Happy Winter

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Look!
I'm ready to be Gayle's assistant with this arty shot!


And this was under the tree from Marion's Mimi.....
Awwww..














Here is evidence of a happy melding of cultures.
Potato pancakes and our menorah with Christmas chocolates in the background.



Peace and joy to everyone, no matter what you celebrate.
Wishing a wonderful 2009 for all.

Miss M and I made these on Thursday night.
A wonderful find via Eurolush (totally cool blog) to Domesticali (also cool blog) for the idea and directions. (leave me a note if the links don't work--the weather seems to be making the internets unhappy right about now and you really should visit those blogs if you haven't.)




















Today, the redhead and I rescued this from the backyard. That's a ring of ice around the base. It's thawing in the garage now.

















Here's what the wreaths look like at night.




More Christmas preparations are ongoing. Nana's meat grinder was unearthed in a box today--now we can grind pecans properly for little nut balls! Yay!

It's snowing again and very windy. With any luck, I'll be unable to get to work for a few days this coming week.....

Again, I quote Nilsson...

"Here is why I did not go to work today..."

(Go here for a great listen, lyrics, and a shot of Nilsson and John Lennon playing pool.)

Turkey Day note

It was a great meal. The bird cooked magnificently, we gorged on sherry-laced stuffing, delectable caramelized sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts and cranberry sauce. There was a nice Pinot Blanc, a homemade pumpkin pie, and the secret dessert, a raspberry chocolate bombe (the girlie and her grandma whipped that one up).

We're really loving the tradition of the Thanks Box, too. We start writing things down in late October and the box gets stuffed full. The box is opened at dessert, all slips dumped into a bowl and round the table it goes, everyone pulling and reading aloud. I don't want to subject you to all of our craziness, but I'll pull a few out and give you a taste. Come on, you've got a little room left for something small and sweet, haven't you?

*all family members are mentioned, usually several times, and this time was no exception.

Here are a random 10 "I'm thankful for....."

*bosses who don't suck
*good people
*mistaking squirrels for hawks (complicated back story)
*Marymoor off-leash dog park
*any days
*M's music teacher
*pumpkins
*swimming pools without chlorine
*flowers--especially small carnations
*dance

Barack Obama got three slips.

I'm off to check the holiday bus schedule for tomorrow.

Thanks, all. I'm glad to be in November of 2008--last November was none-too-pleasant. Very thankful to see an old welshie snoozing at my feet, dreaming of having the house smell like this all year-round.

Gobble-gobble.

Stolen from bb

(And why wouldn't you steal from her? You know the woman has impeccable taste.)


It’s the picture meme, and here are the rules:

* Go to your Sixth Picture Folder then pick your Sixth Picture.

* Pray that you remember the details.

* Tag 5 others.








It's a very blurry picture of an ever-so-cute wee froggy.


Really, it is.




Please do not ask me why I did not delete this the moment I realized that it was so horrifically out-of-focus. I'm still working out the kinks in using macro (like how to stand still). It kind of looks like the way I see the world when I'm not bespectacled.


I have finished the second Baby Kimono and it simply awaits the dreaded seaming. I said I would do it this evening, but I had to get up uber-early, so I'm not going to.


So sue me.


I'm not tagging anyone as I think that may scare off the few of you who still visit occasionally, but feel free to join in!

Verdant

For Halloween, I was the rainforest. That, or a transplanted Arizonan showing evidence of 10 months of Seattle weather. I had "moss" on my north side and wore my loverly beret . (Moss photo another time)

The recipe was Lion Brand's felted beret. (found via this terrific site--you may or may not have to register with Lion Brand for their patterns--it's kind of goofy).Turned out pretty well, needed two rounds in the washer to felt, and I think my noggin is small (according to my redhead, it is), so it was a little loose, but I like it. Of course, the girlie looks smashing in it.

I'm quite well-pleased with my snail. Happiest (read: shortest) I-cord I've ever done, and no ends to weave! Instant antennae!

And speaking of little crawly things..........

Funny, here's this chappie doing an impromptu palm-reading for Miss M, and way across the globe, suse has snapped his cousin...

Working on the next baby kimono; this time in the prescribed dishcloth cotton. Pictures will follow, but I have to go work on it now!

Shhhhh...be vewy qwiet...

I've sent knitted things to faraway places.
I've sent knitted things to friends.
I've never knitted for a baby before.
Please meet Declan.

I think this could be habit-forming.
(Thanks to Pamela and Bruce for letting me share their gorgeous boy.)

I could get used to this kind of Monday

I got up early and took the girlie to her cello lesson. Stopped off at home for camera and dog.





More of our walk here.

Here's part of my Halloween costume, pre-felting.
(Inspired by Anna and Seth's great pics here)

Here's another part, still in progress.

Any guesses as to what I'll be?

What did I see today?

For a better look, go here.

Brittania RULES!!!!!!

Mr. and Mrs. R. Robot, late of the U.K. arrived in Redmond, WA last week. They settled in quickly and comfortably on the loveseat in the family room and bade us unpack their traveling case. We happily complied.........

Holy Mackerel! Lovely postcards of their native land, a wonderful letter from Lindsey, a Dr. Who robot chocolate lolly (!!!LOVE Dr. Who in all his incarnations....) and some lavender stick-ons for de-stressing after a rough day at the hospital. They also brought a bag of sweet beads and trinkety-bits which look just right for accessorizing some bracelets I'm noodling with, and a powerfully minty bar for strength! Just the thing for tucking in my pocket the next time our Spot takes us to the enormous dog park for a day's hike!

My DH has already put dibs on the sweet little Rosie Lea teabag to be this year's new Christmas tree decoration. And the cake is so sweet, I hate to think of sticking pins in it...but we'll see.

The Robots are reminding me that there was also a box of special McVitties Jaffa cakes (with orange!) enclosed, but it seems to have disappeared. This is not surprising as the plain McVitties have a history of being inhaled as soon as they've been purchased, and these were SUPER special ones...

Lindsey, thanks so much for all the fun goodies! You've spoilt me terribly! (And my family as well--S asked me what my next swap was and when I said I wasn't enrolled in any new ones at the moment, he sounded like a little boy of about 5 when he said, "None? Really?")

Clare's idea for the R.O.B.O.T. swap was a real winner. Thanks, ladies! You're tons of fun.

Remember when I used to knit stuff?

Last Saturday was the shower date for friends of ours.

I thought this would be done and in L.A.by then.
Garter stitch, you know.
Lucky for me, baby is due in October.

M and my redhead helped choose the button today.
It was fun trying different ones.
We agreed on this beauty.

Mason-Dixon pattern from Book 1
(can't wait to check out book#2)
superwash heavyweight sock wool instead of cotton
My seaming isn't great, but not bad.

I'm going to miss the button.

Fishies! (click on pond to feed them--they're hungry.)

R.O.B.O.T. swap!

Claire sponsored it,

Lindsey is my partner, and here's what I sent her.

It was lots of fun making them.

She has fun arrival photos here.

Knitting has been happening, truly, and photos will show up within the next few days, I promise.

Now and Then

I'm finding more and more that I'm a creature of habit.

I didn't really know that about me. I'm starting to understand how much comfort I take from patterns in my life. Some people would say it's boring, but I'm enjoying the cycles, with their sameness and their small changes. Much has changed since last year, much has not. The important things that haven't changed are my dear redhead, our wonderful girlie, and our loving families. I feel very lucky all in all.

Here's Marion's favorite to give you his take on my theory.

Here's some photos to show my theory.

Spot, healthy and happy in our backyard this week

Spot, soon after his major surgery last November

A tree-ful Redmond twilight last week

A fiery Arizona sunset from last summer



Ferris wheel and totem poles at Evergreen State Fair last Sunday

An ostrich at last year's Maricopa County Fair

My treasure flying at the fair

Same treasure at the Grand Canyon spring 2007

Not bad, not bad at all.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

quick notes from a too-short vacation

I had 3 days off. I bracketed a weekend. It was wonderful.

I had lists. Some things got crossed off as done, some did not.

going to bed without setting alarm clock--done (would like to do nightly)

shirts to dry cleaners--not done

attend Prairie Home Companion's Rhubarb Tour show date here--done

hem pants--not done

return green jacket--not done

bathe Spot--done

go to Saturday market--done

check on different schools for M--done

bird walk in Juanita park--1/2 done (I stayed for 2 of the 4 hours--will stay longer next time)(willow flycatcher, osprey. gadwall ducklings, downy woodpecker, charming birders)

closet organization--not done

slumber party with M--done (popcorn, viewing of Ratatouille on portable DVD while cuddled up eating popcorn, chocolate ice cream--great party, lousy spare bed)

zoo--done

knitting--not done, but ready for Dish Rag Tag box to arrive

start work on robot swap--done

here are some random photos; the squirrel is for you, Barb.

we tasted it and it was good.

see how it's a monkey?

see the darling froggie?

tee-tiny bug in a lacy cocoon in my kitchen sink.

we relocated him.

see Barb, there's food for all, even

if you have to hang upside-down by your toes to get at it.

no, this did not come out of the lacy cocoon.

I'll try to post some knitting/making photos soon. Anyone still out there?

and now for something completely different....

Take the Quiz here!

Yaaaaaar!!!!

Squirrels

Our birdfeeder has become a much desired commodity in the yard. Before...



And after...

this and that

don't know why these are so pixilated. flickr shows them off much more flatteringly.