Cool Girls Christmas Crafting: I'm Just Wild About Animal Crackers

Last year we started the tradition of using the Friday after Thanksgiving for a Christmas Crafting Day with me, Mama Cool, and Sista Cool. This year, Mama Cool showed up with pink and white felt, beads, and Mother's Circus Animals animal crackers. Yes, the ones from your youth covered in pink and white sugar-wax and sprinkles. We drew our inspiration from the pattern in Fa La La La Felt, and by the end of the day I had made 4, Mama Cool 2, and Sista Cool 2. We were pumped, and planning kits for friends and family. Best Christmas Craft yet!

The toughest part for me was randomly placing the beads. If you look closely at the elephant, my first one, the beads are very evenly spaced. I worked to become more random, and was eventually helped by pulling out a cookie and copying its sprinkle placement. Any craft with cookies as an inspiration is a winner!

Only 45 Shopping Days!

Lincoln has already started his search through the toy catalogs.

Believe it or not, Christmas will be here in 45 days. Sometimes it feels like just yesterday I was pregnant, teaching, grading and then WHAM! here we are, with an almost-six-month-old who will soon be enjoying (I hope) his first Christmas. We stashed away a few things to give him for Christmas, and luckily he will be 6 MO +, which allows him to enter a whole new world of toys. I'm working on knitting a giant mitten to serve as his first stocking, and it is turning into a giant mitten. I only meant to double the size of a regular mitten, but it has gotten a bit out of control. For the first time, I'm not only enjoying the world of snow and Christmas through the eyes of a baby, but I'm not having to cram it in around teaching and finals. I hope this season we will be able to relax and rejoice. I love this time of year, and I hope he learns to love it as well.

1 Baby, 3 Costumes: 1st Halloween!

A little cowboy, complete with boots, a pearl snap-button shirt, and a little horse.
A small inmate, contemplating life on the inside of the crib.
A bear, lost in the first snows of the year.

Labor Day -- Finally!

Well, let me tell you, I've been looking forward to this 3-day weekend for almost 4 days. Each of those four days I worked 4 hours. Hours filled with alphabetizing, filing, doing small projects for the gracious gals of admin who took pity on me. I worked a total of 16 hours this past week, and man, am I ready to celebrate my laborious effort. I shall enjoy this day to its fullest, as come Tuesday it is once more into the breech for an 18 hour week - I just hope I can handle it.

In all seriousness, for those of you are working real hours at real jobs - thanks, you make the world go round. It was a good week, nice to be out of the house and to have a "normal" schedule to the day. Work was good, and I'm looking to get back full time here soon - in six more weeks hopefully. Happy Labor Day!

Charlton Heston & Easter

When I was young, Mama Cool and I would always stay up to watch the classic Ten Commandments during its Easter Eve showing. We always questioned as to why it was a pre-Easter movie, although one could also argue that it is shown during Passover, which would make more sense. Regardless, we always stayed up to watch Charlton view the burning bush and pronounce his lines in serious tones, opposed by Yul Brynner and his fabulous calves. I managed to convince Mr. Cool to watch a bit yesterday, and told him of my favorite part--the continued involvement of Moses's adoptive mother. In the film, his Egyptian princess mother continues to seek him out, even after he returns to set his people free. I appreciate that concept--I imagine, that if she were still alive when he returned, she would indeed find him and follow him. Her desire and passion for a son were great enough to adopt and raise him, that she would not forsake him even with his changed mission.

Anyway, today, while I am waiting for my family to arrive, I am watching the more appropriate Charlton Heston Easter film, Ben-Hur. As a youngster, I loved to read the abridged copy of Lew Wallace's classic that my grandparents had in their basement. I loved the story of Judah Ben-Hur and his survival through the Roman galleys, his saving of the Roman Quintus, his encounters with Arabic horse-racing, and the thrilling chariot race. Jesus is a side player in this drama, but he is the ultimate savior. Revenge cannot hold up as a motive when faced with the selfless redeemer.

So, on this Easter, I am confronted with massive epics and quiet gestures of faith. He is risen indeed.

Indeed from dictionary.com adv.

1. Without a doubt; certainly: very cold indeed; was indeed grateful.
2. In fact; in reality: felt sure I'd win, and indeed I did.

interj. Used to express surprise, skepticism, or irony.

[Middle English in dede, in fact : in, in; see in¹ + dede, deed, fact; see deed.]

The Pursuit of Happiness

We all have different things that make us happy--and I think the founders recognized that. This 4th, Mr. Cool and I each got to enjoy something that makes us happy. For Mr. Cool, that involved setting off fireworks with my cousins. Fireworks are difficult to photograph, but I had a great time playing with my camera. When we returned back from the legal land of fireworks (Wyoming), I discovered a package from my Ravelry Libris swap partner, the fabulous HettyKnits of Canada. That made me pretty happy--and ready to try socks (or at least felted clogs.)

A bottle rocket takes flight. (The poles are a temporary fireworks addition to the yard.)

As my cousins age, we begin to see more fountains at the private show.

It's difficult to see beyond the sparkles, but there are about five other fountain remnants littering the driveway.

My fabulous swap package included three books, a book light, knitting needles and pattern for turning the beautiful Noro Kureyon into Fuzzy Feet, and a delightful owl dishcloth in my favorite shade of green. It will never wash a dish. Swaps are a fabulous part of the knitting world, and I love them so much, as they introduce you to people from around the world. How often will I get a package from New Brunswick, Canada! Thanks, HettyKnits!

Pursuits to Come: My First Baby Hat (not for me, for friends), and a Trip to the Colorado Renaissance Festival!

Happy Independence Day!

We're off to celebrate in Wyoming, where fireworks are legal, my uncle grills burgers, and we watch the town fireworks from the alley while listening to patriotic music. Pictures will follow!

And now, your presidential trivia for the day:

Both John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe died on the 4th of July, with Adams and Jefferson dying on the 4th in the same year. John Adams' last words were "Jefferson still lives," which was not quite true, Jefferson having died earlier in the day.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

In honor of the day, I present:

The Lorica of St. Patrick

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness Of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth and His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In preachings of the apostles,
In faiths of confessors,
In innocence of virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today through the strength of Heaven
the rays of the sun,
the radiance of the moon,
the splendor of fire,
the speed of lightening,
the swiftness of the wind,
the depth of the sea,
the stability of the earth
the firmness of rock.

I arise today through the power of God:
God's might to comfort me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to lead me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's Heavenly Host to save me
from the snares of the devil,
from temptations to sin,
from all who wish me ill,
from near and afar, alone and with others.

May Christ shield me today
against poison and fire,
against drowning and wounding,
so that I may fulfill my mission
and bear fruit in abundance.
Christ behind and before me,
Christ behind and above me,
Christ with me and in me,
Christ around and about me,
Christ on my right and on my left,
Christ when I lie down at night,
Christ when I rise in the morning,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone that speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

- St Patrick