Are you Ready for Christmas yet?

Well, goodie for you if you are.

I am nowhere near ready. This year is going to pass us all bye bye, I think. With Dad in the hospital so much, we're all pretty down on the idea of Christmas, plus I've already got my present (my new tennis shoes), Jeff's present was a hand-knit pair of gloves, most of the rest of the family is getting a hat--and maybe some small thing--but I'm not going overboard this year at all.

I guess the Christmas Spirit hasn't bitten me yet.

It is darned cold outdoors, too. I just stepped out to get my phone out of the car so that the components inside didn't freeze, and forgot that I had sandals on--until I stepped out the door--into an inch of pure, driven snow--and let me tell you--

Them nerves, they be a workin'!

My feets are still protesting 20 minutes later!

I started Dad's Camo Chemo Cap today. I cast on 115 stitches on size 5 needles sport yarn, and it almost seems like too many. It's a mindless knit, so I'll go on it for a while, and then try it on and see if it's too big for me--if it's too big for me, then it will be too big for dad, and I'll have to decrease down a few stitches, and use what I have so far for a brim.

No progress on the piggie socks, though. This is discouraging. I really want to give them to my mother for Christmas, but I don't think I have it in me to actually MAKE them. The yarn is too fiddly, and I don't much care for intarsia, I guess. I can DO it, but that's not the point--there's so much counting, and I don't know how to weave on the purl side--weaving's easy when you're knitting in the round, but this is flat--so I am making mistakes, and that makes me set things aside--when I know I'm not doing it right.

I think I need the Yarn Harlot or Grumperina--someone to sit with and show me how to do it, because it's just not a fun knit the way it is.

Anyhow, the trials and tribs of a knitting fool.

I pulled cards on my friend--you know, the one who was so depressed at the last spin night/knit night--anyway, the last 2 cards in the celtic cross spread was the queen and king of wands--both upside down, which tells me that neither of them is going to be happy in this new found life, whether it be temporary or not--and the crossing card was the ace of swords...never a good sign. In fact, many of the cards in her spread were reversed, and that always says something. The cover card was the 8 of swords, I think, and I took that to mean going through a rough time where you don't know what's ahead of you because you're too blinded by your emotions...um, yep, that would be the issue.

So let's see what I pull from the Celtic deck...hmmm.

Cover card: 4 of wands
Crossing card: The Sun
Beneath/foundation: The Moon
Recent past: The Chariot
Crown: 4 of cups rev
Immed. Future: Initiation
Self: 4 of pents
house: 6 of pents reversed
Hopes: 10 of wands reversed
Long distance future/final outcome: 6 of swords rev.

It would appear that there may be some discussion going on between he/she, and things are smoothing out a bit. She has been thinking about going back to school to develop a skill, and may be looking further into that. The card says to take it slow and work it out to the last detail. You can't get much better than the Sun for a crossing card, though, which indicates that things are going to work out successfully, but with the Moon as foundation, which implies some sense of misgiving and distrust, shady dealings and unsure outcomes, it's almost as if the depression that she's been feeling is planning to remain in the picture, just below the surface, as it were.

Recent past, the Chariot indicates something about her car most likely--in previous spread, it was the crowning card, and made me think of it as one of her victories--obtaining a vehicle for her use. Now, it's looking like that victory may have been perhaps not lost, but not something of so much great import any longer. With the 4 of cups reversed as the crowning card, it says that she's been seeking happiness "from without" and finding that lacking, has come to the realization that she's really got to get going on making herself happy, but she's unsure which way to go to make that happen. She needs to do a lot of soul searching. All true.

Future card is Initiation--very much like one of the aces in any suit, a new beginning or pathway to learning and understanding...a mark much like a street sign that says "Your life--thataway.." The turning point is coming. But the cards also portends the obtaining of said goals as being done alongside and with the existing relationships--working in harmony and being conscious of the other's feelings...

The self card is entitled Materialism, and my friend is focusing hard on money and finances (naturally), but in a very destructive way. She's basically not able to see the forest for the trees so to speak, and her situation means she has to watch every nickel, I'm sure. If her husband doesn't follow through and assist her financially while he's out of the house (and likely the picture), she's possibly looking at the possibility that he might NOT follow through with his promises, which are made to be broken. My own feeling might be coming through with this card, in that I believe that once he finds himself another girlie, my friend will be left in the lurch--literally without a financial leg to stand on.

The house card is the 6 of pents reversed--this could literally mean a lack of money, and a caution to watch finances wisely--which only makes sense--upright, the card indicates Bounty, and I would not expect her to have bounty at this time.

The hope card is the 10 of wands--let me put forth the reverse meaning:

"You are playing the martyr, taking on responsibilities and doing things that could easily be accomplished by others so that you can show how burdened you are. You are envious of those around you and intent on spoiling their pleasure by spreading malicious gossip. It's too bad they can all see straight through your schemes. If you don't stop, you are going to end up very lonely."

This is a strong caution...basically "put up or shut up" and "quit yer whining", all in one fell swoop. My friend does tend to take on too much on herself, and then complains when it feels like too much, even at the same time, telling everyone that there's nobody else who will do it quite like she does, with all the love of the prodigal son's brother. Hard lesson to learn, I'd say. But it means that she's hoping that people will feel sorry for her plight, but everyone knows that after a time, people start to fall away if you're all about the whining about how bad your existence is.

And finally, the final outcome off all of this: the 6 of swords, reversed. Entitled Solace, it would seem to say that Solace isn't in the cards for you honey. It means hard work, hardship and dogged determination, and even then, you may not end up with your dreams realized, and spent in the process.

All in all, a very negative spread, and not one I'm looking forward to sharing with her, but the last one was even worse than this one, so perhaps things are beginning to look up--I just believe she's chosen a hard road to walk on, and I'm not sure that she's up to the task at the moment.

The most positive card is the immediate future showing some promise (Initiation) lying in wait just around the corner. I hope that she makes good use of the opportunity.