Japanese Christmas Cake

As big a deal there as Christmas dinner here. Just thought ya might be interested.

'Cause I'm Bored

I've heard of people sneezing so hard they nearly fell off their chair. But I thought it was a joke until 60 seconds ago. I barely caught myself.

I'm just writing this 'cause I've been in bed for 5 days now with the flu and I'm bored to death. Gotta do somethin'.

David's ok. He's stuck with the drudgery of either working on computers or working for me, though. He's doing a good job.

If we're both ok, we plan to work PADS Christmas Eve night and Christmas day. We'll see.

Small Group Party

We went to our small group potluck last night. It was 50% cheeses! I've never seen that happen. There were 4 block cheeses, 3 cheese dips, and my pasta had cheese chunks.

Everybody brought a book they had at home to exchange. We did that thing where you can draw blindly out of a bag of them, or you can steal one from somebody else and then they have to draw again. It was half an hour of screaming, laughing, and bartering. David aimed for a book for me, so I've got 2 good ones. One is the autobiography of the man they made "Hotel Rwanda" about. The other is called Bruchko - about a 19 year old guy who was taken captive (?) by an Indian tribe in South America. That's an autobiography, too. I'd already heard about both those guys, so I think they ought to be fascinating stories. Amusingly, our best couple-friends got the 2 books we brought.

Ok, well actually, what David brought was a folder titled "The Internet" and it had a piece of notebook paper inside listing his most frequented sites. But the guy that got it is also a full-fledged geek and the most appropriate person there to have gotten it.

Oh! I left out the part about a little cluster of us caroling around the piano. We were totally botching a song, so David, more animated than I've ever seen him, starting singing it opera-style. I cracked up and couldn't sing. Our friend beside him (who got his folder) joined! It was the most ridiculous and un-David-like spectacle I've seen lately.

We picked up and took home the group's babysitter, who we hadn't officially met until we picked her up. Turns out she's a freshman in a junior college here, and we had a great conversation. I think we're gonna get together over her Christmas break. David only gets Christmas day off, but she'll have a few weeks.

Guess that's all. Y'all have a lovely!

Thurs. Update

Quick update:
I just spent 3 days reading Zorro. Got it swallowed up entirely and fast. You wouldn't believe all the adventures I've been on in the last few days!
We're fixin' to go to small group. It's our holiday potluck thing tonight.
We're pickin' up the babysitter for all the hooligans of our group on the way there.
Mark's been sending interesting little stories from Iraq. He's actually using his training now.
I got a haircut - it's earlobe length. I look like I'm from the 20's. I like it.
I also found a bodacious spice store yesterday on Lake street. I'm so totally going back next time I need a spice. Good thing I'm running out of pepper!
We're exchanging pre-read books tonight. David only reads stuff on the computer. So I labeled a folder "The Internet" and put a piece of notebook paper inside listing his most frequented sites. But because that hardly is fair to the person who gets it, I'm taking two books I've just finished; Zorro and Christmas with Anne (of Green Gables).
He just called saying he's on the way home. David that is, not Zorro.
Gotta go!
h

Poor Tammy

Last night we made a batch of chicken 'n' dumplin's. Well, the recipe called for "one fat chicken." Probably written down back in the day when I woulda had to pluck it. I opted for a smaller version of 3 chicken breasts. And as we're sitting there quietly eating, I hear a mournful and dead serious "Poor Tammy. I'm gonna miss that 3-breasted chicken."

Sometimes I do not know what to do with that man.

In other news, PADS volunteer training is not gonna happen 'till atleast January. I honestly do not know how I'm gonna stay busy between now and then. However, we're hoping to have friends over here for Christmas dinner. That'll take care of a few days!
I did get to do the breakfast shift yesterday morning. Helped cook, serve, clean, and then was taught the best way to get the bathroom cleaned.
Then, in the hour before church started, we went to get donuts. I also had the 3-4 year olds for a half hour yesterday. I slept for 5 hours after lunch!

It's hard to give news on David. Something specific to him is that he did well in his on-line soccer games for the season and as of yesterday started a new season.
Hm. I ran out of news. Bye!

Cookin' and Weekend Plans

It should be pretty easy to update you on what we've been up to:
David went to work yesterday.
I stayed in the kitchen for kid-you-not 9 1/2 hours. Mini meatloaves, spaghetti sauce, manicotti, chicken yum-yum, fudge pie. And all the dishes in all their glory - including lots of antibacterial stuff because of lots of raw meat. I had to unload and re-load the freezer just to wiggle it all in. David helped. And then after we ate the (gross) manicotti, I cooked for another hour.
It was in the low 20's all day and I kept the kitchen window open about 6 inches from noon to 9. (It's right by the oven.) And I had stuff sitting in the window sill to cool.
Crazily, today I have to make chicken 'n' dumplin's so the buttermilk won't go bad. I'll just freeze that, too. If it fits.
Tomorrow (Sat), we're gonna be at church from 9-5 for a seminar and at 5:30 Sunday morning, David's dropping me off at the building for PADS. We plan to sleep and do NOTHING else all Sunday afternoon.
Hopefully, Tuesday will be the PADS volunteer training thing. But I haven't heard back and I should.
I'm gonna do the budget and clean the house now. Somebody write me - I like to talk.
hawli

Snow Pictures Part 2

There're 2 pictures of the same house in here (day and night), both out our kitchen window. The large window shot is from our dining room. The big branch is out the living room. I took a picture of the big tree outside the dining room from the ground. It was caked in sap for 15 feet up - the same side the snow was caked on. It even made sapsicles, which you might be able to see 2/3 of the way up the picture. They're nearly black. David figured the sap got frozen and burst out.

Snow Pictures Part 1

This is the town Christmas tree, down on Lake street where we spend a lot of time. In case you were wondering how cold it was, the thermom didn't help me either. The light is over our laundry room door. The other 2 were taken from the window, looking across the street. The last isn't trees - it's the guy shoveling. It was such an oddity to me.