Auld Lang Syne (And All That Jazz)

Well, the holiday season draws to a close and a new year begins. We arrived home late Saturday night from Minnesota to find a couple inches of snow on the ground - finally! Of course, our New Year's rainstorm washed it all away, but it was good to see that it can actually happen.

Our visit with David's parents was short and awkward, but his mother did at least manage to play nice. It was clear that it was a strain for her, but we managed. The family members who were supposed to come Friday turned back because of bad weather, so we skipped out early both to cut short opportunities for unpleasantness and to avoid being on roads much after dark because of the ice potential. Of course, the issues David tried to raise in advance she simply refused to address, so there's still much left unresolved, but his father seemed to have no problem with my being there and was actually quite welcoming, so I think that probably helped the long-term situation.

Back in the Twin Cities we were able to go out to dinner with Chris & Leon and get in a brief but very nice visit. Then Saturday morning we met up with Sean and his partner Darren for brunch and had a really enjoyable time. I definitely hope (and fully expect) to meet up with them again in the future.

As I mentioned in my previous post, we had a very nice visit with Mike & Sue & kids. They had guest stockings for us full of goodies, and the kids got to do their own gift shopping this year and got us some very sweet gifts. We also came home with this lovely banana tree ornament made while we were there by Not-So-Flat Gabriella, who was quite the hostess.



Also mentioned in the last post, I brought along a sock project - Bearfoot yarn in Ruby River colorway, basic toe-up with figure-8 cast-on, band toe and Widdershins heel:



Mike & Sue's second son Elliot, aged nearly 8, was particularly interested in watching the sock grow and asked a lot of questions about the construction details. He's also insisted that I take pics of the socks once they're finished and wear them when I return to MN for a visit (as if I wouldn't!).

One Christmas gift that I haven't managed to take a photo of yet but totally loved was a complete surprise from David. He bought me a handmade inkle loom that a weaver he knows was selling! I was so excited that I took it to work that night and warped it with cheap cotton twine from the hardware store, just to get a feel for the process. My paternal grandmother bought a mass-produced inkle loom back in the 70's as one of her many craft tinkerings and I used it the summer I was nine to make myself a rather wonky knit belt (in red, white & blue acrylic, as I recall), but I hadn't used one since. Today I should be receiving an order of inexpensive cotton warp yarn and a thin volume on inkle weaving from Halcyon Yarn so I can actually play at making something real, or at least semi-real, with it.

And a New Year Begins

I rang in the new year at work, not surprisingly, and ended up sleeping there most of the day, as the roads were quite icy when my shift ended. Since I was on the job, bubbly was sparkling cider, and since David was still feeling rotten, he didn't manage to make it up to give me a kiss at midnight, as he did last year (So romantic. Is it any wonder I love him to pieces?). Still, it wasn't too bad a beginning - some challenging cases but generally more low-key than the day shift had been.

And now as we move into the second day of 2007, I have my niece and nephew here once again on their return trip to their mother in Phoenix. I will be waking them up at 4AM to catch a bus to Logan airport for their early morning flight. I wish I'd had more time to visit with them, but every chance I get is a good one, particularly given how far away they're living. At least they get to go home with socks knit with love, and I get the satisfaction of knowing my work was appreciated.

When I get home, there will be no resolutions to put into effect. A resolve, perhaps, to hammer out the dent all the holiday goodies made in my diet, but not a resolution. My intent doesn't change just because the year is new, and I feel like goal-setting should be an ongoing process, not just reserved for one day out of the year. Besides, I'm generally of a mind with Mark Twain in the quote on Mar's blog.

That said, I still want to wish each and every one of you a

Happy New Year!!!