Yay, I have a new home...

I have a new domain (cyndilou.net) and as soon as I get a spare minute (or 30), I'll get my site back up and running!

Changes coming to the new and improved site:
- the blog will be moving over
- pattern section for the patterns I've published thus far
- retirement of the Monkees page (sorry, gang - I haven't updated it in 4 years or more)
- (hopefully) an integrated photoalbum.

By the way, if you head over there now, everything is garishly pink. Heh. So much for prepared templates. :D

Pardon my dust...

Over the next few days you may notice some changes here and on my main website. I am dropping my old ISP in favor of DSL, and this means I have to relocate all my webpages. If pictures suddenly fail to work or a specific page disappears that you are trying to access, please feel free to leave a comment to let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Cheers!

Oy vey

Take away my checkbook. Please! Heh - we did the round of after-Christmas shopping today. I really didn't spend too much on stuff (that came later when I had to send in my passport application) but still, I think I'm definitely done for the day. And week, and weekend, and even year. :D

Apparently there are others out there taking advantage of the great sales -- some of them don't want to pay, however. I pulled up to my local grocery store just as a cop was putting a handcuffed gentlman into the back of his cruiser. Yup, a shoplifter. At HEB. Does it occur to anyone else that there are better places to commit a felony?

Merry Christmas!

Off to church for Christmas Eve service -- I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! :)

Overheard

"You're dysfunctional."
"No, we're functioning; we're just dysfunctionally functioning."
- conversation at the next table at China Wall

---

"His pants bust."
"You should've told me; I have my digital camera. You know, blackmail."
"No, he's a white male."
"That's funny!! Black male, white male."
"Heh - you started it."
"No, I meant blackmail - one word."
"Oh. That's even funnier."
- conversation between co-workers

Are we ready?

Let's see...

Christmas shopping - done
Baking - have to help make cookies tomorrow
Handmade presents - all done save for one to knit and finishing on two

I think I can knock that out tonight, and still have plenty of time to run over music for church. I love Christmas!

Jesus is the Reason for the Season!

Yay!

My new digital camera is here! Yippee! Heh - now, to play...

Oh, here we come a wassailing...

Yes, tonight was yet another singing gig - this time at the Austin Trail of Lights. It was a bit chilly, but not so cold that our voices were hurting. :) I think the music went over well, although it is true that perhaps we needed a couple of our pieces to be a little more upbeat than they were. (BTW - thanks E and V for sitting for a long time on a cold bench and cheering for us! :)

The Trail itself was marvelous as usual -- and the PaRD outdid themselves this year by updating several of the displays. The ice castle, for one, was completely changed from past years. Now maybe I can convince a couple of my more jaded (oh, we've done that before...) friends to revisit the ToL with me this year or next. *g*

To sleep, perchance to dream...

A technophile's prayer...

Dear Lord,

Every single evening as I'm lying here in bed,
This tiny little Prayer keeps running through my head.

God bless all my family wherever they may be,
Keep them warm and safe from harm for they're so close to me.

And God, there is one more thing I wish that you could do,
Hope you don't mind me asking please bless my computer too.

Now I know that it's unusual to Bless a motherboard,
But listen just a second while I explain it to you, Lord.

You see that little metal box holds more than odds and ends,
Inside those small compartments rest so many of my friends.

I know so much about them by the kindness that they give,
And this little scrap of metal takes me in to where they live.

By faith is how I know them much the same as you,
We share in what life brings us and from that our friendships grew.

Please take an extra minute from your duties up above,
To bless those in my address book that's filled with so much love.

Wherever else this prayer may reach to each and every friend,
Bless each e-mail inbox and each person who hits send.

When you update your Heavenly list on your own CD-ROM,
Bless everyone who says this prayer sent up to GOD.com.

AMEN

Christmas on 37th Street

Folks, I gotta tell ya - if you've never done it before, you must see the lights on 37th Street. This is a neighborhood where fantasies are lived out in lights (ok, so some of them aren't fairy tale fantasies...). With everything from an icebox shrine to Elvis to UFOs to a volcano to Wonderland, you're going to love this display. Just don't forget to tip the light house - they need all the help they can get with that electricity bill! :)

Just to toss some knitting in, I finished the bumpy hat I started yesterday afternoon. My new digital camera is in the mail, so I should be able to get some pictures going this weekend or next week! Of course if shipping takes a long time due to the Christmas rush, it may be after Christmas.

So I'm a bad girl...

...I appear to have a bad case of start-itis. Yesterday at the Meetup!, instead of working on the commissioned hat I worked on a new hat for me that I started yesterday afternoon. I've got it over 75% completed already, though! I am making it from the Noro Big Kureyon in colorway 9, using a stst/rev stst pattern. It should match the broken rib scarf I'm making from the same yarn.

Fomenting ideas...

I heard back from Amy (the Knitty editor) on the pattern I submitted for the December issue. Part of the problem was the pics - taken care of as I'm getting a new digital camera. My old one is horrible - only has digital focus, eats power and doesn't like low-light situations. She also got me thinking about possible changes to the pattern, so I'll be taking time over the next couple weeks to play with it.

Gotta love feedback! :D

A Knitter's Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas and all around me
There was unfinished knitting not under the tree,
The stockings weren't hung by the chimney with care
'Cause the heels and the toes had not a stitch there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
But I had not finished the caps for their heads.
Dad was asleep---he was no help at all.
And the sweater for him was 6" too small.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I put down my needles to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash.
Tripped over my yarn and fell down in my stash.
The tangle of yarn that lay deep as the snow
Reminded me how far I still had to go.

When out on the lawn I heard such a noise,
I was sure it would wake up both Dad and the boys.
And although I was tired--my brain a bit thick,
I knew in a moment that it must be St Nick.

Yet what I heard left me very perplex-ed
For nothing I heard was what I expect-ed.
"Move Rowan! Move Patons! Move Koigu and Clover!
Move Shelridge! Move Starmore! Move Spinrite!
Move over!

Lopi, don't circle around, just stand there in line.
Pay attention you sheep and you'll work out just fine!
I know this is hard as it's just your first year
But I'd hate to go back to 8 tiny reindeer."

I peered over the sill. What I saw was amazing:
Eight wooly sheep on my lawn all a-grazing