Getting in the Christmas Spirit

Bah Humbug.

I've been very Scrooge-y here lately. I'm counting down the days until Christmas, but not with anticipation. I'm working on all my projects, but to me, they are just one more thing to cross off the list of things to do.

Before I go any further with this post, let me just say that our trip to the Animal shelter last week yeilded a small, 10 month old orange kitty which we adopted and named Pumpkin Truffle.

Pumpkin is still a bit skitterish, but is settling in well enough. Mattan was a "percher" but Pumpkin is what I call a "duck and hide" kitty. When he wants to relax, he likes to get under our bed and snooze. At night, when I am locked in my room knitting on... er... something.... Pumpkin likes to curl up in my lap. Usually he'll snooze a bit, but lately he has been loosening up a lot and now attacks that horrible yarn that keeps tapping him on the ears or back while I am stitching away. The other day I was knitting along and came to the end. Only there wasn't supposed to be an end to the yarn there. That striped kitty (who we really should have named Neelix, really, but the kids wouldn't have understood that) bit the yarn in two! Little stinker. It was good yarn too. Oh well... such are the hazards of owning a cat I guess.



He is quite lovey-dovey once he becomes comfortable with you. He is absolutely terrified of Isaac. He refuses to be in the same room as that loud, unpredictable two legged creature. He is slowly warming up to the others, but it is going to take a while. The kids all agree (and so do I, but don't tell them that!) that it is nice to have a kitty in the house again.

This week we have kicked it all into high gear. Monday, we made home made Christmas cards. Tuesday we did our annual candy making. Wednesday we painted some wooden ornaments I got on sale at JoAnn's last weekend. The kids were all gung-ho on decorating Monday, as well, so we split it all up into teams and did it. It didn't take long.



Christmas music is playing, presents are getting made, some are even getting wrapped, and I think I am finally getting a little bit into the spirit of things. I joked with Dale that by the time I feel like I'm in the Christmas spirit it will be Easter!





I can't share too much of what I have been up to since some of my readers need to be kept in the dark for nine more days. :D I can tell you that Isaac's quilt is coming along fabulously. I absolutely love the fabrics I picked out. I have the top all done, and the back prepped, and was going to get it all basted this afternoon while Isaac was sleeping only to find I didn't have batting. Ugh. I was just at JoAnn's Saturday for crying out loud! Why didn't I think to get batting? I have a wee little bit, not even enough to piece together to make a big enough piece for the crib quilt.

I went to start getting the cards we made all filled out. I like to use my fancy calligraphy pen set to make it look extra special, but wouldn't you know it, the set is MIA? I looked through drawers, shelves, under desks, then the kids looked, but to no avail. I may have to purchase another set.

Feeling rather frustrated over the delays in what I really NEED to get done NOW, I decided to just start piecing another quilt. Ahhh.... stress relief therapy. This one is overdue for my newest nephew. It won't be ready to send with the Christmas gifts, but should be done shortly after the new year.

Other sundry secret projects are coming along on schedule, with minor glitches that come with crafting anything.

Oh, did I mention the shopping is all done? Esther and I finished it up last weekend. I was breathing a sigh of relief when I realized that just because the shopping was over, that didn't mean my job was done. AT that time I still had cards to make, candy to make, ornaments to paint decorating to do (all done, as previously stated), but now I need to finish Isaac's quilt, a couple of other little gifts, and wrap like crazy. Some of it will have to be wrapped and ready to get in the mail by this Saturday.

While we were at the mall (gasp.. faint... jaw drop... I actually braved the mall! In December! Those of you who know me know I am NOT a mall rat, and stay away from them usually like they were the plaque), we stopped at a Subway for a very late lunch. I needed a break and a chance to revamp my list, check it twice, figure out who has been naughty or nice... oh wait, that isn't my job!

While we were eating we were regaled by a young teen group playing Christmas music. This live band would have been more pleasant to listen to if the accompanying instruments were softer. Why they had the sound so loud on the guitars, I'll never know. What little I heard from the vocalists, made me think that they had nice voices, but you absolutely could not make out the words at all, and most of the time the singer was totally overpowered. When we did hear her, she hit a good half of the notes off key.

I know, it sounds like a Scrooge type comment. But I couldn't help it. Few things irritate me more than performers being off key and overpowered by instruments. And the poor teen group got my bad review when we got home, because they were inferior by comparison.

What happened was that when Esther and I got home, Benjamin and Elizabeth and Josiah had the pizza made, and the table set with candles like a little pizza bistro. We were waited on for every little thing we wanted. It was so sweet! The pizza was delicious (kudos to Chez Ben). As we were finishing up, Benjamin brought up his guitar and he played while Elizabeth sang a few folks songs and a couple of hymns.

I have to say, I was proud of them. Now there is a gal that can sing on key! Even when her big brother flubs up on the guitar.

Not that I'm biased. :)