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Red Wednesday as opposed to Black Friday
2 Weeks Ago

Morning Pilgrims. The normal pre-Thanksgiving day from hell is already underway. The to-do list is as long as myself. Syn, in his infinite wisdom, took one look at it and went home. He'll be back this afternoon to help. As soon as he gets here, I'm going to put a turkey in the smoker and turn him into the king of wood chips. I have some wild cherry to use. Lovely stuff.

This year I have all of the regular side dishes and desserts to prepare as well as the gluten-free ones. I've been experimenting with flour mixtures and have high hopes for the oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip cookies. I'm using a mixture of brown rice flour, potato starch and tapioca flour for the cookies and pie crust. And I'm attempting some focaccia with a mixture of millet flour, sorghum flour, cornstarch, potato starch and tapioca flour.

I want to get as much done today as possible so I can do the regular roast turkey and trimmings tomorrow morning. The biggest challenge is getting the porch cleared off, cleaned up and heated so we can eat out there tomorrow. There will only be 12 of us this year, but even so it's the only space I have large enough to hold everyone in the same room.

BC#1 finally got the door to my shed fixed so I can open and close it. This means that all that junk on the porch can go into the shed. And by doing the smoked turkey today, I'll be able to get the smoker out of the way.

The last of my apple trees and berry plants arrived yesterday, so I have those to unpack and get in the ground. Great timing. Just what I needed, another chore. Since I never go shopping on Black Friday, I may wait and plant them then. I seriously doubt if they'll die between now and then.

Right. I'm off to the local supermarket for last minute bits and bobs, then it will be time to start the baking. It's unlikely I'll be back online until Friday morning. I wish all my US American friends a wonderful holiday, filled with good food and interesting conversation.

(26 replies, Latest reply: 4 Days Ago)

I can't stand it
2 Weeks Ago

Not only have the retailers and TV advertisements gone into full Christmas mode, now my Christmas cactus has already started to bloom. Maybe it just wants to get it over with as badly as I do.

(28 replies, Latest reply: 2 Weeks Ago)

Possible Meet
5 Weeks Ago

If you're subscribed to my journals, chances are you know that I like baseball. One of the things on my bucket list is to watch a game at every major league ballpark. That's something I planned to do after I retire. However, I've decided to start a bit sooner than that.

The plan at this point is to take several short vacations rather than try to do it all at once. I'm going to start next June. The date was chosen to coincide with the Cardinals playing the Blue Jays in Toronto. Here's the schedule so far.

June 15 or 16, leave here and drive to New York. Catch the Mets and Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Friday, June 18. Drive to Boston and watch the Dodgers and Red Sox at Fenway Park on Sunday, June 20. Drive to Niagra Falls, spend one night there and cross over into Canada. We'll watch the Cards and Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Tuesday, June 22 then head for home on the 23rd. That's about as long as I can miss work that time of year.

So, I'm thinking that a meet could be arranged in either the New York or Boston area on Saturday, June 19. If there is anyone in that general area who is interested.

(25 replies, Latest reply: 3 Weeks Ago)

It's been a year
Oct 20, 2009

It doesn't seem possible that a year has passed since Lady C died. I had intended to put up a little memorial piece on the anniversary of her death, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

It's hard not to think about her this time of year. She absolutely loved decorating her house and yard for Halloween and then for Christmas. She had the attic stuffed full of decorations. It took days and days to haul it all out every year. I don't know whether her daughter will get it out and put it up this year or not.

I don't talk to any of them much these days. I haven't been out there since the funeral and none of them have been here. I'm not sure I'm ready to deal with going to visit them with her being gone. It would be such an odd feeling. And I'm sure they feel the same way about coming back here. None of them have ever been here without her.

Sisters have a special relationship, and we were no different. She knew all my secrets and I knew hers. She was simply always there. I took that for granted more than I should have done. Since she was nearly 9 years older, I sort of expected her to go before me, some day, in that distant future we never think is going to arrive. But not so soon. And not so quickly once we found out that she was ill.

I don't think I'm exactly sticking my head in the sand, refusing to deal with it. But I try not to think about it too much, to just keep going. Since we didn't see one another that often, I'm used to her not being around. But I did talk to her on the phone or via e-mail every day. I miss that.

She was so much fun. She had a good time no matter where she was or what she was doing. She genuinely enjoyed life. And she really enjoyed h2g2. I'm glad I told her about this place. She took to it like a duck to water. I tried to get her to go with me to England on my second trip over there. She would have loved it. But she was afraid of flying. At least that is the excuse she used. I do regret that I couldn't talk her into it.

I had pretty much already decided to enjoy my life now and not put off the things I want to do. Her death has reinforced that decision for me. And I plan to start taking better care of myself, as well. That's one thing she never did.

When my husband died, I had lots of time to get used to the idea. With Lady C, it came pretty much out of nowhere. It was harder to wrap my mind around it. I still have a hard time some days realizing that she is really gone. There were so many things we had planned to do together. Awk. No point in getting maudlin.

Sis, I miss you.

(25 replies, Latest reply: 5 Weeks Ago)

Is there a word?
Oct 12, 2009

When we say we don't particularly enjoy Christmas, we are called Scrooge or Grinch or a Humbug. What are we when we no longer enjoy Halloween? My first thought was mature adults who no longer feel the necessity to cling to our childhoods. But that is both unkind and unfair.

My problem is that because of my job I am forced to present a rah rah front about a lot of things that bore me silly. And I have one staffer who appears to live for Halloween every year. An otherwise intelligent adult who spends hundreds of dollars on decorations and costumes and parties. I'm heartily sick of hearing about it all. Then I come on here and have to navigate through all of the "costumes" and anagrams. Right. If my own name lent itself to a cool anagram, perhaps I'd like it better. *sigh* Anyway, you won't get an anagram from me even if that does make me a party pooper.

I like Thanksgiving. Nestled between two commercially driven juggernauts designed to empty our pockets, nearly forgotten in the wind-up to both. No gifts to buy. No lights to hang. Just cook a nice meal and eat it with family and friends and reflect on our blessings. These days the most important thing about Thanksgiving is that it is the day before Black Friday. Pah!

(93 replies, Latest reply: Oct 15, 2009)