Gee, Ma -- I Want to Go Home

I made my first house-hunting trip to NC last week, and I felt like I was going home again. (Sorry, Mr. Wolfe...I think you can go home again...at least, I intend to give it a try...:)

We stayed at the Homewood Suites, where we could enjoy plenty of room to stretch out and relax. Although they offer a breakfast buffet, they don't have a restaurant on the property. No worries, as we tried a new (to us) restaurant nearby called Fatz, and then later that evening, we walked across the parking lot to the Embassy Suites for a Valentine's Day toast in their cozy lounge.

We were treated to a lovely Sunday lunch with friends (thanks, AW!) at the Steak Street restaurant...another one of the many new places to eat since we left High Point in mid-1997. Hint: if you ever get there, try the Grilled Voo Doo Shrimp...it's an appetizer, but I had it with a loaded baked potato, as my entre...ooh, I sure wish I had some now...drool, drool. Great suggestion, CW!

A perfect long weekend. With beautiful weather to boot.

Still, we had work to do. We looked at houses and subdivisions from Clemmons (on the west side of Winston-Salem) to Kernersville to Oak Ridge (on the north side of Greensboro) to Mebane (on the east side of Burlington)...and of course, all over High Point. Mr. T said he still likes HP the best...and I think I agree with him, although I do have a soft spot for the Sedge Garden area of Kernersville, where we lived once before, too, and where we found a subdivision of lovely homes. Actually, we found at least 3 houses that were high possibilities...and we thought seriously about putting a contingency contract on one of them. But...we feel strongly about selling this house before we take on another one. Sigh.

So, I'm back in the land of below-freezing temperatures (20's today...snow predicted for Saturday), shampooing the carpets on the main level to get ready for another Open House. Our agent held it open last weekend, and she had one...possibly two...very interested couples, so we are still hopeful. We are all convinced that once the Spring weather arrives and the flowers begin to blossom that the depressing mood will lift...and people will begin to want to make a move. Let's hope that they will want to move here!

Speaking of Spring blooms, I couldn't resist taking a photo (above...taken with my phone) of the daffodils in bloom at the A. B. Seed store at the Piedmont Triad Farmer's Market on Sandy Ridge Road in Colfax...just north of High Point...one of my favorite places. We ate at the Moose Cafe on the property and strolled through the store and its grounds. There aren't any fresh vegetables to be had yet, but come late Spring and Summer, this place will be jumpin'! I hope, I hope, I hope I'll be there to enjoy it all!!

I Have Had Enough of This*

*...with compliments to Bill Cosby's wife for that line...

OK...on the last post, I wrote about the wonderful things that happen on a Snow Day. You bake bread...you make hot stew...you enjoy a video with your family in the warmth of your home while the white stuff falls gently on the land. Right.

That all changed rather quickly on Tuesday night. The lovely snow changed to ICE about mid-day, and by early evening trees, lines, and almost all surfaces were thickly coated, as you can see on the bird feeders in the photo to the left. The satellite dish was rendered inoperable about 9:00, leaving us with only the local channels for our information, along with Missy M's iphone connection to the Internet (wonderful invention, that!)...and all reports were that it was going to get worse before it got better. No truer words...


Just as the Drool Gang was doing the last potty call romp in the yard around 11:00ish, the transformer on the pole at the rear of Missy M's back yard EXPLODED spectacularly into the night. I cannot believe they aren't totally traumatized about the backyard now. Nana/Mama/Edith said it sounded like World War II documentaries of canon fire. The sparks shot up and out...and brought back memories of firecrackers at a July 4th celebration. OMG. Then, the lights cycled back on...and the following boom was deafening. More sparks. A red-hot wire broke (see arrows in the photo to the right, the circle in the photo below) and snaked through the side yard, winding up looped menacingly across Franelm Road. And, all went dark. And cold. And eerily quiet.

Missy M made the report of the outage to LGE...and a report of the downed power line across the road to 911...and we began to try to figure out what to do next. We had a gas water heater...would we have hot water? Yes, thank goodness! We had a gas stove and cooktop...could we light the burners with matches? Yes, TG!! We had flashlights galore, which we gathered into the kitchen to determine whether all batteries were good or needed replacing...and did we have replacements? Yes, for the flashlights, but not for the big portable radio. And, candles...and the butane lighter...and matches? Check, check, and check. The weather radio had batteries, but would not work, even with a set of replacements. Drat. Our communications link became the telephones (Missy M has two "wired" phones, which worked, in addition to the portable, which needed electricity...and therefore was useless now) and the cellphones, which would need recharging before too very long. Now, what would we do for heat? It was in the teens outside and dropping. The house was in the low 60's according to the thermostat (which was battery-powered, and thus remained on throughout the ordeal).


We called Mr. T to report our predicament...and then settled down to try to get some sleep. We each piled lots of blankets and afghans on our beds...and claimed at least one dog to sleep with and keep us warm (bless their little 101 degree body temps!). N/M/E also got a knitted cap and gloves. And, I fired up the gas range with pots of hot, steamy water to create a radiator effect. We made it through Night 1 OK, with the indoor temp dropping to 56 degrees.

Day 2 revealed just what a pickle we were in. Missy M worked long and hard to dig at least one car loose from the the driveway, but was unable to drive it anywhere once released...the ice and snow in the street were too deep for my PT Cruiser to clear (as it has a low body clearance, to begin with). On top of that, we could see where the crews had "police-taped" the street where other downed lines were...or possibly downed tree limbs...or both. It seemed impassable. And the outside temps were dropping with more snow and ice falling. More importantly, the indoor temperature had dropped to 54. We had reservations at a local Hampton Inn, but they weren't answering their phone, so we assumed (rightly, as it turned out) that they were without power, too...so we couldn't chance getting N/M/E out on the slippery ice to take her to a location that might be worse off than we were here.

Riding to our rescue in the middle of the night...Mr. T! He drove 650 miles from where he'd been working in NC (where it was 70 degrees, I might add). And, he brought a kerosene heater to keep us warm, too! Hooray! Our hero!!

Day 3...and a co-worker of Missy M's offered one of their generators, when their power was restored. Yeah! Now, we could power up the refrigerator...and one other item. Now, there's a new party game for you. If you can only choose two items to power up, which two do you choose? We settled on the fridge and on powering N/M/E's portable heater in her room, most of the time. On Saturday, we did use that second line to recharge Missy M's computer, which we used as a Video Player at night (after she'd recharged it at work during the day on Thursday and Friday), and on Sunday, we did get a portable TV working, using the antenna to receive a local channel, with hopes of being able to watch the Super Bowl. The only problem was time...the generator ran about 3 hours on a full tank...so, we knew we'd have to "fill up the TV" in order to watch the whole game! Cheese dip and chips...and chili...all stove-top items...were on the menu, along with No Bake Cookies**. Game on!

Fortunately, at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday evening, after nearly 115 hours without power...and rapidly running out of clean towels and clothing...we were restored! Woo-hoo! Thanks to the crews in the neighborhood, one of which was from Mt. Airy, NC...one of which was from SC. We really appreciated all you did! As Mr. T. said, he has a new-found respect for how-in-the-world people in developing countries do it...how do they live without power, or with unreliable power sources? It's such a challenge to come up with ways to do the things we take for granted. And, we were luckier than most...we had a gas stove and gas water heater, and reliable city water and sewer service...and with the kerosene heater and the gas-powered generator, we were able to fill in most of the gaps...but I wouldn't want to live like that for much longer than we did.

We've kept in touch with Brother T in Northern KY, and were glad to hear that they evacuated their power-less home to move in with SIL's dad...his house had power and served as homebase for all her family. Good to know they are safe and warm.


Of course, I had to do something in addition to trying to survive. Missy M and I got our pointy stix clicking by candlelight...she's working on a hat; I tried to work on a pair of socks, but switched to a scarf when I found I couldn't SEE the tiny stitches on the tiny US1.5 needles for the socks.

I'm calling the pattern my "Snowed In Scarf." I borrowed some SWS soy-wool from Missy M's stash...in two different colorways to give it some pizazz. It's a combination of two patterns I knew about, so I didn't have to look it up in the dark: Mirabellis, from the One Skein Wonders book, for the end-ruffle effect, and a fabulous rib that Missy M introduced me to. CO 144 stitches on US11's. Change to US9's for the rest of the scarf. Row 1...K2tog across the row, decreasing to 72 stitches. Row 2...K2tog across the row, decreasing to 36 stitches. (The next two rows set up the ribbing.) Row 3...(K3, P3) across the row. (I placed a stitch marker after the first 3 stitches to help me know which row I was on in the dark...by touch, I'd know I was supposed to do K3, P3.) Row 4...(K1, P1) across the row. Repeat Row 3 & 4 for the length you want (I like 60+ inches). Next-to-the-last-row: Change back to the US11's. K1f&b of each stitch, increasing to 72 stitches. Last row: K1f&b of each stitch, increasing to 144 stitches. BO in K stitch.

During the daylight hours, I was able to finish a pair of socks and cast on another pair, again with some borrowed stash yarn. Both are destined as gifts, so I'll hold off on pics or descriptions 'til then. And, truth be told, I had to re-start my Snowed In Scarf not once, but twice...as I found that I'd made some mistakes in the dark. Oh well.

Ah...knitting and blogging again. Back to normal.

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**No Bake Cookies Recipe, a favorite of my cousin Pannie Baldy**

2 cups sugar

2 T. cocoa

1/2 stick butter

1/2 cup milk

Put the above in a saucepan on the stove. Bring to a boil, stirring to keep from sticking. AFTER it has come to a rolling boil, let boil for 1 full minute without stirring. Remove from heat source.

Add 1/2 cup peanut butter. Let melt. Stir until smooth.

Put 3 cups quick cooking oats in a large mixing bowl. Pour hot mixture over the oats and stir until thoroughly mixed. Drop by teaspoonsful onto waxed paper. Chill until set. Enjoy!

Snow Day!

They got this one right on the money...SNOW! The weather wonks predicted that we'd get 3-5 inches of the fluffy stuff after midnight last night, and that's just exactly what happened...wonder of all wonders. We went to bed after 11:00, nothing on the ground, nothing falling from the sky. We woke up this morning before 7:00...accumulation all over the place! The dogs are having a ball, playing in the backyard, but as you can see in the photo to the left, Missy M isn't having so much fun.

Even though her company was on a two-hour delay (officially), she got up early to try and dig her car out...no such luck. When she emailed her manager of her plight, she received a reply that the roads were actually worse than they appeared. Looks like she's working from home today.

There seems to be a layer of ice underneath the snow. The City of Louisville doesn't salt or clear the streets in neighborhoods (unlike the service we enjoy in O'Fallon), just the main arteries, so the curve in front of her house appears to be a slippery slope for the few passing vehicles that we've observed...from the warm interior of her house. Hot chocolate, anyone?

I'm putting Snow Day rules into effect. When Missy M was a little girl, we always made a big pot of either soup, stew, or chili on a Snow Day. Then, while we watched videos (back in the Dark Ages, before DVDs), we baked bread and cookies. The house was warm and smelled wonderful...and lovely memories were made.

Fast forward to the present. I've put some chicken breasts on to boil, in preparation of making Brunswick Stew. I baked Blueberry Muffins to enjoy with hot tea for our breakfast. I've got some Oatmeal Cookies (Missy M made these last weekend and froze some of the dough before we ate them all in one sitting...:) in the oven right now, and when they are done, I'll get started on the dough for a couple of loaves of bread. Yep, it's all about staying warm and being comfortable...and what better way than keeping the stove in service? And, with the threat of more cold weather with ice on the way...and the potential of losing electric power...I've learned that it's best to have your gas stove in action before the lights go out!

I'm using Missy M's humongous Crock Pot to cook the Brunswick Stew. Although it means preparing all the veggies before they go in (raw carrots and potatoes just don't do as well crocked in all that tomato base), I think the taste of the finished product is ever so much livelier. And, by par-boiling the potatoes, I end up with potato-water to make my bread dough...see, it all is connected! Plus, cooking the stew s-l-o-w-l-y is exactly what the Stewart Clan did on the farm in Tennessee, all those many years ago. So what if their Pot wasn't a Crock but a big, black kettle on an open fire? Just making Brunswick Stew draws me nearer to those who came before me.

Here's my recipe for Crock Pot Brunswick Stew for a Snow Day:

Ingredients:


2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (use large ones...or 3 smaller ones)
1/4 pound (more or less) cooked pork loin
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (for water to boil meat)
Water to cover
2 large, peeled, diced potatoes
Water to cover (no added salt for the potatoes, if using the water for bread dough recipe, below)
1 small onion, diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
8-10 baby carrots, diced
2 Tablespoons butter to saute veggies
2 cups of reserved (meat) broth
1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz) with liquid
2 small cans tomato sauce (8 oz each)
1 can lima beans
1 1/2 to 2 cups corn kernels (I use the frozen kind)
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 Tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon Paula Deen's House Seasoning (I make it according to her recipe with salt, pepper, & garlic powder)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1-2 hot pepper pods (remove before serving, if possible)
1 Tablespoon butter
1/4 cup catsup (optional)

Preparation:

Place chicken breasts and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt in a large stew pot; add water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 2 hours, until chicken is done and falling apart. Drain chicken on a plate to cool; reserve broth. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken with a fork. Place shredded chicken in a large Crock Pot.

Skim fat from reserved broth. Add cooked pork loin to stew pot. Return broth to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer pork, uncovered, until pork is done and falling apart. Drain pork on a plate to cool; reserve broth. When cool enough to handle, shred pork with a fork. Place shredded pork in Crock Pot. [NOTE: tastes better when you have a mixture of chicken and pork...or, you can be traditional and use squirrel. I've warned those varmints that are presently nibbling on the birdseed in the feeders to be afraid, be very afraid...but they seem to know that I'm only kidding. Squirrel? Ewwwwwweu.]

Fill a saucepan with water (NO salt). Add potato, and simmer 10 minutes. When done, add diced pototoes to the Crock Pot. [NOTE: if not using the potato-water to make bread dough, you can use some of the reserved broth to cook the potatoes and add both to the Stew in the Crock Pot when the potatoes are fork-tender done.]

Melt 2 T. butter in a saute pan. Add diced carrots, onion, and celery to melted butter and saute for 8-10 minutes until tender-wilted. Add to Crock Pot. [NOTE: Nana/Momma/Edith adds diced green pepper, but I'm not particularly fond of the taste. Cook's choice.]

Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, lima beans, and corn to the Crock Pot. Stir in reserved chicken broth and seasonings, and simmer cook on HIGH for a couple of hours. [NOTE: here's where you can add the traditional okra, if you'd like. I don't particularly like. Also, N/M/E uses canned, creamed corn...I prefer the frozen niblets, as they hold up to the Crock Pot better.]

Add 1 T. butter and catsup to Stew and reduce setting to LOW for 4-6 more hours. Adjust seasonings and remove pepper pods before serving. Great with hot cornbread muffins or freshly baked bread. Yum!

Serves 6 to 8. Leftovers (if any) freeze well.


Basic Bread Dough for 2 Loaves

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of water, warmed to 105-115 degrees
1 teaspoon sugar
2 packages yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
2 cups potato-water (water reserved from boiling potatoes with NO salt added)
7-7 1/2 cups flour, divided
1 Tablespoon salt
melted butter

Preparation:

In a 2-cup measuring cup, put the lukewarm water, the yeast, and 1 tsp. of sugar. Set aside to bubble and double in bulk.

In a 4-cup measuring cup, put the potato water (warm enough to melt the room-temperature butter, but not boiling hot), the 1/4 cup butter, and the 1/4 sugar. Stir to mix.

In the mixer bowl, put 3 cups of flour. Add the yeast mixture and the potato water mixture and stir to mix well. Allow this batter to rest for about an hour, until doubled.

Add the 1 T. salt to 1 cup of flour. Add this to the yeast batter and stir down. Using the dough hook on the mixer, begin incorporating more flour, one cup at a time, until a soft dough begins to form. Resist the urge to add too much flour. Knead the dough, either with the dough hook on the mixer (I do) or by hand for about 5 minutes. Let rest while you prepare the pans.

Grease well two 9x5 loaf pans. Divide the dough in half, form each half into a loaf, and place in a prepared pan. Cover and let rise in a warm part of the kitchen until the loaf has topped the edge of the pan.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. (I like a soft crust, so I place a pan of water in the oven while preheating, to create a moist environment.) When ready, put the pans in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the top of the loaf rings hollow when tapped. I like to brush melted butter on the top crust at this time.

Remove loaves from the pans. Let cool on a rack. Slice with a serated bread knife and enjoy!

OK...enough blogging. Better check on the stew. And pop in a Midsomer Murders DVD. Some things change...some things never should!

New Moon Wishes and Burying St. Joseph

As the owner of a house that's for sale in "the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression" (to quote the Wall Street Journal), I've been focused on the things we could do to make our property more marketable (read that: BUY THIS HOUSE, BUY THIS HOUSE, BUY THIS HOUSE). You know...things like fresh mulch on all the flowerbeds (check), fresh paint in neutral color (check), fix all known issues like leaks and broken tiles (check check), and update light fixtures in bathrooms and dining room (double-check). We even added new porcelain tile to the hall bath, using the extra tile from the kitchen project. Woo-hoo! Our Realtor assures us that the feedback has been positive for the most part...that our house "shows well" and is "priced right."

OK...add fresh flowers and freshly baked cookies and you'd think we'd be done with our "enhancements." You'd be wrong. There are still things to be done, like making my New Moon wish to sell the house...oh, and burying a statue of St. Joseph in the yard.

I noticed on the calendar that today (January 26th) is the New Moon. That got me to thinking about making a New Moon Wish as another step in selling our house. What's a New Moon Wish, you ask? More on that in a sec, but first some background.

I once worked with a young lady who had more than a passing acquaintance with astrology. I mean, she used the language of astrology...and it didn't necessarily sound bogus when she said things like "the new moon is in Aquarius." Me? I know that I'm a Cancer, that the Moon rules Cancer, and that the sign Cancer "rules intuition, feelings, emotions, moods, Moon, mothering, roots, home and family," according to the New Moon Journal blog. I can relate, but I remain a skeptic...and therefore a bit amused when I read or hear stuff like that.

Still, this co-worker introduced me to the idea of New Moon Wishing, which she took to great lengths. I've forgotten all the specifics that she told me about the process, but through the wonder of the Internet I was able to click through to the basics, which I found on the Red Lotus Letter ezine (I see that astrology and Feng Sui have mind-melded here):

"Astrologers have long known that endeavors begun on a new moon have a greater chance of success than at other cycles of the moon. They have also known that it is a good time for making your wishes known as the growing energy of the new moon will help bring your wishes to fruition. But for the greatest success, you should follow the technique below.

How to Make Your Wishes for the New Moon

1. Write your wishes down. You must write them down on paper. Use red ink, or write on red paper, or put your wishes in a red envelope.

2. Write no more than 10 wishes. No more than 10 wishes and be specific. Instead of writing “I want more money,” write “I wish for a $10,000 raise this year.” See the difference?

3. Make wishes correspond with the moon’s energy. Each new moon is in a different astrological sign, such as Leo, Scorpio, etc. To make the most of the energy of each one, be sure to make wishes that have something to do with that sign, such as money or business when the moon is in Capricorn, real estate or social relationships when the moon is in Taurus, or the health concerns, such as back problems if the moon is in Capricorn.

4. Put wishes in your bed pillow for 30 days or place them outside where the new moon can cast its energy on your wishes. Sleeping with your wishes will keep you mindful and goal-oriented of what it is you want achieve. After the 30 days, put your
wishes into a “wish box” next to your bed. Don't like to sleep on them? Then put them next to where you sleep or in a special silver "wish box." *

5. Write your wishes at the right time. Timing is everything. So make sure you time your wish list correctly! If the new moon is at 3:00 a.m. or while you are sleeping, simply make your wishes before you go to bed. Try to make your new moon wishes as close to the new moon as possible and don't wait longer than 2-3 AFTER the new moon.

[NOTE: the article didn't say "2-3" what...hours? days? weeks? Bummer. --p.a.]

6. Is your birthday on the date of the new moon? New moon birthdays are extra potent! So, if your birthday falls on this day, consider yourself doubly lucky – and by all means, make extra certain to make a wish this day!
7. Sign and date your wishes. Always sign your name and put a date on your "wish list."

*(As I recall, my co-worker advised that your list be burned rather than slept upon, but I suppose there are different schools of thought on the issue.)

Anyway, lest there be any doubt...I wish for a full-price, no add-ons contract on our house in MO within the next 10 days. I also wish for a closing date of February 28 or earlier. I further wish that we get the house we want in NC without any problems.

(Hey, if I'm wishing about real estate, I thought I'd better be aggressive and throw in both houses...:)

Now, that only leaves St. Joseph. If I remember correctly, I first heard about this one when we lived in Ohio. A neighbor advised me to bury a statue of St. Joseph in the backyard (she specified "head down") in order to facilitate a sale on our house there. Hunh? Was she kidding me? Apparently not. If you Google "burying St. Joseph to sell your house," you'll get over 25 million hits. Amazing.

Here's a link to an article that does a good job of explaining this one (note that it is from a business-oriented site, Bank Rate.com):

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/real-estate/20040831a1.asp



I guess I'd better get out the shovel! Actually, since we are supposed to get 7 or more inches of snow tonight in MO...and since I'm still in KY awaiting better traveling weather conditions...I'll have to hold off on my spade work.

I'm Ready for Phase 2, Please

It's Week Three of the Big Spruce-Up on Autumn Grove...and I'm so over it. I am sick...both OF the dust and BECAUSE of the dust. Still, I can now report some progress of note.

The painters got most of the painting done last week, so the main level looks all "brand new." The electrician came today to install the new chandelier in the dining room, along with new light fixtures in the main level bathrooms (see the photo on left of the Master Bath). He also did the math and got the mirrors installed (what's that old adage...measure 47 times, hang mirror in right place once?). The Stanley Steemer guys came this morning and did their thing with the carpet...which looks great, by the way...but the house is now so damp that the dehumidifier in the basement is registering 80% (the highest it will read, I think). The tile guy came to install the kitchen tile (replacement for the damage done recently by the leaking ice maker line)...more on that in a sec. And, last but certainly not least, our Realtor dropped by to put the sign in the yard and the lockbox on the porch. It must be official...our house is FOR SALE!

Still to go...the Realtor Tour is in the AM, as is the MLS listing photographer. Meanwhile, the repairs on the wall and the ceiling in the basement (some water damage) continue. Then, the Molly Maids arrive on Wednesday for a real good clean...hopefully to get rid of all this dust. Got to get everything all finished for the Open House scheduled for this weekend.

About the kitchen tile...wouldn't you know that the WRONG tile arrived after a two-week "special order?" Right size (18"), wrong color (taupe-ish instead of brick). I figured I had a choice at that moment...LOSE IT, royally, which is what I really felt like doing. Or, get the tile guy to help me figure something out. He was fantastic! He worked out a design, incorporating one of 3 extra "old" brick-colored tiles we had along with several of the copper accent tiles (like in the breakfast area, which is what we were trying to make match) to help "bridge" the transition. Custom tile, indeed. And, it looks great. I would never, ever have thought to mix and match the tiles like this, but so what? He'll get the grout done tomorrow, and we can call that a wrap!

Oh yes, I think you could say I'm ready to move on...literally and figuratively. Until then, you can check out some photos I posted to the Flickr Slideshow (left column) of the mess...er, progress with the Big Spruce Up activities.

Out With the Old, In With the New

Check out what's happening at our house this week (photo of breakfast area, taken from in front of the great room's fireplace, right)...all of the old paint, wallpaper/borders, etc., are in the midst of being removed...and this is what chaos really looks like! The furniture that's left in the house for staging purposes (and to make certain that the house is considered neither "vacant" nor "unoccupied") is piled in the middle of the floor...covered with protective plastic sheeting to minimize any damage from the dust and drips. Good thing, too, since they painted the ceiling today. Tomorrow: the walls get a coat of Builder's Beige (much the same color that you see on the walls already...only it will be fresh, as they say).

I hate this much confusion in our lives, but it must be done...or, at least we believe that by doing this, we will be able to sell our house in MO much faster than if we didn't...and get on with our new lives in NC. Still, I can barely find a perch in the middle of all this dust & clutter. Yeeeooow.

To keep myself sane in all the hub-bub, I am concentrating on a new knitting project...two socks at a time on two circular needles! Missy M actually got me going while we were at her house for Christmas, loaning me her book "Knitting Circles around Socks" (shown, left). Unfortunately, she found the book to be frustrating, as all the steps are written for right-handers...something she finds too many times. It took me a while to plow through the directions and decipher the diagrams, but I think I finally figured it out. As you can see in the photo, I've made it through the heel(s) and am well on my way on the foot(s)...er, feet. I try to do a little on this project each evening in order to calm my anxieties and settle me down for sleep. Learn something new each day, right? Right!

In addition to all the inside work that's being done by our contractor, Leave It To Weaver, Mr. T. and I grabbed paint brushes this afternoon and took advantage of our first (and potentially ONLY) "warm" weather day (55 and windy) since all this began. After the contractor's guy finished power-washing the house, Mr. T painted the trim and the columns on the front porch, while I applied the stain to the deck out back. Both projects turned out well, and we are thankful for having this brief opportunity to tackle the exterior details that needed decent weather for doing.

So, how will we be spending New Year's Eve tomorrow? Probably recovering from another work-day around the house. But, never fear. I do have a bottle of Stone Hill Winery's Steinberg White chilling in the fridge, and I found a couple of festive wine glasses on seasonal special at Schnuck's today when I went to get us a salad for lunch...and we have some party hats from last year that didn't get packed. I guess the movers thought we might need them...? Maybe we can get some Chinese Take-out and then clink our red glasses of white wine to toast in 2009! We're such party animals, aren't we?

Here's hoping that it will be a good one for us all...

OK, So I Couldn't Stand It

I'll admit it. I'm a Christmasaholic. I love everything about Christmas (except, maybe, fruitcake...:). And, so my earlier declaration that "there will be no decorating for Christmas around the MO home this year due to the up-coming move" was barely out of my mouth before I started.

I first put that basket of green boughs, cut from the bottom of Missy M's Christmas tree, on the front porch. They looked so lonely that I went to Lowe's and bought a wreath for the door. Oh, and I decided that the Santa Nutcrackers that usually stand by the front door (and need painting so terribly) could pull Door Duty just this one last time.

Then, because I had so many, I created another basket of boughs for the dining room table. And, while looking for the Christmas DVDs to take to Missy M's, I spotted the child-sized Rudy and Rhonda Reindeer, packed separately from the other stuff...and they just begged to be allowed to sit on the sofa for a while. And, what should be in the bottom of the bag? Why, two stockings...which are now gracing our mantle.

Then, while looking for something else entirely in the garage, I came across my Rudolph antlers and nose for the car. So, there's Miss Lillie Pearl , sporting her Holiday finery while in the parking lot at the Y (in the photo to the right)!

Ahhhhh. Much better.

Of course, it really will be much better after this week. The movers arrive on Tuesday to start the 4-day packing process...and then most of our "stuff" heads to NC. We will keep just enough (to-be-donated-later) furniture in the house to be able to stay here while waiting for it to sell. Everyone...think positive real estate-related thoughts!