Monday, September 25, 2006

For Angi about Horton

Angi wants to know why I named my spinning wheel Horton. She promised to tell if I did. She asked a long time ago and I am just now getting around to it.
I attended Shakerag in Sewannee TN and learned to spin. Kinda. I just HAD to have a wheel and my wonderful Pauly bought me one. I ordered it ( a Lendrum DT) with all the bells and whistles from a store somewhere out of state. It was supposed to be here in three days. It wasn't. I waited and waited and called UPS and the store and they each blamed the other. Naturally. Finally my wheel arrived. Horror!!! I didn't know one single thing about a spinning wheel, I trusted my expert friends to turn me on to the right wheel for me. They did good. I digress, as usual. With trembling fingers and shaking hands I gingerely put my wheel together. In the privacy of my living room I treddled and treddled getting the feel of things. A good friend (Blaine) told me to do that and it was good advice. But there was a clicking noise. Not good. I didn't know where it was coming from so I called Lynne and arranged to meet her with my wheel. She agreeed that the noise wasn't good. so she just got on the phone and called Gorden Lendrum (and impressed the hell out of me) and he said " they let the elephant sit on it." He told her the adjustment to make and sure enough the noise stopped. (it has come and gone again since then). Letting the elephant sit on it made me think of Dr. Suess and Horton. You know, the elephant that sat on the egg for a year or more? Horton heard a Who too, but that is another story. I HAD to name my wheel Horton after that and I don't even like the name. It fits nevertheless. So now you know the rest of the story and Angi, you have to tell me yours now.