Black Friday

So, y'all have any big shopping plans for Black Friday? I'm not one for the crowds, so other than a trip to the yarn shop & picking up a couple things at the grocery store, I'm staying home today. Well, I might go to the bookstore, too. I just don't get the whole rushrushrushcrowdcrowdcrowdgimmegimmegimme mentality that seems to go with the Friday after Thanksgiving.

And here's something I can't believe I forgot to mention. Last week Ralph entered his first archery tournament. It was all bare bow (no sights or stabilizers allowed) and had several different categories. He entered for longbow, and took first place for most hits in that category (107 hits out of 108 shots). As far as he could tell, the second-highest number of hits was 99 so you can see he did really well for his first tournament ever. He even knows what he did wrong that made him miss that one shot. His friend PmcA took first for most bulls-eyes (9) using a Mongolian horseman's bow.

My sweater is very close to being finished. I only have one sleeve left to do, having completed the first one last night. I tried it on & it fits better than I expected it to. I should have knit it a little bit longer--maybe another inch or two--although of course if it really bothers me I can take out the bind-off, undo the ribbing, and add a couple inches before reknitting the ribbing. I certainly have enough yarn for that, having grossly overestimated the amount I'd need. I had calculated that I would need 11 skeins of the yarn I had picked, bought 13 just to be on the safe side, and at this point have 6-1/2 skeins with which to knit one sleeve. Perhaps when I go to the yarn shop today I'll see if the clerks have any suggestions as to what to make with the leftovers; it was a sale purchase and cannot be returned so I definitely need to make something with it. Too bad it's hand-wash only; I'd make a doggie blanket out of it if it was machine washable, but I'm not going to hand-wash a blanket that's for sure!

As Christmas approaches, I'm taking a moment to point out the link to your left for Heifer International. Instead of just feeding the hungry, this organization provides livestock (such as cows, sheep, goats, rabbits, bees, and even llamas & water buffalo) & training to families in need all over the world so they can break the cycle of poverty and become self-sufficient. They also organize collectives so when the initial donation has grown to where there is surplus produce, the people have a place to sell it. Then there is the "passing of the gift," where the initial recipient gives the first female offspring to another needy family. There are animal gifts to fit every donor's budget, from $20 for a flock of chicks up to $10,000 for an animal ark. I generally donate chicks or bees as they both fit my budget and provide multiple benefits: chicks can be turned loose in the family garden where they eat insects & sprouting weeds, plus their droppings are free fertilizer. As adults, a hen can produce as many as 200 eggs in a year, providing protein for the family & with a flock of hens, surplus to be sold. As for bees, in addition to providing the obvious honey & beeswax, they pollinate local gardens and orchards which can as much as double the crop yield. Anyway, end of public service announcement :-)