11 posts tagged “christmas”

I'm currently in Christmas baking mode.  I've been baking mini-loaves of banana, zucchini, friendship, and pumpkin breads.  Whew.  My freezer is full of carbs to be given away!  They're being given out locally & through the mail.  Some regular readers of this blog will be getting some, whether they know it or not!

I chose quickbreads this year because while I like them, they aren't tempting to me the way yeast breads are.  I still salivate when thinking of yeast breads.  Best to stay away for now.  I'm considering making some fudge, too, but that might have to be put off until another year as well.  As it is, it really feels like the Christmas season to have so many wonderful aromas in my apartment.  I'm currently immersed in pumpkin.  :)

Quick poll:  Which iPod nano color should I choose when I buy myself one for Christmas?

I babysat my little sister this weekend (she's 5.5, will be 6 in February).  She, like most kids her age, is starting to get excited about Christmas.

An actual conversation that took place this morning:

Me: What do you want for Christmas, Alex?
Alex: A dinosaur.
Me: What else do you want?
Alex: Ming-Ming.
Me: Anything else?
Alex: No, that's two things.  That's enough!

My dad was also blown away by this.  She just doesn't ask for stuff...this is the first year she's even asked for anything for Christmas.  In this consumer culture, it's so refreshing to see this mindset just happen. 

If I ever have children, I hope I can instill this kind of mindset in them somehow.

Today I started my holiday baking.  I got the starter going for the friendship bread, and have made 2 mini-loaves of banana bread and 2 mini-loaves of zucchini bread.  I still have to figure out how I'm distributing the loaves (and there will be many more mini-loaves to come!) but they freeze well and it'll be great having impromptu gifts on hand.

If I wanted to be really productive, I could start addressing Christmas card envelopes.  That would mean finding the Christmas cards that I bought last year but never even got around to opening...

This has been the hardest Christmas ever for me, and for much of my family as well.  I'm really really tired and don't want to get into details tonight, but my grandmother (mom's mother) is now in the hospital after having another stroke (she now can't swallow), pneumonia, and the beginnings of kidney failure.

Hospice has been called, and I know that they are keeping her comfortable and preventing suffering.  My mom will be here on Friday, and I want to give her a big hug.

I just got home a bit ago after spending much of the day at the hospital.  I'm about to put on pajamas and go to bed.

Honestly, it hasn't even really felt like Christmas today.

I realize this is my second update today, but I realize that lately I've mostly been talking about kittens.  So here are some of the other things that have been going on lately...

* I'm about to make friendship bread again.  I haven't made any since 2005 and I had to clean up the mess from the mass suicide of starter.  I'm hoping for better luck with starter this time...and I don't plan on keeping it around for long.

* A friend reminded me of the song "In the Sun" by Joseph Arthur.  I hadn't heard it in awhile, so I bought it on iTunes last night.  It's so sad, but such a beautiful song.

* I'm not quite done with Christmas knitting yet.  And I'm kind of in denial about how much I still have to knit.  I should be able to get it done this weekend.  That's the plan, anyway.

* I have failed miserably on the Christmas card front.  I bought them.  I have a list of who will get cards.  But I haven't even opened the boxes to start writing in them (again with the denial...).  Instead, either those will be New Year's cards or I'll send valentines.  Or "baby" announcements when the kitten comes home.  So for those who have already sent a card (and I've received some fantastically lovely cards!!!) know that I'll send you a card, too.  Later.

* Why is just the thought of dating really hard?  Sorry, that was random.  No, I'm not dating anyone, but there is someone I'd like to date.  I just don't know if he would date me.  I don't think I told him about my blog, but I'm going to stop now in case I did...

* I might just have to watch the Grammys this year.  I haven't actually watched in a long time, as I usually don't know the music.  However, this year, I know a decent bit of it.  I'm most excited about the "best alternative music album" category...both Lily Allen and Arcade Fire are nominated!

* This past Monday I jogged a quarter of a mile on the treadmill at the gym and didn't die.  I know that's not a long distance, but it's the most I've done in *years.*  Possibly the most I've done since high school.  And it felt awesome.  :)

* For some reason about half of my Netflix queue is "short wait."  Including, of course, Doctor Who season 3.  Now that I'm caught up with stuff on TiVo, I'd like to watch more DVDs, please.

* Speaking of DVDs, my catsitter loaned me Twin Peaks season 1 to watch over Christmas break.  Can you believe I've never seen that show?

* Yes, I'm now on Christmas break.  The library doesn't reopen until December 31.  I cannot express to you how happy I am to have a week off.

I just realized that it's been a week since I've updated, so here we go...

Gotcha.  You thought I had something really cool to talk about tonight.  Nope, it's been the same old stuff around here.  Work is good, life is good, Daisy is good.  I'm going to visit my dad, stepmom, baby sis, and the puppy this weekend. 

Here are a few random things:

* June is going by way too fast.  Last year I started making Christmas presents in August and that worked out really well.  Now I've only got a month and a half to make more stuff for me/learn some new skills before starting presents.  If I decide to make presents again this year.  Well, I'll be making something...not sure if it will be my traditional gift of loaves of bread (I've done that a few times) and/or fudge and cookies and/or knitting/crocheting things.  I like giving (and receiving!) things made by hand.  I wrote out my list today, and pretty much the only "for sure" thing is that I'll be making is for my grandpa: a pair of wool socks and/or a hat.

* I got a new cell phone!  Same number of course, but this newer phone makes it so much easier to text.  Yay!  Oh, and probably the most important thing (besides that there were enough credits/in-store rebates that it cost me nothing): it's PINK!

* I made the best cheddar bread tonight that I've ever made.  Everything turned out about as close to perfect as I can imagine it.  I'm taking a loaf to my dad's (a Father's Day treat!) and leaving the rest of the other loaf for my catsitter.

* I got a sample of a new cat food, Cat Chow Naturals.  Daisy loves it!  And they carry it at my local grocery store, so I might get it for her next time.

* I've started watching the American version of The Office on with the Netflix "watch now" feature.  I can't believe how funny this show is, and that I haven't been watching it all along! 

* There are probably other little things that I could write about, but that would then qualify this blog for one of the most boring ones around.  So I think I'll stop for now.

My mom just pointed out to me that I hadn't posted anything since December 12.  Wow.  I know I've been keeping up with my neighborhood, but not taking time to write anything. 

For those keeping track, my trip to Oregon was successful!  I arrived in Pendleton after 2 days in the car to Cheyenne, a kinda scary trip to the Denver airport, then flights to Portland then to Pendleton.  All in all I was only about 30 minutes late.  Not bad at all.  :) 

So far this has been an excellent vacation.  I got to see states that I've only flown over for the past few years (my last cross-country road trip was when I was 14).  I had fun opening presents with my mom and stepdad last night (I got lots of Pampered Chef stuff!), and the Midnight Mass at the local Episcopal church was lovely.  We're going to have a fairly late Christmas dinner with a prime rib, peas, mashed potatoes, two salads, Yorkshire pudding, green cheesecake, and probably more that I'm forgetting right now.

Our plans for the week (my mom is off work): cross-stitching, crocheting & knitting, shopping (clothes!  yarn!), lunch at GP at least once, dinner at Raphael's one night this week, and experimenting with apple dumplings.  Oh, and watching movies.  She just got out "Send Me No Flowers," so I should wrap up this post and get ready to enjoy watching Doris Day.

Merry Christmas!

Okay...only 1 crochet project and 1 cross-stitch project to finish before December 20.  I think I can do it!

Plus I still need to write & mail Christmas cards, as well as wrap all of the presents that I've made/bought.  It's definitely crunch time but I think I can do it!  :)

Last night after dinner, my friend T. and I went to the Wal-Mart Supercenter in the Turkey Creek shopping center, with the primary mission being a Good Luck (green) Care Bear and toy pots & pans.  These were the requests of children on an Angel Tree.  We found the right Care Bear, a toy kitchen set complete w/ pots and pans, and other stuff.  I got to cross a couple things off my shopping list, which was great.  I even bought a couple things for myself (including the DVD of Harry Potter #4, which I'm about to watch in a few minutes).

After that we went down the strip mall to the Super Target, where we found the Angel Tree a Tenderheart Care Bear, just to have something above and beyond.  Oh, and at Wal-Mart, T. ran into a couple of people she knew through work, who have had lots of things happen to them in the past couple of years.  After talking with them, she said that she needs to find their address so she can send them some money anonymously.  How sweet is that?

I found myself thinking, why didn't I pick up something on the Angel Tree?  (I wasn't there when she picked these up, and haven't been looking for them, either.)  There are so many people in need for one reason or another, and I've been so caught up in the present-making/buying frenzy for my friends and family that I haven't done anything for a stranger.  Have I become that self-absorbed?

The thought crossed my mind that next year instead of presents for people, I'll make donations of some sort in other people's names for their present.  So, instead of giving a friend a scarf, I'll knit something for Knit Unto Others or another charity drive like that, and let my friend know that it's in honor of them. 

Really, we (including myself) have so much already.  I love making/buying presents for people, but perhaps what we need more is to give back in some way.

I just reviewed my list, and see that I still have a cross-stitch project and 5 crochet projects to finish before December 20.

I need to fix up and mail Christmas cards.  And I need to wrap all of these presents...some need to go in the mail. 

I'm starting to feel a bit overwhelmed.