Stand! Movie premiere!

A year ago, I was an extra in a movie telling the story of the general strike in 1919. It was the biggest of its kind and was news worldwide.

As an extra, I played a striker doing a silent march. It had to be silent because the powers that be had made it illegal to protest and demonstrate. So thousands of people took a quiet stroll through the streets.

Tuesday night was the premiere and everyone connected to the film was invited.

They had a red carpet photo op prior to the movie. I did it after the film so it was roped off.

They had a live band.

And lots of decor.

The movie was a musical (not my favorite) but as way to learn more about the event to consolidate info I had already learned, it was pretty good.

But the best part is I saw myself twice in the film! I didn’t hit the cutting room floor!

Snake skin

This weekend, I dug up a loom I had found a few years ago in a garage sale for $2.  I had been meaning to try weaving for some time.  The trouble is, I can never get past the idea of what I’d actually make.  I’d weave a chunk of fabric and then what?  What would I use that chunk of fabric for.  And since I couldn’t come up with a plan, the loom sat.

I decided, the first thing is just going to be a sample.  What ever came off that loom would be a hot mess as any textile skill involves mastering technique and tension before you make anything worth while.  I told myself, use crap scraps of wool and just work on skills.

Setting the loom up was a challenge.  I ended up cutting everything off once because I had made a big mistake in the wrapping of the warp threads.  I had to restring the heddles (the strings that raise and lower the warp strings so that the weft threads can slide in between).  After I was all set up, I had a piece of the loom left over that I didn’t immediately know what it was for.  But as I started weaving, the answer came to me.  I had set up the warp strings incorrectly. If I had done it correctly, I would have used the extra peice and I would be able to make the finished product longer. But the goal was not a longer piece and since I was still able to weave I carried on.  Next time I will know better.

As you can see, tension is definitely a problem but it is recognizable as a chunk of fabric.

It kind of makes me think of snake skin! Anyway, it will likely not get any longer.  I think it will get cut off the loom and my next attempt will be wider and longer.  I’ll make more of an attempt to even out that tension!

Staycation:animal visits

On Thursday of my vacation, I stayed home and puttered.  Mostly trying (unsuccessfully) to get the smell of burnt tephlon out of my house.

Friday, my daughter-in-law and I went out to visit my brother.  He and his wife love animals and they own and foster a crap load of them!

The chickens are usually free range during the day but there has been some issues with predators so they got a puppy that is supposed to be good with protecting livestock.  Until the puppy grows up and figures out its role, the chickens are cooped up.

Me and a cute frog (and the brother and a fore mentioned puppy).

No! Don’t jump!

My brother is fostering 3 kittens and their mostly feral mother (who will be spayed and released once the kids are grown.)

Do you think my brother and my hubby will notice if they come home with me?

Saturday, hubby and I went to the zoo.  It was a cool sunny day so the animals were all out and active.

While viewing the bears, we noticed a HUGE spider on the window over the hubby’s head.

I saw my favorite animal.

Alas, it was only made out of bark.

Staycation:explore a store

Last weekend, I took a “staycation” and I did a bunch of fun little things.

Monday was my 30th wedding anniversary so hubby and I went out for a nice meal.  Unfortunately, I left a pot on the stove and that gave us a wondrous late evening project of trying to get all the smoke out of the house.  The stench of burnt Teflon has been the gift that keeps on giving a week later.  The chicken I was trying to cook to make my fussy diabetic dog want to eat her “healthy” dog food was reduced to black ashes.  Not a shining star moment to be sure!

Tuesday I had a doctor’s appointment followed by a massage.  The massage was wonderful and I felt very invigorated afterwards so, instead of walking home, I walked to the grocery store to replace the incinerated chicken.  As I walked through the store, feeling so good, I decided I’d do my grocery shopping a day earlier.  It wasn’t until I got through the check out that I remembered I had lent my car to my daughter-in-law.  After the short walk home carrying 8 heavy bags of groceries (one of which got lighter once the jar of pickles ripped through the bag and smashed on the concrete) I no longer felt relaxed and invigorated.

Wednesday, I went and had coffee with my mother.  On my way home, I stopped by a store to explore.  It was a store that I just couldn’t figure out how it stayed open. 

How do you make money selling rocks?

When I first went in, I was surprised at how big it was.  I started walking around and found what you’d expect in a rock shop…rocks.

Amber, my favorite rocks.

Shiny rocks galore!

Rock paraphernalia, including things for people who are into the belief in the power of rocks and crystals.

Then I looked up and saw a random corner of antiques for sale. Yes, I squealed.

Isn’t this cute!

Next to the antiques was the store pet, Frank.

Next to the antiques there was the store pet Frank

Frank was in the little nook where you could sit and have some tea.

Next to Frank was some books for sale and next to those was the store pet birds.

The birds sat next to the Crazy Dutchman man. People can pick a geode out of the barrels and break them open to see the insides. To the left of that, there was a water trough where you can pan for gold (pyrite).

For folks into fossils there was much to pick from.

I found something hubby would like…shark teeth.

I now see how this store survives!  It was highly entertaining and there was a few things I could want and afford!

It seems a bit odd, but I think it could be a fun little place to do a costumed outing.  There are a couple of photo spots and having a cup of tea would be nice.   Perhaps after seeing the cemetery down the street….

Nalbinding…nope

I tried my hand a nalbinding, the viking form of “knitting”.  My first attempt was a fail.  The wool was too fine for my skill level and it was too “holey”.  My second attempt was better in terms of the holes but the technique uses several shorter lengths of wool that you attach as you run short.  The knots were too bulky for my tastes.

I’ll use it as a bag to hold my hair ribbons but other than that, I am not thrilled.

If ever I get the desire to try it again, I will use the same thickness of wool but I won’t use a cotton again.  It isn’t fuzzy enough for the technique of rubbing the two ends together to form a joint solid enough to hold two lengths together.  I ended up having to tie the ends and that is not the correct method in nalbinding and it made it far to lumpy.

 

Red fish, blue fish

I like my job.  I have a new position running a day program for seniors with dementia.  My co-worker and I are both very independent workers so we are left to do things our own way…just the way we like it.  So after a successful fund raiser, we were left to decide what to do with the profits.  We decided some pets would be the thing.

I’m quite pleased with our little arrangement.

There are two red fish, one blue and one yellow.

They have already been a great success.  It calmed one weepy lady, distracted one who was anxious, and gave several something to talk about.  It was nice.

Wonderful weddings

I’m making the assumption that the next two photos in my latest album purchase are wedding photos.  And I think they are about 25 years apart.

The first is from around the 1890’s if the sleeves are anything to go by.

Early 90’s if you go by the hair.  The gown is stunning!

There is a single name on the back.

I can’t quite make it out.  Paine Gerret? Peirre Verret? I don’t think it is the name of either of the people on the front.  Usually, when we write the name of the subjects we write everyone’s name…unless it is a large group like a class photo or hockey team.  I know that when I have handed out school photos, I write the name of the person I intend to give it to so I can keep track of who got what in the handing out phase.  I’m thinking that this is a possible reason for the single name.

Our next couple is from 1918.

I love it when the photos come with some solid information.