Thankful

It was a lovely and productive holiday :) Thanksgiving went off without a hitch – everyone’s plane arrived as scheduled and the weather was great. DH’s cooking experiments were mostly quite successful – the turkey and stuffing got an enthusiastic two thumbs up, while the “spiced up” red beet eggs...let’s just say we won’t be enjoying them again anytime soon. MIL brought an amazing dessert wine - apple - and there was pie. Lots of pie.

Because both MIL and SIL are crafty ladies and brought some projects along for the weekend (which I totally forgot to photograph), I had lots of time to knit. Here are the two latest hats for Knit Unto Others:

 

The red one looks small but it is very stretchy. The beanie on the right was the big hit with everyone, especially my kids, so I’m currently making another - that one will bring my total to four. This week will be very busy but I’m aiming for two more hats after that, more if I can swing it. From there on out it’s Christmas present knitting all the way!!

One great thing about this weekend was our annual city Christmas tree lighting ceremony. Residents gather in front of city hall and receive a white taper candle. At 5 pm, the candles are lit and this mass of thousands and thousands of people slowly makes its way down Main Street in the direction of the Christmas tree. The street slopes down slightly, so when you turn and look back it is easy to see the virtual sea of tiny candle flames. There is a countdown to the tree lighting and then it’s off to the different performing arts venues and outdoor ice sculpturing. It’s impossible not to bump into neighbors, friends, teachers, and so on everywhere you go. I’m thankful to live in a city that is so family-friendly and has such lovely traditions.

We also exchanged Christmas gifts, our tradition with this out-of-town side of our family. My favorite gifts?

click here...and here

Hmmm...now where to begin?????