December This and That

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday my friends.  The sun is shining today and that is a welcome change.  I just got home from walking around the mall.  I'm forcing myself to get up, drive there and walk most mornings.  I found out today that they open the doors about 7:00 a.m. so I think I'm gong to try to go a little earlier from now on.  I do enjoy seeing the shoppers rush to and fro, but it's easier to walk when there aren't so many people around.  I don't enjoy the mall, but with the snow and ice on the ground and the cardiologist wanting me to walk, it's the best option right now.  I'd rather be at the lake walking!  :-)

This is one of the views from my knitting chair.  It looks quite festive and "winterish" doesn't it?  My kitchen isn't a big one, but it's the biggest one I've had in the four homes we've lived in since we were married.  And I like that my island is on wheels so I can move it around for potluck dinners and parties.

To the left of the photo above is my Hoosier cabinet with the nativity I made for our very first Christmas we were married.

A closer look.  I even painted faces on each figure although you can't see it here.  In all of these 38 years, this nativity has had pride of place and not one figure has ever been broken.

Little Sophie went home Saturday night and I really do miss her on my lap.  She's coming over to spend the day tomorrow because there are workmen coming to put a new tub/shower in Larry and Nita's house and Sophie will bark at them.  She doesn't like people she doesn't know invading her home.  She never barks at Dennis or I, just happy yips when she sees us.  :-)  She really is cute isn't she?  All 4 pounds of her!

I'm busy making the second batman hat and have one more to make.  This one seems to be turning out a bit better.  The fit on the twins was just right, so I'll need to make the third one a bit smaller.  I'm still trying to figure out if I should go down a needle size or just cut back on the number of stitches.  Any advice out there?

Here's little Trevor trying the first one on.  It's big for him so should fit the twins perfectly.  Although they are over a year younger than he is, they have HUGE heads.  Seriously.  Their heads are bigger than some adults.  I think they are going to be big boys when grown.  You can see how happy he is with the hat though.

It started snowing Thursday.  And it snowed Friday.  And Saturday.  And Sunday.  We went to dinner at Applebee's Saturday night and I took this photo from the window.  I  like how the lights inside reflect outside.  Although the snow is pretty, I'm done with it now.

Unfortunately the weather doesn't agree with my wanting it to stop. This was outside our window Sunday evening.

Here is Dennis shoveling again Sunday evening.  I shoveled again Monday morning after he went to work which earned me a talking to.  He's terrified of me shoveling...or anything, but I can't just sit on my rear end.  I think we ended up with about 12 inches in total from Thursday to Monday morning.  Not very much, but enough for me for the year!  I'm dreaming of Maui!  :-)

Yesterday I opened the mailbox to this sweet package from Araignee. (Her blog is on my sidebar.)  She very generously sent me all of these goodies.  I honestly don't know how she does everything she gets done in a day.  Wasn't this just so sweet of her?  Her lotion bars are amazing.  The one she sent me a few months ago is almost gone because I use it constantly.

My favorite is the knitting sheep on the box.  I love, love, love her.  I'm going to have to find a way to keep that box out to look at because it just makes me smile.

Another doily finished. I do want to make more, but I have to finish the batman hats and then I have three more blankets to join together for the Crisis nursery.  Busy, busy, busy.

And look what Dennis got for me on Sunday.  A Christmas camper!  Is that perfect for me or what?  It even has a little dog that looks like Chloe and a man and woman that look a bit like Dennis' and me.  I just love this and it sit's right where I can see it all of the time when I'm in my knitting chair.  We don't have a tree this year, so I've decided this makes a great substitute.  And it has a snowman!  I adore snowmen and collect them.  I leave them out all winter, not just at Christmas and I find them very cheerful.  Oh, Dennis also bought himself a chainsaw.  :-)  I prefer my little trailer as a gift, rather than a chainsaw.  Ha!

I hope you're all having a wonderful December.  It's a busy month for a lot of people.  Our life is pretty much the same since no one will be here for the holiday.  I'm trying to keep my focus on the reason we celebrate Christmas and remember just how much I have to be grateful for.  Jesus is at the very top of that list.

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name."  Psalm 100:4

Blessings,
Betsy