Christmas Cards

Unintended consequence of Facebook going mainstream is that people aren't sending Christmas cards like they used to. And neither did I. But I enjoyed the cards we got alot.

Happy New Year!

A favorite Christmas present this year is a calendar by Leigh Standley who has a very whimsical style -- something wise and  cute coming up to look forward to all year.

My resolution is to post something here at least 2ce a week that is something I'm grateful for, a favorite thing or something that just makes me happy.

See you soon!

Thanksgiving Morning, 2013

Duncan is cooking our holiday dinner at the Coast Guard station where I will go at the appointed time and enjoy every traditional thing with no uproar in our kitchen. This to me, and to Duncan I think, is ideal.

We talked last night about all we are thankful for. We are very fortunate. Here's our list.

• Employment
• Health benefits
• Health!
• Stock market is booming.
• We have a new car this year -- and specific features we like a lot are: better gas mileage, easy to park, remote key entry, and when you unlock the car to get in it at night, the inside lights come on.
• We are grateful for Mom -- she is an amazing, delightful person, a source of deep love, and helpful in so many ways. (case in point: after her last visit, I had 3 pair of fleece-lined tights in my drawer).
• We remember in gratitude the lives and the influence on us of my Uncle Vic and Duncan's Aunt Mary.
• We love our crazy cats, Fred and Ethel.
• We both have immersed ourselves in new interests this year -- Duncan in the Coast Guard and me in knitting. These things make us happy and we are happy knowing the other one is also happy  while we are immersed in our own happy place. -- Added benefit:  Duncan has become an even better cook!

And here's a few more things that come to mind:

• Guilty pleasures -- Cook-Out Milkshakes and every other week assistance with housecleaning
• Tech Support
• A good night's sleep is not to be taken for granted anymore.
• those grippy hair rollers
• Movie nights
• Shopping in Cary
• Fleece (anything fleece. . . it doesn't get very cold here often, but when it does, I love my fleece!
• My multi-talented fiber arts friends
• Friends in general, of course.

I'm sure as soon as I hit the "post" button, I will think of important things that should be on the list, but it is time to get ready to go to Thanksgiving Dinner..

"The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings."

Bon Appitit, ya'll!

Speaking of Knitting

And speaking of knitting, this went in the mail today -- the first garment I've made to actually fit someone. She's 16 months old so I hope she hasn't hit a huge growth spurt since I got her measurements.

Cables!

Cute button. I added the ribbon in the neckline, but it might just feel scratchy and bumpy. Eagerly awaiting feedback from Mom.

Turns out the sweater is on the big side. She'll probably be able to wear it next winter, too. 

She would look cute in anything!

Next up, a sweater for her older brother. It's going to have red and gray stripes, a collar and a zipper -- so more challenges ahead.

Art, Literature, and Knitting. What's Not to Love??

I stumbled across this blog post by Terri Windling at Myth and Moor today. It is a lovely meditation on Art, Literature, and Knitting.

I love this little bit: 
". . .Like writing, knitting has a finite number of raw ingredients. There are twenty-six letters in the alphabet. Those letters can combine to give you David Foster Wallace or freshman composition papers. There are only two basic stitches: the knit and the purl. Those stitches can add up to a gorgeously complicated sweater or a pastel pink toilet paper cozy . . ." Adrienne Martini, Sweater Quest: My Year of Knitting Dangerously

The Sock Knitter by Grace Crossington Smith (Australian, 1892 - 1984)

Here is the link.The art is very nice and the quotes range to Stephanie Pearl McPhee and Harry Potter. I shared it with several knitting friends but I think everyone would like it.

Quick Postcard

A few pics from the last few days -- for one reason or another everything has a yellowy-greenish glow:

My Aunt Doris has new cats: Marsh(mellow) and Yum(Yum). Are they cute or what??

Last week was spent determining I have no signs of heart disease so that is good news:

ooey ooey oow oow1

And here's my latest knitting project -- a sweater for a little girl we know.

That's all for now!

Sailing Sailing Over the Ocean Blue. . .

This little blog, in which I used to take great pleasure and care with, will just lay here mostly dormant until I can disengage from this stupid church committee. I'll say no more about it but it is making me lose my religion.

The news here is really Duncan's -- he's thrown himself in with the Coast Guard Auxiliary and is now consumed with classes and meetings and reading navigational charts and -- amazingly enough -- cooking!

They offer, and he attended, an Auxiliary Chef course back in February, and now he is a USCG Auxiliary Food Service Specialist. He went down to Clearwater Florida with another fellow, Joe. and they had a great time together. They are like the grumpy old men, -- Joe is the sunny one and Duncan is the curmudgeon. But now they are cooking buddies and work some weekends in the galley at the Coast Guard station here in Charleston which is down on The Battery -- and a  couple of times they have gone out on working cutters for 3 - 4 day stints. Duncan can actually take up to 45 days a year as "military leave" from his job to do this. He is a happy boy.

Joe is a Public Affairs guy and travels with camera -- so all of these pics are thanks to him.

Here they go, off on a 4-day assignment.

Here's how their days started.

Getting Busy

This is what they came for.

Mission Accomplished

Here are some of the boat's crew. Duncan and Joe were cooking for about 15 all together. All these young guys called Duncan and Joe the FOFs -- Funny Old Farts -- so I take it everyone had a pretty good time.