Right after the last post, my job went totally sideways. I won't go into details. We'll leave it at as soon as I get an opportunity to leave I will. It makes me very sad. I've been in my current position for over 4 1/2 years. I've been told my work is highly regarded. It's frustrating how just one person's opinion can change your entire life and the positive opinions of others no longer matter. As a contractor I have no recourse to fight what is happening. I can only look for other work, which is what I am doing after the new year.
Enough of that. Now on to what I've been up to the past month.
Thanksgiving quietly came and went. We had dinner at Trisha and Craig's new house with his parents. I made the turkey and everyone else contributed sides,
Later that weekend, before Blake went back to Cincinnati, we put up our outside Christmas lights. Every year I put the tree of lights up in honor of my dad. I love the picture below with the full moon coming up in the background.
The next week we had our first snowfall of the season.
I made several kinds of cookies this year, including spritz, peanut blossoms, snickerdoodles
and cutouts.
I even tried macarons with marginal success.
Kristin put put tree. Squeaks decided it is her favorite place to nap.
This year everyone was excited about the Christmas Star, the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. The skies were overcast on December 21 so we didn't get to see it at its best, but I did get this picture on December 22.
This was the first year we stayed at home for Christmas. I have to admit, I liked the slower pace. Ed, Kristin, Blake and I had a nice seafood dinner on Christmas Eve. I pulled out the good china and my mom's crystal wine glassed. Our church restricted the number of people so I just 'attended' mass via YouTube, sitting in the glow of our Christmas tree.
We had our first white Christmas in over 10 years. I've heard conflicting dates since the last one so I'm not sure how long it has actually been.
Trisha and Craig came over. We spent the day opening gifts and eating way too many cookies. I made a rib roast for dinner, which was a huge hit with everyone.
The main reason I have been absent from the blog for over a month is that I was in major knitting mode. I had the Christmas knitting for the kids to finish.
Blake got Rift from Jared Flood. He loves it and it fits him well.
The girls both got the Weekender sweater by Andrea Mowry.
Kristin wanted hers to be grey.
Trisha chose charcoal for her color.
On the Sunday after Christmas the girls and I went down to my sister's for a bridal shower for Trisha. Not many guests were able to make it but we had a good time.
The status of the wedding is up in the air right now. Trisha and Craig are trying to move the date back in hopes that more people will feel comfortable with attending, but the venue is taking a hardline on rescheduling. I pray they get a satisfactory resolution to their request.
That's about all there is to report now. I'm taking this week off work. Trying to decompress from all the stress life has thrown my way lately. It's lots of knitting and mindless television. Just what the doctor ordered!!
