Category: Holidays

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April Fools day

April Fools Day or, All Fools Day, is supposed to be (according to some ) the most light- hearted day of the year. To me, it’s kind of scary. In my years, I have had some pretty harmful or frightening April Fools jokes/pranks pulled on me. I know that the family and friends who have done this in the past, did not mean for them to be terrible to me, but they were, none the less.

I can be light-hearted like the next person, but my problem is, I used to believe people when they tell me things sometimes. Especially when they say things with a very straight face and seem to be honest and sincere. I have adopted the, “Believe half of what you see, and none of what you hear” attitude. So, have a fun filled and day, people.

Myself, I’m going to go out in the gardens where I’m “safe.”  Hopefully some of my early plants and the weather won’t play any pranks on me!!

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Valentines Day, no surprise

As sad as it is to say sometimes, my husband is not and never has been a romantic of any kind. Zip, Nada, Ziltch. In other words, we don’t do Valentines Day. I don’t even think he remembers when our anniversary is, since he’s never said anything after all of these years.

All this has caused me not to even try to make any plans or even attempts at trying to go out of my way with cards and such for him. It’s not really out of my way, but I don’t think it would mean anything. So, instead…I still get Valentines and candy and such for the kids, despite they are nearly all grown. Just something a little special.

When they were small, I’d make cookies and decorate them, and get balloons and have party with cake and Valentines. Now they all have plans it seems and so I just make supper for who ever happens to be home, and call it good enough. I might start volunteering at the school for the 1st and 2nd grade classes. Little kids still really like holidays and I think it might be just what I need to pick up my spirits.

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The Guitar

When Sammy told me that he wanted a new Yamaha for Christmas, I thought he was talking about a new motorcycle or an ATV.

I can remember driving past a motorcycle store and seeing the word “Yamaha” prominently displayed on the building. I just about flipped my lid! I started telling him how dangerous motorcycles and ATVs can be, and he started laughing at me!

I was so surprised when he told me that he was talking about a new guitar! What a relief that was!

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Cake Decorating for Christmas

Many of my friends are very crafty and love to make homemade gifts to exchange over the holidays. My good friend Lindsay is especially talented with cake decorating. She made a cake shaped like a Christmas tree and then used sugar fondant in different colors to make the ribbons and ruffles that are the icing on this beautiful cake.

The funny thing is that she had just made a gorgeous Christmas tree skirt out of red and green fabric that looks like ruffles, and she used that as inspiration for this cake. The ruffles on the cake look just like the ruffles on her tree skirt made from real fabric. I wish she had taken a picture of the tree skirt so you could see how much they look alike. She is an amazing talent and I admire her homemade creations.

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Chocolate gift ideas

All of my friends adore chocolate. I’ve been letting my fingers do some shopping online and have seen some great gift ideas. I usually don’t eat sweets or much sugar at all, but every once in a while I get a craving for some chocolate. It’s a craving that usually strikes believe it or not, in the middle of the night. My mom is the same way. She keeps a chocolate bar in the drawer of her night stand and in the middle of the night, will break off a piece and eat it, then go back to bed. In fact, my oldest daughter is the same way. I think we get it from my mom!

Online I found some great gift packs to give my friends and family for Christmas. Usually my mom will always get a box of chocolate covered cherries from all of “us kids” (I have two brothers and three sisters), but she secretly gives most of them away, I found out. But we have been giving her boxes of them since we were young. It’s sort of a tradition. I like them, but only if they have the clear liquid in them, not the white kind.

My youngest daughter always asks for her stocking to be stuffed with chocolate. She loves the dark chocolate, so she’ll be set for sometime. I found a great sale on it and the chocolate mint is my favorite!

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Chirstmas candy

I’ve decided to start making Christmas hard tack candy again for Christmas gifts. Everyone who remembers years ago when I made it has been asking for it. What a compliment, I think. I’m going to go to get the flavoring and ingredients tomorrow, and since I collect various jars, and have plenty of old blue Mason jars, that would also be a gift, since they are really hard to find now.

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Stuffed Like a Turkey

Today I am still stuffed from all the turkey and side dishes we ate yesterday. I spent the entire day in the kitchen cooking a big traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all the side dishes. Everything turned out great except for the homemade yeast rolls. I had made the dough from scratch for the rolls Wednesday night and set them aside to rise, but it was so cold out with this awful winter weather and so drafty in my old kitchen that the dough did not rise and I had to toss them out. That was disappointing, but there was plenty of other food and no one seemed to miss the hot rolls.

My turkey was perfect and one of the biggest ones that I’ve ever cooked. It barely fit into the Reynolds cooking bag, which is what I swear by. The cooking bag keeps the turkey moist and keeps all the juices inside the bag so you have plenty to make gravy. And another trick that I learned is to put the turkey in the bag upside down. Everyone likes to roast their turkey with the breast side up, but that is what drains the juices down and away from the breast meat. If you put the turkey in the oven with the breast down, all the juices run into the breast meat and it is just oozing with delicious juices when you carve it and serve it at the table.

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Pumpkin Pie

One of the very best smells in this world is a baking pumpkin pie, and you have to admit that it is also one of the best tastes in this world. I have always loved pumpkin pie, I like to have it year round not only at the holidays like many people. Turkey is something else that we have the year round just not at Thanksgiving, in fact most of the time we get a nice Honey Baked Ham for Thanksgiving and have the turkey for our Christmas table. You have to admit that the food during the holidays is some of the best of the whole year.

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Christmas Carols Already

This morning I got into my truck and clicked on my favorite radio station, fully expecting my country music to surround me, since it was a country music kinda day, right? *deep sigh* Not to happen. Out of my speakers came not only Christmas music, but the one song I can not stand!!! Something about a kids mom making out with Santa. Okay…push buttons to find something not Christmas, since it’s not even that close to Thanksgiving and a few days ago, I was still taking off Halloween make up that sort of stained my neck. The only station I could find was the one my guys listen to and play with their band. Since I can’t understand the vocals of Death Metal, for all I know, the songs could have been Christmas themed also.

I really dislike retailers and such pushing Christmas on me if I just got over Halloween, and have yet to start my lists for Thanksgiving dinner. It is one of my peeves, I don’t like to be rushed to do anything.

I got out of the truck, went into the house and grabbed a CD off the music shelf. Can’t win for loosing, since I had grabbed Christmas with Harry Belafonte.

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Getting ready for goblins

With tomorrow being Trick or Treating in our town and I’ve been decorating the front yard and porch, hoping the weather is good and the predicted rain or even snow holds off for the kids that come trick or treating. I’m going into town to buy candy and get some odds and ends that I need. I love Halloween. I won’t be dressing this year though. First time in I don’t know how long. I have a pinched nerve in my neck and to be honest, since I’ve lost quite a bit of weight and am down to about 109 lbs, my costumes would all need taken in a size. I don’t have the time to do this. The kids are all ready though and will look great!