My favorite part of Christmas is the anticipation that Advent brings.
I love the twinkling lights, the decorations, the candles, and the music. They all add to the anticipation of the season – that feeling of getting ready for something special.
It was not always this way – I grew up in a house where we did not put up a tree until Christmas Eve – and most years we took it down on the day after Christmas.
Perhaps because of that, the minute I had my own place – Christmas anticipation started early! Most years, decorating began the day after Thanksgiving – and I kept the decorations up until Twelfth Night. And, trees – I put up more than one. There was a “fancy” living room tree, a Santa Tree in the den, Kitchen Tree, and small trees in the bedrooms. But the best tree was the “kids tree” that they could decorate or undecorate as often as they wanted!
Christmas now is a more relaxed affair – there are not trees everywhere but, the anticipation of getting ready for something special is the part of Christmas that I hope to never let go.
The start of peaceful knitting began yesterday at Casa del KatKnits – and it feels so, well, peaceful and meditative! While knitting yesterday I was thinking of other knitters who are joining me in this journey – there are 2,192 projects currently listed on Ravelry (however as of 11/29 there were over 14k participating!!) but I am especially thinking about those I know who are knitting along with me.
I hope you all managed to get 318 stitches cast on and began knitting yesterday. I completed the cast on and the first 4 rounds yesterday. I will continue today with the second repeat of the pattern. I am happy to say that the pattern is easy to memorize.
I am looking forward to 20 more days of knitting and meditating on peace for this world.
I am fortunate Steve loves me so much, he surprised me yesterday with a pre-holiday package from Miss Babs and Jenny the Potter! A mug for me and some yarn from which I will make a hat for him. Thank you Steve!! And, thank you Miss Babs for the sample of Tarte! This will be the perfect accent for my next pair of Squad Mitts!
Now, how about some links?
Parker Beanie (the model of the beanie has the most infectious smile!!)
For this week’s Think Write Thursday we are welcoming December with a hearty hello:
Hello, dear December,
I love you so much, but you can be a bit overwhelming at times.
With the flurry of activities that you bring, it seems that you can be over and done with before I even know it.
This year let’s try something different, shall we?
I think we will both be much happier if we slowed down and savored the season.
I love the anticipation that is Advent…my savoring plan to appreciate Advent each day will start with some Advent meditation.
I love the decorating portion of preparing for Christmas. The tree is up, the lights are on – but there are no ornaments on yet. AND – the tree in this state is not making me crazy! I know, right? My savoring plan for tree trimming is that it will be part of this Friday’s Happy Hour celebration – cocktails, good eats, music – and Steve and I will trim the tree together.
I love the foods of Christmas, and especially the sweets. However, all those sweets are unnecessary – and don’t fit in with the diet very well. My savoring plan for cookie baking will be to bake just one or two favorites – and it a manageable quantity (not dozens and dozens of cookies of a million different types!) And, these will be things to savor – one or two at a time – over the course of the month.
Other things to that I will be doing to remind myself to slow down and savor… tune out the news and tune in the Christmas music or turn off the television and open a book and read – things that are a good reminder that the world will keep, but December won’t.
I am glad you are here December and I am looking forward to spending some quality time together!
If you’d like to join Carole and me on our Think Write Thursday journey you can sign up here!
November has just flown by at warp speed. If it were possible, I’d ask Scotty to beam me back! Perhaps he has and I don’t know it – yesterday it was well into the 60’s here with the same today. This weather does not seem at all Novemberish!
But, December is knocking at the door and despite my gift knitting through the year, I always have a few last-minute things that seem like a good idea to try to cast on to get finished for Christmas gifting.
I finished slippers for Steve’s mom – I knit them with Lamb’s Pride Worsted and at a tighter gauge than the pattern calls for. I really love the fabric I got and I think these will be a sturdy, long-wearing slipper! All that is left to do is seam up the slipper backs and wash them. I have a few more skeins of the Lamb’s Pride and I think I will make a couple more pairs to send out with holiday packages.
I am anticipating some Project Peace knitting starting tomorrow – one very good thing about the arrival of December! I am all ready to cast on tomorrow! I will be using the knitting time to do some meditation for the season.
My reading slowed down over the holiday weekend, but I finished The Underground Railroad today. The narration is incredibly wonderful on this audiobook and the story is so compelling and powerful and it will be a story that will stay with me a long time. I am struck by how things have not changed in some aspects and that is incredibly sad. I give this book 5 stars and if you have not read it, I highly recommend it.
I have about 100 pages left of Burial Rites – and I am glad I stayed with this book – Agnes has tucked herself into my heart and I am holding out hope that things take a good turn for her.
Up next in my reading, Michael Chabon’s The Mysteries of Pittsburgh. This was an Overdrive “recommendation” – which I look forward to each week!
I better get back to my holiday knitting, are you doing any gift knitting this year?
Last week, I finished reading James Rebanks second novel – The shepherd’s view: modern photographs from an ancient landscape. I loved it cover to cover. The photos are spectacular and the interweaving of stories with the photos make me want to live in his neighborhood. I gave it 5 stars – and I strongly encourage you to read it!
I began decorating for Christmas this past weekend, and since we moved the furniture around in the living room – I can put out things I had not had out since before my move. It was a lovely exercise in nostalgia. Decorating continues this week with a goal of completion by Friday.
I have been contemplating resolutions for next year (yes, already!!) and I have been seriously looking at my daily schedule and working around what to change, what to eliminate, and what to add. Honore’ has inspired me greatly this year in her journal practices and I loved the simplicity of what I learned during my Just Five Things experience. Simple? Yes, but the impact of this simplicity was profound.
I, like these determined little leaves, am holding on to November for dear life!
December is looming large and I am not ready for all the Christmas things quite yet!
Add to that the feeling that this year has just gone by far too quickly and I am very happy to revel in the last few days of November.
The weekend was quiet, but very good. There was lots of eating, some knitting, some movie watching with Steve, and a bit of heartbreaking football (this was not the quiet portion of the weekend by any means!) and even a walk or two for good measure.
Now, I am off to get outdoors and take a nice long, head-clearing walk! How was your weekend?
A few days ago I walked along the edge of the lake and was treated to the crunch and rustle of leaves with each step I made. The acoustics of this season are different and all sounds, no matter how hushed, are as crisp as autumn air. Eric Sloane
No lakes here, but there the crunch and rustle of leaves make walking a treat for the ears. Have a beautiful Sunday!
Or, as Sherman is gleefully shouting – Hail and Farewell!
I tried all week to get Sherman photos, however he was having absolutely no part of it. In the end, Steve picked him up and he participated, albeit unwillingly!
This photo was right after I said to him, “I swear it is the last one…”
And, then he began racing gleefully around the back yard.
Hope your Saturday is filled with as much enthusiasm as Sherman’s with the ending of Saturday posting for another year!
The knitting continues – today this blue yarn will become the slippers that Steve requested earlier this week. It is a super simple pattern and will be done in short order. And, really – thank goodness for stash!
I have also been trying to spin a few minutes a day – which for me has been working out to evening spinning for a few minutes each night. During the week, I got one bobbin done. My goal is an actual 4-ply lace weight yarn. This is some oldvintage Spunky Club Polwarth fiber in the “Hungry” colorway. Which after yesterday, I am certainly not! But, it is spinning up beautifully!!
Let’s get to the links, shall we?
This week has some good ones – and again, lots that can be some last-minute gift knitting:
So, today – I am going to challenge you all to spend some time today thinking about what or who you are thankful for.
It can be things – we are indeed a rich country with an abundance of things! Things like running water, heat, transportation, a multitude of shopping choices, with a multitude of items to choose from. Or things like a table full of food today – perhaps celebrating with friends and family.
But, what about being thankful for the intangible things. Things like kindness, good will, open-minds, open-hearts, love, and peace.
I will share my thankful list, but I will be thinking about this numerous times today – and as I learned with Michelle – in the course of a day, the things you think about can change dramatically. Powerfully. Exponentially. But, here is my start:
Food that is so abundant and has been prepared with love
Steve – who will share this quiet day with me
Family – who while they might be far away, they are always close in my heart
Quiet morning meditations that help me center my day and myself
Pandora’s timely email yesterday with a list of Thanksgiving stations which will keep me from driving Steve crazy with Christmas music (rather now I can do that with Thanksgiving music instead!)
Today, whether you are with family and friends or are celebrating alone – I will be thinking about all of you, with deep thanks in my heart for our paths crossing – even if it is only here on the internet.
If you would like to join us on Think Write Thursdays, Carole and I would love to have you! You can sign up here.
Happy Thanksgiving, dear friends. May your day be overflowing with thankfulness.
