!
We did this a lot, since there could be long spaces between cars (like 10 plus minuets). 
I was obsessed with the cuteness of these trees. I don't know if they are actual noble firs, but they look like them, and those are always what I get for Christmas trees. It was like Christmas tree land everywhere! And yes there are Christmas trees everywhere in Oregon, but these are all random and just right on the side of the road.
My husband likes to pose. With anything, anywhere. Hehehehe.
A most excellent picture Bj took of me. Check out that reflection. That is because the water was just beautifully clear. 
We kept calling this glacier run off water "Sciarrino's water" because of that excellent turquoise color that she loves. Sorry we couldn't bottle you up some Sciarrino!
And finally (taken with the iPhone)... What the heck Canadians, that's not a Shirley Temple!!! I was a bit perplexed by this concoction brought out when I asked for one, it's like water, orange juice, and grenadine. Hmm... Is this normal Canadian behavior?
We loved our trip, more stories to come, and many more pictures, that only touched on the first few days. Good to be home, missed you all!
And she's gone.
The new owners came and got her this morning. I'm sad, but as Bj keeps telling me, I AM getting a new car soonish. So have fun with your adventures in Alaska dear car. I'll miss you.
He Did It!
And don't worry he didn't use that knife! I have been begging Bj to shave his head for YEARS, just to try it, but he never would. If not right before a road trip in the summer, than when right? So he went and had it done today. He called me after to tell me he looks ridiculous, but I think it's cute. We'll see how he feels after a few days. Yeah!
Life in Color (photo)
Copyright
- All photos and words are Amber Lee Garrison © 2005-2010. Please do not use with out permission.
Contact me for use: amberlee.garrison@gmail.com.