Today

The fire is on, coffee at my side. Kidlet doesn't have a concussion (an accident on the monkey bars yesterday). Hubby has the creeping crud (coff, coff). We are in for the day. And I am grateful. Grateful for my family and the love and support they gave me during this crazy year. Grateful for our generous and kind friends. The old, old dog who is able to jump on the couch for a nap. The cozy house. The aspen tree in the yard that finally got yellow leaves for fall. A job that pays the bills. Good yarn. An education that keeps expanding my world view. Food, glorious food (there will be plenty of that today).

Our farmer brought us tiny Tom and we have porcini mushroom stuffing, mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus, cranberry orange sauce, spinach salad with maple walnuts and and goat cheese, pumpkin pie as well as a couple bottles of wine.

I actually feel ready to dive headlong into this holiday season. My heart and mind are in the right place and (I think) I'm ready to brave any topsy turveyness that may come my way. I wish you a happy full day, friends. Enjoy!

The Pleasures of Being Not Entirely Well

Kidlet came down with a minor flu bug Saturday and by Sunday afternoon, I became afflicted as well. When Kidlet had it on Saturday, we spent most of the day lounging about: Kidlet watched cartoons, I read for school. Once I finished my reading, I started knitting like mad. This cupcake and acorn are the results.


I purchased the patterns on etsy (Amy Gaines). The patterns are well-written and are fast and fun to knit. Highly recommended.

When I felt the ick continuing on Monday morning, I emailed work to tell them that I would only be coming in for a while and then I'd go home. They said "stay home!" I said "ok...if you say so" (but on the inside I was saying "Hurrah!") I felt achy and tired with no appetite, but that was about the extent of it. I took advantage of the time to wrap all the Christmas presents I had in the house, organize a bunch of papers, and watch a couple of shows (I have to immerse myself in the media for my gender and society class). I started watching 30 Rock. Sigh, I love Tina Fey. For being under the weather, it was a good day. I even took a nap. Amazing.

And now it's back to work and school, but it's satisfying to know that I'm organized and actually got some rest. I'll need the rest for the feast-making that is in my near future. More on that later. Have a good day, all.

Red Skies at Morning, Sailors Take Warning

They say a storm is a'brewin' today. It feels positively balmy outside. The 'warm before the storm', I suppose. It's beautiful.

Just one more project, a bucket of reading, and a final exam left to go before I say good bye to this semester. It's good to know I only have to do this for two more years (ha ha) and that's just my undergrad work! Actually, just knowing there's only four classes left on this degree is satisfying. It was far more daunting five years ago when I started this journey. It also gives me time to figure out what I want to do when I grown up (ha ha again).

I was thinking about doing a knitting project for this scholarship (I know! How awesome is my local yarn shop!). However, I'm not a huge Vogue Knitting fan and with the zillions of wonderful patterns that people are putting out right now, it's hard for me to force myself to knit something I'm just 'eh' about. There is an EZ hat (search 'Ganomy' on Ravelry) in one of the issues that I've wanted to knit forever, but I'm not quite sure that would count. I also feel like whatever I choose should show that I have at least minimal skills and anything that I've kind of liked is in the 'very easy' category. I've still got a little time to think it over...and if you are in school (or have a child or grandmother who is going to school), give it a go! I'm up for a little friendly competition. ;)

Speaking of knitting, I'm going to go now and try to get a couple rows done on hubby's sock. Poor hubs. If he had to wait for me to knit all of his socks, he'd have cold paws. I started a variation of this sock a year and a half ago, ripped it, started it again over a year ago and there it sat in my basket. I almost ripped it out to knit this for me (selfish, I know), but the sock looked awfully nice so we're getting reacquainted.



And this is what happens when you forget to turn off the flash before you take your sunrise photo. Look at all the particulates in the air! Yipes!

Treed

When I worked in the restaurant industry, they used to say you were "in the weeds" when you were totally bogged down by the 400 tasks you had to perform instantaneously. I remember chanting to myself what I had to juggle so it all wouldn't fall apart. "4 Peristyle Salads, 1 Pear Tart, 1 Choco Tart, 2 Crab Sal, 2 Sorbets, 4 Carpaccio..." When I had to run to the back of the kitchen to the small freezer that held the sorbets, I would look longingly at the back door that was so tantalizingly close to the freezer. I'd think about how it would feel to walk out that door into the night, letting those 400 tasks drift away. When you were really deep "in the weeds" you were "treed." The weeds had grown into trees. I'm feeling a bit like that right now. Holidays rapidly approaching, a secret trip post-holidays (well, secret only to Kidlet), school ramping up to the end of semester madness...whew. I'll write when I'm out of the trees.

Snuggle Weekend, 2009

I declare this weekend, "Snuggle Weekend." Snuggle Weekend demands you do no yard work and you do not clean your house after Snuggle Weekend begins. You are allowed to go get provisions for Snuggle Weekend (don't forget a bottle of wine to share in front of the fire!). Baking is an appropriate activity on Snuggle Weekend, as is soup making. Going for a walk and collecting leaves is acceptable as well. Snuggle Weekend is about slowing down and spending time with your loved ones. Forget the rush-rush-rush of the past (several) week(s). It's Snuggle Weekend.