Non-blurry kittens!!!

Unnamed as of yet. Trying not to get too attached!
Such good Momma Kitty... checking to see if her babies are ok!








This is Tao. Ting Tao Meow (pronounced Mao) to be exact. He is the one kitten I am definately keeping. His dad's name is Scooter, but when I talk baby talk to him, I call him Tooter. When this little one was coming out I kept hollering to my mom that we had a cow. Well, I couldn't call him Cow and although he does look a little gremlin-ish, Gizmo didn't fit, he became Tao. (cow=tao, scooter= tooter) ha ha... anyway
The two officially unnamed kittens looking for a home. (un-officially, I'm calling them Jr. and Boo)

Gimme 3!

I'll admit there are some days that meme's drive me batty. Come on... admit it... there are times that you get tagged and think... how do I get out of this? But sometimes they're good and you end up some good blog fodder to read back over. A year or two from now you'll say to yourself "Self, what was I thinking when I wrote that?"

So courtesy of 24 Knits, here is a Gimme 3;

*If money were no object this past Christmas, what are 3 gifts you would have bought, and for whom?
1. A house for my mom
2. A new car for me
3. A family vacation for my Dad and Stepmom. I haven't seen them in a few years and they always drive to Colorado for their vacations. I'd stick them on a plane to Hawaii.

*If you could have done 3 things differently this year, what would they have been?
1. I wouldn't have stayed in the last house I was renting for so long.
2. Taken the job in Calabasas (did I spell that right?) Yeah, the drive would have been hellish - but I could have taken a train. The money would have been great.
3. Hmmm, I might have to get back to #3.

*What 3 things do you hope happen in 2006?
1. Get the job on main base.
2. Go home to visit my Dad.
3. Find a multi-million dollar winning lottery ticket.

Hopefully there was enough distraction created that no one notices there hasn't been any sweater knitting going on here. I can't decide. Although I did start another wrappy type thing.

Tally

Final count of the little sweaters from LMKG: 7
Final count of stockings completed: 1
Total pictures taken of said little sweaters and stockings: 0


Although, I could break into my dad's package and take a picture of his... which is still sitting here... mocking me. Why yes, I did get everything in it. Ready to go in time... ummm... well, ok, so I finished everything up Saturday. But, the last time I talked to him before the holidays, he said it was ok if it didn't get sent in time for Christmas!

About the itsy, bitsy stockings... have you ever turned a heel that small? Did anyone really expect me to do more than 1? I didn't think so. Turning a kajillion tiny heels? While in a rush? I don't love anyone that much. Everyone got sweaters............ or gift cards..... for starbucks. Cause turning that little heel and knitting those tiny sweaters made me realize... outside of work, I probably wouldn't hang with any of my coworkers.

Anyway, Happy Hanukkah!

Fibery Goodness

Since Morgan asked:
First up, the box o'color is Knitpicks Palette... the sampler box. I've been saying I want to try some colorwork, so my mom went all out! I knew all the colors were in the sampler, but until you actually see it all sitting in front of you, you really don't realize how many balls there are.

Now, for what to do with all this goodness?!?


Next up, in the upper right corner, we have tons 'o wool-ease. I want to do a sweater...yes, you heard me right. Me... make a sweater. I just didn't want to use expensive yarn for the mess it's bound to be. I was originally planning Eris, but my mom picked out too dark a color for the cables to stand out. She said it was the only color they had enough balls in.
Left to right in the middle of the picture, there is KP Alpaca Cloud in Autumn and Stream. KP Shadow in Sunset and Grape Jelly. Finally, KP Gossamer in Blue Jeans and Caribbean. Of course, mom got all the lace weight yarn I asked for instead of "any of these and Elizabeth 1 pattern". I've got no pattern. One (I think the grape jelly) is going to become Ene's Scarf from Scarf Style. After that? No clue what to do. But I have yarn... lots of yarn.

See that book in the middle? The Bread Bible. If you make bread or ever wanted to but thought it was too hard... GET. THIS. BOOK. Oh yeah! I just started making bread not to long ago and I feel comfortable with most of these recipes. 300 of them. It even has bagels. BAGELS PEOPLE! I haven't had a bagel that wasn't mass produced since I left PA. (ok, that's a little exaggeration.. but at least since I moved to the Antelope Valley. Now lox... good lox - not slices o' salmon - that I haven't had since I left PA) And it doesn't look that hard to make them.

Anyway, Morgan, no Koigu. I wish, but my mom is on a limited budget and so I made my choices less expensive. Stay tuned though... come February, I should have extra money (fellow Californians... two words: registration and smog... due in Dec...yep, sucked my wallet dry) and I have a fiber wish list a mile long!

Pictures

Cute, cuddly 3 week old kittens. I can only take pictures when they are sleeping because they won't stay still long enough otherwise.

The black one is looking for a home.


The fibery goodness that may lift my spirits if I roll around naked in it:

So, this is Christmas?

Driven by the “Wow, it’s not just me!” factor (thank you Laurie), here is my gut dumping post. I’m not feeling it this year… pretty much it’s just soul crushing sadness. I’ve been trying to fake it until I make it, but it’s just not happening. Sure, the trees and the lights are up, everyone got presents, I even made a wonderful dinner last night.

I keep trying to work through all the little things that are bothering me, but as I’m doing that, I wonder if I wasn’t so sad, would it be bothering me at all? Does my job really suck the life out of me? Am I really upset that my company is cutting benefits? Do I really hate living here? Am I really homesick? Do I really miss my best friend that much (well, this one is real…silly girl had to up and move to South Carolina… I mean really… didn’t she know I’d need her and she’d need me… phone calls just aren’t the same. Do you know how hard it is to find a true friend, who knows you inside and out…all the ugliness and wonderfulness that makes you who you are?)

I know what started it all, hearing from my daughter. It brought all the guilt, shame and sadness rolling back in. I tell myself, she wouldn’t be the wonderful person she is and she wouldn’t have had all of the opportunities she had if I had kept her. I was such a mess back then. But I have always missed her, always felt like a part of me was ripped away. Even though family members adopted her, they never let me see her or have pictures – despite all their promises. They even went so far as to essentially disown my mother and cut her out of my daughter’s life … because she still had contact with me. I (and this is my mom’s sister and parents). Yeah, I went to therapy, I thought I had dealt with it. Apparently not, I just filed it away for later use.

So, this is my Christmas. I want to embrace my alcoholic genes, crawl into bed with a bottle or two of Asti or maybe a pitcher of white Russians and not come out until next year. But life must go on, right? So I’ll have this little cry fest, put on my big girl panties and deal with it.

So I leave you with some pictures:
The yarn goodness that didn't drag me out of the funk... maybe if I roll around naked in it? Or not... since blogger won't upload them

No time to blog!

Too busy knitting! Yes, today should be the deadline for getting the gifts in the mail, but I foiled the USPS and got myself 2 more days! One rate boxes and priority mail! Thankfully, my mom can stick it in the mail for me on Monday and it should (even with the extra time added on because the postal service is overloaded) should get there by Friday or Saturday.

You want to know what has to be completed this weekend?
2 Airy scarfs... already started and both within inches of finishing
2 tiny sweater and 2 tiny stocking ornaments. I only have one stocking started so far.

If I have time, I might even whip up some felted potholders. I figure it wouldn't really hurt them if I throw them in the dryer.

Off to knit!

They're starting to arrive!

Yeah! My RAOK cards are arriving!

I know it's just a Christmas Card, but I LOVE to get snail mail, so I thought others might too! I'm going to send out another batch this weekend (gotta use up those 37 cent stamps before they change the rates!)

Anyway, off to work and another party there. These people have perfected the art of wasting time.

Kinda meme

Stolen from Mamacate:

Twelve random things I did in the last ten days:

1. Studied Algebra... yes, it does teach you how to think, but really, what am I ever going to use it for again?
2. Watched 2 of 3 kittens being born
3. Missed someone desperately
4. Got a creme brulee kit - and you better believe there's some of that crack being cooked in my house this weekend
5. Kicked butt on a project at work, went above and beyond what was required of me and got a "kudos" in a meeting with VIP's at work
6. Cleared off my needles (well except for the sock from hell) and can't decide what to do next. Actually, there are a lot of things I want to do, but it's almost like I'm overwhelmed with the choices. I want to start them all... so instead I start nothing.
7. Rearranged the furniture in my bedroom... again... remember the whole can't leave things the way they are. Yep, it's struck again. Best part, I have money to actually get more furniture. Two family room chairs and a bedroom set are being picked out this weekend. I just had to figure out how I wanted to set my bedroom up so I know what furniture will fit.
8. Attended a Christmas party at work and amazed everyone at the table (me being the youngest at 32) by knowing lines, actors and characters from all types of movies. The game was "Here's a line from a movie, what movie, what was the character's name and what was the actor's name". Yep, that weird font of senseless knowledge I contain... finally came in handy. I'm kind of amazed that my boss has never seen Gone With the Wind. I was the only one who knew Moonstruck, and Dead Poet's Society. At least it finally came in handy.
9. Donated toys to Toys for Tots
10. Witnessed history being made again!
11. Wrapped and packed my last package for my secret pal... it's going out tomorrow.
12. Quit smoking and started again.

If the tiny shoes fit!

Christmas Elf Name My Christmas Elf Name is Get your Christmas Elf Name at JokesUnlimited.com

Something I want to remember

I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

John 10:14-16


Just part of figuring it all out. Normal posting will resume shortly!

SP6 Reveal

Well, I made a boo boo. I thought that SP6 was over on the 14th... not the 4th. Oooops. I've already let my pal know that the final package will be in the mail this coming Friday. (yes listmoms... I did send other packages...this was just the big bang one)

So anywho... hey there Christall! Yep, I'm your pal. I love the name of your street! I bet you hear that all the time, but it is sweet.

Not sure who my pal is... but I'm sure I'll find out soon!

*** edited to add****
Whoooops! Boo boo again! My pal did leave me a comment! Thanks Heather! I've had fun making the bowl and using the Noro. Now that I've actually gotten to use it... I can't wait for more. After the holidays, me+$$for me and not gifts= NORO!! Oh, and the basket of yarn ornament is on my little tree. I've made a few extra balls of yarn out of leftover to continue the theme (of course the cats keep trying to rip them off, but that's a whole different story).

Anyway... HAPPY HOLIDAYS SP!!!


Anyone out there know why I'm not getting email about comments? I switched the email address...or is it a verizon email problem. I already despise verizon, so I'm assuming it's them. Hey, you use what you have. BELIEVE ME... if there was another provider for phone or high speed internet I could use... I would!