Monday Stuff

Monday, my day to catch up on blog reads and such, from the comfort of my desk at work.  It’s been a rather chaotic morning in the office, but thanks to multi-tasking, it didn’t interfere too much with my efforts in here blogland.

Despite a host of posts to read from all of you, there are really only two things requiring action.  Anne is having a fun contest, with Malabrigo as a prize, so do go enter, and do tell her I sent you!   Don’t forget Devon’s contest and Amanda’s too. 

Also, Firefly has tagged me with her first meme.  For the record, I enjoy memes.  I don’t tag others specifically, because I know not everyone shares my enthusiasm for getting to know you trivia, but if you do tag me, an email or a comment here on my blog warning me is nice, just in case my blog reader has a bad moment…

So, six not-so-important things about me that I might not have shared already:

1.  I won’t use bar soap except in my own home.  I have a skin condition acquired from my first house fire, and it’s just not worth the risk.

2.  I love REAL butter, but I won’t eat margarine or mayonnaise.  Miracle Whip will do when the bread needs moisture if I don’t want mustard.

3.  I don’t like chicken unless it is fried.

4.  Left to my own devices, I am early to bed and early to rise.

5.  I hate to talk on the phone.

6.  Because of my back problems, I wear Crocs and Dansko clogs almost exclusively in the fall and winter.  In the spring and summer, I wear Clarks and Crocs.

Consider yourself tagged if you’re interested!

Basset Things

Another photo-heavy post, but y’all know I love to share a great package!

There’s nothing like having an Etsy-seller friend send you a message and tell you she’s holding something she thinks you’ll want.  That’s just what my Ravelry Group Basset Cases co-moderator Piddleloop did about ten days ago.  I’d been eyeing her bags (well, she and her sister are a team) for a while, and this batch of bags was the last of this fabric.  It’s the Sissy-Fred bag, and I’ll be hard-pressed to use anything else for small projects. 

 (The inside.)

 Treats for the pups.

All the other goodies that came with it, and a gratuitous shot of the Prince’s rear… ehm…  Mugsy sure seems to be shoving his way into photos of late.

The precious tin seen above.  How cute it that!?  Pink and hounds!  Sigh…

The goodies came in Hello Kitty bags.  They’re too cute not to recycle.  I know someone out there loves Hello Kitty, but I can’t recall whom…  Is it you, Anners?

I love a fun package with extra treats.  Thanks again, Piddleloop!  I hope to be sending out a few surprises of my own later this week.  I’d hoped to do it today, but Sissy and Mugsy were loathe to get out of the bed this morning, and then Sissy insisted upon taking care of business at home before we could leave…

Then, Paula tagged me with a meme:

4 Things About MEME

4 Jobs I’ve Had:
Payroll specialist, firefighter, dispatcher, accounts receivable clerk

4 Movies Watched Over and Over:
Sound of Music, Men of Honor, A Few Good Men, Days of Thunder

4 Places I Have Lived: Keswick, Warrenton, DC, Charlottesville (not very diverse, but such is life!)

4 Shows I Watch: House, House re-runs, Mythbusters, whatever the Knight is watching

4 Places I Have Been: OBX, Nashville, Chicago, Phoenix

4 Favorite Things To Eat: Dark chocolate, pesto, cranberries, pasta

4 Places I Would Rather Be: OBX, at home, anywhere one of my pals is, in a nice yarn shop

4 Things I Look Forward To This year: My next trip to OBX, my next yarn crawl, getting the cookbook approved, meeting some of my blogging friends in person

Thanks Paula!  Now, I’m not going to tag anyone in particular, but if you’d like to join in, consider yourself tagged!

N-Ice Day

We’re having a not so icy day.  However, the family business trusted the weather folks, and we were all prepared for a big, crippling ice storm last night, so the Knight and I are at home.  I’m the only one awake, actually.  Mugsy and Sissy did get out of bed with me, but they’ve romped around the house, and it’s morning siesta time.

It’s amazing how much we think like our friends sometimes, isn’t it?  I have two in particular for which “really? me too!” is so commonplace that we laugh about it.  Nichole and I connected through one of many mutual swaps last year, and within a few emails had decided we were twins, separated by time and space.  Emails often include snarks about “wondertwin powers” now, and if you get that, maybe you’re our wonder triplet…  Firefly and I have many, MANY years of knowing we share opinions and experiences that most others don’t, but every now and again, it still makes me laugh.

So, imagine my surprise when I’m blog reading this morning, and she has THIS up.  Why is that funny?  Because this morning, when I reached for sweats instead of tailored jeans and a twinset, I thought about my attire behaviors and attitudes.  I don’t “dress up” on a daily basis, because I work in the construction industry and have three dogs in the office with me.  In years past, I’ve worn more tailored pants to work, but Sissy and wool pants are a bad combo right now.  Still, I NEVER go to town in sweats, and I ALWAYS put on my jewelry before leaving the house.  The firehouse is an exception to the rule, but I won’t even wander into one of the country stores on either side of the trip to the station from our house if I’m in sweats.  Weird, huh?  But now I know.  I am a Shlumpadinka.  Fine.  I’ve been called worse. 

Now, I’m going to shlump into the kitchen and tend to a few things.  I’ll be back later to share something that has photos and is perhaps more interesting.

Coffee Confessions

Well, it’s been more than a couple of months since the Coffee Swap, where Michelle  spoiled me rotten.  I thought about emailing her with an update, and decided that perhaps everyone might care (or not).  If you recall - or for those who didn’t read that post - I basically signed up because Anners (poke, poke??) and Holly were hosting, to be supportive and a good friend.  Ha!  The joke was on me.  I went from liking an iced coffee from McDonald’s once in a while, with a Starbucks peppermint mocha once a week or so during the winter holiday season, to reaching for a cup of joe in the mornings at work instead of a cup of tea.

You Are a Frappacino

At your best, you are: fun loving, sweet, and modernAt your worst, you are: childish and over indulgentYou drink coffee when: you’re craving something sweet Your caffeine addiction level: low

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

(Not so much, me thinks.  Michelle is the only person who has called me sweet more than once.  Low addiction level is about the most accurate part…) 

Now, here’s more than you want to know perhaps, but I’ve thought a lot about this.  I’m still a tea girl at heart (anyone up for another tea party?), however I’ve come to realize that I don’t hate coffee; I dislike cheap, poorly brewed coffee.  I also have learned that I like a bold roast.  Not terribly dark, but not so mild that I might confuse it with black tea when I add a generous slosh of milk, or preferably, a flavored creamer.  No sweetener, aside from whatever’s in the creamer, thanks much, and if I can see steam, it’s too hot.  Evidently, I did not inherit my Nannie’s asbestos lips as she called them.  For that reason, I like the liquid creamers best, but the powders do travel well!  Interestingly enough, I seem to prefer a simple roast for my coffee, with the flavor in the creamer, not the bean.  Who knew!?

At home, I still prefer tea, black in the morning (or chai), followed by green tea until about dark, and then white tea.  I didn’t consciously decide I’d do the tea caffeine step-down throughout the day; my body and tastebuds just really seem to like that routine.  The Knight bought me another electric kettle so I can make a “proper” cuppa’ at work too, but I suspect the social part of me will still reach for coffee in the morning, even if I rarely do finish the cup.  (Note to self: take a smaller cup to work for the coffee and leave the big mugs for the tea, but never the two shall mix!  Yep, a little OCD here…  If I drink coffee from a mug, I have to wash it vigorously by hand and then run it through the dishwasher before I’ll use it for tea.) 

Also, if I’m thirsty, it must be green or white tea.  Coffee or black tea doesn’t quench my thirst.  If only I could listen to my body so well on food choices and exercise and…

So, thanks to Michelle, Anne and Holly for introducing me to a brave new world.  My coffee pot at home still only brews for Anne (or other guests), but I have broadened my horizons, and I liked it.

You Are a Cappuccino

You’re fun, outgoing, and you love to try anything new. However, you tend to have strong opinions on what you like. You are a total girly girly at heart - and prefer your coffee with good conversation. You’re the type that seems complex to outsiders, but in reality, you are easy to please

What Kind of Coffee Girl Are You?

(That is me, about as close as any silly quiz can get.)

Bert?

You Are Bert

Extremely serious and a little eccentric, people find you lovable - even if you don’t love them!You are usually feeling: Logical - you rarely let your emotions rule you You are famous for: Being smart, a total neat freak, and maybe just a little evil How you life your life: With passion, even if your odd passions (like bottle caps and pigeons) are baffling to others

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

Found that at Nichole’s.  It’s more accurate than many quizzes… except for the clean part.  Come on; my dogs sleep *IN* my bed.  That elminates me completely from neat freak world.

Sissy and I are off to the vet shortly, for her 3-month visit.  A field trip!

Answers

First, there’s the weekly cocoa swap topic:

Now that we’re in the thick of ‘Winter’… has your knitting changed to match the season? Are you moving on from dishcloths, and tank tops to afghans, hats and mittens? Has your yarn changed from silk or cotton to wool, superwash or heavier cottons?

Sorta’, kinda’, maybe, but not really.  I did try cottons and bamboo and soy blends over the warmer months, but socks are socks and almost always on my needles.  I knit what I “need” to knit regardless of the season, although I can’t see doing a big wool sweater in August.  A cotton dishcloth is still a quick, fun project, just as wool socks are manageable in the heat of summer. 

Then, Michelle tagged me with this:

These are the rules:
List seven habits/quirks/facts about yourself.
Tag seven people to do the same.
Do not tag the person who tagged you or say that you tag “whoever wants to do it”.

Well, like Michelle, it’s hard to come up with seven unique things I haven’t already mentioned, but here goes…

1.  I don’t like different foods on my plate to touch, with rare exception.  I’d be perfectly happy to eat from a grade school cafeteria tray forever, if it keeps my lima beans away from my mac ‘n cheese.

2.  Cheese is a food group.  I blame it on  a couple of generations of dairy farmers in my blood. 

3.  I don’t like necklaces. 

4.  I don’t like to share cups/glasses/utensils even with family.

5.  I like things to match.  For instance, all of Mugsy’s leashes are red or dark green.  All of Sissy’s are purple.

6.  I don’t know how to use the voicemail at home.

7.  I would rather speak to a crowd than sit in a crowd and listen. 

I’m not going to tag anyone, but if you want to play along, have at it! 
 

Lyrics and Life

Music is a key part of my life.  There are literally dozens of songs that have powerful memories and/or emotions tied to them.  This afternoon, as I drove the very picturesque route to the small town funeral home where the 98 year old proprietor still closes every casket himself, Alan Jackson’s new song had me in tears before the Army’s singer had a chance.  Since I know many of you aren’t country music fans, here’s just the chorus:

And he bowed his head to Jesus
And he stood for Uncle Sam
And he only loved one woman
(He) was always proud of what he had
He said his greatest contribution
Is the ones you leave behind
Raised on the ways and gentle kindness
Of a small town Southern man
(Raised on the ways and gentle kindness)
(Of a small town Southern man)

I cried harder at the service, as the preacher is a man I know on a personal level.  He left his big church here and was re-activated twice by the Army Reserves.  He shared with us this afternoon that he has chosen to remain in the Army until he can retire this time, and I can assure you that is a wonderful thing for our country, and a sad thing for our community.  But I digress.  Imagine my surprise when Dr. Jenkins began his thoughts on Channie by talking about his rural Virginia roots and his service to his country.   It’s always nice when the officiant actually KNEW the deceased. 

Then, to help me dry my tears, while I waited in my vehicle for the procession to the cemetery, the Bon Jovi/Nettles version of Who Says You Can’t Go Home, one of my very favorite songs, was there to make me smile.  Equally appropriate, because I did try to get out of this place, only to realize this is the only place I can call home.  A big part of that is because of the people like Channie and his dear wife Doris, who knew how to open their hearts long before someone else coined the phrase, “It takes a village to raise a child…” 

What songs rock your life?

Off to a good start

Happy New Year!  I actually missed the change-over moment, as we turned in early.  Sissy had me up several times in the night though.  I had this odd  notion that I’d restrict her water intake after about 10pm.  HA!  Her bladder stretches, but her throat gets parched quickly.  Turns out all the whining and getting up in the night was for water in, not out.  Around 2am, she made a dash for the waterer in the kitchen, filled up, and slept for 7 hours straight…

So, resolutions.  I generally make some, the standard ones that everyone else makes.  Last year left a lot of room for improvement, and while I do hope to sleep 8 hours most nights and would love to lose some weight, I’m going to make resolutions that are positive and affirming to the things  I hold dear.  

1.  I resolve to share Sissy’s joy in the little things, like the way leaves crunch when we jump in them.

2.  I resolve to practice Mugsy’s patience with those I love when they are annoying pests.  However, when I do break, I don’t plan to growl or snap…

3.  I resolve to enjoy my knitting.  This meaning avoiding deadlines, so that when I feel I’m slogging along on something bigger than a sock, I can put it aside until it’s fun again.

4.  I resolve to ask for what I want, even though that gives others permission to turn me down.  (Sissy is relentless in asking Mugsy to play, despite the very regular, negative outcome.) 

5.  I resolve to enjoy my food.  If it isn’t what I want to eat, I should stop chewing!

That’s it.  Just a few little things I hope I can put into practice today, and for the next 365 days too.  How ’bout you?  Have you made resolutions?

There’s knitting going on, but it’s for someone who reads my blog, so no photos just yet.  I’m really enjoying it though, and I hope the recipient will find it pleasing too, when I hand it over.

Tomorrow is the day I’ve been waiting for.  Sissy will be 10 weeks old, and eligible for enrollment in puppy classes.  Whew.  She truly is a very good girl, and is learning quickly, but I think we’ll all benefit from the puppy classes.  I hope to have a picture of her tomorrow or Thursday.  She’s growing like a weed! 

The Eve of Christmas Eve

First off, there’s a little seasonal Meme, courtesy of Robin! 

Ornament Tag

The rules: 

 1. Take a picture of your favorite ornament and put it on your blog telling everyone about it.

2. Post a link to the person on whose blog you found out about the Ornament Tag.

3. Post the rules.

My favorite for this year is the star ornament Michelle and her Littles made for me.  Stars are my favorite seasonal decoration, and how could I fail to treasure such a special star from precious hands?  I still have some of the ornaments my aunt and cousins made years and years ago, although they aren’t on our wee tree this year.  While I love elegant trees with color themed, fancy decorations, what means the most to me are the memories wrapped around my ornaments, many of which are from my childhood.  My father’s sister gave me an ornament every years into my 20s, and my mother has passed along some of my paternal grandmother’s ornaments as well, so this star will become another treasure that I’ll hold for a moment and think about Michelle and her family as I place it on the tree in years to come. 

We had to Sissy-proof our tree, and if you read regularly, you know that even pre-Sissy I wasn’t sure we were going to put one up.  Well, MJ found the perfect tree, half-off, so Sissy and I picked one up earlier in the week, and Mugsy helped me put it together Friday night.  It’s 4 1/2 feet tall, and holds all of the Knight’s firefighter ornaments perfectly.  I’ve said for years that I’d like a smaller tree for that collection, so I suspect that the sometimes Scrooge will be asking for his little tree in years to come.   (Why yes, you do see some swapperly goodness there in the bottom.  I haven’t found homes yet for all of the goodies!)

Speaking of goodies…  Friday night found a stack of packages on the porch, and two more came on Saturday.  On Friday, Mugsy’s prize pack from Nichole of Lapdog Creations arrived, with goodness all around.  The sweet ball had to be photographed separately, as the Knight was opening the boxes for me, and Mugsy was in his lap.  Of course, the prince spotted the ball, and it was game on.  Sissy likes it too, as there’s a bigger version of the ball at the office, but she can play with this one!  Thanks Nichole, and The Princess(donated the doggy prizes)!  There are also bones, both dentibones and some special cookies, made by Nichole, from her furkids to mine, and both are current favorites here. 

For me, there was a very special present from Nichole.  Now, keep in mind that when she bought this, when Mugsy won his prize, and even when she shipped the package, Sissy wasn’t a part of our household.  Amazing, eh?  She didn’t know I desperately needed a keyring for the new key to the Lexus.  (The 4Runner’s remote WAS the keyring I used, but the Lexus’s remote is built into the key.  Handy, but hard to find in a handbag!)  It’s a craptastic photo, but that silver wad in the right corner is a basset hound!  Now, Fred and Sissy Freida will always be on hand to help me find my keys.  Thanks so much Nichole!

Here.  We’ll pause for you to go grab another drink, cookie, whatever.

Back?  Good.  Settle in, because there are THREE more packages to display.  There was actually another one on Friday I’ll just mention in passing - from my mother.  It contained our gift and some interesting keepsakes from my childhood, ranging from Girl Scout patches to the papers she kept from Parents Weekend when I was a freshman in college.  The Knight had a ball poking through all of those, while I opened the sweet box from Mary.  (Yes, I feel very guilty for not being able to get my act together and do cards, much less ship out gifts to my friends and to my mother.  Sigh.  My back hurts, and we lost a whole day to car shopping…)

Put your nose on the screen and read the sweet words on the candle on the right.  Sniff, sniff.  Thank you, Mary.  You are truly a Godsend!  There were also some sweets, some cocoa mix which the Knight has already claimed, and some dog cookies for the furkids!

Saturday’s post brought two surprises.  The Knight quickly opened a pretty padded envelope from Alaska, from Ingrid.  We were so honored and blessed to not only meet Anne’s mom, but we got to spend several days with them.  Clearly, she got to know us too, because her package was filled with perfection! 

Don’t mind my roosters in the background, or the Raisinettes.  (I’m pretty sure the top box is empty, but I’ve been told to keep my paws off!)  There’s a pretty cloth, which the Knight has claimed (see a theme here?), a box of chocolates which is big enough to share, a fun book which the Knight - not a big reader - has already read, and pretty tin of playing cards.  Fortuitous that, as the deck of cards in the pocket behind the driver’s seat on the 4Runner didn’t make it into the box from the salvage job the Knight and a co-worker did.  You might think that without the Page around, we wouldn’t need quick, easy entertainment.  Wrong.  The Knight is a card-counting card shark, and we both love to play Spades, Hearts, Rummy, Gin, and when we have several decks and some clever friends, Hand and Foot is great fun!  Thank you so much Ingrid, for gracing our home and for your delightful gifts!

I hope you’re still with me, because this is big!  My SP11 box arrived, all the way from the far corner of the world.  Sue and I met a while back - I don’t recall how - so like Michelle, she managed to fool me whilst staying in touch as my friend and as a secret pal!  Now, keep in mind Sue had already sent books my way…

Now, you can’t see all of anything in the photo, but there’s a lovely lap blanket on the left, chocolate and more chocoate, yarn (details to follow), tea, great-smelling wax tarts, and a beautiful calendar filled with Autralian Beaches. 

The yarn’s not so electric, but in case you couldn’t tell, the overcast days and indoor lighting aren’t providing the best shots.  My first Fleece Artist, all the way from the other side of the world!  There’s a sock pattern on the label too!  The colors remind me of the water in the above mentioned calendar. 

I had the devil of a time trying to photograph this lovely shawl.  Mugsy insists it is a lap blanket, perfectly designed for my lap and enough overlap for him.  Sissy won’t be allowed near it until her baby teeth move on.  The color is pretty accurate in this photo, even if the Knight’s recliner doesn’t show it off so well.  I am in awe!  It means so much that you invested all of this time in a gift for me, Sue.  Thank you, thank you, and thanks to Latte for such a generous gift. 

I think that about does it for this update.  I hope all of you are off tomorrow and enjoying time with friends and/or family.  We’ll work for a couple of hours tomorrow, and go back to work on Wednesday.  From our house to yours, we wish you a very merry Christmas!

Christmas Meme

I did an email version earlier this week, but anything to get me in the holiday frame of mind…

1. Wrapping Paper or Gift Bags?  Both.  When time isn’t an issue, I love wrapping pretty presents, but the last couple of years, that hasn’t been the case, so there have been bags for some things.

2.  Real tree or artificial?  I love a real tree, but the firefighter in me has issues, so we went artificial a few years back.  So far this year, we haven’t put up a tree, and I don’t see it happening this week either.

3.  When do you put up the tree? When time allows, after Thanksgiving.

4.  When do you take down the tree?  The evening of January 6th.

5.  Do you like Egg Nog? Not so much anymore.

6.  Favorite gift received as a child?  What did I put the first time??  Every year was a wonderful Christmas.  Oh!  I remember!  The first year my big sister stayed in California, she sent me the Disney plush Lady & the Tramp.  Yeah…

7.  Do you have a nativity scene? Not really.  I had a very cheap one I bought when I first set up house on my own, but over the years, it has disappeared.  My advent wreath has a built-in nativity, so that’s it for now.

8.  Hardest person to buy for? My brother inlaw

9. Easiest person to buy for? My mother inlaw

10.  Worst Christmas gift you ever received?  A shower cap.  It was part of a whole box full of things, but my cousin and I still laugh about that!

11.  Mail or email Christmas Cards? Mail, definitely.

12.  Favorite Christmas Movie? Don’t have one.

13.  When do you start shopping for Christmas? When I see the first perfect gift, as early as Dec. 26th.

14.  Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes.

15.  Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Lois’s rum cake

16. Clear lights or colored? On the tree, only clear.  Outside?  Whatever…

17. Favorite Christmas Song? I love all of the traditional carols and hymns, but O Holy Night is my favorite to sign.

18. Travel or stay home at Christmas? That’s tough, because I do sleep in my own bed every night, but we flit here and there for this and that.

19. Can you name all of Santa’s Reindeer? Only if I sing…

20. Angel or Star on the top of the tree? Star

21. Open Christmas Eve or Morning?  Both, depending on where and when…

22.  Most annoying thing about this time of year?  When I just can’t find the holiday spirit.

23. What’s the corniest family tradition you do or miss doing?  I don’t think we have one.

24. What’s the worst thing you’ve seen related to Christmas? A house fire on Christmas Day.  A death on Christmas morning.

25. Which looks best, theme trees or homey trees? Depends.  (I’m fickle, okay?)  I want one of each, but not this year.

26. Gingerbread or Sugar Cookies?  Gingerbread for me, but the cakey kind, not a gingersnap.  The Knight eats all of my sugar cookies.

27. Do you like fruitcake? Only my mother inlaw’s.  Seriously.