I bid too, but it was peanuts to what it is now!  I'm glad the auction is going well. 

Thanks for your good will intentions.  It does mean a lot that people outside the US want to help.  We appreciate the thoughts and well-wishes.

*group hug*

Cynde

Thank you for your "contributions".  If still looking for a way to assist, the American Red Cross is one of the primary agencies to collect and distribute funds during disasters.  They accept credit card donations online at their web site.

Congrats on booking the ceremony date!  Hope the house turns out to be what you are interested in.

Yay!  Congratulations on getting your date!  Closer to being reality, huh?  How exciting!!!  I hope your house works out, for sure the right one will come along.

I have no idea on how the house will turn out. On paper, it seems like it could become a nice house, and it passes many of our criteria better than other houses. But I already know that this one would require extensive repairs. It has served previous owners as a summer place and though it's well kept, they haven't done any major repairs. Its roof, insulations, pipes and who knows what else need repairing. There isn't even running water in the kitchen!  So, we are basically going to see, whether the task of making it habitable would overwhelm us, or whether we could do it. I don't dare to hope that this would be "the one"...yet it just *might* be...

Mamacat is taking last orders for custom hairsticks this month- after that she will sell on Ebay only. I already pm'ed her...

Hair is doing fine today, maybe a tad dirty. I'm going to wait until tomorrow night before washing in any case- we're going to look for some mushrooms again, so the hair will get all sweaty and dirty during tomorrow.

Fia on LHC had made an interesting calculation. She had calculated, to how many washes in 5 years different washing intervals will lead. The differences were really huge! I have been happy with my current twice a week-schedule, and changing it might be difficult because we have sauna every Saturday. But I really want to rethink it again...maybe I should start aiming at washing once a week only again.

Phew!

Today's been full of action. We went to forest after breakfast, and in just an hour, we had found both mushrooms and lingonberries enough for more than this weekend's needs. A scarf bun was again the right choice that kept most bugs and fir needles out of my hair...though at home I found a persistent moosefly. Yuck.

Quick switch to hairsticks (Violet Pinks SE sticks that I haven't worn for a long time), and off to buy groceries. Back home, hairsticks still holding well, I added just a scarf before I set to the task of preparing our pickings into delicious foods: mushroom and reindeer pie, scrambled egg roll with mushroom and bacon stuffing (yum!), lingonberry pie and lingonberry muffins. After all this, we still had some lingonberries left, to be eaten fresh with caramel sauce. Double yum!
    We also gave a couple of lingonberries to Bunny. She loved them. I should have guessed this earlier...normal rabbits like blueberries but L has always found them too sweet. So, she loves lingonberries.  She's always so logical...it's just us humans that are lacking consistency sometimes  .

     Hairwise, this huge baking effort (not finished yet!) meant putting a scarf on my head (the hairstick bun still under). Looks terribly housewifey with my apron , but trust me, after finding a few long hairs from my bakings I quickly found the joy and reason in covering my head while working in the kitchen.T laughed my kitchen style at first, but it stopped midair when he found a long hair curled inside his breakfast roll.  After that, he has been very supportive and found me only incredibly cute in my kitchen uniform...
    Speaking of kitchen uniforms, after I started baking regularly, I found quickly that besides a good kerchief, a good apron is also invaluable. Those that cover well are very difficult to find (I've recently started really drooling beautiful plain aprons sold in places like Plainly Dressed and Mennonite Maidens). But if I'm not fully protected, I manage to spill something colorful on myself.  This is especially interesting since my aprons seem to stay nice and clean...

Mamacat sent me ordering info. The woods on dymondwood page look so different than in her finished sticks...I'm regretting that I didn't write down prettiest color combinations I saw on Ebay. But, I'm trying my best. Though there's no way that I can reduce my order to just a pair or two.

When I have finished my baking, it's probably time for well-deserved sauna and hairwash.

Quote:


To find a workable apron, check out restaurant/supermarket supply stores.  My husband works in a supermarket and there is a local place where he would pick up items for meat, produce and appy.  He had this huge catalog and they had all kinds of apparel in there...I loved the aprons and bought two.  They also come in colors, not just plain meat counter white.

Also congrats on setting the wedding date!!

Here, supply stores meant for supermarkets or restaurants sell for registered customers only, and applicant customer must be a business. So, those are out of my reach. I've managed to find two quite good aprons so far, and after we move and I can get a sewing machine, I'll try to make my own. 

Darn it, I didn't think of that.  How about looking online?  You may be able to find something that way.

Congrats on the 7 pairs of mamacat's hairsticks!  Her sticks are simply gorgeous....if you get the chance, please post pictures of them in operation.