HAPPY NEW YEAR

The morning after I hope you are not feeling as bad as he looks.

So, go celebrate, be careful, have a designated driver, or take a taxi.

Thank you to all my readers, family, friends, blogger friends, and all you folk who just stop by to take a look. You are all appreciated.

I wish for you all, an outstanding New Year

Blessings to all.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Happy Birthday To You


Happy Birthday To You


Happy Birthday


Mr.Completely

Happy Birthday To You

PUMPKIN BARS

Yellow cake mix (less 1 c. reserve)
1 stick melted butter
1 egg

Mix. Spread dough in greased bottom of 13 x 9 inch pan.

SECOND LAYER:

1 small can pumpkin
2 eggs
2/3 c. milk
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. brown sugar
Dash of salt

Mix. Spread over first layer.

THIRD LAYER:

1 c. yellow cake mix
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar

Mix. Cut butter into dry mixture, sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes.

Some days are like that.

Yesterday I was all set for a day at work. Lunch all packed, and a book to read if it was quiet.

The morning turned out to be very busy, as besides the clients coming in to the spa, there were many voice mail messages to be taken care of.

Finally time for lunch came around, so I opened the fridge for the jar of soup I had grabbed from the fridge at home. I whipped off the top ready to heat the soup in the microwave and came to a complete stop. In my haste I had grabbed the same kind of jar containing gravy. Yes, that is correct, gravy. I could not stop laughing, gravy for lunch would have been fine if I had mashed potatoes to go with it, so instead I settled for the crackers I had packed to go with my soup.

I suppose in the future I had better pay attention, or label the jars *smile*

The Day After

This is the first time I have ever done *the day after Christmas shopping.* In previous years I have always worked on the 26th, so early this morning I set out to see what I could find.
Whoo Hoo!! did I ever have a marvelous time. I just love Christmas decorations and they were all 50-75% off. I came home with many, many tissue wrapped treasures.

As usual, click on the pictures for a larger view.

As far as I am concerned, a tree is never too full of decorations unless it starts to topple *grin*

Some of my treasures

A pretty clip on glass bird. This year many of the decorations are made of glass and are decorated with very colorful feathers

I just had to have this little bird

Pretty fruit

Gilded wreath

Sequined gold balls and a decoration made from mirror.

A Jim Shore nutcracker. Stands 12' high.

A pretty bauble

Feather and glass bauble

Bird in cage. Anyone would think I like birds

Just had to have these three, especially the cat

As well as the fish, I also purched a wreath, some very nice velvet& gold pointsetters and three red with gold snowflake design, votive holders.
I so enjoyed my shopping spree that I will be looking forward to next year.

Christmas 2006

All three of us, That is, Mr.C, Rocket and I had a great Christmas. Mr.C and I got a kick out of rocket. He is just like a kid when it comes to something new in the house as his curiosity is a treat to see. Truthfully, I think Rocket prefers tissue paper more than anything else.

Hmmm!! I wonder what is in my gift. I was a real good kitty all year and I just know the Santa kitty has brought me something really nice.

Oh boy, Oh boy!! my very own Chia Cat Grass Planter, featuring Sylvester and Tweety, and tissue paper. I love tissue paper, it make the neatest noise when I roll on it and shred it with my sharp claws.

HARI KIRIHIMETE

(Merry Christmas in Maori)



For a little fun visit THIS website for a KIWI CHRISTMAS

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

FROM KEEWEE, MR.C, ROCKET AND THE GOLDIES

Christmas Edition

Christine over at Morning Coffee & Afternoon Tea is hosting the Carnival Of Recipes this week.

Christine says: Welcome, welcome to the Last Minute Christmas Carnival of the Recipes, otherwise known as CotR Edition #122. We have many wonderful dishes for your Christmas cookery and beyond. To steal a phrase from Triticale the wheat guy, "Dom Eatimus, Eatamus" - which I gather loosely translates to "while we eat, let us eat". Amen!

Now, on with the Carnival!!

So what are you waiting for? get on over there and check out the goodies.

Do you live in the Pacific Northwest

Do you live in the Pacific Northwest? Take this quiz to help you decide...

10. You didn't need to buy a Christmas tree this year as you already had 4 downed trees in your yard to choose from.

9. You have decided to decorate the plywood that is covering your broken windows with extra garland you made from the masses of evergreen branches strewn about in your yard.

8. All your digital clocks are still blinking different times since you No longer want to spend the energy resetting them all just to have to reset them again next week.

7. Your children are getting flashlights in their stockings this year.

6. You can accurately predict when the power will come back because you have figured out a mathematical formula that takes when Puget Sound Energy Says the power will come back on and multiplies it by the "REAL TIME" power derivative.

5. You have stocked up on candles for the holidays, but not to create ambiance.

4. You have mastered cooking mashed potatoes on your barbecue.

3. You have used your battery backup to make cocoa.

2. You have tinkered with your lawnmower in the hopes of converting it to a generator.

And the #1 way you can tell if you live in the Pacific Northwest. You couldn't even read this message until a week after you get it as your power is STILL off!

Merry Christmas anyway!

Pineapple Ginger Surprize

An elegant easy dessert to whip up for your Christmas Eve party

All you need is 1 pint HEAVY whipping cream
20 oz.Can crushed pineapple
Cream sherry
3 tbsp. powdered sugar
2tsp. vanilla
Gingersnaps -1 pkg
A friend has asked me to bring this dessert with us when we have Christmas dinner at her home. I am baking a batch of Gingernuts (kiwi for gingersnaps) as I really think they taste the best in the recipe.

Start by Openening the can of crushed pineapple and put into a sieve to drain.

Place the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in a bowl and whip until thick, just short of being butter.

Pour a little sherry into a plate for dunking the gingersnaps. You could have a little glass of sherry on the side for tasting *grin*

Place half of the whipped cream into another bowl and stir in the crushed drained pineapple.

Now start to assemble. Dunk a gingersnap into the sherry, put a dollop of the pineapple/cream mixture on it, and keep doing this until you form a log. ( hold a few of the assembled gingersnaps in your hand until they will stand on their own)
I made the mistake of buying Ginger Thins and they were inclined to disintergrate if I did not sandwich them together quickly. Of course I HAD to eat the broken ones.

Now the log is formed, carefully spread the rest of the whipped cream, (without the pineapple) over the whole log.

Place the log in the fridge for a couple of hours.

I found I had some Ginger Thins, cream/pineapple, and whipped cream left over. first I combined the Two cream mixtures, then I put a layer of Ginger Thins in the bottom of a glass bowl, sprinkled them with sherry and put some of the pineapple/cream mixture on top. I repeated the layers until all leftovers were used up.
I am sure you could make the whole recipe this way instead of making the log. Just put it in a nice glass bowl.

Hmmm! I wonder Who.

Wednesday Chuckle

Thought you may enjoy this story sent to me this morning by Joyce.

The $2 Bill. Everyone should start carrying them!

I am STILL laughing!! I think we need to quit saving our $2 bills and bring them out in public.
The younger generation doesn't know they exist.

STORY:
On my way home from work, I stopped at Taco Bell for a quick bite to eat. In my billfold are a $50 bill and a $2 bill.
I figure that with a $2 bill, I can get something to eat and not have to worry about anyone getting irritated at me for trying to break a $50 bill.

Me:
"Hi, I'd like one seven-layer burrito please, to go "

Server:
"That'll be $1.04. Eat in?"

Me:
"No, it's to go." At this point, I open my billfold and hand him the $2 bill. He looks at it kind of funny.

Server:
"Uh, hang on a sec, I'll be right back."

He goes to talk to his manager, who is still within my earshot. The following conversation occurs between the two of them:

Server:
"Hey, you ever see a $2 bill?"

Manager:
"No. A what?"

Server:
"A $2 bill. This guy just gave it to me."

Manager:
"Ask for something else. There's no such thing as a $2 bill."

Server:
"Yeah, thought so."

He comes back to me and says, "We don't take these. Do you have anything else?"

Me:
"Just this fifty. You don't take $2 bills? Why?"

Server:
"I don't know."

Me:
"Se e here where it says legal tender?"

Server:
"Yeah."

Me:
"So, why won't you take it?"

Server:
"Well, hang on a sec."

He goes back to his manager, who has been watching me like I'm a shoplifter, and says to him, "He says I have to take it."

Manager:
"Doesn't he have anything else?"

Server:
"Yeah, a fifty. I'll get it and you can open the safe and get change "

Manager:
"I'm not opening the safe with him in here."

Server:
"What should I do?"

Manager:
"Tell him to come back later when he has real money."

Server:
"I can't tell him that! You tell him."

Manager:
"Just tell him."

Server:
"No way! This is weird. I'm going in back."

The manager approaches me and says, "I'm sorry, but we don't take big bills this time of night."

Me:
"It's only seven o'clock! Well then, here's a two dollar bill."

Manager:
"We don't take those, either."

Me:
"Why not?"

Manager:
"I think you know why."

Me:
"No really, tell me why."

Manager:
"Please leave before I call mall security."

Me:
"Excuse me?"

Manager:
"Pleas e leave before I call mall security."

Me:
"What on earth for?"

Manager:
"Please, sir."

Me:
"Uh, go ahead, call them."

Manager:
"Would you please just leave?"

Me:
"No."

Manager:
"Fine -- have it your way then."

Me:
"Hey, that's Burger King, isn't it?"

At this point, he backs away from me and calls mall security on the phone around the corner. I have two people staring at me from the dining area, and I begin laughing out loud, just for effect. A few minutes later this 45-year-oldish guy Comes in.

Guard:
"Yeah, Mike, what's up?"

Manager (whispering):
"This guy is trying to give me some (pause) funny money."

Guard:
"No kidding! What?"

Manager:
"Get this .. A two dollar bill."

Guard (incredulous): "Why would a guy fake a two dollar bill?"

Manager:
"I don't know. He's kinda weird. He says the only other thing he has is a fifty."

Guard:
"Oh, so the fifty's fake!"

Manager:
"No, the two dollar bill is."

Guard:
"Why would he fake a two dollar bill?"

Manager:
"I don't know! Can you talk to him, and get him out of here?"

Guard:
"Yeah."

Security Guard walks over to me and......

Guard:
"Mike here tells me you have some fake bills you're trying to use."

Me:
"Uh, no."

Guard:
"Lemme see 'em."

Me:
"Why?"

Guard:
"Do you want me to get the cops in here?"

At this point I am ready to say, "Sure, please!" but I want to eat, so I say "I'm just trying to buy a burrito and pay for it with this two dollar bill. I put the bill up near his face, and he flinches like I'm taking a swing at him. He takes the bill, turns it over a few times in his hands, and says, "Hey, Mike, what's wrong with this bill?"

Manager:
"It's fake."

Guard:
"It doesn't look fake to me."

Manager:
"But it's a two dollar bill."

Guard:
"Yeah?"

Manager:
"Well, there's no such thing, is there?"

The security guard and I both look at him like he's an idiot, and it dawns on the guy that he has no clue.
So, it turns out that my burrito was free, and he threw in a small drink and some of those cinnamon thingies, too. Made me want to get a whole stack of two dollar bills just to see what happens when I try to buy stuff. If I got the wrong group of people, I could probably end up in jai l. And I might get free food there, too! Ha

Through the eyes of a child

I want to share a memory I have of a special time in my life as a child. I wish I had pictures, but I will do my best to paint one with words.
In a youngster’s eyes everything is, larger, brighter, and more magical than it is in an adult’s eyes. You know what I am talking about, think about things you saw when you were a kid, and how they look now, what happened to the magic, why is everything smaller and not so colorful?

Collinson and Cunningham, a large department store, in Palmerston North, New Zealand, was a very special business to visit during the Christmas season, as there was someone every child wanted to see at Christmas, in Collinson and Cunningham's at this time of year.

I remember, walking through the store past all the wooden glass fronted counters displaying merchandise, to the very rear of the building and standing in line outside a wooden swing gate, with my Mum, along with many other parents and kids. We were all waiting to descend the wooden stairs which led down to Santa’s cave. I recall the feeling of apprehension, and at the same time excitement as the gate swung closed behind us as we started down the steps.

As the crowd moved slowly down the worn, shoe smoothed, wooden stairs, into the dimness of a single file corridor, lit with a few lights here and there, the tension built. Some kids were wide eyed, and silent, gripping their parent’s hands. These were the kids who had not been down the steps before and were not sure what they were about to encounter on reaching the bottom. Other kids were and jumping up and down in their excitement knowing what lay ahead.

We wound our way slowly through the twists and turns of the narrow corridor, every so often, coming across a window enclosing a Christmas winter scene. After standing, noses pressed to the glass, and seeing everything there was to see, we shuffled on some more. It seemed to me, at this young age, that the dimmly lit corridor went on for miles, BUT, all of a sudden, we came around a bend, and there, sitting in a recess on a huge wooden chair, was Santa.
OHHH ! there he was, it really was Santa, greeting all the kids and handing each one a gift from a huge sack sitting on the floor beside his chair. Santa also gave all of us, Mums and Dads included, a candy cane and sent us on our way, with the usual belly laugh, Ho, Ho, Ho. Merry Christmas.

Moving along, with gifts clutched tightly in small hands, we moved out of the corridor into what I call a cavern. I have since learned it was part of the store’s basement. The floor was littered with gift wrapping as kids undid their gifts. Some of the children were far too excited to worry about placing the wrappings in the garbage cans, gosh there were things to do, there was no time to look for the garbage cans. The sound of laughter, children running here and there, parents trying to keep up with their excited children is photographed in my memory.

Where to look, which direction to take first? Our mother did not let us run wild, we kinda had to stick close by her, I have the feeling she was afraid of losing us in the crowd.

There was a HUGE train track set up along one side. The kind of a setup a model train enthusiast would have. In fact, upon reflection, I am sure it was the model train society who came by to set up this wonderful display. Miniature houses, trees, train stations, a river with real water and a waterfall with colored lights behind. Just about everything you can imagine.

The story of Santa’s workshop was displayed in fenced bays around the other three sides of the cavern. Each display, and it was all animated, told the story of preparations for the Christmas season. Elves were making toys, wrapping toys, filling the gift sacks and loading Santa’s sleigh. It was all quite fabulous. There were other animated scenes as well, but I do not remember the themes.

Then there were lines of children waiting for a ride on, what we called, a merry-go-round. To try and describe what it looked like is rather difficult, but here goes.

Picture something, which looks rather like a very large all metal wagon wheel pivoting about three feet above the floor. It has about twelve spokes. And on the outer edge where each spoke joined the rim, is a metal chair/seat. There was nothing fancy about the merry-go-round, we all sat in the metal seats, enclosed by a safety bar, and every second person had foot pedals to keep the merry-go-round moving after being push started by a couple of helpers. The pedals were something like you see on rental paddleboats found at some lake resorts. Anyhow, if you were lucky to get a seat with pedals, you would pedal for all you were worth until the helpers applied the brakes. To this day I wonder if we did indeed keep the merry-go-round moving just by pedal power, or if it was actually electrically driven and the pedals were just for our entertainment. The ride was never as long as I thought it should be, Sighhhhhh!

Sadly, like many things, Collinson and Cunningham is not there any more. Gone are the old wooden stairs, the air presure driven system of delivering money through tubes around the building, (kind of like the system banks use now in the drive-through, only on a very large scale) Gone is Santa's cave, all replaced by steel and glass. But my memory of a magical place is still intact.

Ahhh! The imagination, and memory of a childhood past, a wondrous thing indeed.

Graphic from http://www.magiclanterngraphics.com/santasworkshop.GIF

Christmas decorations

Here are just a few of the many decorations I have collected over the years.
Now you know why I like my revolving tree. Go take a look at the YouTube post HERE.