Aftermath

I survived.

Heather cooked her first turkey dinner and did a wonderful job. I just kept my little self out of the way and let her do her thing and offered advice only when asked. I did ask if she wanted corn cake and volunteered to make it because I hadn't heard it mentioned and I really wanted it! She accepted my offer so I did make that. I really felt able to let it go. There were some little details that bothered me because it wasn't the way I would have done things but when I would start to think about them I would honestly just try to breathe them away and say to myself it's not my meal, it's not my problem.

We had a relaxed Christmas. Miko was at her mom's and other grandparent's so no small children. We all slept pretty late and didn't even start to open stockings and stuff until after some food and coffee and such.

I think the best thing that happened was that I finally got out a train set I had been sort of hiding away for a couple of years. I kept having the perfectionistic idea that I couldn't get it out until I had a table for it and space for it and a special board for it and so on and so on.... and then today I just saw one of my mini Christmas trees on the coffee table and said , you know my N scale train would look great it would be like a mini Christmas tree set up with the train around it! So I went and got it out and Dad and Chris and Michael and I spent a large part of the day playing train. I would like to set up the tree with some fake little presents and stuff and take pictures like it is a Christmas morning set-up. I don't know if I will ever get around to it this year, but it sounds fun. It does make me want to start my model railroading and with this set I already have enough set that I could spend a lot of time and accomplish a lot without spending any money. It has some accessories and buildings I could put together and Michael already has modeling tools and glue.

If anything, I am so glad the TV stayed OFF all day. We didn't even watch a Christmas Story, which I actually like to do usually.

I did get Chris's hat finished. John Deere green and yellow and Cory is going to try to get me a John Deere patch while he is in Illinois over his vacation. Turns out his dad works for John Deere! So what I thought I was going to have to order from e-bay, I may get in just a few days! YAY! Maybe he will bring back more than one and then I will also knit one for Rick, Deanna's hubby, who also has a bald head and is a John Deere fan.

I didn't get Miko's apron embroidered so I will start it probably tomorrow and try to get it to her in the next couple of weeks. I feel sad about that.

Michael's chalk bag is turning out to be an engineering and tailoring work of art! HOWEVER, in sewing on the webbing for the caribiner to clip on - it totally effed and yes I mean EFFED up my bobbin mechanism. My machine is a cheap POS anyway and the tension is always messed up. The webbing was too much for it and sigh.... Well I may take the bag to Margaret Fette's shop and ask her to sew the web on one of her professional machines, even if she charges me, but then I may end up hand stitching the rest of the thing because I couldn't get the top thread to catch the bobbin thread and sew anymore at all last night. I worked on it for about an hour and tried every trick I knew in messing with the bobbin mechanisms and such. I don't think this machine is worth paying to repair and I am not willing to replace until I can afford to replace with the quality I need to be able to do better quality work. I am SO pleased, even so, that I was able to look at a chalk bag and figure out the pattern and make it up and it is working out so well. It is a good self-esteem booster and makes me feel like a genius! Now if only I could genius my bobbin!

I am thinking of finishing up the evening by taking a bath - oh, by the way- everyone else is gone! Michael is off to Ed's, Mom and Dad and Chris have left because Mom has to work in the early morning, and Emily went to Indy with Heather. So I am by myself for a few days. I plan to watch movies nobody else likes, eat whatever I want, clean house, finish my projects, go to the YMCA and exercise and read. And maybe take a bath, tonight, in a few minutes, if I feel like it by the time I'm done typing. Ha.