Thy leaves are so unchanging!

Our Christmas tree has been de-decorated for quite some time now, but Kev only just today took the lights off and carted the tree out of the living room.  We’ve been enjoying the lights so much that we both procrastinated.  The tree was surprisingly still keeping its needles well, mostly losing them only by the small clumps the cats chewed off (mostly Fat Murray).  We got the smallest tree we’ve ever had in this house... since 1993.  This year’s tree was once again a Frasier Fir (our favorite kind), and it was only a little bit over six foot tall.  Our typical Christmas tree has been closer to twelve feet, so this tree at first seemed tiny.

Kevin and Sam went over to the Christmas tree lot that we always go to, and they picked this tree out together.  I was still recuperating from the knee surgery I had in early December, so I didn't go with them.  (Arthroscopic surgery for torn meniscus... the most common of knee injuries... of course!)  The tree was the only Christmas decorating we did this year, foregoing all of the other stuff... Sam, Kev and I all had trouble getting into the decorating spirit this year.  Me because of my knee, Kev because of so many extra hours he had at work, and Sam because I am pretty sure that if any further decorating got done, he’d be hauling boxes up and down the stairs all by himself.  Not a lot of fun.

So now our living room is so much bigger!  Isn’t it nuts how the day you take the tree down, your room grows.

I thought the cats would be pissed off at Kev, but once he moved the loveseat back where it goes (where the tree was), they both plopped their butts on it and went to sleep.  The cats enjoyed the tree immensely... I thought they'd miss it more...

Kevin also got the Meyer snow plow on the old ’78 Chevy pickup today.  Kev uses the tractor to plow our driveway, so he gave the old truck to Mike and Joyce for their incredibly long, straight driveway.  The plow hasn’t been on the old truck in about five years, but Kev said it went on pretty easily and worked like a charm.  That old truck is rusting out like crazy, but she’s still dependable as heck.  Love that old truck. 

We’ve had a spell of nice weather... the annual January thaw.  This past week was lovely.  It started to get cold and a freezing rain began just as Kev finished with the old truck this afternoon.  Shortly after he got inside for evening, it turned to big, fat flakes of snow.  Now it’s snowing small and fast.  Little snow, big snow.  That means it should accumulate.  Yay!  Love the snow.

Sam wants to do some more senior photos in the snow... he did a photo shoot in the fall with the beautiful autumn colors.  So here’s hoping we get a lot of beautiful snow, because I would like to have some photos of Sam in the snow, too.  The same photographer who did Joyce and Mike’s engagement photos and wedding is doing Sam’s senior photos, and he’s so good.  Joyce and Mike did their engagement photos in the snow, and they were awesome photos.  There is something about snow... I have loved snow since I was little.  I love the first snow... I can smell it in the air.  It’s a wonderful smell that first snow.  Like the first cold morning you can really smell autumn.  Makes you wanna hug the air.

This past week, I have finally been able to get back into the pottery studio.  I didn’t get in there hardly at all during December, due to my knee.  I had two tears in the meniscus of my right knee, so it was very painful for a while.  After the surgery, it was amazing how the pain was gone.  I had pain from surgery, but that deep, intense inside pain was magically gone.  Very nice.  Then almost exactly two weeks after the surgery, I fell outside on the frozen ground directly onto that knee.  I was afraid I had done some damage to the meniscus, but I didn’t... but... I did bruise my patella.  The surgeon said it would just take time to heal.  And then he said he could give me a shot of steroids into the knee which would help with the pain.  I said, “Now, please.”  That was Monday afternoon, and by Tuesday morning, I was raring to get into the studio.  Wasn’t even limping!  I’ve been making things like a woman possessed.  I’ve missed clay so much. 

Most recently, I made eight tumblers which are currently in the kiln, just bisque fired over this weekend.  I will hopefully be able to glaze them all tomorrow, and they’ll go through a glaze firing this week.  These are a test lot, because I’ve taken on a commission to make 200 stoneware tumblers which must each hold 20 ounces.  I had made a luncheon set of stoneware dishes last year that’s still at the Serendipity 181 shop downtown, and a husband and wife saw them there.  They are opening a pub just down the street from Serendipity 181, and they want the 200 tumblers to look just like the ones they saw at the shop for their “mug club” at their pub.  I am very excited about this project.   And nervous.  200 tumblers by May 1st.  Gonna be fun!

But I don’t wanna do only tumblers from now until May.  I’ve been dreaming ideas for clay... I have more ideas than time!  That’s a lovely feeling.  Since I’ve been selling pieces at Serendipity 181 (which is an artist consignment shop), it’s like I’ve been freed up to try anything with clay.  I don’t have to make something that I want in my house or I want to give to a family member or friend... I can’t make any crazy thing I want!  And, the pieces sell.  It’s awesome.  Gives me money to keep my clay habit going.  I love being at the studio, being there with my friends, working with clay, creating something and then seeing it come out of the glaze firing.  Opening a kiln from a glaze firing is like Christmas morning.  So freakin’ fun.  And now my fingers are itching to get into clay right now!

This past Saturday I worked at the studio from 9am until about 2pm.  It is amazing to me how many muscles are used when making stuff at the studio.  Being forced to take a month away from it, this week has reminded me... but it is a wonderful type of soreness.  By 2pm on Saturday, though, I felt almost too tired to drive myself home.  Joyce worked the front desk at the studio, and she was busy working, but she was there (I love it when she's there), and we had lunch together.  Joyce helped me take care of a couple of things when I was cleaning up... she carried the heavy things for me because she could see I was struggling by that point.  I got out into my car to leave and realized I had left my water on the table... totally too pooped to go back in and get it so I called Joyce.  Setting in my car on the other side of the glass door, I talked with her and told her I left my water... she laughed at me and then got it and ran it out to me.  Love that girl. 

I made some ridiculous little salt and pepper shakers yesterday... I used a plaster mold of a baby face, so the shaker is a baby’s head.  Joycie said they’re freaky.  I like ‘em!  It’s a Duncan mold from the 1960’s that I bought at an estate sale last summer, along with about one hundred other molds.  I took quite a few into the studio for everyone to use, mostly simple shapes we can use for slump or hump molds.  I also have quite a few in my garage that I picked up for a friend, and this included 2 Duncan baby doll molds, a boy and a girl.  There are also little hands/arms and feet/legs parts in these molds... I might try using those for something wacky, too.  These plaster molds are meant for slip-casting, but I am just pressing clay into the mold, using the bit I want of the face... we don’t do slip-casting at the pottery studio.  I do a lot of hand-building (that is, instead of throwing on a wheel), and I like using plaster molds for some things.  I will have pottery on the mind all through the night now.  Sometimes I get up in the middle of the night to write down stuff, so I can remember my pottery ideas/dreams.  Often I can’t make sense of what I wrote.  But it’s damn fun.

Life is so good.  I love being retired.  I worked for 35 years, and I have not missed it at all, not for one minute.  I'm so happy.  A bad day in retirement is still better than the best day working.    I am totally grinning as I type this!!!

Sam and Allie are at the movies tonight.  Sam just texted me and asked me to set up a timer to record Honey Boo Boo on TLC.  I did it, though I could feel brain cells dying from it.  That’s crap TV Big Time.  And my son and his girlfriend wanna watch it.  Sigh.   Our family enjoys our TV.  Kev and I are hooked on a lot of shows... Blue Bloods, CSI, Elementary, Bones, CSI New York, Castle, Rizzoli & Isles, Rookie Blue, Person of Interest, Sons of Anarchy, Justified, and so on... so basically anything to do with crime!  We also like New Girl, Parenthood, Revenge...  And I have to have my Big Bang Theory weekly fix.  Many of the TV shows we watch are not Sam’s choice.  Now that we have the Dish Hopper, we share the DVR with Sam... before the hopper, we had a DVR in the living room and another upstairs, so we never saw what shows Sam recorded.   I know I sound old when I say this, but I can’t believe the shit Sam watches!  Damn kids, get off my lawn!

Last minute holiday shopping?...

What to get for the person who has everything? Stumped for ideas? Shopping crowds got you down? Sick of trying to find a parking spot that isn't 2 miles away? Tired of clicking through web pages? ... Well, don't just give up!

YTD '09 in photos...

Sandy and I are on the same wavelength lately, kind of.... neither one of us got our Christmas packages mailed out on time. But Sandy sent us a huge box in January (and I have yet to mail our box to them! *sigh*). It was so much fun to open that box, as are all boxes from Sandy... my friend is very creative.

Christmas this past year was not typical. Everyone was so sick that some family get-togethers had to be cancelled. We got together with my in-laws in January, which happened to be at the time we got the huge box from Sandy. One of the many gifts Sandy sent was this...



How cool is that?! And it was perfect timing, because we had a festive Christmas dinner that evening in January...



My family had discussed getting together in February, but so far we're still trying to find a weekend when we're all mostly healthy and not contagious. Oy!

A few of us did manage to gather at Kathy and Bob's and celebrate my beautiful niece, Michelle's, 22nd birthday...



Chelle-Belle was thrilled to get outfitted for snowboarding for her birthday...



There is the most gorgeous snowboarder on the hill, folks! I know she and her brother had a blast snowboarding one day. The very idea of snowboarding makes me feel nervous... and old. Ah, to be young and graceful and flying down a snow-covered hill at a kazillion miles per hour on a piece of board. Um... no thanks.

I also got a very pretty photo of Michelle with her Gramma at her birthday party...



And a nice photo of my Mom and Dad, with Dad's fancy new hat that Joie gave to him, and I think he looks very dashing...



I also got this so very cute photo of Janet and Bob, with camera in hand, that's my sis...



This is a photo of the devine coconut cake that Sammy made...



All the photos I took of Sammy and this first coconut cake he made, from scratch!, turned out slightly to very blurry. Sammy made it on Valentine's Day, which happened to also be the time when Janet and Bob received their zebra rug from Africa. They brought the rug over to show us, and they had a piece of Sammy's awesome cake with us... a cake so awesome, that was all Kev wanted for his birthday!

Reilly was not very happy with the rug, and to his credit, it did still smell quite strongly... from being boxed up and shipped all that distance. It's gorgeous, though...



It's also very large. So beautiful. I tried to convince Bob and Janet they should just leave it here at our house, but they declined....

Christmas at Janet & Bob's

Yesterday's Christmas at Janet & Bob's was really nice. I'm so glad that my sis does that get-together so we can all see Rogan and Austin at Christmastime. It was a little sad because not all the family could be there - some still too sick.

Janet & Bob put on a great meal, and their home is always wonderfully warm and inviting. My sister, Janet, has a way with decorating. We call her our family Martha Stewart, and that's meant as a big compliment. (to Martha!) I love walking into their home and looking around to see what Janet's changed and added.

When we walked in yesterday, it smelled so good! Here's the cooking couple in the kitchen...



And Rogan and Austin happy with a couple of Christmas gifts...



Sure are a couple of cutie-pies, aren't they. Sammy was kinda bummed that he couldn't have fun with the 2 of them, as I put Sam under strict orders to not get too close to anyone. He was hardly coughing at all, and he and I were both careful even though we're better.

Janet made a tree this year from grapevines, and it looked so beautiful in the corner of their living room.



Here's a better close-up photo...



She's amazing. Janet is super talented... she'll see something in a magazine or on a TV show, and next thing you know, she's made it, built it or crafted it somehow. And it looks perfect.

Kev and I drove over separately from the kids, and then when Joyce, Mike & Sammy left, they drove straight over to Bay City. Mike had forgotten the keys to his pickup truck, which was at our house. They were both kinda frustrated about it, but I suggested they take Sammy over to the Hollister store near Mike's home so Sam could spend his gift card I gave him... and Sammy was Very Pleased. Made the trip worthwhile, that's for sure. Sammy got a couple of things there, and that's what he wanted... and, I didn't have to take him. (I absolutely detest going into a Hollister. Too loud and too smelly for old me.)

So when Kev and I arrived home together, we were surprised to see this visitor...



Sammy and Mike and made him quick after we left for Janet & Bob's... made me laugh, especially the little hair on top...



It had been a long day, and I was in bed kinda early. Good thing, because the wind started up and woke me around 3am. Kev got up at about 4am and decided to pull his truck into the garage in the pole barn - he had left it out so the rain could wash some of the salty residue off it. So I pulled my old La Sabre out of the garage and we put Mike's truck inside it. Lots of branches going down, and we lost one not so big oak near the house... Kev had to drive Mike's truck across the yard to get to the garage because the downed oak was blocking the driveway. Mike's truck is worth a lot more than my old car, and a bump from a big branch on my car wouldn't bother me a bit... Mike's truck getting banged up would bother Mike a lot.

The winds were incredibly loud, and the house felt like it was swaying. I think Kev said the predictions were for about 50 or 60 mph winds. Kev and I stayed up... couldn't go back to sleep with all that noise. So we made a pot of coffee and talked for hours. I had woke Joycie up when I had to go into her bedroom to find Mike's keys, and pretty soon, she came out and took a shower... Kev was surprised, and I said, nah... she was laying in there listening to that wind and decided to get her shower taken before the power went out. Ten minutes after she finished the power flickered off and on, but stayed on. We lit candles and got flashlights handy just in case. Drank our coffee and talked to candlelight and Christmas tree lights, with the wind occasionally roaring at the windows. Nice and unsettling at the same time.

This is a photo I took at almost 8am. It was still pretty dark outside. Only a fat stump ball left of the snowman, and you can see the downed oak to the right... that's the top of it, lots of branches...



And later this afternoon... still some stumpy snowman left, but Kev and Mike got the oak cut up and cleaned out of the way. The oak was part of a twin, and you can see the big scar from the felled one on the tree way to the right side of the photo. And you can see a lot of green, too... can't believe how much snow is gone in one day...



Joycie made 2 loaves of bread today in her new bread machine... this is the first one, plain white...



I used to have a bread machine years ago, but when it finally broke, I never got around to getting another one. I had forgotten how a loaf of bread baking in the bread machine makes the house smell so wonderful. She put in another loaf, this time oatmeal cinnamon raisin, and it baked while the 5 of us watched "Wall-E" this evening. Mmm... Great way to spend a Sunday evening.

thunder and lightning

We definitely had a white Christmas, like most North Americans... or most of us notherners anyway. Woke up to a thunder storm this morning, and it is still raining. It's slowly pounding the snow away, but we have so much snow, you can't tell just yet. The fog is pretty amazing, and these 2 photos definitely don't do it justice...





This kind of thick, floating fog always makes me think of Edgar Allen Poe, Sherlock Holmes and the like. Only it's daytime. Weird. And not very Christmas-like... And the flooding that's expected in our area is not good. Kev will be keeping an eye on our sump pump and the creek level.

Our Christmas was nice, but also very disappointing. Sammy and I both being sick (me with an awful flu since Monday evening), plus my brother, Jim, sister-in-law, Sue & nephew, James all being sick, plus my sister, Kathy, and now her hubby, my brother-in-law, Bob... we decided to postpone the family Christmas gathering. Too many sickos, and too many different illnesses to share with each other. That'd be dreadful. Without dinner at Kathy & Bob's, turkey and Swedish meatballs, everyone together, then over here at our house to open gifts for the kids and our Chinese Auction with all the adults... geewhiz, I miss it!!! Last I heard, we're hoping for a Saturday in mid-February. Christmas is in the heart and all about family, so does it really matter when it happens? No. But... *sigh* I'm just happy we're all here to have that turkey and traditional meatballs then. Meanwhile, my sister, Janet, and brother-in-law, Bob, are having all the families over to their house today so we can have Christmas with Rogan, my great-nephew, and Austin, soon to be great-nephew-in-law. Sammy's still coughing a little, but he and I are both doing much better, so we will likely attend. Kathy and Bob are still super sick, so they won't be going, and last I heard, Jim, Sue & James aren't up to coming either. But at least we will have most of us together for a little while. If Sammy's cough is still happening pretty often, I threatened to make him wear a mask, those paper ones that Kev has out in his workshop for like doing drywall and stuff. Sam thinks I'm kidding.

I was very thankful, though, that both Sammy and I actually felt like getting out of bed Christmas morning. Early, too. Very early... 6am I think. The four of us had a nice, quiet and relaxing time opening our gifts. With a lot of laughter. For some reason this year, Reilly finally decided to show an interest in opening presents. Makes sense, since this is the first year none of us got him a gift, wrapped it and tried to get him to open it. Duh. Reilly tried helping with most of the gift opening, and it was very fun.



Sammy was oh so unsurprised with his XBox thing. That was The One Thing he really wanted for Christmas, and while he and I were shopping for his dad and sister, we hit Best Buy, and there it was. They had a few different ones for sale, and Sammy was telling me to remember to get This One. I said oh hell, Sam, just pick it up. So he carried it up to the checkout and then out to the trunk of my car for me. That box is actually quite heavy. And like it would be a surprise anyway.



But I totally wrapped it, though I see I didn't bother to remove the price tag... anyway, now he's been downstairs with it practically every waking minute since.

Joycie got both Kev and I some thoughtful gifts. Kev was happy with the beer making kit, something he's wanted to try.



And I was happy with the wonderful lavender booties and neck cozy... they have inserts you can warm up in the microwave, and they feel and smell wonderful.



Sammy knew what he wanted to get for Joycie a while ago, because she has a favorite pair of shoes that are pretty much worn out, and he got her 2 pair similar at American Eagle. Had to be AE. I was skeptical that she'd like them, but Sam was right on... she loved both of 'em...



Sammy does have a good eye for style. Wearing clothes that are in fashion is important to him and to nearly all his friends, both guys and girls. Big Time. Since I had told him that the XBox was ALL he was getting from us this Christmas, since it was so expensive, he was super surprised and happy with more gifts to open. Reilly helping him on this one was funny, because it was the one gift that I did that was a wrapped box inside a wrapped box inside a wrapped box...



And when Sammy saw the Hollister t-shirt, he was very pleased...



This year, due to - SURPRISE! - financial woes, Kev and I promised each other we would not buy any gifts for each other. Our gift to each other was not spending more money on Christmas. But, of course... Kev pulled a fast one and "Santa" got us Kona coffee and some new mugs...



It was nice, because every year, Kev gets me coffee from this place downtown, and it just wouldn't be Christmas without opening that gift and smelling that wonderful coffee smell.

So Kev made a fresh pot of coffee and washed 2 of our new mugs and the 4 of us watched "Mamma Mia" together. Sammy got me that DVD, and Wall-E DVD, plus a wonderful "WoodWick" candle, which is really cool. I had went to see Mamma Mia with Kathy, and loved it, but Kev, Joycie and Sammy hadn't seen it yet. None of the 3 of them were too enthusiastic about the prospect, but they all enjoyed it. A lot. Ha! I think I smiled all the way through it. Can't wait to watch it again.

Later, Reilly did get his Christmas gift from Joycie... a lovely massage. She brushed the hairy beast and vacuumed him, and he loved it. So did Kevin. (Reilly's been shedding a lot lately.)



Then later, Mikey arrived. I had gotten a gift for the both of them, so they opened it together...



The rolling pin in Joycie's hand in this photo made me laugh... Anyway, now they're set up just fine to make homemade tortillas. A gift for all of us!

Mike modeled his UnderArmor shirt, which made him very happy...



We just love that boy. Since he is going to college full-time and has no job, and still has to feed gas into his truck, our Mikey was wise enough not to try and give us Christmas gifts. He gave us a short letter he wrote, addressed to "Dear inlaws" which was so sweet, yes of course, it made me cry... he explained he couldn't buy us anything, but he appreciated us and what we did for him, like letting him stay every weekend and hunt here on our property like it's his own, and how he can't wait to call us in-laws officially. It was better than anything he could possibly have bought for us.

Joycie and Mike left to go to a family gathering of Mike's and I took a nap. I was able to talk with many family members and to Sandy, which was very nice. Sandy and I haven't talked in a while, so we had a nice, long conversation. This was their first Christmas in their new house, and they had a nice, quiet Christmas morning, too, just the 3 of them, Sandy, Brian and Brandon.

Sandy and I both observed how odd it felt not to be rushing around on Christmas day. Kinda nice, actually. With the kids growing older and moving and starting families of their own, Christmas traditions must change... makes me sad and happy at the same time. Anyway, Christmas is only 1 day of the year. Our family is close, really close, so we are lucky. Maybe not as much face time as we'd like, but phone calls work. I could feel Sandy's hug through the phone yesterday. We're so very, very lucky... we get lots of family time throughout all the year, not just around holidays. To quote a favorite movie of mine (notice it playing on the TV in the photo of Mike modeling his new shirt), "Love actually is all around."

Merry Christmas everyone!

you must learn to eat time

We're in the midst of a big snow storm, and word is we're supposed to get about a foot of snow; it's already begun... snowed through the night. Sammy has a snow day today. Which actually disappointed him a great deal... for one thing, I was taking him to Espresso Milano for breakfast, and for another, it's the last day of school before Christmas break, which is always a pretty fun day. Since I somewhat expected it to be a snow day, I packed heavily at work yesterday and brought a ton of work home with me. But first thing this morning when I logged onto our company network, I had to do an update to my laptop. So I kicked off the update and filled up my coffee cup, and I went and sat down in the recliner & turned on the TV... flipped to Fox Movie channel and there was an old movie on with a very, very young Joan Collins and Richard Burton, I think, in a raft on the ocean, shipwrecked. I watched for a little while. It must have taken place in WWII, because they came across a surfaced submarine with Japanese soldiers. After some debate, the Japanese gave them water and food, but left them. One guy in the raft hollered out something like, "which way is land?" The Japanese captain said, "Land is all around. Open your mind. You must learn to eat time."

You must learn to eat time.

I am so swamped right now, as usual for this time of year, busy with 4th quarter and year-end close, along with still tons of backlogged work and other special events causing nothing but work, work and more work... I need more time, and I need more energy. Can you imagine...??? You must learn to eat time.

This is how fast time has flown by. Yesterday it was mid-October...





And today, it's almost Christmas...





Notice all the stacks of wood Kevin has cut, split and stacked. They're beautiful setting out there by our red pole barn. The stacks go on and on; you can't see half of them in the photo above. The amount of wood dwarfs the barn. We are warm and toasty in the house, even though the temperatures this week have occasionally hovered around zero. Kev takes very good care of us.

And speaking of Christmas... ugh. Thank goodness for plastic, eh. *flinch* Sammy and I went shopping together last weekend. From the long lines to check out at the registers at Kohl's, you wouldn't think there's any kind of economic slump. It was amazing. And Kohl's, as usual, had some amazing sales.

Sammy and I were looking at a couple of things there, and a phone began ringing. It didn't sound like a typical cell phone jingle; it sounded like an old-fashioned telephone ring. It was quite loud. So I, of course, looked around. There was an older gal pushing a Kohl's cart, and she looked at me and said, "Doncha hate that?" I looked back at her, head cocked, with a puzzled expression... huh? "You know," she says, "when your boob starts ringing." And she reached into her bra and pulled out her cell phone. I about pissed myself laughing! She was adorable! Sammy cracked up, too.

On Wednesday I had a PT appointment at noon, and then afterwards, I met Joyce in town for the 2 of us to do some Christmas shopping. It was a nice couple of hours together. Then she booked back on home, and I continued to shop... and I think I'm mostly done now. Just have to wrap, and I think I will make time for that today so the kids can wonder about the gifts under the tree for them. Otherwise, what's the point... I've been running pretty late at Christmas every year for the past few, and next year, I'm looking forward to feeling better and getting on top things. I will eat time.

I have only one New Year's Resolution this year, and that is to do more blog posts. Because really, if I do more blogging, that means I am more organized and energized in my life in general. I don't blog much lately because I'm too busy with work and then I don't have the energy for hardly anything else. So I will concentrate on one thing, and all the other stuff will fall into place. That's my plan.

Hey, it's nice to have a plan.

high ate us

Seems like every time I sit down at my computer to do a blog post, I end up playing Spider Solitaire. And then I feel guilty for not working on my company laptop instead. It's very crushing to one's creative inspiration.

So... how 'bout some bullet points? Ok, sure.

• I cannot fecking believe it's December 6th. Already.


• I just finished a book on tape where the story's setting was Ireland, and now I keep using 'fecking' to describe many, many things. I also talked in an Irish accent for a while, which Joyce informed me was not an Irish accent and then she told me to knock it off.


• My Dad makes the best home-made bread (in his bread machine), and I just had 2 pieces toasted, with butter and honey. Heaven. Thank you, Daddy.


• Sammy had surgery on his right elbow on Wednesday, Nov. 5th, one day after his 14th birthday. The surgeon had to put a screw into his bone to hold the end that had broken off. He did not get a cast; he had a splint and a sling for a couple of weeks. He's now going to physical therapy... the elbow dislocation was the issue. The PT is to help him regain arm extension. Sam's hoping his arm will be ready in time for basketball... me, too. Otherwise, he will be very sad.


• Joycie turned 20 years old the day before Thanksgiving. Sometimes she seems more adult than I feel. Mentally, that is. Physically, I'm the oldest person on Earth.


• I came home from work yesterday and Joycie & Mike had decorated the entire house, inside and out, with all our Christmas decorations. And lit candles. The house looked and smelled so Christmasy wonderful. We're getting our tree Monday evening (Kev has to work this weekend, just like last weekend).


• It's snowing right now. Big, fat flakes. And it's really, really coming down! It is so beautiful.


• Speaking of creativity... my sister, Joie, has joined me at Space Studios the past month. She is making 2 large coil pots for lamp bases, and she's doing a superb job on them. They are going to be gorgeous.


• I saw a vanity plate the other day that read, FANILOW. When I got closer to the car, I saw her bumper sticker that read, I'm broke, single and love Barry Manilow. Wanna go out?


• I have a list of items I have yet to do blog posts on, and it goes all the way back to May. Criminey!


• I paid something like $1.40 a gallon for gas the other day. On one hand, I'm so relieved. On the other hand, I'm burning with anger. How can it have been over $5 a gallon just a short time ago?... Fecking criminals, that's how.


• Whenever I use "on one hand" and "on the other hand" I think of Randy Travis. Mmmmmm....


• Joycie's Mike is now an Uncle Mike. His brother's son was born the day after Thanksgiving. My fingers are itching to hold that newborn baby boy.


• I want Kenny to win Survivor. But I just love Bob. Detest Corrine. And if my man proposed marriage to me with that much bawling, I'd have to say... uh... no. I mean really. There's sweet... and then there's sappy.


• I've been listening to books on tape a lot lately. It's nice to be "reading" again. Joyce insisted I read "Twilight" so I tried. I got about a third of the way through it. I couldn't finish it because: a) it hurts my neck looking down to read and I can't seem to get the book at a good level with pillows for my trifocals so reading is not fun, and b) it was stupid. Sorry. I'm misunderstood and in high school and in love with a vampire. Puh-lease. Clearly, however, I'm in the minority. That is one popular book series, and movie. If you've read it and enjoyed it, fine. Now go read Kaye Gibbons' book "Ellen Foster." Your brain deserves it.


• My sister, Kathy, just called me. (Hi, Sicko!) (She's got a bad cold.) She asked me what I was doing, and I said, "I am actually typing up a blog post!" That's what she was calling me for... to tell me to update my blog and that it's not Halloween anymore and it's not even Thanksgiving. Ha! Like I hadn't noticed. I noticed, I noticed. I'm just in denial. Christmas is NOT in 19 days.


• Is anyone else creeped out by the Grey's Anatomy story line of Izzy with her dead fiance? Ew. I mean the guy's a hunk and all, but... ew.


• Two things I heard at work recently that made me laugh. 1) I'm all stuffed up; I think I'm allergic to this place. 2) I'm not afraid of work, I'll lay down right beside it & fall asleep.


• At work lately there has been a huge focus on safety. Well, there has always been a big focus on safety where I work, but lately it's been even more pronounced. I totally agree with it. But... we all received an e-mail on Tuesday, Nov. 4th... Election Day, which was an unusually warm Nov. 4th... this is the text of it, verbatim, typos and all: "The nice warm temps have given us the extra time needed to complete those last few tasks that need completing outside at work and at home. Don't let the distractions of hurrying home to do that job take your focus off of the task at hand while at work, the same while finishing up the jobs at home. The nice warn temps can bring out the conversations while you are working, Stay focused, enjoy the last of the warm weather, and put the finishing touches on those tasks to be prepared for the winter ahead. As election day is upon us, there are a lot of people driving around, waiting in long lines and rushing to get to their next destination. Please take time today to look for extra hazards and slow down as this is a busy day for all." Seriously. You can't make this shit up.


• Mike, Joycie and I are going shopping today together so Joyce can spend her Michael's Craft Store gift card we gave to her for her birthday... on scrapbooking stuff. And then lunch.


• And then home and nap. (For me.)

Froth!

On the last day of school before Christmas break, Sammy's Spanish teacher made "Mexican Hot Chocolate" for all the kids in class. Sammy was raving about it. He gave me all the details... Mrs. B. had some chunk kind of chocolate, and you can buy it at the grocery store, and she put it in a pan of milk with some sugar and while it heated up and melted the chocolate, she used a wooden thing to make it thick and creamy. He wanted to go to the grocery store NOW to get the Mexican chocolate, because he said I wouldn't believe how good it was.

I trust Sammy's judgment on all things hot chocolate, because since that boy was very little, he's loved hot chocolate. When we're anywhere near a new coffee house, he wants to stop in & try their hot chocolate. There's a really, really good coffee house in Midland, a nearby town, called Espresso Milano, and Sammy likes to go there on a regular basis to get their hot chocolate. He doesn't have too much trouble convincing me to take him there, because both Kev and I have a Major Thing for their "White Rabbit" cappuccino, which is a vanilla flavored strong coffee drink.

I usually drink my coffee plain black, which is what I need first thing in the morning. Straight, strong black coffee, no flavors, not sweet. By the time I get to Espresso Milano anytime we go, though, I've already had my pot of coffee at home. A White Rabbit is like a treat. A sweet, yummy treat. With a coffee kick. I often like mine with an extra shot of espresso. Mmmm...

So anyway, back to Sammy's new found love of Mexican hot chocolate. I did a little research on the Internet and discovered just how ignorant I was about hot chocolate. Mexican hot chocolate, or rather, hot chocolate made the traditional way it is made in Mexico, is a serious drink, and seriously wonderful. I found a kazillion web sites (almost 300K on a Google search!), but my favorite site was this one by Linda Stradley, "Rediscover True Hot Chocolate", which includes a lot about the history of hot chocolate. It also has a picture of the wooden implement like the one Sammy's Spanish teacher used, and it's called a molinillo.

So right before Christmas, Kevin and I did some shopping, including some grocery shopping. While at the grocery store, I found the Mexican chocolate Sammy had told me about. And then began my search for a molinillo. I thought it'd be really cool to give those 2 things to Sammy for Christmas, like to put them into his stocking.

I discovered that if there is a store that sells a molinillo... we could not find it. We actually ended up over in Saginaw, which is quite a ways from our home, and I ended up calling places there and in Bay City. No luck. I did have several people suggest I try "Peel N' Pare" in Midland. I had already called them... they were my first call. On our way back home, I decided to go into Peel N' Pare and see for myself.

Peel N' Pare is a specialty cooking/kitchen store, with just about anything you may need for gourmet cooking (except large appliances). They also have a lot of specialty and expensive coffee beans for sale, though they don't make coffee there (it's not a coffee house). It's not a big store (and surprisingly, no web site), but they have a lot of stock. And it's what I would call a high end store. Lots of expensive stuff. But they have items that you really can't find anywhere else in our area. Beautiful, pretty stuff. If I had a fortune, I could spend a good chunk of it in that store.

Alas, they had no molinillo. But at the suggestion of someone there, I bought this for Sammy for Christmas... the "Bonjour Caffé Froth Monet" in the blue and white box. It's a milk frother; a simple tool that froths milk like crazy. Right near the froth tool, the store had a huge display of bottles flavored syrups, so I bought these 2 for Sammy and a couple of the red plastic tops, too... These are the kind that Espresso Milano uses...



This is the Mexican chocolate I found at the grocery store. It comes in round, individually wrapped patties inside the box. It's not dense like baking chocolate or a Hershey bar, and it's got some spice in it, like cinnamon or something. It smells wonderful.



This is how the frother works. You pour milk into the glass container up to the line indicated...



Then you put the tool in and just pump it up and down...



I discovered you have to be sure to bring the tool up above the milk and back down into it to get a really good froth going.



It's very quick, about 20 pumps and you're done. 20 seconds. A little milk goes a long way...



Then I put the container into the microwave for about 45 seconds to warm it up. I quickly learned to put it on a paper plate or something, because once the frothy milk starts heating up, the froth seems to grow... sometimes over the side of the container...



I decided to make a couple of homemade White Rabbits for Kev and I this morning, so I poured in some French Vanilla syrup, some frothy hot milk and then some double-strength coffee...



I mixed them up well and topped them off with more strong coffee...



So good...! See how much nice foam there is on the top.



Quick and easy. We don't have a cappuccino machine, and though Kev has suggested one for me for a gift, I've never wanted one. This milk frother tool is super easy, super quick and super easy to clean. And our homemade White Rabbits are really good. Really, really good. And I didn't have to spend twelve bucks for 2 of them either. (Though, heck, yeah, I will still do so at Espresso Milano, because though our homemade version is wonderful, it's not quite as perfect as Espresso Milano's...)

Merry Christmas!

Not having thought things through entirely...





Joycie and Sammy both got the new Guitar Hero III; Sammy for his Wii and Joycie for her PS2... so now we have That Darn Loud Rock 'n Roll Music playing both upstairs and down.

Ack! Turn it down! And get a haircut!