Some assembly required

It is a really really good thing dh enjoys working with tools. For the most part he even thinks its fun. So he owns things like a really good power drill and a full set of hand tools and extra screws. Stuff like that...just because some day you may need it. Boy did he need it this week. First the desk came from Target online. Because he is spending more time on reall work from home paper was spreading every where and needed to be contained.

The desk came in one huge flat box. Unpacked all the pieces for what was to become a desk with drawers, a side big enough to hold the large paper shredder...need I say more. All the pieces were also flat. The directions included 30 steps. It all worked out. If he wasn't working at it now I'd include a pic. Maybe later.

Yesterday the new kitchen table and chairs arrived from Costco online. The set arrived in 4 boxes. One of the boxes housed only the table top. Power tools are required. Much smaller fingers are required to get screws in little places. Much muttering. "Poor design" and other similar words have been thrown about. The first chair has some wobbling issues. The table is assembled, the chairs are in process.

I think I will not be ordering anymore furniture for awhile.

It rained today.

So I had a full day that had been set aside for golf to putter. It was glorious!

It was a day for hauling out all the yarn and sorting. I have a bag filled for a friend who knits hats Operation Shoebox. I grow weary of knitting hats, but she doesn't. I have extra yarn, she doesn't. It seems a match made in heaven. Plus, it freed up bin storage for yarn I really like. I also found and set a side yarn for a friend that crotchets 100's of baby booties for charity. They will be visiting and it seems like as the game shows used to say "a lovely parting gift". I have yarn grouped for knitting for Pine Ridge, yarn for bears,yarn grouped to knit socks, sweaters, and shawls.

It made it very clear that I should quickly delete every yarn site email that comes my way.

On the actual knitting side, my 7 wood will soon have a cover, I'm nearly done with a first sock for dd2, I frogged my traveling woman shawl...found I had several more skeins of the yarn so it needs to be something else someday. And I broke down and bought the shawl pattern "the hitchhiker". It looks like it will be a good use for a single skein of hand dyed yarn.

Cereal leftovers.

DD's have left for parts north. The house is much quieter. Missed them instantly.

What does remain are 5 opened boxes of cereal. Some related to chex mix, Marshmellow Maties, because we can get them here but not in CT, Kix, and a healthy flake. So I guess we'll be eating cereal. Well all except the MM, because its my house and I don't have to!

Now time to put away Christmas decorations and clean. Its either that or start naming the dust bunnies.

Somethings never change

Received a panicked phone call yesterday from sib's. Another financial crisis. Desperate need for money. The same kind of call my parents received regularly when they were alive. The same call I've received since becoming executor of their small estate. I could plug the dike again, but not much longer. It makes my head feel like its going to explode. I dread seeing their names pop up on caller id. And I can't imagine what will happen next time crisis arises and I say no.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! We are spending a quiet holiday at our Florida home. It is our new "norm". Last night we went to the square and listened to music and danced. It was delightful. Then home to open gifts. Every Christmas since the girls were little and spent hours under the tree shaking presents, their Dad told them the gifts were filled with socks, underwear and a poster. So every Christmas some of the packages contain underwear. A Christmas tradition.

The unexpected gift was that we decided to splurge and surprise them with Ipads. We haven't seen them speechless upon opening the last gift of the night since either of us can remember. That was truly a gift for DH and I. So last night and today will be filled with exploring the wonderful world of apps.

Another Christmas tradition is taking place today as well. Every year since DD1 went to college, DD2 dyes DD1's hair over the holidays. Usually a shade of red. This year it is a lovely merlot/magenta.

So, how ever you spend today celebrating or no, may it be filled with good things.

The wonders of multitasking

I wouldn't have been able to do this a year ago.

How cool is that! reading a book and knitting a sock at the same time. Granted neither the book not the simple sock require a great deal of focus, but still how cool!

One down

One to go. Dd2 has arrived safely. We stopped at Costco on the way home. My fridge no longer looks like something from a sitcom.

I turned the heel on the 1st of a pair of socks.