December Thaw

My tree is up, lit and decorated and has been for a week. If you are a Christmas-celebrator, yours is probably up, too, and you might wonder, “What’s the big deal?” I’ve been a humbug, a scrooge, opposite of in-the-holiday-spirit for a couple of years and even the years the tree went up, I often found it a chore.

I used to have an annual cookie party that has been on a two- or three-year hiatus. This Saturday it will be back, and it’s going to be the best one yet. My friends and I often bake from sunup to sundown and eat butter, sugar and dough for lunch. This year we will take it slower, have an actual lunch of cranberry chicken salad on croissants, and I’m going to have the frosting made ahead of time. Snickerdoodles, my specialty, will be the first cookies in the oven.

What has happened exactly to bring on this holly-jolly?

It’s warm, people! 30 degrees. Not 10º. Not 10º below. November was filled with 40 and 50 degree days, and while the temperatures are dropping, my holiday spirit didn’t get frozen solid before December got here. It’s as good a reason as any.

Turkey For You, and Turkey For Me

I hope you all had a wonderful, tolerable or at least uneventful Thanksgiving. Mine was filled with family which was fun, but also tiring. B and I are back in our quiet abode which we spent the whole day in except for working out this morning and a quick drive to the store for milk this afternoon. In between we watched movies under blankets and ate leftovers. Oh, and I almost drove by our house on the way back because B put up some Christmas lights, and I'm used to looking for the dark spot. I like the dark spot. I like that B put up the lights more.

I got to try the Wii this weekend and that was fun. The response of the controllers is amazing. I rate bowling as the most fun, but I didn't get to try tennis. Golf is just as boring as it is in real life and boxing, while highly entertaining, is incredibly difficult to tell what you are doing.

The food which I had been looking forward to for weeks did not disappoint. The stuffing and the pumpkin pie (to me, the only things you really need at Thanksgiving) were perfect. Of course, I love squash, too - boiled and mashed and no funny business. My Dad's was perfect. It was a hybrid of whatever he's thrown on the compost pile; this squash started growing and it was a beautiful orange and sweet without adding a thing.

Fourth Photos

B and I usually spend the Fourth of July enjoying solely each other's company getting dirty biking or wet kayaking, but this year we spent it with family.  Friday was so wonderfully enjoyable at my parents' first cookout in their new house.  We picnicked in the front lawn that my dad has been hard at work making pretty.  You know those cooking shows where all the friends come over and everyone is outside and it just looks like the best time?  That was the mood.  My mother-in-law came and we all ate and chatted the afternoon away.  

In the evening we headed to Midway - the place I learned the joy of riding amusement park rides.  It's actually a state park now.  My parents and B and I played Skee-Ball until the quarters ran out.  Finally we plunked our chairs down on a good spot on the grassy lawn in front of the park and shivered until the fireworks started.  My dad went to grab a blanket, and B and I pulled it up to our chins.  The show was very bright and colorful and set to movie music.  It would better be described as music playing while fireworks are set off as most set-to-music fireworks seem to be. We headed to the car and my dad muscled us out of the crowd.

Saturday I helped my niece find her bedroom floor.  Not that she's messy, but her family has just moved, and I decided if I could help with just one room that I'd feel like I'd help make a dent for them. The bonus turned out to be her going through her clothes and making a pile she didn't want, and it all fit me.  Yay, new clothes! I wore one of the shirts to work today and garnered a bunch of compliments.  I think they were just glad to see me in something different.  I know I'm sick of my wardrobe, but too cheap to go buy stuff.

It turned out I did get some biking in after all when my arm was twisted by my other niece to chase her around the yard on her sister's bike.  Seeing myself for what I was - a lame adult if I didn't - I took my turn and then handed the bike to my brother-in-law and later my husband who looked the funniest because he's 6' tall and riding a pre-teen girl's bike.

P.S. My sister-in-law made her ice cream cake which I proceeded to have a small piece of three times.  She uses ice cream sandwiches, caramel, hot fudge, whipped topping and sprinkles.  FAB-U-LOUS!