Today can be done now
Started out good, spent an hour just laying in bed and snuggling, listening to the rain (in MN, in Decemeber - seriously?)
Decided to to the right thing and go to my mom's Christmas party she was hosting for her fiance's family. I should earn some major good daughter points here because with the exception of a couple of them and her finace himself, I wouldn't go out of my way to spend time with these people or their winey, spoiled kids. The headache set in within an hour, only two of them bothered to offer to help my mom put out the food or clean up after. It was pot luck, but it was also obvious that my mom supplied the most (and she really can't afford it). One of them tried to turn my daughter into automatic babysitter and was going to fine with leaving her in charge of the kids when they went down to the pool. So I simply said, "She just ate, if your kids want to go swimming you'll have to go watch them, Rhi's not allowed to go for an hour. Besides, she's only 14 and the rules are that there is supposed to be an adult present."
I know the swimming after eating is BS, but I'll be damned if they're gonna mooch off my mom and then expect my kid to be responsible for theirs so they can play pool and drink beer instead of pay attention to them.
Anyway - that's over with.
I have one week now til Yule. We're having just us three on Friday night and they Saturday some good friends that we spent Thanksgiving with over for dinner. I'm doing Italian and using some family recipes. I have some memories of my Great Grandma having Christmas, and my Grandma Jo, of course. Homemade sauces and meatballs, breads, just everything - people everywhere, the smell of Espresso and wine. And usually the sounds of someone getting smacked upside the head with a wooden spoon for sticking their finger into something they shouldn't. =) Italian Grandmothers are deadly with wooden spoons.
I'm going to attempt Panettone, hopefully one goes well and then I'll do a couple more for gifts.
And the bomb of the day. My Dad is planning to drive up for Christmas, which is fine, great even. I'm glad he's feeling up to it. He got himself a new car with On Star, so that eases my mind a little. He's bringing a leg of lamb. This is freaking me out a little, I haven't made a leg of lamb since I was in Culinary school, and then it was in a convection oven with my teacher over my shoulder. I don't even know if I have a proper sized pan to cook it in. I have cheap olive oil and no fresh herbs. And what the hell do I make to go with it?
We don't do Christmas day in our house, we don't really even do Christmas - we do Yule and Christmas Eve at my mom's. I was planning (and budgeting) for one big dinner and to bring some things to my mom's, now I've got two dinners to do.
And our kitchen table sucks. My big one is stil in pieces in the garage from when we moved, we need some parts replaced so it's stable. I miss my big huge heavy table - I could set it with Grandma's china and do it all up. I have a little table and 4 chairs right now and it's round - I dislike round tables.
I am really happy my dad's coming - but it's been a day, and the next week is looking stressful and it's all getting to me at the moment. James starts at his new place on Monday and we still have to figure out his route with taking the train, get him a go pass and all that. And I worry he'll miss a connection or miss the train home and then what? We have my little paycheck until Friday to take care of things with and I don't know if it's gonna make it. And we start work on the costumes for Wizard of Oz on Thursday. Rhi got a part as a tree, I think I'll offer to do the trees. I should sketch something out before then.
It's just a lot and I'm not feeling the greatest lately. I know my blood sugar is acting up again. I've lost another few pounds and it doesn't like it. It's supposed to be helping, but my system doesn't like change and today has been one of those days where it's fighting me.
I think I just need to go to bed and look at everything fresh in the morning. Maybe use my coupon, go have a coffee and just let the brain rest a bit and watch the snow or something - then make a plan of attack.
Or maybe I'll just find some bad movie on TV right now, lay down and pet the cat.
Decided to to the right thing and go to my mom's Christmas party she was hosting for her fiance's family. I should earn some major good daughter points here because with the exception of a couple of them and her finace himself, I wouldn't go out of my way to spend time with these people or their winey, spoiled kids. The headache set in within an hour, only two of them bothered to offer to help my mom put out the food or clean up after. It was pot luck, but it was also obvious that my mom supplied the most (and she really can't afford it). One of them tried to turn my daughter into automatic babysitter and was going to fine with leaving her in charge of the kids when they went down to the pool. So I simply said, "She just ate, if your kids want to go swimming you'll have to go watch them, Rhi's not allowed to go for an hour. Besides, she's only 14 and the rules are that there is supposed to be an adult present."
I know the swimming after eating is BS, but I'll be damned if they're gonna mooch off my mom and then expect my kid to be responsible for theirs so they can play pool and drink beer instead of pay attention to them.
Anyway - that's over with.
I have one week now til Yule. We're having just us three on Friday night and they Saturday some good friends that we spent Thanksgiving with over for dinner. I'm doing Italian and using some family recipes. I have some memories of my Great Grandma having Christmas, and my Grandma Jo, of course. Homemade sauces and meatballs, breads, just everything - people everywhere, the smell of Espresso and wine. And usually the sounds of someone getting smacked upside the head with a wooden spoon for sticking their finger into something they shouldn't. =) Italian Grandmothers are deadly with wooden spoons.
I'm going to attempt Panettone, hopefully one goes well and then I'll do a couple more for gifts.
And the bomb of the day. My Dad is planning to drive up for Christmas, which is fine, great even. I'm glad he's feeling up to it. He got himself a new car with On Star, so that eases my mind a little. He's bringing a leg of lamb. This is freaking me out a little, I haven't made a leg of lamb since I was in Culinary school, and then it was in a convection oven with my teacher over my shoulder. I don't even know if I have a proper sized pan to cook it in. I have cheap olive oil and no fresh herbs. And what the hell do I make to go with it?
We don't do Christmas day in our house, we don't really even do Christmas - we do Yule and Christmas Eve at my mom's. I was planning (and budgeting) for one big dinner and to bring some things to my mom's, now I've got two dinners to do.
And our kitchen table sucks. My big one is stil in pieces in the garage from when we moved, we need some parts replaced so it's stable. I miss my big huge heavy table - I could set it with Grandma's china and do it all up. I have a little table and 4 chairs right now and it's round - I dislike round tables.
I am really happy my dad's coming - but it's been a day, and the next week is looking stressful and it's all getting to me at the moment. James starts at his new place on Monday and we still have to figure out his route with taking the train, get him a go pass and all that. And I worry he'll miss a connection or miss the train home and then what? We have my little paycheck until Friday to take care of things with and I don't know if it's gonna make it. And we start work on the costumes for Wizard of Oz on Thursday. Rhi got a part as a tree, I think I'll offer to do the trees. I should sketch something out before then.
It's just a lot and I'm not feeling the greatest lately. I know my blood sugar is acting up again. I've lost another few pounds and it doesn't like it. It's supposed to be helping, but my system doesn't like change and today has been one of those days where it's fighting me.
I think I just need to go to bed and look at everything fresh in the morning. Maybe use my coupon, go have a coffee and just let the brain rest a bit and watch the snow or something - then make a plan of attack.
Or maybe I'll just find some bad movie on TV right now, lay down and pet the cat.