Thanksgiving has once again come and gone, and this year ours was less traditional than usual. Katie and I were here by ourselves Thursday, and she had told me that she wanted to have a "pancake smorgasbord" for our holiday meal. She bought several flavored pancake mixes, including pumpkin, gingerbread, and caramel apple. I found some pork sausage--of questionable expiration date--in the fridge, and we had that with the pancakes. Very tasty and satisfying as we watched the Packers beat the Lions. Fred was still at the cabin for deer hunting, so he made a meal of squirrel and rice to have with his sister Wendy. His menu was probably closer to the fare shared by the Pilgrims and Indians--plus he hunted for the main course like they did.
Katie and I headed over to the Hilton after the game. Fred told us that we would have to use the generator sparingly because the gas level was down to 30% after his week there. I had planned a turkey dinner for Friday night when Erica and Craig were joining us, so that afternoon I sat peeling potatoes by lantern light. Fred chided me for preheating the oven because I was "wasting gas." I was making a 7 pound turkey breast in a roasting bag, and it was supposed to take two hours. Erica and Craig arrived, the potatoes were cooking, Fred was making asparagus--but the turkey didn't look too brown. I took it out of the oven and cut into the meat--nope, not cooked through. We stuck the stubborn bird back in the oven, Fred telling me to turn up the heat on it. I nudged it up to 375, and he promptly cranked it to 425.
While we waited on the bird, I attempted to make gravy. I have never been a good gravy maker, and this time was my worst effort ever. It was thick as paste and had little flavor. I was happy to learn that Craig doesn't eat gravy, and I knew my family would like it or lump it. (no pun intended)
All in all it was a tasty dinner, and nobody got sick from undercooked turkey. We had a fun evening playing cards and Taboo, and after a couple glasses of wine I taught the kids a new version of the Quarters game.
Saturday after packing up, we all piled into the Mule and drove out to cut down a Christmas tree. Fred found us a nice one, and later this week it will be decorated and raining down needles on the presents beneath it. 11% gas level left in the tank when we left--the lowest it's ever been!
Saturday night Fred, Katie, and I went to see the movie "The Blind Side." It's a great film for all ages and families. Two thumbs up!
Overnight it snowed an inch or so, and we woke up to a blanket of white and a ton of dirty laundry. It's washed now, and today begins the Christmas season in earnest. Fa-la-la-la-la...!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Baby Boomer Sexy
Fred left last night for his annual deer hunting excursion at the cabin. He told me I could come along and be the "camp wench" --but as inviting as that sounded, I declined. I have plenty to keep me busy while he's gone, starting with errands in town this morning and coffee with my friend Cindy. Since my exploratory latte a few weeks back, I've been having one every week after we walk; so far my favorite is white chocolate caramel. But I digress...
Upon returning home, I dug the mail out of the mailbox, and staring up at me was Johnny Depp on my copy of People's "Sexiest Man Alive" issue! Oooo, just what I need when I'm home by myself! A glass of wine and glossy pictures of hot sexy guys!
Well...obviously sexy is in the eye of the beholder, but Johnny Depp is not my idea of a hunk. He's cute enough--but he doesn't make my heart pound or drive all coherent thoughts from my brain when I look at him. As I paged through the issue, I didn't come across too many that did have that effect. Matthew McConaughey, David Beckham, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr.--good-looking, but no adrenaline rush here. Hugh Jackman, Brad Pitt, Patrick Dempsey, George Clooney....getting warmer (but that could be a hot flash). The hottest picture in there, in my opinion, was of Gilles Marini--whom I only know from his being a contestant on Dancing With the Stars last season and his brief--but attention-grabbing--appearance in the shower in the Sex and the City movie.
Am I getting old? Is it because half of the guys in the issue are young enough to be my sons? Am I not ready for Cougar Town? Or is it that there is a lot more to being sexy than great looks?
If I was going to pick a sexiest man alive, I'd have to take qualities from several celebrities. I'd want the sweetness of John Krasinski (Jim) from The Office. The humor of Jon Stewart...the
ruggedness of Daniel Craig (James Bond)...the solid dependability of Gary Sinise or Tom Hanks...and as I've mentioned before, the looks of Vincent D'Onofrio (from Law and Order: Criminal Intent) I don't know what it is about him--his intelligence? The round face? Reminds me of someone....
So anyway, the big double issue was a little disappointing. I'll save it for Erica and Katie to drool over at Thanksgiving. And I'll just hope that AARP comes out with a Sexiest Man Still Alive sometime in the near future.
Upon returning home, I dug the mail out of the mailbox, and staring up at me was Johnny Depp on my copy of People's "Sexiest Man Alive" issue! Oooo, just what I need when I'm home by myself! A glass of wine and glossy pictures of hot sexy guys!
Well...obviously sexy is in the eye of the beholder, but Johnny Depp is not my idea of a hunk. He's cute enough--but he doesn't make my heart pound or drive all coherent thoughts from my brain when I look at him. As I paged through the issue, I didn't come across too many that did have that effect. Matthew McConaughey, David Beckham, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr.--good-looking, but no adrenaline rush here. Hugh Jackman, Brad Pitt, Patrick Dempsey, George Clooney....getting warmer (but that could be a hot flash). The hottest picture in there, in my opinion, was of Gilles Marini--whom I only know from his being a contestant on Dancing With the Stars last season and his brief--but attention-grabbing--appearance in the shower in the Sex and the City movie.
Am I getting old? Is it because half of the guys in the issue are young enough to be my sons? Am I not ready for Cougar Town? Or is it that there is a lot more to being sexy than great looks?
If I was going to pick a sexiest man alive, I'd have to take qualities from several celebrities. I'd want the sweetness of John Krasinski (Jim) from The Office. The humor of Jon Stewart...the
ruggedness of Daniel Craig (James Bond)...the solid dependability of Gary Sinise or Tom Hanks...and as I've mentioned before, the looks of Vincent D'Onofrio (from Law and Order: Criminal Intent) I don't know what it is about him--his intelligence? The round face? Reminds me of someone....
So anyway, the big double issue was a little disappointing. I'll save it for Erica and Katie to drool over at Thanksgiving. And I'll just hope that AARP comes out with a Sexiest Man Still Alive sometime in the near future.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Busy, Busy
I'm sure nobody out there has been holding their breath waiting for me to write a blog the past week. I've meant to get back to the almost-daily writing again, but I've been doing other things lately, I guess.
I've been working on packages for the holidays to send the troops that we support. I want to get them mailed within the next week or so, but have to write letters yet to include with them. Saturday I made 18 pounds of holiday trail mix and fudge that will go to Iraq for one of my "repeat" soldiers that I also supported in Afghanistan three years ago. Christmas cards for the Red Cross card drive for the troops have been mailed, and I got our personal cards addressed, too.
Thursday I spent the day cleaning house, which was long overdue. Apparently it either wore me out or I unearthed a 24-hour bug--because I spent Friday on the couch feeling achey and totally without energy. It wasn't the flu, thank goodness--and knock on wood!
Fred got home Saturday evening after being gone for 3 days. We went out for dinner and a movie--saw "The Fourth Kind." It's a story about alien abductions in Nome, Alaska in 2000, and is supposedly based on real people and events. I have to admit I was creeped out by it and afraid to look out the window during the night!
Yesterday we took advantage of the continued mild November weather and sunshine to finish up our pine tree project. I was afraid I'd have to take the chainsaw away from Fred before he cut down every tree along the side of the yard! Our "burn pile" is about 40 yards long now--Fred said he underestimated the size last weekend. I expressed concern about burning such a huge amount of branches, especially after his close-call experience at the cabin this summer when he burned up an old sofa sleeper--and, unintentionally, the woodpile sitting next to the fire pit. I expected Smokey the Bear to step out of the woods and arrest us!
Today I went grocery shopping for his 10 days at the cabin for deer season. He'll leave Wednesday, and has four friends joining him there for part of the week. At least I know they definitely won't starve, even if they don't get any deer! He always tells me I'm welcome to come along, but I don't want to disrupt the male bonding over beer, cigars, and multiple choruses of "The Thirty Point Buck."
So that's what I've been up to. I'll try to do better!!
I've been working on packages for the holidays to send the troops that we support. I want to get them mailed within the next week or so, but have to write letters yet to include with them. Saturday I made 18 pounds of holiday trail mix and fudge that will go to Iraq for one of my "repeat" soldiers that I also supported in Afghanistan three years ago. Christmas cards for the Red Cross card drive for the troops have been mailed, and I got our personal cards addressed, too.
Thursday I spent the day cleaning house, which was long overdue. Apparently it either wore me out or I unearthed a 24-hour bug--because I spent Friday on the couch feeling achey and totally without energy. It wasn't the flu, thank goodness--and knock on wood!
Fred got home Saturday evening after being gone for 3 days. We went out for dinner and a movie--saw "The Fourth Kind." It's a story about alien abductions in Nome, Alaska in 2000, and is supposedly based on real people and events. I have to admit I was creeped out by it and afraid to look out the window during the night!
Yesterday we took advantage of the continued mild November weather and sunshine to finish up our pine tree project. I was afraid I'd have to take the chainsaw away from Fred before he cut down every tree along the side of the yard! Our "burn pile" is about 40 yards long now--Fred said he underestimated the size last weekend. I expressed concern about burning such a huge amount of branches, especially after his close-call experience at the cabin this summer when he burned up an old sofa sleeper--and, unintentionally, the woodpile sitting next to the fire pit. I expected Smokey the Bear to step out of the woods and arrest us!
Today I went grocery shopping for his 10 days at the cabin for deer season. He'll leave Wednesday, and has four friends joining him there for part of the week. At least I know they definitely won't starve, even if they don't get any deer! He always tells me I'm welcome to come along, but I don't want to disrupt the male bonding over beer, cigars, and multiple choruses of "The Thirty Point Buck."
So that's what I've been up to. I'll try to do better!!
Monday, November 9, 2009
A Mule and a Hog
(No, the title of this blog doesn't refer to me and Fred.) Yesterday we spent the morning working in the yard. Fred has been thinning out the pine trees along the side of the lawn for several months, cutting them down and trimming off the branches. The past couple weeks I have been loading the branches into the mule and hauling them to the adjacent field to be burned. The mule--or Francis, as we call it--is a 4-wheel vehicle with a cargo bed that we keep at the cabin most of the year, but also use for plowing the driveway here during the winter. It's great for doing firewood and for driving around the acreage at the Hilton, too.
Last week the weather was so nice that I worked on the branches for three days. Every time a guy drove past on Silver Lake Road, he would slow down to watch what I was doing--obviously experiencing Mule Envy. With both Fred and I working on it yesterday, we would haul the whole tree over to the pile and he'd cut the branches off there--saving us the loading/unloading step. I was driving Francis most of the morning, but when it came time to drag a larger-than-usual tree, he told me that he'd better drive--"because I have a penis." "Well," I thought, "that can be fixed!" We now have a pile of pine boughs that is about 40 feet long and 6 feet high. It is going to make a heck of a bonfire once there is snow on the ground.
After a beef roast dinner, we decided to take the Harley out for one last ride since it was such a gorgeous day. November 8th--probably the latest in the year that we've ever ridden it! I hadn't been on the bike since the day after my birthday, and it felt so good to feel the wind in my face and the sun shining down on us. The air smelled like leaves and wood smoke, and we saw several other bikers out, too. There's no ill that a ride on a motorcycle won't cure!
When we pulled back into the yard after two hours, it was clouding up, darkness and the evening chill rapidly descending. We put the bike in the garage for the winter, checking the odometer to see how many miles we'd put on this year. 4500 from May to November.
Life is good with a mule and a hog. And Fred.
Last week the weather was so nice that I worked on the branches for three days. Every time a guy drove past on Silver Lake Road, he would slow down to watch what I was doing--obviously experiencing Mule Envy. With both Fred and I working on it yesterday, we would haul the whole tree over to the pile and he'd cut the branches off there--saving us the loading/unloading step. I was driving Francis most of the morning, but when it came time to drag a larger-than-usual tree, he told me that he'd better drive--"because I have a penis." "Well," I thought, "that can be fixed!" We now have a pile of pine boughs that is about 40 feet long and 6 feet high. It is going to make a heck of a bonfire once there is snow on the ground.
After a beef roast dinner, we decided to take the Harley out for one last ride since it was such a gorgeous day. November 8th--probably the latest in the year that we've ever ridden it! I hadn't been on the bike since the day after my birthday, and it felt so good to feel the wind in my face and the sun shining down on us. The air smelled like leaves and wood smoke, and we saw several other bikers out, too. There's no ill that a ride on a motorcycle won't cure!
When we pulled back into the yard after two hours, it was clouding up, darkness and the evening chill rapidly descending. We put the bike in the garage for the winter, checking the odometer to see how many miles we'd put on this year. 4500 from May to November.
Life is good with a mule and a hog. And Fred.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Holiday Cards for the Troops
Sending packages to the troops for the holidays is a wonderful way to share the spirit of the season. If you are unable to send packages, however, there are also programs available for sending cards. Last year I wrote out over one hundred cards, both at Christmas and Valentine's Day, for the Red Cross and VA hospitals' card programs.
Below you will find information on how you can brighten the holidays of both deployed and wounded soldiers. Thanks to my friend Deni in California for posting this information on anysoldier.com and Facebook. Please follow all the instructions carefully so your cards meet security requirements.
Red Cross "Holiday Mail for Heroes"
"The American Red Cross again will sponsor a national "Holiday Mail for Heroes" campaign to receive and distribute holiday cards to service members, veterans, and their families in the United States and abroad.
The card campaign includes those working and receiving care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here. People shouldn't send cards to Walter Reed unless they are addressed to a specific wounded warrior. Due to security restrictions, Walter Reed cannot accept generic mail addressed to "A Recovering Soldier" or "Any Soldier." In past years, hundreds of cards were returned to senders because of generic addresses, many sent in response to misleading e-mails. The American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes Inc. will partner for the third year to provide screening of all mail sent to the special P.O. Box address. Cards can be sent starting November 9 and postmarked no later than December 7 to reach service members recovering at Walter Reed. "
Please don’t forget to follow these guidelines while preparing your holiday greetings.
DO...
--Sign all cards
--Entitle cards “Dear Service Member, Family or Veteran”
--Send holiday-neutral cards rather than those with religious themes
--Limit cards to 15 per person or 50 for school class or business group
--Bundle groups of cards in single, large envelopes
DON'T...
--Send letters
--Include personal information such as home or email addresses
--Use glitter – excessive amounts can aggravate health issues of wounded recipients
--Include inserts of any kind as they must be removed in the screening process
Sending cards would be an excellent project for school classes, service organizations, youth groups, and others who are looking to make a real difference this holiday season.
Please remember those who are sacrificing so much on our behalf, and those who face long recoveries from their war-related injuries. Their lives will never be the same...let's show them we care.
Below you will find information on how you can brighten the holidays of both deployed and wounded soldiers. Thanks to my friend Deni in California for posting this information on anysoldier.com and Facebook. Please follow all the instructions carefully so your cards meet security requirements.
Red Cross "Holiday Mail for Heroes"
"The American Red Cross again will sponsor a national "Holiday Mail for Heroes" campaign to receive and distribute holiday cards to service members, veterans, and their families in the United States and abroad.
The card campaign includes those working and receiving care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here. People shouldn't send cards to Walter Reed unless they are addressed to a specific wounded warrior. Due to security restrictions, Walter Reed cannot accept generic mail addressed to "A Recovering Soldier" or "Any Soldier." In past years, hundreds of cards were returned to senders because of generic addresses, many sent in response to misleading e-mails. The American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes Inc. will partner for the third year to provide screening of all mail sent to the special P.O. Box address. Cards can be sent starting November 9 and postmarked no later than December 7 to reach service members recovering at Walter Reed. "
Please don’t forget to follow these guidelines while preparing your holiday greetings.
DO...
--Sign all cards
--Entitle cards “Dear Service Member, Family or Veteran”
--Send holiday-neutral cards rather than those with religious themes
--Limit cards to 15 per person or 50 for school class or business group
--Bundle groups of cards in single, large envelopes
DON'T...
--Send letters
--Include personal information such as home or email addresses
--Use glitter – excessive amounts can aggravate health issues of wounded recipients
--Include inserts of any kind as they must be removed in the screening process
Sending cards would be an excellent project for school classes, service organizations, youth groups, and others who are looking to make a real difference this holiday season.
Please remember those who are sacrificing so much on our behalf, and those who face long recoveries from their war-related injuries. Their lives will never be the same...let's show them we care.
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