My best gift

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.

~Dr. Seuss

We always open our gifts, just the four of us, a couple of days before Christmas. This started a few years ago - mainly because the big "family" Christmas has gotten so HUGE that we want to save a little time. One year, for example, we got so exhausted after opening gifts on Christmas Eve for 3 hours that we took a meal break before we finished the other half..... and the family has GROWN since then!

So, we opened our gifts last night, on the Winter Solstice. My sons helped me light every candle in the house (part of the Solstice tradition -- a way of encouraging the light to return and summer to come once again). To the gentle strains of "Jingle Bells" and "O, Holy Night", basking in the glow of the tree and the Vikings/Packers game, we sat in our living room and opened gifts.

When we were all done and the boys had disappeared upstairs to play their new video games and call their friends I finally had time take it all in. I snuggled up to my husband, gave him a big hug, and looked into his eyes. In all honesty I said, "Do you know what my BEST gift this year was? It was getting to stay home and take care of you guys."

With tears in his eyes, my darling husband said, "I was going to say that was MY best gift!"

You can't do better than that!

Merry Christmas

Christmas Traditions #2

One of my most treasured Christmas traditions is one my husband and I started on the first Christmas after we were married. That year we went out and bought the prettiest angel we could find for the top of our tree. We also bought a pale pink glass heart -- appropriate for a young couple in their first year of marriage. At that time we decided that we would buy one special ornament each year (the next year we added "regardless of the cost" because the ornament we fell in love with was a lot more than it should have been).

Every year we pick one day and go ornament shopping. We always go alone together. We used to do it while the boys were in daycare, but now we just tell them where we're headed and off we go. We hold hands and wander the mall and look over several (hundred) ornaments until we find just the right one. There hasn't been a year yet when we haven't agreed on our purchase. Sometimes it only takes one stop. Some years it takes more than one shopping trip. There's no way to know how long it will take or where we will find it, but we always know it's out there -- we just have to keep looking.

This year by the time we got all 19 previous ornaments on the tree it was nearly full. Of course we found a place for the ornaments that were important to us (photos, an engraved heart, the pipe-cleaner snowman), but it made me think: some day our boys will have all of these... some day they'll be setting up the tree for the "family Christmas" and we'll be long gone, but they will pull out each ornament and line them up to put them on in order just like always... they'll argue over who gets to put on the seahorses and they'll reminisce about the year the younger one climbed the lilacs to retrieve the cardinals' nest after the babies had flown... they'll look at the ones that contain photos and remark, as we always do, that we sure have changed... and they'll remember all those Christmases together in our house full of love, and they will (I hope) continue those traditions with their families.

Christmas Traditions - #1

We got our Christmas tree on Saturday. Since we live in the heart of the big city, there was no tramping through Santa's forest to cut down a tree for us. It's always more like driving through Satan's traffic jam!

I have this "gift" for always finding the perfect tree. An example: one year I actually bypassed all the trees they already had unwrapped and standing for inspection and walked to the back of the lot where the trees-in-waiting are all bundled and piled up. I picked one off the pile and made the tree-lot-guy unwrap it so I could see it. He opened it up and - it didn't even move. It was so cold that the tree was actually frozen into shape. It didn't matter, though, because I KNEW this was the one. We brought it home and set it up to warm and "fluff" up. Not only was it the perfect shape (not even one bare spot), but there was a bird's nest in it! Of course, we left the nest as an ornament.

The perfect tree this year was probably only perfect to me. It looked like it had been forgotten in the back corner of the tree lot and cut as an accident. It was about 14' tall (we have 9' ceilings), spindly, and was obviously never shaved into the commercially-perfect triangle shape. It was, as the tree-lot-guy described it, a "Charlie Brown" tree. Of course we bought it. My husband has learned never to question my decision when I pick a tree; it wouldn't do any good. Once I get my heart set on a tree we could spend another hour and we'd still go home with that same one.

We had to take about a foot off the bottom and another 4 feet off the top just to get it into the living room. The angel will stand nestled in the upper branches instead of perched on the top. Still, it doesn't matter. For this year, at this time, this is the perfect tree. They always are.

Wretched Excess

Saturday morning, due to some unexplained burst of insanity, my darling husband decided it was the day to clean out the Toy Closet. To understand what a bad idea this is, you first have to understand that the toy closet is a walk-in closet in my youngest son's bedroom (you know the one - he's the one who has to save EVERYTHING, from the rocks he finds on walks to the cardboard packaging that comes with toys). This closet is the place that all toys get sent when they are not being actively used. Things don't get put away in this closet so much as they get THROWN, usually with force and a flip of the wrist.

When I first opened the door (believe me when I say I don't do that often) I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. The giant Rubbermaid tubs we used to hold all the stuff (several of them, originally each sorted by type of toy - sports stuff, guns and weapons, etc) had each been emptied onto the floor, then left sitting on top of the pile. It appeared as if a tornado had hit a toy store, and then left everything inside this closet and shut the door. If there hadn't been the four of us ready to work I would have shut the door and backed slowly out of the room.... but there we all were. No turning back, I guess.

I won't bore you with all the details - just a few of the highlights. We found a dirty sock and three pair of boxer shorts. We found candy wrappers. We found pieces for games we no longer have. There was one stray puzzle piece - plain gray, of course, so there's no hope of figuring out where it went. Oddly enough, we did not discover what was causing the place to smell like pizza. Even more puzzling, we did not discover any trace of insect or rodent infestation. You know it's bad when even MICE won't chance it!

When we finished (7 1/2 hours later!) we had filled 2 large yard garbage bags, 2 kitchen garbage bags, a big boxes, plus we burned several wood and cardboard items. We saved a large laundry basket full of things he thinks he can sell (or give away). Everything remaining fits in the front half of the closet (shelves, mostly), leaving the back half empty. We have a plan for that, but I think I'll save that for another day..... as my husband said once when I wanted to keep adding to a project like this, "The job is big enough."

They can't ALL be winners

Today I woke up feeling - icky. Nothing specific wrong, just kind of achy all over. I decided it would have to be a light day, because there was just no way I was going to get a lot done. So after making the bed, showering and putting on my makeup, and taking the kids to school I washed dishes and made a pan of each kind of Rice Crispie bar. After washing dishes a second time I decided to try a new recipe (Self magazine, December 2006 issue, lemon crisp cookies).

I should have used common sense while making it, but I usually try to follow the recipe exactly the first time and then get creative the next time. The recipe, which I will not list exactly, called for about 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder AND soda, salt, sugar, 1/4 cup butter, one egg yolk, and 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (and the lemon zest). The dough was dry and crumbly, but I pressed it into a log as best I could, wrapped it in plastic, and put it into the refrigerator for the required three hours. At that point I dutifully sliced it into thin slices, brushed each with egg white, and sprinkled them with sugar.

The good news: they SMELL wonderful
The moderate news: they taste all right
The bad news: they are very very ugly to look at

The "log" I had to roll them into wasn't a perfect cylinder, so the cookies are not round. There isn't enough butter in them to cause them to flatten, so whatever you have when you slice is what you have when they're baked. They were still dry and crumbly, so they sort of fell apart when I tried to put them onto the cookie sheets. Oh, and the lemon zest didn't really cook so much as dry out, so they feel like they have coconut in them (which they do not). Like I said, they SMELL wonderful, and that smell is enough to make you want to eat one.


**UPDATE: after they completely cooled the lemon flavor got stronger. They're still ugly to look at, but I think I can get past appearances to have another one.......

It's the little things....

It's really amazing how much of a difference the little unexpected things can make. This morning I had to take my car in for her annual exam (similar to my own, I suspect - they hoist her up and poke around her undercarriage and check the vital signs). My car dealer recently moved to a new location, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I did know that I had a two-hour wait for my car, so I was prepared. I brought my Christmas cards along so I could kill some time by getting them all addressed. At least THAT would be done.....

I was STUNNED by the new waiting area. First, they had several new comfy chairs. Then they had added a couple of small tables and chairs (so people like me would have a place to work). On one wall there was a large flat-panel television (Tyra looked so CLEAR!). They had free coffee and cocoa and juice and treats. I could have just set up camp there for the day - I was all set. But the best thing was ------ FREE CHAIR MASSAGE!! That's right, on Tuesdays they offer free chair massages for their customers who choose to wait for their cars. How great is that? I never would have expected such a treat on a rainy Tuesday, but the thoughtfulness of my car dealership made my whole day. It was wonderful -- I got my work done, I got cappuccino and Cracker Jacks, I got to watch Tyra on a big screen, and I got a free 30-minute massage.

Life is good. ....next time, though, I'm going to make my appointment for a Wednesday. The massage was great, but Wednesday is free MANICURE day. Sweet.

Shopping Day

Today, the day after Thanksgiving, is known to retailers as BLACK FRIDAY (because they are hoping that their sales for the day will put them "in the black"). I like to refer to it as (reverent hush...) SHOPPING DAY! My husband believes that this is my BIG holiday of the year. I get as excited about this day as some people do over their birthday or Christmas.

It starts with the anticipation the night before Thanksgiving (or Shopping Day Eve Eve) - just waiting for those ads that I know will be waiting for me when I wake up the next morning. Thanksgiving morning, before I have my shower or coffee or pull the turkey out of the refrigerator, I race downstairs and grab the paper - sorting the ads into "junk" and "places I HAVE to hit first on Friday". After Thanksgiving dinner I really get serious. I look over each individual ad, remove any special coupons that I will need the next day, and make my list. The list includes the store, what they have that I 'm looking for, whether or not there are any coupons, and the specific hours the special deals are for. Next I re-do the list and put everything in chronological order. I need to figure out when I need to be at each store, but I also need to make the best use of my time. I have to consider whether an item is going to be in limited supply and I have to map out my planned route. Not on an actual map, of course. THAT would be crazy. :-)

This morning I was up and out the door early enough that I was parking at my first stop at 6:30. If that sounds bad, know that I met some people who had started their shopping before 4:oo! And I thought I was tired....

Of course to some people this sounds like a lot of trouble to go through, but if everything goes well there will be at least one deal that will make it all worthwhile. This morning it was the earrings I am now wearing. They were originally $42. They were on sale for $25, and today all the sale items were an additional 50% off. That made them $12.50. Oh, and I had a coupon for $10 off any one item. Yes, that's right. My lovely earrings that exactly match my sweater cost me $2.50 - and if that's not worth getting up early for I don't know what is!

So, Happy Shopping Day to you and yours. I hope it was as lovely for you as it was for me.

Truly Thankful

I can't believe Thanksgiving is here again already. I swear it was just Christmas a month or so ago - how time flies when you're having fun! Normally my family all gets together at our house, and I'm cooking turkey and pie for 20 people (and LOVING it). This year, due to a pregnancy in one part of the family and a vacation in another, we're all doing our separate things. It makes me sad that the family won't all be together for the holiday (I would have made a GREAT grandmother in the 50's - I'm just that much of a traditionalist), but I know that things happen that are out of our control sometimes.

Traditionally we'd go around the table and each one of us would say at least one thing we're thankful for. I guess THIS is my table this year....

I'm thankful for all those years when we WERE all together, because I know there are a lot of people who never have that.
I'm thankful for a family that I really enjoy getting together with, because I know a few people who do not get along with their families (and a few who don't even have anyone).
I'm thankful for my wonderful husband, because he's always there with a smile and a hug and an unwaivering love and devotion that I couldn't survive without.
I'm thankful for my first son, because as terrific as he was as a child, he's growing into an even more terrific man - witty and brilliant and introspective and handsome - he's a human being that any parent would be proud of.
I'm thankful for the my second son, because he has the caring soul of an angel, and because he has a joy and electricity about him that can enliven even the dullest day (although sometimes it's exhausting).
I'm thankful for my freedom (also known as my current lack of a paying job). Staying home and taking care of my family has been the hardest and most rewarding time of my life so far.
I'm thankful for my ex-boss, because it was time for a change in my life, but it took her to push me out and force that to happen.
I'm thankful for my health, because I know people who are currently battling for their lives....
I'm thankful that my family is all healthy - it's rare to find such a large group of people with no major medical problems.
I'm thankful that I live in the greatest country in the world, where we are free to do and say what we want, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else (and sometimes even if it does).
Mostly, I'm thankful for each and every day where I get to enjoy all of this, because I know that it could be taken away unexpectedly in an instant. I'm just happy ever single time I see the sunrise on another day.

What are YOU thankful for?

Arts and Crafts and Algebra

Today I’m making new valances for my kitchen and 2 matching aprons. It didn’t start out to be a crafts project, but these things happen….. Last week I went to Ikea. They had the most AMAZING clearance price on curtains – beautiful white fabric with red “toile“ flowers. Originally $14.99 per package, they were marked down to $0.99!! For that price how could I NOT find a use for them? My kitchen is in the process of going from “white and blue” to “red, white, and blue” and I was hit with inspiration. So, I bought a package of valances. When I got them home I discovered there was only one in the package (the sign could have been more clear – it read “2/package”. Apparently that only applied to the actual curtains). After much irritation I drove back to Ikea only to discover that there were no more valances. Fine – it was under a dollar after all. So I bought a package of curtains instead. According to the information on the package they would still be the same width, just longer. Hemming is not a problem, so I brought them home. It was then that I learned that the width listed on the package was only valid if you considered the ENTIRE width of the curtains when hung side-by-side. GGGRRRRRRR!!

So now we come to today. After some basic math I figured out that if I cut each of the curtain panels in half and re-hemmed the bottom edge, I would end up with four panels whose length was slightly longer than the valances and whose total width would be the same as the original two valances would have been. I shortened each of the four panels, and then I took that extra length and cut it in half (if you can picture it, I now have 4 panels and 4 strips about 2” wide). Finally I took the original valance and cut it into two pieces, each about 25” wide. All I have to do is hem the bottom edges of the 4 panels for the new valences, hem the cut sides of the “EX” valance pieces (top and bottom are still hemmed), hem the sides of those strips, and attach the strips to the sides of the ex-valances pieces.

Total cutting time: 30 minutes
Total sewing time: about 15 minutes
Total cost: $2.10
Final result: perfect white and red valances for my kitchen, and two very “kitschy” matching aprons.

Not bad for an afternoon!

Cheap entertainment

I’m sitting at my computer watching our bird feeder out my window. We have 2 very large male blue jays taking turns at the feeder. A squirrel is waiting patiently on the ground (well, maybe NOT so patiently, based on the twitch in his tail). Mommy and Daddy cardinal are sitting in the lilacs waiting, too, for their turn. The sparrows wait a little further up in the branches.

The cause of all the commotion is the “Circus-grade Peanuts” filling the feeder. Apparently they are a HUGE hit and will need to be restocked frequently. Everyone loves peanuts, I guess.

The best part of the peanuts is that the big bag was FREE! We were getting gas at Costco, went to throw something away, and found a full bag of peanuts in the trash. Of course WE weren’t going to eat them, but we figured the squirrels would like them if nothing else. Poor squirrels – the constant JAY! JAY! JAY! is keeping breakfast just out of reach……

Lemon Bars

Yes, from scratch. They're not that hard, really.

Lemon Bars (thanks to my Great-Aunt Violet)

Crust:
2 cups flour
1 cup cold butter
½ cup powdered sugar
cut all together with a pastry blender (or knife and fork)
press into 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes

Filling:
4 eggs – VERY well beaten
2 cups sugar
¼ cup flour
¼ cup lemon juice
lemon zest (grated lemon rind)
1 tsp baking powder
mix together and pour over hot crust (as soon as it is done baking)

return pan to oven and bake about 25 minutes. Dust lightly with powdered sugar.
(note: I tried making about 2/3 the crust and cutting the sugar to 1 ½ cups in the filling. I loved it because it make the lemon flavor stronger, but my family did not – they thought it seemed too sour. I guess it depends on what you like).

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken breast (4 large)
Sliced ham (salty)
Sliced Provolone Cheese
Shake-n-Bake

Butterfly the chicken and separate the halves (you'll have 8 thinner pieces of chicken). Pound the chicken flat (I put it between two thin silicone cutting boards and pounded it gently with a hammer). Lay a slice of ham and a slice of cheese on top of each chicken breast. Roll each up and secure with toothpicks. Place in pan and cover completely with Shake-n-bake mix. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. Serves 4 (2 each).

3 out of 4 of us loved this. #4 didn't like the ham (of course, he doesn't like much) but we replaced it with bacon when making his and he LOVED it. Feel free to experiment. Try a different meat. Try a different cheese. Try candy for all I care - it just might be good!

Rice Crispie Bars, 2 ways

Rice Crispie Bars #1
(technically these are Special K bars, because that's where the original recipe came from. I don't think these fit into their new "replace 2 meals with cereal" diet plan, though)

1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
Bring to boil and remove from heat
Stir in 1 cup peanut butter, blend well.
Quickly stir mixture into 6 cups cereal (rice crispies)
Press into greased 9x13 pan
Top with 2 cups chocolate chips and let melt, then spread like frosting
Let cool


Rice Crispie Bars #2

40 large marshmallows
2 T butter
Melt in microwave (30 seconds, stir, repeat until melted)
Quickly stir mixture into 6 cups cereal (rice crispies)
Press into greased 9x13 pan
Let cool

Using your skills

You often see articles about using your “home” skills to translate to “job” skills, but it’s never the other way. I’m not sure why – every day I find a work-life skill that I can adapt to life at home. For example, I’ve used my Excel knowledge to set up packing lists, pre- and post-vacation to-do lists, and even my grocery list. I use Word for letters and information and school notes. I use PowerPoint to help my kids get homework assignments put together (great for those BIG reports). I’ve even used my scanner to help prepare projects and to save copies of reports (in case the teacher loses something).

This week I’ve taken advantage of the problem-solving skills I learned in a Supervision class to help my younger son organize and plan a school project…. And at least once every day I have to use negotiation when dealing with the kids’ arguments and detailed planning to get everything done in the time I have (between the time they leave and the time they return). So far it’s working very well – I manage to get everything done and cleaned and every errand run, and I’ve never not been home when the first one got off the bus.

Yep – work is great practice for real life. I should probably write them a thank-you note….

a man may work from sun to sun....

....but a woman's work is never done!

This morning I was up before 6:00 (not by choice, but SOMEONE was snoring and I couldn't sleep). I checked e-mail for a bit, then straightened up the living room and den, got myself some coffee, got dressed and fixed my hair and makeup, baked coffee cake for the "boys", washed dishes, cleaned up the kitchen, and brought in and sorted the paper. After everyone ate I re-tidied everything I'd already done once and then read the paper (and clipped the interesting coupons). I'm about ready for a nap, while everyone else is still thinking about having a shower.

Some people would call not having a paying job "taking a break," but I've never worked so hard in my life.... or loved it so much.

The coffee cake, by the way, is a HUGE hit (remember the stuff your grandma used to make).

Bisquick Coffee Cake: Betty Crocker

Heat oven to 375°F. Bake 18-22 minutes

Cinnamon Streusel Topping:
2/3 cup Original Bisquick® mix
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter (firm)
Mix all ingredients in small bowl with pastry blender (or knife and fork) until crumbly.

Coffee Cake:
2 cups Original Bisquick® mix
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg

Directions:
Make Cinnamon Streusel and set aside.
In a separate bowl, stir remaining ingredients until blended.
Mix in a 1/4 of the Streusel topping and pour into in pan.
Top with all the remaining Cinnamon Streusel.
Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown, testing with a toothpick.

Time to start.

I've been thinking about doing this for a long time, but I never seemed to get around to it. First it was winter, and who wants to do ANYTHING then. Then it was a busy time at work. Then I was "eliminated" and too depressed to think about starting something new. Finally, like a bear coming out of her cave in the spring and suddenly realizing all the beauty around her, I realized what my new life had brought. Think of it as my awakening, if you will. It's like I was slumbering, oblivious in my darkness to the light awaiting me just outside.... but now my eyes are open, the cave is a distant memory, and I'm ready to embrace the warmth that is my new life.

I spent nearly 14 years with the same company, giving them my soul in return for periodic advancement and a semi-monthly check. I worked through lunches and came in on days off to help in emergencies. My reward for my loyalty and hard-work was a quick meeting on a cold day to tell me that my position had been eliminated. I cried, I packed, and I left. I felt hurt and abandoned - unwanted by those I'd trusted and thrown away by the very people I'd built by days around. My office plants all froze and died on the walk to my car. My heart was broken.

In the first days at home it was all I could do to force myself to get up and showered and dressed, but my husband and sons required it. I threw myself full-force into looking for another job with another company that I could love as I had loved the old one. In between job searches I cleaned floors and organized closets and baked. Slowly it began to dawn on me that this was where I'd belonged all the time. My husband was happy, because he was coming home to a relaxed wife and a hot, home-cooked dinner. My boys were happy, because they were walking in the front door to the smell of just-out-of-the-oven cookies. ..but mostly I was happy - my errands were getting done, my meals were getting planned in advance, and my house was clean (no small feat, considering the dust and fur created by 3 male humans and 3 male cats).

My plan (and there is always a plan, right?) is the fill this blog with my daily life - the good and the bad. What I do, where I go, and what being a reformed workaholic is like. I'll probably even post my recipes here, and I promise to note the difference between those that we all LOVED and those that mostly went into the trash. Like brownie recipe #4..... but that's another post!