Spinning Wheels and Barbeque

Well, Paige is not a county seat.  In fact the only person at work who knew where it was said, “isn’t that the place where the tractor store is?”  However, I spent most of Saturday in Paige, TX, and can’t remember when I had more fun.  Yesterday morning I loaded up my new spinning wheel and carpooled with a new friend over to Yarnorama.  There’s a spin-in there every month, and I was hoping to learn more about my new obsession and watch others spin.

We had a lovely time, there were spinners as new as me and people who have been spinning for decades.  Susan, the owner, is a lovely host and natural teacher.  Plus, of course, the whole event takes place in the fiber enthusiast’s equivalent of a giant toy/candy store.  There are yarns, needles, hooks, looms, wheels, and nearly every kind of spinning fiber imaginable.  (Seriously.  She even has yak.)

  A lovely time was had by all.  My wheel is the reddish one in the bottom left corner.

On the way back we stopped at Meyer’s Elgin Smokehouse in Elgin.  Gosh I love this place.  I always seem to get the Garlic Pork Wrap, which is literally a slice of white bread with a divine pork sausage on it, next to a pile of white onion pieces and pickles.  The first time I went there I ordered beans, and the lady delighted me by handing me a styrofoam bowl, pointing, and saying “the beans are over there in the big black pot.”  Now, as we all know, the very best beans come from big black pots.  Overall it was a Saturday’s worth of activities lovely enough to make up for the bizarre cold, and that’s saying something.

Next Post:  Chili (with a recipe!)

Absentee Blogger

OK, so the trip to Georgetown didn’t go down as planned.  But not to despair!  It is still there, and will not escape my camera for long.

This is a sad day for many in the Austin area – University of Texas at Austin lost to Alabama last night.  I consider the fact that I teared up a kind of proof that my Texas transplant is taking.  However, the team played very well under overwhelming odds, and that is the most important thing.  It is.  Really.  ::sniff:: 

Tomorrow I will travel to Paige, TX.  Paige is not a county seat, but it is the home of Yarnorama, which is sort of a giant candy store for people who knit, crochet, weave, or spin yarn.  I will be bringing my new spinning wheel, Traveller.

Not so Friendly?

OK, after an evening of sketching and sampling, it is possible that my intrepid armadillo sidekick will come from a toy store, rather than my sewing machine.  Which is a shame, because I have the perfect buttons for eyes.  If he is ready-made I suppose I can still make him accessories.  I almost wish I’d gone with a giraffe – I’m pretty good at giraffes.  They just don’t seem as “Texas-y,” somehow.  Luckily my senior travel mascot, Nuts the Adventurous Squirrel, is available in case of emergencies.  He was planning to tag along to advise the armadillo in any case.

Meanwhile, there is a wonderful Central Texas phenomenon known as “cedar fever” which is currently rendering all things delightful.  It’s very similar to hay fever with the addition of migraines and a general lack of spring in one’s step.  Luckily I have plenty of allergy medicine, so the March on Georgetown should take place as planned tomorrow.