Happy Holidays Everyone

Freyja looking out side our living room window.

Our family has been getting better acquainted with our new home, our newest addition Freyja (pictured) is getting big and just as fluffy as ever.  Our cat Kitt (not pictured) is getting used to her, since she is obviously not going anywhere.  

Jerid is getting bigger and enjoying his new space as well.

The day before Thanksgiving the bridge that is right next to our home has been finished! No more construction workers, equipment and pounding, just a beautiful bridge! (picture below, taken by Justin Hartley)
We have had a great time during Thanksgiving, we went to my Grandparents home, and had lots of good food and cheer.

a view of our shop door

Although with our good cheer we had some news that my Brother Zach had a seizure on the way  to visit his mother up in northern Minnesota.  He and his family are safe and great to report that no one got hurt.  He has been diagnosed with Epilepsy, which was something no one know knew he had, including himself.
Prayers are for them are always welcome.

We have a shop in our home and have since August of this year.  We are having alot of fun with it.  However, this weekend was some what distressing.  I have been a rude to a few of our customers. Which brings me to my rant. So here it goes.

Jerid making his self comfortable in our home.

So we live in a house that hasn't been open to the public since the early 1900's.  It was in the 1850's through the 1890's a hotel, then Bertha and her husband Dr. Everett Hartley, had inherited it from her family and made it a private residents a Doctors office.  Then after Dr. Hartley passed away the home has been closed to the public for many many years, over 50 that we know of.  We have opened the old doctors office to the public once more not only to sell our art but to be apart of the community and to share a piece of the house that has been closed for so long. This isn't where I've got rude. These are just facts that are there for the back story of my rant.

Now when we get costumers I don't mind telling those who what to know the history of the house.  I have no problem telling them that the rest of the house is our home and or a private residence.  I have a problem with those who come into my shop and telling me what I should do with our home.  I've had costumers tell me that we HAVE to rent our home out.  We have had costumers ask us why we not opening a coffee shop.  We have had costumers ask us if we are renting out the rest of the house and when told we are not, they ask us why not?

finished bridge next to our home Picture taken by Justin Hartley

 I can tell you why not!  WE LIVE HERE!  OMG! What part of WE LIVE HERE don't you understand!  I could let it roll off my back the first few times I've heard it, Our first first costumer asked where the antiques were that were from the house.  A costumer this weekend came in and told us she used to work for  the historical society and told us that have been (circling like vultures waiting for the people who live there to die so they can claim antiques from the house) waiting for an estate sale!   It is the rudest thing in the world to hear!

It is all that I could do to just close the doors for good and make a website and tell the whole town where to shove it.

We also had a visit from the head of the historical society of Carver MN.  John Van Walter, he told us that we should get the no interest loan from the city to fix the facade of house, which would be wonderful if we didn't NEED a roof (which the historical society will NOT help us get they can care less if our house is collaped)  I think Justin put it beautifully when he told me the next time we hear this from him or anyone about our facade. "That would be great if we were building a movie set, but for now we wish our roof not to cave in."

I've actually told a costumer that it was rude to tell me that my home should be a dinner, I then followed it up with why not make your house into a dinner, and leave mine alone?

As I have already stated we really do what to have more involvement with the town.  We want to open up more of our home with the community.  We just want people to ASK us what that means, and not have them tell us what that means. Also we would like to have people to ask us what we need and not tell us what we need.  

I know I shouldn't let people get to me.  Tell you the truth we knew that we would get these types of people coming in.  I just thought most people would have tact, couth , or sense of history that doesn't involve simply pushing the town's historical locations towards there own selfish agendas. 

You would think a home that has been in a family for five generations in the same town would be revered in a town that claims reveres it's historical presents, but sadly we are not seeing it.  We were hoping for better.

So I will try to be better and try my best to have it roll off my back.  It's not going to be easy.  I hate having to defend our right to live in our home.  Our shop is open every weekend till X-mas.   Lets see what happens.

Happy Holidays everyone!

P.S. Please send me feedback, let me know if I'm out of line, I've been known to blow things out of pa portion.

Thanks.
   

New chapters

These past few weeks seem to be an end of an era, and yet a very new and exciting time.  This picture of the trailer, was of our last day.  I couldn't help but take a picture, it was our home for the last 8 years.  Jerid, Justin and I had holidays and birthdays here, and we as a family learned so much here.  Trailer or not it was a home.  We will always have memories of here and I am for one, grateful for them.  

Our cats our now getting along finally.  Freyja is getting big and as fluffy as ever.  Kit has been a bit camera shy lately but Frey has no problem posing.

She as been taking to staying up most nights and running in and out of rooms at random and scratching everything she possibly can.  I can say that sleeping has been interesting.  

Justin's bands (the Feng Shui Ninjas and Beth Kinderman and the Player Characters) have been playing gigs lately.  Which after a dry spell it's great to report.  There is also talk of recording for a new CD!  So very exciting.

Justin also got some art requests with pay!  Also exciting!

 The shop is going well Temeperance Arts and Gifts are now selling Christmas ornaments and crazy quilted stockings with hand cross stitched tags.  

Thanks for reading!  Till next time.

Temperance, Arts and Gifts

Well life here in Carver seems to be adventurous to say the least.  The birds living by our front door have learned to fly and have left the nest. The pictures that I have posted are of them a day before and the day of there new life out side of the nest.

The birds mom and dad were NOT happy that we were stopping to take pictures, but we couldn't help ourselves.

Jerid has been doing well in his summer programs for school and has been growing like a weed.  He has been eating like a teenage boy should, some say most kids his age 13, have a "hollow leg" when it comes to eating (that is where all the food goes) I firmly believe that his "hollow leg" has a hole in it.  When he isn't eating he seems to be sleeping.  It's good to see him grow.


Also there is a picture (taken by Justin Hartley) of our house on a beautiful Saturday morning when a group of bikers came to town.  Though it was loud it was a treat.

 Well on the house news front, we are planning to open up one room, the one that was a medical office, to become a occasional  shop that will be opened one weekend a month starting in August. The name that has been agreed upon is  Temperance, Arts and Gifts.  We will be selling mostly handmade items (knitting, crochet, paintings/prints, quilts, and so on), antiques, up cycled items, my friend Tamara will be the owner of the business and we will be adding thing at our own passe.
All we need to do now is sell the trailer, and get rid of Justin's dad's truck and we will have enough of a  cushion to start looking to get money to replace to roof.  (major leaking issues.)  Because the Historical  Society will NOT help with funding for  fixing the house unless it is a business.  So I guess it will be a business.  Hopefully it works in more then helping with the roof, but will give us a little money in our pockets as well.

I'm planning to start a Facebook Group account for the Temperance, Arts and Gifts shop. To show people what will be featured in that months sale.  I am also thinking of starting a separate blog for it.  That would be updated monthly.  Let me know if you think it a good or bad idea.  Input is so very nice.

Been Moving to Carver

Well since it's been about a month and a half since I've last blogged I should say I have moved from Chaska to the little town of Carver, MN.  The house pictured is the place that I moved too. It looks a little different since this picture was taken.  It's been in my S.O.'s family for four generations.  He is the 5th to own and live in it.  There is a lot of history to a home that is older the MN it's self (by two years.) It was built next to the Minnesota River and was a hotel owned by the Strache Family at first, then their oldest daughter got married to Dr. Hartley who would stay at the hotel and open an office there when he was in town.  They inheirted the place after Bertha's parents past away. Then it was the Hartley house since the 1880's.   So we have been going through what is left of the family heirlooms and cleaning, cleaning cleaning.  Also trying to find the funding to replace the roof.  There also has been some major construction to the roads near the place can't be seen from the road, our plan is to open up the first door to the old doctors office to have craft sales and maybe a shop one day.  We just are trying convince the Steamboat Days coordinator to not block our house during the celebration (not to put the beer tent in front of our house.)  So we can participate.  Lot's of plans.

Also we went to Convergence this last weekend.  Lot's of fun as always!  I didn't sell anything at the Art show.  I tried something new and well, it didn't work. I guess it's back to the drawing board.  I did get to see a lot of good panels, and listened to great music , and was lucky enough to that we had friends that were kind enough to share their room at the hotel, Thanks again Beth and Eric! 

I did get a pair of 'Time traveler' hand mitt's done this weekend as well.  I also received a package for my Big Bang Theory Swap on Ravelry yesterday and received word that my package made it there in tact.  Things are good.  

So not many pictures this time, my camera's on the fritz.  Sorry.

Thank you for reading and tata for now.

Hello Again

http://bugbeehiveresort.com/

Well a few things have changed since the last time I have blogged here, the format is going to take me a while to get used to for one.  So here is the rundown of what has been going on.  In April I went with a few knitting friends to Bug Bee Hive Resort, for our annual spring retreat. The above picture was taken one the porch on a beautiful morning, our cabin over looked the lake, it was an amazing weekend.  It was here that I found out that I was knitting my socks way to tight, I found out that I had to change from a size two knitting needle to a size three.  Wow, I guess I'm more tense then I thought I was, you can just tell from the knitting.  Kimberly ( a good knitting friend of mine) had taken apart two of my socks while I whimpered into my drink.  I guess you could say a good friend will knit with you, a really good friend will frog your project when it really needs it. I'm thankful  that Lisa Puts found this beautiful location for us to retreat to.  I intended to blog while I was there, but alas I did not.  One of the main reasons I for not doing so.  I was just having so much fun!  Since the retreat, I have knitted three pairs of socks with the size threes. 

  Also went to the Shepard's Harvest Festival over Mother's Day weekend, with good friends Kathy and Jenny. I had a very good time there.   

Jerid News

Jerid was going to be in the Track and Field events for the Special  Olympics this year, but he didn't seem all to interested, it was not at all like Swimming.  When Jerid doesn't want to do something he lets us know.  The last practice we had to take him out of the car because when we put the seat down to let him out of the car, he unbuckled his safety belt then pushed the seat back and buckled himself back in.  That's code for, you go running around the track. I'll stay in the car.  So we heard him loud and clear.  We will wait to try Bowling in the fall.  I would like to send a shout out the the Wild West, Carver Co. Special Olympic team! Hope we bring home gold!

Carver News.  

We have been moving! So close and yet so very far!  Next weekend my brother and sister-in-law have gotten a trailer to help us move.  We have been going to Carver to clean the home we are moving into, trying to get things staged out so the move will go smoothly.  So very nerve racking, and exciting.  Anyone wishing to send good energy or have moving tips or want to help let me know.

Happy Easter Everyone!

A lot of things have happened since I've blogged last. My Grandpa Anderson had two surgeries because of bleeding on the brain. Though I did not go to the hospital, (Jerid and hospital's don't mix) my mom assures me that he was surrounded by loved ones and family including herself. I am happy to report he is recovering nicely and doing well. Part of his recovery was to stay off his feet and relax, as incentive to take it easy he was given a Kindle Fire. I was told that he really likes it.

We went to MarsCon as well. It was fun. We took Jerid to the Pool at the hotel. Justin and I entered into the Art Show. Nothing sold. But we got lots of positive feed back. This year I did a jacket made from quilt fabric. The theme of the coat was monsters. I only wish I could wear it. (it's to small) I also made a hat made from the sweater pattern of the seventh Dr. From Dr. Who. (yellow with green zigzags and red question marks) I also made a knitted Opera hood from a pattern that was made in 1861. Justin did some prints of Straganona vs. the Flying Spaghetti monster, a picture of Augra and his Coffee shop monster.

My nephew Charley turned one yesterday, and his brother, Evan, will be turning five in two weeks.

Jerid will be starting Special Olympics track and field this next week. I have no idea if he will like it, but at least it will get him outside.

I've been reading more lately. I just finished Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, written by Seth Grahame-Smith,I can't wait to see the movie! I have started to read The Stepsister Scheme written by: Jim C. Hines. I have also started a new Opera hood, and I'm hoping to get my mom's sweater done before the end of the month. I am also participating in another swap, the theme is fairy tales. I am over half done with it. I just have some final touches to do and it will be sent before the end of the month.

We are now are awaiting the for the deed to the house in Carver and have been slowly moving over there. We discovered where there was a leak in the roof now we just have to figure out how to fix it with all of our money going to pay off Justin's dad's debts we are just going have to be creative. We are also waiting for the title to his dad's truck so we can sell it. At this point it is a waiting game. The least fun game of all.

The picture is of our cat Kitt, with some of my dolls. I thought it was cute, I hope you do too!

I hope everyone has a great spring!

It's that time again. That time when all of my creative energies are scrambled. Nothing I make looks or feels right and I can't rap my mind around what I'm doing. It feels much like the weather, I can't make up my mind as to what to do with myself. Even as I write this I'm second guessing everything. I think it's the craziness that is in between winter and spring. It happens every year, and I could blame it on a number of things, I will be blaming it on the move, or lack of move.

A few weeks ago we had seen a Judge in the case of Justin's inheritance of his fathers dept so we could move into the house in Carver. Since then we have been in limbo. We are waiting for paperwork so we could secure a loan. Justin will be paying the gov. (more specifically Minnesota Medical Assistance) $56,000 dollars to live in the house that his family has lived in for four generations before. Money we don't have but will be trying to obtain after the paper work goes threw. we need the money to get the papers, but we need the papers to get the money. ( I just love how gov. works.) Then after that we still have to move. I am looking forward to it, and dreading the stress of it all at the same time. I just wish we had a magic genie and have it done already. No such luck.

Convention season is coming soon. MarsCon in March, then a retreat with the knitting group in April then ConVergance in July, then Ren. Fest. in August. Not to mention the Special Olympics Swim matches coming up in March and April as well, then Track and Field in the Summer.

So much to do and it seems so little time. I know that it will be fun. I know I should be concentrating on the now and focus less on the whole picture, just feeling a little over whelmed that's all. So I'll focus on the positive. Jerid is doing awesome in his Swimming. I have a wonderful support system of friends and family.

Sorry no picture today sorry. In my last entry I posted my Jade Dragon mobius Cowl for free, I hope people are enjoying it.

I'm trying this out so see if people like this pattern, please make for personal use only.

-Sara Dibble

Jade Dragon Mobius Cowl

Yarn: Patons Classic Wool

Hook: Size K

Notions: 3 1" buttons & Needle

Gauge: 16dc and 6 rows = 10cm or 4 inches.

Special Stitch: V-st (1dc, ch 2, 1 dc in same ch 2 space)

Chain 33.

Row 1: Dc in 3 sts from hook (counts as first dc), dc 4, *(dc, ch 2, dc in same ch), dc 4, sk 2 ch, dc 4, rep from * to end.

Row 2: Ch 4, working in the back loop, *dc in next 4 dc, V-st, dc 4, sk 2 dc, rep from * to end.

Repeat Row 2 until skein is done or 44 inches long.

Attach the buttons at the nadir of the second to last zig zag. The buttons should go through the ch 2 of the opposite end of the cowl.

It's that time of the year where I'm desperately trying to hold on to the positives in my life.

The court date for Justin's probate is next week and all that should be good.

It is for the most part. The down side is because Justin's father didn't have a Will, we will be paying down his fathers dept, that is if we want to keep the house that has been in his family for four generations.

Which is something we want. We want to keep it in the family,we want to live in it and we want to fix it up and do what his family did in it, which is raise a family and live our lives in it till we are old and grey. Then give to the the next Generation.

We don't mind taking up that burden we would except it. The down side is, we have to get the money. Although everyone we talk to believes in the cause and thinks it's only right that we do this, that is where it ends. No one is willing to co-sign for the loan that we would have to get to do it. Which is what is bringing me down. The total lack of faith in us.

So I'm forcing myself to think positive. Think about all of the good that has happened for us, all of the help, and good will we have had to obtain our goal thus far. To be thankful for the people in our life, they didn't have to do what they have already done, they did because they are good people. Also to be grateful for what we have. Family and friends.

I have to admit to be grateful, thankful and positive isn't easy for me, especially now. So this picture I'm posting is a white board with sentences that my son, Jerid, wrote this school year. He is in the Special Olympics swim team again this year and doing well. They think with training he could compete unassisted, which is a big leap from last time (assisted with life vest, to unassisted and no life vest) Every little and big milestone makes me smile. I have to trust that the universe has a plan for us, I just wish it co-excised with ours.

Thanks for reading.