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December 3, 2003 Well, the weather outside ain't frightful. Calvin seems to feel that I'm neglecting my journal by posting my passing thoughts on Colloquial. It's just so easy to post through Blogger - no coding, no uploading files. But he misses my frequent entries, he says. He uses my journal as the barometer of our lives. And I do understand what he means - I miss the full-blown entries of the journalers I read who maintain their blogs more than their journals, too. It's kind of like reading a magazine as compared to reading a book. So I'm going to make a concerted effort to post more entries, since it means so much to him. And yes, Virginia, I will finish the Maui entries. I'm just glad I took all those notes during the trip. It just doesn't feel like Christmas around here. It's supposed to hit 78 today - 78. In December. This is stupid. I can't make stew or chili without it seeming misplaced. I have lots of cold-weather clothing that I'd love to wear, but I'd be baking in my sweaters by noon. Yes, this is Arizona, and yes, we can hardly expect it to snow. But it's usually in the low 60's during the day in the winter months. T-shirt weather when I lived in Maine, but my blood has thinned. And it even drops below freezing occasionally, at night. Usually it's just cool enough to make you grateful that you put your coat on after all, though your mind insists, "This is Arizona! Who needs a coat?" I think I just need to do one significant, holiday-ish thing to get my spirit going. I know I've said it every damned year that I've kept this journal, and every year before that when the proclamation was somewhat less public. But I will get to see Zoolights this year, if it kills me. I've only gone twice since I've lived here, and both times were with X(m). That's a memory I'd like to exorcise, that's for sure. Still hate Blue Christmas, by the way (closely followed by "Feliz Navidad"). And I have yet to listen to Pavorotti's "O Holy Night" this season, though I did listen to "Ave Maria" the other day (oh, heavens, I would love to own this). That I think I'll remedy tonight when I get home. (Oh, I'm listening to LaunchCast at work right now, and it's playing "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" from the Charlie Brown Christmas special. That made me happy!) Tonight I'll be a cooking fiend - really, the rest of this month I'll be exercising my (negligible?) cooking skills. The normal holiday fare of fudge and magic cookie bars, some more cookie recipes that I want to try out, a turkey dinner for Christmas Day, and our traditional lobster dinner for New Year's (moved from Christmas so Michael and Lilly can partake). Tonight we're having steak (Calvin's forte), asparagus (nobody cares), and a new recipe for twice baked potato casserole. That one's going to be a pain in the ass, because it requires that I cook up an entire pound of bacon. Bacon is one of my least-favorite things to cook. Then I have to make chili for a pot-luck we're having at work tomorrow. And there's a dozen eggs in the fridge that need to have something done with them, so I'm thinking of making them into devils. I've signed up for a Christmas cookie exchange, too (what the hell was I thinking?). So I'm going the easy route and making Spicy Molasses Cookies. We're going to House of Tricks on the 22nd for a luncheon and exchange (long time readers will recall my love for that place) in which we will get a dozen of everyone else's cookies, which means I'll have to make eight dozen cookies. Yarg. (The Chipmunks "Christmas Don't be Late" is on now. Heh. I had this album when I was little.) Anyway, here's the recipes for the potato casserole and cookies, if you're interested (both courtesy of RecipeZaar). If not, please proceed in an orderly manner to the next text break. Thank you. Twice Baked Potato Casserole 6 medium potatoes, baked 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 lb bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbled 3 cups sour cream 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 2 green onions, chopped Hey, I didn't say this stuff was *healthy*. Cut baked potatoes into 1 inch cubes (leave skin on - I'm using red potatoes). Place half in a greased 13x9 baking dish. Sprinkle with half the salt, half the pepper, and half the bacon. Top with half the sour cream and half the cheeses. Repeat the layers. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle with green onions when you remove it from the oven. Editor's note, later: I used maybe two cups of the sour cream, and maybe 1 1/2 cups of both of the cheeses. Otherwise, there'd be like way more of that stuff than actual potatoes. Spicy Molasses Cookies 2 cups all purpose flour 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup butter, softened 1/3 cup light molasses 3 tbsp milk 1 egg 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground cloves 1/8 tsp salt sugar, for rolling Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Beat at low speed until well mixed, about three minutes. Cover and chill until firm, about 4 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until slightly firm to the touch. Remove to wire racks to cool. Makes 4 dozen cookies. I've put up all of the decorations that aren't tree-oriented, that we own. The little Santa's Workshop figures above the microwave, the Nutcracker dudes on the mantel, the centerpiece on the table, the candycane floating candle vase and two garland candle holders on the pub table, the stocking holders on the fireplace, the stockings on the stocking holders (we need to get one for Lilly and one for Anthony, now!), the snowman figurine on the mantel, the Santa dude and Snowman dude on one of the speakers, the porcelain sculpture of Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus on another speaker (we just bought that one last night), and eight little stuffed animal tree ornaments that are too heavy to hang on the tree, so there's two of them on each corner ceiling speaker shelf in the living room. I'm going to buy a new wreath to replace the jingle-bell wreath we've been using (it drives me nuts and has scratched the door all to hell). We'll get the tree probably around the 17th or 18th (late enough to make sure it survives long enough for Michael and Lilly's visit around New Year's). When I write it all down like that, it seems like we have plenty of decorations. And yet, I don't get the festive feeling when I walk in the house. That'll change with the installation of the tree, I'm sure. I'm trying something new with it this year - a couple of those holly/pinecone/leafy garlands wrapped with strings of the small white lights. Then the bows like we did last year, and what ornaments we have that go with the whole ensemble. I LOVE our living room at Christmas - with the strands of lights that we have up near the ceiling, that room turns into the epitome of Christmas. Oh yeah, I guess I can put those pine garlands at the base of the wall behind the TV, like I did last year. It'll give Oz something to do, anyway. I can hear Calvin protesting now. Someday I'd love to replace the wall railing of our stairs with the kind that has rungs. I love the look of pine garlands twisted with lights, strung through the rungs. Yeah! Undergo a major renovation project, just so I can decorate at Christmas! That's what I'm talking about. (Calvin's favorite, "Holly Jolly Christmas" by Burl Ives - the Rudolph one - is on right now. Every time I hear it, I can hear Calvin singing it in that silly voice of his, in my mind.) Okay, I was going to talk some about the craniosacral therapist I'm going to for my shoulder and neck problems, but I'm plumb out of time. I'm working on a scrapbook-type entry about my Grandmother's recipe book, too. Expect that by this weekend, I'm thinking. And, dammit, I've GOT to remind myself to start up with the Christmas Card Politics, again. (One final note, how can one "Rock around the Christmas tree" if it's in the corner?) Tis the season, huh? Toodles! Comments on this entry? Head on over to Colloquial!

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