Reflections

New Year's Eve is always a time to reflect. I hope that this doesn't sound like a pity party because I have so much to be grateful for. I just paid my taxes and had the money to do it. My new baby welcomed me home this evening with tail wags and snorts from his soft velvet snout. I am sitting here typing on a blog, something I thought I would never do. The house is warm and I certainly have more then enough to cover not only my needs but a bunch of wants. What happened is a Lawrence Welk Show on television. Now I have never been a Lawrence Welk fan. But...There was nothing but football and paid programming. Dare I say in Wisconsin that I am not a fan of football of any type. Now, I suppose I will be run out of the State. Even the history channel had war stories. I have had enough of killing, so I thought I would listen to the music from the Welk program while working in another pair of socks for Jade. The song that came on said when we have gone our separate ways, we will have these moments to remember and it set me off into the reflective mode. So please bear with me while I think about some other New Year's Eves. Let's see, there was the night of the aluminum foil dress. I have only told a couple of people my age that I am blogging. They are the only ones that might remember. In the 60's there was a push that we would all wear disposable clothing. I had this silver foil dress. Luckily it made it through the night without ripping into shreds. That was Madison, Wisconsin. There were several welcome to the New Year in Zion, Illinois. Those were the classic ones. Out all night and breakfast in the AM before going home. One year I had this great lime green dress with a matching scarf that had a rhinestone design. My ex said that dress doesn't look bad even on someone like you. Hey, I hung in there 24 years so don't think I took it too personally. However, there are some things you don't forget. Lets see, back to Wisconsin and more going out but Illinois once again loomed in the future. Seneca would have been fondue and pinochle or subs and charades. I usually had the party at my house. That way I put the kids to bed and was feeling a bit safer then being on the road. Back in Wisconsin we had the Year of the Blizzard. Some friends came down and unknown to me they were in the other room doctoring their coffee while I was cooking. Everyone insisted we go out. The weather was terrible. I don't know why I thought it would be safer if I went along. I wasn't the one driving. (Do you remember "friends don't let friends drive drunk") that always made me so mad. Did you ever try to take the keys from a drunk that doesn't want to give them up. Good luck. Anyway away we went. Once we hit the nightspot all I wanted to do was go home. By this time the roads were closed but that didn't stop the Ex. Lucky that there was a snowmobile that found us and took us to a four wheeler that was patrolling the roads. I think that was the last News Year's we went out. That one even stopped him. There were the years in Bloomington with Harry, a friend of ours and I falling asleep before midnight and everyone else waking us to bring n the New Year. I think that happened at least twice. There were a couple of Church parties in Brodhead. I really kind of liked those. We did games and had potluck as well as a prayer to issue in the New. In Texas the parties were at my house again. Always something going on. Now, it seems strange to be alone and remember. There was always so many people. Years and Years of people. Good times and Bad. The song is right. I will have those moments to remember. Lets make this one a good memory. Happy and Bright New Year to all. May you have lots of New Year's Memories to share.

Odds and Ends

I like to kind of finish things up this time of year. I had a bunch of little pieces of yarn left over from Jade's purse, her sparkle socks and some wool sock yarn so decided to see what I could so. The fingerless mittens that my pal sent me her pattern for are the result. I don't think the three colors do justice to her wonderful pattern but it does give you the idea. Now off to more sparkle socks. I didn't take the take to measure Jade's foot and I guessed wrong so they are way too small. My fault. Now I owe her another pair. She has picked dark blue sparkle. I don't know how the micro fiber is going to work up but I am about to find out.

To honor the season

OK, I am all right at knitting but what I am really good at is sewing. I have not touched the machine in weeks and have had an old throw pillow that I needed to recover. I love bold as an accent and thinking of all the gifts, I finally took an hour this morning and went to work. I am not sure it even took an hour so shame on me. I really need to get back to my machine but this time of the year it is so easy to pick up my knitting needles and dump myself in the recliner. Anyway, The afghan is a counted cross one that I finished last year. I like it but it needed something that was bold to bring it out. So here is the result. I should finish up a pair of gauntlet today. My secret pal created that pattern and when she sent me a pair I asked for it. I think it is great. I may have to make another pair also but will see what transpires. There is so much I want to do. You all know what that is like.

The Smells of Christmas-cinnamon, nutmeg and burned brussel sprouts

Just a note to those of you who are running around trying to get that last special gift for you little one and think that when the kids are grown all will go smoothly. This Christmas as I will be at my son's house and have a new dog to adjust to his new home so I kept the Christmas decorations to a bare minimum. That's saying a lot for a person that has 5 trees in the basement of various sizes and materials. Anyway, things were going along so smoothly that when I looked up at the curtains over the patio door and decided they needed to be washed it was a simple no brainier to get them sparkling white for the holidays. I love the smell of fresh washed fabric and between the clean curtains and the spices permeating the house it was really, I mean really nice. Now I admit it. I am one of those people who love brussel sprouts. My kids go yuk, little cabbages, but I have no one to please but myself and bought a nice large container. I cleaned them up and put them on the stove with just a tad of water, then I started to work with some wonderful yarn that my secret pal sent me in an earlier package. It was so relaxing. I have the last present wrapped. The ice cream is made. The house smells fresh and clean....WAIT A MINUTE. It stinks. Of no, I got so carried away with the knitting that I forgot I had the brussel sprouts on the stove. Nothing smells quite a bad as burned brussel sprouts. Hummmm...the only difference I can see with the addition of years is that as much as the house smells I am somehow finding it funny. Thank God for the ability to open the doors and the new sprays. So what is wrong with a lilac smelling Christmas? Nothing that I can think of. That will teach me to feel smug. Merry Christmas to all of you out there and may just a little something go wrong because there is no perfect. Better yet, I hope you enjoy the bumps in the road..they are what keep us alert.

It is almost here

The 23rd already and I am still wrapping and cooking. Chewie, my new baby, does not understand why an rational human being would be up and in the kitchen at 5 AM. He is lying on the hassack and manages to list one eyelid to take a peak now and then but that is it. Smart dog. The last gift arrived by Fed-X last night and things are finally getting finished. I must just remember to breath deeply and slow down - everything always has gotten done and it always will. Anything I don't finish was not meant to be finished so it doesn't count. The 21st was my grandson Logan's birthday. We do only a small celebration because it is so close to Christmas. He gets a half birthday in June that is not so taken over by the Christmas holiday. Hummmm...I wonder what happens when Jade, his sister, figures out with a birthday in April she hasn't been getting a half birthday. She has a mind of her own so that should be interesting. Now, off to make peppermint ice cream. The kids like to watch it freeze so I will take it over to their house.

A Christmas Package

My wonderful secret pal came through just in time for the holidays. What a wonderful box all the way from Germany. Beautiful autumn colored lace weight wool yarn, lots of German Christmas goodies (I can hardly wait to try them) a very large chocolate Santa and a wonderful book to curl up and read with a holiday cup of tea. I am so lucky to have this secret pal. Happy holidays to her and to all my friends out in blogger land.

Secret Pal 9 Answers

The hostess is running a little "contest" where we get answers from our secret pal. I have a wonderful pal that not only spoils me with gifts but stays in touch on a regular basis so here are her answers to the questions. Another way to get to know someone well. Thanks pal I am fortunate to have you.
1) the oddest gift you have ever received (not asked for)
a bottle of hardwood floor cleaner from my mother for last mother's day (no, she didn't want to give me a hint, at least I don't think so because for that matter she would be pretty direct ;-) )

2) the oddest gift you ever asked for
a breast pump for my birthday right after my daughter was born. The one I wanted was rather expensive, so I asked my In-Laws.

3) the oddest gift you ever gave
that is still the joke in our family: I was rather young like 10 or 12 and money was short naturally and the sources where to shop in our town wasn't too good either. Anyway I gave the partner of my grandma some birdseed for Christmas (they had a bullfinch that he had found badly injured at his workplace. The bullfinch lived several years with them)

4) the worse gift you ever got
there are several but one was a plastic capelet (the ones you use for hairdoing so loose hair and dandruff won't get on your clothes) and shower cap from my MIL for one x-mas while we lived in the US. So fortunately I didn't have to look in her face when I thanked her ;-) Needless to say I don't use either of those things (and they didn't exist for too long in my household)

Nap time

I've been remiss in blogging for the past few days. Hopefully the picture tells the story. Meet my newest family member. This is Chewie...Because he makes sounds just like Chewbaca in Star Wars. He has some health issues that hopefully we can get all cleared up. He loves everyone and everything-even kittens and that is saying a lot for a Shar Pei. Knitting has taken a backseat for the time being.

Little Lucy

Things are a little hectic right now. The holidays are coming up and I am not even done shopping - much less wrapping. It looks like I should have a new companion soon. If all goes well he will be picked up in Illinois on Sunday and home that evening. He is coming from Arkansas and everything I have heard makes him sound so very very special. Pictures will follow once I get him home. Here is the Lucy bag for my granddaughter. I don't know why I keep thinking they are Anne bags, but I do. Off to the store to find a neat pin for it and it is one more thing ready to wrap. Wow, is anyone else as flaky and behind feeling as I am? Next week I start a little vacation and maybe I can get caught up then.

AT LAST!

I finally finished the second mitten. This is why I have to finish one thing at a time. Now I am trying to make Jade a quick little purse. She liked the Anne bags so I will see if I can get a small one done for her. I have never made as many of one item. I have a short bordeom factor, but this is the exception. I am still bored with all the plain knitting but they do go really fast. I am using a sports weight alpaca that is supposed to felt great so I will let you know.

Solstice Magic ball

I have really become addicted to these swaps. I have met some wonderful people out there. So I keep signing up. Here is what I am sending my latest partner. Her mother is battling cancer. She is getting a knit cap from the yarn so this is a soft suede acrylic so that it is not scratchy. My prayers to my partner and her family. Meanwhile, I was snowed in yesterday and I can't say that I really minded. The plow that gets me out didn't get to the house until about 4 PM so I had lots of tea and managed to finally get a book read in one sitting. I am currently finishing a mitten that is cabled and then on to other things. I am also now on a search for a new companion. I am sure that there is one out there just waiting for his/her new home. Meanwhile I have found a lot of caring people. Will keep you updated.