What, Huh? December 29 Already?

I feel a little Ripp Van Winkle-ish these days. A-buzz with the fat saturated, alcohol fueled sugar high of Christmas I just haven't had any literary oomph this month. No doubt about it - December has been a blur and suddenly I'm looking around at the filled up 2012 calendar, the blank notebook, and wondering ... what about New Year and it's resolution writing? I am not ready for 2013. I have no plans!

Remember, I am a Virgo

Love me some plans you know.

"But isn't this supposed to be a knitting blog?" the faithful ask? Well. Yes. and No. It's really just an ego trip for TheQueen.  I do still knit - a little - there is a single sock almost finished on the table by the couch - and a lovely blue hat that will go in the window of Sew News at the corner of  Prince St. and Water Lane come next week. Here is a sneak preview:

The popcorns were tedious to knit but I love how they look. Plymouth yarn. I have the label around here somewhere .... sugar high again.

And there will be more knitting in the New Year. I've got some issues with a sweater and with an overstuffed closet full of clothes I don't wear enough already. But there will be knitting. And spinning. And creativity. I promise.

But.before the New Year is upon me, with all its promises, here's a little bit of what Christmas is like at TheCastle.

For such a sluggish start to the month, December has turned out to be surprisingly sweet. LD got in early enough to get in a visit with my sister, his Aunt B. He can stay long enough to see the new year in. We've had lots of cozy snuggles by the fire - with arms full of dogs.

             

My guys found the absolutely most beautiful tree ever, the Friday before Christmas. We decorated it that weekend and have kept it lit almost constantly.  

Our Christmas eve dinner was the same delicious oyster stew it always is. This year, like last, we were able to have the real thing - Rappahannock River oysters  which we bought from the local butcher shop - thank you Pat. He assured me they'd been shucked that very morning!

 The only photos I got on Christmas day were the ones we took while circumnavigating the farm - where we found even the tree stumps were wreathed for Christmas!

We are great walkers. All of us are in love with the idea of legs as transportation. LD takes the prize for the longest trekker but BD is out every day and TheQueen is no slouch either. I was thinking about distances the other day as we strolled about 5 miles on a windy Thursday - wondering just how far I could walk to work if I had to. Mind now - 26 miles a day might cut into my knitting time if I had to make the present commute - but could I walk 2 miles a day? 4? I wonder. Ah well. I'm glad right now all our walking starts out like this.

On Boxing Day LD and I got over to visit mama - who is living now in a very nice skilled nursing home. She's going to be 90 in 3 weeks - and though she's bed-ridden, she can still keep up with the family and absolutely loves it when we bring photos of our lives or stories and letters from years gone bye. Love ya mama! 

Since then the days have been full of playing with Christmas presents ...

 and cozy evenings admiring trees.













The last big festivity on the schedule was a retirement party for my assistant - here she is looking altogether too gleeful about getting away from her now-former boss...

Honestly - we really do like each other and worked well together.





And here she is with the rest of the female staff - somehow the guys were not around at photo op time.

And so - that's what's been happen'n at TheCastle and in the Life-0-Bess. 

Just in case you were wondering.