Hanging

I promised Alexia if she wouldn't cry when she had to come home with me after judo, that we would get her a mani-pedi before I took her home after daddy got off work. (That's her term for manicure/pedicure.)

Van has a daughter Alexia's age and she was wonderful with her. Lexi got flowers on her big toes and glitter on top of her fingernail polish. DD Chris says she catches her admiring her nails every so often. We went to lunch at Red Robin afterward and then for more soft-serve yogurt. Color me exhausted.

I had an interesting personal email about the arrowheads in my last blog post, from a friend who is an employed archeologist and also the person I've known the longest in my life. We've been friends since we were six! I hope you don't mind Stan.

"I just read your most recent blog and saw the pictures of your 'arrowheads.' Very Interesting (I sound like a character on Laugh In) You have a couple of potentially old artifacts there. The one that is tapered at both ends maybe one of two types, it is difficult to be completely sure from a photo, but I think it is a Kennewick leaf shape projectile point that dates to 11000 to 9000 B.P. Another possibility is Early leaf, 8000 to 5000 B.P. The other point base maybe later, but I can not tell its type from the picture. Anyway, if I am correct there should be a very early site somewhere in the area. A local archaeologist may tell me that I am way off base, but I sure don't think so."

We live in a valley rich in history, long before there was an America. Thanks for the reminder Stan - just wow!

And thanks to those of you questioned my decision to reduce my fiber activities. You made me think carefully over the past several days and I've come to realize that what I mean is that I don't want fiber deadlines. I don't want to feel that I "should" finish something, start something or get a warp on my looms. I'm not going to "should" myself.
For instance, I entered one of these skeins in the Nevada County Fair (Grass Valley, CA) but they're underplyed to my taste, so I wound them back into balls and added more twist today. I 'm not satisfied with the color and plan to dye them. And then the phone rang. Carol told Ian that she wanted us to come "hang" on the front porch this afternoon. I thought - I have enough time - I really should overdye some samples, and then remembered. I'm not mailing my entries until Tuesday. Don't should yourself!! I read on front porch until it was time to go.
So we were with Carol, her father-in-law Ron, Kerry and Ian - just shooting the breeze, talking about things off the top of our heads - news, books, just hanging. It's still lovely though I hear the firecracker weather is finally supposed to arrive next week.

Carol and Harry live on top of the world. Their driveway scares me but I think it's worth the price of this view. Kerry and I were looking at the berry bushes in the backyard and redtail hawks were hunting right over our heads! I could hardly concentrate.
We were still visiting when the sun set. Ian went home to feed the dogs and still we stayed on. After three weeks of travel and a week of babysitting, it was good to be in the quiet company of neighbors.

And then some more neighbors came. I do miss the cultural activities we enjoyed when we lived in town, but they don't hold a candle to living in a community with friends.