Oh No!

First of all...I responded to one of Den's associates in a note and didn't catch a spelling error! It was pretty basic...there/their...and it could have been my ridiculous iPad self correcting...but still...the teacher part of me is furious! Am I falling into that gray area where I don't see mistakes? How can this happen? To me? The part of me that wants things perfect will worry over this all day long!

Yesterday was a never ending series of events...we have some "boys" coming over for dinner...on Tuesday...they are ending their work time here and going back to the UK...so we wanted wreaths up, candles in all of the windows, boughs in baskets, branches resting on my outside benches and holiday stuff inside...getting the trees up is not possible on the same day as wreaths...and getting all of the Christmas stuff out is not possible...but we are trying!

So...yesterday we had to get wreaths, get to Pier 1 for the best room spray ever and Wegman's for food stuff. We started out early and made great time until Wegman's...when our fast pace slowed to a crawl! This store is still so crowded! The aisles are nearly impassable! So, of course, we became frustrated, cranky and irritated with each other! Den was whining because he only ate a doughnut at the wreath place and he wanted breakfast and he was hungry and I felt as though I had taken a seven year old shopping! He did not realize that I was on a mission! Oh...and the other thing was that we usually get our wreaths from the same place every year but I wanted to go to a different place because the newsletter said that the little sweet owner tied every bow on every wreath by hand!

Bad move on my part...she might have been sweet but her bows were...hmmm...not so pretty...so it took longer to find the perfect wreaths...but I did! The fern is going but the weather is so mild I hated to part with it!

 

Now...dinner...

Den and I wanted to create an American dinner for our friends...so we thought meatloaf...but not an ordinary one...our butcher made us a mix of sirloin and filet and brisket...and I made a trial meatloaf last night...with a recipe from Bon Appetit...and it was lovely...very steak like? And I am making baby Hasselback potatoes...when you take them out of the oven you drizzle them with a tiny bit of runny honey...and Gorgonzola cheese...they were awesome and the baby potatoes cut into Hasselback ones were so yummy! And I am making chocolate cake and a key lime pie for dessert...both are easy recipes...and green beans...

I am using this recipe from Chef Jamie Oliver...

Yep...making another meaty loaf on Tuesday unless I have the butcher roast me a cut of something else...what to do? What to do?

I am not good at cooking for more than two people...seriously! Whew!

Books!

I read this over the weekend...and LOVED it! It's a unique and clever book about how James Hook...a twelve year old boy...meets Peter Pan one night in Kensington Gardens and how he is tricked into going to NeverNeverland! And how terrible Peter Pan really is! This book was fantastic for me!

Reading this...I love Julie Kagawa's books...this is part of a trilogy...and it's awesome, too!

I am off to do something!

I pray that there/their are no spelling errors in this post! But seriously? My iPad self corrector is holding me hostage!

Have a great day!

Patty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Here Is The Thing...Or Things...

We are still mowing the lawn and raking leaves and I still have flowers growing in pots outside...normally yard work would stop at some point in October but so far every thing is still growing and growing and growing...

Obsessions...my obsessions this week...are Hammonds Candy Canes! My supplier says that they are thirty days behind schedule! What's up with this news? Even the ones I ordered from Amazon are behind schedule! I called Whole Foods and they think they have a few! People! I need these minty big beautiful candy canes. I am freely admitting that I am a Hammonds Cane-oholic! I can't eat those tiny ones! I need Hammonds! No cherry or berry or weird flavors...only peppermint will work for this cane loving girl!

Just look at these beauties! So big!

They even have a cute Hammonds Candy Cane Car!

More obsessions...I have not worn a Christmas-sy shirt since I taught but I want this one! This is from a sweet shop I love called Love, Kuza! Which color? I can't decide! It's the perfect at shirt to chill out in while waiting for Santa Baby!

Next obsession...meatloaf! A British co worker of Den's is coming for dinner next week and I am supposed to be making an All American Dinner! Right now I am focusing on an out of the ordinary meatloaf...this is Ina Garten's and it is very steak based. Then I am making mashed potatoes and peas and Key Lime Pie! Any thoughts? All Den told me is that we need to make something meaty!

 

This book was AMAZING! It's not out until Feb.16th but I would jump on it as soon as you can...I had copies from NetGalley and Edelweiss. The U.K. promo dude tweeted me to say it has been picked up by British TV. Not sure what that means...it seems as though it would be an amazing movie. Jean and Glen marry but after a while Glen's creep side blooms...he keeps going into online chat rooms for whatever he needs that is not normal. Glen is obnoxious, blustery and nothing is ever his fault...someone else took those photos or downloaded that movie...never him. Jean just quietly stays by his side believing him and supporting him. Then a little girl disappears...and all eyes point to Glen. And then this book just gets so good. What is Jean's role in all of this? Why does she have a baby obsession? It's one of those slow steady wonderful books where you really don't have to keep checking back to see who is doing what...it's clear and just builds on this steady pace. But the entire time the pace is tense and exciting and suspense filled. Loved this book. But be prepared...the formatting is not good on Edelweiss or NG...but it's not bad on my Paperwhite. And in spite of some of the subject matter...the book is very careful and tasteful when the weird stuff is mentioned. Whew!

Unless I do a pop up post...I am out of here until Monday!

Happy weekend! Stay safe out there!

Patty

 

 

 

 

 

 

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On My Own Again...

Isn't that a song? Den is at the office today and at a "Drinks" event later...the girls and I are here to do whatever we want to do...after quizzing each kitty...I discovered that they are not in the mood for posing in holiday hats for our Christmas card...nor do they want to take a walk with me. Lazy kitties! It is a very windy day today so not taking them out in their stroller is probably a good idea...in fact Roxie is fixated on a new toy that I bought her and sits by our closet door waiting to play.

I have tons of options...Christmas shopping, wreath getting, grocery grabbing, big fat Christmas bow finding, Longwood Gardens walking, pantry organizing, Hammonds Candy Cane acquiring, and Christmas bin unpacking! We are having some friends over for dinner on Tuesday evening but I won't be all decorated by then...we have to get our trees and seriously I can't do it all this soon. Plus today I am just not motivated...

A contest? Who wears it better?

 

So...sadly...so far...all that I have done is read blogs, clear email and make holiday dinner reservations...sigh! And my ipad2 is now at 9% power! I need more power, Scotty!

And now it's time for lunch! Oh boy!

Loving this book...

Cannot wait for this one...I LOVED Bittersweet!

I just spent an outrageous amount of $$$ on three chocolate filled Hammonds Candy Peppermint Canes and in spite of Prime they won't be here until the tenth! Oh my...so sad!

Arrivederci!

Patty

 

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A Very Busy Day!

It's been raining here for two days. It's a wet cold pouring down kind of rain. Den spent the day reorganizing his study...I tried to play catch up with laundry...I have no clue why we have so much laundry! I prepped dinner and made chewy crunchy ginger snaps! We took down everything that had to do with Thanksgiving...pumpkins galore! And my big wooden carved turkey...and we have gone through bin after bin in the basement because Big Brothers are coming on Friday. We have a massive amount of clothing for them! Dresses and sweaters and shoes and coats and tons of men's clothing, too! We continue to get rid of extra clothing...as much as we can and as often as we can. The basement is no longer filled...and we will do more and more and more.

Dinner was a sheet pan one and really incredibly delicious...chicken and asparagus...one pan...easy clean up...great marinade and we loved it!

Made these...the recipe came from crunchycreamysweet...they were so good!

Finished this...a Canadian thriller and really good...

Reading this...

Playing with these lazy girls...

Watching the sad sad news that is going on in California...

Take care out there...

Patty

 

 

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What Happened To Monday?

I was so scheduled yesterday with self imposed lists that I started a Monday post in the morning and never even looked at it again until just now...and it's Tuesday! So yesterday was a sort of "say what" kind of day. When Den works at the office I seem to be busier with getting leftover stuff done...phone calls, shopping, scheduling, cleaning, walking...by myself. But then halfway through everything...I say...why am I doing all of this stuff...so I stop and read...

So...anyway...I read these over the weekend...all of these were so good...Piece Of Mind was about a 27 year old with a brain injury...Our Lady Of The Ice was just a fast paced freezing cold Dystopian SF/F thriller. This was this author's first venture into an adult book. And...I loved All The Stars In The Heavens...loved it! I mean I really loved it!

New books...thank you Edelweiss!

Reading these...yep...all of these right now...I hate doing this but I have every single one of these started and every book is so different and yet so good. I started Language Of Secrets last night and then I read The Widow early this morning when Lucy woke Den up for breakfast. She goes to the one she can control more! Den hid a can of kibble in our closet with a plate so everyone ate and went back to their beds. I seriously did not even hear them! Shadow Queen is my witchy fantasy and The Widow? OMG...so good...a woman's husband is a serial killer. She has kept his secrets for a very long time but now...he is dead...I think from an accident...and she is free...hopefully?

I am so seriously craving a Hammonds Candy Cane! They are big and fat and soooo good! There is one that has a strip of chocolate in the center!

We are off to see Hunger Games soon and I need a Hammonds Candy Cane to get me through it!

An icy cold beer and a candy cane! I love Cinema Suites! My perfect movie snack...but I have to sneak in my candy cane!

Happy Tuesday!

Fondly,

Patty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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