What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

I'm looking forward to a great night.  Tony and I have buttons to go to First Night-St. Louis, a family friendly, alcohol free celebration of the arts.

When the boys were young we attended First Night as a family (or as part of a larger mixed-age group), but as they got older they wanted to make plans with their friends instead of their parents, so Tony and I stopped going, too.  The last few years our plans for New Year's Eve have been pretty laid back, and we wanted something a bit more structured this year.

We've checked out the First Night program online, and there's dozens of things to do over the course of the night.  I have a mental list of the ones I want to do, and I know Tony does too, so we'll get together and figure out a tentative schedule.  However, nothing's set in stone, and we're willing to be spontaneous as the mood strikes.

Our area is having some nasty weather right now, but the rain is supposed to be gone by this evening.  Sadly, the abnormally warm temperatures are leaving, too, but we should still be able to stroll down the street from venue to venue in comfort.

For All My Super Mom Friends

I lifted this straight from Bee's Blog...

First Class Honours

I have a First Class Honours Degree in:

Engineering (Playmobile, Brick Building,), Home Construction (Doll Houses), Mechanics (Broken Toys) Home Economics (Cleaning, Cooking, Laundering, Shopping), Medicine (Children's and Husbands' Ailments), Veterinary (Sick Rabbits, Gerbils, Hamsters, Dogs, Cats), Chauffering (School and After School Activities), Sports & Gender Affairs (Swimming, Tennis, Off Road Biking, Gymnastics, Rugby, Karate, Golfing, Ballet, Tap Dancing), Music (Piano, Drums, Guitar, Keyboard), Design (Art and Craft for School Projects), Law (My House – You’ll Do as I Say), Finance (Home Tasks = Pocket Money) Administration (Home Work Helper), Fund Raising (PTAs) Diplomacy (Cocktail Parties and Company Dinners), Clairvoyancy (Mind Reading), Psychology (Speaks for Itself), Entertainment (Juggler), Languages (Interpretation of "In Phrases" and Grunts) Fashion (What to Wear and What Not to Wear).....................

I know there are thousands like me! What would they all do without us?!!

Have a great day!

©Barbara M Lake, December 2010

Fun With Presents

I got some great Christmas presents this year.

Some of them, like a pair of earrings, a coffee maker that was a joint present to Hubby Tony and me, and my silk long underwear got put into use immediately. In an effort to quickly straighten the house before the extended family came on Christmas Day, the other presents went on my dresser in the bedroom. Yesterday I returned one of them, a pair of exercise pants which were too long.  This morning it was time to take care of the rest.

After breakfast I moved a book to my bedside table, and hung the earrings on the organizer in my closet.  I washed the set of beautiful aqua-colored flannel sheets and put them on the bed. Later in the morning, I picked up a box containing a set of glass photo coasters, and got them ready to use.

Even though we have a supply of coasters already, you can never have too many places to set drinks.  These four-inch coasters came in a nice black wood holder, and had a slot to insert a small rectangular picture. I didn't have the correct size photos on hand, so I decided to cut some paper for the photo opening with another one of my presents, a portable paper cutter.

 

I've wanted a small paper cutter for years.  Unless I have a line to follow, I cannot cut straight with scissors.  The one I got is designed for scrapbooking (which I don't do), but it's compact and fits nicely in a cabinet above the desk.

For paper, I dug through the recycling drawer and a couple of old magazines.  An artistic friend taught me years ago that if you use a bit of divergent thinking when you look at things, it's amazing what you can see. For example, if you use a small portion of a larger image, the section can turn into a wonderful textural element.

Would you ever guess that the inserts in two of the coasters in the picture above came from a cable TV company advertisement, one is a picture of foundation color samples from a makeup company magazine, and one is a photo of balloons against a backdrop of trees and clouds?

Cold Winter Coming (I'm Concerned About You)

The Farmer's Almanac is predicting a very cold winter.

It must be true because the squirrels are gathering NUTS.  Three of my neighbors have disappeared!

Soft and Silky

One of the great things about being in education is that you get a nice long Christmas break.  I stopped working last Wednesday, and I don't have to go back until after New Year's Day!  This morning I slept in, then ate a leisurely breakfast and read the newspaper.  After breakfast I decided to take a walk to counteract the effects of all the food I've eaten the past few days.  Hubby Tony, who took a vacation day today, decided to join me.  Even though the temperature on our walk was only 18°, I was nice and warm, thanks to some new long underwear Santa brought me.

My old thermals date back to my days of doing playground duty when the boys were in elementary school.  They're thick and bulky, and the top and bottom don't match, but they work.  However, I thought it was time for an upgrade.  My friend Dani, the Walk Diva at Walk It Off! is a big advocate of silk long underwear.  Based on her recommendations, I added some to my Christmas list, and I was fortunate enough to find a set under the tree.

Today was the first time I put them on.  I love these new undergarments!  The silk feels great, and it's very lightweight;  the two new pieces folded together weigh less and take up less space than one of the old pieces.  My regular clothes slipped easily over the silk layer, and I didn't feel bulky.  I was ready for some serious cold weather when I walked out the door.

Tony and I walked for about a half hour and (except for my uncovered face) I was comfortable the whole time.  Maybe I'll be spending more time outside this winter...

Christmas Isn't Over Yet!

Even though I had an awesome Christmas, I realized this morning that I like December 26th as much as, or more than December 25th!

• All the kids are at the house for at least one more day.  

• Today there aren't any expectations or commitments.  The presents are opened, and the big family dinner is cooked.

• When we went to Mass this morning, we got to sing all the familiar Christmas hymns and carols.  (In the Catholic church, the season of Christmas started yesterday, and it will continue until the feast of Epiphany on January 6th.)  

• For breakfast I grazed on all sorts of goodies, like a gingerbread cakelet, a slice of banana bread, and a bit of lemon cake.  Lunch today was thrown together with leftovers from yesterday's dinner.  I cooked oven-fried rice studded with corn and chunks of roast beef, and cole slaw from extra shredded cabbage mix.

• After lunch daughter in law Nicole and I went shopping while the men watched football.  We made four stops, and managed to be gone the entire game.

• Dinner was homemade pizza, pasta, and salad and I didn't have to do any of the cooking!

• The evening was filled with talking, puzzles, and games.  Fun times.

From My House to Yours

Merry Christmas!

If Mary and Joseph Had Facebook...

When the boys were young, we used a Countdown to Christmas calendar. It had a pocket for each day that held a strip of paper with an activity that would help us get ready for Christmas. Even though I haven't used that calendar for many years, I still like the concept of spreading out the holiday activities, and try to do one or two things every day to make the season less hectic.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

When the boys were young, we used a Countdown to Christmas calendar. It had a pocket for each day that held a strip of paper with an activity that would help us get ready for Christmas. Even though I haven't used that calendar for many years, I still like the concept of spreading out the holiday activities, and try to do one or two things every day to make the season less hectic.

Christmas is only two days away.  Even though I'm off work today, I still got up early this morning. There's a lot to do!

Son Tony flew into town today.  We picked him up at the airport shortly before lunchtime. The rest of the family will be rolling in over the next 36 hours. Everyone will be staying for at least a couple of nights.  Even though our house has four bedrooms, two of them only have twin beds.  With the addition of daughter in law Nicole the family is growing larger, and we need more bed space.  Last week I bought an air mattress and electric pump. Today I got it ready to be used.

The full-sized vinyl mattress has a soft-looking flocked cover.  According to the information on the box, it could be inflated in 110 seconds.  That sounded like a challenge to me, so I decided to time the job.  After I took the air mattress out of the box and spread it out on the bedroom floor, I attached the pump to it, turned the pump on, and started inflating.  At the same time I started the stopwatch on my phone.

Although the job went quickly, the box was incorrect.  I inflated the air mattress until it was firm, which took 2 minutes and 25 seconds.   After I was done, I stood the mattress against the wall so the cats couldn't get on it, then put the pump back in the box and set the box in a corner of the bedroom.  That way whoever uses the mattress can make it firmer or softer if they'd like.

Tomorrow I'll put linens in the room and dust the furniture.  Then it will be ready for guests.

Do-Over

When the boys were young, we used a Countdown to Christmas calendar. It had a pocket for each day that held a strip of paper with an activity that would help us get ready for Christmas. Even though I haven't used that calendar for many years, I still like the concept of spreading out the holiday activities, and try to do one or two things every day to make the season less hectic.

I thought I wrapped the last of the presents yesterday.  However, when I came into the kitchen this morning, I saw a shredded mess of gift bag and tissue paper piled on the island, with one of the presents in the middle of it.  When Tony came home from work, he told me this story...

Before work he was using his computer on the couch with cat Pepper curled up on his lap. Tony sneezed, which startled the cat, who jumped off his lap and ran out of the room.  A few minutes later he noticed Pepper in the living room staring intently at the Christmas tree.

Tony continued getting ready for work.  As he was getting ready to walk out the door, there was a rustling sound coming from the living room.  He walked in and noticed torn paper scattered all over.  Pepper had taken it upon himself to unwrap one of the presents!



After dinner I got a sturdy box, put the gift in it, then re-wrapped it and put it back under the tree.  Pepper better NOT try that again!

Blossoming

When the boys were young, we used a Countdown to Christmas calendar. It had a pocket for each day that held a strip of paper with an activity that would help us get ready for Christmas. Even though I haven't used that calendar for many years, I still like the concept of spreading out the holiday activities, and try to do one or two things every day to make the season less hectic.

Today is the first day of winter, and the shortest day of the year.  It's gloomy here, and according to the forecast we won't have any sun all week, so it's a nice treat to see this on my window seat:

This is one of three Christmas cactus plants that are scattered around the house, and the first one to bloom this year. Christmas cactus don't come from the desert, but from tropical rain forests.  Just like poinsettias, they're photoperiodic, which means they need less than 12 hours of daylight per day to set buds.  That guarantees their flowers will be a bright spot of color in the cold, dark winter.

My original Christmas cactus plant came from a small cutting about 20 years ago. The tiny plant grew bigger, and now it's in a six inch pot in the master bathroom. When the cats were kittens, they sat in the middle of that plant and broke off several stems, which I planted and put by the kitchen sink.  Five years ago my Christmas table theme was lime green and pink, so I put both blooming plants on the table for a centerpiece. I had to trim some ungainly stems, so I stuck those pieces in a pot, which grew into the plant in the picture.

The plants flower best when crowded in their pots, so it took several years for each plant to start blooming.  Now they all bud prolifically, and the flowering will continue for a full month.

Just the antidote for darkness.

A (Very) Short History of Christmas

When the boys were young, we used a Countdown to Christmas calendar. It had a pocket for each day that held a strip of paper with an activity that would help us get ready for Christmas. Even though I haven't used that calendar for many years, I still like the concept of spreading out the holiday activities, and try to do one or two things every day to make the season less hectic.

I realize that Christmas hasn't always been celebrated as it is today, but I was surprised to learn just how many changes the day has gone through over the years:

• Dec. 25 was a pagan holiday before it was a Christian feast day, and it was a commercial and secular holiday before it was a religious holiday.

• In the early days of Christianity, Pope Julius I chose December 25th to celebrate the Feast of the Nativity in order to take the focus away from other pagan festivals occurring during this time of year. For many years the day was sort of a winter Mardi Gras.

• Early Americans, if they celebrated the holiday at all, did it in the traditional style, with drunken revelry. The Puritans who settled in America did not celebrate Christmas; it was actually illegal to celebrate the holiday in Boston from 1659 to 1681. Congress was regularly in session on Christmas Day.

• The holiday started changing in the 19th century. Charles Dickens wrote "A Christmas Carol" in 1834. The book portrayed Christmas as more family-oriented and less of a bacchanalia. Clement Clarke Moore wrote “The Night Before Christmas" in 1822, which helped popularize the image of St. Nick. Merchants began to push the idea of exchanging Christmas presents as an end in and of itself. By the end of the 1800s, Christmas had been established as a secular holiday, and it was declared a federal holiday in 1870.

• Christmas wasn't decreed a Holy Day of Obligation (with obligatory Mass attendance) by the Catholic bishops in the United States until 1884.

If My Feet Are Happy, Then I'm Happy

When the boys were young, we used a Countdown to Christmas calendar. It had a pocket for each day that held a strip of paper with an activity that would help us get ready for Christmas. Even though I haven't used that calendar for many years, I still like the concept of spreading out the holiday activities, and try to do one or two things every day to make the season less hectic.

No matter how organized I am, the days leading up to Christmas are always hectic.  On top of the regular daily activities, there's a multitude of last-minute holiday details to take care of. However, today I was able to handle everything with ease, thanks to an early present I received from a co-worker last week--a pair of fluffy red-and-white lounge socks infused with shea butter and fragrance.

When I woke up this morning, it was gloomy and cold.  I felt the need for some pampering, so I decided to try out my new socks.  I've never had anything like these before, so I didn't know what to expect.  After I showered, I put them on and slid my feet into my house shoes. WOW! These could be the most comfortable socks ever.  I wore them as I cleaned the house, cooked, and wrapped presents.

I would have left them on them all day, but I had to leave the house for a bit and they were too thick to wear with my tennis shoes.  I put on a different pair of socks, but as soon as I got home I changed back into plush comfort.

I'll be washing these socks tonight so I can wear them again after work tomorrow!

Light Up The Night

When the boys were young, we used a Countdown to Christmas calendar. It had a pocket for each day that held a strip of paper with an activity that would help us get ready for Christmas. Even though I haven't used that calendar for many years, I still like the concept of spreading out the holiday activities, and try to do one or two things every day to make the season less hectic.

Tony and I enjoy looking at Christmas lights, so last night after dinner we set out on an adventure to see what we could find.  Our area has several professional lighting displays, but on weekend nights they're really crowded.  We decided to concentrate on smaller displays and avoid the driving gridlock.

Our first destination was in South St. Louis.  Instead of driving on the highway, Tony took the smaller roads.  That made the trip take a bit longer, but we also got a chance to see several interesting displays along the way.  Finally we reached  "Candy Cane Lane", also known as the 6500 block of Murdoch (behind the Chippewa Ted Drewes). There were about a dozen houses on each side of the street, and each one was lit up. The street also had candy-cane colored lights wrapped around the trees and draped across the street from one side to another.

I tried to take a picture with my phone's camera, but I couldn't do the setting justice:

We parked the car and walked up the street to get a better view of the displays.  The homeowners had put a lot of work into their decorations.  There was a group of high school girls handing out candy canes and accepting donations to help build houses on the Gulf Coast.  Next to them was a man playing carols on a accordion.

We got back in our car and left Candy Cane Lane, then drove up and down several other streets in the neighborhood.  It was worth our time; a good percentage of the houses were lit up.  After a few minutes Tony drove back to the main road and we headed east. Our next destination was just short of downtown at the Anheuser Busch brewery.

 It took a bit of guessing to figure out which entrance to the complex to use, but once we got in it was amazing!  The company has been decorating for the holidays for years.  Their displays use more than 80,000 lights to outline the buildings and landscape.   Once again, my camera failed me:

Our last stop was a restaurant, where we got dessert before heading back home.  This time Tony took Interstate 44 west so we could drive past several companies in Fenton that put up big light displays in front of their buildings.  It was an appropriate ending to the night.

Oh, What Fun

When the boys were young, we used a Countdown to Christmas calendar. It had a pocket for each day that held a strip of paper with an activity that would help us get ready for Christmas. Even though I haven't used that calendar for many years, I still like the concept of spreading out the holiday activities, and try to do one or two things every day to make the season less hectic.

I don't work on Fridays, but the day is still quite structured...the morning and early afternoon are filled with meetings and errands and before I know it, it's time to start dinner.  I enjoy all the projects and tasks, but even so it's great to change things up now and then.  Today I got to do just that thanks to Mother Nature.  Yesterday she delivered a sheet of ice that covered the roads and gave me a snow day, but also kept me housebound.  None of the day's Christmas shopping and tasks got done.  After I moved all those activities to today, along with the other items I'd planned on doing, my schedule was packed!

Before I went to bed last night, I decided that since I had to do all the things anyway, I'd make an event out of it.  This morning I dressed in a Christmas sweatshirt, jeans, and boots.  After breakfast I said goodbye to the cats and grabbed my list and an apple (for a mid-morning snack).  I left the house at 8:15, the same time I'd leave for work.  However, at the end of my street I turned the opposite direction and headed east.  What a beautiful day!  It cold, but the sun was shining.  There was no ice on the roads, and the traffic jams I'd anticipated were a non-issue.

I knew what I needed to do at each stop, so I could move quickly.  Most people I saw were in a festive mood, and I didn't let the few Grinches bother me.  Four hours later, I'd made seven stops (including lunch), and I was shopped out and ready to go home. I wish I could say I'm finished with all I need to do for Christmas, but there's a few things still need to get done.  However, thanks to my wonderful day today, the end is in sight.

Treelight

When the boys were young, we used a Countdown to Christmas calendar. It had a pocket for each day that held a strip of paper with an activity that would help us get ready for Christmas. Even though I haven't used that calendar for many years, I still like the concept of spreading out the holiday activities, and try to do one or two things every day to make the season less hectic.

Now that the boys are grown and out of the house, many of our current "getting ready for the holidays" activities are different than the ones we did when they were young.  Now, there's no need to help the boys make presents for their aunts and uncles, and it's been a long time since we've made a visit to Santa.  However, some activities are timeless.  Tonight Tony and I ate our dinner picnic-style in front of the tree in the living room.

Back in the day, everyone looked forward to eating by treelight.  The kids liked it because they got to sprawl on the floor instead of sitting at the table and using proper table manners. Tony and I enjoyed the family activity, but I also secretly liked it because it was an easy cooking night.  I'd serve finger foods like bagel bites or chicken nuggets that I just had to throw in the oven.

Tonight's dinner was a bit more elegant. I made French bread pizza from thick slices of hearth bread, cut vegetables for crudités, and got ranch dressing. Dessert was an assortment of cookies from the freezer.  I spread a red and gold tablecloth on the living room floor and put out red napkins.  Tony carried the food into the room, then I turned out all the lights and we sat down.

The soft glow of the tree provided just enough light to eat by.  It made for a perfect meal.

What's In Your Kettle?

When the boys were young, we used a Countdown to Christmas calendar. It had a pocket for each day that held a strip of paper with an activity that would help us get ready for Christmas. Even though I haven't used that calendar for many years, I still like the concept of spreading out the holiday activities, and try to do one or two things every day to make the season less hectic.

I started seeing the iconic Salvation Army bell ringers with their red kettles before Thanksgiving, but since I don't get serious about Christmas shopping until December, I can't donate that early.  However, it's getting mighty close to Christmas, so today I decided to put money in each of the kettles I saw along my route as I ran errands.

My first stop was a drug store close to work.  I've seen the same bell ringer each time I've shopped there this season.  Like the vast majority of ringers I've come across, he's super friendly.  (One day I saw him helping customers carry bags to their car!)  Even when I didn't donate, he still had a nice word to say.  Today, when I slipped a bill in his kettle, he beamed and wished me a Merry Christmas.

Stop number two was a grocery store to get some meat.  However, I needed it sliced and I forgot this store doesn't have a butcher counter for special requests, so I turned around and left.  The kettle here was unmanned when I entered, but there was a ringer on my way out.  He had a steaming cup of coffee, which I'm sure tasted good in this frigid weather.  I made my deposit, and he smiled and said "Thank You".

Still looking for my meat, I went to another grocery store where I knew I could get what I was looking for.  This store had a female ringer out front.  We exchanged pleasantries as I put money in her kettle, and she wished me a Merry Christmas.  I made my purchase and left the store. As I walked past the ringer, she told me to "have a blessed holiday".

The next few stops didn't have a kettle out front, but I realized as I was driving out of the last strip mall that even though I wasn't planning on shopping at the big box store there, I could make a swing through their parking lot and donate money one more time.   The bell ringer here must have been taking a break, because the stand was unoccupied, but I stopped my car in the fire lane, jogged over to the kettle, and slid my money in.  I really don't care if I get a personal thanks if the cause is good.

All God's Creatures

When the boys were young, we used a Countdown to Christmas calendar. It had a pocket for each day that held a strip of paper with an activity that would help us get ready for Christmas. Even though I haven't used that calendar for many years, I still like the concept of spreading out the holiday activities, and try to do one or two things every day to make the season less hectic.

It's been quite cold here.  Yesterday on the way to work the temperature was 4°. Today was a bit warmer, and tomorrow the high is supposed to be a balmy 29°.  This afternoon, when I tried to take a drink out of the metal water bottle I keep in the car, it had a half-inch thick layer of ice around the perimeter.

The cold weather means that the inch of snow that came down on Saturday night is sticking around.  Our deck is covered in snow, so it's hard to get to the bird feeder that hangs from a shepherd's hook on the rail.  Normally under these circumstances I'd leave it empty, but in the spirit of Christmas, the last few days I've been making a special effort to provide food to all the creatures that stop in to eat.  (Even the squirrels. In this nasty weather I'm not begrudging them a share of the food.)

The layer of snow makes it hard, but I now have a system. Once I put on my coat and boots in the family room I grab the container of bird seed and open the outside door.  I've done the job so many times now there's a nice path around the deck perimeter from the door to the feeder.  I fill it up, then retrace my steps back to the door.

The family room is carpeted, so I don't want to walk in with snow all over my feet. After I open the door, I set the container on the countertop right inside the door, shake the snow off one boot, take it off, set it on the counter, then step halfway inside.  I repeat the process with the other shoe.  Once I'm completely inside, I close the door and carry the snow-laden boots to the kitchen to dry.

I wonder if the critters know how much work I'm going through for them?

Sing-Along

When the boys were young, we used a Countdown to Christmas calendar. It had a pocket for each day that held a strip of paper with an activity that would help us get ready for Christmas. Even though I haven't used that calendar for many years, I still like the concept of spreading out the holiday activities, and try to do one or two things every day to make the season less hectic.

Over the weekend a rock hit my windshield while I was driving and made a smile-shaped crack about an inch long.  I wasn't sure if it could be repaired, or if it meant a new windshield, but I figured I'd call the insurance company today after work and find out what they thought.

However, halfway to work this morning I heard a pop, and watched as the crack spread out to the right, then the left.  By time I pulled into the parking lot I had a two foot long horizontal imperfection across the middle of the windshield.  Now it would DEFINITELY need replacement!

I know from past experience that if you use the insurance company's "preferred" providers the price is usually less, so after I got into the building I dialed the claims number, and was soon talking to the third-party glass company they use.  The representative was very nice, and it didn't take him long to set up an appointment for a mobile replacement at my house this afternoon.  However, the technician could arrive any time within a four-hour window, so I came straight home after work and cleared my calendar for the rest of the day.

I might have been stuck at home, but there was plenty to do.  I started dinner, did a craft activity, a bit of house cleaning, and some computer stuff.  Instead of turning on the radio for background music while I worked, I loaded up the CD player with Christmas disks, including one of my favorites, Holiday Sing Along With Mitch. Since I listened (and sang along to) to this record every year while I was growing up, the season just doesn't seem right without at least one playing.

Won't you sing along with me?

Once A Bad Kitty, Always A Bad Kitty

When the boys were young, we used a Countdown to Christmas calendar. It had a pocket for each day that held a strip of paper with an activity that would help us get ready for Christmas. Even though I haven't used that calendar for many years, I still like the concept of spreading out the holiday activities, and try to do one or two things every day to make the season less hectic.

Years ago I had to find places to hide Christmas presents from prying eyes. Now, though, since (I'm pretty sure) Hubby Tony doesn't snoop around looking to see what he's getting, I just shove things in the back of my closet as I buy them.  It was getting hard to move around in there, so today I wrapped the first of the Christmas presents and put them under the tree.

Today's session took place on my bedroom floor.  To make wrapping the job easy, I keep everything together in a red-and-green plastic storage container.  The long, skinny box holds paper, tissue paper, bags, ribbon, and bows, as well as scissors, tape, and pens for writing names on the tags.  All I have to do is open the box and I'm ready to go!

When Pepper (one of our cats) was a kitten he liked to play with cellophane tape and eat it.  I quickly learned that when I was wrapping presents I had to hide the tape dispenser when I wasn't using it or he'd grab it in his teeth and carry it off. The first Christmas he was so small that the dispenser kept hitting the floor as he tried to run.  It was hilarious!

Pepper is now a mature 8 years old.  Last year he wasn't interested in tape, so I figured I wouldn't have a problem this year.  I figured wrong.  As I was cutting paper to wrap the second present I saw something slinking away out of the corner of my eye.  It was Pepper, up to his old tricks with the tape.  However, today I was able to grab him and take the tape away before he got out of the bedroom.

For the rest of the wrapping session, I kept the tape under my leg when I wasn't using it.  No more problems.

Smells Like Christmas

When the boys were young, we used a Countdown to Christmas calendar. It had a pocket for each day that held a strip of paper with an activity that would help us get ready for Christmas. Even though I haven't used that calendar for many years, I still like the concept of spreading out the holiday activities, and try to do one or two things every day to make the season less hectic.

I haven't exercised all week, which is a bad idea at this time of year. The last few days have been nonstop eating, and the food orgy will continue for the foreseeable future.  When Hubby Tony suggested a trip to the gym today, it didn't take me long to agree.

The gym was pretty empty when we got there.  I did enough aerobics to get nice and sweaty, used a couple of machines, then decided to call it a day and hit the shower.  We had a couple of errands to run on the way home, and it was too cold to be running around with damp clothes on.

The women's locker room has two showers.  They're usually in good shape, so I was surprised to see that one of them had a large puddle of water on the floor  I got in the other one, turned on the water, and tried to get some soap from the wall dispenser.  It was empty!  I thoroughly rinsed my hair and body with water, but  I couldn't shake the feeling that I didn't smell good.

One of our stops on the way home was Whole Foods, where I had an inspiration.  The store carries a selection of perfumed and essential oils with testers in their body department, and  I decided I'd take advantage of them.  In honor of the season, I dabbed a bit of peppermint on my wrists and behind my ears, and continued my errands smelling like a candy cane.

Mmmm.........

When the boys were young, we used a Countdown to Christmas calendar. It had a pocket for each day that held a strip of paper with an activity that would help us get ready for Christmas. Even though I haven't used that calendar for many years, I still like the concept of spreading out the holiday activities, and try to do one or two things every day to make the season less hectic

I made these rich, decadent cookies to take to a party tonight.  The recipe's from Martha Stewart.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY COOKIES

16 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used Ghirardelli chips--no chopping required!)
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt 10 ounces chocolate (Martha suggested using a double boiler, but I did mine in the microwave). Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined. Beat in melted chocolate. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture; beat just until combined (do not overmix). Fold in 6 ounces chocolate and cranberries.

Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls, 3 inches apart, onto parchment-lined baking sheets. In batches, bake cookies until edges are dry and tops are cracked, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let stand on sheets 3 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool.

(Note: I wanted smaller ones than the recipe called for, so I used a 2-teaspoon scoop and decreased the baking time proportionally.  I ended up with almost 7 dozen bite-sized cookies.)

Some Types of Stealing Are OK!

When the boys were young, we used a Countdown to Christmas calendar. It had a pocket for each day that held a strip of paper with an activity that would help us get ready for Christmas. Even though I haven't used that calendar for many years, I still like the concept of spreading out the holiday activities, and try to do one or two things every day to make the season less hectic.

Between now and Christmas Day I'm attending three different events where we'll play Rob Your Neighbor.

In case you're not familiar with the concept, the game of Rob Your Neighbor (which I've also heard called  Dirty Santa or a White Elephant exchange) involves trading gifts.  The hostess sets a price limit, and each person brings their gift wrapped.  There are infinite variations on the game rules, but basically each person gets to select a gift, unwrap it and then possibly lose it to someone else and have to select again. Being able to steal from someone else is what makes the game so much fun.

Each of my events has a different flavor.  At one we use dice to select our gifts.  With these rules, rolling a 6 will get you a present (or a chance to rob someone else for one). At the others, we use a number system.  Everyone picks a number out of a basket.  Whoever draws the number "1" gets to go first,  number two  is next, and so on. When it's your turn you get to pick a gift from the pile or you can steal someone else's. At the end, the first person gets one more chance to select a gift from all the now-opened options.

The details of my Robbing:

• Tomorrow night is my work party, and I was instructed to bring something to eat and a $15 gift.  Last year there was a large variety of items.  Some were seasonal, and some weren't.  It was my first year attending, but I quickly learned there are some things that come back every year to be re-gifted, and some inside jokes about the items other people bring.  I'm looking forward to being "in the know" this year.

• I've been going to next week's game, at the December meeting of a women's group at church, the longest.  Once again, I need to bring an appetizer or dessert to share, but the gift price limit for this one is only $5.  The gifts at this event are overwhelmingly holiday-themed.

• On Christmas Day the extended family will get together at our house for dinner and a wild game of Rob Your Neighbor.  This is the third year we've played, and the hardest one to buy for, since the group is so varied.  Both male and female, we range in age from 50-something to younger than 16. This time I have $10 to spend.

I hope someone will want the gifts I've bought for the games!

Tree

When the boys were young, we used a Countdown to Christmas calendar. It had a pocket for each day that held a strip of paper with an activity that would help us get ready for Christmas. Even though I haven't used that calendar for many years, I still like the concept of spreading out the holiday activities, and try to do one or two things every day to make the season less hectic.

Presenting our 2010 Christmas tree:

The ornaments aren't fancy or designer, but each one has a meaning.  They're a mix of old:

(All of these date back to our first Christmas together 30 years ago.  The "Noel" is simply a card front that I glued to a piece of felt, because we didn't have very many things to hang on the tree, and I marvel every year that it's survived.  Mrs. Santa is made from hexagon-shaped plastic beads and a wooden head, and was a gift from my mom.  I made the blue globe for Tony with rub-on letters.)

And new:

(Tony brought the shell back from his work training trip to California last fall.  I bought the gourd-shaped ornament while we were visiting Son Tony in Phoenix a couple of months ago, and the snowman was a gift from one of my students last year.)










There are still some ornaments to go on the tree. I save the boys' ornaments so they can hang them on the tree themselves.

The Gift of Giving

When the boys were young, we used a Countdown to Christmas calendar. It had a pocket for each day that held a strip of paper with an activity that would help us get ready for Christmas. Even though I haven't used that calendar for many years, I still like the concept of spreading out the holiday activities, and try to do one or two things every day to make the season less hectic.

For several years our parish has had a Christmas Outreach program for a church in rural Missouri.  They adopt families, and ask parishioners to buy the items that the family members request.  We bring the wrapped gifts back to the parish, who delivers them for distribution to the families.  On Sunday Tony and I selected a name, and today after work I purchased the gifts.

When we arrived for Mass on Sunday, there were trees in the church vestibule festooned with white and purple.  The white was the Christmas Outreach envelopes, which contained the name of a person, basic identifying information (name, age, sex) and what they'd like for Christmas. Inside each envelope there was a set of directions, a purple gift tag attached to a ornament hanger, and name stickers.  Following the directions, we signed our name on the gift tag and hung it back on the tree, so the church would know which people had been chosen.  By time we made our selection, half of the tree had changed over from white to purple!

The gift requests are always quite basic.  The 26 year old man we choose was looking for a shirt and socks.  Since that's Son Tony's age, I tried to imagine what styles he'd want.  I found some great sales today, and purchased a shirt, a hoodie, and a big pack of crew socks with my budgeted money.  

I hope my purchases help our person have a better Christmas this year.

Jolly Old Saint Nicholas

When the boys were young, we used a Countdown to Christmas calendar. It had a pocket for each day that held a strip of paper with an activity that would help us get ready for Christmas. Even though I haven't used that calendar for many years, I still like the concept of spreading out the holiday activities, and try to do one or two things every day to make the season less hectic.

Do you know the story of Saint Nicholas (whose feast day is today)?  The fourth century bishop was known to give secret presents, particularly to those in need.  The idea of Santa Claus partially came from him.

We've celebrated St. Nicholas Day in our house for many years.  If you're a parent, you know how kids constantly revise their Christmas lists, usually changing their mind right after you've bought their "must have" item. One day an older and wiser mom told me how she handled that situation in their house. She had everyone put their shoes by the front door before they went to bed on December 5th, with their lists tucked inside. During the night St. Nick (aka Mom) would pick up the lists to give to Santa, and leave some trinket in the shoes to show he'd been there.  After St. Nick took the lists, they couldn't be changed!

I loved the idea, implemented it that year, and have followed it ever since. Even though I put off my shopping until after December 6th, there was always plenty of time to get it done, and I was spared the grief of not getting the "right" things.

Although the family is now grown and spread out around the country, the custom continues.  (If anything, it's even more helpful now since I don't have daily contact with everyone and it's harder for me to figure out what they need.)  Last week I sent out an email, indicating that Christmas lists needed to be compiled and sent by today.  Over the weekend I got a flurry of responses.  They even copied each other in, so I don't have to be the list clearinghouse!

Now, with list in hand, I can hit the stores.

Deck The Halls

When the boys were young, we used a Countdown to Christmas calendar. It had a pocket for each day that held a strip of paper with an activity that would help us get ready for Christmas. Even though I haven't used that calendar for many years, I still like the concept of spreading out the holiday activities, and try to do one or two things every day to make the season less hectic.

Today we joined together to decorate the house.

Over the years I've collected more decorations than we could possibly use, but that means that we can pick and choose what to put out.  Every year the house looks a little bit different.  Many of the knick knacks on the family room shelves come down, and get replaced with a holiday item.  Same with the tops of the cabinets in the kitchen.  Each item back a memory--some of the things belonged to my parents, some the kids have made, and some were presents from friends.

I used to do the whole job by myself; it took the better part of a day.  A couple of years ago Hubby Tony started helping me, and we could knock it out in an evening. Today we had an additional helper-son Donald came for a visit, and we pressed him into service.

The first task was to get the boxes upstairs.  They're stored in the back of a closet underneath the basement stairs. It took a few minutes to remove everything to get to them.  After that it was an easy job to carry them to the living room.  Then, without discussing it, each of us gravitated to a different section of the house to work.

Without prompting Donald tackled what I think is the hardest job, the foyer.  It's two stories tall. The top section is bumped out, and includes a large window with a deep shelf under it, which usually holds a large silk plant.  During the Christmas season I change the plant out for a row of silk poinsettias (laying flat, flowers outward) with their stems covered with swaths of plaid material.  Even with a stepladder, I have trouble taking care of the project, but Donald is taller than me and did a great job

I took care of the kitchen, and Donald joined me when he finished his job.  In addition to decorating the area above the cabinets, there are a lot of things that go in them.  Everyday coffee mugs get replaced by Christmas ones, and some special snowflake plates added to the dinnerware cabinet.  Serving platters and bowls are stored in the correct places.

Tony quarterbacked the family room.  He got all the big ceramic items put on the shelves, then set out some winter-themed artwork.  After that was done, he added little pieces to fill in the gaps until everything was perfectly arranged.

With three sets of hands, the job got done in about 90 minutes!

Something Old, Something New

When the boys were young, we used a Countdown to Christmas calendar. It had a pocket for each day that held a strip of paper with an activity that would help us get ready for Christmas. Even though I haven't used that calendar for many years, I still like the concept of spreading out the holiday activities, and try to do one or two things every day to make the season less hectic.

Today Tony and I headed towards Cherokee Street in South St. Louis for holiday activities both old and new.

Cherokee Street runs from east to west south of downtown. The section east of Jefferson is known as Antique Row, which is six blocks of antique, collectible and specialty shops. For many years they've hosted a Cookie Walk the first weekend in December that became a must-do activity for our family.

When the boys were young they wanted to go in every store to see how many cookies they could accumulate, and while they were adding to their stash I'd shop.  Now they don't go with us, so Tony and I pick and choose which stores we want to browse in, and get to stay in each as long as we want.  We spent a lot of time today saying, "How can that be an antique? I had one of them when I was a kid."

When we started shopping on Cherokee Street decades ago, there wasn't any place to get a meal.  That's changed.  We stopped for lunch at The Stable, a brewpub and micro-distillery close to the eastern end of the street.  Tony and I both ordered their lunch special, which included soup or salad, pizza, and a non-alcoholic drink. I got a Muffaletta pizza with a house salad, and Tony chose Caesar salada  and Carbonara pizza.  The pizzas were quite large for one person; each of us ate half, and brought the other portion home for lunch tomorrow.

Our new activity was on the section of the street west of Jefferson, which I'm less familiar with.  I know there's a small Hispanic section and a couple of good restaurants there.  I didn't know before today that there's also a burgeoning print artist scene. This weekend they joined together for the Cherokee Print League Holiday Sale, which showcased more than 50 artists and businesses at a dozen different locations.

 If the weather had been nice we might have walked from venue to venue (from one end to another, a little more than a mile), but the cold, blustery wind kept us from doing that.  Instead, we parked the car, shopped, then drove down the street to hit the next cluster of storefronts.

I had a great time talking with the artists, some whose names I'd heard of and some I hadn't. All of them were friendly and ready to tell me about their work. There was a wide variety of printing styles available, but I came away empty-handed today except for a stack of business cards.  I couldn't find anything I wanted to buy for a Christmas present, but there were quite a few things I might be buying for myself later...

Tea, Anyone?

When the boys were young, we used a Countdown to Christmas calendar. It had a pocket for each day that held a strip of paper with an activity that would help us get ready for Christmas. Even though I haven't used that calendar for many years, I still like the concept of spreading out the holiday activities, and try to do one or two things every day to make the season less hectic.

One of my newest holiday traditions is attending Mr. Toast's virtual Christmas Tea.  Last year was his first one, and I met the nicest group of people there!  When he announced that this year's tea was being held on December 5th at Torosay Castle on the Isle of Mull in Scotland I quickly circled the date on my calendar.

After that came a flurry of decisions.  What to wear?  Who to bring?

If the weather in Scotland is anything like it is here, it will have turned brisk.  That's a good thing, but I find it limits my wardrobe choices.  The crowd was dressed pretty formally last year, and I wanted to make sure my outfit fit in.  After much deliberation, I decided on a silk chiffon gown with an empire waist and elbow length sleeves. No bare shoulders for me!

Who might my escort for this year's tea be?  I wanted someone with a hometown connection.  After a lot of thought, I chose Stan Musial, a St. Louis Cardinal baseball legend and one of the newest recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom (which he'll receive in a ceremony early next year).  At 90, Stan is in frail health, so I don't think we'll be doing a lot of moving around, but from all accounts he's a wonderful conversationalist, so we'll just take a seat by Mr. Toast's roaring fire.  Please stop by and say hello.

I'm sure if you'd like to pop in at Mr. Toast's for tea on Sunday it would be OK. It would be best, though, if you'd RSVP to make sure there's enough tea and scones for everyone.

What's the Hurry?

When the boys were young, we used a Countdown to Christmas calendar. It had a pocket for each day that held a strip of paper with an activity that would help us get ready for Christmas. Even though I haven't used that calendar for many years, I still like the concept of spreading out the holiday activities, and try to do one or two things every day to make the season less hectic.

Today I was planning on leaving work by 12:30.  However, I got pressed into service in the Extended Day classroom until 2:30, and the time I was going to spend on Christmas chores evaporated.  To make matters worse, when I got home everything I picked up took twice as long as it should to complete, and by dinnertime I felt frazzled and completely behind schedule.

What rubbish!  Today's only December 2nd;  there's plenty of time to get things done.  I decided a nice way to counteract my frustration would be to slow down.  For dinner I made a pot of chili, and some macaroni to turn it into chili mac.  Tony brewed some decaf, and after dinner we sat, drank coffee, and talked about what was going on.  From my seat at the table I was able to look out the kitchen window and see the lights I'd strung on the deck, which made me smile:

After the kitchen was cleaned I sat on the couch, browsed through a few catalogs that came in today's mail, and made mental notes of things that might make good presents.  I'm ready to jump back into the thick of things tomorrow.

The Countdown's Begun...

Happy December 1st!

I think turning the page on this last month of the year is always exciting, because December has so much going on.  Years ago, when the boys were young, I had a "Countdown to Christmas" calendar with 24 pockets-one for each day of the month through Christmas Eve.  It had a little mouse that you moved from pocket to pocket to count down the days until Santa came.

Every year in late November Hubby Tony and I would collaborate and figure out what things we wanted to do as a family in December.  I wrote them on strips of paper, then stuffed each pocket with an activity of the day that would help us get ready for Christmas.  Some things were crafty, some involved cooking, and some were special activities.  Each year we'd revisit our favorites, get rid of the ones that hadn't worked, and add a few new ones to the mix.  When the boys were young,  they took turns getting out the day's slip of paper. Woe to him who did it out of turn!  However, as they got older they lost interest.  It's been quite a few years since I've hung the calendar on the wall in the kitchen.

But I still like the concept of spreading out the holiday activities.  I started the month today by getting out my bag of Christmas clothes and jewelry.  I don't get carried away with the stuff, but I enjoy spicing my everyday wardrobe up with holiday touches.  I hung the two sweatshirts (one red with gingerbread houses and one green with a big stocking on the front) and a green tee shirt with beaded snowflakes in the closet, put several pairs of socks in the drawer, and put the jewelry where it will be easy to get to.  I'll need it soon; I have my first holiday engagement over the weekend!