It's Snowing!

I just looked out the window, and it's snowing. It's just little flurries, still, it's the first snow I have seen this season. I doubt it will stick, and I tried to take a photo, but the camera wouldn't capture it.

This has been quite a week - so much going on - work very busy, life in general very busy, and yet I feel more in control of my life than I have for some time. I have spent the better part of a year simplifying my life in a number of ways. I always have a bag going for the Second Chance Shop, and I guess most importantly, I've learned how to say "No" more often. OK - October, not so good with the "no" saying, but November - well, I'm a champ in November.

And because I am saying no, I have more energy and time to devote to the things I really want to say "Yes" to :-) And at this time of year, one of those things is my church choir. I finally made it to choir practice this week, and remembered why I still sing. I can't sing professionally any more (thank you asthma meds . . . :-( ) but even though I don't do any solo work, I can still sing in the choir, and I really really enjoy it. And now, we are getting ready for Christmas. And come on, who doesn't love Christmas music, both sacred and secular? :-)

I've mentioned "Church Lady Knitting" here before - today we had a lot of shawls in the sanctuary to be dedicated, and I spoke for a few minutes about the prayer shawl ministry and how it's going, etc., etc. My short talk was very well-received and I was very happy about that. We have such a great knitting group at church - I have taught some of them to knit and some already knew - as a group we have given 17 shawls this year, most recipients were facing or recovering from surgeries and/or serious illness. The Prayer Shawl Ministry is international in scope, but it happens locally - one shawl at a time. I really enjoy being a part of it.

So, it's snowing - this week the City has started putting up the huts and buildings for the Christkindlemarket, which has a sneak preview on Thanksgiving day - right after the parade, if I'm not mistaken, and actually jumps off on Friday, November 28th. Big fun - don't miss it! And the cranes are in place, building the huge Christmas tree in Daley Plaza. Christmas seems early, somehow - I guess because so many merchants, beat down by the economic crisis have had Holiday merchandise on the shelves for weeks already in an effort to capitalize completely on what is usually the biggest money-maker all year long.

OK - not snowing anymore - like I said, just a flurry :-)

Yesterday - big fun, Chez A. Linda, Jamie, Racheal and Kris over for a day of hanging out, knitting, spinning, and watching Om Shanti Om! What fun. I have seen the film before, but Linda really wanted to see it, and I loved seeing it again. To watch a Bollywood film, you have to have a 3-hour window of time. They are long :-D so, we had lunch (a beef stew that I put in the crockpot in the middle of the night on Friday so it would be ready for lunch on Saturday), a very tasty Shiraz, some French bread, and some pumpkin cupcakes, and then we all settled down in my sunroom to knit, spin and watch the movie.

In a Bollywood film, one of the special features of any disk is the songs - you can click and go right to any song in the film. I love that! We watched Dard-e-Disco more than once . . . Shahrukh Khan's 6-pack, a little water, a little more water . . . what's not to like? ;-) And just for Linda, here's a YouTube of Hrithik Roshan . . .

It was a lovely day and I enjoyed having my friends here in my home. I got some more spinning done on the Cormo that is languishing, and I ripped out that Christmas sock I had started. All that stitch work was just NOT visible on the variegated yarn. So it's wound back on the ball and I'll make the socks out of a solid/semi-solid. Live and learn.

Hope you are happy and safe, wherever you might be. :-)