The Stockings Hung with Care...

It took me long enough, but after five years Scott's stocking is finally finished and made it to the mantle on Christmas Eve. I started the cross stitching on it in October 1999 thinking that I would have it finished for Christmas of that year. Ha! I made a good-faith effort, but it just couldn't even come close to happening that year. And since we weren't even engaged at that point, I joked that if something went awry with us that I would just insert some other name at the top so at least my work wouldn't have been for naught.

Last year I finished the stitching but I was too much the procastinator to stitch the backing on and truly complete it. I hate that part of any needlework project anyway, so in the end I got a fair amount of assistance from my mom just so it would be finished this year.

And so, I present a piece of work that I'm quite proud of and that I was delighted to finally give to mon amour. (I should mention that I took this photo today, when it was an unseasonably balmy 60 degrees here in Southeast Michigan.)

Ugh, a Certain Fellow Named Harry

Never before has a fictional character so affected my life.

Just today, with the announcement of the release date of J.K. Rowling's sixth Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, I see my future drastically changed. July 16, 2005, is months and months away and it stretches about before me, laughing at me, reminding me of how it has and will turn my life upside-down at every possible opportunity.

Working as the web marketing girl for a certain bookstore is lovely most days, but not when the publication of the biggest book of the century (so far -- we've still got Book 7 to look forward to yet) is announced a few days before Christmas. And the day before I'm to start my own holiday vacation. A vacation that may be delayed a bit more. Urg.

Things I (Ahem) Didn't Finish by Thanksgiving

This is a toughie to admit, but of the seven items I listed in my last post, I only finished one of them. Can you guess which? That's right, the Halloween decorations returned to their home in the cabinet and the basement, and the sorry bowl of yellow and green Laffy Taffy (who eats those flavors anyway?), hardened Tootsie Rolls, and broken rolls of Smarties headed to the trash.

I'm trying to work my way through the other tasks -- still -- and I hope to finish at least some of them soon. Admittedly, though, the exercise task doesn't really have a finite deadline. I've made some good headway on the bathroom and I'll have pictures to post soon.

Knitwise, I'm sad to report that I broke one of my size 5 Denise Interchangeable needles. I'm thrilled with my set and I recommend it to everyone. But there I was last week in my knitting class working away on my ChicKami when -- SNAP -- the poor thing split in two. Just yesterday I sent it off to the friendly folks at Denise hoping to get a replacement. I hope it arrives soon so that I can keep on working. I've gotta finish that sweater by springtime so I can loll around in the sun with my bare shoulders.