Good Things

GOOD THING #1 Having won the battle to get the medicine I needed for my wrists about three weeks ago, I can tell you that 85% of the time I am without pain now. I can knit again! The celebrex is working enough that I actually managed to finish one of my UFO's, friends. The ribbed beanie is complete. I'm trying to talk Mayhem into modeling the hat for me, but I was informed I have to talk to her agent! What's up with that?? Maybe an ice cream bribe will work?


Photos are lousy when the kids won't model! (that's a Doodle Pony underneath) I'll work on a better photo.


GOOD THING #2 Karida, of Neighborhood Fiber Company, was running a contest before Christmas to try to help a DC neighborhood win a makeover. By voting in that contest, and letting Karida know by commenting on her blog, I won a prize. What did I win? A sock club membership! Check this out! There's more fibery goodness, friends. I had already purchased my membership, so I will be sharing this prize with you all in the form of some contests as the goodies arrive. (You can cheer now!)


GOOD THING #3 Tomorrow I get Absent-Minded Professor back! He's been at my parents' since Christmas Eve. I'm sure he's been busy beating them at mensch argere dich nicht - which is basically the same as Parcheesi or Aggravation. At Oma and Opa's we actually play on the German game board, though. I have no idea how old the game board is that we use, but I can't remember a time when we didn't have it.

GOOD THING #4 Buddy Bill is making the drive down with me to pick up Absent-Minded Professor, which means he is meeting the parents tomorrow. My parents. (Everyone say "eeeeeek!")


GOOD THING #5 I am loving knitting again (back to #1 and not having pain) and I think Cobblestone Sweater is ready to come out of time-out and become an FO. I think. Wish me luck.

The Best Gift

Karen Claus brought herself a new camera for Christmas. That's a pretty amazing gift. It's even better than the previous camera that lived here before. That's not the best gift I received for Christmas though.

The best gift I received was something I wanted AND was knitting related! In fact, I had tried to buy this particular item myself, and it had been bought out from under me from Etsy back in November. This is a thoughtful gift, and useful gift. (No, it's not a toaster!) It's even more special because the giver listened to me and took the time to get me something I desired; not to mention something I'll use for knitting! Thank you, Buddy Bill.

I bet you want to see what that gift might be!



Personalized knitting needles! My photo doesn't do them justice, so be sure to check out the link to the original shop posting at Chelle's shop - K needles. The detail on these is amazing!



The sweater isn't done. I'm having sleeve issues, so the sweater is in time-out. I have been knitting on an Irish Hiking Scarf instead. The beginnings are here. I love the beginnings of knitting projects where you can just get a hint of what is to come later. Since this photo was taken, the scarf has grown to about 11 repeats of the pattern. That's Dream in Color Smooshy yarn, in the November Muse color. Find it at my favorite drug.. er.. yarn supplier The Loopy Ewe.




You all aren't done celebrating yet, are you?

Thanks, Santa Baby!

Santa brought my new camera right before Christmas! Hooray!!!

We now return to blogging in color. With photos.
Once in a while my kids act like they actually love each other. Of course, Santa is watching. ;-)

Friends for Dinner

There's been an interesting turn of events around here, right before Christmas.

Every afternoon, between leaving my school and picking up my kids at their school, I normally talk to Buddy Bill for a few minutes. Thursday afternoon, College Kid answered the phone since B was out running errands. I hadn't seen him since he arrived home for the holiday break. College Kid and I get along OK, but what happened next was a huge surprise. "Hey, I'm cooking dinner tonight and was wondering if you would come over and join us," College Kid said. If I hadn't been buckled into my car with the seat belt, you could have knocked me over with a feather. Even more surprising, when Buddy Bill returned my call, he knew nothing about it! Yes, the dear boy did it all by himself.

Dinner was great, by the way. Pasta with College Kid's amazing sauce, garlic bread, green beans. Yum.

Knitting news? I have cast on for yet another project! I have serious start-itis and am not finishing anything. eeeeek! My Dream In Color Classy arrived from The Loopy Ewe and it's gorgeous. It is fast becoming an Irish Hiking Scarf. A beautiful Irish Scarf. And if I had a camera I would show you!

I think right after Christmas I will be buying a new camera. Or tomorrow, if I decide to brave the stores.

Have a beautiful Christmas, dear friends!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like...

Well, you know. Christmas. We have 8" of snow and today was an official Snow Day. Yay! I have most of the gifts wrapped. The kids and I went out to lunch and had an otherwise lazy day. Absent-Minded Professor had some homework to get done that he's been procrastinating on, so that was taken care of after my being called a "mean mom" a few times. I guess I get coal this year.

Really, I was a bit surprised at the Snow Day. I managed to make it over to Buddy Bill's yesterday afternoon and back home around 8:00 last night. heheheh Normally it takes me about 12 or 13 minutes to get there and it took me 20 to 22 minutes. The side streets would be terrible for the buses today, though. I am not complaining about a day off when this last week of school before break will be crazy! I had to go over and check out the little tree that I left at Bill's earlier in the week. His place needed some Christmas cheer, so I found a mini tree and some little ornaments, along with one short string of lights. I dropped them off after an early morning doctor appointment - played Santa - on my way back to school.

The tree here is finally up and decorated. It took me a good part of Saturday, but it's done. The kids didn't want to help much, but Mayhem did find some of her special ornaments and add them to tree.

Today, for my random act of kindness for the week, I shoveled the neighbor lady's driveway. Normally her grandchildren would come and help her out, but they are now all serving in the military. She is 82 and there's no way she is going to shovel 8" of snow!

Now, can I finish a sweater in eight days? I don't think so. I might get there in the days after Christmas while I'm on break. Right now, though, since Mayhem stole my pair, I'm itchin' to knit mittens. Must. Resist. Casting. On. Another. Project.

Winter Storm Warning

Dare I say it? It is supposed to snow! The storm is still 24 hours away and we already have a winter storm warning and are expecting up to 8" of snow. Anyone who knows me knows without looking that I'm grinning like an idiot right about now. The only thing that would make it better would be for the storm to arrive late Sunday instead of on Saturday night. I could use Monday off to wrap Christmas presents since I have wrapped exactly one. Yep. One gift. All the kids' gifts are still hidden and as soon as the wrapping paper comes out I know the kids will smell it and start snooping.

I have declared tonight Putting Up The Tree Night to which the kids responded "Nooooooo! You do it!" How in the world did I raise such party poopers? Honestly, I think they caught that attitude from their dad. He has never been one to help decorate or even help put up the tree. Decorating the tree was always such a big deal when I was growing up. We all had favorite ornaments and would talk about memories attached to those ornaments while placing them on the tree. Even now, I get my kids each a new ornament of their own every year. This year Mayhem's ornament is one depicting a scene from the movie A Christmas Story, commemorating the day she stuck her tongue to the fence and got stuck this past winter. Can you tell me the scene? I'm still looking for an ornament for my Absent-Minded Professor. Maybe Charlie Brown since he's so serious?

Having a frequent shoppers' credit at The Loopy Ewe has just about been killing me this month! Remember, I donated my yarn money for the month to charity. Today, however, this was back in stock: Dream In Color Classy - November Muse. The Classy yarn is going to become an Irish Hiking Scarf for Buddy Bill. Last year I made him one for Christmas out of Plymouth Encore - my first cabled project ever - but it has been lost in his moving this year. The way I see it, using a shop credit doesn't count as buying yarn, right? Plus it's to make something for someone else, not for stash enhancement. Just nod and agree with me, OK? OK. What agreeable enablers you all are!

One last bit of news, and it's happy news: My sister finished radiation for her breast cancer this week! HOORAY!

Kaput and Kerplooey

There won't be any pictures until after Christmas, friends.

My faithful Kodak digital camera is kaput. My darling, spastic, Coco-Loco Lab knocked it off the kitchen counter by hooking herself into the neck strap. This camera has been with me to Washington, Gettysburg, New York, Chicago, Arizona...

At the same time, I am having major computer issues. My computer is less than 3 years old. It's shutting down on it's own, freezing up...Kerplooey. Sounds like a trip to the computer guys is in order. I can't tell you how many knitting patterns and photos I have saved on my computer. My two most prized things. And then there are the special emails from Buddy Bill.

Kaput and Kerplooey. Just in time for Christmas.

These things come in threes, right? Who wants to wager what will break down next?

Good News, Bad News

Good News: I got the approval for the med that had been helping me and the Rx has already been filled. Hopefully my wrist pain levels will go down soon and I can knit more. I hate not knitting!

Bad News: My best friend had to cancel on our day at Longaberger. Bummer.

Good News: I already have alternate plans made and will have a good time this weekend anyway.

Bad News: That little decorated tree here on my blog is as much holiday decorating as I've gotten done so far!

Good News: As soon as my woodstove and chimney are cleaned tomorrow morning, I'll be able to start getting out Christmas decorations.

Oh look, there's more good news than bad news - at least here. :-) Now for photos!

There's my mom and dad at Mom's birthday party last week. They've been married almost 52 years.

My kids and two of my nephews are singing "Happy Birthday" to their Oma. Mayhem is in the dress, of course. Absent-Minded Professor is wearing glasses.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Let it Snow!

Hooray! Today it snowed! Many schools had 2-hour delays this morning, and some even closed. My district had a 2 hour delay, but it was planned weeks ago for teacher in-service. No big deal. But it snowed! And it stuck!

Today I spent part of the day on the phone jumping through, hopefully, the last of the hoops thrown out in front of my by my medical insurance company to get the meds I need for my wrist pain. My doc had given samples of an arthritis drug that had been helping. Before that I took an anti-inflammatory that didn't do much. The arthritis drug and the wrist braces together really helped me a great deal. The samples ran out and my doc wrote an Rx for the med. The insurance company kicked it back saying they wouldn't pay it unless another anti-inflammatory was also tried for at least 30 days. GRRRRRR! So, the med that helped was stopped and I started taking another med the beginning of November. That's when all hell broke loose. That med was worthless. Almost no knitting all could happen. I was doing well to get through my day without dropping dishes, hairbrushes, toothbrushes, purse, keys. The doc will be working tomorrow to get the arthritis drug approved so I can pick it up in the next day or two. While I can type pretty proficiently with the braces on, knitting and velcro straps just aren't compatible. I need that medicine! It's not like I'm wanting something addictive like oxycontin. Sheesh!

I have a busy weekend planned. Saturday the guys are coming to clean my woodstove and chimney. Saturday night I'm leaving home so that my best friend K2 and I can get an early start to The Longaberger Homestead Sunday morning. Our annual pilgrimage is late this year!

In case you never thought about it, these baskets are great for storing yarn in, especially the ones with lids! Lots and lots of goodies at Longaberger.

Pictures from that trip, and Oma's birthday celebration will fill a post, I'm sure. K2 and I always find mischief. We have ever since third grade when we first met.