2008

I'll be away from posting until the New Year.  I hope everyone has planned time for fun and relaxation this weekend.  Brian and I have plans to travel with good friends, eat plenty of yummy food, ski, shop, and perhaps visit some wineries.  Of course, I'll squeeze in some time to knit.  I'll share more when we return.

Let's raise a cybernet glass to a toast for 2008.  May our wishes be fulfilled and our hearts content, may we find time to enjoy our friends and family, and find our jobs stable and rewarding.  Any one have anything to add?

For all of the dog lover's out there...

a call for a prayer. 

Jeff and Jacqueline, our brother and sister-in-law, brought home a special puppy last weekend.  They found a German shepherd which they named Addison (the Grey's Anatomy fans out there should get that) and quickly fell in love.  We met her for Christmas last week and had such a great time with her.  She was a very sweet puppy and as puffy as a teddy bear.  Maggie rolled and tumbled with her all over my in-laws.  They were fast friends.  I intended to post some pics of them and their puppy antics, but left my camera at my parents home on Tuesday.  Here's a photo of Jacqueline's.

We just received news that Addison has a very serious heart murmur and Jeff and Jacqueline will be returning her to the breeder.  You can read more here.  Anyone with a pet of their own can probably feel their pain.  

Merry Christmas to All!

From my family to yours,
I hope you have a warm and merry Christmas! May Santa bring you all that you dream of and may 2008 be a year of health, happiness and success.

Sincerely,
Brian, Angie and Maggie

Picture this...

You're in the gym locker room. You look left and see a lady with a braided sweatband, mullet and stretchy pants with the leotard over top. You double check your calendar, and no, it's not 1984.

No kidding

This is a real conversation that I had with a patient today. No specifics will be made as to maintain anonymity. Anyway, I've probably had this same conversation with about 50 other people, so I highly doubt it could be traced. Those of you in health care will understand the following.

Patient: What can you do to help me lose weight?
Me: Tell me the kinds of food you eat.
Patient: In the morning I snack on carrots, celery, crackers, peanut butter and Jello cups. Then I don't eat until dinner.
Me: Do you eat out a lot?
Patient: No. Today I had two double cheeseburgers and a fry, but that's all I'll eat all day.
Me: If you're going to eat out, at least try to minimize your portions.
Patient: I did. I had a small fry. It's the fries that are bad for you.
Me: What about the cheeseburgers?!
Patient: Those aren't that bad for you.
Me: You're kidding me, right? Let's move on. How about exercise?
Patient: That would take willpower. I can't make myself exercise. Don't you have a pill you could give me?

And this is why so many obese people cannot lose weight. It actually takes willpower and stick-to-it-tiveness. That's right. I made up a word.

What happens

when I drink too much caffeine before bed time.

I lie awake trying to think of the theme song from Growing Pains.

Show me that smile again. (Oh show me that smile)
Don't waste another minute on your cryin'.

Then I dream about trying to make Neil Patrick Harris like me (Barney, not Doogie). Even though I know he's gay.

In honor of the snow...

Yeah or Neh?

I found this pattern in the Winter issue of Knitty. Who thinks I should make it? Of course, it was perfect that they pictured a beagle for the model.



I always wanted to knit a cute shrug for my future daughter. Now there's nothing stopping me from making one for my current "child."



(Brian thinks this last dog looks like a pig.)

A Good Hurt

Sunday I did a lot of this



which turned into this.



And now I'm feeling a lot of this.



But didn't my first handspun turn out beautifully?! (This is where you lavish me with compliments even if you've never seen another skein of handspun to compare it to.) It was worth all the pain.

Love of all things ornamental

My mom has had me hooked on ornaments since I was a small child. It started with sparkly Rainbow Brite bulbs, to scenes with movement and lights, and on to classic Hallmark keepsakes. I still purchase myself some Hallmark Keepsake ornaments - especially the Frosty Friends series. Brian and I also try to pick up an ornament souvenir on each of our vacations.

Here is a burro from our trip to Las Vegas this year. He is no nonsense and ready to carry your load.



My mom purchased this for me last year - It's a S'mores knitting a scarf. Hurry man! Knit before somebody eats you.



And one of my new creations - a mini-sweater. The sheep is made with angora, so he's realistically fuzzy. I love it right down to it's tiny little hangar. And unlike most sweaters I knit, the tree won't be complaining that the arm holes are too tight.



It's a great tree - a definite keepsake.

"Always look on the bright side of life"

Brian and I treated ourselves for Christmas and went to E. Lansing to see Spamalot at the Wharton Center. This is the broadway take-off of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  Many people know this cult-classic with favorites like the Knights that say "ni," the legless fighting knight, and the killer rabbit. I don't know if I ever sat through the movie straight through - but I'm sure I would now. Brian and I laughed the whole way through. I would dare to say we even guffawed. I especially liked the scene with the French tower guards taunting King Arthur with insults such as "I will fart in your general direction! I will burst my pimples on you!"

If anyone is looking for a good laugh and some fun music - I highly recommend this show!

Linkage

This is too funny - and so true.
Brian, if you're reading this, of course I don't mean you.


hattip to Dooce

These photos were found on the Yarn Harlot's site. No trick photography here - just beautiful snowflakes and yarn.



And closer up...



Unbelievable.

Yes it is fair

Mamins gave me and Brian a little chocolate treat this weekend.



As this clearly states, marital bliss occurs when the 50/50 division of chocolate really becomes 60/40. Brian opened the bar and ate 1/2 of it. We must need marriage counseling.

Knitting Cheer from the Postman

The post office is starting to catch on to the new coolness!

Proud Mary

(Okay, first get the song going in your head - now here's my interpretation)

"Big wheels keep on spinning.  Proud Angie keeps on knitting.  I said Rollin'...Rollin'....Rollin with a spinning wheel."

My favorite man of the week, Kyle ("TOK"), talked his mom into loaning me her spinning wheel.  We brought it home last night.  It's a beautiful single treadle Louet.  It's even built in Holland.  It looks a lot like this one.

I have my spinning group tonight, so I can get a short lesson to get myself started.  I'm sure my first skein of yarn will come out uneven and chunky, so I have plans for a hat.  I can't wait!

As the weekend dwindles...

This weekend has been quiet and calm. It's nice to have those kinds of weekends once in a while, but without the busy weekends, I wouldn't realize their worth.
Before the snow and slush hit yesterday, we had the chance to take Maggie to the local dog park. She loved running around with the large dogs and did her best to keep up. She chased after them, pitifully barking as if to say, "Wait up for me guys!"



I just had to photograph this pitiful face of hers. This is how she looked after we took her away from her dog park friends so we could shop for a Christmas tree.



We went to a Christmas tree farm in Fennville. This year we bought a Fraser Fir. I usually lean towards blue spruce due to their strong and numerous branches, but Brian was tired of the thousands of needle punctures he ends up with after moving the tree and stringing lights. This tree is beautiful with its soft up-turned needles.



Our blonde moment of the day was that the tree was 1 1/2 ft too tall for it's space....nothing a bit of sawing couldn't fix, but still a bit of a waste of money when you pay $5/foot.

The highlight of the weekend was a dinner with Chuck and Patty. Chuck celebrates his birthday on Monday, so we wanted to take them out for some dinner. We had some Japanese food (with sushi) at the Wild Chef here in Holland. They were also kind enough to brave the storm and bring us our new couch. Isn't it lovely? It's a sleeper sofa, so we'll always have a place for guests! (hint hint) We picked it up for "half off" at a liquidation sale at Bells in Rockford. It's a Christmas present to ourselves...so much for a spinning wheel :) 



Now off to enjoy what's left of this Sunday!