Favorite Time of the Year - Burt Edition

Hubby blindsided me with a question the day before Thanksgiving, Do you know where the tree is?

First of all, I am still mostly back in July or August in my mind only now we have cooler weather. When did November get here? I may just refer to this as the missing year.

Second, part of me thought we would not put up a tree this year. Of course that idea was raised in the middle of the move, when we had not yet seen the apartment. We were not sure if we would have space.

Anyways I did indeed have an idea where the Christmas tree was stored. We pulled it out and brought it upstairs, then we looked at Burt... How would our used-to-live-outside kitty adjust to having a fake tree appear in his space? Especially since it smells like our old house and Gus and Jack. You've seen the pictures Gus loved the tree almost as much as me.

We pulled out, put together, and fluffed the tree. I promptly dissolved into memories and tears. So many emotions. We fought so many battles while the tree was up. Gus always seemed to fall ill in the winter. I'm know he fell ill the rest of the year too, but we always wondered if each Christmas was his last. And Jack went so fast it was hard to believe he was no longer here.

So after the tears we decided to leave the tree up undecorated to see how Burt would do with it. If we came down the next morning and it was laying on the ground... maybe only the lights would go on it.

Burt did a thorough investigation of the plain tree. He was figuring out how to climb it and tried to sharpen claws on the metal trunk. Then he laid down underneath and accepted that we put up fake trees in this house for some reason, most likely not for kitty entertainment?

The next evening we decorated our still standing tree.

Burt was delighted! Maybe it is an entertainment system.

He did follow Daddy out to the kitchen to see if mousie wanted to play.

Then it was time to admire all the dangling ornaments.

We decided to put Gus's bed underneath as with years past. D put the shawl of healing in too. 

The next day I saw the tree move a bit. I heard a cat toy rattle and a bell jingle slightly.

Gus said I could play with his shawl! He did!

He said it might heal you, Momma, to see this.

Yes Burt, that does help me feel better. Remember no knocking over the tree though.

I'm trying not to Momma! 

I do love Christmas!

Don't Blink!

I think Christmas is out to get me. Every time I turn around it is sneaking up on me. Come on Christmas, just because I said I don't like your music does not mean we can not be friends.

I bought you a new tree and some new twinkle lights. I know how you like twinkle lights. What do you mean I'm the one that likes twinkle lights and I should know you better than that? 

Keep it up Christmas and I will let the cat at you! You see what he can do to you he can mess you up!
(This is what happens when you're lying on the floor trying to take pictures of the tree, Jack thinks it is rub head on camera time.)

No really I'm OK here, I just got to thinking and started to make myself laugh, so I thought it might make you laugh too. I love Christmas but it is sneaking up on me. I just finished my online shopping for gifts that must be shipped to other states. We have already had my company Christmas party. I think I know what I am making for Christmas dinner. I may even have half of it here in the house. So not that much more to do, and tomorrow is bagel day at work. I like bagels!

Oh memory attack, when I was a kid living in rural South Dakota we somehow got a coupon for Lender's Bagels. I had no idea what a bagel was, my mother tried to describe it to me. You ever try to describe a bagel to someone that has no clue? It is difficult. It is like bread but not bread, it is shaped like a doughnut but does not taste like a doughnut at all. It is chewy, no not a chewy doughnut!

So she promised me we would use the coupon to get some to try. Alas the store in our tiny little town did not have any. It was years later that I finally got to try a bagel. Happy bagel day (tomorrow.)

Achoo!

So as you can tell my knitting has been languishing. Poor knitting. It turns out the thing that I need to motivate me on a knitting spree is a cold. When I feel this unattractive and leaky the only sane thing for me to do is stay home and knit. I finished my Christmas socks.

Not my best picture but I blame the cold. They are made from Decadent Fibers Savory sock yarn. I used my standard sock measurements but placed the cable from Widdershins socks from knitty.com. I had the hardest time understanding it but in the end it worked out and I really like them. They will forever remind me of Christmas 2009 spent with D's family at their home in the middle of a huge snow storm.

I also worked on D's sweater, it now has most of an arm. I had to try it on him twice today to make sure it is working. Measure 3 times knit twice. That is how this sweater is working out. Maybe that should be my name for it Measure 3 knit twice. I still have a couple of inches to go but for this sweater that is major progress.

We received the packages from SD on Thursday. Can you spot this year's knitting theme?

Yep, looks like there will be a lot of color work/mittens in my future! I am so happy! You can see I included the electronic scale in with the knitterly goodness. I'm going to use it to weigh my yarn to make sure I have enough for the second socks that I knit. I used it to weigh my beer sweater.

And the remaining skein of yarn that I knit the sweater from. So now I know I have enough yarn to knit another wee beer sweater. Ain't life grand? I had a great time weighing all my yarn this weekend, does that make me weird? Nah, I didn't think so either. As a side not many of the yarns came in at the weight that they claimed. Most came in slightly over stated weight. Yea a little bit more yarn for me.

My mom, sister and I made time for a yarn hunt. I've been hunting for Paton's Kroy sock yarn for a while now. I've heard about it on blogs and podcasts but never seen it in real life. Now I own a bit of it. Seems like a standard sock yarn but I will have to try it out. I also needed another wind up tape measure, so I've got one now in a color that I may be able to keep track of.

My sister requested a hat and my mother quickly said she would like one too. So that explains the two I love this wool yarns. I think this one will be a fun one to try out too. They want the hat shown on the brown yarn package. Too bad that when I got home I opened the directions and found that we need two skeins of yarn to make one hat. Why did I not check that? It is not like I opened the package and was not going to buy the yarn. Live and learn.

I will also be exploring the world of knit dish clothes. Mom requested I make one. Who can deny Mom on Christmas? I don't really get those but I will be happy to fulfill a request. See I'm not a selfish knitter I just need very specific requests.

I've already filled the knitting project void left by my completed Christmas socks. I will show it to you when I get a picture. It is bulky yarn so it should not take me long. Happy knitting

Christmas '09 Highlights

We spent ours back in South Dakota with family. Luckily we managed to get in before a huge snowstorm plopped itself on the state and decided to stay a while. So here are the highlights of Christmas 2009 more details will follow but I wanted to get these down while it was still fresh.

Huge snowstorm - we flew in a few hours before the airport was closed for 2-3 days.

Having a nephew tell us oh I thought you died - Yep I have nothing to say about that other than kids the darnest things.

Seeing new houses - D's grandparents moved into a condo and my parents had a new house after a fire took their old house about 2 years ago.

Meeting all the new dogs - My parents got a dog right before they got the new house, and my brother let the boys get a dog too.

Realizing we're the only cat family left in our family - My sister still has a cat but I think they are officially dog people now. I really missed my boys on this trip too.

Great Uncle passing - We received a call on Christmas eve that D's super cool Great Uncle passed away. So so sad and a bit surreal since the snow storm kept him home that day, we had just been talking about the possibility of seeing him the day after Christmas instead. I still can not believe that he is gone.

Yarn shopping with my family - I may not be a selfish knitter anymore. I also made a lady laugh in the yarn aisle because I was explaining that I would be happy to knit my sister something if she picked it out because I never want to see the "why did you make this for me" face. I think I have a feel for what my sister likes maybe she will get more things in the future.

Leaving knitting projects behind - I came to a sad realization while packing that I could only take one small knitting project with me because I would not have room for D's sweater. Yep that also means that it is still not done. Poor D at least I got him other Christmas presents.

driving across the state both times but the one being wicked cold

Seeing other knitters in the airports - D was seated next to a knitter on one of our flights and I saw another knitter in the airport. I'm still shy enough to just smile and walk on with out making first contact.

Sleeping 12 hours on arrival - I was felled by stress over load on arrival at the in laws house. They graciously allowed me to throw in the towel early and sleep off the exhaustion. Plus then we got to have hash the next morning to use up leftovers. Hash is some tasty stuff! Thanks Big H.

Seeing how the apple does not fall far from the tree - It is amazing to see family traits in action.

Enjoying a belated new years with hubby - We arrived back home on New Years Day and were having dinner at midnight.

Leaving new Christmas things behind - All our wonderful presents will be making the trip here shortly due to the above mentioned luggage space crunch. Good thing I have such a great Father in Law to take care of things. I thought we would be able to post them but we ran out of time and realized that the post office is closed on New Years day. Time flies.

D and my nephew connected over college - It is getting to be time for my oldest nephew to go off to college and he had lots of questions for my Hubby. D was happy to arrange for a tour of our old department at the college. Strange to see but happy.

There they are in no particular order, just how they jumped into my head. Well now you know what is coming in future blog posts. Hope you enjoy them. Happy New Year!