Merry (?) Christmas, everyone!

Where have I been, having sadly neglected my poor little blog? Well... (scuffing toe in dirt)... it's complicated. Let's just say I've been living that ancient Chinese curse of "May you have an interesting life". Business issues, family issues, issues with friends... I've lived it all over the past couple of months, and if you don't mind, I don't want to rehash it here. I'm trying to look forward to the future. All in all, I won't mind seeing 2009 in the rear view mirror for a number of reasons, but there's some indications that 2010 will present a number of challenges as well. I ask your prayers and thank all of you who have stood by me with your friendship and support.

It's December... and as a lot of you know, I don't handle December well at all. It's hard for me to get into a holiday spirit when each holiday is a reminder that my father will be celebrating with us from heaven... and this year Oscar's howling to the Christmas carols there with him. I read an article somewhere that said being sad during the good news of the Christmas season is just one way the Devil wins. Could be. All I can tell you is that it's tough for me. At Richard's insistance, we did put up a small tree this year -- a tabletop model that isn't too tempting to Penny -- and the wreath is on the door. Baby steps...

And how is Penny? Rotten. Simply rotten. :) Little snot is now 9 months old. We've taken to calling her "Princess Chunky-Butt", since she's tipping the scales at 12.5 pounds and should weigh between 9 and 10. The girl loves her food! Unfortunately, we've discovered that she's prone to some of the same tummy troubles Oscar had. She had a bout of HGE in November that we got a handle on early -- having seen Oscar with it so many times, we recognized the symptoms and were able to get her to the vet pronto. It's a little concerning because it showed up in her so young; Oscar was 6 or 7 before he had his first episode, but Penny was 8 months old. I guess God knew we could handle dachshunds with tummy troubles, so he sent the Pennster to us. :)

Stitching and knitting, you ask? Well, I did go to ASG at the end of October with the girls and had a wonderful time as usual. It was great to see Ron and Rae and all the folks we normally only see once a year. The classes were delightful -- even though I now know that scrimshaw etching is "not my thing", I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to try it. Jackie duPlessis was an absolute joy to take a class from -- I loved her sense of humor -- and Rae continues to amaze me with the creative projects she comes up with year after year. If you click on the "Teachers" button on the ASG page, you can download a PDF describing the classes we took. Of course, none of the projects are finished yet. I've only finished one measly ornament and I don't even have a picture to share. I know, bad me.

Knitting-wise, I knitted up some pressies for my sisters-in-law. Pictures to follow after Christmas, because I don't want to spoil the surprise. I'm working on some socks for my mom now that I'm hoping to have finished -- simple pattern with two strands of worsted held together that goes fast, so I have some hope! I'm pondering a moratorium on stash purchases for the first 6 months of next year, but I fear that might endanger several small businesses. We'll see. ;)

I know some of you who come to my blog expect humor and something uplifting... I hope to be able to offer that to you next time. I promise not to neglect my sad little blog for as long as I did this time...

Until next time... I wish you health; I wish you happiness; and I wish you the peace and love of the Child of Bethlehem. To all my friends reading this, know that you are cherished.

Merry Christmas from me, Richard and Penny!