By Golly I've Been TAGGED!

I haven't played a game of tag since well, before the turn of the century. While blog-tag is not as physically adventurous as the traditional, playground game it is pretty exciting to be invited by Melisa of Coppermouse Dolls. She's an absolutely fantastic creator of one-of-a-kind collector dolls! (For me it's the equivalent of being invited by one of the cool kids to come join in a game at recess, even if it is a random thing.)

Here are the rules:
1. Link to the person that tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

Now for the part where I get winded, my face turns a brilliant burnt sienna and I trip over my shoe laces. Actually, this shouldn't be too hard as I enjoy a myriad of non-important quirks and habits. It's the choosing...

MY SIX REVELATIONS

1. My first crushes were on Speed Racer, a cartoon character, and Don West of Lost In Space fame-the reruns, not the terrible movie. To soften the blow I'd like to add that my best friend had a mad crush on Bob Denver who played Gilligan of Gilligan's Island. She would write to him and he'd write her back. (I'm proud to say, for the record, that I never wrote to Speed Racer.)

2. I'm afraid of balloons. I think it's all that popping that they do. (I'd prefer it if you did not share this information with my little nephew. He would only put it to evil use.)

3. I was a vegetarian for 5 years during which I never once craived meat but, I did have a few extremely vivid dreams about bacon.

4. I have both a banjo and a violin. I am equally terrible on both and available for your next campfire sing-along. I also terrorize the clarinet, the piano, and the guitar. As a child I used to dream about hosting a variety show in my neighbor's barn. (We lived in the city but, somehow our neighbor had a big old barn.)

5. Every Spring I suffer from delusions of gardening-grandieur. I become disillusioned by Summer and my spouse takes over. One year we had a tremendous, bumper crop of tomatoes so I started canning vast quantities of hot and spicey salsa until I was asked by my sweet, older neighbor to please cease and desist. Apparently her eyes became inflamed and watery as she hung her laundry outside our kitchen window.

6. We have an evil parakeet named "Madge". She is the only non-shedding animal (and to a hand spinner shedding is a treasured feature in a pet) that we support. She is quite the whistler and bell ringer and is also available for your campfire sing-along needs.

NOW, to the following folks, "Tag You're it."

• Needle and Clay
• Spritebites and her awesome sphinx!
• Cindy Riccardelli!
• ABOUT WOOL
• Dropped a Stitch
• QUEENIE

And, NO TAG-BACKS!

The Treadler

New Equipment In the Studio

Well, I can't sleep. It's early a.m. and I finished the book I was reading. This seems like a good time to blog about the new washboard I bought last week! I've been wanting an old-fashioned washboard for a long, long while but, not quite enough to pay to have one shipped. (And, they aren't as easy as one might imagine to pick up while running errands about town.)

I'd hoped to find a shiny new washboard under the Christmas tree with a pretty red bow on it but, when that didn't happen I figured my husband wasn't too tickled with the possibility that people might ask what he got me for Christmas and I'd say, "a washboard", and they'd say, "That's terrible!" and glare at him which would be most unfair seeing as he does a good deal of the actual clothes washing around here and I don't even want the washboard for that purpose anyway.

A while back I was having a rather jolly good time wet felting wool and experimenting with all kinds of shapes, colors and textures. That's when I got onto this washboard kick. My hands were starting to look a lot older than the rest of me. (It's one of the telltale signs of a serious fiber affliction.) And the whole process loses something if you wear those big, rubber dish gloves. For one thing they are too drippy! I figured a washboard would modernize my entire operation.

So, last week I finally took action. I called hardware stores and craft shops and mega stores. I can't find anything at those mega stores. Although it's a story for another time I once went on this eternal odyssey searching for toothpicks at a Super Walmart. Finally, at a little family-owned hardware store I made my connection! And they only had one washboard left. I got a little overly excited about it and asked would they please hold the thing behind the counter for me if I promised to get over there right away you know, in case there was a mad dash for washboards in the next 15 minutes. (Somebody's husband might be Valentine's Day shopping, buy that last washboard and destroy my dream.)

Long story short (ha, ha, ha, ha, ha) I got my washboard. It looks just like the old fashioned kind too, except it has a web site printed on it: http://www.columbuswashboard.com/ so I figure it's cutting edge. Exciting times ahead for The Treadler!