On Thursday we’ll celebrate Thanksgiving. I’m a bit in a panic. I’m usually done with most of my Christmas shopping by now. I am not even close. I usually have a good handle on the handmade gift situation. Again, not even close. I’m neck deep in remodel decisions, our December is filled to the brim with holly jolly and I need a nap. I’ve deFacebooked (again) for the season and am trying to put things in the right priority and take time for self care, but I think I’m just going to have to embrace the tired, get carried away with the bustle, and crash in January.
Knitflixing: I have a pair of socks blocking and another ready to be blocked. I’m working on a scarf but it’s taking forever. It’s soft and simple to knit and it’ll be beautiful when it’s done, but it’s a little more time consuming than this season allows. I have a more socks on the to do list and an embroidery project, but something will have to give. I just don’t know what yet. The Doctor, the TARDIS, and his traveling companions have been keeping me company. I’m currently on Matt Smith’s second season and I’m finding that I *do* like him, just not as much as David Tennant. I’ve also been watching This Is Us. It’s schmaltzy but it does it well.
In the kitchen: I made cornbread today for Thursday’s dressing. I use a loaf of French bread, a ciabatta loaf, and a skillet of cornbread. Cut them into 1″ cubes and leave them on wax paper to dry for 24-48 hours. I’m making the broth tomorrow and then I’ll put it all together on Thursday. It’s the only thing I’m responsible for which has me feeling both happy and sad. I love doing the whole big thing, but I’m already feeling overwhelmed and behind this year so less on my plate is a good thing.
Reading: I just finished The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman and it was great. I very rarely read something by him that isn’t. I also finished Every Kind of Wanting. It started strong but by the end I was sick of every single character except one. IYA and junior fiction might be where I focus my attention. The themes are accessible but layered, the characters are interesting and the stories tend to be fast moving, and very rarely do I want to throw a book across the room. I have Evicted on my next to be read pile as a book recommendation. It’s been awhile since I’ve really delved into non-fiction and I’m three books away from my book goal for the year and I don’t want to get bogged down. (Again, it may be something that needs to give.)
Those two little portraits up there are my Christmas present to myself. This summer I found an artist who was looking to take some commissions and I loved her work so I signed up to have my two done in October. They just arrived this week and I absolutely love them. She did such an amazing job capturing their little personalities. The flora is inspired by the pine, birch, fern, and lily up at the cabin.
That’s me. Scattered and stressed but good. What have you been reading, making, working on? I owe a few of you blog comments, I owe a bunch of people return texts and phone calls, but I’ll have to play catch up in a week or two. Or January. For those of you celebrating Thanksgiving this week, I hope it’s happy. For those who aren’t, I hope it’s happy. XOXO.