Brandy and Rusty, a Christmas portrait.
Our Christmas cookies, courtesy of Karla, Amy, and Tara (I baked a couple, too, but theirs were better!)
A couple shots of Grandma with Brandy. 
Brandy with my brother, Jeff.
As I'm sure you can tell, Brandy enjoyed her trip very much and is hoping to go back to San Jose next year for Christmas!
How many movies can I see during two weeks off from work? I have this thing about trying to see all 5 nominees for the best picture Academy Award each year, and it seems that the very best movies of the year come out in December. Here is my winter break "to-do" list...reviews forthcoming:
So, I was trying to find a project to use the extra skein of yarn I bought which is TLC Amore in the lovely color "seaglass." I of course went straight to Ravelry where I found this cool pattern called "Frock Camisole":
Now, as I confessed to my knitting group on Sunday, I've never made a human sweater. I've been knitting for about 10 years, and I've made lots of blankets, dishcloths, scarves, socks, a market bag, a backpack, and even a teeny-tiny doggie sweater, but never a sweater for a person. Part of the problem is that I hate to seam. Also I'm scared, because a sweater actually needs to fit to some degree, unlike a blanket or a scarf which can come out any old size and still be okay. Gail reminded me that there are sweater patterns out there which require little or no seaming. The "Frock Camisole" pattern is mostly knitted in the round, and assuming I make it that far, I will only need to attach the straps in the back. It also looks pretty loose-fitting in the picture, so I am hoping there's room for error as far as sizing goes. It's a pretty simple pattern and I've already completed about and inch and a half. I will post pictures of my progress soon...
Okay, it's time for one of my patented free endorsements again...
Thanks to all my dear friends for coming out and to Meggie for organizing. Love you!!
We exited the Hall in the midst of a little snow flurry - a pretty scene which certainly made this cold weather worthwhile.
This morning, we got up around 9 for our proprietor's yummy breakfast. Later, we ventured out in the 40-something degree weather for a visit to Cooperstown proper. We decided to check out the Wax Museum, which was actually pretty cute...
Me, with a wax Madonna from A League of Their Own.
We then spent a couple of hours at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, checking out the inductees plaques, but we'll be back tomorrow for a longer visit followed by a more detailed post...
Last night I was so privileged to see the infamous Madonna in concert in San Diego. This was the fifth time I've seen the Material Girl live:The ease of being in touch has created a phenomenon that Rainie calls "love taps," in which couples exchange hellos and touch base with a regularity that did not exist 10 years ago.
I will be participating in a walk later this month to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. My sister-in-law battled lymphoma several years ago. Scientists have made great gains toward curing blood cancers in the past decade, thanks in part to fund-raising efforts of organizations like the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Please think about joining me for the "Light the Night" walk and if you'd like to donate, here's my fundraising link:
The first thing we had to do when we got on board was stand out in the blazing-hot direct sunlight for 20 minutes for a lifeboat drill. This is annoying. I know it's important for safety, but it's still annoying.
You Are a Carousel |
 You are young at heart and a truly playful person. No one would ever accuse you of taking life too seriously. You are definitely in things for the fun. You find joy easily, and you are often building up anticipation for your next adventure. In relationships, you tend to want to be babied and taken care of. And while you may be a bit high maintenance, you are incredibly loyal. Your life is simple and satisfying. Each day you treat yourself to something you enjoy. You have a lot of emotional attachments, and experiences are extra vivid to you. You tend to be nostalgic and sentimental. The past is important to you. Comfortable around all living things, you have a special connection to animals and children. At your best, you are whimsical, free spirited, and creative. Even if your schemes seem a bit strange, they usually work out wonderfully. At your worst, you are spoiled, demanding, and impossible to satisfy. You've been known to act like a brat if you aren't getting your way! |
You Are a Frappacino |
 At your best, you are: fun loving, sweet, and modern At your worst, you are: childish and over indulgent You drink coffee when: you're craving something sweet Your caffeine addiction level: low |
A sad day especially for me. My uncle had his wedding September 12, 2001, so my dad was flying out on September 11, 2001. But thank goodness the flight was full. But I just think about it every day, how my dad could be gone forever and my little brother was just born. I was 2 and I think about how thankful I am and lucky I am for him to still be with me alive. And my first friend that we met at 6 months old, her dad worked at that twin tower building but amazingly took the day off. God let us both have our fathers today and I thank him so I pray happily to God every single September 11th. I will never forget that moment in my life. It's true. Ask my dad. The End
It always blows me away how fearless suburban coyotes are. This one was not exception. When it saw us, it trotted a little ways away, jumped up onto the raised flowerbed, then just turned around and stared at us. Brandy did not even see it, fortunately - the last thing I wanted was her barking and lunging at a coyote! As we trotted past, coyote kept it's eyes trained on me, sizing me up without flinching or backing away at all. What a cool animal!!
I need to plan out a new jogging route. Mine is fraught with perils, and I do not mean uneven sidewalks!! Currently, part of my run is on Ted Williams Parkway, along a sidewalk with large trees growing on the street side. It seems that spiders live on these trees, and this year must have been a baby boom year for spiders! In the past, I’ve been jogging merrily along and have run into a strand or two of spiderweb. But in the past week, I have twice run into what felt like the web of Shelob! Oh, and I jog at 5 A.M., when it is still pitch dark outside. Anyway, these icky, unexpected encounters with Aragog’s fly-catching net of course necessitate my stopping, cursing loudly and then dancing and hopping around while I repeatedly brush off every inch of my body to make sure that a massive 8-legged beast is not crawling around in my hair. Brandy patiently watches, and I’m pretty sure she is laughing at
me.
was after and saw a fluffy black and white tail disappearing around the bend. Cursing again, I yanked Brandy back before she continue to pursue little Pepe. Luckily, there was no spraying and we were able to continue unscathed.
