Winter

"There is a privacy about it which no other season gives you ..... In spring, summer and fall people sort of have an open season on each other; only in the winter, in the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself."- Ruth Stout

I feel like this past week has been like that or atleast the later part. Monday was a little stressful trying to finish the stockings and mittens that #1 daughter requested. Then Tuesday I was working on the Hemlock Ring which I finally finished on Christmas Eve. I blocked it and was able to wrap it by noon on Christmas Day. Have to say I love apircream!

Christmas day was so relaxing. #2 kids started the day later than they normally do. After they took turns unwrapping we sat around for hours before we went to my mothers. We exchanged presents with my brother and family and relaxed some more. #1 son showed up and we exchanged more presents and started dinner. #1 daughter showed up and we exchanged presents with her. We ate about 3 and then #1 son left to go to his gf’s family. #1 daughter came home with us and we lounged around and then went to bed early.

The man had Friday off and it was as leisurely as Thursday. Falling right into this new routine, when the man went to work for ½ a day on Saturday, I slept until 8:30! I was feeling alittle too leisurely obviously! I rectified this by starting work on a pair of Urban Necessity gloves for #1 daughter from yarn my mom bought me for Christmas and a pair of socks for myself with yarn from #1 daughter. I must admit I made out extremely well again this year. But #1 daughter made out the best….Sir T bought her a promissory ring! {{happy dance}} I love this guy. But even if I didn’t he makes her happy and that is all that matters. He is still in school and graduates in June. She is fresh out of the Army, trying to get employment in today’s job market and taking classes. What’s that saying… “the world is their oyster.”? I am very happy for them. :^D

Sunday I finished one glove, started the second and did some spinning. I am trying to organize the yarn and needles that got pulled out during the holiday knitting spree so I lost ½ the day to that with more to do today.

Tomorrow the kids both have Dr. appointment’s and the man has to be tested for TB. One of the guys that worked in his shop was gone for over a week. Then he came in, said he had been in the hospital with TB and everyone he was in contact with had to be tested and then he left again. The man’s boss thinks it is BS but I would like to err on the side of caution.

Eventually I know this seclusion and calm is going to pass so I am just going to enjoy it while I can! If it would last until March it would be awesome and I could emerge renewed. However I don't think that will happen! So for now, I have books to read and I have even been thinking about what I want to plant this year. I think we need this time to wind down, look back and get ready for the new year.

Merry Christmas

I finished all the knitting! #1 daughter picked up all the mittens and stockings on Wednesday and the Hemlock is blocking right now. The duck and ham are in the fridge. The dishes are not washed and the presents are not wrapped and I need to find the stockings but oddly enough I am very calm right now...must be the egg nog!

May the spirit of Christmas bring you peace,

The gladness of Christmas give you hope,

The warmth of Christmas grant you love.

~Author Unknown

Snow Day #4 & 5

Oh! the snow, the beautiful snow, Filling the sky and earth below, Over the housetops, over the street, Over the heads of the people you meet. Dancing, Flirting, Skimming along.~ J.W. (Joseph Warren) Watson

The kids used snow day #4 on Wednesday. As something new, we actually had snow that time! Well actually a dusting of snow with sleet on top. And we have today off as they are calling for 7-12 inches. This is part of a 1, 2, 3, 4 punch. Wednesday's storm, today's and one expected Sunday and one Christmas Eve day. We will have a white Christmas!

This past Friday I saw geese flying south. As we had been having January temps in Nov and Dec, I figured those Canadian geese had decided that they didn't fly south enough and were rectifing that!

Tuesday I took #2 son to town for ear, nose and throat appointment to see if he needed tubes re-inserted. The Dr. was so far behind my 3:45 appt would not have come up until 6 pm. I rescheduled. It would have been nice if they had called and given me that option before I drove there. Luckily the gas is down to $1.75 so it doesn't hurt as bad now.

Wednesday I took him to town to re-evaluate his shoulder. They will allow him to compete in January and has to build it up slowly so he doesn't re-injure it.

Thursday I had to go to town again to house clean. Town was a mob scene as everyone was scared of the impending storm and afraid they wouldn't get to shop before Christmas. I finally got home after 4 and the garage called to tell me what the problem was with my car. I said hold off doing it...they told me they already did it...$686! Didn't need that right now. Then I found we had no water as my mother and I share a well. She is was having electrical problems in her house and didn't feel like dealing with it so took a nap. I woke her up when I came in. The man worked until 10 pm trying to find out what the problem was but he is not an electrician. I don't have the money to pay an electrician and she wouldn't call one.

My sister emailed me and I dumped on her. Luckily she has broad shoulders and could handle it. She said call an electrician and charge to her credit card. My brother knew an electrician as we figured someone we knew would do a job at someone else's house and get paid by a third person. Unfortunately he couldn't come but said to get it checked immediately. So I braved the wrath of mom and called her and told her we were conspiring behind her back but it didn't work and now she needed to call. I went down and called another electrician that the first recommended. The electrician came but said he thinks the problem is straight from the electric provider. So we are waiting on the electric provider to come. It started to snow at approximately 10:45 so it may be awhile.

I have the Hemlock to finish, fingerless mitts, one peek-a-boo and some other Christmas presents to finish that can not be mentioned at this time. I have bought nothing yet and was going to go do that tonight. We will have to reschedule that for tomorrow.

The wood is moved closer to the house and we got a bunch inside. The bird feeders are full. The pine cones are inside to make into feeders for the winter solstice. I have a bunch of candles/lanterns. The freezers are full so let it snow let it snow, let it snow. I will be sitting by the fire knitting my fingers off.

6 PM UPDATE: The problem was with the electric provider so the man wasted all of last night as no matter what he did it would not have fixed it The water didn't come on when the electric was fixed so after the man got home he checked the well pump and it needed to be reset. Mom has water but I have frozen pipes. Once they are thawed all will be well again. No knitting got done with all the shoveling and running back and forth but I did get some work done on a stocking. At 4 PM we had 7 inches. Thankfully it is going to end soon. And as of now we are only suppose to get 3-6 on Sunday.

Where there is smoke there is Fire!

"On a cold day there is nothing better than a seat against a warm stove."

Oh yeah the man did good! I LOVE IT!!!!

Hunting Season

“Civilized life has altogether grown too tame, and, if it is to be stable, it must provide a harmless outlet for the impulses which our remote ancestors satisfied in hunting” ~ Bertrand Russel

So yesteday we went to fulfill our ancestors impulse. Since we are more civilized we didn't go into the woods too early as it was cold. We lounged in the warmth of home and it was actually after noon before we left. It was still cold (22 degrees) but the breeze was down.

When we got to the hunting spot we got out of the truck and donned our gear. Immediately we spotted fresh droppings, proof the prey was close. We walked further trying not to make a noise. More droppings were sited. The further in we walked the more evidence we had that our quarry was soon to be found. Then we came upon evidence of a fresh kill along with a gut pile. Quietly we walked hoping to find something worthy of mounting. Suddenly we found ourselves surrounded. We ran as our prey now outnumbered us... the hunter became the hunted! We found help from a little old lady in a 1950 Jeep armed with a chainsaw. She quickly dipersed the prey. I tagged it as any good spinner/knitter would. Then we drug it to the truck. On the way home we saw a wonderful sunset. When we got home we were worried it's hide would get ruined. So we quickly mounted it. Thankfully it was a good size and should feed us (spiritually?) for a couple of weeks.

Third of Six Snow Days

Oh, what a blamed uncertain thing

This pesky weather is;

It blew and snew and then it thew,

And now, by jing, it's friz! ~ Philander Johnson

Because our school district is so large (325 Sq Miles) the weather is very different from one area to the other, lots of little micro-climates. Down in the river valley we have nothing but rain, again. They say the higher elevations have a wintery mix so the kids have their third snow day. According to the weather man tomorrow there will be several inches of snow in the higher elevations so they may not have school tomorrow.

#2 son who is usually a bear to get up every morning is wide awake when there is a delay or closing. He made a trip to the emergency room last night as he got off the late bus crying his shoulder hurt from wrestling. After two hours and some Xrays he came home in a sling for a week or more depending on his re-evaluation. He has a sprained shoulder and some muscle damage....he is playing it to the hilt. He is right handed and it is his right shoulder so he tries saying he can't do anything. Some of this I let him get away with as I know he will be bored with it soon enough....it is driving his sister crazy though!!!

In fibery news...The Hemlock and I have suffered some technical difficulties. On a K2tog yo ssk row I came up one ssk too short. I counted, recounted, recounted again and couldn't find a mistake which would lead me to assume it is 5 rows below. Since this realization I have lost a day to a migraine and one to going to town. If the kids weren't home I would work on it today. Instead I did manage to wind the blue yarn into a ball and knit the first pair of Peek-a-boo mittens for #1 daughter. I also did one of the lacy fingerless mitts in blue and hope to finish the other tonight.

In house news...#1 son came over and we polyed the floors. I need to go to the store and buy more for the second coat. Saturday we should be able to put the that on. And on Sunday we may have to go get the tree.

Weary Knitter

If the knitter is weary the baby will have no new bonnet. ~Irish Proverb

Or there won't be Christmas presents! I picked the longer needle up on Thursday and have been knitting away on the Hemlock. Yesterday the guys went hunting. #2 daughter and I sat and watched Santa Clause 3 and I knit. I only have 3 rows to go to make 55 which is where most people stop or 18 to the end of the chart. I am going to the end....if I can make it. I have been knitting so much my arm was starting to hurt so I took the afternoon and evening off and that seems to have helped. The arm is feeling much better this morning.

#1 Daughter called the other evening to request two pair of peekaboo mittens in kool-aid dyed homespun. While my arm was recuperating I dyed two skeins of yarn...one blue and one red as requested. The blue I dyed 1/2 light and 1/2 dark hoping it will stripe a little.

The man went and got the floor sander. We installed reclaimed wood in the livingroom, dining room, kitchen and hall. Here is what it looked like before sandingand here is after one swipe with the sander.I can't wait to see it all done. He will be finished with the sanding today. On some boards you can see the old saw marks and I want to keep them as long as there is no chance of getting splinters. He thinks I am strange as will my kids so it will probably be sanded away.

Tonight is the towns tree lighting and the weatherman just said it will be the coldest night so far. As I know some "people in high places", I am going to go put in a request for a bonfire! Nope that won't work they just said wind15-20 mph winds with gust 25 to 30. It is 27 at the TV station now with 10 mph winds so an 8 degree windchill temp. We are normally 5+ degrees colder. Yikes! They are calling for 10 degrees. Oh add in those windchills and people will be grabbing the free hotdogs, cookies and hot cocoa just to use as handwarmers!

Plans for today...#1 daughter and I are canning some raspberry chocolate sundae sauce for Christmas presents. Then I am going to go pick up an old neighbor that moved away and bring her down to see the progress of the house and have dinner. We are going to have to tell her to bundle up for the tree lighting. But until then I am going to knit. If my arm starts to hurt some Tylenol and Absorbine Jr. should fix what ails me! Wish me luck!

Every dog has his day in court

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?"

We made the rounds of the courts on Monday. I had an appointment because the ex wanted his child support lowered because he is temporarily on unemployment until January. The judge told him that was not an excuse and noticed that he makes more money and offered to raise it for me. I declined the raise as I don't want to make things harder on him but I am tired of him contributing to numerous 401K's and child support being the first cut in his "economic plan."

After lunch we went to traffic court for the citation issued at the hit and run. The citation stated the man (my man) caused the accident! The law used stated that if a vehicle was parked on the road it had to be visible for 500 feet and a lane had to be open for traffic. Google Earth has this nice ruler and it was 534 feet in one direction and 1600+ in the direction the guy hit us from. Being drunk does affect your vision! You have to pay the fine in order to get a court date and at the end they were reimbursing the monies.

A very good start to this week since last week ended on a sour note. Friday after rounding up the chickens and driving them to the butcher we ended up driving them home. The butcher said they told us the "weekend after Thanksgiving" which is what we thought this past weekend was?! Then they called on Saturday and said "Sorry, bring them in on 12/2. So last night the man drove them back out there and we drive back out tonight to pick them up. Boy am I glad the price of gas went down.

And on one of those WTF was I thinking moments - you know the ones, where you get this ingenous idea and feel like Wonder Woman. One that you over estimate your abilities and under estimate the flight of time. You get all cocky thinking you have the yarn, the needles and you already start seeing the recipients surprise - Well I had one of those moments on Sunday and started another Hemlock Ring. I have finished 35 rows of the normal 55 on the feather fan section. So why the WTF you ask....When it was switched from a doily pattern to an afghan they used a size 10 needle. I had Paton's Merino which was thinner than the yarn called for so used the needle size recommended hence it will be smaller. I knew this but figured I could do more repeats. Here is the bad part...The needle length-more repeats means more stitches. I have the Denise needles which I love but sometimes putting it in the bag and taking it out can undo one of those needles or lengths. I have to put it away or the dog thinks it is a play toy. So I went out to buy a 36 or 48 inch #7 needle...one store wasn't open, another store didn't have it, mom doesn't have one, Mary doesn't have one. So I have been trying to fit all those stitches on a 29 inch and have finally run out of room.

Now I have this really bad trait, I will knit this every spare second I have BUT if I hit a snafu and have to set it aside or deal with broken needles and dropped stitches I will get PO'ed and it won't get done. Also I will go crazy waiting on the needles to arrive if I order them, no other project will suffice because I will not be working on what I want to work on. When I called Cyndy to inquire if she had one, she said that was called obsession and she is right. Thankfully she admitted to the same "disease" so I don't feel bad! But no she didn't have a longer needle either. Oh well I should stop pouting, Santa Claus is coming to town and maybe he will bring me one.

4 PM UPDATE: Jill Deal has a 32 and 40 inch and has put them aside for me! I go pick them up tomorrow morning!!!! Yipee!!!!