Saying Good-bye to the Old and Hello to the New

It’s nice to be letting 2010 go. I’m always glad to move on, at least most of the time. Somehow I was trained or birthed, not sure which, to be an optimist in some respects: especially that the new year will bring good things...Granted I've not always been right about that, but I always anticipate the best (and prepare for the worst!).

I’ve been mulling over plans for the upcoming year and trying hard to recognize that I didn’t do much on last year’s plans of how many things I’d create or what type of things I wanted to do, but I did do the ONE big goal I set for myself last year and that was to reach Lifetime on Weight Watchers and then maintain my weight loss.

And that’s a whole lot more important than saying I knit 3 shawls, I’m just sayin’.

I can’t total up my knitted items for you, because I still have so many of them to gift this weekend! I’ll do a wrap up next week, I guess. (Hint: I did NOT knit 3 shawls)

Then there was the trip to Vermont, and becoming Nana to a baby girl. Not that I had much to do with the latter, dontcha know? But lovely things that happened nonetheless.

Oh, and there’s ONE more thing I’m pleased about this year. This little guy.

He wasn't planned for, either, but he makes The Meezer’s life better (mostly). He makes mine better, too, because for all that he’s a mess, he’s a lover-boy...he has the sunniest nature, and not much gets him down.

Ok...there was that little “issue” this morning when he jumped The Meezer and wouldn’t let her be...(she commenced hissing and growling and screaming, which didn’t seem to phase him!). I had to separate the two (all this before I had my coffee even).

But then, just like most little boys, he “found” a toy (his crinkle ball) and immediately began a game of chase. They can be so easily distracted, you know? Um. Yes, little boys, big boys, boy kitties...easily distracted by toys.
*wink*
Ok...I'm getting myself out of this one fast!
Happy New Year!

I Don't Believe IT!

LOOK!

A well trained kitty. With a tree very much like mine...
(my goal for 2011? to have The Tonk be as well-mannered around Christmas decorations as Hez is by next holiday)
Heh.
(why, no, I'm not holding my breath, why do you ask?)

We Wish You A Merry Christmas!

And all the paperwads you can chase!
((((hugs))))
Knitnana, The Meezer, and most especially, The Tonk!

Christmas Eve

I'm behind in so many things...are you?

I've failed to say thank you publicly for this lovely gift I received this week from Squiggi's Mom...

She sent many things that are from her local community - I have to say there are teas in there I've not heard of let alone tried, so that will be delightful this winter! And I adore the sheepie! I have to be careful, because one of my housemates thinks such things are only for him (Squiggi's Mom is also Ozzie's Mom, and so she knows that can be an issue with pointed kitties)...the Knitting is Knotty sticker is a hoot, I am determined to put it on my car - oh, and the chocolate snowmen are gone. I beheaded them quickly. Oh now don't get all huffy about me killing snowmen, you know full well that you'd do the same thing with the chocolate ones (from LINDT!).

Included in that gift were two baby socks stuffed with catnip. I wasn't sure how The Tonk would behave, as he's not shown much interest (sometimes you have to learn to love these mind-altering substances, you know?)

Considering he took control of both of them, I think it's safe to say he's matured.
(The Meezer isn't too pleased about that, btw)

Speaking of The Meezer, we had to visit the vet again for another "delicate procedure" and you'd have thought I was killing her when I put her into the carrier:

I'll get you out, Meezer! I'll save you!

Um. Well, he tried. But he's not strong enough to pry open the doors.

And I'm not going to be able to continue to carry that carrier too many more times. I'm off to look for a wheeled cat carrier that's sturdy enough to hold up against a very determined Meezer - as in, determined not to be put into a carrier and transported for any more delicate procedures...She HATES them!

(Can't say I blame her)

I hear that Santa is on his way...hope he brings you everything you're wishing for!
And I've been a bad blogger because there's been a lot to do...

Busch Gardens ChristmasTown & Rejoice!

I disappeared briefly this weekend...took advantage of an opportunity that I was very excited about and not sure I'd get to share with this gal:

That's Dear Daughter in her Christmas job. Yes, that's a violin she's holding, did I never tell you that she's pretty good? (Like her mom, she let family siderail what might have been a career in the arts, but she's trying to make the most of her talent now). In that photo above, she's playing in an orchestra (I admit it's not a good photo, the theatre is dark, it's at night, and well, my camera is pretty much shot).

Let me share a few photos of Rejoice!, one of the Christmas Town programs at Busch Gardens Williamsburg:
This is the opening of the program as the male chorus begins.

There are two female vocalists who were really stellar. We got to meet them afterwards, and they're just lovely ladies...but the photo above is of the male chorus doing a pretty impressive light show with what appear to be mirrored trays - the timing and choreography was very impressive.

This gentleman was my favorite soloist but then he's got a pretty impressive background having done Broadway (doesn't he remind you of a certain knit-blogger?).
This photo is from the finale, but I really think you'll get a better idea of it by watching this brief video clip from the show.

Afterwards, we wandered back through England (if you know Busch Gardens, you'll know it's divided into countries, and Rejoice! is located in Ireland) we came to the London clock-tower and picked up the best darn hot chocolate I think I've ever had!
We really enjoyed listening to the carolers in the square.
Busch Gardens is decorated to the nines for the holiday - it literally took my breath away (and no, tho' it was frigid that night, it wasn't the cold that did that!)

Both entering and leaving the park you walk beneath these stars suspended over the walkways...each country has Christmas trees lighted in different colors (Ireland is green, England is blue, Italy is pink/purple) it's truly beautiful.

My family made this possible, sis-in-law drove us into Richmond to my niece's home, and my niece's husband drove us to and from Willliamsburg. I just can't thank them enough. We had to wait to leave Roanoke rather late on Friday afternoon, until SIL could leave work. We arrived in Richmond, and literally took a quick "necessary break" then piled right back into the car and drove to Williamsburg, barely making it thru the Busch Gardens gates, down thru England and up to Ireland and into our seats with only minutes to spare before the 9:30 p.m. show began (yes, that's right, we went to the LAST show of the night!). Then we turned around and drove back home on Saturday (okay, I know you won't be surprised to know that Sis-in-law and I did a bit of shopping before we came home, right?)!

After the show, though, we stopped for coffee and snacks so we could visit with my daughter. I am just so proud of her!


If you have the chance to visit Busch Gardens' Christmas Town, you won't be sorry. There are other shows, too, and they run at several different times during each day from now till the end of the year, except for Christmas Day. Had we thought about it a bit, we might have tried to plan to spend an entire day so we could ride the bucket rides over the park to see the lights (well okay, my fear of heights would keep me from that, but everyone else could go) and to check out all the shows and shops, maybe even take the train around the park! We might try to do that another year...

Two Posts in One Day

But too totally worth it!

Snow Day!

Ok. First I'll apologize for being away so long, but you know what time of year it is, and most of my knitting is secret stuff...I AM however trying to keep up over on Nana Sadie's Place with the Reverb10 challenge for the month, so if you're wondering where I am, you might stop by there to see where my head is at the moment!
:)
This morning I woke to this:

Remind you of anything? This is terribly reminiscent of last December. The snow became a recurrent nightmare as the winter wore on. We missed so many snow days at work, that January was almost a "no-show" month!

And we close when the Community College does for bad weather, so the only good thing about snow is - I don't have to get out it in to try to navigate with the other crazy drivers out there! Whew!

I'm so glad we managed to get our KnitIn group's Christmas party done on Sunday...last year it got snowed out, remember? As always, we brought gifts for Dirty Santa, and this was the package I chose:

Anne Hanson's Leafprint Shawlette pattern and a skein of Ultra Alpaca Fine in a scrumptious deep teal. I've never knit with Ultra Alpaca, but I have a feeling I will be from now on...it feels yummy!

Now last night was a mad dash to get to the client's to pick up her records so I could work on her books this weekend, stop at the post office to check the mail, and also to (shudder) stop at the grocery store (with the rest of the crazy shoppers terrified of getting snowed in). I rarely do that. I hate to go to the store before an impending storm. However, I'd stayed away from the news sources for a bit and didn't realize the storm was coming till it was virtually here, and I was out of milk. Steel cut oats without milk isn't my idea of a great breakfast, you know? So I had to go...oddly enough, the store I chose was nothing like the closest one to me usually is (jammed) and I had only one person in line ahead of me in check out!

When I stopped at the post office, Santa had been there...okay, not really. Santa is very busy at his shop in the North Pole, but the post office has folks who are recruited as Santa's helpers, and they'd been busy, filling my post office box!

Ruinwen sent me a Yule gift that literally took my breath away!

The colors are a bit better in this photo:

Ruinwen, this shawl is amazingly stunning! Thank you so much, but thank you more for your friendship! I've been thinking about my knitting plans for 2011 and this just got moved to the top few on the list! (More on my plans in another post.) Isn't it beautiful? The graduated colors run from a pale butter thru coral to a deep purple. It's such yummy laceweight. Ruinwen phoned last night and told me she'd seen this at MD Sheep & Wool and immediately thought of me. I'm overwhelmed by her generousity and more than just a little glad that she told me the gift I sent her arrived yesterday, as well!

At the post office, there was a second box (a BIG one!) from Kim in my Chronic Stitchers group on Ravelry. She's packing up and shedding much of her stuff in a life-changing move and had emailed that she was sending me a bunch of her fabric in a RAK:

Wow, it's all so lovely...I'm looking forward to playing with this to come up with interesting things! Thank you so much, Kim!

Inside the box, was a special little ornament, a wood-burned gourd that has just fascinated me ever since I opened it:
One little meezer...
two little meezers
chasing yarn from a yarn basket!

I can't tell you how much I love this little ornament. Everytime I look at it I find something new. The detail is magnificent and my photos do not do it justice.

Thank you Kim and Ruinwen (and my Dirty Santa gifter!) The holidays are off to a bright start...

But, I wouldn't mind if we didn't get quite so much snow as last year...must put in my request with Santa!

Visiting the Past

I've been digging in boxes this afternoon, looking for certain parts of my past. I suddenly came upon my favorite fashion doll, Tressy (pardon the messy hair, I loved her hard) :)

With her were the doll clothes my mother lovingly knit (and a lot that she sewed, but I'll save those for another day). She wasn't an accomplished knitter and preferred to crochet. But she was good enough to do these!



But she used materials she could afford (mostly acrylics, but there used to be a knitted wool baby sweater that was in process...the wool was moth eaten so it went out (quickly). (Can you blame me?)

It's lovely to be able to share these with you. I'd completely forgotten them, but the second I saw them, I did remember...I missed seeing the blue cloche hat until after I'd taken the photos, but that white hat, dress, and coat went together and the blue cape and skirt had the matching fashion cloche (so I'll let you use your imagination on that one!), and I believe the blue hoodie went with the sewn "blue jeans" she made!

Why these hadn't made it into the heirloom box with the crocheted Seventeen Magazine "Indian" vest I shared with you last Thanksgiving, I'll never know, but that's where they're going after I give them a soak and let them air dry.

New and Improved! (Sorry, I Couldn't Help Myself!)

Like everyone else, it's the holiday season, and most of the "making" I'd normally share is a gift for someone or other...I promise I'll share - but it will be after the New Year, because my family won't be getting together till that weekend! Don't feel sorry for me, I think it's cool that DD has a gig at Bush Gardens playing her violin for the holiday show...besides, we'll have a single big celebration (at least it looks that way now) instead of the many and several odd get-togethers we normally have.

So...most of my knitting can't be seen, and some of the sewing, too, but I did finish this set today that's a gift for someone else's someone and she picked out the fabric anyway plus, she doesn't read my blog, so I can share it! (How's that for a run-on sentence?)

I'm normally not that "into" rust/orange/browns, but this batik is a lovely one, made up in the Knitnana size shoulder bag...and in front is something you've seen before, but it's been revamped and improved! (btw, the color is the truest on the last photo of the bunch)

The Oressa doublepoint needle case (or in this case, crochet hook keeper) with a top flap to add a bit of security to the pretties tucked inside it.
See? It's the same case (two rows of pocklets to slip your needles and/or hooks into, but with that lovely little flap that folds down to keep things in place. I've decided not to raise the price, either, so you'll get the New Oressa for the same price as always, $25.

Even if it's too late to order an actual bag for a holiday gift, you can contact me to arrange for gift certificates, if you'd like to make your knitter or crocheter a happy camper come Christmas Morning!
(((hugs)))

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like...

Last December. I am not quite believing it, but they're calling for snow tomorrow! Frankly, they say a dusting to minor accumulation, but I remember last winter, and no, I am not looking forward to the first flake. Not again.

Oddly enough, I missed all the dire predictions, went to the grocery store, got there before the rest of the world got off work, apparently, and headed home. Once here, I sat down to watch the news and heard the news about the snow. Wow. Glad I decided it was a beef stew kind of weekend, as now I don't have to try to brave the grocery store before a snowstorm! It's all ready for the crockpot tomorrow.

So instead, I made a bag:

A custom order, this fabric is apparently already out of print, tho' it was new this fall! Hallographix Spiderweb, isn't it amazing? I was lucky to find any at all, and I know this is going to be a hit with the new owner!

I worked on it most of the evening, as I wanted to be able to hit the post office to mail it tomorrow morning. Our Grandin Village is having a big Christmas craft show, and all the merchants are participating in a Holiday Open House. Since it's local vendors and businesses, you know I'm all over that, right? So I'm planning to head over there early in the day, hopefully in advance of any inclement weather. The Teabird Spindle Bag above is already packaged and ready to ship!

Are you finally done?
Yes, Meeze, I am...

OH, boy-oh-boy-oh-boy! I'm overjoyed!
How could anyone resist the Tonk's fluffy belly?????

Hope your weekend is wonderful!