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Post by Phalon on Dec 17, 2016 11:02:23 GMT -6
Maybe it's something you work up to over time.
One of my favorite things about Christmas - no, the best thing about Christmas is visiting. I met my friend downtown for cocktails Thursday night; her choice of poison is gin and tonic, and I usually alternate coffee and Bailey's with straight coffee - she can nurse a gin and tonic for an hour, while I go through a couple...or few coffees; beer for us both in the summertime. We do this about once a month, and is really the only time we see each other; I suppose people observing us might think we're mother and daughter - she's more than 20 years older than I am - though if they listened in on our conversation, it's more like we've grown up together! We spent two-and-a-half hours just yik-yakking about everything and nothing, and it was wonderful.
I received a few Christmas cards, and sent out a few in return. I didn't even buy cards this year, but am trying to get away with using left-overs from last year. Is that cheesy? Will anyone notice? LX would (eye-roll). When she was about six, my brother made the mistake of sending her the same birthday card that he sent the year before...and she told him so. The next year, he asked "So how'd I do with the card?" It was different, but from then on, it was a joke between them - she got the exact same card every year until he died; he must have bought a gross of them one year. And this Halloween, she told me I sent her the same card as I did the previous Halloween - HTF does she remember? I will probably end up getting another box of Christmas cards to finish out the season - at least because I had some left-over from last year, I'll be sure to get a different style. Just in case anyone is as weird as LX.
I am done shopping except for two little things, and have got most everything wrapped. Almost everything I mail-ordered has arrived - I'm really amazed it came so quickly. The one thing I wish would have come already though, is the one of the things that hasn't - something for my nephew, and I've got to get it out in the mail with my niece's gift. Crossing fingers tightly it comes today, so I can get it to the post office no later than Monday.
Then I can sit back and relax, and enjoy the rest of the season.
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 17, 2016 20:00:26 GMT -6
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Post by Phalon on Dec 24, 2016 13:48:33 GMT -6
Just got back from a last minute "Emergency!!" grocery run; we needed milk, eggs, mayo, and OMG, how could you forget(!) a port-wine cheese ball, summer sausage, and crackers. Cheese, sausage, and crackers are for Hubs, who claims Christmas Eve isn't Christmas Eve without it; mayonnaise for deviled eggs, another Christmas tradition in our house.
The milk and eggs are for Christmas Baking: Round III.
My kitchen has had a workout this week the likes of which it has never seen during Christmases prior. Round One was early in the week when BP offered to make loaves of apple bread for my coffee klatch buddies I meet with once a week. Round Two was when BP, LX, and a friend each descended upon the kitchen like a double, double, toil and trouble gaggle of witches conjuring up batches of chocolate chips cookies (both regular and vegan), and sugar cookies cut out into Christmas shapes and decorated with chocolate and vanilla icing and various colored sprinkles (and then yesterday, Crazy Cheryl brings over two banana bread loaves, and a tub of all kinds of cookies). Round III taking place tonight, involves 4 more loaves of apple bread for us, Crazy Cheryl (payback), and the neighbors, and more sugar cookies (why we need more, I've got no idea - I never thought it possible, but I am tired of cookies). All of this is the girls' gig - I have no part in it (except for getting supplies, apparently), and like to keep it that way, because I truly dislike baking.
I did get roped into though, one culinary experiment; I was a willing participant (it wasn't baking), although I didn't quite know what it involved when I agreed to "help" - which in the beginning was only an agreement to lend LX my kitchen. She called me a couple of weeks ago to ask if she could make Hubs' present when she came home, because she didn't have a fan in her apartment. She can't afford cable T.V., and doesn't even have a television in her apartment - she can though, sign into our Netflix account, and has recently been binge watching one of her favorite shows she loved during middle-school - "Good Eats" with Alton Brown. She wanted to make Hubs beef jerky the Alton Brown way; Hubs loves jerky. I figured the fan was to get rid of the smell that was sure to permeate the kitchen.
I talked with her again a few days before she came home; I happened to be at the home improvement store at the time. "Oh! Can you get me four furnace filters while you're there? I'll pay you back after this weekend."
"Why the heck do you need furnace filters?! Doesn't your landlord take care of that stuff?!"
"Uhm, Mom...did you watch that 'Good Eats' jerky episode like I asked you to do?"
"Uhm, Daughter...no."
Apparently, The Alton Brown Method of Making Jerky entails laying the marinated meat on furnace filters, stacked three deep, and an empty one on top, then strapping the stack using bungie cords to a box fan, and letting it run for 8 to 12 hours until the meat is dry.
Seriously, Alton?! WTF?!
Our fans are not box fans, they're oscillating. I did not buy a box fan, or the furnace filters. I bought a food dehydrator instead, and wrapped it up to give Hubs for Christmas....after LX made him jerky (which took less than 3 hours to dry in the dehydrator). She preferred to do it the Alton way (she did use his marinade recipe) - more work means it's more from the heart according to her reasoning - but has to admit it turned out really good. My part in this (aside from buying the dehydrator) was being Official Taste Tester. The stuff is so good, in fact, I couldn't stop grabbing a piece here and there, until she got it wrapped and under the tree.
Not quite as sick of eating jerky, as I am of cookies...but it runs a close second.
I've got two more little things to wrap, and can't do that until everyone's asleep...or maybe while they're busy with Round III. Then I'm done....just in time.
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Post by Scrappy Amazon on Dec 24, 2016 17:28:12 GMT -6
mmmmmmm.......Jerky
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Post by katina2nd on Dec 24, 2016 17:43:04 GMT -6
Well it's 10.32 AM Christmas morning here and at the moment it's beautiful and cool, although it's supposed to hit 35C (95F) later on, which I ain't looking forward to believe me. Like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very merry Xmas when it arrives there shortly, meanwhile I'll be keeping an eye open for the mail waiting for my parcel of meat jerky and cookies.
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 24, 2016 21:57:07 GMT -6
It's 9:57pm here now.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 25, 2016 7:53:52 GMT -6
We had a wonderful Christmas Eve; hope you all did too. Yanno what one of the greatest things about the kids being older - Christmas morning doesn't start at 5am! Almost 9am and they're still asleep (although the hellion kitties have be up for a couple of hours doing all things that hellions do), although I hear stirring.
Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas! And Katina - Christmas cookies (decorated by me personally), and jerky is on its way. Oh, and apple bread - please take some of that too!
Merry, merry, everyone! Joy, peace, and love.
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Post by katina2nd on Dec 25, 2016 17:25:31 GMT -6
We had a wonderful Christmas Eve; hope you all did too. Yanno what one of the greatest things about the kids being older - Christmas morning doesn't start at 5am! Almost 9am and they're still asleep (although the hellion kitties have be up for a couple of hours doing all things that hellions do), although I hear stirring. Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas! And Katina - Christmas cookies (decorated by me personally), and jerky is on its way. Oh, and apple bread - please take some of that too!
Merry, merry, everyone! Joy, peace, and love. No need to ask me twice Gams, I'm only to happy to take some of that off your hands as well. Oh and the personal decorations, very nice touch, will make them even more appreciated for sure. Once again, well I'll just plagiarise your good self if that's okay, and say Merry, merry, everyone! Joy, peace, and love.
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 25, 2016 20:59:09 GMT -6
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays, Everyone!
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Post by Phalon on Dec 28, 2016 7:55:00 GMT -6
Katina, in addition to the package of jerky, apple bread and skillfully decorated cookies (psst...white icing covered with dumped on green and red sprinkles is as skillful as I get), expect another package filled with poppyseed bread, caramel puffed corn, and sea salt and caramel-filled dark chocolates.
Christmas: The Aftermath
Friends keep bringing over sweets and homemade goodies. I've got to get this stuff out of the house. A nibble here and a nibble there doesn't seem like much, but I'm sure it's adding up to a few pounds here and there!
I took down the table-top Christmas tree with Mom's ornaments yesterday morning. Or rather, it was taken down for me. Coming down the stairs, I heard a crash followed by scampering little feet, and as much as one would think the hellions had a paw or two in this, I saw a hulking form in the dark...that is, hulkingly large in comparison to kittens. Ranger! Old enough to know better than to be up on my tables! I still blame the hellions - you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but apparently an old cat can learn bad habits from little hellcats.
The big tree is still standing with all its ornaments intact, but I'm thinking of taking it down early before that too comes crashing to the floor. The kittens haven't attempted to climb it, but underneath the tree is their playground and they get the whole tree to shaking.
Looking for a place to hang the best Christmas gift ever, given to Hubs and I by the girls. When they were little, I used to read to them a book titled "Guess How Much I Love You". Each of them had a copy - LX's I bought when she was born, and my brother got BP the same book when she was born. One of the books is still on the bookshelf and can never be gotten rid of (I tried once) because it was a favorite and deemed a keeper forevermore. The last line of the book is "I love you right up to the moon...and back." So what my two lovelies did is to write that line on a big piece of white canvas, and had different sized copies made in black and white of family photos taken from the time Hubs and I were first married up until this past Thanksgiving - about 50 or 60 photos total, and arranged them in the shape of a crescent moon. It's nicely framed and deserves a place of prominence in the house....if I can find such a place; it's quite large.
So....five batches of cookies, four gained pounds, three hellion cats, two lovely daughters, and a prized family memento later, Christmas is done for me until next year.
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Post by katina2nd on Dec 28, 2016 21:14:02 GMT -6
Katina, in addition to the package of jerky, apple bread and skillfully decorated cookies (psst...white icing covered with dumped on green and red sprinkles is as skillful as I get), expect another package filled with poppyseed bread, caramel puffed corn, and sea salt and caramel-filled dark chocolates. I'll be standing by the letterbox each day (trying not to salivate) until it arrives, then do some serious binge eating. Looking for a place to hang the best Christmas gift ever, given to Hubs and I by the girls. When they were little, I used to read to them a book titled "Guess How Much I Love You". Each of them had a copy - LX's I bought when she was born, and my brother got BP the same book when she was born. One of the books is still on the bookshelf and can never be gotten rid of (I tried once) because it was a favorite and deemed a keeper forevermore. The last line of the book is "I love you right up to the moon...and back." So what my two lovelies did is to write that line on a big piece of white canvas, and had different sized copies made in black and white of family photos taken from the time Hubs and I were first married up until this past Thanksgiving - about 50 or 60 photos total, and arranged them in the shape of a crescent moon. It's nicely framed and deserves a place of prominence in the house....if I can find such a place; it's quite large. I'm sure you'll find a place for a present as wonderful and thoughtful as that Gams (be honest, did it bring a tear to your eye) Hubs and yourself have raised two pretty special girls I'd venture to say.
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 28, 2016 21:48:57 GMT -6
Ranger was only trying to get the hellions in trouble, but you came down too soon and saw who really did it. His age gives him a more devious mind than the hellions.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 29, 2016 6:58:34 GMT -6
I was talking with a dear friend last night, and she compared sweets around this time of year to zucchini in summer - every time you turn around, more just seems to appear at the doorstep!
They were both sure I would, but I fooled them. Well, a little choked up, maybe, but no tears - probably because Hubs and I were too busy looking at the photos, and were "OMG, remember when..." reminiscing.
<slaps forehead in an I-coulda-had-a-V8 moment>
Of course! Now I wonder how many times I've blamed the dog for something, when it was actually Ranger trying to get her in trouble!
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 29, 2016 17:43:36 GMT -6
I think you might ought to put up video cams all over the house to see just what Ranger gets up to when no one is paying him any attention.
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Post by Scrappy Amazon on Jan 3, 2017 9:58:13 GMT -6
*sigh
Christmas is over.....
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Post by Phalon on Jan 3, 2017 22:09:08 GMT -6
Is that a sigh of disappointment or one of relief?
I love the holidays and am a bit sorry to see them end, but also like to get the house back in order afterward, and returning to the typical day-to-day routine.
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Post by Scrappy Amazon on Jan 4, 2017 8:45:43 GMT -6
Look at my frownie face......
And though I an kinda glad to see 2016 go I'm already missing the holiday feel.
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Post by katina2nd on Jan 5, 2017 22:29:13 GMT -6
*sigh Christmas is over..... When did this happen, sheesh nobody tells me anything.
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Post by Scrappy Amazon on Jan 6, 2017 8:24:06 GMT -6
Who are you?
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Post by Phalon on Jan 6, 2017 8:40:45 GMT -6
Whew, Katina! Glad to see you check in; I was afraid you'd gotten food-poisoning from those Christmas cookies I sent.
The Christmas/New Year's holidays might be over, but yanno what's coming up later this month! Australia Day!!! We should throw a party, and do all things Australia. Almost all - I'm not touching Vegemite.
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Post by katina2nd on Jan 8, 2017 21:04:43 GMT -6
Sheesh ya get forgotten quickly around here doncha. Whew, Katina! Glad to see you check in; I was afraid you'd gotten food-poisoning from those Christmas cookies I sent. The Christmas/New Year's holidays might be over, but yanno what's coming up later this month! Australia Day!!! We should throw a party, and do all things Australia. Almost all - I'm not touching Vegemite. Nope, no food poisoning Gams (they were delish) although it's gonna take me a few weeks to get my waistline back to it's usual svelte appearance. Yep the twenty sixth, time to fire up the barbie, chuck a couple of shrimps on, break out a slab of Fosters (best beer in the world) and let our hair down, might even try persuading you to try a (very small) portion of that great Aussie delicacy you're so reluctant to try.
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 8, 2017 21:22:56 GMT -6
After the temps we've had this week, I'm so ready to fire up the barbie. But then, you'd be inside freezing by then.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 9, 2017 20:46:53 GMT -6
You never know....after a coupla Fosters I might be up for trying just about anything.
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Post by Scrappy Amazon on Jan 10, 2017 9:13:58 GMT -6
slather it on the shrimp it might be more palatable.
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Post by Phalon on Nov 27, 2017 7:45:04 GMT -6
Is it time? It wasn't time over a month ago when Christmas decorations started showing up next to Halloween decorations in the store, and instead of Halloween movies, the Hallmark Channel was airing nonstop Christmas movies. Even now it seems a bit early (for me), but that holiday spirit is starting to creep in.
The atmosphere at the Holiday Market this weekend had a lot to do with it: there was a fire burning in the fireplace and the mantel above was all decorated for Christmas, some of the vendors were dressed in Christmas clothing (though no ugly Christmas sweaters that I saw), and of course, I was sitting at a table with all the holiday greenery centerpieces (I did pretty well too!)
Late Saturday night, the girls decided we should put up the Christmas tree; LX won't be home until the weekend before Christmas (when she graduates!), and they thought that was too late to decorate the tree. We didn't tell Hubs and waited until he went to bed - he's always thought of putting the tree up as more of a chore than fun, probably because he's the one that drags everything up from the basement, gets the tree straight in it's stand, and untangles the lights - then drags all the empty boxes back downstairs into the basement. But when it's all done, he loves the tree - he is truly like a little kid when it comes to his wonder over how beautiful it is! (Not to mention, we knew he'd hurt his shoulder again if he had any part in getting the tree up!)
It was past 2am when the girls and I finished decorating it, and we left the Christmas lights on so the first thing he'd see in the morning was the tree all lit up. I was already awake with my first cup of coffee when he came downstairs. The effect was the desired one - he acted like a kid on Christmas morning. And there aren't even any gifts under the tree!
Uhm...because I haven't even thought about shopping yet.
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Post by Mini Mia on Nov 27, 2017 18:39:06 GMT -6
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Post by katina2nd on Nov 28, 2017 5:38:06 GMT -6
Holy Guacamole, is it almost here already, seems like just eleven months since we were celebrating the last one ............ oh hang on, it was. Also just two days away from the start of Summer, temps in the nineties tomorrow and the next day just to give us a taste of what's ahead.
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Post by Mini Mia on Nov 28, 2017 20:00:07 GMT -6
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Post by Phalon on Nov 30, 2017 7:31:20 GMT -6
This will probably seem like a weird question, Katina, but since Christmas is in the summer in Australia, do Christmas decorations have a summer theme instead of snowmen, evergreens, sleighs, and other wintry what-nots?
That's pretty nifty, Joxie, and as Elizabeth commented on Facebook, putting it up is a nice way to honor your Mom's memory. Since it's not decorated, maybe there are some Christmas ornaments or other mementos of your Mom's that you can add to it. Cookie cutters, buttons, jewelry - almost anything small enough can be used as a tree ornament, it doesn't even need to be Christmasy.
I've been debating on whether or not to put up the small tabletop tree with Mom's ornaments this year. LX and the Hellions (sounds like a great name for a band) will be here for a couple of weeks, and after the little tree was toppled last year, breaking some of the ornaments, I'd hate to lose more, especially the ones that were Mom's Mom's. Though Ranger was the culprit last year, (he picked up bad habits from the younger cats while they were here, I'm sure!), I swear the Hellions get into everything! Over Thanksgiving weekend, Hubs swore there was a squirrel in the basement. There wasn't; the big fluffy tail he saw hanging down from the rafters belonged to the girl Hellion. We still can't figure out how she got up there, but it wasn't a onetime thing - it must have been easy...and comfy, because she'd catnap there throughout the weekend.
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Post by Mini Mia on Nov 30, 2017 23:21:23 GMT -6
I hadn't really thought about putting any ornaments on it ... not sure why. But when we're going through Mom's stuff again I'll try to keep an eye out for small stuff. I already told my niece she could have all of Mom's holiday stuff, since I never put any out.
My sister's cat would jump up on top of the kitchen and bathroom cabinets, from the counter tops. One day I realized I had a very large, sharp, butcher knife in the dish tray, pointing upwards, just next to small open space on the counter beneath the cabinet top. I was amazed she had never miscalculated in her leap down and impaled herself. And I marveled that I had never realized the danger whenever I put clean knives in the dish tray before that moment of realization.
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