butt chilling cold with pictures

 

My dad used to say it was colder than a well digger's ass. I found a good explanation for the phrase on this blog: http://dreamsteep.com/writing/humor/237-the-well-diggers-ass.html

Yesterday, I had plans. I wrote about them here and I am sorry (sort of) to report that most of them went unachieved. I know that isn't a word according to the squiggly line folks but it works here.

I went out and assisted with the snow clean up at 10 o'clock, after my morning nap. I talked to my mom on the phone. I took a bath and got dressed. That was the extent of my productivity.

I took another nap, I read my book (Commonwealth by Ann Patchett), I made a cheese and cracker plate for dinner. That's it.

I forgot I went to the Coop to get a few cookie baking supplies but I might have just skipped that because it didn't motivate me one iota. Ella has a mind to make fruitcake, a recipe she found in a cookbook. She texted me this recipe and I asked about a couple things at the Coop...no luck...but I am determined to make it since she found the recipe.

We'll find that stuff at the HyVee. I'm sure I've seen those little tubs of candied fruit in toxic colors. Ella is too young to have heard the stories and jokes about fruitcake.

 This is what it's come to on this cold and dark December morning. Regis and I are sitting in our flannel pajamas and slippers, finding apps on the iPad to amuse Woodrow.

And in other technology news, Regis is having a conversation with his brother in Pennsylvania. Larry is telling Regis about something called Easy Pass that you stick on your windshield and it sucks money out of your account for tolls. He wondered what we called those in Minnesota. Wahaha. To my knowledge, which is not extensive, there is one toll road in the whole state.

I swear I am getting up to bake cookies today. I told Regis there will be a small offering made to the cookie gods (what we can eat) and the rest will be saved until Christmas Eve. Honest.

dark, cold, and windy

Our storm pretty much fizzled out which leaves me cheated like a lot of things in the current world. Woody and I have assumed the Saturday position. We are refusing to fully open our eyes and we are not moving from the light.

I've been awake since 4 o'clock and have, by myself, consumed a pot of coffee. The pot calls that ten cups but I call bullshit. That's like those wine servings the doctor used to ask about. Four ounces? When was the last time anyone drank a four-ounce serving of wine?

Mostly my wakefulness is due to my lack of concern regarding Christmas. I realized last night that it is next Saturday. Uh oh. 

I turned the shopping over to Regis so thankfully, that part is done, little of it that we do. But, nothing is wrapped. The two batches of cookies that I made last week have mostly been eaten for breakfast. I have opened the cards we have received but I haven't given much of a thought to sending one. I would say the major clues here are: over-consumption of caffeine, reliance on simple carbohydrates for energy, and resistance to movement beyond the leopard chair.

The news of the world is bleak, my friends.

I went outside to sweep off the bird feeders. In my slippers. Now my feet are freezing and my slippers are wet. Inauspicious beginning to the day.

I found the little snowman that clips over a light on the tree. Betty, I bought him at the Christmas shop in Madison Lake years ago. We loved that little shop.

A bright spot on a dark day. Santas on the tree and the lights that are on all the time. Woody has not been bothering the tree so I am not afraid to put the more fragile ornaments up. I realize this could backfire.

My  friend, Molly, made me this little bag decorated with an otter and a dragonfly, filled with handmade potpourri from trees in her yard, and stones that symbolize strength and  transformation. I hung it on the tree.

So, there you go. The news of the world is bleak but there are bright spots. 

I think I'll make some cookies today. I'll need breakfast tomorrow, after all.

funny story about junk

Regis has to see a urologist periodically. His December appointment was cancelled and I had been nagging him gently to reschedule. I was taking a bath the other day and I heard him on the phone. 

Who I thought he called and what I thought he said: (Dr. James, Urologist) This is Regis and I need to make an appointment to have my junk serviced.

Who he really called and what he really said: (Skrove Auto Repair) This is Regis and I need to make an appointment to have my truck serviced.

Betty, I bet you liked this one!

my december observations

1. Going to stores this time of year can be a miserable experience. I went to Target yesterday and there was one cart left. I moved toward it at the same time another woman was approaching it from the other side. We locked eyes and it was like a scene from Gunfight at the OK Corral. I advanced, right hand out reaching for the cart. She did the same. I finally gave in and walked away.
2. The mob scenes in grocery stores in November and December make me wonder if people eat the other ten months of the year. Seriously, they can hardly keep the shelves stocked and people are grabbing the Pillsbury pie crust like they'll never see another one.
3. Gingerbread cookies and coffee are good for breakfast when it's 13 below zero. 
4. Yarn on sale is like a drug. I bought three giant skeins of yarn which is enough to make leg warmers for a hundred people. 
5. Even the squirrels are avoiding the cold and dark days. I haven't seen them since the snow and sub-zero temps hit. I put an extra chunk of suet in the feeder yesterday because we all need extra fat when it's this cold. See #3.
6. Ever notice how some people seem to enjoy dropping emotional bombs on you? They walk away dusting off their hands and saying to themselves, "There." It's no surprise there are so many assholes in power around the world. They're everywhere.
7. I almost got frostbite on my face yesterday carrying three 12-packs of Scott tissue to the car. We don't like to run out and it was on sale. See #2.
8. There's something about the crowds and the loud music that makes me buy stuff I might never need. Carts are the work of the devil.
9. Our dog needs seasonal scarves which means I have to get the sewing machine out to hem the pieces of Santa fabric I bought yesterday. I know. Really, I do.
10. We sold our old snowblower (Thanks, Tiffany!) to a guy who also has a golden doodle named Gus. What are the chances.

weather forecast

I'm busy perusing weather forecasts this morning. There is a winter storm watch for Friday afternoon into Saturday and because Friday is my one day to work this month, I want to know if I might get out of school early. That's pretty funny.

 SNOW IS POSSIBLE FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. * TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO 8 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE. * WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS 30 MPH COULD CAUSE PATCHY BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. * PLAN ON DIFFICULT DRIVING CONDITIONS... INCLUDING DURING THE EVENING COMMUTE ON FRIDAY. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A WIND CHILL ADVISORY MEANS THAT COLD AIR AND THE WIND WILL COMBINE TO CREATE LOW WIND CHILLS. FROST BITE AND HYPOTHERMIA CAN OCCUR IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN. MAKE SURE YOU WEAR A HAT AND GLOVES. A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW... SLEET OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS. 

I know you might perceive that as a sign of laziness but it isn't only that. There is something exciting about winter storms...anticipating the storm, waiting and preparing, watching the weather channels, getting home in the snow. It's a nice change.

There is a huge moon sinking slowly behind the neighbor's house. It's a super moon but it hasn't caused any change in my energy level yet.

8 a.m.

7:30 a.m.

dusk and baking

I suffer with the lack of light. As the daylight gets shorter this time of year, I pull out strings of lights, candles, lamps, and anything I can find to add to my daily lumens. The time around dusk, 4 o'clock, is the worst.

Woodrow is not a fan either, as you can see. He has decided he likes to perch on top of the red cabinet by the door, amidst the Christmas decor. He is giving Regis the stink eye, of which he is a master, for taking his picture.

I like to go into the kitchen to bake about 3 o'clock. That way, dusk passes and I don't notice so much.  Wine did the same thing. Sigh. Yesterday, I made gingerbread cookies and chai tea cookies. That's my Grandma Elsie's rolling pin. I made some of the cookies round and put white frosting with colored sprinkles on them. I remember the Christmas before she died, finding her in the kitchen, packing up boxes of gingerbread cookies to send to friends and family in other states.

I'm making beer cheese soup today. Soup. Sticks to your bones on these cold days. The last few days we had beef and barley.

Betty, check this out in the Smithsonian: Feeling Down? Scientists Say Cooking and Baking Could Help You Feel Better It could explain our bursts of creativity in the winter. 

Cooking or baking has become a common cure for stress or feeling down, but there might actually be some science to why small creative tasks might make people feel better. According to a new study, a little creativity each day can go a long way towards happiness and satisfaction in the bustle of daily life.

Betty's Christmas House

The moon is full this morning but it's too cold to stand out there and take a picture so take my word for it. I see that tomorrow, we'll have another giant super moon. I read this in the most reliable of purveyors of science news, earthables.

On Wednesday, December 14, 2016, there will be a rare, giant super moon in the transitional sign of Gemini. It will illuminate the long, dark, almost winter nights, as well as create a cosmic shift in energy.

Anything rare that causes a shift in my energy, I'm all for. I am skeptical, though, as we seem to have these rare moons pretty frequently. Hey, this could be some of that fake news.

Stay warm today, my friends. I'm going to yoga and then finishing my grocery list for tomorrow. I need more baking supplies. 

first, a crabby rant...then santa

Regis and I were asked a few weeks ago if we would play Mr. and Mrs. Santa at a community event. At first, Regis said no, then he got busy and assembled his costume. Just a few days before the event, we were informed that we weren't traditional enough and asked if we would we be willing to change the costumes. Uh, no. Philly Dad said no. I thought it was rude and the whole thing left a bad taste and we didn't see how we could do it and maintain the cheerful countenance of the Santas. So, bullshit on that.

I do like Santa pictures. These are a couple of oldies. The one on the left is from 2012 and the one on the right is from the dedication of Highway 169, in 20009 or 20010. Not sure.

Peter took Zoey to see Santa this weekend. I have a picture of Peter with Santa when he was about four. Think I'll scan it. Scanning, there is a lost art. Haha!

Gus is so photogenic. Regis took this photo of him on one of their walks. He was voted best looking dog on Facebook by Dan Urlick who does the show Bike Rides on KMSU so he's practically a celebrity.

This is a spiderweb in our kitchen window. Regis rousted me out of bed this morning when it was still 7 degrees to see it covered with frost. It was more beautiful than this in the light from the back porch. Proof, once again, that it does not pay to clean too well.

I have a pile of recipes I am trying to work up the gumption to peruse. Not bake, just peruse. I have a yen to make gingerbread cookies this afternoon. I have had my nap, I have had my coffee, and there's no reason why I can't move my lazy self into the kitchen.

Betty called from Texas this morning to see how we were faring. I said winter hit us with a slam dunk. No gradual decline in temps this year, my friends. Just an almighty drop into the single digits accompanied by double digit snowfalls. It was just in time to rescue me from the depths of despair. I hate a winter with no snow, only gray skies, brown trees, and monochromatic landscape. Blah.

Betty told me she was going to learn how to access Facebook so she could keep up on our comings and goings. I said I have eliminated so much from FB because of all the things (and people) who irritate me that it is only a skimpy shadow of its former self. Haha. It's really quite therapeutic.

I turned the Christmas shopping list over to Regis this year. He has done a good job and packages are arriving daily. This is a skill he has kept well hidden from me over the years. Like cooking.

snow and the surgeon general

Gus and I were delighted with the snow we found this morning. I put on boots and mittens and went out to feed the birds. As you can see, there is about ten inches of fluffy stuff piled vertically on everything. I wanted to take some pictures before the sun and the wind had a chance to disturb it. It's peaceful and bright out there this morning!

Regis and I were both awake in the middle of the night. Forces in the universe my doctor used to say. We intended to go to a movie this afternoon but I think we'll pass, considering the snow and our sleep disturbances.

I spent some time poking around the Surgeon General's report on addiction this morning. It's very interesting but very long, almost 500 pages. I considered printing it so I could highlight and file it in a binder (because that's what I do) but I didn't. I thought the key findings [https://addiction.surgeongeneral.gov/key-findings] were more informative than the summary if you aren't inclined to read the whole thing. I would recommend reading at least some of it. Most people have information about addiction that's almost a hundred years old and it doesn't hurt to be updated now and then, my friends. In fashion and in information.

I wonder who agent orange has appointed to be the surgeon general. Sarah Palin? I saw a funny meme on Facebook (which I am still mostly boycotting) about her but I can't find it now. Maybe it was a tweet. I don't do that either. I am busily eliminating social media from my life. As Emily says, we are devolving.

Ah, the hum of snow blowers.

best day ever

Ella at the Nutcracker 2016

Selfie

Ella and I went to see the Nutcracker today. It was a snowy day but we managed to have lunch at Pappageorge, we saw the Nutcracker, we had a cookie during intermission, and we stopped at Mom & Pop's Ice Cream on the way home. Can't beat that for a day.

I tried to edit that selfie so I didn't look like such a bag of wrinkles but I only made it worse. Truth in advertising.

I'm moving through the list of versions of Scrooge. I added a couple this year, but the Albert Finney musical version is still one of my favorites.

1. Scrooge (1935, Sir Seymour Hicks)
2. A Christmas Carol (1938, Reginald Owen)
3. A Christmas Carol (1951, Alastair Sim)
4. A Christmas Carol (1954, Fredric March)
5. A Christmas Carol (1962, Mr. Magoo)
6. A Christmas Carol (1972, Albert Finney)
7. A Christmas Carol (1984, George C. Scott)
8. A Christmas Carol (1999, Patrick Stewart)

Yeah, that's all for today. My brain is weary.

baking and shopping

I spent the day in the kitchen yesterday. I made homemade Amish bread, a beef roast for commercials, and a gingerbread cake. A good way to spend a cold and windy day.

A few quick observations before Regis comes home and we trot to Mankato to do some errands. I loathe shopping this time of year, you know that. I'd rather be baking and napping.

We have to do some drug store shopping because I am particular about a few of the products we use. Ugh. Coupons and digital sales and things I hate.

I want to buy some fake greens to put in my big flower pots. This entails a trip to MenRNerds. Ugh.

I spotted a coat at a thrift store the other day and I resisted but now it's calling my name. I will go right to it and if it's gone, that's the message.

We had a light coating of snow this morning. I'm not sure how it managed to stick to the ground with the gale force winds we have had.

I figured out my Christmas Eve menu yesterday then discovered it is almost exactly the same as the menu last year. Is that ok? Will I have a mystery diner who might critique my lack of variety?

I turned the shopping list (quite short) over the Regis. I was stymied by a list of things I could not identify without help from google. I am hopelessly out of it when it comes to current toys.

I figured out the phone/photo thing. I have a button that says LIVE and that means that the photo is turned into a tiny video. What the...

Some days I feel like I am turning into a crank. Say it isn't so.

a merit badge

If I were still a drinking person, I would have driven right to the bar at the end of yesterday. I had my oncology appointments (4 years) in the afternoon so I went early to Mankato to buy some groceries, do a few errands, and have a relaxing cup of coffee. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Every little thing that could get messed up and under a guy's skin, did.

Except the big thing, no sign of disease. That was wonderful and for that I am grateful. No sign of disease.

Blood numbers all back in line.

It took forever, or what seemed like forever. I didn't get impatient, even when they had to poke me multiple times to find a vein. I smiled. I was patient. For this, a merit badge.

I came home in the darkening of early dusk, the icy wind moving me quickly from car to cozy house. 

my dog sits on the couch

One of the reasons we have pets is that they're funny. Yesterday, we were having coffee in the living room when we look over and Gus is perched on the edge of the couch. Like a person. He looked a bit nonplussed that we laughed at him. (I always wanted to use that word in a sentence. Nonplussed: surprised and confused so much that they are unsure how to react.)

I think I just saw blue sky and a few snow flakes. That would be a welcome relief from the constant gray we have had. You can hardly tell the difference between day and night. It just gets darker gray.

looming spectre

I just put these words into google because I do that sometimes to find a good image for something I intend to write. I thought I would find...well, you know. A spectre. I swear to God, the first row contained an image of the impending president, agent orange. What kind of algorithm caused that hilarity? (Damn this center alignment.)

I have my six-month oncology check-up this afternoon. I don't get as nervous about them as I used to because they're nice people at the clinic, everything has been fine, so far, and I forget to be nervous until the day. But, there is always the looming spectre. The reminders of people who have been confident and then got caught in the snare. There is the looming spectre. My friend, Mary, whose little yellow bird sits in my kitchen window. Mary was going along just fine until her PET scan lit up like a Christmas tree. Her words. Mary died last week. That shit doesn't go away.

It's cold and windy and gray, but I am putting on my armor and going out into the world. The grocery store on Senior Day and the Oncology Center. What better ways to exercise bravery, my friends.

P.S. Hello to my friend Karen in NJ. Sending love and hugs and sunshine (if we had any to spare!) and light. 

sunday early

We went to see Hank and Rita last night. On the way home, the sky was spitting icy pellets that threatened to turn to snow. I woke up several times in the night to pull back the curtain, hoping for it, but this morning, it's still brown. Sigh. The forecast for the next ten days is cloudy, partly cloudy, repeat.

I woke up early this morning and watched the 1935 version of Scrooge. Get a load of the guy's pants. Overall, I liked it but I like almost all of the versions of Scrooge. Somehow, in my collection, I am missing the Albert Finney one which is my favorite. Regis just ordered it, and Elf, for me. What would we do without Amazon? Probably a lot less impulse shopping.

I read an article this week about baking as an antidote for gloomy weather. That could explain the double batch of chocolate chip cookies and the two loaves of Amish bread. I have had to dole out a lot of calories this week. They can't say I didn't warn them.

I moved the mostly rotten pumpkins from the front step yesterday because nothing says a festive welcome like a rotten pumpkin and a dirty litter box. The pumpkins went to the compost pile in the back yard where the squirrels have discovered them. The squirrels climb right inside and continue consuming...something. Seeds? Next year, we'll have a bumper crop of pumpkins and peanuts in the neighborhood.

My sort of dour and grumpy gratitude list.

1.  At least it isn't windy.
2. I have new slippers so my feet are warm.
3. I got a surprise check in the mail for $100 yesterday.
4. The smell of fake balsam is wafting through the air.
5. I'm taking two seven-year old boys to a holiday festival this afternoon at MSU.

What winter feels like some days.

lights moving in the dark

For a good part of the afternoon, I have been watching my neighbor dutifully drag ladders and tubs of holiday lights around his yard. He balances delicately on the top step of the ladder to string lights from treetop to fence post to shrubbery. It's almost dark now, at 4:40, so I have lost sight of him, but the strings of lights keep moving. I trust he is at the end of the string.

I took a short video of it from my front window before the UPS truck blocked my view, but in the way of electronics, I can only post it from my phone to Facebook. It doesn't seem to want to go anywhere else.

The weatherman said partly sunny today but I didn't see the sun. Not even once. Regis is on his way home from work and I know he will want to take the dog for a walk but I am resistant. Maybe if I just sit here in the chair, with my cup of just poured coffee and my keyboard clicking away, he won't notice.

I had a dream last night that I had developed an inactivity calendar. Each day, I would write something I didn't do. Did not go for a walk. Did not do the dishes. Did not do the laundry. I did a google search this morning, convinced that someone else must have had this idea previously. Nope. I think I could market this to the inert folks of the world.

I'm trying to send an email to a person about the photo club meeting that we tried to attend last night but couldn't because it wasn't where it should have been. The email came back with the message that in order to avoid a deluge of spam, this person requires that I fill out a form to prove I am not a robot. I failed the robot challenge three times before I did a Lewis Black.

Isn't there a better way?

We came home after this ill-fated trip to Mankato, made popcorn, and watched a comedy special with Michael Che. The end.

34 degrees, wet, and windy

I'm tucked up in my chair, flannel head to toe, warm socks, blanket. Electric fireplace is sending out a nice glow and a bunch of BTUs. My coffee is hot and the tree lights are on. I can hear Regis rummaging around in the other room, getting ready for a walk. In the dark. I think I will pass. Actually, I don't think the wild horses have been invented that could drag me out there this morning.

Woodrow just made his first ascent of the Christmas tree. I think he was trying to make it to the windowsill because he made a turn halfway up and landed there. He doesn't like his world disturbed, I will say that, but we moved his favorite red chair yesterday and he has adjusted. He took a nap in it last night while we watched Star Trek.

I started a paragraph about things that irritate me this morning, but I deleted it. Here is my gratitude list instead.

1. Great night's sleep. No scary dreams, no long periods of being awake, no sore hips.
2. Bread baking. I tried an Amish bread recipe last night. Crust is a little tough but it makes great toast. Toast is my universal standard for goodness.
3. My fake Christmas tree smells like real balsam. The magic of science.
4. A date with a friend involving coffee and thrift stores. 

The picture at the top is one I took of Woodrow last night with my phone. Somehow, it turned into a little video. The magic of Apple, I suppose. The fire moves and Woody's eyes appear. It's creepy.

I still have a very low tolerance for all things controversial or unpleasant. A very low tolerance for bullshit of all kinds. That's all I will say about that.

I had Regis drag the tree out of the basement yesterday and I went to the store to buy some more lights because that's easier than trying to find and untangle the ones I bought last year. Eventually, I will find them and probably hang those on the tree, too. A guy can't have too many lights this time of year.

nothing says the birth of Jesus like a giant minion

We went into Lowe's yesterday to peruse the Christmas trees. The lobby was filled with these gargantuan air-filled figures. I started to laugh, maniacally. Of course, I have seen these things in yards but that experience is different from being up close and personal... I would fit in one of Mickey's arms. It's a crazy world.

I have ventured carefully back into social media because I missed the recipes and the pictures. I have gotten quite proficient at hiding posts, seeing less from certain pages, unfollowing sites that promote fear and hate, and limiting my experience to things of a more positive nature. It's hard to live in a world where it is impossible to be sarcastic or cynical enough.

I am going to concentrate on gratitude for the rest of 2016. Here is my start:

Today, I am grateful to wake up in a warm house. To turn on the fireplace, to pet my cat lying in my lap. To sip my coffee and watch the birds come to the feeder.

Today, I am grateful for my sweet husband who fills my cup before he sits down. Regis, who takes our dog for a walk two times a day, no matter the weather. Regis, who always makes me laugh. Regis, who took me on an adventure yesterday to shop for a Christmas tree and out for lunch.

Today, I am grateful for my health. I have had health scares in the past but today I am grateful to be able to walk outside as much as I like, I am grateful to be able to work with Gunnar and train with weights to strengthen my back and legs, I am grateful to feel my muscles.

Today, I am grateful for sharing. I am grateful for baking cookies and having kids within walking distance who can come to take them to their families. I am grateful that I can buy lights for my daughter's Christmas tree. I am grateful to be planning outings with all my grandchildren for the holidays.

Even on gloomy days, sunshine comes pouring through and for that, I am grateful.

a walk in the woods

Regis and I went for a walk in the woods by they river yesterday. We had an assignment for our photo club to take pictures at a state park, but being the lazy sort, we opted for a county park. Of sorts. There is beauty in our own backyards, my friends.

When Jane was here this summer, she mentioned forest bathing. I found this about it today:

This is the healing way of Shinrin-yoku Forest Therapy, the medicine of simply being in the forest. Shinrin-yoku is a term that means "taking in the forest atmosphere" or "forest bathing." It was developed in Japan during the 1980s and has become a cornerstone of preventive health care and healing in Japanese medicine.

No phones or Facebook in the woods. No politics. Just the peace of wild things. 

THE PEACE OF WILD THINGS
by Wendell Berry

When despair grows in me
and I wake in the middle of the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting for their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

drawing the curtain on fall

I woke up this morning to feel a chill in the house. The Nest on the dining room wall, unlike the Nest in the picture, is set at Cooling 64. What the hell does that mean? I have an app on my phone to control it but since I have a new phone, I don't have the password. The front door was wide open, too. Nothing missing...just the maladjusted Nest. Seems like an odd thing for a burglar to do.

I got a good start on cleaning up the detritus of fall yesterday but I felt the urge for a nap about 2 o'clock and I am not one to resist so that was it. I was done.

I noticed on our way out for dinner that a lot of people have holiday lights up already. That sort of goes against my grain. I like to have the turkeys in the basement before Santa makes an appearance. But they are cheerful and they help move me toward a lighter space. It has been dark and gloomy the past week.

I did spend some time last night making a Christmas playlist on Spotify. Since every Christmas album ever made (Think Michael Buble and Lady Gaga.) are on Spotify, it took a while. I lean more toward Perry Como, Andy Williams, and Dean Martin. Old, dead, white guys. Haha.

So, the movies are ready, the music is ready, and the picture frame of holidays past is ready. It's my motivation to draw the curtain on fall. This metaphor might be a tad dramatic for dragging a box of plastic turkeys and pumpkins to my messy basement but whatever works.

I spent some time yesterday looking at used books. My friend, Michele, recommended the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley to me as more light-hearted mysteries. I think I need to get out of the underbelly of Edinborough for a while. When I wake up screaming because bad guys are chasing me, it might be time for a new genre. I found four of them on Thriftbooks for 13 bucks with free shipping.

I have a big pot of turkey stock that I might reduce down and make into soup today. Other than that, I am weary of left-overs. Remnants of autumn. Green bean casserole and cranberries. Blech.

the big nap

I went back to bed and slept until 12:45. I woke up once or twice to read a bit and to eat some flatbread with Hope butter. I think I am up for good now and my next goal will be to stay vertical for a couple hours. While I am not feeling energized, I am feeling a tiny bit more optimistic.

I ordered tickets to The Nutcracker Ballet for Ella and me. We did this for quite a few years when she was younger, then fell out of the habit. We'll dress fancy, see the ballet, then have an early dinner.

I'm not mentally ready to begin the next holiday yet but it will be motivation to retire the turkeys and pumpkins. The idea of dragging Rubbermaid totes up and down the stairs again is not appealing. Not yet. I opened one of the Christmas boxes a week or so ago (searching for Santa hats) and was transported by the smell of Christmas. I love Christmas lights so that will be the impetus.

I have been thinking about our Christmas movies. I have favorites and try to watch them every year. I love the different versions of A Christmas Carol and can never decide which one I like the best. 

1. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
2. A Christmas Story (1983)
3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
4. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
5. Frosty the Snowman (1969)
6. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
7. The Nutcracker (Baryshnikov)
8. A Christmas Carol (1999, Patrick Stewart)
9. A Christmas Carol (1984, George C. Scott)
10. The Nutcracker (George Ballanchine)
11. A Christmas Carol (1951, Alastair Sim)
12. A Christmas Carol (1962, Mr. Magoo)
13. A Charlie Brown Christmas
14. A Christmas Carol (1972, Albert Finney)
15. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)

I have dilly dallied enough this morning. I am getting up and moving away from my chair. Happy Friday!

the day after

Ella likes to dress up for holidays so here she is doing her hair, in her sparkly dress, in preparation to come over and help with dinner. A girl after my own heart.

We didn't take any pictures. Well, Regis might have taken one with his phone but that's it. What the heck happened there?

I'm tired this morning and, truth be told, cranky. When Regis goes to work, I am going back to bed to read and maybe sleep some more.

I'm tired of gray skies, too. I knew, coming onto November, that it is one of our cloudiest months, but the weather gods messed with me and we had two weeks of sunshine before they slammed the door in my face. All the weather optimists out there said, oh how nice, this will make the winter seem shorter. My ass, I said. Three days of gloom and the sunshine that came before it has been forgotten. I would welcome some snow at this point.

On a happier note, I am not going shopping today. Regis bought the paper Wednesday and what a waste of money that was. Five pounds of Black Friday ads and two ounces of  news. They could be giving stuff away and I wouldn't go to the mall.

Well, here's to optimism and good cheer. See you after my nap.

beaucoop cooking

I didn't finish cooking until almost 9 o'clock last night. The cheesecake took a lot longer than I remembered, then it had to cool before I could put it on the porch. A nice thing about this chilly, late autumn weather: the back porch can function as additional refrigerator space.

A few of the things I have cooked in the past three days:

• Apple cake
• New York style cheesecake
• Pumpkin pie
• Cranberry sauce
• Cranberry chutney with jalapenos
• Fresh cranberry and apple salad
• Chris Schull's kale salad
• Zuppa Tuscano
• Cornbread muffins
• Swedish meatballs
• Two turkey breasts
• A partridge in a pear tree

That's not only a lot of cooking and a lot of food, but that is a LOT of dishes.

When I finally went to bed, I read for a while, an Ian Rankin mystery. Usually his books are not so graphic but this one has some creepy chapters. About an hour after I went to sleep, I woke up in a screaming panic...bad guys were chasing me and I couldn't get a sound to come out of my mouth. When I did, Gus was standing over me and Regis was shaking me awake. I guess I'll skip those chapters.

Ella is coming over today at 9 to help with final preparations and setting up of the tables. She is a pretty independent cook now and she has opinions about where things should go on the tables. It's nice to turn it over to her. We're running this operation somewhat like a buffet. Come when you want, eat when you want, wash your own dishes. I'm serious about that last part.

We have a small house so one of the unfortunate side effects of holiday organizing is that a lot of stuff finds a home in a place where it doesn't ordinarily live. Things get shoved in closets, under the bed, in the garage. For weeks after, we are wondering where in the hell those things went. This could be how the birth certificates and the car title went missing.

I have decided to believe that Alec Baldwin really is the president. Crazy and funny but harmless. During hard times in the past, this has worked for me: Jed Bartlett was the president during the Bush years. Check out that Buzzfeed link if you want to know why. Other than that, I am still stuck in the same place...can't talk about it, can't be nice about it, can't move on. I'm still boycotting the news and Facebook so it's easy to maintain this laissez–faire attitude.

When I finish this blog post and my cup of coffee, it's time to get up and start the day. One more cup...it isn't even seven o'clock. I had a piece of lefse with my coffee for breakfast. I figure if I spend three days cooking this stuff, I can eat what I want to eat. Lefse and Hope butter for breakfast...heaven.

I couldn't think of anything more to write but I wasn't ready to get up yet, so I put grateful in the little search bar thing at the top of this page. Sigh. What a lovely thing to read on Thanksgiving morning.

auras and aromas of autumn

One of the reasons I love fall cooking is right here. Nothing smells better than a pan full of cranberries, citrus fruit, and cinnamon sticks. This is on my cooking agenda for today. I realize I am making three cranberry dishes for 14 people. Yeah, so what.

I made an apple cake yesterday, thanks Michele for that recipe. Lots of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, apples, and pecans.

I made two kinds of cranberries...the old standard and one called Sam's Kickin' Cranberry Sauce. It has jalapenos, onions, apples, and peppers. I leaned over the pan many times to inhale.

Cornbread muffins for the Andouille sausage dressing. The first batch flopped for some reason so I made another batch. The Cook's Illustrated recipe. You can count on those folks.

I made Swedish meatballs. Sweated onions and butter, nutmeg, cloves. The smell of that burned meatball I managed to drop on the oven floor. Well, it ain't all silver saddles, my friends.

Today on the cooking agenda: cranberries, turkey breast, pumpkin pie, cheesecake, lots of onions and celery for the two kinds of dressing.

I know I said I was going to take it easy but as it turns out, that was a lie.

It's comforting to be in the kitchen. I have a Thanksgiving playlist on Spotify with lots of Jay Ungar, Molly Mason, Peter Ostroushko, Lehto and Wright. I get weepy when I hear Shenandoah. I make a pot of tea in the afternoon. And I dance.

Regis and I watched a hilarious comedian, Joe Rogan, last night. A bit raw for tender ears but mine are hardened so it doesn't bother me. Very funny and much laughing out loud. Comedy, it turns out, is my antidote for current events.

I slept well last night but the call of the mystery novel and a warm blankie might be too much to resist this afternoon. It's 34 degrees and rainy. Some snow accumulation in the dark corners from early this morning. It's a good day to be inside where it smells like heaven.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends. We have much for which to be thankful.

thanksgiving, penguins, and lydia

Yesterday, I got this email message regarding the mileage on my Fitbit.

Terrific!
You've earned the Penguin March badge!
With 70 lifetime miles, you just matched the distance of the March of the Penguins—the annual trip emperor penguins make to their breeding grounds. You're doing swimmingly well!

My athletic life appears to be forever linked to penguins. When I was running, John Bingham, the penguin was my guru. He claims you do not have to be fast, a truth I have affirmed many times in my life.

Distance runners say the penguins of the world have ruined their sport, but I think the slow folks have just captured some of their fun. I won a medal once for being first in my age group. Turns out I was the only person in my age group, proving that you don't have to get faster, you only need to get older. (I have used that line many times.)

I picked Elliot up at his after-school program yesterday. A little girl named Lydia, captured my attention the minute I walked in the door. She told me very earnestly about her horseback riding lesson after school, the names of the three horses and their colors, and her letter to Santa. It was heartwarming.

I reviewed the final Thanksgiving game plan this morning. Tiffany is coming over to help with the Tuesday preparations: toasting pecans, chopping vegetables, making apple cake and cranberry sauce. I wonder how the Pilgrims did it without spreadsheets. Seriously. There are spreadsheets. Put it in the google.

When we went to the store yesterday it was crazy mayhem. Shelves were being emptied faster than they could stock them. I had to ask three times where to find things which is unprecedented in my grocery shopping life. Getting down an aisle unimpeded was impossible. No U-turns were possible. Traffic jams were everywhere. There was much gnashing of teeth and copious weeping.

I noticed the shoppers, the employees who walk around with a list and fill a cart for a person who has placed an order online. They gather the groceries, take them to a van, and deliver them to your house. And get this: Free if you spend over a hundred dollars... but you have to live in Mankato. I suggest this, my friends. We place an order, drive to Mankato for lunch, and have our groceries delivered to the car at Hooligan's while we enjoy a cheeseburger and a bowl of soup. Genius.

The fellow behind me in line was buying seven cans of Bush's baked beans. That's it. I wouldn't brave those crowds for baked beans if they were giving them away.

There are so many convenience foods. I wonder if someday boxed stuffing, bagged mashed potatoes, turkey roll, and brown and serve rolls will be appealing to me. Right before meals on wheels, I suppose.

My biggest internal debate today is napkins: paper or cloth. We're using real dishes, not paper, so I might as well go the extra mile.

Enough rambling for today. Onward and upward. Let the cooking begin.

joe

I am just passing this along. Chris, on the right, published this on Facebook a year ago, asking for folks to send cards to his brother Joe, on the left. Here is what Chris said:

My brother Joe asked today, "Do you think people will send me cards again this year?" I told him I thought they would. He said, "I'm never happier than I am when I get them." For those who don't know, my brother Joe is schizophrenic, and is pretty much a shut-in. He is also a consistent inspiration for my work. I ask folks if they have the time, desire and means to send Joe a holiday card. He loves to read your messages, see where the cards come from. He keeps them and enjoys them all year. It brings him a lot of happiness. Thanks for your consideration. - Chris Mars
Joe Mars
c/o Chris Mars Publishing
P.O. Box 24631
Minneapolis, MN 55424 

Pass it along! If you know a church group or a school class who need a kindness project this year, ask them to send cards to Joe.

snow flake

There were some very precious moments yesterday. I had a little story about the duties of Miss Suzy Snowflake and the little ones enjoyed it. It was enough to bring you to tears when they came around the corner and saw Santa. But. Overall, that was about as cold as I have been in a long time. I was afraid to get off my throne because my feet were numb up to my ankles. I was worried that I would topple into the middle of the highway like a sparkly redwood going down. Timber, as they say.

On to Thanksgiving week. I have a few piddly chores to do today, then tomorrow the grocery buying and cooking can commence. We're trying to do the easier version of Thanksgiving this year, not the restaurant buffet version. But we'll see how that goes. I always get nervous in the end and continue my frenzied cooking past the point of sanity.

Gus is napping on the couch, Woodrow has gone somewhere to watch squirrels, and Regis is sipping his coffee and reading about political unrest on the interwebs. Time for me to get moving.

snowflake queen

I agreed to play the part of Suzy Snowflake for the community event today. All I will say about that is it seemed like a good idea at the time. It was 65 degrees that day and I had no clue the amount of glitter this would entail. Woodrow is captivated by my crown so it has required multiple repairs with the hot glue gun which means more glitter is spewed around the house. I was thinking that after this gig is done, I would pitch the crown in the nearest dust bin (that's what they call garbage cans in the UK...too many Rebus novels) but Regis is making noises about the amount of money I spend on costumery. Several ragged segues in this paragraph.

I'm not sure how to dress like a snowflake queen when it's 26 degrees and windy. All the google searches I did resulted in costumes that were fairly skimpy for a late November in Minnesota. I heard last year's Suzy Snowflake nearly had frostbit feet because she wore little white ballet flats with no socks. Not this chickadee. I have my smart wool socks and hiking boots ready.

Ella is coming over to assist with makeup and to accompany me to the event. The girl likes glitter and glitz.

I have been enjoying the flap this morning over Pence attending Hamilton, being booed loudly by the audience, and then being directly addressed by the actor. Mr. T. has demanded that they apologize. Apparently, they are not aware of artistic license and the idea that you can't legislate respect. And that is all I want to know about the news today, thank you very much.

I've made maple bacon apple crisp twice this weekend so that's enough of that, too. I think I'll try Parker House rolls tomorrow before I clean my oven. My friend, Gayle, used to say she cleaned her over every time we had a snow day from school. I said I cleaned my oven every time I gave birth.

I looked at Facebook this morning for details of the event I am attending. I didn't go into a state of apoplexy but I knew my limits.

My trees are full of fat squirrels this morning. They're waiting for the peanut drop but it ain't coming again today. I put about 30 peanuts out there and they were on them like white on rice. I know they aren't eating them because they scoot around the corner of the house and are back in 30 seconds. I'm sure the neighbors (not squirrel fans) are cussing me from behind their curtains. The squirrels, not the neighbors. Haha! They are fun to watch and I need a diversion. So sorry.

Well, off to layer up for my afternoon gig. I will report later and may even have a few photos.

life is tricky, stay in your magic

There is magic in being able to walk down the street in mid-November carrying a just-out-of-the-oven cast iron pan of maple bacon apple crisp to a potluck dinner. The giant moon was peaking through the clouds as we made our way. My sweet husband was shining the flashlight at my feet because I said a tumble with a 450 degree cast iron pan in my arms and the subsequent 911 call would make an ugly headline. Haha. There is that.

There is magic in sitting around a table with friends, some old and some new, sharing Betsy's baked ziti, fragrant basil and plum tomatoes, garlic toast, and coffee. Gentle conversation about politics, laughter about our shared incompetence with technology, funny stories, some of which had no doubt been told before.

There is magic in being asked to play Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus at a community event. I text Regis to tell him and he responds with the big NO, but an hour later, I get a picture of wide red suspenders and a flannel shirt that he thinks will make a great costume.

There is magic in sharing fish and chips with my good friend, Kathryn. Both retired, we can linger to critique the food, the restaurant redecorating, the state of the world while others rush back to work. She plans to spend part of the winter in a warmer climate and I will miss her. I am not good at good-byes lately. probably because there have been too many.

There is magic in the little boxes I mail to three friends who I have neglected the past few months. Small kitchen utensils in bright colors, old-fashioned hankies for all our tears, bars of scented soap, Swedish dish cloths, school pictures. It costs as much for the postage as for the goods inside the boxes but I am mailing more than stuff. Nothing liquid, fragile, hazardous, or perishable. I have a laugh with Dawn over a bill from a doctor that is inflated because she asked too many questions. It's a crazy world.

There will be magic today. In yoga, in coffee with my friends, in a cozy afternoon nap after I finish my latest mystery novel, and there will be magic in our dinner with old friends this evening. We'll share good food, funny stories, and we'll be amused by our dogs. We'll talk about their plans to head south for the winter and I'll come to grips with another good-bye.

Life is tricky, my friends. Stay in your magic.

down the road I go, fearing nothing

I suppose one day I will be tired of writing maudlin stuff and hiding out in my house. That day is not today. Regis and I are both boycotting Facebook and he is considering deleting his account, but once in a while something sneaks into our conversation and it's off the races. People say we must be kind, we must pray, we must find a way to go on. Let me know when you find the way to go on, friends. Not me. Not today.

I can count on one hand the times I have left the house since election day. The troubling thing is that it doesn't even bother me. I am content here.

Tonight, we're going to the Third Thursday potluck. Nice people. I am looking forward to it. I have a recipe for a maple bacon apple crisp that I am going to make. All the delicious flavors of fall.

We went to Schmidt's yesterday. Now there's a place that is a feast for the senses.

I've been working on cleaning up some messy areas in my house. The problem is that I can clean up a shelf or a drawer, but what do I do with the stuff that's left after I put the good stuff back? My MO is to pack it into boxes and drag it to the basement. Not a good long-term plan, I know. I like to watch American Pickers...I know what hoarders look like.

I started a mindfulness course online yesterday. I was supposed to do a guided thirty-minute body scan but it was too boring and I had to quit after 12 minutes. I'm going to try again today. I like the yoga dvd I have been doing and there is some meditation in that. Sigh. I watched a video by Jon Kabat Zinn and he says if meditation is something you feel you have to do, you shouldn't do it. It's more a way of being than a way of doing. Being instead of doing. Finally an activity I can get behind.

I was going to make coffee yesterday afternoon and Regis hollered stop. Stop! He went to the front step and picked up a box the letter carrier (who rarely carries actual letters) had just dropped off there. He had gotten us another five pound box of Wake the Dead, our favorite seasonal coffee from Just. What a nice surprise.

I have opened my blog up to comments again and will leave it that way until somebody pisses me off again.

Regis and I have been frantically searching the house for a folder containing three birth certificates and the title to the car. The birth certificates are for the folks born in where they apparently have one person whose job it is to issue duplicates. It takes a long, long time. Young Regis needs his to get some kind of transit license so the search commences. We have looked through every possible location where said documents might be residing with no luck. Hoarders don't have this problem, I'm sure. They don't recognize any possibility of finding something like that. Sigh.

Today, I am venturing out of the house of my own accord. Wish me luck.