HAPPY NEW YEAR!

     Hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year's.  Ours was quiet.  Jeff worked on clearing our part of the driveway with the snow blower.  After last night's light rain and warmer temperatures, the snow was very heavy and it was hard going.  He's got the driveway in front of my car cleared...he moved my car almost to the stairs first so it was longer than usual...and along side his car.  If it doesn't rain tomorrow he said he wants to finish around his car, do a path to the woodsheds and one around the house.  That's our 'in case' trail.  He wants to be able to get to the woodstove chimney to clean it and in case of a chimney fire and he always has a trail for the oil man from the driveway to the intake pipe.  Tomorrow and Thursday are suppose to be clear with everything from rain to snow forecast for the rest of the week.  Friday I have to go to the orthopedist in Cooperstown and after that, pick up my leftover stock from the shop.  I'm not looking forward to the drive but Jeff said he'd go with me. 
      I spent today sitting by the fire knitting on a sock for me on short US2 circular needles.  The yarn is Ultra Alpaca by Berroco, a Peruvian wool, alpaca and nylon blend...very soft, machine washable but not machine dryable.  Got to remember that or else my socks won't fit for long!  I've got the foot and heel done on the first sock and about 3" up the leg so today I stated the 2nd sock from the other end of the ball of yarn.  I've got the foot almost finished and should turn the heel tomorrow.  Once the leg for the 2nd sock is as long as the 1st sock I'll go back and forth working on them until I use up the yarn.  I think there's enough yarn for the legs to be 8" or so long.  I really want to get these socks finished this week because I've darned my socks so often there's not much yarn left in some places and new holes are always appearing!
    My cousin Ed came over for dessert tonight.  Fanny's finally starting to accept him.  She didn't bark when he arrived tonight...just headed straight under the kitchen table and waited until he came in and sat down and when he left, she even walked him to the door.  He's going to ask the dog owners he works with if anyone wants the 20 lb bag of Rachel Ray dog food that Jeff's sister gave Fanny at Christmas.  Sherry's mini Cocker-Schnauzer, Sunni, is allergic to it and Fanny gets the 'itch-ies' when she eats it, too.  It's a shame to throw away almost 20 lbs of gourmet dog food.
    I started tracking my Yarn Pal's Christmas box that I mailed Friday.  According to the US Post Office tracking service my package had gone from Herkimer to Syracuse on Saturday and left for North Carolina Saturday night.  I check it again on Tuesday to see how far it's gotten.  The guy at the Herkimer Post Office said it would be delivered on Thursday.  I'm waiting for a package for a Yarn Pal, too.