Today.

Cables!

This is my first attempt at cables, which are essentially stitches twisted over/under each other to create a 3-D effect. Well, sort of 3-D. It's easier to get the hang of than I imagined, although I've only done some very basic ones so far. It's good to learn new skills.

So far January does not feel like January. The little bit of snow we had for Christmas is long gone - it's so warm outside that it feels like March or April. These pictures were taken about a week ago on one of our favourite walks, when there was still a little bit of snow. You can tell in the photos that it's trying to melt. I'm hoping it cools off and snows for real. I don't know if I can handle this weird spring-like weather for four months, you know?

In any case, Christmas is definitely over. The decorations were looking so out of place next to all the melting outside, so I packed everything up and braved the sketchy attic stairs this afternoon. It's all done for another year...and I'm tired of cooking and baking, I really am. I mean, all the special treats for the holidays are great, and I love making them - the cookies and the appetizers - but now I'm ready to order some take-out. Or maybe I can muster up enough energy to make something fast [yet tasty] like these chicken cashew lettuce cups. They're really easy, and refreshingly tasty. [We leave out the water chestnuts and add cucumber and carrot matchsticks to the lettuce cups.]

And then maybe we'll put our feet up and watch Third Watch reruns or play Carcassonne [with the awesome expansions that we got from my favourite brother-in-law for Christmas]...

IT'S A NEW DECADE!

2010 really sneaked up on me. It wasn't until the radio stations started playing the 'best of the decade' playlists that I even realized that another ten years have passed us by. Our New Year's Eve was pretty quiet, considering - but nice, all the same. I hope you all enjoyed time with family and friends this holiday, and that these good times are indicative of the decade to come! Happy New Year!

p.s. Mr. Darcey got me these fireworks-y flowers before Christmas sometime, and they're still holding on. I guess they wanted to celebrate the new year, too.

Happy Holidays!

Mr. Darcey is working tonight, so on our evening walk, Carley and I took the scenic route home. We (I) wanted to look at all the lit-up houses. The new suburban part of town has a lot of big houses on lots with no trees, so normally it's not that nice to walk through. But they really go all out with the light displays. Almost every house in that neighbourhood is lit-up with all sorts of fancy lights. We walked through it all in a sort of silence. For once, Carley wasn't in a hurry and I really enjoyed the twinkling colours.

So even though there is no snow, it's about +9 at 8:00 at night on December 22nd, I'm feeling the Christmas spirit a bit more. Maybe we'll have to do that again tomorrow night.

The tree's up, the cards have been mailed, the cookies are baked and (almost) all the presents are wrapped. Now all we need for Christmas is snow. Carley's wishing for that, I'm pretty sure...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

...even Lynda's Cyclamen is blooming!































We don't have a lot of snow - what little we did have melted away during yesterday's rain. But it sure looks like it could snow some more, at any given moment...

Kara's Christmas stars are up and the living room is awaiting a tree! Hopefully a nice big one that will make the whole house smell like a forest.

These two are fine with whatever, I think.

Meet Marley.
 

She's not ours, in case you're wondering. As much as I would love to have another dog, our current space doesn't allow it. Marley belongs to friends of ours. She and Carley have become friends in the past year. They're about the same height and length, but Marley weighs about twice as much as Carley. But what Marley might lack in agility, she more than makes up for in enthusiasm. She is a bundle of energy and loves to kid around. I'm pretty sure dogs have a sense of humour, right? In any case, she also has a sense of FOOD. She is super friendly and loves to go for little jaunts in the woods with Carley. And because their names are so similar, when we call one of them, they both come back. So it's efficient for us, too.

And this is Garr. He is Marley's adopted big brother.  He gets along fine with Carley but I wouldn't call them BFFs, or anything. As you can see, they're both less than appreciative of the photo session, but obedient nonetheless...





















Interest waning...

G: I smell Bunny.

C: Sheesh.





















G: I'm outta here.

C: I hate this.

See ya.

M: What did I miss?

C: You've got to be kidding.