I’m back from Oregon. It was a really nice time with my mom at the Black Sheep Gathering. My mother-in-law didn’t feel up to coming, which is probably a good thing ’cause I don’t think she would have made it for a number of reasons, the first being that the drive down was a nightmare.

A couple hours south, I was in a construction zone, concrete barriers right on the edge of each side of two lanes of southbound traffic. Cars and semi-trucks everywhere. No shoulder. And there was a huge rock in my lane. If I’d been in my Expedition, I would have driven over it. But I was in Nate’s car, and I wasn’t sure if I had clearance to get over it without damaging the underside of his car, so I slowed down (which put the semi right next to me) and moved as far to the right as I could without going into the other lane. It wasn’t far enough. I hit the rock and blew my tire right out. I turned on my hazard lights and slowed to a stop in the left lane. I called 911. A state patrol trooper pulled up behind me and turned his lights on to get me off the road. I had to drive awhile on a blown tire to get out of the narrow, no shoulder lanes and move off to the side. The trooper lectured me a little about stopping on the road, but really, I couldn’t get back up to freeway speed with no tire, and the right lane was moving by me too fast for me to merge, so I’m not sure what in the heck I was really supposed to do. He had to go help out on a rollover accident, so there I was, with a baby, on the side of the freeway in a construction zone. Two of the men working construction put my spare on for me, (so kind), and I made it a few miles south to a tire place that checked the air and lug nuts and told me being a fill size spare, it’d last through the weekend.

So that could have been much worse, but as it is, was extremely stressful and put me back a few hours.

The class on Saturday was really great,

but you have to braid standing up. My mother-in-law wouldn’t have made it. But I bought her a book and a kit and took notes, so we ought to be able to make some rugs together once she recovers from her second surgery coming up in a few weeks.

It’s really easy to braid and sew, provided your roving is consistent. I’m wanting to make rugs from my batts, so I’m hoping I can make something consistent to work with. Having samples of good roving will help. I was sitting next to a couple of shepherdesses that had also hoped to make rugs from their own batts which is really cool and helps me feel a little less insane.

While it is easy, I think I’m going to have to rip out the sewing on my started rug because I pulled the thread too tight, and it isn’t wanting to lay flat without a little coaxing. And while I don’t feel ready (as in, I’m busy and don’t have a lot of time), I think I should start making one soon so I don’t forget the little tips and tricks I learned in class.

We’ll see how that goes.

I hit really bad traffic on the way back (on a Sunday afternoon. So irritating), so while I’d hoped to be back by 2 for Father’s Day, after leaving late and traffic delays, I didn’t get home ’til, close to 6 if I remember right. Max was amazing on the drive both ways. On the whole trip in fact. He didn’t cry at all.

It’s officially summer vacation right now, and gray and wet and cold outside. Lovely. I have a ton of housework to do today that I plan to get the kids in on. Last summer, Monday was our cleaning day and then we didn’t have to work much the rest of the week. It worked out really well, so we’re jumping right back into that this summer.