« October 2017 | Main | December 2017 »
The Christmas lights are up in downtown Lawrence, and things are “oh so festive”.
I told Chris tonight we MUST get downtown this month and go out for dinner. We will sit at a table by a window and bask in the glow of all these lovely lights.
There will be cocktails and appetizers and we might take an hour to decide on the entree.
Because a view like this should be lingered over.
If you live in (or near) a “smallish” town with Christmas lights, promise me you will do likewise.
Tonight, at 6:48, exactly 12 minutes before sitting down for dinner, I finished Y is for Yesterday. It was 17 delicious hours of listening. Our favorite Santa Teresa private investigator, Kinsey Milhone, once again answers the call of duty.
Sue Grafton skillfully crafts a tale that brings back a bad guy, a homeless woman, her cousin Anna, Henry (her landlord, the retired baker, that we all secretly love), and of course Ed, the cat. All of this while she is working on a new case about murder and extortion. I stretched this tale out as long as I could. Knowing full well there is only one letter left in the alphabet.
Highly recommended for reading, listening, and gift-giving.
In addition to being a perfect day for walking, Sunday was also a great day for raking. No wind, sunshine, 60 degrees. Crazy for November but we uttered no complaints.
Chris prepared the bag and I told him I had a good method for filling it.
As you see below, it is not graceful, but it gets the job done.
He then proceeded to demonstrate his method.
Then he referenced our previous disastrous tandem sea kayaking experience and said “I see your arms moving, but not a lot of progress being made”.
To which I replied “I think you will find I respond much better to compliments than criticism”.
Harvey abstained from voting on the superior method.
Over the long weekend, I had the pleasure of sitting on the couch flipping through Making and Taproot magazines.
Here are the projects that have made my list for further consideration.
The perfect yarn for this project is already living in my stash.
I can not explain my fascination with crochet covered stones. These make me jump up and down and clap. All at the same time.
Finally, who doesn’t need one of these?
This, is what long weekends are made for. Dreaming and relaxing. With your feet up. If you haven’t flipped through Taproot or Making, I can highly recommend both.
On Small Business Saturday, I went to the Lawrence Bizarre Bazaar. Always a treat. Wandering through the booths. Soaking up all the creative vibes.
Then I came home and had some leftovers. Ann brought pimento cheese spread for snacking on before the turkey dinner. In these super cute orange ramekins that sit on that striped little tray. @#&$@ How cute is that?
Since she left it, I am forced to eat it. In the special containers. Such a hardship. It’s perfect with those black grapes. Note that my pumpkins remain out. We are not going to be ready for red and green until next weekend.
Red hearts surrounding Harvey are allowed though. I swear there were hearts floating all around him when we were working in the yard today. He is coming back tomorrow. I am making spots for him to roll on his back
Chris and I watched Mixed Nuts tonight with Steve Martin. Our first holiday movie of the season. If you like oddball comedy you will enjoy it. Liev Schreiber is HILARIOUS and so good in it.
Thanksgiving began in the customary way. Bringing out all the china, silverware, cranberry server, gravy boat, and wine glasses from years gone by. From the homes of all the Thanksgiving makers that have come before us.
The head turkey maker followed the usual routine, including stuffing the cavity of the brined turkey with clove studded oranges, apples, herbs, and an onion.
Our pre-dinner urban hike was amazing and included a rousing rendition of the hokey pokey beginning with "your right foot "and ending with "your whole body".
There was also leaf kicking, stair running, arms linked around a tree, sculpture admiring, and a contest of "see how many bodies you can get on one tree stump".
The bells rang at their appointed time as we approached the Campanille and we watched the Jayhawks run through some drills in preparation for a big game this weekend.
There was also Mexican train dominoes, cocktails, an amazing dinner, trivial pursuit, and a "way too big but I couldn't help myself" piece of pecan pie for dessert.
This morning, I am sitting. Sitting and knitting. Which may be all I do today. Until it's time for leftovers that is.
As the host house for Thanksgiving, part of our job, in addition to making the turkey and stuffing, is to select a nice hike for Thursday morning. We went scouting the other day for a new option for this years ramble. We take our job seriously at Tall Tales Headquarters.
We went looking for a place with leaves, grass, and excellent views.
It's important for the hike to be do-able for all skill levels, and not so long that the turkey burns up in the oven while we are gone. I think it's good to have the possibility of getting lost as a feature, but not all family members agree. This urban hike on the KU campus will fill the bill this year. Trees, grass, lakes, the Campanile, and we even found a concrete slab dedicated by the class of 1948 ... for dancing. Guess who is going to be doing the hokey pokey on Thursday?
Chris had to go and say something about wanting an oatmeal raisin cookie for dessert last night. He just couldn't keep that thought to himself. Even though he knows I am very susceptible to suggestion. Innocently made or not.
That is why my plans for making leaves for pumpkins this morning turned into making cookies for me Chris.
I added walnuts because all oatmeal raisin cookies want to be oatmeal raisin nut cookies. In my mind.
They turned out perfectly. Crispy edges and soft centers. America's Test Kitchen recipe.
I don't have a recipe for this sky. But I like it too. No walnuts needed.
My Friday started with a check on the Japanese maple, moved on to unpinning the scarf I just blocked, going to a coffee shop to knit with friends wearing said scarf, and starting a new knitting project.
There was a butterscotch latte included, discussions involving a customized winter knitting retreat for three, and how I love to eat at a holiday table that utilizes chargers in the tablescape, but I don't have any myself.
There was a hand massage, a long walk outside, and a lovely sit while I looked at my friend Pam's chapter in this fabulous new book.
All in all a top shelf kind of Friday. If I do say so myself. Happy Weekend.
I love words and subscribe to the Merriam-Webster “Word of the Day”. Today’s word is one of my favorites. Lollygag. Please let this serve as your reminder over the next week to be spending time idly, aimlessly, or foolishly.
In order to avoid going outside and raking leaves the other day,
I decided it was time to get out all kinds of pumpkins and put them on the table in anticipation of Thanksgiving.
There was also the light fixture over the table that needed to be festooned.
What do you think? Is 13 too many? Or not enough?
After all, there are others I could add.
Or maybe I should knit up a new one right quick. With a couple of leaves to go on top. I'll have Chris select the prettiest 3 or so while he is raking and bagging... since clearly I have bigger fish to fry.
I am late to the pumpkin party this year. No pie has yet been made and the first pumpkin bread just happened this weekend.
I decided to use large and small bundt pans this year instead of a loaf pan. Just because. This is my excuse for breaking my own rule and forgetting to sprinkle raw sugar on top before baking.
It's still tasty. The perfect November dessert after dinner with a cup of hot tea. Maybe (or maybe not) some whipped cream on the side.
For breakfast, a side dish of blueberries and bananas with a scoop of plain greek yogurt on top. Coffee to drink.
Here is the link to my original post with the recipe. I should have taken the time to get a clearer photo of the bread on the plate. But I am weak. As soon as the lid came off the cake stand and the aroma of pumpkin hit me, I got restless. When there is a contest between restless for pumpkin and perfect photo, restless for pumpkin always wins.
Today, under overcast skies, we made our way downtown for the Veterans Day parade.
I did my best to keep a stiff upper lip, but confess to some tearful moments.
Our dad was in the Air Force, and we moved all over the world growing up.
We changed schools regularly, and learned to make new friends quickly.
It was a good way to learn about life. And the world.
There were veterans from all branches of the service marching or riding today.
My hats off to the organizer of this event. It's the first time since 1968 there had been a parade in honor of Veterans in Lawrence.
It was good to have a fitting venue to offer our appreciation.
For those times when you need to read a sweet story about a couple of unlikely friends, who happen to be wolves, who like to exercise in trees, and sleep under blankets made of leaves....
... may I recommend you check out Big Wolf & Little Wolf from the library? If you can read it out loud to a kid, who is sitting very, very close to you on a couch, and might ask you a question or two that's all the better. But even if you are reading it alone, to yourself, it's still very good. And, in both cases, you will want to start over again as soon as you finish it.
P.S. the ART work is beguiling.
What I did with my extra hour on Sunday.
I hope yours was as well spent. I also filled 6 bags of yard/garden waste. I could have done 10 more, but all things in moderation, and in their own good time.
I should have known at the outset, that Brother had some tricks up his sleeve, when he worked in a few practice putts before we started the 3rd Annual putt putt competition at Big Cedar Lodge last weekend.
Perhaps I should have paid more attention to Dottie's lazer focus as she lined up her shots as well.
I was distracted though.
Before I knew it, Dottie had a hole in one...
Brother had smoked us all, and Chris came in second.
My coming in last in no way lessened my enjoyment factor.
Before we left on Sunday, Dottie and I got up early to do the "Big Bear" hike. The trail is no longer being maintained. Which means we started on it anyway, but after 20 minutes thought better of it, knowing our time was short and getting lost in the woods is easy.
The morning was still beautiful. Heavy frost on the grass, steam rising off the lake, and lovely fall foliage.
In addition to all this, there was a heated Mexican train domino competition where the loser each round had to eat Halloween jelly bellies which included flavors like "dog food", "stinky socks", and "spoiled milk".
Good times. Good memories. Good family. Thanks for that Mom and Dad.
Daylight savings time, combined with cloudy skies and cold temperatures, can only mean it is time to make a big old pot of split pea and barley soup.
Dottie sent me this recipe years ago and it's one of my favorites.
Before you turn your nose up at the thought of split pea soup, let me tell you that Chris tasted it and thought it was good.
Which is a really good thing because this recipe makes a whole lot of lunches.
Below is a link to episode 597 of This American Life. If you have not heard it you may want to listen. It is incredibly poignant. In particular the first half. About the wind phone.
This American LIfe - One Last Thing Before I go
Have some Kleenex around. Or a hanky. Then go get that old rotary phone you have been wondering what to do with. And start dialing.
