Many Moods

Because of all the snow on Christmas Day Asher and fam did not come to visit until Friday night .
That's okay, we prefer safe.
The above picture shows Asher chewing on some tissue paper we had handy.
This is to prepare him for his very first solid food- rice cereal!
We thought the tissue paper and the rice cereal,
while not having the same texture, would have the same taste
...he liked them both.
Of course we get slightly sleepy after a full meal like that...

No scary movie here ( g'ma hates them), this is just a reaction to the flash.
All happy again!

Make Lemonade

I have, in the winter, a hankering for hot biscuits and stew and desiring such I sent mine oldest daughter for a "large" bag of my favorite biscuit mix to satisfy this desire. I would like it said now that we, in our family, possess cell phones, every one. And that when I say "large" and then specify, "about 10 pounds", I have a mental picture that I am meaning to send. Gaby went on the errand ( bless her), but failed to see my mental picture or use her cell phone and that's when I ended up with 50 lbs of said mix.
What to do?!
-Returning it was out of the question- too far in this weather ( as is just about anything quite frankly).
-I could make biscuits every day between now and next Christmas and make a sizable dent in the 50 lbs but the resulting weight gain for me (because I would eat most of them-I'll just say it now) would result in me having to look for new jeans and that I am unwilling to do ( jeans shopping and bathing suit shopping- two of the most depressing activities in the free world!)
-Orrrrr, I could make neighbor gifts! We have a lot of neighbors and friends and this seemed a little friendlier than handing out stale cookies-soooooo ta dah! A batch of biscuit mix and a sweet little honey bear all in a homespun bag- Merry Christmas one and all!

Treasure Worth Having

This is George. He is a fairly mild mannered miniature Schnauzer
who takes life very seriously and acts most of the time like a small Presbyterian minister of the less tolerant sort. He stares at you while you're eating that little snack as if to say, "You know that's just going to settle right on your hips...much better altogether if you just give it to me right now and avoid the mental anguish you will experience later". Very thoughtful of him I am sure, but annoying while ingesting said snack.
Well, George has been a model of restraint lately, what with all the visitors and Addie ( that backstabbing Plott hound who had the audacity to come into the house as an 8" puppy and then grow into a magnificently athletic 2 1/2 foot monster who now towers over George and disturbs his rest every waking moment) bedeviling him he has been taking most things in his little bouncy stride.
To begin our story George's strange behavior began, all of the sudden, Wednesday evening as he plops down by the Christmas tree and refuses to move. If Addie comes near he threatens first with low Germanic mutterings and then, if she came closer, with swift avenging fury. This happened time and again and all we could figure out was that, at this late hour he had taken it into his head to guard the presents. On Christmas morning it was the same thing and then we discovered it was one particular present...the one Cindy had brought for us Wednesday evening! As we opened it he hovered near and we discovered the fascination...
Florences Exquisite Chocolates! A treasure worth guarding with life and limb! And he continued to gaurd them all day until we put them up in the kitchen out of his reach. Oh, it's a dog's life...

Christmas Melody

Music...that's what Christmas means to me.
Singing with the congregation, choir, children, caroling in a brisk winter wonderland, or solo in the kitchen while baking...it's what brings Christmas alive in my hard little heart. I have a lot of albums ( and after researching for this picture I realize I am not even halfway there...who knew Jethro Tull had a Christmas album?! Tiny Tim - yeah. Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand-oh yeah) and each has an important place to get me in the Christmas spirit.
My favorite in the hymnbook is "Angels We Have Heard On High". I love The Messiah ( anytime actually). Harry Connick Jr gets me up and doing when it is time for that and Raffi is my fave for kids ( its a GREAT album!). The Chieftains really reach for my roots and I love the coziness of Nat King Cole, Diana Krall jazzes it up nicely... I could go on ad infinitum but it sufficeth me to say:

It is incontestable that music induces in us a sense of the infinite and the contemplation of the invisible. ~Victor de LaPrade

Merry Chistmas!

It's a Pity ( party)

Pity.

That's the word for it. I feel for all of you near the coast who might have to endure some black ice and temps near ...zero!

"It" has begun and we won't see pavement until April if we're lucky!
I watched a large U-haul van go around a corner tonight and sashay in the snow like Sophia Loren in a satin dress. I know I signed up for this ( please re-read "the Egg and I"), but somehow it just doesn't make it any easier!

Alternate Universe

I feel as though I am out of synch with the rest of humanity. I put up Christmas trees in September and take them down in December- before Christmas. I am already thinking Spring and then in January it's back to Christmas when we wing to Dallas for a week of buying for next years trees. I'll let you know what the new hot color combos for trees this next year (purple and white!?)

As I Recall.... HB Sherri!

Rarely do travel trailers and giving birth mix as topics except, of course, when we recall the gentle birth of our dear ( and exceptional!) sister, Sherri! I do believe that, except for Dad, I am best qualified to give an accurate account of this momentous moment in history.
As I recall ...it was a dark and stormy night, hmmmm, or maybe a pleasantly crisp Northern California November day. I just remember it being daylight all that time...apparently Sherri didn't really like getting up as early then as she does now.
The first thing I remember is huddling with Debbie by the little louvered door that divided the back half of our trailer from the main room. We could hear scary ( for us) sounds coming through the door and we were a bit frightened by all the hustle and bustle. I am told Grandma Walley was there, but I really do not remember her in all this. I do remember we were huddling next to the tiny broom closet-slash-pantry where there was a huge bag of prunes kept in the bottom and, like as not, we munched on those a little as we waited and waited through all the scariness.
At last the ordeal was finally through and we worried little girls were allowed to enter and be comforted by our mother. We ran across the room to the tiny fold down couch that was the "guest" bed ( or, I guess, in these circ's- the "birthing couch") and threw ourselves on her and I believe it was me that scrambled across her!!!!- to lay by her in the bed. Talk about your pioneer gutsiness! Mom neither moaned or threw us back across the room ( which is what we heartily deserved!). We were later introduced to tiny little Sherri as she was lifted from the cardboard box on the table which served as her temporary crib. I don't honestly remember what my impressions of her looks were at that time ( except that she was tiny and cute and adorable...could I play with her pleeeease!?), but I am sure there was a touch of hauteur as if she slightly disdained the surrounding to which she was going to have to become accustomed to.
Happy Birthday Sherri!
We're glad you have risen to such heights!
Love ya, mucho, mucho!