Post holiday blur

I can't seem to get my head around what day today is. I keep thinking we've already passed through New Year's and are into the new decade. Christmas seems like ages ago...but it was just a long weekend. I'm not really sure what's up with this faux-time-warp, but maybe I'll just accept the fuzz and go with it.

The holidays went by in a blur, but with much happiness. I decided a few months back to have a Handmade Hanukkah (or "Chanmade Chanukah" depending on how you like to spell it). So I knitted, sewed, and papier mached, practically every gift I gave. I also got the boys busy with gifts for family that took some energy and creativity. Harry made ducktape match boxes and Toby and Ben made a watercolored matching game for their little cousin Hannah. (I seem to have deleted those photos from my camera and can't find them on the computer, but if they turn up I'll post them here!) Whenever we get invested in the creating of the gifts the focus of the holiday goes from GETTING to GIVING and it makes all the difference.

Our Hanukkah party was cousin-ful and terrific. We ate (latkes, roast chicken, homemade applesauce, salad, and cheesecake) and were merry and then spent a lot of time opening presents and oohing and aahing over each gift. I made purses and market bags (I was a crafting lunatic in the days and nights before) for several folks. They were received with delight, I'm happy to say. The big surprise present wasn't handmade, though. It was a trip to Disneyland that Mark and I gave the boys (January 8-11). It was out of the blue and we're all excited! We decided that with everything coming down the pike these days we need a little F.U.N. to look forward to.

Another joy from the holidays was that I was asked to teach my sister, Mara, and my cousin, David, how to knit. Now, I still consider myself a beginner, but I could at least show them how to cast on and do a garter stitch scarf. We'll see where it goes from there. I was happy to at least pass on my enthusiasm for the yarn-art.

Over the weekend we saw some old friends, new friends, and family. Mark's sister Sharon and her husband, Alan, came up for a visit and we took them out to dinner for a belated 50th birthday celebration for Sharon. Here's Sharon in the capelet I made for her. It fit perfectly, I'm so happy! She loved it!

Harry went off to his winter teen meditation retreat today. A welcome respite for him and for us. I appreciate the time away from each other and he comes home transformed. Having a teen is, um, challenging!

The rest of our week is looking calm, mostly because I didn't plan anything. I am scheduled for jury duty, though it's unlikely that I'll have to serve. Hopefully, it will be painless and we'll just get to enjoy the open time in our calendar. Then next week we'll blink at the bright and shiny new year and say, "How did it get to be 2010?!!!"