Here They Are!

The process is here. 

Heart Factory

My beloved niece wanted some hearts for the bookstore window. 

I can't wait to see what she does with them. I guess I'll find out on Monday.

Here's the reveal.

When you think your kitten's lost

Because he's disappeared for 4 hours.

But he always wants dinner

So you are outside calling and calling

Eventually Frank goes into the garage. 

And sees the kitten inside my car. 

Which I parked just over 4 hours ago

Psycho kitty quest que c'est. 

The Beauty of Lowered Expectations

Most years I eagerly anticipate Christmas so much, but when it is over I feel let down and sad at having to pack everything away again.

This year, for the first time since 1987 I did not put up a tree or decorate. 

In December 1987 we were in escrow for this house, finishing a kitchen remodel on the prior house, and everything we owned was in the process of being packed, boxed, or stored.

This year, I blame it on the kitten.

I was afraid to put up Pink and Sparkly! For sure, I thought, he would attack it and climb it and play vigorously with the breakable ornaments.

Then I thought I might buy a small tree, strongly tie it down somewhere, and put on only non-breakable decorations. I never got around to that.

I ended up with a wilted wreath, a foot-high shrub, and a Christmas tablecloth. Not so much anticipation.

But by golly, no post-Christmas let-down. That feels wonderful.

Meanwhile Kitten is attacking the computer screen as the cursor moves.

Head Warmer

Or is it earmuffs?

Either way, Hunter's favorite place to sleep is curled around Handy's head. 

One Man's Trash

...is another man's treasure.

We took a defunct appliance to the dump transfer station and I noticed a lot of salvaged treasures around the area. 

Outside

The wind came from different directions today. We usually feel the wind from the west but around noon today were hit by a vortex from north, east, and south. Yet still no storm. Tonight I hear a thrumming outside, building. Just now, a rumbling up the center of the house. Louder and louder outside, and then it's gone. It's going to drive me crazy. 

Nocturne

Lying awake in the middle of the night, I analyze each noise. The house's creaks and pops, the cats' nocturnal adventures, the husband's snores, the drone of faraway freeway traffic. Like that snippet on a Tom Petty record, "it's just the normal noises in here."

Tonight the wind has added an extra dimension. A dull thrum, a clash of chimes, a big rattle. Noises I can't place. 

I lie restless, anticipating the next noise, waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop. 

Traditions

Keeping my regular New Year's Traditions: 

The Rose Parade.

and the Twilight Zone Marathon. 

And then we cleaned the gutters, threw away broken things, and tidied up outside in preparation for the rain which is supposed to arrive next week.

 

New Years Eve, Borrowed

My New Years Eve, in borrowed Facebook stuff...

See ya next year. 

Crazy Winter

It's colder here than on the east coast.

I didn't see any snow and sleet but there was a lot of frost on the roof. 

Now it's raining.

Yule Log

From the Storybook (warning, spoilers!)

I was going to share "Granny Glittens and her Amazing Mittens," but The Tall Book of Christmas Tales was too tall to fit into my scanner! I'll just share the illustrations with bad cell phone photos.

**SPOILERS. Please GO AWAY if you don't want a reveal.** 

The bookstore had to put up a spoiler warning sign over the Star Wars books because one little boy opened up a book and got upset -- guess what, opening a book is full of spoilers!!!!!

Please leave now if you don't want to read my summary of the story. Because I will reveal things. 

I hope this was enough warning. I am not responsible for any trauma here.

This is your final warning. 

Ok. 

The gist is, every year Granny Glittens knits delightful colorful Christmas mittens for the neighborhood children.

One year, she can get only white yarn. 

What can she do? She spies jars of colorful and tasty candy in her cupboard. So she dyes the yarn with candy.

The kids EAT the mittens and parents keep buying more. 

This disturbed me as a child. My rational young self could imagine chewing the mittens like gum and sucking out the candy sweetness but to actually eat the yarn? "A Story You Will Not Believe," indeed.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Stories

I found these treasures in my trove. 

I'll share a favorite story from one of them next time. 

Ouch

1) when kitten needs his claws trimmed

2) and jumps on your back

X) when said kitten knocks the fruit bowl off the counter and it breaks...the bowl made by husband in high school  

Y) When you put the fruit in the fridge so it won't roll off the counter because you don't have a fruit bowl any more but people don't remember they just bought fruit and can't see what's in front of them when they open the refrigerator door so they write fruit on the grocery list.

#) When the cat (Homer) lying next to you starts to snore (and you are sleeping in the guest room to avoid snoring) 

*) and then said cat wakes up and starts licking and grunting at 2:38 am. 

3) when the pain that is migrating around your head makes your ear hurt every time you swallow. 

Z) Now the ear is stabbing continuously. 2:48 am. 

4) to distract you from your ear you read about poisonous water in Flint MI and celebrity yoga pants fails. 3:15 am. 

&) And now the cat is purring 3:16

But the aspirin has kicked in. 3:29 am. 

Signs of Winter 2015

Handy's birthday went smoothly, with my delicious prime rib...

and Ina Garten's carrot cake cupcakes. Nuts or no nuts? Some of each. 

Hunter the kitten is very kittenish. We had forgotten what that was like. 

Because said kitten is into everything, I do not have a tree. Only this--

This wreath has shriveled some, but it was lovely when I got it. Hand made by a former Hogwarts student. 

Almost everything in my yard is dry and dead, so this rose was a surprise. 

My heart is a little shriveled and dry, too. I'm missing Ernest who is staying East this winter.

The Actual Version

I recently saw a new adaptation of Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella at a local performing arts center. It was a delightful show and received rave reviews except for this lady:

"Wish the play was more similar to the actual Cinderella story, including characters."

Huh?

"Lucifer"

"and Pluto"

Wha??? (Pluto was not even in Disney's Cinderella)


"were such big characters and were not even included in ----'s version of the story. The play barely emphasized the mice characters. My daughter was confused and sad 😞"

I really hoped she was joking but I doubt it. 

Well. I controlled myself from correcting her on Facebook. Someone much nicer than me commented about the Rogers and Hammerstein aspect and the Lesley Ann Warren and Brandy versions. Although she forgot to mention the Julie Andrews version.

The actual story? There are many versions. My first recollection is the grim Grimm's version, which was pretty gory what with the step-sisters amputating parts of their feet. Oopsie, spoilers.

So hello Mommy, sorry your Mini-Me was disappointed. It's such a provincial life. Lucky for you, next year they are doing a Disney Musical so you won't be so confused.

We Are Not Amused

While Homer has mostly tolerated the newbie, Francine became the Queen of Mean. I started calling her Leona.

But suddenly, she discovered she could steal his food. (It's only fair, he's been eating out of everyone else's dishes.) And since then she's been a lot nicer.  

Humph. 

Meatballs

The Skandi Kitchen cookbook has been on display on the front counter of the book store for a few weeks. One of my sterling coworkers keeps opening the book to the Swedish meatball page. Don't these look good?, he says. OMG stop it! 

He's a great book seller. Of course I eventually bought the book. I am pleased to say it does NOT mention lutefisk. One of those cultural things you definitely DO NOT want to try. Or maybe you do. You have my permission to appropriate it, just keep it away from me. 

On the other hand, these meatballs are absolutely delicious.

 

I think the allspice and grated onion give them the special flavor. I never had anything as tasty from my scandinavian family. 

I made twice as much gravy.

I'm Putting on My Angry Eyes

I've been having an ordeal with my new glasses. First they were made wrong. When I eventually got them home I realized they were crooked. I finally went back to have them readjusted and when they were handed back to me they were scratched. "Oh, they're under warranty." Now I am waiting for another set of lenses. I love my optometrist but the optical shop leaves something to be desired.