Two Days Before 2024

What do you do on New Year's Eve EVE? Years ago, and for many years in a row, this day brought an overnight lock-in for the teens at the church we belonged to. Lots of coffee, midnight balloon drop, giant inflatables, no sleep, and cranky-by-2am-Jr-and-Sr-highers...it was a blast! (There was even some occasional knitting!)

8 years ago, our daughter married the love of her life, in a blizzard. It was beautiful, it was cold, we did gingerbread favors with a cookie decorating table...and we celebrate their lives together today! 

Today is also the day that I'll take down the tree, because I always take down the tree on the Saturday after Christmas. And it is time...but I am dragging my feet a bit. I love the decorations, and even as I pack them away, I look forward to next Christmas. 

Looking at the tree, I was surprised to strip so many cookies and caramels from its branches this morning! But I think the girls will be happy to get a sweet treat in the mail this week...

And now it is time to bid farewell to this year, and welcome all things new. Time to plan knitting projects, pack January birthday boxes for shipping, and think about what kind of cookies I should bake for the cookie jar when all the gingerbread is gone...

Do you have plans for 2024? Do you have plans for 12-31-23? (Read that 1-2-3-1-2-3, pretty neat, huh?) I'm generally in bed before the ball drops on New Year's Eve, but maybe I'll stay up tomorrow...who knows? (But please don't call me at midnight!) 

Thanks for stopping by, Knit in Good Health, and have a safe and happy new year! 

Merry Christmas!

If today is your holiday,  

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health! 

Pretty, Did You Know?

Did I know what? My baby boy was Allen.

Rest assured that I do know that it's 2 days before Christmas! Ready or not, here it comes! 

Every year,  when I think of the days leading up to Christmas, I remember a song I sang in a school choir, probably in 4th or 5th grade. It was called  "12 Days Before Christmas," and the singers of the song are distraught because they have "nothing to giiiiive to youuuuu!" It was a sweet song of the days leading up to Christmas, and the realization that the best gift I can give to you...well, "It was meeeeeee!!!" 

In honor of the memory of that school Christmas concert, let me tell you about what's been going on for me in these 12 days before Christmas of 2023:

12 days before Christmas, I was building and packaging a tiny ginger hood. The houses have all been gifted now, but I had such fun making them...as I do every year! 

(A couple days earlier, the boys and their mom decorated the Biiiiig House they had requested! Gingerbread may be my favorite of the Xmas traditions!)

11 days before Christmas, I started a Psyduck hoodie (iykyk), and I received the Christmas Party yarn order to distribute at knitting (again, iykykyk)! Also working on two pair of socks...

10 days before Christmas, I finished some dishcloths (now received and loved), and snapped a photo of my favorite mug in the church kitchen! 

9 days before Christmas, I met up with some of the local-ish ladies in my online Bible study!  We had a blast, and I saw my first"yarn tagging" in the wild!

8 days before Christmas, I had cookies for breakfast. 

7 days before Christmas, I made a new pattern for my Biiiiig gingerbread houses! 

6 days before Christmas, I went to my grandson's preschool program. 6 songs, 8 minutes, fan-Christmas-tastic!

5 days before Christmas, I was working hard at my #churchlife !

4 days before Christmas, my friend and co-worker brought me fun donuts! Thanks again Jill! Also, we decked out the church a bit more with the just-arrived poinsettias...

3 days before Christmas, I was knitting socks and playing with 2 of the best boys! 

Also, she got "the sweater," and she loves it!

2 days before Christmas, I've finished making 4 stripey socks, three pans of caramel and two lasagnas...what will the next two days even bring?!?

I'll tell you what they'll bring...CHRISTMAS!!!

I hope your winter Holidays, whatever they are, will bring you joy and love, and maybe even some peace. 

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health! 

Knitmas 2023

December the 10th was just last week, and wasn't that a party? We had a blast at Knitmas 2023!

CKW planned a party 

for Christmas, and then

The knitters were headed 

to my place again! 

No stockings were hung, 

for we have no hearth,

But for this day, stockings 

don't have enough girth.

So I set festive bags

under the lit tree, 

And the first knitter to add 

little gifts would be me. 

Each knitter arriving 

added something else nifty

Until each bag was filled up

with fun, little gifties!

There were plants, real and crafted, 

ornaments and teas;

Special treats, tokens, and cookies, 

may I have one now, please?

And the food! Oh, the food -

Cheese dips, chili and more!

We ate and we ate, 

and no one kept score.

Don't forget the traditions... 

yes, most ordered more yarn*;

And hand-knit**, holiday socks 

made of wool, so warm. 

There was laughter and fun, 

but little singing this year;

Not sure where the hippo was, 

she was not here. 

Julie wins the prize for finding this in the sofa! 

All in all, a success 

was this Christmas bash! 

The first of the season, 

definitely not the last.

There's more gifts to be finished, 

things to be planned; 

Nine days until Christmas! 

Yarn's under my command!

The party is over, and yes, I'm still knitting like a fiend! This is the first year in quite a few that our son and his family will not make it home for the holidays, so I have a couple of boxes to ship still...I'm getting there, I promise! I am also trying to take a breath here and there, so I don't lose my Christmas mind.

Online shopping has helped, and I've had some things shipped directly to the kids (thank you for doing my wrapping, Christy!). But the knitted gifts and homemade goodies are all on me...still not quite sure how to send the gingerbread...

How are your holiday plans coming along? Do you have any fun events to attend? Gifts to ship? Projects to finish? 'Tis the Season! 

In the middle of it all, thanks for stopping by, and Knit (and bake, and shop, and wrap) in Good Health! 

*Don't remember how it started, but we usually do a group yarn order at the party...and so we did this year, as well!

**Not all of the socks are hand-knit/wool, but our feet are festive, and they know it!