Year End

Working this week has been a mixed blessing. Everyone else is on vacation, so there are hundreds fewer e-mails and phone calls. But at the same time it is so boring. I took my portable DVD player yesterday just for some background sound. There is no traffic and the Vanpool has been getting to the city at 6:30 am, the AC is not even on at that time in the morning. It would be cool if I could knit, but that would be frowned upon. Anyway it's almost over, along with the year.

I Heard From My Sockret Pal

I received a big box of Truffles from my Sockret Pal for Christmas. There was the cutest stocking attached to the box with a gift tag. No picture of the actual candy, I forgot before it was opened and passed around. I love the little stocking. I cannot tell if it is the same pattern that comes with the Loopy Ewe keychain or not. Very cute all the same, it now hangs over my desk.

Also, I have posted the most wonderful picture of nephew Lebron aka Boomie. Look at those golden eyes. This is one of his "Daddy I would rather you were rubbing me, than messing around with that camera" poses. He is quite the spoiled pup and thinks he is a lap dog even though he weighs in at 50 plus pounds. Ah, but the chocolately top of his head is the softest thing you could ever feel. I have been promised a picture of his sister, Lexie. She does not like the camera so much and the pictures I have of her aren't cute.

Socks Done

I finished my Redwood Forest and Yukon socks in KnitPicks Memories yarn. I am not allowing myself to cast on any more socks until I finish the toe up Grey and Camouflauge socks, and the two front panels of my sweater. But as a treat/reward I am going to cast on some Socks That Rock socks.

Christmas was strange. Some uninvited guest showed up, not good. I received three Stitch N Bitch Knitting Calendars, three boxes of the same assorted chocolates from See's Candies. I am hoping Barnes & Noble will take at least one of the calendars in exchange for a book or something else. The candy will be regifted, because we also received 1 lb of Nuts & Chews (which we love), and a gift certificate for One Pound of See's Candies. My lovely Michael did make up for the gift weirdness though by giving me a lovely piece of Louis Vuitton this year. He usually buys me Coach or Chanel, so the Louis really blew me away.

I just found out that two of my friends moved - one from England to Arizona, the other from Las Vegas to Florida. That was a surprise.

I am going to start crocheting for the next craft fair, several people asked me if I was selling anything this year. I skipped last year's. Evidently people are in need of scarves and shawls. So I am going to whip some up between socks.

I am finally feeling better, I still have a swollen gland and a bit of trouble breathing. But I feel better. So I guess I am on the mend. FINALLY - it's been three weeks.

Invisible Progress

I am working on my lace shawls and I feel a little cheated that I don't get to move my progress bars at all. I do about 4 rows on each per night and that's like 1600 stitches, but it's less than a inch per shawl. So what's that on a progress bar .0000016??? Not fair. I worked on my Memories Yukon sock last night for a sense of accomplishment. I did my toe decreases, but was too tired to kitchner stitch the toes. I will do that tonight.

Starting to Smell a Lot Like Christmas

We got a gorgeous tree yesterday and it smells so good. I lugged all my gifts downstairs to be transferred to the appropriate sized gift bags. We still need to raid the garage for the vintage ornaments, recycled icycles and hundred year old lights :D The reindeer mat is out and the little ceramic dog is sporting his red santa hat. There is the smell of wonderful things baking and the weather feels like the north pole. My goodness - it must almost be Christmas.

Not Well ~ Oh Well

I have not knitted since Tuesday at Chicks with Sticks. I have been feeling poorly and it was all I could do to drag myself out to work each day. It is year end and there was much to do in my AP Dept. I also wanted to be there to personally hand out raises and bonuses to both my departments. Our firm Holiday party was Friday and kind of mandatory for management. Saturday I had to get some groceries in the house, we needed basics like milk, bread, juice, eggs, etc. Now that's all done I am going to probably sleep the rest of today. I have to go to work tomorrow so, I need all my strength. But no knitting is getting done. I was just approaching the toe decreases on my Memories Yukon and Redwood Forest socks. My poor sweater is feeling totally neglected, and I was just getting in the groove with the lace shawls. Hopefully I will have a little more pep this upcoming week. My secret and sockret pals have gotten their Dec packages and liked them, yeah. I am enjoying all of the wonderful items my pal sent me. I have a dozen holiday cards to get in the mail and a UPS return. I will be glad at week's end - 3 days off. We are doing dinner Christmas eve, so Christmas can be a quiet recuperative day. Our tree is gorgeous and smells wonderful. Still lots of baking to do.

SnapeCast

The Snape Cast podcast has put forth some very interesting theories. I am going to spend some time on some of their questions and post some of mine to them as well. I cannot wait to see what they respond. Is Madame Pinz, Eileen Prinz without an "R"? Did Snape have a crush on Lilly, or Narcissa? Is he an animagus - spider? I just received Harry Potter Scene It. Pretty good game. The DVD is packed with clips.

I just received my DVD collections for Bones, Criminal Minds and The Wire so I will have lots of backgorund noise company as I knit.

* * * and More :D

Yesterday I received yet another package from my SP9 Pal. Are you jealous yet?? It was chock full of yarny goodness, and holiday helpers. A box of gift cards that are so cute. A small quilted tag. A sweater stone which will be put to use this weekend for sure. A bag full of Knit Picks Palette Peruvian Wool yarn in a soft beige color, 6 whole balls. I know who Santa's favorite helper is, my SP9 Pal.

More More More

More goodies from my SP 9 Pal. What a lady, she has the most generous heart and spirit. I received a Debbie Sotller Stitch 'N Bitch 2007 Page-A-Day Calendar: The Knitter's Calendar. I will think of her every day of 2007 as I use my calendar! You must check this thing out, it has way more than patterns in it. There are hints and tips, suggestions for designing, how to figure out yarn needs, loads of knitting knowledge. It's actually a miniature book that you can keep right on the edge of your desk. Pretty cool.

Now this little beauty is especially appreciated. Every time I go into B&N I look to seek if there is a copy of the Stitch "N Bitch: A Knitter's Design Journal that someone has cracked open the plastic on. I have all of Debbie Stoller's books and I have wanted the handbook and journal, but I was afraid that it would just be a repeat of what I already have. So, although I was not willing to open the plastic, I was hoping someone else would so I could take a peak. Well now I have my very own copy. It is wonderful. It has lots of pages for my notes and concept drawings and I have already tossed aside the little note pad I was using on my lace project, and I started using my journal last night. Thanks again SP9.

The Order of The Phoenix

I listen to the HP audio books constantly. They are great to knit to when I am out of podcasts. I heard two things I never heard before, probably because I am looking at everything that comes out re OOP.

First: in his speech to Harry about Snape overhearing the prophecy, Dumbledore says he was interviewing Trelawney even though he was not sure he wanted to continue with Divination at Hogwarts. Why - what happened with the previous Divination Professor and the previous Potions Professor. That must have been a heck of a school year for him to have two positions to fill. He was interviewing Trelawney and Snape - were the previous Professors possibly OOP members who had been killed?

Second: There was someone else who knew what the full prophecy said - The Keeper of The Hall of Prophecies. He or she labeled the prophecy originally and then changed it after the Potters were attacked. Per Dumbledore OOP Pg 842 pb Who was the keeper of the hall in those days?

Movies and Such

The Order of The Phoenix - I have watched all of the the trailers, listened to all of the podcasts and watched the filming clips during Prizoner of Azkaban and The Chamber of Secrets. I think the OTP is going to be excellent. The casting was great - so happy to see Gary Oldman back as Sirius Black (after he's had a good wash ;P ) Umbridge, I don't know, she looks sickly sweet - I need to hear her deliver some lines to see if she can bring off truly evil. I do agree that Dan Radcliffe's hair is too short and neat. But he looks great, he really looks like a fifth year.

Eragon - I am just now reading this because I could not balance that humongus hardcopy version. I bought the paperback last week and look forward to starting it tomorrow. I have 20 odd pages left to read in 24 Declassified. I agree with the podcasters on this too - I now shop the young adult section of the bookstore all the time too. There are some really good reads there. The trailers have been really fun to watch, great shots. I like the dragons forms, they look like serpents. I am a Gryffindor, but I appreciate a well done snake.

Secret Pal 9 Contest #2 - Recipes of Love

Our Secret Pal hostess has come up with an interesting contest - food, or more specifically, recipes that are family related. It's quite a coincidence that I just posted our Family Reunion Cookbook in my Gallery of Love. Our family has been gathering for family reunions since 1985. In 2005 California was hosting and the committee came up with a Turner Family Cookbook as a way to bring some warm family memories together. As you can see in my post below about the Thanksgiving Feast at my sister's house, food is an important element of our family gatherings. The theme of the cookbook is - family favorites. There are those comfort foods you know you can always get at a particular Cousin, Aunt or Mother's home. We look forward to the tastes and the memories associated with them. So we created a cookbook and plan to add to it for each reunion. The recipe I choose for this contest isn't the fanciest or even the tastiest, but it is the one that brings tears to my eyes. The Corn Pea Salad was a recipe that belonged to my Cousin Mickey who died of cancer seven years ago. She was more a Sister than a Cousin. My Mom moved her to California when she graduated from high school and she lived with us until she got married. She came to dinner every Sunday and we took her daughter Annette with us on family trips, and her Grandson Antonio stayed with us on weekends while Mickey worked. I love all of my family, and I am blessed with a very large one. But Mickey was special, and I miss her so much. I cry as I type this because just thinking about her Gold carnival glass bowl she always used, the Star Wars blanket we always bundled Tony up in, and the scary ashtma attacks Annette used to have make me realize, again, how much we have lost in losing her so early in her life to cancer.

Please try this simple salad and know that it comes from an angel who you would liked if you'd ever met her. She was beautiful, quiet and caring.

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Pea Corn Salad
2 cans whole kernel corn drained
2 cans green peas drained
1 bunch green onions chopped
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tsp Lawrey's seasoning salt
¼ tsp pepper or to taste
1 medium head of iceberg lettuce finely chopped

Wash and dry lettuce and green onions. Combine mayonnaise,
chopped green onions, lettuce with cans of drained whole kernel
corn and peas. Season and mix. Chill in refrigerator until ready
to serve.

Servings: 20
Recipe Type Salad
Recipe Author: Fay Williams
Source: Hellois (Mickey) Williams
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