Winter Wonderland

This morning we woke to icicles! My poor rose bush wasn't even safe :(

Snow in All it's Wonder!!!

Well, it has been snowing here for over 24 hours now. These are just some of the wonderful pics of our surroundings. The cut logs above are from one of the two trees that was downed yesterday along the drive out to the main road. The other two fallen trees are the new ones we found when we awoke this morning. After we get these trees cleared, we are moving our vehicles to the top of the road and park them at my mom's house.....just in case!!!

Fluted Banister Socks

I am at the heel flap on this sock. I am using Socks that Rock yarn in colorway Farmhouse, by Blue Moon Fiber Arts. The design of the sock seems to rotate around the sock. I am using two circs in size 2. For those of you keeping track...this is the last of the 3 designs in the small project totes that I recently purchased.

Shibby Enjoying the Snow

Shibby is enjoying this season's first snow. The picture is a bit blurry from him running, but I think it is an interesting photo :)

Snow Falling

About 9 this morning we had these huge snowflakes falling, that eventually turned into a blanket of snow. It is fun to experience snow....When it doesn't stay for days and days. We went out to get my hubby his medicine, only to find that the pharmacy wasn't open. Coming home we get a call from hubby telling us that a tree was down across our driveway through the woods. We have about 1/4 mile drive that is tree-lined, so this didn't surprise me in the least. Well, we actually had 2 trees down, 2 chain saws with dull blades and one that we couldn't start, that did have a freshly sharpened blade. Of course the only place to get a replacement chain was already closed. After about 3 hours, and the assistance from a neighbor with his chain saw, we finally got them all out of the way. The neighbor noticed that the chain saws didn't "sound" like they were doing any good, so he came to assist. It is still snowing, so no school tomorrow. Trying to talk hubby from not going to work as well.

I've Counted my Blessings

I just got back from an absolutely wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. We spent Thursday - Saturday with my step-brother, Tim and his wife, Gigi, at their brand new home. I was surrounded by my mom, Pat; step-dad, Bob; my youngest son Kyle; Tim and Gigi; and their two kids, Jonathan and Jennice. Unfortunately, my oldest son had to work on Friday. He did cook his own turkey dinner though. I bought him a fresh turkey, a Cream Cheese Pumpkin Streusel pie, and he did the rest. He is quite the cook. We will enjoy some of his turkey fixings tomorrow!!!

After a small hitch of an uncooked turkey, we had a fabulous meal of turkey (duh), green bean casserole (with a kick of some good New Mexican green chili), sweet potato souffle, stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, a cranberry jello salad and rolls. Gigi out did herself. Thank you so much Gigi.

I was further blessed with the best blessing of all. Being able to talk to both my daughters that live in California. We had had some major problems the past four months, but it has finally all worked out. First I talked to my youngest daughter, Katelin. I managed to catch her as she was just getting off work from one of her two jobs. She was on the way to the valley where we used to live, some 2 hours away, to have a turkey dinner with some friends. It was going to be a short holiday for her, as she had to be back at work on Friday at 5. I then talked to Kristen, my oldest, for about an hour. It had been so long since we had last talked and it was such a great feeling to be included in her day. The whole time we talked I was sitting in a very cold, damp garage (at Tim & Gigi's) with the garage door open, because the reception was lousy on my cell phone. By the time we had finished our conversation, I was a frozen blob of tears and smiles!! I didn't even have slippers on.....And I didn't want to go back inside for my slippers or jacket, for fear that our phone call would be dropped (we were both on cell phones). Well, our calls got dropped three times, but we got right back on with other. I really enjoyed hearing all about the things going on in her life.... Her quest at finding a job, her new "friend" and my grandson, Donovan. Also sharing the joy of her being in remission from her cancer. She was given the all clear on March 11, 2005, but was told the cancer was back this last June. To our great relief, the doctors were wrong and she gets to live her life in all it's glory.

After we finished talking, I sat in front of the fireplace to get warm, and cried. For the first time in months, they were happy tears. Tears that told me that I was whole again as a mother. Tears that told me I could enter my surgery next week with a light heart. Tears that told me I was happy again.

I am truly blessed. Thank you God for hearing my prayers. Amen

Finally, my surgery is scheduled!!

After all the running around, making phone calls and having upteen million tests, I have a date for my hernia repair. I met with the surgeon that does laparoscopic surgery today, and he has agreed that he can do the surgery. This is instead of the intrusive surgery that his associate does. At least it is finally scheduled after almost a year of waiting to finally have insurance and then all the running around the past 3 months. He says he will have to make 5 incisions, and barring any complications, that should be all I need. Surgery is scheduled for 11/30/06. I still need to get an EKG, a chest x-ray and some blood work done before then. I can't believe how long the recovery time is though. I won't be allowed to lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk for 6 weeks. That puts me past Christmas time, so I need to get all my shopping, packages sent in the mail and decorating done in the next couple days. At least I will be able to start looking for a job in January, so that makes me happy :)

Here is the first of the pair of socks I am knitting for Gigi. I didn't like the way it the colors "pooled" after the picking up the gusset stitches and working the decreases. Not sure how to keep that from happening when using a self-striping yarn when you change the number of stitches being knitted, like after picking up the gusset. Any ideas from any of you seasoned knitters???

I finished this afghan just in time to take to Tim and Gigi's for Thanksgiving Day :) It is extremely heavy and will do a great job when snuggling away from the Seattle rains!! I love the way the colors are muted, yet distinctive.

Diamond Lace Progress

My progress on this sock this week. I really didn't work on it much, once I started on the socks for Gigi. I did manage to get about 15 rows done, I think :) Notice the design on my other small tote bag. This is design #2 of the 3 that I ordered. It says "At Least my Stash is Legal"

Scales Skin Socks (SSS)

While I was a Tim & Gigi's, I showed Gigi the various sock projects that I have waiting for some attention. Notice the cute little bag there? It says "Frogging is a Fact of Life."! Go to http://tinyurl.com/yyzc80 to see them all. I got 4 bags in 3 different designs. They are perfect for the small projects ... Say a pair of socks!!! Anywho....Gigi loved the colors of this yarn, so I decided she would get a pair of socks for Christmas. The yarn is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in color 601, Rainbow. I had a bit of "pooling" on the heel, but it has worked itself out. The pattern is Scales Skin Socks (SSS). It is a freebie on one of the Yahoo sock groups I belong to. I am using size 2 circs.

Sheesh, has it really been ......

That long since my last post??? Not sure what my excuse is. I have let many things go in the last couple weeks. I have been doing some knitting, of course!! On the 4th, I took a glass table and chairs to Tim & Gigi's (my step brother) new house. It was a table that was his grandparents and since we weren't using it, it was just being stored in the workshop. For those of you who don't know, we are living in my step dad's parents home. Anyway, they just moved into their brand new home in September and needed a table for their kitchen nook area. We went out to dinner, at a local casino, for their seafood buffet. OMG, what great food. Great presentation and so many different choices. They had Dungeness crab, Joshua crab (never heard of that one before) which was served cold, shrimp Creole, peel and eat shrimp, different salmon and cod dishes and I know some other seafood items that I am forgetting. They also had the biggest hunk of beef that I have ever seen and also ham. Then the had a rather small salad bar, and a huge dessert bar. I never made it to the dessert bar. I want to take David to spend the weekend out there with them and take him to the buffet. He would go crazy there. He makes up for what I can't eat at a buffet, to justify the high cost. Tim said the same thing as far as they are concerned as well :) Maybe I can convince him to go this weekend as it is payday week!! We are going there for T-Day, so we will see. Guess I better ask them first!! BTW, they have an absolutely beautiful home. A kitchen to die for.