Happy Birthday, Nicolle!
My granddaughter's 19th birthday was yesterday, and she spent the day with me. She also brought a couple of her roommates with her, Brianna and Caitlin. They are all super busy right now with their final final today, packing up to go home for the holidays and all the other stuff young college women do.
We had a great day!
I took the girls to the McConaughey house, which is a Victorian built in 1880 and has been refurbished and is open to the public for tours. Of course, it is all decked out for Christmas and was quite interesting.There are many crocheted items around the house, including doilies and afghans, very old. I did notice that the afghan on the chair in the master bedroom is displayed wrong side up. By the time we caught up with the docent again, I forgot to tell her that. There were a couple of fabulous crocheted bedspreads that I wanted to touch really badly, but I was a good girl and kept my hands in my pockets! Unfortunately, they did not allow any picture taking so I have nothing to share with you but my memory. :)
We then came home, and Penny had fixed dinner for us, wonderful baked chicken and rosemary potatoes with a Caesar salad, followed by brownies topped with tangerine slices.
Nic opened her birthday present before dinner and then Christmas after dinner, since she will not be here for Christmas proper. I made her the Kool Rock Ski hat for her birthday. Pattern is in the book Hip Hats & Cool Caps by Afya Ibamu. Thanks for the book, Andy! I used Moda Dea Tweedle Dee yarn in a blue. Sorry, the trash went out before I got all the details from the label. Says to hand wash and dry flat, but I put it in the washer on cold and in the dryer on perm press and it came out so soft and perfect. I didn't have enuf yarn left to do the big pompom so I made it from Lion Brand Jiffy in a slightly darker blue. She loves it! and that is the most important thing.
For Christmas, I made her a shawl with a stitch pattern from one of my stitch guides in Red Heart Plush in a dark purple color. It is just a long rectangle but perfect for throwing over her shoulders while she studies. Also very soft. Her third gift is the Comfi Cardi by Robin Chachula in the book Crochet Me by Kim Werker. Unfortunately, this is not complete, so she got to open the package and then had to give it back to me. I told her I would have it finished by the time she came back up the weekend after New Years.
She said to me, how did you crochet all this.? I'm here a lot, Grandma!
We hopped in the car and went looking at Christmas lights for about an hour, and then I had to take them to the BART station so they could go back across the bay. They all have a final today, still had laundry to do, and needed to finish packing to go home.
All in all, an absolutely wonderful day!
P.S. This d--- computer won't let me add the pics right now, so I will post my album, Christmas 2008 and you can see them there.

Back to Crochet
I know I haven't posted much about crochet recently, but there is a reason for that and it is 9 days away! I have been very productive, enjoying every stitch. As soon as the holidays pass us, I will post pics and tell you about what I've been doing.
I can tell you a little story about the decorating under way at our house--not.
Last year when we plugged in the reindeer on the lawn, the big buck had 1/2 his lights out. So he spent last holiday season in the garage. I hit the after Christmas sales and got new lights for him really cheap. So---last weekend, I get up on the ladder, pull down a reindeer, set it up on the coffee table in the den so I can change out the lights while I watch a movie. Can you tell where this is going?
OK-the old lights don't work, so I decide to just cut them here and there to get the excess out of my way. Trashed the old lights, put most of the new lights on. Hmm-might be a good time to see if the head still moves freely. Hang the deer head on the body-plug it all in-Lights work-head moves! Absolutely fantastic.
I'm watching this head swing back and forth and all of a sudden it dawns on me that the buck has his head up and the doe is sweeping the ground. Have you figured it out yet?
Yep! You're right! I changed the lights on the doe! Not paying attention to detail will get you every time. So now, I have more new lights for the buck, but he is still hanging in the rafters waiting for a new light job! ha, ha, ha.

Even Eagles Need a Push!
Well, a few days to digest the news, the opportunity to talk with Penny, and I've had a serious attitude adjustment! I'm now retired. Well, not exactly, but until something else comes along, that is my mind set and it is much easier to deal with it. I still haven't told my granddaughter, but there is no rush for that. She has had such a hard time since her parents separated, that I want to make this Christmas as nice and peaceful for her as I can. She dreads the holidays right now (unfulfilled expectations). So, I want her to understand the only expectations are the ones we put on ourselves. Don't worry about disappointing others, do what makes you happy.

Pity Party
I've reached a point in this process where the thoughts are running thru my head faster than I can focus on them!
I'm feeling guilty becuz I bought a new TV in Sept with my bonus (largest $ I've ever received) and then pissed becuz I'm still working. Then I'm scared! And the sheer terror of the future is giving me a rotten headache.
I wonder if the old adage -be careful what you wish for- applies here. I said out loud that I wish I could retire (context being a conversation about winning the lottery).
I haven't told Penny yet. Her surgery yesterday went well, but I wasn't ready to drop this in her lap before the surgery as she is the world's champion worrywart. She called this morning to see if I wanted to go out to dinner tonite, and I snapped NO at her. She must still be foggy from the drugs cuz she didn't ask why. Which makes me feel like a crud.
Standing in front of my closet this morning, I was thinking about the 2 sweaters I have in the works for me. If I'm not working, where will I wear them?
I can't muster up the enthusiasm for working for someone who thinks I'm dispensable, but I have another 6 working days of trying to sound cheerful when I answer the phone-so hard not to give in to bad attitude.
I'm feeling sorry for myself becuz I try to be a good person. I'm sorry I haven't bought more yarn and books.
God, I'm a mess!

This economy sucks!
Well, all this craziness in the stock market and industry now affects me directly. On Tuesday, at the close of biz for the day, my boss tells me that effective 12/15, I'm no longer employed. I've been with this company before he bought it! Nine years! Goes to show that loyalty is a one-way street. Right this minute, I'm going thru the angry stage-it has taken me 2 days to get here and I'm not ready to give it up yet! There are 2 other assistants in this office, one has been here less than 6 months, is only 30 w/a husband with a good govt job. The other is mid-40's but also has a husband with a good job. I am my sole support! I'm almost 63! Finding a job at my age is almost impossible under the best of circumstances and these are about the worst of times.
I know there are options, unemployment or early retirement, but I'm just not quite ready to face those decisions yet. I need to get over this angry place first and I'm not ready to leave.