Getting Past the Pit

 Well, we got past it.  The shortest day/longest night of the year or what I consider the pit of the year.  Now, the days start getting longer again.  One day hardly makes a difference, but each day will bring a little more light.  This year the short days seemed to bother me more.

I realized it was the first year in a while when I wasn't ;rushing to finish a manuscript over the holidays.  I realize in a strange way I miss it.  I'd really like to give myself over to working on the next Molly book, and once I get past year-end tedious things to attend to, I will.  The other day I couldn't help myself and I started thinking about Molly and all the characters and what they have going on and the whole plot line came together.  I had a basic idea before, but I didn't know why certain characters did certain things.  I came up with their motivation.

I may even use my experience dealing with devil yarn in the book.  What is devil yarn?  You wouldn't know by looking at it.  It appears to be lovely mohair yarn.  That's what I though when I crocheted a scarf the long way with rows of the mohair yarn and then rows of another heavier yarn.  It ended up looking like two long stripes.  I decided to join the ends and make an infinity scarf.  Then the other day, it was chilly and I seemed to feel it most on my neck.   I hadn't worn it before, but it seemed like just what I needed. So, I wound the scarf around my neck enough times that it was close to my face.  It wasn't until later when I was sneezing and coughing that I remember working with the same yarn  on a plane and how I'd seen tiny fibers floating in the air.  Tiny fibers that this time got in my nose and throat. It's two days later and I'm still feeling the effects.  Now I know why that yarn was on closeout at the Tuesday Morning Store.

I have been  going through a lot of old yarn, trying to clear stuff out.  I have found skeins of yarn that have frayed strands of yarn thanks to  moths.  But not that yarn.  Apparently, the moths had more sense than me.

I am glad not to be traveling anywhere for the holidays.  Most of the celebrating will be around Jakey, particularly since his birthday is the day before Christmas Eve.  So, it's birthday cake and candy canes.

The lights and excitement will blot out that it is the darkest, coldest time of the year. I hope everyone has a happy holiday.