Alien cats suck out your soul while wishing you a Happy New Year

I don't think it means what he thinks it means.

And no, it's not a prison tattoo. At least, that's what my cousin said.

Snow, steak and disbelief

Much to most people's surprise, we got some snow this month. Because we're in the valley, we usually only get rain, rain and more rain. But a week or so before Christmas we got three inches of snow on two different occasions. The city was practically paralyzed in disbelief and most people stayed home.

I love the snow because it's so beautiful and because I don't have to drive anywhere in it or feed any ungrateful cows in snow and ice after dragging bales of hay half a mile up the road and wheelbarrowing water brought up from the creek in buckets. Not that I am bitter. However, there's a reason I do not live near a cow and love a good steak.

So while we had snow, we didn't drive our car because we don't have studs or chains. Instead, Aimee took the opportunity to drive her jeep (otherwise known as Roger) on errands.

One day she asked if I wanted to ride along with her to finish up some Christmas shopping. Of course I was game, I wanted to check out all the snow! As I packed up the sock I was knitting, she said, "I think the sock will be here when you get back." I was stunned as I realized the magnitude of the statement she had made. Obviously, I had failed her somehow as a knitter! I could see that she has some way to go before knitting is truly a drug of choice and she is fully addicted. Needless to say, the knitting went with me. I peacefully knit while waiting outside for her in the jeep, watching people skid by on ice and children play in snow.

The next day we went to a yarn store where Aimee bought the yarn for her Oregon Duck scarf and some nice Malabrigo for a hat. It may take some time but I'm sure Aimee will catch up with the rest of us addicts!

Looking forward to February

On Black Friday Mom and I drove straight to Sears where I was able to buy a washer and dryer. We got a great deal on a set of front loaders, with a savings of about $600. The bad part of the deal is we have to wait until February to get them. Meanwhile, off to the laundromat we go!

Above, Aimee waits patiently for her laundry to go through the wash cycle. She's working on an Oregon Duck scarf, a popular color theme in these parts.

Thimbleberries

I picked these berries while visiting Mom last summer. They're delicious but you have to watch out for bugs which like to hang out in the cupped part of the soft, lightly fuzzed berry. I can't tell you how many berries I've spit out when I felt something crunchy that didn't belong.

The other good thing about thimbleberries is their leaves, which are large, thick, soft and fuzzy. They make great toilet paper when you're stuck in the woods! Not that I would know anything about that.

Apollo showing off his assets

Apollo didn't realize I was recording him, he thought I was holding the camera up to take a picture. The "boobs" are outdoor faucet covers.

Note Zoe running by in the beginning of the video. She does this whenever someone knocks on or comes in any of the doors. This should have been Apollo's first clue that someone was there.

Mom's newbie chicken egg (with grooves)

Some Christmas goodies

I wanted to add something to the presentation of the socks and these vellum labels with a simple bow in the middle seemed to be just the touch I was looking for. Information about yarn content and care is written on the back of the label. More photos of each project can be found in my Flickr account.


Sweetheart Socks knit with Hazel Knits Artisan Sock in Gerber

River Rapids knit with Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Red Willow

Moon River knit with Hazel Knits Artisan Sock in Plum Glace

'Twas the night before Christmas...

...and all through the house, not a creature was stirring except for one naughty ginger cat. Before him stood a huge green tree where shiny items dangled, taunting him. His whiskers twitched and his pupils dilated. Before he knew what he was doing, he reached out a soft nubbin paw to touch a round ruby red globe. In slow motion he saw it fall and break into pieces. The sound it made was like thousands of lids peeling off canned food all at once. This was even more interesting, so the ginger cat walked through the shards of red and silver. The house maid picked him up and checked his feet for injury and then put him down while she cleaned up the sparkling bits of treasure. He then sniffed the bits in amazement and walked through them again, even as the house maid attempted to sweep them up and pushed him away. (The nerve!) After a third trek through the pieces, he lost interest.

With the shiny pieces gone, he walked over to his dent in the couch, exhausted by the last five minutes of exertion. With a few licks to his fur, his tummy exposed to the night air and all four paws up in the air, he dreamed of the worlds softest fleece bed, rooms full of furniture he could scratch and pee on whenever he felt like it and of biting his sister who was sleeping quietly in her carrier.

With a start, the ginger cat woke. He realized a stranger was in the kitchen opening a can of the stinkiest, wet, fishy food. The stranger called to him and waved the can in the air for several minutes, but he only laid there and stared. Though he wanted the food, the naughty ginger cat was still in a coma-like trance, as he had only slept 18 hours that day. With his eyes slowly closing, he heard the red and white clothed human quietly leave the house, whispering (so as to not wake any of the kitties), "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

AIEEEEEE!

I'm back online! Well, I've had Internet Access for a couple weeks after we upgraded from dial-up but I always felt like I was bugging Aimee when I used her computer. It may have had something to do with the constant staring and heavy sighs coming from her direction (just kidding). My new computer arrived yesterday and today I've spent hours uploading photos and checking websites I haven't read in months. I feel human again! I can finally contact all my friends back home, check my bank accounts, track packages, upload photos, peruse knitting patterns...yes, life is good!

I've never owned a Christmas Cactus before because they make me think old ladies (shut up Faythe, you're next!). But I couldn't resist the delicate yet brightly colored petals and picked this one up at a local hardware store. In contrast to the snow we got last week, they provided a nice punch of color to the view of our backyard.


The small glass bottles on the sill contain seeds from a squash and various peppers. Mom gave us dried peppers with instructions to separate the seeds for our garden. I'm not sure if we need this many peppers but I dutifully separated the seeds and consequently got welts on my face from oil contamination. I even made a concerted effort not to touch my face but within five minutes I had burning pink welts in various areas - some too close to my eyes to make me comfortable. Needless to say, I am not a fan of the peppers.

Anyway, I need to get off this computer. I can't stop sneezing and I SWEAR I'm not going to get sneeze juice on this monitor like I did my work computer. Ha!