10 years... ! And gifts.

I received an email from my "boss", asking what year service pins we had.

I checked, mine was 5 years.  I wear the pin when I am working, so I was pretty sure. 

Then I received another email telling me, and a few others, that we would be receiving a 10 year service pin, at a lunch sponsored by the Office.  I thought that was cool.  The last time I received one, it was put on the desk when I showed up.  Which was fine, too, I still received the pin.  But this sounds like it will be more fun!  And one person will get a 15 year pin!  So, we shall celebrate longevity, I guess... ; )

*******

I don't know if I mentioned it, but there is a comic I very much like. (It's a very unusual comic, a dystopian society, with animal characters, and a very involved backstory... It's called Endtown.)  I have ended up writing to the gent who does the comic, and though we've not met, I like to consider him, at least a pen friend.  Well, I have bought a print of his, and Husband bought two for me, so we have his art up in the house.  I sent off a Christmas card, and wished him a Merry Christmas, the usual, and didn't think anything more about it. 

I received a card a bit later from him, and my jaw dropped.  I received, not a print, but one of his original comics, hand drawn.  I quickly sent off a thank you, with probably waaaaay too many exclamation points, and now I need to get a picture frame or some such, I want to display that, too!

So, how's that for something a bit different?

11 months until Christmas. And gloves.

Yes, that bugs a lot of folks.  While I do enjoy Christmas, I am not waiting with baited breath by the calendar.  That being said, I do keep an eye on how much time from now until then.

Why?

The biggest concern, I will make presents for people.  Not usually this early, but I do keep in mind, well, for example, if I would make a shawl or sweater, I would need a few months to work on it.  A pair of socks, oh, a week.  With the exception of one darned time, the yarn I needed for a pair showed up on the 23rd of December, and I did a pair in 2 days.

With very little sleep.

Which is probably why they didn't fit the recipient... Go figure...

And, I try, when I can, to see what people need, or want, and shop to get said things, so when Christmas, (or birthday, or X's Day, what have you), rolls around, I have the item in my "Christmas cupboard" ready to go.  Yes, an actual cupboard, It was a small entertainment center for a ginormous TV, which has long since gone to the place of infinite repeats, but the center was fine.  Strong, and big enough for most presents.

Okay, the 6 foot ladder for Mom didn't fit in it, but MOST of the items do.  Just an aside, do you know it takes almost a full roll of wrapping paper to cover a six foot box with a ladder in it?

So, when I see the 25th roll around, I do calculations, x number of months until Christmas.  Right now, 11.

So.  Now you know...  :)

Am I the only crazy one?  Please don't answer that...

And the forces of the internet universe aligned, so here is a picture of my "Grandma's rug" gloves.  Still working on the scarf...  Oh, and Mom said the rug went to one of Grandma's family in California.  That makes me happy!

Mess on aisle...

I had stored the white pumpkins in my pod, whence they turned yellow.  It's cool and dark in there, so I didn't worry about them... I figured, hey, when I need them, I will get them out to feed the chickens...

Ugh.  What a mistake.  I didn't take into account, cool, dark place doesn't mean 27 degrees.  Yeppers, it was well  below freezing for a few days, might have even been cooler than that, but it was cold...

I figured, well, I am not going to use the pumpkins, I am going to gift them to the chickens for Christmas.

Oh, what a mess...  I opened the pod door, and the pumpkins had shrunk.  They were lopped over to one side, and looked a bit like a mis-colored flat tire.

Uh, oh...

I tried lifting up one, and well, let's just say, it didn't work.  I ended up using a shovel, and the chickens, well, they tore it apart and ate the seeds, but it wasn't exactly the feast I'd planned...   I sprayed the pod area with Lysol, and, since it was still cold, decided to close up shop, and deal with it later...

Fast forward to about a few days ago.  Husband and I were chatting about a change that he was going to make to the pod, and he said, did you ever get that pumpkin mess cleaned up?

Oh, @$^%!!! 

Er, no, honey, forgot all about it...  So, we had a rare January 50 degree day, and I got out a mop and a bucket, some towels, and went out, expecting a slurry, mold, SOMETHING disgusting...

But it really wasn't.  There was a long area where the pumpkins had leaked liquid, now dust dry, and two little spots that were bits of pumpkin where they had sat, also dry. 

I mopped the dust up, and it was nearly undetectable, once I had finished, except for one bit of pumpkin, that I will have to use a plastic card or something to scrape up, because it sort of stuck.  Not bad for a 'what are we going to have to clean up after nearly a month?' (Whew!)

Well, a blog, at any rate...

My chickens enjoying breakfast.

General catching up on my blog...

I was hoping to get several blogs up. Not as easy as I had hoped, with the phone.  But, I can get on here at the moment, so, I write up a blog.

I ended up not going full Santa barf mode, maybe just mild Santa indigestion?  But I thought it looked nice, and we had a good time with family.  

Sadly, Mon Ami died.  He had been acting listless around food.  Then, we went to town, we came back, and he was sitting in the middle of the hen yard, in the rain.  I picked him up, which says something right there, and put him in a hen box to dry out and rest.  He dozed off, and I went in the house.  Husband went out in the evening to close the door, and found him on the floor.  We suspect he wanted to roost with the others, and just didn't have the strength.  

He was a silly little friend, and I will miss him, but I looked up the lifespan of a rooster, he would have been edging towards ancient.  He has several progeny, and Jet Puff has a lot of his good looks, so he leaves a legacy... 

I was able to get all my Christmas cards to people out of state... But didn't get any local ones finished! I received a few cards, but lots of my friends don't "do" cards.  I figure, that's fine, I get to pick and choose who gets one from me, then! I sometimes receive texts with Merry/Happy, but even then, less than I used to.  Oh, well.  

I amused folks, because when I was shopping, I would wear a Santa hat, red vest, usually with a green shirt, copius jingle bells, and socks I knit with a"fur" ruff on the top. I heard more than a few comments about Mrs. Claus, and more than one little one would just watch in amazement as I jangled by.  A few adults, too...  And, mostly, it garnered smiles, which is what I was aiming for.  

Tonight?  I work a half day, then some quick doings, and home before the craziness starts.  I guess I like my home, and not running off to celebrate the New Year, I really prefer at the house. No muss, no fuss, and falling asleep is no big deal... Let's just say, midnight is when we wake up, say Happy New Year, kiss, then go back to sleep.

Enjoy 

Light up my... Christmas...

I love Christmas lights.  My Husband is a definite Meh about Christmas in general, but he has surprised me by taking me to the highest hill in the area, and parking so I could see the lights.

Um.  Yeah... Lights are up.

(eternallifestyle.com)

I have since found out this really ticks off the neighbors in that area, and so we don't do it anymore, but it was fun while it lasted.

I like to drive around and just look at lights.  In a neighboring city, the folks have since 'retired' from doing it, but they had a long D driveway, and set up several thousand lights, little displays, and just wanted folks to enjoy.  Sometimes one of the family would stand at the exit, handing out candy canes.

Another place is a bottling plant, they have some lights, but they also have... displays?  dioramas?  Whatever they are, they have active shows, the various cut out displays can move and things blink and do things.  Our local fairgrounds do, as well.  In fact, my Dad helped with one display, I think it was to make Beauty and the Beast dance. 

I know that several of the gardens have light displays, and if I want to drive to Portland, they have mucho light displays, both on land, (Grotto, PIR, The Zoo, Peacock Lane) and water (Willamette Christmas Ships)... 

The Christmas Ships even rescued someone this year...

I think the captain's name really should have been Clarence... Captain Ron? Really???

But I think lights probably have always been my favorite part of Christmas.  Any thoughts on what your favorite part is?

Catalogs...

This is the time of year for Christmas shopping.  And browsing.  And looking.  And most of the time, I don't even need to leave home!  Or, turn on the computer, even.

Between the catalogs my Mom gets, and the ones I get, I could have quite the Christmas display, then gifts galore.  If I wanted to pay shipping... Heh.

There is a few that I save out, and circle things that I think would be cool to have, or wear.  Mostly wear, anymore.  I guess I am not as rabid as I was when I was younger and the Wards, and Sears Christmas catalog would come out.  I wasn't as voracious as some of my friends, but I would point out a few items I really liked.    Now, the catalogs are MUCH smaller, and usually specialty catalogs, ones I have received recently were Hippie stuff, and NPR stuff.  I keep waiting to get the Victorian stuff, NOT VICTORIA'S, VICTORIAN...  I normally get those seemingly every few weeks, but now that I want one, to check on ONE product,  pbbt.  I might have to see about an older catalog, or, (Sob), clean up the area where I store paperwork by the couch... 

I don't really buy much anymore by catalog, and rarely by Internet, either.  I have been glacially slowly even trying to get RID of stuff, with marginal success.  I have threatened, more than once to get the window open, toss all the stuff out, and rent a D8 cat and push it into a big garbage container, for it to go be somewhere else.  I have also threatened to get it in a bunch, put a FREE sign on it, and put it on a corner in town.  (I would put the sign up by my house, but there isn't that much traffic along our road.  Thankfully...) 

I keep plugging away at getting crapola out, and keeping good stuff.  I do realize good is relative, most people wouldn't think lots of small balls of yarn are a big whoopee, but, I knit all the time, so it's much more important, than say, the food processor that I received, and used...  Not ever.  So, you get the idea.

I mostly ask for practical things, or stuff I wouldn't buy for myself normally.  Clothes, specialty food items (Husband has found a source for Decaf Vanilla tea, and I am SOOO happy for this!!!!) 

I tend to make things for Christmas, so when I buy online, or via catalog, it's more for things to make other things, i.e. specialty yarn, or wood...  Don't ask, it's close to Christmas!

So, I guess that covers my love affair with catalogs.  Don't use 'em much.

Ohhh, look what came in the mail!  A new seed catalog!  OOOOOOH!  Excuse me whilst I peruse!

😄  

Mrs. Claus and the gifts...

I help with a Shop with a Cop group locally.  There is a married couple that dress up as Santa and Mrs. Claus, and hand out gifts.  In her case, it is really appropriate, as she is the one who collects gifts, and spearheads getting things gathered and put into packages and such.  (Mr. Claus mostly just does deliveries, and has his photo taken, from what I have seen... Hee hee.)

The gifts for the kids include such things as hats, mittens or gloves, a small blanket, toiletries, and I think they sometimes have companies that will put either small gifts or candies, or some such in, too.  Also, I think some sort of stuffy, bear or such...

I have knit hats. Ohhh, so many hats.  I finally decided not to, I went from enjoying it, to having requests for 50 or so hats, 2 weeks before the event.  No.  Just. No...

I have made mittens, too.  Mom and I have bought hats, as well.

I made a "toy box" to hold the items as they are collected through the year. 

Now, though, am I sort of shot on enthusiasm, or something?  I sneak over and peek in the toy box, and see the growing pile of items, and... Huh.  That's nice. 

I don't feel a spark of creativity.  I do think of making a few items, then I think, crap, I have X-ity X number of knitting/craft/garden projects to do now... And I am knitting socks for another charity, on top.

So, hmmm.  I think I might save some pennies back, so to speak, and do an "elf drop" like I did the other year.  I took a bill, put it in an envelope, then dug through the toys, about halfway down, and then did that as my help.

I think I actually wrote something to the effect of "To help Mrs. Claus".  I know they didn't know the donor, because there was a thank you on the desk the next week with "Mrs. Claus thanks the elf who helped with the $."

So, yeah, I think I will do an elf drop again.  At least I don't have to worry about knitting deadlines!!!

The grand plan for blogging again... Really! Honest!!

So, I have a great plan on getting back into blogging.  Let’s see if it works… 

I figured I needed something to give me the impetus to try for doing daily blogs again, and I was drawing a blank.  Then, after Thanksgiving dinner, we were chatting a little bit about Christmas.  Hmm.

Christmas.
 
Need to get out my Christmas ‘stuff’.  Have to have Husband help me get down all my cups.  My collection of them.  How many do I have, anyway?  Well, as he was getting them down, I have either 27 or 28… So!

I will use that as a jumping off point.  I love Christmas cups, because they are fun, and useful.  So I will work on putting up a photo a day of each cup.  I had one cup I sort of counted as a Christmas cup, I called it “Starbucks' Red”, because I picked up a plain red cup, during that whole controversy on how Christmas-y the cups were, or weren’t, that year.  BUT, the darn thing got a bad chip in it, and so will not count this year for the collection.  Maybe I can pick up a plain red one again sometime in the future.  But the ones I will be showing you are from mildly Christmas-y, to Ugly Sweater, what-was-Santa-smoking Christmas-y, and all in between.

I will blog on the normal doings and nonsense in my life, too, so it won’t just be a picture, but that will at least make me think to do it!  Right?  I hope?? Heh…

The garden is put to bed, all the raised beds that don’t have over wintering items are covered with cloth and leaves, or shred paper.  The llamas are enjoying hay, when they don’t managed to sad eye beg me into giving them chicken feed. 

The chickens are doing pretty well, I lost 4 of the new hatch to a hawk, but it seems to have found someone else to tick off…  Marshmallow had a chick, I called it Jet Puff, it is getting adult feathers, but it is TINY!  I don’t know why, but it is only about a third of the size of the others, and it should be getting some growth.  I don’t know that I care, it seems healthy, and it is feisty as all get out.  I have picked it up to check it, and have yet to get away without being bitten or scratched.  As tiny as it is, that isn’t a horrible fate, but it still gets my attention, if I am not careful.

The cats are fine and fuzzy, family is doing fairly well, and as I think of more things, I will post in the next blog. 

But for now… Good night!

Nerdify-ing charity.

Well, back home from Seaside.  Sorry, no pictures, we were there for a much shorter time, and I kept forgetting to get my camera out.  Besides, it was HOT, even at the coast (which is unusual), and the beach-people.  The stores-people.  Lewis and Clark-more people!  I don't know if I could have taken a picture without it looking as if they were in a flash mob! Yoiks and a half!

So, the charity part?  I have been reading through the journals of Lewis and Clark, and there was a part where they talk about Christmas gifts.  (In fact, it's where I got the idea of socks to show by the statue, they commented about giving socks as presents.)  Well, my inner Nerd started going into overdrive.  So, how many actually were there... I first thought it was 59, (60 if you count the dog), but the folks that actually came to the ocean (O, the joy!), were 32 or so, if I read correctly.

I like to do something charitable for Christmas, and this just made me think.  I should do a present for each member of the crew.  NOT handmade, necessarily, but I was thinking, something...  Oh, like, if one was a hunter, a warm hat.  One did scouting, socks.  Then we have the baby, I will have to see how old he was during the winter at the coast, but a coat or bunting.  A nice scarf for York.  A blanket, or shawl for Sacagawea.  And, for the pup, some dog food?

So, after putting this all together, then what?  Well, a donation, or maybe more than one.  I know that there are several local charities that could use these kind of donations, even my local vet accepts dog food, for low income folks that have pets.

Therefore, I think I will put up a Corps of Charity widget on the side of my blog, and see if I can fill it by Christmas.  Or even before.  But, it will be kind of neat to read up on some of the folks. I've trod in some of the same places they have, and now I can see if I can repay them, in a manner of speaking, for opening history to me.

(But, reality is reality, not all the Corps are getting hand made goodies...  A few, but not all.  All will get gifts, however.  More in future blogs.  Yes, I am crazy, why do you keep asking that?)

C. Caps, Christmas 'closet', and cat poll. (Pollcats?)

Well, I have been knitting caps for Christmas charity giving.  The green and brown ones are for soldiers, (there would be 2 brown ones, but Husband tried on one, and said, I like this one, it's mine.  Cool! Sure!  And to add to that, it's my homespun, so it's sort of Sheep to Chapeau...)  The smaller one is the lone starter cap for the local Shop with a Cop thing we do at the Office, they give out gift bags, and I am one of the "knitter elves".  I guess I have an "in", I know both Santa and Mrs. Claus personally!  (They are two other of the volunteers...  Man, oh man, do they have to pad Santa's belly, tho...)

I have a place for my Christmas gifts, (it's an advantage when you don't have kids, you don't have to work as hard to hide things), and as you can see-

It's not too full.  In fact, the one tin on the left is just that.  A tin, I put it there so I could use it for a gift box.  There is actually ONE gift in there, I just covered it up in case the recipient happened to look at the blog today.  Which also gives you an idea it's not exactly huge...  I have really liked having this little closet, I can get things as I find them, and have them all in one place at Christmas.  Only problem, I have to remember NOT to put the gift wrap or tape in there.  Occasionally, I go screaming like a mad woman into the room, DON'T OPEN THAT!!! Husband gets this deer in headlights expression as I swoop by and slam the door shut.  That's why I generally leave the tape and such on the table from December 1 on... Meh...

And lastly, a poll.  I am trying to decide for next year, stay with BTK the Cougar, or go with Lupe the Lion as my avatar?  My goal is to (try to) have it decorated for each month, holiday wise...  This could be sort of interesting, and at least make some fun for you who visit...  So, see the pictures below, and decide, cougar or lion?  (They are both pretty photogenic, I think.)

Please note, I have right of capriciousness, if I really decide I want one or the other...

So, please feel free to vote to the right... Vote early, vote often! (Sorry, couldn't resist!) ----->

Little piffle bits 'o stuff...

(I was going to put this on Wednesday, but didn't get it put on the blog.  So, Thursday is a day, right?)

I haven't anything that is really enough for a good blog, so I just threw a few things in, and pick what ya want.  Sort of like tapas, but less calories.

***

Well, I should have bought a lottery ticket...

I told Husband last night that today was weigh in.  I added, "I just hope I haven't gained anything, I tried to exercise more, but I had also been nibbling a bit more than usual.  I would be happy if I just stayed the same." 

I am exactly the same as last week. No gain, no loss... I stayed the same.  I am not going to complain.  I will need to work harder next week, but at least it wasn't a gain.

***

I am making split pea soup for dinner.  Husband looked at me stirring it, then said, Hey, we have Whirled Peas!  (He's been around me much too long if he comes up with puns like that!  But then he's the same guy that comments about my needing some cheese when I have so much "whine".  Eye roll, please!)

***

Christmas gave me new pants (ONE SIZE SMALLER, not that it's important... cough... Grin.) 

It also gave us a new bed cover, and skirt. 

It also made me nearly want to thump Husband's melon.  I will add the proviso that I was in a nasty, foul mood, and he had the bad luck to come in when I was putting the new covers on the bed.  I had purposely tried to work on this when he was outside, as his help can vary from helpful to... just leave. Please. 

Sooo, he decided that he wanted to help.  Okay.  I get out the bed skirt.  In case you don't know, it goes between the box springs and mattress.  Husband didn't know this, thought it was a sheet, and put it on the top.  I promptly took it off, and asked him to lift the mattress. 

But it's a sheet.

Noo, it's a bed skirt.  It goes (pointing) there.

I think that would get wound up in the vacuum. 

(Snarl.) It won't reach the floor, so no, it won't. (Besides, I vacuum, not you, why should it matter?)

What do we need a skirt for?

This went on for a few minutes, until he realized I was bearing my fangs in a very threatening manner, as well as twisting the skirt into something more resembling a large croissant... He then just stopped talking and lifted the mattress.  I put the skirt on the bed, we put the comforter on, and he left.  I finished with the pillows and throws, and decided it looked nice.  Husband decided it was fine, after making sure I was not going to lunge at his throat like a rabid wolf.  But he still doesn't really "get" the skirt thing.  As long as it is where its supposed to be, I don't really care. Hmph.

***

I found out the term "snow line" can be extremely literal.  We were warned last night that it was going to snow today.  When I started to exercise, it was snowing at the house.  I walked to the top of the place, and it was not sticking on the way up, except to the back of Rudee, and occasionally to my nose. (Yes, I sneezed.)  But I reached the upper pasture, and there was just the barest start of a blanket.  I did my walking, and it takes me about 45 minutes to an hour, total.  This was long enough to see the green of the pasture turn almost white. (And sneeze several more times.  Darn flakes...)  But walking back down to the house, not a bit was sticking.  It felt sort of surreal.  

I saw, looking at the area around, no snow to a certain point, then pouf, like someone had stuck a ruler on the ground and edged everything to that point on all the local hills.  I also found out, that when I am walking, and it's snowing, I can't walk without my coat.  Oddly enough, my arms started to ache.  I should have known better, it isn't the "nice" dry fluffy snow, we had that white cow plop that does nothing but make things wet and cold.  But the pasture did sort of look nice.  Here's hoping that it doesn't freeze tonight...

***

  I have been trying to buy a t-shirt online.  This really shouldn't be such a trial. I thought.  Ok, my first plan, find the shirt, find how to pay by check, (I don't have credit cards), and get shirt... 

I tried this, send the check off, got it back, wrong address.  Huh.  Well, okay, it's the one on the site, but there are two others, try again.  Return, wrong address... again.  Huh?  They had that address on the site...  That doesn't make sense.  I tried the third snail address, with the same result.  I decided to stop pounding my head against the wall at that point. 

I was supplied with a gift card that should cover the shirt and shipping.  So, I look on the site.  But by this time, the shirt is available in Small, or XXX Large.  I can't wear either.  So, I email them, last week sometime, right before Christmas, "do you have, or will you get a size Large?" 

Today, my inbox had the response to the effect of, we received an email from you, please call or email us if you have a question. 

I am truly thinking this could be a Perry Mason title "The case of the Sh*tty Shop". Or, "The case of the WTF Website."  (Sorry... But it is beginning to bug me.)  So, I will try calling the number, and see if TALKING TO A REAL PERSON might help.  But, I have the sad thought, just because it's a phone number, doesn't equal a real person. 

Voice mail hell, anyone?  Maybe I will just roll up into the fetal position right now...

Dang it, I really want the stupid shirt...

Blessings of Christmas...

Sunrise at the back of our place.  Quiet wonder.

Health.  Family.  Freedom from want.  People friends.  Animal friends.  And ways to share.

Here is a wish that your Christmas is happy and comfortable.

Short. Just... Short.

Husband's birthday today, check.

Christmas shopping. Check.

Presents wrapped.  Ahem.  (I know where the wrapping paper is, does that count?)

All presents finished.  AHEM.  (But knitting frantically, and have bought ink, will be done with any luck tomorrow... GOOD luck, I mean...)

Weigh in, 2.6 pound loss.  HOT DAYAM!!! WOO HOO!!! , uh, check...

Saw a bald eagle flying overhead today, saw baby lambs, children playing hopscotch while chanting Sant- Ah- Claus, while hopping, and made some folks happy today, including one bloke that looked like a reject from the Hell's Angels, he thought my hat was terrific.  I thanked him. 

Somehow, responding that I thought his bull nose ring was cool... Wasn't said.

I couldn't figure out how to make it sound right...

But, ya know, happy is happy!

Hope your day is!

(Yesterday, I mentioned, as a JOKE, chocolate, labelled health food?  I was in a local vitamin store, and they had a bag of dark chocolate, and it was labeled for Heart Health.  NOT JOKING!  Wish I'd had my camera.  So, dig in, folks, Santa said so!!!)  ;)

Christmas-y, sort of, up in the air, lots, and general chaos.

First off, so I don't forget, little gain this week.  Considering that I could have cheerfully gone to the feed store and bought a salt lick, I managed to control myself pretty well.  And I am still under 231, so I figure the speakers are still legal.  And they are soooooooooo nice.  I finally can listen to things, and not have it sound like a garbage truck is backing over the speaker.  Or worse...  Since I watch programs on line (I have nearly given up on TV reception in this area), it's nice to have real dialogue, and not a rough estimate. 

On that same note, I received the Dr. Oz bracelet.  I am pleased to have a visual reminder, and I am going to (somehow) attach a bead for each ten I lose.  2 beads will soon be on there!  Yay!!

So, Christmas-y.  Finally have the tree down, and decorated, more or less.  Have the cards to people out of state sent, except my aunt (I need to get a Christmas letter done up for her), and I even have a few gift ideas for both (GASP) males I have on the Christmas/Birthday lists.  (Husband and Dad's B-days are December 22, and 25 respectively.) 

Might I make a casual observation that the males in my house are a pain the the butt to shop for?  If they want something they go out and buy it.  This has caused more that a smidge of consternation when I have bought said item (this happened one year, hence the mantra of our family when Christmas shopping, "SAVE THE RECEIPT".)  I have sort of convinced Husband to put a moratorium on shopping during the month of December, but he still slips.  But this time I told him to give me several ideas, then DON'T buy anything until December 26.  He thought that sounded okay.  So.  Now I will be able to go out and get something to put under the tree.  Maybe not a big surprise, but it seems to work...

FIL kept sort of brushing us off, oh, fine, doing great.  Well, he's not.  Dizzy spells because of the meds, and they won't rest, because they are trying to buy the house, so they are travelling from one side of the state to the other, nearly, for the signing.  I think they have signed at this point, and have the house.  I think.  Then a drive back here, to see his doctor, and then they might do one of several things, either they will leave immediately to head back to Florida, they might stay here for a bit in the trailer to recover, they could have us take the stuff to Eastern Oregon, help them unpack, and they stay there for the season.  (Might I mention, it's SNOWING on the pass?  And most of the way they want to head back home is FROZEN?  I keep suggesting they just stay at our place, in their trailer, but selective hearing kicks in... Meh.)  So, making plans for Christmas (will they be here?  Will we be helping them?  What if the doc says that he needs to be hospitalized?) has been sort of slap dash and minute by minute.  I haven't even decorated that much, not knowing if I will have more than the usual amount of people, as I am lazy by nature, and don't want to have to move 'stuff' out of the way to make room.  So...  I wait, and see. 

In fact, dinner tonight is even a question mark.  We'd all agreed to have dinner at a local restaurant.  Well, I don't know if they will be able to, or if they will be finished with the doctors appointment when we'd agreed to meet.  At least the restaurant in question is across the street from where I volunteer...

General chaos.  So, didja hear about the tornado that happened?  It was an F2 in Aumsville, which is in a county near me.  We didn't realize it at the time, but the 'dregs' of it hit our place, a big wind whipped up, and then there was an absolute deluge that was almost impossible to see through, all I caught was the llamas running into the chicken house.  (This says something, as the llamas don't LIKE being in the chicken house.)  I didn't get called out, but I guess that our CERT group was on standby.  Oddly enough, we had a CERT meeting last night, just after the storm, and our boss (who is stepping down), was late, because he was tied up helping set up a command center, and trying to fend off generous firefighters trying to feed him...

"Here, you need food."
"No, I will be going to a potluck, I don't need food now."
"Yes, we are feeding all the help."
"Nooo..."
"TAKE THIS."  Whereupon he had a plate of food handed to him.  He then walked off with the food, handing it to one of the folks coming in, and came to the meeting.  So, he did take the food... Technically. 

I found out I am not the only one that has "funny hearing".  I kept thinking they were saying "a small tomato" on one of the channels.  It was just the way the reporter was pronouncing it, I guess, I didn't hear "tomato" on any other channel, but the correct word "tornado". 

But I guess that isn't just my strangeness, I was talking to one of the deputies, and he asked if I knew a nearby funeral home, Dew Moss...  I said it rang a bell, but I didn't know for sure where it was.  He said, "Oh, that's okay, I just wanted to make sure I had heard it correctly, I thought they said Dumb Ass funeral home, and I really didn't think that sounded like one I would want to use." 

Er.  Yeah... 

Your loved one will be shuttled to their final rest by Dumb Ass. 

Then again, it could really break the tension.

Or create it...

So, next blog, if I get it out of the camera, I will have pic of  Husband's "Christmas spirit" decoration.  (Christmas is not his big thing...)

Guh? It's Saturday? And daytime??

I slog out from my NOW FINISHED Christmas knitting, yes here is

(x)

isn't it lovely? I think the edging gives it just the right touch.

and

(y)

I hope they are the right size.

(Pictures after Christmas.)


Went to Godkid's 2nd birthday party. She looked at the llama puppet that I got. Hmm. Gently set it down, then proceeded to visually devour the "Is your Mama a Llama?" book, until she went into crash mode, and became the magic boneless child.

Went to my friend's book signing. I am envious. I had some little stuff published, a while back, but not more than a page or two. This was a big story, in a book! I will read it and get back on a review. (It's Sci-fi, and in L. Ron Hubbard's "Writers of the Future")

I am going to work on Christmas cards, now that I have one finally drawn up and printed.

Need to make more cookies, we are almost out, just because I was the good aunt, and so now my niece probably has enough cookies to keep an average size kindergarten class hyper for the next week... And I think I get extra points, I let her listen to the music SHE likes on the way home. (I kept control of the volume, or I do believe I could maybe have heard a nuke blast right next to the truck. Maybe. Let's just say I had to turn it way down just to hear HER.)

Oh, and now that I am finished knitting?

I am knitting... (Sheesh.) I decided I wanted to make a couple monster toys, (think "Where the Wild Things Are"), and so am making a first one. Glitter the Critter. This one has long donkey ears and horns, and will have three fingers, possibly the same number of toes. Named Glitter because it has this shiny stuff in one of the "fur" yarns I am using, that gives it a sparkle...

Thingy # 2 will have one eyeball and teeth, and whatever else I decide to make.

Yeah, Christmas are us, yeffer! If you're Stephen King, maybe.

Eh.

Tra-di-tiooooon!

Planning for Christmas dinner.

Ham. Check.

Green beans. Check.

Salad. Uh, well, it will be check, closer to the day, or we will have really nasty salad.

Mashed Potatoes.

Pie of some ilk.

Ice Cream.

Ya know, I just once would like to have something like, oh, pheasant under glass, raddichio, and maybe gelato for a desert.

But I have a husband, and possibly Dad, that would look at it, and ask where the food is.

So. Ham it is.

(Eh, who knows, I might not like pheasant anyway...)

Things finished...

Well, the garden is winding down, (helped with some deer that seem to have an absolute passion for tomatoes, wonder what tomato fed venison tastes like?), but I am still getting a nice crop of crookneck squash. I hope to have these with supper.


This is a pumpkin I nursed along. Nothing huge, but it is a nice one. And it's yellow. I think it crossed with the crookneck. Pumpkin neck squash? Crook neck pumpkin? It will make a nice face for my Halloween-y scarecrow, at any rate.



Finally decided to redo my socks. They had ONE BIG jingle bell, I decided that three small ones would look better. The small ones don't make any noise. This might be a good thing, hearing "jing, jing, jing" every time I walk or do spinning could get a tad annoying after a while. Either that or every one's going to think there is a Spaghetti Western being shot nearby...



Lastly, I finished a sock last night. Started the other one this morning. I think the colors are a bit more even than the picture shows, while the yellow IS bright, it's not as stand out if you see the sock in person.



Now let's see. One charity baby project, 3 3/4 other socks to finish, some winterizing of my pantry, and figuring out how I am going to get some of the things I want finished by Christmas done in time, I am doing OK! I just need to grow about 3 more sets of arms by Tuesday, and I will have it whipped!

160 Days Until Christmas...

So, with any luck, I might get these finished before. I hope to put little jingle bells on it somewhere on the ankle, just to be annoying.

I have three pair of socks I am working on right now, mostly because it is summer, summer = hot, hot = no large, lap lopping projects. Purple basket pattern sock, and the white pair.

No, the white socks still aren't finished. And your point is? I am drinking tea a lot, will have to go on a water diet when I finish that. Lot's of UFO's or WIP's, depending on your definition, Unfinished object if you feel that dropping something for 3 months is excessive, Works In Progress if you don't.

Me? I ain't tellin'... (Ahem. DUH!!)

I do have one finished project. Well, I need to put the ribbon on it for the hat 'n shoes, but the KNITTING is finished.

I have finished a baby set for the Navy Marine Relief Society...


This pattern will not soon be repeated. I found it rather boring. It LOOKS nice, but I don't want to get a needle up my nose, because I have fallen asleep knitting the thing. Which probably makes no sense, when you realize I knitting socks with a very basic pattern. Except... I do change the heel. Or put a pattern in where there wasn't one. Or put a furry cuff on. And I switch from item to item if one bugs me, or I get bored with it. (This bugs Husband unmercifully, he wants to start a project, do the project, and end the project. Not 47 in simultaneous-nuss. I think that's another reason we don't wrap Christmas presents together anymore...) Perhaps, also, I did this one, and didn't do anything else until it was finished.

I know! Next time I will start three of them at once, then I can switch off when I am bored, annoy Husband, and get three sent off relatively quickly to the charity all at the same time! Now that's what I call multi-tasking!

Brain Sucking Santa Hat, Holy Christmas Blop. Oh, and some knitting.

I went to my best gal friend's house for my God Daughter's birthday. Officially a one year old! She was having an odd time of it, I don't think she was totally used to the idea of cake, if you can believe it. She didn't want cake, she didn't really want to sit in her high chair, and she was a bit tired, I suspect. After we opened presents, she sat, as she does sometimes, up against my legs. I leaned over to look at her, and she realized I had this THING on my head. They gave out the dunce cap style party hats, and I just stuck the Santa hat over it. This gave it a tall, swinging motion, that scared the livin' POO outta her! She slid down my leg, stared at the evil Santa hat from Hades, then crawled as fast as she could move to Mom. No more being with "Auntie" that evening. She didn't even want to LOOK at me! Oh, well, soon Christmas will be over, and the Brain Sucking Santa Hat will be retired for another year.

Had my niece and nephew over for making cookies, a task I suspect they'd never done. My reasoning, trying to get them to understand that a cup of flour means that you FILL the cup, and you put in molasses, you FILL the cup, and (name ingredient here) you FILL the (your measurement here)... But, we got thru. I didn't think Nephew would be that thrilled, he being almost 18, but as he said, "hey, gets me out of the house..." Eh. Neice was more excited, but still not really as into it as I'd hoped. When I was younger... Well, actually, even now, decorating cookies is like major leauge fun. Not these two. Thank all that's Holy I didn't make a double batch of cookies. They decorated about 10 each, and that was enough, thank you. Uh, guys, we still have 1/2 the dough left. I proceeded to cut out cookies to finish it up, traditional gingerbread boys. Nada. They yawned. That's enough, auntie, we will just take them with us, we don't want to decorate anymore. As I try and get my head around the fact that decorating isn't the wonderful fun activity for them, Husband comes to the rescue and takes them out to play with the dog. I box up all of those poor nekkid ginger kids, and sniff lightly. Being sent out with no proper frosted or sugared clothing. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!! But, hey. I have another batch of cooky dough in the fridge, just waiting to be little well dressed ginger folk. Take THAT, neice and nephew! (Actually, don't. I didn't keep any of the cookies we made that day.)

One funny thing that happened, I had almost finished, and there was just a wee bit of dough left, so I patted it into a hamburger patty type shape, and threw it in the oven with the rest of the cookies. Niece asked, what is that? A cookie... Yeah, but what is the shape? (We'd been using some of my cooky cutters that are rather old, and have some interesting shapes, not necessarily Christmas. In fact, nephew was quite taken with an axe cookie cutter. I didn't have the heart to tell him it's generally for use on Washington's Birthday...) I looked at the little end bit, and told Niece, "It's a Holy Christmas Blop." Her eyes got round as saucers, and she asked, nearly in a whisper, "Why?" I replied, "Because that's the quickest answer I could think of after you asked..." They didn't know whether auntie was serious, crazy, or just in need of a good stiff drink. (Probably a little of all three, truth be told.)

And finally, knitting. I had a gal saying she wanted to knit some hats for her grandsons in Holland, but she hadn't had time to learn. I got a wild hair, and knit two up. One for an 8 month old, and I believe she said the other was around 4.



And another friend, who was my belly dance teacher, has a 3 year old, and I wanted to make a 'gnome' for her.



I am planning to make smaller versions of these sometime, and make "elves". I think it will be about the time I win the lottery and grow 4 more arms to handle all the knitting, but hey. I still can imagine.

I have one more item I've been knitting on, and will be showing that after said recipient does said receiving... (Hi, Mom...)

So, Merry Christmas, we have safe and healthy trees, animals, family and friends, and are looking forward to a good Christmas. Take care.