Fast Forward to...December!

Fast forward to December. It's been way too long since my last post but what can I say? Life happens, eh? In the months since my last post, we've had some pretty major family issues, but they're being worked out and things are settling down. But with Christmas literally around the corner; I'll just say that it's going to be different.
October 1 marked a milestone for my parents...their 50th wedding anniversary. What should have been a celebration, if a low-key-per-the-parents'-wishes one, turned into an event. I recall vividly arriving to teach church school at about 6:10 p.m., and making a comment to my cousin (who is also a teacher) about how something wasn't quite right, something was wrong, or something close to that. I found out when I arrived home a little more than an hour later, that my dad had a seizure at 6:15. A couple of days later, while my brother was home visiting, dad had 12 more seizures and had to be taken in the ambulance. Since that day, my dad has been treated at various places. One great comfort that we all have now, is that dad is getting the care he needs in a professional setting that provides for his needs 24 hrs./day, 7 days/week.
In other news, we had a pretty good snow storm over the weekend, then bitter cold windchills (around -39). Today, hubby and I took a short drive down the shore, just 30 miles, on ice-covered roads. It was like a freezing fog, coating everything. Tonight...we're getting Lake Effect snow which is supposed to end up with a total accumulation in the range of 6" - 12" by tomorrow afternoon.
There were two very happy events this week. The first was my youngest daughter's Christmas program at school yesterday, and the other was my oldest daughter's Christmas program at school this evening. I hope this works...I'm going to try to upload part of a video of my daughter singing "Oh Holy Night" (my all-time favorite Christmas song) with a friend of hers. My daughter is singing the melody and her friend has the harmony. Yay Kirstin!

If I don't get a chance to post for another three months, I wish anyone who reads this a Merry Christmas, Happy Christmas, Felice Navidad, og en Glaedelig Jul og et Godt Nyt Aar!

Cool Days, Warm Knits, and Sleep

Fall is definitely in the air, and Winter is coming soon...maybe a bit too soon but oh well. As the days grow shorter and colder, my fingers begin to itch and twitch to pick up my knitting needles and make something really spectacular. But what to make first, and when? Do I work on Christmas gifts for "others" (non-immediate family members), or do I make something warm for my kids? Of course, the answer is to make something for my kids...for each of the 4 - 7.

Hats, mittens, and scarves are always in great demand here during the Winter, especially for my two youngest daughters. Ben...he doesn't really use knitted mittens or gloves during the winter. He spends a great deal of his time outdoors (or in his ice house) and needs that heavy-duty bulk, durability, and warmth that can only be provided by choppers. Kirstin...she doesn't play in the snow, but she does play in her high school band and pep bands, which means she plays at football and hockey games...need to have warm fingers and hands in order to play the french horn in freezing weather. I made her (disastrously) a pair of convertible mittens last year, but as I just implied, they didn't do the job. Maybe I should make her a decent pair?

My two youngest daughters...they DO spend a lot of time playing in the snow. Mittens and hats get snow-covered; scratch that; snow-encrusted. Going in and out of the house means the snow melts, and the mittens and hats get soaked. I definitely need to make them both a couple pairs of mittens and a couple of hats. What about hubby? He's a second year nursing student, will be living with friends during the school week and coming home on weekends. What happens if he has car trouble somewhere along the road, especially in that 40 mile stretch in which there is no cell phone coverage? He definitely needs to have a warm hat and mittens to keep in the car, just in case.

So...if I make hats, mittens, and scarves for everyone in my immediate family that will be 5 of each. I guess I'd best get knitting, eh? or house cleaning, or doing my school work, or getting the yard and house ready for Winter, or cleaning out the garage, or helping my parents get ready for Winter, or, or, or...sleep. Oh, wait. With Winter coming, make that hybernate.

Early

In memory of the sweetest and most even-tempered member of our family who taught us all how to love unconditionally. We all miss you, Early. Wait for us at the Rainbow Bridge.