Thursday, December 20, 2007

The Count Down

I have 4 family Christmas events next week starting Sunday. I should be in panic mode because I haven't finished shopping by a long shot. I need to give up working-it's getting in the way. We've had several snow falls in the past 2 weeks and that has caused delays. Our old standby department store in the next town, which always has what no one else does won't be selling (oops, almost said the brand name and that won't fly) product X any more because company X feels the store is too small to sell their product. Never mind the product has been sold there for probably the last 75 years. The store is 125 years old. It's one of the last family owned department stores allowed to exist among the BIGGER non-mentionable retail facilities of it's caliber. A bit upper crusty but like I said, it has what the others don't.

Sunday's event is the older sister and companion traveling from Vermont. I'm serving Sauerbraten. Never made it before but my friend Alton Brown on the Food Network is helping me by allowing me to download his recipe. Christmas day will be mom and me and the boys. Nice and quiet, well as quiet as these 2 cats can be. Thursday the younger sister and her daughter will arrive from NJ. Her husband will arrive late Friday. An extended family party is being held on Saturday. Ham for the Friday event. Shepards Pie for Saturday's pot luck event.


Beau can't wait. He'll hide.Andrew can't wait. He'll hide. These kitties just don't care for alien life forms. There are times I'd like to hide with them.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Knitting Like A Mad Woman

Awhile back I told of a guernsey/ganseyish creation and this was the result.
Knit from the top down and very light weight. Araucania Natures Wool in a delicately variegated yellow. I had to dig around in WEBS warehouse section to get them(matching hanks). Well worth it and I think it's part of the fun. Mom liked it so much she wanted one--a bit different and red. We found ....

Cascade 220, a bit thicker material. I changed the cable for interest (my interest and I don't care for twin dressing with my mom, love her dearly but...just sayin.)Mmmmmm. I'll be borrowing this one. I've finished it since the pic but it's drying.


The boys helped put up the Christmas tree. Andrew made sure all the pieces were there.

Beau made sure I got all the pieces out of the box.


And made an inspection. He found it acceptable.


A nap was required afterward. I'm not sure what the cat-stacking was all about, there are other chairs to nap on.

Happy Holidays!

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Progress Report

No I still don't have pictures. I get up in the morning-it's dark, come home at night-it's dark. Weekends are flying by. I'm actually taking time off from work to go shopping. Then there's the impending doom of a collosal snow storm smacking us this afternoon. Everyone will be out to buy their prune juice and toilet paper because they'll be housebound for something like 24 hours! You might think we were back in grandma's time when roads were impassible for days and days. Silly really. They canceled school before a snowdrop has fallen. I could launch into one of those stories that our parents and grandparents unloaded on us about "when I was in school", blah, blah, blah. But it's true and probably why today's hysteria over snow sounds so ridiculous.
It's Thursday so the Hall is peaceful. I can actually get stuff done.

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men

Warm the Children donations on the clothesline in the Hall. The five hats to the right are some of mine. Pompom credit goes to mom. She's my official pompom/tassel maker.

Survival Center contributions of clothing and food. Things just magically appear, must be the season.
I had pics of WIP but it was nasty. I don't seem to get enough daylight to get a good shot. The top front and back are almost complete. It's starting to look like something!
Today I am wearing my pinwheel sweater. Wendy is making great progress on her version. Go see! You'll have to scroll down to 12/5/07 entry.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

While Visions of Sugarplums Dance in Their Heads

I doubt its sugarplums, more in the line of what naughty thing they can do next.
The holiday gift knitting is coming along. The holiday shopping is not.

Andrew has the right idea....


Beau has the right idea...(he was sitting up and just leaned over, the ultimate nap attack.)
My sister and I never got along this well. These two give each other facials. Interesting technique. I'm an esthetician and I've never given my sister a facial. When I do give facials I'm a bit more traditional than this.
I'd load up a pic of the w.i.p. but it doesn't look like anything yet. Stay tuned.