Okay - once again, I got busy and didn't post.  That means you get a large selection of photos....kind of random ones, too.

Since this week was Thanksgiving week, we had several people out of the office during the week (including me for one day!!) on vacation so we had Jackie's birthday potluck last Friday (her birthday falls on Thanksgiving this year).  OMG we had so much food, it felt like Thanksgiving already!  We had lasagna rolls, sopa toscana, chili, cookies, birthday cake, pulled pork sandwiches, salad, rolls, and breakfast burritos to start it off right,  We ate all day - jut a build up for Thanksgiving, I guess.  Our little extra desk area at work was packed with food!

Margene and I were pretty good about getting out for a walk on the weekends (at least until she went to Georgia for Thanksgiving) and the trees in the neighborhood are gorgeous this time of year.  My trees out front are pretty in the spring and summer, but in the fall, they just turn brown and fall all over everything (and the neighbor complains, etc.).

I've been busy working on Christmas presents, so please act surprised at your present if you read this.....

I neglected my garden this year - I had a hard time getting it started, and pretty much gave up on it.  The only thing that really produced were the peppers.  (My tomatoes finally started producing right as the cold weather hit.....)  Since I don't use a ton of jalapeno peppers, I had three or four plants full of peppers that turned red.  Margene and I harvested them, and she took them home to pickle.  With her hectic schedule, she didn't get it done before she left for Georgia, so she came down last week and helped me pickle them.  

We decided to do this at 5:00 p.m. on a Saturday - I spent an hour chasing down pickling spices in town - who knew I was going to need them???  By 10:00 that night, we had a dozen jars of pickled peppers.  Not bad!

I found a pretty cool pattern for flannel scarves - the flannel in the stores for Christmas comes in such cute patterns!  Here's one that I made for Margene, along with a pair of decorated gloves.  This is before I washed it - the fringe frays in the wash for a really nice look.  She couldn't wait for me to wash it and took it home herself to wash and pack.....

A couple of new projects - Margene asked if I had a pattern for a slouchy hat, so....I went looking!  Turns out the slouchy hat is just longer in the body of the hat than my normal hats, so.....new hats! (and a chance to use my new pom-pom maker...)

I also found a pretty pattern for a ear-warmer.  It's a new stitch to me - a herringbone stitch.  It makes a nice dense fabric with an interesting pattern.

'Tis the season - the trees have started dropping branches in the wind.  They've lost a bit of leaves as well, but I think the big drop is coming soon.

New Project finished!  I saw this shawl pattern and had to make it (I just HAD too....).  I ended up modifying it a bit - it is so long as it is (different yarn) that I didn't do one whole set of the lace insert.

When Alli woke up this morning, I glanced at the clock and thought "Oh good, she let me sleep in a bit - it's 5:30!"  Then I glanced at my Fitbit - which syncs with my phone, and it said 4:30...I forgot about the time change!  (Good thing all those electronic gadgets are there to keep me straight!)  At least she didn't get me up really early on the 'old' time too! 

I got new glasses this week - it's been a while since I got glasses, I have been getting contacts as well, and my glasses were over 10 years old.  Time for a new pair, and this time, the dreaded bifocals!  I opted for bifocals rather than progressives, and I'm happy with them.  I've been wearing them all weekend to try to get used to them.  Not bad!  I love the color!

I made ear-warmers with the yarn I posted last week - it turned out a lot cuter than I thought it would.  And not as scratchy on!  The yarn is a silk/wool blend, and was very scratchy to work with, but the finished project is better.

Someone knocked the cushion off the chair.  But that's okay, Picot is still going to sit on a cushion.....regardless of where that cushion is.

Halloween pictures!  My department dressed up as an insane asylum - a very gory one.  They dressed me up as the doctor, thank goodness.  Here's how I looked when I left home.....

And how I looked after Linsay got through with me....

Our file drawers got the treatment too...

Some of the side decorations.....

As a department, we got second place behind "The Adams Family", which was the Sacramento Office (but they made a video.....cheaters.....).  Voting was done via submitted photos, so it was open to the whole bank to participate and to vote.  The Sac office did great!