Have a Holly Jolly Solstice...
It's the dark time of the year. Oh by golly have a holly jolly solstice this year...
Xmas is coming, Solstice is today, travel is imminently upon us, and of course, I have a cold. Although it's not as bad as it might be, so I'm thankful for small favors and working immune systems. I had to go out to a mall area on Saturday with a raging sore throat and headache, which was only possible because Miki was kind enough to volunteer to drive. I was way too scattered for mall traffic. It took a couple of hours, but I managed to get certain things done. Miki's comment when I thanked her: "It's my good deed for the season. I have to do things like this to make up for the bitchiness." I laugh because it's true, but it's also true that even with the bitchiness she's awesome, so there you are. Here's to you, Miki. Thanks for braving the crowds with me and helping me brainstorm.
Today is the first day of the re-launch of the work project, and it appears that, well, nothing has gone wrong yet. Of course, nothing has gone right yet, either, as from what I can tell no one has offered any surveys to a patient yet. Um, oh well? But we know that the start up might be slow, and over the holidays the nurses are supposed to just sort of try it out, and if it doesn't work, report what's not working and move on. Everyone involved on this end is going to be gone starting Wednesday afternoon, and I'll be the first one back the following Tuesday, so, er, slow starts are good. Hopefully.
Last night we had a loverly small gathering at our place. Well, gathering is a strong word. What it was, is Lara, Sara and I wanted to see one another, and we decided to make it dinner, and drag our Scotts along. I didn't have to drag so much as conscript into cleaning and cooking. Luckily, he is easy to bargain with, and likes to entertain. So after a couple of days of straightening, scrubbing, and cooking, and then straightening some more because the cats have declared xmas the best toy EVAH, we had the place looking pretty good if I do say so myself. Scott did much of it, as I had running around and Other Obligations to see to off and on.
Sara made a delicious gluten-free lasagne, and I'll have to remember to get the recipe from her, or at least where she got her noodles. It turned out great! Mr. Sweetie made gluten-free dinner rolls, and gluten-free dessert that was cake, pudding, cake, pudding and cake. Or something like that. Anyway, it was rich and yummy. Lara and her Scott have been having a rough time of it, so we told them not to worry about the pot-luck and just come relax and eat, as I had to go to the store anyway. I picked up veggies and other things, and Mr. Sweetie made mashed taters, and did a quick pan-fry of some veggies which I totally cut up myself. There was lots of garlic involved. It was quiet and relaxed and nice to just sit and talk and see these people when we're not all running around or bringing each other things when we're sick, or calling to say "can I meet you next week instead". We'll have to do things like this more often. The scheduling involved is tricksy, but the results are nice.
Tonight I'm going to bake. Yes, tonight. Yes, bake. Happy Solstice to me. I'm making cookies and I'm going to *attempt* to make cinnamon rolls from scratch with non-wheat based flour. We'll see how it goes. I'm ... nervous. I'm going to use my grandmother's recipe, but with other flour and adding in xanthum or whatever it is, and hope for the best. If they suck, well, I'll let Mom know to buy frozen regular dough, and I'll just make them xmas eve like I always do and Mr. Sweetie just can't eat any. Poor Mr. Sweetie.
Mom is making pork tenderloin for xmas dinner, and doesn't know a lot about it, so Scott the chef will be asked to help. Especially as I totally volunteered him. As I just volunteered him today, I'm hoping he'll be OK with that. (Um, hi honey. Is that OK? Only Mom doesn't know about marinades. Think of her as being better at cooking than I am only because she was forced to make food for her children, and has since stopped making any food almost entirely.) (which is true) Other than that I presume most of the food will be family comfort faves, like mashed taters, corn, raspberry-applesauce jello, green beans, stuffing (that won't be stuffed into anything), dinner rolls, and anything else we can melt butter over. Kris will most likely bring salad. It will have veggies Mom won't eat in it. Comments will be made. It's a family thing. Then pie/cookies/whatever for dessert. Which is another reason I'm baking tonight - I'll make gluten free banana nut cookies that Scott can eat, and there will most likely be ice cream.
Wednesday Scott and I are renting a car and heading south toward Cali - although we'll probably only get as far as Eugene, especially as we'll most likely get out of town about 2 or 3. And no matter when we leave, we'll hit traffic in Portland, so there's that. I'm just hoping for less traumatic travel day than last year's trip. Yikes. Thursday we'll finish the drive and end up at my folks' by late afternoonish. My aunt Kris and my cousin Nicki will be there, and my younger brother Dusty. Elder brother Quinn is in NY again being all musician-y, and Vania and Lucas are back home in LA after visiting him. (I hope. The weather there really *is* frightful, so I hope they made it home OK.) Mom and Dad will be down visiting The Grandchild in early Jan, so I'm bringing the gifts for them with me to Mom, and she can take them to LA, and postage is saved forthwith. Hooray.
I still have a couple of gifts to buy, but I know what they are and where to get them, so I'm *almost* almost done. Tonight and tomorrow are all about the getting ready. I'm glad we scheduled our little potluck when we did, because now the house is clean already, and all I need to do there is maintenance and laundry. And try to keep the cats out of xmas. Kittenhood: just because you're a big cat now doesn't mean you don't want to hug-n-bite the shiny.
So a Merry Solstice to All, and to All a Good Jolly!
Xmas is coming, Solstice is today, travel is imminently upon us, and of course, I have a cold. Although it's not as bad as it might be, so I'm thankful for small favors and working immune systems. I had to go out to a mall area on Saturday with a raging sore throat and headache, which was only possible because Miki was kind enough to volunteer to drive. I was way too scattered for mall traffic. It took a couple of hours, but I managed to get certain things done. Miki's comment when I thanked her: "It's my good deed for the season. I have to do things like this to make up for the bitchiness." I laugh because it's true, but it's also true that even with the bitchiness she's awesome, so there you are. Here's to you, Miki. Thanks for braving the crowds with me and helping me brainstorm.
Today is the first day of the re-launch of the work project, and it appears that, well, nothing has gone wrong yet. Of course, nothing has gone right yet, either, as from what I can tell no one has offered any surveys to a patient yet. Um, oh well? But we know that the start up might be slow, and over the holidays the nurses are supposed to just sort of try it out, and if it doesn't work, report what's not working and move on. Everyone involved on this end is going to be gone starting Wednesday afternoon, and I'll be the first one back the following Tuesday, so, er, slow starts are good. Hopefully.
Last night we had a loverly small gathering at our place. Well, gathering is a strong word. What it was, is Lara, Sara and I wanted to see one another, and we decided to make it dinner, and drag our Scotts along. I didn't have to drag so much as conscript into cleaning and cooking. Luckily, he is easy to bargain with, and likes to entertain. So after a couple of days of straightening, scrubbing, and cooking, and then straightening some more because the cats have declared xmas the best toy EVAH, we had the place looking pretty good if I do say so myself. Scott did much of it, as I had running around and Other Obligations to see to off and on.
Sara made a delicious gluten-free lasagne, and I'll have to remember to get the recipe from her, or at least where she got her noodles. It turned out great! Mr. Sweetie made gluten-free dinner rolls, and gluten-free dessert that was cake, pudding, cake, pudding and cake. Or something like that. Anyway, it was rich and yummy. Lara and her Scott have been having a rough time of it, so we told them not to worry about the pot-luck and just come relax and eat, as I had to go to the store anyway. I picked up veggies and other things, and Mr. Sweetie made mashed taters, and did a quick pan-fry of some veggies which I totally cut up myself. There was lots of garlic involved. It was quiet and relaxed and nice to just sit and talk and see these people when we're not all running around or bringing each other things when we're sick, or calling to say "can I meet you next week instead". We'll have to do things like this more often. The scheduling involved is tricksy, but the results are nice.
Tonight I'm going to bake. Yes, tonight. Yes, bake. Happy Solstice to me. I'm making cookies and I'm going to *attempt* to make cinnamon rolls from scratch with non-wheat based flour. We'll see how it goes. I'm ... nervous. I'm going to use my grandmother's recipe, but with other flour and adding in xanthum or whatever it is, and hope for the best. If they suck, well, I'll let Mom know to buy frozen regular dough, and I'll just make them xmas eve like I always do and Mr. Sweetie just can't eat any. Poor Mr. Sweetie.
Mom is making pork tenderloin for xmas dinner, and doesn't know a lot about it, so Scott the chef will be asked to help. Especially as I totally volunteered him. As I just volunteered him today, I'm hoping he'll be OK with that. (Um, hi honey. Is that OK? Only Mom doesn't know about marinades. Think of her as being better at cooking than I am only because she was forced to make food for her children, and has since stopped making any food almost entirely.) (which is true) Other than that I presume most of the food will be family comfort faves, like mashed taters, corn, raspberry-applesauce jello, green beans, stuffing (that won't be stuffed into anything), dinner rolls, and anything else we can melt butter over. Kris will most likely bring salad. It will have veggies Mom won't eat in it. Comments will be made. It's a family thing. Then pie/cookies/whatever for dessert. Which is another reason I'm baking tonight - I'll make gluten free banana nut cookies that Scott can eat, and there will most likely be ice cream.
Wednesday Scott and I are renting a car and heading south toward Cali - although we'll probably only get as far as Eugene, especially as we'll most likely get out of town about 2 or 3. And no matter when we leave, we'll hit traffic in Portland, so there's that. I'm just hoping for less traumatic travel day than last year's trip. Yikes. Thursday we'll finish the drive and end up at my folks' by late afternoonish. My aunt Kris and my cousin Nicki will be there, and my younger brother Dusty. Elder brother Quinn is in NY again being all musician-y, and Vania and Lucas are back home in LA after visiting him. (I hope. The weather there really *is* frightful, so I hope they made it home OK.) Mom and Dad will be down visiting The Grandchild in early Jan, so I'm bringing the gifts for them with me to Mom, and she can take them to LA, and postage is saved forthwith. Hooray.
I still have a couple of gifts to buy, but I know what they are and where to get them, so I'm *almost* almost done. Tonight and tomorrow are all about the getting ready. I'm glad we scheduled our little potluck when we did, because now the house is clean already, and all I need to do there is maintenance and laundry. And try to keep the cats out of xmas. Kittenhood: just because you're a big cat now doesn't mean you don't want to hug-n-bite the shiny.
So a Merry Solstice to All, and to All a Good Jolly!