Belated Happy New Year!

You know I have started and abandoned a few blog posts over the past couple of weeks.  I am rarely at a loss of things to say, but I seem to be in a quiet phase.  Or when I'm not quiet, when I reread my writing, well... it's not so good.  So I think I'll come back to a post and then I don't or I've moved on in mood...  It's strange.

Where to start... where to start...

• Christmas was good.  My brother, SIL and niece were home and it was lovely to have a toddler around.  Her vocabulary was expanding right in front of us, starting imaginative play, loving the stairs at my parents house (they live in an apartment so there is an element of novelty to stairs) and talking nonsense to my dad.  "Nana" and "Papa" are clearly people she likes.  She chatters away at Dad and he just makes small talk back to her.  When she got over tired on Christmas Eve and my SIL was trying to get her to bed, she cried for Nana.  Nana can make it all better when Mom is being mean.  
• New Years Eve was good until I went to call a cab.  Note for next year:  cab hassle > wine.
• New Years Day was off to a less than stellar start as I fell down the stairs.  Just the last 4 but my back side is still not fond of wooden chairs or getting into bed.
• We had quite a few days of just being home.  And together.  And quiet.  I am sure there were many things I should have done that I didn't, but the down time was lovely.
• I was pretty crafty in December/January when I think about it:
• I appliqued humping reindeer on sweaters for my brothers in mid-December
• I made bath bombs and bath milk for my manager, he's renovating his house and looking forward to the soaker tub so it fits in that context, he was crazy excited about it (I use this book but there are many recipes online too)
• I made bread, lots of bread.  My brother Scot gave me a cook book for Christmas, so far I'm really enjoying it.  It really is easy and the bread is tasty, particularly if you like sourdough type breads.  Most of it I have taken as a little gift or into work.  
• I've made some progress on a yellow baby blanket I'm crocheting
• The weather has been... well, awful.  I'm sure other bloggers have mentioned the ice, then cold then snow then warm-ish, then ice then cold then...  I've got a lot of exercise shovelling snow and chipping ice.  We haven't been able to break out the snow shoes yet, too icy really, but we have gone out to the conservation areas for a few walks.  I can't even say hikes really because the challenging trails are still covered by fallen trees.  Still, walking in my boots rated for -40C cold takes a little more effort than sandals, I feel ready to walk on the moon in those things.
• My uterus is confused.  Really confused.  I had some spotting on Boxing day and thought, look at that, a 30-ish day cycle - high 5 for my girly parts!  But no, it was just a day of spotting.  And again yesterday.  Sigh.  I'd just like my uterus to make up it's mind.  
• My brother Scot proposed to his girlfriend while they were visiting her family over the holidays.  I'm so glad, I can see how happy he is since they started dating.  Happy is a good thing.
• Looks like we might be going to Germany again.  Tasha and Friends was accepted into the same festival that we went to last year and this year I have more vacation time.  Yay!

It is time for me to pack up and head to bowling so I'm going to call it quits there.  I do hope the holidays were good for all of you.  I know it was a much needed break for me.