A New Year!

'Twas a quiet New Year in our little corner of reality.... on the Monday before, because time was of the essence, Mr. Pocketts had eye surgery. I don't mean just a little zap of a laser at the eye doctor's, no sirree... full blown, put-you-under, open-you-up eye surgery. Officially it was a Vitrectomy (and if you want to know the gory details, you can look here), but I'm not sure I ever heard that word said aloud by any of the staff; necessary because of a Macular Hole in his left eye, brought on by nothing more sinister than birthdays...several of them. Perhaps more dreadful than the surgery is the recovery--one week, 24-7 or thereabouts, of keeping your face down....I'll let that sink in for a moment....yes, a matter of logistics. Thankfully, we were prepared (and I might add, not by the Doctor or his staff). He has a special chair he can sit in, face down; and a special U-shaped pillow contraption so he can sleep on his stomach with his head cradled off the end of the bed, face down; and special double mirrors so he can look at stuff while being....face down! Today is Day 6--just ONE more day to go!

Meanwhile.... we've been watching all "The Thin Man"movies with William Powell and Myrna Loy. It's been so long since I've seen any of them; they're a joy to watch. For those of us not in a recuperative state, a salute was given to Nick & Nora in, what else?!, martini form:

We also started the new year with PIE for the good patient---apple being a favorite, mit schlag! (in other words, plop a lot of whipping cream on it!) And you can't have pie without having some Pie Crust Cookies!

Yummy!

And...began working again on the 63 square afghan. (See previous post.) Several of the strips are sewn together and it is on the verge of becoming one ginormous afghan! Still haven't decided what sort of edge to put around it, but I'm playing with some ideas. I'm sorry Mom didn't get to see it, but she did know I was working on it and agreed it would be a thing of beauty!

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So...a new year....I'm not usually one for making resolutions (seems there's always a running list of goals lurking somewhere in the back of my mind regardless of what time of year it is!)....however, here's my mantra for 2010 (Thank You, Dorothy Parker):

"Take care of the luxuries and the necessities will take care of themselves."

Cheers!

Our backyard woods on a rare sunny day this week...after 2 feet of snow!.

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

And a Merry Christmas to All!

But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come around - apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that - as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And, therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!

--Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol