Christmas is coming!

Happy Advent!

I have not abandoned the blog. That being said I have been running full tilt since October, right up until I got a virus that put me in bed for two weeks. I have also hosted a birthday party for my five year old Bumper (Where did the time go?)

Currently we are getting ready for Christmas. Two weeks ago I put in 15 volunteer hours at the Bumper's school. The Cafeteria lady and I baked, wrapped, and put angel stickers on  500 sugar cookies to be given out at the Christmas play. It was intense and did not leave much time for anything else.We have three candles on the Advent Wreath.

The infamous sugar cookie

This weekend we pulled down the decorations and managed to put up the outside lights, and the mantle garland, but the tree is still bare and the Nativity still in the box. I have 2 hat and scarf sets to knits, mittens and a blanket to crochet (which the Bumper informed me must be finished by Christmas). We also have yet to send out our Christmas cards, or do the baking. We still need to make Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oatmeal Cookies, Butter Tarts, and a birthday cake for baby Jesus(the Bumper's idea).

In the middle of all this business, one thought anchors me : On Christmas Eve we will go to Midnight Mass and let the gratttitide, love, and joy we have be reflectin on over Advent come pouring forth in song, and praise as we proclaim and celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ! This the core, the most important part. Everything else is gravy.

Peace of Christ this Holiday
Kim

Nearly Wordless Wednesday and New Years Eve Musings

It is New Years Eve. It feels weird. I am at turns melancholy and excited. 2014 was largely in the shadow of the tragic events of the end of 2013. Grief doesn't end with the funeral, I learned I can not allot a certain time and place to grieve and be done with it I had to let the feelings come and go as they willed, and still do. Yet there was plenty of joy in 2014, I got to watch the Bumper grow, make friends and learn new skills ( I am most proud of her reading the letters in her name, she is most proud of walking the balance beam at her school, climbing trees and jumping from swings).

I am looking forward to making my New Years Goals, and challeging myself in the coming year. I make goals rather than resolutions. In my mind resolutions are easily made, easily broken, and easily forgotten. Goals on the other hand give me something to strive for and work toward accomplishing. If I did not accomplish some of them I can revise and try again next year! When I do accomplish one I cross it off the list and make another to put in its place.  I have cherished the still quiet moments of this past year, and small things have given me happiness and joy. My faith was tested, stretched, and I hope grew. May this continue in the New Year.

Let' s Ring in the New!

Kim

Hooky Happiness and Knitty Goodness

Well the Christmas crochet frenzy is behind me. I made a hat and scarf for Nana, a scarf for my sister and hat for the Bumper. I gifted Nana with yarn in the colors of the hat and scarf she wants me to make next, because there just was not enough time in the days before Christmas to get it all done. So now I am looking forward to new projects. I am so excited because there are several things I want to to try and make this year.

Hat and Scarf to Go

Think of all the wee little hats!

First up will be Nana's gift. Hopefully it will be done in time for the annual February cold snap. Next will be the baby hats I am working on for a hospital in need of hats for newborns -- a stash buster and I get to give something back -- win win! Here is the address if anyone else is interested:
Attn: Rachel F
 5007 Opal Drive
Cheyenne, WY
82009 USA

Cozy Blanket here I come!

The Bumper is still asking for mittens and I am looking for an easy knit pattern. Then I will create something just for me and I am so excited. I did not get my act together in time to do the Crochet Along with Lucy at Attic 24 http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2014/11/cosy-blanket-cal-part1.html  
 but I still want to work up the blanket and am looking forward to it. 

And the sock is still here

Last but not least is the sock that never ends. I have not forgotten about the sock, but I can crochet faster than I can knit. I am still a beginner when it comes to knitting, however; I have a goal I am working towards and it is something I have wanted to knit ever since I was ten years old. Can anybody guess what it might be? It is not socks, but they are a good and challenging starting place.

p.s. It is not a hat, I have a gauge story about hats that put me off knitting for a good many years.

Kim

Meatless Monday and Christmas Catch Up

Candles to welcome the Light of the World

The Christmas holiday is still going strong over here. In my family we celebrate the twelve days of Christmas. We will take down our decorations after the feast of the Epiphany, in the meantime we are still singing carols and rejoicing in the birth of the Savior even as the rest of the world has moved on.
The Bumper has thoroughly enjoyed herself. She was much more aware of what was going on than in past years. Nana and I definitely caught her excitement and I was willing to stay up late and fill her stocking. The look on her face Christmas morning was well worth the extra effort. The best part for me was when she snuggled down in her bed that night and said: "Mom I love our family. I am glad God gave me our family." We then had a still quiet moment as the Bumper asked God to take care of her Daddy, who she wished could be with us but understands that he is with God.

Happy Birthday Baby Jesus

On the other hand my sister and her husband were not able to join us for Christmas this year because they were laid up with the flu and were bedridden the entire week. Well they say misery loves company, and I caught a sympathy cold that had me out for the count Christmas night and all the day after. The Bumper now has what I had and is being very quiet today.  I am on the mend but am dragging a little bit.

Now here is the thing, I like m y cuppa in the morning (whether green tea or coffee or lemon water depends on my mood), and I especially like pumpkin spice latte. Yeah I know I am late on the pumpkin bandwagon, but as far as I am concerned pumpkin can be eaten all winter long. What I don't like are coffee house prices and fussy recipes. Don't get me wrong, I have found some wonderful vegan recipes, but frankly I don't have that kind of time.  So I give you Busy Mom's Pumpkin spice latte:

 8-16oz Hot brewed coffee
2-3Tbs non-dairy creamer of choice
1tsp pumpkin pie spice

Add the creamer and sprinkle spice on top and voila:  Pumpkin Spice latte (vegan).  The way I figure I all really wanted is the spice taste, if I am trying to add nutrition to my coffee I need to rethink my breakfast choices!

Happy Drinking,
Kim

Finished the Bumper's hat with not a moment to spare!

Randomly on Thursday

1. Feeling a little aggravated and stressed today. I wanted to be all in the Christmas spirit and start cleaning and decorating but it has not worked out that way. Nana decided to be a lady who lunches with her friends, which of course she has every right to, and the Bumper decided to overturn the living room chaise lounge to use as a tumbling platform and then dump all of her toys out onto the floor so she could find her favorite stuffed kangaroo, perfectly understandable, but she refused to pick up afterwards.

2. Started the Bumper's hat yesterday. It is a pretty easy and fun crochet pattern, but the author stated it could be worked up in an hour. The author probably does not have a small child who thinks it is the height of hilarity to unravel balls of yarn. The result being I have to work on such things after the Bumper is asleep.

3. We have company coming tomorrow. A friend I have not seen in fourteen years, it will be fun catching up. She has three kids and the third is not yet sleeping through the night , while I only have the Bumper I still feel her pain.

4. This Saturday the Bumper starts dance practice for the Fiesta. I think I am more excited than she is. I can't help myself the little kids always look so cute in their costumes.

5. I love Christmas carols.

6. I wanted to post yesterday, but I was still too upset about the news of  yet another Taliban school shooting. This time 148 people lost their lives. Most of them were children, just trying to get the kind of basic education we here in the States take for granted. I feel angry and helpless. All I can do is pray. I pray for the victims, their families, and the shooters and their families. Only God can change the hearts of such wicked misguided people. It is especially hard as we heard toward the celebration of the Birth of He who came to reconcile God and Man.

7. I am currently trying to decide if it will be worth it to make butter tarts and if it is possible it make a vegetarian version of French Canadian Meat Pie?

8. Famous last words: Next year I will be more organized.

9. The Bumper has been busy conducting water experiments in the bathroom. It is the least destructive thing she has chosen to do today.

Kim