chugging along....

 It just doesn't translate in the pictures, how beautiful it is in here.  There's a bare spot in the middle of the tree, the lights aren't on quite right, but Paul and Camille put them on when I wasn't here, and I didn't fix them.  The grandkids like to take ornaments off, too.  

Well, this isn't so beautiful, but it is fun...it's holiday multitasking.  We're having a Christmas celebration at church on Sunday, so I made mini vanilla cupcakes, which I'm planning to decorate with buttercream trees and sprinkles.  I also used my chocolate chip cookie dough for the bottom of mint brownies...just mixed up the brownie batter, the Aldi specialty mix, added a little sour cream, extra egg yolk (leftover from the white cupcakes, which took five egg whites), and some mint extract.  I poured it over the top of the cookie dough, pressed into a 9x13 pan, added crunched up oreos and candy canes that I crushed up in our old coffee grinder.  (Shh, I might have added some coffee beans to the mint dust after emptying it, and made a pour over, with just a touch of mint flavor...mmm!).  Anyway, the oreos on top with the candy cane dust, mushed into the brownie batter with the rubber spatula.  It's one of those As Seen On TV brownie pans, with the fancy cutter thing you put in so they all come out the same size.  I plan to put a squiggle of white butter cream on top of each one, a dusting of the candy cane powder, and an Andes mint.  

Then, I made a wee lil cake, because Sunday is Margaret's birthday.  Oh dang, I still have to wrap her present.  

Today was a productive day though.  I got back from the pool, and went straight down to vacuum Charlotte's room.  I used Camille's personal vacuum cleaner, which she keeps in her room for spiders.  I don't even like to type that word, but I'm not as scared as Cam...I was all ready to step into the shower the other night, and she called me from her room...emergency, a big spider.  I just get all brave and kill them, don't like it, but life is full of things you just have to do anyway.  Anyway.  I moved Char's little bedside table to vacuum under it, and apparently it only has three legs?  Was it sitting on the lidded mason jar and I pulled it from there, or did I break the leg off and just happen to grab that jar and it worked to prop it up again?  I don't know.  I DO know there was a mostly dead plant that fell all over the rug, and a whole gaggle of markers that I had already gathered up and placed on the table.  It was Lean Over City today, and my poor back.  But, I got it done and it's all ready, just in time, she's flying in tonight.

Then it was time to make the meatballs.  They turned out really good, don't ask me how I know.  :). They're in the freezer, all ready to go into the crockpot on Christmas Eve.

Then, the cupcakes and cake and brownie things.  Somewhere in the middle of all that, I pulled the couch out and cleaned under it.  Can't you just tell when you walk into a room and the couch is clean under?  It's such a nice feeling.  I put away some toys and put some colored lights up at the toy end of the living room.

A perfect day for baking, the snow gives the whole house that special wintery glow.

She's not perfect, but she's a nice tree.

Now the oven is beeping again, those brownies weren't quite done yet.  I have the gingerbread cookie dough and the sugar cookie cookie dough out, all ready to roll out a hundred something cut out cookies.  Then I want to make the buttercream, so I can frost the cake and cupcakes tomorrow, as I'm going out the church to help set up and do things while they have a music practice.  

Monday will be cookie frosting day, unless something else comes up, like a trip to Target, ha.  

Well....I put this down, and went into the kitchen, and that was hours ago.  I have rolled out all the sugar cookie dough, six big cookie sheets worth.  Now, I'm baking, so the timer will go off in five minutes, I'll switch the pans around so they each get a turn on the bottom rack.

I have the gingerbread to do too, and I really really want to get it done tonight, already decided to make the buttercream frosting in the morning...

Ah well.  It's all good.  Rolling out cookie dough is fun, but it's kind of sad to be doing it all alone.   Paul made dinner again, burgers, which we had with salads.  Asian salad mix with lots of crunchy cabbage.  I'm eating between the oven timer going off.  He was watching a documentary about Auschwitz, which puts things in perspective.   Oh poor me, making all these cookies all by myself.  

I do love this season, just with there was magically like one more week between now and Christmas, but I suppose I'd just busy it up anyways.  

Have a really good evening!

it's not getting done!

 Well, I can only blame myself, I set out to stay home and get things done, then Kathryn texts that she's going out and about, and off I go.  The kids were hilarious today.  They went to Lights On The Lake last evening, and there were lights depicting a scene from The Wizard of Oz.  Achilles had questions about flying monkeys, which led to me explaining the entire movie plot.  Questions beget more questions, he wants to watch that movie now.  He just turned five last week.  

Who on earth would buy a giant Mickey Mouse?  The kids liked it.

Jamie really liked it.  Kathryn found what she was looking for, I found a few last minute gifts.  She brought our bags out to the car, and Achilles with her, I carried Jamison over to Target while holding Rhys' hand.  I had to ask her to hold on to my coat, as Jamie is NOT a one-arm carry.  

Target was fun too, the kids were happy and it wasn't very crowded.  I didn't get too much, but I did notice I had this coupon:  

Hmmmm...I already had some chocolates, heavy cream, a few gifts in my cart, may as well make it eighty, right?   Kathryn went in line behind me and added an item, so it was well over $80.  The coupon didn't come off at the register, so I went over to the service desk.  The lady there said you have to read the terms and conditions, you must have something not included.  Seriously, I have to read the small print?  It just says $15 off $80, no where on there does it say certain items are not included.   Of course I was nice about it.  She took her merry sweet time going over the fine print, then, Ah ha, you cannot buy "dairy milk", and you have heavy cream, that's it!  She pushed the receipt towards me, and smiled bigly.  I smiled back and asked if the manager was in.  

He didn't give me any trouble, just a gift card for $15.  

I am not out to make trouble.  I am not out to cheat anyone.  But if the store has a promotion, for goodness sake, don't act like I'm trying to steal something.  

Out into the cold snowy day, and into the car.  I buckled Jamie, Kathryn buckled Achilles and Rhys...then I remembered that Paul wanted me to get a can of tomato paste.  Kathryn so nicely dropped me off right in front of the store to go get it.  Do you know how far it seems to go back and get that when you are in a hurry?  I can't buy just one thing, so I grabbed two, and a package of pepperoni too, that was right beside it.   :)

Home...ahh, home.  I got right to work, after putting my stuff away.  Wrapping presents.  I think I am all done, except for Margaret's birthday present.  

I did not get the meatballs made, nor did I get Miss Charlotte Claire's room vacuumed, but all of her bedding is washed and her bed mostly made.  Okay, some of the bedding is here in the living room on a chair.  I'll get to it.  I did make a five pound pan of fudge though!  I almost forgot about that.  

Tomorrow, pool....then all those other things...then Miss Char comes home, yay!!!!

I was telling Camille how complicated it used to be to wrap presents.  I would wrap for the older kids when they were in school, the younger kids after they were in bed, ect.  

Everything was harder back then, (except for leaning over, standing too long, walking long distances, but we won't talk about THAT, ha).  But, everything was a bit more fun, too.  I mean, I still point out the pretty Christmas lights to Camille, and shh, she's not jumping up and down like little kids do...that's why the grandkids are so much fun.  

Next year, I want to do a huge Secret Santa, with everyone except the grandkids in it.  I can just buy things for all of them, then one SS gift, plus for the kids who are home, and Paul.  That sounds super simple, because phew, I seriously wrapped a lot of stuff.  

The drink cups with straws for the grandkids, except for the three one-year-olds, Denzel, Blythe, and Maeve.  Jamie gets one because he's almost two, in March.  I wrote their names on them in Sharpie, they can drink out of them on Christmas Eve.

Anyway, I am sitting here with one purring Old Kitty on the arm of my chair, feet up and covered in a soft Christmas tree blanket, tree lights on, football on with the volume muted, just relaxing and enjoying it all.  Paul made beef stew in the crockpot today, so I didn't have to stop wrapping to made dinner.  (It was really good!) 

Have a nice night!  

you would think....

 ....that life would slow down when the kids grew up and started moving out.  I guess it really has, I mean, I was at a gathering at my niece's place today, and I just relaxed, had a delicious cup of coffee, and shh, a peanut butter cookie (Jonathan made them last night, mmm!).  I had gone to the pool, then home to make a batch of sugar cookie dough, then a batch of ginger bread cookie dough.  That alone took over an hour.  I vacuumed, did some laundry, and puttered a bit, then sat down for a few minutes before getting up to make up a cookie plate to bring to Becky's, one for the man who works at the dump, and one for our old friend Joe.  

When I got home, I decided to go out before the snow rolls in to get what we need for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Cam asked if we could get orange juice for Christmas morning.  Ha, we used to drink it all the time, but then realized it isn't actually that good for you, so now it's a treat.  Cinnamon rolls too, for Christmas morning.  For Christmas Eve, we might have smoked brisket (Darius), I'll smoke some ribs, and a big pot of homemade meatballs.  Also, some of this little hot dogs in the crescent rolls, and chips and dip, and cut out cookies, and fudge.  

For Christmas Day, I have a brown sugar cured spiral ham, some potatoes to either roast or bake or make mashies with, depending on who is here and who feels like doing what, ha.  There is unsweetened applesauce and a bag of apples to make some yummy baked applesauce, and some green beans, and rolls. 

Home again...I wrapped a few presents after switching laundry over, then we headed back out the door to visit our friend Joe.  He gave us a bottle of wine for Christmas, we gave him a plate of cookies.  Then to Becky's to get my coat that I left there today, then home...again.

Dinner time...I had bought some cubed steak, and a marked down sirloin, and had to cook them, no problem, yum.  I also had a big bowl of salad.  

Now the day has gone by, and the house is amazingly cozy.  All the soft white string lights, the tree too, and the little fake fireplace with it's hum and warmth and fake flames flickering, I do love this season.  

Tomorrow, I plan to stay home.  I can't bake those cookies yet as our freezer space has been taken over, venison, but I have presents to wrap.  And Miss Char's room to vacuum.  Maybe I'll bag up the stocking stuff so I can see what I have for whom.  (I am only doing three stockings this year, Jon, Char, and Cam)

So no, life isn't as busy as it used to be way back when there were babies and toddlers and small children, and big children, and teenagers too.  But I keep busy, alternating that with being super lazy, ha.  I know how to put my feet up.  :). 

This weekend is looking very busy too, but you know what?  I'm not going to think about that right now.  

Have a good evening!  

my favorite store...

 ...this fine morning, I rallied Miss Cam to accompany me on some adventures.  We first went to my favorite store, the Amazon warehouse place.  On Tuesdays, their bins feature four dollar items.  Most of the things are just brown Amazon boxes with no description, and you're not allowed to open the boxes unless you bring them to the main table, where a guy will tape them back up after you look in them.  Well, all the guys seem really busy, so we didn't do that, and being rule abiding girls, we didn't peek in any at the bins, but we found some bargains anyway.  (if the boxes are already open of course we peek!)  I got a new duvet cover, French linen, with a top sheet that snaps onto it.  It sells for:  $399.  Seriously.  I didn't know this when I threw it in the cart, just thought it seemed soft, ha.  Camille got a nice new hamper, I got a GI Joe, a coffee mug with a plug in heated base, and a set of two Malacasa baking dishes (the big one was missing, supposed to be three), but regulary $54, for four bucks, not bad, and I think they are adorable. 

We also found an adorable pink floral sleeping bag, and I gave it to Ruth.  

A quick stop at the grocery store, I just ran in and got some donuts (three in one box for Wulf, Ten, Blythe, four in the other box for Camille, Grant, Ruth, Maeve...to share with Grace:)), and a few other things.  Then to Little Casear's for a pepperoni pizza...this is the sad tree they had...

Then, to Margaret's house for a bit.  She works full time, from home, so she was a bit busy, but the kids loved seeing us.  I dropped off some cute things I had gotten from the thrift store, and the donuts, and after bit, we left and went to Sam and Grace's house to play with Grant and Ruth and Maeve.  We brought them the pizza, which disappeared quickly.  We played snakes and ladders, and they got out all the pillows and blankets and made a big pile to jump in. 

Grant and Ruth, Maeve was still napping.

Then, it was time to get going, we stopped for coffee, then drove to pick up a prescription, then home....ahh, home.  Miss Kathryn came over for a visit with Achilles, Rhys, and Jamie! 

Our tree has been played with by grandchildren, ha.

Kathryn and her little ones.

We had a nice dinner, steak fried in the iron skillet, rice for the kids, and some Asian salad.  Jonathan made peanut butter cookies for his friend Sebastian's birthday, and left some here, but I didn't have any.  Oh ho the house smelled so good...I decided to bake some more chocolate chip from the dough I have in the refrigerator.   

After Kathryn left with three tired children, me sending Rhys with a Fancy Nancy Christmas book that Sonja loved when she was little, and a little stuffed snowman with Achilles, I decided to frost some cookies.  There are only a few left of the ones I baked last week and froze.  So...I need to make more, again!  

One more big batch of regular sugar cut outs, and one more batch of gingerbread cut outs.  And the fudge, if I get to it.  I still have so many things to wrap...I'd like to say I'll do it tomorrow, but tomorrow is looking a bit full...pool, then to a friend's house for a lunch gathering...maybe when I get home, I'll get some things done.  Miss Charlotte Claire is coming home from Germany on Friday, her room isn't quite ready for her yet.  

Anyway, it has been a busy, grandchildren filled day, I saw nine of them today!  phew!  I need to go pack up the cookies I frosted, so Suri doesn't have a feast tonight, and get myself to bed.  Our pool time is an hour earlier because the elementary school kids are using the pool at our usual time, and we don't really want to share the locker room.  

Ah well.  I'm glad I had some downtime this evening, I WAS going to go ahead and make those cookie doughs, but nah, just couldn't.  I told Camille that ten years ago, I would have.   

Life is good though, I am a very thankful girl.  Have a good night.

dark december mornings...

 ...the days will be getting longer soon, and shh, I rather like the darkness.  The sun is just rising now, and I've been up for a few hours.  (The cat.  He likes to go outside during the night.  When it's 3:30, I can usually go back to sleep, sometimes there is tossing and turning involved.  But this fine morning it was 5:30, and why even bother?). 

My water aerobics class is an hour earlier for the next month, because the elementary kids are using the pool, we like to get out of the locker room by the time they get in.  So I have to get moving earlier anyway.

This dog knows she isn't allowed on the couch.  She jumped up there and looked at me.  Paul thought it was funny.   

Orange Guy was on my chair with me, Old Kitty jumped up and tried to get closer.  She is his mother, and he is very disrespectful.  He is the king of the back of the couch, in the background, the couch the dog IS allowed on, and if his mother is there, he just hisses and swats at her, growls a little, and she jumps down.  She is so sweet, Ms. Purrer.   (He is a hunter though, a keeper, he always has a mouse out in the driveway, I hope he's keeping them out of my camper)

The cake that Camille made for cousin Linnea's birthday party, three layers of chocolate with buttercream.

Our church Christmas party for the kids, Camille helped me at the cookie frosting table...she has Jamie, then Maeve with Grace, and Rhys.  

The kids loved it.

Ruth and Rhys with presents

Ophelia

Me with Maeve at Achilles' birthday party.

With Jamie and Maeve...Maeve was tired, I think I could have rocked her to sleep, but when Jamie heard me singing to her, he had a No Fair face on, and wanted UP.  

Achilles, such a sweet boy.

Auntie Evelyn holding Blythe, and Uncle Sam holding Jamie

It's always a little sad for the other kids when the birthday child opens gifts, but it's good for them, right?

A triple batch of chocolate chip cookies with M&Ms....it didn't quite fit in the new mixer, dang it.  

Ah well, it's going to be a busy week.  I have two different things to pick up from Marketplace today, then tomorrow I'm babysitting for Sam and Grace's kids.  There are presents to wrap, presents to buy, cookies to make and bake, and frost, and and and.  But.  I will not stress.  If I could do Christmas back when I had sixteen kids in the house, along with three December birthdays, I'll be fine.  I'm just a little older and creakier, ha.  (and let's not forget a bit more forgetful, but then I was always good at hiding a present and forgetting where I hid it, or forgetting something for my own Secret Santa after helping seven other people with theirs...)

There are stockings to stuff and a Christmas Eve buffet to plan, along with a Christmas dinner...I have to get cracking, don't I?   I actually have to hurry up and get out the door, pool time!  Have a good day!

another wonderful day...

 It started out cold, but I went to that pool anyway.  Walking down the ramp into the water, oh dear, it was warm!  I think it was just the contrast, from the outside air.  The locker room is always freezing afterward, then the showers nice and hot.  Then, back out into the cold.  By the time I get home, the car is toasty, and I have to go back through the cold into the house.  I love love love it though.

This fine morning, I vacuumed and puttered around, and wrapped a few presents.  Sonja came over because her car needed to be inspected by the garage down the road, and I was going to drive her home after.  It didn't take long at all, so we decided to go finish our Christmas shopping.  We went to Kohl's, where I was just overwhelmed.  I had one item to pick up, a Yankee Candle I got for $4.99 because I had $15 Kohl's cash.  Their prices are kind of high, and I didn't buy anything.  The people there were above and beyond nice though, as were the people I was in line with.  

Target, just for a few things.  I found myself two black skirts for $9 and $8.40, not sure if they fit yet, didn't try them on in the store.  I got one thing for one person, one thing for another, and a package of shaved steak marked half off, which I made for dinner: I put tons of coarse ground pepper, salt, and minced onions on the steak, chopped up an onion, sauteed it in avocado oil, added the meat, fried it up for a bit, and voila, dinner.  Sonja, Camille, and I had stopped at Chipotle.  I ate all the chicken and some of the rice and chopped tomatoes, cilantro, corn salsa, ect., but saved the rest.  I gave a huge portion of it to Paul to eat with his steak, I had a few bites of the steak and the rest of it.  

Oh, the details that make up our days.  I was going to finish wrapping presents, but only wrapped two, when Paul came home from hunting...I was talking to my sister on the phone, and Paul was holding his hands out for the dogs to smell...Did you get one?  Did you get a deer?!  Yes, he did!

I am nice, so I said goodbye to my sister, and went outside to see the deer.  On a scale of really wanting to see it, from one to ten, I would give it a one, but, I am nice.  He wanted to get it hung in the tree, so I stayed out there while he climbed the ladder.  He ended up tying it to a rope, then putting the rope over a tree branch, tying the other end to his truck hitch, and driving down the driveway.  It worked.  He then got up there on top of the ladder and secured it.

It's lovely, nothing like a deer in your front yard tree to scream we are rednecks!  Hey, I grew up in the suburbs, and we did not hang deer in our trees.

I hope he takes it to a place to have it butchered and wrapped.  I am not helping.  I'm nice, but not that nice.  

Ah well, tomorrow is Achilles' birthday party, and I am excited about it....have a really nice night, and I hope I didn't bore you to tears with the boring details...

(I'm nice so I'm not showing you the pictures of the deer:))

oh that cold wind!

 This fine morning, I wrapped presents, all cozy and comfy.  It's hard this year, because I'm cutting back.  My kids don't quite believe me, because for years I've told them that this Christmas there will be a little less.  I want to give them the world, give them everything, let them know that they each mean the world to me.  I think because there are so many, I have gone out of my way, overboard.  Well, this year I did get gifts, just not as many.  Wrapping them up, seeing what I have for each one, and knowing what I still need, wondering why I am so behind, but enjoying the process.  I don't feel stressed at all.  (For the record, I LOVE getting them all gifts!)

The vanity I bought from the Amazon store was ready to be picked up, and that is up in Oswego, right on Lake Ontario.  Brr!  24 degrees and wind off the lake.  Camille and I headed first to the bin sale, on Thursdays it's Dollar Day.  She found a really nice nail kit, and two nice Target bras.  I found some granddaughter sandals, some little jeans, a phone case, and a few other things I didn't know I needed.  We got 18 items all together, and for eighteen dollars, Cam could barely have gotten just those two bras, maybe one of them!  Shh, it was fun...rummaging through.  

The vanity weighs 95 pounds, the guy put it in the back of the truck for us, and we were off.   A few more stops, and ahh, home.  I cut up some chicken, put it in a beaten egg mixture, then into a mix of flour, cornstarch, and hot Nashville chicken seasoning, then onto a baking sheet with parchment and avocado oil.  Sliced sweet potato on another pan with oil, salt and pepper, into a hot oven...then some frozen broccoli stalks, microwaved a bit, drained, and put on the pan with the sweet potato fries, and mmm, roasted broccoli.  It was all very good, nice and crispy.

Now it's quiet in here, Jon and Camille have gone to their Norwegian class, and the dogs are snoring. 

And, now it's Friday...this has been a scrambled post...Jon and Cam came in the door, I closed my computer to talk to them, ect. I am headed to the pool now, in the frigid sunshine.  Just north of us, coming right off Lake Ontario, Oswego is getting up to a foot of snow today, but we have clear skies.  I'll take it.  

Today, I have so many plans and ideas.  Another batch of cut out cookies for the kids to frost at Sunday's party, today is also Achille's birthday, his party is tomorrow, and tomorrow evening Paul and I are going to a gathering at our friends' house.  Busy busy.  We have to get Miss Charlotte Claire's room ready for her, she's coming home for Christmas, from Germany!  (Just vacuum and wash her bedding).  

Ah well...here I sit, I'll be scrambling to scrape off that car in this cold, it snowed just a little last night...have a really good day! 

this old house...

 ...the happy homeowners, as Paul would always say.  It's a money pit.  We built our house, so we had the joy of having everything brand new.  But time marches on, and things don't stay new.  Our beautiful wood window frames rotted, and we are slowly replacing them.  That slick wall-to-wall carpeting from 1991 is long gone in most of the rooms now.  New things are pricey, and there's no end to things that need redoing, once you open the can of worms. 

Our main bathroom has a double vanity with two sinks, which was THE BOMB when the kids were little. They could brush their teeth twice as fast, aka I had two sinks to clean toothpaste out of, two sinks to waste soap in.  :). The countertop was burgundy laminate.  I grew to detest it, so I DYI'd a grayish blue paint, then marine grade thick clear epoxy finish...well, that didn't age well.  It didn't look fantastic from Day One, but shh, it was better than the burgundy.  It dripped here and there down the backsplash, and there was nothing I could do about it as it dried so quickly.  I re-caulked around the sink, and have no talent in that area, so it looks hideous.  Then the years passed, and the epoxy yellowed.  The vanity bottom  has been chalk painted and Sherwin Williams painted, the hardware removed and spray painted black, but from the inside it's falling apart.  One drawer lost it's bottom.  It WAS a nice quality cabinet, once upon a time, but....now, it's just sad.

The flooring is sentimental because my brother Billy installed it for us, and now Billy has passed away.  It's a denim-y colored blue tile, and is super durable.  But, we have extra of this wood looking laminate and think it would look nice in there.

Anyway, now that I've bored you to tears about my sad bathroom, which has been painted and repainted plenty of times through the years, the mirrors above the sinks changed out, and new faucets put in, so not totally neglected...we're getting a new vanity top!  I found one brand new on marketplace for one hundred dollars.  Then, lo and behold, a vanity bottom at the Amazon store for under four hundred dollars, which is pretty decent.  

We're picking up the top in a few hours.  I told Paul I wasn't in a hurry to do the renovation, which is a huge lie, ha, but I'm nice.  I said at least we'll have the stuff, then we can do it when we have time, which will be never, ha.  I will have to get two new faucets too because one sink doesn't work, he took it apart a while ago and something is broken inside the faucet.

Anyway.  I'm excited, as you know I love love love a good makeover, a satisfying Before and After.  I'll take pics of the sad bathroom before, so those of you who also love them can join me in happiness.

Yeah, when you own a home you sort of have to keep up with it, and it's rather fun.  I like a good bargain, and to spiffy things up for minimal expense is rewarding.  

This fine day, I went to my water aerobics class laden with freshly ground coffee, half and half, the cute snowman creamer and sugar bowl, sugar, gingerbread cut out cookies, butter cut out cookies, chocolate crinkle cookies, and some Christmas plates.  After our swim, we had our party.  Lots of older people who no longer come to the class come to these things, and it was quite joyful to spend some time with them.  One of the ladies is 92, she walks miles on her treadmill every day.  She brought walnut brownies made from scratch, and oh my goodness.  :). I want to be her when I grow up.  Another lady is 82, and has taken full time care of her mother until her mother passed away last month at age 100.   Amazing.  

When I was pulling out of the parking lot, Kathryn was on her way to Walmart with the three kids, and would I like to go?  Yes, I will go.  I didn't need very much, actually nothing, but I got the kids each a ball, and an ornament, and some bandaids, and a few other little things.

Home...Miss Kathryn came in for a visit, I read some stories, and the kids played while we tried to talk.  :)The afternoon sped by, all cozy in here with the tree lights and all the other white lights glowing.  

Now it's dinner time, and I'm flummoxed.  What ever shall we have?  Maybe bacon and eggs?  I declare, you would think now that there are only a few of us here, life would be simple and easy, and ha, it is.  But I still don't have this Dinner Every Single Night thing figured out.

Well, time to mosey into the kitchen, then drive out in to the rainy night, half hour each way, to get our new vanity top....hope it's all I dream it will be...have a good evening!

comfort and joy!

 Does anyone else walk around the house singing?  I do not like background noise.  I don't usually listen to music, and the television is definitely not on unless we are watching something, and that's been a while since we have, days.  Well, football was on here on Sunday, but with the volume turned down, unless there was some fantastic play and the guys would turn it up for a minute.  

But, there is singing.  Paul makes a lot of noise, ha, he works from home and is always on calls.  Then he listens to podcasts, and sometimes sportscasters going on and on about boring plays, ugh.  

Anyway.  Sunday evening, everyone who came over to have pulled pork nachos and hang out here went home, except for two little boys, Mr. Wulf and Mr. Tennyson, who are six and four.  They were spending the night!  They stayed in Charlotte's room, because she has a room big enough for large tent, and there is one set up in there!  She is also in Germany, so her room is available.  

The boys are perpetual motion, unless they get to use Grandpa's iPad for games.  Wulf knows where all the tape is, and he will use it.  If you tape a plastic toy to a wrapping paper tube, you get something or other.  He was rummaging through the kitchen drawer, and found a corkscrew/bottle opener...he walked away with it, and I had to tell him it wasn't a toy....I don't know what his plans were.  We went to Target yesterday, and I bought them a big red plastic sled.  Wulf really wanted to bring it in and try it on the stairs.  I'm so mean sometimes.  :)

We got McDonalds and brought it to Sonja's apartment for a picnic.  They were allowed to run up and down the stairs and all around the circle of the apartment, and they loved it.  Remember being a kid and going to someone else's house, how fun it was?  

Making them cocoa, and reading stories, singing them songs to tuck them in to bed, keeping track of little socks, and zipping them up in their coats (which they insist they don't need, I had to tell them that if they look cold, someone could call the cops, because adults have to take good care of children...). It is all so fun, but you know what?  It's tiring.  It would be pretty challenging for 59 year old me to do this on the regular, how did I used to do this for days and weeks on end?  Oh, don't get me wrong, it's wonderful, but it is tiring.  

Paul really wanted them to spend another night, and I did too, but today I have cookies to bake for tomorrow's Christmas party with my water aerobics class.  I made more sugar cookie dough, and a batch of gingerbread.  Rolling them all out and baking will take a bit.  Then frosting too...

He said they'll help.  I know, they would.

They went home last night, and it's quiet in here and yeah, I miss them.  

I am so far behind this year in all the Christmas stuff.  I can't believe it.  I have wrapped only a few things...okay, 40-something things for the grandkids.  But more stuff is coming in deliveries, and there is a pile here not wrapped, I usually keep up with it.  I don't know, I'm just lagging this year.  It's just around the corner, but I haven't caught up yet.  

Ah well, it'll come and it'll go, and I'll hopefully have everything done that needs to be done.  This fine morning truly is a fine one.  I had the best cup of coffee, and the tree lights are on, and my little fake fireplace is humming.  I have to get my hair put up, and mosey on out to the kitchen and start baking cookies.  I have to have lots of cut out cookies for the kids at church to frost at the Christmas party there on Sunday, so I might set some aside and freeze them, so I don't have to have another baking day this week, although it is pleasant.  

I wish I could give all of you some cookies, a huge stack.  I don't usually eat the cookies I bake but I've been struggling lately with that little I'll just break off one little piece...which we all know leads to just wanting another little bite.  It's a struggle, but one I am not going to give up on.  Life is short, eat the cookies, but also life could be a little longer if we avoid the dreaded diabetes, right?  

Oh, one funny Comfy Chair story...Tennyson set up the orange Hotwheel track down my chair and across the room...put the car at the top of the track, then pulled out the footrest at the same time, that car FLEW across the room on the track...it was genius.  Have a good day. 

family time....

 

Casey (my little brother), Tom, Bob, then Cheryl and I...just Joey didn't come, and of course Billy has passed away.  We had such a nice time together, glad we made this happen last evening.  Casey has brought KFC for us for the last three years, there was a pizza, some wings, wraps, shrimp, Christmas cookies, donuts...oh it's hard to behave myself sometimes!  It was a cold and crackly night, icy and chilly, but so cozy at Bob and Mary's house.  

Our childhood seems like ancient history now.  I reminded them that in 1975, WWII was only thirty years ago.  Thirty years ago from now was 1994.  Isn't that insane?  Our little silver tinsel Christmas tree and the extra tinsel we put on it, with the big fat colored bulb lights, our Light Brights and Etch-a-Sketches, and when I was in fifth grade, I got a mood ring and a transistor radio!  (I remember looking longingly at the Radio Shack ads, those radios came in an array of tantalizing colors, like grape, tangerine...I could never decide which one I wanted, then when I opened the box, Santa had gotten me the white one...but I didn't express any disappointment, because we didn't do that! )  The boys had Lincoln Logs and Erector sets, and army men and cap guns.  I think Christmas Eve was the only time we really had soda, we had the glass bottles of Coke.  

This fine morning, I am the only one home.  I drove Miss Camille to her music practice, Paul is out hunting, Jon is out and about, so I'm here with two snoring dogs and two lazy cats.  Well, one dog is NOT snoring, she's keeping frequent watch out the window to make sure she doesn't miss any barks when Paul pulls in.  She is very aware of when he's not here.  She will also make sure to alert me to the mail man, and any package deliveries.  

Have a really nice day!

oooh, yeah!

First of all, I'd like to say this:  Whoever said money can't buy happiness has never had a brand new Kitchen Aid.  I gush, I know, but darn it, it's nice.  So smooth!  I guess I didn't know how wonky our old one had become, so jiggly and rough.  This batch of dough was six cups of flour, and this thing didn't hesitate.  I didn't have to scrape the bowl one single time!  
 

The oven worked wonderfully well.  I baked on both racks at the same time, I did swap the trays half way through, but they came out very nice.  The new little beeping sound will take some getting used to.  But, this oven just gives the one little warning when the timer goes off, then shuts up instead of hounding me every ten seconds like the old one did.

These are my favorite cookie cutters, got them last year from Target, three sizes nested together.  Of course I got them rather cheap, but I love them.  

This was taken just a few minutes ago, from my chair.  My usual chair location is in that corner where the tree is, so this is a whole different view.  

And that's the exciting news from here in the snow globe.  I didn't go to the pool today because the school where the pool is had a two hour delay, and we don't have class when that happens.  So I'm trying to do some moving around on land, ha, getting the blood flowing to the joints.  

I do have to go to the auto parts store to pick up some new brakes for the red car, that's exciting.  Since I'll be in the small city, I might just go to Marshall's too, finish up my Christmas shopping.  ha.  finish.  

Tonight is our annual sibling gathering, I'm very excited to say.  I grew up in a nice little house in a nice little neighborhood, I am the sixth of seven children.  My little brother Casey was always my absolute favorite person in the world.  We shared a room when we were small, we went on all sorts of adventures.  Mud pies, sand box, jump rope, bike rides.  He was the one who first thought of taking the spigot handle off of our hose connection at home, and bringing it to the elementary school so we could screw it on there and turn on the water, so we could get a cold drink while playing on the playground during the summer days.  

Now he's married and has two grown kids, and we don't see each other very often.  But, it's always so wonderful when we get together.   The oldest sibling is Cheryl, my bestie and only sister, then Bob, who is married to Mary, they have ten grown kids, and are super special people, Bob was always a good older brother to me.  Then Tom, who is married to Kim, they have 12 grown kids, and are very fun to be with.  Then there's Joey, one of my favorite brothers, who has grown away from the family, although we don't give up on trying to get him to join us.  Next, sadly, was Billy, there was no one like him. He's my brother who let me hang out with him when he was a teenager, and introduced to me to his friends, and I got to be cool.  He was actually the first one in our family to get converted, and was such a good example as a brother and as a Christian.  His life turned sort of sideways, at the end, although the coroner's report said there were no drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of his death, which you remember was by his own hand, with a shotgun.  (There were high levels of carbon monoxide in his system, caused by the way he heated his little home).    Then there's me, then Casey.  So now Cheryl, Bobby, (and Mary) Tommy (and Kim), me, and Casey get together each year before Christmas and have a good old time.  

Cheryl has 7 girls, Bob has 10 kids, Tom 12, Joey 1, me 16, Casey 2...48 grandchildren for my late parents.  We never run out of things to talk about, ha.  It's interesting though, because one has to work on being a good listener, not a conversation hog.  We're all pretty good at this, so it's a nice time.

Then tomorrow there's a Christmas concert at church, Abigail will be coming for it, so I get to see her again.  Camille will be playing her violin, and Emily will be singing.  

All right, time to get ready to go to pick up those exciting brake pads and rotors...have a really good day!

not exactly snowed in...but...

 I am not going anywhere anytime soon!  It's beautiful out there, exactly like a snowglobe.  The snow covers a multitude of sin, all that brown and mud and the bare naked trees.  The lake effect flakes are big and fluffy and they wander down in no particular hurry, just like a Hallmark movie.  The wind will be picking up, so it might not look as idyllic, but it's lovely right now.

Lydia really liked these deer, she asked if she could play with them.  Of course, as long as you leave them right here when you're done.  

Denzel loved our Christmas tree.  He took lots of things off of it, being one year old, he doesn't really care how many times you take him away from it.  He didn't hurt anything, I just have a few things to put back on. 

The front middle is kind of messed up.  Rhys was decorating it the other day too, I really don't care that much, it's still beautiful, and it's enjoyed.  Ophelia liked the candy canes.  She had three, but to be fair, she thought if one broke, it was okay to have another:)

Like the chocolate Santa?  It came in a package of chocolate ornaments from Aldi.

Old Kitty keeping an eye on the snow.

I think I'll test out the new oven today.  Maybe a big batch of chocolate chip cookies with Christmas M&M's in them...I have to make cut out cookies next week, gingerbread and regular butter cut outs, for our pool Christmas party.  Then more for the childrens' party at church, for them to frost and decorate.  This is all fine with me, ha.  

So, everything in my life is absolutely perfect, no trials at all.  ha.  The new stove fits more snugly in the countertops, looks great, except for the new flooring wasn't installed far back enough...thankfully we still have some leftover, and Paul said he will fix it.  I repainted the tile behind the stove a few years back, didn't paint down far enough for the new stove...so it has to be redone.  

I don't mind some projects.  I am itching to start on the end tables, the ones I bought in high school.  What a dope I was, ha, using my babysitting money to buy two unfinished wood end tables.  I also went to the furniture store and bought a floral couch and love seat, paid for it weekly, then stored it at Paul's brother's house.  When we got married and had our first apartment, I sanded and finished the tables, and reveled in having such beautiful brand new living room furniture.  

The tables have been chalk painted a few times, they are white now.  The tops will be sanded to find that nice wood underneath, and the bottoms painted like the coffee table.  

Today just plain wins the Cozy Award.  I cannot tell you how amazing it is.  Every tree branch covered in snow, the lighting the way it is when everything outside is white, and the fake fireplace humming.  

Emily took this picture on her way to work, a bit north and west of here.  Our family chat is filled with driving-to-work-in-the-snow experiences this morning.  Sam counted seven cars off the road.  Mariel took twenty minutes extra to get in to the city to the hospital.  Adrian drove through a white out, and Rosi did also.  So I'm home and praying for them all!  

Ah well, have a good day, and if you're in the frozen north, stay warm and safe!!  If you're in the sunny south, take a minute to enjoy that warm sun on your face, and shh, I'm a tiny bit jealous.