Merry Christmas!

This year was Dr. M's turn to write the annual poem. I think he did a pretty darned good job. 

Christmas falls hard this year

Too fast, too soon…no time

To recover from a second

Honeymoon; so much like

Our first wedded year, when we

Were rushing and flinging

All things everywhere! Christmas

Falls hard, like a river-bank tree

Giving way to the seething

Deluge that has consumed it.

Always the crush, the push

The undercutting, the brushing

Aside of time to sit and wait

To contemplate Advent.

God comes to us, yes, but not in

The flooded din of what we

Have made: a holiday monsoon.

No, God comes to us in full-moon

Mindfulness and whispering trees.

Stop. Listen, please. God is here

Wherever we gather in love.

Mike & Dana Rhyne

Christmas 2015

2015 Project 365 – Week Fifty-one

We’re home! We got back late last night (well, actually, it was after midnight). We had SUCH a good time! I’m posting a handful of pictures here, but Dr. M is going to do a post for each day of our trip (a travelogue – thank goodness, because I probably won’t remember everything otherwise). Here is the post that he did for our first day: Off we go! Danabug and Dr. M's Big Adventure. You can check his page this week for new posts, or wait until I post the links next week.

Sunday, December 13^th    

Today was our only day at sea – a very nice antidote to our crazy travel day. This was our view.

We bought two of the pictures that the ship photographer took. This is from dinner in the main dining room that evening. The food was SO GOOD (it’s the number one thing that people say about cruises – it’s true!).

Monday, December 14^th         

On Monday we took a tour of Barbados. The bus driver was maniacal. Or maybe it was all the other drivers. It was a good thing that everything was so beautiful because otherwise I would have been terrified. It was exhilarating!

The moon!

Tuesday, December 15^th                        

On Tuesday we took a tour of St. Lucia. Ditto with the maniacal driver & ditto the beauty and exhilaration. One of our stops was a shop that specializes in batik. We had a demonstration & I bought one of my two souvenirs of the trip – a batik fan (the other was a bag from the airport in San Juan - I resisted buying a bag for the whole trip & then caved at the last minute).

We had our anniversary dinner in the main dining room. Another very lovely meal.

Wednesday, December 16^th                

On Wednesday we were at Antigua. Here is our morning view.

We took a tour of the island. Ditto with the maniacal driver & ditto the beauty and exhilaration. At the end of the tour we had the change to swim in the Caribbean. Fabulous!

Thursday, December 17^th  

On Thursday we were at St. Maarten. We did NOT take a tour, but we did take a boat to the main part of town, wandered around & had lunch. It was HOT, and the town was basically a large jewelry store. I enjoyed my fish sandwich, but Dr. M got food poisoning from his meal. I’m not saying we’d never go back, but I think we’d do something different if we did.

I had brought some yarn to keep me occupied & made this set – I was pretty sure that I was going to need it when we got home on Saturday (I didn’t pack any warm clothes).

Friday, December 18^th     

On Friday we were at St. Thomas. We decided to not leave the ship. It was a lovely relaxing day. And our view wasn’t too shabby!

On my daily walk I decided to take pictures of these bizarre busts that were on each of the 10 landings. Someone on Facebook said that they look like drag queens & I have to agree. Also, my calves were a bit sore from hiking all those stairs!

That evening I finished another project – this one is a fall/spring cap.

Saturday, December 19^th       

On Saturday we headed home. We left the boat around 8:00 a.m. & got home after midnight. It was a long day! This is from our walk from Terminal C to Terminal F in the Chicago airport.

About an hour before our last flight I finished this project. I’ve been working on it for quite a while, between afghan squares.

Home! To a cold house (it was 58 degrees in the house – 23 degrees outside), and a thriving Ms. Pinky.

              

 

Hope everyone has a great week!

Happy Anniversary!

Happy anniversary dear heart - 25 years has flown by in a flash! Here's to another 25 with the man of my dreams...

2015 Project 365 – Week Fifty

I’m scheduling this post because Dr. M & I are off on a journey! It’s our Silver Anniversary Extravaganza - & you know you’ll hear all about it when we get back.

Sunday, December 6^th    

Sunday was a little bit squirrely.

Monday, December 7^th         

Dr. M clipped a few of Miss Pinky’s blossoms – they look very nice in the living room.

Tuesday, December 8^th                        

Things Dr. M Saw Today.

Wednesday, December 9^th                

We had our annual holiday party at work and I made a cheese ball! I think that counts as cooking – I know you’re amazed. It has dried apricots and dried cranberries in it – very tasty.      

Thursday, December 10^th  

Once again I was going to do the 10 on 10 thing. I did take some (very mediocre) pictures, but I ended up not messing with the post. I did NOT take this picture – Dr. M saw a hawk in the tree next door!

We went on a ramble to look at Christmas lights & ended up eating Mexican food for dinner. I laughed at this display by the cash register.

I finished blanket #2!!! Still need to figure out how to get a picture of the whole thing.

Friday, December 11^th     

I labeled the squares for blanket #3 in preparation for piecing them together after we get back.

Saturday, December 12^th       

And we're off! We left the house at 2:30 a.m. Three planes, two flights, three airports, an INSANE taxi ride later and we reached our destination at 6:00 p.m. Kudos to the taxi driver who knew that we were just about to miss the boat. But we didn't, and here we are in the middle of the ocean. Big happy sigh. More about that next week. For now, just a few pictures from our day.

               

Hope everyone has a great week!

2015 Project 365 – Week Forty-nine

I can’t believe we’re already in December! It’s almost Christmas. Am I ready? Not in the least!

Sunday, November 29^th    

We didn’t take very many pictures this week, so on a couple of days you’ll see some that are a little odd. Like this one, of my crazy new pants during my daily walk. I’m pretty sure I’m not ever leaving the house with these on, but they’re really soft & comfy.

Monday, November 30^th         

Dr. M saw a cow.

I made a quick little gift for our office party. I love the buttons! Found them at JoAnn Fabrics.

Square #3 of pattern #24. The LAST SQUARE!!! Well, it’s the last square until I figure out what to do about the 4^th blanket (the one I’m making for Dr. M and me). As I said last week, I’ve pretty much run out of yarn & it’s discontinued – still available online, but pricey. We’ll see.

Tuesday, December 1^st                       

I started piecing together the blanket of many colors.

Wednesday, December 2^nd               

We had our first snow of the year. Fortunately it was a bit wimpy.           

Thursday, December 3^rd

On Wednesday when I came home from work I realized I was missing one of my earrings. I was sad because I think I’ve had these for 30 years or so. Fortunately when I went to work on Thursday morning the missing earring was in the parking lot, undamaged. So they only had to spend one night apart.               

Friday, December 4^th     

It’s pretty much Hawk Central in our part of Ohio these days.

Late Friday evening I FINISHED BLANKET #1!! I used a polka dot border, which you see here. I’ll try to get a good picture of the whole blanket sometime when I figure out how (it’s 80” x 52”).

Saturday, December 5^th       

We had freezing fog overnight & woke up to a winter wonderland. So pretty!

I sorted out Blanket #2 & pinned tags on it so I could get started on piecing it together. (Sorry for the even worse than usual iPhone photo - the sun was really bright!)

Our fiber/yarn group from church (Heart & Hands), met at one of our member’s homes today. Mother Lynn blessed the house & we had communion – and then we had a meal together and talked while some of us worked on our projects for a bit. We always have such a good time together.

               

Hope everyone has a great week!

Blanket Update

As you know, I am now into the home stretch with these crazy blankets. I finished the last square of the orange/magenta/yellow/red one & I couldn't wait to spread all the squares out to see what they looked like.

Not content with just looking at them, I decided to go ahead & put labels on them so that I know which square attaches to which other square. I can't remember who gave me the safety pin idea (or did I come up with it myself?), but I think it's going to work fabulously.

Now, I just need to finish the squares for the other three blankets & I can start piecing this one together. I'm excited - both to see this project finished & to get all of these squares OUT OF THE HOUSE! :)

P.S. I wrote this post on Sunday, & scheduled it to post on Friday, but here it is Thursday night & I've already pieced these squares together. I still need to do the border, so you'll have to endure at least one more picture (ha!). But I might take a break tomorrow - I think my arms are about to fall off.