Happy New Year!

I just spent about twenty minutes blogging only to have it all blow away! The program came up with a message which said "you have unsaved changes", wouldn't let me save, and all my lovely words disappeared!

The feedback feature doesn't solve any problems for the writer so I feel that it is useless.  Researched other blog sites but decided this was as good as any, so am not changing.

Well, I was complaining anyway and who wants to hear that?

I've had the flu and now have a cold so the new year has not started off auspiciously for me. It can only get better!

I did have a very nice Christmas. Almost everything I got was on my wish list. What wasn't I liked very much anyway.

A couple of years ago I got a Cat Borde (sp?) knitting book but never got the 48" needles I needed for the project I wanted to make - a dog bed for our beloved canine companion, Roxy.  Not that she will sleep in it! She prefers being under the covers of our bed, between us with (long) legs stretched out. But I digress. So for Christmas I received not one, not two, but three different sizes of 48" knitting needles!

I am now working diligently on finishing my cable sampler muffler (on regular, boring, aluminum needles) so I can start on the dog bed!

My daughter, artquiltmaker.com has a gluten free slow cooker cookbook that I looked at and really liked.
I received Stephanie O'Dea's follow-up of that cookbook, "More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow" for Christmas, too.  I absolutely love it. I have made twelve of the recipes so far and only one wasn't good. I admit that I didn't follow the recipe on the one that turned out badly. The dog liked it so it wasn't a total loss!

I also received a "Nigella Express" cookbook which is great to read but I never seem to have the ingredients on hand to  make the recipes.  I admit I am not a meal planner prior to going grocery shopping. Perhaps I could try that for the new year so I can get maximum use of my new cookbooks. I now have three gluten free cookbooks so am all set for healthy eating in the new year.

I still have two Christmas presents unfinished! A table topper for my mom and a quilt for Roller Derby Daughter.

Mom's Table Topper

The top is almost pieced and today I researched batt.  She would like to have wool as she lives in a cold and snowy climate.  When she visited during the summer she slept under my quilt with wool batt and really liked it. After some online research I think I am going to use "Quilters Dream" wool batt. Although my favorite quilt shop, Quilters Quarters, carries wool batt and I like to support them.  So we will see.

Scrappy Quilt for Roller Derby Daughter with Orphan Blocks