Hello, my chickens.
I have been internet-less! By choice, not by anything else, and it’s been nice. I’m at the parents’ house right now, and I’m stealing just a few minutes to say hello because I miss you! I do!
We had a very sweet, very nice, impromptu Christmas visit (I’ll be with Lala’s family in Boise for the real day). Sisters Christy and Bethany were here already on Sunday and Monday, helping get the tree, and I came down on Monday morning. We did gifts (from them to me and from me to them) and it felt like Christmas morning, only with a little less fanfare, which was lovely. We even had stollen, our traditional Christmas breakfast. No one makes it like Mom, although Trader Joe’s isn’t bad.
I came away with SUCH a haul. A sock-dying kit, a subscription to the New Yorker (thank goodness I will be smart again), the sweatshirt that I wanted, the BEST tee-shirt evar (will post a picture sometime, it’s very wool related), and a copy of my great-great grandfather’s autobiography — Jim Herron was the first sheriff of the Oklahoma Panhandle (before it was such a thing) and then got accused of cattle-rustling, so lived for fifty years on the lam, on the Owl-Hoot Trail. It’s pretty well-written, actually. I’m loving it. And Christy found it on Amazon. Seriously, the internet is an amazing place, isn’t it?
Yesterday Mom and I did a massive grocery shop, and today we’ll just have fun. Going to the bead store, and the yarn store, and a winery or two…. Then tonight I’ll drive myself and The Cat home. Digit has been here, being admired by all his Arroyo Grande fans. He’s been kind of a jerk, as usual, bouncing poor Mouse, Mom’s old timid kitty, and waking me at 3:30 in the morning by yowling. But we’re glad to be here together, that’s all I know.
Oh, and we listened to a tape we recorded twenty-three years ago — I was twelve-ish, and the first thing you can hear me talking about is knitting. And interestingly enough, I talk about knitting a plain row, then a purl row. Knit a plain row, then a purl row. I think because I learned the basic stitches from Mom at age five or six and then taught myself everything else, I called the knit stitch the plain stitch. I remember calling it that, for years and years and years. Also, I knew I was bossy. Yes, I did. You can hear me bossing Christy and Beth around, which they took with grace. But such a ham! I sing! I play the piano! I identify myself by first and last name as least twice, as if people will someday be interested in listening in. Which I was. So I was right.
Digit is in my town?! How cool is that! I’d say he should meet our Socrates but, yeah, they’d probably not get along. Socrates is a 20lb brown tabby who lost his tail in a fight with a truck and has fan clubs in every town he’s made home (currently Arroyo Grande).
Also thanks for posting about the knitter’s abacus from Hide and Sheep! I got the Starry night and love it and Todd & Susan were great.
Wow sounds like you are having a really good xmas so far! Does Digit travel well? My cats DO NOT….I think I might just have to have a look on Amazon myself for that book about your ggg-dad I love history of the old west. Hope y’all have a good time in Boise too.
btw how about posting your Mum’s stollen recipe…pls 🙂
Happy Christmas to all.
That sounds like such a fun Xmas visit. xo
That tape sounds fanTASTic. I have a tape of me and Cathy doing a radio show when we were kids – WC&C was the radio station – and it involves me playing “I just Called to Say I love You” on the piano while Cat sings along. We were SO COOL.
The plain stitch is what is was generally called in NZ when I learned it in the 50s, so I guess you learned that from your mother. 🙂
Happy to hear you’re having a good visit! Family’s the best around the holidays – I hope to be able to see my parents in Florida next Christmas (it’s been 2 years!)
Please let us know how the book is – it sounds absolutely fascinating! My hubby makes fun of me that I like books that have longer subtitles than titles, and he’s probably right! Sounds like a great read – and that it’s an autobiography? Even more fascinating!
Hee hee. Xmas with the Herron Gals. What a lovely little Xmas story.
P.S. Have yourself a Herron little Xmas!
Have a great holiday and wave in my general direction when you are in Boise. I am 5 hours up the highway to the NW. Oh and in case you were keeping score, we at kitkatknit house are ticked, pissed even that Dani didn’t win.
Glad to hear that Digit had fun visiting your family. Does he have to stay home when you go to Boise? And I hope you have a great holiday!!
What a nice Xmas! Family can be the best, and it sounds like yours definitely is.
I’m a little envious that you got your Xmas over with already, it’s not exactly my favorite holiday. Bead store sounds awesome and way to go on illustrious ancestors!
Welcome to Boise! I will be out of town next week when you are here, so here’s some yarn tips:
FUZZ downtown at 16th and Americana Blvd. New store, yarn, spinning fibers and needlework.
KnitWits: the classic store on Fairview at Maple Grove. Nice yarns, good selections.
The Yarn Shop: in Meridian. Haven’t been there for a while, nice store just out of my territory.
Handmade: in Eagle. Nice shop, high end yarns.
Drop a Stitch: downtown Boise. Closing at the end of the month so everything is 30% off, selection limited.
Have a great time here!
The knit stitch is called plain stitch in the UK as well. That’s what I grew up calling it, although nowadays Americanised me calls it the Knit stitch!
Glad that you and Digit had a good visit. He’s a fab cat!