Happy & Safe Black Friday!

Yes, friends, it's that time of year again, when people stand in lines all night so they can be first in line for the deals and steals on Black Friday, generally thought of as the single most profitable day for businesses--not to mention the the crowds who just come in normally on the day because there's nothing to do but eat leftovers at home.

Today, however, is my husband's family dinner. We planned it this way so that people who had to work on Thanksgiving could still come and have a nice, warm dinner and not have to brave the crowds in the mall. I am making meatballs, green bean casserole and some of those chicks in my last post. My husband is making baked beans.

The stuff for the meatballs is melting in the crock, and the eggs are on to boil. The meatballs are somewhat thawing on the stove. We're in business and it's only 8:45am! I call this my lean, mean, Thanksgiving machine.

If you don't believe me, take a look at this!

The monster has reared her ugly head. Food is a'cookin'!

A Cute Idea

 

A cute idea for Thanksgiving!

Oh, Google Changed the Interface Again!

I decided to post a blog today, being that it's Thanksgiving, to find that Blogger has changed it's interface again. I'm not good with change, but I'll try and work with this, even though it's a little clunky.

But I was pondering on Thanksgiving a bit this morning. It's not about the bird, it's not even about the day, it's about family--getting together with the ones you love and care about, and helping them move into their new apartment...maybe in a little while. We'll know the answer to THAT one, when hubby's friend calls. Or perhaps I should say "if" hubby's friend calls, because I don't expect him to do that on Thanksgiving day. Our holiday will be celebrated on Black Friday. It will keep us away from the crowds at the store, and full parking lots and the lack of parking spaces, and the people who will fight you for that last bike. No, our holiday will be in the comfortable space of my mother-in-law's living room. We're having some of the old standbys--bird, stuffing, taters, gravy, sweet taters, biscuits, green bean casserole, baked beans; and some new favorites, jalapeno corn, meatballs in chili sauce, and pie.

Always pie.

 I like pie.

So also, is my knitting day lined up for fun and frolic. I have a block to finish crocheting on, my sweater, and this little gem I bought yesterday.

Isn't that just something? Bought on impulse, but it looks SO FUN--and I can hardly wait to break it open and start with it. Then there's my weaving, which I can take today, too. There are lots of projects going on.

And Christmas is coming. As usual, I have just about everyone covered except my husband, who is so hard to buy for-- I considered this:

And this:

A video game for his xbox that he has played 6 times since he bought the original. This is the sequel, which of course, won't be quite AS good as the original, just like in most television shows. Still it's something that he's indicated an "interest" in, which is how I come up with Christmas presents for him.

And something to help keep his feet warm. If it weren't for the fact that he's usually sleeping in his easy chair with the footrest up..I would probably be okay getting him one of those things that rests on the floor and you just slip your feet in to warm them.

There's also recovering his easy chair--replacing all the foam rubber, and taking it right down to the studs. Sadly, this sounds more like a retirement idea, rather than something to do in a couple of weeks before Christmas. Having it done professionally would likely cost more than the chair itself. Clearly, I need to do some research. I have no idea how to re-upholster a "fluffy" chair, let alone think about the cost of same. So this one will sit on "hold" for a year or two while I figure out how I'm going to proceed.

He doesn't need any knitted things. That's a shame, really--even though I don't have time to whip something out for him. That's just a no-brainer. I also considered woolen underwear, but truth be known, really all he needs is a hat, and his feet would take care of themselves. But he's not much of a hat wearer, unless he's out in the cold blowing snow out of the driveway, and then he gets overheated and cold because he's sweating. Besides, I knit him a hat and he bought two more. Then I made him gloves, and he's still got them, to his credit. I made him socks, but he seldom wears them, saying they make his feet sweat. Well, alrighty then!

Nobody steals my ideas, okay!

Cause & Effect

  After finishing a bunch of "things"...

A pennant football illusion in University of Michigan colors.

Two scrunchies in Michigan State University Spartan colors.

And a scarf made out of chenille and fuzzy balls...

I finally got to start on my sweater.

I began with a tubular cast on, and then started my pattern. So far, it's working, and I'm on the row where there's a right twist--easy really, as I'm only in the lower band.

And it looks like fit isn't going to be any problem at all, which is great.

Obama won the election--which means his "Obamacare" is going to raise our deficit even more, and means more taxes on me, which means less takehome, and I've already lost $40 a payroll--which is a LOT for me. A whole week's worth of gasoline that I can't afford now.

I am NOT happy.

But I know who is.

And it just galls me to no end, that I have spent my life, working my buns off so that I can have a reasonable retirement, only to find out that it's going to be completely gone by the time I'm ready to retire. Because there is no way for the government to pay for Obamacare. The rich can just take their money out of the market and go wherever they want to go. THEY ARE, AFTER ALL, RICH--RIGHT?

And when they do that, the banks will fail and the market will drop like a freaking STONE. Perhaps not like in the depression, but slower--like a slow death. Horrible. Just horrible.

If I sound like a doomsday prophet, so be it. I just don't think I can put my hope and trust into someone who has already shown that he's an overspender, adding 16 trillion to the debt, and that's BEFORE Obamacare.

So BOHICA!

Falling for Books

  I know. I know. I haven't posted a lot lately.

I do have an excuse. Work is stressful, and hubby is still taking care of his mom, so things at home are stressful, too, and I'm not getting enough rest.

When I arrive home, I try to stick my feet up and watch a little television before heading for bed--or I might read a book--or I might do some knitting.

Lately, things just aren't suiting me. I feel quite out of place, and there is something going on with me that I can't quite understand.

I fell the other day and hit my ear crosswise on a bookcase, in case I didn't tell you,  and while it didn't affect my hearing, there is a small scar that is bugging the stuffing out of me, even as I write this. The scab itches continually. Then this morning, after letting the dog out, I found myself staggering around like a drunken sailor--so I leaned up against the wall for a bit until most of the feeling passed, and then continued to the bathroom to look at myself. I looked fine, but getting to the bathroom was like walking on an ocean liner. The day I hurt my ear, the same "sensation" came over me. 

So I've called the doctor, but I'm pretty sure she's just going to say "It's a symptom of your diabetes." or something like that. In other words, I'm going to feel stupid for the rest of my life--worried that at some point, I'm going to fall at the office, and they're just going to say "Go Home and Stay There", and I'll have to go on Long Term Disability, and then retire before I'm due.

And  I keep thinking: And this is a "bad" thing? I'm a little headachey today, too. I don't think it's related to my fall on my ear, but who knows. Then I worry that doc is going to want an MRI...check my heart again. And I feel like I'm trying to swallow a quarter--the throat hurts from the coughing from the sinus infection. Then again, I might only have a bit of heartburn?

I don't recognise my own body anymore, or maybe it doesn't recognise me. My brain still thinks I can overcome anything. My body says "Hold it RIGHT THERE, Scumbag", and then says "Make my day."

So I leave you with a pic of the beginning of all this:

Pretty ugly, huh?

Fall Is Here!

I'm pretty sure that fall has finally arrived.

My first clue was that I nearly froze last night.

My second clue was waking with what appeared to be strep, but turns out o be sinus.

My third clue was going outside to find this:

If that isn't beautiful, I don't know what is.

I've got a sock on the needles. I'm past the heel turn.

It's a nice color way for JoAnn's Serenity yarn. My next pair will be made out of Red Heart's Stardust yarn. I can hardly wait to order it!

In Which We Kidnap My Mother In Law

The weekend was a bit of a blur, and I was quite busy the entire time, consequently, I am completely exhausted. And this hasn't abated whatsoever since it began!

Saturday, I was at JoAnn's all day--a Kid's knitting in the morning, demos in the afternoon, and a crochet class in the evening. By the time I got home, my dog was crossing her legs in the bathroom.

(No, she doesn't use my bathroom for that...but I think after being cooped up in there all day, she was probably wishing.)

Then on Sunday, my husband woke me up at 8 am (and I was so hoping for a sleep in!), and ordered me to get dressed.

"Why?"

"Because we're going to see my mother."

"Well, why do we have to go so early?"

Well, that didn't get answered. On the way, he told me his "plan". After having back surgery, his mother elected to be installed in a nursing home for her rehab, rather than inconvenience her local children. This was accomplished at 6pm on Saturday. He said,

"she called me this morning. The nurse has not been in to see her. They have not given her any medication for her pain, and she is in miserable pain--so we're taking her to the hospital."

"Oh. Okay."

Little did I know that the rest of his plan involved kidnapping his mother from the rehab facility without letting anybody know. We took her to Sparrow hospital, and they got her pain managed...in the meanwhile....

My hubby's sister had no idea that this was the "plan", so she went to the rehab facility, and found out that nobody knew where mom was. Jen found the nurse sleeping in the job, and found out that they did not have her medications--even though they had reported the night before that they DID have her meds. So his sister smoothed some feathers, and made phone calls and decided to make sure that somebody bought a ticket to the unemployment line. Then she called me on her mother's phone, and I told her where we were.

Who knew?

So then my step daughter called and wanted to know where we were, and when she got there, she was crying because no one knew where mom was! Finally, after working out all the paperwork, Jen arrived. We all stayed with mom, until she was able to ride again, and after 2 shots of Delauded, we got her in the car and headed to her house.

Once we got there, it was confusion after confusion, phone call after phone call, and never once did the rehab facility call us. We were busy until about 8, when I finally had a chance to sit down and ask my husband if he was going home with me. He didn't know until half hour later that he was going to stay, so at 8:30 pm, I headed for home.

Then Monday was BSF, and Tuesday was Knit Night, and tonight, I'm supposed to trek to mom's again to hand over the rest of the things that Jeff needs in order to survive and take care of his mother.

Needless to say, it's been a busy few days. I'm really ready for a rest. I'll be there in time for dinner.

Due to all the prayer and thoughts from friends and acquaintances alike, my mother in law is doing great, and she's incredibly happy to be home. She's sleeping better, and she's getting the rest she needs in order to heal up, and the healing up is taking less time than originally planned, because she's more comfortable and rested.

So that's about all. Sorry I don't have pictures, but trust me. Just like you don't want to ride an angry bull, you would not want to see my cross husband....ain't it the truth!