Tuesday, December 29, 2009

And then...poof!...there was Christmas

It really really snuck up on me this year. I mean in a way that it has never snuck up on me.

I probably say that every year, come to think of it.

Two Wednesdays ago I said "holy shit, Christmas is a week and a half away. Holy shit!"

Cards: Done, sent.
Gifts: uhm...got some for DH
Shipping: shipping? what shipping?

This is the first Christmas where Patrick isn't here to put up the tree, so I put up two mini-trees side by side on the console behind the sofa. I just couldn't bring myself to do the big one. Could just be laziness. 9 feet of majestic Monterey Spruce, a beautiful thing when it's up. Not as beautiful sitting in it's box in the dining room. It's in a box in the dining room. For the last four or so years, though, it has been Patrick's family duty to bring the tree up from the basement and assemble it. I informed him that he will have to resume this task for all subsequent Christmases. He didn't fight it. Smart kid.

Got fleece?

Ain't it purty? This is all from one sheep - or one type of sheep, Gotland, and the three pounds of gorgeous locks that DH gave me still have a bit of lanolin in them. Tigger's don't like "spinning in the grease," so I have some washing to do, which I started tonight. This group was part of round two. I only have a little colander so I can only do a little at a time. The first round was almost a disaster when I didn't separate the locks. Whadda mess. This time I separated BEFORE soaking and I didn't have to spend 20 minutes afterward teasing them apart. Aren't those colors something? It's even better in person, but this is tedious work to bring them into spinnable format. Soak, soak, rinse, rinse, dry.

Here's the drying stage, tucked into the shower in the spare bathroom. Finally, a use!

I just can't get over the colors and the luster. I don't know whether to separate them or spin 'em all together. I'll need suggestions.

No, I haven't spent my entire vacation spinning and working with fiber.

I trotted out the tools and made earrings and a pendant for Kat using freshwater pearls she had from a broken bracelet. I finished those tonight and thank goodness had a chain for that pendant. I see from this picture I could have done a better job of polishing that pie shape. Too late now! Dime included for scale :)

DH also gave me a share from Juniper Moon Fiber Farm. Funny thing about that...I had purchased a share for myself back in October! So now I have two shares.

Moving right along. We have a new tradition: open all the holiday cards on Christmas Day. Yay, that's actually a lot of fun...watching them stack up then opening them all and looking at photos that family and friends have included...then I hung them on the mantel with the stockings.

The guitar necks are from Rock Band, which we all played Christmas Eve. I played drums. It was hysterical, especially because we didn't have the drum sticks so I used wooden mixing spoons. I'm sure that was a sight. By the way, I suck at drums on Rock Band. So, don't rely on my musicianship to translate. I've got rhythm but you wouldn't know it.

Ok, that's a wrap. Oh. And, go out and rent Inglourious Basterds. If you like Quentin Tarantino, it's a major hoot. It almost resembles a Coen brother's movie. But...not.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Really, there was a Thanksgiving

And I started writing about it. It involved:
  • a turkey (not BBQ'd) and the standard trimmings at my SIL's in South Carolina, although there wasn't a traditional pumpkin pie to be found in the lot
  • lots of driving
  • lots of knitting in the car
  • hot dogs and chips at Maureen & Walt's place in Summerville
  • lots of knitting with my nephew
  • lots of eating
I had this big ol' other post that was very funny that I just never got around to finishing. So, there it is.

And then there's Christmas.

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

In What Format Is Our Lettuce?

DH: "in what format is our lettuce?"
The geek in me howled and then with a straight face I replied that the spinach was small form factor and the romaine was tall and cylindrical, and both green. If you don't see the humor, bummer for you.

Sumter Wine Festival
From the events brochure: "Brown will present an exclusive 'real-time' tasting of his famous wines live from his Napa Valley vineyard through Skype technology." Tell me...don't you want to know how he'll use Skype for wine tasting? And why is real-time in quotes? Is it not really real time? Aren't "real time" and "live" supposed to kind of go together?

My 13-yr old nephew has converted the guest room of my sister-in-law's house into a crafting room. Painting, knitting, crocheting...he calls it The Craft Shack. Knitting friends: he has started a small yarn stash and already has blown through one organizing method in favor of another. Oh dear, another yarn junkie in the family. What ever shall I do?

Me, at dinner last night with DH's Naval Academy roomy of 20-odd years ago: "Yes, as a matter of fact, I am a Democrat and I do want a public option." Much heated debate ensued. Thankfully, we didn't discuss religion, or spend too much time on the cost of his Maserati. Bob: I like you anyway!