It's The Day Before

the day before Christmas, and my shopping is done! I've got all my presents bought--even the stocking stuffers, all the things I need for Christmas Dinner bought, and everything I need for tomorrow night's Christmas Eve party bought. I've still got to make the sausage *** and monkey bread, but I'll do that tomorrow. I'll also make my casseroles and pies, so all I'll have to cook on Christmas Day is the turkey.

I know a lot of people find Christmas to be a very stressful time of year. Many of them turn hard and bitter towards the holiday. Others decide that they just won't celebrate. They won't participate at all. This kind of thinking saddens me. Just think of all the joy these people are missing out on.

I used to be in the Christmas Is Stressful camp myself. Then, one Christmas, several years ago, I had an epiphany. I'd worked so hard at making sure everything was just right. I had to make the perfect cookies. I had to make the perfect candy. I had to buy the perfect presents. I had to decorate the perfect tree. We had to have the perfect time. I had to make perfect memories for my son. Everything had to be just perfect. That night, as the sun set on Christmas day, I thought to myself, for the first (and last) time in my life, "I'm so glad Christmas is over."

It hit me like I ton of bricks.

I'd never been glad that Christmas was over. Never. As a child, I'd always felt it was somehow wrong for Christmas Day to end. That time should somehow stop, and it would go on being Christmas forever. Now here I was thinking that I was glad it was over. What had happened to me? I'd lost the joy. I'd forgotten what Christmas was all about. I vowed to myself, "Never again."

I vowed to relax and enjoy the season. It didn't mean I would stop baking or decorating. I just wouldn't worry about it. If the cookies didn't turn out just so, it would be ok. If the tree wasn't decorated just so, it would be ok. If I didn't get every single type of cookie or candy made, we'd be all right. If whatever happened, it would be ok.

When I made that decision, the joy returned. It made me want to decorate even more. It made me want to bake even more. It made me want to put a dollar in the Salvation Army bucket. And cry a little when I did so. Heh, I even wanted to shop for presents! (Ok, so I'm still not terribly keen on the Christmas - Parade - After - Dark - On - A - Tuesday - Night thing, but hey, I'm human after all.)

Every year since that year, when the sun goes down on Christmas Day, I've again felt that it is somehow wrong for Christmas Day to end. That time should somehow stop and it should go on being Christmas forever. I'll feel that way this year.

I hope you will, too.

Merry Christmas, my friend.

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Music Monday

It's the final Music Monday before Christmas, and in keeping with the true meaning of the season, I present for today's songs, two of my favorite Christmas hymns.



Hark The Herald by Amy Grant



O Come All Ye Faithful by Amy Grant

On Sunday

The peanut butter fudge gets cut

and finally, all the holiday baking and candy making is finished. Now comes the hard part--not eating it all up before Christmas!

I've decided to get a few of my WIPS finished before casting on anything new. Here's what I've got going right now.

1. Mystic Waters--I've finished the first two or three charts. It's gotten to the point that each chart is spread over 4 or 5 pages, so I set it aside for a while. The yarn is Knitpicks Gloss Lace in Mermaid.

2. Trekking Is For Necking--I know the picture is sideways. The yarn is Zitron Trekking in color #143. I started this one just to have something around in the odd case I might run out of projects, but I think I'm going to go ahead and finish it. I'll probably have to print out the pattern again.

3. Branching Out #2--I'm making this from the yarn I had left over from Branching Out #1. The yarn is Twist Sock Yarn from Sunshine Yarns in Mauve Me.

4. Longhorn Socks--Yep, this is as far as I've gotten. When I was winding this yarn, I found a knot in it and got so aggravated that I set it aside. I haven't picked out a pattern yet, but I will. Maybe I'll start these while watching the Longhorns in the Fiesta Bowl.

5. Cowboys scarf--I've mostly been fiddling around with patterns for this one. I'd love to find an illusion pattern for a star. Must check Ravelry.

6. A Washcloth--I bought this yarn to do a Christmas present, but found a knot in it. I decided to do another cloth for me, and use different yarn for the gift. I've got some pumpkin patterns around here somewhere that it ought to be good for.


Two more days of work, then I'm off until Jan. 5th. I know my time off will go by wayyy to fast, but I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.

And So It Ends

This year's holiday baking, that is...

The first order of the day, cutting up the fudge. Actually the first order of the day was washing dishes, but I didn't think you'd be interested in that. On to the fudge...

Next, peanut butter fudge. Cooking the candy


Adding the peanut butter, and letting it set

And I cut up and sugared the Turkish delight


Then the cookie making began!

Stamped cookies


Snickerdoodles

Sandies

And Scotch Cookies


Accompanying me throughout all this was Rudolph.


Like I always say, if you're too old for Rudolph, you're just too old.


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And So It Begins

the annual holiday baking, that is. It all started with a trip to the store to stock up on staples and other supplies I would need.

First, I made a batch of chocolate fudge, which still needs to be cut up.

Lemon Turkish Delight, which also needs to be cut up and sugared.

Cream Cheese mints

And my specialty, chocolate chip cookies.

Still on the list:

Peanut Butter Fudge
Butter Cookies
Snickerdoodles
Sandies
Scotch Cookies

It's gonna be a busy day tomorrow, too.

In the midst of all this cooking, I managed to finish the socks from ****.


This pattern was totally not right for this yarn. It just wasn't stretchy enough. I've got two more 50g balls of Panda Cotton, and I think I'm just going to do a plain 2 x 2 rib. Maybe two at once, toe up, so that I can use it all up. I didn't have much left after finishing these two socks. I don't know if it was the pattern or what.

I'd better head for bed now. I've got a lot of work to get done tomorrow before the ball game. That would be the Cowboys and the Ravens in the last football game at Texas Stadium. I don't have NFL network, but they are going to show it on NFL.com. Since my computer isn't in the kitchen, I've got to have all my baking finished before the game starts.

I would so totally love it if DeMarcus Ware gets his sack record tomorrow.

Totally.

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More Cute Little Dragons

just for fun:

I just bred this egg this morning: It's parents are Tra and Kosier .

There two should be hatching soon--maybe tomorrow:



This is what a baby Autumn looks like:



Ain't it cute?

That's all...

Knitting, And Stuff

Knitting news has been a bit dull lately. I've been knitting, but most of it has been tedious, repetitious stuff--such as the prayer shawl and scarf I recently finished. I haven't cast on anything new, since I've decided to finish some of my WIPS. In the hot seat right now are the fallen leaves socks.


I've finished the gusset decreases and am working on the foot. Four more pattern repeats--and they go pretty quickly--then I can start the toe. I hope to be finished by tomorrow night. Next up will be finishing Branching Out #2. No progress on that since last time, since I've been a pretty monogamous knitter these last few weeks. I did wind some yarn for another pair of socks, only I got pretty ticked to find a knot right in the middle of the skein. It irked me enough to just set the yarn aside without even casting on. However, I'm almost over it now, so I'll probably cast on those socks soon. Well, as soon as I pick a pattern, that is.

I have been a Dallas Cowboys fan for as long as I can remember. I was born on a Wednesday, and came home from the hospital the following Monday. The very next Sunday, I was propped up in front of the TV watching the Cowboys play. And every Sunday after that, as well. As I grew older, I remained a fan. Other girls had posters of Shaun Cassidy and Scott Baio on their walls. I had Cowboy team posters. I used to save my allowance to subscribe to the Dallas Cowboys weekly newspaper. When I went off to college, I let my subscription lapse. Since then, the newspaper has morphed into a weekly magazine--The Dallas Cowboys Star. The price has also increased significantly. Enough to discourage me from subscribing again, though I longed to.

So I was cruising the website last week and saw that they had new subscriptions to the magazine on sale for $29.95 per year. I couldn't resist. Along with my paid subscription, I received this gift:

Cool, huh?

Now, a bit of explanation about yesterday's post title. Some of you may not remember the old TV show The Incredible Hulk, starring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno. In that show, Dr. Banner is hounded by a reporter named McGee. There is one scene--I believe it is in the pilot--in which Dr. Banner tells McGee, "Mr. McGee, please don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry." Because, as you know, when Dr. Banner becomes angry, he turns into The Incredible Hulk.

And finally, remember those little dragons I posted a while back? I stopped posting them because I figured you'd all be bored by them, but this type is really pretty. I just had to show you. This one's name is Marion.



If you're interested, you can click on him and it will take you to a page where you can see all my dragons. Some of you might find their names to be a bit familiar. ;)

I'm off to bed now. Goodnight.

You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry

At Saturday night's Radio Road Show, a New York Giants fan stood up, wearing a Plaxico Burress jersey, and asked a question of DeMarcus Ware.

"How does it feel to play against the World Champion Giants?" he asked. "Do you think you have a chance?"

Loyal Cowboy fans quickly booed him out of the room, but it was too late. The damage had been done. He'd made DeMarcus Ware angry.

Please don't make DeMarcus Ware angry. You wouldn't like him when he's angry.

The Giants' first possession of the game. The first play of the first possession. Eli Manning takes the snap, drops back, and DeMarcus Ware zeros in on him like a bird of prey honing in on his kill. Like a raptor.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Swooping in. Blindsiding him, DeMarcus wraps Eli up, strips him of the football and plants his face into the artificial turf of Texas Stadium. It would be the first of many.

The floodgates were open. The feeding frenzy had begun.

Bradie James.

DeMarcus again.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Greg Ellis.

Anthony Spencer.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Greg Ellis again.

Greg Ellis and Chris Canty.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Eight times in all, Eli Manning ate turf at Texas Stadium. Eight times.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Adding insult to injury, while all this was going on, Terence Newman picks him off twice, the Giants running game is completely shut down, and Orlando Scandrick--targeted as a weak spot because he is a rookie--proves what Wade Phillips would later say, that he should have been drafted higher.

As if to put the period at the end of the statement, the final sack of the day once again belongs to DeMarcus Ware. In almost a carbon copy of the first sack, DeMarcus wraps Eli up, strips him of the football and plants his face into the artificial turf of Texas Stadium one last time.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

It was a fitting farewell to this rivalry, in this stadium. As for DeMarcus Ware--the man is simply

Incredible.

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Like You Have To Worry

So, I was in the church library not too long ago, just browsing. There was only myself and the volunteer behind the check out desk in there.

She picked up a book which outlined a faith based fitness plan, and mused, "I wonder if this works." She is a bit on the heavy side. Then she looked at me and said, "Not like you have to worry about that."

But I do have to worry about gaining weight. I have to watch every bite that I put into my mouth. And I do mean every bite. People seem to think I can eat with impunity and magically stay thin, but I can't. There is no mystical quality about me that makes calories disappear when I eat them. I work hard at maintaining a healthy weight, and it irks me when I hear things like

It must be nice to be able to eat whatever you want.
Oh, you can just eat anything and not gain an ounce.
It must be nice not to have to worry about gaining weight.

And I always respond, "Yeah, it must be, but I wouldn't know."

So, next time you see a thin person, don't just assume they can eat everything in sight and magically stay skinny. No, they work hard at it. Give them credit for that.

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Music Monday

More Christmas music to brighten up your day. Here's a re-run from last year, but it's worth a second look:



I'm not a real big Dolly Parton fan, but I do love this version of Joy To The World. (You have to follow the link. I couldn't embed the video.)



Emmanuel God With Us by Amy Grant

I'm blatantly swiping Robin's idea again and posting some songs from one of my favorite Christmas movies, A Muppet Christmas Carol.



It Feels Like Christmas



Bless Us All



A Thankful Heart



One More Sleep Til Christmas

Silent Sunday

Skies, Shawls, Socks, and Scarves

but no mojo.

Blogging mojo, that is. That is still wandering off somewhere.

With no football to watch, I've been bored and restless all day. I even tried cleaning house. I didn't get very far, but hey, I did try! I wanted to go up the road towards Memphis and go shopping, but with no money, that wouldn't be such a good idea. So I stayed home and knit. I finished this charity scarf:

The pattern is one I adapted from an old Coats and Clark leaflet. It didn't have a name--just scarf and hat set. I obviously didn't do the hat. The yarn is one I got in a swap with another Raveler. It didn't have a label, but I know it is acrylic. I'm pretty sure it is Red Heart in the Painted Desert colorway.

Speaking of Ravelry swaps, I managed to unload almost all of this yarn:

The recipient didn't want the orange or white yarns, but all the rest of it got packed up and sent out yesterday. That really cleared out my stash, and since I don't knit that much with worsted weight, I doubt I'll miss it.

Now that I've said that, here is a project in worsted that I finished yesterday morning:

This is Red Heart classic and the color is Tropic Fruit. The pattern is Simple Yet Effective Shawl, by Cosmicpluto.

Then, having decided to finish up some WIPs instead of casting on something new, I did a couple more pattern repeats of Branching Out #2.

And I finally cast on the second of my Fallen Leaves socks:


The yarn is Panda Cotton in Chocolate Almonds colorway. I'm not loving this yarn. It is very ropy and untwists as I knit it. That makes it very splitty and difficult to knit with. It's also rather coarse. I sure hope it softens up when I wash it.

Lastly, I leave you with today's Saturday Sky.


Though you can't tell from the picture, the sky was overcast and gray. I don't think the temperature got out of the 40s. It made for good knitting weather.

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