Goals

  My 2007 Journals.    My wish is for brave sharing of a few of my 2007 journal entries from these orange and purple books.

  Another 2008 goal is to improve my handwriting…   This is a page from my 2/12/07 entry.   Backstory:  these are prompts to help me explore my own thoughts and feelings.     and to add what is not visible the top is:   

“What I realize is ________________”   

“If my 5 year old [self] had something to say _____________”

   let    her    speak

the point is completion.  Keep going – move forward.  no distraction week.

and then something I cut from a magazine and taped in…   I AM THE ONLY ME.

  

     

 This is the journal I will scribble in starting tomorrow!  I’m very excited.   I just love me a clean blank white bright open empty journal!      I have about 5 more in the queue…     I’ve got an entire library full of no-longer-blank books, beginning when I was 11, I think.   I really should arrange for these to be burned or at least lost for 100 years in a safety deposit book…   

Anyways…     I do love the contemplation time that this part of December inspires in me.     I suppose now would be a good time to flip through the orange one that has goals from Jan 07 and look to see what I might need to move to 2008 (better to say it like that than to say ‘what I failed to do in 2007′!)

“Have the courage to believe in and follow your own heart and be willing to let go of the outcome.”    – no note as to WHO said this… 

aha!   Other than quick easy daily task stuff following the above quote, I didn’t write ANY BIG GOALS!    

Hmmmmm,  this is odd.   that I didn’t have any goals/resolutions for 2007 written down in a place that would be easy to find later.     Yes, very odd!

and that is just OK with me.   :)

    

I Only Have One

My Holiday Sweater.

I only have one! 

and I don’t have a matching turtleneck to wear underneath.

  It’s not TOO obnoxious.   I’m sure it wouldn’t win for “most crazy.”

However,

I do have matching socks:   

If anyone is on-task for finding/creating a ‘blogging’ sweater, please let me know!

Resignation, Part 2

I officially resigned today.     (To read my letter, click here.)

The face to face ‘sit down’, the knowing smile, then hand over the letter.

ALL

IS

GOOD

I also gave L a lead; a couple whose house will be a challenge to sell as well as being a challenge to assist in finding their next.    Cha Ching!  Can you say REFERRAL FEE?   I just may have a chance to make a profit in real estate after all.

I was advised to ‘get out there.’     Don’t sit at home and be sucked into the 2 dimensional world called INTERNET…    It’s possible that my next big career is quietly waiting for me to discover it?

A wonderfully fascinating place to visit if you have time on your hands and skills to offer:   Volunteer Match.   I’ve signed up to assist with a Reading & Literacy effort at a local library.   Training starts in January.   Shall I volunteer to help seniors understand Medicare?    Could I be one of those dear souls who just ‘be there’ and hold a hand so no one dies alone?    Perhaps handing out cookies at a blood drive….   Or throwing the hammer at Habitat for Humanity     and Homes For Our Troops.   I am making phone calls to inquire about more pet therapy visitations, too.

I want to take a few classes at the community center…   Web Design, Grant Writing, Creative Writing, Pie Making,  BE-Your+Best (rah rah) classes, etc.      I would love to take a Yoga class and definitely a self-defense class.   

I am afraid of commitment.   I’m afraid of over-committing!    I’m terrified of a schedule, having been without one for so long;  I really REALLY enjoy my slow pace.

As I like to say to my Hub,

“It takes a lot of time just to be me.”    

 But it’s time I give back, give more…

- “C” of Idea Jump

The Christmas Goose

The GOOSE is cooked.

  REMINDER!  This is ***NOT*** a cooking site!   I do not do the most cooking around this house…  The ‘MAN’ does.   

I promised Wendy that I would attempt to describe the process of our creating our Christmas Feast.   

The bird was terrific!   Hub really did slave all afternoon to prepare our meal and he deserves all the  praise and hugs and kisses;  it was fabulous.    The recipe can be found at Food Network’s Emeril Lagasse Recipe Collection.    Emeril’s Goose looks like this:    

I forgot to take photos once the food made it into serving bowls.    The potatoes were scrumptious (homegrown rosemary from MY garden!) and I overcooked the broccoli-cheese-rice casserole; but still divine.    The gravy from the port reduction (simmering for over an hour:  port, carrots, onions, peppers, YUM!) was superb!     OH…   By far the best food we had this Holiday Season.    and that’s mostly due to the LOVE that my wonderful husband pored into this feast…   He’s awesome. 

QUESTIONS:

Do you use inexpensive port or do you go all out?      A:    We actually had to go buy MORE port because I obviously did not read the recipe right and failed to purchase the required quantity…    And the HUB had to go do that purchasing (in the middle of the whole process because the ONE glass of Chardonnay I imbibed while sitting on my fat ass and WATCHING Hub chop the veggies, etc, had affected me too much!   (I knew I was tipsy because I loaded the dog into the back of the truck by jumping in the back of the truck myself as an example and then promptly FELL OUT of the truck.  At which time, I concluded (or did I deduce?) that it was not a good idea I drive anywhere…)    I don’t know how much the Sheffield Cellars Oak Mellowed Tawny Port of California cost me but prob <$10.   The second bottle that Hub bought, Rainha Santa of Portugal has a sticker $9.99.   

How much does the goose weigh?    OH crap….  I forget!   I think it was approx 12 pounds…   Cost ~$32?     I’ll update this after checking with the chef…   [update:  wethinks it was ~12 pounds...]

Do you prefer it over turkey?    I don’t have a preference.   I do like grilled turkey – it all depends.   I personally cannot stand leftover turkey.    expect in deli carved sandwich slices, maybe.   But left over big cooked turkey is not to my liking…   This goose was awesome, but it was NEW and exciting and slaved over for me.   SO it was definitely better than hohum turkey…

I’ve heard that when cooking a goose the high grease content is apt catch fire in the oven; is this really a problem or a myth?    Our oven did not catch fire from any grease splatters or whatever.    It IS a greasier meat but only Hub noticed that during the prep – not the finished cooked bird.   It’s dark meat.   Very tender…   I have no idea of any myths or not…

I had also made noise way back when we thunk up the idea of cooking the Christmas Goose, that I would make Christmas Pudding like the Brits do…   But I didn’t get around to it.   

Santa Letter

My title is misleading.  I’m not really going to write a letter to Santa.

What I have on my to-do list for today (Monday, Christmas Eve, Dec 24) is the next in my series of letters to a friend where the theme is to go through the order of the alphabet…

For the 19th week, it means that the letter ”S” is on the schedule.   And what do you think of for the letter “S” on a Christmas Holiday?    SANTA!

Did I mention that my friend is 6 years old?

This is why I need to write the Santa letter.   I’ve been gathering materials to prepare:  I have a whole slew of Santa stickers, and I have Christmas Cards with Street Scenes, Santa, Sleighs, Snow & Snow People, etc.

mores stickers of Suns, Stars, & Sharks…

Super Stupendous Silliness!

I’m also considering sending along a SASE…   Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope so that perhaps she will send me something.

Last week, I sent Reindeer Cookies for the “R” letter.
Next week, for the “T” letter, I’m sending a THANK YOU card for the presents her family gave this year.    I’m delighted with how these latest weeks’ letters so well aligned with the Holiday!

and may I extend to all my dear readers Holiday Happy Wishes that Santa brings you everything you want this year!

Blog Traffic

Question,

Do the holidays bring less traffic due to people being distracted and/or not at work?  or more traffic – students, perhaps, who have more time on their hands after arduous papers and finals? or about the same?

Guess, it depends on the kind of reader, huh?

I was just curious…

   

    

      and, on that note, I looked up a few quotes on LEISURE TIME:

   

We give up leisure in order that we may have leisure, just as we go to war in order that we may have peace.  ~Aristotle

 

   

The real problem of leisure time is how to keep others from using yours.  ~Arthur Lacey

Pub Dogs

So, the day I had all to myself!   What to do?  What to do?    The ground was covered with snow and I, alas, did not have my snowboots.    I also became quickly aware that walking to the nearest shopping center – across the highway – would not be a great idea.     Traffic, snow, no direct path, no non-snow covered safe walking path, etc.

     

Oh yea!  The hotel has a pool and hottub!      This picture does not truly demonstrate the beauty displayed through these floor to ceiling windows – the thick snow glistened in the cold sunshine.   I think I killed a couple of hours, attempting laps, just soaking, and reading one of the three books I completed on this trip.

 I decided to find lunch.        I quickly decided against the nearest establishment (next to hotel) – too cowboy?    [Gosh!  It was so disappointing, I can't even remember what restaurant it was!  Not a Longhorn but something like it...]    So, I found a stretch of businesses that included a flower shop, a dry cleaner, a Subway, and…   a Pub Dog.

    PUB DOG!?   

  This is the place that gives you TWO beers when you order one.    They also give you two waters when you order ‘water’. 

  I had a simple well-made tasty pizza with my two Hoppy Dog Ales.

And, then I enjoyed chatting with customers and servers while sipping two Thirsty Dog Ales, and I think I tasted a few other flavors before heading back to my reading.

 The bar was the central feature of the entire place; it stretched the length of the establishment.    TVs are not prominent but they do have them hanging across one wall.   Behind the bar, were booths up on a platform.     Definitely a party kind of place…   The menu was almost entirely pizza with staggering variety and all with clever names.    The servers were extremely friendly.    I’m sure I was not typical of their lunchtime clientele.

I called the hub during this to make him guess what I was up to while he was slaving away at work…   hee hee hee.

I am not skilled at beer critiquing but I can say:  the beer was good.    [If you need to know where I'm coming from in a beer taste comparison land, my favorites are Bass, Harp, Sierra Nevada, Sam Adams...    I can drink Coors Light but detest Bud Light.]

My husband is a lucky guy;   I like to drink beer and watch football.      And explore brewpubs that serve good beer!

And THAT is my beer adventure for the burbs of Baltimore brought to you by the travel-with-the-husband “What’s a Girl To Do?” Gal.

Teaser Alert!

I really want to post one of those ideas I had awhile back about BEER.

Remember, I told you about this fab pub I found on my latest travels?  I thought I had screwed up and took photos from my phone – which is NOT good due to my being a scrooge and NOT buying email service nor the device that allows me to connect phone to PC…

THEN!!!

I realized that I had my other previous prior cellphone with the cool camera and I already own the device that shares data between phone and computer, so I am able to share.

But I have to do it later.

I have pie to make – pie TINS to buy, a goose to purchase, some port for the goose fixin’ recipe, gifts to drop off, books to deliver, maybe a stop at the library first, take the dog to daycare, print a few more Xmas cards – address & mail, etc.  First.   oh!  crap – it’s trash day…  gotta run

SO PLEASE DO COME BACK LATER!    It will be my next post and probably will be later today.

Happy Friday, “C”

Kites

I changed my avatar. 

I have my reasons…      I hope you like this one!  

And don’t freak out – it’s still me…

Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, or a new country.   Anais Nin

Quote for Today

Look, I really don’t want to wax philosophic, but I will say that if you’re alive, you’ve got to flap your arms and legs, you’ve got to jump around a lot, you’ve got to make a lot of noise, because life is the very opposite of death.                        – Mel Brooks

I entered ‘Mel Brooks Christmas’ into the youtube.com search box and found this!