Halloween 2010

So another annual event had come and gone -kids are now pigging out of their treats. Java is recovering from once agian beign shoved into a costume -we can't help ourselves its too much fun.
Halloween this year brought a trick or a treat depending on your view in the form of snow.
Enjoy the pics!
HUGS
Kim

We can only ponder why.........

Monday we received a phone call every family dreads to get bad news, very very bad news.
Daryl's cousin Kim and her son Gavin were involved in a serious car/train accident Monday.  Gavin who was 12 did not survive the crash. Kim continues to struggle for her life at the hospital. I got off the phone and looked into the sweet eyes of my own 12 year old and burst into tears.  Kim is my age, her and her husband Frank were married the same year as Daryl and I, and Gavin and Jared were born three weeks apart.  He was their only child. At times like this the only word we can ponder is why?? We don't know the time we are given on this earth we can only be thankful for every day we are given. I cannot even fathom the loss for Kim and Frank.

Saturday will be the memorial service for Gavin.
If you can please send up good thoughts or prayers for Kim and Frank.

Roses for no reason

Okay two posts in one day I know very exciting :)
My darling hubby who I love more than anything surprised me with a dozen roses -his exact works "no reason I just love you" 
AWWWWWWWWWW do I feel special or what!

HUGs all

Sorry for the delay was distracted by fibre!!

Maggies sent me home with some of her stunning fibre from Rhinebeck. I have spun it up and the plan is to knit the Top down cardigan pattern I purchased at Rhinebeck for it. Itas a pretty little cropped top with half sleeves pattern that is suppose to be simple. We'll see :) Good thing I've got some fabulous stitch markers from Henya -  http://www.chickenstitches.com/shop/  to keep myself organized and marked :)

Here's the fibre and the yarn for your viewing pleasure.

On the bunny front 4 new satin angoras arrived safe and sound -picture will be posted when they get some fur on them -right now they look like shiny little rats LOL.
Next up on the wheel is some springy and soft Rambouliet also from Maggies Farm.

HUGS all

Rhinebeck results

I entered three skeins in the skein and garment competition and am pleased to report I won two ribbons :)

2nd place in single spun 100% wool  -spun on a drop spindle

4th placed in dyed 100% single spun wool also spun on drop spindle

Rhinebeck does not have a seperate class for spindle vs wheel spun yarn which I think is a little unfair but whatever ;)  Wheel is usally more consisitant due to the mechanisims involved.

Heres the picture of the winning skeins :) I'm still very proud of myself!

We interupt the Rhinebeck update

My dear friend Henya stopped by Maggies booth on Sunday bringing two of her adorable daughters with her to drop off some of her amazing stitch markers (you can find your own trasures on her website at http://chickenstitches.blogspot.com/).  Her talented husband Eli designed her website and her beautiful poster for display. They are working on immigrating to Israel to join family there- very exciting!! She told me her daughter loves the baby bunny pictures on my blog :) So today while out at the barn I took some update pictures of the three babies we have in the barn now - see how they've grown. They are almost as cute as Henya's beautiful daughters :)  I have to get out of the van the beautiful treasures Henya so graciously gifted me with -we got home so late last night we didn't unload a thing.

Touring Hyde Park

Daryl and I headed down early to tour around town Friday -we decided to head down to Hyde Park and see the FDR home and presidential library. What a stunning place and gardens - FDR and Eleanor are buried there in the rose garden along with his dog Fala.  There is a piece of the Berlin Wall there as well with the inscription Freedom of Thought and Speech.  After touring the house (no pictures allowed) we went down to the Everyready Diner for lunch. It was very cool and was on an episode of Diners Driveins and Dives on Food Network.  More to follow on the Rhinebeck experience when I get the other card from the van :)

Final push for Rhinebeck is on :)

Its always exciting to go away but like any mommy knows its a lot of work -have to make lists for the kids, lists for Aunt Peggy, lists of stuff to pack and bring but ohhh its all worth it. Rhinebeck is is pretty -the fall colours light the sky and the sights at the fairground are stunning as well -best booth of all is Maggies Farm of course -where the most luxurious roving awaits to be fondles crying SPIN me!!!!!

Can't wait to go........so I'll spin my hours away in aniticipation LOL   This is one of the sights of Rhinebeck a pumkin carvers who is in a word AMAZING!!! Why can't my halloween pumkins look like these???

Baby pictures

THESE are MINE LOL Don't even ask about them :)

The tattoo number for them is M so they are Miracle and Mystical  for the broken pair from Karma and  Marvelous for the black from Twilight :)

HUGS all

Surprise babies!!!!!!

Okay I am flabergasted and gobsmacked. Came home from the Syracuse Rabbit show yesterday with a wonderful surprise awaiting me. After three years of trying and praying and hoping Karma my regsitered black golden steel girl successfully kindled!!!  Here's the huge surprise I didn't know she was bred. Peggy bred her but said nothing till now :) Two of the most ADORABLE broken kits are in the box. One is black the other is chocolate -both may steel as their dad Minnesoda (registered broken black) also carries steel.  Picture will be posted as soon as she settled down. I was barely allowed a peek before she got snarly.

Here's a picture of Karma in all her glory -she is soooo stunning!  Not social by any means of the imagination. Her name is a bit of a joke as the expression is "Karma is a bitch"  LOL. She is the spitting image of her grandmother Sommerhill's Calpyso, her mother was Deja Vu cause she was her mother all over again.

Looking back 15 years

Today is another special day in the Parkinson household. 15 years ago today Shenanigans picked us to be his forever home :) He's way slower than he was back then and wayyyy bigger too.
Here he is the first day he was home with us newleyweds. He found us in the mall parking lot and tried to hide under the car -he looked dirty brown but once he had a bath he turned into the stunning little orange tabby he still is today.  He was joined by Grimjack that winter and for 14 years they were inseperable.  Today he keeps Nemesis in line as he will always be #1 kitty.

His name sure reflects his personality -a laugh a minute and always fun. And Java loves the old boy -even though the feeling is not always returned.
Thank you for picking us Shenanigans - we love you!

We made the local news

My handsome nephew Jeffrey came by to see me at the Hickory Lane Alpaca Open House. He fell in love with Jazz the satin angora doe I broguth with me for display. The love affair was pretty mutual as she stomped her foot till he took her out for a cuddle :)

Coming up for air :)

I'm still here I promise :) I've been busy at fibre events, back to school events and the rabbits.
Here's the schedule:

September 17-19th was at Hemlock Fibre Festival with Maggie -huge fun!
September 25th - Hickory Lane Alpaca Open House
September 26th Wilton Road Fibre Mill Open House
September 30th -Collins Bay School Book Fair and Open house
October 3rd -Syrcuse Grand Finals Rabbit show
October 5th - Campbellford Spin Day
October 9th Newburgh Harvest Festival
October 17-18th RHINEBECK!!!!!!!
October 30th -Drop Spindle Class at Wool Tyme in Kingston

You think I enjoy fibre or something LOL  Am busily spinning and knitting more items for the shows too.
HUGS all

In the winners circle -Happy 15th

Today 15 years ago at 2pm Daryl made me the happiest woman in the world when he said "I do".  He's still my champion and the love of my life :) I got the best prize a girl could ever ask for.
I loved you yesterday when I promised you my hand and became my best friend husband and the father of my children
I love you today because you are still my man
I promise you tomorrow and everyday after that till the road is run.

LOVE you baby!!!  More than I can ever say.

Hemlock :)

Back from a fantastic weekend with Maggie. Wanted to post last night but we had no power at all from 6:30 till after 10pm.
Travelled down Friday to meet up with Maggie and help her set up the booth. We camped out in the back of my van with wool blankets and an air mattress -very fun but very cold Friday night LOL Oh well apparently I talk in my sleeep or so Maggie tells me.
Saturday was fabulous -fantastic people to meet and talk to, beautiful weather and surrounded by the wonderful scents of Maggies goatsmilk soap.  Met up with some funny bunny people who happily picked up their new fibre friends.  also found out Libby Llop our nationally ranked endurance rider friend had become a grandma that week. Welcome to the world Sylvia Helen!!!! May you be wonderfully blessed all your life -you already hit the grandma jackpot!
Of course purchased some fibre for spinning, a new drop spindle, some fantastic spices from a friend of Maggies (-her Herbs de Provance are amazing on a roasted chicken!) as well as a few other goodies.

Sunday after another fun and fibre filled day it was time to pack up and roll home to Canada -thank you again Maggie for another great adventure :)
Here's some of the new fibre working its way on the wheel to become "Hemlock" socks !  Is 60% wool 40% mohair from Steam Valley Fibres Colourway is Coastal Tides.

Rabbits for sale:

Here they are 4 lovely Satin Angoras - Red Buck, Sable Pearl Buck, Tort buck and Broken Tort Doe.

Doe is unrelated to all three bucks.  They are all going to get their coats blown out and cleaned up -have to retrieve the blower from a friend who borrowed it for the fair :)
The sable pearl and red are littermates. Tort buck is from a different breeding.  The bucks are 5 months old -doe is three months old.  All have complete pedigrees, the doe cannot show as brokens are not recognized by ARBA to show. Asking $65 each. Will be taking them to the Finger Lakes Sheep and Wool Festival this weekend.


UPDATE:  Red buck and Pearl buck are spoken for :) Tort buck is now sold as well.

Happy Birthday to.......

ME!!!
And my little sister Jennifer but we won't talke about that LOL
Check out the AWESOME cake my friend Wendy made for me -is it not beautiful? And dragonflies which you all know are very special to me.

Went to visit my grandmothers grave yesterday as it would have been her birthday -there were dragonflies there which made me smile. When I got back into the van the MP# player started up and her favorite hymn started When peace like a River -it especially rang true as the chorus is "it is well with my soul"
SMILE

9/11 Never forgotten

Take a moment and pray for all those who are still left trying to piece together the why of it all. 

Family :)

Here we are the whole crew at mom and dad's 45th wedding anniversary -this was the only present my mom and dad wanted :)
Like my dad always says we may not live the high life but we sure live the good life!

Just so you know who everybody is from left to right:

Back row: My handsome and charming  hubby Daryl, my baby girl and Diva Lindsay, nephew Jeffery (Jeff and Sue's eldest), my handsome Jared, Alexander ( Jenniferand Glenn's youngest ) Jen's hubby Glenn, Kris (Jeff and Sue's younger son) Sara (Jeff and Sue's Diva), Serena (Jen and Glenn's Diva) my older brother Jeff and his wife Sue
Front Row: ME (LOL), my baby sister Jennifer, William ( Eric and Lorena's baby boy) Mom and Dad (those crazy kids), my baby brother Eric and his wife Lorena and their Diva Jada
Did I miss anybody -there are 19 of us all together

HUGS all

Back from Indianna -back to bunnies

Well after a fabulous 4 day away trip to Indianapolis we are back and the fall fibre and bunny shwo season is looming upon us.  I have a very few bunnies that will be for sale this fall:

American Chinchillas:
A4 – Senior Brood Doe -throws amazing babies
9PR2L – 6-8 Doe
RC1 – 6-8 Buck

Argente D'Brun:
6-8 Buck
unrelated Junior Doe
also have Junior Argent Doe carries Brun genetics

Angoras:
Junior REW French Angora Buck "Mojo"
Junior Broken Tort Satin Angora Doe "Beenie Bopper
Senior Copper Satin Angora Doe "Junie"

I would not be unhappy to keep them all -but if somebody is interested pictures are available :)