31 December 2008
25 December 2008
Strange, but Fun
"Strange, but Fun" describes Christmas this year. The strangeness mostly comes from the enormous quantities of snow that have fallen. I have lost track of the number of separate snowstorms we have had over the past weeks. I ended up walking 2 miles to go to my doctor's appointment and walking to several grocery stores. We built a snow arch, went sledding, and even had a bit of a snowball fight.
We finally dared the roads on December 23rd in order to spend Christmas with my family (especially since my siblings were all in town). We slipped and slid several times, especially where the ice was thick and bumpy on the freeway entrance ramp. I am very glad that I didn't have to do any of the driving - I would have given up once I felt the car slide in our home street. We made it safely, stopping for 10 minutes to dig ourselves out a parking spot in the soft snow so that we could park along the flat part of the street.
Downtown Bellevue has a nifty street presentation with a drum line, costumed characters, songs, lights, and bubbles meant to look like snow. The girls went together to Snowflake Lane - my niece loved it, especially the princess who smiled and waved to all the little girls.
I stopped to pick up my husband's new suit (which had been ready for over a week but we couldn't get to the mall through all the snow). My mom's all-wheel drive car works so much better in snow than our little tiny car.
On Christmas Eve we relaxed and played in the morning, and then we started hustling to get ready for the big dinner. My brother went to pick up my brother- and sister-in-law so that we could have a big group all together on this snowy holiday. I finally wrapped all of our gifts and put them out under the tree. Actually, my favorite part was wrapping a big empty box for my sister's family becase I had already sent her gift to her house. My niece was so surprised this morning to unwrap a big empty box! She immediately climbed inside and started playing.
Our neighbor came over for Christmas Eve dinner - the snow kept a lot of people from their families this year. I had just gone out to the street to pick up the mail (wow - the USPS really does deliver in any weather) when the gentleman arrived. I showed him in the front door and headed downstairs. But I forgot to take off my snowboots first. Wet snowboots and a slippery hardwood floor ... I slipped and bumped down the half-flight of steps. I was pretty shaken up, but it looks like I'm just going to have a pretty good set of bruises. Lesson learned.
Christmas Eve dinner was ham, brown rice, homemade rolls, green salad and marshmallow fruit salad. My niece decided she didn't want to eat dinner, but she did want to sit on my lap and talk to me / help me eat my dinner...it was a little messy, but I managed to get some food for myself. I cracked up when she let out a little tiny burp and whispered "excuse me" to me; then she turned to the whole table and exlaimed, "I burped big, and I said 'Excuse Me' Mommy!"
Our neighbor was full of great stories from his work as an engineer: my favorite was when he was working on a bridge and a truck full of beehives rolled over nearby. The entire bridge crew jumped into the (shallow) river. By the time the bees were willing to leave them alone, the bridge deck had sunk and the concrete had to be removed so they could do the work all over again.
We acted out the Christmas story (my niece calls it Jesus' Happy Birthday), sang Christmas songs, ate dessert, and played games. My sister-in-law and I made really delicious rolls and left them to rise for Christmas morning breakfast. We all headed to bed. The next morning I woke up before the crowd, so I helped my mom finish cooking breakfast. The rolls turned out to be a favorite new tradition!
When my niece woke up, everybody woke up. She was incredibly excited for Christmas morning. We all opened our stockings, ate breakfast (egg and sausage casserole, sticky rolls, waffles, grapefruit, and juice), and then opened gifts. My niece was very helpful - sometimes she even brought us our gifts before she started unwrapping them. Seriously though, she did enjoy helping the rest of us almost as much as she enjoyed her own gifts.
My sister's family left by 1:00 to go to her in-laws. We packed up and left a few hours later. We got stuck in the 8-inches of slush on my mom's street, but we got out without too much trouble - we just hopped out and pushed the car until it had enough momentum to make it to the end of the street. The next road was still slushy, but after that we made it to a main road where the snowplows had come. The freeways were clear, but when we turned into the apartment complex where my brother-and sister-in-law lived we knew our trip was over. We had to push the car most of the way through the parking-lot, and we had to dig out a "guest" parking space so that we could try to put the car in there. We burned a little rubber, but finally three of us pushed the car into the spot.
So tonight we're staying here. Playing games and having fun with family - thanks to our hosts for putting us up for the night!
We finally dared the roads on December 23rd in order to spend Christmas with my family (especially since my siblings were all in town). We slipped and slid several times, especially where the ice was thick and bumpy on the freeway entrance ramp. I am very glad that I didn't have to do any of the driving - I would have given up once I felt the car slide in our home street. We made it safely, stopping for 10 minutes to dig ourselves out a parking spot in the soft snow so that we could park along the flat part of the street.
Downtown Bellevue has a nifty street presentation with a drum line, costumed characters, songs, lights, and bubbles meant to look like snow. The girls went together to Snowflake Lane - my niece loved it, especially the princess who smiled and waved to all the little girls.
I stopped to pick up my husband's new suit (which had been ready for over a week but we couldn't get to the mall through all the snow). My mom's all-wheel drive car works so much better in snow than our little tiny car.
On Christmas Eve we relaxed and played in the morning, and then we started hustling to get ready for the big dinner. My brother went to pick up my brother- and sister-in-law so that we could have a big group all together on this snowy holiday. I finally wrapped all of our gifts and put them out under the tree. Actually, my favorite part was wrapping a big empty box for my sister's family becase I had already sent her gift to her house. My niece was so surprised this morning to unwrap a big empty box! She immediately climbed inside and started playing.
Our neighbor came over for Christmas Eve dinner - the snow kept a lot of people from their families this year. I had just gone out to the street to pick up the mail (wow - the USPS really does deliver in any weather) when the gentleman arrived. I showed him in the front door and headed downstairs. But I forgot to take off my snowboots first. Wet snowboots and a slippery hardwood floor ... I slipped and bumped down the half-flight of steps. I was pretty shaken up, but it looks like I'm just going to have a pretty good set of bruises. Lesson learned.
Christmas Eve dinner was ham, brown rice, homemade rolls, green salad and marshmallow fruit salad. My niece decided she didn't want to eat dinner, but she did want to sit on my lap and talk to me / help me eat my dinner...it was a little messy, but I managed to get some food for myself. I cracked up when she let out a little tiny burp and whispered "excuse me" to me; then she turned to the whole table and exlaimed, "I burped big, and I said 'Excuse Me' Mommy!"
Our neighbor was full of great stories from his work as an engineer: my favorite was when he was working on a bridge and a truck full of beehives rolled over nearby. The entire bridge crew jumped into the (shallow) river. By the time the bees were willing to leave them alone, the bridge deck had sunk and the concrete had to be removed so they could do the work all over again.
We acted out the Christmas story (my niece calls it Jesus' Happy Birthday), sang Christmas songs, ate dessert, and played games. My sister-in-law and I made really delicious rolls and left them to rise for Christmas morning breakfast. We all headed to bed. The next morning I woke up before the crowd, so I helped my mom finish cooking breakfast. The rolls turned out to be a favorite new tradition!
When my niece woke up, everybody woke up. She was incredibly excited for Christmas morning. We all opened our stockings, ate breakfast (egg and sausage casserole, sticky rolls, waffles, grapefruit, and juice), and then opened gifts. My niece was very helpful - sometimes she even brought us our gifts before she started unwrapping them. Seriously though, she did enjoy helping the rest of us almost as much as she enjoyed her own gifts.
My sister's family left by 1:00 to go to her in-laws. We packed up and left a few hours later. We got stuck in the 8-inches of slush on my mom's street, but we got out without too much trouble - we just hopped out and pushed the car until it had enough momentum to make it to the end of the street. The next road was still slushy, but after that we made it to a main road where the snowplows had come. The freeways were clear, but when we turned into the apartment complex where my brother-and sister-in-law lived we knew our trip was over. We had to push the car most of the way through the parking-lot, and we had to dig out a "guest" parking space so that we could try to put the car in there. We burned a little rubber, but finally three of us pushed the car into the spot.
So tonight we're staying here. Playing games and having fun with family - thanks to our hosts for putting us up for the night!
21 December 2008
Happy Solstice!
The snow started falling again last night. Snow isn't really my favorite thing, but I've decided to look on the bright side.
It's really, really pretty outside.
We didn't lose power so we can stay warm inside while it's cold outside (plus we still have the Internet).
My brother made it home safely.
There are grocery stores in walking distance.
We have a fireplace in case the power does go out; we just recently acquired fireplace tools and long matches and had the chimney cleaned.
The garden is now kind of pretty again with snow-flowers.
Yesterday my brother and sister -in-law came over and stayed with us; it is a lot more fun to be stuck at home with them around because it's more like a giant slumber party.
I don't get cold very easily, so I can enjoy being outside without ill effects.
The cold feels good on my hurt hand. :)
Some nice neighbors lent us a sled; we all got to take a few rides down a nearby street.
We made fudge and divinity.
We might still try making caramels.
I don't have to drive in to work when it snows.
We spent a lot of time playing games this weekend.
The Christmas tree (the first one we ever put up for ourselves) is all decorated and beautiful.
Since the snow wasn't right for a snowman (too much crust, couldn't roll snowballs) we made a giant ice-arch instead.
See? I'm having fun with the snow.
It's really, really pretty outside.
We didn't lose power so we can stay warm inside while it's cold outside (plus we still have the Internet).
My brother made it home safely.
There are grocery stores in walking distance.
We have a fireplace in case the power does go out; we just recently acquired fireplace tools and long matches and had the chimney cleaned.
The garden is now kind of pretty again with snow-flowers.
Yesterday my brother and sister -in-law came over and stayed with us; it is a lot more fun to be stuck at home with them around because it's more like a giant slumber party.
I don't get cold very easily, so I can enjoy being outside without ill effects.
The cold feels good on my hurt hand. :)
Some nice neighbors lent us a sled; we all got to take a few rides down a nearby street.
We made fudge and divinity.
We might still try making caramels.
I don't have to drive in to work when it snows.
We spent a lot of time playing games this weekend.
The Christmas tree (the first one we ever put up for ourselves) is all decorated and beautiful.
Since the snow wasn't right for a snowman (too much crust, couldn't roll snowballs) we made a giant ice-arch instead.
See? I'm having fun with the snow.
20 December 2008
Once Again
I am summoned... to jury duty, that is. At least this time it is in my hometown and not over 30 miles away.
18 December 2008
I looked out the window
And what did I see?
I don't think that white stuff is popcorn!
We usually get snowfall once a year in the Seattle area; this year it is snowing twice in one week, and we still expect more snow this weekend!
The good news is that we are not expecting a white Christmas. The weather is supposed to warm up enough to melt everything so that we can spend the day with family. The bad news is that the combination of snow, ice, freezing temperatures, and lots of hills means that we're not going anywhere anytime soon.
I don't think that white stuff is popcorn!
We usually get snowfall once a year in the Seattle area; this year it is snowing twice in one week, and we still expect more snow this weekend!
The good news is that we are not expecting a white Christmas. The weather is supposed to warm up enough to melt everything so that we can spend the day with family. The bad news is that the combination of snow, ice, freezing temperatures, and lots of hills means that we're not going anywhere anytime soon.
08 December 2008
We Went
We went on a date this weekend. Well, two if you're like my husband who wants separate credit for each activity that day. First we headed over to the Seattle Center IMAX theater with my brother- and sister-in-law where we watched Madagascar2 on the ginormous screen. Good movie, good company, good fun.
Then we changed and headed back to the Seattle Center to watch the Pacific Northwest Ballet's production of the Nutcracker. I'm not sure when the last date was that I had to dress up for! I was a bit nervous that ballet would not appeal to my other half. Okay, more than a bit nervous. The Nutcracker has a special place in my heart and memories: we went as a family to see it several times when I was growing up, and some years we even had some (very talented) friends performing with the PNB! So I was relieved to hear a mostly positive response afterwards. He did find it funny that most of the familiar music is in the second half. I think this is funny too, because most of the plot that I think of as the Nutcracker story occurs in the first act. The only complaint I heard was that I dragged him away from the food because we needed to go get in our seats (and we really were cutting it very close - within +/- 30 seconds and actually on the minus side of that. Happily many others were in the same situation.
P.S. No, I didn't take any pictures in the theater - that is usually discouraged. I just found some pictures online to use for this post.
Then we changed and headed back to the Seattle Center to watch the Pacific Northwest Ballet's production of the Nutcracker. I'm not sure when the last date was that I had to dress up for! I was a bit nervous that ballet would not appeal to my other half. Okay, more than a bit nervous. The Nutcracker has a special place in my heart and memories: we went as a family to see it several times when I was growing up, and some years we even had some (very talented) friends performing with the PNB! So I was relieved to hear a mostly positive response afterwards. He did find it funny that most of the familiar music is in the second half. I think this is funny too, because most of the plot that I think of as the Nutcracker story occurs in the first act. The only complaint I heard was that I dragged him away from the food because we needed to go get in our seats (and we really were cutting it very close - within +/- 30 seconds and actually on the minus side of that. Happily many others were in the same situation.
P.S. No, I didn't take any pictures in the theater - that is usually discouraged. I just found some pictures online to use for this post.
Homemade Turkey Jello
Looks and feels like jello; tasted like turkey.
How?
Boil up a post-Thanksgiving turkey carcass - simmer a long time to get all that turkey goodness out of it. After cooling in the fridge, skim off top layer of fat. Spoon into freezer ziploc bags and store in freezer.
Why?
When reheated it will be yummy broth for soup. We will not be making soup until we are ready to eat turkey again.
And yes, I had to taste it - it just looked so ... interesting.
How?
Boil up a post-Thanksgiving turkey carcass - simmer a long time to get all that turkey goodness out of it. After cooling in the fridge, skim off top layer of fat. Spoon into freezer ziploc bags and store in freezer.
Why?
When reheated it will be yummy broth for soup. We will not be making soup until we are ready to eat turkey again.
And yes, I had to taste it - it just looked so ... interesting.
05 December 2008
Now I Know
To all those who hated it when I sometimes cracked my knuckles, you will no longer be hearing this sound from me. Ever. Now that the back of my hand is swollen up, now that the ice pack actually hurts instead of relieving pain, and now that the doctor put me on prescription arthritis relief gel to try and get the inflammation down ... now I know that it is possible to sprain the base of your finger by cracking your knuckles. And I completely did this to myself. Yes, I am feeling pretty foolish. I would use stronger words than foolish, but what's the point? You all can probably picture how I feel. It didn't help that almost a week after the original injury I tried to pack some boxes into the recycle bin and felt something pop when I tightened my grip on the box-cutter. I finally gave in and saw the doctor the next day.
03 December 2008
Christmas Tag
I'm not sure if it's appropriate to call it a "tag" when I'd rather not call out specific people. I liked this list because it was fun to think about. Play along if you want.
1. Wrapping Paper or Gift Bags: Mostly wrapping paper - because I already have Christmas paper and I already used my Christmas-themed bags.
2. Real or Artificial Tree: Artificial, especially in the room with the fireplace. Someday I'd like a pre-lit artificial.
3. When do you put up the tree: This will be the first time we put up our own tree. It hasn't happened yet, but I hope to get it done during this first week of December.
4. When do you take your tree down: After the New Year celebration, before work starts again. It will probably take a lot longer to put away than I anticipate, so I'm leaving us a few days leeway there.
5. Do you like eggnog: Absolutely NOT. I don't know why, but I think it's disgusting. Maybe it's the name - the thought of drinking eggs is kind of revolting to me. I just leave more for everyone else!
6. Favorite gift received as a child: Legos.
7. Hardest person to buy for: My in-laws.
8. Easiest person to buy for: Kids are easier - there are just so many toys!
9. Do you have a nativity scene: Not yet. I fell in love with a really beautiful olive wood set a few years ago. I've never seen one I liked as much since then; when I do, that will be the set for us. I really like my mom's set too - I just have too high of standards when I go shopping for these things.
10. Best Christmas gift you ever received: Seriously? There's no way to choose. I'll just fall back on Legos again.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received: I love socks. So my siblings gave me a couple of super cute pairs of socks one year along with ... a can of foot deoderant powder.
12. Favorite Christmas movie: White Christmas - Bing Crosby!
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas: I will pick something up any time of year if it is perfect, but I only really start hunting in November.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present: I don't think so, but I have recycled the bags or boxes they came in.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas time: Divinity. Fudge. Caramel. My dad used to let me help him make the Christmas candy, so it is my favorite!
16. Lights on the tree: Colored lights. I think the many colors go well with our current rather eclectic ornament collection.
17. Favorite Christmas song: mostly I just like singing all of the traditional songs, especially all the ones our church choir sang while I grew up. Otherwise I also really like White Christmas, O Holy Night, and anything sung by Bing Crosby. Oh, I should probably add Josh Groban's album to the list. And I will definitely add the Nutcracker Suite!
18. Travel at Christmas time or stay home: Stay HOME! This is the first time we're decorating our own home for Christmas.
19. Tree Topper: Good point. I'll add that to the shopping list.
20. Can you name all of Santa reindeer's: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph. Well, now I've cheated because I already read the answers. I probably would have forgotten Rudolph.
21. Open the Christmas gift Christmas eve or morning: It's complicated. Here's my family's traditions: One gift Christmas Eve - as kids we always got our new pajamas the night before so that the morning pictures were really cute. Then we open stockings before breakfast and the rest of the presents after breakfast. However, we could mix things up a little.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year: Giving Counters instead of Giving Trees (come on people - way to make giving to those in need LESS FUN). Honestly though, I want a Christmas radio station that only plays the Christmas songs I like. There are way too many new songs that just don't put me in the same Christmas spirit.
23. Favorite Christmas dinner: Ham with brown rice (not real brown rice - just white rice with enough stuff added to it to turn it brown when it cooks)
24. What do you want for Christmas this year: I want everyone to get home safely. I would love a working DVD player, an HDMI cable, Christmas ornaments that would sparkle in the lights on the tree, an 8x10 picture frame that matches the mirror frame in the living room (it has both silver and gold and is non-frilly), anything my nieces make, new but proven recipes, a footrub, the Josh Groban Christmas CD (yes, I already have a Bing Crosby one somewhere), a turkey roaster, and warm comfy cute socks or slipper socks. I love socks. Everything else on this list, if someone wanted to get it for me they would have to check with all the other people who might now have the same idea, but socks are endlessly useful, and they always wear out so I always need more. I don't exactly have a shoe fetish - but socks? Yeah.
1. Wrapping Paper or Gift Bags: Mostly wrapping paper - because I already have Christmas paper and I already used my Christmas-themed bags.
2. Real or Artificial Tree: Artificial, especially in the room with the fireplace. Someday I'd like a pre-lit artificial.
3. When do you put up the tree: This will be the first time we put up our own tree. It hasn't happened yet, but I hope to get it done during this first week of December.
4. When do you take your tree down: After the New Year celebration, before work starts again. It will probably take a lot longer to put away than I anticipate, so I'm leaving us a few days leeway there.
5. Do you like eggnog: Absolutely NOT. I don't know why, but I think it's disgusting. Maybe it's the name - the thought of drinking eggs is kind of revolting to me. I just leave more for everyone else!
6. Favorite gift received as a child: Legos.
7. Hardest person to buy for: My in-laws.
8. Easiest person to buy for: Kids are easier - there are just so many toys!
9. Do you have a nativity scene: Not yet. I fell in love with a really beautiful olive wood set a few years ago. I've never seen one I liked as much since then; when I do, that will be the set for us. I really like my mom's set too - I just have too high of standards when I go shopping for these things.
10. Best Christmas gift you ever received: Seriously? There's no way to choose. I'll just fall back on Legos again.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received: I love socks. So my siblings gave me a couple of super cute pairs of socks one year along with ... a can of foot deoderant powder.
12. Favorite Christmas movie: White Christmas - Bing Crosby!
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas: I will pick something up any time of year if it is perfect, but I only really start hunting in November.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present: I don't think so, but I have recycled the bags or boxes they came in.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas time: Divinity. Fudge. Caramel. My dad used to let me help him make the Christmas candy, so it is my favorite!
16. Lights on the tree: Colored lights. I think the many colors go well with our current rather eclectic ornament collection.
17. Favorite Christmas song: mostly I just like singing all of the traditional songs, especially all the ones our church choir sang while I grew up. Otherwise I also really like White Christmas, O Holy Night, and anything sung by Bing Crosby. Oh, I should probably add Josh Groban's album to the list. And I will definitely add the Nutcracker Suite!
18. Travel at Christmas time or stay home: Stay HOME! This is the first time we're decorating our own home for Christmas.
19. Tree Topper: Good point. I'll add that to the shopping list.
20. Can you name all of Santa reindeer's: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph. Well, now I've cheated because I already read the answers. I probably would have forgotten Rudolph.
21. Open the Christmas gift Christmas eve or morning: It's complicated. Here's my family's traditions: One gift Christmas Eve - as kids we always got our new pajamas the night before so that the morning pictures were really cute. Then we open stockings before breakfast and the rest of the presents after breakfast. However, we could mix things up a little.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year: Giving Counters instead of Giving Trees (come on people - way to make giving to those in need LESS FUN). Honestly though, I want a Christmas radio station that only plays the Christmas songs I like. There are way too many new songs that just don't put me in the same Christmas spirit.
23. Favorite Christmas dinner: Ham with brown rice (not real brown rice - just white rice with enough stuff added to it to turn it brown when it cooks)
24. What do you want for Christmas this year: I want everyone to get home safely. I would love a working DVD player, an HDMI cable, Christmas ornaments that would sparkle in the lights on the tree, an 8x10 picture frame that matches the mirror frame in the living room (it has both silver and gold and is non-frilly), anything my nieces make, new but proven recipes, a footrub, the Josh Groban Christmas CD (yes, I already have a Bing Crosby one somewhere), a turkey roaster, and warm comfy cute socks or slipper socks. I love socks. Everything else on this list, if someone wanted to get it for me they would have to check with all the other people who might now have the same idea, but socks are endlessly useful, and they always wear out so I always need more. I don't exactly have a shoe fetish - but socks? Yeah.
29 November 2008
Thanksgiving Cheat Sheet
This post is basically for myself. I want to remember what I did this year at our first Thanksgiving at home so that I have a chance to do it all again. Oh, and I better throw in here a huge THANK YOU to my Mom for making my first Thanksgiving at our own home a success - she really made half the food and helped me with some of my half. And I should add that "washing dishes" includes drying them and putting them away. So here goes.
TWO DAYS BEFORE
1. Clean the house, including the kitchen floor.
2. Wash and dry your dishcloths and dish-drying towels. All of them.
THE DAY BEFORE
1. Yams can be cooked the day before. To make candied yams, peel and slice (1-1.5" slices) a bunch of yams into a Corningware-type dish (oven dish with a lid). Slice up 1/2 cube or more of butter and place on the yams. Spread brown sugar over the top of the yams. You can also layer the butter & brown sugar in the middle of the yams if you wish. The brown sugar made a complete layer over the yams, but it was not piled high or more than 1/2 inch thick. Bake at ? until you can stab through the yams easily - check after 30 or 45 minutes. I'll have to ask Mom what the temperature was. Store in the fridge.
1.5. Wash dishes.
2. Cranberry sauce can be cooked the day before. It just takes a bag or two of cranberries and some sugar. The recipe is on the bag, and it is really simple. Basically you boil the berries in sugar water. Store in the fridge.
2.5. Wash dishes.
3. Jello salad of any type should be made the day before. Mom's salad involves ground up cranberries and walnuts, marshmallows, and possibly Cool Whip. Store in the fridge.
3.5. Wash dishes.
4. Pies are easy to make ahead of time. Pumpkin pie needs one can of pumpkin and one can of evaporated milk. I didn't double-check the recipe this year, but luckily I had a can of milk anyway. Sour cream lemon pie is Steven's favorite - one year I'll get brave and try making that with a meringue. Blackberry pie is fun, but I want to try variations of recipes - like making a crumb-topping on blackberry pie to see if it works. Apple pie is classic and good. Whipped cream is a must for lemon or pumpkin pie, and it goes well with the rest of them too. Store in the fridge.
4.5. Wash dishes.
5. At this point the fridge is getting pretty full, so it's time to stop stocking it up ahead of time. If using a frozen turkey, take it out of the freezer and place it in a (cleaned) sink of cold water overnight. If the turkey is more than 15 pounds, make sure overnight is longer than 8 hours - this year 8 hours barely thawed the 15 pound bird.
5.5. Wash dishes.
6. If you want to make stuffing from scratch, take out a loaf of bread and spread it out to dry out overnight.
6.5. Wash dishes.
ON THANKSGIVING
1. Prepare the stuffing, starting about 1/2 hour before you start preparing the turkey. Saute an onion and a half dozen or so stalks of celery (all sliced up) in 2 cubes of butter. Yeah - 2 cubes, no kidding. While that is cooking up, put the bread crumbs in a bowl. This can be the bread crumbs in a bag from the store, or it can mean tearing up the loaf of bread into the bowl - I remember doing this when we were kids. It always seemed like a lot of fun, and it kept us out of Mom's hair for at least 15 minutes. Add a good amount of sage (maybe even as much sage as I would add taco spice to a batch of ground beef), and then add maybe a teaspoon of rosemary, thyme, marjoram, and poultry seasoning. All the measuring is pretty rough - just put a bit of stuff in the palm of your hand and dump it in the bowl. Give the bread crumbs and spices a stir and then pour the butter/celery/onion mix over the top. Stir this around until it seems like everything is well mixed. Then add 1-2 cans of chicken broth - until it seems that all the bread crumbs are fairly moist, and some of them are sticking together in clumps.
1.5. Wash dishes.
2. Start preparing the bird about 4-5 hours before you want to eat. Four hours for the 15 pound bird, longer for a larger one. Unwrap and wash the bird in the sink. I tried using paper towels underneath the bird, but they slide around a lot. At least I cleaned the sink before I started defrosting that turkey. Remove the turkey legs from the wire or plastic holding them together. Find the package of giblets and the neck of the bird. Make sure all of the cavities are cleared out and check to be sure there aren't any little bits of feathers that didn't get completely plucked. Place the bird with the breast meat up and the legs and wings down in the roasting pan. Stuff both ends with the stuffing. It works best to use a clean spoon to put stuffing in a new bowl, and then use a separate spoon to move the stuffing into the bird. That way any stuffing that doesn't fit in the bird doesn't have raw turkey all over it. Start with the smaller end of the turkey. Use a skewer to (somehow) hold the flap of skin in place over the stuffed cavity. The end of the turkey with the legs can be a bit overstuffed - the stuffing doesn't spill out much here. Use the wire or plastic to put the legs back into place. Wrap the turkey with heavy duty tin foil, shiny side down, and place in a 450 degree oven when you're ready for it to start cooking. After 30-45 minutes turn the temperature to 425 degrees. The 15 pound turkey cooked in about three and a half hours, but it's good to start checking at three hours. Turkey is done when numerous tests with a meat thermometer measure 185 degrees internally, and the skin is golden and brown, with the legs almost falling off.
2.5. Wash dishes.
3. We didn't make homemade rolls this year because we had some amazing cardamom bread. Rolls would have to be mixed up and timed to be risen and ready to bake as the turkey comes out of the oven. Maybe next year.
3.5. Wash dishes.
4. There are several versions of the green bean casserole recipe that can be found online. Mix up the green beans and soup, possibly adding french friend onions, and these are ready to cook when the turkey is out.
5. Mashed potatoes can be started as the turkey is cooking. The potatoes can be peeled and chopped up and placed in a pot of salted water. When the turkey is getting close to done (or right after you test the turkey and decide it is done) then you start the water boiling. Whenever the potatos are nice and soft, drain the potatoes and mix in butter and cream/milk with the hand mixer. While the water is heating up, go on to items 5.5, 6, and 7.
5.5. Wash dishes.
6. Also when the turkey comes out, turn the temperature to the one you need for rolls. If you can fit rolls and the extra stuffing and the yams and the green bean casserole all in the oven at once, then it is a miracle. Otherwise they will have to take turns and play nicely. If you don't need the extra stuffing for Thanksgiving day, you can just save it to cook it another day.
7. Setting the table includes laying out the tablecloth, plates, glasses, napkins, silverware, butter, jam, salt and pepper. The cranberry sauce and cranberry salad were set out, followed by the rolls, yams, and green bean casserole. Keep lids or tin foil over all the "hot" dishes.
8. Unhook the turkey's legs again and scoop out the stuffing with a spoon. Remove the skewer from the other end of the bird and scoop out the stuffing there too. Put the stuffing on the table, covered in tin foil.
9. Carving the turkey is a lot simpler if you wait for it to cool a little bit (I have burn blisters on my fingers this year). It might be easier to pull of a whole leg so that it can cool down a little bit. The dark meat is easiest to pull off in chunks - this way you can check it carefully for bones too. The white meat is sliced horizontally - I make a vertical slice where the meat connects to the bones and then I cut off 8-10 horizontal slices and laid them on the platter. I love the electric carving knife. I need to remember that I keep it with the cake decorating supplies so that I don't panic at the last minute when I can't find it.
9.5. Wash up well after carving the turkey - it's a messy job! Then put the turkey on the table.
10. Pour drinks, light the candles, pray, and eat.
10.5. Let someone else do the dishes.
11. Eat pie later ... much later ... but don't wait until you actually feel hungry again because that may not be until the day after Thanksgiving.
11.5. Dishes.
THIS YEAR'S ACTUAL TIMELINE
(begins the day before Thanksgiving)
10:00 PM Make pie crust
10:20 PM Bake sour cream lemon pie crust
10:30 PM Mix and bake pumpkin pie
11:30 PM Make cranberry sauce
11:30 PM Also make lemon pie filling
12:00 AM Now that the pumpkin pie has cooled, cover and put it in fridge
1:00 AM Now that cranberry sauce and lemon pie filling have cooled to room temperature ... put cranberry sauce in fridge and mix sour cream into lemon pie filling. Put pie filling into baked crust and put the pie in the fridge.
1:15 AM Wash a lot of dishes
1:30 AM Pick up around the house for a while
2:00 AM Finally the laundry is finished so I can fold it and go to bed
9:50 AM Wake up
10:00 AM Chop onion and celery
10:20 AM Start butter, onion, and celery sauteing
10:30 AM Wash turkey and place in roasting pan
10:45 AM Start mixing bread crumbs, spices, sauteed stuff, and chicken broth
11:00 AM Stuff turkey
11:15 AM Remember to preheat the oven. Don't put the turkey in until it's preheated so the bottom doesn't heat too much.
11:30 AM Chat with Mom and wash dishes (of COURSE she came and helped me with all the turkey prep)
12:00 PM Clean house with the spouse (Thank You!)
2:30 PM Get myself ready
2:45 PM Mom and my brother show up, we check the bird, and it's perfect
2:47 PM Panic - oops I forgot to get the potatoes ready
2:50 PM Peel potatoes and chop them up into the pot
3:00 PM Put yams into the oven to reheat
3:00 PM Start setting the table
3:15 PM Carve the turkey
3:15 PM Start the gravy (from a mix - I know, not adventurous at all)
3:30 PM Mash the potatoes
3:45 PM Sit down to eat
5:00 PM Wash more dishes
6:50 PM Whip cream
7:00 PM Eat pie
7:30 PM Wash dishes
8:00 PM Play games
9:30 PM Guests leave
10:00 PM Turkey coma
TWO DAYS BEFORE
1. Clean the house, including the kitchen floor.
2. Wash and dry your dishcloths and dish-drying towels. All of them.
THE DAY BEFORE
1. Yams can be cooked the day before. To make candied yams, peel and slice (1-1.5" slices) a bunch of yams into a Corningware-type dish (oven dish with a lid). Slice up 1/2 cube or more of butter and place on the yams. Spread brown sugar over the top of the yams. You can also layer the butter & brown sugar in the middle of the yams if you wish. The brown sugar made a complete layer over the yams, but it was not piled high or more than 1/2 inch thick. Bake at ? until you can stab through the yams easily - check after 30 or 45 minutes. I'll have to ask Mom what the temperature was. Store in the fridge.
1.5. Wash dishes.
2. Cranberry sauce can be cooked the day before. It just takes a bag or two of cranberries and some sugar. The recipe is on the bag, and it is really simple. Basically you boil the berries in sugar water. Store in the fridge.
2.5. Wash dishes.
3. Jello salad of any type should be made the day before. Mom's salad involves ground up cranberries and walnuts, marshmallows, and possibly Cool Whip. Store in the fridge.
3.5. Wash dishes.
4. Pies are easy to make ahead of time. Pumpkin pie needs one can of pumpkin and one can of evaporated milk. I didn't double-check the recipe this year, but luckily I had a can of milk anyway. Sour cream lemon pie is Steven's favorite - one year I'll get brave and try making that with a meringue. Blackberry pie is fun, but I want to try variations of recipes - like making a crumb-topping on blackberry pie to see if it works. Apple pie is classic and good. Whipped cream is a must for lemon or pumpkin pie, and it goes well with the rest of them too. Store in the fridge.
4.5. Wash dishes.
5. At this point the fridge is getting pretty full, so it's time to stop stocking it up ahead of time. If using a frozen turkey, take it out of the freezer and place it in a (cleaned) sink of cold water overnight. If the turkey is more than 15 pounds, make sure overnight is longer than 8 hours - this year 8 hours barely thawed the 15 pound bird.
5.5. Wash dishes.
6. If you want to make stuffing from scratch, take out a loaf of bread and spread it out to dry out overnight.
6.5. Wash dishes.
ON THANKSGIVING
1. Prepare the stuffing, starting about 1/2 hour before you start preparing the turkey. Saute an onion and a half dozen or so stalks of celery (all sliced up) in 2 cubes of butter. Yeah - 2 cubes, no kidding. While that is cooking up, put the bread crumbs in a bowl. This can be the bread crumbs in a bag from the store, or it can mean tearing up the loaf of bread into the bowl - I remember doing this when we were kids. It always seemed like a lot of fun, and it kept us out of Mom's hair for at least 15 minutes. Add a good amount of sage (maybe even as much sage as I would add taco spice to a batch of ground beef), and then add maybe a teaspoon of rosemary, thyme, marjoram, and poultry seasoning. All the measuring is pretty rough - just put a bit of stuff in the palm of your hand and dump it in the bowl. Give the bread crumbs and spices a stir and then pour the butter/celery/onion mix over the top. Stir this around until it seems like everything is well mixed. Then add 1-2 cans of chicken broth - until it seems that all the bread crumbs are fairly moist, and some of them are sticking together in clumps.
1.5. Wash dishes.
2. Start preparing the bird about 4-5 hours before you want to eat. Four hours for the 15 pound bird, longer for a larger one. Unwrap and wash the bird in the sink. I tried using paper towels underneath the bird, but they slide around a lot. At least I cleaned the sink before I started defrosting that turkey. Remove the turkey legs from the wire or plastic holding them together. Find the package of giblets and the neck of the bird. Make sure all of the cavities are cleared out and check to be sure there aren't any little bits of feathers that didn't get completely plucked. Place the bird with the breast meat up and the legs and wings down in the roasting pan. Stuff both ends with the stuffing. It works best to use a clean spoon to put stuffing in a new bowl, and then use a separate spoon to move the stuffing into the bird. That way any stuffing that doesn't fit in the bird doesn't have raw turkey all over it. Start with the smaller end of the turkey. Use a skewer to (somehow) hold the flap of skin in place over the stuffed cavity. The end of the turkey with the legs can be a bit overstuffed - the stuffing doesn't spill out much here. Use the wire or plastic to put the legs back into place. Wrap the turkey with heavy duty tin foil, shiny side down, and place in a 450 degree oven when you're ready for it to start cooking. After 30-45 minutes turn the temperature to 425 degrees. The 15 pound turkey cooked in about three and a half hours, but it's good to start checking at three hours. Turkey is done when numerous tests with a meat thermometer measure 185 degrees internally, and the skin is golden and brown, with the legs almost falling off.
2.5. Wash dishes.
3. We didn't make homemade rolls this year because we had some amazing cardamom bread. Rolls would have to be mixed up and timed to be risen and ready to bake as the turkey comes out of the oven. Maybe next year.
3.5. Wash dishes.
4. There are several versions of the green bean casserole recipe that can be found online. Mix up the green beans and soup, possibly adding french friend onions, and these are ready to cook when the turkey is out.
5. Mashed potatoes can be started as the turkey is cooking. The potatoes can be peeled and chopped up and placed in a pot of salted water. When the turkey is getting close to done (or right after you test the turkey and decide it is done) then you start the water boiling. Whenever the potatos are nice and soft, drain the potatoes and mix in butter and cream/milk with the hand mixer. While the water is heating up, go on to items 5.5, 6, and 7.
5.5. Wash dishes.
6. Also when the turkey comes out, turn the temperature to the one you need for rolls. If you can fit rolls and the extra stuffing and the yams and the green bean casserole all in the oven at once, then it is a miracle. Otherwise they will have to take turns and play nicely. If you don't need the extra stuffing for Thanksgiving day, you can just save it to cook it another day.
7. Setting the table includes laying out the tablecloth, plates, glasses, napkins, silverware, butter, jam, salt and pepper. The cranberry sauce and cranberry salad were set out, followed by the rolls, yams, and green bean casserole. Keep lids or tin foil over all the "hot" dishes.
8. Unhook the turkey's legs again and scoop out the stuffing with a spoon. Remove the skewer from the other end of the bird and scoop out the stuffing there too. Put the stuffing on the table, covered in tin foil.
9. Carving the turkey is a lot simpler if you wait for it to cool a little bit (I have burn blisters on my fingers this year). It might be easier to pull of a whole leg so that it can cool down a little bit. The dark meat is easiest to pull off in chunks - this way you can check it carefully for bones too. The white meat is sliced horizontally - I make a vertical slice where the meat connects to the bones and then I cut off 8-10 horizontal slices and laid them on the platter. I love the electric carving knife. I need to remember that I keep it with the cake decorating supplies so that I don't panic at the last minute when I can't find it.
9.5. Wash up well after carving the turkey - it's a messy job! Then put the turkey on the table.
10. Pour drinks, light the candles, pray, and eat.
10.5. Let someone else do the dishes.
11. Eat pie later ... much later ... but don't wait until you actually feel hungry again because that may not be until the day after Thanksgiving.
11.5. Dishes.
THIS YEAR'S ACTUAL TIMELINE
(begins the day before Thanksgiving)
10:00 PM Make pie crust
10:20 PM Bake sour cream lemon pie crust
10:30 PM Mix and bake pumpkin pie
11:30 PM Make cranberry sauce
11:30 PM Also make lemon pie filling
12:00 AM Now that the pumpkin pie has cooled, cover and put it in fridge
1:00 AM Now that cranberry sauce and lemon pie filling have cooled to room temperature ... put cranberry sauce in fridge and mix sour cream into lemon pie filling. Put pie filling into baked crust and put the pie in the fridge.
1:15 AM Wash a lot of dishes
1:30 AM Pick up around the house for a while
2:00 AM Finally the laundry is finished so I can fold it and go to bed
9:50 AM Wake up
10:00 AM Chop onion and celery
10:20 AM Start butter, onion, and celery sauteing
10:30 AM Wash turkey and place in roasting pan
10:45 AM Start mixing bread crumbs, spices, sauteed stuff, and chicken broth
11:00 AM Stuff turkey
11:15 AM Remember to preheat the oven. Don't put the turkey in until it's preheated so the bottom doesn't heat too much.
11:30 AM Chat with Mom and wash dishes (of COURSE she came and helped me with all the turkey prep)
12:00 PM Clean house with the spouse (Thank You!)
2:30 PM Get myself ready
2:45 PM Mom and my brother show up, we check the bird, and it's perfect
2:47 PM Panic - oops I forgot to get the potatoes ready
2:50 PM Peel potatoes and chop them up into the pot
3:00 PM Put yams into the oven to reheat
3:00 PM Start setting the table
3:15 PM Carve the turkey
3:15 PM Start the gravy (from a mix - I know, not adventurous at all)
3:30 PM Mash the potatoes
3:45 PM Sit down to eat
5:00 PM Wash more dishes
6:50 PM Whip cream
7:00 PM Eat pie
7:30 PM Wash dishes
8:00 PM Play games
9:30 PM Guests leave
10:00 PM Turkey coma
27 November 2008
Turkeys Float.
For some reason that is highly amusing at 1:18 in the morning. Happy Thanksgiving!
I am thankful for:
Heavenly Father
Dan
Mom & Dad
Brothers & Sisters
Mom-in-law & Dad-in-law
Brothers-in-law & Sisters-in-law
Nieces!
And more Family
Friends
Grandma & Grandpa's Piano
A Job
Vacation Days
Books
More Books
Puzzles
Life
Health
Sunshine
Apples
Math
Photographs
Telephones
Evergreen Trees
Fires
Roasted Marshmallows
Sandpiper
Cookbooks
My Sunday School Class
Sidewalks
Hospitals
Brightly Colored Leaves
Hydrangeas
Tomatos
Quilts
Spiced Cider
Laughs
That's all I could type before I had to go turn off the water in the sink - where the turkey is floating.
I am thankful for:
Heavenly Father
Dan
Mom & Dad
Brothers & Sisters
Mom-in-law & Dad-in-law
Brothers-in-law & Sisters-in-law
Nieces!
And more Family
Friends
Grandma & Grandpa's Piano
A Job
Vacation Days
Books
More Books
Puzzles
Life
Health
Sunshine
Apples
Math
Photographs
Telephones
Evergreen Trees
Fires
Roasted Marshmallows
Sandpiper
Cookbooks
My Sunday School Class
Sidewalks
Hospitals
Brightly Colored Leaves
Hydrangeas
Tomatos
Quilts
Spiced Cider
Laughs
That's all I could type before I had to go turn off the water in the sink - where the turkey is floating.
12 November 2008
Tagged! Crazy 8s
Thanks 'sposita! It's perfect timing because I haven't had a lot of ideas of things I want to write about lately.
8 things I'm obsessed with right now:
1. The unknown gender of my sister-in-law's child due in March
2. My next day off of work (Thanksgiving)
3. Playing on the piano that showed up in October
4. Apples
5. Slipper socks (with grip on the bottom)
6. Christmas gifts - I've only figured out two :(
7. Inefficiencies at work
8. The unknown gender of my sister-in-law's child due in March (mentioning this twice means I'm really obsessed, right?)
8 words or phrases I use daily:
1. I'm here
2. Do you want to ... ? (... = make the bed, vacuum, etc.)
3. Just a comment / Just a question
4. Morning
5. Anything exciting happening?
6. Oh gosh
7. That's ridiculously ... (... = adjective)
8. Seriously
8 T.V. shows I love to watch:
1. NCIS
2. Life
3. Bones
4. CSI
5. Pushing Daisies
6. Big Bang Theory
7. Numbers
8. sports (especially tennis or football)
8 Things I did yesterday:
1. Joined a telecon
2. Copied and pasted from one Excel spreadsheet to another
3. Edited objects in a database
4. Embroidery
5. Reading
6. Lots of email
7. Watched Bones
8. Made toast in the oven
8 of my favorite places to eat:
1. Mediterranean Kitchen
2. Red Robin
3. Ruth's Chris Steakhouse
4. Mom's house
5. Pike Place Market
6. Ladies night fondue parties
7. Marrakesh
8. Costco samples
8 Things I'm looking forward to:
1. This weekend
2. Next weekend (sense a theme here?)
3. Thanksgiving
4. Christmas
5. Summer
6. March (with a new niece/nephew)
7. Vacation in winter
8. The phone call from the library saying my books on hold are ready for pickup
8 Things on my wish list:
1. Kids
2. The room with boxes in it to magically be clean
3. Massage
4. More piano music
5. Camping equipment
6. Jelly roll pans
7. A comfortable way to wear badges at work
8. A bike
8 People I tag:
1. I
2. don't
3. think
4. 8
5. people
6. read
7. this
8. blog.
But feel free to do this anyway for those who do. :)
8 things I'm obsessed with right now:
1. The unknown gender of my sister-in-law's child due in March
2. My next day off of work (Thanksgiving)
3. Playing on the piano that showed up in October
4. Apples
5. Slipper socks (with grip on the bottom)
6. Christmas gifts - I've only figured out two :(
7. Inefficiencies at work
8. The unknown gender of my sister-in-law's child due in March (mentioning this twice means I'm really obsessed, right?)
8 words or phrases I use daily:
1. I'm here
2. Do you want to ... ? (... = make the bed, vacuum, etc.)
3. Just a comment / Just a question
4. Morning
5. Anything exciting happening?
6. Oh gosh
7. That's ridiculously ... (... = adjective)
8. Seriously
8 T.V. shows I love to watch:
1. NCIS
2. Life
3. Bones
4. CSI
5. Pushing Daisies
6. Big Bang Theory
7. Numbers
8. sports (especially tennis or football)
8 Things I did yesterday:
1. Joined a telecon
2. Copied and pasted from one Excel spreadsheet to another
3. Edited objects in a database
4. Embroidery
5. Reading
6. Lots of email
7. Watched Bones
8. Made toast in the oven
8 of my favorite places to eat:
1. Mediterranean Kitchen
2. Red Robin
3. Ruth's Chris Steakhouse
4. Mom's house
5. Pike Place Market
6. Ladies night fondue parties
7. Marrakesh
8. Costco samples
8 Things I'm looking forward to:
1. This weekend
2. Next weekend (sense a theme here?)
3. Thanksgiving
4. Christmas
5. Summer
6. March (with a new niece/nephew)
7. Vacation in winter
8. The phone call from the library saying my books on hold are ready for pickup
8 Things on my wish list:
1. Kids
2. The room with boxes in it to magically be clean
3. Massage
4. More piano music
5. Camping equipment
6. Jelly roll pans
7. A comfortable way to wear badges at work
8. A bike
8 People I tag:
1. I
2. don't
3. think
4. 8
5. people
6. read
7. this
8. blog.
But feel free to do this anyway for those who do. :)
04 November 2008
4:29
I look outside and see black outlines of trees against a rapidly darkening grey sky. The rain came hammering down about fifteen minutes ago - our roof was like one big bass drum being played by hundreds of enthusiastic percussionists. And it is only November. So now my countdown begins. It is 47 days until winter solstice - the shortest day (and longest night) of the year. Then the days start getting longer, and we're on the uphill slope towards next summer!
28 October 2008
27 October 2008
The Dinner Party that Wasn't
We had some uninvited guests drop by for dinner yesterday. I think they could smell the meat cooking or something. Although they were very cute and eager, we did not invite them in. There are two obvious visitors, center and left in the window, and one directly to their right who moves occasionally. In the back right corner of the video, underneath the window's crossbar, there is a fourth.
Here - I'll try to point out all four:
Taking pictures through the window was a little difficult, and two of our friends left to play in the grass by the time we turned on the outside lights. One of the remaining fellows took off, but the fourth was a very persistent and very cute little guy.
Here - I'll try to point out all four:
Taking pictures through the window was a little difficult, and two of our friends left to play in the grass by the time we turned on the outside lights. One of the remaining fellows took off, but the fourth was a very persistent and very cute little guy.
21 October 2008
06 October 2008
My Summer Part 3
Every year since the year after I was born, my family has gone to the coast. Now that the kids are grown up (and some have kids of their own) it is kind of our family reunion. There are years that some people can't make it, and some years we even have extra visitors or friends who stay at the same place at the same time. The ocean vacation is the most relaxing vacation I can think of. There are miles of beach in either direction for walking, the units are relatively quiet (you can hear footsteps overhead sometimes), and I usually manage to read several books during the week and work on a puzzle.
In recent years we have started a new tradition - the sandcastle. The sandcastles through the years have always been impressive. The mammoth structures take several adults most of a day to build. Honestly, most of that time is spent creating a gigantic pile of sand. Then the artists go to work, creating a design with turrets, stairways, windows, and anything else they feel like. This year's sandcastle was a "princess castle" in honor of my niece's birthday and her favorite preoccupation.
Some of us crazy people even try swimming in the ocean. It is numbingly cold, but lots of fun. Afterwards we all try to warm up in the sunshine.
We picked the perfect night for our campfire on the beach this year. The ocean breeze died down just in time for our fire, so the only hot dogs and marshmallows that were covered in sand were the ones my mom dropped off her roasting stick. The fire burned bright, hot and fast; my little brother saved the day by driving off to get an extra bundle of wood because it was burning so fast. We played a few rounds of charades as the night got darker, and then we put out the fire and headed back inside.
In recent years we have started a new tradition - the sandcastle. The sandcastles through the years have always been impressive. The mammoth structures take several adults most of a day to build. Honestly, most of that time is spent creating a gigantic pile of sand. Then the artists go to work, creating a design with turrets, stairways, windows, and anything else they feel like. This year's sandcastle was a "princess castle" in honor of my niece's birthday and her favorite preoccupation.
Some of us crazy people even try swimming in the ocean. It is numbingly cold, but lots of fun. Afterwards we all try to warm up in the sunshine.
We picked the perfect night for our campfire on the beach this year. The ocean breeze died down just in time for our fire, so the only hot dogs and marshmallows that were covered in sand were the ones my mom dropped off her roasting stick. The fire burned bright, hot and fast; my little brother saved the day by driving off to get an extra bundle of wood because it was burning so fast. We played a few rounds of charades as the night got darker, and then we put out the fire and headed back inside.
03 October 2008
My Summer Part 2
We went to a great birthday party at the zoo.
Various Animals:
Flamingos
Jaguar
Elephant
Hippos
African Savannah
I can still remember how much I loved the peanut butter frosting on the birthday cake! The cake-makers actually molded the candy kayakers ahead of time and then made the rest of the cake fresh for the party.
I was happy to take home some of the extras, but when I got home and opened up the bucket for one last bite, I found a stowaway.
Various Animals:
Flamingos
Jaguar
Elephant
Hippos
African Savannah
I can still remember how much I loved the peanut butter frosting on the birthday cake! The cake-makers actually molded the candy kayakers ahead of time and then made the rest of the cake fresh for the party.
I was happy to take home some of the extras, but when I got home and opened up the bucket for one last bite, I found a stowaway.
30 September 2008
Harvest
I woke up this morning and headed outside before work to bring in the harvest.
Pretty, aren't they? But I think I need to rename my cherry tomatoes "nano-tomatoes". Check out this little nano (next to my pinky and my thumb)
We also have some peppers (hot banana, jalapeno, and green bell), but I left them on the plants for a few more days since they seem to be growing still.
Pretty, aren't they? But I think I need to rename my cherry tomatoes "nano-tomatoes". Check out this little nano (next to my pinky and my thumb)
We also have some peppers (hot banana, jalapeno, and green bell), but I left them on the plants for a few more days since they seem to be growing still.
24 September 2008
My Summer Part 1
One of the highlights of the past four summers has been the company picnic. This year two of my brothers-in-law were here, so six of us went to the picnic together.
The first thing we did was enter the adult-only area where the lines were much shorter. There was a climbing wall:
On the backside of the climbing wall were two trampolines and bungee cords - a perfect setup for some acrobatics. I barely caught this flip on camera:
Flips were difficult to master:
Can you tell which boy had done this before? Actually, I can witness that he really was that good the first time he ever tried it. When I tried it, I never even managed to flip over once!
Next we headed over to the mechanical bull.
Then we found a ropes course to try out. You had to climb up a cargo net, cross a variety of bridges (including hanging ropes, boards, and tightropes), and slide down the pole at the end. Note that one of us was actually able to tightrope-walk without hands!
We had lunch at the enormous Wall of Food - there were a lot of choices (cheeseburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, ribs, corn on the cob, yakisoba, strawberry shortcake, ice cream, stir-fry, pot-stickers, and more). After lunch the girls and the boys split up - the boys went to play on more toys, and the girls went to attempt the Puzzle.
Yes, Puzzle is capitalized here. The stated goal of the puzzle was to earn the popular vote and/or president's vote from each planet in the solar system in order to have Pluto reinstated as a planet. To earn a vote, you had to solve a puzzle. The popular vote puzzles were typically easier than the president's vote puzzles (with one exception). The puzzles could be anything from trying to follow a color pattern through planets hanging from strings (difficult to do in the wind and in a crowd), to trying to find the hidden code in the blood types of alien babies, to counting dashed lines, to doing an alien robot dance. Each puzzle actually led to a written answer - the planets had names with one letter in bold, the blood types converted to numerical problems which converted back to letters, the dashed lines made numbers which translated to letters, and the alien robot dance actually spelled the answer out with your body. There were 16 puzzles in all, and it took us several hours. We used up a lot of scratch paper figuring things out, but it was worth it to solve every puzzle!
At the end of the day we were exhausted, a little sunburned, and happy.
The first thing we did was enter the adult-only area where the lines were much shorter. There was a climbing wall:
On the backside of the climbing wall were two trampolines and bungee cords - a perfect setup for some acrobatics. I barely caught this flip on camera:
Flips were difficult to master:
Can you tell which boy had done this before? Actually, I can witness that he really was that good the first time he ever tried it. When I tried it, I never even managed to flip over once!
Next we headed over to the mechanical bull.
Then we found a ropes course to try out. You had to climb up a cargo net, cross a variety of bridges (including hanging ropes, boards, and tightropes), and slide down the pole at the end. Note that one of us was actually able to tightrope-walk without hands!
We had lunch at the enormous Wall of Food - there were a lot of choices (cheeseburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, ribs, corn on the cob, yakisoba, strawberry shortcake, ice cream, stir-fry, pot-stickers, and more). After lunch the girls and the boys split up - the boys went to play on more toys, and the girls went to attempt the Puzzle.
Yes, Puzzle is capitalized here. The stated goal of the puzzle was to earn the popular vote and/or president's vote from each planet in the solar system in order to have Pluto reinstated as a planet. To earn a vote, you had to solve a puzzle. The popular vote puzzles were typically easier than the president's vote puzzles (with one exception). The puzzles could be anything from trying to follow a color pattern through planets hanging from strings (difficult to do in the wind and in a crowd), to trying to find the hidden code in the blood types of alien babies, to counting dashed lines, to doing an alien robot dance. Each puzzle actually led to a written answer - the planets had names with one letter in bold, the blood types converted to numerical problems which converted back to letters, the dashed lines made numbers which translated to letters, and the alien robot dance actually spelled the answer out with your body. There were 16 puzzles in all, and it took us several hours. We used up a lot of scratch paper figuring things out, but it was worth it to solve every puzzle!
At the end of the day we were exhausted, a little sunburned, and happy.
My Summer Intro
Part of the fun of having a digital camera is that you can take a bunch of pictures and choose the best one "later". The hidden catch is that, until you find the time "later" to review all your pictures, you have buckets of pictures just sitting there waiting to be sorted. In my case, buckets = 1842. I finally sat at the computer for an hour and a half last week just sorting all of my summer pictures into folders. Now that they are in manageable groups, I can (finally) write about what I did this summer. Hooray! I'm looking forward to blogging again, now that I am no longer intimidated by all of those unsorted pictures. :)
21 August 2008
Summertime
I may not have decided what impact I believe humans have on global warming, but this is just wrong. This is summer, people.
18 August 2008
Done
Two and a half hours, two scrapes in the wall paint, one 12V cordless drill battery and one smashed finger later...
Not to mention that we had to take them back down once to get the cord mechanism to work properly.
Not to mention that we had to take them back down once to get the cord mechanism to work properly.
10 August 2008
Grandma
She always had Cocoa Puffs to give us for breakfast when we visited. When I was about 12, I flew to Idaho to visit Grandma and Grandpa for a whole week, all by myself. She took me shopping to choose my favorite colors of yarn for my Grandma-made afghan. She loved Grandpa and they always were comfortable with teasing each other - but only nicely. Her hands knew how to give the perfect backscratch, and in the middle of church she would reach over and tickle my arms just how I liked it. There was always a tissue on hand, or up her sleeve. Her hair was permed for as long as I knew her - in the mornings all she required was a bit of work with a pick to reshape the curls around her head. She always was ready to give us Bubble Yum bubble gum from that drawer in the kitchen. And she made sure to carry a few twenties so that each grandkid had a little poop-away money to buy themselves something just for fun when Grandma came to visit. Her hugs shrank (or I grew) but they were always just as strong. She drove up with Grandpa and stayed with us, in my room. Sometimes I got tired of not having my own place while they visited, but it was good to have them come. She loved music - she loved singing the hymns and she always encouraged me when I wanted to go into the living room across the fresh vacuum tracks to play on the piano. Her smile in my wedding pictures is happy - rejoicing in her posterity indeed. She used to misplace just her purse, or little items. She loved her sisters, and boy! could they ever talk! Some things I found out later, like her very active role in the community where she lived - she was even given an award and written up in the paper. As she changed, losing track of conversations and forgetting the events of five minutes past; she also stayed the same, with a smile for her husband and love for all her family. The last years were the hardest to see - knowing she wasn't always aware didn't really help. Then, in January, Grandpa passed away. I'm glad he didn't have to wait too long for Grandma to be with him again.
02 August 2008
One for Two
Today's dinner contained two experiments. First, I tried making hamburgers. I never knew a hamburger could get so small. And black. Dan tried tasting it, but I had to start over with new burgers. Second, I tried making homemade horseradish. I pulled up one of our horseradish roots, trimmed off the leaves, washed the root and it in the blender with a couple tablespoons of vinegar. Dan devoured it and is looking forward to using the last of it on his sandwich Monday.
One for two isn't bad, right?
One for two isn't bad, right?
01 August 2008
I like sleep
I like sleeping in, which happens about once a month. I like sleeping when I'm on a plane, or in a car. I like sleeping when you wake up slowly, knowing you are awake but feeling fully relaxed because you haven't yet moved a single muscle. I like the feeling of my eyes relaxing and rolling back into my head. I like Sunday naps, lunchtime naps, and after-dinner naps. The tone of a whole day is set by the previous night's sleep. So I like sleep a lot.
But once a week, on Thursday night, I like volleyball more. Tonight (I mean, this morning) was a record night - we played from 8:30 to 1:15. I'm happy, tired, and ready to get some ... sleep.
But once a week, on Thursday night, I like volleyball more. Tonight (I mean, this morning) was a record night - we played from 8:30 to 1:15. I'm happy, tired, and ready to get some ... sleep.
17 July 2008
Happiness
I just was sitting here at work and realizing that I am actually very happy right now, so I thought I'd write it down for those times I forget to be happy. Why am I happy today? Well, why not? Yesterday was fabulous - I woke up early, remembered to water the lawn while getting ready for work, got to work early, left work early, and went kayaking in Lake Sammammish with my family & friends. Today I slept in half an hour later, was able to drive Dan to/from the dentist so he could be in time for his work group going to see the new Batman movie, and tonight I get to tutor and play volleyball. I'm listening to a capella music while I work. The sky is cloudy, but expected to clear up for this weekend. Life is good.
16 July 2008
Huh?
Anyone else see something wrong with this?
You may need to open the link and view the picture a bit larger in order to read the sign. In the third picture, Dan is illustrating the effects of obeying the sign.
You may need to open the link and view the picture a bit larger in order to read the sign. In the third picture, Dan is illustrating the effects of obeying the sign.
14 July 2008
Front and Back Yard
This is for Beth at The Carver Crew.
When I stand on the front doorstep, this is what I can see:
When I stand a step outside the back door, this is what I can see:
The bushes near the front door are really a good thing. They block the direct view to and from our nearest neighbor's front door, giving the illusion of privacy and space. Plus I love rhododendrons!
When I stand on the front doorstep, this is what I can see:
When I stand a step outside the back door, this is what I can see:
The bushes near the front door are really a good thing. They block the direct view to and from our nearest neighbor's front door, giving the illusion of privacy and space. Plus I love rhododendrons!
Invasion! Help!
Well, it's the start of an invasion, at least. I noticed it today when I was watering. I took pictures from outside the house and inside the garage's attic (where I discovered really old linoleum, green shag carpet, and possibly a dog toy).
I'm not sure if the bees have only build what I can see from outside or if they have perhaps built something back into the eaves. I suspect that it's only what I see because there weren't a whole ton of bees there - yet.
I'm not sure if the bees have only build what I can see from outside or if they have perhaps built something back into the eaves. I suspect that it's only what I see because there weren't a whole ton of bees there - yet.
07 July 2008
Tall Ships
On the 5th of July, the three of us woke up, got ready, and drove into downtown Tacoma. After parking at the Tacoma Dome, we took the shuttle down to the street along the waterfront. The shuttle dropped us off right by the Museum of Glass, so we went up on the pedestrian bridge to check out some of the sculptures. There was a whole wall of glass sculptures. We saw some other people there - they were clearly headed to the Tall Ships too.
Then we went and bought ourselves wristbands that would let us tour some of the ships.
There were a lot of lines to wait in, but we made it down to the docks. There was one large dock where the small to medium ships were, one dock with the "free" ships that anyone could go see, and one dock with the bigger ships. At the first dock, we toured all of the smaller ships. We got to meet their crews a bit, climb around deck, and play with the wheel or the (fake) guns.
Then we headed back up from the first dock to find some lunch. Hot dogs and strawberries on a stick make a great lunch! We looked for the shuttle, but the lines were so long that we decided to walk to the next dock. It was only half a mile or so away - definitely worth skipping the long line to ride the shuttle. At the next dock, we toured the Adventuress (on the left) and the HMCS Oriole (HMCS = Her Majesties Canadian Ship). On the Adventuress we could go below decks, where we saw just how crowded the life of a sailor could be. I personally think no one over 5' tall could fit in those tiny bunks, stacked three high. I think that the Adventuress fit 37 hands!
We were a little disappointed that the Lady Washington was not giving tours that day - the Lady Washington was the ship used in the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie as the fastest ship in the navy - the one Jack Sparrow decided to steal. While it would've been really cool to go on the ship, we did get to see her sailing in and out a couple of times taking people on cruises. The ships are so much more beautiful under full sail that I decided to be happier seeing the Lady Washington sail instead of walking all over her. The first video I like because of the cool music one of the sailors was playing while we watched the two ships pass. The second video has a better view of the Lady Washington - it was on the far side of the Hawaiian Chieftan.
And here is just a good picture of the Lady Washington.
Then Jen and I waited through the really long line to go on the dock with the really big ships, and Amy went to look through some of the other festival displays. There were pirates roaming the line, handing out treasure for those with a good ARRRRRR! We toured the HMS Bounty, the Nina (I don't know how to make the n have the tilda above it), and the Kaisei. I think the stamps were supposed to go in a passport book; I didn't have one, so I improvised. The HMS Bounty was also in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies - primarily as the ship where Elizabeth was held captive and later as one of the ships in the navy fleet.
The last ship we didn't tour - after six hours we were done waiting in long lines, and the line for Coast Guard ship The Eagle was probably another hour or more long. So I took a couple pictures, including the friendly ladies of the Coast Guard and people climbing the rigging.
Exhausted and a bit sunburned, we left the Tall Ships and headed home.
Then we went and bought ourselves wristbands that would let us tour some of the ships.
There were a lot of lines to wait in, but we made it down to the docks. There was one large dock where the small to medium ships were, one dock with the "free" ships that anyone could go see, and one dock with the bigger ships. At the first dock, we toured all of the smaller ships. We got to meet their crews a bit, climb around deck, and play with the wheel or the (fake) guns.
Then we headed back up from the first dock to find some lunch. Hot dogs and strawberries on a stick make a great lunch! We looked for the shuttle, but the lines were so long that we decided to walk to the next dock. It was only half a mile or so away - definitely worth skipping the long line to ride the shuttle. At the next dock, we toured the Adventuress (on the left) and the HMCS Oriole (HMCS = Her Majesties Canadian Ship). On the Adventuress we could go below decks, where we saw just how crowded the life of a sailor could be. I personally think no one over 5' tall could fit in those tiny bunks, stacked three high. I think that the Adventuress fit 37 hands!
We were a little disappointed that the Lady Washington was not giving tours that day - the Lady Washington was the ship used in the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie as the fastest ship in the navy - the one Jack Sparrow decided to steal. While it would've been really cool to go on the ship, we did get to see her sailing in and out a couple of times taking people on cruises. The ships are so much more beautiful under full sail that I decided to be happier seeing the Lady Washington sail instead of walking all over her. The first video I like because of the cool music one of the sailors was playing while we watched the two ships pass. The second video has a better view of the Lady Washington - it was on the far side of the Hawaiian Chieftan.
And here is just a good picture of the Lady Washington.
Then Jen and I waited through the really long line to go on the dock with the really big ships, and Amy went to look through some of the other festival displays. There were pirates roaming the line, handing out treasure for those with a good ARRRRRR! We toured the HMS Bounty, the Nina (I don't know how to make the n have the tilda above it), and the Kaisei. I think the stamps were supposed to go in a passport book; I didn't have one, so I improvised. The HMS Bounty was also in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies - primarily as the ship where Elizabeth was held captive and later as one of the ships in the navy fleet.
The last ship we didn't tour - after six hours we were done waiting in long lines, and the line for Coast Guard ship The Eagle was probably another hour or more long. So I took a couple pictures, including the friendly ladies of the Coast Guard and people climbing the rigging.
Exhausted and a bit sunburned, we left the Tall Ships and headed home.
06 July 2008
Fourth of July, Part 1
Although I am changing the date on this post to pretend it was written a month ago, it wasn't. I just kept putting it off. Now I have lots of posts to do - the 4th of July weekend (which really needs two posts), the twins' birthday party, the Microsoft picnic, and maybe an update on the garden. Well, for now I'll start the 4th.
Some people, and I am one of them, are lucky enough to find a group of college roommates who become best friends. Now we're all spread out across the nation, but three of us got together for the 4th of July weekend. First, Amy came in from Las Vegas. I picked her up at the airport and we went straight to the Ballard Locks. I haven't been there since I was a little kid, so I made sure to check the maps carefully. After all that, there were signs posted telling you where to turn and everything.
We watched the boats coming in the big lock. The gate to the lakes remains closed while the gate to the Puget Sound is opened. Then the boats come in and fill up the lock. They tie themselves side by side, paying a lot of attention to getting the lines pulled tight enough so that no one will shift around a lot when the lock fills up with water. The locks fill from a nifty system underneath the surface of the water (a sign tells you all about it) and then the gates open, letting the ships into the lakes. This took most of an hour. Then the process is reversed, with ships traveling from the lakes coming in and waiting to be let out into the Puget Sound.
We also walked across the pedestrian bridges to go see the fish ladder. Big salmon were trying to swim upstream. From above the water you couldn't see very much. Okay, I couldn't see anything - but there is an inside room with windows where you can watch the fish fight to make it from one section of the ladder to the next. There are only two entrances between sections of the ladder - a fish can swim along the top of the water and make it over the gap in the wall, or it can swim along the bottom and make it through the hole in the wall down there. The kids near us were cheering the fish on.
We wandered through the botanical gardens for a bit before heading back to the car. We saw some cool flowers (like these ones, I think). We followed a path and then came to a little nursery, where Amy tried to make friends with a squirrel.
As we left the gardens, I just had to take one more picture. I didn't know these still existed! Yes, that is a real phone in there.
Next we started looking for dinner. We ended up getting hot sandwiches from Safeway - the guy making the sandwiches was really nice and let us switch out parts of the meal for potato salad (not me) or add extra blue cheese (me). We ate and then went to meet the sisters-in-law plus one of their younger sisters at the chocolate cafe, but it was closed. This was very sad, but we rallied and made ourselves a fondue night instead! Chocolate on bananas, strawberries, cookies, marshmallows, caramels, and gummi worms! And lots and lots of talking.
The morning of the 4th we first went to my ward's picnic with the most perfect flag raising ever - there was a trumpet to play the national anthem and the scouts presented the flag. We saluted, we sang, and that was the program. Along with a pancake and sausage breakfast. Amy and I left soon after the picnic and drove down to Steilacoom, where we waited to see another one-time roommate Jennifer. Amy and I found parking and headed downtown to see the parade - we were looking out for the librarian book-cart drill team with Jen in it! There were little kids, big kids, girl scouts, soldiers, political parties, tons of really cool cars, and more. It's hard to even figure out what parts of the parade to show you - it all seemed so cool!
MUSIC
CARS
PEOPLE
LIBRARIANS!
After the parade we had a fun dinner with Jen's family - one of her relatives provided the after-dinner entertainment with card tricks and stories. Then we headed to another relative's house on the Port of Tacoma, where we had a gorgeous view of various fireworks displays around the port. The commentary on these movies is, perhaps, lacking - but we were having fun!
Then, after all that, we went back to Jen's place and watched Northanger Abbey (the new BBC version, I think). And Persuasion. Just like old times.
Some people, and I am one of them, are lucky enough to find a group of college roommates who become best friends. Now we're all spread out across the nation, but three of us got together for the 4th of July weekend. First, Amy came in from Las Vegas. I picked her up at the airport and we went straight to the Ballard Locks. I haven't been there since I was a little kid, so I made sure to check the maps carefully. After all that, there were signs posted telling you where to turn and everything.
We watched the boats coming in the big lock. The gate to the lakes remains closed while the gate to the Puget Sound is opened. Then the boats come in and fill up the lock. They tie themselves side by side, paying a lot of attention to getting the lines pulled tight enough so that no one will shift around a lot when the lock fills up with water. The locks fill from a nifty system underneath the surface of the water (a sign tells you all about it) and then the gates open, letting the ships into the lakes. This took most of an hour. Then the process is reversed, with ships traveling from the lakes coming in and waiting to be let out into the Puget Sound.
We also walked across the pedestrian bridges to go see the fish ladder. Big salmon were trying to swim upstream. From above the water you couldn't see very much. Okay, I couldn't see anything - but there is an inside room with windows where you can watch the fish fight to make it from one section of the ladder to the next. There are only two entrances between sections of the ladder - a fish can swim along the top of the water and make it over the gap in the wall, or it can swim along the bottom and make it through the hole in the wall down there. The kids near us were cheering the fish on.
We wandered through the botanical gardens for a bit before heading back to the car. We saw some cool flowers (like these ones, I think). We followed a path and then came to a little nursery, where Amy tried to make friends with a squirrel.
As we left the gardens, I just had to take one more picture. I didn't know these still existed! Yes, that is a real phone in there.
Next we started looking for dinner. We ended up getting hot sandwiches from Safeway - the guy making the sandwiches was really nice and let us switch out parts of the meal for potato salad (not me) or add extra blue cheese (me). We ate and then went to meet the sisters-in-law plus one of their younger sisters at the chocolate cafe, but it was closed. This was very sad, but we rallied and made ourselves a fondue night instead! Chocolate on bananas, strawberries, cookies, marshmallows, caramels, and gummi worms! And lots and lots of talking.
The morning of the 4th we first went to my ward's picnic with the most perfect flag raising ever - there was a trumpet to play the national anthem and the scouts presented the flag. We saluted, we sang, and that was the program. Along with a pancake and sausage breakfast. Amy and I left soon after the picnic and drove down to Steilacoom, where we waited to see another one-time roommate Jennifer. Amy and I found parking and headed downtown to see the parade - we were looking out for the librarian book-cart drill team with Jen in it! There were little kids, big kids, girl scouts, soldiers, political parties, tons of really cool cars, and more. It's hard to even figure out what parts of the parade to show you - it all seemed so cool!
MUSIC
CARS
PEOPLE
LIBRARIANS!
After the parade we had a fun dinner with Jen's family - one of her relatives provided the after-dinner entertainment with card tricks and stories. Then we headed to another relative's house on the Port of Tacoma, where we had a gorgeous view of various fireworks displays around the port. The commentary on these movies is, perhaps, lacking - but we were having fun!
Then, after all that, we went back to Jen's place and watched Northanger Abbey (the new BBC version, I think). And Persuasion. Just like old times.
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