Friday, December 28, 2007

"It's Not Easy Being Green!"

We're celebrating New Year's a little early this year. Mr. T., Missy M, and I had a wonderful time last night at The Fabulous Fox Theatre in STL, enjoying the musical Wicked. Have you been to see it yet? You should grab your broom and go! Here's what one reviewer said:
“A surefire hit! This sensational prequel to ‘The Wizard of Oz’ is the kind of grand musical Broadway has been missing for years. A terrific evening!” --Jeffrey Lyons, WNBC-TV

The cast of characters/actors were superb, and the music was fantastic...even though the accoustics in the STL Fox are...well, let's be kind and just say "somewhat less than ideal." The weather outside was frightful...oh, wait...that's another song, isn't it? Anyway, we braved the cold, the rain, and the fog...and the road closures in and around STL (something quite awful...nearly every major highway or by-way is either closed or closing or so torn up due to construction that the City appears to have been bombed recently), and we were rewarded with a great performance...and a lovely evening together as a family. [Nana/Momma/Edith had opted out of this evening back in September when I got the tickets.]

Here we are (photo, left) after the performance ended. We "borrowed" a tall-ish cash register to serve as a tripod and snapped this shot in the hallway, as we were leaving our seats. The lighting was awful...and my photo editing software can only do so much with what it has to work with (!), but we were all together, and that's what counts.

Happy New Year to one and all!

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Ho! Ho! Ho! Christmas FO's!!!

I finished! And, before the Fat Man came down the chimney, too!! The photo to the right shows the Christmas Finished Objects (FO's) that were wrapped up and under the tree on 12/25/07:
  1. In the back, draped over the chair, is Nana's Prayer Shawl, using Lion Brand's Homespun in Barrington, knitted with a strand of worsted weight, plum-colored yarn to give it weight. I used the pattern in Debbie Macomber's latest book, Back on Blossom Street, for the Triangular Prayer Shawl...and added fringe on three sides, to serve as woven prayer beads.
  2. On the left is M's Felted Mobeius Bowl with added I-cord accent, knitted in Cascade's 220 Quatro, Number 9434. I used the pattern for the largest bowl in Cat Bordhi's book, A Second Treasury of Magical Knitting. I got both the book and the yarn in Lawrenceville, GA at The Yarn Garden.
  3. Continuing on around the photo, lower right, are the socks I knitted for M. using the Duet Sock Yarn called Middy from A Swell Yarn Shop (online). You get the hand-dyed yarn for the socks and a coordinating yarn for the heels and toes. Sweet! I used the same Slipped Rib pattern from One Skein Wonders that I had used for Sister-in-Law J's green socks.
  4. And, last but not least, being modelled by Ted E. Bear, is the Tam and Scarf knitted for M. I used baby alpaca yarn for both the body of the pieces and for the accents (edges of scarf; Fair Isle pattern of the Tam). The main color yarn is Wheat Bernat Alpaca Natural Blends and the accent yarn is a multi (purples, pinks, beiges) Big Baby from Alpaca with a Twist (Georgetown, IN). The Tam is a pattern from the good ol' standby book, The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns, with a Fair Isle pattern thrown in for good measure (to see if I had the hang of knitting with two yarns and both hands...at the same time...and I did!), and the scarf is the Filippi Scarf pattern from One Skein Wonders.
  5. Not shown in the photo is the pair of black socks knitted for Mr. T. from Panda Cotton and Bamboo blend, worked in a K2, P2 rib. I've written about working on this yarn before...but I didn't tell about the little detail I added to make these socks personal: I knitted in a heart shape on one of the toes, using some red Panda. Now, whenever he wears these going through airport security and has to remove his shoes, he can think of me!

I had a ball (pun intended...:) knitting up a storm for the Holidays. And, all recipients seem happy with their gifts. But, honestly? I'm looking forward to doing a few stitches in a couple of projects just for me. Almost sounds selfish, doesn't it? So be it. I've got several patterns put aside to start "after I finish the presents." Well, that time is now!

Stay tuned for updates!

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Oh, What a Christmas!

We are so blessed...and so thankful for all our blessings! Not only did Santa load up both Christmas trees (!) with goodies, we also had the pleasure of welcoming our former neighbors to help us in celebrating the Holidays. After all, the Season is all about remembering the birth of the Christ Child by sharing love and joy with family and friends...and we certainly did just that!




Their five-year-old, shown in the photo to the right, in the Santa's Elf Hat (AKA the Elvis Hat...needed in order to be an official deliverer of Christmas presents) is like our pretend grandchild...he even calls Nana "Nana." I can't tell you how very much we have missed them since they moved to IL a couple of years ago...and how precious the time we do get to spend with them is.

What a fun time we had on Christmas Eve Eve! For our dinner, I tried out my version of Rachael Ray's Orange Balsamic Chicken (she used Cornish Game Hens; I used chicken breasts and legs, which I browned in the EVOO first, followed by 55 minutes in the oven until done...with a 5 minute finish under the broiler with some 'fresh' glaze...oh, and I added brown sugar to the glaze), and included other favorites like homemade yeast rolls and Nana/Momma/Edith's recipe of Three-Bean Casserole (much better than the original Green Bean Casserole, trust me). And, for dessert...a three-layer Coconut Cake with Pineapple Filling...a recipe from our Collierville United Methodist Church cookbook days! That just says 'Christmas,' doesn't it? And, what could be better than opening presents with a 5-year-old around? Here is an imbedded video clip that shows Mr. T. and Little E. in our kitchen, playing with his new Spiderman Bubble-blowing Machine. [Click the box to activate and then the arrow to enjoy the 34-second clip; it may take a couple of seconds to buffer, though...so patience is encouraged! Oh yes...giving credit where credit is due...the video is courtesy of M, who had just the right software on her new Apple to allow her to "fix" an orientation issue and to add the title.] I've also added the video to my YouTube, so it appears below the posts (bottom of blog), where it may be a little easier to view.



We start each Christmas morning off in the same way: first...let's see what's in those Stockings! After getting our first treats from Santa, we taste our first treats from the kitchen: Sweet Rolls, Coffee, and Juice (served on the Christmas china and in Santa glasses, of course). Then, as our official Santa's Elf, Missy M, dons the Santa Hat in order to hand out the presents under the tree. After that we have M's delicious Sausage Casserole (which she models after a Southern Living recipe...and has to make ahead on Christmas Eve...and remember to remove from the fridge on Christmas morning...!) and Ner's Ambrosia (which Nana/Momma/Edith has made for us for years...just like her grandmother did...for years and years before that). This Christmas, as we have done for a few years now, we declared that we couldn't eat another "big meal" today...and moved Christmas dinner to Boxing Day (Dec. 26th)...very British of us, indeed! Hey, it works for me, as I'm battling a cold and sore throat, and all I wanted to do on Christmas Day was drink hot tea with lots & lots of lemon (made very quickly with my new Cuisanart Cordless Automatic electric tea kettle)...and knit (using my fabulous new Jordana Paige Cappucino-colored knitting satchel and super-bright Ott Light Lexington-model floor lamp)...and watch the videos that Santa delivered (Harry Potter's Order of the Phoenix; Bourne Supremacy; and Waking Ned Devine, among others). Although Mr. T does have to work on Wednesday, he'll be able to make it home in plenty of time for Turkey Dinner and Trimmings.

Here's a shot of Elmo (left), wearing the Santa Hat, and looking a little less than excited about being an official Santa's Helper...but, isn't he just so cute? And (right), I created a composite of our "still-in-our-jammies/no-make-up" Christmas Morning, 2007 photos...which probably looks a little clearer if you click it to enlarge it. I've uploaded some more of our favorite Christmas, 2007 photos to my Flickr account, so the slideshow in the upper left will shuffle those, at least until I upload some more photos, which will replace them.

We wish y'all a very, merry Christmas! And, if I don't get a blog out before 12/31...have a happy, healthy...and safe...New Year's!!

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

We got home on Sunday night from the weekend in Louisville and look what we found! Snow!! Officially, they say that Lambert (the airport in STL) got 7 1/4 inches...the most snow since 2000, which means this is the most since we have been here. It looked so beautiful, especially with the Christmas decorations (see the photo of the front of our house, right)! Of course, it's a pain to shovel and sweep walkways...which is the first thing Mr. T had to do on the deck in order for the dogs to go into the backyard. They hate to have that cold wet stuff on their bellies...and other parts. Of course, they had been at the Bed 'n Biscuit, so they were ready to run around the backyard to see what had happened since they had been away from home!

On Monday morning, we stuck this ruler (left) into the snow piled on top of the patio table, just to see what it would say...and, after a couple of days of minor melting, we still had nearly 6 inches to measure.

Speaking of the weekend in Louisville...we had a great time, although the weather there was a mess, too. More rain than snow, but still cold and wet. Brother T. had car trouble and couldn't join us on Saturday for the Blow Ho Ho ornament workshop at Glassworks...our second year to do this neat activity. We then tried a new place (for us) called Bluegrass Brewing Company for our lunch...we had delicious food and great service to make up for the horrible weather, and we almost had the whole place to ourselves! Like a private party...

This was also our second year to meet at M's house for Family Christmas. J & J were able to make it from Nashville, and we were glad to see them and exchange our Christmas gifts over dessert (see the Rudolph cake I made, above,right). M was struggling with a nasty cold...which made being hostess loads of fun, don't you know? [Pass the Nyquil, please...]

Last year, Brother J got a goofy hat, which made for some funny photos when all tried it on. This year, the tradition continued, as you can see in the pic to the left. This one has these velcro patches that you can use to "catch" the balls that others throw at your head. He's such a good sport!

Missy M had her house decorated so pretty! My photo (right) just doesn't do her tree justice. Of course, she's been busy getting ready for Christmas...but she's also been working on her "last" main level room: her office. She primed it and painted the walls a lovely robin's egg blue a couple of weeks ago. And, she moved her kitchen table to her office...repurposing it as her desk. That was done to make room for our Christmas present to her...which had arrived a bit early, but just in time for Mr. T to assemble while we were there: a new kitchen island and breakfast bar. It took him several hours of steady work to get it together...but, oh boy, does it ever look nice! I'm trying to figure out how we could get one in our kitchen. Hmmmm...

Friday, December 14, 2007

Christmas FO's:Shhh! Don't Tell Anyone...

Sneak a peek at some of my Christmas FO's: 2 Pairs of Sox for 2 Sisters-in-law and an Irish Hiking Hat for Brother T, finished at 1:00 this morning! Woo-hoo!!

I used Kentucky Blue 4-ply Regia Superwash Sock Wool for L, my KY sister-in-law, knitted in a K2, P2 rib, with a long cuff to fold down. Of course, they could also be called Memphis Tiger Blue, couldn't they?

I used a lovely Forrest Green Regia Sock yarn for J, my TN sister-in-law. Not a school color, but just a color that I thought she might like to wear with jeans, etc. Then, to make it personal, I used a pattern in the One Skein Wonders book that had been submitted from the Haus of Yarn in Nashville (where J lives)...it's a subtle Slipped Rib pattern that doesn't show up well in the photo (right), but is pretty in person...and easy to memorize. I liked the pattern so much that I used it for...oh, I can't tell about that just yet.

And, as modeled by Ted E. Bear, I used a Pine Green Paton's Pure Wool to knit up the Irish Hiking Hat, based on the pattern from Nik's Knits website (free PDF download...just have to look for it in the column on the right). T is an outdoors kinda guy, so I hope he will enjoy this warm woolie. I blocked it overnight on the glass Cheryl's Cookie jar we have in the kitchen...which doesn't hold cookies but microwave popcorn packs...and that worked well to set the cable pattern stitches.
Watch for an update with photos of other FO's for the family...after they are opened on Christmas, of course!

Sunday, December 9, 2007

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

I absolutely love this time of the year! As you can probably tell from the photo (left), we collect Nutcrackers for display...our collection numbers 45 at the moment...and putting them out & about is one of the first things we do when we start decorating for Christmas. You can see only a few of them in this photo, as they not only cover the mantle...they have spilled over onto the entertainment center...and onto the sofa table in front of the bay window.

You may not notice it, but take a good look at the lower right portion of the photo (you may have to click on it to enlarge it)...see the white figure? It's difficult to make out, but that's a ceramic of the Holy Family, made by Thomas' Mom more than a decade ago. Mrs. Adsit passed on in January 2002, but we keep her memory alive when we display this, along with the ceramic nativity set she made for us (which is also displayed on the coffee table, but not visible in this photo).

The right-most stocking hanging on the mantle is Thomas' -- which I made for him our first Christmas, 1976. And, hanging to its left is the one he made for me that same Christmas! Those stockings and one brass ornament are all that we still have from that first Christmas after we married. That year, we made salt-dough ornaments for our tree...which unfortunately did not survive a stay in a hot attic several years ago in GA. I still tear up when I remember finding the "crumbs" of those precious, could-not-be-replaced ornaments.

The angel on the top of the tree (above photo) and Maredith's stocking are from the era of needlepoint-as-my-primary-craft, both dating to 1979-80, I think. The majority of the ornaments on our trees are keepsakes...either hand-made, year after year, or collected on our travels. The "main" tree is a Fraser Fir from the North Carolina mountains, ordered on the internet from http://www.carolinafraserfir.com/. When we lived in NC, we would go to Boone the weekend after Thanksgiving and cut down our tree, right at the source...oh, how I miss that.

Of course, why limit yourselves to just one tree, right? We also have a couple of artificial trees in the house: one is my Sheep Tree (photo, right) which is in the front/dining room window, and one is Mom's little "tabletop" Santa tree, on her entertainment center in her bedroom. [Mom always, always wanted a "tabletop" tree when we were growing up, but we never, never would allow one less than 10 feet tall in our house with the 12-foot ceilings...silly woman!] I've collected sheepies for years...and years...and, I love to display all the ornaments on a separate tree, 'cause they sorta get lost on the main tree. Of course, this house has a small-ish dining room, so it's a bit crowded, but we'll manage. The angel on the top of the Sheep Tree is from our trees when I was growing up. It, and one sparkly-silver ornament, remind me of happy Christmases in Henning.

Speaking of Nutcracker(s), Thomas and I managed to get to the Fox Theatre on Thursday (despite the sheet and ice storm) to see the Joffrey Ballet's STL production of The Nutcracker. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening, and...as I had been looking forward to this for weeks...I was so glad that Thomas (a) made it home from Wisconsin in time and (b) was willing to brave the weather to get us there and back safely. We've missed this Holiday tradition for several years now, for one reason or another...and I needed a good Tchaikovsky fix! Plus, I got to wear my Christmas Shawl for the first time...even though it was so cold that I had to wear a coat over it. Still, I felt so festive!

Making this evening possible was the installation of our Life Line system for Nana/Momma/Edith. You know...the commercial: "I've fallen and I can't get up." But, it's no joke, is it? While she continues to recover from her recent hospitalization...slowly but surely...she is still pretty fragile, especially when it comes to her balance. So, her Home Health nurse recommended this service to us, and now we all feel a little less stressed. Breathe!

I can't show pix of my most recent finished knitting projects (FO's) just yet, as I've been working on gifts...and I never know who might be reading this...tee, hee. Anyway, here is a photo (left) of my finished Design Your Own Top Down Sweater from my recent class at Knit 'n Caboodle in St. Charles. [Ted E. is wearing the matching Tam o' Swatch, which I borrowed to wear the other night to The Nutcracker.] I'm glad I took the class, and I have already signed up for another class on Cables starting in January, taught by the same instructor (who is very, very knowledgeable...and patient). But, I'm not so sure I like the technique of knitting the whole sweater at once (too bulky by the time you get the sleeves done; and when you have to frog, you have too many stitches to remove and redo)...and I just plain missed my seams, where lots of stuff can be "hidden," like JOINS of new balls of yarn. Plus, my sweater is too big, even though I measured, re-measured, and had the experts measure...it still came out like an oversized sweatshirt. I know I should knit another top-down right away, and I would probably get over these objections...but, I can't generate any enthusiasm for it yet. Ah, well.

Time to get the Christmas newsletter printed out...and those cards signed, sealed, labeled and stamped. And time to make some fudge, some cookies, and some Nuts & Bolts (Nana/Momma/Edith's version of Chex Mix). Oh yes...I love this time of the year!

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