Warning: Enablers at Work!

What do we have here?  Darn enablers up to more mischief!  Thanks to blogger friend Alison at Whatever it Needs to Be... I came home to these goodies in the mailbox!  I can't wait to spend some time with this, I've been thinking about it since I started knitting of course!  As soon as I opened the package I was hit with a lovely raw wool scent that immediately reminded me of being a kid.  My dad's barn jacket and gloves always smelled just like this, if you've been around sheep at all you know what I'm talking about, divine!  I'm in the process of packing up a package of garden seeds for you, Alison!

Alison has her hands in lots of stuff.  She's raising a family, doing it on a budget, she's into jewelry and metal work as well as spinning and dyeing fiber.  She also has an Etsy shop, Daisy Cat Jewelry for her goodies, check it out - enablers unite!

Speaking of enablers, I spent the morning on my continued quest for a new sewing machine.  I want it to do EVERYTHING but I want a good deal.... is that too much to ask for LOL?!  Two more nameless blogger enablers (can you guess who?) are on the email hot-list for my incessant questions!  Thanks, ladies, I'm getting close... (for those that don't know, I tend to research everything to death!)

As if I needed more catalogs to flip through this time of year... now it's sewing machines!

On arriving home, more mail - my first internet order of fabric.  I couldn't resist, I took advantage of a coupon for becoming a "fan" on Facebook, and the coupon was good on sale and clearance fabrics, too. No, these aren't for the same project - rather I just chose a few that "spoke" to me for future inspiration.  Yes that's right... fabric with no machine yet  :(

Library this week:  sewing for me and scat for the boys LOL

I forgot to include a photo of the pizza the other night, first time using the specialty flour:

Time for the monthly Subaru Love photo... this is hubby's Subaru.  It's full of 6 closet doors and other random maintenance junk for the rental property, I could have fit twice this much in there if I wanted.... Subaru Love

Saved this one for last:

That is gauge is working perfectly!  Just a fluke though, it's supposed to be in the 30's tonight and 30's tomorrow, and I couldn't really even enjoy it since it rained all day, but I did get to break out my flip flops!

Holiday Exhaustion!

Thanksgiving weekend happenings...

Unlike Mama Pea, who didn't want to be rude and photograph the inside of her cake while at a friend's house, I had no trouble shoving people out of the way... "I gotta get a picture before you hog it all!"

While my version of Mama Pea's Almond Cranberry Cake didn't look quite as good on top as hers, it was a hit and the entire thing was gone by the end of the night!  I will definitely be making this again.  Everyone had trouble describing it - most seemed to agree it was in between a coffee cake and a very moist rum cake - (no rum in there, but I bet it would be good!)

Below:  the kid crew

And can you believe this?  It was so nice that afternoon, the kid's table was outside!

Below:  I started these artichoke seedlings last spring and gave my friend one...

mine died and hers looks spectacular...

One of the best parts of Thanksgiving, the after dinner fire

Another shot of someone getting a little carried away while feeding it

After dinner, I was happy to receive this on my phone - Here's hubby getting his advancement/promotion certificate and 3rd chevron (stripe) for his uniform this past week.  He looks as if he needs FOOD... he said he's lost about 20 lbs, unintentionally... he was already slim!  We need to feed this man over Christmas.

I don't do early morning Freaky Friday shoving matches, but sometimes I do like to get out and just enjoy the madness a bit.  We went out in the afternoon to check out Bass Pro... mostly because it makes us feel close to hubby (he loves it) and there is so much to look at the kids have fun even if we don't spend money.

Posted this on Facebook while we were there to trick hubby into thinking we bought him a quad for Christmas... he didn't fall for it :)

Today was "Small Business Saturday" and my local yarn store was having a sale.  I went to check it out since I needed some more alpaca and NEED sale prices on that!

The little shop was packed!  Usually there's 2 people in there knitting and that's about it.  Good for them and I hope they really bring in some money this weekend.  I can't imagine not having a store that offers quality fiber around... 

Below, the kids were mesmerized by the ball winder while I shopped.  Personally, I think they like having the other women fawn over them and tell them how good they are and offer them candy from their basket on the counter!

This is where you can always find me... natural, undyed Alpaca... In case of the apocalypse or squirrel attack, I will probably be found hiding next to this bin doing my survivalist thing...

I have so many things to do now it is almost overwhelming, but it's all in preparation for hubby's homecoming and Christmas vacation, so I wouldn't have it any other way.  All in all, what a great Thanksgiving with friends and my kids, wrapped up by my parents giving us an early Christmas gift that enables me to get my new tires on this week- my parents are the best!  Of course I'm secondary I think to the boys... they had to make sure their grandkids were coming!  If someone would have told me when I was younger how giddy new tires for the car would make me I would have thought it ridiculous, but here I am doing my happy dance!  My head is filled with housecleaning, knitted gifts, tires, haircuts, cleaning the car, cleaning the dogs, fall gardening, dr appts, new prescription for eyeglasses... it goes on and on and I hope I don't forget to pick hubby up LOL!

Loved everyone's updates on their holiday this year, and thanks for sharing your days!

The days are flying by now and my head is spinning and I think I need to collapse now...

If you don't hear from me in 3 days... send the knitting EMS crew...