Christmas has been postponed

Well, here it is December 26th and I'm still not sure when we'll have Christmas. My kids' grandfather took seriously ill the night before he was to travel to Winnipeg to spend Christmas here. So instead of him coming here, the kids went with their Dad to Calgary early Saturday morning. I'm not sure when they'll be back, but I promised we'd wait to have Christmas together when they come home. Wasn't much in the spirit for festivities without them here anyways!

They've called everyday since going, and it sounds like they're having a good time out West, so I'm glad. Poor G was so worried about going. She was scared about Grandpapa and worried I'd be sad that she wasn't here. She wasn't going to go, but I convinced her in the end that she would regret not going. Their Grandpapa and uncle were so excited to be coming here to see them over the holidays and at least Grandpapa still gets part of his wish. He was having pretty major surgery yesterday (what an awful way to spend Christmas), but hopefully he'll be on the road to recovery soon.

People keep telling me what a "good mom" I am for letting them go. I did not "let" them go. There was no choice to be made. As I told the kids, their Grandpapa needs them, their Dad needs them and they need to all be together right now. I'm not a saint of course and I've had a rather blue time of things myself, but I know that the kids are where they need to be. And on Friday when I didn't know how serious the situation was I felt pretty selfish, wanting the ex to wait until after Christmas to go. As soon as he informed me of the what was really going on, I knew instantly that they had to go though. I must say I've had some guilt over my selfish thoughts too.

So. Christmas is postponed indefinately in our house. I'm not sure when they'll be back, but I'm keeping the tree up as long as I can. (It's a real tree, but it's still looking pretty good - we've been watering it like mad!). After all, just because the calendar says Christmas is on December 25th doesn't mean that it has to be. For me Christmas is about the kids, and so when they're back then it'll be Christmas. In the meantime, I will start knitting a couple of wristbands for the boys!

I hope all of you had a wonderful, healthy and happy festive season, whatever you celebrate in your family and that you will all have a wonderful New Year!

Know your limits and embrace them

We bought our Christmas tree on Saturday - there's nothing like a real tree! Of course G thought we needed the biggest, tallest one available (I did not - but lost out on that decision!) (BF)G complied with G's wishes and our tree almost reaches the ceiling! N, G and I decorated it on Sunday evening. It looks very pretty and so far the three cats have left it alone! (much to my relief) Hollycat is somewhat afraid of it, Sola likes to sleep under it and Squeeks had been completely ignoring it until last night when he decided he quite liked the taste of Christmas tree water. Crazy cats!

Between gift knitting projects, holiday baking, shopping, etc. I am quickly running out of time! I always figure I'll have more time than I do. How is it that time slips away so quickly and nothing seems to get finished in a timely fashion and then it's a mad panic???? Really I need to learn what my limits are and be a little more realistic with timeline goals!

I've not much to report on the knitting front these days! With getting ready for Christmas, I haven't had much time to devote to my WIP lately! I finished the Old World Booties just this morning - they're quite cute! And after work's endeavor today(while supper is cooking) is to finally sew up the white bunny slippers. Both pairs need to be delivered tonight! Nothing like leaving it to the last minute!

I have two more days of work left until holidays! Hopefully I'll get more knitting done then. Samus calls my name and begs to be worked on, as does my Irish Hiking Scarf. I really am wanting to get my hands and needles on the Sweet Georgia and of course there's the Southwestern Felted bag from Patons that cries out to me too, but I'm trying to be a good girl! I still need to do two pairs of teddy bear slippers before Christmas Eve. Once again... nothing like leaving it to the last minute! Ha! Ha!

Look what I got!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been trying to get near the computer since Friday evening to post this, but alas, time has not been on my side! I seem to be running out of hours in the day lately! But here it is better late than never!

My coffee partner sent me the loveliest package that arrived on Friday afternoon. Silly J signed for the parcel and then promptly forgot to tell me. Agggghhhh. I was home a whole hour before I knew it was there!



Anyways, I got the following wonderful items:
Mexican Coffee - very very thoughtful as I'd posted how my very favourite coffee ever was mexican!
Shortbread - Yum, yum, yum! One of my favourite things too!
Penguin Mug - Very cute and large! Perfect for a big ol' mug of coffee!
Homemade Strawberry Jam - The very best! Who cares about the rest! I love homemade jam! What a treat! You can't tell from the picture, but a lot of the jam has already disappeared onto my breakfast toast!
Ok, well not really who cares about the rest 'cause there was some delicious cotton yarns too! Such pretty colours!
Oh and I almost forgot - a fancy package of Hot Chocolate mix to share with the kids. (We'll see about that! Tee hee!)

Thank you so much "gigiknits" for thoughtfulness!

In other knitting news... I have come to a dead standstill on Samus and the Irish Hiking Scarf. Instead I've been focusing my attention on the woolies for the little ones for Christmas. I have the bunny slippers done other than sewing them up, and I am well on my way (finally after frogging back three times) on the first bootie from Interweave Knits Old World Booties. I am hoping to get two pairs of teddy bear slippers done before the holidays as well. Wish me luck - I seem to be running desperately short on time!

I just couldn't wait!

Look what arrived in the post today and was sitting on the kitchen table waiting for me when I got home!



I was going to wait for Christmas! Really I was! Honest. But it sat there looking at me, taunting me with it's festive box and bow and I broke. I caved and thought I'd just take a little peak. Well a little peak led me to red tissue with sparkles. What's a girl to do? Especially one such as myself with absolutely zero will power. Even when I was little, ok really until I left home and got married, I used to get to open an early Christmas present - well admittedly it was on Christmas Eve just before bed, but still it was an early present, and what does it matter if it's twenty days earlier than I would normally have ever considered opening such a present?

So I threw caution to the wind and carefully pulled back the tissue paper to reveal this:



The very wool I have been coveting since I first laid eyes on it on Pick Up Stick's website! In the very colour I've been wanting too! How did Connie know? How I ask! Maybe she has a direct line into Santa! But all I can say is Teresa somewhere out there in knitty land has exceptional taste and Connie of Pick Up Sticks is amazing at pairing people up with their yarn!

Now. Can I wait till after Christmas to start knitting with Sweet Georgia's Handpainted Berry? It calls to me. Softly, subtly, but there it is, ever whispering my name. Urging me onto sock-y delights!

Busy busy busy!

I have so many things on the go right now and it seems like nothing is getting finished! I'm not just talking knitting either!

I started the new job at the University this week! Yey me, for getting through week one! I think I'm really going to enjoy the job - just need to get my bearings straight and I'll be fine! Starting a new job is always hard! Meeting all the new people (and trying to remember their names), finding your way around, getting to know new software and procedures... it all takes time - or so I'm telling myself! Everyone's really welcoming and friendly though so that's great!

I now take the transit bus too instead of driving. Still getting used to that! With all the snow we had on Tuesday morning, I ended up late for work by about five minutes! Aggggghhhh. Late the second day. What a way to make an impression. I now take an earlier bus - some days it manages to get me there really early! Not sure how that works, shouldn't busses be fairly consistent? Oh well. As long as I'm not late again then it doesn't really matter!

I've started plugging away at my Philosophy course again. The one I was supposed to start in August. My first essay on Plato's Apology is almost done (finally). I am Queen of procrastination. There is no doubt about that!!!!!! I had all the intentions in the world of actually emailing the essay to the tutor before school started in September. Hmmm. Good thing for distance ed! Although I've got three more essays to do before the end of my course date, January 31st. YIKES! Why oh why did I sign up for this course???? After this one is done, and I WILL FINISH IT, I think I'll take a break until next fall. Then I'll just start taking courses at the U of M. It'll be better that way - won't allow for so much procrastination!

In knitting terms, I've got several on the go projects (see above pic!). My Irish Hiking Scarf is coming along nicely - I knit it on the bus when I can, and do at least a few rows every lunch hour. I think I should be able to finish it before the new year. Next on the list is Samus! I'm so slow with the cables and am only half way through the bottom band, but I shall perservere. It's not a race after all. I'm loving the way it's looking though so far! I think once I'm onto the body of the sweater I'll really get going! I am getting a little faster on the cables now too, so my goal is to be working on the body by next weekend. The little pile of white and pink in the picture is a pair of bunny slippers for (BF) G's niece Alex. I realized this morning that when the pattern said "make 2" for the ears, they really meant make 4 in total! Agggghhh. How silly of me! I'm planning to start baby nephew Robbie, and (BF) G's nephew EJ's bear slippers this weekend! They're pretty quick and easy so should be no problem to get them done! After that it's onto Interweave's felted old world booties for (BF) G's nephew baby Logan, and then what to make for the other two boys (ages 6 & 9)???? Maybe mitts are best? Maybe a hat? I just don't know!!

I am mailing my coffee swap partner's parcel today. It contains coffee (obviously), yarn (rather obvious again), yummy things and a few other treats! I really hope she likes it and it gets to her on time! I love the idea of swaps! This being my first one, I don't really have experience first hand, but living vicariously through others, they seem like so much fun! I signed up for another swap, as well, but it's a bit different! All I had to do was purchase a ball of yarn from Pick Up Sticks and the owner will send it to someone, and will send me a ball of sock yarn that someone else purchased for swap. It's exciting! The owner said she'd send out the yarn on December 1st. I can hardly wait to get my mystery surprise sock yarn in the mail! All the yarns that we could choose from were lovely, so I'm sure I'll get something wonderful. I chose Sweet Georgia's Handpainted in "chinois" for my swap. I hope whoever gets it loves it as much as I do!

Well, it's time to go start the coffee and get ready for the day! N goes to his last robotics class this morning, then it's off to the Tartan Tea with G, then tonight is (BF) G's work Christmas party. Somewhere in there, I'd like to get some housework done, get some groceries (I've got Old Mother Hubbard's cupboard this week and the kid's came back from their Dad's last night - so I really should have food in the house!), and of course I'd love to have just a few minutes to myself for "Knitty" purposes!