Incoherent Scribblings

This evening, just as my sister was getting ready to hand the phone to my niece so I could wish her a Merry Christmas I shouted, “Wait!”

“What?” my sister asked.

“Does she still believe in Santa Claus?” I inquired.

It was imperative that I know this because my niece is almost nine years old and if I remember right, by the time I was that age I had begun to question the existence of Santa Claus. I had a little sister who was only a toddler when I was eight and a half and I knew that believing in Santa meant more Christmas presents so I convinced myself that he was real for a few more years, but technically I didn’t really believe anymore.

I wanted to ask my niece if she was excited for Santa to come, what she had asked him to bring her for Christmas, if she had left milk and cookies out for him, if she was going to have a hard time going to sleep because of the anticipation of what Santa might bring: I wanted our Christmas conversation to be about Santa, but I wanted it to be one with a child who was still caught up in the delight of Christmas Eve, not one with a skeptical “tween” who thought I was off my rocker for asking her questions more suited to her 2 ½ year old brother.

“Yes,” my sister said, “She still believes in Santa this year.”

And so, to my delight, I got to talk about the letter my niece had written to Santa and what she had asked him to bring her (a telescope and a guitar). She told me that milk and cookies were on top of the entertainment center waiting for him along with a carrot for Rudolph. She told me that Santa had already been busy for hours because did I know that in other parts of the world it was already Christmas Day?

I was almost convinced that Santa was going to stop at my house by the time she abruptly informed me that it was time to hang up: She had to go to sleep so that Santa wouldn’t pass over the house because she was still awake.

So I wished her Merry Christmas and let her go to bed where I am sure she will dream of the stars she will see with that telescope and the music she will play with that guitar.

Although she didn’t know it, the happiness in her voice was my Christmas present tonight… and it was the best present I received this year.

Merry Christmas everyone!

… of Christmas my true love gave to me twelve drummers drumming…

I thought I better start Veronica’s UFO RR square because even though I am stitching the twelfth day our mailing date is before the end of The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Anyway…

The “Twelve Days of Christmas” is a Margaret Sherry design and as such, my little drumming dog is stitching up pretty quickly. I am unsure if I like the 931 that is called for in his ears, but I guess since he is a musician a little blue hair isn’t all that unusual.

I have to say that it is kind of fun stitching this design during the Christmas season because I am really enjoying Margaret Sherry’s interpretation of the song.

I don’t want to steal Veronica’s thunder, but when I am finished with my square I will have to post a picture of the entire robin so everyone can enjoy Margaret’s version of The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Seeing as I only have one more Christmas to achieve #12 “stitch a Christmas ornament for each member my immediate family” of my stitching goals on my 1001 Days List, I decided that I better make a plan to stitch and finish this set of ornaments.

First of all, I define my “immediate” family as such:

Mom
Dad
Sissy
Niece
Nephew
Step-mom
Step-sis
Step-dad
Aunt (Mom’s Sis)
Uncle (Dad’s Bro)
BFF (Best Friend Forever… you know who you are!)

With his “Baby’s First Christmas Ornament,” I have already stitched one for my nephew, so I guess I don’t need to stitch him another… unless I really want to.

As far as the rest of the family goes, I will aim to have the ornaments for my mom, dad, sister and niece done for next Christmas. I will then complete the second half of the set before the end of my challenge and those ornaments can be gifts for Christmas 2009.

Therefore starting next month, I will add the goal “Stitch and finish Christmas Ornament for So&So” to my stitching goals every other month until I finish all 10 ornaments and can count the “thing” as complete.

In the Tree
Originally uploaded by blondelibrarian

Just another gratuitous kitten picture…

As you can see, Dolly really loves Dawn’s Christmas Tree!

I had a very nice Christmas as I was the lucky recipient of some of Dawn’s lovely over-one stitching! She made me a little tin box and a scissor fob. I love the little tin and I put the festive scissor fob on my Gingers.

In addition to the stitched presents I received from Dawn, I also bought myself a little stash when we were doing our last minute Christmas shopping. I bought issue 194 of The Cross Stitcher and the January 2008 issue of Cross-Stitch and Needlework at Barnes and Noble. The Cross Stitcher has a seasonal Margaret Sherry cat design and Cross-Stitch and Needlework has a Mirabilia design. There are some other designs in both magazines that I might do, but the Margaret Sherry and Mirabilia designs are the reasons I bought them.

In fact, I decided to start the Margaret Sherry pattern, “Cool Cats,” right away so Dawn and I made a side trip to Hobby Lobby where I bought some 28 Lambswool Jobelan for it. I have decided to stitch “Cool Cats” as a vertical banner with the hopes that when it is finished I will make it into a bell pull.

Most of the day was spent stitching, so here is the progress that I have made on the winter cat. I think he is about two-thirds done. The magazine said the four cats should take about 48 stitching hours, so I am curious to see how long it will take me… Perhaps it will be my first 2008 finish.