The end of 2016

No bookcase yet.  One of these days, I will have the joy of arranging books, and admiring them, and diving into them afresh (for books that are newly arranged are somehow themselves new, and cry out to be revisited).  Maybe in January? 

Christmas has come, and the Christmas season is here.  I wonder what the Christmas season was like in the early church?  Or maybe not the early church, but the middle church, say, the Nicene Fathers?  Maybe I'll carve some time out to learn that this year.  There are simply SO MANY THINGS to learn.  So much to learn, so much to do.  And the niggling suspicion that one ought also have time to simply 'be'.  Can I 'be' while I sleep? 

I've all sorts of lovely things on the needles at the moment, violating my One Project At A Time Preference.  Sweaters #1 and #2 are awaiting pattern revisions, so I cast on for a destashing Sweater #3, using yarn from Scotland, Baltimore, and my grandma's stash.  It's very de-stashy.  I hope to finish the body today, which will leave me with two sleeves and the cardigan edging to do.  The main color left on the cone is looking a bit skimpy. but I am trying not to be too concerned about it.  I'll have to start thinking of a back-up plan, though, as Google and WEBS tell me that the color is no longer available.  Phooey. 

With the coming of Jolabokaflod, I've added a bevvy of print books to my reading list.  Laurus, by Evgeniy Vodolazhkin, was my main read.  A very interesting book, and one I would like to come back to.  Everywhere Present, by Stephen Freeman is another I started on Christmas Eve, and I am reading a bit from it and also Transforming Together by Ele Parrott each day.  Add to that the audiobook of The Three Musketeers, and Filius' evening reading to me of Ignition! (a history of liquid propellants), and my mind has lots of fodder upon which to ruminate.  It's more pleasant to think of a mind ruminating than a stomach ruminating.  Although, that does bring up, if you'll pardon the pun, the question of whether or not the 'little brain' of the stomach has anything to do with pondering ideas.  Chewing on them, as it were.  Are the ideas merely parallel, or intertwined? 

And  now, for some pictures.  All lumped together in an ungainly, blog-unfriendly form.  

A swatch of Blue Sky Fibers Extra

Same stitches, different yarn. 

Stash-busting bonnet, in the same yarn as above.  EZ's Diamond Bonnet

Pinneguri's Baby Fleas, in progress. 

All the leaves are brown

and, indeed, the sky is gray.  Definitely not grey.  Gray.  A walk is not in the agenda due to the quantity of things to do, and my desire to be toasty warm and comfortable in my leisure moments. 

So many things to blog about, so little time!

Filia's kidney is still in the 'waiting to have stones removed' status, but has started to be sore again.  This isn't particularly a good thing, but our clinic appointment is tomorrow so I am not toooooo concerned.  It could make the clinic appointment a Fun Thing, though. 

The knitting guild and my knitting are percolating along nicely.  I've several dozen hours to go on my current project, have yarn coming for a project after that, and have a project after even that in place. (Guess what my leisure moments will have much of?) 

Advent is here, and I am trying to think about Advent more than Christmas food and present preparation.  This may be merely a delaying tactic, but I do think it's a good one.

The bookcases should happen sometime this month.  They must, if they are to get done this year! 

Until next time ...