Hello all...computer ejiit here...I've tried several times to send an intro note and have failed each time. Let's see how this time works.

I'm Sandra and live with my family in southwest Virginia at Thistle Cove Farm. I'm the shepherd & farmer while my husband is the computer geek (he, however, has no idea about lists, forums, etc.). His ninety year old mother lives with us along with an assortment of dogs and cats.

I breed and raise rare American Curly horses, Shetland, Romney and Merino sheep. I spin, weave, knit and felt the wool and supplement farm income with free-lance photography and writing. We offer farm tours to groups and families and have a farm store on property. Our wool clip goes, generally, to make 100% virgin wool blankets, throws and yarn.

We house the Lost Arts Guild and help other traditional mountain artisans promote, market and sell their heritage crafts.

This is such a great website and forum; I'm glad to be here!

Don't get so busy you miss God's blessings!

Sandra
www.thistlecovefarm.com

Sandra, Welcome! You sound like you have a very interesting life! It must be wonderful to work with all those sweet animals and to be creative with textiles all the time. I would love to hear more about it!

Bright Blessings,
Lil

Sandra,
I just spent the last 30 or so minutes going over your site. I love it there! The animals are beautiful, and farm is very appealing, and the activities there sound like fun. I know you are a working ranch, but I love the fact that you involve the community and let the school children in on the action there. That must be a thrill for them. It would be for me, even at my age! ha!

I wish you had shown pic's of the farmhouse you are renovating. It bet it's lovely. I will admit that I have never heard of curly horses until I visited your site. I absolutely loved reading everything. Good job on the site! and oh yes...WELCOME!

Sandra, welcome! I also searched your site and loved it. You introduced me to a new way of living.

Ladies, I corresponded with Sandra by e-mail and guess what? The lady onthe porch spinning is her. Isn't that cool? Looks like a perfect setting to me! That's probably because I live withink walking distance of 4, soon to be 5 Starbucks. Lots going on around here compared to that serene atmoshpere whiere Sandra lives!

Sandra, I'm in awe of people who really pursue their art (rather than just talk and think about it) and to combine that with raising animals must be great. I have 3 horses (2 at home and 1 at a trainer's for selling purposes). In real life, I write instruction manuals but I'm trying to write a book, plus some short stories to break the book monotony. Unfortunately, I tend to get distracted and discouraged. It's encouraging to read about someone who's actively pursuing their dreams.

Mary
www.cowgirl.4t.com

Welcome Sandra, Your are right, this is a great forum with great friends here.

You are not that far away from me, I live in Northern maryland. i'm glad you like the forum and hope to hear lots from you.

Lynn

OMIGOSH! I feel like Dorothy in OZ...or maybe it's Arnold...whatever...thank you Dotsie for helping me with the forum "stuff". I'm back and logged in...MY! what a feeling!

Lil, your cookbook looks wonderful. Congratulations on having a book in print.

JawJaw - gee, I thought that's how *everyone* said Georgia! You mean other folks are saying it incorrectly?! How rude!

Dotsie - FIVE Starbucks!!! I'm not aware of even one in southwest Virginia! Starbucks would throw me out of the coffee line...I fix the coffee pot with Folgers the night before and then press a button the next morning as I'm on the way to the barn .

Agate - instruction manuals...what kind? Go for the book, gal! Can't no one write *your* book but YOU. (so to speak )

Lynn - northern Maryland, eh? I attend the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival at the Howard County Fairground every first weekend in May. It's a fabulous affair for those of us who deal in fiber - whether animals or finished product like yarn.

Many thanks to all for the warm welcomes.

Textiles...the wool from the sheep is either for personal use or I send it to be processed. For personal use, after shearing it's washed, dried in the sunshine, carded on my small carding machine (making batts of roving), spun on one of my spinning wheels and then knitted or woven into something useful. Sometimes I'll use the fleece or carded wool for felting. I've begun making felted pins and also have begun knitting bracelets with semi-precious stones and polished rocks. Sometimes I'll mix with the wool some Curly horse fiber or mohair (from Angora goats) or alpaca or llama fiber. That mixing is done with the carding machine.

If I send the wool off to be processed then it's turned into 100% virgin woolblankets, throws and/or yarn. (Virgin wool is wool that has *never* been used for anything other than as fleece on the animal. If the label doesn't say "virgin wool" then there's a chance it's a re-processed wool rug.) I'm thinking of having some socks made this year. My blankets and throws are sold word of mouth and in the farm store and come with a certificate of authenticity and our own label. Due to the nature of wool, the blankets are numbered every year and there are only *x* number made. That depends, of course, on the pounds of fleece we obtain from the sheep. Right now I've got 400 pounds of Merino in the farm office to sort and send. There's also another couple of hundred pounds of Romney and Shetland fleece. That particular job should have been done several months ago but wasn't. Life on a farm is NEVER dull!

Time to get something else accomplished. Best to you all...

Sandra who is still trying to figure out this forum thingie...do I sign my name now or does it appear later...hmmmmmm...just hit the button and see what happens.

welcome Sandra, loved your website and the pics of the farm - it looks really beautiful...

knitted bracelets? now that sounds interesting!

Hi, Sandra. It's so nice of you to drop in and share your interesting - and busy! - life with us. Wow! I look forward to getting to know you better.

Donna
www.worthfinding.com

How about all those Starbucks? I wish I was a coffee drinker. I've recently started drinking it on special occasions, but not enough to visit Starbucks. I need my orange juice and water in the mornings.

Sanfra, do you have pictures online of the any of the items you make on the farm? Didn't see any on your site.

Knitted bracelets - I use 26 gauge wire and semi-precious stones or polished rocks. I string the stones or rocks on the wire and then begin casting on stitches. Every stitch I cast on, I bring "some" (meaning 2 or 3 or 4 or however many looks good) stones or rocks and then make that stitch. And so it goes until the last stitch; then I start casting off. Finish doing that and p-u-l-l the wire, very tauntly, as far as it can be stretched and then put on the lobster claw and the o ring. Wrap the ends of the wire neatly and viola! a knitted bracelet.

I don't have photos on the website. Right now I'm trying to get ready for an exhibition; also trying to get other Lost Arts Guild members ready for that same exhibition. I'm tyring to get exposure, sales, publicity, etc. for the Guild. Some of the members have no other means of making $$ and this is what puts meat on the table. Other members have day jobs and this is "fun" for them.

I'll have to get photos, sooner or later, of everyone and their work so will let you know when available on the website.

Part of my "ministry" is helping folks; that's why the Lost Arts Guild. I saw a lot of really talented people who aren't very sophisticated who were being taken for a total ride. You've seen situations where people would say, "oh, it's not worth all *that* much...I'll give you $25." I just had a guy offer me $25 for my old Victrola. When I told him I needed to research what it might be worth so it would be fair to both of us, he got very upset and started belittling me. "You know," he said, I don't *have* to offer you anything. I'm doing you a favor by taking it off your hands." Oh geeze...like Dave says, "now he's done it. He's gone and made you mad. May God have mercy on his soul." I've a real dark gift for cutting folks like that off at the knees and handing them their legs. That man talked to me like I was an idiot and a woman...two strikes against me in his book. When I pointed out to him I really didn't know if $25 was a fair price he told me it didn't matter because I didn't deserve even that much money. Apparently, I insulted him when I didn't say, "oh thank you Massa."

Now Sandra...repeat this several times...I am a *practicing* Christian. I am a *practicing* Christian.

Ah well...more than you wanted to know. Photos forthcoming.

I have a 10-mile long list of replies for rude people, all of which should be said with a dazzling smile. A recent one (that's right -- you don't know me yet -- I sell my hand-crafted jewelry at fairs): a woman said loudly to me "I can't believe people pay these prices", to which I launched a 2-minute lecture on prices and jewelry quality, and ended with "However, I understand that not everyone can afford my quality." Beaming smile, then back to work and totally ignored her.

I'm generally a very nice person, but have absolutely no compunctions about telling off rude people. I think of it as a public service.

A public service...I LOVE it! Thanks Meredithbead! BTW, I went to the photo album and looked at everyone's picture...you look SO familiar. I've either met you, or your twin, and recently but can't remember where. Have you been on the East Coast lately?

And Lillian...she reminds me of a southern woman author...three names...maybe King is one of the three names...really biting wit and thoroughly enjoyable author...Florence King! that's it! Florence King...okay, fine...whatever...so it's only two names but there are 3 syllables.

AGH!!!! my daily prayer is, Please God, let it be menopause and not Alzheimers.

Sandra, I'm originally from New York City, went to high school in Chicago and college at Ohio State in Columbus. Last visited family in NYC right before 9/11. I don't meet too many people who look like me, but everyone else seems to know someone who does.

Pick a country, any country, from Northern Europe to Southern Europe to the Middle East to Central Asia to North and South America, and someone has a sister-in-law/ neighbor/ 3rd cousin whom I resemble. Never met any of these gals, although I suspect some ancient progenitor screwed his/her way around the world haha.

MB, great comment. What a way to think.