Hi Everyone! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Hope everyone had a great Christmas!! I realize it's a little late but better late than never. The last two weeks have been totally nuts around here. Scott got sick the Wed. before Christmas and he's just now starting to feel better but still gonna have to have some tests run. We thought he just had a bad virus with vomiting and all for a day or so but he still hurt and couldn't eat much without hurting for several days, almost a week. So they're going to do some tests, the Dr. suspects either an ulcer scaled down or Gallbladder since he's had this problem twice this month, just a tiny episode of it the first time. We just thought he had viruses going around both times til he got to hurting so bad. He's doing lots better now but it will still have to be looked into so hopefully it doesn't happen again.

Other than that, Christmas went great with Scott recovering and dinner at my parents' house and several other parties, dinners and whatnot. We got a new stove mainly for Christmas as our other one had burners I hated and got way too hot and smelled like it was burning the house down anytime you turned it on. I've got it posted on Freecycle hoping for someone to come get it that needs one, glad to be rid of the thing that was impossible to clean those open burners with food, dust etc dropping into them all the time. And we also took some Christmas money and bought a new microwave as our old one threw a fit Christmas day and went out for a while. It came back on after being unplugged for a while but is still old and really slow so it too is on Freecycle for someone without one to use. I figure if it still works and someone can use it that's better than it going to the dump and someone going without one at all.

After so much complaint around here the couple weeks before Christmas about noone having time to slow down and enjoy Christmas with family and all it was good to finally be with most of the family and a couple of friends Christmas day. I was the one doing the complaining but it seemed like everyone was too busy to care that it was supposed to be a family time. Too bad everyone can't seem to calm down and slow down and enjoy the season- even though Christmas eve and day were great, it would have been better if the week or two before had been filled with the feeling that someone cared about the Holidays (and I use the term loosely) sometime other than one or two days a year.

And don't jump on me for saying Holidays.... I hate that phrase not because it means a combination of Merry Christmas and Happy New year.... but people have used it so much to avoid saying Merry Christmas for fear for dear life they'll offend someone. I don't approve of everything Wal-mart has done lately but I do applaud their "in your face" approach of Merry Christmas after hardly acknowledging it last year. If anyone wants to use anything it should be "Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays" to acknowledge both Christmas so blessed plus the new year, and any other holiday one might celebrate. That isn't leaving anyone out- that's a way of including everyone.

Now that the new year is upon us, I hope everyone has a great one and above all please stay safe!! I realize not many patterns and crochet related things have been posted here lately but maybe that can get back to normal soon. It's great to hear from all my old friends and new ones too- please keep in touch!!

Have a great New Year everyone!!

Love,
Marla