Thursday, December 24, 2009

The Spirit of Christmas

It's really beginning to look like Christmas around here.  Inside as well as out.  As I've said before, I hadn't really done any indoor decorating to speak of since we were going to go out-of-town for the Christmas Holidays.  "Change of plans" that I wrote about in my last post changed all of that.  So, back up into the attic (with assistance to lift the boxes and carry the stuff back down the stairs, this time...:) for the Christmas china to set the table.  There's a shot of the result (left).

About the centerpiece...N/M/E's BFF AW sent us a beautiful Lenox china-bowl centerpiece, complete with gold candles, red roses, and green pine and holly, right after Thanksgiving.  The flowers and greenery lasted for nearly three weeks and provided us with the only festive decoration for the dining room.  But, when the plans changed, I realized that we needed to refresh the centerpiece.  Got a red carnation and white daisy-and-mum bouquet at the grocery to replace the roses.  Used the same bowl and candles, along with the pine boughs.  Perfect!

About the wine glasses...those are the first 8 Days of Christmas patterns from Waterford.  We were fortunate enough to see them displayed in the Waterford company store when we were in Ireland a couple of years ago.  Waterford has issued two new patterns each year for the past 4 years, and Santa T has made sure the newest issued patterns have been under the tree each year.  We used them at Thanksgiving this year since we didn't think we would be able to use them for Christmas.  Anyway, as there will only be four of us for Christmas dinner, I used the other 4 glasses as candle-holders, with raw rice serving as the "anchor" for the candles.

About the Christmas china...no, it's not a "fine china" pattern.  We could use N/M/E's fine china, which is the Lennox Pine pattern, and would be just perfect for the Holidays.  But, I prefer to deck the table with the last gift I received from my Daddy...a set of tableware he got at the last place he worked, Central Hardware.  We've even kept them in the original boxes, which we threaten to replace every year...and certainly after every move.  That's a picture of the pattern on the ramekins (he absolutely loved to say that word...ramekins...:), as well as one of the Central Hardware tag.  Even in as poor a shape as those boxes are, we haven't lost a single dish...and the tableware has lasted nearly 20 years longer than the store did.  Still don't know why Central Hardware bit the dust...it was a great store.  The home depot before The Home Depot.  Anyway, when I get these dishes out every year, I feel as if Daddy is still with us.  I also use the needlework coasters that his sister, my Aunt Polly, made...and I hang that No-Sew Quilted ornament that cousin Betty Jean made for us years ago. So, even though they are gone...they are with us.  The Spirit of Christmas, indeed.

Speaking of getting into the Spirit of Christmas...


Looks like a great movie line-up for Christmas Eve: The Bishop's Wife, Christmas in Connecticut, and the "old" Christmas Carol (1938 version). We watched the CC version with George C. Scott two nights ago, and then the one with Patrick Stewart last night. Had Missy M's copy of Dicken's novel handy to check how closely the various versions stick to the book. Even watched the Disney version...and the Muppets version of A Christmas Carol, both of which have elements of the classic dialogue and are family favorites. Have watched Miracle on 34th Street, It's a Wonderful Life, Holiday Inn, and White Christmas several times already. Love 'em all, especially the old ones.  Watched the Santa Clause's 1 & 2 and a couple of the Home Alone movies, but don't get the same feeling from them...and, don't even mention silly stuff like A Christmas Story or National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.  I'll change the channel to reruns of baseball before I'll watch either one of those.

Well, I'm off to the grocery store...second time this week.  Got to pick up a bottle of Riesling to brine the turkey breast in.  And another dozen eggs, so we can make the traditional Breakfast Casserole.  I'm sure there will be quite a few folks out-and-about today, Christmas Eve.  At least I'm not headed to the Mall...like Missy M and Mr. T.  They always have Father-Daughter shopping to do...and usually wait until the Very. Last. Minute.

While we were having breakfast, Missy M brought out the doggie decorations.  Gus (left) was willing to wear the antlers so I could get a picture...although, he does look like "would you hurry up so I can take these things off?"


Ella rarely stands still long enough, but I got this one of her in her antlers complete with little red bows(right).  Elmo ducked out of the room, and Duchess just gave us a scathing look:  "you must be kidding...I'm not wearing those...they are undignified."


Happy Christmas Eve!

Monday, December 21, 2009

A Little Change in Plans


First, a report on Handel's Messiah.  Loved it.  Had fab seats in Centenary UMC (photo, left), where the Winston-Salem Symphony and Messiah Festival Chorus, under the direction of the lively Robert Moody, gave their all to give us a stirring performance of the classic. 

Mr. T and I (photo to right, taken in front of the Chrismon Tree at Centenary UMC) were joined for the evening by N/M/E and her BFF AW (photo below, right).  Always a treat! (Not sure who that lady is behind N/M/E...we were waiting in the narthex for the doors to the sanctuary to open.  Lots of folks with us.


So...about those plans we had...

We were planning on spending Christmas in L'ville this year.  Packing up two cars for the trip.  Dogs + presents + luggage + wheelchair & walker + cooler with the Christmas ham and other goodies = TWO CARS. Looking forward to Family Christmas with my brothers and SIL's at Missy M's house on the 19th.  That's the reason I had "only" put up the Sheep Tree...not a "real" tree...here at home in HPNC.  Hadn't even hung our stockings because we weren't going to be here for the Big Day.

Until...

Thursday morning, I went up in the attic to find a couple of boxes of "new" glass ornaments to take for our Family Christmas activity.  Missy M had planned that we would make ornaments, so I had volunteered that I thought I had some glass ornaments for one of the projects she had in mind:  "Swirl-painted" ornaments, where you pour acrylic paint into glass ornaments, swirl it around inside, then let it drain out.  Gorgeous. Anyway, I thought they were in one of the Christmas storage boxes that we hadn't even opened since the move (we weren't going to be here, remember?).  Big plans.  Boxes.  Bad back.  You know where this story is going, don't you?

Fortunately, after being brought to my knees by the figurative/proverbial 2 x 4 in the small of my back (ask anyone with a bad back what an episode feels like, invariably that person will describe it as being "hit with something heavy"...a 2 x 4, a sledgehammer, whatever...), I retired (with much help down the stairs from Mr. T, who was working in his home office on Floor #2 here at Maison de l'Lunn-Adsits...as luck would have it) to my side of the bed with the hot water bottle and a large bottle of muscle relaxers...Zanaflex, marvelous stuff.  Say goodnight, Patricia.

Thursday and Friday just a blur of pain and pain killers. Saturday, a little move movement without as much pain...making progress.  Sunday...a bit better still.  Today...up and about, albeit a bit slower and stiffer than usual.  Will try to stay quiet...do a little knitting, which Mr. T observed was the problem all along:  I was "sick" because he hadn't seen any needles or yarn in my hands in a few days.  I'll do all I can to fix that!

Still, we had to make the decision to cancel our Christmas trip North, and ask Missy M if she could head South instead.  Couldn't envision sitting in a car seat for an 8-hour drive, much less driving for that great distance. Good fortune continues to shine:  she'll be here today, roads permitting.


You see, while I was sleeping, we got nearly 3" of snow here in the Piedmont, with up to 15" reported in the higher mountain areas (between here and there).  It's been beautiful, as you can tell from the pictures.  Mr. T made sure that the bird feeders were filled, so the birds and the squirrels were happy to belly up to the buffet.









Today is supposed to be in the 40's, so we should get more melting, especially on the roads. Still, it would be pretty if it would hang around 'til Thursday, don't you think?








Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Christmas Kitchen: From Chaos to Candy, Cookies, and Cocoa


You know me, right?  Never can do just one thing at a time...gotta multi-task.  It's genetic...or, possibly a character flaw.  Or both.  No matter...not gonna change at this stage of life.

So, (and that's something I picked up from living in the STL area..."they" seem to begin every single sentence with "So...") yesterday was Baking Day here in HPNC.  I got the Family Cookbook out (actually, it's never really "put away"), and gathered the ingredients for a few of our Holiday favorites...and one new addition.

As you can see in the photo (left), I got several goodies going at once:  Louisiana Microwave Pralines (ab fab, only takes 13 minutes to make), Delaware Butter Ball cookies (you may know them by other names like Crescent Cookies, Swedish Sugar Balls, etc. -- they are those yummy cookies that get covered in powdered sugar), and Pumpkin Raisin Muffins (that's the new one for 2009).  The photo to the right shows the Pralines cooling on the counter.  Later, after the bowls and beaters got washed for the first time, they were used for Chocolate Chip cookies, Rice Krispie Treats, and Fudge.  By 10:00 last night, I was pooped...but on a sugar high...:)  Had to sit and knit for an hour to relax enough to go to bed.



I didn't have the time or energy to make one of my favorite mixes last night, but as you can see in the photo to the left, I'd better find the time...I'm down to my last cup of Peppermint Hot Chocolate mix.  I found this recipe years ago at The Container Store when we lived in ATL area.  I checked their website, but they no longer publish it for some reason, so here are the ingredients for a small batch, as promised in my Christmas newsletter this year.

Enjoy!




Peppermint Hot Chocolate mix

Ingredients:


3 (4 1/2-inch) soft peppermint candy sticks
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup instant nonfat dry milk
3/4 cup powdered nondairy coffee creamer
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
Mini marshmallows (opt.)

Preparation:

1. Place peppermint sticks in a zip-top plastic freezer bag; seal bag, and crush candy with a mallet.
2. Combine crushed candy and remaining ingredients in an airtight container, and store at room temperature up to 1 month.
3. Add 2-4 T. mix to a cup; fill with boiling water.  Add milk to cool and make beverage even richer.  Mmmmmm.

Note: I like to use King Leo Peppermint Sticks.  They always remind me of both my Papaw (N/M/E's dad) and his youngest brother, Uncle Smiley.  They both loved King Leos.

OK, after I make the perquisite Hello Dollies and No Bake Cookies tomorrow, I'll assemble the goody bags to deliver to neighbors and service-givers.  I'm also wrapping up boxes to deliver to further-afield zip codes.

Tonight, I'll pause in the busy-ness of the Season to attend the Winston-Salem Symphony's performance of Handel's Messiah.  That always makes my soul soar, especially when we stand for the Hallelujah Chorus, just like audiences have been doing since the mid-1700's.  If it's good enough for King George II...

Friday, December 11, 2009

First, There Was the Music...Then the Ballet...Then the Collection


It's official.  My Christmas has begun!

Mr. T and I went to Winston-Salem last night to attend the University of North Carolina's School of the Arts 2009 production of  The Nutcracker.  With a live orchestra playing the beautiful music of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite and the enthusiastic (if not always on pointe...:) dancers telling the sweet story of Clara through their movements, we embraced the Season's spirit.  We (along with most of rest of the audience) loved the Russian dancers in Act II, leaping and posing to their lively part.  Hopefully, if you follow the link, you'll get a taste of it.

We started a Family Tradition of going to see the Nutcracker when Missy M was a little girl, and we were living in Memphis.  That year, our cousin Larry Allen played a couple of parts in the production at the Orpheum (a beautiful theatre, as I recall), including the part of the Grandfather in the opening Act. And, I also remember a family favorite, Jack Eaton, playing a part in a production, Herr Drosselmeier, I believe.  Big Jack was a long-time local NBC sportscaster in Memphis...and fab Voice of the Memphis Tigers, too.  Anyway, memory fails as to whether he was in the same production as Larry Allen...no matter, we loved going, year after year.  Hence...a tradition was born!  Of course, as I've written about before, that led to the "tradition" of our collecting nutcrackers...which now number 50+.  We've added a couple this year, but haven't entered them into the "official tally" yet...that would be a sheet of paper with all the nutcrackers numbered and described.


This year, we'll actually get to see the ballet again when we visit Missy M.  She wants to get her Season started, too, don't you know?  Then, we can (1) make up for not going at all last year by going twice this year, and (2) compare productions...see which one does what the best. I'll let you know!

So, as I was saying, last night was our night out on the town.  That's a photo of us (right), all gussied up and ready to head out the door.  I'm wearing a shawl I knit a couple of years ago, using several kinds/textures of yarn, including a sparkly one...which is why I choose it for special occasions.  The last time I wore it (when we went to the 2007 Nutcracker at the Fox in STL), we were in an ice-storm.  No precip last night, but cold temps nonetheless.  Still, it is an extremely warm wrap, which I had to remove in order to stay in the Stevens Center...where it was a bit too warm for my tastes.

In the photo, we are standing in the den, next to the Sheep Tree (which also has some other ornaments, like that little red sweater I knit several years ago, front and center...:); maybe you can make out the little Angel on Top that I wrote about in my last post?  The odd looking object over Mr. T's right shoulder is the Phantom of the Opera Nutcracker on the mantle, complete with his mask and cape.

Speaking of weather...I was, wasn't I?  We are supposed to see some snow this weekend.  80% chance on Sunday.  We'll see.  As for now, it's 35 in the middle of the afternoon and partly cloudy.  Looks like winter, if you know what I mean.

Spiced tea, anyone?!

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Christmas is Coming


As you can see from the photo (right), Lillie Pearl PTC is all decked out for the Holidays.  She's got her Rudolph Red Nose and Antlers all attached in proper style.  When I was in ATL last week (where this shot was taken...at my home-away-from-home Homewood Suites/Peachtree Corners), the desk clerk asked me where the tail was?  Swish, swish.  Of course, I wouldn't want to be too authentic as it might still be deer hunting season in GA.

In answer to the question/comments from a couple of you ("what are you working on these days?  You've stopped blogging about your projects..."), I'll have to plead the Fifth, I suppose.  Since Christmas is almost here, there's a good reason why I'm not talking about or publishing photos of my current projects:  all of them are gifts!  But trust me when I say that my needles are still clicking away, late into the night.  And, I'm really excited about one "group" of projects this year...can hardly wait to tell you about them!  It's a combination of crafts...but, that's enough of that.  I'll just have to wait until Santa delivers the goods before I spill the beans. 


I did work on a favorite Christmas project this morning (left).  I took some oranges that were a bit past their peak and studded them with whole cloves.  They are now sitting in their bell-basket on the hearth in the kitchen/morning room, where I hope their fragrance will continue to remind us of the Holidays for weeks to come.  I learned (the hard way) that an ice pick is the best tool to pierce the orange peel before you add the cloves...the hard way being trying to poke the clove-stems directly through the orange-skin = lots of broken cloves and really sore fingers.  Live and learn, right?  Some folks go another step and fix ribbons to hang these jewels, but I like for them to be near the fireplace, as the warmth brings out the scent better.

As I write this post, the temps have reached the mid-60's, and the wind is blowing extremely hard outside my window.  So hard in fact that it has almost dried us out from the rains of the past two days (over an inch in the rain gauge).  One would think that March had arrived!  I see on the weather map that our high predicted for today (66) is more than that for Phoenix (60)...remarkable!  Of course, tomorrow's prediction for HP's high is only 47...which is about the same as their predicted low during the week.  A winter storm is working its way through the middle of the country, and STL, Louisville, Memphis, and Nashville are all going to be well-acquainted with freezing temps this week...so, I'll certainly not complain about one beautiful sunny, blustery, warm day.

In my last post, I wrote about putting up my Sheep Tree in the den.  I forgot to tell you about the most special "ornament" on this tree...the Angel on the Top.  She's the one that we used for all of our trees when I was growing up, and I treasure her more than words can say.  She's certainly showing her age, but I think that is a part of her charm. I try to arrange it where a little light is tucked into her gauze-skirt so as to light her up from within.  Gives her a glow, don't you know?  (Yes, I have the lights twinkling on the tree...and the mantle...right now...:)

I also found some photos the other day, including this one of me with my dear Daddy at Christmas-time 1955 (right). It would have been taken on the front steps of our house on Lynbar in Memphis, I imagine.  I wonder just how long I kept that hat and those gloves on?

I'm presently looking for a snap of another Christmas...when I got just what I wanted from Santa:  a Jeep!  As I remember it, Brother J is also in the shot, so it would have been taken after we moved from Memphis.  I'll scan and share it, too, as soon as I can put my hands on it.

Oh, how I do love Christmas traditions and memories...

Monday, December 7, 2009

Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas Around Here


Oh boy, oh boy...you know how much I love this time of year, right?  And, this year has been even more exciting, as we have a new yard to decorate.  Duke Power rejoiceth!

We started right after we'd begun to digest the turkey and trimmings.  Put away the pumpkins.  Hauled out the holly.  As you can see in the photos, we are well-lit here on Wesseck Road.


We had purchased six 25' strands of C7 lights a couple of years ago during the after-Christmas sale at the O'Fallon True Value (which has since gone out of business, sad to say).  We also got 6 packages of yard stakes as we were trying to avoid having to hang lights on the house. Of course, with the move to NC, we'd never used them...this would be our first year.  Well, amazingly, this yard seemed to be designed perfectly for this scheme.  We lined our natural area (the part of the yard under the trees...mulched in pine straw, without any grass) with the stakes and lights, starting with the lighted reindeer in the front, circling around the sidewalk past the lighted bushes, up to the front porch.  Along the way, we staked out Pop-Up Santa and his Chimney.  He's been a real hit in the neighborhood, for sure.  We get several lookers, stopping on their dog-walks or in their cars, every night, and several neighbors have complemented us on the lights.


We also propped up the Santa Nutcrackers (AKA:  The Mens) to guard the front steps.  We did the math and dated them to the Collierville Era (1985-88), meaning they are about 22-23 years old.  Every year, we say the same thing:  we MUST paint these things before next Christmas.  We never seem to get around to it...yet, we can't seem to leave them out of the decorating scheme, either.  Let's just say The Mens bear the battle scars of multiple moves and continue to report for duty every December.  BTW, after I took these photos on Sunday night, November 29th, we located the candles for the windows, so the wreaths now show up a bit better.



Of course, the porch wouldn't be complete without Rhonda and Rudy Reindeer to greet our guests.  This year, they have comfortable seats in the rockers, well-protected under the broad roof and well-lit by both the wreath on the dining room window (photo, right) and the snowflakes and stars hanging from the eaves.  It's hard to tell from the picture, but I used a pair of Missy M's little-girl Garfield house slippers and a Christmas onesy-pajama on Rudy, along with one of her little-girl footy-pajamas and a Christmas gown on Rhonda.  A great way to keep those memories.  (Their faces were made by stuffing thick work-socks and embroidering the noses with black thread; his antlers are a pair of stuffed brown cotton work gloves; and her hair peeping from the nightcap is a bulky yarn.)



This weekend, while we watched "Miracle on 34th Street" (the original B&W version),  "White Christmas," and a couple of football games, we worked on unpacking and setting up the inside Nutcrackers.  We now have 47 in our collection.  The good news:  we also now have TWO mantles for display purposes...plus the sofa table, the entertainment center, and the tops of two bookcases.  Lastly, we got the Sheep Tree up...that's the small artificial tree that I decorate with my collection of sheepie ornaments.  Sorry about how dark that photo (left) of the mantle and Sheep Tree turned out...if I turn on the flash, it drowns out the little lights.  And, I do so love to see the little lights...:)

UPDATE:  Pop-Up Santa is taking a breather in order to dry his fan out...he got filled with water during the rains of last week and kept throwing the GFCI breaker.  Hopefully he'll be back in commission soon...although, rain is predicted twice for the coming week. Hmmmm.  Previously, the only thing we've worried about for him is that he doesn't operate when the temps are below 14 degrees (as they often were in MO).



Speaking of rain...we had some cold, wet stuff falling this weekend that turned to ice on the deck, making it difficult for Duchess and Gus to go walk-about in the back yard, but no measurable white stuff yet here in HPNC.

Other parts of the Piedmont have reported a different story, and this morning we got photos from Missy M showing the first snowfall of the season for her house (photo to right).  Maybe not enough for a snowman, but still enough to get out the windshield scaper, right?  Makes me want to make a big pot of soup...bake some bread and some cookies...and stir up some spiced tea.  Winter's on its way!

Monday, November 30, 2009

Family, Food, and Football...It Must be Thanksgiving!



After a l-o-n-g week of working on the boxes in the garage, we took a break from unpacking to celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday.  I hope each and every one of you has been blessed with much to be thankful for this year.  My own list would include:
  1. My family...gathered around our dining room table...and the relatively good health we all enjoy.  This was our first meal in the dining room of our NC home, and we were thrilled to set places for Missy M, as well as Brother and SIL J&J.  We had a lovely day together...and even though Brother T and SIL LaD couldn't join us this year and M had to return home with her pups on Saturday, we were able to meet J&J for a farewell breakfast at Cracker Barrel on Sunday for a bit more fun.  The camera...set on timer...took that photo (right) of us.  I'll be sure to follow Mr. T's suggestion to use the flash next time to even out all those shadows.
  2. A bountiful harvest...including the potatoes from Missy M's garden...and groaning sideboard.  We served all the usual Turkey Day dishes:  turkey, dressing (which we made in the crock-pot again...a very moist way to prepare it), glazed ham, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, sweet potato souffle, cranberry sauce, relish tray, rolls and gravy...followed by cheesecake and/or pecan pie for dessert.  The only hitch in the whole day came when the oven (which came with the house) decided to start issuing error codes (?!?) and then burn everything inside...fortunately, this occurred when the casseroles were being heated, with the only real casualties being the tops and bottoms of those dishes and the rolls.  I guess next Thanksgiving I'll be thankful for a new oven...?  Oh well...
  3. A happy ending to the saga of our move from MO.  This time last year saw us in a tizzy, preparing to make the move to NC, which turned out to be even more trying than we had anticipated...so, I'm three times thankful that this is all behind us...and that we are all still smiling...and still speaking to each other...!
OK, that covers the "family" and the "food."  What about the "football?" 

On Saturday...which was an absolutely gorgeous day...Mr. T and I headed to Durham for the Duke and Wake Forest "rivalry" game (left).  The Methodists vs. the Baptists, so to speak.  Sad to report that the Blue Devils allowed the Demon Deacons to take the lead...and they never got it back.  Sigh.  At least we had fun in the sun.





I absolutely adore the Duke campus.  With all the stone buildings and arched and leaded windows, this is one of the prettiest spots in the state.  As we were walking back to our car, I took this shot (right) of the Duke Chapel, which is stunning inside and out.  (Yes, that is the moon you see...:)  We went there to hear Handel's Messiah when we lived here before, and I'll never forget how moving that performance was.  Suggestion:  if you do go, be sure to take a sweater...those stone floors can make the space a bit nippy, shall we say.


While Missy M was here, we got to a couple of yarn shops (Knit Picky in Winston-Salem and This 'n That in Greensboro).  Good time of year to go pet some fibre, for sure! 

On our way home from Winston, I took the exit for Old Salem...one of our favorite places.  We didn't have a whole lot of time, but I found a parking space right in front of Winkler's Bakery, so we joined the crowd inside.  OMG.  What wonderful, yummy smells!  M stocked up on Moravian Cookies (in the tins), and then we got some sugar cakes, still warm from the oven.  I took this photo of the goodies along with my Cat's Meow of Winkler's, which I've had for years.  Still special.

Several have asked about Elmo's eyes.  I'm happy to report that he's doing much better.  Missy M took him to his follow-up vet visit today and reported that the pressure is still below those high numbers he registered when the glaucoma started.  Can he see out of both eyes?  Well, that's still up-in-the-air, as he doesn't really respond appropriately to the gestures that the vet tests him with.  The verdict:  M still has to administer the three kinds of eye drops, as the vet wants to maintain the progress he's made.  Of course, at this rate, they are going to have to start going to the vet in an armored truck...too bad M can't get Elmo on her health insurance.


When all the pups were here with us, I took this shot of The Boyz:  Elmo, Mr. T, and Gus (right).  Thought it was so cute.  Can you see the logo on his shirt?  It's for Binford Tools...motto:  Real Men Don't Read Instructions.  Ahem.  Got that one on a trip to Disney World.  Fits...in more ways than one, wouldn't you say?


About a half a second after I snapped that shot, Ella Rae jumped up in the middle, as you see in the other photo (left).  What a little imp!  The boys look like "great...here she comes again."

Yes, we had a wonderful weekend.  And, now we are in the middle of decorating the house for the Christmas Holidays.  The garage will just have to wait a little longer, I suppose.

We got the outside lights, etc., up and out yesterday before the sprinkles arrived.  Good thing, too, as today has been drab and dreary...chilly and wet.  I did get the candles in the windows this morning, so I'll be ready to post some photos tomorrow.

Be good!  Remember, Santa's watching!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Another One of Those Busy Weeks


It's the week of Thanksgiving...and the gang's all here!  Check out that shot on the left of the Drool GangDuchess in the lower left, Gus in the center back, and Elmo on the right.  And, can you even see Ella Rae in the upper left?  They are all piled up on the sofa bed in the den.  As they had all tried to sleep on our bed the night before...with us...I finally gave up fighting for some space and made up the sofa bed to finish out the night by myself.  Of course it wasn't long until I had company (Ella Rae and Elmo) join me.  Sigh.  What can I say?  Gotta love 'em!


As I mentioned in my last post, Mr. T and I motored to a half-way meet-up with Missy M in Charleston, WV last Friday.  We brought Elmo and Ella Rae home, while she went back to Huntington, where she had work to do over the weekend.  I took this shot of Pilot Mountain on our way up Highway 52, north of Winston-Salem, NC.  It's a state park, and the origin of the fictional town of Mount Pilot on the Andy Griffith show.  (He's from nearby Mount Airy, NC)  Yes, you can drive up the mountain, but you arrive at a spot to the left of the big "knob"... maybe you can see that little outcropping over there beyond the "dip?"  Great views of the surrounding area, especially on a clear day, which this was not.

Mr. T has been taking vacation days (use 'em or lose 'em)...meaning, he hasn't been traveling...but still working from home this past week.  We've spent our time trying to knock out the rest of the mountain of boxes residing in our garage...what a chore!  Some of these boxes have just been re-packed/re-labeled and moved three or more times...I don't think we've touched them since we were in Georgia.  We're in the middle of the unpacking and organizing, but have called a halt to that work in order to get ready for Thanksgiving festivities.


Missy M arrived on Sunday, and it's so wonderful to have her here!  She's contributing to our Thursday meal with home-grown potatoes (photo, left)...can you believe this harvest?!  She tried a method that was new to me:  growing them in bags, which she ordered from the Gardener's Supply catalog.  The proof is in the potato!  It worked, big time.  I checked our garden before the frost that was predicted for last night and found a few green peppers and green tomatoes...but no green beans left to go with those small-ish ones.  The rest of them will be boiled, mashed, and served up with turkey gravy!


She also brought along a new craft she'd learned from one of her co-workers:  making no-sew quilted ornaments.  My cousin Betty Jean made one of these for us years ago, and we still place it lovingly on our tree each Christmas.  While the cheesecake and the pecan pie were baking today, Missy M taught me how to fold and pin the little rectangles of fabric she'd already cut for us into the styrofoam balls.  Later, we'll get some wide ribbon to tie around the center to hide all those pins.  The blue and white one "in progress" in the lower left in the photo (right) is my very first attempt!  The Pumpkin Crunch was for sustenance...:)

So...we are working our way through the Thanksgiving To Do List.  I've polished the silver and set the table for six.  Made the 3-Bean Casserole and the Sweet Potato Casserole, the cheesecake and the pecan pie; baked the cornbread and chopped the veggies for the dressing.  N/M/E and Missy M have gone to the Honey-Baked Ham store for the ham, which will be scored and glazed later...and tonight we'll begin the brining process for the 19# turkey that's resting in the fridge.  The Riesling is chilling...and the roll recipe is on the counter.  I'll make the tea that morning, mash the potatoes, cook the rice and steam the broccoli .  Gravy comes after the bird is cooked for 4 hours.  Relish tray with grapes, olives, celery, and N/M/E's pickles.  Did I forget anything?  Oh yeah...the cranberry sauce...don't forget the cranberry sauce! (Two kinds...the one with the whole berries and the one without...as we have different tastes to accommodate.)  I'm getting hungry just thinking about it all!


As you can see (left), Gus can hardly wait for the Dog Show to begin.  Forget all that football, he says...after the Macy's Parade and Santa's arrival, that's the best part!  He'd better rest up for all that excitement...:)

It's going to be a great day on Thursday!  Gobble, gobble!!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

See Seven States in Eight Days!


Let's see...what has kept me from blogging lately, you might ask?  Been on the road again, I might answer.

To recap...

Started in North Carolina, where Autumn was in all her glory (see the photo of our Hickory trees in back). Headed to Kentucky via Virginia and West Virginia.  Left Kentucky, returning to NC via Tennessee.  Left NC, going to Georgia via South Carolina.  Returned to North Carolina.  Collapsed on floor from exhaustion.

It all started last week with a call from Missy M.  Elmo, the youngest Basset member of the Drool Gang, who now lives in Louisville with Ella Rae and Missy M, had just been diagnosed with glaucoma in both eyes (a very scary, but fairly common malady to the Basset breed, unfortunately).  As he required three kinds of eye drops, three times a day...and had a couple of follow-up vet appointments during the week...not to mention needing some extra TLC during the work-day hours, M wondered if I could put my Nurse/Nanny hat on and come to KY.  Of course, I was out of the door without hesitation. 

Well, that's not exactly accurate, since I always hesitate when I have to leave N/M/E...but Mr. T came to the rescue, promising to arrange his work schedule so that he'd be at home as much as possible.  And, where would we be without good friend AW, who doesn't seem to miss a beat in adding "drive Miss Edith to the doctor" to her weekly rounds? Gotta love'em!

Good news:  Elmo is responding well to the meds and has had a great report from the Vet/Opthalmologist. The pressure in both of his eyes has dropped substantially below the high levels of just a week ago.  He might even be able to see a bit out of his right eye (although he's probably never going to regain sight in his left).  He still has to have the eyedrops, but Missy M is great at administering them.  A real pro.  Me?  Not so good at that, actually, since I managed to miss both of his eyes with all of the drops...having to resort to using a tissue to mop up the (extremely expensive) liquid as it ran down his sweet face and try to get some of it back on his eyelids...hoping for cure by osmosis, I suppose. 

Then, as the Dr. said it was OK to board the pups, since Elmo was doing so well, we continued with our originally scheduled plan of going to the Gatlinburg for the weekend (see photo of Missy M's new car, a Honda Insight...headed to the Glamour Slammer...complete with Bobble Head Ella Rae hanging out the back window. 


This weekend had been planned around the UMemphis/UTenn football game.  Don't want to talk about that, except to say:  if I ever hear the song Rocky Top again, it will be way too soon.  If you can make out the photo of the stadium (left), you will see that we were seated directly over the UT band, which had way too many opportunities to play their favorite tune.  Sigh. 


The color in the mountains was "past peak" as they say, as you can see in the photo (right)...very different from what Mr. T and I observed during our September trip. Our hotel room had a lovely balcony, from which we could see the Ober Gatlinburg Tram and the rushing Little Pigeon river.  I thoroughly enjoyed our short time there, as always.  Of course, lots of other folks were in the mountains, enjoying their time there, too.  On Sunday, we joined the multitude on the path to Cherokee (as we can no longer take I-40 into NC due to the destruction caused by a recent rock slide).  The photo to the left shows our view on 441:  tail-lights, as far ahead as one could see.



Home again...for a whole night.  Then, repacked my bag to head to ATL for a couple of days.  Hurricane Ida and I got there about the same time.  Let's just say...I don't think there is a deficit of rainfall in GA anymore.


Home again, home again yesterday...bringing Ida along with me.  Rough drive.  Thought it would never end.  Glad to be here, safe and sound.  Had over 3.6 inches in the rain gauge this morning...and a little lake in the back yard.  Also, all those lovely leaves that were on our trees?  Now on the ground (right).

Will be making a quick up-and-back trip to WV tomorrow to meet Missy M for a dog exchange.  She's got work to do that requires some travelling...and we would rather have the whole Drool Gang here with us.  More the merrier! 

Then, we're looking forward to a few days around the house to get ready for our family Thanksgiving, when we'll be joined by Missy M, along with Brother and SIL J & J.  A little more unpacking...a little more decorating...with a little more knitting in between.  I love this time of the year, don't you?

Monday, October 19, 2009

Busy Week

Whew! I need to catch my breath. While the washer and dryer are doing their Monday morning thing(s), I’m enjoying a few minutes of relaxation…cup of coffee in hand, here in front of our fireplace. Thought I’d share my view with you, too. Ahhhhh….

Last week was a super busy one for us, starting with our first-ever Carolina Panthers game on Sunday. I had fried some chicken the night before, so we packed up a cooler and the picnic hamper for some tasty tail-gating, then headed off to join the crowd at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. As #34 DeAngelo Williams (formerly of the University of Memphis) is now a Panther, our interest in the team is more than just sharing the same state with them. (Update: DeAngelo scored the winning touchdown in yesterday's game vs. Tampa Bay!) Our seats are in the nose-bleed section AKA Section 520, and we had some interesting (shall we say?) Redskins fans as seat-mates (one of whom caused quite a “stir” near the end of the first quarter)…but they’d left by the half, the stadium staff cleaned up his mess, it did NOT rain as predicted, and we won the game…so, hooray!

Monday was a little more hectic than usual, with a follow-up doctor visit for N/M/E. Her foot problem is getting better (and certainly not keeping her from bridge…:), so we’re encouraged. Still, if you have the choice, you really don’t want to have had an allergic reaction to the generic medication and have to use the newer, more costly Brand-name version. Trust me on this.

Tuesday, I headed back to ATL for a couple of days. Work. Rain. Dentist. Rain. Back home. About covers it. Oh yeah…I’d downloaded the unabridged edition of Dan Brown’s newest book, The Lost Symbol, from Audible.com before I left…all 17.5 hours of it! So, I popped in my iPod connection, and Lillie Pearl PTC and I had a most enjoyable ride. Meanwhile, I’d put my name on the reserve list at the High Point Library for this book; they called on Monday to say they were holding the book for me, so I swung by the DRIVE THROUGH window (oh boy, howdy...do I ever love a library with online reserving and drive through windows!) on the way out of town…needless to say, I think I’ve found The Lost Symbol!

While in GA, I discovered a new (at least to me) yarn shop in Duluth, called Rare Purls (right). It’s located inside the Knox House, one of the oldest houses in town…one that’s been restored and also houses a restaurant/tea room. Nice break in the work day. No yarn came home with me this time, but I sure was interested in that one that includes camel…! I petted it several times.

Returned home late Thursday to catch up on laundry and email…and have a little time with Mr. T, who had rearranged his work/travel schedule to be able to be close-to-home with N/M/E while I was out-of-town. Bless him and his loving heart!

On Friday, a friend and I enjoyed the French Horn Spectacular program in the Friday Favorites Series with the North Carolina Symphony in Raleigh. Lovely music…lovely day. JS then treated me to a tasty luncheon at the Posta Tuscan Grille on Fayetteville Street near the Meymandi Concert Hall…such a pleasant, relaxing, unhurried meal…a great way to renew a NC friendship. I had the Insalata di Pollo, following some tempting bruschetta appetizers. Yummy! We even worked in a stop at a yarn shop on the way out of town called Great Yarns. No yarn came home with either of us…we are both extremely mindful of just how much yarn we already own (me, because I’m still trying to find a place for all of it in all of these moving boxes; she, because she just organized her stash into neat containers at home). Good little girls were we.

And this past weekend? Well, I had wanted to attend the Harvest Days at Old Salem (in Winston-Salem), but the cloudy, rain-threatening weather continued to hang around…so, we decided to devote some time to the projects on our list.

Did I tell you that my pantry shelving was beginning to pull away from the wall…just like the master closet shelving did not too long ago? As we have future-plans (2010-11) to re-do the kitchen, including reworking and enlarging the pantry, our solution to the present pantry problem needed to be quick, relatively easy, and relatively inexpensive. Enter J. C. Penney! I ordered free-standing pantry shelving from their Cooks.com website…and after a couple of days of emptying the pantry, removing the old wire shelves, and patching and painting the holes/wall, we (mostly Mr. T) got the new shelves up and operational. Yeah!

Mr. T also got to check a few more projects off his list. He (and Gus...always the Supervisor on all projects...see the photo, left...:) installed 3 pull-out stainless steel trays in the false cabinet fronts of the kitchen sink and the two bathroom sinks in the master, and 2 valet rods in the master closet…all ordered online from Rev-a-Shelf of Jeffersontown, KY. Sweet!

Finally, since the recent rains had ushered in cooler weather, and frost was predicted for last night, I harvested the ripe peppers, tomatoes, and beans in the garden, and he moved the tender potted plants inside from their Summer homes on the porches. [Check out the photo (left) to see the amount of growth on our largest corn plant…wow!] I’m not sure that we got frost, but we were pretty close. It's only 48 now.

Football and frost? Yes, Fall has arrived! And, we have earned our nap-time, haven't we, Mr. G (right)?

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

My Baby's All Grown Up

I can hardly believe that dear daughter, Missy M, just celebrated such a milestone birthday this past weekend (photo to left). Yes, I put 30 candles on the cake...actually, 31, with one to grow on (right). I reminded her that in just 9 short years, she and I would be the same age...since I stopped having birthdays, per se, and started having anniversaries of my 39th birthday.

Hence, that birthday cake that Mr. T got me back in July ("Happy 39th Birthday Again").


Anyway...


Wasn't it just yesterday that we were riding around in Ol' Blue Car (a twelve year old '68 Oldsmobile Delmont 88 that we'd "inherited" from great-Uncle Smiley when he stopped driving in the late 70's), heading out to the Wally Bahtlett Montessori School? (She couldn't quite manage to pronounce Raleigh-Bartlett...but she nailed Montessori every time!) Who said it first, said it best: tempus fugit.


Here is a photo (right) of her taken at her third birthday party at the Zoo in Memphis. She's blowing out the candles on her Strawberry Shortcake cake...for the second time. The first time, her friend Daniel (with his Mom, Lyn...a former neighbor and great friend in Cordova) got there before she did and poof! We had to re-light them. Easily fixed. Lovingly remembered.


We had a great weekend in Louisville. We came bearing gifts...and cake...for the Birthday Girl on Friday. Then, we went to the Glassworks on Saturday to Blow Our Own Pumpkins. That's a shot (left) of Mr. T's pumpkin, getting the addition of a red-hot stem, courtesy of one of the glass-blowers in residence. We've enjoyed this activity several times, making Christmas ornaments and suncatchers. I guess we've been too many times as the Chief Glass-blower (right, chatting with Mr. T) recognized us and welcomed us back. Ahem.

Then, we met up with Brother T at the Shogun Japanese Restaurant for some dining entertainment. It was good to visit with him and catch up, if only for a couple of hours. Hope we'll all be able to get together again at Christmas.

Sunday was a quiet day, dedicated to viewing as many of the "new" (2007-08) season of Midsomer Murders as time would allow. Missy M had given the British 10-episode version of this combination of portions of Series 10 and Series 11 to Mr T for his recent birthday, but the "region-free" video player needed for viewing the Brit DVD's arrived after we'd departed in September. So, we unwrapped and unpacked and plugged in...and popped some corn...and made our way through multiple murders and mysteries. I was a bit wimpy due to an enlarged tear duct/sinus? inside my eyelid...which made my right eye appear swollen and discolored, like I'd run into a door...or a fist...so, lounging around all day was fine by me. Pass the salt, please.

Also, we got to spend time with Elmo and Ella Rae, who couldn't get enough of Daddy (left).
They seem to still remember us, especially when they hear the word w-a-l-k and the leashes come out of the closet basket.

Then, all of a sudden, it was Monday. Back to work for Missy M. Back to High Point for us...after I took advantage of MM's yarn swift to wind over 1100 yards of some Baby Alpaca yarn I've had for nearly a year. As I'd purchased it on half-price sale...with a customer-loyalty gift certificate, to boot, I hadn't had the heart (or any other body parts) to ask the shop owner to wind it for me. I have my own makeshift "swift" here at home (AKA: my kitchen butcher block's well-spaced handle), but winding that much yarn at one time would have taken me several hours. As it was, it took almost exactly one Masterpiece Theatre, since we queued up the Inspector Lewis program that had been DVR'd from Sunday night. Neat, how that all worked out, eh?

Speaking of knitting (we were, weren't we?)...



Yes, I am still knitting. I know, I know, I haven't mentioned it much in this space lately...and for good reason. I've been laboring over a pair of socks for Missy M's birthday. I mentioned this project in passing, but couldn't say much without giving away the surprise, I suppose. Anyway. I had read about a sock pattern online (on the Yarn Harlot's blog, I think) called Viper Pilots. A designer had translated her love (obsession is such a strong word, don't you agree...:) of the sci-fi series Battlestar Galatica into socks. And, since MM was such a fan, I thought "perfect!"

Right.

Well, I am happy to say that I finished the pair in time to wrap them up for her birthday, after having started them LAST APRIL. And, she seemed to love them, so all's well that ends well...or something along those lines. Thankfully, I had learned (courtesy of one of MM's books) to knit two socks at the same time...because I can assure you, if I had knitted them separately per the pattern, and (finally) finished the first sock, that would have been all MM got for her gift. There wouldn't have been a Sock #2.

This pattern is beautiful in its intricate sworls, etc., but it is excessively reliant on using a stitch called KTBL: knit through the back loop. This creates a twisted knit stitch, which is "nice" for spiffing up a pattern. But, using KTBL for the entire pattern?! ARGGGGGGGGHHHHHH! The designer must have been insane. Or, trying to make me so. I didn't get to knit...just knit...a stitch until the bottom of the foot. If an entire design of twisted stitches weren't irritating enough, the charting (which you had to follow closely to make sure you were crossing stitches and cabling correctly) was blinding. I finally figured out that I had to gather together all of the colored markers I owned in order to keep the charted stitches for all the cross-overs and cables straight. And, to add insult to injury...the design started every row with a purl stitch...which is cumbersome to say the least, when working on two circular needles...and two socks. Bah! I didn't even get to enjoy the beautiful yarn I selected...a Dream in Color "Starry" colourway called Some Summer Sky, which incorporates a silver thread in some of the softest yarn out there. [The silver thread makes it shimmer!] Anyway...gripe, gripe, gripe...but, aren't they amazing? And, my hat's off to the designer. (Of course, when I check out patterns now, if I even see a single twisted stitch in a chart, I toss it aside. No more...not for me...not anytime soon, for sure.)

OK...now that I've gotten the grousing out...truth-be-told? I've been working on several baby sweaters, trying to find a just-perfect pattern as my go-to Baby Sweater choice. I'll post these soon...one is a gift, and I don't want to spoil the surprise. Tee hee.

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