December Archive

Talking to Miweeshe on the phone while she was at her Dad's along with Number One Son ...

The wolves are howling tonight! I love that I can hear wolves while sitting on my back deck. And I saw a shooting star at the very same time! *sigh*

I've just completed the best crocheted mistake I've ever made! I was working on a shawl pattern and knew that I was decreasing too often, but rather than rip everything out and start over, I figured I'd continue as was and, in an attempt to recreate some of the beautiful knitted shawls I've seen, I'd add a second and even a third pattern to enlarge it. Once I finished the first pattern rows - and stopped laughing at the silliness of the size - I tried it on as a scarf. Much to my delight, it turned out to be a scarf pattern that I've actually tried to make in the past! It's exactly what I wanted as far as shape and drape go, and it's versatile. It can be worn this way or that, tied here, left to hang there, it would even work as a head scarf if you're zooming about in your convertible and don't want that wind-blown hair look. I'm going to make another one for a friend and will write the pattern down this time. (Pictures

either after Santa comes through, or if I happen to stop by and see Pappy any time soon - he's our only camera man at the moment.)

Now what am I going to do with this? It's a mini granny square made of thread = time on my hands!

I love living in the country at Christmas! It's what I've always wanted to do. There are horse-drawn sleigh rides for caroling (that was Friday night), and Santa comes to your house to pick up donations for the local food drive (Sunday night)! But our first winter in the sticks is a tad unnerving. There are some devilish sounds out there at night. The wolves have always been too far away to hear the real beauty of their voices, and the ever-present coyotes sound like an 8-year-old girls birthday party gone bad. Tonight it's a cat, but not like any cat I've ever heard. Could there be a bobcat, perhaps, having wandered into town?

"... bells on Bobcat ring, making spirits bright ..." It's Christmas, I'll decorate anything!

20 questions - Holiday Edition - the contest

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot chocolate, preferably minty or boozie!
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? I'm the Queen of the wrapping scene!
3. Colored lights or white on tree/house ? White.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? Of course, now pucker up!
5. When do you put your decorations up? Whenever the feeling takes me, any time near the beginning of December.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Stuffing.
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? The snowy Christmas Eve the Salvation Army played at the corner under the streetlamps and everyone came out to listen!
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? You mean, the one about how he actually diets right after Christmas? Still not sure I believe that.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Everyone gets just one, and it's usually new jammies.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Tons of lights, then red and gold bead strands, then lots of red and gold baubles. Not as tacky as it sounds!
11. Snow… love it or dread it? Gotta love our Canadian winters!
12. Do you know how to ice skate? Yep.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I don't, but I still love it to pieces!
14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? That my children learn the importance and sheer joy of tradition.
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Trifle, and everything.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? I've listened to the NORAD sightings of Santa on the radio since I was wee.
17. What tops your tree? An angel. Next year something different ... like Heather's starfish!
18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Giving that 'just right' pressie!
19. Favorite Christmas Song? The Muppets', Twelve Days of Christmas.
20. Favorite Flavor of Candy Canes? It ain't a candy cane if it ain't peppermint.

And then ... Manservant made me lunch. He didn't ask what I wanted, didn't ask how I'd like it cooked. He just brought it to me here, at the computer, and I ate and visited blogs of people I'd like to know.

Always on the lookout for something different created with hook and yarn, I found these. Crocheted cactii! Even the dirt is made from tiny stitches. Crochet Jardim sells these cactii, judging by the packaging, though her (his?) Flickr site is in another language and I can't understand it. I probably wouldn't crochet them myself though goodness knows I could use them.

Never did start the knitted socks today ... in fact, I never did get shopping today either. C'est la vie. I did go grocery shopping and took a good chunk of

skin from my shin with the corner of the truck door as I closed it and forgot to move my leg out of the way. This is the offending culprit, the first car I've ever owned that was not only built during the same decade in which I'm driving it, but is ahead of it's time. She's a 2007 Chevy HHR and was my birthday present from Manservant!

I found an oldish pattern from way back for a crocheted sock. It was a freebie from the publisher. I think I'll make my poor aching leg a treat. I've got some great yarn and with the stretch factor, I think it'll do well in crochet.

Fly Update - She's coming along absolutely buzzingly and I'm loving her! By the time Santa leaves a camera under the tree for me, I should have her camera ready! But I'm all bugged out and I think that once I'm home from shopping tomorrow - or even before I leave - I'll start another pair of knitted socks just for something different to do.

Hi New People! (Note to Old People: There are New People reading this blog and so now, not only are you all going to have to learn to play together and share and everything, but I'm going to have to keep things up-to-date and interesting and that's going to be veddy hard because I'm the least interesting person known to blog. Blahg?

Mom's home from hospital after her back surgery and she's just ducky. She's in a perpetual state of stone-ed-ness, but ducky she is. Why is this interesting to people old and new? I just had to tell you ... I met a real, live bearded lady while Mom was recuperating on A5! I mean no offense to all bearded ladies, new or old, reading these words, none at all! I just found it interesting that this woman has apparently done nothing at all with regards to removing unwanted facial hair. Perhaps it's not unwanted at all and her adoring husband finds it tickly. She just doesn't care that she sports a man's 4-day growth. Not only that, but she's also got shockingly bright fuchsia hair done in thousands of teeny-weenie braids and needless to say that attracts some attention. And yet she doesn't, well, shave or laser or what-have-you. And the woman's got character. Attractive, wanna-hang-out-with-her character! I just found it all so ... inspiring. Where does one get the confidence to be so confident?