Wrapping up 2013

New Years is one of my favorite days of the year, and this year I am probably more organized about it than I ever will be in my lifetime again. I love the concept of having a 'new' start, a fresh chance, and a date to either get things finished by, or a good starting point for a change I want to make in my life. New Years reminds me that there are second chances, and that God is allowing us a little more time to grow closer to Him and carry out His work.

In addition to getting my house tidied up, I've been working on clearing out my stack of 'works in progress' with the idea that it would be nice to start the new year with less of the old on my plate, and more room to play with the new. The first thing I finished was this pair of socks that has been languishing in my knitting basked for...cough, cough, at least two years. What with one thing and another these socks 'lost the love,' and oddly enough I gave up halfway through the second sock. While the right one looks a little odd, I still love this new pair of socks, and am happy to have evicted it from my basket!

The next thing that I finished was a cross stitch that I started when I first came to Zambia in 2010. I did all the stitching and a little outlining, then I packed it away. Well, it is all finished now, and just needs a frame to do it justice. I love the idea of cross stitching chetengi, and I love how very African this is!

Finally, I finished a cross stitch that I started this summer while I was home. I think I might put this up in my classroom; hopefully I won't get in trouble!

Today I plan to mop my floors, actually and for real get caught up on the dishes, take a look at one of the other large partially complete cross stitches that I have lurking in my basket, and starting a new pair of socks for someone special. I plan to stay up late, to happily hang new calendars on my walls, and to enjoy these last few hours of 2013. Happy New Year to you all, and may 2014 be a year of great blessing for you all.

How does one celebrate Christmas in the bush?

Well, there is a lot of baking, cooking, and washing of dishes. I tried a new cookie recipe--'Russian Cigarettes', and while I like them, they are a bit more work than I think I'm willing to go to every year. Having a proper non-stick baking mat would also probably make these a bit easier to pull off.

Another thing you do is finish off some Christmas presents. Like a cowl for Jill,

Ent fingerless gloves for Bethany,

And socks for Beth.

There was a progressive breakfast on Christmas morning that involved some lovely fruit in orange bowls at Jills,

and Breakfast Casserole and Southern Boiled Custard at my place among other lovely things.

I've been going on a finishing spree--pictures of that will follow in a later post as well as some of the DREADFUL knitting patterns I found while clearing out my sewing room.

Parting shot: My puppy is ADORABLE!

Traditions

Note: This was written before Christmas, but I thought I'd go ahead and post it, then share some pictures of my Christmas later.

I've been thinking a bit recently about traditions and how much they mean to me. I guess Christmas is sort of the best time of year for traditions, and growing up in my family meant that I learned a whole lot of them! While I mixed up some of my grandmother's delicious fruitcake this weekend, I thought about the many times I've enjoyed her fruitcake, how it always came wrapped in foil, and watching Grandma make it. As I worked I could see her in the kitchen--her movements slower then they were when I was younger, but very deliberate and sure. Making her recipe the way she taught me brought her close even though there is an ocean between us. So the fruitcake is more than just an important part of Christmas for me; it's a connection with home and Christmases in the past. Another tradition that is particularly close to my heart is the lighting of the Advent candles. Knowing that in a few hours my family will be doing the very same thing and memories of candle light from years past make this tradition a vital part of my Christmas celebration. Using the red candles that I grew up with and anticipating the lighting of the Christ candle help connect me with my German heritage and my family. There are so many other things--putting the lights on the tree the way my mom likes them, making certain Christmas goodies, reading the Christmas story and singing the carols. Yes, it is true that sometimes traditions become stressful and crazy and result in people weeping into mugs of tea at odd hours of the day or night, but especially when I am so very, very far from where I most want to be, anything that makes me forget for even an moment that there is an ocean between me and home is a very good thing. So, I will continue to celebrate Christmas with a nod to the past, concessions to present circumstances, and hope for the future.

Secret Christmas knitting continues, but I'll share a few of the ornaments I managed to get finished in the last few days. A naughty kitten,

A caroling faun,

And a wreath.

I've got a list of things that I want to finish before the year turns in addition to getting my house cleaned up properly, so I'll have a busy few days. More later!

Finishities strikes again--how convienient!

I've had a burst of finishitis lately; it must come with the house cleaning that I've been working on this week. I put up the rest of my Christmas decorations!

As I sort and clean, I've been digging in my cross stitch box and found these things languishing and needing just a little finishing. Like this banner I made YEARS ago.

I also dug out a long abandoned project--these "Christmas-myth" ornaments! How about a dragon,

A Wyvern,

A Hippocampus,

And an adorable giant!

I've started cutting out the sewing projects that I would like to finish this break, and I also have a bit of holiday baking that I want to get done. This holiday is WAY too short...

Another road trip survived!

Whew—I am SO glad that this trip is over! It’s so wonderful to be sitting on my porch and listening to Christmas music while I work on my Christmas shopping and blogging. Because I had to do all the driving, the trip was rather exhausting for me, and the police stops were insane. While I was away I managed to accomplish the following things:

* I picked up my new work permit—now I’m done with emigration nonsense for the next two years! Huzzah! It only took an hour, and there were no hiccups in the process. Praise the Lord!

* I got Jill’s truck’s fitness done even though it involved paying and picking up the form at one RTSA location, driving way out to the Mimosa location to get the actual inspection done, accidentally flagrantly jumping the queue, tramping around in the rain, and turning down the ‘tempting’ offer to teach the RTSA guy how to sing.

* Lots of shopping was done! When you can’t get more than the basics in Ikelenge, trips to town are a chance to pick up all those treats like brown sugar, cheese, yogurt, and spices for Christmas baking. I may have found a few Christmas presents for myself as well…

* I got to watch Ender’s Game ! I LOVED it! While the book is still better, I thought they did a really good job of it. More on that later.

One thing I really enjoyed about this trip was seeing the Christmas in Lusaka. The lights in Manda hill were particularly nice.

At Arcades, they had a somewhat tacky/cool tree made up of plastic bottles. Way to recycle Zambia!

I’ll write another post later about the crazy thing that happened in Solwezi and any other wild stories that come to mind. Today has been busy as I try to get everything put away, do a bit of cleaning in my house, and borrowed a sewing machine so I can get busy with all that material I just bought.

Parting shot: My cat had fun with the bags I was unpacking last night!

P.S. Just in case anyone cares, here is pumpkin No. 4--and perhaps my favorite of them all.

GOOD, they're GONE!

To quote my brilliant sister...

The program happened, the kids left, the holiday is now starting! Woot!

This weekend I put my tree up as a reward for finishing my reports-

I also did some blocking this weekend so that I could finish up some gifts. I loved how this one scarf looked while pinned out on my couch!

Here is a peek at a gift for a dear friend who is leaving to go get married-

Parting shot: My cat is too cute! She was not impressed with how I took over HER couch to block a shawl...