Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Progress, Progress, Progress...and love.

Did I mention that there has been progress?

Our world was covered in snow, and now it is gone. Which I don't really mind, as driving in it sucks. In my perfect world we would get snow for 2-3 months, and it would land everywhere but the road. I don't mind shoveling a bit! I just wish the roads would always be clear. Spyros thinks Canadians ought to build heated roads, he figures the money we would spend would be saved on snow removal.

This was my world:
Visa: It is sent! I also received confirmation that it has arrived and has begun processing. So I had to get my Police Certificate & Medical check...Police Certificate is done. Appointment made for medical! Excited to be underway!


Knitting: Toque for brother done. But is messed up. Too wide, not long enough - in fact it seems the dimensions are opposite to how I wanted them, but the width of the thing didn't show on the circ until half way through. I was going to frog it & start again, but wanted to work on my dad's gift. So I am halfway through that. Might think about the toque again later, or maybe not, I found him some other things (purchased). He's 15 and very 'cool' I don't know that he would really appreciate a homemade something anyway! Might have to special buy yarn rather than stash busting for him! Still hoping to finish dad's and maybe find time for one last one!? I will work on mine & Spyros stockings after Christmas.

Christmas: I am done with the shopping. I am done with the wrapping (aside from any knitted gifts remaining). I am done with the shipping!! Our Aussie family won't be receiving in time for Christmas, but at least it's at least a couple of months early than we managed last year!! We set up for Christmas at my mum's a couple weekends ago - but have yet to do it in our own home. I don't bake as I will eat it all in one sitting, and so will just start pigging out when I arrive at my parents!


****************

A special thought for my friend. A great many people have been sending our thoughts & prayers her family's way this last couple weeks. Her father had been struggling for many months to get healthy, he came down with pneumonia, and a really bad case of it. They moved him to a larger centre, but discovered that he had a tumor in his lungs that was spreading to his heart. They lost him...I have known the family since I was 11 or 12. I spent a great deal of time in their home, eating their food, riding on their quads, telling secrets to this man's daughter. I won't be able to make it for the funeral, but my thoughts will be with my friend and her family and I know that even with the loss they are hurting from, they will be getting a lot of love and this years family time will be especially precious to all of us.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

December already??

Well the holiday season is upon us. I am not so crazy about Christmas. I love stockings, I love family time & cranberry sauce. But the commercialism I find a bit nuts. Christmas songs being played in malls from Halloween. But I am trying to make a fair amount of my gifts...and that means I am trying to knit every spare moment. I definitely have some shopping to do, but I have a fair amount of loved ones that also know how much time & effort goes into handmade gifts, and for them it is a pleasure to supply them with things I have made!! Gives me projects too!

It did snow more, it's melted now, but it did snow a lot and we got stuck a the bottom of our hill unable to get up it because they did not plow/gravel it that first snow. Now that it's been graveled we have not had any issues, but let me tell you -- I was one unhappy gal walking up that hill in the snow that night. Lucky I didn't have groceries!!!


I began quite early and have gotten 7 1/2 projects done so far. And they weren't all pre-planned, some I have been thinking up as I go. I have 1 1/2 I would like to finish for sure, and an additional 2 that I would really like to get done.

Travel -- well we are done the visa!! Need to print off a couple of things & then photocopy the whole shebang and we will mail it off & await a reply!! So if all goes perfectly it could be approved in 5 months. It can take up to 10, but we are really hoping not as my man must be back in Australia by early July.

Finally made it out to a Sit & Stitch on Saturday, only to find that the venue (coffee shop) was closed oops and because I arrived late, did not get to meet up with fellow knitters...however, got to chatting on Rav and now have a Stitch & Brew date for this coming Wednesday night and am SO EXCITED about finally making it out to knitting meetup! Thus far even all fibre shows etc. I have attended alone (or with S - but he doesn't love it like I do, he just loves me!!)