Reprise

I never did my Christmas Day post - too many things got in the way. But, I wanted to put up a few pictures of things that have made me awfully happy in the last few days. This is by no means a comprehensive list, for those of you who might wonder about things conspicuously absent.



My baby, for once visible rather than shrouded in a curtain of hair.



My other baby, unwrapping "Baby Grace" (thanks Mum!).



"Why I Was Up Til 1:30 AM Christmas Day"



"Why I Totally Don't Mind Being Up Til 1:30 AM Christmas Day"



Some of my favourite gifts received, clockwise from left.

- Two Starbucks Christmas teacups on a lacquer tray, from my Sister-in-Law. (LOVE these. When I was travelling in Eastern Europe as a young lass, carefree and slim, everyone there had everyday china that was similar in design to these - stylized flowers on a white background, slightly seventies-looking, awfully cool. "Recovering-Communist-Chic", I like to call it. It goes well with "kitsch", masterfully defined by Milan Kundera in The Unbearable Lightness of Being. I love that I now have something that reminds me of that terrible, but wonderful six-week trip - and imagine how chagrined Starbucks would be if they knew that their new, edgy, hip, urban Holiday 2006 designs are reminiscent of nothing so much as Soviet-era Czech dinnerware.)

- Blank Book, just visible as the gold and brown cover behind the cups on the left. Thanks Mum - I love this book more and more as I examine it. I have decided to use it to plan "Christmas Knit-Fest 2007" - it's got a great pocket at the back perfect for keeping yarn snips and swatches of current projects.

- E.T.A. Hoffman's "Nutcracker", illustrated by Maurice Sendak, purchased at Munro's. This was from me, to myself. How thoughtful.

- Magi tealight holders, made of enamelled tin, from my AWESOME SISTER. I do believe I smell the rustic aroma of ten thousand tiny little villages?

So, a good time was had by all. For once, I succeeded in keeping the gifts to a minimum - the above-pictured castle was the only thing the kids received from us. (Okay, the only TOY - they did get two books each, and a board game that we bought for them back in the summer.) It was perfect - enough to feel the bounty, but not enough to create the infamous Christmas Glut.

I'll get back to knitting in my next post. I have made progress on St Brigid (which I put down for ten days or so, to concentrate on Christmas) and am in the middle of blocking a sweater I knitted two or three months ago, for my cousin's daughter. I have also been compiling my list of upcoming projects, and there are several V E R Y exciting things on the horizon... I am holding back from casting on right-this-very-second!!! because I want to finish one or two WIPs before I throw myself at another challenge.

More soon!