Need something to do on the 4th?

You say you have nothing going on the morning of July 4th?  Kids are bored waiting until it's dark for the fireworks?


Well, have we got a treat for you!!  Join us in celebrating Independence Day at

Home Grange's 26th Annual

4th of July Parade!!

Parade starts at noon, ends at the Home Grange Hall.

Free Hot Dogs and Soda after the Parade!

Plus-Antique Engines, old fashion games, Alpacas, bunnies, Pony Rides, and much more!! 

Want to be in the parade?
Line up for the parade starts at 11 am on B dr S and 81/2 mile road.

Bring your tractor, pony dog, fancy car, decorated bike, lawn mower, or just yourself.  We're not real picky, we just love a parade!!

Where to watch the parade?

Park at the Grange Hall, bring a chair and line up along B dr South.  You'll make a new friend, and have a riotous, old fashion fun time.

Home...from DC

Was in DC.  You know, when it was 1 million degrees there.

I made 1/3 of a Clapotis, read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, we saw many a monument, and ran amok causing general jack assery everywhere we went.

Did you know you can run through the sprinklers at the Lincoln Memorial and not get arrested?  But, if you walk on the grass at the Air Force Memorial, you have to do 10 push ups. 

I also knitted during the National Grange Building's 50th year re dedication.  Because really, have I ever not knitted at a Grange event?

Me, dumb? Yes.

In a lame attempt to get healthy, I started taking my daily vitamin.  Yes, yes, it was a first step.  Next I added 2 giant calcium pills, because apparently I'm low on making vitamin companies rich.  Alas, I also restarted the fish oil tabs.  What the hell?  Fish oil tabs! I think I'd just better start exercising.

In the Zombie Prom Date Knitters realm, we've put down the shovels, and started the Haven Hat Hoopla.

In normal Knit with Snot fashion, I decided to knit a shawl instead.  Then I thought I was going to run out of yarn, so I added another color.  That looked like crap.  So, I continued knitting it until my wrists hurt.  You know, trying to see if it would look better.  No, it just looked like a larger pile of crap.

The moral to this story:  Make a damn hat.

Yarn, it's saving the World

Yesterday was the Pig update...Now for the knitting update.

I spent Saturday with fellow ZPDKs at the 4th Annual Roof Sit.  It was an Event (see everything I go to is an Event) to raise money for The Haven's In As Much House, a Battle Creek Homeless Shelter.

Awwh, aren't we a great group of people, helping the homeless? Ok, it was double awesome, the roof that Mix 104.9 was sitting on was Your Local Yarn Shop's roof! 

Previous Charity Events, and projects done by ZPDK members-

Kelly and the ladies at YLYS were hosting a Yarn Swap EVENT in the parking lot.

Along with all the great swapin' going on, the lovely people of School Pond Alpaca brought some of their animals. 

The Alpaca were quite a draw.  Also, towns folk of Battle Creek,

        These are Wonder Why Alpaca-Not SchoolPond.  It felt like cheating to take photos of theirs

 they weren't Llama, "thems uuuugly" beasts were alpaca.  Also, pork is from pig.  You know the barn yard kind and not the law enforcement kind.

We had a great time showing people how to spin, talking about yarn, and raising money for The Haven.

 YLYS raised over $600 just from the Feel Good $5 deal they had going. 

The Roof Sit event raised over $30,000 for the Haven.  Yeah, I double checked, I put in the right amount of 0's. 

In normal ZPDK fashion going to one Event lead to another Event.  We will be knitting hats and scarves for The Haven's In as Much House. 

The Haven Hat's Hoopla! (aka Hats for  Homeless...continued)

Knit a hat, or 27 this summer
Turn in 100 hats/scarves to The Haven
Deadline for hats-Labor Day

I want to get the hats to the Haven early so they have a better idea of what they are going to need for the rest of the Winter. 

If you need yarn, we had a VERY generous donation of yarn to be used for Charity Projects.

As always, we are still accepting Kidney Kozies to be distributed to Calhoun and Kalamazoo County Dialysis Patients. 

If YOU have a Kozy, Prayer Shawl, Cape, hat, or anything you would like to donate to another Charity, let me know.  I will get it to the appropriate place, or help you start a Charity Project.

Pigs Summer Adventure

It's the second week of summer, and you've heard nary a bit of Adventure.  Have we been slacking this summer?  Would you believe we were sitting around watching Gilligan's Island reruns?

Of course we're not!  The Pigs and I have been busy, too busy to blog snarky.  No, never that busy.

June 12th was the Vicksburg Old Car Fest.  Yeah, old car. They mean "classic" but this was their 30th Old Car Fest, so what do I know.

Like good Scouts, the Pigs were out on this hot day hocking water.

Really, those boys marched all over town and sold 50 bottles of water in an hour.

Thank you to everyone who bought water, was inadvertently hit by a Cub Scout, and those who tolerated the extreme excitement of Cubs doing good deeds.  Good deeds are often marked by shouting "Ice Cold Water! $1!"

                   One of my 1st grade JA kids thought I was so cool, he wanted to sell h20 with us!!


We've also already made it to the Kalamazoo AirZoo.  Admission is still free, but you might as well return those pop bottles and have $12.95 ready so your Pigs, kids, can ride the rides.

Pigs 1 &Pig2 went in the Navy airplane simulator, and were asked not to ride it again.  Pig 2 was screaming "SAAAAVE ME!!!  HELP! HELP!" the whole time.  I, was laughing.  I couldn't help it.

Sadly, this is the only photo we got while at the Airzoo.

                                          Ok, we liked the motorcycle best.  It was "wicked."


The AirZoo would be the perfect rainy day activity...if it only had free wifi.

What's up for us next?  Lawn mowing.

Tour de AWESOME!

Pull our your Yellow Shirt and your English-French Dictionary-it's time for that annual bout of biking insanity...

TOUR DE FRANCE! 
July 3-July 25th 

Viva le France!

As a young lass growing up, I was very into biking. Ok, I was very into the movie Breaking Away.  I do think that's why I have a love of Bikes, Dennis Quad, and Quirk.  That movie really showed friends, heart, and quirk! Go, go put it on your netflix list right now.

I'm a crafty-craft knitting person, not a bike enthusiast, how do I follow along?  Why by spinning my wheels with The Team of Wonder on the

TOUR DE FLEECE!

During the grueling bike race through the lovely countryside of France, the Team of Wonder will be bravely spinning our wheels too.  Ok, so maybe making yarn isn't the same, but I swear sometimes I fall too.

Day 1 of the Tour 2009- The Great Bike Drop Spindle Challenge!

Last year we were Team Zombie Slayers.  We had a ton of participants, a Yellow Leader shirt, and loads of fun! Whenever a person got the leader shirt, they violated it in one way or another.

                                   I chose to bedazzle.  Mostly because I own a bedazzler.

This year we Zombie Slayers don't have a team of their own, but many of us have joined the Team of Wonder, you know Wonder Why Alpaca Farm, Alpacas, fluff, spinning.  It just seemed to fit.

Here are the Guidelines (Not Rules) as stated in the Ravelry Tour de Fleece Forum:

Guidelines (NOT RULES):

1. Spin every day the Tour rides, if possible. Saturday July 3rd through Sunday July 25th. Days of rest: Monday July 12th, Wednesday July 21st. (Just like the actual tour)
   
2. Spin something challenging Thursday July 22nd. (The Tour’s toughest mountain stage from Pau up the legendary Col du Tourmalet)
   
3. Take a button if you want one. Then we can use the button on our blogs in show of solidarity. Take it from here or grab a clean one from the flickr pool. Come join the flickr pool!
   
4. Wear yellow on Sunday July 25th to announce victory. Why not wear yellow on any day you feel particularly successful? (Yellow is the color of the race leader in the Tour - but here we are all ‘race leaders’)
   
5. Other colors if desired: Green (sprinter - think FAST), Polka-dot (climber - as in uphill), and white (rookie)
   

How do you join the Team of Wonder?

1.  Go to Ravelry

2.  Join the Tour de Fleece Group- 

     hit join this group in the upper right

3.  Leave a message at the Team of Wonder Thread-You know, something like "Count me in" or "I'll see you in hell!"

Events, Prizes and General Chaos!

July 4th-Home Grange 4th of July Parade.  Wonder Why Alpacas will be there for the after party.  I'm going to Drop Spindle while walking the Parade Route-aka the middle of nowhere.

After, bring your spinning wheel, spindle or craft of choice and join the Grangers for Free Hot Dogs and fun.

July 9th-Spinning at the Wonder Why Alpaca Farm

TBD-Drop Spindle Bike Race!

Prizes-

Bump of Wonder Roving

Subscription to Spin-off Magazine

Yellow Shirt
The People's ovation and fame forever

This was part of Fiber Arts Friday.  For more fibery goodness, check out the Mother Ship of Friday Fiber Blogs.

Fogdog Hits the Hooch aka John and Beth's Wedding

Remember when FatCat Crochet was here, and it was all fun, all the time?

 

Well, that weekend, I was forced to have more fun at John and Beth's wedding.  Do I have to be everyone's go to Party Girl? 

 Actually, it was the sweetest, nicest, most to the point ceremony I've ever been to.

                                                 I do believe they were mocking Garland

14 minutes from the welcome to the kissing of the bride.  Nicely done lady from Detroit doing the marrying!

Then it was right to the reception!  Things I love about a wedding-Free Booze, Big hair and lot's of Cleavage, and that was just me!

                                                 Those are my tall sandals and my Tall Ogre.

In true good host form, John and Beth put our table closest to the bar.  Who needs to sit near the Bride and Groom?  When you are close to the bar, they come to you.

                    Apparently Dee has been lifting weights using Champagne bottles.  It works.

Since Dee has been lifting weights, her arms look amazing.  Jen and I decided to take up her work out plan.

I swear, the bartender delivered the bottles to us.  He also delivered Mojitos.  As it turns out, the Ogre can only carry 5 at a time.  Jen would rather drink from the bottle than get a Roofies Special Mojito. No, no, it's ok, we think.  The bartender had this mystery juice he was tipping back into the Mojitos.  Because I am not shy, I went and asked "Roofies?"  "Uh, simple syrup infused with mint." was the answer. Now, can that guy deliver drinks to the house?

It wasn't all hooch. There was dinner and dinner conversation.  We learned the way our own little Sunshine, Sandy, likes things. "I like the thin ones, not the think ones, they're too woody."

I told a guy the noodles were like veg lasagna.  He practically ran from it.  The Ogre commented "So, if it would have had sausage, he'd have been all over it?"  I believe we were implying the man likes his meat.

I asked someone "Does your husband mow all that?"  The answer was a bit shocking.  "Yes, he has a strap-on."  Well, ok.

There were also some special moments.  John's Best Man and the Best Man's wife treated us with a, well, here's the photo.

                                       He SOOOO loves her to do the Hula

They danced to "Dainty Cheeks."  "Dainty Cheeks, dampened by the sea spray."

We should not mock those with classy style. Here we are line dancing.

       

After the song was done, everyone left the floor.

I told Michelle, "If it was Donna Summer, I'd be out there, but I'm not going for that Frankie Valley shit."

But the floor was crowded a minute ago..."Yes, Michelle, white people like their line dancing."

I was told by one Ogre that requesting Gold Digger at a wedding is poor form. But it got people back on the floor, without the line dancing.  Dude, I am a dj.  Ok, a dj on blip, but still.

Actually, the Ogre was happy.  When he is happy, he turns into Simon Cowell.  He was critiquing the Best Man's Speech.  He deemed it a little pitchy. 

He also had comments about my dancing. "When you were dancing, you looked like Simon Peg.  Just for a little bit." 

He also had comments for his buddy Jerry.

Something like "why is my wife's cleavage on your camera?"

That would be because someone had the good notion to steal Jerry's unattended camera and take all sorts of fun photos!

My kind of people!

--

I had told them I left my camera unattended for an hour with friends, and not one single "when did I take that" photo.  

There was also a celebrity sighting...Barry Manilow...'s son?

-

Hey FogDog, how many Mojitos did you drink??

After having such a great time with friends, we decided to have a 15 year Anniversary Party featuring Karaoke and Guitar Hero.  You're all invited, but be warned the Ogre will be judging your performances.

Hooch, sponsored by John and Beth

Opera Prima-Moscato Charmat

Fen Valley White Wines

Mojitos of highest quality 

On a side note, I hear that John and Beth had a lovely honeymoon and were not over taken by Jamaican civil unrest. Although they were apparently taken to the resort while the driver was, well, celebrating.

Zombies-Not in my Kitchen

I've been cleaning the house in attempts to sell it.

Yes, a clean house is a sell able house.  With all this cleaning going on, there hasn't been much time for knitting.  But a strange thing did happen...


While the tile was drying in the kitchen, I sat on the porch to enjoy some fresh air.

A rogue zombie was out in the field.  Since I want to sell my house, and make the world a zombie free place, I eliminated it.  Sadly, I had to walk across my freshly mopped floor.

I made a couple grody spots, but I was able to clean them up quickly with the help of my handmade dishcloths. " NO!" You cry, "Not a hand knit dishcloth to clean up zombie mess!"
 Fear not, the knit cotton wash cloths are nearly indestructible, washable,

  and well, I know where I can get more.

This love of hand knit dishcloths was brought to you as part of Fiber Arts Friday!
Go to Wonder Why Alpaca Farm to see what normal fiber people are up to, and to link in your adventures!

Bec...I was shocked

I have a dumb baby bird in my yard.  You know, the speckly young robin that jumped the nest about a week too early.  Yeah.  I worry about him.  I pick ripe blackberries and put them where he likes to hop.  I refilled the bird feeder and dumped seeds on the ground.  Because although he's stupid, I don't want him to die.  I don't want to interfer, but I want to give him a fighting chance.

This is where this story turns to a question Bec asked me earlier this week

 "What does shock you Holly?" 

I figured it out today.  It all started...que the fog machine, put the vaseline on the camera...I was trying out some new make up.  You know, summer, make a change, liven things up.  Well, I had the eyeliner on, and Pig 2 comes upstairs into my clean pig pee free bathroom.

 I was all "what's up, don't pee on the floor."

Pig 2 "oh, nothing, but Copper has a baby bunny in his mouth, and he's eating it."

No time to put on the eyeshadow!  I ran out the door, into the garage and grabbed The Shovel.  Yes, the zombie slaying shovel was grabbed, bunny unseen. 

I get out there, Pig 3 is being accused of touching bunny, Copper is being held back by sensitive, super sweet neighbor girl. 

Inspect, scoop, and gently set bunny free on the other side of the fence.

3 HOURS LATER...

The Ogre and I were maxing and relaxing in the living room.  HARK!  Who is screaming in the back yard?
Here is what is shocking to me...a yard full of screaming dead bunnies.

WARNING: Do NOT go dead bunny hunting while wearing sandals in deep grass.

Well Clarice, have the lambs stopped screaming?

No, not yet, but I'm working on that bottle of rum.

If that bird also dies, I'm going to flip out.

Now it's Pig 1's Day!!

Woo!  Pig 1 is 10 today! 

Coffee will change your life

Always up for Adventure, quick witted, early with the sarcasm.  I'm proud of your awesome.

Your style is your own.  Ok, it's part Dr Who (10) but really, what a role model.

I love that your favorite food is sushi.  You're an expensive date, but worth it!  Happy Birthday PIG!!