Easter Parade

Easter means a lot of different things to people.

For some, it is the most spiritual time of year.
For others, it's one of few times they head to church.

For kids, there are myriad egg hunts.
For foodies, a hunt for a great brunch.

For big families, it's a time of rambunctious get-togethers.
For those who are alone, Easter can be a quiet time of reflection.

For little girls, it can mean a pretty new outfit to wear.
For traditionalists, it's Easter lilies in memory of lost loved ones.

For gardeners, it's spring; everything is fresh and life is new.
For fashionistas, the white shoes come out.

For retailers, another cha-ching in the candy aisle.
For the health-conscious, a minefield of artificial colors.

And so it is. Everyone celebrates (or doesn't) in his own way.

Growing up, Easter Sunday meant a trip to church, posing for pictures, and the backyard egg hunt. Sometimes there was also a hunt at our grandparents' country club (which I remember included plenty of those cellophane-wrapped pastel-colored candy eggs with white centers...thinking of them now makes my teeth hurt). I was probably at least 12 before I realized that the reason we kids stayed behind at church with Granny and Grandpa (while Mom and Dad raced home) was really so the Easter bunny had time to hide eggs, and not as much because our grandparents wanted to show us off to their friends.

I still have the 8mm films from many of our egg hunts, even more fun to watch when we ran them backwards and put all the eggs back in their places. I'm pretty sure we hunted hard-boiled eggs. I'm also thinking my mom was the only person who ate those -- Dad was allergic and as a consequence the rest of us believed these eggs were nearly poisonous. As part of the hunt, we always found a special basket just for each of us, and that's where the chocolate bunny and other goodies were stashed.

As a grown-up, I took over the Easter meal after inheriting Granny's dishes and a little box crammed with index cards on which were her hand-written recipes. While I don't always get out her good china, one thing I always make is a strawberry ice cream dessert that we had at her house. It's pink, sweet, and surprisingly easy to make. And since I've got the ring mold she always used -- and the flat spatula she always used to get the ice cream out of the ring mold -- I've got no excuse not to.

One day, I intend to experiment with the formula to figure out how to use fresh fruit, maybe add some blueberries, and possibly even freeze it in my little hand-cranked ice cream maker (I think it would have a different consistency that would be easier to eat).

Strawberry Ice Cream Dessert

• 10-oz frozen strawberries in syrup (I haven't been able to find 10-oz packages so I just use a whole 16-oz package these days)
• 1 pint sour cream (use the real thing)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Thaw the strawberries and break them up with a fork (Granny's instructions say to use an old-fashioned egg beater...but I don't have one!). You don't want whole berries since they get very hard when frozen. Stir in the sour cream, sugar and vanilla. Pour into ring mold (of course you can use any type of mold or dish you like!). Freeze.

In 2007, on Granny's china with homemade cookies.

Loosen ring by running a little warm water over the back side of it. Run a flat spatula around the edges and unmold onto a plate. Cut into slices and serve, garnished with fresh berries and mint leaves. We serve small slices with shortbread, sugar cookies, pound cake or cupcakes!

With coconut cupcakes in 2010.
My Dessert Boy loves it.

We'll have an egg hunt (plastic eggs instead of real ones -- I tried hiding real eggs one year and they boys refused to pick them up..."nothing good inside"). If it rains, either the kids and eggs get wet, or we do it in the house. I'm leaning toward getting wet. Easy for me to say...I'm not hunting. :)

Happy Easter!

2004 -- first Easter. Bunny feet!

 

2006 -- you did not see me eat this!

2013 -- big kids...and a lot of dandelions!

2009 -- bucketheads





Do You Hear What I Hear?

Do you ever pick up the wrong lyrics to a song, and then you're stuck with those forever, instead of the right ones?

I've done it myself, more often than I’d like to admit. To this day, when I hear that song "Every time you go away..." it's "you take a piece of MEAT with you" instead of ME. It changes the whole sentiment of the song, but it turns out I like it better that way, so that's how it goes in my head.

Christmas has been a prime time for lyric mangling at our house, and especially amusing with young children. When my sons were 3 or 4, they heard a new (to them) holiday song on the radio and began singing it in earnest. Over and over every day in the car, I heard the happy sounds of "Police La-Di-Da" going in the back seat. Repeat three times and then a bunch of jibberish. Never again will I hear "Feliz Navidad" the same way. (Later when I told them this story, they insisted that could not have happened...after taking Spanish in Kindergarten, they had learned the real words!)

Then about three years ago it was a different one. At school they must have heard or talked about the "12 Days of Christmas" -- honestly, one I'm not crazy about since it goes on and on and on. One night as we finished dinner, Trey and Brett wanted to sing it for us, but as Brett explained, it would be abbreviated to the "7 days" because that was all he could remember (relief!). The first time they performed it, the only thing we remembered was how they stopped and very dramatically sang, arms flung wide and in best operatic voice, "FIVE GOLDEN RINGS!!!!" We were hysterical for several minutes.

In later renditions we realized Brett hadn't really understood the Partridge in a Pear Tree part. Even after I explained what a partridge is, what a pear tree is, and why that might be the right lyric, he continued singing "a parge in a ginnabear tree," insisting that he could not sing it the other way. He may have liked it better because it was all his, and because we smiled when he sang it. To this day, I wonder what picture he had in his head singing it!

And just today we were driving along, listening to the XM holiday station. I wasn’t paying particular attention, focused on the obstacle course that is every road in the Metroplex these days. But then I heard a voice from the backseat say, “did he just sing ‘pay for pizza people everywhere’?” – and had to listen for a second to the song, and then translate. “No, sweetie…it was ‘pray for peace, people everywhere.’”

 

Sometimes it just works best to listen to the Muppets' versions of traditional tunes. In "Ringing of the Bells," Beaker, the Swedish Chef, and Animal join forces and the words don't matter -- which is great since they don't really use words anyway! I know it's not Pentatonix, but it's fun.

Aside from carols, Trey has been playing Beatles tunes on his guitar. You know, like “Hey Dude” (Mommy, why doesn’t that song ever finish?).  I can’t wait until he starts listening to Elton John. Hmmm...does he have a Christmas album? That would be very interesting…

I put the PRO in procrastination

Right after Thanksgiving we decided we would host Christmas at our house this year. This gave me approximately 3 weeks to clean the house which really should have been doable. In theory. However, I haven't started yet. Also, I'm on the computer typing this blog which means I'm still not doing it. At this point in time it is not even physically possible for me to get this house in any type of party condition. There now are not enough hours in the day left to do it. So, what the hell. I think I will blog!

If I work really, really hard I can get a couple of rooms in decent shape. One of the problems with procrastination is that it is always possible that something could get in the way of your plans to wait until the very last minute to do something. For example, you might end up with a hurt subscapular, trapezoidal, (and other long words that I'm basically making up because I can't remember what the doctor actually said) problem with your back. I do remember that he told me NOT to exercise. Damn. I'm not supposed to be bending and lifting. Hmm. All this means that I should not have waited until now - well now doesn't really mean now because now I'm doing this instead of that. You get me?

The moral of this story is not to put things off. Next time we decide to do something stupid like have people come to our house I will make up a schedule charting everything I should do each day to prepare for the party. I will begin this schedule at least 2 weeks out from the event.

Actually what will happen is that I will spend 2 weeks trying to make a cute template on the computer that allows me to chart my progress on the house. By the time I have the chart just like I want it I will have 3.5 hours to clean the house.

Oh well, at least I will already have the template for the next party!

A Christmas Tale

Dear readers, I think you might be ready for this story. I will warn you ahead of time that it is not for the faint of heart. It is a story of great bravery, a story of clinching victory from the claws of defeat. A story of incredible brute strength, and the will power to succeed. A sad, sad, sad, story but at least it ends... well, I will let you decide about the ending.

It happened about this time last year, on a cold, snowy late afternoon. The snow was about 6 inches thick. OK, maybe it wasn't snowing. I think it was sleeting, or was it hailing? OK, maybe the weather was alright. The setting...the parking lot of my favorite retail store - Walmart.

I was shopping for a few last minute items for Christmas. The store was so crowded I could barely maneuver my cart (did you know that the average shopping cart weighs 33 pounds empty?) through the aisles. Kids were running everywhere screaming and playing with all of the toys and leaving them strewn  all over the place. It was like trying to walk in a field and dodging the cow poop. It was terrifying. I found my few items, actually I found more than I intended to find. My cart ended up being fuller than expected. Now it was time to check out. Oh the Christmas joy. Luckily I spotted the lawn and garden area - there was no line there! Can you imagine - NO LINE! The other lines were 12 people deep. Suckers. By the way, did you know that they put the worst cashiers and the ones that speak the least amount of English in the lawn and garden department? It's true. Another Walmart employee told me. Remember that Walmart allows customers to be their own cashier so you really expect the cashier to be able to handle ordinary transactions. It is my personal experience that I really need to lower my expectations when shopping at Walmart. Looking back on it now it's possible that the guy didn't really work there - he was probably just there waiting for his wife and thought what the hell. Finally, my transaction was complete. Time to make my way to the car with my shopping cart that weighs 33 pounds empty. It wasn't empty.

When I park my car at any shopping establishment with carts I typically park a little bit further out but near a cart corral. I figure if people are parked near a cart corral they are more likely to actually put their carts up instead of being a total lazy ass and just leaving it in the middle of the parking lot so it can roll into my car and cause cart dings. So, as I was trudging through the six inches of snow - oh yeah, I forgot it wasn't really snowing.

Are you aware that if you take your cart outside of "the zone" at Walmart that the cart wheels actually lock up on you?

They are really serious about this.

The average shopping cart costs anywhere from $75.00 to $175.00. So I can understand not wanting to lose your carts. However, if you remain in the parking lot then the cart SHOULD NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES LOCK!!!! You might guess what happened to me. Yes dear readers, the cart locked up about 5 aisles (or was it miles) away from my car. I WAS STILL IN THE PARKING LOT! I was not racing the cart on Central Expressway. I was in the parking lot. The parking lot of Walmart. Not Target. I wasn't pushing it to Denny's. I wasn't stealing it. I was in the parking lot. The Walmart parking lot - not even close to leaving it.

The dilemma. I couldn't leave the cart and go get my car because someone could steal all my treasures. My only option was to somehow get the cart to my car with wheels that did not roll. Did I mention that carts weigh 33 pounds empty? Mine wasn't empty. So, I picked up one end of the cart up and moved it. Then I took the other end of the cart and moved it. This was a very, very, slow arduous, laborious process full of great hardships and requiring a great deal of strength and vigor. I did this for several minutes before I had to rest to find my area of tranquility, my mental calm. Yeah right. I had to rest because the damn cart probably weighed 70 pounds at this time and I was literally inching it toward my car. Sweat was pouring off my body. After a brief repose I continued my trek the same way. One end carried, then the next end. When retelling this story someone asked why I didn't call customer service. I reminded them that I was at Walmart not Macy's or Nordstrom's. I was at Walmart.

I have no idea how long it took me to get this stupid cart to my car. I'm going to guess 20 to 30 minutes. That's 20 to 30 minutes to stew in my own anger. None of my meds or the voices in my head could help me at this point. No one else helped either. That really pissed me off too. I'm sure it was fun to watch - there might even be a youtube video of it somewhere with me fighting this cart every little step of the way. At the very end when I was almost to the car a man helped me. He said the same thing had happened to him.

Was it worth it you might ask. Well, this is one of the bargains I got that day - it was 50% off.

It now lays broken and sad in our yard. A cruel reminder of that day.

It supposedly counts down the number of days until Christmas except that you actually have to manually change the days yourself. Yeah, I'm going to do that. When the ice and sleet hit (for real this time) it fell over and broke. I'm glad it broke - I hate that sign. It mocks me.

So there it is my friends. My very own Christmas miracle. My Christmas Tale. My Walmart Christmas hell.

Gotta go, I just saw an ad for all the sales at Walmart! Maybe I can get a new Santa sign!

Let's Eat : Beef Stew

Brrrr!

Anybody else a little chilly?

For many of us, it’s winter. For some of us, that’s unusual; others were expecting it (although maybe not quite as cold as it’s been this last week!). In Texas, we’re often running around in short sleeves and even shorts as the Christmas shopping escalates. The mall might be cool enough for a jacket but the outside air usually isn’t. So this recent cold-weather blast was an excellent opportunity to experience our holiday sweaters, hot spiced cider and crock pots filled with homemade soups and stews.

At our house we had one of our favorites, Paula Deen’s Old-Time Beef Stew. Link to her version, or use this one (slightly adjusted for my family’s tastes, and with the added comfort-food layer of mashed potatoes). It looks like a lot of ingredients, but it's not much work and you may already have most of what you need.

Old-Time Beef Stew over Mashed Potatoes

For the stew:

• 2 pounds stew beef
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 or 2 bay leaves
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• Dash ground allspice or ground cloves
• 4 large carrots, sliced
• 3 ribs celery, sliced
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Brown the meat in hot oil. Add beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, and allspice. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours.

Remove bay leaves. Add carrots and celery. Cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes longer. Combine 1/4 cup water and cornstarch until smooth. Mix with a little hot liquid from the pot and return mixture to the stew. Stir and cook until bubbly.

For the potatoes:

• 3-4 large baking potatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Milk as desired
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Sliced green onions or chives

Peel the potatoes and cut into 1-inch chunks. Boil until tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain and mash with fork, pastry blender or potato masher, adding oil and milk to get the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste; mix the chives into the potatoes if you like.

To serve, place a serving of potatoes into a bowl. Ladle stew over the top, and if you still have the chives you can sprinkle them on top. This will serve 6-8 depending on how hungry they are!

Here's the stew, garnished with a few green beans!

Now that you have a warm dinner, how about that winter playlist? It doesn’t have to be Christmas carols, although those are great for December. If you think about it, there are lots of wintery songs, appropriate whenever there is a chill in the air:

·         A Marshmallow World [nice with some hot cocoa]

·         Baby, It’s Cold Outside

·         Frosty the Snowman [we all know he was made from Christmas snow…but the song doesn’t actually say that]

·         I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm

·         Jingle Bells

·         Let It Snow

·         Sleigh Ride

·         (I Love the) Winter Weather

·         Winter Wonderland

·         …you get the idea. Note how none of these songs refer to ice. Pretty, fluffy, romantic snow is the stuff these are made of! You may also have some favorite, newer tunes so feel free to mix it up. I'm kind of stuck in a music groove that happened 40 years ago.
 

And everyone needs a little winter décor, besides that damp pile of coats, gloves, hats and scarves taking up space on a perfectly good chair. I’ve got an extensive snowman collection, and "the chosen ones" come out this time of year (which ones, and how many, just depends on the year). It’s a winter thing, but since we decorate for Christmas in December my husband has come to think of the snow-crew as a Christmas thing.

We have the same conversation every year when Christmas has passed but the decorations remain. I’ll agree that the stockings and the tree and the nativity sets all scream “Christmas” but argue passionately that the snowmen and snowflakes are “Winter,” and therefore should stay up through January. I generally win, because I’m the one who packs up the inside decorations anyway…but it’s an annual post-Christmas discussion nonetheless. I suspect that maybe he feels like their little black eyes -- and there might be hundreds of those -- are watching us.

Some of my favorites...these make it out EVERY year.

  

He, sometime after New Year's: Why are there still snowmen on the mantle?

Me: I like them. Besides, they’re winter.

He: Not really. That one is wearing a red and green scarf.

Me: They’ve all got different colors. That one has a heart, so he might be for Valentine's Day. 

He: Christmas is over.

Me: I took down the stockings, isn’t that enough?

He: Seriously. Christmas is over.

Me: But winter isn’t.

He: (sighs) I’m going to China.

Me: Ha! They’re staying out until February then…

Stay warm, everybody!

 

 

When the baby in your life already has everything they need...

Have you ever been to Toys R Us 2 weeks before Christmas? I have and it sucks. It had me wanting to run as fast as I could to Walmart. However, I didn't run. I don't know what held me there. I just kept walking the aisles looking for inspiration.

People, we do not live in simple times. A bicycle, board game, and some little stuff in your stocking just don't cut it anymore. Imagine someday telling your grandchildren that the toys you played with didn't talk. How in the world we ever learned anything as infants and toddlers without toys talking to us I will never know. Even with all this crap we are still one of the dumbest nations in the world.

Check this out:

CTA Digital 2-in-1 iPotty with Activity Seat for iPad

• Comfortable and child-friendly potty with activity stand for iPad (2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation)
• Adjustable stand securely holds and helps protect iPad while kids play
• Easy to clean with removable inner potty bowl, potty seat and splashguard
• Clear touchscreen protector guards against smudges and messy hands
• 360° Rotating stand easily switches between horizontal and vertical views

Yeah, they went there.

Did you notice the part where the touchscreen protector guards against smudges and messy hands? Smudges? Really? Those smudges wouldn't happen to be brown would they? It has a splashguard too. I tried to upload a picture of this thing but I'm too technically challenged to do so. I'm sure it is because I had to use my imagination when playing instead of having it electronically transmitted to my brain while taking a dump.

Or this:

Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Apptivity Case: iPad Edition

• Let baby be in control of the electronic while still protecting your device
• Place the device into the case, twist the locks, then your device is protected
• Offers three ways to play: roly-poly based, easel, or place
• Compatible with iPad 1 or iPad 2
• Ships in Certified Frustration-Free Packaging
• Download free Fisher-Price apps from iTunes

Uhm. Did that first line say let baby be in control of the electronic? I think there is a typo in the description because I don't understand the three ways to play. The good news is that it ships in a frustration-free package so your baby can open it right away and watch some porn on youtube. 

Don't know about you but we need another remote in our house. With the Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn remote fun responses help baby learn cause and effect. If i push this button it turns off Mommy's baseball game and she screams. Is that the kind of cause and effect they are looking to achieve? Like a real remote control inspiring early role play. (Hey honey, have you seen the remote? While you're up be a darlin' and fetch me a beer?) Is that the role play we want because I'm not really thinking up many role playing games a baby can play with a remote.

This is insane. But, back to Toys R Us. As you are walking down the aisles stuff just starts lighting up and talking. Every few feet there is another magic box that lights up and stuff starts moving and talking. Creeps me way out. Suddenly toys coming to life in Andy's room doesn't seem so far-fetched. 

One aisle had a series of interactive electronic toys. One grandmother picked up a toy drum thing and it just starts playing. She looks at me and says, "How do I turn the thing off?" Of course I had no idea short of pulling the batteries out and throwing it across the store which quickly became an option I was considering. She was thankful that this toy was not for her house. Gosh lady, who do you hate that much?

Then I picked up this cute little bugger and innocently pushed the light up driver button:

• Electronic play vehicle responds to SmartPoint? locations on Go! Go! Smart Wheels playsets (sold separately)
• Light-up driver button activates learning, music and sounds
• Perfectly sized for little hands
• Teaches the letter "F" and vehicle name while encouraging pretend play
• 9 Playful melodies and sing-along songs keep children engaged

Two things you need to notice here:

1.  Electronic play vehicle responds to SmartPoint locations on Go! Go! Smart Wheels playsets.
2. Teaches the letter "F" (Oh, I think I will have that one covered.)

As for the first item, the vehicle responds to the SmartPoint locations. Let me translate that for you. If you innocently push the little light up driver button utter chaos ensues. These damn things talk to each other! I'm standing in an aisle of these vehicles and play sets. I feel like I'm experiencing the Apocalypse. It finally quiets down and I see one man reach for the ambulance and I launch myself at him to slap the car out of his hands. He had no idea. He was innocent, uninformed, but I saved us all. Oh, and don't get me started on the toy microphone. I barely brushed past it and it started loudly playing some crappy song. Fortunately it was far enough from the drum set so that didn't start up again. I'm wondering when pets are making their nightly patrols of the house does it set these toys off? Heart attack waiting to happen.

I actually didn't buy anything at Toys R Us. While standing in one of the aisles I pulled my smartphone out and got on amazon.com. I scanned the barcode of one of the toys that didn't talk (yes, I did find some) and found it cheaper on amazon and ordered it right then and there! I may not have had a training potty with an ipad but I can pull out some tech savvy when it means saving my sanity. Not that there is much left of it to save after today's trip.

Black Friday

So I think last week I had promised a black Friday post but then my dear friend Tracy decided to have a baby. She went into labor Thursday night so Amelia and I went to their house to stay with DJ and Lily. I had planned on getting up super early and hitting all the malls and especially all the Walmart's and just shop all day - because I so love to shop especially at Walmart. Had to cancel those plans - I'm sure I missed some really good deals and hanging out with really nice, friendly, and patient customers and employees. Christmas really should be moved to a less hectic time.

So, onto my second favorite black Friday memory. I believe everyone at some point in their lives should experience black Friday - you know like everyone should experience brain freeze, root canals, or rectal exams. I realize that at times I am prone to some tiny amount of exaggeration but this probably, mostly is how things happened. 

Phone conversation a few days before black Friday:

Mom: I think we should take Katy to the Galleria this Friday to watch the Santa light the big tree.

(At that time they had a Santa that skated on the ice rink and then lit up this ginormous tree they had in the middle of the ice rink.) This may still happen I haven't been near the place since. My GPS is set to send out a loud warning if I get near it so I can employ evasive maneuvers. 

Me: What?

Mom: We should go to the Galleria and...

Me: No, I heard you I just don't understand you.

Mom: It will be fun.

Me: For who?

Mom: Katy

Me: She's 2, she doesn't even know they do this. It's not like she will miss it. I don't think 20 years from now she's going to need therapy because she didn't see some fat guy in a red suit skate around a big tree in the midst of a horde of people.

Mom: He won't be fat. He will be wearing a fat suit.

Me: This is crazy.

Mom: It will be fun. We will go early and get a good spot for watching. 

Me: OK. I will do it but I just want to go on record saying this is just crazy.

Mom: OK, I will be at your house at around 8:00 Friday morning.

Me: Ugh.

Black Friday at the Dallas Galleria (yeah, go big or stay home!):

Realize that we can't really shop there. I think at that time they might have had a card store. We could have shopped and actually bought something there. Everywhere else - uh uh. Way out of our league. Here was the plan: get to El Fenix early for lunch (El Fenix overlooked the ice) so we would have a good seat to see the show. We got there early. Got a table right there on the ice. Perfect view. We eat our lunch. Then, and I kid you not this happened.

Mom: Are you ready to go?

Me: What?

Mom: Are you ready...

Me: No, I heard you, I just don't understand you.

Mom: We need to leave so someone else can have the table. It's not fair to the waiter for us to just sit here.

Me: It's not our fault that he pulled the short straw and had to work today. Triple tip him. I'm not giving up these seats. I thought the whole point was to get here so we can watch the fat man.

Mom: He's not fat, he's wearing a suit.

Me: Oh dear Lord.

Mom: So, are you ready. We can get a spot around  the rink.

Me: No we can't. Have you actually seen the crowds? We are in a perfect spot. No one in this entire, ginormous, ridiculous place has a better view than we do right this minute. I'm not leaving.

Mom: It isn't right to keep this table occupied while so many people are waiting to get in and eat.

Me: No one standing out there actually thinks they are getting in here right now. They should have gotten here early like we did. Poor planning on their part.

Mom: We really should go.

Me: OK. I will do it but I just want to go on record saying this is just crazy.

We get up to leave and everyone stares, points, and starts talking quietly. The waiter is shocked. The first people waiting in line are shocked and ever so pleasantly surprised. I'm just bewildered. Katy has no idea what is going on other than the fact that Nanny has talked up this Santa experience to her and she is waiting to see the fat guy (I KNOW HE'S NOT REALLY FAT OK) light the huge tree. Of course we get out and there is not a single spot around the entire rink. I end up holding Katy up on my shoulders so she can see this event. I can't see a thing nor at this point do I care.

Mom: Well, I guess we really did have a nice view where we were originally.

Me - speechless. We walk 12 miles to where the car is parked. That was my one and only black Friday shopping experience. Thank heaven for amazon.com!

So, you might ask - if this was my second favorite black Friday experience then what was my FAVORITE black Friday? Well, last week of course. Ellie Clare Burnett was born a little after 6:00 a.m. last Friday. I can't think of a better black Friday experience than holding a newborn baby. When Tracy told me she was pregnant I was shocked. I thought good grief, you have 2 perfectly good kids that I already adore - I don't think I can handle another one. Of course the minute I saw her I was in love with her. The heart just has a way of growing doesn't it?

However, even as a light was brought into their world another one was dimming. Their sweet dog Scruffy passed away this morning. He had a long and very happy life and will be sorely missed by everyone that knew him. I only knew him for 5 years but my heart is broken to lose this little guy. Congratulations and condolences for the Burnett's during this happy and sad time in their lives.

I hope each of you are enjoying this holiday season and have the time to reflect and remember the real reason for the season, Christ our Saviour the greatest gift ever given.

Fa La La La La, part 1

I can’t help it.

This has been going on for years.

There is apparently not a cure.

I’m hopelessly attracted to holiday music. Not just singles, but entire albums. This isn’t new – I started with LPs (which I still have) and progressed to 8-track tapes and cassettes (no longer in the collection) and have countless CDs which have been picked up over the years. I'm going to guess I've amassed nearly 100 albums in all, but has that stopped me? No...every year I scour the holiday rack at Half Price Books and search new releases online. If I end up in a Virgin Record store (do those even still exist?) just go get coffee -- I’ll be awhile.

Rosemary Clooney. Johnny Mathis. Ella Fitzgerald. Percy Faith. Hampton String Quartet. Judy Garland. Frank Sinatra. The Carpenters. The Vocal Majority. Andy Williams. Steve Tyrell. Barry Manilow. The Chipmunks. Brian Setzer. Paul Anka. Mannheim Steamroller. Louis Armstrong. Dean Martin. Mel Torme. Elvis Presley. Glenn Miller. Harry Connick Jr. I've even got Christmas with the Rat Pack. (If any of those names sent you to Google, well, you're a lot younger than I am.) Everyone has recorded a Christmas album!

Never mind that, for the most part, there are like 14 songs that get re-recorded over and over and over on Christmas albums. And disregard the fact that a few of these albums should never have been released because they include ALL of the common 14 songs with unimaginative arrangements. (Back in the old days you just bought albums…there were no previews to listen to or reviews to read first on Amazon – you read the jacket, bought an album and took your chances...and I still do that.)

Of all the albums in my jukebox, a few do stand out as favorites. They’re the ones my husband and I scramble for each year, so they’re in our cars for the season. If you’re looking for some fresh music for your own car, you might consider these:

• Pink Martini – Joy to the World (2010) -– definitely not traditional, but it still sounds Christmassy in a world-traveler multi-cultural kind of way. Plus the CD cover is super-cool.
• Straight No Chaser – Holiday Spirits (2008) -– these guys really have their act together, and by that I mean they’re in perfect 10-part harmony. All their holiday albums are fun, but this one includes their version of “12 Days of Christmas” which is just priceless, and anything but dull and repetitive.
• Bette Midler – Cool Yule (2006) -– top to bottom, I love this one. It’s fun! And one that (for whatever reason) I don’t get tired of. My boys even ask for the record with the “red-haired lady” on the cover.

(skipping a few decades here...)

• Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas (soundtrack to the television show, 1965) -- a must-have album if you grew up in the era when we scoured the weekly TV schedule delivered in the newspaper to find out when all the holiday specials were playing. Without VHS or DVD copies, we had to stop everything and watch when our favorites were on.
• Steve & Eydie – That Holiday Feeling! (1964) – May your days be perky and bright! I love Steve & Eydie; you just know they’re singing with big smiles on their faces. The music is great but even better is this “personal” message printed on the liner notes. So 60’s!

 

• Bing Crosby – Merry Christmas/White Christmas (1945) – The ultimate classic.  You get more than Bing -- the Andrews Sisters are here too. Mele Kelikimaka is certainly not on every album; beware, it will stick with you for days! And I love this version of Jingle Bells.

So if you’re looking for some new old tunes to get your holiday spirit going, you might give one of these a try. They’re all on Amazon (where the links will take you) but I find great bargains at Half Price Books and online at hbpmarketplace.com all the time. Or maybe your parents or your favorite festive aunt -– you know, the one with the collection of holiday aprons –- has one of these tucked away that you can borrow. Ray Conniff, anyone? That says “get out the eggnog” to me!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I would like to extend a very happy Thanksgiving to each of you! I hope today finds you well and gives you many reasons to be thankful. Today is also (at least for me anyway) a day of remembrance. Remembrance of Thanksgivings gone by and family members that I've shared many a meal with but are no longer with us. Today, I remember my dad. I do that every day but holidays are harder and the pain and loss more pronounced. I am thankful to still have my mom although her health is beginning to falter.

I'm thankful for each of you following and supporting our blog. Three somewhat social media challenged women trying to make a go of it! I think we've done alright so far! Tomorrow I hope to have my Black Friday post up. I've written it in my head. The memory of that day still gives me nightmares!

Counting Blessings

Note: This post was started 11/14 and added to up until Thanksgiving on 11/28.

With everything suddenly trending toward Christmas rather than Thanksgiving, it's easy to look through a very American celebration (and certainly the biggest food holiday of the year) straight to the Next Big Thing. Unless you're a women's magazine or grocery store, November can look like nothing more than a path straight to Black Friday.

With two weeks to go, I've got plenty to be thankful for! I thought I'd share some of my blessings -- an exercise many people undertake this time of year, whether on facebook or email or just in a hand-written journal. Maybe a few of these are your blessings too.

November 14: I'll start out on a light-hearted note. Two of my favorite holiday movie musicals -- both with music by Irving Berlin, both starring Bing Crosby and both featuring the holiday classic "White Christmas" -- include songs about gratitude. In Holiday Inn (b&w, 1942) there's a song for every holiday and for Thanksgiving, it's Plenty to be Thankful For -- the scene is a little lonely, but the song itself is terrific. And of course the other song is from White Christmas (1954) and it may be my very favorite number in the whole film -- Count Your Blessings. Today, I am grateful for these and so many other classic movie musicals that have given me hours of enjoyment. They're a part of my holidays and guaranteed to make me smile and cry -- and hum the soundtrack for days.

November 15: Today I'm thankful for my dust bunnies. They're mine. I take full ownership of them. I'm grateful for them because I wouldn't have them without also having a place to live. While my home is far from perfect (and VERY far from clean much of the time), it houses the most important people in my life and is where we spend our most relaxing time together. Also where we do our Saturday chores, coming up in a few hours!

November 16: I'm grateful for my grandparents, and I miss them all.

• My Grandma Bohl, who I saw maybe once a year if we vacationed in Wisconsin, and who always reminded me to practice the piano, even though it was hundreds of miles away. I do wish I'd listened to her a little more!
• My Grandpa Bohl, who always seemed like a giant to me (he was a tall man!) and who told funny stories, really enjoyed his beer, and lived to be 99 years old. Therefore, I like beer too.
• My Grandpa Ramsey, who I often remember with his transistor radio listening to baseball...and who I think of every time I clean up my garden area with his little whisk broom. He liked to call me "punkin" when I was little.
• And my Granny, who I always think of in church when I hear someone behind me singing loudly, and slightly off-key. She taught me to "make the best of it" and to look for the best in people. She also left me her hand-written recipe cards so I can make special desserts for Easter and Thanksgiving using her recipes.

November 17: Old friends. Or perhaps that should be phrased as "longtime" friends. Some I've had since 2nd grade, some since middle school or high school, and amazingly they've stuck with me all this time. We know each other's best traits, flaws (all minor!) and hot buttons. If we don't talk for a while, that's okay, because we can just pick up again where we were, understanding that life gets in the way of get-togethers but doesn't mess with friends. Sometimes you can even get those old friends to blog with you.

 

November 18: Year-round, but especially at Thanksgiving, I'm grateful to live where there are a number of really great options for food shopping. Beautiful produce is especially important to me, and between the farmers' markets, Central Market, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Sprouts I can find whatever I'm looking for and be proud to serve it to my family. We can even visit pick-your-own farms or grow our own (although I'll admit our yields are pretty low). The only problem is choosing which store to visit each week...and not going overboard (we can only eat so much, and sometimes it all looks so beautiful).

November 19: Right now I'm thankful for chocolate. That's it. Dark chocolate, to be exact. (Hershey's can keep their milk chocolate -- I won't miss it.) Earlier this week I baked these Brownie Batter Cookies using dark cocoa, and dark chocolate chips. It is a good thing I only baked half of them and froze the rest of the dough...try them if you dare!

November 20: I'm very grateful that someone invented the washing machine and dryer. I might be even more grateful if I wasn't the only person in my house who knows what they are for. :)

November 21: Today, I'm feeling grateful for my job. One I've had for over 25 years (although my tasks have changed, I'm with the same company I joined right after college graduation). My current position allows me to work part-time and maintain what I feel is a healthy balance between work and home. And today is my day off...the day I grocery-shop and get odd stuff done that is so much harder on the weekend. Very, very grateful for Thursdays!

November 22: I'm thankful that, on this 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination, there is so much opportunity to learn more about this event and its effect on our country's history. I was only two when this happened, and the president was in MY city just hours before he was killed. Of course I didn't understand what was going on then, and by the time I was in school it wasn't something that was taught either. But with all the coverage and analysis being aired this week, I can better see the context and effects of that day. Horrible, yes...but fascinating too.

November 23: As we traveled to San Antonio today, I became thankful that there wasn't construction on the part of I-35 that we were using. After constantly driving through construction zones in Fort Worth and the Metroplex in general for as long as I can remember, it was a relief and a beautiful sight to drive without seeing orange barrels.

November 24: I'm grateful to have kids who, even though they're getting older, sit close on the couch while we watch a movie. (I do appreciate this more in the winter, but it's still sweet any time.) They may sit close because I'm squishy and comfortable, but I prefer to think they like sitting near Mommy.

November 25: Today I am already appreciating tomorrow's weather...it has been cold and damp (okay, wet) the last few days and tomorrow we will see the sun! A perfect day to visit Sea World and see all the Christmas-y shows and decorations they've prepared for us. Yes, we will need our coats. But there is a snow hill, so we would need those anyway.

November 26: Since the temperature was in the 40's all day with a stiff north wind much of the time (so much for forecasts -- and we were at an amusement park), today I am grateful for fleece. Scarves, gloves and the sweaters under our coats kept us acceptably warm for a full day outside. As a bunch of Texans, we don't get to bundle up very often!

November 27: Grateful for my sweet husband and two smart, active children. There's no one else I'd rather be in a car with for hours and hours...which is a good thing. They accept my Christmas radio station and CDs with little complaint and even spontaneously start the occasional sing-along!
 

November 28: Happy Thanksgiving! I've finished my part of the cooking, and am thankful for a warm, mostly clean kitchen. Soon we'll pack up and head to my parents' house where a beautiful turkey and awesome oyster dressing await. I'm thankful my sister is there to help my mother get it all together, and that they continue to invite us even as the kids get louder and hungrier every year. We're not a big group but sometimes it sounds like it! Family is what this day is all about...and we'll get to do it again on Saturday with Art's family, so the blessings just keep on coming.

Merry Christmas!

Hey, did you know it's Christmas?

Yeah, me neither. By my calculations we've got 51 days. Well, maybe 48 since I need at least three days of sheer panic and waking up in the middle of the night knowing, positively, that I've left a thousand things undone. A thousand perfect, Martha things that would beautify my home, making it smell of cinnamon and wassail (??) while aglitter with charming coordinated decorations. At least three nights when I wake with a start, sure that the oven is still on with adorable gingerbread cookies in it, charred and inedible.

Welcome to my holiday nightmare...

Every year at this time -- when I'm getting excited about Thanksgiving, deciding which pies I'll make, arranging the pumpkin-scented candles, and pulling out sweaters (since the weather finally cools off around Halloween) -- retailers are making sure I can't go anywhere without their constant reminders that "it's not too late!" to get ready for Christmas. OF COURSE it's not too late -- it's November 4. Good grief. I'm not stupid -- they've got plenty of stuff. Way too much. Shipping is pretty fast if I need it. In a pinch I could actually visit the mall, something I normally avoid like Brussels sprouts. And I don't have to do any shopping before I have my turkey and cranberries and oyster dressing.

We've all already seen the signs:

• holiday music pumped into stores and elevators,
• television commercials hawking the latest "cool" toys,
• ads for holiday movie marathons,
• festive toy catalogs in the mailbox,
• flyers on the front door from more than one local church, asking that we "save the date" for their Christmas pageants.

At Michael's last week, the store was naturally overflowing with every Halloween thing you might need or want, plus a few things you could never even imagine needing or wanting. Yesterday it was magically a Christmas wonderland. Now with a place like Michael's I cut them some slack -- after all, if you're crafting then you do have to start ahead of the holidays. But I was at Kohl's maybe a month ago, and they already had a corner set up with a sparkling tree, plenty of ornaments, and various red-and-green home décor. Really?? Are people buying these things in early October? And that's not as bad as the grocery stores, some of which already have decorated cookies available for your holiday parties. Yum.

I can't even raise an eyebrow in response to Black Friday. The obese newspapers full of ad after ad after ad, all the "sneak peeks" and retailers opening ON Thanksgiving (so wrong). To me, this is one of the best days of the year to stay home, reheating leftovers and trying to remember where I've stored the garlands. The one shopping event I do attend is the day (whose name I can't even remember) when everyone offers free shipping. I absolutely love free shipping. One reason I like that one is it comes after Thanksgiving...

Please don't get the wrong idea -- I love the holidays, with all the baking and wrapping and music and silly earrings and twinkly lights. I watch all the specials and replay movies like "White Christmas" and "It's a Wonderful Life" every year, forcing my family to join in. We drive around light-looking and make gingerbread houses. But I do prefer my holidays in the right order, and we need the weeks before Thanksgiving to count our blessings and enjoy a little calm before the storm of the official holiday season hits full force. Is that too much to ask?

There are so many reasons to watch White Christmas again (at the right time)...this is just one!

Another is the astonishingly gorgeous wardrobe worn by Rosemary Clooney. But that's a whole 'nother post.