The Perfect Fit

I am finally working on my 2nd sock to match the sock I made 1 1/2 years ago. I was soooo proud of that sock. (I had a love/hate relationship with dp's back then.) In reality it was big enough to fit an elephant. I thought I would give these socks to Grandma Jones because she has large legs and feet due to health issues - or to my friend Linda because her dad could always use just one sock. But my good friend Liz made me take it out and start over again! I started on the second sock and I got obsessed. I just wanted to get the rib done - or I just wanted to turn the heel, then pick up the stitches, then do the toe. I was with Liz most of the day. She indulged my obsession to move to the next step. It also helped that she is the guru of socks. I always wondered why people liked to make socks. It truly could be an obsession for me, that is if I wore socks more than I do! I bought some very manly looking yarn at the Knit Wit last winter. I want to make me a pair of "nice dress socks" whatever that means! As I was working on my 2nd sock, I noticed how bent my bamboo needles were, so my first instinct was to bend them the other way to straighten them out. Of course this will not work! As I was working with them I realized I loved the way they fit into my hand. It was a perfect fit! (And so was the sock!)

This Little Light of Mine will Shine.

Blogging is new to me. I am very excited to have the opportunity to think, write and reflect. As of today, this is my little world - one that I do not share with anyone. But why? Do I have anything to hide? The good Lord knows my life is an open book. There are very few people that don't know just about everything about me. This Christmas Eve I spent time with Kristi and her family. Just like I have done for more years than I can count. Minus only the times I actually went to Phoenix for Christmas for the short time that Kristi and I were not talking. We were both young, stupid and immature about friendships. Our friendship has lasted the test of time and we have been friends for for more than 20 years - good times and bad times. I hate to admit that I have not spent too much time going to church this past year. This both makes me feel sad and okay with my decision to not attend. It has nothing to do with the church, the people or the ministers. I love my church - my history with this church. I spend a lot of time doing things for others. By Sunday's come around, I am spent. I want to sleep in, do something for me, or work on school things. I almost always work Sunday's. Is is wrong to not be up at 10:00am ready for the day to run until 10pm? I like my little routine I have, I slept in, I do something around the house or my classroom and then I go to work. On Christmas Eve, Kristi's family saved a spot for us to sit. However the church was full and there was not enough room - kind of like the inn. I went a couple of rows back and sat with a very old friend Jan. It was great to sit and chat. We sang the old hymns and watched the children do the service. This is my favorite service of the night. At the end of the service we each light a candle and hold it up high and sing Silent Night, Holy Night. It is tradition. The acolyte came over and lit Jan's candle, then she lit mine and I lit the person next to me and so forth. Just like my faith, my candle dimmed and then eventually burned out. But just like my life/faith, I have a great friends who noticed that my candle has dimmed or burned out and they gently light my candle. As Jan re lit my candle, this time my flame was strong. As I stood there and sang that old Christmas hymn, my candle burned brightly and added to the light of the world. Just like my life and my faith!

Traditions - It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas

It is snowing outside for the fourth weekend in a row. I really feel for the restaurants and shopping centers. They have to be feeling the pinch. Either that or the idiots that wait until the last minute are really being idiots and are out driving around in this mess. It's bad but not that bad - okay one drink and your car could be in the ditch, two or three drinks and your car would be in the ditch and you get picked up for OWI. I love to drink white russians when it snows. My friend Kristi and I have to meet at a bar on the first snow, its tradition and after twenty years of tradition we are no longer the wiser or more under control then we were twenty years ago. Without trying to quote a children's movie but the first snow is magical. To bad the snow we are getting is not snowman snow - you need to wait until February or March for that kind of snow! I had the family over dinner last night. It's a tradition that we always meet ahead of Christmas so we can all be in attendance. I have the largest house, so I get to host the party. Which is fine with me because I pick the menu and this year I cooked it all. All said in done it was good but I had a few little mishaps that got in the way. The roasting pan has a lid that is the same size as the bottom. I put the turkey in the lid and the lid in the roasting pan. No wonder the turkey took more than 5 hours to cook. No harm done - we just opened gifts first. My pie was ugly - the ugliest pie I have ever made. But it tasted good! The comments by my cousins made me smile. "It has been years since I had a real turkey dressing." "Wow a whole turkey." My cousins wives cook out of a box and the in-law only cook a turkey breast for dinner. Next year - we will have the traditional Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner - because it is tradition and I love to do it!

I'M ON VACATION, I'M ON VACATION!!!!!

Anyone that knows me knows I love my job - as trying as it can be some days. But I also LOVE my vacations! As of last night at 3:45pm, I am on vacation! I have friends, family and knitting dancing through my head along with those sugarplums and long winter naps. I am going to knit, read, sleep, create , and spend time with family and friends. I even have a new cool winter puzzle to put together. I know - it sounds pretty lame to some of my friends, but I LOVE to put together puzzles - especially by myself - I can put in the last piece. The puzzle will have to wait until after this weekend. As a child my parents did it for cheap entrainment - especially the year the TV went out. Back then you replaced the picture bulb at a hefty price verses just going out and purchasing a new TV. Disposable Things - but that is a whole other blog! I have 17 (really only 14 can eat - the other three are babies) to my house for dinner on Friday. I love to do it! I love picking the menu - and no we are not having Mexican Kelsey - she pointed out that we have Mexican a lot when she comes to dinner - shot me for loving Mexican food. It must be an onion things with her! We are having Turkey and all of the fixings. I am cooking everything - because I want it done my way! I guess if you are picky - you do it yourself! I have the time and the resources so why not. It is one of the only times we all get together in the year. I see my cousins-who are more like brothers just about every weekend at the store I work at, but that's different. We are all VERY different and we all have very different opinions that just need to be shared at all times! Long ago we decided that religion and politics are not allowed to be discussed at family gatherings. We will see how tomorrow goes! This summer I took my old silverware out and put in my good stuff. I never got to use it and it was driving me crazy - plus I did not like the old stuff - so off to school it went. So tomorrow, we are eating off of my China. I don't care if I have to do dishes for 2 hours the next day. I don't think turkey goes well on paper plates.

Yarn Secrets

I hate it when I know a juicy little secret. I just have to tell someone! So I pick my most trustworthy friend and we go on and on about the little secret or I let them in on the surprise. I write about it here because it is only me here in my little blog world! I love Christmas because I love to give, but it is so hard not to tell someone close to the person I just found that great gift. My friend Kristi is always telling me let me be surprised also when I find Kelsey that perfect something. I just can't do it. Does that me a bad person? Trustworthy? This time it has to do with my new favorite yarn shop. It is closing! This really bums me out. As a group, we meet up on Saturday's there. Last year at this time, my other favorite little yarn shop closed - and once again, we were meeting up on Saturday's there. It really makes me think that we are jinks the places. How can this be? Now we only have 2 options for yarn shops. Even Michael's in carrying less and less yarn. Earlier this week I went to my least favorite shop - Wal-Mart and I noticed it is carrying less and less yarn. DON'T THESE PEOPLE KNOW THAT KNITTING IS IN FULL SWING AGAIN! What does a girl have to do to get yarn around here? Here's another secret - once again, I bought more yarn to make Kelsey or someone else a little sweater - I am hooked on little sweaters. It makes me feel like a real knitter!

Snow Day

Today is a good day - it is a snow day! How I love snow days! I think teachers like snow days more than kids do. I knew the weather looked bad last night, however I did not bring anything home. It seems whenever they predict snow/icy weather it never happens. This my year to get things organized. I have great friends! With their help, I have been able to organize my basement, closets, and most of my books and school stuff. I signed up on raverly.com this last weekend. What a great website. It too is helping me get organized! I have been able to reorganize and catorgize my stash and UFO's (unfinished objects). Sounds to me like my life is getting organized too! With it being close to Christmas. I decided it was time to get thnigs rolling. I went shopping last night. Cleaned the upstairs. My family will fall over when they see all three bedroom doors open this year! I need to finish my hats/scarfs for my cooperative teacher and my associate. This is my first time blogging. I am not sure what I am doing so I am just winging it. It feels a little strange to be writing about everyday life things - not very interesting but it nice to journal my thoughts.