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| White Christmas |
Whew! Christmas is done. Well, at least Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Today, the day after, we're "recovering."
It went well, all things considered. The Christmas Proclamation at church went just fine, though my choirmaster wondered why I sang it in thirds instead of fifths... Hint: I'm a soprano singing alto. I have a good range, but not THAT good!
Silent Night went ok, but we really need to rehearse that. It worked out that I was able to be up front with the group, but apparently, even though I was playing it in 3:4 time, they weren't singing it that way. Oy. Well, next year.
And, unlike last year, NOBODY barfed at the Communion Rail. I think that perhaps the kid who threw up last year (Merry Christmas, Fr. Matt) had had a little too much celebration. This year, also, Midnight Mass was packed, which was cool. I didn't have a chance to get a shot of the altar; maybe this Sunday. It's a beautiful church.
We also had a White Christmas. Not a lot, but enough. I wish we had more. But then again, I'm nutty that way.
All I have left under the tree are gifts for my sister and brother; some gifts for my knitting group; and my friend's gift. I was supposed to go to her open house on Christmas Eve, but you know what? I just didn't.
I did text her and tell her that I wasn't going to make it. That was the night we were at my mom's house and the kids had to help her clean up; also the day that Kid #2 sliced his finger open. And I'm tired. Something had to give, and it couldn't be either Midnight Mass or my mom's house.
My friend was upset, but then again: I gave her three different opportunities to get together and she had "something going on" each time. So. This is the same friend whose commitment I've questioned. I honestly feel like I'm the one trying to keep this afloat. We shall see.
Family...
Well, the nephew didn't show up. My mom is done; she feels justified in saying that she set down rules, and he decided it wasn't important to truly go along with those rules to belong to the family.
Kid #1 and my brother were watching out the kitchen window. I'm sorry we appear to be cold and heartless, but this is a kid who's never had any expectations set on him, and who's got a massive chip on his shoulder because our world doesn't revolve around his.
Anyway, as we were driving home, both kids said, "You know, it was really relaxed there this time..." Because the nephew is unpredictable and has a horrible temper. Kid's barely 20 and already has a record for domestic violence. Sorry, but we weren't going to take chances.
Enough of that.
The twins were absolutely cute. And their big brother was just a doll. We had a really fun time with them, and it's always good to see them.
As well, my brother committed a crime. At least a crime in our family. Almost worth an extreme penalty, except that he's a big guy and nobody wants to mess with him!
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| My Day Off... |
He walked off with the platter of pineapple crescents. The entire platter! Granted, I didn't put all of them out; the platter was about the size of a luncheon plate. He took one look, swiped them and said, "MINE."
I think I'm making a double batch of those next year. And Kid #2 has already requested those instead of a birthday cake for his next birthday.
Knitting...
Yesterday, I made progress. Today, I'm almost up to the eyelet increases. I'm taking my time because I'm still having repetitive use issues with the left hand. And that's the one that's been fixed!!
I've been cleaning up the house, making sure the kitchen got back into something like order, and trying to get Kid #2 to do his share. He usually does, but today he's "impaired."
He cut his finger while making baked artichoke dip. Rest assured, no blood was shed on the dip. But the cut, in retrospect, should have had stitches. I bandaged it. Then when we went to my mom's house, my sister looked at it. She said it should've been stitched. She re-bandaged it.
And then yesterday, after breaking it open trying to help my mom clean up on Christmas Eve, Kid #1 helped him by putting butterflies on it and re-bandaging it. I did a McGyver splint of popsicle sticks and no-stick tape, just so he doesn't bend it. It's on the ring finger, right hand, right alongside the knuckle. Just lovely.
Today, I'm sitting here, with my cup of hot cocoa, Dr. Who on the TV and my new slippers (Thanks, Hubby!!! They're wonderful!). THAT is the way to spend Boxing Day!
Speaking of which...
Hot Cocoa...
THIS makes the best hot cocoa. When I ran out for groceries, I tried to find more. I mean, I'd be happy to bake with it, but it's also fantastic cocoa.
I have my large snowman mug; my almond/coconut milk, warmed; and my hot cocoa mix in there. Bliss.
I like to make my own, because that way I can control the sugar. This is not as sweet as some of the pre-packaged stuff, and it's a tad sweeter than what I make with organic cocoa + agave. I'll keep experimenting, though.
I like a nice hot cocoa, and I'm picky about it. I'm trying to cut down on the sugar, which seems like a bit of an oxymoron, but it's either have the cup of cocoa or 6 Christmas cookies.
Also, almond+coconut milk is really good. I don't drink a lot of cow's milk. I like almond, and I figured I'd try the variety with coconut in it. It's quite good, warm or cold. It comes in a sweetened and unsweetened variety. I use this in my smoothies, but I have to tell you that when it's 17* outside, I'm not much in a "smoothie" mood.
Soups, yes. Cold smoothies and salads, not so much. So I'm drinking more tea trying to avoid the siren call of the leftover Christmas cookies. Granted, this year, we did only single batches, so there's not all that much left.
But my friend Nat is having a "Christmas Leftovers" open house this weekend, and I'll stop by and leave a plate of the leftover cookies. Out of sight, out of mind, out of mouth and off hips. At least that's what I'm telling myself.
Dogs...
OK. I have the blinds open at "their" window. And unfortunately, in an act of seasonal good cheer, I wanted to feed the birds and squirrels. Lucky for me, the screen's not on the window, so nobody will rip the screen. But the squirrels are driving them nuts, and the cats who're coming over to try to poach the birds? Well, let's just say this hasn't been the quietest hour in the house... Tippi has decided that she should stay up toward the front of the house - she can't gain traction on the laminate floor, and when Quinn raises the alarm, the "danger" is over by the time Tippi gets her rear end to the window!
and........... We put in an application for a Siberian Husky rescue; my friend Sarah pointed us toward a puppy. This ought to be interesting. We'll have to see, of course, if the girls accept this one, but we can at least put the application in. It's another red one.
Just glanced out the front window. I do wish the across-the-street neighbors would not just let their cats run willy-nilly around the yard. Not only is it driving the dogs nuts, but jeeze - you really need to keep an eye on your pets. It's not safe.
Here is a video of two junco birds on the back deck. Notice how they're flicking the seed they don't want off the deck? Especially the one on the right, the little stinker.
Politics...
I'm swearing off this holiday season. I'm just going to let the year close without comment, except to say that THIS Congress makes Harry Truman's "Do Nothing" bunch look downright prolific. HIS "do nothing" group sent him over 300 bills.
THIS Congress sent President Obama 65. And probably 60 of those had to do with either repealing the Affordable Care Act or attempts to restrict women's reproductive rights.
Because, you know, you can only think straight if you have a penis. Those ovaries mess with your brain. 'Scuse me. Gotta go whack my head against a wall.
So I'm off politics for a bit. My brain needs a break.
Reading...
Still plowing through "Persuasion" and lucky for me, Hubby got me the DVD!
Yes, I'll still finish it, thank you very much.
The kids got me two books on Mudras (hand positions) that are used in yoga for a variety of reasons. Usually with meditation and chants. Those will be useful not only for my 200-hour thesis, but also for my own teaching and my own meditation practice.
I'm happy about the DVDs also. Was it me or was this Christmas the barest "Christmas Movies" time ever? Oh, except nine hundred showings of Christmas in Connecticut. Now, I like Barbara Stanwyck. But not 24 hours a day. That's as bad as the marathon showings of Christmas Story. I only saw one version of A Christmas Carol and I polled the movie-watching group I usually hang with. They agreed: very sparse.
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| My watchers |
Random Picture...
They're watching. Tippi is the head in the back and Quinn's under her chin. Even now, they're keeping an eye out.
Norwegian Elkhounds are loud. They sound like 6 or 8 dogs at once, so we have a pretty loud alarm system. And when you see Tippi barreling down on you, it gives you pause. She's a big girl.
I had to put a little step-stool under the window, just to keep my woodwork intact. Even so, when Tippi gets very excited, she gets her paws up on the windowsill.
At the rate they're having conniptions with the wildlife out there, I won't have to take them for a walk. They'll tire themselves out. But I do fear for my window every once in a while.
So, let me hear from you! I love comments, and I like to hope that you're enjoying my little bits and bobs.
...supposedly you rest. Not so much. The good news is that the guitar strings are mostly settling in - a lot quicker than I thought. Tomorrow, it'll be another "let's play as much as we can" kind of day and we'll make sure all is well for Tuesday night. My hands are a bit sore. I've over-baked, over-knitted and over-played.
Today, though, the other alto at church had a problem; she almost fainted in the choir room. Luckily, one of our sopranos is a doctor, and she was able to help. She also told me how to help her in case it happens in church. I kind of knew, but I also knew this gal had some other issues. I was a little concerned that she would hit the floor.
So I was the only alto. And we sang a 4-part song. Urgh. I was hoarse. I have the Proclamation to do for Tuesday night, which should be fine. The gal was very upset, which she shouldn't have been. Stuff happens. I just hope she's ok for Christmas. But I've been the only alto before.
Not bad for a soprano...
Oh, and the amp worked. So it was either the battery or the cable. Or both. And since the guitar has a new battery in there and I'm using the cable the boys bought me last Christmas, I'm not sure which it is. And I don't care. As long as it works. We have to be at the church at 10 p.m. for an 11 p.m. service. Plus the reception afterwards. Not sure how long I'll be staying.
Came home; drank lots and lots of tea and tried to keep my mouth shut. That didn't work as well as I would have liked...but more on that later.
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| Creamy Potato Soup |
Kid #2 couldn't stand it: he had to bake ONE MORE BATCH of cookies. A modified version of my M&M cookies. Not the big monsters we made earlier. These are more traditional, flatter and more crunchy. We now have Cookie-palooza. And we're done.
Got the neighbor's box of breads to him: pineapple/banana; carrot/poppy seed; chocolate/banana.
The choir got their cookies. I sold a potica. I put together the tray for my eye doctor. Whew. All I have left is to make a small plate each for 2 of my girlfriends, a tray for my mom's house and a plate for the open house. Kid #2 has his that he wants to give, and then we're finished. Done. Amen.
I've done soup two nights in a row. Also pulled chicken BBQ style. Tonight's soup was creamy potato with bacon. Recipe follows here. Yesterday I did Ham & Barley. It's been soup-kind-of-days. We went from "slop to snow" this morning, but only enough snow to make a nice mushy ice. I just want a white Christmas, preferably enough to snow us in.
CREAMY POTATO SOUP (serves 6 - 8)
5 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled 5 c. water
1/2 c. leeks, diced
Fresh ground pepper 5 strips bacon, crumbly
1/2 c. sliced carrots 4 Knorr vegetarian cubes
1/2 c. half & half
1 t. each: dried marjoram; sage**
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
Cut the potatoes into roughly the same-sized chunks. Put the peeled potatoes in the water, with the veggie cubes, in large pan. Set to boil. Cook bacon till crumbly and set aside, reserving bacon grease in the pan. When the potatoes are not quite fork-tender, add the carrots and keep cooking. Add the leeks to the bacon grease in the pan and cook till translucent, not browned. Drain and set aside.
Add spices to the potatoes, and then add the leeks. Whiz this with a stick blender or in your traditional blender (watch - it's hot and blenders get pressure built up with hot liquids!). Make it as smooth or chunky as you'd like. Add the half & half and stir it together.
Crumble the bacon. Toss it in the pan. Serve in bowls or mugs with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese.
**Play with the spices. You can do herbs de Provence or Old Bay Seasoning, or whatever you'd like.
---You can substitute onions or shallots for the leeks.
---This freezes well, but don't freeze with the cheese.
So that's what we had for supper, and you could also have added some cornbread or pretzel rolls. I didn't add salt because I thought the bacon would be enough. I did, however, add a couple of drops of hot sauce.
Leftovers for tomorrow night. I'm teaching yoga, so I'm not eating much before then anyway.
Knitting...
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| Looking sweater-ish |
It's beginning to look a lot like a sweater... I am almost sure that I'll only get 2 buttons on the yoke. Which is fine. I could lengthen it, but remember, when you go over the bust with a button? Not usually a good look, especially if you have a bust.
I'm already on the second ball, so I'm kind of glad I've got 19 of them.
For Christmas Eve, I'm bringing the Before and After Scarf to work on. I need to just meditate to get through this (more on that later) and I think knitting is a good thing for me to do. It'll keep me from over-eating and hopefully help me keep my mouth shut.
That could be a good thing...
The Bears...
Are losing. My mother is happy, because somehow, she's a Packers fan. If they lose, it's not the end of the world. They can clinch the playoffs if they win. If they don't, then the game against the Packers will likely decide.
I'm not really a football fan. And I live in a town where high school football is the be-all and end-all of weekends. Even after -- long after -- people have graduated, the stands are packed with alumni who are still enthralled.
Not me, so much. My mom has loved football since high school, but I didn't get that gene.
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| Quinn |
As you can see, Quinn isn't happy about the Bears either. Or perhaps she's not happy that I'm pointing my phone at her. You decide.
Tippi's hiding out in the back of the house.
They're jealous of their other elkhound friends who live in real "snow country." We will not see that kind of snow, unfortunately.
Family Drama...
Ayyyyyyyyyy. As you all remember, my youngest brother died this summer. And as you all remember, the drama was off the charts.
It still is. It abated a bit. I'm almost done with the estate; we're just waiting on the time to file the Federal and State taxes. I have to get a list of claimants and see how the IRS lien is coming out. The attorney is trying to get it waived. I'm just hoping that I get my money back and the funeral bill gets paid.
So his kid has a "baby-mama." Though his maternal grandparents don't believe it's really HIS kid. He's also been told by his mother that, when he reaches age 25, he will magically be "cured" of his schizophrenia and bipolar disease.
Which is crap, because anyone with brain cells and the ability to research will tell you that it gets WORSE at age 25, unless you've been diligent at managing it. And even then, it'll still get worse.
And he hasn't been managing it.
So, my mother usually has Christmas Eve. This will be just as bad as Thanksgiving, though we got through that with a minimum of drama. The kid called my mom and asked if he could come for Christmas Eve. She said yes, as long as he behaved, and told him up front that if he wasn't on his meds, or he tried to start something, he'd be out on his butt on the sidewalk before he realized it.
Well, he texted my brother D and told him that he was bringing baby-mama and the holy child... My brother called me. I called my sister. She told my mom - which I was going to do if nobody else wanted to. You would have to tell someone something like that. You can't just show up.
My sister, the soft-hearted one, said, "Well, maybe he's thinking that it'll make grandma happy if there's another baby around." She also said that if he had them there, he'd be so involved with them that we wouldn't have to entertain him.
I told her she was nuts. He is the center of his universe and we should all revolve around him. He'd be shoving the baby and the girl in our faces and demanding that we just all go along as if we're the Waltons (the TV ones, not the WalMart ones). We've been walking on eggshells with this kid and frankly, I'm done.
My mother hit the ceiling. I mean, had a hissy fit of fairly monumental proportions. She called him and told him absolutely, positively, "they are not invited." Perhaps that sounds cold, but honestly, for once, she and I agreed. He wants to be a "big man" and he wants to shove his things into our faces and force us to accept him and whatever, or whoever, he brings along.
Sorry, but someone has to pull his chain a bit. My mother told him that they are not invited for a couple of reasons. She doesn't like that he lied about it when he didn't tell her from the get-go. Also, his half-sister...my mom said that it would set a bad example for her. She's (my mom, I mean) old-fashioned in that regard. And she also knows that what I've said all along is more right than she thought at first. The kid wants to manipulate us. Kid #2 called him a "psychic vampire" and my mom's therapist also told her, "You really need to cut him out of your life, because he will use you and suck you dry emotionally."
She was willing to give him another chance, but like me - she's not tolerant of liars and manipulators.
So I'm not sure if this kid will show up without his girlfriend. And if he doesn't, I'm just fine with that. My mother is scared of him anyway, and frankly, that's not fair for her. He knows where she lives, he's got a record of domestic violence and a history of not staying on his meds. She doesn't need that. Even if she's wanting to try to be a grandma to this kid, who is my deceased brother's son...she told me today that she just can't do it anymore. She's drained.
And it's not fair to the rest of the family. Honestly, if I was my nephew & wife, I'd be telling grandma that "we think it's easier if we stay home" because they've got the 3 small kids. Who wants their kids exposed to someone's melt-down, especially when, as usually happens, he melts down with a weapon or his fists. I'm kind of tired of having holidays with my stomach in my throat waiting to see what this kid is going to pull, and what the damage will be. So far, honestly, he only challenged Kid #2, which was a stupid thing to do. Kid #2 is a teacher; he won't engage.
Lord knows it'll only get worse from here. I try to not "discard" any human being. But I'm not raising someone else's kid because his own mother is "tired of his shenanigans." Well -- that would still be YOUR problem, not ours. She kept him from our family (not that that would've made any difference, in view of his mental issues) for YEARS because we "were not stable."
Ha. That's all I have to say. Just. Ha.
Christmas Eve Menu...
Will be finger-food. We had done the big dinner for years. A few years ago, we did a "munchies" thing and it went over quite nicely. My brother has to go to his in-laws. My sister isn't going anywhere, but her husband is spending the evening with his daughter (it's a tradition). I'm going to Midnight Mass.
It's easier to do a "munchie" meal because we can also manage our eating, I hope! So we'll have cocktail meatballs, salsa & chips, veggie tray & dip, artichoke dip, mini ham sandwiches, spanakopita, and a layered taco salad. I'm bringing a cookie tray.
We'll have our annual "Wrapping Paper Wars" which is a tradition started by my SIL. You unwrap your present and then ball up your wrapping paper, and toss it at someone. Well, PELT someone. Extra points if it bounces off someone and hits someone else.
The great-grandson will be helping pass out the presents. I'm going to try to videotape some of the pelting, just so we have it on record. Hey, it'll make it into next year's Christmas website, right?
A friend of mine is having a cool open house the weekend after Christmas. She's calling it "The Christmas Leftover Open House." I'll bring cookies...
Random Picture...
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| Granny's Pans |
These are the long potica pans I have from my granny. They're fairly lightweight and they've got a great patina on them. They make gorgeous potica. There's one that's just a tad ratty (it's at the bottom of the stack), so my mission after the holidays is to not only find a 100% cotton damask cloth (and they apparently cost an arm and a leg - I started searching), but also to find at least two more of this sized pan. I have 5 of them, and with the slightly ratty one on its way out of use, I'd actually like to have 6 of them.
One batch of our recipe makes 3. So this would enable me to do a double batch, plus, as Kid #2 says, "Have some cut ends" - which is my favorite part: you cut off the ends and place them in a separate pan to make little "sweet roll" bites.
Kid #2 gave Kid #1 a bit of a razzing because when Kid #1 cut the potica, he "cut to fit" instead of "cut to squish." I'm not talking a BIG squish; just you cut them a tad larger so that you can tuck the ends in.
It's all technique.
They'll learn.
THIS makes the best hot cocoa. When I ran out for groceries, I tried to find more. I mean, I'd be happy to bake with it, but it's also fantastic cocoa.
