Monthly Archives: December 2023

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Never order food that wears a skirt.

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I remember eating at Friendly’s as a child.

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It wasn’t haute cuisine but the sandwiches were halfway decent and every meal ended with an ice cream sundae so no one really cared.

The other day when my friend and I were out shopping, it was literally the only place around so we stopped in for lunch.

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I vaguely remembered their Big Beef being a sizable burger and decided to take a trip down memory lane.

That was a big mistake.

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What the holy hell!

At first I thought they’d fried an egg on my burger but that was cheese.

A cheese ‘skirt’ to be precise. And though you’d think it would be hard to go wrong with half a plate full of cheese… they managed, because it was awful. Greasy on top, hard as rock on the bottom.

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And the Big Beef?

The only thing Big was my disappointment because the Beef was practically non existent… not to mention well done and crunchy.

The waiter at this restaurant may have been friendly, but the food certainly wasn’t.

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Friends are so helpful.

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Once the new floors are in, it will be time for new furniture. I’ve done some preliminary scouting of living room sets…

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And my friends, being the helpful chums that they are, have been sending me pictures of possible replacement pieces.

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Is it a bed?

A chair?

A table or an entertainment center?

Clearly it’s all of the above and I don’t want any of them.

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Oh no, hell no.

I don’t want that either.

🤣

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There are too many choices!

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Floor shopping continues and the other day I decided to check out some solid hardwoods.

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As usual I brought my trusty sample piece of broken trim to color coordinate shades. This cherry had potential…

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And while this Acacia was spot on for color…

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It was way too wild in application.

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This oak looked promising…

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But turned red in a hurry.

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Cumaru?

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Never heard of it, but it looks too much like a checkerboard for my taste.

And since I don’t want to replace this floor right now…

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I’m leaning towards something with a bit of grey in the tone as it will butt up against the kitchen in two spots.

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Which is why I keep coming back to this one.

Thoughts?

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Miscellaneous missives.

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I drove home under some ominous skies the other afternoon.

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And woke up to our first dusting of snow.

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It was gone by mid day just in time for our contractor to drop by between jobs and seal up the new windows with some not so attractive foam.

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He’s finishing off a barn next door that’s taking longer than planned but as soon as he’s done he’ll be back over here to finish our nightmare project.

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As usual, Lord Dudley Mountcatten couldn’t care less.

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💕

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The first step to saying goodbye?

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As you know, my husband miraculously parted with one of his motorcycles earlier this year. We really don’t ride much anymore and while it was the right thing to do… I know it was hard for him. Admitting you’re getting older is never easy and I daresay a piece of his youth drove off with that Kawasaki.

Of course he still has the Harley. Which is why I was extremely surprised when I saw him outside last week giving her a bath in anticipation of someone coming over to look at it.

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He bought the low rider back in 2009 from a friend whose brother had died. Not riding himself and knowing how much love and money his brother put into it, the friend was glad to see it go to a good home.

And believe me, serious money was invested in a complete remodel shortly before the owner passed.

$27,000 worth of serious.

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My husband paid a fraction of that and though we’ve owned it for quite a while, I have to admit we don’t ride it very often.

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See that tiny rear seat?

It doesn’t match my (not so tiny) rear seat and made long trips something to be avoided.

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We took it for short hops, and won a few bike show trophies… but for the most part she’s lived under cover in the garage.

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Which if you know anything about motorcycles and old Harleys in particular… is not a good thing.

Yes, someone is interested in buying her but unfortunately she’s not running right now. Won’t even start as a matter of fact… and there’s no telling how much money we’ll have to sink in her to make that happen.

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Second thoughts on saying goodbye?

Oh yeah.

He’s probably having third and fourth as well.

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And now I totally want an opossum.

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Though we have the occasional opossum in our backyard nibbling at fallen bird seed, I’ve never given them much consideration as a pet….

Until now.

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Damn you Facebook for having an opossum lovers page and making me want to adopt one.

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Now I want to give an opossum a bath…

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And dress him for the holidays.

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I even want to put one in a box.

And give him a manicure.

❤️

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It pisses me off, but I still want to shop there.

25 Comments

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Am I the only one who was unaware what happens to unclaimed luggage?

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Good question… and one I honestly never gave much thought. But if the airlines can’t reunite you with your lost bags?

Read on…

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Whaaaat!

A veritable lost luggage Goodwill?

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Omg.

This is almost enough to make me want to move back down south.

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And while it ticks me off to think how many millions the airlines are making from what’s basically their incompetence…

I admit I really do want to shop there!

🥴

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Not to be trifled with.

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Because sometimes recipes make me cry.

Every Thanksgiving I’m asked to bring this dessert, a cappuccino mousse trifle. It’s easy to make and sits well overnight so I can make it ahead of time and not rush the morning of.

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The reason it chokes me up?

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It’s written in my mother’s hand, one of the few examples of her script I have. Yes, it’s old and stained … but to me, it’s precious.

As are the memories of her helping me make it.

If you want to follow along it goes something like this…

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Cube a pound cake.

I like to slice off the top so the coffee absorbs more fully.

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If you have a trifle bowl do three layers, if not… do two like this one. I use Starbucks medium roast instant coffee as it’s much smoother than Folgers.

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Soaked cubes, then coffee mousse layer sprinkled with chocolate. Be sure to use whole milk, not lower fat versions.

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Top with Cool Whip and cinnamon.

I don’t pipe rosettes but feel free to dress it up if you’re an over achiever.

As I said, I make this the afternoon before and find the flavor is deeper the next day.

Enjoy.

😊

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Let’s play.

46 Comments

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I’m running out of reasons, just do it.

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I used to adore Christmas and everything about it. I decorated everything that stood still, cooked huge meals, bought carloads of gifts and wrote so many cards my fingers cramped.

Over the years our celebrations have gotten smaller and quieter. No more big get togethers, less decorating, no rampant overspending. And that’s fine.

I’ve gotten to the age where very little of it matters anymore and though at times I miss the fun… more often than not the holiday itself makes me sad, missing those no longer with us. Five of our yearly family guests are gone now, we lost two just this summer. Death is a part of life, yes. But it makes for a very empty table.

Okay, that was depressing .… back to the question.

Favorite traditions:

When I was a child …

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A wee bit older than that, it was spending the day in NYC with my father. Every year he took me to his office where all the partners gave me little gifts. We ate lunch at the Bankers Club at 120 Broadway where he snuck me into the gentlemen only grill room. Even my mother hadn’t been there. The Rockefeller Center ice rink, Fifth Avenue shop windows, FAO Schwartz, the glorious tree. New York is a magical place for a child that time of year and I have lovely memories.

Years later when I married my husband? Hunting for and cutting down a tree. It has to be full, fat and perfect, as well as too big for the living room.

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Snuggling on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate watching It’s A Wonderful Life. It’s not Christmas without Jimmy Stewart.

Driving around town on Xmas Eve looking at lights and eating Chinese food … because I need a break from the kitchen and it’s always the only thing open.

How about you?

What’s your favorite Christmas tradition…

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