Random Monday thoughts

Whew, I was on fire Saturday and Sunday! Got just about finished with Christmas shopping(don't hate me...it was mostly online shopping...in my pajamas). Cleaned all the bathrooms, stripped all the beds and washed all the bedding, dusted, vacuumed, baked, wrapped presents, and did a multitude of assorted little housekeeping details. It must have been the full moon driving me crazy, or something. I had to come back to work to get a rest.

Went to a mall on Black Friday. Ok, I know I said I never do that...but we were idly browsing for those battery-operated candles...not hard-core Christmas shopping. We got some last year and wanted more. Meester feels safer without open flames in the house, especially since moi went to work one winter's day and left real-flame candles burning all day.

Noticed a lot of people at the mall wearing track suits or some kind of athletic wear...and taking the escalators instead of the stairs...and some of these people obviously needed the exercise. I'm just sayin'.....

Heard some horror stories from friends about airline and cruise ship travels gone bad, with lack of concern or redress of the situation by management. Is there no customer service anymore, just companies serving themselves profits? I'm just sayin'.....

One stem of lavender survived the freezing overnight temps that we had most of last week, and gave me a lovely bloom for Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving

Have a happy day and thanks to you all for stopping by!

Thanks to my Love

Today I'm thankful for husband Meester. Sometimes I'm thankful he doesn't read my blog...although, he may very well read it (he's seen the URL in my browser)...and is just smart enough to keep his mouth shut about it. Although...he's not always smart enough to keep his mouth shut.

We both use the same hair salon and the same stylist. (Aren't we holy by saving gas, time, and money going to the same place at the same time?) While my hair color is setting, the stylist cuts Meester's hair. Then Meester goes to a nearby coffee house to wait while the stylist finishes my hair. Last night the salon was filled with women getting styled before the holiday. Meester has very little gray and lots of hair for his age, and the stylist always comments on that. So Meester pipes up and says "Oh yea, now my wife is way grayer than me!" The stylist laughed her head off, which started the whole salon laughing. Ok, I'm supposed to be thankful for that?! NOT!!!

But when it's all said and done at the end of the day...and I have yelled at him for putting a wet towel on the stovetop...and bossed him about his driving...and given him orders for this and that...and then complained about him going to the grocery and buying the wrong thing.....he still loves me.....and that makes me happy and thankful.

Thanks for online shopping

Aacckkk! It's gloomy and raining again. It's getting harder and harder to post without whining.

Ah, ha! I can post about being thankful for the internet and online shopping! So I don't have to go out in the rain to shop. There are way too many bright and shiny things online to catch my attention, though. I go online searching for one thing and end up browsing something totally different. Tuli sent me a link to this guy the other day, and I totally love him. ...must focus...must focus...

I can always focus on one of my favorite things - CHOCOLATE! How about links to some web sites where I buy my favorite chocolates? Maybe you can get some ideas for your own holiday shopping. Maybe I can do down-and-dirty, fast-and-easy bullet points?

• Sweet Riot -- of course! The 65% dark chocolate is my favorite.
• CocoaVino -- received a box of their holiday assortment last year - just-luscious, incredibly unique flavors.
• teuscher -- tasted these in Chicago - I highly recommend the dark chocolate assorted truffles.
• IgnaFire -- Texas-based, environmentally-friendly, and very dark and complex in flavor.
• Fat Turkey -- also Texas-based. I haven't yet tried the Chili Pepper truffles, but I'll bet they're addictive.
• Dr. Mercola's Organic Dark Chocolate Bars -- from Dr. Mercola - so you know they are good for you. I just received a box of these, and I'm enjoying eating them and being all sanctimonious about eating a health food.

Now I'm hungry for chocolate. Have to go root around in my office drawer of snacks for some chocolate.

Thanks for small things

Today is Monday. I'm at work. I was going to post thanks for small good things in my office - with pictures. But I forgot to prepare last night...and the photos I want are on my home computer or my iPhone...and I forgot to bring my iPhone cable with me. But - no whining this week. So I will have to be grateful today for being a dumb blogger, but still here blogging...

I'm thankful for the bit of sunshine we're having today...after a week of no sunshine at all.

I'm grateful that the co-workers who sit closest to me are generally quiet, easy-going, all-around-nice kind of people. I've worked in other offices with real drama-queens and psycho-bitches, and I'm thankful that I no longer work in those offices. Not that I don't have some colorful co-workers, but none of them are dangerous.

I'm thankful for an office drawer full of snacks. Healthy and not healthy. See the little fun-size Snickers hiding in there? It's left over from Halloween! I have willpower, people.


I'm thankful for small, silly breaks in the office routine. Like when the window sills in our building heat up with the afternoon sun...and all the beetles come out of the cracks and run around like mad. If you don't have the free QuickTime Player for the movie - you can get it here.

Back to work...

With Love and Thanks

My beautiful mother passed away several years ago, but I still think of her every day.....especially around holiday time. My mother and maternal grandmother were wonderful cooks. Baked goods made with love - and butter!

My mother's "golden years" were not golden. Life and very ill health were not fair to a woman who was incredibly loving, and fair, and generous to all of her family.(Even when we were not so deserving - but you have families too - you know what I mean.)

Of everything that my mother baked - my all-around favorite was her pumpkin bread. I think the recipe came from her mother, who enjoyed taking recipes she found and "tweaking" them to her own satisfaction. Anyway, my grandmother, mother, and I have baked this pumpkin bread forever. With loving thanks to my mother, and respecting her privacy, I call this simply:

My Mother's Pumpkin Spice Bread

3 1/2 C. flour
3 C. granulated sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 C. butter or margarine
1 15 oz. can Libby's pumpkin (we just always used Libby's)
2/3 C. water
2 large eggs, well beaten

Grease and flour two 9" x 5" loaf pans.
Sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Make a well
in the center of the dry ingredients.
Melt butter in a saucepan and stir in pumpkin, water, and beaten eggs.
Pour into dry ingredients and mix well by hand.
Pour into loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour & 10 minutes.
Cool bread in pans on racks for 10 minutes, then remove bread from pans and put on racks to finish cooling.

Enjoy, and give thanks for your mom!

Sweet Thankfulness

Another damp, gloomy day in Iowa. The landscape is fading from gold to brown, with a hint from the weather forecasters about temperatures falling to snowflake-cold next week. Which is why I am thankful for lovely golden honey - in a smiling bear! This is my "go-to" honey for work...from The Bee Plantation in Toledo, Iowa. I like it because it's a local product from a small producer. (so small that they don't have a web site) It's available at my local co-op in larger glass containers, but the little bear is just right for squeezing into my tea at work.

The honey below is from Ames Farm in Minnesota. It's single source honey, with flavors like Spring Clover, Basswood, and Summer Blossoms. I just finished a jar of Spring Clover, and am going to dig into this Summer Blossoms next. Just the thing to bring a little summer to my Iowa winter!

This honey below is like totally orgasmic honey! The company is named Heavenly Organics, and this White Himalayan honey is to die and go to heaven for. It's pale and creamy...like a heavenly cloud of flavor. I bought one jar of the White Himalayan at my local co-op...it was pricey...but they haven't had any on the shelves since then. I'm assuming all the honey aficionados are hoarding it.

I am aware of colony-collapse disorder and the effect on small honey producers - and the poor bees! So blessings to all the bees, and thanks.

In which I am *Surprise!* Thankful - part 2

Today I am thankful for the blogosphere. What would I do without bloggers with which to share my day? I'm at work all day; can't do coffee-klatches or take teas together. But don't we all grab a quick peek at the internet during the work day, and feel connected, embraced, and better, somehow?

"This award is given to the writers of blogs that are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.”

I don't have a lengthy list of personal bloggers that I follow...mainly because there just aren't enough hours in the day. The following are some of my favorite web places to be during the day. I'm passing bloggy love and friendship and thanks on to:

1. Badger - Badger Meets World -- Badger was the first blogger to make me snort hot tea out my nose onto my desk and keyboard - at work - when I'm supposed to be ummm, working. And she still does.
   
2. Shreve - The Daily Coyote -- I'm a dog lover...how could I not love pictures and stories of a very photogenic coyote?
   
3. Natalie - Nat The Fat Rat -- Nat writes with such warmth and grace, with a hint of spicy mischief. And she has pictures of her dogs!
   
4. Kimi - The Nourishing Gourmet -- Recipes and home information that I personally find incredibly useful. She has great suggestions and links for food and home resources that I have used. Read her "About" page.
   
5. Whidbychick - Whidbychick's Photostream -- Ok, so technically she has a "Photostream" on Flickr. Whidbychick is Debutaunt's sister, which is how I discovered her Photostream. Whidbychick has gone through personal pain and grief, yet she gives back beauty to the world through the lens of her camera.
   
6. Bossy - i am bossy -- My spouse Meester thinks "I am bossy" is my middle name. I might have named my blog the same if Bossy hadn't already taken it.
   
7. Krissa - HalfAsstic -- Yes, Krissa already has this award on her blog, but anyone who takes care of a bed-ridden, 87-yr-old mother-in-law, in Krissa's own home, while her husband is also experiencing medical issues, deserves many awards.
   
8. Fragrant Liar - Fragrant Liar -- Just honestly funny.
   

In which I am *Surprise!* Thankful

Whew! The past week was exhausting. Gloomy, rainy weather...busy at work...busy at home...going to visit family...family coming to visit...no time to read blogs or post blog entries. I had a *GREAT.BIG.WHINE* blog post brewing.

...and then I remembered Debutaunt, and her last post. (click on "Keep Reading" for Deb's personal message) I have a copy of her last post - on pink paper - which I found in my desk drawer recently. Deb was one of the first bloggers I ever read. Although she has passed on...I am thankful for the message to live by that she left us. I am a glass-half-full kind of person, but am now reminded that the last half of the glass could spill out at any moment. So I am uncharacteristically going stop whining online and post "thankfulness" every day up to Thanksgiving.

Today I am thankful to Tuli at Defective Typewriter. Tuli was the first commenter on my blog...and we know how important and encouraging that first comment is. Tuli gave me my first-ever blogger award! I was traveling and out-of-touch with my own computer at the time, and never gave Tuli a proper thank-you. So thanks from me to the awesome stylin'.in.her.hot.new.hairdo Tuli!

"This award is given to the writers of blogs that are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.”

I will be passing bloggy love and thanks on to others in another post.

Wheel-worthy Wednesday

I was sooo going to make Wheel-Worthy Wednesday a regular feature, but I am apparently sooo not capable of planning ahead. So every Wednesday I'm like d***, it's Wednesday already?! Didn't I have a great idea - last weekend - for Wednesday?! Too late now...loser...again...

Sooo, posting this on the fly today. On my last trip to Texas, I discovered The Cultured Cup tea/coffee/chocolate shop in Dallas. It's a darling little shop with a little curved bar at the back where you can order a tea or coffee or taste a sample. The owner is actually a Certified Tea Specialist. How fancy is that!

I skipped the wall of coffee...cause I don't drink coffee...and went straight for the wall of tea canisters. More Mariage Frères tea than I knew existed! On a long ago trip to the U.K., I purchased a tin of Mariage Frères "Marco Polo" black tea - a lovely bouquet of fruits and flowers. This was before internet shopping, so I couldn't get any more Mariage Frères tea when it was gone. :(   btw, The Cultured Cup has lots more teas than what you see on their web site, so give them a call if you're looking for a certain flavor. :)

Of course, I bought more "Marco Polo", and also some "Pleine Lune"(Full Moon). There was a scrumptious chocolate caramel flavor that they were out of...they let me have a sniff of the empty canister. (hint for Christmas, but full tin, please) I didn't even have time to get to the drinking chocolate, or the gourmet goodies. I can't wait to go back!

It's spider time

The spiders know winter is coming. They've been trooping into the house this past week. I killed two this morning already. If that bothers you - they're spiders - get over it. Anyhoo, I'm defending my domicile from spider attacks alone; I feel like some pioneer woman, or something.

Me: There's another spider on the stairway. I've taken care of 2 of them already this morning.
Meester: I know.
Me: The spider is still there. Did you see it as you walked by?
Meester: walking up the stairs...I see it.
Me: The spider is still there.
Meester: I know.
Me: The spider is crawling away...towards the bedroom...where we sleep.
Meester: walking back down the stairs...I know.

Apparently Meester is not getting the hint...

Today I am eating.....

Remember I mentioned in a previous post that late fall is the time that Midwesterners start packing on an extra layer of fat for winter? Well, mother mercy, our office decided to do it all in one day. Today is pig-out potluck day. Everybody brings something and we graze all day...actually by afternoon we sort of stagger or waddle back to the trough as our carb and sugar highs wane. Listing what we are eating...for your enjoyment or disgust. We have food stations all over the floor, so I probably missed something. And I did not eat even half of the foods on this list - really! (eating half of a cake is not considered eating half of the list, ok?)

• home-made muffins and coffeecake
  
• taco roll-ups, veggie pizza, coleslaw, fruit bowl, assorted crudites
• jalapeno dip, ranch dip, shrimp dip, cheese dip, salsa
  
• corn chips, potato chips, peanuts, assorted crackers
• hot dogs, sloppy joes, pigs-in-blankets
• pecan pie, strawberry pie, brownies, cake, cookies, cupcakes, ice cream
• liters and liters of pop...none of which I drank, btw...sticking with my teas.
  

I made this Jalapeno Cheddar dip. Bought the package of mix in Texas. It was a big hit.

I took some pictures but forgot to bring the cable to my iPhone, so I'll have to add a couple pictures tonight. If I don't have heart attack or stroke from all the cholesterol and sugar.

This is only one crockpot docking station. We had two more.

My jalapeno cheddar dip is on the left. I included the hangtag that came with the dip and highlighted the word "jalapeno" because some people here get all bent out of shape if they don't get warned that a food might have a little kick to it. These people obviously become the butt of office jokes and pranks. 

Notice the clever little "hamburgers." They're really split vanilla cupcakes with hamburger patties made out of slices of brownie, with frosting colored to resemble catsup, mustard, and pickle. We really like people clever with food.

Nothing much

Meester comes back today from a wonderful vacation visit with an old friend in warm Phoenix. Ummm....I think we are both not quite ready for that yet. Meester is dreading coming back to the Iowa cold(although it's crisp and sunny today...Iowa is mean and gives you a nice day and then whaps you with a rotten one) and I haven't had enough yet of all that "me" time. However...the handle has fallen off the glass shower door in the master bath-WTF?, the overhead light in the garage burned out...necessitating use of the big ladder, and the car got a small ding with a paint smear from the offending car while it was parked in the nasty parking garage. Don't care about the car - that's Meester's baby - but it's a little tricky getting in and out of the shower.

Missing the Hotfessional's blog. She gave up blogging for personal reasons...and the blogosphere is not more important than caring for your personal family...but we all miss her. I had just discovered her blog and her talent for clever writing. Ree, I hardly knew ye. Best to you.

Tomorrow - big pig-out at work!

Addendum: I've added more apple to my snacking this week!

Ummm...ok...so I'm a liar. I went all holy on you last week about not eating junky snacks...but you know what you all do, when your significant other is out of town. Just a brief sneaky self-indulgence like getting plastered, having a fling with Nathan Fillion, eating junk food doesn't hurt anyone.

What's orange and white and good all over?

Over the weekend I made this recipe, but using this squash. (maybe you can't tell from the picture, but this squash wasn't that big; it made just about 1 Cup of cooked squash)

It was delicious. I think I would love it even more with pumpkin...but this squash looked so pretty and yummy...and the lady at the local Farmer's Market said it tasted like a cross between a squash and a pumpkin. So I bought it and promptly cooked it up.You'll have to look at Nat's picture for a good idea of the finished product. Since Meester is out of town, I kind of slammed my recipe together in a hurry so I could sit in front of the tv and zone out. At least I was eating healthy and not junk foody. So I think watching junk tv is ok if it's not accompanied by junk food eating.....