Spoons & Stitches

I've been knitting on the same scarf for a year. It's a Steeler's version of the Harry Potter Prisoner of Azkaban scarf and he loves it. I'm so happy that he likes it so much. I also finished the spa set I made for my SIL. I can't wait to be able to send it to her. Hmm, better do that soon. Unfortunately, all this accomplishment leaves me with the ever-present question: Now What? I tried starting a hat, but lost interest after two false starts. I really should give it another go. The scarf I'm trying to match had at least four false starts and came out great. The real answer on that hat is to either crochet it or use the loom, I think. I started to work on a needle case too, but that also turned out to be beyond my vacationing brain to comprehend. I even pushed through another crochet chunky hat since my pink one jumped ship while I was in Calgary in October. That only took a few hours. So tonight I pulled out my Mason Dixon Knitting book. I've looked at it ...

It's been a fantastic Christmas Eve! Never mind that the adjuster never got here to look at the window. We're fortunate that the inside pane is intact and are thankful for that. The boys and I started off the day making cookies. I'm not the greatest cookie baker, as proven by my catastrophe on Monday at making cookies from scratch. So we used refrigerated dough and some colored sugar. They weren't particularly fancy, but loads of fun to make. :) We made a full batch of gingerbread cookies and a batch of sugar cookies, too. The boys decorated most of them for me and it was fun. Michael and the boys went out to the park this afternoon while I did some early cooking for tomorrow, too. Made some stuffing, cranberry orange compote. I'll make the pumpkin pie tonight, if I'm still moving. I'm sore and tired now, but feeling good. I can't wait til tomorrow to see how excited everyone gets over the gifts. :) Have a wonderful Christmas!

I hope you're all having a nice night with cup of hot cocoa, a home-stitched afghan, and a cozy little fire in the fireplace. It's been a pretty good week here, too. The shopping is done, even for the stocking stuffers. The pre-cooking for Christmas Dinner is under way, the cookies are almost ready to bake, and the knitting and crocheting has been fun. I finished the Steeler's Scarf that's been in progress for over a year. It was my first very large undertaking with knitting and I'm proud to have finished it. I'll try to post pics after hubby opens it. I now need to finish the little spa set I'm working on for my SIL. Washcloth and soap sack are done-complete with homemade soap from Ren faire-and the bath mitt is getting close. And tonight, while I was looking for a pattern for slippers for my oldest son, I heard a huge bang at the front of the house. I thought it was the door, but no. It was not the front door. It wasn't Santa Claus either, unless he wa...

I'm discovering this particular blog interface isn't great on Firefox anymore. The page gets all freaked out when I click to post and the entry area is not visible until you scroll a few times. Weird. Anyway. The fibro is acting up this week. My neck and shoulder pain is getting better, though. Just wish I hadn't dropped that glass of water on my keyboard b/c my hand forgot it was there. It does make a good argument for using the company's keyboard instead of my own persona one. ;) My cousin Dan is getting married this weekend. I cannot recall how old he is (mid 20s I think), but he is definitely going all out on this wedding. We've been invited to the rehearsal dinner tonight and a brunch Sunday morning in addition the wedding Saturday. Can you say busy?

The physical therapy has helped a lot with my shoulder. It is truly getting better. The exercises the PT gave me are helping, too. I think in a few weeks we'll be done. I just hope the pain stays away. We'll see what happens. In the meantime, I'm getting totally overwhelmed by work. I think this is a combo of stress and anxiety. When I feel like I'm failing I just shut down. I need to pick up and catch up, but I can't seem to figure out how to do it. I want out so much, but we don't have that option right now. I can't sleep the night before work and I am too tired to function the next day. I am seeing a counselor, but I think I need someone better. I like her, and she listens great, but that's all she does. I need help. I need someone who can help me change it. I better try to go to bed now.

I've recently started using twitter to post status updates. I'll admit I'm not as prolific as some of the more serious users, but I'm trying to keep it updated. I've added those updates here for those who might be interested. In other news, I seem to have developed a serious issue with my shoulder. It started about the same time as I started learning to knit, so I was just sure that it was all because of that and I was going to have to go back to my monogamous relationship with crochet. Don't get me wrong-I love crocheting, but it's always exciting to try something new. How many of us crocheters out there have ever looked at a knitting pattern and said, "I sure wish they made THAT pattern for crochet, too!" After getting sick for about five days and doing very little besides sitting on couch and knitting, I discovered something: my shoulder was fine! But the day I went back to work, it hurt like all get out. Lesson learned: It's called repetiti...

Okay, I have a weird question for y'all. Have any of you played the computer game Chocolatier ? I saw it at a store one day and had to see what it was (for $20 why not?) and it's addictive. I now have all three editions of the game. The premise is that you are trying to resurrect a chocolate confections company and you have to make chocolates, operate the factories, buy ingredients, and make deliveries. It's a wicked fun game. The first edition is set around the turn of the last century, circa 1900, IIRC. The family owning the large chocolate company is having a squabble and you need to resurrect the company while the family makes peace. The second edition is set in the 1920s and another chocolate company is trying to interfere, so once again you are needed to help the company out. In this edition you not only pick up recipes from contacts in the game, but you have to discover the secret recipes in the test kitchen. (Fun!) That latest edition, just out this month, is called...