Well, yeah, so...no.

So my move got put off...indefinitely. Things happened, and stuff got assumed, and I came to my senses before I actually signed anything that would contractually obligate me to live paycheck to paycheck (thank Bob; I'm going to Paris next year with my choir -- I'll eat unwaxed, organic cardboard before I miss that for anything other than a super-duper compelling reason, and getting on a property ladder I've never really wanted to climb is not compelling, much less super-duper so). So I have not moved, and won't.

Oh, I will, just not there. And not for a few months. It was brought home to me (by siblings, oddly enough) that I should wait until my father is home from his medically necessitated stint in a rehab facility (why does Amy Winehouse run through my head whenever I say that? He's not even in that sort of rehab!) If only for my mother's peace of mind, and so that someone keeps an eye on her, because Bob knows the brother who lives here won't. So probably not until this winter. And when I do move, it will be to a downtown apartment, close enough to my office I can walk/bike to work. Which was my original intent, until my friend offered me a place that was larger than your average apartment, with neighbors I know and at a comparable rate.

Sigh. Back to the drawing board!

Anyway, I've accomplished something despite the stress and angst and wangst.

See? See what I have left? Here, let me show you what I have made:

Whirligigs! Tons of them! Well, actually...8x4x2...63. There was one skein I only got three whirligigs out of, and that's ok. It wasn't my favorite color.

Now I just need to string them, add some beads to them to make them hang properly, and get a Christmas sparkly garland to wrap around them to hang on my tree. It will be the sparkliest Christmas you ever seen, y'all. For realz.

I also had my midlife...well, not a crisis, per se. But I think on the decades I should be allowed to do something that is not "go to work, go to bed, eat your veggies", you know? When I turned 30, I got my tattoo. When I turned 20, I got depressed. I figure now that I'm 40, I'm entitled.

Oh, get over it, I didn't do anything stupid. I just did this:

 I think the most unusual thing about it is that I only got one cartilege piercing. Usually you get them in bunches, but my OCD says I can only have an odd number of earrings if I'm going to have more than two. I'm up to three. That's a perfect number. It's in my left ear, because my right ear is my telephone ear -- a very important consideration when you're a receptionist.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go knit something. I haven't been able to do a lot of knitting lately -- as I'm sure you'll understand -- but I have a few minutes today. I'm a little tired and worn down, and I need fiber therapy.

Christmas knitting

I'm still working on the garland for my tree and the ornaments and such, and have chosen the yarn for my Angel topper. I've decided to use this yarn:

For the wings (gold) and dress (green), and this yarn:

(the beige on the far right) for the head. I think I'll even give my angel hair, just so it doesn't look bald. Maybe...hmm, I don't know. Maybe the black of the Knitpicks acrylic. It will be pretty.

In the meantime, I've managed to dig myself out of the doldrums. I sat with myself and figured out what was bothering me, and once I reasoned it out, I was able to lift my mood. It's amazing what directed navel-gazing will do.

And now it's time for dinner. I am trying to feed myself when I feel hunger, so I need to get myself food now. Maybe I'll have bagels, cream cheese and salami. With a cup of hot chocolate on the side.

Warm and nice and filling. Perfect for a lazy Saturday night!

Have you ever wanted to run away?

I'm having one of those lifetimes, right now.

I know wherever you go, there you are, but sometimes I think a major change in scenery would do me a world of good, if only by keeping my mind occupied with new sights and sounds and smells.

My Christmas knitting proceeds apace (maybe that's part of my problem -- I've made so many of those little curliques I'm going around the bend myself?) and I've found an adorable pattern for my tree topper, the Hurricane Angel.

I'm going to have a very fibery tree, if I can ever get around to finishing my garland (and on the up-side, I've figured out how I'm going to attach them together, when I get to that stage.) And I've got a ton of sparkly beads to decorate the ones that are ornaments.

Now I've just got to get around to doing it all!

What I Did Today: A Pictorial Essay

For my next beading project:

I do love the holidays, and my brother doesn't allow colors other than red, gold and green on the "proper" tree.

Ornaments made by a member of my Knit Coven. Aren't they great?

I wish I could crochet.

A handmade ornament from a friend from two Yules ago. I love the colors.

My mother gave me all the ancient ornaments that used to go on our family tree but are blacklisted because they're the wrong color. This is one of my favorites.

A message for one and all:

I wish I had one that said "Happy Holidays" to cover all my bases, but this particular ornament is older than I am. Just know my wishes for a happy holiday season for all of you are non-denominational. Choose your holiday and run with it. It's a sucky time of year in the northern hemisphere, cold and dark and cold, so start a party, hang out with your peeps and make like a drunken elf with the pumpkin pie. Or stay home, light a candle and meditate in silence if that's more your bag.

Whyever you choose to do what you choose to do, I hope you have a very merry.