It’s a new season. Finally! Fall officially started Tuesday when the autumnal equinox happened. For those of us who can’t wait to give 2020 the boot, it couldn’t have come sooner.
Fall is like the New Year to me; it’s a time of new beginnings. Sadly this year, that also necessitates endings. Right now I’m thinking about Friday’s death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I like to think that she’ll have even more influence up there in heaven than what she had here on earth which is and was FREAKING AWESOME. Women, teach your daughters well. I was reading an article today about how much more house- and child-work women have to do at home during this time of the Coronacootie. It’s often been at the expense of their jobs and careers. If, like me, you’re not out in the world-at-large working, perhaps you can offer a helping hand to a working mom you know. She shouldn’t have to lose her career footing just because she can multitask better than a man, just because kids are have to be on her mind more than her partner’s.
Angel Ruth, pray for us!
So, new season, new scenery. Tom and I are finally getting out of Dodge! Our 2020 vacation plans have dwindled throughout the spring and summer from a driving trip to Oregon (we were calling it the pinot noir tour, alas) to a wedding in Rhode Island (no to planes and too many motels on the road) to northern Colorado (couldn’t find a place to rent) to farther south in New Mexico (too expensive to rent a house and the town was filled with Texans escaping germs and heat) to…thankfully…kind of in the middle of nowhere northern New Mexico. (But there is internet access, speed unknown.)
So, we’ll be off soon to visit mountains other than our own Sandias here in Albuquerque. Somewhere cooler! The plan is to veg: read, hike a little, walk, hook, read, write, read.
I’m in the midst of sewing rug tape onto a new rug that will entertain me up there. It’s Boucherouite-esque. All recycled t-shirt. Colorful – much like the new season – but not taxing to hook. Like you want on vacation.
Below Tynan brings you part of the rug currently on the frame, though the hooking will be done tonight. You can only see a portion of it now because it’s a commission due next month. It’s hooked almost completely in wool strips and yarn. I know, I know, that doesn’t happen too often in this house. And that will continue as I found out that my wool dust allergy is worse, now extending to some loose, bulky yarns. Bummer, but I won’t give them up completely. Love them too much.
A reminder! My Alt Fibers Hook-In is taking place Wednesday, October 14, at 7:00 PM Eastern. For those in the Mountain time zone like me, that’s 5:00, cocktail time. Perfect! You can learn more about the event in the link above, but it’s a time for:
sharing experiences hooking with materials other than wool;
experimenting;
drinking cocktails;
chatting as if we were in a room together (the cocktails will help with that);
and whatever other topics and questions we come up with.
Please know that this is a hook-in, NOT a class. And wool, you’re welcome to come. I know that you play nice with other fibers in my rugs. Email me at Laura@highonhooking.com if you’re interested. (Know that may take awhile for me to get back to you.)
I pray to God that you manage(d) to get away from your everyday view for at least a little while. It’s good to get out. I’m hoping to avoid the news as much as possible and forget…what I’ll have to come home to. At least my mind and my soul will be rested.
Between my workshop last month and social media chatter, it appears that many are interested in hooking fibers other than (or at least as well as) wool. Again, there’s nothing wrong with wool; in fact, the current rug on my frame is hooked with wool strips and yarn. I will say that the latter allows for easier breathing given my wool dust allergy.
All this being so and seeing how everyone is missing HOOKING TOGETHER, I’m offering an Alt Fibers Hook-In on Wednesday, October 14, at 7:00 PM Eastern, which makes it 5:00 Mountain time, my time. Evening should be a little more relaxing, though, unfortunately, the event must be BYOB.
What you’ll need to bring to the Alt Fibers Hook-In:
A hook;
A hooking project;
Your “fun” fibers – and wool can come too;
Your beverage and snacks of choice; and
Enthusiasm, questions, tales (tall or not).
This is not a class, but a time for give and take with one another. A time to share what might have worked for you. A time to ask if anyone has experience with ______. A time to have some fun.
DETAILS
Hook-In will run WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 7:00-9:00 PM Eastern.
Hook-in will be held online through Zoom. Upon registration and payment, the Zoom link and password will be sent via email.
There is a COST of $10 to help defray my Zoom account costs.
Tynan the traveling dog back for a third week! Woof! Unfortunately, the idiots have no plans for us to go anywhere anytime soon. Bummer. But, as promised, I thought I’d catch you up on our Arizona trip, show you how I added a state to my repertoire, as it were.
If you’re not all caught up, check last week’s post, a quick summary of the trip, then sit back in your armchair while I drive for a change.
We left Albuquerque on Thursday, January 2, by about 10:00. The time was more tailored to ensure lunch at Sparky’s in Hatch, the chile capitol of the world. He’d never eaten there. Me, I got to sit in the car while the smoke coming from all those burgers and pork wafted in through the cracked car windows strangling me with its perfect aroma. It was not an auspicious start for the trip. In retaliation, when they waddled walked me around later, I peed on Sparky’s. Not my finest moment, I admit, but peeing on my people really wouldn’t have worked. Then they made pose for pictures in front of the kitschy stuff near the restaurant. Whatever.
At last we were off again. It’s a long ride to Tucson, and I snoozed through most of it. Finally, we arrived at our destination, the Best Western-Tucson Foothills. Apparently, she and my lady friends from the Adobe Wool Arts Guild (AWAG) prefer this place when they make their annual pilgrimage to the Old Pueblo Rug Hookers Hook-In. (Hook-in, yes they really call it that.) There is a reason for their fealty to this particular hotel: free booze! Yep, the place provides a gratis happy hour (more like three hours), and you know they aren’t passing by that. Wouldn’t you know it, we arrived during sed happy hour. So off to the “cafe” we go thinking the idiots will pick up a glass of quaffable, free wine and sit outside or, more realistically as the sun was already going down, head back to the room to drink then argue over who would go back to get the next round.
But then the beautiful bartendress sees me, and she says these magical words: “Oh, he’s so cute, Of course, he can stay.” She caresses my chin and whispers, “Would you like to go home with me? I can give you your own downy hotel bed, barbecue on demand…” Sorry, I digress there, maybe fantasize a bit. The point is I was invited in to happy hour all weekend. Nice touch, Best Western-Tucson Foothills. Oh, especially, that popcorn machine. Loved the popcorn machine!
Drinks drunk, we head back to the room so the idiots can rest. (Wow, tough day: eating, driving, and drinking.) Anyway, he takes over the desk with his laptop; she and I claim the bed. This traveling dog is really starting to love human hotel beds. They’re lower than the one back home, and they’re BIG! She doesn’t care if I take 2/3s of it. Very comfy.
Next day, we’re off to Mount Lemmon, Tucson’s tallest mountain. Back maybe 16 summers ago, they were vacationing in Tucson, checking it out for possible future residence. They tried to drive up but were turned back by officials. The mountain was on fire. Not this time! Of course, we had to drive in stops and starts since she had to take all her freaking pictures. Fortunately, there was some pretty spectacular scenery. And I got to get out of the car!
That night, my AWAG ladies finally showed up at the hotel. At happy hour, of course. Mary R. brought me gifts, and…the popcorn machine was working! Nan watched me while the idiots went for food. She let me on her bed. I love Nan. Plus, she brings toys for me when she comes to our house.
Saturday morning, we drop the mistress off at the La Paloma Country Club for the hook-in. Looked like a swanky place for something with such a stupid name. He tells her not to spend so much at the silent auction this year. Right. (Later she called not breaking $100 a win. He did not.)
Back to that day, he decides to take us to some park; he’s already forgotten the name. (At least she wouldn’t have done that.) We get out of the car. Something is not right. He wonders why I don’t want to do the usual who-peed-here sniffs, but something smells really bad at this park. “Come on, ” he tells me not particularly patiently. He calls me squirrely, mocks me with that word. But I’m trying to tell him, I think there are f-ing rattlesnakes here! They paid for me to have that hateful training, but it did work. I smell their dirty asses (not that I’m exactly sure where a snake keeps its ass). Finally, he’s fed up with me; we turn around. There is a god! We head back to my favorite Best Western. Frankly, I think he just wanted to get back to his stupid laptop and World of Warcraft. Whatever, I got the bed to myself.
That night we do happy hour with the girls again. Folks fawn over me especially when they hear what he did to me. I appreciate that. Sunday morning we’re off for home. She gets an idea that she wants to take a different route, not the one we came on. He’s skeptical, but of course, she wins. We turn the car to the north. At first it’s nice, sleep-inducing. We stop at McDonald’s for their “quality” brunch, then get into some more remote country. I’ll let the pictures (she took soooo many) tell the story.
At least we made it home before dark, and now I’m coming to terms with my lack of hotel beds and popcorn machines.
I hope she’ll let me come back again sooner than later. I enjoy sharing my travels with you. And you make good witnesses as to how the idiots treat me.
Tuscon was terrific! The idiots sidelined me less than usual; even better, I was allowed into happy hour at the hotel! And they had a popcorn machine! One of my ladies Mary R. brought doggie bagels for me too. And Nan babysat me for a while Friday night while the idiots went for some food. (They did NOT bring any back for me. 🙁 )
Because the mistress is rushed this week getting her rugs ready to take up to the Española Valley Fiber Arts Center (EVFAC to you and me), and typing is difficult for me given my lack of thumbs, this is an abbreviated post. She insists that next week, I’ll be able to tell you all about our Arizona road trip. Okay, and the Old Pueblo Rug Hookers’ hook-in too.But I was allowed to post a couple of photos to whet your whistles.
She’s insisting that I suggest strongly that you make your own road trip up to Españolastarting Saturday. The scenery’s beautiful up in that part of the state what with the snow on the mountains and all. There’s New Mexican food there at El Paragua. Oh, and don’t forget to see her “window” at EVFAC. Don’t forget too – she’ll be teaching a 4-hour introductory rug hooking class on Saturday, February 16. We hope to see you! (As if they’ll let me in.)
So, the idiots tell me we’re off to Tucsoncome Thursday. And NOT because their anniversary is tomorrow and we’re celebrating somewhere warmer than Albuquerque. No, it’s a rug hooking event, something she calls a hook-in. (Stupid name.) Apparently, some folks called the Old Pueblo Rug Hookers hold it. She goes every year leaving him and me at home. Bored.
Not this year; we leave Thursday morning, so we can be there by dinner (I love dinner) that evening. Eight hours in the car each way. And just like that, it’s October once more, and we’re back on the road again… They insist that I will not be left in the car while they do fun things without me, that we’ll go hiking. This remains to be seen.
Personally, I think that she wants me along so that he’s distracted after she buys all the crap she usually wins buys at the hook-in’s silent auction. (That and Darlene’s in Florida and isn’t available to dog-sit.) Two out of three years she’s come home with yet another frame! I tell you this, no frame is taking up my seat in the car. If it doesn’t fit, she’ll just have to get one of hooker friends to take it home in their car.
Never fear, I will be recording everything on this Tucson trip and will report back to you. Follow me on my High on Hooking’s Instagram/Facebookfeeds in the meantime. You’ll see what I have to put up with.