Yes, I am still alive!

Whoops, over a month since my last post. Time has flown on me and I didn't even accomplish anything!

I will start with Christmas....

Two people, two dogs, one spinning wheel and a suitcase full of yarn, loaded into a van...and set sail for the seas of Saskatchewan. One person, was supposed to accomplish a ton of knitting on this 17? hour drive. One person didn't even get behind the wheel on the trip there, or the trip back. And let me show you what this person knit...

Did you see it? Nothing. Anyone who says there is nothing to look at in Saskatchewan is apparently wrong. It was frighteningly mesmerizing. We don't very often see Diamonds in the snow, as far as the eye can see, in the Kootenays. I would have taken a picture, but that would have involved getting out of the van to find the camera, and it looked way too cold for that!

We made it to my mom and step dads, just in time for Christmas Eve, it was postcard perfect to be at a quiet lake, where most people are gone all winter. Right up my alley! We spent a week eating and doing dishes and cooking...and the boys played the shop all week. My step dad is building guitars, and Tom got lessons in guitar building, cabinet making, and then I suggested a new project, knitting needles! They found a little wood lathe, which ended up in our van, and we are now the proud owners of it! So if anyone needs some custom made knitting needles...you know where to find us!

The finished project: knitted mat made from bed sheets torn into strips!

Mom got sparklies for her ears...Mel looked very relieved!

And of course her seasonal headband, reindeer ears!

We really enjoyed our time at the lake. It was so relaxing, and a nice change of scenery. This was our big holiday of the year, so we were overdue for some R&R! The week flew by and on New Years Eve, you guessed it...more food! We had a fondue with some other lake folks, of course, oil, Gouda cheese and white chocolate with toffee for dessert. It was scrumptious. We even managed to make it to midnight this year, a feat that has gone unaccomplished for many years in a row. We dug out dutch blitz, and yahtzee and had a good time playing the games we always played when we were young! And then we ate some more.

On New Years day we loaded up the van, plus one wood lathe and a knitting machine we are going to foster for a while (Thanx Mel!!!). And one passenger still did not knit the whole way home. What was wrong with me!!! We made it back before all the big snow storms and the house was still in one piece, a little cold, but still standing. For a brief moment I wished for a furnace, until the fire got burning again! There's no heat like wood heat.

Since we've been back, it's been snow blowing and snow blowing. We bought the kids shovels, so that really cuts down on snow clearing when they help out.

But there is an end in sight, I got my first seed catalogue in the mail, and I am already dreaming of weeding! I mean gardening!

A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to Everyone!