Brrr

It is chilly this morning! Brrr! So glad someone is delivering wood tonight. Gosh this last week has been a blur. On Wednesday my Dad was taken to the hospital in a coma and had had a stroke. The doctors believe that he was having seizures for up to 36 hours. By Thursday the news was completely grim and we were having to face the talk that no one wants to face. A decision needed to be made as to when to take him off of life support. There was no belief that he was going to come out of the comma and if he did the neurologist believed he would be in a vegetative state. On Saturday it was decided that he would be taken off of the support on Monday or Tuesday. By the time we reached the hospital on Sunday my Dad was awake. Awake and talking a little. He remembered me and the rest of the family. He has completely defied the odds. I talked with him over the phone a couple times yesterday and he sounds better and better. Needless to say, he is not out of the woods and no matter what happens I am thankful that I was given a little time with him to tell him I love him.

On another note, I finished a quilt. It was gifted and by the time I finished it Saturday evening it was dark so there are no wow photos of it. The pattern is called Grannies Lap Jam.

Last but not least I'll leave you with a photo taken this morning of some of Sonoma's babies. Today they are 26 days old.

Rain

The first real rain of the season has finally come. It's beautiful. I know that in 8 months from now when I'm sick of it I'll be complaining with everyone else but for a moment I want to relish it. It's cool, windy, wet. Everything that beckons a fire. It also is the start of the season of dirty, cluttered floors. I'm thinking I need more rugs to cover the wood.

Lady Emmaline

Em decided that she didn't want a rabbit that was leaving our home to have her name sake. When I showed her the rabbit I plan on keeping she decided she would be Emma. I'm not set on Emma but I decided to humor my little miss and have gone along with Lady Emmaline a.k.a Emma. May I present Lady Emmaline:

Weekend catch up

It's done and off of my wheel! Roughly 430 yds of yumminess! This is destined to either be a cowl and fingerless gloves, a hat and fingerless gloves or a scarf. It is so scrumptiously soft that I really want it around my neck. I'm searching through patterns in hopes of finding something that beckons to be made with this bit of loveliness.

I also wanted to post some updated pictures on the babies. They are changing so much! The first picture is of a blue (he's starting to get some ticking so I'll be watching that) German hybrid buck and a chinchilla German hybrid doe. I believe I'll be selling both of these guys. I would love to keep the buck because of his color but I have limited space. My little girl is quite smitten with the chinchilla and has dubbed her "Emma".

chinchilla doe is on the bottom with the blue buck being on top

The next picture is of the lilac doe that I plan on keeping. She has some ticking coming through and is becoming more and more lovely. The other bun is "Emma". Emma was the runt and is on the smaller side but is ever so sweet and will make a lovely pet/wooler for someone. The buns that have been pictured above are all 55 1/2% German with the remaining being divided between French and Giant. Their Dad is massive. He is chinchilla (color) with fiber that is very dense and ever so lush. Their mother has taken on the size of a French with incredibly soft fiber. She has lynx, red, chocolate, fawn and black in her lines. This is her first litter and all 5 of the kits she gave me were different. The other 2 were chocolate and rew.

Sonoma's litter is growing and changing ever so quickly too. They are 19 days today and developing all different personalities. She has given me 3 blacks (1 with a small white blaze), 3 chestnuts and a rew. Most of them will be for sale also. They are 50% Giant, 25% French and 25% German. I'll be watching them with hopes of showing a couple as a French in ARBA shows next year. The does sire won at Nationals a few years back and she has the same body as her Dad. I'm hoping some of these babes end up with the same body type...just a little larger.

chestnut agouti from Sonoma

The billionth first day of the rest of my life

Yep. I really don't know how many times I've said it and how many times I've attempted it but today has to be it. Today must be the start of new, healthy habits. I must remember what produce is. I must begin to enjoy said produce. I have been on a train wreck of a binge lately. I don't know why. All I've wanted is stuff that's not good for me. The sad thing is that when I've eaten healthfully in the past and lost the initial weight I enjoyed it. So many yummy foods! I don't know why I quit. I'm up about 25 from my lowest on my weight loss journey. So, while I don't want this to be just another weight loss blog, weight loss is a part of my life...or it should be and will be once again.

My method of loosing the weight? I choose South Beach. I know, I know. I can hear it now. "It's so restrictive." It is very restrictive during the first 2 weeks. No sweets, no fruit, no grains, no sweet veggies. I need it though. I need to purge the desire for sugar from my body. Yes, fruits and even grains do trigger it for me. Grains are the worst culprit. I know I need them and I'll have them but not until the 21st or so.

To add to the whole change how I eat thing, I joined some of the gals in an endeavour to run a 5k in a mere month. I used to be able to do it. I had myself up to 5 miles in 60 minutes. Now...not so much.

So, here's to weighing a little less next Wednesday.

My current favorites

And just because he's cute snuggled up in the very back:

I'm obsessed

Okay, so I know I'm seriously over doing the rabbit thing right now but this is my journal eh? How can I not overly indulge in them right now? They are so spitting cute. None of them have their eyes open yet. That should be happening for Sonoma's kits on or around Saturday and Truly's kits on or around Monday.

Sonoma's 7. I believe there are 3 chestnuts (possibly agouti) 3 black (one with a blaze) and a REW (ruby eyed white)

2 of Truly's 3. I believe the darker is a Blue and I'm waiting to hear back on the lighter. I'm thinking he/she is blue steel or lilac steel. I am really hopeful for these guys. I'm mostly hoping that a) they are girls b) they have great body type and c) they have incredible fiber. These guys are 55.5% German and if they are what I'm envisioning them to be I'd like to work with them and increase the German or work with the 22.25% French in them and bring back the French in the line. If I bring back the French then I can hope to show their line one day. German...no such luck. I wish beyond wish that ARBA recognized the Germans and I wish beyond wish that it would be colored Germans. I suppose it's time to start digging around ARBA's sight and see if there is anything going on to support my desires.

On the wheel

OFFF was a blast this weekend and I came home with a new to me roving that consists of superwash merino, cashmere and nylon. I have never spun with cashmere or nylon so this has provided some getting used to. The roving is very decedent. Oh so soft!

Stats: Dragonfibers

Fiber: superwash merino, cashmere and nylon 80/10/10

weight: 4 oz

colorway: Rosehip

Emma is great to talk to and overall just great even if she is allergic to my angoras. :-) Poor, poor Emma.

*I know that my bobbin and spinning wheel in general is not set up correctly. Yep. It seems to be the only way I can spin. One day I'll have patience (maybe) to practice the correct way.