Playing Catch Up

Hello, my friends, hello!

Long time, no talk.  I certainly hope you had lovely holidays and are enjoying whatever winter weather you may be getting.  Today, we are getting snow, snow, snow.  It's quite lovely and fluffy.  This snow is going on top of the last snow, which was heavy and wet.  Of course that makes for some interesting walking and driving issues, but it sure is pretty.

We have had such a busy week, I'd love to catch you all up.  I hope you don't mind.

• I will say, without a doubt, that the time before Christmas is my favorite.  It's better than Christmas.  I love the anticipation and the excitement my kids feel.  Christmas Eve is the best. In my family, we have a big meal over at our house, and we sit and talk and laugh a lot. 

 

This year, my dad brought his banjo mandolin (hee hee, pop), and played for us.

 

 

I videoed it, but in the interest of family peace, I will not show it.  Instead I will hold it as blackmail.  Leverage is always good.

 

The concert was very nice, and the tree looked very pretty.

 

We also had a cannoli contest, which I could not enter as my cannoli cream was like soup.  Good soup, but soup nonetheless.  My brother won and made a speech that was full of humility and modesty.

 

 

Or not. 

 

 He got to take home a trophy with a "chef" that looked like Tutankhamen.  Lucky, lucky boy.  As for me, I don't ever want to see another cannoli again.

 

Luckily, dinner was much better than my cannolis.

• Christmas Day started at 4 in the morning, with my daughter bouncing up and down on the bed asking if we could open presents in an hour.  The answer was no. 

When we finally did open presents, after the animals were all squared away and so on, they had a great time. 

 

Christmas at our house is small.  We don't buy a lot of toys for the kids, but instead buy them books and things like that.  It's all in my sad efforts to "round out" my kids and broaden them.  And yes, I know that all they really want is Legos.  I still try.

 

All bets are off when we go to "Mema and Papa's" house (my parents).  There the "Wall O' Presents" awaits.

 

Yep, the kids nearly explode.  But they have to wait until we've all eaten brunch and then the opening begins.  This year, Santa brought everyone a present--headlamps.

They are completely awesome.  Santa rocks.

 

After gift giving, we basically sit around and eat all day, and the kids play with their toys.  It's a good day.  A very good day.

• I'd love to follow that up with something great, but after that, it's kind of a letdown.  The following day I was sick and slept the entire day away on the couch in an awkward position, which threw my back out again, and I'm currently trying to get it to heal because well, I need my back.  Go figure. 

I made this scarf for my mother for Christmas.  It's my favorite out of the three I made her.

 

I seem to get sick every year, right on the day after Christmas.  It's probably because of all the prep and running around and stuff.  Hopefully, now that I've gotten my yearly Christmas cold out of the way, I can move on. 

• My kids have been watching Despicable Me pretty much every day this vacation.  I'm not sure why they decided to watch it, but now they can't seem to stop.  I will admit, the movie starts slow, but it gets pretty funny.  I have sat down a time or two with them to watch bits and pieces.  Funny, funny.

Me and my hubby.

• When I was sick, and when my back was really out, my husband and kids took care of the animals for me.  What a nice break, though I could live without the sick/pain thing, I truly could. 

• 

  This is Percy, who really fits into this box, don't you know?  It may look too small, but it's really not.

• Today I went down to a friend's farm to meet our soon-to-be new goat, Winter.  Winter is a year old Boer goat, and is a beauty.  She's not showable because her ears folded wrong when she was cooking in her mama, but she's not for showing here, so it doesn't matter. 

Thor is depressed.

She comes from a 4 quart a day milker line, and since we have an issue with two of our girls and CAE, she'll be needed to pick up the slack.  Yep, I have a whole plan, but I won't bore you with the details right now.  Let's just say that the short of it is that I need to refocus on productivity, since feed has become so costly.  That means another girl bred (which Winter will be) and ready to be milked come Spring.  They need to earn their keep more than just being my goaty girls (though that does give them a pass forever and ever).

This is why Thor is depressed.  Her name is Sara, and she's new.  She's also (we believe) pregnant.  Long story, but needless to say, she's not interested in Thor.  And he really, really thinks she should be.  I would tell you that story, but I think Thor will say it better.  I'll ask him to sit down one day and write it.

I had a great time today with my friend.  It's nice to be able to talk "shop" with someone who knows all about it.  I spent WAY too much time in her goat pen, just surrounded by the goats.  Heaven, I tell you.  Yes, I really am a goat person.

• The little bunny-lings have reached 6 weeks and have been sexed three times now.   I feel by this point, they've developed enough that I can be sure, and I pronounce them girl, boy, boy.

Can you find three bunnies in this picture??

The girl, who's name is Violet, is slated to go live with my brother and his girlfriend in Albany.  The two boys, Timothy and Alexander, will remain here.  They are getting beautiful dark grey wool.  I'm very excited and I'm hoping it won't lighten too much, but that will depend on whether or not they take after mommy or daddy.  And they are friendly as all get-out.  I guess all that hard, horrible work socializing them is paying off.  I'm glad it was worth the sacrifice :).

Speaking of their daddy, Philip Johnny Bob is desperately in love with Daphne, and it's time they were acquainted.  Unfortunately, Daphne's built a nest and seems to think she's pregnant.  As it's been three weeks since it was built (and haired and all), I doubt it, but she doesn't really want PJB too close.  I think she's got her signals crossed.  The next clear day I have, I'm going to get those two a love connection and see what shakes out.

We are very, very mean to cats here.  None of us likes them at all.  Not. At. All.

• And finally, I've been spending a bit of time in my sewing room/office.  Not only thinking and planning for next year (lots of that), but also, shockingly, sewing.  It's been nice, since I have nothing else I can do with the cold and snow and all.  It has been a very long time since I've sewn anything that wasn't needing to be fixed or for something utilitarian.  Hopefully, I will have some pics to show when the dust settles.

I hope you all enjoyed your holidays.  I can't wait to catch up with all of you, too!