7 posts tagged “holidays”
When the package says to prick the pie crust before baking, there's a real reason. And no, those bubbles don't just push back down, they break. Into lots of little pieces.
When you prick holes into the second set of pie crusts, you do not actually need to push the fork through the bottom of the tin.
Oh, and cherry pie filling is not a suitable substitute for pie cherries. Cherry + pie on the label should equal what I need, right?
I'm always amazed how we are so alike, yet we all seem to think we're the only ones going through a situation or feeling. I mentioned my holiday drama on a forum I belong to and almost half the group concurred that they just wanted to make it through the next few weeks too.
Frankly, I think the commercialization of the holiday has a lot to do with the Holiday Blues. We’ve lost sight of the "reason for the season" and have gotten caught up into a buying frenzy that seems to fuel the despair so many feel.
I don’t decorate for the holidays. A) I am too lazy. B) I have a cat that will knock down, pull off, push over anything that looks like it might move. Every day I pick up something that Cory has batted off a table or mantle or chest of drawers. And if I don’t find it before Gigi does, well . . .
And I did misspeak in that earlier post. I do have kids in my life. Well, at 11- and 14-years-old they are really young adults now. I feel so fortunate that over the years their mom has given me some top picks from their wish lists. Many times over I’ve seen their faces fill with anticipation only to be replaced by pure joy at seeing the gift they most wanted. It warms my heart and fills my soul. If it weren’t for those two, I’d really be a bah-humbug.
I think my point was going to be that the Holiday Blues seem to run rampant. And maybe if we’d all just talk to each other about it, it would lessen our own burden.
Saw Stranger Than Fiction and A Prairie Home Companion today.
I liked Stranger Than Fiction. As an appreciator of writers, the subject really interested me. For once, I liked Will Farrell, the straight man. And, I guess if you really squint, you can see how I might look like Maggie Gyllenhaal if she was having an off day (thanks for that comparison Kinkish, I'm flattered).
PHC was good, but it had a weird angel sub-plot going on that was unnecessary. There's a possibility that I will attend a conference in Minneapolis/St. Paul in May and I will definitely check to see if Garrison Keillor is in town and get tickets for mom and I.
Yesterday I did some block walking for my neighborhood association. I am running for vice president and we were putting out flyers to let folks know the election is tomorrow night.
Yeah, I'm running, but I won't be there because I will be in Austin seeing the Dixie Chicks! Have I mentioned seeing Shut Up and Sing? It's an excellent documentary about the whole, "We're embarrassed the President is from Texas" debacle. Even if you disagreed with what they said, you should see the movie. It might just change your mind.
Whatever, the Chicks rock. As of tomorrow night, Jill and I will have seen all three tours together. I can hardly wait!
I somehow ended up with a ton of vacation days left this year, so I took Thanksgiving week, and will take the week between Christmas and New Year's, and in between I am taking off every Friday.
Last Friday mom and I went to IKEA in Round Rock. We had a great time, although I almost fell over when they rang up my basket at the end of our four-hour tour (no joke)(although we did eat lunch there too).
I've been wanting to create a little reading nook for myself. The couch just isn't right for it, my favorite chair now belongs to the girls and I need to not always be reading in bed. I bought this chair, except mine is red. I also got a little table to go with it and just need to move my floor lamp to pull it all together. I had to move a chair out of the living room area to make it work, and it does, but now I have to decide what to do with the other chair. Into the second bedroom with all the other things I don't know what to do with I guess.
My Uncle has a follow-up with the Detroit doctors on the 15th. I'd say he's doing better, but it really doesn't sound like it. He's walking well, but still unable to swallow. They were going to do a swallowing test last Friday, but the weather was too bad and the appointment is rescheduled for this Friday.
I haven't been back to see my Godmother. I need to, just so I can see where they have her now. Seems the hospice ladies are in every day and really stay on top of things. I am glad for that.
My Godfather told the boys on Thanksgiving what was going on. The older son understands, the younger is still in denial. He keeps thinking there is something they can do, some drug they can find that will make her all better again. I think he is not going to take this well when the time comes. It's sad.
Have I mentioned how Thanksgiving sucked? I started to post about it earlier, but man, I always complain about the holidays. I've disliked them for years. Jill has invited us over for Thanksgiving for years now and we decided this was the year to give it a try. Never again. I almost fell over when we got there and I saw the turkey still in the sink thawing. At noon. Ugh. We didn't eat until 7:50 pm. Needless to say, I was starving! It was just a weird mix of family and friends, we won't be back...
I hate that I have lost the holiday spirit. Years ago I dated a guy with two kids. When we broke up, Christmas was never the same. Then my Godmother started to falter. I know that's life and all, but I just want to find peace, joy and happiness in my heart this time of year. And it's not there.
Gee, guess I should post more often and not let it all build up into one big Ba-Humbug message, huh?