Christmas Quiz and Pic

Greetings from me again. Here is a picture of me (standing and looking like a dork) and one of my SFS buddies. I was in Monterey and we got a chance to meet and hang out at her LYS, Monarch Knitting & Quilts.

After we hung out at Monarch, we had a lovely lunch, went to visit puppies at a local adoption place and the i was dropped off back at my hotel.

Here is a little Christmas Quiz to copy and paste on to your blog:

Welcome to the 'Christmas Edition' of getting to know your friends. If you post to your blog, leave a comment here so I can go and read all about you!!

Don't forget to change all the answers so they apply to you.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper.

2. Real or Artificial tree ? Real, but for the past few years we have had a fake tree. This year we will have both.

3. When do you put up the tree? When time permits. The fake tree will go up soon after we move.... this weekend? or maybe next? The real tree will be chopped and installed when The Girl Child and her hubby come home for Christmas, probably on the 22nd.

4. When do you take the tree down? A week or so after Christmas.

5. Do you like Eggnog? Not really.

6. Favorite Gift you received as a child? Don't recall any specific Christmas gift as a child.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? yes, several.

8. Hardest person to buy for? spouse

9. Easiest person to buy for? myself....LOL....probably my kids.

10. Worst Christmas gift ever received? A hairdryer. I don't even use a hairdryer!! (sorry sweetie... love you tons anyway)

11. Christmas Cards...Snail mail or E-mail? Snail mail.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I love the old classic cartoons - Rudolf, Frosty, etc. I like teh movie - the one where the Ralphy wants a bb gun...

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually around November... but I am always in a panic around Dec. 20th.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? NO.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Hubby's Christmas Tomales.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Multi-color. We trade off each year on who gets to decorate. I like "themed" trees, hubby likes everything but the kitchen sink trees.

17. Favorite Christmas Song? Silent Night.

18. Travel at Christmas or Stay Home? Stay home

19. Can you name Santa's Reindeer? Nope.

20. Do you have an Angel or a Star on top of your tree? Sometimes an angel, sometimes a star, one year a sombrero. Felis Navidad!!

21. Open the Presents Christmas Eve or Morning? Christmas morning

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Christmas music in the stores the day after halloween. GAG. & peopple being too PC. It's christmas OK. Don't wish me happy holiday or call it a "family tree" it's a stinkin' Christmas parade not a santa parade... there is a reason why we celebrate holiday... ok so it's waaaay commercialized now and most kids don't know the story of baby Jesus, etc.... but HELLLLOOOO... it's Christmas.. not a winter break.. nuff said, off my soap box now, thank you for your time.

23. Shopping...mall or online? I prefer to touch and feel. Mostly the mall or small mom and pop shops.

24. Do you decorate outside for Christmas or just inside (or at all?) Mostly inside.

25. Favorite Christmas cookie? the kind that are still warm out of the oven.

26. Do you own Christmassy clothing or jewelry? Yes. A sweater and a pin or 2.

27. Do you believe in Santa? I believe in the spirit of santa.. think of hte old editorial Yes, Virginia There is a Santa Clause.... i love that!!

Tampon Saves Marine!!

OK, most of my little blog snoopers know that I knit socks for Socks for Soldiers (I knit slowly, but I knit). On one of our groups message board do-dahhh things was the following story. I have not gone to Snopes to see if it is true - and really who cares... it's a feel good story. Read on:

Here is a good story. Tampons to the rescue in Iraq !! Don't worry, it's a good story, and worth reading. It's even humorous in parts. It's from the mother of a Marine in Iraq .

My son told me how wonderful the care packages we had sent them were, and wanted me to tell everyone thank you. He said that one guy we'll call Marine X, got a girl care package and everyone was giving him a hard time. My son said, "Marine X got some really nice smelling lotion and everyone really likes it, so every time he goes to sleep they steal it from him." I told my son I was really sorry about the mistake, and if he wanted I would send Marine X another package.

He told me not to worry about Marine X because every time I send something to him, Marine X thinks it's for him, too. He said when my husband and I sent the last care package, Marine X came over to his cot picked up the box, started fishing through it, and said, "What'd we get this time?"

My son said they had the most fun with Marine X's package. He said he wasn't sure who we were sending the pack to, but the panties were size 20, and he said one of the guys got on top of the Humvee and jumped off with the panties over his head and yelled,"Look at me, I'm an Airborne Ranger!!!!" One of the guys attached the panties to an antenna and it blew in the wind like a windsock. He said it entertained them for quite awhile. Then of course...... .they had those tampons. When he brought this up, my imagination just went running, but he continued.

My son said they had to go on a mission and Marine X wanted the Chap-Stick and lotion for the trip. He grabbed a bunch of the items from his care package and got in the Humvee. As luck would have it he grabbed the tampons too, and my son said everyone was teasing him about "not forgetting his feminine hygiene products." He said things went well for a while, then the convoy was ambushed and a Marine was shot. He said the wound was pretty clean, but it was deep. He said they were administering first aid but couldn't get the bleeding to slow it down, and someone said, "Hey! Use Marine X's tampons!"

My son said they put the tampon in the wound. At this point my son profoundly told me, "Mom, did you know that tampons expand?" ("Well....yeah! ") They successfully slowed the bleeding until the guy got better medical attention. When they went to check on him later the surgeon told them, "You guys saved his life. If you hadn't stopped that bleeding he would have bled to death." My Son said, "Mom, the tampons sent by the Marine Moms by mistake saved a Marine's life."

At this point I asked him, "Well, what did you do with the rest of the tampons?" He said, "Oh, we divided them up and we all have them in our flak jackets, and I kept two for our first aid kit." I am absolutely amazed by the ingenuity of our Marines. I can't believe that something that started out as a mistake then turned into a joke, ended up saving someone's life. My sister said she doesn't believe in mistakes. She believes God had a plan all along. She believes that "female care package" was sent to Marine X to save our Marine. Either way, our efforts have boosted the morale of many Marines, provided much needed items for our troops, AND saved the life of a Marine!God bless every one of you for your efforts and hard work, and God bless ourMarines, Army, Navy, Air Force, and all our military service personnel. (end of post).

Me again: how cute is that?? Again, not sure if it's true, but it sure is possible!! It's been crazy here since a few days before Thanksgiving... FIL is now in ICU - he was supposed to be discharged to a SNF for rehab yesterday. So this is a set back needless to say... I have taken pics of socks, etc. and my buddy Heatherly is going to assist in the seaming of my tilted duster this evening.... we may be moving into the new house this weekend as well...

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..

Well, MY Thanksgving was rather wonderful. My husband's - not so much. We had an early am flight on Wed. and with a 1.5 hour drive to the airport (we live in the sticks). We had to get up early. On Tues DH (darling husband) went to check on his dad, to be sure he did not need anything before we left for the holiday.... long story short - he fell, broke his hip and had to be taken via ambulance to hospital. DH did not make it home until 5:30am Wed morning - to wake me up, so I could get to the airport and spend turkey day with The Girl Child and her new hubby and his parents, et al. So, we canceled the rental car (the girl picked me up at the airport), we canceled DH's flight and off I went to sunny so cal.....

Father in law is still in the hospital. They could not stablize him until Thursday morning, so that is when they did the surgery. Apparently the ball thingy on the top of the femer, the part that is in the hip/pelvic socket, snapped off... ouch. Lots of other medical issues, and now his "good leg" is in reality his bad leg. This makes physical therapy very difficult. We are now making arrangments for skilled nursing - where he would go anyway for rehab, but in all honesty - I don't think he'll be able to rehab sufficiently to live alone again. Poor baby, his goal now is to be able to get out of bed to use the bathroom by himself.

Our assistant is amazing. she brought DH a plate of food from her family's T-day dinner and even invited DH to attend their festivities. How sweet is that??

I'll post some pictures later - probably tomorrow - I got to meet up with one of my Socks for Soldier's buddies and she emailed me a picture of the two of us! That was my last sane weekend. LOL.

Over The River & Through The Woods

Well,not exactly...I am NOT cooking Thanksgiving for the first time in about 25 years!! I am off to spend the holiday with my daughter and her in-laws.. It will be fun to be sure. Sunny sky - beaches, who could ask for anything more....so wish me luck as i pack my knitting bag to fly the friendly skies..... see ya all next week. have a wonderful holiday, be safe and pick up those pointy sticks...

If This is thursday . . .

Greetings blog snoopers....Tonight is Spinning Guild night.. I am not sure what fiber this month is, but I can assure you.. I am not spinning it. I purchased 8 oz of Louet's "cotton candy" a lovely wool/pastel roving. I have spun up a bobbin's worth of lovely sock yarn - and did not put a dent in that bag. I'll be spinning this until the cows come home. I am casting off on the second lacey thong undies for The Girl Child, I am about to turn heals on a pair of "big black socks" for Socks for Soldiers; I have blocked the fronts and back of my tilted duster sweater and finished one sleave.. the second sleave should (I say "should" be done by this weekend.. and then it will be time to attach all the parts together and begin the duster portion of the project. I have some other socks OTN as well, but just about 3" of ribbing so far.

Heather and I are to start our own little knit along in November, I have the yarn, not sure about the needle size and I (obviously) have not cast on yet.. Heather, no doubt is done with the project!!

OK, gotta run. Iam at work - just thought i better post before someone reports me as MIA or something.

Pay It Forward (update)

Some time ago I posted a "Pay It Forward" on this blog. The deal was, I would send a handmade something to the first 3 who said they would participate (ie send to others)... Just like the movie Pay It Forward (but with a happier ending). In my "in box" mail, I received an email from Devin, which reads:

As we move closer to the Holidays. I'm thinking more and more about good will, etc. And I have not forgotten about you - my pay it forward recipients. It order to make you something that you will actually will like- I need you to answer a few questions.

1. Are there any colors you hate?
2. Are there any colors that you adore?
3. It there a small project that you would not make for yourself- but that you would like to have?
4. During cold weather- do you need hats/scarfs/mittens? (This is a climate survey)
5. Is there something that you DON'T want you to make for you?
6. Fiber allergies?

So, to those of you who replied to my blog that you wanted to participate: Please cut and past Devin's little survey and post to your blog. I'll go blog snooping in the next few days and see what your replies are!!

TTFN!

Road Trip

I am off again - another road trip.. another conference. I'll be back on Monday. This trip takes me to NOrthern California - and what luck... a yarn shop 1 block from the hotel!! Of course I'll be in meetings during their "open" hours, but I can smoosh my face agaist the window and look inside!! I have blocked the front and sides of my tilted duster sweater, and I am almost done with sleeve #2!! I'll blog next week. Sonsere - I got your card.. too cute - and so sorry to hear about your mom. Blogger hugs to both of you!!

Thank You SP Pal

Trick or Treat!! Look what Mr. Mailman delivered!! First let me say that whoever invented chocolate covered sunflower seads - BRAVO!! I have never had them before!! The Lindor Truffles are my all time fav chocolate as well...I don't know if you can tell in the picture, but just above the two punkin candles, is a little ducky soap, but he is dressed up like a mummy!! How flippin' cute is that?? The box with all the leaves held the punkins..

Get ready to put on your green with envy hat, check out this yarn: 60% merino wool; 20% alpaca and 20% silk... it is to "dye" for. Soft as soft can be and here is the best part. a portion of every purchase goes to a school in Peru - find out more by visiting www.mirasolperu.com. each skein is 55 years - enough to make the cabled hat posted above. I think I can make the Lion Brand Valentine socks with this too. Gotta run boss man pulling into parking lot.