I used to be buff ... dammit!

Sure, I could blame it on having kids. Sure I could say it took me years to pack it on, I could even go so far as to say it must be a genetic/age thing. But let's face it girls, they would all be big fat lies. No kidding. I expanded exponentially over the past year. I have become a sloth.
Truth is, in the spring of 2004, I was wearing a size five. The spring of 2001, 2002,and again 2003 also size five. My weight was 130 lbs, give or take a few. For several years.
I wasn't thin and wraithlike, or weak and undernourished. I was active and healthy, and normal.
This year there was no famous orange dress, much to the horror of the Oddball IT department and half of southern Maine and Quebec.(don't even ask) There was no little black tank dress with strappy sandals. As a matter of fact there was very little in my overly large wardrobe that would begin to button, zip, or tie around my suddenly round body.
I got a wee bit freaked out.
Last time I weighed in this high was two days before giving birth to a 9lb 3 oz baby girl.
Now, our beloved Oddball has listened to me piss and moan about this before.
Once or twice.
Maybe three times.But certainly no more than that.
Really.
I keep threatening to sign up for a fitness class, and cut beer out of my diet, and eat organic greens with tofu for a year. Idol threats all of them. I kept expanding. and not feeling well, and being inactive. It wasn't fun.
So I joined the gym.
Or entered another dimension.
the jury is still out on that one.
Friday morning I walked over to the Superstore, marched my little hiney up the stairs and asked to buy a membership. I thought it would be that simple.

"Hi! Here's my excrutiatingly large amount of money, give me a card and point me to the nearest treadmill."

Not so much.
I met several lovely perky girls who all remembered my first name and wanted to shake my hand, and welcome me to Goodlife. They were sweet really. I was a little afraid.
An hour later, after much smiling and perkiness on the part of the manager, my bank account considerably lighter, and an appointment card with a personal trainer in my hand. I left the stuper store. Stumbling and wondering if my life would ever be the same again.
Last night I tossed and turned and worried about my impending appointment with the mysterious Anne.
Today I met her. She rocks. I don't feel nearly as nervous now. Tommorrow we start a program. She gets to tell me what to do to make my body resemble a human form, rather than a bad potatoe experiment gone wrong. And I get to work my everlovin ass off to get there.
I think it is a reasonably fair thing to do. considering I may have to sell a kidney to pay for this healthclub experiment. I am pretty confident that by Christmas there will be a little less of me, right in time for holiday binging.
And to celebrate this, I have decided I can only have beer on weekends and hump days. I must drink twice as much water than I already do, and I must eat breakfast every day.
martinis are still fair game.

creativity and the art of the workaholic

So here I sit at the new computer desk of lizzies yarns. Joe poet and I put the damned thing together in the two part episode from hell. Who knew that two highly qualified craftspeople, both of whom regularly work in three dimensions, could nearly be taken down to our knees by a $68 desk from Wallmart.
It looked so innocent in the box.
But despite two very late nights,left over shiny bits and not nearly enough alcohol Joe and I are still speaking, and the desk is standing quite securely in the corner of my textiles studio.
Today is frought with getting ready for my next residency at the casemates, and with a trip to Kings Landing Historical settlement, mixed in with making moulds for dinner and side plates and somehow getting to the gym. The evening of course is filled with the damned housework that those slack arsed faeries refuse to complete while I am out.
Are they unionized or something?
well gotta run, the shower and the coffee shop await. ttfn
Lizzie

they know me so well

Your Summer Ride is a Beetle Convertible

Fun, funky, and a little bit euro. You love your summers to be full of style and sun!

What's Your Summer Ride?

a bit o fun at 2 am

1. A reader to "Men's Journal" recently wrote about technological innovations, stating that there isn't any gadget he couldn't live without: "To see how vital technology is, spend a few days in the backcountry without your phone, pager, PDA, laptop, cappuccino machine, or MP3 player. You'll emerge cleansed and refreshed." Could you go a whole week really roughing it with no modern conveniences? Would you want to?

Yes, I absolutely could and have done so on more than one occasion. I often turn my phone off for days, and lived for two years with no tv or computer. I haven’t owned a car for four years, and ideal vacation is camping with the kids. When I was potting full time I used a kick wheel.

2. What is the most you've ever paid for a:

A) Shirt
$86 at Robert Simmonds in freddy. It was originally more than $300. Awsome sale, still outrageous for a shirt. The sweetie was visiting his folks in England and I was lonely and exercised massive retail therapy. Added some garnet earrings, and outrageous shoes, then there was the magazine binge. It wasn’t pretty. Thank God he was only gone three weeks. Who knows how much I would have spent.

B) Pair of Shoes
$149. Worth every penny, wish I had bought two pair. Runner up would be $130 for the Birkenstocks that saved me in Pennsic.

C) CD or Album
$75 boxed set Led Zeppelin gift for the boyfriend.

D) DVD
$40 Braveheart

E) Book
Do text books count? Well over $150. Next to that I guess would be the $85 book on Japanese style.

F) Vacation
$2000

3. Looking back at the answers to#2, which one was the most foolish?
Led Zeppelin box set

4. Take this quiz: Which snack food are you?
An Apple

5. There are three wells: Love, Beauty and Creativity. If you could only drink from one of them, which would you choose and why?
Creativity, without that life is meaningless. Being an artist is in my soul. I would wither without my ability to create. The lowest points of my life have been when my creativity was stifled, or not fed

6. If you were another person, do you think you would be friends with the person you know as yourself?

Absolutely.

Hump Day

Day three as artist in residence at String Fever Textiles Gallery. I am surviving, even producing things. True to my personality, I had no clue as to what the @#$# I was going to do all week, until I started doing it.
Turns out I was better off than I thought. I have been knitting, felting, and gossiping like mad! I have made some major progress in the "get-off-my-ass -and-just-do-SOMETHING!" department. All of the insane designs that have flitted through my brain in the last four months are seemingly, sorting themselves out and becoming actual works in progress. Though I am sure that I will not have a great deal of product at weeks end, I am reasonably sure that I will have at least worked out what it is I will be producing during my two weeks at the Casemates. so far the theme seems to be all about the boiled wool purses. A bit of the old needlefelting, and some crazy floral accessaries.
I am sharing my residency with Sarah Maloney, a Halifax based textile artist who is working on some amazing things. Her current work has me slack jawed with awe. I have been a real fan of her work for years, she has been exploring the human form, through textiles. Some of her previous works are- a knitted brain and spinal column, a vessal filled with knitted human hearts, A skeleten, and many embroidered peices based on the human body.
The peice she is working on right now is mind blowing. She is beading a skin. One bead at a time.For the last three years. Wow , and I am so needing a digital camera.
Maybe I need to shop next week.
I definately need to shop next week. Well I must run off and plan day four. Cheers all.
Lizzie

awsome quotes

Did you ever run across a quote that just worked on so many levels you had to share it with the world, only to have half the people you share it with look at you as though you have sprouted a second head?
My dear friend from high school posted a quote recently that was, in my mind, truly brilliant. Now to explain my friend-she is a wonderfully talented person, very bright and soo much fun. We see each other rarely, she is in Ontario and I am here :( Seonaid (Gaelic = shona) started university in Electrical Engineering, switched to physics, married a physicist, quit her phd in Nuclear physics, and is now studing Education at grad school. Why am I sharing all of this? it is relevant to the quote I will be throwing at you for comment. While walking through campus the other day she came across this, written outside the fine arts building:

"When you accept that matter expanded into something out of nothing, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy."
Seonaid's addendum: That explains why physicists dress that way.

Now I thought this was truly brilliant. no one I told about it got it. Is it me?

ps Seonaid does not dress that way

tagged by kate

yup it is the long awaited tag experience.Here goes nothin.

10 Years ago:
I was very pregnant. It was a major heat wave. I craved air conditioning, and chillers from the Second Cup. That's right folks, coffee, slushified and dosed with chocolate. At least once a day. I know, I know, you should give up caffiene when you are pregnant. Been there read the books, made the everlovin t-shirt, tie dyed it and sold it. But lets face it. I gave up booze for the baby. I gave up smoking for the baby. I didn't do drugs, again for the baby. I drank the coffee for ME. Baby seems fine she will be ten on the fifteenth of this month.

5 Years ago:
Summer from hell. Troy was working on a television series, he was gone all the time, I was home with my kids and a couple of spares. No drivers license, again super hot, heat wave again. Marriage on the rocks, house full of movie set people who drink lots, eat all the food, play games all hours of the night, and put thier children to bed in MY bed, so that I am sitting up all hours waiting for a place to sleep.

1 Year ago:
I was working at the museum, and sitting on the executive of the crafts council. We were having great fun with many gallery openings and fundraising events for the Charlotte Street School project ( our new art centre, opening soon) We had martinis with Dali at the Beaverbrook, and strawberry socials, and art auctions galore. This I believe was the time of year that we had the biggest bestest fundraisng bash around for the Beaverbrook art gallery. The Dali Gala. A night of surrealism like Fredericton has never seen. It was a night to remember, folks are still talking about it.

Yesterday:
sorted through a million and ten boxes hauled from the studio. Did a billion dishes, hung out with the coolest kids ever. Yesterday was New Brunswick day. We celebrated by cleaning the house and studio, had kd for supper and basically took it easy.

Today:
I had a meeting at lunch, though it did not actually involve lunch, thus a headache arrived. Then I completed expense reports, and took complaints from disgruntled people. I am very tired of disgruntled people. I want to be around happy people for a while. But not too happy. cause that just irks me. tonight I continue my quest through boxes in the kitchen and hope to rearrange my weaving studio/computer room. If I find the floor, I might just mop it. don't hold your breath. Christ I could use a beer. or g&t


Tomorrow:

I will continue to plow through the craziness in preparation for my company arriving on Thursday. I will take a brief break to go to coffee with my friend and former student employee, Janet, who leaves for Montreal very soon. Janet is a metalsmith and jeweller, she recently completed second year studies at the NB College of Craft and Design. She has juried successfully with the NB Crafts Council, and is continuing her studies in Montreal where she will be working with glass. I am very excited for her, she is a talented young lady and will go far.
She is in the running for some prestigious stuff at the moment, and currently has a group exhibit at Government House, the official residence of the Lt Governor for New Brunswick.

5 Snacks I enjoy
I love finger food. I believe that life is perfect as long as there is grazing food available. I like snacks of all styles shapes forms and descriptions but to pick Five is very hard. I have come up with a rather diverse list, a kind of the best of the best so to speak.

1- fresh brocoli and red pepper strips with herb and garlic dip
2-guacamole (preferably made by my friend Jackie) with super crisp tortillas and an icy cold Corona or two
3-Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream, straight from the carton,eaten while wearing flannel jammies and watching late night crime shows.
4-smoked oysters on vegetable crackers with cheese.
5-Denman Island organic dark chocolate- any kind, but especially the raspberry.

5 Bands or singers I know most of the lyrics for their songs
This one is easy peasy. I love music of all types but do have my regulars for singing along with. Some of them have been around longer than me, but they are definately classics.

1- The Grateful Dead - gotta love the dead, a timeless classic
2- Neil Young (in various bands and groupings) again with the classics
3- Barenaked Ladies
4- Joni Mitchell
5- Great Big Sea

It just occured to me that there is only one non Canadian in the list. But the dead transcend that border easily and are in good company with the other four.

5 Things I would do with $1 000 000

I would buy Jackie a way nice minivan for her troop of kidlets.
I would open a gallery for limited edition and one of a kind Canadian craft
I would pay off my mortgage and fix up and expand my house.
I would buy a decent Awd vehicle for my self with air conditioning and a wicked stereo. I miss not having a car.

5 Locations I would love to run away to

I often dream of running away. The location changes from time to time but the urge to hit the road is very strong in me. I think in a past life I was definately a nomad. Today the top five locations are:

1- all time favourite city so far, Montreal. I went to school there for a year when I was youger, then worked in the city for a further year and a half. My Childhood summers were spent between there and here.
2- Vermont, probably around the Burlington area, but anywhere in the White Mountains is good with me. I would love to have a studio that looks out over the mountains and meadow for a yard. The only big drawback to Vermont is that I am definately not a fan of George W. so living in the states is out of the question.
3- Scotland, I love the thoughts of being in the highlands. My deep connection with the past and the soul stirring sound of the pipes and drums draws me every time. then of course the kilted men are a treat as well. But it has nothing at all to do with the whiskey. Nope. Couldn't force me to choke it down. Not even if you hog tied me and held my nose.
4-The Canadian Rockies, because I have never been there and have always wanted to see them.
5-Newfoundland. I think I would like it there.

5 Bad Habits I have

I forget to eat regular meals and then can't understand why I have no energy.
I tend to think of things I enjoy as not a priority.
I procrastinate (I was supposed to answer this damn thing two weeks ago)
I make a huge mess whenever I am working on anything creative
I often forget the laundry while I am doing it so that it has to go through the wash a second time.
I amost always forget my grocery list at home.

5 Things I like Doing

Making pottery, currently I am thrilled with wet cut tile murals.
Weaving tapestry, somewhat like murals, hmmm.
Having cocktails with the girls
Teaching. I love to give workshops, meet the people and learn what draws them to art.
Exploring new places, beaches, towns, gardens, etc.

5 things I would never wear
this one is easy there are many fashion nightmares I would never inflict on the public.They would be a moving violation

1-a bikini, When I was younger I may have had the figure, but let's be honest, I am thirty five years old, and gave birth twice, I am not a gym bunny. No bikini for me.
2-black tights with white shoes, or skirt. Just plain wrong ,wrong ,wrong on anyone.
3-tulle skirts, I most certainly am not a ballerina, not a fairy princess, not a small child or even Cary from Sex in the City.
4-the snow beast dress.
5-baby doll pajamas

5 tv shows that I like

Crossing Jordan
Law and Order
Investigative Reports
Cold Case Files
CSI

anyone detect a trend...

5 movies that I like

Mona Lisa Smile
Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood
10 things I hate about you
Chocolat- and most other movies that Johnny Depp is in
In the Name of the Rose

5 Famous people that I would like to meet

For this question we have to assume that I have the powers of time travel.

1- Marie Curie- I believe she was a fascinating woman, a leader among women for her time. Her Research and life's work is an invaluable foundation to modern Chemistry. I could definately do cocktails with her.
2-Grace Kelly- The epitome of style, and Grace under pressure.
3- Leonardo daVinci- pure brilliance
4- Dr. Martin Luther King jr.- I am sure this needs no explanation
5- Pierre Trudeau- because he is, was, and always will be my politaical superstar.

5 biggest joys in my life

Stating the obvious as always my kids are number one they have brought to me the most satisfying experiences in my life. They teach me patience, and humility. They inspire me to create, and they make me laugh. watching them grow continues to be the greatest joy in my life.

2 Art- because it is where the artist was
3 Friendship- I am blessed with some very good friends. A small group of diverse people who all add some vital thread to the tapestry of my life. I know how freakin sappy is THAT.
4 My work- creating makes me whole
5 Books- all kinds of books, when we stop learning, we stop living. Reading is a major pathway to education and communication.

5 favorite toys
My Husqvarna Sewing machine.
My pottery wheel
My cocktail shaker
My blender (slushy drinks are good too)
My computer

Well as they say, that's all she wrote.
ciao lizzie

Definately Blog Fodder, says Joe...

For those in the know, this crazy Maritimer has been up to her a** in studio renovation. Because two craft shows, three weeks as artist in residence to prepare for, two kids to feed, guests arriving on Thursday from Ontario, sitting as chair of the NB Crafts Council, and volunteering for the Fredericton area AIDS Walk aren't nearly enough for one little lizzie to do.
Lord help me, I decided it was time to end the procrastination and just DO the studio.
I no longer have a potters wheel in my Kitchen. I have all parts to my paragon kiln attached together, just waiting for Bill to connect the power. The insulation that the EVER LOVIN BRILLIANT SUPERSTAR (who is now my ex husband) installed in 1996, is now neatly covered with plastic. Thank you Scotty for the loan of your staple hammer- oh and the fine beer. MMMM Beer.
But I digress.
The studio was amazing. no really. In tearing out the frighteningly Horrid cobbled together crap that was the shelving and workbench deathtrap -er, I mean lovely fine furniture installed by my beloved darling.. I realized two things.

1. During the early 1990's I was possessd by evil aliens. This, after many years of pondering is the only reason I could possibly fatham for having been attracted to, married and yes folks -Bred with, Lord Farqquad. All other reasons just seem so entirely out of line. Aliens it is, no arguments. Sick little bastards and thier experiments!

2. I can trace the power tool purchases by furniture ( and I use that term loosely) construction in the studio. The cordless drill in particular. Just how many drywall screws can one man use to screw one end of a shelf down, you ask? I can answer that, it is ten, because if you do that then you can use only one finishing, and/ or roofing nail to hold the other end down. No really. Honest, I have seen it. Oh, and shelving should always be made from recycled 100 year old floor joists, cause it is important that the shelves live on into eternity with the cockroaches and cabbage, even though it is perfectly fine to cut a ROOF TRUSS to create storage for your various and sundry CRAP including such things as cardboard boxes and abandoned skis belonging to your siblings who live in California.
Anyone in the market for a pair of Ancient Rossignols? how about equally ancient telemark boots.
I love my ex husband, I want to marry him all over again. Maybe he could renovate the bathroom for me, whatta ya think Kate???? want to be my maid of honour? I will dust off the snow beast dress -yet more proof of alien possession, cause who the f**k in their right mind would wear that much polyester satin, lace and sparkles (not to mention the bloody crinoline) in JULY!!! or ever for that matter.
The end result of the weekend spent gutting the studio is this:
I have located several of the things that are absolutely necessary for survival including my purple juice jug, the lid to my gravy shaker, cheesecake pans and some handmade pottery mugs. Popsicle molds and ice cube trays. Yes Kate I do own them apparently, no more need for bagged ice. we can now have heart and star shaped ice in our girly drinks. suddenly a g&t sounds so good.
I have a workable space in which to create pottery to my hearts content, until winter hits then I need heat. minor detail, can definately be fixed.
My kitchen is yet again full of boxes for me to sort and toss from.
I need the flylady to visit NOW my studio is lovely, the house not so much. it is definately a vicious cycle.
gotta go now, joe is emailing me about the Gaelic song.
tata for now,
Lizzie

Back in the land of the living, I think

Wow has life been BUSY here at the Homestead. I hadn't realised how long it has been since the last time I blogged. So much has happened and the days have been running fast and furiously into one another. I have hardly had time to spit! but what to blog about??? I have been designing like crazy inside my head, setting up my studio, weaving and spinning at the Highland games, and preparing for the next festival in Fredericton on labour day weekend. My life is filled with needs to get done and my days are only 24 hours long. sigh.
Kate tagged me a while back so my next post will be the results of the tagging incident. I need to attend the liquor selling place and then answer it. these things just cannot be done sober.I will update y'all on the design process as soon as it is in physical form. I am currently attempting to merge fiber and clay. hmmmmm. how to get there? we shall see how it goes. cheers all. will write again soon. lizzie

solstice party photos. we all had fun. some of us even had more fun!

poppa will do in a pinch

jon and the parade of children 

jon find's his inner??? child

Nicole and mama 

mira's solstice international weirdo costume 

the boy filling the pool one jug at a time... 

Procrastination, inspiration, and motivation

Procrastinating is what seems to be my greatest feat of late. I have come to a point where I need to start making giant steps in designing kits to sell, product to sell and getting some of my own art done. I have managed in the last month to get product into the gallery in Queenstown, and have done a little looking about for venues here in Freddy. Today there will be no knitting.it is 35 degrees here and dead humid air. no breeze.and I have been dealing with my tres dysfunctional family this week.nice.
Well just got off the phone with the one who is less dysfunctional, and 2000 miles away hmmmm, correlation I think maybe....
But really next week will be more about the knitting, dyeing, spinning etc.

Solstice,Full moon,family

well what can I say? As kate the oddball knitter pointed out not even an hour ago I haven't posted in a week. I wanted to post ,yet this week knitting is the last thing on my mind. SO BEAR WITH ME, It ain't pretty.
It isn't that I have forgotton, it is just that this week has been for me a lttle overwhelming. I come from what in the sixties and seventies was an odd family. We pioneered the stepfamily. We made it through (all of us kids). we have the battle scars to prove it. JUST to let you know beforehand, I'd take a bullet for each and every one of them, the whole siblings, the half siblings and those who are the products of subsequent unions/previous unions on both sides.. The Brady Bunch was fiction, trust me it is a whole lot harder in real life.Besides we beat em any way, there are seven of us. (and then most of us bred...)
So needless to say knitting? not so much. Martinis? yes why yes indeed there have been a few.
My niece graduated this week from high school, awesome kid. She will be heading off to NY state in November to work as an au pair, and attend classes subject to be determined. I am sooooo gonna miss her being around. the kids in our family are great, its the parents we need to worry about!!! but seriously it is over now. god bless.
We all had a great little solstice party though! Kate, Jackie, Bill, Jon and I and all appropriate children except Kate's gathered at my place. We drank to the summer and to each other. I'll post the pictures later!
Lizzie

String Fever

Well the gallery shift is over, passed rather quickly if I do say so. I was in very good company the whole time. The artists in residence this week were Elizabeth Bastin, rug hooker extraordinaire, and Denise Richard with her fantasic felt products. She is making some great stuff.
Elizabeth I have known for a few years and she does lovely hooked rugs, and is kind, sweet and always bakes cookies for her residency. Yesterday they were brown sugar-raisin (YUM!!!)
Denise is the new kid in town, I am thrilled to have her around. BC"s loss is definately New Brunswick's gain. Denise's felted work is on the edge for sure. She has upholstered jellyfish stools, sea urchin ottoman, little organic looking pod hand bags, flower napkin rings, the stuff is WILD. Kate got one, just for showing up with extra coffee. Some girls have all the luck. sigh........
I would post pictures but, kate is the one with the camera, I have to get her to go back and snap the pics. I am sure she will post one of her napkin ring. The summer here in fredericton is so culturally alive, it is great inspiration time, the community grows and crawls out of their collective caves to produce out of doors.
Within the Historic Garrison District we have the York Sunbury Museum which houses String Fever Textiles Gallery, a non profit collective gallery, and workshop/residency series. Along the way we have the casemates, summer shops and studios where various artists and craftspeople make and peddle their wares. This is such a fantastic opportunity for exposure for our artistic community. We have summer music festivals, and film festivals theatre stuff goes on in the park and the tannery square. We are blessed with some of the finest musicians and craftspeople in the country. I love freddy.It is definately a great place to be.

Feltin' Fool

Sunday morning 10:00 and I have accomplished more today than I imagined was possible. Nothin like a deadline to light a fire under you. I am under the gun for gallery stock, and have my first volunteer shift on Tuesday. Things are really moving forward and I am most definitely in shock. I can actually see the top surface of my kitchen table. All of it. I forgot how much I liked it. My pottery wheel is not currently hosting a pile of merino roving, my dishwasher is loaded and the counter is clean. I am on the downhill slide of my second pot o yarn on the stove, have the next batch ready to go, have fed India and Mira pancakes, and drank two -count em TWO cups of coffee.
I love sleepovers. It's a win win situation. the kids feel like they won the lotto, and the grown ups Know that they have. The girls have built a fort in the backyard, watched movies, played monkey and generally been the perfect little darlings that only appear when separated from siblings. I am sur Jackie feels the same way at her house. We should do this kid swap more often. For the first time in weeks I have hung up the referee shirt!
As we all know I have been knitting yardage on Trish's machine and felting it to make handbags this week. I have some lovely soft pink and a variegated merino to work on, they both have made smashing fabrics. But I can't seem to stop imagining the next and the next and the next after that. It is now officially an obsession. Yesterday I found myself knitting frantically at the folk concert in the park trying to get yet another bag ready for washing last night, My beer actually got warm in the glass while knitting at rye's deli, and I was awake at 4 am itching to pick up the needles. It should be a productive week if this continues! I have scrounged my stash and come up with several pounds of off white Scottish wool that is screaming for a dye and felt job. I am so excited I can hardly stand it. Add to that some lovely lace weight merino that really wants to be a lace shawl and I have the week tied right up! so much fiber, so little time.

d;