Winter Morning

This is Duncan after our morning walk with his red coat on.  He loves his walks, we go out everyday no matter the weather.  Some days we are the only ones in the park.  It’s nice though, this morning the snow was coming down lightly and while it was cold it wasn’t bitter.  It felt like we were in the middle of a Christmas song.

I was thinking that my blog needs a lot more photos, makes it more interesting.  I’m also trying to take more photos and improve my skills.  I take a decent picture and every once in a while a really good one.  I just want to take more.  So here is another.  A festive winter scene… makes me think of hot cider and getting cozy by the fire.

 

Is it Time to Panic Yet?

Well Thanksgiving is one week away.  We are hosting the feast/celebration at our new home.  Now I’m starting to panic.  When I agreed to do this, I thought “This will be fun”.  I actually brought it up, no one asked me to volunteer, I’m the one who suggested it.  It has been a long time since I cooked a turkey.  I really wish that I had the day before off for some preparation.  So I will be doing a lot of cooking and prep this weekend. 

Usually my sister hosts Thanksgiving, but this year she and her husband are going to Israel for a wedding.  Then, my other sister’s youngest daughter is in her first year of college in Oregon so, they are going to spend Thanksgiving with her and one of my brothers in Idaho.  So that means we will be short at least 5 people for the traditional party.  But my Mom will come and another brother and his wife and I don’t know if my cranky eldest brother will show, and we will have all the nieces and nephews as well as my kids so it will be fun.  Kind of a changing of the guard.  The “kids” who are all in their twenties except for M (17) will out number the adults.  It feels different.  I guess I’m getting old.  Ah well, it happens to the best of us.

 I still have not put together a menu and I don’t know how many people are showing up.  Need to work on a few details.  M has invited all her cousins over to help on Saturday.  Making place cards and helping me cook (I hope).  The house will probably feel a bit like a circus, but hey circuses are fun.

Let’s see, a Thanksgiving menu…..

Turkey, stuffing (vegetarian), cranberry sauce, bourbon sweet potatoes, green beans almondine, brussel spouts, pumpkin muffins(vegan), a vegan main dish (my niece will make), mashed potatoes (vegan), pumpkin pie, pecan pie, apple pie, pumpkin brownies (vegan). 

I think that should do it along with some nibblys before hand and plenty of wine, beer and apple cider.

I think everyone who blogs and is celebrating Thanksgiving should post a photo of their Thanksgiving dinner.  Look for my photo the weekend after.

 

Day to Day

Last night the Eldest Sister called and asked us to come for dinner tonight.  So we are headed there on a Wednesday (I love being back in civilization) for a warm and cozy evening with family that I can also call friends.  I love to cook, I enjoy creating a good meal and sharing it with friends and family but I will readily admit that it is nice to have a night off from the grind.  It’s the every night dinner that gets to me makes me come home and fall on the couch and tell my family that it’s “fend for yourself ” night.  It’s the pressure to come up with something interesting and fabulous night after night.  I think of myself as a pretty good cook.  Not over the top gourmet but definitely above average and I think that might be the problem.  I think I might have turned my family into food snobs.  If, on an off evening I turn out something that is just average my family is not pleased.  I would say mutiny, but that would entail someone else taking over the cooking duties.  Whenever I suggest that someone else might take a turn at the nightly ritual they pour on the flattery.  “But you’re so good at it” and “I could never do it as well as you” and “it’s so easy for you, it would take me hours”. 

So I will take advantage of the invitation and show up on their door step with a kiss and a hug and a bottle of wine.

 

Go Rockies!!!

I am not a professional sports fan.  I don’t watch football except for the super bowl and that’s for the ads.  I don’t watch baseball on TV although I have been to a few games.  I never know who’s playing, or who’s going to the playoffs etc.  That being said, I’m so excited that the Rockies are going to the world series.  I even tried to buy tickets on line.  That did not work so I guess I will save the money and watch on TV. 

O.K., this is my first attempt at posting a photo.  Here is a photo of the new house.         

 

Molly Dooker

I will just come out and say it, I am a Molly Dooker junkie.  We opened a bottle of the Shiraz, Blue Eyed Boy.  Wow…I know my spaghetti did not do it justice but it did not lessen our enjoyment of it.  We are not wine collectors and are not wine snobs.  I think the things we have, wine included are meant to be enjoyed.  I don’t have special occasion dishes or glasses, I buy things that I like and use them everyday. 

Kind of like this blog.  I write this for me.  I enjoy reflecting on the ups and downs of life, it gives me a place to vent.  I have no illusions that I am going to create something that will gather a following or turn into my ticket to retirement.  It’s just me in a “stream of consciousness” manner of speaking. 

Back to the wine, after we finished that bottle we opened another Mollly Dooker, the Boxer.  Also a shiraz and also quite nice but not quite as good as Blue Eyed Boy.  We still have 2 bottles of the Marquis Phillips S2.  Our wine guy friend says it’s time to drink it.  So perhaps tonight we will open it. 

We had snow all day yesterday and it put me in the mood to cook.  First I started out with a cake.  I hardly ever make dessert any more.  Too many calories, too much temptation and not enough people in the house to eat it.  The recipe that I was using called for baby food beets.  Who knew that they don’t sell baby food beets anymore.  My kids are way past babies so I have no reason to go down the baby food aisle.  Anyway, I made a quick substitution of prunes w/apples and it turned out pretty good.  It doesn’t quite have the same flavor as with the beets but no one in my house complained.  Actually M, my daughter, said “I’m so glad you’re a mom that cooks.”  I also made a pretty good shrimp jambalaya.  Good stick to your ribs comfort food.  The house felt so cozy and warm with the oven going, and all the yummy smells.  It was a great fall day.   

 

Am I the only one?

Am I the only one who feels so disconnected, so restless so uninspired?  I can’t be.  Sometimes I wonder though, I feel like I’m unhappy with everything but at the same time I’m not.  I think, this is just life, this is how it goes.  You get up, you go to work, you pay the bills, you take care of those you love…..or do you?  I wonder, who takes care of me, because I’m not sure anybody does……I think it’s me.  So some days I imagine what it would be like to just walk away and take care of only myself.  But of course that is irresponsible and selfish, so I don’t.

 

No news is good news?

Still waiting to hear if Mr. Seller has found another house so that we can move forward with our plans.  We continue to pack non-essentials hoping against hope that things will work out for us. 

 The wedding plans however keep progressing.  Did a little research yesterday and found out that to rent, I did say rent, not buy a tent for the reception on the chance that the weather in our beautiful Rocky Mountains does not cooperate will cost somewhere between $750 and $1000.  That seems absurd.  Of course that does include walls because walls cost extra.  Who knew? 

I had a minor meltdown the other day.  Tried on my dress and decided it made me look fat.  I loved it when I first picked it out.  Now it makes me look fat.  I have not gained or lost any weight since I bought the think…..now it makes me look fat.

 

I know I’m ranting

O. K. can things get any more stressful?  I’m getting married in a month.  I’m trying to buy a new house.  I’m trying to sell an old house.  The seller of the new house is trying to find a house and is having no luck at all.  We were supposed to be having our wedding at our new house.  Now I wonder if I’m going to have a new house at all.  You know if you’re not ready to sell your house you shouldn’t put it on the market.   We have been looking for a house for 2 years.  When you have as many cars as we do it’s just not that easy.   That’s why we didn’t put our house on the market until we found a house that would be suitable for us.  We found the place, made an offer, negotiated and finally our offer was accepted and we were under contract.  Only now it may all fall apart because Mr. Seller can’t find anything that works for him. 

 

Hello world!

Hello and welcome to my world.  I am the soon to be wife of a self confessed gear head.  At this very moment he owns a Dodge diesel pickup, a 1972 Chevy pickup that is in the midst of being restored, a work van, a plow truck (80 something beater truck), a sand rail, a Harley Davidson Bad Boy, a custom chopper (that he built himself), a car hauler and a motorcycle trailer.  Oh, I almost forgot a 1971 El Camino.  That would be like forgetting one of my kids.

 I myself have a Tahoe and wish that it were something much smaller.  I have 2 kids from a previous marriage, J.D (a boy) is 21 and no longer lives with us and M.E. (a girl) who is 17 and starting her senior year in high school.  I also have a Westie, Duncan that I am crazy about and will probably appear frequently in my ramblings.