Winding Down the Year

Christmas day at our house started out like this:

It execrated from there. In a word: Bedlam!

The day after Christmas is my birthday. Rather than go out to breakfast as we usually do, we ate at home and the ladies went out for pedicures. Miss Daphne got her first pedicure.

She got little flowers on her golden toes.

When we got done there, we walked a few doors down to Wasatch & Wool, where I received a surprise: a gift certificate from DS1 and DDIL1. I already had some spending money from DD and DSIL. I promptly blew my spending money and gift certificate on spinning fiber and yarn for a cardigan. Then we went to lunch across the street.

My birthday haul also included a knitting bag, "take-out lamb" and a book mark from my friend Joanie, and a finger pulse and O2 meter from DH. This last was needed because I never can find my own pulse at Silver Sneakers before the time is up on counting. The reddish yarn is a brick color. I was drawn to it somehow and had to have it.

DS2 and DDIL2 are leaving with Soren and Johan later today. I will miss them! At least we have DD and her family for a few more days.

As I write this, DH is out buying a new microwave for the kitchen. Our old one was great for 11 years, but died on my birthday. Fortunately, we had a small microwave in the utility room downstairs to reheat coffee or tea while busy down there. It's very basic, but made a good spare in this case. The kitchen microwave had a sensor and special settings for cooking potatoes and vegetables in general. It was also a lot bigger. We have had a lot of problems with appliances lately!

What's on my needles: About 4" of the Sandy Beach scarf. Family members are doing this as a teaching KAL led by DDIL2 for her mother and sister. I'm trying very hard not to CO the new cardigan until the scarf is done.

What's on my Featherweight: Put away in its case for now. I hope to finish DD's wedding quilt during 2015. I only started it five years ago.

What's on my loom: Still some warp for another scarf, but folded up to allow space for playing with the bear house.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Didn't get far with Dyeing Wishes by Molly MacRae from Audible because of family fun, but will get back to it soon. Finished Sherwood Smith's Crown Duel, from Book Bub on the iBook app. I haven't started a new book yet.

What's my app of the week: Zoo Train, a great app for preschoolers.

What's in my wine glass: Nathanson Creek Merlot, the big bottle with the frog on it. Frog for knitters who sometimes have to frog.

What's my tip of the week: Keep devices charged up during the winter, in case of a power outage.

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.