Snow has arrived

It's a little hard to get a good video from the balcony door, but here it is.  Our big winter storm that has caused many cancellations for colleges, universities, school buses and perhaps some businesses.

I am at home, decided to take a vacation day.  It's hard to run after a bus with my coughing spells.  

Not sure if my work office is closed, it's too early to call there.

I will do my Saturday chores today and enjoy the rest of the weekend doing what I enjoy.

Merlin went to check the snow, and was quite interested.  He even went around in the balcony.

Feels Like Friday but it's Thursday

May be because I left early from work today. 
I was fortunate to change my doctor's appointment from tomorrow to today, noon, if I made to the office before noon.  I was there ten minutes before.  (counts as positive)
I left the Center with new medication for my cough, which has been present since October last year. Some days awful, some not.  Today was the awful one. (counts as negative)

I changed the appointment in case tomorrow was going to be a no-go due to heavy snow fall. Weather people predicted some mean piles of snow.  I was not going to drive to work, was going to take the bus, which would have been somewhat aggravating for my cough. 

I came home, had lunch, and went to bed to finish a story that I had been reading lately.  I had a two hour nap which made me very happy.  Merlin came to take his nap with me, but had found another place later, since he was nowhere in sight when I woke up.  He has a few cat-nap (as per Sherri ) locations. 

I am on "vacation" tomorrow, nursing my cold with my new medication, and taking naps when ever the need arises. 

There is no snow coming down right now, but apparently tonight is the heavy fall.  I predict that all that snow will by-pass our area, it has happened. 

A friend of mine, Janet, has a beautiful art blog.  She is talented and oh, so creative.  Every time I look at her art, I want to take my sketch book and pencils and start drawing.  When I go to my "creative" bag, there
is always a knitting or crochet project on top, and there goes the urge to draw.  One of these days I will
toss all the other projects out of the way and do some serious drawing. But first I will finish my February socks. 

Merlin, the cat, likes to watch TV, Specially animal shows and lately the soccer games (football in my books)
Here he is watching the Spain vs. Uruguay game

Another mid week

This positive thinking is sometimes very hard, specially when there is no inspiration to be positive.
However, my hubby had a surprise for me in my lunch bag, and I got a smile in me.
I had forgotten to take my licorice and cough syrup with me to work, but when I opened my lunch
bag, both of them were in there.  Thank You!  You see, little things make me happy.

Creative Knitting magazine was offering a free pattern yesterday.  It's a Un-Biased Scarf, design by
Cheryl Beckerich..  the pattern is available free for a short period, I don't know for how long, but it seems to be free still today.

Of course I had to start knitting it.  I have nothing else to work on, tsk tsk what a joke.  I found a nice yarn, that I had bought in Finland a few years ago. It's Marks & Kattens Fame Trend
Here is the start of my scarf, and a coffee, too

I stopped at Tim Horton's this morning, bought a coffee for me, and a tea for a co-worker.  She didn't come in today, so the tea ended up on someone else's desk.

Tuesday already?

Sunday was a uneventful day.  Waited for the SuperBowl to start so I could watch something else.  I don't understand that game, and to be honest with you, don't want to understand it.

I knitted for a few rows, crocheted some 5" squares, and had a nap in the afternoon.  There was nothing
interesting going on.

Monday was different.  I wanted to go and get an x-ray done in a nearby health center, only to find that they
had moved.  I was late for work, about 15 minutes, which didn't worry me at all.  I've done more than 15 minutes extra time in my working days.

The day went by slowly, except when I had my lunch hour, it went too fast, I crocheted a few stitches and

came back to my office ten minutes early and finished a square.

Today is looking a lot better, I have sneezed and coughed for about 10 minutes so far, which is not a bad thing compared to that happening all day long, with 10 minute breaks.  (spoke too fast)

Look at this pretty crocheted hat, link is here.  I like Priscilla's patterns. I've not been too keen on crocheting hats, but that one looks way too interesting to ignore it.  Perhaps next winter.  Now I am busy knitting socks and crocheting squares and knitting cardigans and knitting and knitting and knitting....aaarrrrgggghhhhhh.

The socks?
It's the challenge feature for February 2013, knit socks and use yarn from stash.  My yarn is from stash, and don't know the brand of it.  I don't even remember where and when I bought it, but it's good for socks.
The challenge is posted in Ravelry.  I am to make these socks for me.  Ah, that might be a problem, since I don't really like using the socks that I have knitted, they are usually for gifts.
The yarn in these socks doesn't co-operate with the color changes, but since they are for me, it's a welcome
feature.  I like things that are a little bit off the wall.

Here is the link for the pattern

The more I think about those socks, the more I like them, for me.  

That thought will be my positive thinking for the day.  So far anything negative can go and fly a kite.

Saturday Morning

Of all the days in the week, I could have slept in, but didn't.  Not very pleased with my sleep fairy this morning.
I tried to call her back, but she was just smiling and faded away.  Merlin lifted his head, jumped close to my
face to see if I was awake.  I got up, and he followed me.

The coffee is brewing and Merlin and I are checking the morning schedule.  Looks like he is waiting for my
DH to show up from the bedroom.  It's a little bit out of the norm for Merlin, usually it's the DH who gets up
first.  I am allowing a sleep-in for him this morning.
There is very little food left for Merlin, which means a trip to Pet Smart.  We have a membership card for PS, for discounts, only.  Therefore I get Merlin's stuff in there Also, it's near my home, Canadian Tire and Future Shop, and  a huge parking lot, too.  Which is important. I very rarely go to Canadian Tire, and hubby is the one who goes to Future Shop.  If I go with him, I walk around bored.  Unless, of course
he's going to get me a new laptop, or something.

Other plans for today are still up in the air. 

Some friends were talking about a British TV Drama Series "Downton Abbey", and how wonderful the show is, etc. etc.  As I am quite easily influenced by someone else's recommendations, I had to get the DVD
for the first two series.  Didn't bother with the third one, since I wanted to make sure I like the show.  I ended up getting the third season, too, and spent a few hours last night watching it.  I know that the fourth
season is on TV (already?), as all the other ones were, but missed them on telly.  However, I want to finish the 3rd season, before the fourth, makes sense, right.

Knitting?  Oh, yes, I've done some scarves, some shawls and some starts for new projects.  My very favorite is a Wingspan shawl.  there is a pattern for it, but I improvised my shawl a little bit, and now it's
the one I like the most of my recent projects. Even though it's not in green shades.  It's blue, FPS.

Other projects, Lion for my cousin's Lion's Club show

 Market bag,

 Warm hat, with double brim to be doubly warm, this is for hubby.

There are many more, but right now the positive thought for today:  It's wonderful to be able to create art by knitting, and crocheting.  It's relaxing and brings joy.
I might come back today, after our Saturday shopping and chores. 

Friday Bright Moments

It was one of those mornings that I decided to go to WalMart before going to work.  Sometimes the morning
feels to be dragging on if I go to the office early.  This morning I wanted to be late.
I took my sweet time at WM, but managed to get out before 8.  In my desire to be late for work, I took
a long way and got stuck in traffic.  It was barely moving.  Oh, well, I didn't mind at all.  Finally when I
got to Don Mills, the traffic was smooth, Only to find a huge line-up on Sheppard Avenue.  At one
set of lights we moved maybe two or three cars at a time.  Five sets of lights before I was able to get thru.
I came to work five minutes before opening.  That was a good start.  My plan worked!

At WM I found exactly what I was looking for, some magazines and gifts for friends.  I also bought a heart
shaped plastic tray, and if my hubby doesn't do as I have hinted, I do it myself.  Fill it with yarn.  It's not a big
tray, but it is a Valentine Day tray.  I might have to wind the yarns to small balls, since all my red and pink (if I ever find it) are in big skeins, and only two of those might fit in the tray.  I saw this idea in FaceBook a few days ago: Giant Valentine Heart
I must buy some small cupcake paper cups, since my heart tray is small.

On a positive note for today, I have a hard time finding/thinking of anything negative to say, but that's not it,
it's the one pound that I had lost yesterday.  I have not found it yet, but saw some crumbles following it, and
they better reach the lost pound and not come back.  I have not notified the  missing item to the authorities,
and might not do that at all.  See my smile.

I might have mentioned that I have Kindle e-readers.  I have read many books since I got my smaller Kindle.
It's easier to handle than the one with a keyboard beneath the screen.  I was tempted to get the Kindle Paperwhite, but the brain knocked on the door, yelling, don't be stupid, you have two Kindles and  Kobo, and Kindle on your phone and Cloud Reader at work and At Home.  What do you need another one for?

I listened, and, no, I am not getting any more readers.  I have over or nearly 500 books in my Kindles and
as fast as I am able to read, I will never be able to read them all.  There are too many free books daily that
somehow end up in my little reader.

My latest reading is "Witches on Parole" by Debora Geary.
I also have the next two of the series.  First I have to finish this one.
It's light reading, no gory details, no mushy stuff, and romance, easy read.
I have read ten books written by Ed McBain, 87th Precinct Series, which I enjoyed way too much.
Tom Lowe's books are also enjoyable, I've read the four in Sean O'Brien Series, and after my witch cycle I might go back to 87th Precinct as there are several more in the series.

Later/tomorrow more