I hear that train a-comin’, comin’ round the bend….

Yep, the sweet ride of the holiday season. I have already explained how it starts, and it is starting day after tomorrow. Blaney is 26 whole years old on November 17th.

When did this

Turn into this?

Ok, this is a little better.

Either way, it’s happening this week.

Last week I worked. Sometimes it can be entertaining. Such as the moment I looked out the window and I saw this.

Who are those guys (and girl)? And why are they doing push ups in the street? Very interesting…..

I also saw Mayo One up close. I wanted to snap it taking off but it would have none of that. I waited for quite a while, kind of a Mayo stand-off. They won.

Last weekend I went to a knitting retreat in Lanesboro. I like Lanesboro, and I have really never been there when it wasn’t crowded. And last weekend, it was pretty quiet.

I met a friend on Ravelry, Jillsknit, and she invited me to her cities knitting group retreat.

Here’s Jill.

There were 9 of us all together, and we stayed at the Cottage House Inn. Very quaint and good prices. We took over the meeting room and made it ours. I was the only one from SE Mn. The rest were from the cities, which got hammered with snow while we were enjoying ourselves.

 

A little glass or two (or three) of the grape didn’t hurt anything either.

The other fun thing we did was go to Austin’s Mohair farm.

It’s very purple. (Here’s the linky, but I can’t get it to work on my computer. )

They have lots of hand spun-right from the source

That’s what I’m talkin’ about.

I bought a little to make some mittens.

Sunday I said good-bye to Lanesboro and headed home.

Jack was waiting for me. I tried to get a picture of him when he was halfway in the washing machine, but he moved and refused to pose again. But the temptation of the machine was much too much, and I found him checking it out later

Jack is Jack.

Oh, I almost forgot-Mary has a new grandbaby last month-

This is Cameron. Very cute and probably more grown up now.

Just in time to hop on the holiday train-

 

The Season Cometh

Well, we are into November. The good news is, no more political ads. Our mute button was about to wear out.

However, the season is beginning. It starts the 17th with Blane’s b-day, then a week later, Thanksgiving (what was I thinking?), then on to Christmas, followed 10 or so days later by Dave’s birthday Jan 4th. A quick breath catch for my dad’s birthday, Jan 27th, with Debbie’s (aka Mercedes) birthday a week or so later on Feb 8th, ending with a bang the next day, Cody’s birthday, February 9th. Poor Cody, because by the time I get to his birthday I am pretty much throwing a present at him and eating his cake. My birthday is in March, but I don’t have to plan for that, and the rest of them are May through July, and by then I am back in the mood. But I always think of this week as the week I have to actually start thinking about it all.

So I took in some activities that would take my mind off of it.

On Saturday, after knitting block of the month, I met up with Laura and Mary, took in the Mayo craft fair (I am so there next year, and Laura and Mary and Cheryl are going to be in on it-Cheryl doesn’t know yet). Then, because we hadn’t had quite enough things Mayo, we toured this-

The Mayo Mansion. It’s all decked out in holiday fare. Various businesses and people around town volunteer to decorate a room. It is very impressive.

Panoramic.

Reliefs inset in the courtyard.

It was really fun to see, and I wish I could live in a mansion.

I am not sure I have the proper respect for the Mayo’s though. I don’t think they were all that God-like, and they came here with money. But maybe the original Mayo’s meant well, and really did want to care for the sick and be innovative with health care…..nah, I think they just wanted to have big mansions!

Regardless, it was fun goofing around with the girls.

Sunday I finished shop quilt #2.

These flower borders took forever!

While I was finishing it, someone decided to help me.

He was sleeping in the window, and I was trying to get a picture of him, and he woke up, and it didn’t go well.

 

I had to untangle him, and then he acted like he wasn’t at all embarrassed by it.

Today I went to the Ellison Sheep Farm, and I saw all sorts of sites.

 

Whoa, look at this goat! It’s a unicorn. And little cats.

Here’s some serious yarn on the hoof.

I have to say, the animal names were kinda funny. I think the sheep above is Chris, because her mother was Kirsten. Or something like that. This is Molly, the chicken.

My cow, Twinkles, would be right at home. Which, by the way, Laura saw last weekend. She was in her pasture, and responds to her name when called. (Genius-I am so proud)

But the point of the farm trip was spinning wheels, and I came home with this one

It’s an Ashford Kiwi, a smaller wheel, but spins smoothly and wasn’t as expensive as all the others. However, my first sewing machine wasn’t that expensive either, and, well, look where I am today. Let’s see what I have in a couple of years. So I am very happy. I have a ton of projects and can’t wait to get going.

I want to have lots of stuff ready for the next year’s craft fair.