Post Corgi Christmas Post

Max and Merlin wanted to share their Christmas with everyone . . . Max started a bit early, sticking his head in an unwrapped box and stealing a grunting hedgehog present before the Powers That Be (confused) even noticed.

Max notes the fact their stockings were hung nowhere near a chimney and without much care. Once reassured Santa Paws had indeed visited, the Powers That Be (filling stockings) were forgiven.Merlin showed off festive eyes, while visions of sugarplum . . . err, beef chew bones danced in his head.Max was quite pleased with his IQube and proceeded to remove the santa hat squeaky balls and leave them for a patiently waiting Merlin . . .
whose toys must be pre-approved and pre-chewed by eldest brother before Merlin gets a turn.Max smugly carried around the empty IQube the entire day, proving once again toys can go in and out the dog door fifty times a day with no ill effect. Well, nothing that the Corgi Slave can't clean and return within the hour.
Merlin got the last laugh, however, as Max did the Wyoming Two Step in a vain attempt to remove the hated "Christmas Booties" from his feet.It took the "We Are Not Amused" glare from both dogs before the Power That Be (in big trouble) relented and removed the booties. Note the patented: "Don't Even Attempt To Put Those Things On Me" look from Merlin.

And Anubis? Perched atop the stacked kennels most of the day, practicing his disdainful expression. He finds Christmas tedious, and spent 21 of his 24 hour ordeal snoozing, only appearing for turkey, and to snicker at the dogs. I didn't tell him about the neat cat apparel I found online. Yep. Booties for little cat feet.
We'll let it be a surprise.

The Pre-Christmas Grab Bag Post

Merry Christmas from the Corgi Compound in Wyoming.

To go with my scattered thoughts, a scattered post.
Corgis are fine, enjoying the snow and the fact that their dog door doesn't freeze up so they can go in and out and in and out as they please. Someone gave me some winter booties for the dogs. I put the snow booties on Max, who rolled on his back and gave me wounded looks, then stood and alternated feet like each one was wrapped in hot coals. I let him out the front door and it was like a bronc out of the chute. He ran, kicking his feet, and had those icky booties off in a regulation 8 seconds. Merlin gave me the "Don't even try it" look, so I gathered the booties up and shoved them in a drawer. They'll have to be much higher and come with more velcro straps to stay on Corgi feet. Or a roll of duct tape.

The Christmas knitting barrage continues. I gave away the baby sweater, blanket and hat before I thought to take a picture of them, but socks and mittens and other hats are on the sets of needles strewn about the house.
The thrummed mittens came out a bit large, so I felted them down some and will go back and add more fluffy thrums. Next set will have longer cuffs so they stay tucked up under my jacket sleeves.

Regular mittens made from double stranding Patron's wool and some leftover sock yarn. They are quite dense, and nicely warm. Now that I have the pattern figured out, I'll tinker with more multi yarn mittens, methinks.

Then I unearthed a Norwegian mitten I started last year and misplaced. (imagine that) I couldn't find the pattern, and the second balls of yarn were no where in sight, so I figured I was out of luck. Linda rescued me with a copy of the pattern, so now I'm going to start over and do these mittens in tan and brown I think. I'll have to relearn how to do colorwork but hopefully I won't take too long to pick it up again.

A hat made from stranded together hand dyed wool and some leftover linen yarn. I like my hats a little tighter, so modifications to this pattern too.

There are other hats and socks on the needles, unphotographed as of yet. So much yarn, so little time.

In other news, Youngest Child asked The Girlfriend to marry him. She said yes. He has to wait another year until he finishes school. Eldest Child moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, but charitably left a non-working Chevy Monte Carlo in my side yard and 8 guitars in his old bedroom.

I carved an 8 x 10 lino block Christmas card, and hand colored it. Promptly gave away all the hand colored copies, so if I remember, I'll do one more to post, if not, there are other projects on the carving board, including the 2010 Year Of The Tiger postcard exchange, and a top secret project involving lino prints and an author to be named later.

Max, Merlin and Anubis are anxious to help me finish wrapping presents, and get to fixing (their) dinner. I'm sure there will be more news after Christmas. Meanwhile, relax, enjoy, and let me know how YOUR Christmas/Holiday festivities went.

Poems in Space

Observing You From The Other Side Of The Galaxy
by Constance Brewer


Everything is perfect when

you look up from far away.

Everyone's face familiar,

remote, muted as tuned out

radio static – a diminutive

rocket in the stratosphere,

passing overhead. Kaleido-

scope swirls of color spin

beneath a distant sun. Objects

appear to linger – dots, specks,

thought vibrations mined

from isolation. Peering through

the back end of rose-colored

binoculars, the horizon

ideally bent in the shape

of things to come.

Originally published in Distant Horizons