So? Are you on schedule? Speaking of holiday cards--this is one (by Greg Clarke, from 2007!) from the stash I am planning to send. SOOON. I love so much about this. (Like her flip-phone.) And what did we ever do before free shipping?
What are YOU doing today, Reds?
We know you're busy (or are you?)
Check in! Let us know what you're up to…and we'll send a signed book to one lucky commenter!
Happy Christmas Eve!
ReplyDeleteSince we've mailed all the packages and I baked cookies yesterday after work [about thirteen dozen or so], today is the day to play nonstop Christmas music to keep me sane while I do all the wrapping I've left until the last second.
And, if all goes well, it's going to be the day to send out the cards . . . .
The presents are all bought and wrapped. I sent my e-cards tonight. My CICU nurse son-in-law is on duty on Christmas, so we are having our big dinner on Christmas eve. I have the pies ready to go in the oven in the morning.And despite only living a few miles away, I'll spend the night at my daughter's house so I can have the fun of watching the 6-year-old when she discovers what Santa has left.
ReplyDeleteHappy Christmas Eve from north of Boston, too! A few more gifts to wrap, one more batch of cookies to bake. Time for my "gentle senior" yoga class, then attempting to make a Buche de Noel with my son before traveling to Jamaica Plain for a feast with our closest friends. My favorite kind of day. And since I woke up indecently early, I might even have time for a little reading.
ReplyDeleteI'm planning to try a new recipe for cranberry bread, go to the library, and relax. Merry Christmas to all.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'll be starting work in another 15 minutes. When I get home tonight I'll wrap presents, go to church, maybe take a drive around town afterwards to enjoy the decorations in various neighborhoods.
ReplyDeleteThe cards will have to wait!
cooking ham and sweet potato casserole for tonight's dinner plus the two cannot have Christmas brunch without dishes: sausage, potato, mushroom, egg and cheese casserole from one of DM Davidson's books and a raisin bread apple and egg concoction. Hungry yet?
ReplyDeleteWow, you all are fabulous and festive! What a treat to read this!
ReplyDeleteIt is raining here in Boston, very gloomy. Tonight we are having prime rib with mushroom strudel and green beans--we'll have champagne and shrimp for appetizers. Jonathan has today and tomorrow off, so it's such a wonderful vacation!
Revisions don't care about holidays ,so I will spend good part of the day on that. I love revisions, so even working is fun.
I am also thinking about Love,Actually. Has anyone watched it this year? Just in cases?
Watching the thunder and lightning over Atlanta this morning. Finished all the wrapping and baking and delivering yesterday. Today i plan to neaten up and set the table for tomorrow's lunch. Going to the Lessons and Carols at church. I may read a little and enjoy some Christmas music.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes to all.
Anonymous in Atlanta
Cards to get out, a pie to make (and maybe cookies, but I think that's really pushing it,) ALL my wrapping to do, and then taking off mid-afternoon to drive to my sis-in-law and mum-in-law for Rick's side of the family's big Christmas Eve party. Lots of people, lots of food, lots of fun. Tomorrow will be quieter.
ReplyDeleteAnd, no, Hank, have not watched Love Actually yet! I always hope I can get it in on Christmas Eve, but I suspect it will be tomorrow night--lovely way to end Christmas Day.
I have a full house. Gifts are shopped for and wrapped. Franny is racing around the house with the buzzers we used for our Malice panel. She likes to put one in the seat of her pants and bounce on it. Tonight we're having rack of lamb (Hank's recipe) and a recipe from the NY Time for cheese-y (not cheesy) potatoes.
ReplyDeleteJust finished buying the final gifts. Now to wrap. Enjoying a latte right now before I have to get down to business.
ReplyDeleteI still have a couple of rooms to vacuum and mop. Otherwise, I'm in pretty good shape for the festivities to begin this afternoon. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThe plan for today is to do everything that is still not done. So I'll run around like mad for awhile and then I'll look around and see how much actually has been done and how pretty the house looks and I'll just relax. We'll watch Rudolph and Frosty and then open our gifts after midnight.
ReplyDeleteRecovering after baking and icing 200 cookies yesterday. Later The Boy and I must make a run to Target so he can buy a gift for his sister (he was very put out that she bought him something with her own money and he had not done the same - who is this kid?).
ReplyDeleteSchedule? It is to laugh! Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteGoing to Star Wars and then have a pie to make later.
ReplyDeleteI just downloaded ALL the Beatles album on Spotify. I am feeling very hip.
ReplyDeleteNow off to the post office.
And I have some ripe bananas. IfI don't make banana something today, they will be wasted. Banana bread pudding? What's easy?
WENDY--you are right~
Thank goodness I did the wrapping yesterday, as it turned out to be much more than I anticipated. I mad a key lime cheese ball last night and rolled it in the graham crumbs this morning. It's a mix, using cream cheese and butter, and it's delicious. I should have made two. I'm finished with the cleaning that's going to get done, so I feel good about that. I'm now in a quandary over food for today/tonight. Our Christmas meal is at my daughter's tomorrow, and I know that I'm taking scalloped oysters and maybe a broccoli casserole there. But, today my son and almost-daughter-in-law are coming in, first to stop by and grab a bite and then drive an hour to visit her family. They will be back tonight, and I'm not sure if they'll eat a Christmas dinner with her family or not, so I might need to have something else to eat. I really need to get more info on that. I made vegetable soup Tuesday, so I was thinking that with a turkey sandwich (I have plenty of turkey) when they arrive. Do you think some snack food later tonight, probably 8ish, would be okay. Like cheese and crackers, some ham would do? And, I have some cranberry, orange, nut bread. I'm trying to gather my thoughts on the food now. My biggest obstacle to fixing much is that the refrigerator is full right now. I will never forgive my husband for talking me into a smaller refrigerator with the kids gone.
ReplyDeleteHank, I should have made some banana bread, but I didn't get around to it. Oh, and I haven't gotten to watch Love Actually yet, or The Muppets Christmas Carol. Maybe tomorrow night. The day after Christmas, we'll be back up and running, as it's our daughter's birthday. At least I waited until the day after to give birth. Hahaha!
As soon as I get off the computer (should be just a few minutes now), I'll head out to door to my family, which is a most of the day drive. Aiming to arrive in time for the Christmas Eve service at my brother's church.
ReplyDeleteMy husband is out shopping. LOL We're retired; there's no reason to wait until Christmas Eve! Is it a guy thing?
ReplyDeleteI have to go pick up a pie I ordered. (I admit it; I don't bake pies.) I did make peanut butter blonde brownies yesterday and I may make chocolate chip cookies later. I want to try the so-called Christmas Crack. Have you heard of it. It's made with saltines, butter, brown sugar, pecans, and choc chips. Looks wicked easy!
Quiet day and tomorrow we're going to see my mother in her nursing home in the morning and then going to my sister's (at a ski resort with no snow) for the day with my niece and her family. I'll get to meet the first boy in our family for 3 generations. He's 5 months old.
Merry Christmas to you all!
Kathy, soup and cheese will be perfect! with turkey as back up. You are SET. You are Margaret are on the food case perfectly!
ReplyDeleteRe--we want a full report! We're going tomorrow…
And we just got back from walking to he post office. Everyone is outside! It tis downright balmy--so weird!
AND THE WINNERS from yesterday are:
ReplyDeleteJillyr
drpff
and
Anonymous in Atlanta
Email me at h ryan at whdh dot com Choose the signed Hank book of your choice! And include your address. Happy holidays!
And now back to looking up recipes…
My big brother just called me from Denver to find out how I baked the sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving. That made me laugh. I didn't even remember doing that for Thanksgiving! This afternoon we'll drive about 60 miles from here to attend christmas Eve service where my inlaws used to go. We'll spend the night out there at their house. Come back to town in the morning for a get together for husband's family at a memory care unit where his mom lives now. He bought the snacks and I bought her gifts so we're ready. In the afternoon we'll go to my mom's apartment at a senior living community with snacks and gifts for my side of the family who are in town and have another get together. Then I'll come home, collapse with a drink, and watch the Dr Who Christmas special. I've shopped and wrapped gifts, might send out some more cards, but I am NOT baking this year! Merry Christmas all!
ReplyDeleteNo late night insanity of trying to get toys put together.
ReplyDeleteI'm still trying to figure out the timing for cooking everything tomorrow.
Somehow, it always works out OK.
I using a recipe tomorrow from Lucy Burdette--Hot Chocolate Pie--and turning it into a s'more pie with a graham cracker crust and marshmallow topping.
Aw, that's so cute that your brother called for help, Pat D! Love that.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, LIbby, somehow it always works. HOT CHOCOLATE PIE! YUM! (And so sweet that it is Lucy's recipe!) Maybe I can make that--with bananas.
Or..maybe I will freeze the bananas and forget about it…xoxoo
Enjoyed the pie Libby! And the day all of my friends! We have a full house too. Having shrimp and grilled sausages and wonderful bread and sautéed greens for an early supper, then bike to the Christmas eve service, then back to the house for carrot cake. I doubt I can get anyone to watch Love Actually except for my daughter. Merry Christmas eve everyone! XO XO Lucy
ReplyDeletePS Hank, yes freeze the bananas for smoothies later...
Thank, Lucy! Freezing. Yay. If I can get them to fit in the freezer, which is a blog for another day.
ReplyDeleteYou know it can't be good when the state police come to your door . . . .
ReplyDeleteWrapping is going along smoothly, I did the cards and put them out in the mailbox. Only the mailman didn't get them; some kids took them, and tore them all up.
The very nice state trooper was simply returning the remnants of the cards and letting me know what happened.
Now I guess I still have to do the cards . . . .
I'm baking a tarte au sucre. But first "traditional" poutine. My favorite, but I have yet to convert my Anglo-Saxon in-laws. Too bad! They can come for First Night when I'll fix their kind of food. Prime rib and Yorkshire pudding with horseradish and crème fraîche sauce. No vegetables, of course. Then on New Year's day we'll go back to real food when I make Québec City style onion soup from the pan drippings, wine, Gruyère cheese, and giant homemade croutons. They'll be shocked it's French, so that will be fun.
ReplyDeleteHappy everything!
Roberta, hot chocolate pie sounds so good! I'll have to fit that in!
ReplyDeleteJoan, that's awful, so mean!!
ReplyDeleteI know, Lucy, it's hard to believe anyone would do such a thing. And I'm not going to be able to do anything about it until Saturday when I can go hunt up new cards.
ReplyDeleteBut tonight, I'm putting it all aside and going to midnight candlelight service and singing "Silent Night" . . . .
JOAN! SO AWFUL!!! I have never heard of such a thing.
ReplyDelete(If you want to be on TV or the newspaper, I'm sure you;d be a big story…seriously)
Oh, Reine, how fabulous. I adore real onion soup. The cheeeeeese.
Hank, the state trooper said they were probably looking for cash or gift cards, and I suppose that makes sense, but it's a very sad commentary to think that kids would even think to do something like that . . . .
ReplyDeleteJoan... oh... no! Just saw your comment. So had to believe anyone would be so mean! I know we can't replace them for you... all the work and love--all the love--they represented. Just know, please, that we love you.
ReplyDeleteI think I wrote "hard" with my old Boston accent I thought I'd left behind!
ReplyDeleteJoan, it is chilling and ridiculous. I am so sorry--but Reine (as always )is right. We all love you madly! xoxooo
ReplyDeleteIs there surveillance video anywhere?
Sorry, no surveillance video that I know of, but the state police did catch the kids.
ReplyDeleteThey DID??? Whoa. We want to hear all about it! Poor thing! Love you..xooo
ReplyDeleteI don't really know too much more, Hank. John says they won't tell me too much, but the state trooper did tell me that they caught the kids and that was how they were able to return my poor mutilated Chrstmas cards . . . .
ReplyDeleteI'd like to hear about it. It's so... extra unkind. To destroy...
ReplyDelete