Merry, indeed!

It just isn't Christmas without a mince pie. One year I couldn't get the pre-made mince in a jar, so I had to make my own. It was a lot of chopping and cooking, but the result was good, and made enough for four pies (I froze the extras in bags and we had mince throughout the year). But now I keep a weather eye out for jars of mince and when they appear I put a couple in the cupboard.

This morning the Emperor suggested cutting into the pie for breakfast, and I suggested that we wait a few minutes so that I could photograph it for the blog. When I brought the camera into the kitchen, he had composed the shot for me:

Jarred mince doesn't suffer from standing on a cupboard shelf, let me tell you. And, I'm the one with the white coffee.

Speaking of coffee, Santa brought a new espresso machine to Orchard Ranch. Oh my gosh. It's Italy in a cup! Now, if I can only perfect that foamed milk technique...

The Spumoni Socks were finished at about noon yesterday, and they went right on my feet and into shoes, so they'll have to be washed before I can show them to you. I think the next pair are going to be for the Emperor, out of that Italian self-striping yarn. It's heavier than other yarns I've used and the swatch seems really loose on my usual needles, so I'm going to go down a needle size and see what happens.

Yesterday during my phone call home to the rest of my family, I pinned down my brother-in-law long enough to get him measured for kilt hose. There's a great pattern in the latest Knitty for some kilt hose and I'm interested in trying it out.

Well, we're off to the movies with J-- and E--, to see National Treasure II. Yeah, the critics are panning it, but I can't reisist a history mystery/treasure hunt/adventure film. Maybe that's why I got into history as a profession. Every day's a new adventure when you're a historian.

Added later: We liked the movie.