fake "black henna"

alright everyone, here's the deal:: if you are gonna put something on your body, especially in quantities, DO SOME RESEARCH.
henna is a reddish or brownish stain on the skin (depending on skin tone), and starts out as a green-gray powder, that is made into a green-gray paste (that usually smells like various oils).

henna is NEVER black.

it NEVER dries uber-quick.

it ALWAYS starts fading withing a few days; it NEVER lasts a long time (it is a stain, it will start to fade as soon as the skin starts to exfoliate).

the intensity of the color and how long it lasts will depend on where on the body it is applied; palms of the hands and soles of the feet (callused, thick skin) will be darkest, but will start fading soonest. nails will be orange until they grow out. hair will be colored until it grows out. using exfoliating soaps or scrubs will cause it to fade faster.

yes, this tirade has a purpose. just read this article
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26080350/
titled "Henna Hazard: Chemical causes ornate allergies"

there's a ugly, yet strangely nifty pic of a girl's hands, with flower and vine pattern blisters.

please, think about what you put on your body!!!!! henna is a wonderful art form, and a wonderful tradition.......use it mindfully, not as some nifty thing to get to show off to your friends that you were on vacation. they make t-shirts for that.

for more info, try
http://www.hennapage.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehndi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henna
http://www.hennadancer.com/

post-pennsic stuff and nonsense

so yeah, we made it home.........i will be trying to post here more often, life's been a little insane lately!! (apart, of course, from living in a field for the past two weeks)........

pennsic was interesting this year.......from the weather (mostly wonderful, sometimes hot, not too much rain), to the unwar status (the king of the east conceded all war points during opening ceremonies), to a pennsic icon being sick and offsite (thank the gods Og is better!!), to us both being sick (pennsic tummybug, luckily yogurt fixied it), to interpersonal dramas (silly lamas!!).......and i'm certain that there are various and sundry things i'm forgetting to mention (like drogo entering the A&S display, with two items, and getting uber-booty!!).......

the war can be summed up by it's theme this year (according to the merchant liason) "welcome to pennsic!! what the f^&%k???"

on that same note, here's the question i was running around with for a few days at war:: guess what i did one night in bed???
no not that........not that either.........you, wash out your brain with soap!!
the answer is, i got stung by a bee......
literally, i rolled over in bed, put my hand on drogo's hip, and got stung (on the hand)......the guys in camp (we had just gone to bed) heard a scream, and then a thump thump thump (as drogo killed it with the hugs flashlight), and then saw me come running out looking for ice.
what fun.
honestly, the fun was asking everyone the question of guess what?? the next day......

now, since war.........
we've got us a chest freezer!! the neighbors gave it to us for some welding work......it's just a little one, but it's still enough that when we see a really good sale on, or hit the farmer's market (or the local neighborhood sheep and goat farmer!), we can stock up a little.......i was cleaning all day to make room for it, then cleaning it, then lighting candles near it so it didn't smell so funny (got left closed while wet, you can guess at teh smell)......
then bad stuff........we discovered that the toilet leaked, by me pulling out some boxes and discovering moldy yarn. luckily, i only had to throw out (so far) one ball of crap yarn, and two pairs of ana's pants that i was saving for posterity (or blue jean bags)........i have more clothes to wash, and lots of yarn to re-skein and wash......luckily, i stocked up on vinegar!! also luckily, i discovered this before all the new wool and alpaca got put into said boxes........

i think that's all so far.........i'm certain i'm forgetting stuff, but you know how it goes......my brain is still mush!!

feel free to email, comment, or send a carrier pigeon, we're home now!!!! and i would love to hear from folks.......

updates, food network, dilbert, and pants

hey everyone........

i know, i'm a bad monkey........but life has been a little nuts lately!!

first off, ragnarok was really wet.....as in, the last saturday we had ankle-deep flowing water through the booth.......drogo got us a hotel room, a really nice one with a two-person hot tub. pretty much every day of rag, we had storms of some kind, including lots of thunder and lightning, hail warnings, and lots of wind!! had to chuck plenty of stuff that got ruined; ended up doing $50 worth of laundry at the laundromat, including having to do one load several times with mass quantities of vinegar to kill the smell of dead something.......
while at rag, friends of ours (king torin and queen brenna) got married.......food network's "ace of cakes" did their wedding cake, a wonderful viking longship in 3-D......they also sent out a camera crew and taped the wedding and background on rag itself!! keep an eye open.........

luckily, the weekend after all that, we had off........recovery time!! we did lots of errands, lots of acquiring stuff to rebuild the trailer, groceries, fabric (of course!!), new stuff to replace old.......lots of sleep also, luckily.

this weekend, we have glass day......it's an SCA university-type weekend, all beyond-basic lampworking skills......should be fun, i've been forbidden to work; i'm being forced (oh the horror) to take classes all day, while drogo is stuck in the booth....heeheehee........

the weekend after that, we are doing the viking village at the scandinavian folk festival in jamestown NY......taking the monkey to that one......so of course, she grows, needs new viking garb.......

so i've been chained to the sewing machine again!! she's getting two new underdresses, 2-3 new overdresses......i've finished three persian coats for myself so far, with prolly another at least one (i got liner fabric for the sari fabric, bright blue cotton) and several cholis also, hopefully a few kamiz as well......and also, done a pair of pants, the pattern for which i promised to link to!!

so here it is, shalwar......
(i really hope that worked!!)

for children, instead of using a full width of fabric folded in half for each leg, fold the fabric in quarters lengthwise and use that.
these pants are uber-comfy, make sure you use a flowing fabric, something with some movement......the best mental picture i've ever found for NOT using stiff fabric is that it makes you have a duck-tail!!

next, on a slightly different note, a dilbert for knitters.........

thx to the wonderful people of ravelry-land for pointing this out!!

anyways, i'll try and get some pics of what i've been up to.....till then, have fun everyone!!!!!

we're home!!!

yeah, i know i have been rather incommunicado lately........

we've been a little busy though.

two weekends ago, we were at the midsummer ren faire, in lehighton pa (in the poconos)........for that trip, we left thurs morn, visited family, did the faire, visited more family, and got home wed afternoon........

then, we were home for less than 24 hours, as we got up at like 5am (i prefer to refer to that as stupid o'clock!!) to go to sandusky ohio, for bike week......

we just got home this afternoon from that!!

all in all, i'm burnt out, exhausted, sore, and my cat hates me......

i'm really sorry for those of you who have tried getting ahold of me, i wasn't online for at least a week in all that.......it's been a little nuts.

i'll try and get something together for all those people i promised i would at the faire!!

but it the meantime, here's a news story that proves the existence of mythical beasts.......


'Unicorn' deer is found in Italian preserve

laters all!!!

icky update

just wanted to drop a line.........

said dear friend isn't going to be able to save his whole finger after all.......at this point, they realized they are going to lose the tip of it.

he says he is doing fine, but i'm a little concerned about his mental state.......

so those of you that know him, drop him a line, an email, or give him a call.....if you don't know how to get ahold of him, drop me a line, i'll forward it....

and those of you that don't know him, keep him in your thoughts......he did a dumb, yes, but he's paying a high price for it that will be remembered, and will impact him for the rest of his life........

so far, he's kept his job, and his boss is very understanding......

let's hope it all goes this well!!

laters all, off to a ren faire.......... www.midsummerfaire.com .........

icky, but need good thoughts

i could use some good healing vibes from everyone for a dear friend of mine.......

my 'brother' thrall was in a car accident last weekend......luckily, he was the only one involved.

he totalled his van, and almost lost his left index finger, along with the use of his left hand.

they saved the finger, but he's gonna need some more surgery and lots of rehab/PT to get back movement at all; he will prolly never get back a full range of movement in that hand. it will prolly be a year before he can really work again, and at least a year until he is allowed to drive.

on the upside, he is thinking about going back to school to find himself a different career...........

and it scared him straight (mostly)!! it's never good when it takes a catastophic incident to make someone see the light and get smart, but with all too many people, it really does take something that horrid.......and i'm proud of him for setting a reasonable goal, such as safe partying, rather than an improbable one, such as never partying again........

no matter how dumb at times, i still love him dearly........and wish him all the best!!!

and hey, this means he'll prolly be at war for a full two weeks.......and i think i get to drag him to classes!! now, to get more info on his new garb.......barbary corsair!!

spinning pics

so finally, i've got some pics of my handspun up.......

most of them are absolutely horrid pics.........but what can you do?? my camera is an older digital, i'm not great at photos to start with......and the yarn is typical first yarn, oddly thick/thin, and plied weird.........and it didn't help that i was plying as at artyarn, with crochet cotton thread!!



so there's the roving, with the single and the spindle i spun it on (it's brass and stainless, and i'ts for sale kids!!)

and here is the same stuff plied and skeined, before washing::



but this fuzzball stuff is pretty cool........




............if i do say so myself! and yes, that's from my cat fur; he's a longhair, and it's shed season......i might just start collecting the shed and keeping it, it takes quite a bit to spin up any amount......

and here's my little fiber junkie-in-progress, playing with a spindle for the first time........



........she's using two different colors of yarn together, so she can see the spin.........i think learning to spin is gonna be our next summer project, as well as maybe dyeing with kool aid.......and maybe felting. i got her a lapp (a mill by-product) of wool/silk/rayon blend that evidently spins easily, felts well, and takes dye easily.........so i think that's the start of the summer learning!! now we just hafta figure out what to do, she'll be learning on my plying spindle.......i might hafta alter my other dropspindle (it's set up for bottom whorl, with a notch on the long end of the shaft and a point on the other) and cut off the point and put in a hook, so i can ply with it while she's using my louet student spindle.....

we'll see.

or maybe i'll just get him to make me a heavier one, to ply with!! because i will have more plying to do, hopefully soon......i also picked up two more rovings for me, in "blueberries and cream" and "blue spruce".........the blueberries is for him, they are both superwash, i think he's getting another hat......not sure what to do with mine, we'll hafta see how much yarn i get out of it!!

anyways, that's my latest obsession.......for lots more pics, those of you with ravelry check out my stash page, or those of you without, my flickr account......all the pics are up there!!

steampunk circus

so drogo found me the pic of the guy from the steampunk circus......




he's wearing another of our monocles.........

and here's the website of said circus::

http://zirkubu.com/

all things amusing!! though the website is kinda infuriating to navigate....but this looks like it would be a really fun thing to go see.......

and coming soon:: pics of my spinning.........

we will be in new hope pa for the street ren faire this coming weekend.......wish us luck, or come out and see!!

spinning

since this is my current latest obsession........

i wanna be as good as this woman!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynrwcqZzlGk

i won't be........i dont' have the patience, and i didn't learn at age 4 and done it every day for years on end.........

but i can covet skills as well as stuff, right???

rabenwald and the music business??

just wanted to share this with everyone......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CuO_FAYQRA

if you watch this......the red monocle........at 00:40, 00:43, 00:44......and you can see the chain hanging on his vest (the guy in the red coat) several other times.......

that's our monocle. we made that. the band emailed us the link, and i figured i'd share it with everyone!!

nifty spiffy.........

amusing things with string!!

so yeah, a friend of mine sent me this.......

http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2007/09/cableknit_rug.html

this makes my brain hurt........i mean, it's really kinda cool, having a knit rug......but the thought of having cables that large gives me the shudders.....

i can envision having this in my living room; unfortunately, i can also envision tripping on a cable, going flying through a window, and killing myself because of it!!

anyways......

on other interesting news..........

check out this farm........

http://arare-breed.net/

these are cool people, an organic farm that does quite a few things (including black sheep!!)..............check them out........they are only like 5miles down the road from us!!

i think that's all for this evening........i've gotta go check the weather.......see if the noah-like (flooding) conditions will continue through tomorrow, or if it's gonna dry out anytime soon......

one can only hope!!

new nifty stuff

so, we've got new product.......



dropspindles!!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11090041
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11090218

i know we have them on ebay as well, check our ebay store.......
http://stores.ebay.com/Rabenwald-Metalsmything_Knitting-Needles-Stuff_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ18770513QQftidZ2QQtZkm
(links to our knitting needles and stuff section of the store)

we do both top and bottom whorls.......these are a little bigger and heavier than a traditional takli supported spindle, but will work as either a dropped or supported spindle (at least the bottom whorl ones will work as a supported spindle)........

go take a look!!!

it must really be spring!

yeah, i know, technically it's been spring for a few weeks......

but there are usually some "signposts" (as it were) that show me it's really here.......

this year, it wasn't being able to open windows......this winter was really weird, i had windows open for a little while in (i think) january!! we hit something like high 50's on and off all winter......so the sign is not windows open (though windows open overnight might be something, if it wasn't hitting freezing overnight these past few!!).

this year, it wasn't snow melting........we didn't actually get enough of the white stuff to stay for more than a few days at a time anyway.

this year, it wasn't weight of the coats/layers you had to wear........again, the weather was odd enough that i was occasionally going out mid-winter in a sweatshirt, sometimes with a scarf and wristies for a little added, but not a coat.........

no, this year, it's partially dealing with shoes........this past weekend, i spent the entire event in flip-flops.......got a little chilly at night.......but still alright......

which leads to me to the number one indicator that spring is really here::

I'VE GOT MY FIRST #$%!^%&&*@%$#$!#%#%^$^ BUGBITE!!!!!

(can you tell it's driving me nuts, it's on the side of my foot, i keep trying to scratch off my skin, i think it's an ant bite!!)

things that make me LOL

http://www.notwithoutmyhandbag.com/babynames/

don't eat or drink while reading this........because you WILL spit on your monitor!!

and yes, it is work-safe.....

WWKIP day

i just had to share this link......

http://www.wwkipday.com/

the acronym stands for "World Wide Knit In Public day"..........the largest knitter-run event in the world.........

a chance to meet other knitters; to be a companionable knitter, not a solitary; to show the world just how many of us there are out there!!

unfortunately, there is nothing even remotely close to me......

WWKIP day is the second saturday of june every year; june 14 this year!!

good luck, and have fun poking the muggles!!!

my monkey is on fire and IT'S ALL MY FAULT!!!

just needed to say that...........i got her nightgown done, a little while ago......and now i have the blackmail pic to prove it!!!



she had just woken up.......so is a little bleary.....

and for other amusement, here is my office.....



yes, that's a toughbook, hanging on a hook, on the wall in my living room (over my spot on the sofa....)......


and yet other amusements........my mom has been cleaning. she recently sent us 5 boxes via UPS.......one box with ana's b-day present (yes, my monkey is now 9)......and four with craft supplies and fabric.

so we now have several dozen wooden sheep and hearts, a gallon-sized ziploc full of sequins, quite a few tri-beads, some pipe cleaners, enough plastic lacing/laniard stuff to choke a moose, and hopefully enough fabric yardage to do something interesting with!!

(about the odd crafts......my mom was a preschool sunday school teacher for many years, and most of this stuff, especially the weird stuff, was from crafts for sunday school, and she's figuring that we can either use it for ana, or donate it to the school, or sell it on ebay)

i need to take this afternoon and actually sort through all this stuff, make piles of things monkey will use, things we can use, things we can sell/donate, and yardages of fabric (i can't know what i can make with it until i know how much i have, now can i??)

so that's for this afternoon.....

oh yeah, and for one last pic.........here's proof that drogo really does do work occasionally!! (he's taking apart watches for their gears for steampunk stuff)

piratical knitting!!!!!

i think this website is absolutely awesome........

http://www.knitlikeapirate.com/

several different patterns for very pirate-y accessories......

in particular, i'm gonna hafta make a few of these:
http://www.knitlikeapirate.com/projects/tricorn.shtml

a knit, felted tricorn hat (and how to do the feather-boa-like stuffies on the edges too!!)

i'm thinking one in black with blue edging for drogo.......prolly one in a red or dark grey for me.........maybe one in a nifty blue or purple for the monkey!!!

this project uses around 600yds of yarn.......with some eyelash or (non-feltable) fuzzy for the boa stuff.....

so this is a pretty affordable project!!

i love it!

quoth the knitter, nevermore

the hilarity ensued on the ravelry remnants board.......

thanks to all who put this together, and thanks for letting me publish it!!!! if i've got any of it in the wrong order, please drop me a comment and let me know......and how to fix it!!!

BTW, somewhere down in stanza 15-16, the abbreviation WIP (usually stands for work in progress) should be pronouced like the word whip, not like three separate letters.

-------------------------------------

QUOTH THE KNITTER, NEVERMORE!!!

Once upon a midnight dreary,
while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and complex pattern of forgotten lore-
While I knitted, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
“Another knitter,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door:
Only this, and nothing more.”

Ah, distinctly I remember, it was in the bleak December
And my afghan Glowing Embers had just slipped down to the floor
For my books I was searching, from shelf to shelf was lurching,
Frantically researching, researching the lost Lenore,
The Sock Club socks for members only that the Harlot named Lenore,
Not for sale for six months more.

And the silken yarns in stash were so tempting soft and certain,
Thrilled me — filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
” ‘Tis some knitter entreating entrance at my chamber door —
Some late knitter entreating entrance at my chamber door; —
This it is, and nothing more.”

Presently my socks grew longer: hesitating then no longer,
“Knitter or crocheter, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is, I was knitting, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my craft-room door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you”—here I opened wide the door;—
Darkness there, and nothing more!

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Can I meet the deadline no knitter ever met before?
Still the yarn runs on unbroken, knitting up my loving token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, ’Lenore!’
This I whispered, and an echo murmered back the word, ’Lenore!’ –
Merely this, and nothing more.

Back into the craft room turning and my soul; for yarn was burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
“Surely” said I “surely that is something at my crafty stash;
Let me see then, what thereat is, and this Mystery Stole explore -
Let my needles be still a moment and this Mystery Stole explore:
Tis a knitter - nothing more!”

Open here I flung my basket, compact yarn and needle casket,
Out rolled a ball of Raven purchased months before.
Not the least project planned it, simply did I have to have it,
But, with sheen so soft and seemly, did it my eyes implore,
Into my shopping cart I gathered four,
Gathered, hoarded, nothing more.

Then this lustrous wool beguiling my new fancy into smiling,
By the worn and boring sweater from the Walmart store.
‘Though thy colours dark are many,’ I said, ‘my choice worth every penny,
Will always make a garment that leaves me wanting more–
Will I finish off that project before using these skiens four?’
Quoth the Knitter, ‘Nevermore’.

Much I marveled this luxuriant wool to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning - little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no knitting human being
Ever yet was blessed with cashmere yarn above her chamber door -
Self-striping upon the needle jar above her chamber door -
With such name as “Nevermore!”

But the cashmere sitting lonely on that needle jar formed only
That one word as if its skein in that one word it did outpour.
Nothing further then it uttered - not a soft strand then it fluttered -
Till I scarcely more than muttered, “other skeins have failed before -
On the morrow it will fall short, as my skeins have failed before.”
The cashmere said, “Nevermore!”

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
“Doubtless,” said I, “what it utters is its only stock and store,
Tink’d by some unhappy knitter, whom unmerciful Gauge Measure
Followed fast and followed faster, till its plys one burden bore
Of ‘Never - nevermore.’”

But the Cashmere still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of skein, and jar, and door;
Then, upon an afghan sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this dark cashmere of yore -
What this soft, luxuriant, variegated, now ominous skein of yore
Meant in forming “Nevermore.”

This I sat engaged in guessing, while no syllable expressing
Of the cashmere whose beautiful firey dye now into my eyes did bore
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the intricate cabled lining of the never finished cover
But these twisted stitches entwining on the unfinished cover
Seemed to spell out nevermore

Then methought the craft grew denser, the yarn black hole! my knitting’s tenser,
As the hours lengthen yet the project touches not the floor.
‘Why?’ I cried, ‘When gauge is right, the rows increase into the night,
Yet inches stay the same - should I return to dear Lenore?
No! Finish this, and then pick up Lenore.’
Quoth the Ravelers, ‘There’ll be more.’

"Project,” said I, “WIP of evil! Evil still if wool or cashmere!
Whether I shall finish thee or toss thee here aside
Saddened, angry, yet undaunted, by this project witch enchanted
On this yarn by trouble dogged, tell me truely, I implore?
Will I ever meet the deadline–tell me, tell me, I implore.”
Quoth the cashmere, “Nevermore!”

“Project,” said I, “WIP of evil! Evil still if wool or cashmere!
By the pointed sticks between us, by the rabbits we both adore,
Tell this knitter so frustrated if a clever way does exist
To make amends and finish this long task I so abhor,
To mend my ways and so complete this task I so abhor.”
Quoth the cashmere, “Nevermore”

“Be that word our sign of parting, yarn or fiend,” I shrieked, upstarting
“Get thee back into the stash room and be banished and ignored
Leave no inch length as a token of that lie thy skein hath spoken,
Leave my knitting time unbroken! Quit the jar above my door!
Take thy fibers from my heart, and take thy skein from off my door.”
Quoth the cashmere, “Nevermore.”

And that cashmere, ne’er unwinding, still is twining, still is twining
On the dusty jar of needles just above my chamber door;
And those plies have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming,
Dreaming of unfinished projects left in tangles on the floor,
Cursing cast-ons yet unthought-of, cursing second socks galore,
To be finished – nevermore!
--------------------------------------------------------------

and for just a little dose of unreality (not that we really needed any more, after this work of genius!!), let's go on to something a little more campy............
-----------------------------------------------
A long, long time ago,
in an LYS far away,
God said “Let there be WIPs”

It’s just a knit to the left
And a purl to the ri-i-i-i-ight
Watch your stash give you fits
In flourescent li-i-ight
But it’s the knitted swatch
that really drives you insa-a-a-a-ane
Let’s knit that sock once again
(repeat)
----------------------------------------

i'm not telling what that's a filk of, you should all really get that bottom stanza.........it still makes me giggle!!!!!

thanks again to all the crazy folks at ravelry........this was an absolute hoot, and my drogo still thinks i'm nuts!!!

souls???

i found this article to be genius........

http://www.slate.com/id/2187561/?GT1=38000

titled "death to stuffed animals! the genius of webkinz"

i was a little against webkinz to start with.........the monkey has a few issues telling reality from fantasy already, and i was worried that this new toy would make that worse.......

and in some ways, it has. but we are consistantly reminding her that it's just a game, just a toy.......not real..........and she seems to be starting to get that concept.

things changed a little when her grandmother's dog died...........dakota was a husky, and while ana didn't really play with him, he was a beautiful animal.........and the death rocked her world.

so, they bought her a husky webkinz, named it dakota............and now, dakota lives on.

definitely made the kid feel better, and in some ways, made grandma and mommy feel better too.

so maybe there is something to be said about stuffed animals with electric souls!?!

tidbits

some little things......

first off, i think this is a really cool news story...........

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23942218/wid/11915773?GT1=31037

Pregnant ‘man’ tells Oprah: ‘It’s a miracle’
Transgender dad is 6 months pregnant after artificial insemination

back in college i had my brush with semi-serious activism.........i was a PRIDE member (the gay/straight alliance on campus), and was involved in things like philly pride week, and the millenium march on washington...........so this story just makes me feel good...........both the fact that it is just a regular couple, having a baby, being normal and happy..........and the fact that i haven't seen a lot of denouncers yet!!
i think it's just really cool...........

and next, a joke............

this afternoon, drogo was giving me hell, cause i was muttering about startinga new knitting project, when i've got a few on the needles i've been kinda avoiding lately............

i told him i had startitis.

he said that i'd better see and end-ocrinologist for that.

yeah, i hit him, it was too much of a groaner............but it was kinda funny!!!

then, some news..............

the stepmonstermonkey has pinkeye again, but she's fine..........got her eyedrops, back to school tomorrow.........we spent the afternoon at the laundromat, boiling her sheets/blankets/clothes/webkinz.........

and on the way home??? not only did it rain, but we had hail..........larger than sand, about half the size of a pea.........not cool, not fun, but luckily it went away quick, and the ground was too warm for it to freeze..............

(wails) i just want it to be spring!!!!!

laters all!!!