Christmas Put Away

Today I have finally had a day off and time to go through all my lovely Christmas gifts from my family.

I have tossed away the old housecoat (washing the new), putting new pliers in the toolbox, making a stack of old coffee mugs, Tupperware, tea towels to take to Goodwill as I'm replacing them with new. Breaking down shoe boxes and filtering old shoes in my closet that can now be replaced. Making room for a chopper to give away appliances that I haven't used forever to add to the Goodwill box. Banging holes in the wall to place new pictures.

What a wonderful cleansing morning this has been while listening to Pandora.

Thank you all of my special family for the Christmas gifts. I was a bit stressed this year for a bunch of reasons, all of which are not excusable...forgive me.

Now I'm heading off to take down the Christmas lights while it is sunny...but a frigid 30*

Hugs to all!

Pre-Christmas Activities

I just wanted to share with everyone how much I've enjoyed the holiday season so far.

I first of all am very calm now that all presents are wrapped and under the tree plus under the piano due to not much room left. Don't know what the rest of you are going to do, but I'm first and have already claimed the space.

Charley and I went to Bell Square to shop and enjoyed Snowflake Lane. I love the loud Christmas songs and especially all the dressed up characters. The snow princesses' dresses are so pretty. I just imagine how much Morgan and Taylor would have loved this event as little girls. This was confirmed by watching all the little kids with candy cane slobber running down their chins.

Mike and Jimmy's party once again, was a blast. I took home my own tree ornament because I loved it and the only other one I really wanted was Taylor and Dave's and they picked theirs!

Tonight I'm going to a holiday party and just made up the most yummy looking appetizer ever and can hardly wait to try it. Hopefully it will taste as good as it looks.

Friday off with a different group of friends for lunch at the Met which is so fabulous and then shopping, looking at lights and just plain holiday joy in Seattle!

Also, must not forget my non-stop Christmas songs thanks to my friend Pandora.

Well there you have it. My favorite holiday and it would now just be perfect if I could have another snow flurry.

Thanksgiving

What a great Thanksgiving holiday we all had...again!

I have an empty house right now as well as refrigerator as Sheri left yesterday, Morgan and Tyler fly back from the tri-cities tonight as well as Charley from San Diego. I love that years ago we moved our dinner to the day before and that we don't have to share the day due to other obligations with in-lawsor other family gatherings. What a smart alteration!

So family, again thanks for welcoming our additional guests this year as they seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves, participating in the amazing food and for everyone staying overnight at my home for a couple of days. I love all rooms filled!

Once again we will do this all over again, but a different menu in a few weeks!!!

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Big thank you to Mom....I still give you credit for giving me the special snow fall we are having.

Hugs always for every flake! You're the best and know what makes my heart sing!

Love, Lori

Hodge Podge

You know what one of the best things is....enjoying someones company completely.

I had the most amazing four days with my sister. We all have these trips and are with each other one on one and they are 99% of the time wonderful. I always marvel at the end of a day with one of my girls or my sister and how much I truly enjoy it and why??? Its always fabulous!

I have as a tradition, just for my self, start listening to Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving. Many of you, okay, all of you can't stand this, but it's mine! I do not change the music station until after Christmas Day. Well, I guess others start listening before I do because they have already started playing the tunes I adore! But, even I will stick to my rule of not until Thanksgiving to belt out Oh Holy Night.

Planning our Thanksgiving feast and all the company that will be with us this year, makes me smile! I love, love, love having my house full. Thank goodness I have four bedroom and will fill every one of them! and this year I guess I will need extra beds...what joy for me!

Medical update: My foot. As some of you know, I was breaking in a new pair of shoes for work this summer and kept wearing them and wearing them. They are the same brand, same design, same color everything that I've used the past 10years...Franko Sarto Bocca so I didn't give up stretching the leather. Bad idea. I still have pain in my right foot from the summer. The real kicker was last month in New Orleans and I was really uncomfortable walking the distances that Charley and I do on our trips. Hence, the purchase of really ugly NB shoes just to get by.

I went to the doctor this week and apparently I did some nerve damage and have to go to a specialist to have an "injection" in the top of my foot to let the nerves heal correctly etc. Hopefully, I won't shout out my sisters famous words when she had her shot! All in the name of cute shoes.

Okay, I'm done!

Tee-Hee

I'm done....can you guess what I'm done with???

This year I had so much fun and want to continue to make more of this product. Perhaps I will extend my gift to "special" friends.

:)

Silly Dad

This afternoon I had lunch with my Dad before he heads south for the winter.

Charley and I had dinner over at Dad and Jackies house on Friday night. We played Poking Peg or whatever the game is called, until midnight. What fun we had. Jackie and I won as we did the last time we got together to play. This is hard for the "guys" to let rest....a rematch is set for this Friday night again if they are packed and ready to hit the road.

Lunch was an event of almost three hours and a carafe of wine and a half. Too much! The stories were wonderful as Dad ventured back to when he was a little boy of about 14 yrs old. One of the best stories was that he took Uncle Paul's gun, since Paul was in the service then as he is 7 yrs older and walked about 4 miles to Granny Grandma and Iris' house. Granny had been complaining about how the birds were eating a bite of each cherry and moving on to the next one. They had about 10 trees. Well Dad was very proud that he shot about 20 or so robins and wanted to show Granny...she apparently was very pleased with his work and to show her gratitude made him a robin pot pie! He said she skinned each robin and made a very small individual pie with potatoes and carrots. Said is was yummy! Can you imagine how much meat was from a little robin?

This story didn't surprise me because I explained to him when Sheri and I would stay at Grandma Nugents house in the summer, one afternoon each time we would walk down Maple Way to Granny's and have lunch. Of course, we were given very clear instructions to have the best manners and each ALL the food that was served to us.

Anyway, we had a great time talking and laughing and hopefully I skunk him again at the game Friday!

Tolstoy

Okay troops....here is the next movie everyone must watch, unless you have already. The Last Station.

All of us have the picture of Tolstoy pop up on our Kindles, well this enticed me to search a bit for a movie about his life...this is the next request one must make on Netflix. It's about the last part of his life. So very, very good. Interesting story and great actors and acting. The scenery is amazing.

Get a sweet treat or a savory one, turn up the heat, get a cat and a blanket and indulge.

Put this movie on your list to see asap!

New Orleans is Back

Back home from another great trip.

Just like Morgan and Tyler's flights...our flights couldn't have been easier. We broke all the rules yesterday by flying on a Friday afternoon and a holiday weekend. But all turned out.

New Orleans is back on its feet. We staying right on Bourbon Street with the craziness going on until about 3pm. Journey is still playing on every street corner with jello shots being sold on the curbs in any flavor. Where was my Jimmy??? We split time with Journey and some great jazz music which is Charley's favorite.

A trip to Cafe du Monde twice, ferry ride to the other side of the Mississippi River, my first soft shelled crab, more oysters this last week than I've had all year, shrimp that was so sweet and fresh that you could have had them for dessert...oh the food!

The highlight for this trip for me was our cooking class. The New Orleans School of Cooking has 2 1/2hr classes everyday. What a treat..The chef was so funny. Large man 6'9" 400lbs and used to play pro football. what a character....we all watched him make and explain the food, spices, techniques and then eat all that he made. We started off with cream of artichoke and shrimp soup then, crawfish etouffee, bread pudding and pralines. Everything was to die for...guess what we'll be having for Sunday dinner tomorrow family!

We walked around looking for a certain restaurant, only finding it after a couple of tries that it wasn't opened...but walking and taking the street car there we saw some of the devastation still in New Orleans. Houses that aren't repaired if they ever will....houses that had holes punched in the roof which I suppose was to let people get out and on top of the roof to be rescued. But still a lot of new construction is in progress.

This trip confirmed that another P4 trip should be organized and played out in the future.

Atlas Shrugged

I just finished Atlas Shrugged.

Last night about 11pm, I made the best decision. Stop reading and save the last 2% of my book to savor with a clearer head, cup of coffee and a cat on my lap. Make a perfect setting for a perfect book. This is great writing in every shape and form. What a great read.

I agree with my sissy, who suggested this book....up on the fav five list.

Now to decide what's next to download and read! I sure love my Kindle! Ladies, how are we going to take care of our tradition at Christmas with getting each other a book now that we all have a reading devise? Any ideas?

:) :) This is What I Call Success

Some things you just don't get over....being proud of your children.

Taylor just received a job offer, and of course who wouldn't want her in their own work environment. She is fantastic and everyone knows it. So light hearted and makes everyone smile besides very good at what she does. Its very difficult these days to be hired and maintain a position, but Tay has shined again.

Morgan (Maggie called me this afternoon) that her picture is in the Seattle Times for "On the Move"...business section due to her moving to her new law firm...again in this trying world of employment, she had job choices once she decided to move.

Its one thing when your kids are still in school and pics in the local newspaper or wherever, but as adults and when its regarding the profession they have worked for so hard and are obviously successful...this still makes me smile.

You know who would have loved it the most.....Grandma Mary!

Lori Emmerton aka Boo Radley

So all of you know the darling little girls next door....Ava, Kalanie and Lahlua.

These girls run to me when I get home as if I was a family member and so happy to talk about their day, see if there are any blueberries to pick or especially, pet Georgia. You couldn't ask for better neighbors.

Well the girls have been lining up small rocks on the bulkhead ledge we share by our driveways. I asked them one time what they were building, and they just shrugged and said "nothing, just like lining them up." So what I've done, is place under about half of these rocks and pebbles....money! Just pennies on up to quarters. I know they will be so surprised and I hope that they will start running to look for treasures periodically. How fun will it be to have a McD's coupon under a rock!

I feel like Boo Radley....and loving it.

Pickles and Peaches and Salsa...Oh My!

You can sure tell in my house when the end of summer is approaching.

I have pickles on the brewing on the counter and peach juice all over. Time to freeze pies for the winter and get enough of Grandma's pickles made to supply my family for the next year! Next project, is salsa. Soon. I have to schedule this with Tyler, as he's the one who wanted to make it and thus encouraged the area in my garden for the tomatoes, peppers and onions!

This will be a good productive fall.

9 Day Sweets

Last year I had a pickling buddy, this year I don't.

Little Pig

Okay...so everyone knows I don't watch much TV and I certainly can't stand just having the TV on for noise. Well, I love the new Geico commercial and laugh every time, that I leave the TV on so I can come running to watch once I hear the squealing.

The little pig that cries "wee, wee, wee all the way home". I can't get enough of it.

I feel like the cats when their food drops. They bullet to the laundry room...I bullet to the family room.

Please everyone, you have got to go on-line to see this commercial.

Margarita In A Bag

You know when you find a new wonderful item at Trader Joes or Costco for example, and you feel the need to share the great find...well here is my new discovery: Margarita In A Bag.

Charley and I were at a party for the 4th of July that served them. They were great but I thought not much again of them. Then a couple of weeks ago, again I was at a function and they served them. Okay. Now I need the details.

Fred Meyer. They are so handy to fix. The bag is $5.99 and you fill it with tequila, triple sec and water. Freeze and since the alcohol won't let it freeze solid, it is a slushy treat for at least 10-12 servings.

Cheryl and the kids are over at Sun Lakes this week for the adoption agency annual camping trip. It is 96* and she just called to thank me for sharing the new find. She went to FM two days ago and stocked up and is having her "grown-up" drink!

So migrate your way to FM and ask where they are kept, because a bit hard to find. You too, will be thanking me. ....and girls, you'll find them in the freezer in the garage next to a turkey!

Blueberries

Are you smarter than a robin? or can you just hack into a Facebook account?

I ask this to everyone, because apparently I'm not. I love watching the birds. I have two birdbaths in my perennial gardens in the front and really enjoy seeing how much they enjoy fresh water and knowing that I'll always have it available. A good bath, a little drink...lovely, except the crows who enjoy leaving chicken bones, not so pretty and they don't look good with the poppies.

Since I planted my new berry garden in the back, I put netting over the raspberries so that the birds wouldn't bother them. Well I had extra netting and thought I'd put it over my blueberries, which I baby every single plant and berry. The crop this year is great. I'd see how many green ones I have on the limbs and anxiously wait the turning of green, pink, blue to purple....time to pick and make something delicious! The darling little girls next door do come over when I'm home and we pick a few berries and they love it as much as I do. But what is happening??? Where are all the berries going? Let me tell you. The monsters that I have been treating with fresh water have not been detoured by the netting to get to my berries because they are posting themselves on stakes that I keep to make the plants straight - okay now I have pulled those out of the ground. So then I see them, mind you 4-6 birds at a time, on the ground and hopping like frogs to get under the plant and snap a berry whatever color it is and pull it off! One big gulp and gone!

These guys were my friends, but I don't share my precious berries with anyone other than family. The birds have taken so many of the berries that I will now go to the farmers market and purchase some to freeze. What a pity.

Bad Funk

I'm in a funk.

Help me out ladies. During the past week or so, I've had some conversations, views on Facebook, outings with family members (outside of our Power of 4) that have not been very nice. They aren't good for me and don't make me feel good inside. I'm not sure how much is intentional, but it sure seems like it is once you look at all the facts, players and situations.

The only way I know how to get rid of this heaviness is cut off the source.

I like my life very lighthearted and giving without any drama or mean spirited involvement and lately it feels like that has been altered.

I guess my immediate solution is go out and work in the garden.

Great Movie

Okay everyone....I just finished an amazing movie called A Woman in Berlin. It is sub titled so you have to have time to read as well as watch. I love watching foreign films and don't mind that they are sub-titled. This one was very easy to enjoy the movie and read. No so many sentences at one time and slowly done.

Very nice. Please take the time and let me know how you like it.

My garden

You all know how much I love my gardens....my flowers in the front are beautiful and I love that I can bring them into the house and enjoy them. The sterling silver roses are smelling up the kitchen right now.

Well....let me now talk about my veggie garden! This last spring I expanded the garden and brought in new dirt. What an amazing difference this has made. I baby every item in there. I have one fig, lots and lots of zucchini and the plant itself if so beautiful and the biggest thing ever. The blossoms are gorgeous. We will be having lots of green beans and Tyler look out because I already have peppers from the "Salsa" section and we will be making that this fall.

Let me talk about my new berry section....this morning Charley is going to work on my house and so I went out about 7am and picked raspberries and blueberries and now I have fresh muffins cooling! I love getting product out of the much loved and cared for veggie garden.

Yesterday I talked to Dad about expanding the veggie garden even more next year...I guess this is when you can say "the fruit didn't fall far from the tree"...does it apply to me with Dad?


All in all, I'm starting my day with a big smile full of berry seeds!