Christmas Eve Day

We did get to take both teenagers to the Howard Dean rally on Monday. Both now wish they were old enough to vote. He certainly comes across as totally honest and forthright. But I still haven't made up my mind which way I'm voting in the New Hampshire primary.

Return of the King was everything I thought it would be. Children want to see it a few more times to hold them until it comes out on DVD.

I did manage to snatch a little time for stitching yesterday. Working on my own scissor case on black canvas. As I don't have any of my reference books with me, I'll be making up stitches as I go along. Could be interesting.

My sister and I did dinner out last evening. Just the two of us. Felt a little bit selfish going off and leaving everyone, but at least I made the meatloaf for dinner first. We even had desert! Ah...things like this just make me wish we lived closer.

Today is reserved for one last trip to the grocery store, maybe a stop at the liquor store, and baking. Merry, merry, to one and all.

Close to a Holiday Disaster

We were less than an hour away from home on Friday, driving both cars to New Hampshire, when we came as close as I've ever come to a major disaster. We went from 55 m.p.h. to a dead stop in record time. I must have been a mere 6 inches from that Toyota Camry when my Honda came to a stop. DH nearly rear-ended me! I saw him getting closer in my rear-view and a vision of ruining two cars, ourselves, and all our presents the week before Christmas flashed through my mind. When we finally pulled over to eat dinner, I was still shaking. I definitely drove the next two hundred miles more conservatively than usual. Thank you, ABS, and whichever Christmas angel was watching over us!

Today we are finally going to see Return of the King. But first, DD wants to stop by a Howard Dean rally. Nothing like the political season in New Hampshire.

Fa La La La La - The Time Has Arrived to Depart

Last load of laundry is in the machine whirling away. DH is applying shaving cream and razor to his face. Kids are in school, though they begged and pleaded to be allowed to skip today. Children packed their bags last night. The cats definitely know something is afoot. The king keeps looking at me reproachfully. He does not know he's going for a trip in the car. And the petite black princess is being her usual slinky self.

After much debate we have decided to take two cars. Which means I can bring the king's kitty basket with us. He'll be grateful. And we will all be much more comfortable for not being squeezed into the Honda with all that luggage, cat do-dads, and presents.

I still need to pack my stitching bag. What to bring. Hmmm.
I'm looking forward to at least one trip to my favorite homestate stitching store. Ahh. Shopping for me at last.

Again with the Rain

For the second week in a row, we're about to get a major rain event on top of the weekend's snow. Time for flooding. Makes me glad that this house does not have a basement.

Wrap, wrap, wrap. Cards, cards, cards. And certain people in my family keep giving me other tasks that need doing before Friday. I'm saving my baking for next week. I've already packed up a box of cookie cutters, spices, decorating tools, etc. to take to my in-laws house. Now if I could only find my Silpat. I don't understand how that thing could have vanished. It was in the pantry when I did a major reorginization last month. In theory, it should be with baking tools, but it's not.

And now for a little rant about this country's largest retailers one-hour photo developing. HOW ABOUT HIRING SOME MORE HELP? Or informing people who are dropping stuff off that there's no way it'll even be done today, much less done in an hour???? Evil. I need those photos to finish a birthday gift. Argh.

Again with the Snow

Another weekend, another snow storm. School is officially cancelled this morning as there is a thick layer of ice on top of all the snow. Kids are happy. Yeah.

I did manage to pick up my stitching this weekend. Got out my scissor case on black canvas and started improvising stitches again. I started this case using Wildflowers Forest Fire, and have moved onto to some complimentary shades of green, yellow, and orange by Weeks Dye Workes. By January, I should have my photo site working.

Christmas Party Time

Tonight is a very popular night in my community for Christmas parties. The requests for my two children as babysitters poured in last month. We managed to accomondate three families. It's nice knowing your teenagers are well-liked by the small fry and respected by the parents.

I did finish my Christmas shopping/buying this week and have made a major start on wrapping. I need everything done and the house cleaned by next Friday at which point we make our pilgrimage home. It is a wonderful and lovely thing that my in-laws are such terrific people.

Now I need to go figure out how to style my hair without killing my shoulder. Things are definitely improving, and maybe I'll even be stitching again before the weekend ends.

just checking in

No time for fun and games. Got physical therapy to go to this morning.
Today they start to torture me anew with the UBC, or upper body cycle, a bicycle for the arms. A few more days of this and I may be able to fasten my bra behind my back again. Woohoo!

Bring It On

Christmas tree is now decorated. It'll take me maybe an hour to finish the rest of the house. But I definitely overworked my knee yesterday. I'm okay sitting, standing, and walking, but the stairs are a painful obstacle to overcome.

Shopping is 75% finished. Cards are a to-do task. Looking forward to going home and not having anything to do. Except my MIL is going to stressing about this surprise party she's throwing. Just need to not allow myself to get caught up in the stress part.

Lynn Skinner was musing on procrastinating finished. Yup. That's me. She's not alone on this one. I've got 3 ornaments now that just need finishing. All the stitching is done. And the number of projects in my finished box may outweigh the number of WIPs that I have.

My sis has a theory about her and me having ADD. She thinks that's part of our problem with ending things. We just get sidetracked into something new. I'll have to think about this some more.

yup it's snowing

It's snowing and snowing and looking like it may never stop though experience has shown that it does come to a conclusion eventually.

Right now I can't see a blessed thing except snow outside.

And with my shoulder, the shovelling duties will fall to other family members.

It is good and well that there should be some advantages to pain.

But meanwhile, I can't really stitch either.

AAARRRGGGHHH.

and now it's time to go and watch the Army vs. Navy

Go, Black Knights!

pain, etc

I'm being sidelined by a pain in my shoulder. Yesterday was my annual checkup so I explained my problem and asked if this was bursitis. Nope. Problem a muscle thing. I do have a referral to physical therapy. Meanwhile, I'm sitting here and my shoulder is just aching. Been this way since last Friday. Time to go stand under a hot shower. Then call for that appointment.

A Small Plea

I do check in on other needlework blogs often hopping from blog to blog with the links. Occasionally I read something that just makes me want to reply to someone. Unfortunately today this happened on someone's blog who doesn't have a link for e-mail. Now I realize that some of us may not want our e-mail addresses bandied about the net, but how about setting up a free account at hotmail or some such place?

There is an amazing diversity of people of doing these blogs and I am enjoying every minute I spend reading.

The tree is up and undecorated. I wonder what I'm doing today???

My Attempt

December is such a challenging month, especially for us perfectionists. I am trying so hard to leave these tendencies behind and move on to a place where I am happy with things the way they are. There are somethings that I don't even want to start because I know I won't be able to do them perfectly. Ah, what idiocy is this?

I need to go wash my hair and work on my to-do list. How many things can I knock off it today? And when am I ever going to find time to take kids to do their Christmas shopping? We potentially have a snowstorm heading our way for the weekend. Too many things and not enough time.

Whine. Whine. Whine. Someone bring on the crackers and cheese...

Challenged

Between having holiday company and my DH putting together his new computer, I haven't had much online time. That's alright, because I had a great visit with my sister and family. Their manical dog and our two kitties managed to survive unscathed. Nephew got to make a pilgrimage into NYC to a park and its noted basketball court in Harlem. Brother-in-law got to visit Orange County Choppers. Sis and I got in some antiquing. I think everyone was happy.

No real time now for writing. I'm off to create a Christmas ornament out of a piece of velvet and a rubber stamp. Add a little floss as cording and a tassel, and voila, a truly elegant ornament for the ornament exchange I'm attending tomorrow evening.