Countdown to Christmas.....

Supposed to be my favourite time of year. Along with the cat holiday, of course :)

But this year, seems like more than any other, I'm not happy..... Feeling very stressed. First, there is the "gift grab" thing.... We've got a fourth grand kid, but still the same old tight budget.... need to stretch things further than ever.

The house isn't clean enough for my liking - and I only have myself to blame. And I'm real good at beating up on myself. Had a lot of practice, lol. That's a wry lol, by the way....

Don't have a clue what to get DH. Nada. Nothing. nil. But, need to buy whatever it might be today - last chance really to go shopping without him along. Sometime this week, we gotta do the kid shopping together - and that, besides the budget issue, is just as hard to figure what we want to get.... No clue there, either.

I didn't finish the cat afghan design before Christmas, either. I haven't even picked it up for a while.... I did finally wind some black yarn into a smaller ball, so I can work from more than one end of yarn, but that was as far as I got.

And, speaking of no idea on presents, I can't think of a thing I want for Christmas, either. I keep thinking of stuff like I could use some new jeans, or shorts, but those are things I need to be there for to try on etc. Or, I think about how we need new pillows and sheets for the bed, but DH keeps saying those are house things that I should buy when I shop, they're not gifts just for me. I thought about a new electric fry pan - but I've lived without one for so long, that I don't really miss it, and besides, if I got one, where the heck would I keep it???? We need a new printer, but that's again a "we" thing - and since we've already planned on getting a digital camera after Christmas when they should be on sale, we'll likely pick up a printer then. We would want something capable of printing photos if we want, but mostly we'll burn pictures onto a cd.

So..... today isn't a great day for me. This week isn't a great week for me.

Then there is the realization that I'm somewhat addicted to the computer... somewhat, 'cause I can leave it alone, and when we're away, I don't miss it.... But when I'm home, and it's sitting there in front of me, I tend to turn it on, check the email.... follow the links.... etc. So, it's a great time waster. One of the reasons I resisted starting a blog.....

This week, I'll try to update as much as possible, since I don't know what will happen time wise next week. And then, on the 31st, we're leaving for 2 whole weeks in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico!!!!

I won't be updating for sure in the first couple weeks of January :)

Anyway, this weekend I knocked another project off the list. And got around to blocking it and the motif doily I finished last week. I also updated my photo album - link on the right hand side somewhere....

So, I'll go ahead and post a couple pics here, but you should check out the whole album. I know that some of the pics have been posted here, but still.... sometimes I just post a quicky here, but a couple different views in the album.....











I've also been knitting - did some more edging on the ms2. Started my Charlotte's web, did some rounds on a few socks. The December sock in the 6 socks knit along group (link button on the right somewhere) has a really neat lace cuff pattern!!! I think I'll use that on some other socks in the future :) I did a bit more on the sampler square for the sampler afghan. I'm not sure I like this slipping stitches for two colour knitting. I like intarsia much better.... BUT, in fairness, since I believe in the "don't knock it till you try it" school of thought, I must get through this section of sampler squares anyway, then I never have to do it again....

What else..... Well, can't think of anything more to add today.... will try, like I said, to post more this week, 'cause it could be three or more weeks till I post again.............