Settled! And possibly back for good...

Wow. Where does the time go? Hard to believe I started this blog in 2008! Life has seriously gotten in the way, but it is entirely possible that we have a handle on things now. Oh, how I've missed you!

Quick update:  We bought our home August 31, 2012. We spent our last rental year in the inner city of Schenectady, NY. It was beyond miserable, and I'm not quite sure how we managed to get through it. I've never been so homesick in my life. But now we're in our sweet little white and green foursquare on a quarter acre in a tiny town on the Hudson River. Back to the mountains and homegrown crunchy hippie land. WE ARE HOME!  Insert big smiles here.

The Tall Guy continues his battle against chronic Lyme disease and related co-infections. He's been on antibiotics almost non-stop, and had a PICC line in 2011/2012. Like I said a hundred weeks ago, I won't go into his illness in great detail here. It has eaten our lives and I want this blog to be a safe place where I don't have to think about it. That said, if you are struggling with vector-borne disease, or want any information, please feel free to message me. I would be more than happy to help you locate resources. And my heart is with you.

I have a grandson! We call him Mander, and he may just be the most perfect child in the history of humanity. Grandmotherhood has completed me in ways that single-motherhood often fell short. Love him this much.

Oh, and one more big piece of news: I quit my day job! Yes I did. I opened my own business. Actually a few different lines of business. I have a jewelry/craft thing that soothes my spirit, a home-inspection gig suits my need to ramble, and a construction-consultancy that actually pays the bills.

We continue to take baby steps on our path to off-grid self sustainability. Gardening was impossible this year, we're working on getting the house together, and it's a challenge with The Tall Guy's health. But we are fortunate to live in an area loaded to the ears with local farms, markets and CSAs. More pickles this year!

So now you're all caught up :)  I have pics of a recent knitting machine rehab that I want to post, since info is scarce for my particular model (Singer LK-100). I'll also put up some pics of my jewelry and crafts. I promise to stop by more often with tutorials, tips and tricks for living simply in a complex world. Blessed be, my friends.

Happy Birthday, Mom

November is always an introspective time for me. The Girl Child's birthday is one day before my mother's, both are less than a week before my stillborn son Max's birthday. It's a month when I am very aware of the seasons passing, the holidays are coming, the new year is approaching. I remember where I was when my daughter was born, and the million miles I've traveled to here and now. In the last few years I've become conscious of my mother's age (she's 75 today). It scares me a little sometimes. Not much and not often, because my mother is the youngest 75 you could ever imagine. Just listening to her list what she's accomplished in a day makes me feel like a nap. I think of her being the same as when I was in high school - energetic, buoyant, immortal. But the truth is, she's getting older. I want to deny it, make it stop happening, I want her to be here with me when I'm 75.

I have so much love and respect for my mom. She is the anchor of our family, the legend-keeper, the heirloom-maker, she is the root that holds us in place during the storm. I have rarely seen her lose her temper, she is unflappable, strong and just the right amount of silly. She has a vampire fetish that I (and my children) have inherited. She creates amazing things out of beads and thread or glue and glass or fabric and imagination. I have her to thank for my craftiness, my curiosity and my love of words. She does crosswords and never leaves any blank spaces. She deosn't like to cook, and makes no excuses for it. I love that about her. She's good at the things that are important, like cookies & biscuits, giving & receiving, dancing & singing, holding hands & laughing. Happy Birthday, Mom, and many many dozens more to you. I love you always.

And by the way, Mom? Stop buying yourself stuff so I can give you something for your birthday!

Happy 4th to my sick hubby

It's official - The Tall Guy is one sick puppy. For those of you that know him, this is not a surprise. However, he has now been diagnosed with an actual physical illness, in addition to his sick sense of humor. He'll be okay, but I do need to take a little time from my other pursuits to support him as he convalesces. I will update as I have time (and hopefully have something interesting to say). Expect me to return regularly in a few weeks. We'll have garden pictures, tips for sun-drying fresh vegetables and recipes for various pickles - zucchini, beet and dilly beans. There isn't a lot of fiber work happening because it's HOT in the Catskills.

Happy 4th of July weekend, and please stay safe out there.