Finally

Ok I found a workaround for getting a picture here. Did I ever tell you how much I hate it when computer stuff changes and makes everything more difficult? I get it you have to improve things but make sure the stuff that it used to do still works. Yowsa!

I know, I know let's just talk about knitting. See these socks?

They took quite a while to knit. Well that's only true if you call call sitting in a corner being ignored knitting. Ravelry added a new feature that lets you see all your updates to a project as a timeline. These poor souls say in hibernation for 16 months. Yes that is right 16+ months on the needles for one of them. Sigh, don't even think about taking my yarn away as punishment. Nope that is not gonna happen!

Anyways back to the socks. They're Nemesis Socks knit in Socks That Rock Raspberry Moose. That yarn was a Rhinebeck purchase in 2011, it marinated in the stash for three years before being chosen. I thought since it was a semi solid it would not pull too much away from the lovely patterning. The first one knit up in two months. But I started to be very concerned about it. When I tried it on it was  tight. But I being the denying knitter that I am, cast on the second sock and knit a couple of inches on that, before allowing myself to be drawn away but many, many other yarns. There on a shelf sat my lonely first sock and sad cuff of a second sock...

The afore mentioned 16 months pass, I woke myself from my denial induced haze and decided to just get on with it. (Anybody else hear the cast of Monty Python there?) It took me a month to knit the second sock, a month that is it.

Deciding to throw caution into the wind and hope that everything would work out, I washed them. They fit fine now, maybe even a little loose.

Sometimes you just have to knit the darn second sock.

Ramble On

Well that balance thing I'm trying this year is not working as well as I would like. I am back on the exercise horse but my church work is taking a bit of a hit. Ending one year and starting another is one of the last things I had not yet done. There were some bumps and ruts along the way but I feel I am slowly clawing my way back to a schedule.

Gus had a small bump or two also. We've not had to see any vets urgently but I've cleaned up in the middle of the night a few times. Somedays he just looks so old and tired, but any day without a vet visit is good.

I tried to show off some socks that took me a while to knit but it seems I cannot get the photos to work here. Alas I will just have to talk about the book I just finished listening to instead.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman touched my soul. I am trying to convince D to listen as well. I loved it with all my heart. I knew I would either love Ove or hate Ove. He was more than a jerk at times but oh man did I want to spend more time with him and Parvanah. I especially loved Parvanah's will of steel. I laughed in so many spots and cried more times than I am willing to admit. I saw both myself and D in Ove's story quite a bit. I know I will be listening to Backman's other book that has been translated, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry. I'm so glad I took Crazy Sheep Lady's recommendation.

Knitting has been going on, I've even finished a pair of socks. But my works in progress had dwindled to two, so I cast on another pair of socks yesterday. I knit about a quarter of a second sock at a church meeting last week. I had over packed for the meeting too, I brought three projects for a two hour meeting. Next time you all need to remind me something simple and already on the needles. I need to think of it as TV knitting but just a tinge less focused.

I have a pair of socks on the needles that have a deadline so I am fighting the urge to cast on the Baa-ble Hat, once these socks are done I will be knitting at least two of those hats, one for practice and the other for show. Oh yes there will be sheepy hats!

I had better make another pot of tea and put my nose back on the grindstone. Happy Knitting to All!

Still kicking

I figured I better post something before someone drives by and throws yarn in my yard. Not that I don't enjoy lovely yarn offerings, just that Hubby and I had a stash talk recently. Don't be afraid it was not horrible, but I did drop a surprising number on him. He was surprised I think it is a normal number.

Anyways I finished up Anne of Green Gables. I liked it but I don't have any childhood nostalgia attached to the book so I can't yet say that I really loved it. I think that it will grow on me though. I did burst out laughing when Gilbert Blythe becomes Anne's foe. That boy did not know what a force he was messing with. Anne can hold a grudge.

I've started listening to A Man called Ove, I am either going to love or hate that old curmudgeon. Hey look at that I spelled curmudgeon right the first time. He has made me laugh a few more times than I expected and it is still very early in the story.

I meant to take pictures of some socks to show off but Saturday was spent knee deep in church work. Remind me next week that I really do like the work. Right now I am a bit...tired.

Guess I'll stop here and toddle off to fold some papers, and it is not even fun origami either. Sigh.

Drive by Yarning

Have you ever wished that you won something? Occasionally I like to imagine winning things and what I would do. After last week's Lottery obsession, I've spent a bit of time imagining. D says he would've contacted the people at the NY Sheep and Wool festival to make Friday my offical buying day if we won 1.5 billion.

But here's the rub I like to imagine, but I also know enough about myself that if I won I would think I didn't deserve it. Not because I am unworthy just because there are others that are more needy.

I am very happy in my life. I don't have to worry about how to feed my family (including feline family), if my car will break down, if my roof leaks or if my Hubby still loves me. I already have all the luck I need.

But, today due to this post I was the happy recipient of bonus sock yarn. My knitting friends thought it would be fun to bring me the brightly colored sock yarn. One knitter took the opportunity to give me some lovely yarns that don't agree with her hands. Thin nylon blends don't bother my fingers.

The other knitter may have been teasing me or just cleaning up her stash, I'm not too sure, as I was petting the lovely Henna colored yarn that was coming home with me.

So thanks to the generosity of fellow knitters I have a few more skeins to be thankful for.

Thanks Ladies, you can rest assured that I will give it a good home!

Still reading

One of my accomplishments last year was meeting my reading goal. This year I am already a book ahead of schedule.

I finished my audio book, The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva. It was not my cup of tea, it left me feeling confused. OK fine spy and espionage stories are never quite clear to me. Could someone please get me the Cliff's Notes on the last Matt Damon/Jason Bourne movie too? I had a severely hard time tracking that movie. Anyways The Kill Artist is the first book in the Gabriel Allon series. I will most likely try the second book but I don't hold out much hope for the series.

So today I tossed all memories of keeping spy characters straight along with their aliases and jumped joyfully into Anne of Green Gables. We had Laura Ingalls Wilder while I was growing up. I'm sure Laura having spent The Long Winter in South Dakota had something to do with it. I had not met Anne till we moved to New York and I caught part of the mini series on PBS. I fell in love. Now I get to really fall in love, hopefully. I giggled to myself today when I read Adriene had found all her old LM Montgomery books in her parent's house. I bet if Adriene liked her I will like Anne too.

I finished up Cat on the Edge, boy was that a quirky book. I'm not sure how I feel about human/cat transformations but I did like how the end wrapped up. I think I will continue on at least for the next book. It was quite slow moving for the first half. Now that we have characters established I am curious to see how the feline sleuths do.

I am slowly enjoying The Garden of Intrigue by Lauren Willig. It has taken me some time but I do enjoy this series. I don't really like the modern day characters, they're too whiny for me, but the Napoleonic spies? Yes please sign me up for more.  My favorite of that series was Mischief in the Mistletoe. You gotta love an author that nicknames their leading man Turnip.

This week's finished book will be My Wicked Little Lies by Victoria Alexander. I have loved her books in the past and discovered a new series. This one has a bit of spy intrigue. It is a little different in that the hero and heroine are already married. I'm pulling for them to get back on the trail for happily ever after. (It is a romance novel so the odds are very good.)

So apparently I like my spies to be true couples with a dash of romance. What can I say I really, really like happy endings.

Getting it right and wrong

This year was a year of growing that I have not faced in a while. Trying to find a new me, hopefully a better me. It was a year of learning. How to deal with frustrations, how to ask for help, how to let go.

This day marks the end to my first year as the volunteer financial secretary to my church. It was a much bigger job than I thought. Learning as I go, teaching myself, setting up a new system and massive data entry did not make it any easier. Quite honestly there is so much more to do. It has been a bit like treading water, next year I might just learn how to swim.

So that used up a lot of my time. Time I would normally spend knitting, exercising, blogging and doing all the other things that fill up an evening/weekend. I missed those things.

I tried to knit at any opportunity. D gave me some great advice, knit at the very first church meeting I attend. Let them get used to the idea right from the start and don't worry about what others think. He is really quite a smart guy. I can tell you it worked. The only thing I get asked is if I've finished a sock during the meeting. I've proven that I can pay attention and participate, even with my fingers busy. And I resent the time away from home less too. You ever been in a meeting that seems to go in circles? It is not so bad when you have knitting that goes in circles too.

A couple of months ago I was feeling that my knitting time had taken a hit and wondered how bad it was. Turns out all those little moments can lead to good solid knit items, mostly socks. Sixteen pairs, half of which are not for me. I can add in three cowls and a hat. So while I may not have managed a sweater, no wait a minute I reknit half of a sweater for D because it was too big. It fits nice now. Anyways I was quite productive even if I was not as relaxed as I used to be.

I set 52 books as a reading challenge and crushed it. I've got 58 stories in my head now. I found listening to books and a new paperwhite Kindle to help. Most times I've had 3-4 books going at a time. My favorite was The Martian by Andy Weir Audible edition. My sister recommended it to me and wow what a great story! It was a bit heavy on the swearing but when you're alone on Mars trying to survive it does not need to be PG 13. I missed seeing the movie but have something to look forward to next year. What? It is all the small things that add up to make a good year.

Unfortunately the thing that I could put off and did put off was exercise. It was so hard to make that time for myself with a box of obligation weighing me down. D has been gently helping me find time and making it a priority. I did tell you how smart he is, right?

Jack is a fan of Mom's paperwork. He likes to sit next to me and make sure I am doing it right and taking breaks. Gus likes that Mom does not have quite so much time to focus on him. It is nice to be able to take a nap without getting poked.

Well that is about all I have to tell you for this year. May next year bring us more joy than heartache!

Hugged by a sheep

What is the saying? If you cannot be with the one you love, love the one you're with.

I took this picture back in October on Hug-A-Sheep day. It still makes me smile.

Gus had a bit of a set back this weekend. A bout of vomiting that was quickly remedied with meds. I am so thankful that we found meds that continue to work for him.

Christmas is usually the beginning of a tough time for him so I am happy that he delayed till after. I certainly have learned a lot from all his illnesses. Mostly I have learned to appreciate the good times while they last.

I came across a how old is your cat table recently. Both of my boys fall into the geriatric portion. Gus' human age is 88 and Jack is a very spry 80. Good thing they can make me feel so young.

As the Vulcans say Live Long and Prosper!