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Like this amazing package that showed up right before Christmas...

Um... Yeah... that does say "Jawhorse".  After I did a happy dance for several minutes I explained to hubby that it has a foot-press clamp that can secure my projects into place while leaving my hands free to get it all set right as it clamps.  For someone who is needing a third or fourth hand almost all the time (and believe me the cats are no help at all), this is going to be perfect!

And with some birthday gift cards to Home Depot, I ordered this little bad boy...

As if we didn't all know I am totally addicted to Ryobi One+ tools at this point.  LOL.  The additionally cool part about this little trim-router is that it should use the same bits as the table router my father-in-law gave me a few Christmases ago.

Of course, some cash and more gift cards is hopefully going to get me all the wood I need for several exciting projects, hopefully including a thin curio-cabinet and wall map to track our travels, the nightstands that I have been wanting to build for over five years, and a custom double-slide hood for the reef fish tank.

The very odd thing is though... it puts me in a torn mood.  While I absolutely LOVE the cold and snowy winter world, I am almost foaming at the mouth for the warmth of summer to come and provide the outdoor workshop I need.  So much so that I have been eye-balling the piano and computer desks in the office and trying hard to figure out where else they could go so that I could turn the office into a mini-workshop.

But, while the beauty of falling snow isn't quite enough to sooth the urge to to create startling amounts of sawdust, I did also order quite a few coloring books for adults with some of my Christmas/birthday money.  No... not naughty "adult" coloring books... though I have to admit that is what I first thought when I heard them called that.  They are more detailed and refined coloring books often based on zen-like mandalas with symmetric designs.

My sister got me hooked right before I went to Colombia, and I am very grateful that she did because coloring was about the only thing that kept me sane during a five hour lay-over in Houston.  There was construction banging and squealing in the gate next door and about 101 people including myself (100 more people than I prefer) milling around.  So I spent an odd amount of time in Colombia wandering local shops to find more colors and types of gel-pens and coloring books.

When I got back to the US, I got some little packs of short pens as stocking-stuffers and took some Christmas coloring book pages to my sister's for everyone to color.  And while not many of the guys did any coloring, my hubby giggled like a little girl when I told him my idea and squealed "Group Coloring!"  I am guessing that was his favorite part of kindergarten.  (Sometimes I love him just a little extra.)

I ordered several books from Amazon by "Creative Haven" (my favorite brand of them), including a great one with insects.  It is surprising just how soothing the coloring is to a nervous personality like mine, and has just managed to keep me from tearing out the office and diving into a lot of sawdust.

Of course it also helps that I have a dozen sewing projects to work on when I manage to get the spare room straightened up a bit.  My favorite fabric store in Denver has a great sale each new years day and I got a ton of waterproof fabric to make rain ponchos, pants, packs, and other light-weight-and-compact gear for traveling.

So along with the last of the Alaska videos that I need to finish up, and the constant task of keeping the kitties warm, I will have plenty to keep me busy.  Hopefully everyone's year is starting out as well as mine.