Merry Christmas!

With photos!

This morning, almost first thing, we helped my brother-in-law and sister-in-law pack up to go visit her family before returning home. We discovered a quail missing from the Goober's Little People zoo, and expect it to turn up in their baggage when they return home and unpack. (Isn't that always the way?) The Goober and The Cousin carried on like they were siamese twins being separated.

I greeted the dawn by telling the Goober it was still night-time and to go back to sleep. It worked for half an hour.

The husbeast spent about an hour this morning in the basement, chasing down the rumor of a drain in the floor that was tiled over (if it exists at all) before I was born. Due to all the snow, freezing, raining, and thawing, there's water coming in the basement, and a drain would be a handy thing to uncover. No luck, but he was down on the floor for a good long time with a putty knife and a wooden mallet, pulling up carpet and tile, muttering about asbestos content and ancient adhesives. (One of his first 'jobs' in the Navy was laying tile. He knows flooring.)



Meet Emmet. He belongs to my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. I'm convinced he's in telepathic communication with Sekhmet.

The paper he's sitting on? The cable 'maps' for my father-in-law's sweater. Yup. Emmet, you fucker.



Sunday's family get-together included a play room that the Goob went crazy for... that's her head in the bottom right of the photo. When we pulled her out of the room to take photos, she cried.

She found a camera, and took pictures back at us. Serves us right for interfering with her play time.




I spotted a Dale of Norway in the wild.
...okay, it's my father-in-law wearing the one I knit him. But he and my mother-in-law and her sister went on a trip to Scandinavia a couple years ago, and the sister thought that the Dale he wore was something he bought in a store in Copenhagen. Heeheehee. I think he needs a Lustekofe (sorry for the mis-spelling, I've got nothing to look up the proper Norwegian in) for Christmas next year (listen to me, this year's sweater isn't done yet), but that will depend a lot on the Goober and whether she lets me concentrate this coming year. (I give it even odds.)



The Cousin (and his parents) arrived Monday, and Grandma reveled in the attention.




The kids opened a horrendous pile of presents and proceeded to go wild.




The husbeast (who may or may not live until dawn) took photos of the endowments that made him forget I'm insane and marry me anyway.




My mother-in-law opened her shawl and loved it. Here, she says, "Ooooooo. Beads."


And here she is wearing it.

She and my father-in-law spend winters in Florida and this will be going with her. She's thrilled with the color (yay!) because it will 'work' in any season, and of course, she just likes that color. (See the shirt she's wearing? Yup. Go, me.)



The husbeast and his brother took photos of each other over the dinner table.

See the crown? Yeah, I brought it along and gave it to The Cousin. I think his dad wore it more, though. Ah well. So long as someone enjoyed it.



The kids stared out at the snow - both live in the south and aren't used to it. But it was either too cold to go out, or else warm (ish - 40 F/5 C) and raining.

I am pleased to report that the almost fifty-degree temperature shift in one day did NOT trigger a migraine. I think this last medication tweak the doctor and I decided to try is working. (We upped my blood pressure medication - I figure it can't get too low unless I pass out, and he kind of agreed. My feet are puffy, but it might be from the nerve damage med, which lists it as a side effect. Hell with it. I'll put up with dreaded Foot Wobble for no migraines.)



Emmet left this morning. Otherwise I think he'd still be on my knitting pattern.

I'm starting a theory that he's really Basement Cat.




Happy holidays to one and all, regardless of what holiday it is.