Road Trip!

Left: 5:30 pm Friday, March 16

Returned: 1:04 pm Tuesday, March 20

Total miles traveled: 904.1 miles

Total time spent in the car: About 15 hours

Tanks of gas bought: 3

That was my road trip to Marion on Friday, then to Des Moines and back on Saturday, and back to the Twin Cities on Tuesday. On the way back I stopped at the Pratt Blacksmith Shop in Pratt, MN. I was there about three minutes and I left. They no longer have a forge there, it's just a Harley shop. The previous owner had a forge there, in 1972.

I have now done both of finals in both my classes. Even if I do really bad on both finals, I still have an A in each class. The purpose of the road trip was to visit TJ for several days, and just get away from my job. I studied nearly all day Monday, and some on Saturday and Sunday. The next semester begins April 2.

I finally finished the last of the major blackwork project. The total length is 59.5 inches, with 43.5 inches being consecutive. Each cuff is eight inches. And look, there are pictures! To give you an idea what size this really is, the larger flower is exactly one inch, and the smaller flower is a half inch. I only have to clean and iron it. Scamp (one of my two cats) was trying to help take the picture on the close up.

I've been on this weird wax table/wood carving thing lately. It's because I'm really, really sick of blackwork. I bought more lumber over the weekend for wax tablets. I now have enough for 3 sets, and they've been cut, sanded, and are ready to start carving. The first set I'm making is going to my friend Ian the Green. Maybe I'll put a set in the silent auction. I want to do something for me though because I haven't for a while. Everything I've made has been or will be for other people. One of the next projects is to work on is a new Tudor gown, but I must finish new underpinnings first.