Dear Mom,

I just sent a text to Joe:

Deja vu!! Hell froze over 34 years ago, too! Happy Anniversary.

Haha. He always said that he'd get married again when hell froze over... and he teased you about how you actually got it to happen!!

I always thought that you sure made it easy on him, getting married on the anniversary of your first date and your birthday! Three big Dates To Remember all in one.

We agree that you'd be in total denial about being 81. It's even hard for me to imagine.

We're hopefully experiencing the last day of a Polar Vortex (they didn't call it that 34 years ago, at least not that I remember), which we seem to be having a bit more frequently lately. At least there's snow on the ground. Though we were never farmers, we both knew how important it was to have snow on the ground when the temperature plummeted.

In searching for a photo to post today, I came across this one... you look a little carefree, there! It looks like you were up north, probably at Hiawatha Resort on the Flowage... so you should be looking a little carefree! I love the warm, summertime vibe... the cabins, the boat, all those wildflowers.

I love you, Mom. I miss you so much.

Love, Vicki
xoxo

I'm having a Snow Day today... but not after actually driving to work, doing something for a half-hour to make it worthwhile, and then driving home! We're not getting as much snow as predicted, but it's very windy and that makes driving difficult due to visibility issues.

So, I'm working on a little of this and a little of that (mostly business/tax related stuff), and will also be taking some time for some FUN!

It was all about the movies last week/weekend! Oscar nominations were announced on Tuesday; on Wednesday, we watched Roma (10); on Thursday I bought tickets for next month's Best Picture Festival; on Saturday I watched The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (3), and on Sunday First Reformed (1). Roma won't be shown at BPF because it wasn't a theatrical release, and instead/new we will see the nominees for the Short Films (Live Action & Animated) at the beginning of each day, and I'm excited about that! There is a lot of crossover in nominations, especially when all of the BP films have been nominated in at least five and up to 10 different categories. There are a few biggies, though, that I'm going to need to find/stream somehow: At Eternity's Gate (local boy Willem Dafoe/Lead Actor), The Wife (Glenn Close/Lead Actress), Can You Ever Forgive Me (Melissa McCarthy/Lead Actress and Richard E. Grant/Supporting Actor), and If Beale Street Could Talk (Regina King/Supporting Actress). Without sounding too much like a nut, I'd also like to see Cold War and First Man. There are some other nominated films that I won't see at BPF, haven't already seen, or haven't listed... but arguably, not very many.

Also on Saturday, I visited our brand new LYS! Casting On had their soft opening, which I've been eagerly awaiting since I learned about it on the day my former LYS closed. The owners, Sara & Sam, are super warm & friendly, and I can't wait to watch as they all progress and grow... and Make.Do has been invited to take up some shelf space!

There's been a bit of a Malabrigo drought around here, though, so I fixed that! Those left two hanks are WASHTED worsted-weight, and I think they'll become a sweater for a certain little granddaughter who will be turning one in < two months! 

There was a little website update over the weekend and an even tinier one this morning with some fresh-from-the-pot yarn:

Check it out: Make.Do! The yarn in the top photo reminds me of last year's Best Picture winner, The Shape of Water, so that's what it's called!

OK. I'm getting back to work on this cold, snowy day...

Best laid plans... I slept in a bit this morning, and that was great! There was a message from work, and though it wasn't essential that I drop by, it felt like the right thing to do. So I made a trip of it:

• Credit union (deposit/cash)
• Movie theater (pick up tickets for the Best Picture Festival!)
• Home Depot (pick up a ship-to-store order, that Airbnb thing is slowly coming together)
• Work (being a good employee, also delivering some of those BPF tickets)
• Meijer (for groceries, it's been open for months & this was my first time there)

It's very cold, but the sun is out. As soon as I got home, I started a pot of Chili All Day! It's definitely a good day for that. I was supposed to pick up Kate at the airport at 5:30 (she's been in NYC since Tuesday) and thought that would be a nice welcome home supper, but she won't be arriving until 10:30 now, due to delays. (It could be a nice welcome home bedtime snack!) (And will taste even better tomorrow!) (OMG, I just remembered that I forgot to buy Fritos... hopefully, Rusty will get my text & avert tragedy by stopping for some.)

Here's a Friday Amaryllis update! There's definitely some growth in that front pot, the one in the rear is looking good & healthy but taking her sweet time.

I also ran down to photograph some yarn before it got too late. That update is coming... it sure takes a lot of time to do all the things. Anyway,  I really like these... a series of 5 or 6 that were largely inspired by a photo of some fruit, the solid sunny orange skeins are older but they all look pretty good together, non?

I need a nap!

Joining Carole & friends for Three Things on Thursday...

Those three things being some recent photos that Maddy shared from Australia! Some of you follow her on Instagram -- and if not, here you go: @maddymooothes!

Do you see the koala in the tree?

Maddy & Viv were visiting family (hello, SHEEP FARM) and are now traveling a bit (Outback!) before vintage work begins in a couple of weeks -- Viv at a winery in Australia, and Maddy back in NZ at Wither Hills again. She's sent us photos of kangaroos, wallabies, and fruit bats (lots 'n lots of big ol' fruit bats) besides sheep, sheep doggies, koalas, and lizards (several varieties of those, too, and also big!).

OK! Who doesn't want another cute koala photo now?

TGIT! Tomorrow's my day off and I'm ready! We had a lot of snow fall yesterday -- no snow day because, you know, it didn't actually start to pile up until after I got to work -- and other than having to scrape/brush it all off of my car at the end of the day, it wasn't bad. But tomorrow, it's gonna be COLD -- the Wind Chill Advisory advises chills as low as -25 to -35F tonight and tomorrow!! So cold. It'll be a great day to stay in, and I have plenty to keep me busy.

Joining Kat & the Unravelers to share what I'm knitting and reading!

KNITTING:

I've started on the other belated Christmas present:

Ali's socks! They're exactly the same as Maddy's... and I realized that I did Christmas knitting for all three girls this year. This is an old photo, as I've already turned the heel and finished the gusset! Worsted FTW.

READING:

I finished Fashion Climbing: A Memoir with Photographs by Bill Cunningham. I enjoyed the glimpse at his early life and the crazy fashion industry, but I guess I tired of reading about fashion and sped through the last couple of chapters. Next up: My Brilliant Friend, which has long been on my TBR list, and was a gift from Carolyn K. for Jólabókaflóðið! 

I also finished listening to Tom Hanks and am currently listening to Brené Brown read Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead.

Alas, no snow day today...

Our Ginny girl, stylin' and stayin' warm!!

On the heels of brisk & clear moon-gazing days is the first major snowstorm of the season... and every time I look, the predicted snowfall grows! There could be a foot (and counting).

It was VERY cold (1ºF), but I couldn't help it! That cold temperature meant that the sky was crystal clear... and how often is there a Super Wolf Blood Moon??

These are not-so-great photos from my phone, but not bad considering... I love the colors of the moon and how it looks sort of painted.

I hope you had a great weekend! Other than having the kids for a while on Saturday afternoon/evening while Kate & Al went on a "sister date," I just sort of plunked along... not quite at 100% yet, but slowly improving. I predict that by the time Friday -- and the start of a 3-day weekend -- rolls around, I'll be feelin' fine.  :)

Thirty-four years ago today (also a Sunday) at Cape Kiwanda, Pacific City, OR:

Innocent babes get married! Heehee.

This is my 34th Wedding Anniversary card. Rusty often paints me cards for special occasions... someday I'm going to have to have a retrospective, because they're pretty great! This one is obviously neither to scale nor geographically correct... there's a big emphasis on Spain & England!!

All the important reservations (airline, lodging, car) have been made, the itinerary has been roughed in, and now it's the fun part... figuring out where we might want to go, see & explore, and where to EAT! Based on our destinations, I am predicting a heavy emphasis on seafood.

We are looking forward to visiting & vacationing with Annie & her family in Valencia during Las Fallas in March (with all of us going on a side trip to Galicia -- the "Atlantic Northwest" -- to escape some of the early noise & hubbub), and a leg to Cornwall for a few days on the way home.

I love having something to look forward to!

I finished the first of two belated Christmas presents last night. Monogamous knitting FTW!

Oh the DRAMA of photos taken by LED task light at o'dark-thirty on a winter morning!

• Ravelry Project Page: Ironworks for Kate
• Pattern: Ironworks Beret by Norah Gaughan, from MDK Field Guide No. 9: Revolution (in the Make.Do shop!)
• Yarn: Jill Draper Makes Stuff Windham
• Needles:  US 5 & 7 DPNs
• Start to Finish:  January 1 - 17, 2019

I finished all but the i-cord at Knit Night, then did that part and soaked/blocked when I got home -- using my largest dinner plate! I wished for one even an inch bigger. I can't wait to get a modeled shot!

Lo and behold, as I processed this pics I noticed a mistake where a cable wasn't crossed! This would be a serious flaw in the girders of the Eiffel Tower, which inspired this design, but will have no effect on the structural integrity of this beret, and will therefore likely remain uncrossed.

Unless I can't live with myself.

At any rate, I loved knitting this and I'd definitely knit another if another beret-wearer happens along. I don't wear hats, and am especially repulsed at the thought of wearing a tam/beret myself... thanks to my mother who, year after grade-school year, forced them on my unwilling head. Maybe Kate will love and want one in a different color... because I also loved knitting this yarn!

Next up, belated Christmas present #2: Ali's socks. I did a German Twisted Cast-on last night but... I think it was too TIGHT, and not very stretchy, so I ripped it out and will try again later today. That's the stretchy cast-on y'all said you liked for socks, right??

_ _ _ _ _

On a somber note, I have been rattled this week by the news that an old knit-blog friend suffered a stroke last Friday. I can't for the life of me remember what her blog was called, but Laurie and I are roughly the same age... she is a beloved mother, daughter, teacher, and friend. We share a love of a certain bit of Oregon coastline. She'd finally moved out of ICU yesterday, but was whisked back very early this morning. Her sons will need help in aiding her recovery, so a GoFundMe: Laurie Oberg Medical Fund has been established... and, if you're able, perhaps you'll consider helping them out. And also send some good juju in the direction of Salt Lake City, UT!

_ _ _ _ _

Thanks for stopping by. ❤️ Have a terrific weekend!

Hi there. It feels like ages since I've really been here.

• We're over the hump of January, and for that I am thankful.
• I got over the hump by taking a quick overnight Tues-Wed trip to Madison for a little get-together with Bookish Wendy (some of y'all may remember her from the "good old days" of blogging). She was (is, until tonight) in Wisconsin for a conference and I was happy to help break up her week.
• My sinus/cold thing is all but gone; I am breathing unimpeded (for the most part) 24/7 through both nostrils and the fog has lifted. Thankfully, there was never any sore throat, chest congestion, or coughing, which makes me think it wasn't really a "cold." More likely an allergic reaction, though I have no idea to what.
• The Christmas decorations are off the tree and put away, but the three is still standing! That's #1 on the list for Saturday.

• While putting away ornaments, I ran across the box of spare lights and fuses that's been collecting/growing for years. Guess what? I don't have them anymore!
• I finally finished listening to Tom Hanks' Uncommon Type! I enjoyed the stories and listening to Tom Hanks read them; the one little thing that irked was that there was no discernible pause between the stories. Though it's a little thing, I think it was one reason I avoided listening... in the back of my mind, at the beginning of every sentence, I'd be subconsciously wondering if it was still the same story or a was it a new one. Exhausting. In the end, I sped it up and listened to Tom Hanks reading really fast!
• Now I'm listening to Brené Brown reading Daring Greatly, which is marvelous -- her voice is wonderful -- but not while driving any distance. I listened both ways to Madison, and stopped to catch a wink or twenty each way... she was lulling me to sleep with her smooth, mesmerizing voice!

• I'm looking forward to a healthier, quieter, more uneventful second half of January.
• It sure would be nice to get a little sewing done! The itch has only grown since Ali send this photo of Ginny all cozied up with Malina's quilt.
• There are a million other things vying for attention, of course. Lately, I've been giving most of it to Kate's Ironworks Beret and I'm closing in on it.
• Next up: Ali's socks!

• I've also been readying some yarn... I actually found a few opportunities in the past few weeks to head down to the studio. Make.Do update soon! It'll be small, but I'm pretty pleased. Instagram is probably the best place to keep tabs on that. Hopefully soon!!
• In other news, among my Christmas gifts this year was a small flat of miscellaneous wood type. My local antique shop had posted it and I informed Rusty that it was immediately on my wish must-have list!

• Junah was intrigued by those letters, too, so we spelled his name and mine. That other piece is a large #1 -- it's probably 5-6" tall.

• I still haven't spent the quality time I'd like to with this... examining and sorting and playing and dreaming. I want to do another letterpress printing workshop now more than ever.

Thanks for reading!

And now he's 5!!

I can hardly believe it...

He was such a little nugget.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JUNAH!

There was a little friends & family party... and no shortage of present-opening helpers!

He decorated his own cake and it was just perfect!

_ _ _ _ _

I'm nearly recovered from the dastardly head cold after a 3-day weekend full of... not much. It was kind of a pain, but I'm thankful it didn't develop into anything more.

Joining Kat & the Unravelers with an update!

KNITTING:

I've been working on the first of two belated Christmas presents, Kate's Ironworks Beret, which I began on New Year's Day.

The pattern is in MDK Field Guide No. 9: Revolution, or, as I like to call it, the Norah Gaughan issue.

I have a ways to go, but I imagine the decreases will be starting pretty soon. I haven't knit cables in a while, and these are especially fun.

I'm using the specified yarn, Jill Draper's Windham, which I ordered from Ann & Kay at MDK, in the color Graphite... and it's GORGEOUS!! It's lovely to work with, too.

My cute project bag is made by Madder Root, and was a Rhinebeck purchase. That particular bag is sold out at the moment, but there are so many other great designs!

READING:

The reading is the same, same, (almost the) same!

However slowly, I am making progress on all fronts. But now that the holiday ruckus is behind us and people are all either home or well on their way, I am mainly concentrating on staving off a cold! I'm looking forward to a Friday-off workweek this week, which means a long weekend and hopefully lots of rest... though possibly with a side of taking down the tree and definitely celebrating a 5-year-old's birthday (without spreading too many germs)!!

Originally, Maddy was to depart for Australia/New Zealand on New Year's Eve, but with the fall on Christmas, ER visit, stitches, swollen and sore, and just not quite in the best shape for such a long trip, she decided to postpone it.

Instead of heading Down Under on NYE, she ended up visiting both the dentist and the endodontist when she noticed that one of her top teeth was becoming discolored. The tooth registered zero sensitivity, and she wound up the year with a(nother*) root canal!

It's been great having her around, and we've had some wonderful family get-togethers. Yesterday, Kate baked a Victoria Sponge for our send-off dinner... which was pizza (haha)! The cake was a triumph!

The recipe was from Jamie Oliver's Great Britain cookbook, which Kate had given me for birthday or Christmas a few years ago. It was truly spectacular, and so delicious!

So, anyway, away she goes today... Maddy leaves here late this morning for Chicago, then L.A., and finally Sydney where Viv will meet her! They are going to travel and explore Australia for the next month, then Maddy will again work the vintage at Wither Hills. And then... who knows!? I do know that we won't likely see her again until next Christmas.

It was a great month despite the ER visit, stitches, and root canal!

*We're really against making this a tradition!

OK. This is going to be a super random dump of odds & ends that have been swirling in my brain...

It was kind of a crazy long holiday around here, beginning right after Thanksgiving with Maddy's arrival & Viv's visit. We celebrated, more or less (something/anything/everything), all of December, right through Christmas, and continuing with Ann & family's arrival for a few days just before the end of the year.

Mack picked up right where he left off last summer... with a baby in his arms! He's so sweet on her. It's adorable!

We made two visits to a new-to-us and spectacular indoor pool/rec center while Ann was here, once with Ali & the kids, and once with friends (above). Junah's going to be 5 years old in 5 days... and he looks it, doesn't he?!

We played a lot of Bananagrams!

It sure is a fun game. Maddy called me over to see one particular word she'd made...

All day long on New Year's Day, I was thinking "begin as you mean to go on," but I also just needed to chill, y'know?

One thing that I did do was the refashioning of a thrift store find -- rescued from the Clearance Rack (at the thrift store, so it was maybe $1.50). I don't know why it was on clearance -- well, actually, yes I do... it had sewn-on ribbing at the hem & cuffs that gathered the fabric and at the wrist and made for a bubble-butt look that wouldn't be flattering on anyone! I really liked the fabric and the size/length and thought for all of one second about whether to buy & re-work it. It took a while, but it was so easy to cut off the ribbing and turn up/sew new hems. I've been wearing it almost everyday since!!

I was pretty awful with picture-taking over the holidays... the one above isn't even mine (credit to Ali!). It tells the story, though: it was a chaotic & fun holiday season with the very best people. ❤️

Finally, the last wrap-up of 2018, I think... my Top Songs on Spotify. My #1 artist was, again, Gregory Alan Isakov, followed by The National, Amber Run, Lord Huron, and Langhorne Slim; and my favorite subgenre was the rather esoteric "Indie Folk."

They made me a playlist of my Top 100 songs... don't let "indie folk" scare you, it's a crazy fun mix of music! I was playing it yesterday and Katie asked about a few songs she was (surprisingly) unfamiliar with, eventually declaring it a "solid" playlist, which I consider high praise! Haha. Anyway, have a listen... maybe you'll find something new to like, too!

Joining Carole & friends for *Three Things on Thursday

Actually, one Thing  -- a Bullet Journal -- and three photos of it.

I've never done a Bullet Journal -- or any kind of journal, really. Six pages of the diary I got for Christmas when I was 11 hardly counts.

Kay was talking about it at MDK just before Christmas -- just as I had a ton of things to keep track of -- and I decided to sort of try it out for the holidays. And I liked it. I had a "cover" with a line for each day and a bare-bones description of what was happening -- who was arriving or which celebration or where we were going. There was a section inside devoted to each day where I kept track of details -- schedules, how many for dinner, the menu. It was GREAT!!

Meanwhile, I ordered an actual journal for myself -- and one for Rusty, too, because he is a journaler from way back, and it was his birthday on the 26th!

I'm trying out a few things, but I know already that even without sketches, calligraphy, and all the other doodads, it could turn into a huge time suck and I am not about that. At all. I am well aware of all the "inspiration" to be found on Instagram and Pinterest, and have been keeping my distance!

I rather enjoyed drawing out that January/Monthly Log calendar, but I don't think I'll be doing that for every month... I have a million monthly calendars at my fingertips, and this one doesn't really seem all that useful. In fact, it'll probably make me frustrated and mad... unless I dedicate it to keeping track of one or two very specific tasks. Hm. I do have one or two specific & related tasks that I need to be reminded of... Maybe I will be doing that every month.

There's a reason that some of what I've written in this journal so far is in pencil.

The Future Log seems useful -- a simple listing, by month and at a glance, of important events/reminders.

I am very  excited about my Duolingo-Spanish log, which I just created last night, picking up with a refresher from where I left off two years ago. I plan to practice/meet my goal everyday until our vacation in Spain (designated in red)... and it looks like my subconscious chart designer decided to carry on right through to the end of the year! We'll see.

Meanwhile (bonus photos), I'm not above this sort of thing...

...format, print, cut, tape!

But I also ordered washi tape... way more than I thought! So we'll just have to see where this all goes.

I'm planning to keep track of some vacation stuff -- packing lists, reminders, a log. And house stuff -- room dimensions, paint chips, window measurements, the size of those dang furnace filters. And gift lists. And... I dunno what else! It's a book made for lists and I'm looking forward to keeping them all in one place.

Do you BuJo? I'd love to hear a little about how you use it... the thing(s) that work best for you, and those that don't!

Joining Kat & the Unravelers... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

KNITTING:

I started & finished 19 items in 2018, with the exception of "Habu for Me" which was started in 2009!

• Two hats
• Two adult cardigans
• Four infant/toddler cardigans
• Two shawls -- somehow missing from the photo array is "Summer Camp"
• Three pairs of mukluk slippers
• One pair of socks
• One pair of mitts
• Four gnomes

Four items started & not finished or abandoned in 2018:

• Water (still working on it)
• Lunar Phase (abandoned) - interesting design, just not for me. (But what a great enamel pin!)
• Morvarch (in the future file) - love this design
• Parallelogram (in time out, likely to be abandoned/frogged) - my wrist/arm/elbow can't take the repetitive motion. I've been considering that I may need to make some changes to the way I knit.*

Details (more or less) on all of the above on my Ravelry page: I am knitorious!

To start the new year, I cast on Kate's Ironworks Beret (for Christmas 2018) and as soon as I finish that, I'll knit Ali's socks (also for Christmas 2018).

READING:

I read 15 books last year, which is 10 less than I'd hoped for... and it's a stretch to call at least one of them a "book."

I am still reading Fashion Climbing: A Memoir with Photographs by Bill Cunningham, and have recently made a point of reading a few pages every night! I have a couple in wait, including My Brilliant Friend, which I received from Carolyn K. as part of this season's Jólabókaflóðið exchange, once again brilliantly organized by Susan!

I'm still listening to Tom Hanks read Uncommon Type: Some Stories. I am enjoying the book and stories and like Tom Hanks' voice... I don't know why I'm not listening more. I sped it up a bit last week and have been trying to get back into the habit of listening during my commute.

I've set a goal of 20 books for 2019... and will just see how it goes!

*I continue to "feel" my shoulder injury, which occurred on Sept. 1st; there seems to be continued improvement overall, which I credit to early treatment, and mostly to my husband for his willingness to work on my shoulder/arm for about 10 minutes every single morning. Some days are better than others -- it's not only shoulder discomfort, but elbow & forearm as well. I haven't knit for long stretches in one sitting for quite a while, but I don't seem to be experiencing very much knitting-related discomfort... except when I do ribbing!