Yarn Harlot Sighting in Fairview Texas

It was a warm evening.  Around 82F, which is 30 degrees cooler than this summer if you think about it.  I left home at 4:30 so I would arrive in Fairview by 5:30.  My plan was to arrive, get a bite to eat, have a cup of coffee find a seat or space in line.  It all worked out great.  It went according to plan.  The sandwhich I had at A Real Bookstore was just great. Okay, not just great, I mean really great.  They even gave me two small bites of cookie and cake that were awesome.  I don't know what was in that cookie but I would drive another hour for another quarter of a cookie to be honest.

So in true Texas form the ladies arrived with about half in flipflops, about another 30% in tennis shoes and then the rest of us (and that is very few) in boots.  I had on my black boots, and sat by a nice lady who not only had on some pretty snazzy boots but periodically read me the Texas-Cardinals World Series of baseball score that her husband was texting to her.

I sat between two women who's husband's, like mine, were at home having an aneurysm over the baseball score.  As it turned out, the Texas Rangers won and all was well.  We were afraid of what our homes would look like when we got home if they lost.

Best of all, 90% of us were knitting, laughing, knitting, sharing, knitting.  Really fun.  We sat there for an hour and I won't say waiting because it's not like waiting when you have your knitting.  My Observations:  most knitters don't look directly at the knitting while knitting.  I was astounded.  I taught myself to knit and usually knit at home or, if away from home, I'm the only knitter.  So being in a situation where everyone was looking at each other whilst knitting was a new phenomenom. Holy Buckets, Batman!!!

The bookstore person introduced her as Stephanie Phee-McPearl.  Small snickering occured with this.  I think most of us were going "hmmm, that's not quite right, is it?"

So here we go:

First Sighting

Me and Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

The New Book



The Signature

 So I could tell she was exhausted.  I was at the signing table about 30 seconds.  Our conversation consisted of how she couldn't get any decent vegitarian food and I explained that she was, in fact, in beef country.  We took pictures. I moved on. As I was leaving I couldn't help but feel that my 30 seconds of meeting someone I admire so much was an inconvenience for her and I was glad to be leaving her in peace.  I would do it over again but next time, I'll just opt out of the book signing part.  I'll enjoy the reading and then head for the farm to see the baseball game.

I can't remember when I've had such a fun, funny and interesting evening.  "Thanks for coming to Texas, YH.  When you come next time, I'm going to wave at you from across the room, Okay?"

Pray for Rain

In Texas, as in many parts of the US and the world, we are having a drought.  No rain for a long time and none in sight.  The farmers are in trouble and the firefighters are exhausted.  All of our reservoirs are either mud puddles or dust bowls. About 70 percent of Texas rangeland and pastures are classified as in very poor condition, which means there has been complete or near complete crop failure or there’s no food for grazing livestock. The crop and livestock losses could be the worst the state has seen (AP-Lubbock, TX). Cotton, Corn and Beef are the biggest hit and with Texas as a world provider of these, the results will be devastating. And, get this, Black Bears are coming into townships and raiding everything from dumpsters to bird feeders in far west Texas and northern New Mexico.

We are praying for rain.  I've never received so many e-mails from my friends and acquaintances calling for rain prayers.  The Comanche Nation (native Americans from the Comancheria tribe) are having rain dances.

I didn't realize that there is actually an Intensity Scale for drought conditions.  I knew there was one for rain-fall because I grew up on the Gulf Coast of the US. 

This is what it looks like:


Texas is the 2nd largest state in the US, 2nd only to Alaska (which resides in the great white north, north of Canada).  But the interesting thing is, Texas has no natural lakes.  That's it, zero, nada, none...all of the water we use is dammed from rivers and made into reservoirs. Texas is the only state that was a republic before joining the union; the only state that can fly its flag as high as the US flag; and the only state that can legally secede from the union. Famous Kentuckians/Tennesseans like Jim Bowie and Davey Crockett died here in San Antonio at the Alamo fighting Mexico for Texas freedom in 1836. Unfortunately, they lost. Only women and a slave named Joe survived and were set free by Santa Anna, the Mexican general.

(in case you're interested in the Alamo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Alamo)

Forecast, 109F:

Oh and I forgot to mention, the water we do get tastes like mud and algae...eek! So when they say "water rationing", we say, "ok."

So please, pray for rain.  I'm going to start a new knit lace shawl. Wish me luck...

Bleepin' Hot

Texas in the summer is a special kind of hot.  I was in my husband's minivan over the 4th weekend and it was 108deg F.  Its been over 100deg everyday except one for the last two weeks.

<108deg F

So you probably are asking yourself, why in the heck would anyone want to live here for Pete's sake? I guess because we never see a negative sign in front of that temperature gauge.  we rarely see single digits either.  In fact, the lowest I remember is around 15deg F.  I don't own a winter coat.  I just wear sweaters and sweat shirts in the winter.

Usually I stay inside when its this bad but today, I have to go interview for a job.  My company is going away after over 100 years in business.  I've been told my job ends August 31. No more working from home as it were. So I'm dressed in work clothes and have on my make up.  It will be 102deg when I step outside....I can't wait. /sigh