Sometimes, Change is Good

Last Christmas was the first year that I didn't go completely overboard and charge things I regretted as soon as the credit card statements January rolled in. The surest way to make sure I didn't hate myself in the new year, was to pay cash for every purchase. Our family really scaled back on the retail end of things and enjoyed ourselves just as much, probably more.

This year, my siblings and our families have agreed not to exchange gifts. None of us needs anything, and all of us are a little tired of this holiday over-merchandising, so this is perfect. For a couple of siblings, I already had some gifts in the works, but no mind, they'll make perfect birthday gifts. I'll still get some gifts for my immediate family, but it won't be the free for all that I've tended to get sucked into in the past.

I'm enjoying this new practice when it comes to gift giving. I do have some die hard friends who love exchanging small gifts, so I'll continue this, but the rest of it is a relief to let go. And I'm quite sure, I'll be buying more chickens and roosters for my friend's CSA outreach program in Nicaragua. I wondered about the family who got the chickens last year. Did they have eggs to eat and sell? Did the chickens survive? Is that family's life better? It warms my heart to think something so small--the cost of one or two unwanted gifts here--would make a huge difference to someone in need.

So to all those big retailers out there, I'm sorry, but I won't be partaking in this annual mad rush to buy goods I don't want or need. My digits won't be in your final tally on the last, or any other Friday. To local retailers, I promise to shop in your stores this season to purchase the things I think the small group of people I do exchange gifts with will enjoy. I'm going to practice 3/50 mindfulness when I head out the door with my recycled shopping bags.

Lucky for me, you're all in walking distance.

How about you? How will you lighten your burdens this holiday season?

It's the Little Things

My family has much to be thankful for today. We're all employed in a time when so many are not. We each have a roof over our heads, food in our stomachs and security. In these times, not one of us takes these blessings for granted.

This Thanksgiving though, I was feeling something missing. I couldn't put my finger on it until a surprise visitor arrived. Mr. Mocha Latte showed up at my door around 10 AM, meowing, cold and hungry, and suddenly, I recognized that it was my DukeDog I was missing. It's my first big holiday cooking without him mooching and stealing food. Now I know Mr. Latte is a cat, but he's a friendly guy and on occasion, provides a little companionship for me. Usually, he stops by when it's raining and he can't get in his own house, or when he's tired of the slobbery, overly playful pitbull he lives with. As he had a lie down in front of the vent in my kitchen to warm himself, I cut up a bit of turkey for him.


He ate it all, purred like a crazy cat, then went upstairs to have a nap in my bed. By mid afternoon, he was done with me and went home. The kitty filled an otherwise empty space for me today, and I was thankful for his visit. I think he was thankful, too.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and find more than a few little things to warm your heart today.

Head Examination Needed Stat

Due to complex needs of multiple patients and a relative paucity of nurses willing to pitch in and give up their holidays, I'm working a double tonight. Not to worry though--the turkey is cooling, the potatoes are cooked and all that's left is the salad, dressing, pies and green beans to deal with.

Come next Friday, I can cash that plump(er) check and do a little holiday shopping.

Let's hope for a silent hospice schedule for the on call nurse come 8 PM tonight. I can use all the juju I can get.

Offside Interference

Today I feel wise and on top of things. The shopping for Thursday's Thanksgiving dinner is complete, the menu is written and it's all over but the cooking, the belt loosening, food coma and the dishes. Some people are preparing for Thursday in other ways. For instance, my daughter has rented The Ref to get some pointers.

After yesterday's post, I started rereading some of the items in my insane asylum, including the Easter post about the lovely time we had with my father in law. You see, the heat is on and some people, OK, one person, is starting to ramp up about what he can bring for dinner. After the Easter offerings, I've been telling my husband and my son that he can bring nothing to the table. Nada. Zilch. Please, please, his company is enough! Of course, this is going over like a lead balloon because it's removing control and MLTL, not content with just being a guest, is starting to write his own menu. For instance, how about ordering turkey and all the fixings from a local catering company and eating at his house? No. I don't want to chase Rachel all over his house to keep her out of trouble. I want to be comfortable with her. Well then, he'd like to buy the ham we'll eat. Ham? He wants me to cook a fresh ham for Thanksgiving dinner. For my entire life, it's always been turkey and I'm not about to change that. I don't know what it is about ham, but he always talks about this meat. It has to be served at every single holiday meal for him, or the meal is incomplete.

About 20 years ago, a little after the birth of my son, I took it upon myself to host a gigantic family meal on Christmas Eve. I invited my in laws and their assorted relatives, including THE aunts. After slaving all day at the stove to make everything perfect, we all sat down to the table and my father in law said, "where's the ham I bought?" He had left it at his house 3 miles away. Making such a fuss that he had to have that ham, my husband left to go fetch it. By the time he returned, everyone else, including my father in law, had eaten what I'd prepared. Dinner was over and some tempers were simmering just below the boiling point. MLTL was angry because his wife (not him) had forgotten his ham and during dinner, we got to listen to him chastise her for her lapse of memory. My husband was royally pissed that he had to go fetch a ham that nobody else wanted. I was furious that this man had disrupted the dinner I'd prepared for days for something only he wanted. MLTL had ruined dinner, which was his subconscious plan all along, but he got his ham. I never said a word to him about that ham that nobody ate, but I will say, it was the last time I cooked a meal for 30 people.

This time, I'd finally like to tell MLTL what to do with that ham he wants me to cook on Thursday, but because it's a no win situation, I won't. But neither will I cook it for him. If he wants it, he can babysit a fresh ham in the oven all by himself. Instead, I'm going to practice the sage advice of Distracted by Shiny Objects:

"Have you ever tried the trick of mentally going through the grocery store and putting items in your cart alphabetically?? apples, bananas, cherries, doughnuts, etc...makes you look like you're listening to a conversation but allows you to be a bit removed. I've found it helpful a time or two."

If that doesn't work, I've stocked up on wine...

Holiday Advertising

Lately, one of my posts from ages ago has been plagued by some moron trying to sell me a mail order bride. Apparently, she's willing to do anything I want, but unless she's willing to cook or clean, I'm not interested. I'm also willing to wager that no matter what it is she'll do, all bets are off once she gets her green card. And then what? I'd have to find a new housekeeper. As much as it pains me, I'll have to say no thanks to this offer.

If I didn't have email notification of new comments, I wouldn't even know of the sale. Who goes back to look at posts from months ago? Three times in the past week, I've had to go back to one of my original posts about my husband's aunts and delete the offers. I could moderate posts, but I myself prefer the instant posting of my comments on other's blogs and don't really want to go this route. I've tried captcha, or word verification, but in this case, I may be dealing with a real human, or a machine that gets the word. I did the next best thing and disabled comments on that post. I hope that whoever is trying to advertise on my blog without my permission, gives up with that one post. It's the one with the bridal gown photo at the top, so I'm hopeful that's the case. If not, I'd hate to go back and disable commenting on all 600 or so posts. We'll have to see.

In the meantime, I'd better get the mop out and clean the house myself.

One Thing Leads to Another

Ignoring what was waiting to be plied on my spinning wheel, I liberated a bobbin and set to spinning some wool I bought at the fiber festival in August. I was a woman on a mission: this wool would be spun with a project in mind and I was going to finish spinning, plying, setting the twist and would cast on by Sunday.

That's all well and good, but the final count of handspun fell a little short in the yardage department...like 200 yards short and the fiber was one of a kind. What's a spinning knitter to do? Contemplate. Sleep on it. The answer will come.


By this morning, I knew I would do a two toned project (they're--Lord, help me-- felted ballerina slippers). I was certain I knew exactly where a skein of gray yarn (commercial) and a skein of teal yarn existed in my closet and set to finding them. I have a ball of the plum colored wool, but sort of want to save that for one big project. Besides, I was a bit tired of the wheel and wanted something ready to go.

Well...I ran into a lot of yarn I forgot I owned. I always do this. I have 1240 yards of beautiful, red Galway yarn that was supposed to be a sweater. I have another 420 yards of it in the most beautiful shade of green that was supposed to be gloves. There are several skeins of Nashua Creative Focus--green, gray, blue, pink, you name it and I own it! I didn't open the sock box. I have enough going on without opening that box of worms. This is only a wee bit of what I own. The bulk of the spinning fiber is in my bedroom closet with the cedar and lavender.


The last photo is of stuff I never really use anymore. Straights? Uh-uh..too clumsy. Wood circs? No, I'm partial to my Addis and Knit Pick Options. What's a girl to do with this surplus of knitting goodness? Well, today I'm going to sort through it all, package what I don't use and ship it to someone who will do something with it all. Even though I promised her I'd do this last week, I don't think Jadekitty will mind the wait. I promise, it'll be worthwhile. She's teaching her siblings how to knit and I'm quite sure she'll appreciate the options for needles and probably more than few different yarns to choose from.

I hope she has more storage space than me.

A Match Made in Heaven

I'm confessing here that I've been stalking lurking on Gerly's blog. You know, the Estonian woman who cooks such wonderfully enticing items. I can't help myself. The food looks so good and I'm hooked by the photos.

Today she has what appears to be a banana cake with chocolate icing. What's not to like about that combo? I plugged her directions into google translator. Go ahead, give it a try. I'll wait here for you...

So what do you think? Should I use bananas, or risk it all and use 3 fingers? I have the fingers handy, but I'm fresh out of bananas.