Salutations!

Oh, my. I can't believe it's been ten days since there's been so much as a peep out of me. Well, I'll just say hello briefly for now, and then hope to get back to normal in the next few days. To all of you who have been able to get through the busy holidays and still keep connected with your usual activities on the Web, I salute you!

For my own part, I had to hurry, but managed to enjoy at least a smattering of all the traditional holiday festivities and a lot of warm and wonderful time with family. My immediate family lives nearby, and my in-laws traveled in from Florida retirement-land.

The tree was decorated, and I had the pleasure of rediscovering all my special ornaments and the stories and memories behind them. Holiday music was played. The cards were sent. The presents were wrapped. Ribbons and bows had to be skipped in the interests of time, but sometimes we have to make a few minor sacrifices on the little things to get the bigger ones right.

My mother-in-law and little niecey came over to do their Christmas baking. And since my sister-in-law's kitchen is in the midst of renovation, I was able to have the pleasure of hosting our whole smallish but lively crowd for both Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner.

The couple of handknits I gave as gifts were enthusiastically received. I've talked about them here over the last few weeks, but tried to be just a bit cagey in case the recipients should be looking. Now that I can speak freely, a finished object comment and picture or two might very well show up here shortly. Even my brother's half-done first-sock-of-a-pair, wrapped up needles-and-all, was received with pleasure... that is, once he was reassured that he wasn't going to have to learn to knit to finish them himself!

I received some really wonderful knitting and spinning-related presents from family members who don't share these all-consuming hobbies themselves, but go to a lot of trouble to come up with things that make me happy.

I'll leave you today with a few pictures and my warmest wishes to you and your families for the best at the holidays and in the coming New Year.

Here's Santa's little helper getting the decorating underway.






Christmas baking in my husband's family means Norwegian specialties like kringla and these lefse (flatbreads), ready to be rolled up with sugar.


This is the special rolling pin used to make the lefse.







Here is a sheet of my little niecey's cookies ready to go into the oven.



This is the start of my brother's Socks That Rock Christmas socks -- and about as much as there was to wrap!

And now I'd just like to extend all my very best to you and yours.