Typically...

Here I am, to wish you a Happy New Year, but belatedly. I am the World's Most Practiced Procrastinator. You should feel honored that I'm only one day late!

My "New Year's Resolutions" are already down the tubes, at least partially. I think I've succeeded in one, though. I did cast on for my first project of 2008, a headband. I say I "think", because I'm still not sure if I'm going to continue with these needles, or go up another size.

Another resolution is to get more needlework finished. I am happy to report, though, that the MS 3 (Swan Lake) stole is off the needles, complete, and beautiful. I'm not attaching a pic, though, as it still needs to be blocked, which isn't going to happen til next month, because...

Mostly things are delayed because last week DS informed me that we will be moving at the end of this month. The "new" house will, I think, be more comfortable and useable than this one is, as the rooms are larger (as they would almost have to be - my present bedroom is CROWDED with just a twin bed and a chest of drawers in it!) This house is all wood, and the new one is brick, another big plus. It has a very pretty front porch that is just screaming for hanging plants. It also has a very wide coping on top of the brick, lots of space for pots, with a central column for a "feature" pot and plant. It also has a FIREPLACE!!! and a butler's pantry! It's only a few blocks away from this one, but closer to bus routes and the grocery store and a Lowe's (heaven help me!). In the meantime, there is much sorting, organizing, and packing to do, leaving little time for knitting, stitching, or blogging.

Another big plus for the new year is that my meds once again seem to be balanced out, so I can actually make plans of a sort. Nice change, that. The past couple of months have been a real see-saw. The results of the MRI, by the way, are quite interesting, in a macabre sort of way. I do NOT have a tumor in my brain, as we thought might be the case (symptoms seemed to favor it, so we still have a mystery there), AND, I seem to have somehow acquired what appears to be a chunk of metal in my left frontal lobe. As the only serious injury I have sustained to my head could in no way account for this, the explanation I favor is that aliens have somehow inserted some sort of peculiar device, for unknown purposes. Stay tuned...

I thought I would start off the new year by introducing y'all to the members of my family. We'll start with the most junior member. This is Da Punk.

The picture is very soft (read lousy) focus, but I chose to use it anyway because it's illustrative of the reason she has her name. It started as Pumpkin, for the color of her eyes (even more orange than in the pic), was almost immediately shortened to Pumpk, and as her personality developed, Da Punk.

I rescued her when she was a small kitten from a group of young teen boys who were torturing her. She is still, 18 months later, only somewhat socialized and won't allow DS to even come close to her, let alone touch her. She doesn't know what she's missing, as DS is a highly skilled cat-petter. She seems to like me, though, as she sleeps curled up with me at night, and lives mostly in my bedroom. She loves for me to pet her, as long as I only use one hand at a time. Both hands, especially if they are on either side of her, freaks her, and she will not tolerate being held for more than a few seconds. Getting her to the vet is a leather gloves exercise, requiring much patience. Fortunately, it doesn't need to be done often!

I'm only going to do one a day of these intros, as they will all be longish.