Winter Days

Ahhhh, vacation days. Was nice that I was off yesterday when the "heavy snow warnning" went into effect. Not such deep snow, nor were there any drifts, but it was wet snow, and with the county on plowing restrictions this year, I don't expect to see any snowplow until Monday. As my trip to town today proved, our county roads will have a fine polish by then. But, I don't have to go back to work until Thursday. I can sit and enjoy it from home.

I have finished the Cherry Festival sweater, except for buttons.

I also have been working on my entrelac shawl in wine and gray Plymouth Boku. It as an easy pattern, easier than it looks, as long as I have my pattern to look at as I start each new tier of rectangles. I think it will be lucious and warm when it is finished.

My Dad

Ysterday was the one year anniversary of my father's death, as well as that of cousin Jerry—Gerald Ford. I miss the tribute to President Ford on the local PBS channel last night. Dad didn’t get one, although he deserved one.
The youngest son of a large family, he watched after his mother and her affairs until she was gone.
Dad left high school early to fight in World War II and was wounded in Italy.
After coming home, he became a member of a local militia until the end of the war.
He married Mom and had 2 delightful children.
He built two homes, by hand. There was help from others—a brother in law who was a well-driller/plumber, a cousin who was a bricklayer. But mostly it was him and Mom.
He survived driving lessons, and teen years of the previously mentioned delightful children.
He visited Mom every day in the hospital after her stroke, and managed to care for her at home until her death.
He found companionship with another and was loyal to her to the end.
He managed his own affairs and even in the end made the decision to refuse further medical treatment.
He was a brave and wise man.
My dad.

Ahhh, some things never change. Younger son is the first up, scavaging in his sock to see what he can. Shortly after, I got up. and we watched A Christmas Story on TBS. Just for 2 or the 24 hours it is playing continously. Then we wait. I forgot to get cinnamon rolls to bake. The aroma helps to get te other to family members out of bed. FINALLY, at least Hubby is up. Oldest son claims he needed to go to the farm where he works because someone didn't show up.
So he went to work and is now home sleeping on the bed, presents still unopened.
Youngest son is now at work, Hubby finally made it outside to do chores and tend the fire.
And tomorrow I'm back to work.
Still a Merry Christmas. I think everyone was happy with their gifts (at least those who have seen them.) and even though it was to icy to go to the Christmas service last night. today is a lovely day.

Well, I finished all my wrapping. Yes it was that wonderful holiday called wrapping day. The blizzard like conditions held off until after church so after lunch, I hauled everything into the bedroom, fired up the White Christmas DVD and started wrapping. There wasn't as much this year, so only took 1 and a half movies. (also caught part of Holiday Inn).
The weather outside is really something. Blowy and snowy. I love it. I haven't had a chance to get pictures. It was too dark when I got done wrapping.
This morning it was just windy. I was usher at church today and was glad that I wore my blue wool and llama capelet. I had to stand by the door in the entry and hold it shut. I didn't want to lock it, but if left unlocked, the wind would whip it open and bang it against the wall. And since the bishop was here, we didn't want that to happen during the sermon he was giving.
Our priest said that being the doorman in the house of the Lord was a good thing.
And just to stick in a little knitting--Here is the almost finished Cherry Festival sweater. I have the markers removed as I am starting the garter edge. Soon it will be ready for buttons and baby!

3 Days and Counting

Breakfast today with one of my aunts (the crazy one as the picture will tell you.) and a couple cousins and other assorted friends.
They meet every week at a neat resturant in an old train depot. I join them about every other week or so. One of the cooks there is my cousin, but right now she is at home recovering from heart surgery. While we were there, who should walk in but Santa Clause? Since we were sitting in the bay window, we had seen him coming, walking down the street. Hmmm, Rudolf must have a flat hoof.
I brought the Cherry Festival sweater to show them. It is almost finished. Probably would have been by now, but I find it hard to knit with a dog in my lap. Then on to the blanket. Looking at the weather, I may have lots of time tomorrow. We have yet ANOTHER weekend storm blowing in. It starts tomorrow morning and runs through Monday morning. At least, even though I have to work Christmas Eve, I only have to work 8 to 5 and not 7 to 6 so I will be driving in daylight.
Oh, gosh, just forgot. Not much knitting tomorrow. It is the annual pre-holiday event known as Wrapping Day. Its when I shut myself up in the bedroom, cover the keyhole, spread a cutting board over the bed (to protect the blankets) and wrap and watch Christmas movies. I now have almost all my favorites on DVD. They will look good and get me in the mood.

Snow and turkeys--no not the sons.

What busy day. I finished my Christmas shopping, with all the stocking stuffers I should need. I rue the day I purchased larger stockings a few years ago. I shopped till I almost dropped and then managed to find time for "dinner with the aunts." We met at a different place this week for a change of pace, as well as later than usual. After dinner I followed the crowd to the local "dime store" This store is noted for having anything you can't find anywhere else. Found perfect buttons for the Cherry Festival sweater. It is coming along and I spent some time knitting on that this evening,

The snowy ground made it a bright day. I was thrilled to see a big flock of wild turkeys along the road. Well over a dozen of the big dark birds. There were also lots of snowmobile tracks in the fields I went by. Makes me remember the days of the "slowmobile" that my sons ran one winter,

I have pretty much given up on the job I interviewed for a couple weeks ago. I am hoping to hear on the application I put into the local hospital for a clerical position.

No progress--Knitting or Job

No knitting progress to report. Well—I do have the 2nd sleeve done on the Cherry Festival baby sweater. But now it is slow slogging through the body on the pattern rows. I have to count, and of course, everyone in the family wants to talk while I’m on those rows. Plus I may have to finish my sock in the same color to have a little extra yarn to put with this. Probably an extra 100 yards or so from that skein.
I feel lost these nights without knit nite and spinning guild each week. And of course now that Spinning Guild has been changed from Thursday to Friday, I probably won’t be able to attend very often anyway. Especially when the new NASCAR season starts in February. It has been so nice going to spinning on my day off. It’s always harder to get a chance to sit down with it at home. The guys keep wanting meals and stuff like that. (The nerve!)
Of course, before long I will have lots of days off it looks like. Nothing has been heard on the job interview I had Dec 6. When I called, they planned on having a decision last week. Since it is already Tuesday, I guess that job is gone. I did turn my name in on an application at the local hospital about 10 days ago and have not gotten a “so sorry” e-mail from them. Yet. The last time I applied there I got the rejection the next day. So that is still a possibility. But I am sure they hire from their current part time people, so I am not holding my breath on that one either.

Snowy Day

Much more snow last night, although not as much as was predicted. No pictures though. I basically stayed inside. When Hubby came home from collecting Younger Son from work at 5:00am, he said for me to stay home. Roads were slippery and of course being the weeking no plows. Although Hubby did see on early afternoon, it was too little, too late to get to church.
It is definitely beginning to look alot like Christmas outside. And although most of my shopping is finished, I still haven't found the inclination to put up even our little tree.
Last year, with Dad fading fast, I didn't have much time, but did manage to get the tree out, and lit, even if it didn't get and decorations on it.
I'm not depressed, and having a great time on my niechews cherry festival sweater. But with one one else here seeming to be in the mood for it, neither am I. Today would have been the day for my wrapping day--where I shut myself in my bedroom with gifts and paper and Christmas tapes in the vcr and wrap my heart out. But instead I sat and knit and watched tv. I will plan on next Sunday afternoon for wrapping, but then just piling the up the gifts in a corner until Tuesday.
Its not Bah Humbug. Its just why bother.

Winter Wonderland

Snow, and more snow. Knowing my luck, we won't have any left for next week, but while it lasts we have it in abundance. Here are a few pictures.

My 12 lb farm dog frolicking in the snow.

The winter's wood. We get it in long poles and then Hubby cuts it bit by bit. This is some waiting to be cut in to furnace worthy pieces.

How Many Does it Take?

Normally Thursday is Spinning Guild night. But we are on hiatus until Janary. So, determined to make this a spinning kind of night, I decided to assemble the skeiner for my louet last night.
It reminded me of the joke about how many people does it take to change a light bulb.
The directions, or what they gave as directions was pretty straight forward. They basically gave a sheet of paper with one of those exploded drawings showing how the parts went together. Luckily I have read plenty of them when helping Hubby figure out how to take apart various farm equipment for repair.
First item on it was to take a hammer and pound the shoulders of a carriage bolt into the side of the riser. Now mind you I was trying to do this while hubby was sleeping on the couch And while running the dishwasher. (And remember: I have to fill it manually with a bucket for each cycle.) I didn’t want to wake Hubby, so I just tried to shove it into place. Not realizing that without pounding the shoulders into the riser the bolt would not be long enough for everything that had to go on it. I assembled bolt, washer, insert, spring, cross pieces, washer and then tried to squeeze everything together on the spring to get the cap on it. A couple times I had it almost together when the dishwasher needed filled. Or the parts slipped and went flying across the kitchen. (Little wire springs can get a lot of bounce when they put their minds to it.). After a few attempts and naughty words I once again looked at the picture. Oh yeah, hammer
So I go to my little tool box, and lo and behold—no hammer. Looked in the back room where my son had hung a couple of hammers on the coat rack that have been in the way for a year, never making it out to the barn. No hammer. I was not going to trudge out to the barn in the dark and the snow just for a hammer, so I tried to make due with a wrench. (Good heavy steel should work, right?) All I accomplished was a lot of noise and a wide awake Hubby.
After showing him what needed to be done to assemble the skeiner, he first looked in backroom for those hammers again. But he had to check the fire outside in the boiler, and said would bring a hammer in from the barn. A few minutes later, one whack and the bolt head was firmly in place. Sigh.
With that done, and utilizing the extra pair of hands to squeeze the spring to keep parts from slipping I had the top of the skeiner assembled. Before long I had it in place and over 100 yards of white alpaca safetly wound and skeined. Well worth the effort and cost. That is in addition to 2 more larger skeins of the same alpaca.
After all that, I even managed to spin a goodly amount of my rose gray alpaca. I think when I get this all done and plied and spin the 4 ozs of black that I have, I may start working on a top down cardigan, with some nice two color work. For me! My first major homespun project.

Even if I am busy, I love my Thursday off. If I get a new job (waiting to year on last weeks interview yet) I know I will probably lose this benefit. I can get lots of running around done. I picked up the remote for the dish tv in the boys room. Unfortunately, I checked and there is a cable to their tv, so I cannot switch it to my room until they pay for the remote.

If I get a new job, at comparable pay, I may invest in getting the dish for my bedroom. Either that or I will need to look into getting a new tv for the bedroom before the switch to all digital tv. With Hubby home all the time now, I can't watch as many of the classic old movies as I'd like.

Hey, I have been knitting along on the Cherry Festival baby sweater for my great niechew (as mentioned once before, we don't know yet if a niece or nephew--hence Niechew) Just started a couple days ago and already on the first sleeve. I sent my Favorite (non-military) nephew a picture so I guess I might as well share it here. Hope I have enough yarn!

Normally tonight is spinning night. But I have been notified that we are not meeting till after New Years. Dang, I really look forward to getting out and spending the night spinning. I guess I will work on my skeiner, wind off my last skein on the Louet and then start spinning my rose gray alpaca roving.

Snow, Glorious Snow

Let it snow! Yes I know that not all people love this winter weather. And I do try not to complain when they delight in hot humid 90degree summer days while I wilt. But, ahhhhh, winter!
We got dumped on yesterday, and while, thank the Lord, we managed to avoid the freezing rain and confined ourselves to mainly snow with a little sleet, it is a wonderful white landscape out there. Unfortunately since I go to work in the dark and come home in the dark, I have been unable to get pictures. But with the heavy wet snow clinging to the south and west sides of the trees, it is truly magnificent out there.
Hubby had the drive all plowed when I got home. I even got home early, as I left an hour early to have daylight on my commute. (All of 7 miles!) The half hour lunches are a small price to pay for being able to actually see the roads. Since my vestry meeting was canceled, and I bailed out of trying to go to the knit night party, I napped and knit at home. I started and then tinked the first sleeve of the cherry festival sweater. Reading the directions carefully before going too far is always a good thing. And good old Elizabeth Zimmerman’s pattern is very succinct. Anyway, maybe I can finish that sleeve tonight and then I will post an in-progress picture of it.
And I guess maybe I better get going on Hubby’s wool snow-plowing socks that I promised him. Those boots aren’t very warm that he wears.

No time for me.

Wore my new vest to work today. I had to keep my fan on so as not to to be too warm, but it felt so soft and comfy good.
I thought I would have a evening alone tonight. Hubby was going to the livestock auction. Younger Son with a friend to help repair his car, and Oldest Son is never home evenings. So as I was almost ready to eat my jambalaya (which no one else will eat), Oldest Son comes home to get ready to take off again. I finally got the dishwasher going--which needs to be filled manually due to our hard water, when Hubby came home. Then as I fired up the laptop and got online, Younger Son came home and wanted online.
And I never did get a chance to assemble my new skein-winder for the Louet and wind off a full bobbin!
Men!

Decorations ramble

I got the bordered vest finished. I really like it. I was very tempted to stretch the picture to make me longer and skinner, but resisted the urge. That's all me. I am starting on the cherry festival baby sweater and have the yoke almost done. Pictures later on that one.

Still lots of snow on the ground. I see lots of houses decorated lately. I haven't felt like even getting out the tree yet. I may just do socks and presents and leave it at that.

My favorite Christmas decorations, aside from the previously mentioned WOW decoration, is normally in Reeman. Although it usually is up for a limited time, I haven't seen it this year. And you gotta realize that I have just a touch of redneck in me. As you can see by this picture of my son's "motor home" the whole family as a smidge of "redneckedness".

Anyway, this favorite light set consists of a couple of lighted reindeer. A common enough decoration. But in Reeman, it is all in the display. They take of couple of the "flying reindeer, with their stretched out legs, and hang them from the tree--as people hang their catch during deer hunting. The first time I saw it I had laughed half the way home from there. Yeah, I admit, it isn't for everyone. And it isn't particularly Christmas, but I do enjoy it.

Laptopping and Crafting

Ahhhh. I have my laptop functioning smoothly. I sent it home with a co-worker who is also a computer doctor. I wasn't sure what shape it was in as far as memory, viruses, etc. He tuned it up, gave me new (free) virus protection and added memory. That was the problem I had when I inherited it from Dad--slow and no memory.
Now I have to get my pictures loaded here so I can upload them and I will be all hunky-dunky.
Right now I am killing time at the local library for a while. They are having a craft day and I decided it would be the perfect place to bring in my knitters loom to warm it. plenty of room to spread out and clamp both the loom and the warping peg to long tables to make a nice long....I don't know what. probably scarf or shawl. I can only go 12 inches wide, but fairly long. I am planning on using light and dark green sport weight wool use to warp it. Then I have some variegated sock yarn wool super wash to weave with. And of course I will be throwing in spans of the two greens as I weave along. Only the lightest green is in the variegated, but I think it will look great. I will add pictures as I get going some.
And my bordered vest? Its almost there too. I've tried it on, and only have one sleeve boarder to finish. Maybe I can get a picture of me in it to post when done.

WOW

My favorite signs of the impending Christmas season are finally in place. On the main drags into town, south, east and west of town, what I call the WOW decorations are in place over the roads.
The decorations aren't all that fancy; just swags of garland with a wreath in the middle. There are also a couple angels or reindeer and lights. but the dark green garland, with the dark green wreath clearly spell out the word "WOW".
What a great word for Advent. Wow! Look who's coming. The King of Kings. Creator of the Universe. Our savior. Our brother.
Wow--Christ is coming.

Almost done

Busy, busy flying fingers. I almost have my vest done--the front border was finished tonight and I only have to add the garter cuffs to the cap sleeves and it will be ready to wear! Pictures will be forthcoming. Providing I can get the Internet to work for me. I recently got an update for IE7 and have been having problems. Maybe not enough ram? I don't know, but things are working slow and I have a hard time getting into my blog.
But things are going OK. There is snow on the ground and I have a job interview tomorrow, early.
We will see what happens.

I'm Back!!

Oh my, it is totally unfair to take a beginning blogger and then cut off access to the web.

Last Friday morning as I mentioned we had snow. And of course there were the usual idiots who had forgotten how to drive in the snow, especially on our unsalted, highly polished country roads. One of these unenlightened individuals missed the stop sign at the intersection a half mile down the road. Luckily there was no traffic, but unfortunately for him there was also no more road, as his road ended at the T. Whoever this ice skater was, he plowed through a sign and managed to clip the telephone pedestal, the box with all the wires for the various lines in the neighborhood. We have been with out phone service from Friday morning until Monday afternoon.

For a girl working with dial up, it was torture, knowing my blog was just sitting there out of reach.

I did get a lot of knitting done though. finished back and both sides of the bordered vest. And while watching an old Jimmy Stewart movie last night "The Shop Around the Corner" picked up stitches and started the front border. I want to see if I can find a large button tomorrow at knit nite that will go with it Here is an "in progress" photo.

And I even have 1 1/3 skeins or so left. Then on to the next project, another sweater and blankie for neichew. Maybe I will think to get pictures this time