I Love It When A Plan Comes Together!

The Christmas decorations are in place (at least everything that will go out this year- maybe more next year). The presents are all bought, and almost wrapped (the first year I won't be shopping on Christmas Eve! Progress!).  All the sewing is completed, and all that's left is to make cookies of some sort for the neighbors.

SO, it is with great pleasure, much anticipation, and huge relief that I get to do this ...

Are you ready??

( I'd make a great rock concert announcer!)

Release date- December 22, 2010.

I'm working on a few sound clips- we'll see how that goes.  Contact Webmaster@stsymeon.com for more information.


Project number 2....

I finished the bishop dress- but I didn't take a picture. I'll try to get one up before the season's over.

Project number 3...

Someone asked me to make a stocking yesterday. Short Notice, but it's done. I found cute fabric ( Christmas lights) and some gold beads, paired with some shiny red satin, and this is the result....

Here's the hanger

and the heel...

the toe

the cuff

Even on a box, ready to ship!

So, with that in mind, I'm off to get last minute food items, make a beard for my step-son's Post-Nativity drama at church, and dare I say it, Relax?  

More Christmas Music

I thought I'd share someone else's accomplishment today, since my Christmas Surprise might not arrive until  Jan 6.

I can't tell you how much I love this family. They are such a joy, always. Even though this is only a sampling of their talents, you can tell they had such fun. Hope you enjoy!

Click on people's faces in the photo to tag them.

The Ritchey Family -Songs By the Dozen

 

 

 

 

 

 to order: email-songsbythedozen@yahoo.com

Campus Capers

So, even though my finals have finished, I'm still coming to school for one reason or another. Yesterday, I'd left campus to run a few errands. I came back to campus, and waking back to my " dedicated study area" I saw this. 

Look closely,  just behind the fountain... yes.. those are the legs of a chair.

I caught myself wondering why someone would throw a chair into the fountain.

Then I remembered my days at University of Montevallo. When the snow fell, the roads iced up, and all the students ran for their nearest relative, the cafeteria locked up the trays.  We hated having no trays, and it wasn't until several weeks later I discovered why. 

During one particularly unusual April, we received 20+ inches of snow overnight. Once I let the amazement sink in, I decided to take a walk around campus ( the fact that the power was out encouraged me also). As I headed to my usual buildings, I found out why we had no trays. The lucky few students who'd realized we would have a weather situation, had taken trays weeks earlier from the cafeteria, and fashioned a sort of sled out of them. They were sliding down the hill in front of the president's house. Later, this is where we would all brave the cold, and "camp out for homelessness awareness". 

Why do I bring this up? I simply find it amusing that, no matter how old I get, College students will always be kids. No matter how old they ( or we) are, college will always be " never -never land". 

And.. it's cold, sleeting, freezing rain, but no snow!

The Newest Edition

It's still cold, but no snow. Hopefully we sent it all packing. I feel it's such a waste to have mornings that are sub-human habitation, and no snow.

The Russian final is over. I'm told it went well; I'm still waiting on the numbers.

And the latest projects are almost done. Here are a few pictures.

This is my first knit bootie- er Mary Jane style.
A friend asked me to make a small pair for her granddaughter.
I think it's definitely a possibility- by the way,
it's on my 7 inch netbook, for perspective!

I have to admit, it didn't look very nice in the beginning.
I can barely define anything! 

But, things started taking shape, very very slowly.

A sneak peak.. this is the sleeve- I still have to add his eyes. 

And here we are!
A Bishop on a Bishop, with a few modifications.
 Hope the 5 year old likes wearing it!

Russian Final

Through the Prayers of Our Holy Father, St Herman of Alaska

This semester, I decided to take advantage of benefits, and take an Introduction to Russian at the University. I have had a wonderful time in this class, made some new friends, and been inspired to restore my music skills I'd lost over the years.

This has been an interesting experience. It's a self-study class in which we are expected to be prepared with the lesson before we arrive. This has proven a challenge to some of my classmates, but all in all, it's been an excellent experience. My tutor/professor and I have become friends, and she is truly a blessing. Her ever-gentle correction and jubilant affirmation have made the lessons exciting .

The only thing I didn't think about was the final. I haven't had a final since 1997, and I just knew then I'd never take another one- especially after I found gray hair in my bangs right after my last final! Well, those were famous last thoughts!

Today, in a few minutes, I'll have my first final in how many years? I know it's not a comprehensive final, but yet it is. If you learn a new language, everything's comprehensive! Maybe not all-inclusive, as I pointed out to my husband. You can't speak a language on the last day of class without at least using some of the words you learned the first day of class. Unless,  of course,  you're one of the natural communicators who don't need basic words like " I", " you", and " it".

So, it's with great trepidation I trek  off, evaluating my performance this semester, and anticipating another semester of a wonderful tutor/professor assisting the fledgling Russian speakers in their task.

Update:
To all native Russian speakers, I apologize for butchering my conversations. I'll take more classes and improve! The supervising professor says I need practice, but gave me a high grade. I'll know more by the end of the week!

At It Again

Now it's not funny. This is just a huge tease.

I woke up this morning to find... snow....again...not sticking to the ground.

There were a few leaves that had accumulated a coating, and telltale icicles lined the interstate, but for the most part, just bone chilling cold.

When I was much younger, I remember reading a book, where the main character squinched her nose, crossed her eyes and then she could use her imagination to make the distorted image into some wild creature. I don't remember that book title, but I thought about that line today. If I squinch my nose, cross my eyes, and try really hard, it might, just might seem like I'm in Russia- a very cold winter.

I have a Russian final today, as I stated earlier. Maybe the cold will help me study some today! After all, it's a good day to stay inside.

Sunday Snow

Today, as we were waiting to start Matins, my husband came into the church and said " Either it's snowing, or there are paint chips falling off the church". Now, our church building is a little older, and might need a coat of paint, but it wasn't paint chips.

Alabama December Snow ..... 

It almost sounds like a book title. Could be a CD. Definitely a Hallmark Movie of the week, but more like an episode of Believe it or Not! After church, we all went out to find a more believable snow effort. The kids were dancing outside, parents strongly encouraging jackets, and their requests falling on mostly deaf ears. I checked with my family, scattered across North Central area- they all had snow. 

We managed the drive home with no trouble, considering the white flakes decided they'd rather dance in the air than melt on the ground. That's the way it is here though- it could snow forever, and never, ever stick. It makes for a wet, miserable mess. I found my nephew admiring the Christmas tree, wrapped mummy-style in a snowflake blanket. Noticing a theme, I started the hot chocolate and vegetable soup. 

Now, I have a few things to finish before tomorrow. I have a Russian Final,(какая трудна! How Hard!!) and I need to study ( I guess updating the blog is considered procrastination?) I have to finish a smocked dress for my niece's Christmas dress. (I've procrastinated on that one too long now!) 

So, with that, I'm off to have delicious vegetable soup with my family, watch the last of the flurries, and crack open my Russian Book..... 

дас веданя!

(or Goodbye for now!)

Sit, Liberty......

Back in the summer, we had the ... privilege... of adopting, or being adopted by, a hound dog. Now, we live in the country, so it's not that unusual having a stray dog here or there, or even having hound dogs around. We don't know where he came from, but my wonderful husband said " why don't you feed him, and we'll see if he's here in the morning" ... Those proved to be famous last words. 

We contemplated naming him after he was still there a week later. Names of former pets were remembered.. Churchill, Akita, Owe-n. According to my family, he had to have an unusual, historic name. And my husband had an "Eureka" moment. 

One of his favorite Saturday Night Live sketches is of Chevy Chase playing Gerald Ford. In this particular one, Ford's dog, " Liberty" is portrayed by a porcelain pooch. My husband being the prankster he is, suggested we honor that memory. It stuck. 

Liberty

Liberty's a sweet dog. He's all hound, and mostly muscle. My nephew is still learning the finer points of training a puppy- and Lib's ALL puppy. 

But the Liberty Legacy didn't end there. We now have a family website where the boys, and my Darling spouse can play, muse, and post photos of their own. www.sitliberty.com is the Family Site. It's a work in progress, as are we all, but I'm told there will be more photos, links, and who knows what else, come up there. 

Hope you enjoy it!

Fire and Light Update.....

If ... 

1. IF everything works out... 
2. IF no one has any objections...
3. IF the proofs are good.... 
4. IF the printer's not backed up.....
5. IF the mail runs as it should...
6. IF the paper doesn't rip.....
7. IF the box doesn't split.....

THEN....

I'll be happy to announce the release of .....

Fire and Light

I was informed just yesterday that the artistic department has called for a proof approval. Pending everything goes well, we'll hopefully have it ready for release before December 25, but definitely before January 6. If the artist ( ahem, me) had known a bit more what they were doing, it would have been out by now; please forgive my lack of knowledge when it comes to computer graphics!. 

I'll post a partial tract list as soon as it's officially released!