The Yarnarian says that Spring is on its way.

In Morristown, NJ:

Sunrise today: 7:21
Sunset today: 4:36

Yes, Virginia, spring is coming.

Did you try the snowflake maker over on the right? This is so neat to play with.

Here's the URL: http://www.popularfront.com/snowdays/

Off to knit.

The Yarnarian obesses about the length of the day. Yet again.

Sunrise and sunset in Morristown, NJ: 7:20 & 4:35 Yes, Virginia, the days will get longer. Hang in there. We are 2 days closer to spring! The day is shorter by a minute in the morning, but longer by a minute at night. So, it's even-Steven, BUT you have a minute more of sunlight at the end of the day, which I like. I can ignore the morning.

I'm ignoring winter this year. As far as I'm concerned, we are two days shorter for spring to arrive. This is just a cold interim.

I hear that Minnesota is getting the mother of all blizzards this week. I hope I can still fly out on Monday. I don't worry much about the runways being cleared. Those folks in the Frozen Northland know all about snow. It's the stranded travelers who worry me. Ah well, if I'm going to obsess about something, this is as good as anything else.

I made it to the doctor yesterday with my eye crud, and yup, you got it: the dreaded conjunctivitis. One year, when the kids were little, we had a case of it where everyone kept reinfecting everyone else. I finally got them to stop touching their eyes, got them to scrub those hands non-stop. Scrubbed my hands raw, and it ended. But that was some mess. It's such a stupid infection. And now that I've turned your poor little tummies, let's chat about Christmas.

For those who celebrate Christmas, are you all set? Presents bought, house decorated? I love Christmas. It's easy for me to love it: I don't celebrate, so I can sit back and enjoy all of it. Indeed, it's my eternal rant about how Jews really ought to get with the program and put up lights outside for Chanukah. I know that this will make a lot of people angry, but lights are lights. Tell me exactly what lights have to do with the birth of Christ? Nada, nothing, gar nicht. No, I don't want a Chanukah bush; I'd rather admire everyone else's.

Yep, we do light the menorah, and set it in the window to be a light unto the nations. But I want more. I want the whole nine yards. On the other hand, I don't want the work of it all, so I'll just drive around and admire.

Oh, and the second part of my annual rant: Could we please have better music for Chanukah? Maos Tzur is lovely, but that's it. The dreidel song is dopey. Admit it, it's really dopey. But then playing dreidel is also dopey. OK, dopey is good, not bad at all. But I want inspiring music. Come to think of it, we have beautiful music for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and those are big holidays. I still want Chanukah carols.

There, annual music and light rant is over. Phew, aren't you relieved.

Pics? Everything is as it was, only longer. I'm trying to finish up the socks and scarf so that I can take something new to Minnesota. Here is the second sock and a close-up of the pattern. I have to admit that the pattern is lovely enough to put it into a shawl.




Here's yesterday's treat to me. Given that there is going to be a mound of the white stuff in Minneapolis, I decided to buy a pair of Uggs. Apparently, in the New York metro area, Uggs are now teen-age style. A pox upon that! They fit, they are warm, and I wanted them. So now I'm a teen-age woman of a certain age. And here's the best part: I'm a size 6 shoe. Kids' size 5 is the same as adult size 6, and $40 cheaper. You know which Ugg I bought!

Remember the leg warmers that the Hubbo found for me? He found another pair. So now I'm set: my usual jeans, woolly socks, leg warmers, Uggs, and my long Lands End down coat. Scarves, ear muffs, hood on coat, warm gloves worn inside a pair of stranded mitts with extended cuffs. Baby, I'm ready for cold and snow. Warm weather is so much easier.



Flower Fairies Sock Club is filling very nicely. If you want to join, there's still space. Check it out on the PennyRose sock club blog.

itsJUSTme-wendy - I love all the Christmas to-do, but I can admire from afar. No shopping or cleaning or cooking or anything of the sort. I sit back and just love it all. My favorite holiday in the Jewish calender is Passover. No presents, but lots of cleaning and cooking and changing dishes, and lots of work. But it is such a wonderful holiday, and I love it!

The Yarnarian Sings:

Oh the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we've no place to go, Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Ahem, it is snowing. Lots of lovely, white fluffy snow and I don't have to drive in it. Yes! And the Hubbo got sent home very early. So this is all good.

I just took these pics outside on my front stoop.





And these in my living room:




What's that you say? There are flowers in the fireplace? They're not burning? Is this some sort of miracle?

Nah, we have a fake fireplace lighting device. It looks like the logs are burning, but all it's doing is lighting them. And the flowers are fake. So the entire thing is a fake. Ha ha, I faked you out.

This is what happens when you are married to the Hubbo: strange and wondrous devices. (This is the man who calls an apron a "protective device."

Off to drink my tea.

Ria - I love snow as long as I'm on the inside watching it. I don't even mind a walk in the evening on fresh snow, but I want it all to go away the next day. ;-)

Carolyn - Ours is just a noisy fan and color, no heat at all. But it looks pretty, and the living room is the warmest room in the house, so sometimes it feels like the fireplace is working.

I'd love a gas fireplace, but the deck and patio have to come first. Maybe even next summer provided our finances are good and I earn a bit of money.

I'm already disenchanted with the snow. I think snow should arrive, look pretty and then disappear the next day. Hah!

The Yarnarian Checks In.

Just to let you know that I'm alive and well and spending my time dyeing and dyeing and dyeing some more.

I'm dyeing the lace yarn for the Winter Mystery Shawl and my next shipment of yarn arrived only on Monday, so now I'm a crazy person with the dyeing. Fortunately I like dyeing Zephyr a lot, and it goes fairly quickly (for me). So I'm having fun, but no time for blogging.

Go sign up for the shawl, if you haven't done so already. Renee does lovely work. It's the Winter Mystery Shawl.

Bye.