What? could it be....

Well, if there are flowers, and chocolate (in an edible box, no less!), then it must be Valentine's Day!

Oh, and cupcakes... lots and lots of cupcakes...
I love the little hearts with the cheesey sayings...

I just hope kids in Grade 6 find them as amusing...

and in the midst of this, there is an FO to report - things have been slowly but surely wrapping up on several fronts, nothing major to show yet, but these:
, made from Duets sock yarn which my wonderful friend Kelly picked up on her trip to Seattle last year. I don't think she's made hers yet - we have matching skeins - but let's not pressure the poor girl, shall we?

I have started another pair of socks, which I am utterly infatuated with, but as my camera battery is in need of help, I'll have to post a pic later.

Funny, as I set up the socks for the shot, the dogs were just fascinated with what was hanging in the tree - they had paid no attention to the socks till then - wonder what they were thinking?


and happily, Maggie is well recovered from her surgery, back to being her usual perky self, and loving the white stuff, with which we have been more than amply supplied this year... enough already!!!

So I hope that your Valentine's angels are treating you all well today - I am not a big fan of the day, never really liked the fuss made over what is just a big commercial event... but when there are flowers and chocolate involved, wellllllllllll, I can sacrifice my principles a little...

that doesn't make me a bad person - just a chubby one...

I approve...

I feel pretty much the same as the Yarn Harlot with regards to winter - don't much like it, not a fan, and every winter I ask myself why the hell I live in Canada... I mean, really...

But today, I approve. We are in the midst of a storm, a big, nasty storm - it's been snowing steadily since last night, and there's been some freezing rain and heavy winds thrown into the mix. Some of us are enjoying the white stuff
more than others


I took the pictures from inside, largely because I am of the latter mindset... but we'll go out for a walk later, just because it's white and clean and fun for a bit...

Unfortunately, we were robbed of a snow day because this was already designated as a Professional Activity Day... not complaining or anything, just, well, I guess I am...

you may notice the large bald patch on Maggie's back? She had surgery about 1 1/2 weeks ago to remove a large cyst - cost the same as the club chairs I was eyeing for the living room, but at least now Charlie isn't chasing her around, thinking she's accessorizing with a chunk of raw meat on her back. She's recovered very well, and I, I myself, the mom, took out the stitches...

No, I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV...

In other news:
The school choir, of which Ben is a member, sang both national anthems last weekend at a Hamilton Bulldogs game at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton. To put it in perspective, Michael Buble sang there on Tuesday night, so it's a big-ticket venue (although I am not a fan, so his presence there didn't impress me - I think he's a Harry Connick Jr wannabe-but-neverwillbe). Ben was hard to spot, as he was standing right on the edge of the carpeting in the back row, and was deathly afraid of a misstep on the ice... sure, he would have been embarassed if he fell, but think of the picture!

He didn't fall, they sang beautifully, and a good time was had by all...

I am poking through my stash this afternoon, while forts are being built and snowballs are being hurled... bread is rising in the kitchen, I have the makings of a cozy casserole for dinner, lots of wood for the fire, wine in the wine rack, and later the boys have promised we will play Monopoly without coming to blows (don't ask) -

so in spite of my inherent dislike of things cold and snowy (and soakers, God how I hate wet socks!), I have to say that today, I approve...