Sunday, December 21, 2008


It's early Sunday morning and we dodged another bullet. On Friday when Pk and I were doing some shopping it was pouring rain. Not just raining but pouring. We decided not to try to go grocery shopping. It would have been a mess. So, we went Christmas shopping instead. We don't usually do much shopping together and this was rather enjoyable. We were grateful for the rain because it could have been snow and then we would have not been able to finish the shopping.
I did the grocery shopping on Saturday morning and then finished up the holiday shopping last night. Now I have to wrap the presents. Sigh. It takes forever and I start out with all of these beautifully wrapped and be-ribboned packages and by the end I'm lucky to get the paper and a tag.
I will be baking cookies today. I try to buy a new cookie cutter each year and this year I got train shaped ones. Pk is already planning how he can decorate them as a train wreck. We always get reindeer cookies with missing heads or fangs. It's never dull.
And despite my promise to myself that I was not going to squeeze another fiber related project into the next few days, I decided to spin some roving into yarn for my cousin. She is a crocheter and makes lap blankets for vets and people in nursing home. She is one of those people that lives their faith every day and not just on Sunday. She uses only acrylic yarns and I thought she might like some soft, beautiful wool to use for herself. Kate bought some roving that is blue/purple/pink/white and it's spinning up really beautifully. I spun it into singles and plied it with some beautiful shiny thread. I hope she likes it. I've never given anyone my handspun as a gift and I'm a little nervous as to how she'll react.
It's raining. Again. At least I don't have to go out. Pk has to finish his shopping. He complained that my christmas list didn't have any "fun" things on it. I told him the knitting needles and yarn I asked for were fun to me. Just like when he asked for clamps (He has more clamps than I have sock needles). "But I like clamps!" he says. And I remind him that I like knitting needles.
I have only two days of work this week. And only one clinic each day so the week won't be onerous. I'll probably have a full day on Tuesday and then I'm done until the 29th. I'll work three days that week and then have another long weekend. Usually, I try to take the full week between the holidays off but this year I don't have the time so I manipulated what I do have to have the best vacation time I can.
Today's buddhist inspiration seems appropriate for the holidays. It's a rerun. It's what appears at the bottom of my blog.
Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.

~Buddha
This is one of the sayings I have on the board in front of my desk. It reminds me that while we tend to share our complaints easily, we also tend to hoard our happinesses. Joy and happiness shared are joy and happiness doubled. What a good thought to carry with us as the holidays approach .

9 comments:

amy said...

The church I used to attend had a portion of the service set aside for "joys and concerns," during which members of the congregation could share either or both.

Yes, you're lucky. It's been snowing here since Friday. *sigh*

roxie said...

Reindeer with fangs? I love that man! He and I will have to get together and develop some yard art. I was thinking little cast resin ninja ferrets and Rambo bunnies instead of the ubiquitous garden gnomes. Just imagine peeking under the flowering arbutus and there's a dear little fluffy bunny with bandolieers and a machine gun. OR a ferret with a machete.

Oh, Merry Christmas, by the way! Have I mentioned that I love you, too?

Galad said...

My family tends to do anatomically correct cookies (which means I can't give them as gifts and we have to eat them all)

Thank you for sharing the happiness!

Anonymous said...

don't forget em's mutant people cookies: the ones with four legs, or two heads and four arms. or the reindeer attacking the people....

Bells said...

That's a beautiful saying. Thank you for that.

I love the idea of buying a new cookie cutter each year. Hope you post a photo of the trains!

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a great weekend! How nice you are giving some handspun to your cousin - I'm sure she will love it. I'm working over the holidays as well - but hopefully it will be slow and quiet. Hope you had a nice day making cookies!

Rose Red said...

It's a great saying, Donna Lee!

Hope the train crash biscuits are not too gruesome!!

Sheepish Annie said...

We are having a whopper of a snowstorm up here! Between the 7 inches we got on Friday and the 10 or so we'll get today I think we can guarantee a white Christmas!

I'm also only working two days this week. Do you think we'll make it? :)

Amy Lane said...

Donna Lee, I had time to check blogs today, and I thought "Donna's will feel like Christmas!"

It really does. I'm sure your cousin will love her yarn, and your trainwreck will be hilarious, but mostly, thank you for making me feel like Christmas:-)

Happy Sunday!  I am sitting here working on my sweater made with the cashmere yarn my husband gave me for my birthday last year. I’m further...