As always, Otis looks sad when we leave.
Up one hill...
across the ridge,
..and down the other hill!
Then over another hill...
and by a lake and finally we arrived at Derek's, just in time to help with breakfast. The photos do just to the kind of day we had--gray and chilly.
A quick visit with all the family visiting at Derek's, a trip to pick up some felt (my first time in Wal-Mart in 2 or 3 months), and then finally home.
I got to work on next Saturday's program. I'm resurrecting some things I remember from doing Holiday programs at my library--this is a program for younger children, so I'm digging out stories and re-making a flannelboard song that the kids used to love. It meant making a Santa from felt so we can put him together as we sing. Then a cut-and-tell story to get ready and some story cards for the Twelve Days of Christmas. With the story of Baboushka, the Christmas Spider, and a few others, I think I'm ready.
I also needed to make a vegetable side dish for the staff Holiday dinner tomorrow, and prepare a dessert. The dessert will be...the last fruitcake form last year! And if you think this is a joke, you haven't tasted that cake. It's moist and incredibly delicious. Who wants to bet, though, that I bring most of it home with me? People have such a bad impression of fruitcake, mostly because they haven't had good fruitcake. And this is incredible.
I decided to make the Spicy Corn dish I made for Thanksgiving for the vegetable dish. That meant out to the freezer for onions and out to the cellar for
peppers! Who knew that peppers would keep so well just piled in a basket in the cellar? We have about a half-bushel out there of lilac, green bell, sweet banana and a few jalapenos, and they're keeping quite well, thank you. I have never tried this before and honestly this was a accident this year. I didn't have time to cut them up for the freezer so I told Larry to put them in the cellar and I'd get to them "directly." They're still there, 8 weeks later, and keeping quite well.
The other garden surprise today was this:
Two rosebuds valiantly hanging on even though the temperature was in the low 20's last night. I cut them and brought them in, and we'll see how they do. There was also, under the snow, these:
the annual hollyhocks are still hanging on. Amazing.
This evening was spent by the fire, watching another episode of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
on Larry's little DVD player.I have read every book in the series so when I saw the DVDs on the library's shelf I grabbed it. I am enjoying it very much. The insight into the way of life and the traditional courtesy of people in Botswana is so refreshing. I seldom watch movies because I find them coarse, violent and filled with unnecessary profanity and obscenity. These are a welcome change.
Now it's bedtime, and also time to start thinking about the work week--which looks to be a snowy one, if the weatherman is right. We'll see.
Good hearing from you and enjoyed your post. Love that you have peppers in the cellar. I have tomatoes wrapped in newspaper, ripening in our cellar. Audri, granddaughter of 3 years and I checked them today. Moved 9 red tomatoes to the kitchen counter, discarded 3 "squishy" ones per Audri -- and rewrapped 5 green tomatoes and returned them to the cellar. I have never eaten home-grown tomatoes in December before today.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a nice weekend. People are less suspicious of fruit cake in UK as it's our traditional Christmas cake - but there are fruit cakes and fruit cakes! Mine, I'm happy to say, is looking good. I fed it with more sherry yesterday and it's beautifully moist. On the subject of nice films - have you ever seen 'Enchanted April'? If not get it and watch, it's my favourite movie of all time, set in Tuscany and worth watching for the scenery alone. 'A Month By the Lake' is another one also set in Italy. They are both still available on Amazon.com even though they are old films.
ReplyDeleteLooks so pretty in someone else's yard! Rowan, I have never used sherry for the fruitcakes, I have always used brandy. I am going to try it next year and see what the difference is. Sounds like a nice weekend Susie. Love you.
ReplyDeleteThat film of the Ladies #1 was just about perfect. Every character was just as I pictured them--except the former husband--he was much scarier. I hope they will do the rest of the books.--Jane
ReplyDeleteRowan, I think it's because the English make such good fruitcakes, if my mother's are any indication.
ReplyDeleteI will look for those movies too--Enchanted April sounds familiar--was it a book?
I didn't have any green tomatoes to wrap, Nance :( Maybe next year. It is such a treat to have your own tomatoes this late.
Theresa, I think I put Cream Sherry in mine last year or the year before. I have a hard time finding it here, but I remember buying it in Warrenton on our way to Julie's. Shoot, I just like Cream Sherry!
I am loving the TV version of the show, Jane. We've watched 4 episodes so far and as you say, the characters are exactly as I puctured them. The only surprise was that the little white van was actually a datsun pickup!
I saw you at Wal Mart! We were getting out of our car and I saw Larry walking through the parking lot. Then I saw you waiting for him outside the front door. I waved, but you didn't see me. Can't believe you still have rose buds in your garden. It is so cold!
ReplyDeleteA lady I work with told me today that she saw me there as well. And when I got in the car with Larry, I said, "you know what's funny? I was in there all that time and never saw anyone I know!" I put on virtual blinders in Wal-mart--I have my list and I go after those items and get out of there. So no wonder I don't see anyone!
ReplyDeleteLet's see now . . . the snow is lovely. You visit Torture Mart about as often as I do. Only in dire straits do I go. Your peppers are outstanding! I want to try to corn dish. The rose is a blessing--when do you prune them up there? We do it in January. And the other flowers hanging on are so pretty, too. What a picturesque life, so far removed from the one I live down here where it's 32 today and Friday noon I'll be fishing in shirt sleeves. Blessings, Sue!
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PS: No one here makes fruitcake, but every year, my daddy would buy one of those little 2-inch by six-inchers from the grocery and he and I would eat every bite throughout the holidays. So, I WANT some of that fruitcake, and I promise, I will SAVOR every morsel.
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