Last FO of 2024: Tim's Ribbed Hat

Hello everyone, and Happy New Year! I hope that so far, 2025 is behaving for you. I have no complaints (other than my usual complaints, which are more than enough) so far. 😊

I wanted to share my final FO of last year with you, and tell you a story about a conversation that was had when it was gifted. 

Anyway, do you remember that a couple of months ago, I finished this hat for myself? Well, after I finished it, I had quite a bit of yarn left over, and considered that maybe I could reverse the colors and make one for The Tim. The yarn is merino wool and cashmere, and so it would be a nice Christmas gift. At the time, I was doing a bunch of other things, so it was a bit on the back burner.

Then at the beginning of December, I decided to cast on and see how things went. If it didn't get done for a Christmas present, I'd give it to him for Valentine's Day. So I would knit on it every couple of days, and since it's a hat, and not very complicated at that, it was finished in time for Christmas!

Project: Tim's Ribbed Hat

Pattern: Classic Ribbed Hat, by Purl Soho (large adult size)

Yarn: Purl Soho Cashmere Merino Bloom, colorways Red Mulberry and True Turquoise

Needles: US 3/3.25 mm

Modifications: None

Here's the story part:

The Tim (opening gift): Oh wow! A hat just like Greg and Preller have (two spouses of two nieces who received Musselburgh Hats in the past)!

Me: No, that's not a Musselburgh Hat. When I asked you if you wanted one, you said you had one, even though I have never made one for you.

The Tim: Well then what is this hat? [Tries it on, "Oh this is soft!"]

Me: It's like the hat I made for myself a couple of months ago, but the colors are reversed. It's extra soft because the yarn has some cashmere in it.

The Tim: So we're going to match?

Me: No, not exactly. My hat has the same colors, but reversed from yours.

The Tim: Oh, OK. Well this is nice. [a minute or two passes] Maybe next year I'll get a Musselburgh Hat then.

Me (in my brain): *^%#$%^&*(

To his credit, he did say that it was good timing since the hat he has been wearing it "all stretched out" (because he PULLS at it!), and he has been happily wearing it. And he really loves anything I knit for him.

But after having a whole conversation months ago about whether or not he wanted a Musselburgh Hat, and him saying no, even though he thought he had one but he doesn't ... 

So next year for his BD or for Christmas, I guess I know what to make for him!

Feels Like Christmas!

Well, at least Christmases as a kid - no snow, though. But it's cold and sunny and bright, which is just perfect.

Our weekend was pretty quiet. We both did little finishing up things to be ready for Christmas, so that the house finally really looks like it's ready to celebrate. This morning I finished any wrapping that I had left, mostly things for the kit kats. 

This afternoon, I'm finishing the last few rows of a top of a hat that I'm making for The Tim for Christmas. It was kind of a last-minute decision, and I had decided that if it wasn't finished in time, I wasn't going to worry about it. But as I said, I realized that I have just a few rows, and then some ends to weave in so I'll finish that up this afternoon.

I've been working away on my sweater, which I had sincerely hoped could be a Christmas sweater, but which I also knew meant that realistically, I should have started in September. But I haven't knit on it much anyway lately, since I've been waiting for a longer needle to arrive. I was just getting frustrated because the needle I was using, which was one I already had, was fine but making me nuts because I had to squish the stitches onto it and it was a pain to keep doing that. My longer needle finally arrived today (that's what happens when you order during the holidays!), so I can return to working on it and get it finished. Technically, it can easily just be a winter sweater, but I'd really hoped it would be a Christmas sweater. And next year, it will be. 😊

I'm pleased because I got a notification yesterday that the last "outstanding" box of gifts I'd send out had been delivered. So that worked out nicely. The rest have been at their destinations for a while.

I also keep getting reports on how successful the little Advent calendar I made for Penn and Oden, my great-niece and great-nephew, has been. Apparently they were/are fascinated by the 50-cent and the dollar coins that have been in a couple of the stockings. So The Tim was right to suggest that. Apparently Oden - who is six- keeps asking my niece Julie if she thinks they will be able to spend "that big money." Which just cracks me up!

So that's the state of things here right now. I hope if you got any snow, it wasn't too much for anything you needed/wanted to do. And if you are also someplace cold, I hope you can stay cozy!

Enjoy the rest of your day, and have a good Christmas Eve Eve (that's especially for you, Kym!)

FO Post: Late But Finished!

Hello from a snowy Philadelphia! We are supposedly getting a big (for us, especially recently) snow today. I'm planning a cozy day with the kitties, I just hope that things don't get too bad since The Tim is at work, and his job involves a lot of driving around. Yikes.

Anyway, on to the FO:

(unblocked, because I barely had time for a photo before they where taken by the recipient!)

Project: Replacement Iron Horse Mitts 

Pattern: Iron Horse Mitts, by Emily Butzi

Yarn: Yarn Addict Sock, colorway OOAK (One Of A Kind)

Needles: US size 3/3.25 mm

Modifications: None

Notes: I made a pair of these a few years back for The Tim, when he requested fingerless gloves, "but the kind with part of the fingers covered." Last spring, he asked if I would make him a new one because he had lost one of them, and he really likes them and wears them all the time. 

Needless to say, the rest of the skein of the original yarn I'd used was long gone, and I didn't have anything very similar in my stash. So I decided that if I came across anything that resembled the old yarn, I'd get it, because he thought they were a good color. Fast forward to October, when there was a little mini-festival of yarny things at Loop over the Rhinebeck weekend. Yarn Addict was there, and when I saw this shade of green, I knew it was pretty close to what I had originally used, so I snapped it up!

I originally planned for these to be a Christmas gift, and they were ... kind of. I think I previously mentioned the scarf I had also been knitting for The Tim, where I got well into it and then realized I'd been missing a huge part of the instructions! Well, then I just put that aside, and was putzing around doing very little knitting while doing everything else for Christmas. Finally, on the afternoon of Christmas Eve, I finished the last finger on the first of the mitts. So I took the one of the previous pair he still had, and wrapped them up as "One Old, One New, Both Kind of Similar." Well he was thrilled, which was good, and the good thing is that the yarn I'd bought in October is about as close in color as I could hope to get with a replacement pair.

The Tim could not understand why I was still planning to knit a mate for the new one, since he "only needed one, and they match pretty well." Bless his heart. I pointed out that if I finished the second one, he'd have a spare in case he lost another one. That made sense to him. 

So yesterday I finally finished the second mitt. He is thrilled to have three mitts now - a pair and an extra! Which makes me happy. He is extremely knitworthy, you know?

The pattern itself is well-written, and the result is a nice, cozy item. The "fingers" are not hard, just a bit fiddly, and there were a couple of spots where I needed to fill in a bit of a gap where I had not picked up stitches all that well. But overall, I'm pleased with them, and would recommend this pattern, which comes with two sizes (Women's and Men's, I guess).

So with this FO, I have my last project of 2023, and my first project of 2024. 

Which of course means I can start something else, right? 😊

*****

I hope all of you have a lovely weekend, and can stay warm and safe. If you are in the opposite hemisphere, I hope your weather is nice and not extreme in the opposite way of ours! 

I'm looking forward to just staying put and being cozy. All of us will be home, so it will be especially nice. I love when it's snowy and we can just all be here together.

See you next week!

The State of the Gift Knitting

Isn't this a pretty candle? I bought this to support a local rescue and it is so nice! First of all, the scent is called "Christmas Tails" which I love, and the scent is nice and subtle. I lit this first thing on Christmas morning, and have used it a lot since then, and there is still a good amount of candle left. I'm so glad I was able to make a small contribution to this rescue, and I'm also glad the candle is such a good one.

So. Gift Knitting. Well, it started out in an excellent fashion. Do you remember this FO from early in the summer:

This is the beret I knit using some fingering weight and some mohair. Originally, I knit this for me. But then The Tim said, "You know, when I see that, I immediately think of Annie. It would be a good gift for her, and then you would already have one gift finished." Annie is one of my nieces, and I had to admit that he was right. So I decided this one would be a Christmas gift for her, and at some point I'd knit another one for me (I have enough of both yarns left). This also made me decide that Annie's family would all be getting knitted gifts this year.

So next up, I knit a Musselburgh hat for her partner:

And for his fifteen year old son AJ, I made fingerless mitts:

And I knit an Antler Toque for 10 year old Jan, and just now realized that I failed to take a photo before sending it! But it turned out really well, and hopefully will fit her.

And so, figuratively speaking, I was on fire! All that was left was to make the pair of fingerless mitts for The Tim when he lost one of the ones I'd made for him years ago. And I decided I wanted to knit him a scarf, and collected the yarns for that.

The first fingerless mitt happened pretty quickly. So I thought, well, I'll concentrate on the scarf for a while. I was feeling pretty good about getting both things finished by Christmas. 

And then.

Going along swimmingly on the scarf, I realized well into it that I had misread the pattern and made a MAJOR mistake. This really threw me for a loop, and I just had to walk away for a while. And it also meant that I didn't want to knit. At.All.Period.

So how did it all end up? Well, the good news is that I wrapped up the single fingerless mitt, and The Tim was thrilled because according to him, it was *exactly* the same color, etc. of the one he still had from his old set. I told him I would still make the second one, and he said, "Why do I need another one, now that I have a pair again?" Which on the one hand, I appreciated, but I told him I was still going to make the other one, and that way if he lost a single mitt again, he'd already have a replacement. So I cast that on last night, and managed to knit the cuff.

As for the scarf. I was so disappointed that I wasn't going to have it for Christmas for him. But after thinking about it, I decided that I can do a variation of the pattern and finish it and maybe even end up with a scarf I like better than the original design. He may receive a scarf for Valentine's Day, or ... well, Christmas comes every year, you know ... 😊

So on the one hand, I did very well with my gift knitting, finishing things in plenty of time for them to be mailed to the intended recipients. Then on the other hand (if my mother was still alive, right now she would interject, "she had warts" which amused me but also drove me nuts), I didn't finish two gifts I had been really excited to make for The Tim. I am thrilled that he was really only wanting a single mitt to go with the one he still had, because it made me feel like he received an actual gift. 

But I'm also not beating myself up at not quite meeting my goals. Both projects will still happen, and he'll receive them, so it isn't like things were a total fail. I'm more annoyed with myself than anything else, for missing a key instruction in the scarf pattern. Such is life though, and no one died, so it's all good.

The good news is that I've gotten over not wanting to knit at all and that's the best feeling. I already have approximately 4,590,270 things in mind that I would like to knit in 2024, so all that's left is to narrow it down to maybe 5 things. 

I'll keep you posted.

This Might Be The Year

I hope your week has been going well, even if there is more sorrow and strife in the world. Sometimes I think that surely there won't be any more tragedy, but then I realize that if there is anything in the universe that is guaranteed, it's tragedy for someone, somewhere, even at the smallest levels. Then I remember that the reverse is also true - happiness and joy happen all of the time too, and I cling to that, even if we will never know what most of it is and when it happens.

My week has been fine. I taught the second and final hat class I was doing at the yarn store, and I think it was a huge success. It helps that the people taking the class were a) really nice people, and b) truly motivated to do it. Everyone arrived on Tuesday evening either ready for the last part (cable decreases) or only two or three rows away. When they were leaving, they were SO excited to no longer "be afraid" of cables, and two of them showed me a pattern and bought yarn for their next cable projects. That was the best result of all to me.

Otherwise it's been most of the same stuff, which is OK with me. Our next door neighbors are having major renovations done on their house, so there's a lot of extra noise, dust, and just overall mess outside, which makes me glad it's not a bad time to have the windows closed. Though the cats do not approve in any way, shape, or form, thank you very much. Alfie seems particularly offended, since we have the door to the garden closed and that has a direct effect on his ability to keep track of the squirrels running around. Won't someone think of the kitties???

My knitting is going well, and I'm especially excited about a new cast on. Every year, I hope that I will have myself together well enough to knit a pair of Christmas socks for The Tim to gift him for his birthday in November, so he'll have them to wear in December. Except for one year when I actually knit a pair of Christmas socks for him in July (which inspired my Christmas in July shenanigans), it's just never been a possibility. 

But this might be the year it happens.

Behold the start of a pair of Christmas socks that must be finished before November 18 - this looks possible, right?? I started these last Friday, and then didn't get near them again until yesterday, but I have knit even more than in this photo, so I'm nearly to the heel portion of sock #1. This is pleasing me so much, I have to tell you. I'm using an Advent skein from the Cozy Knitter, called Gingerbread House, and using the Blueberry Waffle Socks pattern. So far, I'm zooming along on them, so with a bit more than a month before I actually need to have them finished, I'm feeling encouraged. Even though it would not register with him what/who they were for if he saw them, I've been working on them on the days I'm home and he's at work, because I'd love for them to be a complete surprise. 😊

Other than that, I'm nearly finished with the last gift that will need to be mailed, which is also good news. My DRK Everyday Sweater hasn't seen anything happening on it lately, because I'm waiting for some new needles to arrive. The only needles I had in the correct size for the body are some Lykke needles I've had for a while, and though I generally love using them, they hold on to the Felted Tweed yarn a little too well. So I broke down and ordered a pair of metal needles in the size I need for the sweater. Yes, I know I should buy an interchangeable set, but I don't have the funds all at once at any given time, so it's not happening anytime soon.

Curious - do any of you have an interchangeable set of needles (or even sets)? Most of the people I know swear by Chiaogoo sets, but a couple of people have other sets and love them. I like wood/bamboo/whatever for a lot of things, but as mentioned above, some projects work better for me with metal needles. So that also makes me hesitant to invest in just one or the other.

OK, enough blathering for now. The sun has arrived, so I think I'll move some laundry around and then take a walk before I do anything else. Because it's nice outside, and I have the whole day to myself. Win-win!

Monday FO Post: Last One For 2022

I hope all of you have had a good weekend, and for anyone in the U.S. who is enjoying a Monday holiday for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I hope you have a wonderful day today.

Today I'm sharing the very last FO of 2022. You may recall the only other photo I showed was when I started the ribbing, back in November:

I've been hoping to get a modeled shot, and maybe someday I will, but in the meantime, I wanted to show you my last FO of the year.

Project: Toque for Tim

Pattern: Antler Toque by Tin Can Knits

Yarn: Plucky Knitter Trusty Worsted, colorway Be Steel My Heart

Needles: US size 6 and 8

Modifications: None

Notes: This was a wonderful, fun pattern to knit - and it's also a free one! I had a couple of questions at the start, and contacted Tin Can Knits, and they responded immediately, which only raises them higher in my estimation.

I decided I wanted to knit a cabled hat for The Tim as a Christmas gift, and when I was searching around for patterns, I remembered that I'd always wanted to try this one. Even better - I felt 99.99999% certain that I had enough yarn left over from my Steel Doodles sweater that I wouldn't even need to buy any yarn! (As it turned out, I had enough plus some still left, which really made me happy.) 

The pattern is extremely clear with what to do, and has both written instructions and a chart. I love knitting cables, and after about two repeats, I had the pattern in my brain, so I could knit without constantly referring back to it. And of course, the yarn is yummy and super soft, so the whole experience was enjoyable.

Plus, I got to learn something new - I'd never done cable decreases and they were necessary for the top of the hat. Again, the instructions in the pattern were so clear, it wasn't hard at all, and please look again at the photo above to see how nice the top of the hat looks. 😊

Best of all, The Tim loves his new hat, and says it's not just cushy and soft, but really cozy and warm. He's worn it nearly every day since he opened it, except for the stupidly warm days we've had. And that makes my heart very happy.

Overall, it was a good gifting season for me; I finished everything on time, I enjoyed knitting each thing, and all of them were very enthusiastically received. As a knitter, you really can't ask for much more than that.

FO Post: Amanda's Christmas Gift

Hello all! I hope your week has been going well. My work week is over, and I'm glad for that. Today is my niece Amanda's birthday, so I thought I'd (finally) do an FO post for her Christmas gift.

You may remember it all started here:

And then I started, only after I'd made progress, realizing that I had inadvertently switched the colors; but I kept going, because Amanda's favorite color is pink, so it all works out. 😊

Project: Amanda Needs A Martini

Pattern: Martini Party Shawlette, by Erika Flory (Rav link)

Yarn: Plucky Feet, by the Plucky Knitter. Pink colorway is Cosmo, green colorway is Appletini.

Needles: US size 5

Modifications: Only swapping the colors inadvertently!

Blocking with Pat's hat

 

Folded and ready to go!

Notes: I've had this yarn and pattern for years, as part of a kit that came in a subscription to some club or another that I no longer remember. But I remember that when I got it and saw the names of the pattern and the yarns, I thought it would be perfect for Amanda, who is a martini lover. And finally this year, I got to knitting it.

The yarn is lovely to work with - no splitting, no tangles, and very soft. The pattern is really well-written, and fun to knit once you get the hang of it. 

I was so pleased that I finished it in mid-November, in plenty of time to send for Christmas. Did I remember to take an FO photo? Why no! This of course I only realized once it was in the mail. Sigh.

So I asked Amanda to take a photo of it for me once she said the package was opened. So yes, it's a bit wrinkled because it was folded in the package for a while, but here it is in completed form:

Christmas morning, we got this photo with a text that said, "We love our Christmas gifts!"

It doesn't get much better than that when you give knitted gifts. ❤

I think you could do a lot with this pattern, as far as color combinations, and you of course could also make it larger; but I like the small cozy size of it, and think it would be comfy on its own or under a coat/jacket.

So it's all good - and as an extra bonus, it was in my stash, so I was able to reduce the size of that - win-win!

P.S. Never fear - I also sent Amanda a birthday gift. December birthdays always get a separate birthday gift from me, because that is how I think it should be.

[Not Signed], But Sealed And Delivered

Hello all, and I hope your Monday is going well. As you may have guessed with my frequent absences around here, I've been busy getting things ready to send, and also getting us ready for Christmas. All of us have been doing things that make it festive in our house, and we are nearly ready. The things that need to be done at this point are the last-minute things - you know, like putting away boxes, last-minute clean ups, and wrapping some gifts.

This fluffer has been enjoying investigating everything. Like the others, he enjoys the tree but is not at all interested in bothering it. Which is a relief, because who knows what his past life showed him? 

He's really funny though, because he has not quite mastered the art of the under-the-tree ambush. Pip and Milo are *not* surprised when he pops out to get them, because he manages to make sure it's always completely predictable.

We finished decorating our tree on Saturday, and we love it! It's kind of a skinny tree this year, but all decked out, it looks perfect to us.

Last night we attended a concert by the Philadelphia Boys' Choir and Mens' Chorale, which was just magnificent. I always especially get a charge out of watching the littler boys during the concert, as they have not yet gotten to the point of standing still the whole time, or being able to just have a benign facial expression. 

This coming Wednesday evening, we are going to the "Glorious Sounds of Christmas" concert by the Philadelphia Orchestra. It's an annual event, but we haven't gone for about six or seven years, so we're looking forward to it. They are of course a wonderful group of performers, and the concert is always just such a fun and enjoyable evening. 

And the good news is that all of the packages we had to mail are not just on their way, but most have already been delivered! As it turns out this year, most of what we were sending was both small, and did not weigh a lot, so having to pay to send them didn't break the bank. Win-win!

But you know what I failed to do? Take a photo of the completely finished and ready to go shawlette I made for my niece Amanda. Sigh. I'm sure I can get her to send me one once she has opened it, but seriously, what a rookie move!

I hope your Hanukkah/Christmastime/winter solstice season is moving along happily. Even if you don't celebrate a specific holiday, I hope you are enjoying the spirit of happiness and giving that is around us. Don't let the grinches get you down.

That's it for today. I need to do a couple of things before heading to the yarn shop for the day. Yesterday was almost eerily calm, so I'm wondering what today will be like. Last Monday was insane, not just for a Monday, but for any day. 

Take care of yourselves.

Monday FO Post: One Gift Finished!

Hello and Happy Monday when the Philadelphia Phillies are the National League Champions!!!!! 

Yesterday, I was at work until 4 p.m., and the game had started shortly after 2:30 p.m., so I got to see a good bit of it, and most importantly - THE BEST PART! So exciting, especially since it's been a long time coming, and as usual, the Phillies were the underdogs. (The Tim: I'm so glad they won, but now that means you will have new obnoxious nicknames for the other team, after I just got used the ones you had for the Padres. [Yes, his life is so difficult.])

Anyway, GO PHILS!!!!

Now, to the real reason for this post. I finally have completed a knitting project to show you - plus, it's a Christmas gift, so I'm well ahead of time having it ready to go.

Project: Preller Needs a Musselburgh

Pattern: Musselburgh, by Ysolda Teague

Yarns: West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4 Ply in the colorway Hope (striped yarn); and, Loop Sprig in the colorway Admiral (navy)

Needles: US size 3

Modifications: None

Notes: You may recall that I made one of these hats last year for a Christmas gift for Greg, husband of my niece La Liz. When I was showing it to my niece Amanda and her husband Pat, he said, "That is so cool - I want one!" Well, at the time, it was about 2 weeks before Christmas, so there was no way that was happening for last year. But I stored away the request for this year. 

Since I have been trying really hard to knit from my stash, I started by looking to see what I already had that might work for at least part of the hat. I knew I wanted to make a half-and-half type, to make it a different hat, depending on how it is worn. I found about half of a skein of the West Yorkshire Spinners yarn that I had used for a pair of socks, but I couldn't find something I liked well enough to contrast with it.

So I took the leftover skein with me to work at Loop one day to find something that I liked as the second color, and decided on the navy blue because I liked the contrast of it.

I made the Adult Large size, and although the beginning is fiddly to cast on, once you get going, it's pretty mindless and goes quickly. It's a good project if you want to watch TV because once you get past the increases at the top, it's just a whole lot o' knitting until you are ready to do the decreases!

So yes, I did buy a new skein of yarn, but a) I used half of it already, b) it will be a good contrast color for lots of other projects, and c) I used my employee discount, so it wasn't as expensive as it could have been ... 😀

Anyway, I'm really pleased with how it turned out - I think I did an even better job on this one than the first one I made, which makes sense because like most things, the more you do it, the better the result. I would recommend this pattern because it's a lot of bang for your buck, as they say. Particularly when you use two different yarns, and as a result, have 4 different ways to wear one hat.

Plus, it's Koodle approved.

'Nuff said, right?

Scenes and Gifts of Christmas Day

Well, I meant to post yesterday, but I had an awful headache in the morning, and by the time I felt better, it was late in the afternoon, so I decided to just wait until today.  

As previously mentioned, we had a wonderful Christmas Day.  I thought you might enjoy some of the scenes and gifts of the day.

First of all, Hamlet and His Big Weird Package.  This was from Santa, and required a lot of sniffing.  

But he was *very* happy with what was inside - a new bed!

Pip was annoyed that we took SO LONG to open presents - The Tim and I made our breakfast and ate it before we got started, and he let us know of his displeasure.

This was the view from the breakfast table.  Everyone was hinting!

The cats also got a bed from Santa, which has been a BIG hit!

Between resting in the new beds, and playing with some toys from Santa, Hamlet and the kitties had a lot of fun all day.  They were so busy!

Here is a gift Santa brought to me - The Gallery of Dug the Doodle Dog!

I love this so much!  The Tim and I both cried when I opened it.

And look at the one photo - The Doodle with his Koodle!  Look how *tiny* the Koodle is here, I forgot he was ever that small.

I got a tiny Baby Yoda in my stocking:

And I'm sure you can imagine that this gift from The Tim was a huge hit with me:

I asked him where he found these, and he laughed and said, "CVS."  Clearly not the one near us, though, since you're lucky to find things you actually *need* at that one!

He also got me this Gritty ornament, but I'm going to put him on my desk at work to make me smile instead.  Gritty is the mascot for the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team, and he is basically a very funny a**hole, and it amuses me to no end.

And finally, this little kitty ornament was in my stocking - I love his knitted hat and scarf!

I'll have to try and get photos of the mugs I got The Tim for Christnas - they cracked me up when I got them, and he LOVES them!  So stay tuned for those.

Today I have no specific plans but will likely write some thank-you notes for gifts we received, and then do some knitting.  Not a bad way to spend time, you know??

Three Happy Things

I don't know about you, but I need to talk about some happy things, because in the past couple of days, things have been kind of awful on a personal and a work level.  So happy things it is.

As I mentioned previously, my colleague Jennifer is leaving and today is her last day.  We usually exchange small gifts at Christmas (because she enjoys Christmastime too), and today this was on my desk:

On the inside, a mini-skein of Fibre Company Amble, and a ceramic leaf button!  She said that she thought that would be plenty for a heel or cuff of a sock, which is true, but I might also incorporate it into something else, and who knows, maybe something else that could also sport the button - they look so nice together!

Also, I meant to share this the other day, but today is a good day to share it instead as it turns out.  I found this image and made it my background on my work computer:

Because I love Rudolph, and he makes me happy when I see him.

We got a notice this morning from The Bigger Big Boss, saying that we only have to work until noon tomorrow - YAY!!!  If they aren't giving us raises, it's the least they can do.  And that means I get to start my holiday vacation that much earlier, and if you don't think I'm happy about that, you really haven't been paying attention ... 😊

I hope your day will have at least one happy thing in it, because we all deserve each little bit of happy that we can find.

P.S. Several of you asked for the link to the cookie recipe that The Tim used and I talked about the other day.  He sent me the link, so here you go.  I hope if you make them, you enjoy them as much as we are enjoying ours (and I also hope that recipe is not behind a paywall - apologies if that is the case.)

Christmastime Creativity

I know those of you who read this blog will appreciate this Christmas decoration above, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.  And we are all in one way or another, creative and artistic and crafty, so we can enjoy others' efforts as well.

My nephew's wife Liesl is one of the most creative people I know.  She does all kinds of things, and she's one of those people who does every single thing well, no doubt about it.  She makes beautiful jewelry, is an amazing cook, and has always made a huge effort to stay connected with the family and make sure their kids are connected as well.  They live in Arizona, so we see them very seldom, but Liesl always sends a card or gift at Christmastime that makes everyone feel connected.

All of the kids (there are four of them) are now teenagers in high school and college, but when they were little, she used to include them in her creative endeavors.  The above decoration is an example, made and sent to us when there were only two kiddos in the family.  It's a piece of ceramic art, and if you really look, you might have already figured it out for yourself.  But the "face" is Anya's footprint, and the "antlers" are Jude's handprints - isn't that cool??  This falls into the category of something that I would never think to do, but once I see it, I think "Well, of course, that's an amazing idea!"  

For many years while their kids were little, we'd receive gifts like this, and they are some of our most treasured decorations.  And now, when Anya is a college senior and Jude is a sophomore, it's a lovely reminder of when they were little, and couldn't wait to participate in Mom's craft projects.  

It also makes me happy to think that someone took the time to not just decide what to make, but then took all of the work and trouble - and little kid wrangling - to make it happen and then put it all together to send.  When you spend that much time and effort on something, you seriously *want* the recipient to receive if from you.  

Of course, we don't have children, so I never had to give any thought to how to involve them in giving or making gifts, etc.  But I hope that those who work like this to make it happen always know how special gifts like this can be.

The Box

Yesterday was a looooong day.  I left the house at 6:45 a.m. and returned home at 7:15 p.m.  I really thought I'd never get home, you know?  Anyway, when I finally walked in the door, The Tim met me, and he didn't say "Hi," "Good to see you," or even "Go to hell" - nope the first words he said to me - in a reverential tone - were "The Box arrived today."

Magic Christmastime words:  The Box arrived today."

The Box:

Inside The Box:

And, the piece de resistance, what is inside the bag inside The Box:

You may be thinking that yes, it looks like we got some cookies in the mail, and you may also know that we bake cookies ourselves, so what is so special about The Box?

Well, about 25 years ago, I worked with a woman who I can truly say was one of the oddest people I've met in my entire life.  She is just ... odd.  Nice enough, but not a warm personality, extremely direct, not overly social, and could never be accused of being friendly overall.  But she is smart, and pretty funny in a sardonic way, and she loves cats.  At the time we worked together, it was (surprise) in a library, but that was her second career.  She had originally trained and worked as a professional pastry chef.  After years of doing that, she decided she was burnt out and switched to working in a library.

Through no real understanding of mine, she decided I was an OK person, and would talk and joke with me.  Then she started bringing in her baking experiments for me to try ("by the time I'm finished, I don't want to try it, and ____ [insert husband's name] doesn't really care, so you are my taste tester").  As I'm sure you can imagine, I was more than happy to try her concoctions.

After a couple of years working together, her husband died (which is sad anyway, but they were both a lot younger than me, so that just seemed extra sad).  She worked about another year longer, and then remarried her late husband's best friend, and they moved to Maine.  His mother still lived in Philadelphia, so they would come to visit here about two or three times a year.  Each time, this woman would e-mail, and we would meet to have coffee or something.  Which seemed weird to me, because again, I never really felt like we were actual friends, more like agreeable co-workers.  But, it was always nice to see her, and catch up and hear her stories about her new life in Maine.

But the really crazy thing is that beginning the year she moved to Maine, and every single year since, The Box arrives at the beginning of December.  It always contains three different kinds of holiday cookies, some old favorites but always a new recipe, and a chatty note from her, catching us up on things.  Now I know from working with her all those years, that she sent Christmas packages to her mother, her sister, her niece and nephew, and of course exchanged gifts with her husband.  Apparently we were added to her list.  Again, through no actual effort on my part or even awareness that we were so ... close?

I have to say that even though it surprises and puzzles me, I do enjoy it, and hearing her update every year, and realizing that I must have actually been someone she decided she likes.  

The Tim, however, has decided that his life is given new meaning every year when The Box arrives.  One year, it got to be late in the month, and we hadn't received it.  He wanted me to contact her and ask if she was sending on that year!  I nearly fainted when he suggested that - I know he was [sort of] kidding, but still ...  (Just so you know, it did get to us - she had just gotten behind on her baking!)

And so now you know the story of The Box.  This woman's mother-in-law who lived in Philadelphia died a couple of years ago, so they don't really come to town anymore.  Nonetheless, every year, I get her update in a long, newsy letter tucked inside The Box.

And The Tim finds his Christmas miracle as well.

All Wrapped Up!

I was busy over the weekend, but it was all good.  I just wish I had an extra day or two, so that I could have some time to do nothing.  But I wish that every Monday ...

The main thing I was able to do was to finish getting all of the gifts wrapped that need to be mailed to their respective recipients.  

 I have to say that I was especially happy with how the nieces' birthday gifts turned out - just as I had imagined.  

Here is the package that contains Greg's Musselburgh Hat. When he first opens the box, this is what he'll see:

Then, once he moves the tissue paper out of the way, he'll see what it really is. 😄

I'm way more amused by this than I should be.

Now that packages are wrapped, I can concentrate on really enjoying the decorating.  I did a little bit over the weekend, but I never feel like I can really enjoy it until I know that packages are ready to go.  Of course, in a Bridget-centric world, there would be time off granted durong the holidays *specifically* for putting up decorations ...

Let's hope this coming week treats us well.  We all deserve it.

P.S., particularly to Meredith MC who commented yesterday about the yellow-colored print on my blog, and how hard it was to read.  I have to apologize - I had no idea that I had changed the type color in the posts!  Thanks for letting me know.  I have a feeling that when I was changing the header, and the color of the type in the header, I inadvertently made that change to the posts text.  I know I would have discovered it when I went to preview this post, but the sooner it could be fixed, the better, so again, sorry to anyone who thought they were going blind, and thank you so much to Meredith MC for pointing it out right away!

Oy.