A New Year Begins

 After spending a few days with us, the grandkids and their parents went off on a holiday, and we were left in charge of their two dogs and this special egg that belongs to our grandson. I promised him I would take pictures of it while they were away as he would miss the "hatching".

And what is this breaking out of the egg?

 A bright yellow dinosaur.
One of the joys of having little kids around is that you get to enjoy their toys.

Our sons gave me a tablet for Christmas.  It wasn't on my wish list as I wasn't sure what I would use one for; however, I am finding that it does have some unique uses.  At the moment, one of the handiest features is that it is easy to read a book on it as I knit.  With a real book, I have to find something to weight the pages open, but the tablet can easily be propped up and a quick swipe of a finger turns the page.  One of the free books on the tablet is "The Backwoods of Canada" by Catharine Parr-Strickland which I read years ago.  I'm enjoying it again and am struck by how quickly the pioneers in the early 1800's managed to establish villages with saw-mills and grist-mills and grocery stores and other necessities for a comfortable life. It seems that we have lost some of that ability to get things done without a lot of unnecessary waffling about. The book, which comprises of letters she sent back to England, is well written and has lots of natural history information as well as personal anecdotes.
Another useful attribute of the tablet at this time is the bright screen for viewing photos.  My mother's eyesight isn't that good anymore, and viewing the photos on the tablet was much easier for her.
I knit a cover for the tablet out of some left-over stretchy sock wool.  It will keep the dust off it and protect it when I put it in my purse.
I hope you all have a new year full of pleasant surprises and that 2015 will be a year to be fondly remembered.