I'm Might Be Rolling Into Next Christmas...

Time to start some Christmas cooking and so far, all I can get out of hubby, is that he wants Buckeyes.

Like momma used to make.

(photo: allrecipes.com)

I've never made Buckeyes before, but I trolled the internet for recipes and I'm going to give it a shot.

He better savor each and every little ball, because after reading the directions, we may not be doing this again. Not sure how much patience I'll have rolling those balls.

(Recipe from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 cups confectioners' sugar
• 4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and confectioners' sugar. The dough will look dry. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.
2. Press a toothpick into the top of each ball (to be used later as the handle for dipping) and chill in freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.
3. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until smooth.
4. Dip frozen peanut butter balls in chocolate holding onto the toothpick. Leave a small portion of peanut butter showing at the top to make them look like Buckeyes. Put back on the cookie sheet and refrigerate until serving.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 331 | Total Fat: 19.4g | Cholesterol: 16mg

Looking for a Piece of Quiet

Tap, tap, tap.

*checking the keyboard to see if it still works*

So is life moving at the speed of light for you too? It seems all I've done recently is work and sleep and start the cycle over the next day.

I'm looking forward to Christmas. We are not traveling and as far as I know, won't have any company either. It will be a lovely, restful day. Can't wait!

For now, I'm just trying to maintain status quo. I've been reading every chance I get. (A practice I've had since I learned how.) I'm working my way through some Madeline L'Engle books. I have Wrinkle In Time and picked that up (and couldn't put it down) and that led to a trip to the library for Meet the Austins which I THOROUGHLY enjoyed. I wanted to BE part of that family!

Today will be full of going out and finding Christmas surprises and later on, seeing Christmas lights and sharing a bit of Christmas cheer with some friends.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

It was the Best Christmas Ever!

I hope your Christmas was everything you had hoped it would be and then some.

I don't know when I've enjoyed Christmas so much.

It was so leisurely. So simple.

I had no preconceived ideas of making it "special". There was no Christmas breakfast, lunch or supper to be prepared. I made the most delicious chicken and dumplings for supper.

There was no traveling hither and yon to visit family. No family coming to visit. Just us. At home.

The day was dreary, the lights were cheerful. The radio played Handel's Messiah on one station or another most of the day.

It was so much fun watching our girl open her gifts. We had purchased one "big" gift for her (a doll house) and her daddy had gotten her a couple of Preschool Bibles. I gave her a few trinkets in her stocking. But two different friends gave us several things with her in mind. She received several computer preschool games and a video from a friend who had been yardsailing and some books and gymnastic leotards and the cutest frog sleeping bag from a friend who was cleaning out her daughter's toys. She played and played and played. I love to see a child playing and using their imagination.

I was able to lay around and knit and work in my craft room some. The day felt as if it would go on forever and I almost wished it would. In fact, when I went to bed, I lay reading for the longest time, not willing to let the day go.

The whole day was the best Christmas gift ever.

I work today and tomorrow. Part of me wants to stay home and repeat yesterday's relaxation, but I think I'm ready to move onward. I could get used to working two days a week! I have another long weekend coming up!

A Little Holiday Cheer

I took a quiz. Are you surprised at the results?

(Not if you know me!)

You Are a Fruitcake

People pretend you're sweet and precious, but they know how weird you really are!

http://www.blogthings.com/whatholidayfoodareyouquiz/

"What Holiday Food Are You?

Christmas in the Country

One of my clients told me that they, along with some neighbors do a large Christmas display. She wasn't exaggerating. This is a small portion of some of the lights we saw.
My girl enjoyed all of it so much. We went onto a porch where there were countless interactive toys and villages to see.
It was all such a feast for the eyes and I found myself smiling the whole time. It has taken Rita and Tony about 15 years to build up to this incredible display. It takes about 5 weeks to set it all up. They are out every night greeting people from their porch. Tony plays Santa and if you didn't bring a camera for pictures, Rita is there to snap one for you and prints it out lickity-split for you to take home with you.

Santa kept giving my girl candy canes in hopes that she would warm up to him and sit on his lap for a picture. She did finally get on his lap and gave him a sweet hug which I captured on film, but it came out too dark. By the time I snapped the next one, she was straining to get down. That one turned out. Of course.

I can see this outing becoming a Christmas tradition.

It just goes to prove...

When it comes to Christmas, you never quite grow up.

This is My Grown-Up Christmas List

I am so rich.

It struck me last night. We were watching the "Pursuit of Happyness" and it suddenly hit me as I looked around...I'm rich.

Sure, the furniture is mostly thrifted, sure, the roof needs to be replaced, the carpet torn up and refloored, BUT... I'm comfortable. I have so much. My fridge is full of food, my house is warm and cozy, I have running hot and cold water. I have a television and a (2!) computers. We have 2 cars. I have more clothing than I can wear at one time. Ditto shoes. In addition to the things I need, I have lots of stuff I don't need. And even if I lost all of that, I have a husband and little girl who love me.

For Christmas, I need nothing more.

Here Comes Santa Claus

I've made it.

Hairs have been colored, combed and curled. Santa will be dazzled by the beauty he encounters at those particular homes.

My clients have humbled me with their thoughtfulness and generosity. As each day progressed this week, a pile of presents grew. Each one more precious and thoughtful than the last. Some clients just gave me "a little extra". Some gave gift certificates to my favorite coffee place. ($75.00 worth, all told!) Some even gave me a little something for my little girl. I am so touched that as they are out, hurrying and scurrying around looking for just the right gift for each family member, that they would remember me and think to get me something too! I feel so selfish. So often, my scope doesn't extend very far past my very own nose. Thanks, dear ones, for reminding me of what Christmas is all about. Acts of kindness and thoughtfulness enacted.

I certainly have some last minute things I'd like to do. But if Christmas comes and I haven't done them, oh well. I'll be with my family and we will snuggle in and just enjoy each other's company.

I went to Posie Gets Cozy http://www.rosielittlethings.typepad.com/ and was inspired to do gingerbread houses with my little girl. I don't know if it will happen this go 'round, but I will keep my eye out for the makings for it. It was so much fun to do sugar cookies with her, I'm sure she'll enjoy all the candy at the very least.

Well, must fly. I promised Ms. T (one of my dear twice a week clients, yeah, she's high maintenance but so fun) that I would come in at 8 this am since there was some confusion as to the time of her appointment yesterday. I have to go in and sort the money anyway and that will get me some progress sooner rather than later. Then I will be DONE and can go have fun whatever that means. (It probably means a trip to the grocery.) I want to go check on a possible gift for hubby, but if I take our girl with me, I'm afraid she'll be talking about it and ruin the surprise. For the first time, it's something more creative than buying something and putting it into a box. But. The lawnmower has been repaired also and this other thing is about the same amount of money so the poor boy may get an IOU under the tree. A couple in fact.

Think he'd settle for a hand knitted scarf? Oh wait. He'd get an IOU for that too.

Sigh.

'Tis the Season

Hair's flying.

Color's processing.

Eyebrows are waxing.


It must be Christmas at the salon.

See ya soon if I don't hyperventilate from all the deep, cleansing breaths I've been taking.

It's My Party! I'll Cry if I Want To.

What I'm blogging about is not what I'm going to blog about. But I'll blog about that later. I actually had some thoughts today that have been crawling around, ebbing and flowing in my head of late.

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I spent the weekend trying to fend off the creeping crud. I lost my voice Thursday night. It was gone all Friday and has mostly reappeared. I didn't feel too badly, fortunately, but that may have had something to do with my preoccupation of trying to drown my symptoms with spirits. I was inspired to make myself a hot toddy Thursday night and then, when I went out with Butterbean Friday night, I had hot tea with Jack Daniels and honey. Not bad. That and the wine with dinner ought to have killed anything! Now, I'm left with an occasional tickle in my throat that sparks a coughing fit that will bring me to my knees with tears rolling down my face.

Today and yesterday I have pleasantly piddled around the house and gotten some things done that have been seriously neglected. Accomplishment is so satisfying. I exercised today. Yea. Didn't run yesterday because of my puniness. Probably could have, but didn't feel like it. Yeah, at this point, I exercise just enough to say I do it and not enough for it to do me the good I want it to. Whoopee.

We planned to go to a Christmas party tonight. Someone at the gym in hubby's exercise class invited us to a party tonight. I don't know this person at all, but this lady from his class stopped by the salon to hand deliver an invite to me for all of us.
I'm not big on going to things where the odds of me not knowing a soul are 70% or more. I'm not naturally outgoing when I'm out of my comfort zone. (i.e. not behind the chair talking to a client while doing their hair.) Nevertheless, I need to be stretched, so I was going. Then, I started with the coughing fit and thought that might make people feel uncomfortable being around me thinking I had the plague or something so I graciously sacrificed my desire to go. (It's all about giving this Christmas season.)
Hubby, (brilliant man that he is) called ahead to confirm. As I was walking out the door to put freshly made and decorated sugar cookies in the truck for him to take with him, I heard, "well, I hope you get to feeling better!" I stopped dead in my tracks and looked at him. Yep, they all had gotten a stomach bug last night so there was no party after all. Darn, Now I've got a lot of sugar cookies (frosted and sprinkled by my sweet girl ) to eat. Knowing me like I do, I immediately divided the batch in half and walked it next door to my favorite neighbors. (You know, giving. Trying to make it a habit.)
Then, my girl and I partied with peanut butter sandwiches, a Christmas movie and sugar cookies.

Oh yeah, that's where it's at.

In the Mood

Yesterday was a lovely day. I really feel in the Christmas mood which is challenging for me when the temperature is in the 80's. I was determined to get a Christmas tree and put it up by day's end. Yeah, the estate sale tree for $5 was a lost cause. It didn't have a leg to stand on. (snicker) So I went to Lowe's and found a pre lit tree for less than $100. It was really easy to put together and has a floor switch to turn it on and off. Artificial trees have come a long way, baby.

That reminds me, I gotta get off my duff and make a spot in my girl's room for her tree. She picked out a white fiber optic tree. It will look so pretty shining from her bedroom bay window.

We went to a Christmas party last night. It was one of those party's where you only know the hostess. A recipe for disaster, but it didn't turn out that way. Yeah, a lot of people sat around in cliques, but perhaps I was in a magnanimous mood or something, because, we all enjoyed ourselves. I talked to a couple of people who were nice enough to introduce themselves and saw a client who isn't a client anymore. Pity. I like her a lot. I miss visiting with her, so we caught up a bit. That was nice. All in all, a nice evening. The hostess was phlegmatic enough to let my girl and a boy of a bout 8 or 9 to pretty much have run of the house which meant, the boy made himself at home playing with nerf dart guns and my girl learned a new game called "Fire!" I was so glad he was there to provide company for my girl. She had a blast. Thankfully, they didn't disturb the party either.

After sleeping in, I'm slowly pulling myself up into the day. I'd better get cracking if I'm going to get anything constructive done.

Lemme just get one more cup of coffee...