Only 6 days until Christmas and I am having the usual angst about not being ready. I am not one of those people who makes lists of things to do. I buy things throughout the year and hide them only to discover them months after Christmas in their hiding places. Wrapping is getting harder and harder every year...I can't sit on the floor to do it any more. So, I do it on the bed so that I can stand and do it. (Why didn't I think of this years ago???) Massoud also remembered that he gets free wrapping on gifts from Macys. It is great to have gifts wrapped in really pretty papers with pretty ribbons on them but it took them almost 2 hours while he waited for them to get the job done.....I know, we should have thought of it when we bought the gifts!

My Sister-in-law is here from Iran with her husband. They are staying for 5 weeks...until New Year's eve, but at the moment they are in San Francisco visiting relatives and seeing the sights. Massoud was going to take me with but I declined. Now, with so much to do I am glad I stayed behind. Need to get my visiting teaching done and prepare a lesson for Sunday! AAAAHHHH! Do I sound a bit concerned???

All better!

OK...so the house got painted, Massoud's sister arrived, and Thanksgiving is over. Wow, that was fast! Sadly, Shadman died. We buried him in the backyard. Mainly because he was so big I was concerned that he might clog the toilet if we tried to flush him down.

Here is a christmas stocking update... I am close to finishing! I have to do it in the quiet so I can count. Otherwise it will come out all wrong. Look at the mega hook I am using...it's an "L". It's fun and fast so I am unjoying it. Also uploaded is the finished product after i "felt" it in HOT water in my washing machine.

Paint

We painted our living room, dining room, and the wall going up the stairs...the color on the wall up the stairs and in the dining room is called "Soiree". The color on the darker wall as you enter the dining room is, "Impala". The color on the ceiling of the dining room is "Chicken". These are paints by "Devine". http://www.devinecolor.com/. I love how it looks...but notice how torn up the house is!

I would like to write something this morning but Steve is sitting on me in front of the computer and I can't see the keyboard. I only type about 35 WPM so this is difficult. He keeps licking my chin.I wanted to get a picture of him doing it but he just got mad and started biting my hand. Then he licks it to say he's sorry. At least that is what I think he is doing. Probably not...maybe it just tastes bad. So, he licks it to a flavor more to his liking. He only bites hard when he is mad...here he is just annoyed with me.

A job I loved!

Today it felt so good to go to church. I worked at Macy's just long enough to quit when they wouldn't give me Sundays off. I had to work 3 Sundays in 8 weeks. Being able to worship our Savior and our Heavenly Father on Sundays makes for a happier spirit. I asked again and again if they would just give me Sundays...I even told them I would work full time! But...no. Oh well, while I was there I got a beautiful Jewelry Box from Lenox for 1/2 off! (not personalized). Having the discount was really fun...although my husband didn't think so. Oh well Macy's!! You let go of a great employee!

Help?

I was using that cute Halloween template and decided to change it. Now I can't get any templates to download properly???

I am working on Christmas stockings...they are for Ali and April's house. They look like Dr. Suess stockings to me. They are "felted" by crocheting them with wool yarn and then washing them in hot water. Pretty cute, huh?

She found the pattern in abook called "Chicks with Sticks; A guide to crochet"

Little Aminals

It is a sunny day hear in the Seattle area. There are a few wispy clouds around, but all in all it is cold but pretty. I hear people working on lawns...probably hired help since it is Tuesday. I am going to visit and elderly woman and try to finish up my Visiting Teaching for Nov. I only saw 1 of the women I VT in October! Terrible.

Anyway, Steve is in the window enjoying the sun, and Shadman is swimming right side up...for now.

Goofy fish!

Here is silly Shadman...who is never gonna die...swimmimg upside down in his tank. Do not be deceived into thinking he is dead...no....he is actually swimming.

Today I was was annoyed because the cloads were swirling around and it was all sprinkly rainy. I could see off in the distance that someone was having lovely blue sky weather...but that was about 40 miles from here I'm guessing.

I am taking the mini loaves of banana bread I made and going visiting teaching...

Steve says, "Happy Halloween yesterday!"

I am allowing Steve to be posted today. He is 6 years old. The vet says we better buy insurance for him because he is getting older and we will need it when he starts having "old age" problems. Have you ever priced animal insurance...it ain't cheap! Stay healthy Steve! This is why even though you cry to go out we keep you indoors!

Shadman

Massoud's cousin left us with her goldfish when she moved to Florida. He has been alive for so long we can't remember how old he is. Maybe 3 or 4...we aren't sure. His name is Shadman, ( shod-maun). It means "happy". Now he has developed something called "bloat". It's really constipation. The vet told me to feed him peas. Even when I hold him and put them down his throat with a toothpick he just spits them out!. I am also feeding him an antibiotic. The long and short of it is...he is going to die. Last night and this morning he was floating aroundupside down...today I changed his water and he is right side up again! This is so frustrating! Why do I end up loving my little animals so much!?

Traditional Halloween!

It being halloween Kevin asked for our traditional pumpkin soup! He's the only child of mine who likes it. His girlfriend Natalie came over for some as well, and then they watched "Sleepy Hollow". This is Kevin's tradition of course and no one elses. However, I was happy to oblige him and even made some pumpkin chocolate cookies with the pumpkin I had left over from the soup. He wished I had put raisins in them but...NOOOO.....MY tradition is Chocolate chips only! I used our Magic Bullet to puree the onions which made the soup way creamier! Delish!