Laurie: I understand the hermit thing. And there's nothing better than a fine bunch of crafty ladies to pull you out of the hermit thing and make you glad to be out talking to people...I used to belong to a once-a-month redwork embroidery group, and most of us knit and/or crocheted as well, and several of the ladies were quilters. What a fine, fun, wonderful bunch we were! Your SnB is a fine, fun, wonderful bunch as well, I can tell, and your post spoke to me today. :) (I know I sound like I'm talking about ancient past here, but it was actually from 2001-04, and I am your age, even though I sound like I'm talking about ancient past. Ha!)

Also: Love your scarf! And Easy-cheez!

I'm so glad you went, Laurie! I know exactly how you feel. I feel like a hermit sometimes, too, and at times it takes alot for me in social situations.

Btw, I've lived near Possum Kingdom Lake for nearly 30 years and NEVER been there ONCE! Can you imagine? I don't know why, I just go to the lakes that are right here in the Dallas area. Possum Kingdom is on the west/northwest side of Fort Worth.

OMG I cannot believe you know where Possum Kingdom lake is!!!

who-ho. I would be the 2nd? Third?

Laurie - I too am prone to fits of the hermit-dom. Mainly because people, they can be very annoying and never always agree with me, and often do not bring their own wine (which is a severe personality flaw, imho) I am glad you got out. It is always good to reaffirm that you can occasionally be in public, with people, and not cause long moments of awkward silence.

And my flight to chicago was canceled tonight - so no lovin' from the 4 yr old neice tonight. Sad. And all out of the vino. Me and the sock ripping dawg will be hitting Wallyworld tonight so I can get a bottle or twelve. And I then will watch 2 hrs of Dr. Who because he's cute and he has a funny accent. And if I drink enough, maybe he will come rub my feet and refill my glass.

sigh.

merry merry, laurie - and all you other blogstalkers out there!
-suz

I understand about the people anxiety thing. People who don't experience that don't get it. One person told me, "Being shy doesn't get you anywhere". OK, but what does that mean? Is that supposed to make me not shy? It's not crippling, but it is something that you have to overcome, every time. It gets easier with age, but it's still there.

I am the very same way about social situations - a bundle of nerves and mispoken "jokes" which come out, unfortunately, as insults. Yikes. But I'm so thankful I found my knitting group. And the nice thing is -- I can just shut up and listen to everyone else talk! It's so, so, so, worth the little panicky stress of anticipating social interaction to make and keep and interact with new friends this way. I love my knitting group. :-)

Oh my gawd! Before I even got to the confession part about the Bud hat I was thinking of a picture in my baby book.......where one of my second cousins is wearing an identical styled hat.....with BUD cans in it! (he wore that hat for years!) Could there really be two of those hats? Maybe my family got it from trailer park monthly or something?

I AM a hermit and I'm proud of it!! If that's what you do then do it with pride...not fear.

Hey, Laurie. Glad you got out and enjoyed SnB. I not only know where Possum Kingdom Lake is, I have friends in your old stompin' grounds in the Hill Country. In fact, one friend lives halfway between Comfort and Welfare - literally! Gotta love the crazy places here in the Lone Star State.

We have something similar to stitch-n-bitch at my work. One day a week, a group of girls meet and crochet. We call it Hooker's Club.

Aw, shucks - it seems you're only at SnB when I am not. Of course, the fact that I've gone once in the last 9 months or so might have something to do with that.

Hi Laurie--I'm a single fortysomething NC knitter/wine drinker, and boyhowdy do I understand the hermit thing. But right now I'm telling myself that 2007 should be my George Costanza year, in honor of the episode when George decided that all his instincts were lousy and that he should just do the opposite. My instinct always is to stay in, stay home, skip the gathering--and obeying that instinct has done nothing to expand my social life. So every time I feel that way in 2007, I will do my best to make myself go out...well, at least half the time, anyway.

I understand the hermit thing a little, but for me it's just laziness. It sounds like fun, up until it's time to go, and then I find a million reasons to sit on my butt and not do it.
I don't generally worry about whether someone will find me rude or not, unless it was unintentional rudeness. And really, I'm intentionally rude enough that you might not notice. ;-)

Dear Laurie,
I'm about to take off for the holidays myself and didn't want to leave without uncloaking my Veil of Invisibility to wish you a Feliz Navidad and a totally fabulous New Year. I've been reading your blog for about 4 months. You're a wonderful writer: sometimes you make me laugh until I cry and sometimes you just make me cry.

In keeping with the list thing:
1) I lived in Texas many years and always loved the name of Possum Kingdom Lake. We had an old blue-point Siamese we nicknamed the Possum King because he was gray and grumpy in a very possum-like manner.
2) Here in Minnesota people are all agitated because we probably WILL NOT have a White Christmas. It's not in the Minnesota Constitution that we MUST have a White Christmas, but you'd think it was from the way people are carrying on.
3) When we moved our barn cat indoors to become Cat #4, we said we weren't Crazy Cat Ladies because 4 cats is the new 2 cats. But we just adopted 3 more kittens, so we're now officially residents of CCL-Land. I hereby degree that 2007 will be a better year for everyone.
Regards, Jill

I get the hermit thing, too.
The thing to remember, is most people are too self-conscious about their own perceived insecurities to really notice too much about anyone else.
It's true!

It's possible that you're a loner...nothing to be ashamed of, most are quite intelligent and creative people who just prefer their own company. Once I realized that's what I was, thanks to "Party of One" by Anneli Rufus-lots of life issues fell into place. I have about a 2 hour time limit for enduring most social situations, though if it involves crafts I can go a bit longer, and while I have life-long friends I rarely seek their company--they understand this and love me anyway, fortunately!

Just wanted to wish you a Happy Ho Ho. I won't be around a computer until 12/27, so .....

Happy HOHOHO and I hope you have a grand X-Mess!

Dear CAP,

I can't even begin to tell you how much joy you bring into my day when I read your posts. You are wonderful and I would love to share a bottle of wine with you one day.

Have a very Merry Christmas!!!

xoxoxoxox

Gurrrl, we ALL say some stupid stuff ALL the time. I hope that's not keeping you in your hermitage.

But it was great to see you out and about. :) You really should do it more often. That way, you'll get more comfortable with it. Ask me know I know. . .

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand, y'all know she was talking about MY smashing new knitting back, right?! And Faith's hair, b/c it was real purty.

This hermit syndrome is real. Wonderful to be understood by one and all here. Myself, I am a creative type deadened by socializing and enlivened by solitary stuff. So the holidays are hell.

Humor helps. Revealing your flaws helps. Loving what is helps.

Love to all,
Vicki

Hermits Unite! er, okay, that's not going to work. But sometimes I wish they had an AWTM - automatic wine teller machine, so I wouldn't even have to interact with the people at the 7-11.

Yay, long weekend. Snuggling hermit-style with the furry ones.

Miss Laurie, I went to summer camp on Possum Kingdom Lake. Some of my best memories are from my days spent there, like learning to sail and ride horses and water ski and make hobo packs on the campfire and climb. I totally love that place.

Your SNB is HUGE! I'd be skeered, too. Bet they all adore you lots. Happy Holidays, Missa.

Had me one of them there hats back in the 6th grade!Nature Camp.1976 don't cha know. I believe it was a Hula Punch hat but then I think I swapped it for a Pepsi one. I know there is a pic of it somewhere........and I was cool too ,back then .......wearin that hat......

and oh yeah (pardon my rudeness!!) happy ho ho furbabies and wine-ness..its ok to be an anxious hermit....you soooo make up for it on the internetS...we all loves us some crazy aunt purl EVERYDAY!!!!

So my wife just turned me on to this blog - priceless! I believe i probably fall in the "crazy cat guy" category, but luckily for me my wife (who also knits) is a "crazy cat lady" so we get along pretty well.

Anywho, I also happen to be an introvert. I believe that's what you're describing above, though not in so many words. I used to feel a little like you do, until i read this article:

http://www.jonathanrauch.com/jrauch_articles/caring_for_your_introvert/index.html

He basically explains what it's like to be an introvert, and why it's not a bad thing or a thing to ashamed of. In fact, once you know you are, you can stop worrying about things and get on with life.

Even if you don't agree with him, it's certainly worth a read. I hope this helps some of you out there like it helped me!

I graduated as the Valdictorian of Hermit University, Class of 1986! I am too scared to go to my local Stitch and Bitch and you (Laurie) are the extent of my social interaction each day. (Boy does that sound pathetic!!) I know exactly how you feel; being a stay-at-home mom and then feeling like crap most of the time has resulted in some serious isolation for me.

I'm so glad that you had a wonderful time last night. I worry about you!! Your scarf looks purty, and I like making them, too. I'm just so amazed that I can actually turn a heel correctly (most of the time) that I consider that my miracle for the day!

Hugs, Liz R

I've been reading your blog for a few months now, and I'm totally addicted. I love your sense of humor (and even the lists!). At the risk of sounding like a crazed stalkerish fan, let's get married. :)

I once had a boss who drank so much Budweiser that one night, in a drunken fit, my friend and I almost tried to hot glue an empty Bud can on to the hood of his car -- as a hood ornament. But we were too schnockered to gather up the supplies. ps - Larry's cute. Mmmmmm Hmmmmm.

Delurking here, CAP: from one hermit to another, I hereby accept the 2007 challenge to expand my socializing beyond my feline brood.

You have such a poignantly funny and honest way of peeling back the layers of your neurosis. You are a brave woman. You are also fortunate that you've got a world of support from unseen knitting friends.

Plus, your Dad sounds like a hoot and a holler!

Hey Laurie! I'm coming out of my year-long lurkdom to introduce myself. Annika (you know her from your stitch 'n bitch) is an old, old friend of mine so that makes us not so much strangers right?

PS I have to tell you it's 100% your fault that I can't go a day without reading PITNB. I never would have known about it but... You mentioned it once months ago and I clicked the link. And now I know waaay too much about things that are none of my business. lol

I've been blogstalking you for a while - you really are a trip. It would seem, reading your many comments, that spinsters who knit with cats are more common than popularly believed to be. Anyway, luck you to have a "stitch and bitch"... I am going to see if I can find one in my neck of the woods. Maybe I can learn to knit in other than straight lines or make a hat that fits a human head.

I sense a theme here with the hermits of blogland...I'm one too, so don't feel bad! I spend enough time with people during the work week, and sometimes just don't want to have to do it on my "days off." (Though I think it's also an introvert thing, added to the shyness factor.)

By the way - I'm really liking that greeny scarf you're making with all those yarns...though I only see 2 in it so far. What gives? Stripes?

I get to being a hermit myself. I blame it on my children....they have sapped my brain cells and I no longer am able to speak complete sentences that other people understand. LOL
Went shopping today and bought my cats a tunnel. didnt want them to have envy over the tent. Still waiting for them to get near it.

If you look up the word hermit in the dictionary, you'll find a picture of me. I try not to think of myself as a hermit though, I tend to think of it as going into my "turtle" mode.

I know exactly how you felt when you went to your SnB. I felt that way when I broke out of my shell and went to a mystery lovers' book group at the local library this past week. I plan on going back next month.

I'm incredibly shy and working hard to overcome a near crippling depression. Add the fear of rejection and inserting my foot in my mouth and well, you've got someone who's afraid to go outside at times.

Like I said, I'm working on overcoming the shyness, depression and the fear.

What? No Coors love? It was all about the Coors tin can hat in my house growing up...

another person with anxiety about social gatherings chiming in...

I describe myself as a hermit all the time.

Oh Laurie... I love reading your blog!

Laurie, I know it doesn't matter that
everyone finds you totally adorable.
Panic attacks aren't about logic. And,
BTW, they're biochemical, so most
people who have them don't
need the $125 part, just the $10
prescription co-pay part.

Glad you're getting out - have a superb
Christmas!

uuuuh that would be a DR Pepper hat at our, we all wore matchin ones to Six Flags one year
I came from a dry county

I totally understand the hermit thing too. I do the same thing, and I'm almost always glad I went! :) And that is totally my New Year's Resolution. (well, it's my resolution like every year, but ya know!)

Re: your bad boss voodoo doll:
I made a voodoo doll of my cheating, lying estranged husband, whom I hope will become officially the EX in 2007. Sewed it from fabric, drew on the face with markers - looks very much like him. It is full of a variety of pins, shoved in all the appropriate places... My best friends really got a kick out of it.

Nice to know so many others have a shy, hermit side too.

Hey there,

I just stumbled upon your blog and was enticed by your "Because nothing is sexier than a divorced woman with four cats" caption.

Anyway, thanks for all the great reading...I've related to so much - even if I don't knit or have four cats. I do live in the Valley and can relate to your embarrassing moments and bad 80s hairstyles.

Thanks for the laughs!

CAP, you should really read up on the Meyers-Briggs personality evaluation. I've been tested at several jobs and/or management promotion steps and I ALWAYS turn up "INTP" which means I am basically Mr. Spock. Other people get confused and say, "but how can you be an introvert when you do employee training, and recruit volunteers, and ask people for donations for the shelter, and deal with the public, and write websites and and and and AND!"

Finally a Meyers-Brigg tester explained it to me and the light bulb went on. Yes, I can give presentations and beg for donations and be highly gregarious but it drains me DRY, and what motivates me to do it is the higher purpose of my work -- I can talk to an auditorium full of people about spaying and neutering because it's important, but afterwards I want a valium!

She said the key question you should ask yourself is, "how do you feel when a large social event is OVER?" if the answer is "RELIEVED" and not "disappointed," then you are an introvert. And that answer is OKAY!

I was finally able to accept the fact that I am an excellent hermit, and that I am married to a hermit, and that is alright. In fact, I was also told that true introverts usually deal with social discomfort through HUMOR, which has the ironic effect of making people perceive you as NOT being an introvert. Go figure!

The reason so many writers do what we do is that it is SO much easier to write/blog than it is to deal with people face to face. It's like being the Great and Powerful Oz -- "ignore the man behind the curtain!"

The difference between shyness and introversion is that shy people generally don't mind being shy. Introverts crave interaction but are awful at being spontaneous, which makes us miserable, thus we prefer to write (more control over the situation) and would rather be alone or hang out with friends we already know.

Hope that helps. I am lucky to have insuranc that covers prescriptions and I take something for anxiety that helps a lot.

LOVE your blog, it always cheers my day! Happy Holidays!

As always, your blog touches such a chord (as well as making me laugh) If it hadn't been for new friends I've met through my knitting group, the last few months would have been even more hellish, and I know I'm going to need them all as things are set to worsen next year. Keep getting out there! and wishing you lots and lots of good things for 2007...

I truly understand what you mean about the social stuff and the words tumbling out and all the feelings which follow. I also agree that it is so good to get together with other knitters. Skanky Knit is good for me, even with all the nerves and such.

You brighten so many lives with your humor and the openness in which you share your thoughts and humor make you a bright spot for so many of us.

Merry Christmas honey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I haven't been to my knitting group in sooooo long. Ok I'm totally going. Probably.

For more can-hat couture, check out Stitchy McYarnpant's The Museum of Kitschy Stitches- she has patterns too!

the shyness thing gets better as you get older and realize that no one gives a flying f--- about your hair/dress/lack of witty repartee/etc. I hardly ever have to go sneak out on the balcony for some alone time at parties anymore. Of course, I only go to parties once or twice a year, and I know almost everyone there...

Dear Laurie,

Thank You for your wonderful blog. I keep on reading for month now and finally want you to know how much consolation I find in your sharing of true live and insights, sad and happy. I can sooo agree with almost everything you put in letters.

I live in Munich (naturally my english is not so brilliant) and do not have any cat (yet!) one husband (still - how long it will last I do not know) a lot of worries and too many projects on hold to stop looking forward to sometime sooner or later.

Just wanted you to know that even this far away Munich Hermit loves you. If we only had a SnB-place ...

I wish you any happiness you can get, you deserve all of it! (but please don't stop sharing, when the time comes).

So,
Merry Christmas !
To You and the hairy bunch.

Simone from Munich

I love your winter posts! Any idea what winter feels like in a place hugged by the Alps? Long, dark and cold and lots of snow. But beautiful in some hermitish style. I wish I had a fire place to snuggle by, purring cat nearby.

Hi Laurie,

You need to read a nifty little book called "The Introvert Advantage" by Marti Olsen Laney (only $10 at Amazon.com). Not only will you be amazed at how well she describes introverts (even the not being able to put the right sentences together sometimes), but she'll explain why we are this way (e.g. we actually have different brain chemistry!) and how you can use it to your advantage. I highly recommend it for all introverts and "shy" people. It sound like a cliche', but it will completely change the way you feel about yourself.

Merry Christmas!

I also am afraid of the local Stitch & Bitch. I am also a hermit - today I am preparing for the rush of Christmas parties I am hosting by spending the day alone "stocking up" on alone time. By the way, I used to go to Possum Kingdom many years ago and remember it fondly. Merry Christmas to you, and thank you for sharing your life.

My fellow hermit! Sometimes I hermit because of my "issues" and other times I hermit because I just can not stand to be around people. My dog thinks she's human because I talk to her so much.

Therapy helps, so does medication, but good god is it expensive.

Ah. Laurie... Happy holiday season to one of my favorite reads.

Is it our crabby nature that makes us leery of those social situations? We retreat into our shells for safety and move sideways... parellel to or angled from others? I know it all too well.

And, yeah.. on the Myers Briggs, I'm an INTP.. I say so in my blog's sidebar.

This new year I have volunteered to teach others from BlogHer how to knit. Me?! She who only knits socks. She only knows one way to cast on, and it's not the way every else learns!! Me, teaching my "boss and editor in chief" to knit!! I'm having a panic attack already!!

If I ever get to the SoCal (hmm.. 2008 for Road to California??) we will both have to buck up and get together somewhere. Is there a coffee/wine bar somewhere there??

delurking (de-stalking?) to say I too am a socially awkward, panic -attack type hermit so I know from where your come, yet I am always amazed that there are others like me out there. I really love your blog. It's one of the top 3 I read every day (other are yarn harlot and the panopticon). You make my laugh and lift my spirits when I'm down, plus I am a cat lover so really enjoy your tales and pics of the cats. Merry Christmas to you and your felines.

Gawd Laurie you're the best. I've had hermititis for the past few months myself. I keep telling myself just get out....like you said no one is gonna bite you. Well I don't know that for sure because I won't try. I can say for sure that no one at Trader Joe's has bitten me yet - but they do look at me funny :-) Merry Christmas and thank you, thank you, thank you for your blog...I love it (I even have my brother reading it now!!).

Your post really resonated with me. I like to think that most people can relate to a degree to the hermit thing.

Re: scarves. I've branched out with my first sweater (the lovely Bonne Marie's Ribby Cardi), and it's kind of scary. But I have enjoyed reading a pattern and watching it come to life so to speak.

I hope you have a lovely holiday, Laurie.

Ellen is amazingly talented! Did you catch her playing the ukulele and singing at Citizen of the Month?

I think I may qualify as a hermit too. After a few panic attacks it was tough to get back out there. My main socializing is playing soccer, I've made some good friends and got some exercise too. Unfortunately at 45 it is getting harder to play and my body hurts by the end of the season so I really need to find another game to play or group to join. I think there is a knitting group here in town and now that I can knit in the round I may brave it and go, maybe.

As for the hat, I take a Bud.

As for the hat, I'll take a Bud.
damnit

can I just say i love the can of easy cheez.
anyway, i also love love love the scarf. i'm definitely a scarf girl too.

and i also wanted to let you know that i have been reading your blog for a couple of weeks now, and i am addicted. i adore you!

Do you ever think that the isolation thing is part from being out of the south? When we lived away from home,I had a hard to "getting" people sometimes, different body language, ways of conversing, etc. Plus, big fear of Yankees in general :) Drinking seemed to help....

Happy Christmas!

Merry Christmas, Laurie! I hope you find some peace in this season.

Love, love, love the green yarn. The spray cheese caught my eye, too. And my mom made one for Uncle Jack with Hudepohl cans.

OK, Laurie. I looked at Ellen's photos of the SnB. You are so cute! I have never understood your big forehead/fivehead comments (although you are funny, as always). There you are, next to numbers of other knitters, and your forehead is the SAME size as theirs. Ergo, you have an absolutely normal forehead.

Merry Christmas!

I totally understand the hermit thing! It therefore follows that I understand the feeling of emerging from one's shell now and then. And I totally get scarves, too: I just finished another afghan square in a very simple pattern, and an afghan square could after all be thought of as a very short scarf.

However, it is still true that you will be assockilated. Just think of a sock as a small tubular scarf with a bulge in it.

Being another person who doesn't do well with crowds I can sympathize. I, however, usually say it ("I don't do well in crowds") so that people will think I'm agoraphobic and not realize that I'm a social klutz who really wants to be liked but doesn't know how.

Anyhow, honey, you're not alone - by any means - and I move that in 2007 all of us who are "hermits" "loners", etc. get together at Laurie's patio and have a good time together - I'll bring a couple of boxes of wine!

Cheers and happy holidays to all!

Leslie in Mass.

Here in Minnesota people are all agitated because we probably WILL NOT have a White Christmas. It's not in the Minnesota Constitution that we MUST have a White Christmas, but you'd think it was from the way people are carrying on.

It is to in the damn MN constitution, and if it isn't it should be!! I am bereft over the lack of snow for xmas this year. Why the hell else did I move here, huhn? ;-)

You smell other people's yarn! Oh, I totally do that too!

At my lunchtime knitting group (see what a cool company I work for?) that meets on Wednesdays, one of the members brought some unfinshed projects her mom had been working on when her mom was a teenager in the 1940s. Of course, I had to smell the yarn. It was wool, and it smelled heavenly, even after being stuck in someone's hope chest for 60 odd years....

We all bring in odd leftover balls of yarn, patterns we can't use and knitted pieces that have been half-started but we can't figure out how they're finished. It's great. But hard to go back to work after just an hour.

Happy Christmas Laurie! May lots of gorgeous elves fill your stockings and may Santa bring mucho catnip for the furballs. Thanks for bringing so much laughter into this wastrels life and have an AWESOME new year!!

love
Bonnie from the UK

I wonder - is the hermiting a Cancer characteristic? I'll blame it on that, anyway. And the fact that my cat is cooler than just about any human I meet on an average day. But sometimes you have those good times, and think, yes, humans, social creatures, conversation, suddenly I feel so good!
Cross-country hermit holiday greetings to you!

"and I say stupid things all the time and smell people's yarn and start sentences I forget to end and I get confused because a lot of people are talking at once and I am terrified of being rude and not hearing ALL of them, but ..."

My God. I'm so glad I'm not the only one like this! Thanks for saying that because that is exactly how I feel about going to places where there will be PEOPLE.
I totally get tummy pains when faced with the prospect.
And no... I don't mean like I feel nauseas or sick to my stomach... I actually, physically, get sharp pains in my tummy.
I think it's like a built in excuse for not going places. I wish I could make it stop.

Have a wonderful Christmas, Laurie. Many of
us love to read your blog, even on the other side of the world like I am (New Zeland)

There is nothing wrong with being a hermitess. Sometimes you just vant to be alooone.

I completely relate to the social anxiety thing--right when I get home, I plague my husband with endless questions: "did I sound stupid?" and "do you think it was okay to ask about that?" and so on, and so forth...it's especially intense during PMS time. During that time, I honestly am a hermit if at all possible!!!

Here's an excellent book: "Rules for Aging" by Roger Rosenblatt. It's very funny, but also very wise advice. A very easy read, with gems such as "They're not thinking about you" (to paraphrase, you're convinced everyone is talking about you, and your general state of decline and so forth, but actually they're thinking about themselves...just like you). I find myself thinking about these rules often, and trying to follow them! Seriously, it's excellent.

Hey I can totally relate to the camping guy Budweiser hat story! I think my dad had a Pabst Blue Ribbon with acrylic yarn hat too. There were MANY people in the 70's that sported those hats here in Vermont! About a year ago my cousins from Conn. came to visit.. they went target shooting with my brother (Mr. Redneck!), when they ran out of cans to shoot at they threw my cousins hat (pepsi cans and blue yarn) into the air and shot at that! The hat survived... and now sports a couple of bullet holes. WTF? is all I can say!

When you do get into a crowd, do you overcompensate for your shyness by talking nonstop, our of nervousness, then upon reflection feel utterly embarrassed and foolish? But you are afraid if you just sit quietly (which is what comes naturally to you), you will be regarded as weird? Or people will ask if you're okay, what's wrong, why are you so down, and they avoid you like the plague? Yes I can relate.

Feliz Natal! (Merry Christmas!)

God bless you!

Hey Laurie. Thanks for sharing your POV on this blog. I love reading it because a) you are witty, 2) you love your cats like I love mine (i.e., mortage your soul to keep them going), c) your photos are fun, 5a) you are honest about everything including your phobia(s) and wedgies. I wish you joy this holiday season in accordance to that you spread around to others via your blog (no bad karma for anyone you inadvertantly piss off driving/working, etc.) and peace and tranquility in the coming year. Or guys in bikins serving drinks with umbrellas. Whatever your southern fried heart desires. Really, good wishes to you and thanks for the laughter and tears all year long.

I heart Laurie!
Thank you for everthing you've shared with us: humor, sadness, cats, knitting, your fabulous family, stupid Hummers, Francesco and the Shears of Doom, and the most awesome recipe for Fried Chicken (OMG, that was the best fried chicken EVER!!).
Happy Christmas!

Merry Christmas,Laurie & Kitty Posse...May Santa leave lots of catnip & other goodies in your (knitted)stockings!

I'm such a huge fan of your blog! I read it everyday, though I usually just stop at the reading and don't comment.

I've got to join you in your love of scarves, they're just so awesome. Portable, easy or challenging, and they allow me to keep my attention elsewhere if I need to.

A Merry Christmas to you, from the snowed in Rockies, where it just started snowing again today. I've got something amusing that I found that I thought you might enjoy, the most expensive pair of socks: http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b223/akaytress/expensivesocks.jpg. Check out the Tabi socks.

Hope that maybe this brought you a smile, thanks for all of the smiles and laughter you've provided me! Keep on keeping on.

Merry Christmas Laurie!!
I hope you and your kitties have a great day tomorrow. I love reading your blog.

Well, it's after midnight here in MA. Merry Christmas! Have a joyful day!

Merry Christmas Laurie, Roy, Soba, Bob and Frankie. Peace and Good Tidings to you and all your devoted followers.
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Hi!

I just found your blog a few days ago, so I've been reading up. How am I supposed to be learning to knit while I'm laughing?? (see roll-brim hat) I started knitting again this month after a 20+ year hiatus, and now I'm scarf-crazy, like you. But in FL, there's not much need/use for them. LOL!

Merry Christmas, and I hope you have a fabulous New Year!

Merry Christmas, Laurie. I hope Santa brought you everything you wished for, including that hunky dude wearing only a Santa hat (who also does the dishes)! But do you actually have a chimney in your apartment for Santa to send him through?

Also, did you hear Ellen singing her Christmas song on her blog? You knitters are the coolest.

Merry Christmas Laurie, Soba, Bob, Roy and Frankie.

Good for you for going out! I used to have such a horror of social situations. I eventually got sick of it, and I developed a plan to become more at ease. The first step was to go to every party I was invited to. I didn't have to stay, I didn't have to talk to anybody, I just had to walk through the door. I gradually made myself interact more, and now I actually look forward to parties. Anyone who knew me "back then" wouldn't believe their eyes if they saw me now.

Laurie, I was so excited to see you last Thursday. I practically squealed! Thanks for bringing the Easy Cheese for us redneck gals.
You should visit us more often. Thanks for the link. I feel special. (smiling warmly...and did you notice that my shirt is gaping? That's lovely).

Laurie, I was so excited to see you last Thursday. I practically squealed! Thanks for bringing the Easy Cheese for us redneck gals.
You should visit us more often. Thanks for the link. I feel special. (smiling warmly...and did you notice that my shirt is gaping? That's lovely).

and apparently, I post twice.

Laurie,
I just wanted to comment and say that I completely understand the hermit inclanation and am trying to get myself out of the house more as well. As I have explained to my friends and family, sometimes you just want to sit at home with a bottle of your choosing and discuss the latest Discovery Channel series with your cats ( I have two). Of course they now think I'm crazy but I just remind them that psychosis is hereditary and that usually shuts them up for a while.

I've read your entire blog (I am a blog stalker too and have no idea what has possesed me to comment finally) and want to thank you for making me laugh when I thought I couldn't.

I hope your New Year's is wonderful and I can't wait to read about it.

Knit on!

I would like to lay down the gauntlet, and make an EASY CHEESE CHALLENGE!

Go ahead...knit something...;-)

Laurie, hope your Christmas was wonderful! Did you get to see your grandma? Do you get your kitties Christmas gifts? I don't anymore for my cat because he just sits there and stares at his gifts, maybe giving them a bored sniff. So I just throw kitty treats around for him. That's all he wants anyway! ;)

MERRY (thedayafter) CHRISTMAS!!!!!

And have a happy, hairballfree, hopeful, yarn-filled, wonderful New Year!

Hi sweetie!! I wish you were around today. It's been a long, bad day here. :o(

I hope you're having a better day than me. Aw, hell. Saddam-frickin-Hussein is having a better day than me today. Time to pick a wine and go to bed!!

So today I found your actually honest-to-god laugh out loud funny blog about knitting, and cats, and...being. And you've inspired me to do something about my social anxiety and get out there and do the stuff I want to do! You're a gifted person, Laurie. Yes, you are!

Happy New Year to you and your furry friends!