brrrrrr!!!

It's 19 degrees out. That's -7 celsius. That's cold. There is snow on the ground today, too. Snow that I romped in today with the dogs, in my sneakers after my walk. I leashed Suri and took her along. She has some learning to do. She likes to pull me all over and sniff everything everywhere. I want her to walk calmly by my side, leash slack. I tell her that and she just looks at me and wags, while she lunges to smell invisible things.

Tomorrow, Paul and I are going to do something fun with the three youngest kids, Jonathan, Charlotte Claire, and Camille. The older ones are all busy, so we thought we would plan some stuff...and I am stumped. Bowling? A movie? We hardly ever go to the movies, and the movie about Alexander's terrible day is playing at the cheap theater, only $2 a person. But I would rather DO something. The weather is conducive for sledding and skating, but Mama here doesn't do those things, bad knees, ect. I wish I could cross country ski or go snow shoeing. Shopping/the mall is OUT. Not fun. blah. We are planning to go to the grocery store and get some...shh, don't tell the older kids, some steak. I don't know how it is in your little part of the world, but around here, beef prices have gone through the roof. I can't buy a ten pound roast for $4.49 a pound. I just can't do it. Emily and I looked at one, for Christmas, that was like fifty bucks, and we simply decided to buy chicken instead. Anyway, the small store in town has New York strip steaks for $5.98 a pound. For just the five of us, we could do it. We want to make a nice New Year's eve meal. A few months ago I was talking to my younger brother about beef prices, and he said they hadn't had steak in forever....and he only has two kids. Honestly, if I only had to buy a pound or two, it wouldn't be a problem.

Anyway. Tomorrow will be fun. The kids have been staying up too late and sleeping in. One of my teenagers slept in until 1:30 the other day. It's wonderful. But we got the littler ones tucked in earlier tonight, because they will be up late tomorrow.

I talked to my younger brother on the phone today. I have one older sister, four older brothers, and one younger brother. Well, HAD. My brother Billy has passed away. My younger brother, Casey, is a good guy. He was my best buddy, growing up. I never ever see him anymore, and he lives only about an hour away. He married a lovely girl, but unfortunately, she did not care for his family, and he stopped coming to Christmas celebrations, then all other gatherings...he came with just his kids here and there, but not with her. It's sad, really, but that's how it is, I guess. I still talk to him a few times a month, sometimes more.

I took a little trip to the small city today, with one of my daughters. We went to the department of motor vehicles, then to the grocery store quick. ha, quick. Paul is into trying to ferment vegetables to promote good gut health. He wanted me to pick up some sea salt, vinegar, garlic...so to the grocery store I went. I found clearanced Christmas candy, fifty cents a pound. I bought some to put away for a church feast in a few weeks. I also bought myself a little present, a cookie press! It was regularly $24, marked down to $12. It rang up only $6! I can't wait to try it, but I don't want to bake anymore cookies. Jon made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies last night, all by himself. They turned out strange, all flat and crispy...but the taste, and the consistency....oh yum. It's like the oats just caramelized with the brown sugar, chewy and crunchy....so no, I don't want any more cookies in the house.

Isn't even the word, "caramel" lovely? Or am I crazy?

Chocolate, now that's another beautiful word. Creamy. Buttery. Flaky. Tender. Fudgy.

Here's the thing. Bread is bad for you. Why oh why does it taste so good? Not regular sliced sandwich bread, I mean the bakery bread, Italian or French bread, or sourdough...when I enter a store, what do you think I smell? Yeah, the bread baking. If I pick up a loaf, and it's still warm, I put it in the cart. And when I slice it up at home, I eat the end piece, just a small little piece, with butter. And I think it's like a little piece of heaven.

Anyway. Time to go to bed. Tomorrow is the last day of 2014, and I have so many resolutions I don't know where to begin. Paul ordered me a new screen for my Chromebook tonight, I don't know when it will come. I can't wait. I am using his old hp, which works, but it is so huge and clunky and loud and I keep hitting the wrong keys, and not pressing hard enough and ending up with words with missing letters....and I can't put pictures on my blog...wah. Anyway...tomrorow I will share some of my resolutions, and some time next week, I hope, I will be able to post pictures again. As for now, goodnight.