Update

Here's the thing-- if you blog, like, once a month, which seems to be my style, it's hard to remember all the things you want to say. And since it seems like too much of a project you put it off a little longer. Yup, Procrastinators 'R' Us. So, the capsule approach:

New Year-- wow, can't believe it's 09. Remember when we worried about what we were going to call this new decade, the 00's, or the oughts, or whatever? Hey, it's about over and it wasn't a problem. Since I didn't decorate much for Christmas it was the work of only an afternoon to de-Christmas, definitely an advert for doing the season lightly and avoiding the tree. Maybe next year, or if the kids ever come out for the season. Meanwhile I have even changed the mailbox cover to the spring one, in defiance of reality.

Weather-- sucky. It's been freakin' cold out there, and I'm tired of it. We even had (gasp) about 2 inches of snow, enough for the new guv to declare a state of emergency. Yeah, I can hear the northerners howling with laughter, but down here they don't buy salt and sand and keep herds of snorting snow plows on hand, and nobody knows how to drive in it. The cold has brought the birds out in droves, and I am filling three feeders every day to keep up. We've had titmice, chickadees, cardinals, white-crowned sparrows, carolina wrens, gold-, house-, and purple finches, red bellied woodpecker, bluebirds, mourning doves, crows, juncos, and pesky varmint squirrels. It's a testament to the health of the surrounding woods that we have not had starlings, english sparrows, pigeons, etc-- the birds of urban blight. Unfortunately several neighborhood cats have set up camp in the area of the feeders, but they seem to be trying to catch squirrels instead of birds, so I wish them no ill.

Inauguration-- stirring. I'm so excited to have a prez to be proud of. Phil tells me there are already changes at work, in only one day (he works for an agency of USDA as I did for many decades.) The transition teams were very efficient. Most previous political appointees are out and line & staffers promoted into those positions, and good folks nearly all. Lots of energy going around. Hope we can keep up the good feelings and get things done.

Grandbaby-- going out to see l'il Cate tomorrow for a few days. It's been too long, since September. Hope she remembers her Nana & PoppaPhil. [PoppaPhil made her a sock monkey with his very own hands to take out.]

Oh, and knitting! Made a buttoned scarf, and cast on my first real actual top-down raglan sweater, which seems so much easier than it would have a year ago. I also [this is embarrassing] made a pair of perfectly competent cabled mitts for Andrea, and did not discover until I went to try them on that I had made TWO LEFT mitts. Urg. I'll just wear one upside down when I walk the dogs and make her another pair, I'm not going to unpick them. I have a lace mohair smoke ring about half done-- to use up a lovely orphan skein I found when tidying my stash; and plans to make a ladder scarf when I'm done (see wool pic). Also signed up for a toe-up sock class to kick my sock making into gear, since I seriously need several pairs. So much to knit, so little serious knitting time available. If only some good fairy would come in and clean, do laundry, cook, and run a few errands while I put my feet up and watch movies and knit. Oh, and could the said fairy also exercise for me? And walk the dogs? Am I asking too much?