Raising a banner of defiance

In the face of the new year that is rushing towards us!

The DSM and I had a nice celebratory supper this evening, actually eating in the dining room. Salmon, purple sprouting broccoli and roast potatoes. And......

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE. (Homemade, of course. Successfully!)

Yes, that's right, if you have all come round from your dead faint. Hollandaise, made from EGG YOLKS. And BUTTER. And oh brother, was it good.

So, take that, you food police. Life is for enjoying!

OK, a very pleasant few days, even if one or two things were rather unexpected. Well, an unplanned visit from a friend to share a pot of tea, paw through a lot of yarn and discuss patterns could never be bad. But there was this.

I was sitting on the sofa knitting away on this, being the purple cormo hopefully turning into a wrap (fingers crossed there is going to be enough yarn, as I eschewed the sensible suggestion of the DSM to knit, measure and calculate, as maths and I never do get on, so it wouldn't have worked anyway.)



When there was a crash and a flurry of feline, suffering from a sudden bout of guilty conscience.



Now, our Christmas tree was not a minimalist effort this year, it had a full complement of well-placed lights and baubles. It did not look like the photo above. No, that was taken after I had picked up the poor wee thing from the ground to which it had tumbled and swept up the quantity of broken baubles and potting compost (we have a live, rented tree, this being the sort of place that it is) and partially straightened the lights. It is now restored to some sort of order.

It was the Snowshoes wot dun it, of course. But I didn't really need to say that, did I?

Now, the last yarn of 2008 is off the spinning wheel and looking rather nice. The other two Abby Franquemont batts, which got progressively thinner. Shawls or scarves, almost certainly.



I'm not in the mood for philosophising this evening, although that may come later. No real resolutions either, just some thoughts. One I have already mentioned, spindles in more places doing more things around the house. Another is not a fibre plan, but similar in concept. I have a wonderful collection of cookery books, and the plan is to take one each week and to cook at least one recipe from it. I'll report back - maybe - if I succeed.

I'm just going to say - I realise my good fortune, I have had a good year, and I do know that there are wonderful people out there that have not, one way and another. I think of them all from time to time, and devoutly wish that I could wave a magic wand and make things right, but none of us can ever do that for another.

But I can wish one and all the best that there can be for the next year. We are forecast for doom and gloom, but as long as we have words and music and laughter and kindness and hands outstretched, well then we shall get through whatever.

I've forgotten something - oh, yes, fibre!

I've forgotten something else.....

Happy New Year.