altivo

...done with the last woven piece. I'm up past the sky and falling snow and into the clouds. About three inches more to weave, and I'll get that done early in the morning. Then I have to press and hem it, but it isn't to be handed in until after 2 pm, so no problem.

In between weaving I managed to go for groceries, make a bank deposit, and fill my gas tank. Price is down to $2.37 here now. A year ago it was just beginning the free fall from the $4.60 range that bottomed out in December at $1.41. Prices at the grocery are dropping too. I'm not sure whether that's an overall trend or they've just lost so much business to three new WalMart stores in the area that they're desperate. Certainly the store was not as busy as it used to be at 11 am on a Saturday. Pork is especially low. In fact, they had pork roasts for 89 cents a pound, and hams for 99 cents a pound. It's hard for me to believe that this is because people are afraid of catching swine flu by eating pork, but that's what the farm newspaper claims. In the afternoon I baked apple pie and fed the critters and put them to bed as Gary was out at a paid performance in Hampshire.

So, tomorrow I turn in the weaving. The spinning work was handed in two weeks ago and has already been judged. Rumor has it that I got six placements out of eight entries, which isn't bad at all. Weaving will not fare so well, I'm sure. The judges always seem to prefer high fashion, and my work is traditionally pragmatic. I actually expect my pieces to be used. (What a concept.)

Monday, the show gets hung up in the gallery. Weaving will be judged on Tuesday. Members only sneak preview is Wednesday morning, including votes for "members' choice" award. Thursday we open to the public, and I'm the gallery watcher for Thursday afternoon.

For anyone local to Northern Illinois who might be interested, the show details are as follows:

Woodstock Weavers Guild presents its 12th annual show, combined with the Hollow Tree Spinners, at the Old Courthouse Arts Center, 101 N. Johnson St. on the Square, Woodstock, Illinois. Gallery is open Thursday through Saturday 11 am to 5 pm, and Sunday 1 to 5 pm, from October 8 through November 1. Reception with refreshments and live music on Sunday, October 11, from 1 to 3 pm. Come and see. Every year it gets better.