Three and Four

Day Three, and as I said, the bag contained a note telling us to go downtown for the tree-lighting. Daphne was CLEARLY disappointed that there was nothing but a note in the bag. However, after receiving a free cookie from Lola (above) and free hot chocolate with marshmallows (below), she changed her tune.

We strolled around town, enjoyed our free treats, and finally, after someone from the town council led the crowd in an unfortunate rendition of Jingle Bells that was in a key way too high for the masses, the tree was lit!

Ta-da!!!!

Then we made our way back home via the bank, which always hosts good music on First Fridays. This time, it was a singing group that was carolling fabulously. I will post a short video so you can hear them. I could have listened to them all night.

Before the unveiling of Bag #4 tonight, there was shrimp bisque:

Kev and I, who are showing greatly improved kitchen teamwork skills, collaborated on this recipe from my Williams Sonoma "Soup" cookbook. Williams Sonoma cookbooks never let me down. It was delicious. Daphne even liked it. We let her put in the shrimps and whip the cream, and that did the trick. IF THEY COOK IT, THEY WILL EAT IT. Works every time.

In tonight's bag, there were ornaments to color. It was a hit. Tomorrow, they will go on the tree, because Day Five is Decorate the Tree Day. Looking forward to that. The Christmas tree brings the living room to life.

Tomorrow is also Daphne's "half-birthday." She doesn't know it yet, but she is getting a cupcake. And we get to go to the diner for breakfast. I like Day Five.

Day Two

So far, the countdown is going pretty well. Daphne enjoyed the hot chocolate last night.

Especially the marshmallow.

And Kev and I enjoyed the Vince Guaraldi.

And tonight after dinner, she opened Bag #2.

It contained a little Christmas game from the Dollar Tree, and it was worth every penny. Well, maybe not EVERY penny. It was a pretty cheesy little game. But the Peanut enjoyed it, and there was family time, so mission accomplished.

She looks forward to opening the bag all day, and tries to guess what's inside. How long until the novelty wears off, I wonder? Will this get old, or continue to be fun for 22 more days? Time will tell.

Tomorrow's bag contains a note which tells us to bundle up and go downtown for the Ceremonial Lighting of the Leesburg Town Christmas Tree and Menorah. It is going to be cold. But there will be singing and hot chocolate, and I am looking forward to it. Bring on Day Three!

Christmas Countdown

December is here, and it means business. The day started out rainy and windy and cold. Now it's just windy and cold. It's the windy that gets me. Makes me want to stay inside with a warm beverage and knit.

This year, our family is trying a new Christmas tradition...the Advent calendar Christmas countdown. Each day, we'll unveil a little treat or activity as we get ready for the Big Day. The goal of this is to make sure we stop down and spend at least a little family time each day not being frantic. Daphne is excited about it, and can't wait for Kev to get home from work so she can open the first bag. Day 1's bag contains some Snoopy Hot Chocolate Mixes, and a note that instructs us to listen to Charlie Brown Christmas music while we drink it. It's a perfect day for it.

A bonus December 1st treat is one I wasn't expecting. My friend Tracy travelled to NY for Thanksgiving and brought me back a bottle of the best egg nog on the planet from the Ronnybrook Dairy Farm. I highly recommend trying to find some of this stuff if you are anywhere in New York. The Ronnybrook website has a list of places that sell their products, one of which is a coffee shop down the street from Kev's parents' house called Cranberry's. You can bet I'll be stopping in there next time we're in Hyde Park. This stuff is like a milk shake. So thick and creamy. Yum. Plus, it comes in a really cool glass bottle, which will be holding some peonies in the Spring. So, thanks to Tracy for the Happy December gift.

I hope your month is off to a good start. Stay tuned as we continue the experimental countdown tomorrow...

Ringing in December

December is here. Yay!!! Please press "PLAY" and let the countdown begin...

The Good, the Bad, and the Smelly

I don't know what it is about Thanksgiving. It just seems like something always goes wrong. There was the Thanksgiving five years ago when I was pregnant and ended up in the hospital. Everything was fine, but Daphne gave us quite a scare that night. Then there was the Mouse Incident of 2009. And now, this year, I was sick. Daphne was sick before Thanksgiving, I was sick during Thanksgiving, and now, Kev is sick. In spite of all that, though, I still enjoyed the food and spending time with my family, and on the bright side, we're getting past the sick well before Christmas. I didn't quite get all my Christmas projects done by Thanksgiving as I'd hoped, but I'm well on my way, and not feeling too much stress. Christmas is going to be fun this year.

Winter is in the air. Today, I had to scrape ice off the car, and they say it might snow on Sunday. Next door, all the beautful yellow fan-shaped ginko leaves have fallen off the tree, leaving only these berries:

Evil little miniature stinkbombs, just waiting for the next gust of wind to knock them down from the branches and into the path of some innocent shoe. And Lord help the owner of that shoe. They should use these things in interrogations. Nobody could stand it for long.

On Friday, I was really sick, so Kev made me chicken soup. Few things taste better when you are sick than chicken soup. Daphne made the dumplings. They were delicious. Tonight, we had the leftovers, which was just in time for Kev, who is feeling about like I felt on Friday.

On Saturday, Kev and Daphne got dressed up and went on a date to the hot dog place and the Tally Ho, where they saw Tangled. They had a great time.

And I was feeling a little better by then, so I got some projects done while they were gone.

So, sick or not sick, Thanksgiving was good. I have a lot to be thankful for, and believe me, I AM thankful. And as you know, there are no lions, so I can't complain about a little head cold.

I hope you all enjoyed your turkeys and your pies and your families. One more day of November and the countdown begins, so stay tuned. And watch your step if you're anywhere near a ginko tree.

Good Cat Archie

Before I met Kevin, I had a cat named Archie.  Kev is allergic to cats, so I was lucky enough to find Archie a great home with a really nice lady named Sue, who loved him and took care of him.  Archie went to Animal Heaven yesterday, where he is hopefully having a great time chasing birds and eating as much as he wants.  We miss you, kitty.

Aurora

Aurora Borealis timelapse HD - Tromsø 2010 from Tor Even Mathisen on Vimeo.

Here is the Astronomy Picture (actually a video this time) of the Day from NASA. It is so good, I had to post it. Please enjoy. How amazing would it be to see that in real life? I wanna go to Norway.

Well, my throat started hurting really badly yesterday, and I figured I was a goner. No Thanksgiving for me. But today, I feel better. So, I don't think I'm getting sick, but I have totally and completely lost my voice. It's a good thing I've taught Daphne some sign language. I'm kinda in favor of a Less Talk / More Eat policy on Thanksgiving anyway. I hope yours is good, wherever you are. Bring on the pie.

Monday Morning Blog Post of Science

We've been watching a lot of Bill Nye the Science Guy videos lately. Speaking of science, the above picture is the sun. Cool, huh? If you are like me and think space is really interesting, check out "Astronomy Picture of the Day" from the good people of NASA. Thanks, Kev for directing me to this site. Put this in your favorites, and check it daily. You may learn something.

Daphne was sick all weekend, but before she got sick, she went to her weekly Little Ninjas class. Here she is with her sensei, practicing a block. She is the only girl in the class. She enjoys it. I do to. I get to sit still and knit for 30 minutes while she runs all around and wears herself out.

It is still fall. Our maple tree is bright red. The yellow-leaved tree in the corner background is the beautiful but oh so evil ginko tree that lives next door. Stink-O-Rama.



You may remember the video I posted of the people breaking into the Sound of Music "Do Re Mi" song in the European train station. Here is something similar, but more Christmas-y. Please enjoy. If you are like me, you may get a little weepy. Thanks to my friend Cheryl W. for this.

I am still in Mega Ultra Super Christmas Mode, so posting will be intermittent, but please check in now and then for tales of Holiday "Advent"-ures (a clue! a clue!). Back to my Monday...

Lisztomania

Groups of singing kids almost always make me cry.  This is awesome.  Until the end, when the teacher pipes in.  But still. 
I have never heard of Phoenix, but I am going to check them out.

Taking Christmas by the Antlers

It is still fall around here, but for the most part, my mind is on Christmas. I am doing everything I can to get finished with shopping and all that stuff by Thanksgiving so I can enjoy a stress-free month of December. In spite of this All Christmas All the Time urgency, I took a few breaks this weekend to enjoy this last bit of fall. Friday night, Daphne stayed with G-Ma and G-Pa so we could go into DC to meet Uncle Jeff for dinner and a jazz show at HR-57. DC is much better by Metro than by car, but it was still a good night out.

Yesterday was a perfect fall day, so we went on a hike at Ball's Bluff with "Cider Man" Tim and the kids.

Nothing beats a nice long walk in the woods. Daphne wore her new Junior Ranger hat that Uncle Jeff got for her, and the kids collected sticks and leaves and had a blast.

Saturday, I got some yarn. Nice soft baby alpaca. Another easy scarf is on the needles. Knitting at night seems to help me sleep. Calms my Crazy Christmas Brain.

Anyway, I must stop blogging now and do a few things* around here before I have to start on dinner. Daphne is taking a (increasingly rare) nap. It's potato soup night. The Winter of Soup is underway.

*by "do a few things," I mean put on my housepants, curl up with the new holiday issue of Real Simple, which just arrived, and start thinking about Christmas again. I think I'll even make coffee.

Noodles and Sleepovers

I took my camera to swimming last week, hoping to capture a jump from the side of the pool, but the kids in Daphne's group didn't get to do it that day.  Oh well, here she is with her awesome teacher swimming with a noodle and having a blast.  Hooray for Miss Janeane.  She has special powers.

 On Friday, the local library hosted a sleepover for stuffed animals.  Daphne loaded up Quincy, Doggo, and Austin into a bag with a picture of herself (so they wouldn't miss her too much) and a blankie that G-ma made for her "guys." 

 A few of her friends brought their guys too.  Stories were read.  Songs were sung. Crafts were made.

 And then it was time to say goodbye.  Daphne tucked her guys in and kissed them goodnight, and left them in the good care of the librarians for the night.

 The next morning, Daphne went on a hike with her daddy.

Then, it was back to the library to retrieve the guys.  We were treated to a slideshow of their activities, which included reading books, climbing on stuff, playing cards, and Austin getting his own library card.  The librarian took my email address and is supposed to send me some copies of the pictures, but I'm not holding my breath.  If she does, I will share.  It was really cute.  What a great idea.  I love the library.

You may remember my adopted penguin, Tula.  Here she is, back in her nest with her two eggs.  Thank you to the great Dr. Mike Bingham for all of his work with the penguins and for sending me this picture.  Penguin adoptions make a great gift!  Get yours today!
Kev got my internet working again!  Yay!  Hope you all had a good weekend.  Time to make goat cheese and garlic gratin.  Yum.

Back...Sorta

Thanks to the miracle of the External Hard Drive, I was able to move some recent picutres to Kev's computer so I could add them to the blog.  Here is Daphne, ready for some Halloween action, in her Super Daphne costume.  This was much easier to pull off than last year's octopus.  However, there was much more arguing, because this year, Daphne had opinions.  It all worked out, though, and everybody was happy.

There was a party at school, like last year.  The kids paraded around the rec center, got a few treats, and sang songs for the parents at the end.  Very cute.  A few more pictures on flickr if you want to see.

Meanwhile, the World Series was disappointing, but I finished my scarf.  And it's actually sorta cold enough to wear it.  I love this weather.  Cold enough for a scarf and sweater, soup,  a fire in the fireplace, and a hot drink in the afternoon, but no so bitter-cold that I have to bundle up in my Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man coat or wear a hat in the house.  There was frost on the car this morning, though, and I couldn't find my ice-scraper, so we had to sit in the driveway for a few minutes while it melted.

OK...off to enjoy my last bit of time before picking up Daphne from school.  Swimming class today...I'm hoping for more big surprises!

Virus

So, my computer has a virus and the internet won't work.  I am blogging from Kev's computer which is no fun at all because I can't post pictures. 

Halloween was great.
The Rangers lost the World Series but are still awesome.
Mondo lost Project Runway but is still awesome.
I finished knitting my black World Series scarf.  Perhaps black was not the best color choice.
I am looking forward to getting to bed earlier now that baseball is over.
I heard the Old 97s twice during World Series broadcasts.
The great Morning Benders have a song on a commercial, I think it is for Reece's PB cups.
I find the Direct TV commercial with the dart gun very disturbing.
I will probably be away from here until I can blog from my computer.
Back soon, I hope.

Here We Go

Thanks to the miracle of inkjet iron-on transfers, Daphne has a Texas Rangers shirt just in time for Game One. She wore it proudly to school today, and showed it off to all the kids, who looked at her like she was an alien because of course none of them know what the Texas Rangers are. Daphne didn't care. She has her antlers up and she's ready for a little Cliff Lee tonight. I think all the World Series excitement has her adrenaline up, because today at swimming, she willingly JUMPED OFF THE SIDE OF THE POOL! All the mommies cheered and I gave her a big thumbs up, but I should have given her the claw. I almost cried, I was so proud. Maybe she'll actually learn to swim this year.

I am ready for the Series too. I have cast on the world's easiest knitting project to keep me calm during the games. Big fat needles. Nice squooshy yarn. Let's go, Rangers!

Just Saying No

This past weekend was a weekend we designated as a Make No Plans weekend.  We really needed it after all the activities and travelling we've been doing lately.  So I X-ed out the days on the calendar and we kept it low-key - no obligations except soccer.  We caught up on some things around the house and had family game night on the porch. 

And on Sunday, we got a babysitter for a few hours in the afternoon so Kev and I could go see a movie, only it was way too nice outside to sit in a movie theater so instead we went out to a local winery for a little picnic dinner. 

I like Make No Plans weekends.  We should have them more often.

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Extra sweet because they (finally) beat the Yankees, ended by striking out Rodriguez, and turned Daphne into a baseball fan.  Way to go, Rangers. 

Thanks to Daphne's Vtech Camera...

...I am ready for Game Six (please ignore the squiggly antennae),

and we have a picture of Kev and I at the cabin last weekend (from Daphne's POV).

Daphne has been watching the games with me. Her favorite player is Josh Hamilton. She gets cooler and cooler every day.

PS. I am pretty sure that the very stylish girl in the post below would never put up her claws and antlers, much less publish a photo of herself doing so. Oh well.

I Wish I Was This Cool

I don't know who this is, but I wish I had her hair and clothes and purse and sunglasses.  If I could start all over again and be a person with style, this is the kind of style I would like to have.  I would be the coolest person at Wegman's.

I need an occasion to wear my purple Anthropologie coat.  That will make me feel better.  The pumpkin patch was no such occasion. 

On another note, I watched a whole baseball game last night for the first time in several years.  It was awesome. What a great game.  I am very optimistic.  I don't want to say too much though, because I don't want to jinx anything.

It is really fall-like now, so Daphne helped me make pumpkin bread this morning. It was time.   Herb bread is in the oven now.  The house has smelled good all day.

My mom got a job in a quilting / KNITTING shop!!!  YARN DISCOUNT!  I'm getting my needles ready.

Did I mention the Nutella s'mores?  Good grief, those are good.

This weekend, we are not doing anything.  I can't wait.

Getting Away

This is Fossil Beach, on the Potomac River near the Chesapeake Bay. It is located in Westmoreland State Park near Montross, VA. We went there with friends over the weekend to "camp" in a cabin:

Ralph went, too.

We all had a great time, but Daphne had the Best Time EVER. She spent the weekend playing in the sand and dirt, wading in the water, collecting rocks and shells, playing with her friends, and best of all, eating roasted marshmallows and s'mores. Kev and I enjoyed all that too, but my favorite part was being away from home and sitting on the cabin porch without worrying about all the things I SHOULD be doing. That, and the s'mores. Well, actually, the s'Nores, which are s'mores made with Nutella instead of Hershey bars. Try them. You will thank me.

My least favorite things were cutting the heck out of my finger and dropping my socks in the toilet.

Lots of pictures here on Flickr if you want to see what it's like in the park. I totally recommend it as a weekend destination. The park and cabins were really nice and reasonably priced.

And a bonus: the park was just a few miles from George Washington's birthplace, so we got to stop there on the way home. Daphne earned a Junior Ranger badge, and she thought it was pretty awesome. She had to take an oath and everything:

I love America's National Park System. It was a good weekend.

No easing back into the routine for me. Today, I went with Daphne to Great Country Farm for her school field trip to the pumpkin patch. We had a big time picking pumpkins, feeding farm animals, chasing chickens, climbing stuff, and watching pig races.

I think tonight, I might go sit on my porch and pretend I'm still at the cabin. The laundry can wait, right?

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch...

So, while Daphne and I were off enjoying the fine people and cuisine of the Ohio Valley, Kev stayed home.  Alone.  We missed him a lot, and he missed us, but he kept himself pretty busy.  There were a lot of goings-on in the cider department, there was yard work, there was trumpet practice, and there were arts and crafts.  Above, you can see his latest lino block carving, just in time for Halloween.  Cool, huh?  It would make a good cover for a PPHPHB cd, if there is ever another one.

Deep Fried No-No's and Other Adventures

Aaaaaaaahh,,,home from our big trip to Indiana. It was really really great. We spent time with family, went to the Harvest Homecoming (I went three times!), ate lots of good Indiana food, and I even got to sneak away and get a pedicure (thanks to my Aunt Kathy for the gift card and my mom for babysitting). My feet are happy and my belly is full. The HH isn't quite the Great State Fair of Texas, but it's a pretty good substitute. There was no fried butter or fried beer, but there were plenty of other fried choices:

And I tried the Ho-Ho's.

My friends, I am going to do you a favor right now and tell you that deep fried Ho-Ho's are not good. At all. Don't try them. Even if you are like me and love Ho-Ho's, just forget about it. Oh, how I loved Ho-Ho's as a kid. It was my Hostess snack of choice. I don't think they taste as good now (maybe they have changed the recipe?), plus there are no foil wrappers or baseball cards included in the packaging like we had in the 70s (where have you gone, Bake McBride?!) Anyway, the deep-fried ones are terrible. They might have been better if the batter was crispy, lending a nice crunch to offset the gooey middle. But it was as if the Ho-Ho was just sorta wrapped in a flavorless doughy doughnut. Bleh. Live and learn.

Oh well, here are some other things I ate in Indiana on various occasions:

1. Giant Pork Tenderloin (YUM!)

2. An apple dumpling (a la mode) from the Presbyterian Church booth (not as good as last year, but not bad either)

3. Chicken and Dumplings from the Redman's Club (Best Thing Going)

4. Chili dog and Chocolate malt from Zesto (a staple)

Needless to say, it wasn't the healthiest week. But it was fun.

The drive was very pretty, and Daphne and my Mom were well-behaved for the most part. You can't totally tell from the picture, but we had some spectacular fall color in W.VA and Western Maryland. I was really going to make fun of West Virginia based on a cross-section of its population we met at the Panera Bread restaurant in Charleston, but now I'm not because I was pulled over in that great state for doing 67 in a 55 construction zone and was let go with only a warning! Probably because of my excellent driving record. Or because the cop saw how freaked out Daphne was by the whole thing and felt sorry for me. (She was worried I was going to jail, and was ready to talk to the officer on my behalf - "Can I tell the police man you don't know what you're doing?") Other than that, the road trip itself was pretty uneventful.

By the way, are truckers no longer allowed to honk on the highway? Poor Daphne pumped her arm up and down for almost an hour and got nary a TOOT in return. She was pretty disappointed.

OK...if you want to see 41 pictures from our trip (other things besides just food), you can go here.

PS. THE RANGERS ARE GOING TO THE ALCS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And speaking of baseball, I'll end with a real treat: A 1975(?) Hostess Bake McBride:

Get yours now on ebay.

Weekend Whirlwind

A busy busy weekend.  Kev's work's Fall Festival, soccer, friends visiting from Boston, a baby shower, and a whole day of cider-making.  We had fun but we are all exhausted.  Daphne's field trip today was cancelled due to rain, and that's probably a good thing.  Tomorrow we leave for Indiana.  Kev will be staying behind, and we will miss him.  I command him to do something fun while we are gone.  There won't be any blogging for a while, but there will be tales of adventure and pictures of food upon our return.  Have a good week!

By the way, if you want to hear the whole new Old 97s CD, you can listen to it here for a limited time.  It is really really great.  The Texas song almost made me cry.