It's over for another year

 Yesterday I learned I am not too good, anymore, at organizing for company. It was a good thing it was family, or soon to be family, because it was certainly casual in a setting meant to be elegant. First Andy and I could not get the cranberry bites out of the three miniature cupcake pans which, we finally had to throw away because there was no getting the drippings off those pans. Andy still thought they tasted great and the guest sort of liked them. Oh well. The two roasts got good reviews and left over take homes positive.  (But, I forgot to take the salad out of the fridge to serve it.)

What we really enjoyed was being together, having too much wine on my part, and laughing and telling stories some embellished to be sure. Some repeated, for sure. We got to meet Adam's choice to marry and we liked her. I was all set to be calm but she was delightful and grounded and Adam was the same. One always worries about new additions to the family especially if things are relatively going well at the time...like don't rock the boat adding a new element to the mix, but, life goes on and choices are made and then everyone connected must live with the current choice. All in all, for a quiet Christmas it was so much fun at the table. Andy stepped up to do clean up. I went to bed. That's a first leaving a mess behind but Andy had it under control and it was good for him to get involved with the kitchen. Thank you husband of more than sixty years.

Oooops, I am cooking after all

 Well now, it turns out that we will have Christmas lunch with Adam, his girl, Mike, Andy and the cook. I have a nice rib roast at the ready, also a pork roast . I am having scalloped potatoes, a salad or two and for starters cranberry bites in puff pastry with cranberry sauce on the brie bites. Hot from the oven, they were a hit when someone and I made them a long time ago.  I can't remember who it was but we were very proud of ourselves. This is done in a mini cupcake pan or two. Oh, I think it was Alyssa who, by the way. gave birth to a fine boy. The boys were popping out all over the place in December. All healthy and adorable.

Andy and I went to a little market (Weiland's) near us to get a few things. I can't believe the line of people standing like cattle to get in the market to shop. It was a surprise and too cold to stand in line. So, Andy ordered Kroger and he is to pick it up at 5:00 this afternoon. I like to grocery shop, taking my time, but waiting in line is a none starter for me. I still have not been to Carfagna's new store at Polaris.  waaaaa, sigh. When I go, I know I will be in there an hour at least; the store is supposed to be really big.

Merry Christmas...or make the best of it which is what I am doing. Next year we are going to tear it up!

 

Humbug

 What are you doing today? There does not seem to be the rush and feeling of excitement that this date usually brings. I can think of all the things I had to do in past years and what did I do today? I made pizza for lunch and while it looked very good, it wasn't preparing the standing rib roast and ten or so sides plus the starters that I once concentrated on for the pleasure of several guests at different times all around the date of importance. We drove down our road yesterday and there were no decorations to be seen.  Our red-bow wreaths tried their best to encourage, but to no avail.  We did not put up the usual porch light decoration that many people liked, but I will do it next year if I am still around because I miss it so this year. I wonder if my neighbor who never took her Christmas tree down is still enjoying it year round?

I got my booster yesterday thanks to Andy's nagging.  We made a deal and so I had to keep up my end of it.

Well, the pizza is out of the oven and looking mighty fine, so, Merry Christmas and here's hoping you are having more fun than we are.

A visit from the future

 We had a very important visitor last early evening.  Big Boy, and why do I keep calling him that? Mason came to say hello.  He did not find us too important because he slept through the entire visit except for a brief moment when I held him and spoke to him he opened his eyes, thought it wasn't worth the effort, and went back to sleep.  I, however, took that moment as proof that he knew me, that he knew my voice. I could wax on and on, but, just to say, he is the most perfectly formed baby I have ever seen.

It does not seem like Christmas to me.  It came so soon after the last one. Time is speeding up. I miss the slow meandering days of old, but then I am old. Even the seasonal decorations at night seem like they are trying hard to make up for those homes that have given up for the year. Well, I am looking forward to the new year...what else can one do?  Make the most of it and appreciate every gasp of breath that we still have.

Merry Christmas and may the new year be good to you. 

Oh no, my eyes, my eyes...

What do you think of women 50 and beyond wearing long blond wigs pulled in all directions, braided scooped or fluffed? I know some will say it's their right. But, when they are on television they are everywhere and there is no place else to land. (Back to books.) Never mind the fighting, screaming, and hatred spewing from their over served  lips, when the scene is done, they lunch together or dine together when ever time or lip space allows. I saw The Real Housewives of Orange County last night and was horrified...the hair, the hair, it was so over the top I could not stop watching, she says with a bowed head. It is no wonder their ratings are in and they are not up lifting.

My niece and her husband stopped by yesterday with some goodies.  We were in to the orange cake by the time the providers drove away.  Today, it is the taco soup.  (She and he brought all the fixings too.) Thanks Nancy and Danny.

I guess I told you our third great grandson arrived in good shape. That Stacy does this so easily, spends one night in the hospital, and then comes home to chaos. She is great.  Matt is lucky to have found her. We have not be introduced yet, but it will happen.

 It is a warm, windy day here in Columbus. We have been searching for a place for me to get the booster shot.  Andy has non stop requested that I get it. We tried walk in at CVS and Kroger...no walk ins. Kroger will do it on Tuesday which is walk-in day. I never thought I could get health care and groceries at the same time.  This world is changing.

WOW

 Please don't tell me you are one of the people buying The Barefoot Contessa's frozen desserts where you will find 12 cookies for $100. This announcement was in my newsfeed yesterday and I can't find the exact article now, but know you will be astounded and disgusted by the audacity. Prices range for a bite or two of brownies or cookies from $59 to $100. or near enough to make you gasp.

Several years ago in The Hamptons one woman was selling crab salad for $100. a pound.  I can only imagine what it sells for now.

Ina's coconut cake is $89. and that may be worth it.  It may be a large cake with several layers and it looks generous in size but it may be illusional photography.  (I can see my relatives flopping around in their graves over these prices.)

Have you watched The Imposters on Netflix?  You might enjoy it, I know I did. I am debating about the new best seller called The Girls Are All So Nice Here by Laurie Flynn.

I bet you all are cooking and baking up a storm. I'll let you get back to that.  Maybe you could join Goldbelly and Ina and sell your (9) brownies at a bargain price of $59. Good luck.

Our good news is that Stacy, Matt's wife, has delivered our third Great Grand Child this morning. He's a big boy!

Empty talent pool

 I just finished watching the series The Imposters on Netflix and it was really good. Better than anything on TV right now.  Is their talent pool empty? Where are the new shows when we need them. We are staying home more, why can't they release their new shows if they have any? The current new shows are unwatchable yelling, fighting, back stabbing, crude, vulgar...to name a few TV sins. (Some real life criminals thrown in.) They over act and think screaming is the path to fame.

Now I've done it.  Once I started baking there is no end in sight. Nate has gone on his travels so he won't be here to help eat the goodies...some problem huh? I found Trader Joe's Brownie Truffle Baking Mix. It is on the agenda, I mean the box looks good enough to eat so how can the brownie truffle go wrong?

We are still on Baby Boy watch. We want to welcome the latest Lechler with lots of love. Speaking of the kids: Madeleine is 5 going on 18. Mike and Matt where watching the girls one evening and they were playing beauty salon (if you can imagine those two men going through what they have to do). They made a miss step in the process and Madeleine became angry and express this verbally.  The men said they did not want her to be mad at them...they are putty in those tiny hands, and she said she was still mad and they would just have to deal with it!!!

Shrimp salad on toast with Baby Gem lettuce for tonight.  It is just the two of us now, like old times.

TJ's has done it again

 We ae in love with Trader Joe's pumpkin bread easy mix.  Plop it in a bowl, add a couple of ingredients stir until  smooth and then pop it in the oven. The results, an hour later, are exactly what one expects.

I no longer like to bake, so this was an nice introduction to baking, being so simple and delicious.

I am expecting Jimmy and Joe, Andy's brothers to come for a visit soon now that Glenda is happily settled in Memory Care. They have been through the wringer down there.

What a beautiful, sunny day this is.  We spent most of it outside...not working, just talking. I hope yours was pleasant too.

Note: I just made the vanilla quick cake from Trader Joe's, it looks perfect.  I hope it is as good.  I think Trader Joe's has a line of these cakes, but these are the first two I have tried.

A sunny day at last

 What a warm sunny day, so why not wash windows.  I got 15 long glass panel windows taken care of with a few streaks but mostly good results. Those 15 kept bothering me and, as you know, you can't get help.  Well, I have help, but they don't do windows. I always found that amazing, but then I am an all in or nothing girl.

I had a good birthday yesterday, nothing earth shattering, but good just the same.

With this sun, I want to work outside.  What??? (I know that surprised me too.)  I did some work there after the window washing, but I kept seeing more and more that needed doing so I came in and wrote a blog.

As you may know my tech abilities are non existent, so now my Kindle has started pouting. I have a new book that is supposed to be on Kindle, but it says no. It is already annoying and yet it keeps being obstinate. Some day I am loading all of these technical things up and going to the Geeks. That won't be fun for any of us...they will want annoying things like passwords and verifications.  Someone must have taken all of mine because I am stunned and starting to sweat thinking about standing in front of the Geeks without my personal information. Will the police be involved?

84 and still kicking

 Well, it is down right amazing to have reached the age of 84.  It is a quiet day with three loved ones.  It is almost a shame that we can't go out without thinking of the virus.  It has taken over the world. But, last Monday when Mike and I went phone searching in the cold rain and ill equipped for the wintery day, I did not think of the virus.  We went to two stores that had no phones, still I did not think of the virus, everyone wore masks. When we left the third store, Apple, I realized we were in a store with thirty people, all in masks, but...I became a bit panicked.  Too late, we were ready to split the scene. It's been a full week since the shopping spree and since then I have turned 84, so maybe all is still well.

My niece, Nancy, brought me birthday tarts.  They looked delicious, but I had just had a bite of something sweet.  I put them in the fridge and they disappeared one by one; Andy has a big sweet tooth.

Mike gave me an Amazon gift card, he knows how I love Amazon. Nate's gift is not here yet but he went through my shoes looking for the size and found 5 1/2 was the key to the foot, so one can only assume...

Nate and Andy have ravished the smoke pork left overs today. But, lasagna comes to the rescue later on. It's a good thing I love our home because we are certainly putting in the time here.

The day is sunny, so what could go wrong?  I shutter to think.

This and that

 I have to say we spent the quietest Thanksgiving of our history here at Many Branches and we liked it. All the other years, except for last year, we would have 20 to 30 people here to enjoy a feast. This year there were four of us eating a hot smoked beef roast and cold potato salad, which by the way compliment each other.) I liked having a lot of guests and we certainly had them, so one quiet Thanksgiving (and Christmas) won't hurt a thing. Either way, we are a thankful group.

Soon we will be down to three here because Nate will do his travels, sticking to America this time. We will miss him as always.

I am looking forward to a visit from Matt to complete my tech nightmare. I have a couple of issues with my television, not big, but annoying. There are several with my new phone, but I did solve some of the problems myself.

We just had a pop in visit from my niece, Nancy, and her husband, Danny. Nancy has found herself with vertigo.  She never knows when it will claim her and so she cannot drive as well as some other jobs because of it. I swear there are so many problems health wise both mental and physical...or is it just my focus now? I know of five friends and or family members in Memory Care now...that too creeps up on a person with little clues along the way.

Tomorrow is the big game, Ohio State and Michigan.  The television will be blaring all day.  I will be in the kitchen making something tasty for the guys to snack on. (My no cook pout is over.)