It's late Wednesday (I keep thinking it's Thursday, this shortened week after a long holiday is throwing me off) and even though I should be in bed asleep, I wanted to show you the swift my talented woodworker husband is making for me.

It's cedar and the grain is just beautiful.  I wish you could feel the wood.  It feels like satin, so smooth and silky.  I just want to keep touching it but it needs many coats of shellac (which is made from crushed bugs but I try not to think about that-Pk doesn't understand why I refused to use the coffee grinder for coffee or any other food after he used it to grind shellac) to protect the surface.

There will be brass pieces in those holes and a "fancy wingnut" to hold the pieces together.

A few years ago, he made one for Kate and one for Em out of Australian lacewood.  Both are striking.  He is not pleased with this.  There is a small crack in the wood of one of the arms.  It won't make any difference in the performance but just like that small flaw in a knitted piece that continually draws the eye of the knitter (when no one else would ever see it), his eye is drawn to that crack.  Craftsfolk are all the same at heart, aren't they?

Going back to work was difficult but work itself has gone well.  Only 12 messages on Tuesday and I dealt with them.  Today, the phone was ringing off the hook but I dealt with that, too.  I miss taking my afternoon naps and actually fell asleep at my desk this afternoon.  I need to get back into the habit of going to bed earlier.

Knitting group tomorrow.  I hope folks show up.  I'm looking forward to it.  I need to cast on a second sock for Elanor's January socks.  It's simple enough to take to group.

It was 15 degrees here this morning (-9.4C) after a week of 55 degree days (12.7C).  Quite a shock to the system.  My toes were cold all day and are just now warming up.  It's supposed to moderate a bit for the weekend with some sunshine in the forecast. 

I didn't get to the gym this week.  I wrenched my lower back and it was just too sore to contemplate exercise.  It's slowly getting better and won't keep me down for much longer.  Moving around is important, I just have to move slow.  I'm so grateful for the analgesic patches!

Kate just sent us a text saying Snow!  She got the gene that loves snow from her father.  I enjoy snow, as long as it doesn't stop me from getting to work.  Weekend snow?  I'm all for that.  We were due for flurries/snow showers tonight but nothing much.  The last two winters with all the snow have made us all wary. 

Time for bed.  I can't keep falling asleep at work.  G'nite!