Category: Holidays

Today began the first part of my spring cleaning. I dragged out my heavy winter blankets and piled them into the car and brought them to the laundromat for a good washing. $14.00 later, The blankets were washed and I put them in baskets and dragged them home, and I’ve been drying them in our machine er since.

Hubby helped me with prep work for Easter dinner. He peeled all the potatoes, and pearl onions. He also worked in the yard (with Arnie’s help) pruning fruit trees.

Hubby and Arnie have become good buddies. Arnie really fusses to go out with Hubby and he waits each afternoon for their walk. It’s pretty cute.

We’re doing turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, butternut squash and peas for dinner. I even got some dinner rolls as a little surprise. I know I shouldn’t but I love rolls at a fancy dinner.

We got a good deal on strawberries, so we’ll be having strawberry shortcake for dessert!

I am ready for Easter. In so many ways, for me, it means the start of spring, and after such a long cold winter, I am ready for spring.

Happy Easter, Everyone!

I broke out the suitcases this morning and started to pack. I’d hoped that Hubby would pack his own, but alas, that is not to be. I managed to get my suitcase pretty much packed, and tomorrow I will have to sit him down and figure out what he is taking.

We drove to Rite Aid Pharmacy today because I needed to get those little plastic bottles for shampoo, conditioner and sunscreen that will go through Security. I also needed to buy panty hose. Now I almost never wear them, but with two formal nights, I need to have them with me.

I was checking out when the sales clerk asked me how I said my name. I told her and she said that she was related to my cousin Janet’s husband Dave! Thus, it is a small world and strangely, she and I are related in a weird way.

The funny thing is that I have known her for a while, and always liked her. So today I got a new friend/relative.

We arrived at home and I started thinking about what 3 ounces liquid containers I needed in my back pack, and I asked myself if I had flip flop sandals. I could have sworn I did. I looked and looked and about the time I was giving up, I found them. They needed some cleaning, but I have them to wear when I am either at the beach, or at the pool.

So everything is coming together. Just keep your fingers crossed that we can make all out flights on Wednesday morning.

Gifts have been wrapped and cookies have been baked. Today I plan to make the apple crisp, peel the vegetables and prepare them to go from here to there, and then in the late afternoon we will pack the car for Christmas. Thus, I will not forget things.

I have the house sitter set to stay with the dogs on Christmas, so we don’t have to worry about getting home for them. We are so lucky to have a house sitter to just move in when we go.

I cannot believe that it will be Christmas in two days and that another year will be behind us in a week. How is it possible that time is slipping by so quickly?

Hubby and I watched “The Sound Of Music” on Saturday. The real one with Julie Andrews. What a beautiful young woman she was, and her voice, her acting, her expressions (especially in HD) were fabulous! There will never be another Maria in my mind, but Julie Andrews.

Merry Christmas Eve, Everyone!

After spending the day wrapping gifts, I started thinking about some of the goody type things I might make for the big day. A friend of mine suggested Whoopie Pies, and it was then I had to admit that I really don’t like them.

Now don’t get me wrong. I love chocolate cake. I love white frosting, but somehow when you make a “sandwich” out of the cake and frosting, well, it just doesn’t do it for me.

Now give me a Snickerdoodle Cookie and I am a really happy girl, but the Whoppie Pie? Not so much!

I’m thinking I may just make a batch of Snickerdoodles tomorrow. I really love them and I think I would enjoy it. I could also give my friend some.

I did get everything wrapped, and now it is closed away in my closet. You see, Greta loves to open presents! Yours, mine, anyone’s, so I have to hide everything until the actual day.

I do have presents for the dogs. Kong Balls for each of them, and chew toy rope toys. They’re wrapped and on Christmas morning they get to open them!

I hope you all had a good weekend before Christmas! Have a wonderful day and a half at work!

I’ve been preparing food for days. I even searched and searched for my favorite Ocean Spray Cran/Orange Relish, but to no avail. I’ve tried to make it from scratch and not been thrilled, so today I set about to make it. This is what I did.

I got one can of whole berry cranberry sauce. I had one beautiful fresh orange. I washed the orange, cut it into slices and then sections and then tossed it into the food processor, peel and all. I ground it up until it was a finely chopped consistency. Then I put in the can of whole berry cranberry sauce. and processed that a moment or two. I put it into a closed container and chilled it down. When we took our first bite at dinner, we knew I had succeeded! Quick and easy!

The dinner was great, and we waited a bit to have dessert, bu here we are now at 8:30 in the evening on Thursday and I am still simply stuffed! Stuffed and tired.

But it was a good day and Hubby and I toasted each other. 26 Thanksgivings together! Life is good!