Samantha's new sweater came out better than most of the sweaters I make for myself. Here, she and Hanna wait for a cookie from the dog bakery.

I'm a big fan of Bill Bryson's books (Especially In a Sunburned Country and A Short History of Nearly Everything), and right now I am listening in my car to The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, and absolutely loving it. I will likely find an excuse to drive around today, just to listen to it. It's a memoir of his growing up in the '50s and '60s in Des Moines, Iowa. While I was born 10 years after Bryson, his description of life in simpler times, and growing up in a world where you played outdoors all day, penny candy was usually wax objects filled with cough syrup like liquid, and silly putty was considered a cutting edge toy, is laugh out loud funny. I highly recommend this book to anyone who remembers those days.

For the stubbed toe update, I think I have injured the "Metatarsal Phalangeal Joint". It's not the toe itself that hurts, it's the joint where the toe joins the ball of my foot. I've got a pretty big lump to the side of my foot. I'm not even sure what doctor to go to - the GP? Directly to an orthopedist? Or a podiatrist? But I will get it checked out next week.

I broke down and bought some new outdoor Xmas lights yesterday, since the old ones had faded to the point that all the bulbs looked basically the same color, and put those up today. Since I also changed the battery in my smoke detector, I feel like I have accomplished plenty, and plan to enjoy the rest of the day.

Go Bolts!