I'm completely and totally tired of winter now. It was okay when I got to stay at home, but now I have to walk to school in it every morning. I'm super tired too. I'm not ever tired like this in the summer. In the winter I just feel like sleeping. Maybe we are supposed to hibernate in the winter like bears. That would be so much easier. I really don't like being cold. I want things to be pleasant and warm. Not only do I want to sleep all the time, but each morning I wake up with a soar throat and runny nose because of the dry air and I am itchy all the time because of my dry skin. Okay, I will now stop complaining about winter.

There was a mountain lion killed about 4 miles from the town I live in. I think that is kind of cool. Not cool that they killed it, but kind of neat that there was a mountain lion. It wasn't that big, at least I wouldn't call it that big. It only weighed 125 pounds. That is about the only interesting news that I have. Other than the fact that I am having a lot of trouble not reading ahead in A Tale of Two Cities which we are reading in my English class.

I'm hoping to be able to finish up my senior pictures this weekend. Hopefully nothing huge comes up.

Well, today has been filled with work, which isn't especially where I would have liked to be, but what can I do about it? Not much. I really would like to be at home reading a book. I'm reading The Great Gatsby and I was really hoping to finish it today. I actually would rather be in school right now. Although at this time of day I wouldn't be in school I would be out, and probably at home. I had a lot of paperwork to do today and I just wasn't in the mood to do it.

I should be back to school tomorrow and I think that that will probably be nice. There aren't anymore major snow storms slated for the next week. It is just so cozy to get to stay at home, but 3 days is a long time for impromptu days off. It is so much better when school closings are planned, because then at least I can find something to do and it isn't so last minute.

I think that basically all of my paperwork is done for today. I probably could go home if I wanted to. This week sort of flew right by. Things go so quickly when you have nothing to do and no place to really go. At least the roads aren't super bad anymore. They are starting to clear off and I was actually able to drive over to the bowling alley to get lunch. I love eating at the bowling alley. I always get a bowl of soup, and usually I order cheese balls, but today I skipped the cheese balls and ate cheaper and healthier. The soap for today was chili, it was very nice and warming.

So, perhaps I can go home now and knit some, or read.

Well, I didn't go school today, or work. I just stayed home and knitted mostly. The wind was blowing super hard so I didn't want to walk down to work. School is closed tomorrow too, so I guess that I will probably have to go to work. I'm hoping that the public library is open tomorrow. I can't believe that I have missed 3 days of school. I'm pretty sure I should be back to school by Friday.

A Warm Cup of Tea and Soft Music

I know that I don't usually post twice in a day, but I just got this urge to write about this feeling that I have.

As many people know our dishwasher is broken, so we have been doing dishes by hand for about a month. My dad still doesn't know if the dishwasher will be fixed after he gets the new pieces. Anyway, as much as I don't like doing dishes by hand. I do enjoy my cup of tea and music in the background. I like the feeling of warm water in my hands and the time that I get to just think about things. It is especially nice when I am alone. I do enjoy having some company when I'm doing the dishes, but sometimes a little alone time is nice. I usually turn on the stereo and listen to a CD. Usually I end up listening to Frank Sinatra or Michael Buble, sometimes I listen classical music. In the past day or so I have just been in the mood for a more subtle music. This morning when I was baking cookies I was listening to Frank Sinatra, but by the evening I switched to Joshua Radin and The Weepies. Right now I'm listening to The Weepies.

The Weepies are one of my favorites. Their band title sound sad, but the things they sing about kind of have this quiet sad quality to them. I love listening to them in the winter. They are the sound of winter. I don't like winter, and am usually quite sad during it, but their music makes it just a twinge better. I don't know what it is about their music, but it is very comforting. I feel like curling up on the couch with a book and a cup of tea when I listen to it. If only I had the time to do that. Unfortunately, I have been very busy lately. It seems that this day off of school has been the only real down time that I have had lately, and I still had things that I had to do today. I had to take a test, go to work, and I made over 80 cookies. Granted, I really like making cookies. I did get to watch a movie today though, and I'm really close to finishing the scarf I have been knitting for the last two weeks. I should finish it tomorrow and get started on the scarf to go with my coat.

An update on the weather... we are now under a Blizzard Warning. The warning starts at midnight and goes through to 6 PM tomorrow. Until then we are still under a winter storm warning. The weather statements are saying that there hasn't been a winter storm like this for almost 30 years. Crazy. I don't like the idea of a winter storm, but I do like getting to stay inside and not go to school. Hopefully tomorrow will bring another day of staying home, and at least for the morning sitting on the couch with a quilt, cup of tea, and my knitting.

Snowed in and Cookie Spree

I was right, I didn't have school today, and I will more than likely not have school tomorrow. I don't really know what it is about this time of year, but I just am in this mood to make cookies. All the time really. This morning I made ginger cookies and monster cookies. I finally have discovered the trick to making gluten free cookies. My mom likes to use corn flour, but I think the best thing for making gluten free cookies is oat flour. I think it is because like wheat flour, oat flour is a little stickier. For my monster cookies I don't even use flour, just oatmeal. For the ginger cookies that I made today I simply substituted wheat flour with oat flour and I really can't tell the difference.

I may not like the snow and all, but I do like getting to stay home, although I had to go to work this afternoon. I walked in the snow because I didn't want to risk driving. It wasn't too bad. I bundled up and stayed pretty toasty.

Tomorrow I need to go to work again, but I'm hoping to be able to spend some time finishing some knitting that I started. I desperately need to knit a hat and mittens that match my coat.

Nothing

A pretty uneventful weekend for me. I had to go and stay with my great grandma Saturday night after she came home from the hospital. She had a very minor surgery, and really didn't need me there, but maybe it made her feel better to have some one there.

A major winter storm is slated for tomorrow through Wednesday. I hate winter, but I'm kind of excited about a snow storm because that means I will be stuck inside. They will most definitely have to cancel school. If the snow comes. They have us under a blizzard watch, but I remember several times last year when they said we were going to have this huge storm and then nothing happened.

Finished, Done, Completed

My sweater is done. Yah! I am so excited about it to. This is really the first finished big project of mine that I am truly happy about. I have knit one sweater before this, and the sewing on it basically ruined it, making it too small. Anyway, now I have a beautiful sweater that I am actually wearing right now as I write this. It is very soft and it fits perfectly.

I thought that I would get to finish up my senior pictures this weekend, but my great grandma had a small surgery on her foot and I'm going to go and stay with her this afternoon, tonight, and tomorrow. Just to make sure that she is okay. The big question right now is what am I going to take with me to keep her occupied, I have to get her mind off of not being able to walk around that much.

Well, I'm off to start my day now. I can't wait to show off my new sweater.

Everyone knows that I'm not a fan of winter, but there is just something about the first snow of the season that makes my heart skip a beat. It is snowing right now, and it is actually kind of pretty. I don't really like the idea of the snow, but I do think it looks nice. It makes me want to curl up on the couch with my knitting and drink tea. By the way, my sweater should be done by tomorrow. I am so excited. I'm actually going to try and get it completed tonight so that I can wear it to school tomorrow.

Let's talk tea. I have always been a big tea drinker. I think that is the English coming out in me. I'm more of a classic tea drinker too, I like my Earl Grey. Unlike the British though, I don't usually put anything in my tea. The Brits definitely like there sugar and milk. I used to like my tea that way, but as I have grown older I drink it plain, except my home brewed chai. I add sugar and cream to that.

I got a new tea pot while I was on vacation, I don't remember if I wrote about that. Anyway, I have my new cobalt blew 8 cup tea pot and I have been making tea in it daily. That is the wonderful thing about winter. Tea. And warm frothy milk, which I can make because we have an espresso machine with a milk steamer. Anyway, my favorite tea around this time of year is this stuff my aunt got for us a while back, several years ago probably, but tea lasts a long time. Although I am running dangerously low on it, scariness. It is this Republic of Teas, Tea of Good Tidings stuff. It is delicious. I think I like it because it has orange peel and cranberries in it. I love winter for one reason, and one reason only. ORANGES! You get the best oranges in the winter, and this tea just reminds me of how wonderful oranges are.

Anyway. It is snowing, and pretty. I'm drinking my tea, and I think that I will go and knit on the couch.

December Challenge

Wow, it is already the end of the year. I remember posting about how I was going to have a challenge each month a year ago. Let's wrap things up for December though. Write down what your goals were this year, did you fulfil those goals? Then write down your goals for next year, and maybe a plan on how to achieve those goals. I know that doing that probably would have helped me this year. I didn't really get everything accomplished this year that I wanted, so I'm going to try again, but this time with a way to achieve my goal. I hope that it helps.

I can't believe that it is already Saturday. We leave tomorrow, this vacation went way too fast. I wish that we could just stay another week, then perhaps I would be completely rested and be ready to go finish up the school year.

Oh, I really don't want to go back to school. I have a major case of senioritis right now. Almost half of the year is over though. Only about 3 more weeks until Winter Break and the end of the first semester. Granted the first semester is much shorter than the second. I am happy that the new year will be starting because the months of school after January just fly right by.

I will be back home tomorrow. I am happy to be going home. To see my cats and I'm hoping my yarn will arrive this next week and I can finish my sweater.