Friday, December 31, 2010

2010: That's a Wrap!

Welcome to our world, Dixie girl!
It's that time again.  Time to say goodbye to the old year...hello to the new one.  As we prepare to welcome in 2011, we are also welcoming a new Drool Gang member into the (extended) family, so I thought I'd lead this post off with a photo (right) of Dixie.  She is such a cutie-pie and is joining Missy M and Ella Rae (who I'm not supposed to refer to as my grand-dog...:) in L'ville.  She's 2 1/2 years old, with red and white coloring (she looks a lot like Elmo, don't you think?).  And, she's got a big voice for such a little girl.  I haven't met her in person (canine?), but I have heard her bay over the phone.  Woo-woo!

So, it's New Year's Eve.  Most people celebrate by going out on the town, putting on party hats, and toasting with champagne at midnight.  Us?  Well, we are such party animals (NOT!) around here that our agenda for the day has been a bit different.

We have been enjoying the results of Mr. T's BirdCam that he got for Christmas.  We've taken lots of pictures (which I'll post at a later date)...or, I should say it's taken lots of pictures, and we are trying to refine the results.  Oh, the camera itself is working great, and we are loving the pix we've gotten so far.  We do seem to be getting more than our share of bird-butt shots however, either because of the shape, size, or location of our feeders.  Solution?  Get some new feeders...and put them in some new locations!


N/M/E is all smiles at Tractor Supply
in Oak Ridge, NC
 So, we spent the last day of this year in Oak Ridge, NC, at the Tractor Supply (our other home-away-from-home), loading up on new feeders, as well as gluten-free dog food and dog treats.  Hey, around here, it's all about the birds and the dogs!  That's a shot (left) of Nana/Momma/Edith in the back seat of Mr. T's Outlander as we were leaving the store.  He's on the other side of the vehicle, trying to tie-down the 4 new feeder poles on top of the car.  Tee hee.

After our little shopping spree, we headed across Highway 150 to J.P. Looney's for a celebratory lunch...and a little bowl-game-watching time on their big screens.  N/M/E was still bummed out because her Tennessee Vols had lost a tough one to the UNC 'Heels in double-overtime last night in the Music City Bowl in Nashville.  No comment about that.  Sure, we'll pop the cork on a bottle of bubbly at the stroke of 2011, but we'll also be happy to stay home for the evening and off the roads.  (I guess you might say we'll drink, but we won't drive...:)

Before we close the door completely on this busy year, I wanted to take a few moments to put some projects in the record book, marked as "finished."  So, here goes for the FO's:


Mr. T in his Christmas Cable Vest
 As I've posted before, I completed the Cable Vest for Mr. T in super soft Tahki Stacy Charles Savoy yarn (a 52/48 silk/wool blend) in a rich red (photo, right).  Got it all wrapped up and under the tree for Christmas.  He seemed geniunely surprised when he opened the package, saying "when did you do this?!"  Of course, the answer is, as always, "when you were out-of-town, dear."  One reason I have so many projects going at a time (I tell myself...:) is that I can work on one that is unrelated to the giftee when he/she happens to be in the same room with me; then, when said giftee is away or goes to her own room, I can pull out the project related to that person.

Case in point:  N/M/E's afghan.  She also seemed surprised when she opened the big Santa sack that was nearly full-to-overflowing with the Galaxy Ripple Afghan in Natural, 2 colors of Periwinkle Blue, and Velvet Night (which is a beautiful Royal Purple) Bernat Berella 4 yarn (photo, below/left).  "When did you do this?!"  I'd worked on this project whenever she was in her room and late at night after she'd gone to bed...and I had also taken it with me for the long flights to-and-from Hawaii.  She did walk in on me as I was crocheting the strips together, but I was able to cover up my work before she realized what I was doing.


N/M/E's Christmas Ripple Afghan
 I've posted about this pattern before, so forgive me if I'm repeating myself here.  I completed the "original" Ripple afghan for N/M/E over 31 years ago, using a kit with 4 shades of olive green I got I don't know where.  I took so long in finishing that first one (I was going through my counted cross-stitch period, when knitting took a back-seat...:) that she had changed colors in her living room (as well as changed locations of the living room from Covington to Barlett, TN...:).  I had to get creative and add two more strips along with crocheting a border in her new color (peach).  I had originally sewn the strips together as the pattern directed, but taught myself how to crochet the strips together after I'd repaired that first one so many times.  She still has it, by the way!

Since then, I have made I-can't-even-begin-to-count-how-many afghans using this wonderful pattern, which...wonder of all wonders, I still have the original directions.  You may have gotten one from me!  It is knit in strips (usually 8, two each in 4 colors) with a 6-row repeat, so it is easy to memorize, easy to take with you anywhere (I've knit the strips in my chair, in the car, at sporting events and symphony concerts, and on flights all over the US and Canada, as well as to-and-from France, the UK, and Brazil!), and easy to pick it up and know where you are in the pattern.  I don't think the pattern is copyrighted...if it ever was, it has probably expired by now.  I've searched online for it without success; if you search for Galaxy afghan, you get links to a crocheted pattern.  I thought I'd share this jewel with you, so check the bottom of this post for the particulars, if you are interested.


Missy M's Traveling Woman Shawl -
a 2010 Christmas gift
 I finished knitting Missy M's Traveling Woman Shawl on the last leg of those long return flights home in September.  I had wanted to honor the spirit of the pattern, so I used a bamboo-blend Seacoast handpainted yarn called "Rain" from New Hampshire via Louisville, and I did most of the work while I traveled...with the Traveling Shawl.  That photo is of the shawl (right), in progress, on the lanai of our room in Maui. 

After the knitting came the blocking.  Good grief!  What a chore, when you don't have a blocking board or wires.  So, guess what I asked Santa for this year?  You betcha!  And, because Missy M is really getting into lace knitting, Santa made sure that she too had a blocking board and more T-pins.

For my beautiful sisters-in-law, I did a "Just Enough Ruffles" scarf in Ultra Alpaca/Blueberry Mix (for SIL J) and a "Magical Moebius" cowl (with a pattern from Cat Bordhi), in a "Kentucky Blue" chunky hand-dyed Araucania wool yarn (for SIL LaD).  I loved doing both of them...and I forgot to snap a shot of either before wrapping them up.  Well, I do have a photo of the Ruffles scarf around SIL J's lovely neck, but she is wearing the Silly Santa Hat we gave Brother J in the same photo...and I've promised that I won't publish those pictures unless provoked.

I also forgot to get a photo of the Sophia "Wise Woman" Cowl (from a pattern in the One Skein Wonders book) that I knitted for N/M/E's BFF AW.  I had just enough yarn left to try out a mitten pattern called Smitten, that Missy M shared with me, for a gift-tag .  M found it on KnitPicks.com, where it was originally designed as an Advent-type garland.  She had knit several as ornaments for her tree, and they looked so cute.

Amazingly, I also had time during the Holidays to finish my own Picchu-Picchu sweater, knit in Berrocco's scrumptious Ultra Alpaca yarn!  I'll save the photo and description for another post, however.

That's the wrap-up of the FO's...and the wrap of 2010.  Hope you and all of your family and friends have a safe and happy New Year!  See you again in 2011!!


======================================================================

The Pattern for the Galaxy Ripple Afghan (for Bernat Berella 4 yarn) - approx. 48" x 60" finished

  • CO 16 stitches.  [Bernat Berella 4 is an acrylic yarn, developed especially for afghans.  You'll need 8 oz. each of 4 coordinating colors of worsted weight ("4") yarn; this used to be 2 skeins each color when Berella "4" weighed out at 4 oz.  Now, since it weighs out at 3.5 oz per skein, you need 3 skeins each of 4 colors, especially if you crochet the strips together and add a border to finish.  It knits out to a gauge of 16 stitches = 4.5 inches, using US 10.5 needles.  I knit fairly loosely, so I've found that I need US 10's to get that gauge.  However, I do use a larger needle when I cast on and when I bind off, so it won't be too tight.  Try a US 11 for this only.)
  • K 8 rows (4 ridges) in garter stitch.
  • Begin the 6-row Pattern Stitch (below) for 50 patterns.
  • K 8 rows (4 ridges) in garter stitch.
  • BO loosely (remember to use a larger needle to bind off).
  • Make 2 strips each in 4 colors.
  • Sew strips together as follows:  Color A, Color B, Color C, Color D (center of the afghan), Color D, Color C, Color B, and Color A.  (I have found that I prefer to crochet the strips together with a simple slip stitch; it makes the seam/join so much more sturdy.)
  • Steam-press lightly to relax the seams.
  • Either crochet a border around the whole afghan, or add a fringe (knotting ten 10-inch strands of yarn in every 4th st across the two short ends).
  • Enjoy!
Pattern Stitch for the Galaxy Ripple Afghan:

  1. K4, * wrap yarn around needle TWICE, K1, repeat from the * to last 4 sts, wrap yarn around needle ONCE, K last 4 sts = 33 stitches
  2. K4 *, drop 1 wrap st, P2, repeat from * to last 4 sts, K4 = 24 stitches
  3. K4, K2tog, K12, K2tog, K4 = 22 sts
  4. K4, K2tog, K10, K2tog, K4 = 20 sts
  5. K4, P2tog, P8, P2tog, K4 = 18 sts (this makes the "bump" or ripple row)
  6. K4, K2tog, K6, K2tog, K4 = 16 sts
Repeat these 6 rows for the pattern stitch.

Monday, December 27, 2010

What a Christmas!*

*To explain the significance of the title
...as said by the incomparable Sydney Greenstreet, playing Mr. Yardley,  at the end of one of my all-time favorite Christmas movies, A Christmas in Connecticut...the 1945 original, starring Barbara Stanwyck as Elizabeth Lane.  Don't even speak to me about the remake; it doesn't exist in my universe.  BTW, I really want to be Elizabeth Lane when I grow up.
Anyway.

I do hope you've had a wonderful, marvelous, heart-warming, and soul-restoring Christmas, too.  One that just took your breath away.

Coconut Cake with Ambrosia Filling
I finished up my baking with a three-layer coconut cake (photo, right), made with 7-minute icing and ambrosia (pineapple, orange, and coconut cooked in a sugar-syrup) filling.  My step-great-grandmother, Ner (who was married to Nananny/Ed Lee Stewart and whose "real" name was Nelle Rhea Stewart) used to make fabulous coconut cakes and ambrosia at Christmas, and I inherited this labor of love.  I just can't grate the coconut by hand like she did, so I've modernized the recipe by using the Cuisinart to do that part of the chore.  Thank goodness for progress!

Missy M, who had to drive her Honda-sleigh down the toll-road and over the mountains, arrived on Christmas Eve.  As the temperatures dropped after dark, I heated up some apple cider, and we sipped the comforting beverage from the Christmas china cups (you remember, I wrote about that Christmas china last year)...knowing that our child was home safe, our family complete.


Christmas Tree on Christmas Morn
...and Gus with his toy
Christmas Day 2010 began with the smell of Creme Brulee-laced coffee and cinnamon rolls, hot out of the oven.  We traditionally "open" our stockings first, then have coffee/hot chocolate, juice, orange slices, and rolls before distributing and opening our gifts from under the tree.  That's a "before" shot of the tree (left), along with Gus and his toy that Santa brought Ella Rae:  you see, in Gus' universe, all toys are his toys.  You'll notice a multitude of sacks on the hearth:  those are the stocking-sacks, since the stuff is just too heavy to put in the stockings and still have them hanging from the mantle.  Santa was very generous indeed, and we were all in a festive mood when I went in the kitchen to preheat the oven for the sausage casserole for brunch.


Ella Rae on the deck with the first flakes of
Christmas Day snow
As I paused at the back door to open it for Ella Rae to go outside (right), I shouted "it's snowing!"  A real, live White Christmas was coming to life, right before our eyes.  When Brother J called from Nashville, he said they already had 2 inches on the ground...and more falling at the moment.  Brother T, who lives in Northern KY, said they were still snowed in from the last snowfall, and that it required a 4-wheel drive vehicle for them to drive down their mountain.  For the first time in years, we were all going to enjoy (more or less...:) a Winter Wonderland, regardless of what state we were living in.

Well, by the next morning, we were living in "a state of emergency," as Gov. Perdue declared the Old North State.  We never lost our power (thank goodness) like many did, but it didn't stop snowing at two inches for us.  Or, at three or four inches either.  By the time we called it a night, we knew we were headed for a pretty deep "dusting" of the frozen stuff, as you can see in that photo I took, looking out the bay window in the back, over the deck steps (where Ella Rae had been sitting in the earlier photo) toward the swing (below, top).


Then, check out the same location-shot I took the next morning (above, bottom).  We had over five inches on the ground in HPNC then, with more falling.  By Sunday night, the final official total was given as "between 7 and 10 inches."  Yowza!  A white Christmas, for the first time in over 40 years.


Rudolph Cake, made for the Reindeer Games
The Christmas Day Snow topped off a wonderful holiday season for us.  We had had such a good time a weekend earlier when we journeyed to L'ville for the Lunn Family Christmas get-together, hosted by Missy M.  She had sent out invitations for all to join her for "Reindeer Games," and we had a blast playing Scrabble, doing a Christmas movie quiz (for "fabulous prizes") and Christmas-themed scratch-offs with Brother J and SIL J, who drove up from Nashville.  M made two big pots of chili (one hot, one mild...:), which we enjoyed before a roaring fire...courtesy of the Yule Log channel on DirectTV!  (Brother J said he'd lived to see it all...:)  I made a Rudolph cake for dessert (left), and we baked reindeer slice-and-bake cookies, too.  For favors, M created tins of "extra reindeer noses," which turned out to be little red-hot candies.  So clever!


Lunn Family Christmas at M's in L'ville
12/18/10
Unfortunately, Nana/Momma/Edith couldn't make the long trip, and then Brother T and SIL LaD couldn't join us as the cold and snow aggravated her breathing issues...and we missed them all terribly.  Still, it was so good to be with J and J and have such a great time.  As Mr. T said, "we need to get a photo of this (right)!"

I have a few photos of Finished Objects (FO's) that were given as gifts.  Plus, the snow has provided us with hundreds of opportunities for photos.  And, one of Mr. T's presents was a Bird Camera, which is now set up outside, clamped to one of the feeder-poles...and set to automatically snap shots when it detects motion (and warmth).  We should have mountains of photos generated by that! 

I do believe I'll save those until the next post...or two.  I wouldn't want to bury you in pixels.  Tee hee.

So, until then, a Merry Christmas to all...and to all a good night!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

The Baking Begins

Diabetics beware!  Do not come within 5 miles of our house for at least the next couple of weeks.  It just isn't safe.

OK.  You've been warned.

Although the high winds we've endured as we entered the Red Zone before the Holidays have done their best to destroy...or at least rearrange...all the outdoor decorations, I'm happy to report that we have escaped relatively unscathed.  It took some hasty hammering of stakes to anchor the Reindeer, but they are still standing as of this A.M.

The one casualty is Santa...he of the blow-up variety.  His chimney filled with water...from the rains and wintry mix...and that turned to solid ice when the temps dropped into the teens.  I attempted to free him from the frozen chunks, and in the process managed to hopelessly entangle one of the motors in the folds of the fabric.  Arrrggghhh.  So, Santa is currently unplugged and in triage, awaiting the arrival of decorating specialist Dr. T from his Baltimore/DC trip on Thursday.

Anyway, it's time to move the action back indoors...or more specifically, to the kitchen!


Making first batch of Christmas Cookies:
Toll House Chocolate Chips
 I asked Mr. T (before he left last week) what the first batch of cookies should be:  chocolate chip (with pecans), oatmeal raisin (his favorite), or butterballs (my favorite).  Diplomatically, he selected the compromise:  chocolate chip (photo, left).

I use the original Toll House recipe from the Nestle's bag, which I have taped inside one of my upper cabinet doors.  To the letter, no changes, believe it or not.  Well, I stand corrected:  I do make larger cookies by using a cookie scooper, so I get fewer cookies for each batch than the recipe says.  No matter.  I love that scooper!  Use it for all the dough-type cookies.  My cookie sheets (2) can each hold 13 cookies (in a staggered pattern of 3+2+3+2+3), so I get 26 cookies per recipe...plus 6 more to freeze for the Emergency Bake.  Like when Mr. T is on his way home...and I've eaten all the cookies in the house...and he wants one/some when he walks in the back door.  Ahem.

Next up after the cookies came the first batch of Nuts 'n Bolts.  That's Mom's name for Chex Party Mix, which she's been making during the Holidays since I was a child.  That link is pretty close to her recipe, although she used Wheat Chex (I didn't this time), and we always use broken pieces of bagel chips instead of the croutons.  I didn't have any Cheerios, but I did have a box of Crispix; I substituted cup-for-cup, and it turned out fine.  Of course, in our family, we are rather heavy-handed with the Worchestershire sauce in everything, and we always use more than a dash of Tabasco.  Tee hee.

First a sweet treat, then a salty.  Next up:  a little bit of both!

I microwave-melted a cup of Nestle's White Chocolate Chips with 1 T. of Crisco (don't try this with anything other than Crisco; not butter...not oil...not margarine) in a Pyrex measuring cup.  Then, I dipped pretzel sticks in the melted chocolate, one at a time.  Let these cool/harden on wax paper-lined cookie sheet.  When I got down to the bottom of the cup and could no longer dip the sticks, I threw in some pecan halves.  All good!


Bread...and really neat bread keeper
with slicing guides
 On Monday, it was a couple of loaves of bread (photo to right).  I used a basic white bread recipe and added 1/3 cup of mashed potatoes to the dough, just before the first kneading.  Oh yes...!  Bread is good, and the house always smells fantastic!

A note:  I absolutely love this bread keeper we have.  It has a bread slicing guide, built right it.  A real handy-dandy tool.

Today, I'm planning on making Baltimore Butterballs.  (Mr. T is out-of-town, so I got to make the decision...:)  These are also called Snowballs, Crescent Cookies, Swedish Wedding cookies...among other names.  Whatever.  My recipe, which I have used for years...and the exact cookbook origins of which are lost in time...calls for finely ground pecans rather than walnuts, like that link says, but the result is similar.  Once you roll them in confectioners' sugar (twice!), you won't know which nut is inside!  Or care.

That leaves the following on the Christmas baking list:  oatmeal raisin, no-bake oatmeal, homemade fudge, Microwave Pralines, Anne's Cut-out cookies, and Hello Dollies.  Another batch of Nuts 'n Bolts. A Rudolph cake for this weekend's family get-together.  Some cheese wafers for Mom.  And, last but not least, a Coconut Cake for Christmas Day. 

Better stop blogging and get busy!

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Decorating for Christmas is Almost Done

We got up this morning, had coffee in our Christmas mugs, and turned on the fireplace to enjoy a calm, cozy Saturday morning.  The house is decorated for the Holidays, (well, all except the dining room) and it feels so warm and happy. 

Check out the photo (below) of the great room.  You can see some of the nutcrackers on the mantle (since the collection now numbers 58, there are gaggles of them all over the house), some of the bears on the trunk (that's the new 2010 Belkie Bear on the right, with the 2003 Harrod's Bear in the middle, and Belkie Bear 1994 on the left) and in Missy M's tiny red rocker (Belkie Bear 2000 holding some bear buddies), and the sentamental ornaments on the tree.  Ahhh...

Great room all decorated for the Holidays


Morning room mantle...and more nutcrackers
 Then we turned on the local weather station.  Drat.  Weather people were saying we were in for rain, freezing mix, wind, and a big blast of Arctic air...along with a hurricane-style barometer reading.  About the only thing they weren't predicting was a plague of locusts.  Oh well...that lovely weekend morning in front of the fire was nice while it lasted.  Time to get going on the outdoor decorations, since Mr. Weatherman said today was going to be warmer than tomorrow.  Couldn't prove it by me...or by our thermometer, which was sporting temps in the twenties.  Brrrrrrrrrr...


Blow-up Santa-in-the-Chimney
stops traffic
Out of the attic came the boxes containing the exterior lights, the reindeer, the lighted snowflakes and stars for the porch, the Season's Greetings arch, and blow-up Santa-going-down-the-chimney (pic to left).  Out of the garage came the "mens," as we call the ancient wooden nutcrackers that continue to report for sentry duty every Holiday season (pic below, right)...and yes, they do still need re-painting.  And, out of the basket by the door came the gloves and scarves, to offer some warmth and protection against the weather.

We worked all day and are almost finished.  We got everything in place and set up, and all the lights tested, having to replace just a couple bulbs, thank goodness. And, it looks so festive!  Stopped traffic on our neighborhood street, we did. 

It's funny:  folks driving by will stop right in front of the house and sit and wait for Santa to complete his "cycle" of popping up out of the chimney, and then "melting" back down again. (It's all done with two fans and motors...:).  We've had him for several years and two states...and he is still a favorite.
"Mens" on sentry duty in front yard


One important element is missing from the arsenal, however, so that means a trip tomorrow to Home Depot (AKA:  our home away from home...:) for automatic timers.  We have four outdoor-rated timers, but they all seemed to have been severely affected by last year's ice and snow, since none of them worked correctly when we plugged everything in.  We can't have a light show without the assistance of timers, though. No, no, no!

But, I promised photos in this post, so I snapped some just before some icy rain started to fall, and we had to cut the power.

I do want to report on one decorating lesson we learned this season.  We couldn't find the box with the lights for the tree...thought we'd ditched the ancient strands at the time of our move from MO to NC.  For sure the cardboard box we had stored them in was way past it's "sell by" date!

Anyway, we decided to replace them with LED lights...more energy efficient and thereby more "green"... which is the direction we're trying to take.  Bought 6 strands of 100 lights and put them on our tree.

Good grief.  Those lights are so bright they hurt to look at them.  No kidding...my eyes hurt, and I had a raging headache after I put the ornaments on the tree, while working with the lights on.  As Mr. T said, those lights are all about the lights...they are the stars of the show.  Now, that may be perfect for an outdoor display, where it is all about the lights, but that doesn't work for an indoor tree, where the lights should be accents for the ornaments.  The photo above of the tree and mantle (which is also sporting a couple of strands of the new LEDs) was taken with the flash, which wins the light battle.  Below is the same photo, taken without the flash, so you can see just how bright...and how blue...the LEDs are.  Notice how the LEDs cast spotlights onto the ceiling, even.

Lesson learned:  LED lights just too bright...
The good news:  we found the old indoor lights for the tree...in a box marked "outdoor lights!"  We aren't going to de-decorate and remove the LED's this year (heavens, no!), but we are going to graduate them from indoor duty to outdoor duty next year.

We do need all the help we can get in reducing energy consumption while still putting out a light display.  We want to reduce our carbon footprint for sure...but, I guess we'll have to take baby-steps in that direction.  No pun intended...honest.

Holidays are Upon Us

Whew!  Let me catch my breath.  And, maybe have another cup of coffee.  I need some caffeine!
N/M/E enjoys a shopping trip
to Cracker Barrel

I've been decorating the house for the Holidays (photos in the next post), doing some baking, writing the annual newsletter, signing and addressing the Christmas cards, and...in my spare time on Thursday...driving Miz Edith.  Mom had made her list and checked it twice...and she was ready to go shopping as soon as the sun came out.  Cold weather or not...

To get me moving in the direction she wanted to go, she tempted me with an offer of breakfast at Cracker Barrel.  I'm a sucker for country ham and biscuits, don't you know?

But, she had a bigger plan than just enjoying a meal together.  Power shopping!  I'm telling you, that little lady (photo, right) can spend with speed!  Even using her walker didn't slow her down much.

If you know me, you know I was out of the room when they handed out the shopping genes.  I'm not much of a shopper...never have been, never will be.  Make a list, know what you want, get in, get out.  But I do have great respect for those who are.  And, she is.

After attacking CB, we headed to another fav stop of hers:  Kohl's.  Because of the size of the store, she agreed that the wheelchair was a better idea than the walker.  She had an idea of what she wanted, and since most Kohl's stores are arranged alike, it was fairly easy to roll our way to where she wanted to go.  The only thing that slowed her down was my skills...or, lack thereof...pushing the chair.  I keep misjudging the turning distance/radius...and I usually pick an aisle that isn't quite wide enough to accommodate us.  It'll fit. Famous last words.

Permit me a moment on my soapbox, please.  Have you ever realized how difficult we make it for people in walkers and/or wheelchairs to maneuver?  Most stores have nice, wide main aisles...but then the secondary aisles where the merchandise lives are a much tighter squeeze.  And, there's no "give" in a wheelchair.

One of the worst offenders of creating barriers is the building where several of our doctors are.  The front doors do not open automatically; you have to push a button to make one of the double doors swing open.  When you are inside, there are fire doors (that are supposed to be kept shut) that block access to and from all the hallways where the offices are located...and more importantly, to the hallway where the lab is.  And, this is a new building, finished just this year.  Come on, people!  (To their credit, the staffs of the various doctors recognize the issues, and they have taken it on themselves to put door-stops to keep the doors open...and make the offices accessible.  Still, if the Fire Marshall makes a visit, I fear they'll be in trouble for their kindness.)

Nutcracker at High Point University

OK...let me climb down now.

After Kohl's, we went to Home Place/T J Maxx, CVS, Belk (in the Oak Hollow Mall here in High Point), Company's Coming (to get something for supper) and finished up at the Sweet Shoppe Bakery.  Hey, after all of that, one of us needed a sugar fixx!

Before heading back home, we toured through the campus of High Point University, where they have a display of nutcrackers and toy soldiers on one of the pedestrian walkways.  It was turning cold again as the sun was setting, so I took that shot (left) from the comfort of a heated car.  Wish they had lined the figures up along a driveway/street on campus...would have been easier to see.  Still, it was a neat Holiday treat.

When we pulled into the driveway, we were happy to see Mr. T's car.  He'd been out of town for a couple of days, and we didn't think he'd beat us home.  Hmmmm.

After giving us a tongue-lashing for being away from home all day long with only a few morsels of ham in the doggie bag, the Houndz all returned to their respective spots.  Holidays or no, we still have a dog on nearly every soft surface.  Below, you see Gus on the sofa (with some of the collection of 58 nutcrackers on the table behind) and Elmo on our bed, where some of the teddy bear collection lives for the Season.

We're still wondering how one of those bears got down off its perch and waddled over to the middle of the living room floor...where Mr. T found him, upside down and a little moist around the ears.  Drool, you think? 

No one's talking.




Saturday, December 4, 2010

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

First snow of the season
 Snow! Snow!! Snow!!! Snow!!!! S-n-o-w!!!!! (Sung to the tune from "White Christmas."  You know that one, don't you?  When Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye meet up with the girls, played by Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen, in the train's dining car?  On their way to Vermont?  You know the one I mean, right?!)

Yes, it's the first snowfall of the season for us here in HPNC.  And, as always, I'm loving it!

Mr. T and I got up earlier than we usually do on a Saturday morning so we could take the Houndz to the Fluff 'n Fold...our pet phrase for the Grooming Center at PetsMart. Although they are never happy to make this journey, they all really needed to go to the salon; their nails were turning into talons! Duchess' dew-claws looked like the Wicked Witch of the West...and she certainly knows how to use 'em. Ouch.

After herding the Basset Brigade behind the swing-door in the store, we humans headed for Bruegger's Bagels in Friendly Center.  We don't have a bagel place in High Point, so we treat ourselves to Bruegger's whenever we can.  Usually we sit outside, but not today!  Brrrrr.  It was just too cold, so we opted for an inside two-top.

The conversation turned to our Christmas Tree, and I shared an idea with Mr. T.  On Thursday, I had gone shopping  in Winston (I like Hanes Mall there better than Four Seasons in Greensboro, and Thruway Shopping Center is still one of my fav places:  Dewey's Bakery = yum!); as I passed the Sandy Ridge exit off I-40 on my way home, I'd noticed the sign at the Piedmont Triad Farmer's Market, where they were advertising NC-grown sweet potatoes and Christmas Trees.

When we lived here before, we used to enjoy making a whole day out of driving 421 to Boone, having lunch at the Dan'l Boone Inn, shopping at Mast General Store, and then cutting our own tree at one of the many, many Choose 'n Cut Christmas Tree farms in that area.  We had hoped to revive the tradition on the Friday after Thanksgiving when Missy M was home, but the rainy weather interferred with our plans.

Then, we contemplated buying an artificial tree.  We already have a couple small trees that I have used for years to supplement our "real" tree; I usually decorate one of those with all my sheep ornaments, and N/M/E uses another one for all of her Santa ornaments.  But, with sustainability on the brain, we've discussed which is more environmentally-friendly for the "big" tree...live or artificial?

Live and local won!  When we finished our coffee and bagels, we headed out Market to the Market to see what they had.  OMG!  There must have been 10-12 growers from the mountain counties of Watauga (Boone), Ashe (West Jefferson), and Avery (Crossnore).  Fresh cut trees, straight from the NC mountains...and they came to us; we didn't have to drive to them!  Life is so good.

Choosing our NC Tree at the Market
We wandered around the retail area, thoroughly enjoying all the decorations and the wonderful fragrance of the firs.  When we lingered at the Sunnyside Trees stall (a Choose 'n Cut retailer from West Jefferson), we found one that measured out to be about 8 1/2 feet tall, which would fit perfectly under the 9' ceilings in the great room...once we lopped some off the bottom and got it nestled into the tree stand.  First things first:  take our picture!

Just as the tree guy snapped the shot (right), he said :  "Look!  It's snowing!"  Perfect, said I.  Just like a little kid.

By the time we got home with the tree, the flakes were coming down fast and furious.  Big, fat, fluffy flakes.  Wet and ploppy...you know that sound they make?  Plop...plop...plop.  Not a bit hard and pingy, like they are when they have ice inside.  I prefer ploppy myself.

Anyway...


Mr. T with Duchess, Gus, and Elmo in the snow
We headed back out to go pick up the pups, returning about 3:00ish (photo to left).  The more it snowed, the colder it got.  By the time we'd returned, we had an inch of snow in the rain gauge and the temp had dropped to below freezing.  With that, the need for warm, comforting food had risen substantially.  A day like this calls for Brunswick Stew!

I got out N/M/E's recipe (such that it is...:) and started a pot of stew, taking a short cut by using the other half of a Rotisserie chicken I'd gotten at Harris Teeter on Thursday.  Shred the meat...boil the bones for stock.  Chop the veggies...oh, drat:  no onions.  No problem...out to the garden (yes, in the snow...:) and get a couple.  I'm loving this whole Fall garden thing, you know.  It was too late to start baking a loaf of bread like I usually do on stew days, but no worries.  I'd gotten a loaf of freshly-made Sourdough on that little trip to Dewey's Bakery.  It would fit the bill.

Hot apple cider on a cold day

I've blogged about Brunswick Stew before, so I won't repeat the recipe here.  Hopefully, that link will take you to the post I wrote about stew for the crockpot, which is similar to what's cooking on the stove at the moment.  Similar.  Never quite the same.  What can I say?  I learned some of my cooking techniques from my mother...she who never follows a recipe

As I was saying...

Mr. T laced up his boots and headed outside again to fill the bird feeders, all of which were being well-visited throughout the afternoon.  Here I was in my nice warm kitchen...and there he was, freezing his tail-feathers off.  Gotta fix that!

While he was working, I heated up some apple cider, added some orange slices, cloves, and cinnamon sticks...and had a tasty hot beverage ready when he finished his chore.  Turned on the fireplace to make the morning room toasty.

Tasty and toasty.  Ahhh. Lovely.

Now,  let's see if we can find that DVD of White Christmas...snow, snow, snow, snow, s-n-o-w...!

Monday, November 29, 2010

Garden Shed - The Big Reveal

One little red leaf left on the dogwood in the front
Whoosh!  That was the sound of November rushing by.  I really must be getting older 'cause every month seems to go by faster than the one just before.

I took that picture (right) this morning, looking  out the dining room window...AKA my office (or, droffice, if you will...:) to document the last leaf left on the dogwood tree in front of the front porch. Mr. T spent nearly an hour with the leaf blower, trying to corral all the ones that had fallen on the sidewalk and driveway, blowing them back into the area we call the Natural Area.  It's a hopeless cause if done before all the leaves fall, but we are pretty close now.  Only the oak trees are holding on to theirs now.  Winter is truly on its way.

The last full month of Fall has been a busy one for us here at Casa 3917.  As you know from reading the previous posts, building a garden shed has taken up most of our spare time. 


The Shed Begins on 11/11
 You will recall this project started early A.M. on 11/11, with the delivery of the kit from Home Depot, along with the pictorial instruction booklet, and the extra pieces and parts like the foundation and the roofing supplies.  We had a perfect spot in the back yard for the shed to fit (photo to left)...and so it began.

It took seven days spread out over 3 weeks, but together we finally worked our way through the booklet, drawing by drawing.  When we reached the final page, we had built an 8 x 12 garden shed, complete with built-in workbench and extra storage in the "attic" and on shelves on both long sides.  And, possibly even better news to report: we did that without having to file for divorce!


Gus and Duchess check out
the new garden shed - 11/29/10
 Ta da!  There she is (right)!!  Isn't she beautiful as well as practical? 

Did you notice the difference in quantity of leaves on the limbs in the before and finished photos?  Now, there are more on the ground than in the trees.

When I started to move some of my gardening supplies inside, I was met with the "left-overs" from the building process:  paint cans, extra roof shingles, ladders, tools, etc.  Hmmmmm.  Soon, however, Mr. T carried that stuff back to "his domain,"  AKA the workshop area of the garage.

All that being said, finished is such a relative term, don't you agree?  We still have to add a front step or stoop (that's just an extra pallet you see in front of the purple Blooming Wisteria doors). We are also going to add a cupola with a weather vane to the roof.  And, we have a couple of windows to add to the rear wall, so that I can look out over the garden whenever I work at the workbench inside.  The never-ending project...

The new shed is certainly going to come in handy...real soon, too.  I got my letter of acceptance into the Master Gardener certification program with Guilford County Extension service on Friday (hooray!), so I'm guessing that gardening will move into high gear...in the New Year...around here.

Friday, November 26, 2010

We Give Thanks

What a wonderful day it was!  Even though the weather outside was not the best (drizzling rain, cloudy, etc.), we were dry and warm and well-fed inside.  For these and all our many blessings, we continue to give thanks.


Table Turkey
 Anyone who knows me knows I love to decorate for the holidays...pretty much any holiday.  I have color-coded plastic containers in the attic for practically every special day...and Thanksgiving gets two boxes.  Mr. T got them out when he put the Halloween boxes (3 of them...:) back up, so I've had the mantles and the dining room table decorated for several weeks, adding a touch here and there.

As you can see in that picture (right), the centerpiece on the table again this year is the stuffed turkey I made 20-25 years ago.  There are also matching placemats, napkins, and aprons.  I add lots of fall colors in the leaves, the flowers, and the candles...and I sprinkle leaf-shaped confetti about on the tablecloth.  A pain to pick up...but a fun touch nonetheless.


Publix Pilgrim salt 'n pepper
  Also, on the table are the salt and pepper shaker set we call the Publix Pilgrims (left).  We got our first set when we lived in Duluth, GA, and shopped at Publix...still one of my favorite grocery stores.  I also have a set of napkin rings to match.


Pilgrim Hat Pots
 This year's addition to the tablescape was Missy M's Pilgrim Hat Pots (right).  She is so creative!  She got some black spray paint for two clay pots, which she adorned with cardboard "belt buckles."  Then, she added some beautiful potted mums she found on one of her trips to Home Depot...running errands for us while we were working on the Garden Shed (yes, I'll get back to that topic in the next post, I promise...:).  They fit right in with the turkey centerpiece and all...and were a sure hit.

For Thanksgiving Day 2010, I got up early to get started on the To Do List.  Each year I write out my menus, who joined us for dinner, and on the back, I add both the To Do's and notes on What-I-Should-Do-Differently-Next-Year.  With that first cup of coffee in hand, I noticed that I had written on my list for 2004 to "remember to spray the inside of the oven bag with Pam, so it won't stick to the turkey."  A really good idea...and something I seem to forget every year.

First things first:  a second cup of coffee.  Second things and so on:  get the turkey out of the brine (my recipe calls for the bird to spend the night in the cooler, submerged in brown sugar, salt, spices, wine, water, and apple cider), into the bag (I use one of those handy-dandy Reynolds Turkey Oven Bags), and ready for roasting.  While the oven preheated, I headed out to the garden to pick lettuce for a salad, and as Ella Rae was so eager to join me, I let her dash through the gate...without giving it much thought.  Soon, she was joined by The Drool Gang:  Duchess, Gus, and ElmoOh boy, let's go play in the Way Back!


Lettuce protected by row cover
 While I was busy removing the row covers from the rows of lettuces (right), they were busy rolling around in what we've been descriptively calling The Stinky Grass:  some grass clippings our neighbor had saved for us in black bags, that have been sitting in the hot sun all summer long...and that were in the last stages of composting when Mr. T spread them on the newly-tilled areas a couple of days ago.  Now, grass clippings for the garden are really a blessing, I assure you.  Having the dogs dousing themselves in the scent is something else entirely.

I could smell Ella approaching me before I saw her.  Good grief!  Mr. T wiped the Houndz down with the Baby Wipes, while Missy M had to give her poor pup two baths...the second one in diluted vinegar.  That little chore wasn't on our original To Do List for the day, but you do what you have to do, right?


Salad greens washed and ready for fridge
 While the others were attending to the cleaning chore, I put my apron on and got busy in the kitchen.  With the turkey in the oven (and the ham ready to go in after 90 minutes), I washed my salad greens (left)...including the nasturtium blossoms (yes! they are indeed edible, as well as pretty!)...and bagged them up for the crisper.  BTW, I do so love the salad spinner Missy M got for me last year...love it, love it, love it!

The last of the green tomatoes that were saved before the first freeze had turned red and would provide the color for the simple salad.  Other garden contributions to the Holiday meal would be: 
  • peas and lima beans for the Three-Bean Casserole;
  • yellow and zucchini squash for the Zippy Squash Casserole; and
  • sweet potatoes for the Sweet Potato Souffle.
All of these casseroles had been made earlier in the week, so all I had to do was get them out of the extra fridge in the garage and ready to finish off in the oven:  get them hot and bubbly, then add the toppings to each.  I had made up the Crock Pot dressing (use the link to that basic recipe, which is similar to mine...only I use only one can of Cream of Chicken Soup, along with one can of Chicken Broth...and only 2 eggs...and I add finely diced carrots for some color...:) on Wednesday night, so I just plugged in the Crock Pot and turned it on "high" for two hours...then down to "low" for the rest of the time...just a few stirs required...and it doesn't take up a burner on the stove!  Those would be needed for the gravy, the mashed potatoes, and the rice.  Hey, we've never met a starch we didn't like in this family!

I had also made up my Potato Roll recipe the night before, so I got that bowl (it's a huge Tupperware bowl that takes up way too much space in an already crowded fridge) out to let the dough reach room temp and start its second rise.  After that, I rolled up 90 balls of dough to make 30 tri-cornered rolls.  Yummmmm!  They would be the last thing to go into the oven, just 15 minutes before dinner was served.

Things hummed along, and we were ready for Brother and SIL J&J when they arrived at around 11:00, bringing along a lovely three-pack of wine from the Biltmore Winery.  We had a nice visit while the meal continued to cook...and soon, it was 2:00 and time to eat.  Judging from the kind comments, I think we can call Thanksgiving Dinner 2010 a success.  Oh, and my note for this year's list?  "Remember to bag up some ice on Wednesday so there will be plenty for dinner."


Mr. T with J & J at Oak Hollow after dinner
 While N/M/E took a little nap after dinner, J & J, Mr. T, and I took a little stroll through the neighborhood, down to the lake (right)...and when we returned to the house, Missy M was just finishing up with the first round of dirty dishes.  Now, that's really a blessing!

I hope each and every one of you enjoyed a bountiful meal and all the blessings of the Day, surrounded by family and friends, and then drifted off to a peaceful night's sleep in a warm bed on clean sheets.  And, if you did, remember to join me and take a bag of canned goods and non-perishables to the local food pantry sometime this week.  We'll be glad we did!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Garden Shed, Days 4 - 7

OK...so where was I?
The walls were up on the Garden Shed, and the inside had been painted and covered to protect it against the elements.  Mr. T had to return to work (which means he had to return to the road...:), so we were on temporary hiatus from construction.

Mr. T adds a trim board at end of Day 4
 
No more.  He's taking a few more of those "vacation days," so we've been building as fast as our hammers could nail.  After the walls came the workbench (and you thought I was going to say something silly like "the roof," didn't you?) and the interior shelves that form the "attic" and two side storage areas.  Then came the roof trusses and the trim boards (photo, left).  Hey, this instruction book is very specific about the order of things...and we're doing our best to follow their lead.

Garden Shed at end of work-day #5:  roof's on!

Finally, on Day 5, the roof went up and the windows went in.  That was an exciting day for sure, 'cause now the weather could change without our having to be overly concerned about damage to the interior.  As you can see in that photo (right), we even began storing our work supplies and tools inside...no worries!

Starting on Day 6, we then took the instructions and divided and conquered:  Mr. T continued to work on the roof, adding the felt over the fiberboards, in preparation for adding the drip-edge and the shingles; and, I started caulking and painting.

You're painting, Patricia?  Really??  If you know me, you know that I am the World's Worst Painter.  No, this isn't false modesty here.  Ask any member of my family...they'll tell you.  She's the Worst of the Worst painters.  Go ahead.  I'll wait.

Told you so. 

I get more paint on me than on any object that I'm supposed to be painting.  And, more paint on the surfaces anywhere near where I'm painting.  It's almost like I never graduated from finger painting in kindergarten.
Patricia paints the trim on back wall of shed - Day 6

But, what I lack in skill I more than make up for in enthusiasm.  And, if you've done the math, you've probably figured out that I'm too short to be much good on the roof-work...even with the scaffold that Mr. T's rigged up.  So, "caulk and paint" for me it is then!

As you can probably tell in that photo (left), the main color of the Shed is a taupe-y shade to match our house-trim called "Quail Ridge."  The shed's trim color, which looks like melted vanilla ice cream, is called "Pebble Shore."  And, the door color?  I think I've already mentioned that it's called "Blooming Wisteria."  Purple by any other name, according to Mr. T.

Blooming Wisteria paint for the doors

I don't want to spoil the big reveal when I finally publish the "finished" photo, so I won't show you a picture of the front of the shed just yet.  I will, however, show you the paint in the pan (right)...just so you won't be too shocked when you do see it.

Ta-da!  Yep, it's purple by any other name, isn't it?

What can I say?  It really looks...well, happy...for the want of any other description.  And, since the shed is fairly-well hidden behind our fence, it really isn't visible to anyone else...except maybe through our next door neighbors' kitchen window.  So we are the only ones who will get to enjoy the Purple Doors.


Mr. T nails shingles on the roof - Day 7

The Bible tells us that God created the heavens and the earth and all therein in six days...and then took a rest day on the seventh.  Amazing!  And, I'm guessing He didn't even have a pictorial instruction booklet either!

For us, the work on the Shed has continued to Day 7, with Mr. T nailing the shingles onto the roof (left).  I took that picture from the kitchen window, which is why you see so much of the tree branch and nothing of the scaffold.

I really can't help much with this work, so I've moved indoors to start checking items off the Thanksgiving To Do List.  Today was "polish silverware," "make cheesecake and pecan pie," and "brine the turkey."  Check, check, and check!

Tomorrow, it's all about the food.  And family.  And football.  And the parade.  And the dogs on the Westminster Kennel Club show!!  Woo hoo!

  A Bright, Sunny New Chapter Here’s to spending 49 years with the same Valentine! Even though our story’s Prologue began in Jackson, MS, wh...