Oh, a party! With PRESENTS!

This appears to be Christmas, 1963, and I am all dolled up behind my cousin Judy, and standing next to her sister, Jeanne. We are all standing in my Grandma's dining room, all revved up by Christmas fun and treats. 'So funny-John, who is wearing the white shirt and bow tie, is STILL significantly shorter (tho no less portly) than my older brother Fred. He's carrying Legos, which I think my parents stepped on and cursed for several years. Yes, I am wearing a kimono and flops. With socks, because I am so ubercool. (Actually, those are tabi.) I love, love, love parties with family. The big messy church-food buffet is just my style. I agonize about what kind of present to bring.

The gaeta (flops) and tabi brought me round to an interesting sidebar. Bri and I were talking a month or so ago, and she was telling me that since she moved to Florida and started wearing flip-flops, her feet grew at least a size. There is, apparently, a medical phenomena where your feet grow because of loose support provided by flops. I don't understand that-my feet GREW at 35, and I threw out all of my 6 1/2s and most of my 7s, but I thought that was just how things worked age-wise. And if flip-flop feet were the case, wouldn't there be a lot of Japanese women with size 10s?

So back to party life. DH has been in Co Spgs all week, and I've been closing up shop and getting W2s together. Today I looked at him and said "Isn't it your mom's birthday?" He sighed and said "No, it's Monday." "I didn't get her anything-what do you think?" "Flowers." Flowers. Ehh. My DMIL is a busy little bird, and appreciates most of what comes her way. Flowers just didn't send ME. I'd been in and out of East Cupcake's few shops this week, and didn't REALLY see
anything that I thought she needed. So I thought about it a little more.

Then it hit me. The Texas wine industry started in earnest about 10 years ago. And DMIL lives in a dry county. And ma likes her glass before dinner. And they SHIP!!!!!! Music to my ears. I feel smug, because I've addressed her likes (wine) and her requirement (30 miles to the nearest liquor store). I would just as soon have a few bottles of Riesling as a bouquet, and I think she'd like to get her merlot on.

On the knitting front, not much is going on. I'm working on some cotton. The pattern calls for lace on 8s. I'm down to 2s (just because my 4s are occupied). Gauge is SO annoying.

You should shut up and knit before we figure out that you are both stupid AND annoying-

--Welcome to Betsuary. In celebration of the bestest of months, I am digging thru the photo albums for fun and general amusement. I plan on a different decade each week. We will start with the 1960s-I think this was from 1968. It's funny, when we are little we cheese for the camera. Then, when we are older, we don't cheese, but are offended when our photos show us as sullen dorks.

--Dorks, like cream, rise to the occasion, and claw their way to the top of the dumbass pedestal. There's a lot of dork posturing on Ravelry.

--Take for example the YarnSaleORama forum, where one of my friends posted a link for a decent quality, well known, bulky yarn at a fire sale price. Someone had to pop on there and say "Oh, too bad it's not dk or fingering weight...." Oh, you mean, "Too bad it's not spun from fairy farts during the light of the last full moon and dyed with plankton recovered from Matanuska Glacier!" That's what you really mean. Shut up and find your own bargains.

--Or recently on the "DesignerKnockOffs" forum, someone was asking for a pattern of "LeReallyExpensiveFrenchBag". I was trying to encourage, and talked to the seeker about the design elements, and how she might fake them, and generally, just encouraged her to try it. And the moderator (who lives in Florida, and is a beginning knitter) pops on and says "Oh, and do two patterns, because I don't like felted bags. And I think you should make latigo handles." Oh, GRRRRR--knit your own LeFakeO.

--And Hat Attack-I am sooooo crazy excited about the upcoming Hat Attack! It's a knit group, and of course someone had to pop on and say "Oh, too bad it's knit, because I haven't caught the knitting bug, I CROW-SHAY." I had to step in and say "Oh, you should start up the crochet version." I think she shuffled off in her bathrobe.

--These people clearly indulge in too much whine. None of these people ever smacks themselves in the forehead and says "Wow, I COULD try that." I'd like to help them out with that smack. For starters.