Isn't electricity amazing? Today I happily baked, washed clothes, vacuumed, bathed and was warm and comfortable. Power outages always remind me how lucky we are to live in a place where running water and shelter are often taken for granted. My parents live in a small coastal town and power might not be restored in that area for up to a week yet! Thank heavens that they have a woodstove and of course they can always come here. Spending yesterday unable to use the computer, cook, or do the other "important" tasks penciled on my to do list turned out to be a welcome respite. Staying warm and boiling water on the campstove took top priority. Christmas card mailing didn't seem so dire. The peace and quiet was refreshing. Don't get me wrong, I'm completely grateful for the restoration of creature comforts. In fact, that Ghandi/Zen moment could only be the result of short term inconvenience. Facing a long-term power outage would leave me grumpy. And bored, cold children would drive me crazy. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed for my parents, all those living in that area and the workers having to clean up branches, etc. from the power lines. May they all rejoin the modern world quickly and safely.

We visited Santa and Mrs. C. today at a local motorcycle shop/hangout. What a great couple! They were so genuinely nice and happy to be around. Some years Santa has seemed rather out-of-sorts, but not this time. They even talked with Mom and divulged some of the Christmas wishes.

I'm Weird!

I've been tagged by Cindy to fess up to six weird things about myself. Anybody who knows me is aware of the diffeculty of this task. After all, how do I choose a mere 6 quirks to share. Well, here are some in no particular order.



1. I like fruitcake. It's one of the reasons I look forward to the Christmas holidays. But it has to be a real fruitcake made with rum and other good stuff, not just those dyed, imitation fruit bits. Are those even real food?



2. I don't like breathing the same immediate air as others. I often hold my breath when walking by groups of people. Especially if they look unkept.



3. I HATE it when bed sheets aren't perfectly smooth and they don't hang evenly over both sides of the bed. The foot must be tucked in evenly too, all the way across, regardless if it's my side of the bed. I can't sleep in a messy bed. Ever. I occasionally jump out of bed and rearrange the sheets. It drives my husband crazy.



4. I can't sit still. Even now my legs are moving. This is partially why knitting is a favorite activity. It's something socially acceptable that I can do while talking to others, watching television, etc. For some reason people tend to feel uneasy if you're doing jumping jacks while holding a conversation.



5. I like dipping French fries in milk shakes. This grosses my husband out. And what's funny is that all three of my daughters like to do this too.



6. I worry. I worry about everything. I worry about worrying too much. Sometimes I wake up because I'm worrying in my dreams and then I worry because I'm not asleep. When this happens I usually get up and make a snack. This time of year it's often fruitcake or some other high-calorie treat. I worry about how bad it is while I eat it. After I'm done eating then I often go back to the bedroom, rearrange and re-tuck the sheets. Then I'll climb into bed, with my back facing my husband so we don't breathe the same air, and go to sleep until the next worrisome dream.

And now I tag anybody reading this to show us your weird. I'll bet you aren't as strange as I am.


The power went out last night at about 7:45 pm and it was out until after 4:00pm this afternoon. I couldn't knit because the house was too cold so I dug out the Pendleton blanket mill end rag rug and finished it. Because of the size it required full body contact, thus forcing me to generate body heat . It measures 6'8" in diameter and is 2" thick. Because it's wool it's very warm. This is a non-surprize Christmas present for a dear friend. My wrists may never be the same again. Ouch!

Beta Blogger Bites

Switching to the new Beta blogger was not, I repeat, NOT a good idea. I won't bore you with my frustrations on that front. Hopefully I can figure out how to switch back without deleting my blog.

Yesterday this lovely 100% silk yarn in Kaleidoscope arrived. It was hand dyed by Dave over at Cabin Cove. I've never had silk yarn before and it's amazing. The colors are so pretty! I've no idea what to make from it. Perhaps I'll just sleep with it under my pillow.

Now off to hang curtains and bake some cupcakes and wrap Christmas & birthday presents. Another storm is upon us, which means rain, wind and probable flooding in the lower regions. No worries though, we're prepared. Cheers!

Aaack! Several people have confirmed my fear of not being able to restore my previous account with the old blog version.

Are you Ho Ho'd out?

I'm Ho Ho'd out. After mainlining my morning coffee I reviewed today's itinerary. Yikes! One awards assembly, a doctor's appointment, finishing the Christmas cards, a trip to the post office, making an appointment for the van (please don't die), shampooing the hallway carpet, and picking up supplies for A3's 6th birthday party all must be done before 3:30 today.

But the miracle of hot, running water will be my salvation. Tonight I shall lock the bathroom door and ignore children, cats, the husband, etc. while indulging in a selfishly long bath.

I've been making some last minute Christmas knits, but as they aren't felted yet there is nothing to share. Here's to hoping you all get a few minutes to yourselves. Cheers!