Happy Surprises

I started out the morning by turning on every light in my spinning & knitting corner, the better to see the stitches in the dark purple and black blended yarn I was currently working into fingerless mitts.

I tend to forget my eyes are not quite as young or sharp as they once were, so even though the spinning is a breeze, working on dark-hued knitting projects tend to be limited to mid-day, with as much natural light as is available as well as additional direct lighting.

Anyway, the knitting is going well, and it looks like they’re even going to match up. That’s always a happy surprise. But then my Apple Watch reminded me that I’d been sitting for over and hour, so I set knitting aside and got up to do my morning stretches. I’m seriously considering naming my Apple Watch “Little Nag”, although I admit it is helping me keep my daily exercise regimen on track.

After stretching, I climbed onto my exercise bike for 15 minutes at a medium-resistance setting. That should appease the Little Nag. I usually try for 20-30 minutes, but because I was heading to the Menard Center’s walking track right after lunch, I decided not to push it.

A toasted peanut butter and honey sandwich and bowl of applesauce armed me for the upcoming walk. Happily, Jer was willing to accompany me, so with temps in the balmy mid-20s, mostly blue skies and the dachshunds dressed in only light sweaters, we grabbed our track shoes and air-pods and headed out.

OK, yes, Baxter and Ronni had to wait in the car while we were at the track, but they had flannel blankets and were still happier for coming alone. Besides, we had errands to run later and they love the dachshunds at the UPS Store.

This brings me back to the topic of this meandering story. I honestly feel like I was rewarded for a day well spent.

Our last stop was the UPS Store. We had a couple of package notices, so joined the short line awaiting service.

This is one of Rhonda’s favorite places, since (being a social butterfly) it not only means she’ll get love and attention from the staff (who are known to call out “Hi Rhonda!” from across the room), but she’s not adverse to mugging waiting customers on either side of us while we wait our turn.

Fortunately, Ronni is also willing to accept with equanimity those who don’t wish to visit, giving them a tail swish and looking around for another victim … er, I mean potential new friend. 😉 If I were to let her off leash here (I don’t), she’d be behind the counter eliciting belly-rubber-rubbers in a flash.

Baxter, OTOH, generally stands quietly at Jer’s feet, making it obvious by the wagging tail that he is enjoying the outing, but not usually interested in visiting.

After collecting our two packages, and allowing Ronni to get and give kisses to one of her favorite UPS employees, we headed home.

It wasn’t until we were back in the house and ready to relax that I remembered to open the packages. One was just a normal Amazon delivery of little consequence. The other box was my second surprise of the day.

I love a good surprise. I think I’ll tell you all about it … tomorrow.

Like a Snowball

Oh joy! We gained 3 minutes and 29 seconds of daylight today over yesterday. I love it when the daylight-gain really starts rolling, like a snowball rolling downhill – a little faster with each passing day.

Daylight today was a whopping 6 hours and 9 seconds, with dawn at 10:02 am and dusk at 4:12 pm.

This wonderful increase in daylight started the day after Winter Solstice (which has the shortest day of the year, with a measly 5 hours and 27:44 seconds of total daylight where I live).

Back on December 21st; our daylight – dawn to dusk – was from 10:13 am to 3:41 pm, for a net LOSS of −0:06 seconds over the day before. Yes! I begrudge each and every second lost.

The following day, on December 22, the ball crested the hill and started rolling the other direction. We here in Alaska celebrated our daylight gain of +0.06 seconds! Yes, it was a tiny gain, but hey! We were finally at least beginning the heady roll towards summer, and gaining momentum each day!

At that point we were only gaining a few extra seconds each day, but with each additional day, the number of seconds gained, and then minutes gained, increases.

As a random reference; on New Year’s Day, our daylight gain had increased to 2 minutes and 4 seconds over the day before. It may have been freezing cold and blowing snow outside, but that was still a win in my book!

By the end of February, we’ll be gaining 5 minutes and 44 seconds of daylight every single day, and this rollicking rate will continue until April 8th, at which point, the rapid gains in daylight start to slow (just a little at first) until the ball finally comes to relative rest on Summer Solstice.

But we won’t talk about that now. Right now, we’re riding the snowball down the hill, whooping and hollering as we look forward to sunnier and sunnier days to come!

Post Christmas Thoughts

Some years, the little things make all the difference.

I KNOW there’s something in there for me!

Rhonda’s childlike wonder, glee and mischief as soon as we brought out the first few Christmas decorations effortlessly put smiles on our faces.

Mom is SO silly. I’ll do most anything to make her laugh.

The pups have both been joyful presences in our lives this season. Ronni has been the typical wide-eyed 4-year-old, believing in Santa Claus (in her own doggy way) and doing her best to sneak into the wrapped gifts and stockings.

Her nose is unrelenting in sniffing out anything edible – especially if it’s not meant for her.

Baxter is the patient older brother, more mellow but not above grabbing a bow off the floor and running into his kennel to shred it. He rolls his eyes at his little sister’s antics, and is bored by my attempts at Christmas photo shots.

Hey, I’m napping here …

Ronni seems to recognize the changes in the living room and is jazzed by the shiny lights and brightly wrapped boxes … or is it just that there’s an x-pen up, meaning there must be something on the other side of it we don’t want her getting into?

Is it this one?
Or this one?

I know you’ll laugh when I say Rhonda seems to be speaking clearly as her soft little “Woo woo woo’s” tells me, “Mom, is it Christmas yet? Moooom! Can we tear up just one present early?”

I think this one’s for me …

Whether naughty or nice, Ronni and Baxter are a bright light in my life.

I did finally get a Christmas picture … sort of. ❤️

Speaking of life … and dogs; this year, I started building my Christmas spirit a couple of months early by planning a special gift.

Of course, for me, that usually means spinning and knitting. For this gift, I pulled out some yarn I’ve been saving with a great deal of care for years.

I’d told Jerry a long time ago that I would make him a hat using fur from his hero dog, Libby. This year, it was time to make good on that promise.

LGD Libby, and Jerry; finally reunited after Jer’s TBI and long hospitalization.

I had to dig deep in my fiber stash to find the single skein of white Libby fur that I had spun and then plied with dark brown wool, and the cream and gold Abby/Falki yarn also spun several years ago. Two small skeins of very special memories.

My heart-dog, Abby
Mischief maker, Falki
Libby, the LGD who saved Jerry’s life in 2009.

Deciding these two small skeins weren’t quite enough for a hat, and honestly, thinking it needed more wool worked in to add strength and elasticity to the hat, I chose two shades of Shetland sheep’s wool – a chocolate brown and a light tan, and spun up a skein of each.

Now I had enough yarn. What to do with it?

OK, the goal was to make a SPECIAL hat for Jerry for Christmas out of hand-spun yarn – including this special doggy yarn. I’m the first to admit that much as I love to spin, I am at best a mediocre knitter. I’m also a really slow knitter.

So, a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving, I pulled out the big guns. I called my dear friend, Ruth, who is one of the best knitters I know. Help!!

Fortunately, Ruth loves my hand spun yarn, so we made a deal. In exchange for a couple of skeins of colorful hand spun yarn for her, she agreed to take my Shetland and doggy yarn and knit this special hat for me (for Jer)..

The paw-print pattern was Ruth’s creation, too. I could never have come up with anything so perfect!

The hat was by far Jer’s favorite Christmas gift this year. Maybe best ever. Made with love.

This December Morning

The wiggling of two warm bodies burrowing one after the other from the drafty opening they had created at the head of the bed to finding toasty warm spots alongside my PJ clad body barely twigged my awareness.

It was 7:30 am and I hadn’t noticed or felt them leave the bed earlier. But I guess they had both wanted an early morning potty break, because what DID get my groggy attention was an ice cold nose and pair of chilly feet that found a bare patch of skin near my waist.

I remain in awe of the weens unerring ability to find bare skin. How do they manage this when I am wearing flannel pants and a t-shirt? Maybe if I tucked the t-shirt in? Hmm … not gonna happen. Comfort first – I’ll take my chances.

All right, already! My cocoon of warm blankets invaded, I’m now awake. It’s time for coffee.

Of course, now that I want to get up, Baxter and Ronni are once again sound asleep. Warm as a couple of bugs in their rugs.

Baxter’s cold nose is still in contact with my waist, but the rest of him is in a tight, heat-retaining ball. Rhonda is right above him, stretched out full length so her tail is in Baxter’s face, her long, lithe body glued to the warmth of mine and her nose nestled against my neck. Gee, I hate to disturb them.

I got up anyway, which did NOT impress Ronni. I was her warm spot.

Deal with it, young lady.

As I poured my coffee, perusing the darkness outside the window, I found myself looking east and wishing there was even a tinge of light on the horizon.

And then I realized what day was getting ready to dawn. Today (well, this evening) is WINTER SOLSTICE! My mood lifted immediately!

Yes, it’s still dark out. Of course it is – today is literally the darkest and shortest day of the year!

I snuggled back on (not in) the bed with my coffee, pushing the kids over and pulling out my knitting. On this shortest day, I will celebrate by enjoying the late-coming sunrise.

As first light touched the mountains across the valley, I toasted the sight with my coffee mug, knowing that tomorrow’s dawn will come six seconds earlier!