I "May" Have Skipped a Month...

My goal was to blog at least once a month. I was doing pretty well, and then -- May happened. I'm not really sure WHAT happened, but it's near the end of June, so I need to get skippy and get back on track. 

Probably lots to cover; I just have to think about it. 

Orange Foolious...

Those who refuse to read (or understand) history are indeed doomed to repeat it. In the War-Not-War-Temper-Tantrum, we're either bombing the crap out of Iran or we're not. All in a 20-minute span of time. After he ripped up the Obama agreement - because, you know, black guy negotiated it and Orange Foolious hates him with a burning passion - he wrote his own. Or someone did. And it gave Iran EVERYthing. All. The. Things. All the things that Obama had withheld for our benefit. But hey, who needs to worry - because The Great Deal Maker has spoken. 

Ha. 

Emanuel Macron deserves a medal. He got that doddering old fart to sign the "agreement," not a treaty or anything actually legally BINDING, but a "memorandum of agreement," at the Palace of Versailles. 

You know, where the Nazis surrendered. 

Foolious was totally impressed by Versailles. Who wouldn't be? But you know him - slap gold on it, and it's all good. He had no inkling of the optics. He was dazzled by the Hall of Mirrors and all the gold. He was unaware of the history that was made there, and oblivious to history HE was making there. And not in a good way. 

This MOU is basically surrender by the US. Iran got all the things they wanted, including, basically, reparations, AND the right to charge tolls thru the Strait of Hormuz. 

Give an idiot a pen and a microphone... 

I hear now that Congress finally passed a War Powers petition. Of course Fetterman objected. Four Repubs, including Susan "Concerned" Collins and Lisa "I need to think about it" Murkowski, crossed over to sign with the Dems. 

Of course, this will likely be taken up with the bought-and-paid-for SCOTUS, so we shall see if it even holds water. 

The Knitting...

It's been a busy bit here. I was making good progress on the white Sophie Hood, but FINALLY heard from Kid #1 about the colors for the wedding afghan. 

Did I tell you that Kid #1 eloped? Yep. So, as per usual, I wanted to do an afghan and it seemedto take forever to get their favorite colors. I set the Sophie aside, and picked a pattern called "Panel Throw" from Plymouth because I'm again using Encore Worsted, my go-to afghan yarn. It's a 5-panel throw, and I decided to add a twist to it. I'm using a dark pewter to outline each knitted panel, and that pewter will be crocheted, so that I can link the panels together. 

First off, my seaming skills suck. Second, I want this used, so I want something stronger than a mattress join. And third, with the colors I'm using, I feel like the pewter will make this look a bit like stained glass, which will be cool. 

The colors are Sunflower and Shamrock Heather. They said "green & yellow," which is, frankly, not MY fave. Because either the colors look like a baby afghan or they look like the Green Bay Packers. These aren't easy colors to work with. But I think the two of them are ok. I ran this by my friend J, and she said, "I don't like them." I said, "Well, that's good, because it's not for you!" 

Mind you, I'm not jazzed myself, but I think in the end, it'll look good. The panelsare elongated diamonds, and the initial pattern had tassels. Nope. I don't do those. The body of each panel is 49" long, so it's going to be a nice sized throw. With the addition of the grey, it will be a tad bigger as well. 

Nerdy Notes: Encore Worsted, Color 9862 (Sunflower) - 2 skeins; Color 389 (pewter for trim) - 3 skeins; Color 6004 (Shamrock Heather) - 3 skeins. Size 8 square circular needles (24" cord). I'm fairly sure I have too much of the pewter, but I also know crochet takes about 3x the yarn that knitting does...so I can always use grey tones anyway. Pattern: Soft Serve Panel Throw (free). 

It's a mindless knit after you get 36 stitches on the needles. Which is nice. At the end, you decrease till you have 3 stitches, so it's a beginner pattern, considering. And -- it's a challenge, because your tension has to be pretty even. My granny used to say that you could do all the "fancy" stuff you wanted, but "it's the plain stuff where your skill shows." And she wasn't wrong. 

I did have a small tragedy. My square circulars -- the cord broke. I dropped like 9 or 10 stitches, and had to frog back a couple rows. I use a 24" cord, which is easy on the hands. I had to switch, temporarily, to a 16" cord while Hubby attempted a repair. The 16" is easy for hats, but for this, it was a bit cumbersome. 

It's fixed now, and I'm plugging along. I've got about 31" done on the Sunflower, so we'll see how this goes. We're planning to go out there in September, but I sincerely doubt that this will be done by then - I'm monogamous with this - not knitting ANYTHING till this is done. So A's chicken will wait. I did have to order yarn for it, so while I was ordering this, I got hers. 

I did finish the Opal socks. They turned out well - the lilac color is quite close to the pink that I made ages ago, so it's hard to tell them apart if you're not paying attention. They fit nicely and I hope to get back to socks, the Sophie and the two chickens soon. I'll dig up a pic of the socks for next month... 

The needlework will wait. I also found BABY EMOTIONAL SUPPORT CHICKENS. Oh. My. I have the pattern and while I'd love to whack out a flock of these for my teachers at the studio, I'm not sure how that will happen. They'll be rainbow chickens if I do get to them, though. They're about the size of a 12" softball, for reference. 

Retreat...

So I went on a retreat for our women's group, and it was up in Adrian, MI. I didn't take a lot of pictures; one of the other gals did, which is nice. Most of the time, I'm taking pictures, but this time, I just wanted to be a participant. 

The retreat center was lovely. I got outside on the last evening, and was able to walk their (very big) labyrinth, and just move around. You know how you need to move once you've been sitting all day? That felt good. 

My room was nice, except for one thing. The AC was broken. I thought it was cold in there, but I don't mind that - I like cold. It didn't really occur to me. So Friday night, I get myself tucked into bed, and things go pear-shaped from there: The AC cycles on every 20-30 minutes. Every. Half. Hour. And BOOM! It starts. The cycle ends, and another BOOM! -- like someone's breaking into my room. Every time I was just drifting off, the thing knocked so loudly, it woke me back up. 

We're in a convent. That's seriously some big security. Doors are locked, people are badged, it's pretty safe. I knew in my head that it was the AC, but in that little "lizard brain" part of my mind, I felt like someone was trying to get in. So needless to say, I slept nary a wink. I was able to get a different room, thankfully they weren't completely full up! 

I took a workshop on iconography, which has always been an interest of mine. Of course, we didn't do a full-blown icon - that takes about a week, if not more! We did a simple one. It's not museum-quality, but you know what? I got some great insight on how the process works. The woman who taught it is a Deacon in the Episcopal Church, and has studied with Russian experts as well as Byzantine and Greek artists. Her work is stunning! 

The one thing I'd do differently would be that I would not "flip" the image. The initial drawing had Our Lady facing to the left, but many of us flipped it to the right, as Marcia (our instructor) had done hers. That made the outlining process a lot harder. Even though I'm ambidexterous, I had a hard time figuring out what was what. I should have just left it like it was. I did add a few things, but I figure nobody's going to toss lightning bolts at me...hopefully!

There's a whole process for this craft, and it's very meditative. I would love to take another of her workshops, and I'm hoping to do so in the autumn. 

We all hated the food...it just wasn't good. On Friday night there was pizza, and we had enough of that left over (it was good) that several of us took a piece to munch on for our ride home. We all left before noon on Sunday. I pulled into a rest stop about an hour into the drive to eat my pizza and a banana. (This matters...)

Got back on the road, and when we hit the Indiana border, the heavens opened. It started out in fits and starts, but about halfway through, we were all going about 40 mph with our flashers on - on I-80, where if you're under 75 mph in normal weather, you're going too slowly. 

After a couple harrowing hours driving among big trucks which were sending up enough spray to really challenge my wipers and the idiot drivers who not only didn't slow down but wouldn't put their headlights on, I ended up pulling off at the Gary exit, reprogrammed my GPS and took back roads the rest of the way home. I didn't realize how much I was gripping the wheel and how tense I was!

Monday morning, I was supposed to meet a friend...and I just felt --- off. Well. Let's just say it was a lot like colonoscopy prep. All day. Hubby finally made me eat something, and that was a big mistake. Tuesday around 2 a.m. THAT came up the OTHER way. 

That's a horrible decision to have to make -- which end lands on the toilet??? 

I stayed home Tuesday, and Wednesday got a doctor's appointment. It seems like I had a case of food poisoning. There was nothing bacterial or viral in my blood or urine tests. And the pizza I grabbed? It was tucked into a bag, not sitting in the sun, and it wasn't out so long that it would've gotten bad. (that's where that timing matters)

I have no idea - nobody else had this happen, because I asked. I lost 7 lbs., which was not good, because with having A-fib in the first place, the drop in electrolytes can be a problem. 

I'm all better now, my weight is back where it was. I had to postpone my weekly shot, but now I'm back on track. 

Health Overall...

So I went shopping for new bras. I'd been putting it off. I'm convinced that this is as traumatic as shopping for a bathing suit. The girls are deflated, 50 lbs. lighter, and I'm older, so gravity is taking its toll. 

On the way out, I saw a t-shirt that I adored. I love "The Starry Night" and I bought the shirt. It's a JUNIOR size. I have NEVER worn a "junior" sized anything! I'm pretty jazzed about that. 

I think I'll be doing maintenance in a few months. I have been hanging at the same weight for a while now, and it's time. 

My BP is in a good place. My energy is great - I'm doing more at the barn and today I took a walk all by myself... (I suck at motivation some days, so this is a big deal...) and the only thing I could wish for is better sleep. 

That, though -- that's kind of a victim of the existential crap floating around in our world today. I do what I can. 

I did a Yoga & Horses class this past weekend, and I've been approached to TEACH one - which will be fun. I got to work with Tater, one of my "boys" whose stalls I clean each weekend. He's such a cutie, and I enjoyed getting to work with him more. 

Random Picture... 

Well. My car turned 100,000 miles on the trip. She's showing her age, but we're going to wait a few years to make sure that we're in a good place for me to get a new one. I'm looking at a Subaru Forester. I've always wanted one, and since I'm now looking at overall safety as I get older, I think this is a good choice. There's enough room to haul Basil if needed, and enough room for my barn stuff. I'm not an off-road person, though I do some short travel. We're looking at a hybrid, so waiting a few years is a good idea, to let the tech settle. 

Hubby has a hybrid, and it's a Toyota, which has had a history for several years with good results in the hybrid arena. While Subaru has a lot of the Toyota tech, I still want to wait a bit to see how things go. 

Any Subaru owners out there? Your opinion is welcome! 

 

A Listicle... Maybe

It looks like it's gonna be monthly this year, kids... At least that's the trend. Randomly, unless I get inspired. 

1. I continue to finish things; several badges instead of the MTI hats, for those protests that will happen when it's too hot to wear a hat. Started a pair of socks. I'm about on the toe, I think I've found a spiral toe (as opposed to a star toe?) that I can do. Nerdy Notes: US 1.5 DPNs (Zings, color-coded, really nice!) and a random Opal (my ball band is MIA). This is a Vanilla pattern, with an Eye of Partridge heel (flap & gusset) and honestly, one of the shortest gussets I've done!

2.  Things to be done: A's Chicken - that repair has to be from scratch. Not enough original yarn to fix it, and I have to find something similar. Trip to Betsey's to see what I can find... Mom's Sophie Hood in white - I have to figure out where I'm at in the pattern. ONE single sock - any ONE single sock; I just need to make a pair out of the singletons I have. And several other things - I have a list of WIPs. 

3. I have a wedding afghan to start. I know the groom's favorite color - green. Just need to know the bride's - so I can make that work. Then I have to figure out what I want to do - knitted takes less yarn, but more time. Crochet is just the opposite: I can crochet faster than I knit but it takes almost twice the yarn. 

4. I need to pick up that counted-cross stitch Pecadillo - I'm on the 2nd quadrant and I'd like to get it done for Xmas. And I have 2 more "trifles" that I want to do for ME. The Pecadillo is coming along nicely with the beads and the metallic floss. I'm still not certain how I'll finish the piece. It's part of a 3-some, but it doesn't have to be. So do I finish it as a singleton for the recipient, or do I do a 3-year-long Xmas project for them? I'm not inclined to do a bell-pull thing - the pieces are lovely squares, but too big for a bell-pull. I'm pretty sure that as the weather warms up, the counted cross-stitch will be my preferred project. Knitting, depending on the project, is too heavy for the summer. 

5. Rosaries: The Demented Doofus and the Drunk are ... taking on the Pope. Yeah, the guy who was raised on the southside of Chicago (cue Jim Croce here, if you're old enough, or Google him). Schooled in Philly. Ministered in Peru (the country, not the town in IL) for decades. And now lives in the Vatican. He (Pope Leo) has called for a national day of prayer and even us former RCs, the Jews, Muslims, Lutherans, etc. - we're all rallying around. I have (top to bottom) my paternal grandma's rosary (dad brought it back from Mexico when he was stationed in San Diego) - which is silver, and the beads are roses; an Anglican rosary (of course, muted...) which is a lovely warm wood one; and my maternal grandma's rosary from Our Lady of the Snows, where all good Catholic grannies made a pilgrimage at one point or another, which is crystal beads. Frankly, I can do a Catholic rosary in my sleep, so I'll probably do that. Prayer is prayer. 

6. I found The. Best. way to caramelize onions... Start them in the oven! You can use whatever Dutch Oven you have; I'm still holding out to find an old but still decent LeCruset at the thrift store, but I do have an old cast iron one. About 1 hour in the oven at 350 or so, with a stick of butter and a couple tablespoons of olive oil. I ended up finishing them in a big skillet, because the onions discharged so much water. But it was sooooooooooo much easier than standing there stirring onions in a saute pan till my arms fell off. Now I have to do a dish with those onions. I originally used them in a rustic loaf, topped with Asiago cheese, but I think I might want to do a savory bread pudding or something else. 

7.  Dinner - homemade pizza, hubby's crust, my sauce. And this is leftovers for lunch the next day. Is it me, or is my family the only one who does cold pizza for ANY meal? Hubby always thinks I'm nuts, but a quick poll at our last family gathering revealed that most of my nephews agree with me and so does my sibling... We usually make a very thin crust, and use plain Italian sausage (not the spicy one), with 1/4 c. of my sauce -- we've been making smaller sized ones, since it's just the 2 of us. Though I don't get "bored" of food, and I can eat the same thing for days... Anyway, we add shallots or leeks sometimes, and mushrooms when I can sneak them in. And then about 3 or 4 kinds of cheese. I would like to expand that basic recipe to add a few other things, like roasted garlic or fresh chopped herbs when we have them. Though I do use herbs we've frozen. 

8. Cat Loaf - at the barn a few weeks ago, we were "invaded" by Canada geese. With all the rain, we ended up with a small pond near the community garden and the birds just flew in. They got all snippy about our coming and going in and out of the barn. Barn cat Brownie was on "observation" and (smartly) decided to stay in the barn. Even the horses stopped eating because they heard the ruckus. One of the pair of geese was a little cheeky as I brought out two big buckets of crap... I threatened said goose with a dousing if he didn't back off. Hey - you use what you got, right? 

Random Picture: So over Easter, there was a tragedy. In our family, a few of us like a particular "relish" - my dad used to make it from scratch, and you could occasionally find it in the "ethnic" markets when I was a kid (particularly the Kosher markets). I had to google the correct spelling - my dad always called it "hren" with a strong rolled "r" -- so for years, that's what I thought it was. Actually, it's cvikla s chrenom -- seems that "chren" (imagine it with a rolled "r") is horseradish in Slovak. 

Anyway, I found it in big jars in our local Berkot's...until I didn't! According to the gal at the check-out, "All the Polish stuff has just been flying off the shelves." It's all in the same neighborhood, so I didn't bother to correct her. I ended up buying a jar of shredded beets, and since I always have horseradish at home, I made my own. Stick blender, about a cup of the beets, drained (they come with a vinegar base), and about a teaspoon of horseradish. You can adjust the heat! So let's see how long this lasts. 

And yes, I love beets. Roasted, in a salad, AS a salad, with goat cheese, in a relish or sauce... Bring 'em on! 

I guess I'll go back to finishing that sock. Hopefully, by the next time, I'll have made progress on Sock #2, and we can show off a few more WIPs. This is The Year of the Finished Projects, so I want to keep that streak going! 

 

I Have Thoughts....

I've been on a knitting binge - Melt the Ice hats. I'm on my 7th (and hopefully) last one. I've also made about 6 of the "badge" variety that you can pin on your shirt or jacket. I have to find some Primary Election knitting. I thought for a nano-second of bringing my mom's Sophie Hood to the polls but... that might not be my best idea. It's white and there is always the potential of spillage. I will probably grab a sock - I believe I have one on the needles where I can just do the leg for a while. I also have a shawl in progress, which is knit on the bias, fairly mindless. So that's the other option and frankly, that one is closer to being finished, so...there's that. 

Nerdy Notes: The hat on the left was made with Cascade 220 Superwash Sport, held double, with an I-cord tail. Knitted on size 8 circulars and DPNs as we got to the crown. The colorway is 893. 

Death Knell to SAVE Act...

Well, John Fetterman (D???- PA) finally READ the SAVE Act. Amazing. A legislator READS a bill before it's passed. And he decides that it's Not A Good Idea because it will affect HIS voters. 

You know what? This dude has been a hoodie-wearing disappointment since his health crisis -- and no, I'm not slamming him for that. 

I'm slamming his decisions that seem to fall in line with the Republicans more and more of the time. His constituents voted for him because he promised change and promised progressive values. That's not what they've been getting lately. 

And honestly, I do give him kudos for directly addressing his mental health. That's not my issue. Deal with your stuff, dude, and recognize that you're getting PLATINUM level benefits while a lot of your voters are not. Because of the way YOU have been voting. 

I don't understand Dems who vote for things that obviously don't align with democratic values and which do not benefit their constituents. Call me naive, and yeah, I do realize that most politicians lately are bought-and-paid-for by the billionaires. But I still think they should vote for things on OUR lists at least MOST of the time. 

The Knitting...

Like I said, #7 of the MTI hats. And 6 badges. I'm happy to knit these as long as I have stash. I have to tell you, my hat is FANTASTIC!!! I'm so happy with Wicked Tint Yarns. I was kind of dubious when the yarn was in the hank. I thought it wasn't "red" enough. But it knitted up more beautifully than I could've imagined - turns out it's a soft ruby-red that just feels so nice on my head. 

Nerdy Notes: The hat on the left was knitted with Wicked Tint Worsted, 100% Merino Superwash, colorway Melt ICE Red, on size 8 circulars and DPNs, with the I-cord arrangement for the top. This one has 7" of ribbing, and 1" of stockinette stitch before I started the decreases. One round of knitting in between each decrease round. 

I did the MTI variation with the I-cord and tassle, so it's a bit different from the one I'm currently knitting, which is the traditional one with the braid. I dipped into the acrylic stash and will be finishing this one for one of my students. 

The badges (I'm doing the flat ones) take about half an hour, and that includes the red felt I bought to line them. They do need to be lined, otherwise you have a curly little crescent roll on your hands. It's taken me a minute to figure out the best way to add the pin finding, I think that so far, a North/South alignment has worked for me. 

Nerdy Notes: The badge here was knitted in the same Cascade Superwash, the pattern is available free on Ravelry, and I did the "flat" version. I lined it with red felt on the back, and put a pin-back finding on it. I used size 5 needles. Took me about a half hour, which is light-speed for me. 

I will also admit that I am actually looking forward to NOT knitting the hats. They knit up quickly even though I've made some variations on the ribbing. The last one I did for Kid #2 was 2x2 rib. And mine is a twisted rib. I can see the value of the 6-7" ribbing in how it fits on your head, since these are essentially one-size-fits-all. But that much ribbing is my penance for my sins!

Primary Election Day...

So the primary in our state is this Tuesday, St. Patrick's Day. I'm wearing green. We have ben given strict instructions on what we can and can't wear. As it is, we're already told to not wear name badges: we're Judge A, Judge B, etc. We have to have our party on the badges, because in our state, we need a certain percentage of each party. 

Today and tomorrow I'm reviewing the training. I also have to find my Election Day Reading, and my Election Day Knitting. And get my meals/snacks ready. We have to bring our own, though we do have a precinct committee chair who usually supplies pizza for dinner. 

We have to be there at 5 a.m. to open the building and get set up, and voting starts at 6 a.m. We go till 7 p.m. and hopefully, everything tallies, then we drive it back to the County building (one judge of each party is in the car for "chain of custody" of the documents and tally box), and then we get home, if we're lucky, around 9 p.m. 

It's a long day. And we have to be there the whole time; so they prefer that we vote early.. 

I encourage everyone to get trained as an election judge so you can see the process in your state. Consider it your civic duty to understand. Use your own eyes, ears, and brains. 

Also, check out Vote 411, the system whereby questions are sent to those folks on your ballots, and you can check them out to educate yourself -- don't be a voter who doesn't know what they're doing! 

Vote in your primary election -- I can't stress how important this is. In our state, we do have to declare a party. We don't have what's called an "open primary," but that's different from state to state. Don't let your rights dwindle. They need exercising, and voting is the biggest right you have (for now). 

In my state (and I have to insert that qualifier every time I talk about this, because jurisdictions differ), we can declare a party in the primary but at the general, you can vote however you want. You can even change parties for each primary cycle -- unless you're an election judge. Then, they want you to pick one and stick with it.

Especially as women, we are facing some challenges by the Tangerine Toddler. He's determined, somehow, to get that SAVE Act passed and he always can rely on his "magic Sharpie" if he can't actually do it legislatively. Right now, as I noted, they don't have the votes. And some conservatives, who've actually READ what the act says, are saying, "Wowza, this is really gonna kill MY chances..." because it disenfranchises such a large swath of people. 

I was talking about this the other day with Hubby and ended up explaining why I went through the trouble to update my passport and get the RealID. Which, it turns out, according to SAVE, would NOT be an appropriate form of ID. 

What? 

Nope. The RealID is not acceptable as a form of ID to register to vote. For women, we have to make sure our names match throughout all of our ID, from birth certificate forward. So that means, for many of us, a couple of options. 

A passport is an approved ID. That's about $150-170. Funny thing, what I had to provide for my RealID was the SAME documentation as for a passport. 

And yet the RealID is "not approved." Go figure. 

Birth Certficate, marriage license, divorce decree(s) if appropriate, new marriage licenses... That's what women have to provide. 

Or -- you go to court and change your name on your birth certificate. Which essentially erases your original identity and your family line. 

The name change, depending on the county, in my state, is about $700. So there's a filing fee of $300 - 400. You have to publish your name change so that creditors or the law can find you if in fact you're trying to hide...(not kidding) and that's around $388. And then there's a copying fee for the certified order. It's not "official" unless it's certified, for proof of identity. That's another ten bucks. So, roughly $700...depending on your county. 

Or -- you just don't change your name when you get married. Or hyphenate, like my friend did. 

I mean...it's nuts. And a passport can take 6 weeks, unless you pay an expedited fee - $60 for the fee and another $22-ish bucks for a quick return. 

But hey, since "illegals voting" is the "crisis du jour" for the Demented Dimwit in the Oval, let's all just suck it up and get our documents in order, because it's gonna be "papers please" if he gets his way. 

Oh, and the actual rate of illegal immigrants voting? 0.00000764% over ONE BILLION+ ballots cast over a period of 24 years -- that's FIVE zeroes after the decimal point. That's MICROSCOPIC. 

And that's data from the Heritage Foundation. The idiots who are trying (and succeeding at an alarming rate) to shove Project 2025 down our collective throats. 

But yeah, by all means, stay home because it hurts your feelings to declare a party at your primary election. And then moan that YOUR candidate didn't get on the ballot in the general, so you're also staying home "as a protest."

Thanks. Because YOU put us into this mess. 

Random Picture...

We had Basil recently. Hubby wore her out with lots of long walks. She's now able to fully "dog" and has recovered from her heartworm treatment. She loves destroying stuffies and playing tug with her toys. 

After the third walk of the day, she zonked out so hard that she was snoring up a storm. I could hear it while I was on a Zoom meeting... I used her picture for a restorative yoga class I taught - she's an excellent example of  "resting with intention." 

Now, we have to work on her carsick issues. Twenty minutes into the hour-long ride back home, both my "tire pressure" light went on and her yarking happend simultaneously. It had been a long day, so I just kept going. I figured if a cop pulled me over, they could either deal with the barfing dog or help me use my air compressor to fill my tire. It seemed like a logical idea at the time. 

Got her home, cleaned up and fed, and then tried to tackle cleaning up the dog yark. Luckily, the Kid wasn't too far from home and was able to assist. Good thing she's cute. 

As I sit here typing, I'm watching EVERYTHING in my yard blowing sideways with 60 mph gusts. I'm sitting next to a large picture window and thankful that there aren't any leaves on the trees...otherwise at least one of the trees would be blown over. I've lost one garden flag (I knew I should have pulled it in last night...) and we've lost power about 4 or 5 times so far. Make that 6 times...thank goodness for batteries!

Mother Nature is having a hissy fit. How's it going where you are? 

 

All My Flabbers are Gasted...

He is really desperate to NOT have his name exposed in those Epstein files, isn't he? Now, all of a sudden, Bill and Hillary are his BFFs and he thought Bill "always understood me," and Hillary went from "Lock Her Up!" to "a very capable woman." 

I'm pretty sure Bill DOES understand him. But not in a way that's complimentary. 

That stuff must be worse than godawful. 

For both Bill and Hillary to come out swinging - I'm actually interested in watching that hearing. They're demanding full cameras-and-gallery hearings, not behind closed doors. They're gonna eat Comer's lunch, and they've already put a big dent in the SCOTUS "total immunity" thing. Because him being a former president and her being a former Secretary of State -- that sets the precedent for dragging that entire Junk Drawer Cabinet in front of Congressional hearings. No immunity for you! 

And then there's "the post" about the Obamas. We'll just not give that any oxygen. But it would be nice if mainstream media would -- do its job. This is not "Oh, you know how he is." 

Yes, we do. 

And we're scared witless that a demented, diaper-loading old fart has the nuclear codes when he can't complete a full sentence. Who has more than certainly sold our classified security information. Who stored documents he should not have had in his gilded bordello. In the bathroom. 

This is "Weekend at Bernie's" on steroids. I want to know what they're pumping into him to make him even marginally coherent. And who's pulling the strings behind the scenes? Although I think I already know that. 

I'll leave this here for your enjoyment. When we had someone competent and capable and free of scandal in the Oval Office. 

The Baking...

Do you have "Two Banana Syndrome"? I can't be the only one. There's always -- ALWAYS -- two bananas left. No matter how small a bunch we buy, and it's only the 2 of us - there are always 2 leftovers.

I've made banana bread; with nuts, without nuts, with raisins, with protein powder, with yogurt, with sour cream. 

I've made banana cookies with protein powder - the bigger ones, like for a breakfast cookie. 

I've made banana cake, topped with powdered sugar. 

I'm sick of bananas. 

Today, I made another version of a banana bread with chopped dates. We had the big Medjool dates, which were sticky to cut. I added some hemp hearts and pepitas for extra protein. 

It was a bit of a different recipe, where you literally froth up the eggs first, then add the sugar, vanilla and butter. My butter was softened, but still chunky, which I did not like. And the frothiness? I thought it would overflow my largest loaf pan, so I split it into two pans. 

Bad decision. It didn't rise as much as I expected with all the beating. So now I have two small, flatter loaves. Which is fine for me; I'll eat them for breakfast. But they're not exactly coffee-hour ready, if you know what I mean. 

If you're out there and want to help a gal out -- what do YOU do with those extra bananas? 

I'm not even posting a picture, it's so...not good. 

The Knitting... 

I've been knitting the Melt the ICE hat. I have a list of 4 people who want me to make one - and one of those said, when her hat was just about done, "You can just make me the little badge..." Too late - you're getting a hat. I'll work on those badges AFTER the hats are done. Both patterns are available on Ravelry. Go check them out. 

It takes me about a week to do one. I did frog the first one; I had to tink it back because the decrease instructions didn't make sense and I was decreasing at every marker. You do what I can only describe as a "sock toe" kind of decrease - out of the 4 markers, N, S, E, W, (using compass points for reference) you'd decrease only the North and South ones. You just slip the East and West ones. 

Well. That made a world of difference. But Cascade Superwash Sport is a VERY soft and slippery yarn. As I was tinking back, I dropped a ton of stitches and it was just easier to frog, even the ELEVENTY BILLION rows of 1x1 ribbing, and start over. 

So, the Nerdy Notes on this hat: Cascade Superwash Sport in Colorway 893. There are 136 yards to a hank and this took one hank with some leftover. The pattern calls for 200 yards - mainly because that's about a standard ball or hank of yarn. I used size 6 (16") circulars with the corresponding DPNs at the top. 

I've started on #2 and this one is using Paton's Canadiana in "Cardinal" colorway. This is more of a worsted weight, though it says size 7 needles, I went up to a size 8. The Cardinal is rather a bright red, which is nice. And it's an acrylic, which is what the person requested. I have one more to do in Red Hat Soft, in a worsted weight in a dark wine color, another acrylic request. And then another in the Cascade Sport -- though I'm wondering about maybe doing that and holding it double so that I make it worsted. I have that in my stash, so while I think I have a sweater-quantity, I'm not much of a sweater knitter, so I can take what's left and do a lovely lace shawl or something. So I can afford to hold this double for a hat. 

And then mine... I picked two colors and while one isn't quite as red as I wanted, it's lovely. It's from Wicked Tint Yarns, and it's hand-dyed. It's a superwash merino (which I'll show you next time) and it's called Melt Ice Red - while it's actually kind of a maroon tonal. Very pretty, very definitely worsted. I actually found her on Threads, so social media can do some good! She's dyed up a limited number of this colorway and said she'd do more if folks are interested. Check her out. Support a woman-owned business!

And there's this one from Expression Fiber Arts, one of my favorite dyers. This is their Dewy DK line, which is 70% superwash merino, 20% nylon and 10% silk. This colorway is called Scarlet, and it's not quite as red as the Cardinal - more a pinky-garnet color. The label says needles sized 6-8, so I might actually do a swatch on this one... Be still my heart, right? 

The beauty of Expression is that there's such a wide range of bases and colors. And her patterns are from a variety of designers. And she has really nice tutorials in video form. 

My friend M, who's a basic knitter, has started her own, in a gorgeous Caron wine-colored yarn, and she calls this one an "in your face" color. Which it is. Kind of reminds me of the "victory lipstick" worn during the war. I won't wear lipstick, but I'll wear this! 

And I'll have to look for a nice shawl for the rest of the Cascade. It's a good workhorse yarn, and the one sweater that I actually made was in a Cascade cotton blend. It wore ok, but I found that I just prefer to knit baby sweaters. 

I have to find the second color for another wedding afghan. I have the green in mind but I have to find a complementary color unless the groom tells me what the bride's favorite color is - and then we hope that it works together!

I'm still pending on my mom's second Sophie hood, but at this point, I may still have enough winter left to get it done. And I have a shawl out of some Opal sock yarn, the plain Be Simple version (I already did the lace version) which is a "mindless knit" project. And the various Windy Valley projects: a hat, mitts with beads... And the single socks that need mates. 

Again, I'm thinking 2026 is going to be my "year of knitting stuff," because at this point, knitting is keeping me sane. 

I helped my friend R fix a problem for a pullover she's knitting for her granddaughter. The yarnovers were confusing her. She's an experienced knitter, but she knits Continental (the kind of knitting you see on classic movies) whereas I knit English - I hold the working yarn in my right hand, and she holds hers in her left hand. The Continental folks are "pickers" so they grab the yarn with the needle. The English knitters are "throwers" - we throw the yarn around the needle. It's a thing. 

She always looks like she's about to drop a stitch! But it's said that that style is easier on your hands. I may have to try it again. I took a class. Hated it. But maybe I can play with it. 

Life Goes On...

I had the weird experience of seeing 3 people in the obituaries that I knew. I know a lot of people; I've lived here a long time, and you get to know folks, and who's related to who. But this is the first time that THREE people I knew - as in, knew in some capacity personally - have died. One was my English professor in junior college (she died at 101, God love her), one was an acquaintance from my convent days, and one was the parent of one of my kid's best friends - the kids aren't taking it well, which is a position I understand. 

You know when you first "grow up" and people die and you know them? Like, when my friends had parents who died as we were in our 30s and 40s. That's where the kids are now. And I understand that. 

My thing is, these folks (except for my professor) are MY contemporaries. They're not some "older folks" like my friends' parents. It's a weird dichotomy when those folks who died are closer to my own age. 

Now I kind of know how my mom feels. She just had a friend from high school diagnosed with dementia. Which is a kind of living-death, in my opinion. 

So, one funeral this weekend. The other two had private services. 

Random Picture...

So I lied. I actually have a sweater-worth of yarn and a Nord Drops pattern. I'm hoping that this happens this year. But I've also heard that Drops patterns are a pain in the butt. You'll be knitting along, and turn the page and then see, "while knitting this, simultaneously do that..." So the only advice I have been given is "read the whole pattern before you start."

I guess that's good advice overall. Read the pattern so you understand what's going on before you get in over your head. 

I wonder if I'd have frogged the first ICE hat if I had read the pattern instead of assuming, "I've knitted a dozen-plus hats - how hard can this decrease be?" 

I do love this peacock-blue-green shade. I can't wait to get started on this one. But first... more hats. 

What's on your needles? 

It's the Year of FO...

No, not THAT "FO." (though..... just sayin...)

I mean "Finished Objects." I'm tellin ya - I'm on a ROLL. The Amy's Scarf was the first FO of 2026. Next was the Sophie Shawl, and right behind that was the Cold Snap hat. And I've got my (nearly) year-old Be Simple plain shawl on the needles and I'm chugging away at that. 

I also have an Emotional Support Chicken to repair...though depending on how that looks, I may just re-knit it. Dog got it. Not mine, but someone else's. Note to everyone: Emotional Support Chickens ARE NOT DOG TOYS!!! 

I have another Chicken to do (including one for myself that I never started...), and my mom has "ordered" another Sophie Hood. She loves her red one, but she says, "I need one in a neutral color for church." So I ordered more Friday Harbor (Cascade) in a lovely color called Macadamia, which is a silvery-grey (not sparkly) and I'll see how that looks. I hate ordering online, but my friend Kelly's shop is currently online only so we'll see. 

And then there's all the single socks that need mates. Maybe instead of starting new projects, I grab a project bag, figure out what I was doing and finish that? What a thought! 

The Knitting...

Sophie Shawl -- I'm addicted to the Sophie patterns. They're way more simple than they look and you look like such a boss when you're knitting them. This one is done with Cascade Friday Harbor in color 18, pumpkin. You can't tell from the pictures, but it's really a soft orange, with flecks of cream in it. And it's a Merino + silk blend that's just lovely on the hands. It really pops the stitch definition. 

I think it's bigger yarn - it's Aran-weight, and while the pattern calls for that, it also called for 2 hanks and I used just over 2... So either my gauge was off, or the yarn was bulkier than I thought. Either way, it was cozy this morning with our temps at 1 degree and windchill at -16 degrees.  

Yes, it is somewhat large. And it's not remotely "shawl" -ish. In the traditional sense, this is more a large scarf. You don't drape it round your shoulders like you'd think. You bundle it up much like a large cowl or ... large scarf! It was toasty without being heavy - to look at it you might think, "Good God, that's cumbersome." (or maybe it's just me...) But it's really not, and it was comfortable to wear for most of the morning, till the house warmed up. 

Our heat's fine. But my perch for the Zoom call was by my big picture window, which is old, and it's not the best at keeping out cold bitter enough to freeze a well-digger's belt buckle. 

Nerdy Nuggets: 2 and a bit hanks of Cascade Friday Harbor yarn. Size Large. Size 8 (24") Circular needles. Start date 11/5/25, finished 1/12/26. 

So that's FO #2. I recommend that you try this pattern, or if it's too much for you, start with the Sophie Scarf. It's easier to manage. 

The hat? I had the Bison Blend from Windy Valley Musk Ox to make the hat as a companion of the Amy's Scarf (also known as the Miss Marple Scarf), but it has a bit of a tricky crown configuration and I kinda wanted something simple. 

I did look for "simple cable hats" and seriously, people... What IS simple? I'm thinking one cable up one side and down the other, but I wasn't able to find anything that suited me. 

I did find the Cold Snap on Ravelry, and it was ok. I did try searching Ravelry and then I just did a general Google search. I don't know -maybe it's me. I ended up with this one because it was simple and I kind of wanted something brainless to knit, but with enough detail to keep my attention. 

The world is a scary place. Knitting is one refuge. I didn't want to over-complicate it because most of my stitching time is at night. But I did want something useful, and I have a hard time fitting hats to my head. 

Nerdy Nuggets: Remainder of the 3rd hank of Friday Harbor. Size 2 (there are 3 sizes to this hat), Size 4 (16") circulars for the ribbing and size 7 (16") circulars for the body -- same size DPNs for the crown. Start date 1/14/26, finished 1/18/26. 

The pattern called for DK weight, and Friday Harbor IS an Aran weight. Yes, I am RECLAIMING ORANGE.  I actually look good in it, and I refuse to allow a demented stooge to deny me a color I enjoy. Ahem. As I'm knitting I'm thinking, "What am I doing, this is a BARBIE hat???" But it turned out fine. I even got a little wild and made a small pom-pom for the top. It's a bit slouchy at the top, and I figured I had the yarn. Hubby told me to fold the brim; it's going to take a minute for me to -not- pull it down tight to my head, as I'm used to doing. I need to leave the slouch in there. It's going to be a barn hat. 

The Be Simple is an Opal project. It's got a ways yet, but I started that one on February 9, 2025, and I need to get it finished -- if only to reclaim my size 7 circulars for other projects. Not sure if I'm going to do the picot edge or just a plain one. The colorway is something that will go with most of what I wear, though now that I've lost a bunch of weight, I need to restock my basic t-shirts. 

I had gotten this yarn from my friend Kelly at Le Mouton Rouge and when I looked in my sock tote, I found that I had a bunch of blue-toned socks, so I figured I'd do this non-lace version of the Be Simple. Last year I did the orange version, using yarn that was custom-dyed for me. 

As much as you can, patronize your Local Yarn Shop. Mind you, Kelly is still 2+ hours from my house, but still - this is as good as it gets where I live, so do what you can to help them out! Kelly ships in the US, so go for it! 

Maybe I need a 2025 Retrospective of Knitting, since I didn't blog at all last year. 

Anyway, I really enjoy the asymmetrical shawls for office wear, so I'm not fighting the thing being around my shoulders, and yet it's warm enough. And these in sock yarn are perfect: they wash up like a dream and I have a nice stash of shawl pins to keep them in place, or I can just tie them. 

The Other FO... 

OK, still NOT that one. Found Objects. You know how, when you're decorating for Christmas or whatever holiday you're celebrating, you put things away, you bring things out, you shuffle stuff around? Well, in my house that's how that happens. 

I found a bag with fabric for a quilted table runner that I was going to make (which I didn't). I also found THREE circular needles. I think that I bought this when JoAnn's was closing. I also found in the bag the second of my pom-pom makers. I know I have another set - in a project bag somewhere. 

I had ordered small binders for my circulars. It makes it easier for me to have them handy, when they're not all stuck into unfinished objects (we won't go into that and I'm not feeling guilty). So these are size 8 bamboo needles, which are fine. They're 24" cables and my friend Sonda always said that 24" are all you really need to do anything from a scarf to a sweater. 

I also have become fond of Zings DPNs. They're color-coded which makes it nice. I use them for socks, but also for the tops of hats. The markings on the needles last nicely. That's the one complaint I have about the Karbonz - after a use or two, the numbers wear off the carbon part. Kind of annoying, really. 

I'm also still working on the Long Dog Samplers Pecadillo. I'm on the second quadrant of the one I'm doing, and it's coming along nicely. I do need to get the knitting out of the way first, so it'll be a while. I hope to finish this project in time for Christmas 2026, so that I can get it framed for its recipient. 

I think I need to do another one. We had a surprise at Christmas. Kid #1 eloped. So I also have an afghan to work on once I figure out what colors I need to get. 

THAT FO... 

Good Lord. I'm not really sure where to start. There are folks who are now in the "Find Out" stage and it's starting to get crazy. It was crazy at first, but now? 

So we have the Emperor with No Clothes posting crap at all hours, signing things he can't read, making stuff up and pulling "facts" out of his keister, and calling everything "fake" if it doesn't show him at the center of "The Last Supper" pushing Jesus to the side. (Sorry, God, but really...)

Since I last blogged about this, the Kennedy Center has been desecrated, there's no more East Wing of the historic White House, and the Oval Office is not only named like the wing of a dementia-care ward, but it's tatted up like a bordello the likes of "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," just to name a few things. 

And we have the delusion about Greenland, the invasion of Venezuela, the bombing of fishing boats, the caving in of a Nobel Prize winner who - I don't care what she did for her country - debased herself for a fool. 

What am I missing? Oh, election fraud (well in front of the midterms), the ICE goons, the destruction of Tim Walz's political career. SCOTUS is bought and paid for - Mitch McConnell, on his way out, has grown one ball. Thom Tillis too. 

And a pox on Merrick Garland, who could've fixed this. A double pox on Glitchy Mitch, who prevented Garland from being safely ensconced in the Supreme Court and out of the way. 

But the cherry on top is the response of Bill and Hillary Clinton to the subpoena for the Epstein files debacle. I mean, you have Stephen Miller as a deputy Chief of Staff who thinks he's running things, and for all I know, he DOES have his hand up Mango Mussolini's diaper-clad butt, trying to demand that Minneapolis "withdraw" and stand down. And you have JD Maybelline trying to act "presidential." What a waste of an Ivy League education. And for what it's worth, Usha, girl - you need a good lawyer! 

And they think they can pull an end-run around Bill? Really. Notwithstanding the fact that he's a Rhodes Scholar and a lawyer. You have Hillary. Who's brilliant in her own right. Both of them are Yale Law School graduates. Both of them, very kindly, and very specifically and pointedly, said to James Comer, "show me yours before I show you mine." 

They pointed out that they don't HAVE to comply with that subpoena. My contention is, when Gym Jordan complies with the Congressional subpoena he received, then Bill and Hill can respond. 

The situation in Minneapolis is insane. The Black Panthers are coming out. And if the ICE goons think Chicago was rough? Minneapolis is no push-over. And they want to go to Philly? I mean... Philadelphia burned its own city down more than once. Their police chief already said, "We don't play." 

I have no idea what will happen. I do know this is not the world I wanted to age in, nor have my kids grow up in. 

Random Picture...

We have a tradition now. We make a Snow Folk Choir. This year, Hubby went above and beyond and I think we're done adding to the group. He's talking about using wine corks to make "choir risers." I think it's becoming an obsession. 

I must say, I added the rice lights and battery-operated candles. And I did make arms for our "conductor," the only salt-and-pepper shaker who's a singleton. All of these have been part of a collection I've had for years. 

Of all your holiday decorations, which is your tradition? Which is a must-have for the holidays? Share with me! 

So Much for 2025...

Well, there went THAT year. And it was almost as I had predicted: EXHAUSTING. 

The chaos from the Bordello-themed Oval? Oy. DOGE, JD Maybelline's posturing, the No Kings marches, the postcards we wrote, the politicians we called and emailed. The economic slap in the chops? The loss of our rights, the disintegration of the Not-So-Supreme Court? And let's not forget the utter, utter collapse of Congress. And the Junk Drawer Cabinet full of sycophant know-nothings --- seriously, our dead canary can do a better job. 

Yeah. Something had to give last year, and the blog was the thing that gave. Sorry, folks, but choices had to be made. 

Normally, for a new year, I change the theme of the blog, but this year, I think I'll stick with this one. I figure that since I skipped an entire year, I can hang out with the same theme and nobody will complain. Heck, I'd like people to read it... 

The Health Stuff...

So, I read my last entry, and my predictions for the most part did come true. But let's focus on the health stuff. Eventually, my doc and I got the insurance stuff straight and we went with Zepbound for my weight loss. The extra hormone in there was a better choice. So just as we were getting into that groove, my doc retired! Ugh! 

In 2025, I lost my primary care and my cardiologist to retirement. I now have the nurse practitioner in my cardiologist's office; the actual MD that I see is technically the guy who does the "electrical work" on my heart, so I don't need to see him until and unless I need another roto-rooting. I also now have a new primary care person and she's lovely - she replaced my retiring one. 

Anyway. Started Zepbound and thanks to the program I'm on, I have an obesity-specialist and a dietician. The RD has helped immensely. And the doctor, while not from my area, does have family in the area, so she's familiar (and we've had enough conversations to know she really HAS been here for visits!). 

About 6 or 7 months in, Big Pharma got involved - again - and screwed everyone over. Seems that the pharmacies and insurance companies wanted to make deals, but the companies who manufacture these meds did not - particularly Zepbound. So a bunch of us were switched over to Mounjaro. Which is technically the exact same formula, but it still was very weird to fight that fight. 

I am here to tell you that anyone who says, "You're cheating" by taking these meds? Y'all are out of your ever-loving minds. The side effects are nothing to laugh at. Constipation, lack of appetite, dehydration, nausea, hair loss -- and those are just the "normal" ones. For those of us over 60, we really have to watch our protein intake - as in eat MORE protein. And I'm not a big protein eater in the first place. So that's been hard. 

I've figured out how this works for me, and slowly but surely, over 2025, I've lost nearly 45 lbs. I'm near to my goal and this is what we in the dieting world call the "hard lard," where your loss just slows down. I don't want to increase my dosage of the meds, because the loss is still going on, though like molasses in January. And I don't want to deal with the increase in the side effects with the increase in a dose for a loss of about 10-ish pounds. 

The nice thing about slow-and-easy is that I don't have "the face." I will say my arms and tummy look weird; it's a lot of weight to lose, and for now, I'm working on building the muscle back, and haven't really thought about skin-reduction surgery. But my face isn't skeletal. I have been working with resistance bands because to me weights are boring, and yeah, it's a lot harder when you're over 60. Also doing a lot of body-weight resistance stuff for core strength. My yoga students may not always be pleased, but they're benefitting from the new things I am doing. 

If I'm being honest, the worst side effect is the hair loss, to me. My hair is silver anyway, and so it's kind of "invisible" in that when you're just about 100% silver, your hair is kind of transparent. So that, on top of the thinning, is a bit of a jar. I've always had lots of hair; it's always been thick and coarse, but now, it's not as thick, and I'm having a hard time dealing with it. I don't blow dry my hair anymore, and I use a shampoo that's a lot more gentle on the
hair. 

The good news? Well, there's a lot:

1. I'm taking half of my beta blocker.
2. 
   I'm taking the lowest dose of BP meds.
3. I'm walking more, and back at the stable, heaving muck buckets and hauling hay bales. (That's my sweetie Deuce thinking that I have a treat for him!)
4. I'm fitting in the clothes in my closet that haven't seen the light of day in a DECADE. 
5. I'm breathing better. 
6. I'm back on my bike. 

Those are all positive things. I'm really happy about all of it. So I would say to anyone who's thinking about it, check your insurance and talk to your provider. It's not cheating. It's a tool... 

The Knitting...

Well, Crafting, probably. The small Long Dog sampler is coming along, but it wasn't done for Xmas - there was a lot of life happening in this past "lost" year. I'm on the second quarter of the chart, and it's looking really good. I'm excited to see it finished, but it will likely be for Christmas 2026. 

Here is the Sophie Shawl, an extraordinarily addictive pattern. It's got a lovely I-cord edge, which is a new skill for me. I'm enjoying the knit and they're kinda like potato chips. You want to knit more of them. Any gauge, the pattern is very flexible. Petite Knits - good website. The yarn is Cascade Yarns Friday Harbor in an 80/20 blend of merino and silk. I think I'm on a merino kick! 

And I'm still working on that counted cross stitch angel for 2026. I have to figure that out yet. 

As for knitting, I did finish all my chickens, and then I got a last-minute request. That's on my list. 

Here's what I finished:

A baby layette

A "girlfriend scarf" that turned into something else... (stay tuned)

A Quiviut cowl with beads in a beautiful peacock colorway

A triangle shawl in a custom color that matches with our Zonta Says No colorway

A Sophie hood (Xmas gift)

A Sophie scarf (leftover...there's a story...)

Here's the WIP list:

The purple socks (this is my Election Day knitting)

A Sophie Shawl (I'm reclaiming pumpkin as a color in spite of the rotting mango in the Oval)

A Bison "Miss Marple" scarf, which is within INCHES of being done. This one is a blend of Bison, Merino, and Silk. And I have learned a new skill: making a pocket where the one end of the scarf pulls through to make a "tie." The yarn is from Windy Valley Muskox - I got it on their Black Friday sale, which is the only way I can afford that yarn. 

The Delayed Chicken, which I haven't started yet.

I also have the usual "finish the single socks to make pairs" thing going. That's going to be a long-term pick-up-and-knit. 

And I have the pattern for mits to match the Quiviut cowl. And yes, that has beads, too. 

No Kings...

In a total surprise, I had TWO relatives who asked to join me at one of the No Kings marches in our area. They were both newbies. My one relative up north of me was also marching, but since we had such a big gathering locally, it was easier to stay in town. 

They were amazed to see the turn-out and we people-watched, as well as did our thing with our signs. They're looking forward to the ones coming up in 2026. 

I continue to be in touch with our politicians via phone calls, and my reliable postcards. And I'm involved locally, in our League of Women Voters chapter and still doing the election judge thing. 

Other Stuff... 

I did the usual ornaments for Christmas, and then we found that we have another great-nephew -- so he'll get TWO next year. It's a fun tradition and I really enjoy doing them. 

The other tradition was the Eleventy Billion Cookies. We tried to pare down the list, but it just went back to its equilibrium: about a dozen varieties. But this year, we did a number of them as only single batches. Till the Molasses Gingersnaps. Those were a last-minute decision of mine. A bad decision, to be hones. Because I felt like we "didn't have enough cookies." Which is stupid; we had more than normal people have! And I made a double batch. A single batch is FOUR DOZEN. Coffee hour is going to have a LOT of these cookies! 

I took vacation time from the one job, and I've spent most of the time just knitting and relaxing. Work has been stressful, and I really needed this end-of-year time to recharge. 

I'm going to work on doing this blog a lot more regularly. It's something I enjoyed and I don't want to lose in the current climate of "shut up and keep slogging along." That's just not what I want to do going forward. 

One of the new decorations we put up was our "Snow Folk Choir." I think we're done adding to it, since it takes up the entire shelf below the TV. This year, I didn't write out the sections. But we added rice lights and it looks really cute. 

Decorations outside were minimal. We actually had a harsh December, with an early blizzard. I do love the snow; don't love the ice so much! 

Random Picture...

We have a grand-dog! Meet Basil. She was billed as an Elkhound, but she's not. I suspect Northern Inuit. She came to us as heartworm-positive, so the first few months she had to be kept quiet - which was a trick for a 2-year-old! But she can "dog" now, so Kid #2 is having his hands full training her. It's all good, she's charming and she's huge. 

We're currently dogless, which is probably a long-term situation. We are watching Basil when needed and our little friend Flick, the "chonker loaf" who belongs to a friend of mine. To help her out, when she needs a sitter, we take him. For a while, he was passed from house to house, but he doesn't do well that way - no dog usually does. So we're the "permanent aunt and uncle" unless we have Basil. Neither of them wants to share space - fair enough! So far, there haven't been any issues with overlap, thankfully! 

So tell me - what's your vision for 2026?