Best Christmas EVER!!!!

There is a remarkable breakdown of taste and intelligence at Christmastime.  Mature, responsible grown men wear neckties made of holly leaves and drink alcoholic beverages with raw egg yolks and cottage cheese in them.    P.J. O'Rourke 


Yeah, it was kinda like that.


Between my trip to the winery and the kids' trip to the winery, we had 8 cases of wine.


We had our second annual Christmas Eve dinner for the extended family.  Around 25 of us.


The wine flowed.  Food was consumed.  The wine flowed.  The chatter was deafening.  The wine flowed.  We were smiling.  And a few outcasts drank beer.

Blah blah blah

The Food

More food

Someone always has to wear a silly hat.

Then came Christmas day.  We started out very well.  We opened presents.

Ninja chicken

Corn meal?? Really?

They're not looking.  I get all the presents.

We went to church and sang Christmas hymns then came home.

Inside the Church

Setting up the music

 Then things got irreverent.  We all got tats, even Gmar.

Jim's tat

My ankle tat

We set up the bonfire, and invited the friendly neighborhood organic farmer over to enjoy the bonfire.

Sister beats sister with a stick

building up the fire

mother hauls son to the fire

More Wood   More Wood

Gathering of the masses

Mother cuts son in half while family laughs

TO BE CONTINUED

bak bak

Red Solo Cup

Proceed to party - Toby Keith


We have a theme for Christmas.

11 days ago, when Jim and I were putting together the panels for my mini greenhouse, he had his radio on in the truck turned to a country station.  This alone is unusual for him.  Anyhoo, the Red Solo Cup song came on.  He laughed and I said, "this is the stupidest song I have ever heard.  I hate it."

Time passes.  Two days later, I was watching Glee, one of my favorites, and they did a cover of  GAAAAH, Red Solo Cup.  I lost faith.  I hate this song.

Time passes.  Two days ago I did something I have NEVER done.  I bought a ring tone for my cell.  You betcha, Red Solo Cup.  I HATE this song.

Yesterday.  We went on youtube and watched the video.  Acutally, this was funny.  Both versions.

Today.  Iris and I went shopping for last minute things we needed for the family party we are having on Saturday.

I HATE

This

Song

I HAT  <Red Solo Cup, I fill you up, Lets have a party, Proceed to party...>

bak bak and merry Christmas

The Great Christmas Cookie Caper

A balanced diet is a christmas cookie in each hand - unknown


Well the peoples have circled and are starting to land for the season.  My daughter and my mother-in-law arrived yesterday.  So now I've got two demented old womens running around and my daughter and Jim pisadeared to go hunting this afternoon.  Fun in dysfunctional. So I made christmas cookies all day.  My daughter helped me with the first batch of triple chocolate cookie balls, then I made the pecan sandies by myself.  It's the first time I have actually made them, though we have them every christmas.  That leaves the hello dollies, the tea cakes, the press cookies and a couple of new recipes to be named later.

I did have a moment of sheer panic when I couldn't get my demy (see former blog) to sync so I emailed their troubleshooting hot line and got an american and an immediate answer and fix.  Very impressive.  So I went on my blythe cookie making way.

The weather has gotten a bit less cold.  It is not freezing at night, but it is in the upper thirties.  The moon is on the wain and the stars are gorgeous.

The vegetation is mostly dead, except a few herbs hanging on.  The lettuce has bolted, so I will collect seeds soon.  Most of the trees are bare.  The cockers are having a ball scratching around in the leaves.  I swear if I could mound them, they would run and jump in the middle.

The egg production is still down and my saddle girl is looking so sad.  I caught her to put a new saddle on and when I grabbed her, she lost about 20 feathers.  I put the saddle on, but she was so forlorn this time that I took it off her after about 4 hours.  I just worry that she will catch cold with so few feathers.

The new rooster is starting to mess with the hens pretty regularly now.  From what I've seen, they will not accept him, and if JW is around there is big trouble in little china.  However, today, I noticed that JW was in the garden with three hens and the new rooster was with the rest of the girls in the woods.  I think it won't be too long to a confrontation.  So, there is the new rooster's name.  Pilgrim (remember Mcclintock?)

We picked up trash last Saturday along our stretch of highway and will complete it this Saturday.  It is getting better.  This time we got 5 bags of trash and 3 of recycle on one side.  What really pissed me off, though was that after we dropped the trash off at the church, someone had already thrown a can on the clean side!  It took less than 2 hours to litter.  I wish I had caught the people.

Sunday is our annual christmas program at Harmony Church and I will narrate again.  We have one more practice on saturday then the real thing.  It is alway so fun.  We never get it completely right, which is simply charming.

I finally got all my christmas shopping done and all wrapped under the tree.  Sigh, what a great feeling.

That's all.

bak bak

I love UPS, I'm going to marry UPS.

Every once in a while, someone will mail me a single popcorn kernel that didn't pop. I'll get out a fresh kernel, tape it to a piece of paper and mail it back to them.
Orville Redenbacher

This quote didn't exactly fit the theme, but it is about the mail and I thought it was hilarious.


This year, with very few exceptions, I did all my shopping online.  The UPS guy is here every other day, but I give him eggs once a week so he doesn't mind.  Today, he asked to buy a dozen for his buddy, who saw him with the eggs.  I didn't have a dozen so I gave him 1/2 dozen.  What can I say.  My girls eggs are superior.  Unfortunately, they are on winter hours so I am only getting 4 eggs a day.  I have to stretch them to give enough away as I now give some to the owner of my gym, the UPS guy and the church members.  We all have to learn to share.


Lately I have taken to sitting with the cockers of an evening in the pen, before I shut them up.  I give them meal worm treats.  Minion will now sit on my shoulder to get above the crowd.  JW will peck my hand or leg when he can.  He HATES when I get the girls.  Yesterday he got me really good with his spurs on my ankle.  It took me an hour to work through the pain.  I never can believe how strong his legs are.  He could probably break a squirrels back if so inclined.


Anyway, back to the gifts.  I've gotten everyone except my two nephews.  So hard to buy for.  One has everything and is happy, one has nothing and is happy.  How can you deal with this??  In addition to online shopping, I got a few bargains at the auction this time around.  I can't tell you what cause they are secret.  I am also getting a collection of F. Roy Johnson books from various sources.  He is a local writer (now deceased) who collected stories from the area from old timers.  They are really wonderful books but hard to find cause they are out of print.


I've got the house completely decorated now.  I love this time of year.  I went to a charity christmas luncheon with one of the ladies from church on tuesday.  I even put lipstick on (gasp) but could not bring myself to wear a dress.  I am practicing with the choir for the christmas program.  I will be narrating again this year, since I like the program, but can't carry a tune in a bucket.  I made a donation to a chicken rescue farm in Hampstead Texas.  GIVE GIVE GIVE.  It feels so good.


And the weather is finally seasonal again.  It froze last night and will be cold all next week.  Dare I hope for snow on Christmas???

I have not been as persevering at the gym for the last two weeks cause of all the things going, but I try to get there at least three times a week.  I am not losing weight much, but I am getting stronger.

Oh, and one more thing.  I got my three beekeeping books today.  That's right.  Next spring, I am going into beekeeping.  But first, research.  Lots of research.  Can't wait.

Bak Bak

Visit from Jack

The frost performs its secret ministry, Unhelped by any wind. - Samuel Taylor Coleridge


Well, it seems that the seasons have finally straightened themselves out.  We have a gorgeous frost on the ground this morning and I froze my butt off turning the chickens out.


I just went out to take a picture of the frost and had a bufflehead land on the pond, so I didn't get the picture, but watched him for about 15 minutes.  Now I really am cold, but it was worth it.


We had a wonderful day after thanksgiving open house.  Friends and family stopped by for a nosh and a josh.  The spread was pretty wonderful.  Jim cooked one of his heritage turkeys and all pronounced it the best.  We had ranch style beans, sweet potato casserole, sweet potato cookies, sweet potato pie and deep fried sweet potato chips, which were also a big hit.  I couldn't make them fast enough.  We had triple chocolate cookie balls, organic radishes (I ate so many of these I had a tummy ache the next day, then promptly ate some more), divinity, spinach dip, queso and chips, pound cake, sausage balls, and on and on.  Oh yeah, and wine.


I played hooky from church on Sunday and decorated the house for Christmas.  I used to think that is was so early, but my attitude has changed.  I love this time of year and love putting the decorations up.  Our poor artificial tree has seen better days, but it has so much tradition, I can't bear to get a new one.

Santaaaaaaaa

Many stockings

I TOLD Santa there would be trouble

Santa quackers

The mantle

I am going to the gym each morning, except I didn't go on monday and tuesday cause I was on egg patrol.  There is another rogue nest out there and I can't find it.  I spent monday and tuesday all morning watching the cockers and nothing.  It's very frustrating.  The one I found last week they abandoned as soon as I raided it.  They are getting smarter.

Jim shot a doe on saturday so he could have one in the freezer.  He collected a big bag of scraps from the bones for the chickens and they can't get enough.  Apparently, even with the drought, there are fat deer to be had.  This one had been eating our friendly neighborhood organic farmer's cover crop.

Oops, time for the gym, so more later.

bak bak