Now that's depressing.

According to the news last night, since the snow started in November, the sun has been out for only 9% of the daytime hours.



In the bleak midwinter, indeed.

It's sunnier at the Secret Gift Blog.

Gifties!

People, it is so snowy and crappy out today, and I had to do all kinds of miserable errands, and wait in line for 16 hours at the post office and stuff, but when I got home I had gifties, and then everything was better.

First, my excellent friends Vim and Kristi sent me a little arctic menagerie of ornaments for my tree. Aren't they charming?



They made them themselves, except for the glass ones. Vim and Kristi, I think you should have crafty blogs.

(They also sent some gummi penguins, but it is hard to photograph things that are inside your stomach without specialized equipment.)

And then Parikha and I were doing a little pattern swap, and she sent a whole pretty box with a wicked cool record bowl (The Eurythmics, if you were wondering, like I always do when I see record bowls) full of candy.



As I said to the student who brought me a Diet Coke to drink while they were taking their final last week, "it's like you know me!" Thanks, Parikha!

Now, if you'll pardon me, I'm going to go eat some chocolate and hang some penguins on my tree. But you can stick around and go over to the Secret Gift Blog if you want, UNLESS YOUR NAME IS VIMALA.

The first Christmas Debacle

I planned to make these charming marshmallows to send to my friends in Austin:



Yum! Peppermint marshmallows! How good would that be in cocoa? Alas, the morning after the marshmallows were made and bagged (although luckily not sent), here is what I have:



A bag of pepto-bismol colored smush. Not very gifty. Thanks a LOT, Family Circle.

On the other hand, that is probably what I get for making a recipe from Family Circle. I looked on Epicurious, and their marshmallow recipe is basically the same, but adds egg whites, which, I think, would make quite a difference.

Anyhoo, things are much more satisfying over at the Secret Gift Blog.

I heart nature.

Look--LOOK--at what showed up in my friend Vim's parents' back yard.



It's a snow weasel! Why are there no snow weasels in my back yard? If there were, I would certainly let them read my Secret Gift Blog.

My dog is cute.

When you have absorbed the cuteness of the chin resting on the back feet and the nose tucked under the tail, please proceed, as appropriate, to the Secret Gift Blog.

Hello! I'm a pretty picture of nature!

Dear family and close personal friends, please take a moment to observe this quiet moment of tranquility:









OK--I've got them distracted. The rest of you, Quick! To the Secret Gift Blog!

Christmas Knitting.

Look. I can't talk about it here. And yet, I must talk about it.

So.

If you feel that there is a chance that I might be giving you a present that is made of yarn, DO NOT under any circumstances click on the link below. Just...don't. Unless you want your whole entire Christmas to be ruined.

The rest of you? Clickez-vous, s'il vous plait.

Secret Gift Blog.