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Yeah, after checking the send date, I was surprised at how quickly it came.

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If I don't straighten up the house, then she can't clean.     Seriously.     Besides, I want her to be my cleaning lady forever, not run shrieking out the front door on her first day.   8)

It's cold and grey and it's making me depressed.  My yard looks like it's moldy--the bare patches of earth are covered with grey-white ice and it looks like my house is sitting on an old orange.  I am not looking forward to winter.

Gorey has had the gall to continue limping on occasion.  Little stinker.  I'm planning to bring him inside after Christmas.  Pray for us all.     Mom did (grudgingly) agree to take him if things don't work out.

Yesterday was a good mail day.  I got a small 4-pronged hairfork in a trade on LHC.  It's short but it holds up my braided bun nicely.  I doubt a 2 pronged fork of the same length would work but this is quite secure.

And then

I found

a white tube

with snowflake paper on it    

My new LL sticks.    I splurged mightily in anticipation of my Christmas bonus.  Not only were there sticks, but a teeny little candy cane, the best holiday treat of all.   

First, I opened my Holiday Lily VI Sugarstix.  Rapunzel was right--the lilies do exist!     Absolutely beautiful.  The bead in the center of the lily is more of a pale blue-green than green so these won't look out of place after the holidays.  Yay.

Next were the Alchemy Fantasy Fantasystix.  The beads look rough and clumpy but when I touch them they're smooth.  Weird.  The color is perfect for my increasingly brown wardrobe, so I anticipate much use for them in the future.

Finally I opened my Raven Feather and Gilded Fire Individualistix.  Wow.  The Raven Feather's bead is nice and large which is nice since the Wad o' Hair (tm) overshadows smaller beads.  The beads on the Gilded Fire sticks are just about my favorite beads ever.  The tops and the bottom of each bead is gilded and they're multi-faceted and sparkly and...I love them.  I want a sister stick so I have a pair, I love them so much. 

On the other hand I have a quizillion (more or less ) red sticks and I'm sure I'll find a coordinating one.  My Vixen sticks, perhaps, or Vampira?     Decisions, decisions.   ???

I'm so sorry winter has you not feeling chipper.    As a person who lives in the north and some days never sees the light of day, I can say I understand.  A suggestion that I have found works - make sure you get outside at least once a day during the daylight - preferably when the sun is shining.  Stand facing the sun for as long as you can.  Just a few minutes can make a big difference.

Another "trick" that works - buy a natural light lamp like Ott lamps and spend 15 minutes a day reading or working under the lamp.  These lamps are a bit more expensive, but for those of us who live north and have very short days during the winter, it can help with SAD.

Good luck and I hope your spirits lift soon.    The days will start getting longer very soon!

oohhhhhhh i WISH i had a cleaning lady.........

Well, she's scheduled to come over on 12/30 to clean the whole house, but I need to call her before then to attend to the details.  As long as she doesn't beat the cats about the heads and shoulders with a stick, she's hired.  (her references are fabulous, BTW)   8)

OK, I got my Secret Santa present from Juri.  First there was a beautiful card with a dried flower arrangement on the front that I am framing and hanging in the living room.  Then I pulled out a pretty red organza bag and inside was:  a burgandy velvet scrunchie with satin trim and 2 barrettes made in the same fashion as crocheted leis which was really cool because I have a couple of books on crocheted Hawaiian leis and it's very helpful to see a sample up close and personal.  Anyway, one is done in green and reds and totally matches one of my favorite outfits ever, and the other is done in taupe and burgandy and the burgandy matches the scrunchie!   And wait, there's more--a glass bottle full of lucky stars made out of shiny opalescent paper!  Whee!  I loved my gift, thank you Juri!!

The party on Saturday was a lot of fun, and afterwards I went to Wal-Moo (this was around 10:30 pm) because I was almost out of cat food (very dangerous) and I also needed to buy a Christmas present and a cat carrier.  The carrier I have now is big enough for a medium dog and is a bit hard to manage in the summertime so you can imagine how much fun it is to handle in the ice and snow.  I bought my stuff, including a small carrier.  (The Simpsons season 7 is out on DVD--why was I not informed of this?  8))  So I checked out and my cart was loaded.  The carrier was put underneath, and as the sales associate did that I knew it was a bad idea.

Any guesses as to what happened next?

Yep, I forgot the #$%$# thing.  It was after 11, it was dark, and I tootled off in my little car and left my $30 carrier to rot in the cart corral.  I didn't even think about it till I ws going to sleep around 1 that morning.  Sigh.  I wrassled Rumpole to the vet in the old carrier and it is hard to manage, especially with a black cat rattling the door and screaming "ATTICA!!! ATTICA!!!" in cat language.

Hair--very slippery.  The new growth is very straight, very slippery and very resistant to styling, braiding, or twisting.  I hate my hair. 

My super huge Christmas BPAL order came in.  I put Lick It (candy cane scent!) on this afternoon.  It smells just like candy canes.  Yum.   

I made a boa for the party Saturday and I just finished it 45 minutes before it was time to leave.  I used Sugar and Cream cotton yarn in varigated red and white.  I used the pattern Khrome posted, except I put a sc in each of the base chains before starting the loops, and I alternated 10 ch loops with 15 ch loops to make it look shaggier.  I also made it 9 feet long.  It was going to be 12 feet long but that drove me real crazy real fast.  It went over very well and one person has insisted on getting one so I'll make her one for Christmas. 

We have sun today!  Hooray!

I didn't go to work Monday (took a vacation day) and my washing schedule is off.  I washed Monday am instead of Sunday pm and I didn't wash last night as usual.  I'm due to wash tomorrow but I was almost too oily to be seen today so I know I won't be ok for tomorrow.  I guess it's the good old scalp wash tonight.  It works pretty well but while the front and the length are presentable, the back of my head itches.  Teach me to get off schedule.

Rose bun today held with my titanium hair fork and my brown scarf with the roses on it tied around my hair to help mask the roots.

I'm up to 31.5" now.  It has really gotten too long for a cinnabun, but it's still not long enough for a figure-8.  I can do the rose bun and a braided bun.  The Modified Gibson is getting a bit heavy and hard to manage. 

This morning I was feeding Gorey--I don't know if I petted him wrong or if he didn't want me to leave--when he slapped his big ol' paw down on my foot; his dewclaw was extended, too, and his whole attitude was that of a cat with a mouse he was determined to play to death.  I removed his paw and the little SOB bit me on the arm.  Weasel.  I slapped his bottom and we glared at each other for a while.  Oh, I feel good about bringing Mr. Fuzzy Black Attitude Problem inside.   

BPAL:  The first of the Yule LE's--Rose Red (The perfected winter rose, dew covered and freshly cut)  This is uncanny.  Go to the florist and buy some roses.  Stick your nose down in the center of them and inhale deeply--that's what Rose Red smells like.  At first it's fresh rose with a tang of greenery.  As it mellows it turns into the scent of fresh rose petals and the green smell disappears.  Now it's a bit sweeter but still a fresh, non-powdery rose.  The Yule LE's are up till Jan 15 and I think I'm going to need another bottle of this.  I have to wear it again first to make sure.  I have a couple of 5 mls I bought because I only wore a scent once, ordered the big bottle, then found out it doesn't really work after all.  I hope Rose Red does because it is amazing!

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Maybe.  My theory is that my cats are in the vanguard of the Evil Army of the Night and they're starting world conquest with me.   8)

Last night Gorey was eating and I was sitting on the step; I petted his back and leaned down to pet his head.  He put his nose against mine in that cute little kitty-kiss thing they do in commercials...and he BIT my NOSE!    Didn't break the skin or anything, but I'm considering having him de-toothed.  He can jolly well gum his food from now on.    

BPAL--The Peac0ck Queen (a blood red, voluptuous rose, velvet-petaled, at the height of bloom. Haughty and imperious, vain, yet incomparably lovely to the eye, but thick with thorns of jealousy, pride and hatred.)  Nice rose scent, but it borders on the perfumey.  I'll wear it but I won't get another bottle.  Rose Red is still my fav.

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I got mine at the Garden of Wisdom.  They're very nice to do business with and I've always been satisfied with the quality of their product.