...and, I'm OUT.

...for a bit, at least.
This coming weekend is the Pluckyfluff Spin Camp, Vermont Edition at my house, in my humble li'l studio and I'm all in a tizzy getting things ready...food and folding chairs, fiber and fluff.

We are wilting today and for the next few days...I am filthy and sunburned, but the cinderella pumpkins are planted, the broccoli is excited and the cukes are emerging from their mounds. I just want to lay down in the garden and watch everything grow.

But there are things to do.
And not enough time to do them.

Such is life.

late.

It's the only time I have to get things done.
...like set up a very sophisticated drying system for the new cards I just had to print at 11:30pm.

It would be nice if I could find other, more sensible times to decide I just have to do things. Oh, well. 75 new cards printed and at least I feel somewhat accomplished this morning. There are more cards in the works and my list of fiber to-do is ridiculous. I will spare you.

In other news, I love seeing what happens when my yarns go off in the world to play. Check out this gorgeous shrug! Thanks for sharing, Angela!

In other other news, C made mounds for the cucumber seeds yesterday. The yellow swallowtails loved them:

Shortly after this picture was taken, the butterfly gathering grew to about twenty. I freaked them out, though, and they disbanded. For one perfect moment, there was a cloud of butterflies swirling above us. 'Twas lovely.

the weekend...

Where to begin.
I tend to believe there are reasons for everything.
Apparently, I didn't attend Art Star because I needed to have a glorious spat with my husband in the morning, right before taking off for market. Okay, it was more like...a fight. Like, we said hurtful things to each other in awful voices. And then stormed off in separate directions with our little boy all freaked out and confused. AWFUL. And about something totally unimportant (so it seems to me now).
We just don't do things like that. Ever.
I know we're abnormal, never having arguments or disagreements about anything, but it felt like the most terrible thing.
I set up for what was a bummer of a market day (forecasts for penny-sized hail and cloud-to-ground lightning kept people away, although it ended up not even starting to rain until the very end), and I waited anxiously for C and the Little Guy to show up.
When they did, we just held each other and I cried a bunch and suddenly we all felt amazing. It was very weird.
We are both bottlers.
I guess we've been fermenting and just needed to pop the cork and release some tension.
Our life has been so stressful this past year.
I also think it was good for the Little Guy to observe some conflict/resolution. It's so rare in this house.
We're all still riding that, feeling great, like a weight has been lifted.
So, I missed out on making some money/connections/whatever this weekend, but it seems obvious now that staying home was...somehow necessary.
I need to stop holding onto every little negative feeling and keeping it locked up inside me. It's like poison.
I wish C could farm full-time. I wish we didn't need the job that makes him feel like all the most interesting, creative parts of himself are dying, that makes him so tired he can't do the work he really wants to do.
Baby steps.
Goats.
Lettuces and mustard greens:

We'll make it through the other side of this, I know.

At least I made some pretty things:

I managed an update, although not as large as I'd planned...some yarns and a few scarves. I have several things that need some attention from my camera...new cards and some other little goodies. Next time.

I have completed a pdf version of the hat pattern I posted about a while back...I have absolutely no idea how to get it up on Ravelry or even onto my website. It's free, so if anyone wants me to send it via email, let me know. I'll play around and see if I can figure out how to make it more accessible.

C is home today, so we're going to complete our planting...most importantly, the bean seeds around the Little Guy's Bean Teepee:

Can I please be three now, and play in my sandbox in the cool shade of vining bean plants? Lucky duck.

Ta for now, and happy Monday y'all.

OMGoats!

They're heeeeeere!
I love them.
I knew I would love them.
But, I really love them.

Meet Alice:

She is on a lead, getting a tour of her new surroundings. She and her babe had not been exposed to much in the way of grazing, so they have been timid to leave the barn and enjoy the green-y goodness of Spring.
Baby Isobel:

Miss Isobel is very shy around us, but I know she will warm up as she watches her Mama. Alice is all about being noozled and pet, and she gives us lots of kisses. The Little Guy is a bit intimidated, as Alice is very curious about the small human. She just wants to sniff him all over and nibble the buttons off his clothes. They really do try to eat everything. Our neighbor gifted the Little Guy a tricycle, and Alice promptly ate the tassles off. Now we don't bring toys inside the goat fence.

Isobel is almost weaned...we may be able to milk Alice, but we're not sure. She's very comfortable with C already, so it could happen.
Did I mention I love them?
I think there must be nothing more adorable than a romping baby goat.

In other news:

( OMGarden! )

And because no post is complete without a booty shot: