Sunday Night Chit Chat: A Crafty Hobbit

Hey Humble Readers...

Another week has flown by.  It seems to be going so fast these days. 

Winter is well and settled here in the Shire.  The weatherman is saying that it's supposed to warm up (above freezing... woohoo!) starting Tuesday, but by the weekend we are supposed to be thoroughly covered in snow again.  Ginny is sad because the snow is now dry and powdery, and no good for snowmen. 

A large portion of this past week was spent on finishing up some crafting projects for Christmas.  I finished up making the gifts for my mom and MIL.  I think they turned out pretty nicely, and were not terribly expensive.  I got the Scrabble games from the thrift store, and the frames and mats for a good sale price at the craft store.  I used some of the leftover Scrabble tiles to make a bunch of Christmas ornaments, some of which will go to my sister and BIL as a part of their gift.  Still have a lot of letters left, but I'm out of some pretty key tiles, so I'm not sure what I'll do with them. 

I still have a few projects to get to for this year, but only one is really pressing.  It's a special garland for the tree, a replica of one my bio-mom had on her tree when I was a little girl.  It was my favourite decoration.  I'm hoping to have it finished in the next couple of weeks to show you. 

My Beloved and I were able to get out for dinner and a movie on Friday.  We went to my new favourite restaurant (a pub where I can get parmesan truffle fries... YUM!) and to a movie.  We saw Ender's Game.  Overall, I enjoyed it.  Of course, they had to make some changes to the storyline to make it work in a two hour timeframe, but there were a few significant omissions that really affected the ending... for me, anyway.  My Beloved, who hasn't read the book, loved it, and said that it was the best movie he's seen in quite a while. 

Also on this week's to do list was to take our Christmas card pictures.  We tried yesterday, but neither of the wee-lings were inclined to cooperate.  Hopefully we'll manage to get things sorted out tomorrow. 

credit: www.burlingtondowntown.ca

And speaking of tomorrow... Remembrance Day.  I am so thankful for those who have fought to keep our country safe and free.  I know I've told you all before, but one of my grandfathers drove an ambulance in France during WWII.  He's 90 this year (yes, he lied about his age to enlist), and he was on Juno beach on D-Day.  He has never talked about his experience much, but I am very thankful for and proud of his service, and for all our servicemen and women.  In Flanders fields the poppies blow...

On to this week's chit chat.  Here's what I'm...

Reading... I'm struggling to get into Game Of Thrones.  Perhaps it's because I've already watched it, there's nothing terribly intriguing happening.  Of course, I'm less than one hundred pages in, so hopefully I'll get lost in it soon. 

Watching...  Nothing in particular right now, recording Once Upon A Time and Masterpiece Classic tonight.  I have season two of Sherlock from the library that I need to get to watching this week.  I'm experiencing a bit of Doctor Who overload, so I haven't watched any in the past few days.  The last episode for David Tennant was gut wrenching for me, and I haven't yet come to truly appreciate Matt Smith in the role, although I love how he came to be connected with Amy. 

Listening To...  The furnace roar (it's very loud).  My Beloved is watching a documentary about the JFK assassination, so that's my background noise.

Cooking/Baking... Tonight was Italian braised roast beef.  Lots of caramelized onion, tomatoes, basil, garlic, thyme, and oregano... cooked in a low oven for three hours.  It was a big roast, so there will be plenty for my soup for the week, and for a meal of roast beef risotto for the family later in the week.  I wanted to do a bit of baking for today, because it's Pippin's half-birthday today, but it just didn't happen.  We've had a lot of treats lately though, with all the Halloween candy in the house, so it wasn't missed. 

Happy I Accomplished This Week...  Finalized my plans for Ginny's birthday party, got Pip's appointment for his next vaccinations booked (I'm never this organized... it's not due for more than a month), all the crafting that I got done.  Found the wee-lings special ornaments for this year... they are wonderful (in my opinion) and the kids will get them from Hermy the Elf in December. 

Looking Forward To Next Week... Having an extra day with my Beloved (long weekend), finishing my Christmas shopping for the wee-lings, crafting night with the girls. 

Thankful For...  That the Roughriders won the Western Semi-final today... woohoo!!  It was a close one, and I'm so glad that they made it through.  Next week they're in the Western Final against the Calgary Stampeders, a team they've struggled against all season.  Crossing our fingers that they prevail because the Grey Cup game this year is being held in Regina, and it would be so awesome for the Roughriders to play in the championship in front of a home crowd. 

***Bonus Question*** Carla hasn't posted a Chit Chat post yet (she's at an awesome concert tonight), so I'll come up with my own... What is the last song you added to your mp3 player/phone?  I think it was Dean Brody's song "That's Your Cousin" or Miranda Lambert's "Mama's Broken Heart".  I love Miranda Lambert's angry/break up songs, and Dean Brody is just so country it hurts.  :)