The Lights of Christmas!!

 Good Morning foggy California.  Here we are again at the end of another month.  It's been a good one for me, ending with not one, not two, but THREE days off.  Oh how I have enjoyed spending time snuggling with this guy.  

This is EVERY morning around here.  He's quite the talker when it comes to his morning snacks.  Don't tell him that first one is just to brush his teeth!  Or that his food is now Old Man food, which surprisingly, he loves.  Yay for small favors.

I'm trying to get rid of all the leftovers in my fridge, like this cinnamon roll with no flavor.  I figured it out ... the smaller ones have half the dough, leaving more frosting to make them taste better.   I actually smothered this with pure maple syrup ... and it didn't help.  The last one still hanging out in the fridge, went into the trash.

Then I got ambitious.  Let's put the new bike cover on the bike.  Why they don't make a smaller, less heavy one for bicycles instead of big heavy ones for motorcycles, I don't know.  The description said bicycle.  At least this one came apart, but there were NO directions.  What there WAS, was clips and straps everywhere.  

I struggled for quite some time just getting it OVER the bike.  Mostly because this whole setup is rather high in the sky for me.  Uh oh ... I forgot to lock the bike to the rack first.  That was fun, sticking my head up under the cover, having no clue what I was doing.

I finally came across a video and discovered I did pretty good, except all the straps were clipped on the wrong way.  That silver circle at the bottom ... that's for a bike lock to go through ... one on each end.  I don't HAVE another bike lock.  Lucky for me, Black Friday is still going strong.  They should be delivered today.  No kidding, this was so much trouble, the bike may NEVER be taken off the rack!!

That's when I heard all the noise outside.  The Good Neighbors were putting up MORE Christmas lights.  I had decided not to put up my trees, even though they are easy as pie, because I won't be here to take them down.  I did however, get out my wreath for the door.

Next thing I know, there's a tree in my front yard.  Andre loves to put up decorations.  I told him that was great if he tied it to the real tree.  Last year it fell over.  Next thing I know, there are MORE trees by the house.   

Okay ... okay ... I'll put up MY trees!!  The good news is they are simple as pie to put together and take apart.  Take out the trunk and they fall into perfect piles and go right into the boxes.  This is ONLY because they promised to take them down for me.

And so after not one, but TWO plates of turkey and gravy while watching Jurassic Park Dominion and Jurassic Park Fallen Kingdom (perfect Christmas movies, yes?) I scrounged up two extension cords for this little tree, which the Amazon guy promptly drove over.  Does it hurt extension cords to do that?

They already ran power to the line of candy canes.  This was not an easy install since there's gravel down the entire side.  BEST NEIGHBOR EVER!

I'm guessing MY flagpole will look like this next year.  Look closely and you might see Big Foot.  Yeah, he's everywhere!

And so my house is once again lit up for Christmas.  I think I just might buy two more sets for next year ...  after Christmas when they are all on sale!!

And so another day begins ... as I had to order two more light controls because the one I have, though it worked last year, will only work if I leave the lights on 24-7.  I'm just doing my part to keep Black Friday, Saturday and Sunday in business.  

Goodbye November ...... it was nice knowing you!!

TURKEY TWO DAY!!

 If there's anything I absolutely LOVE about Thanksgiving, it's the turkey dinner.  I admit, it's become a challenge.  Last year I roasted that Bingo-donated bird for the allotted time on the tag, only to find it tough and almost inedible.  THIS year I was determined to have a turkey worth eating.  

Butterball is the name of the game.  The difference in flavor is surprising, to say the least.  I did have a little trouble with the oven, since I rarely ever use it any more.  I use my small Breville oven for practically everything.  After many ups and down, it finally settled on 345 degrees to actually make it 325 in the oven.  This time I added an extra half hour to the cooking time.   FOUR hours to wait!

The difference was night and day.  I outdid myself, which I'm very thankful for.  This year I will actually EAT the turkey.

OH MY GREAT AUNT LOU ... I really did have a great Aunt Lou.  This is the best turkey dinner EVER!  The gravy came out perfect ... the stuffing ... oh the stuffing!  I've never eaten better, if I do say so myself.  It's made with Honey Jiffy Cornbread Mix ... baked up ... dried on the kitchen counter ... and mixed with the usual celery and onions, plus lots of spices.  I could have eaten the entire bowl.

When I was through eating, I wished I hadn't eaten QUITE so much.  I was borderline miserable, but oh so happy to know I had at least four more meals in the fridge.

The caramel pecan pie was left uneaten.  Maybe pie for dinner.  As it turned out, I had NOTHING for dinner.  I was still too full.

Mr. Cooper and Kitters enjoyed the turkey as much as I did, so all three of us went for a walk.  Wasn't I shocked and surprised to see candy canes down the entire length of my driveway.  When my neighbor said could he put up something along the trees, I thought he meant the lighted tree he used last year.  But no ... there are a few dozen candy canes from one end to the other.  WOW!!  Best neighbors EVER!

One house over, this guy is competing with everyone.  I caught him taking down three dozen boxes from his garage attic.  The rooftop Santa will be added tomorrow.  I told him he was certainly making me look bad!!

What about the electric bill?  Because every one of these lights up ... and there are probably 20 extension cords running everywhere.  It's okay ... he works for P G & E, the electric company.

The dog .... he's the cutest ever.  It's just what I would put up.  Maybe next year I'll have to stay home and get in on the competition.

I would lose out though.  This is the neighbor that put up the candy canes.  Is this not fabulous?  I may just have to try something on MY flagpole.  He bought the right one ... it telescopes up, so he can put it down, attach the lights and put it back up.  Note the two black boxes on the house pillars.

I waddled out last night for a picture.  I say waddled because when that turkey dinner hit bottom, it was with a LOUD BANG!  OOF!!!!!

If only you could see this in person.  It's magical.  To make it even better, those little black boxes on the house are solar lights ... and they can change the colors to anything they want.  Green, red, blue, white ... it's VERY cool.  

And so Christmas has begun here in the Central Valley of California.  Let the lights shine brightly!!!

It's time for breakfast ... and I bet you know what we are having.  TURKEY, STUFFING AND POTATOES WITH GRAVY!!    WOOHOO!!!!!  I'm pretty sure I'll be on the couch watching football the rest of the day!!  

LET THE CHRISTMAS ADS BEGIN!!!!

I ATE TOO MUCH!!!

 MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!  Mr. Cooper got the days mixed up.  He thought he was getting lots of turkey and a toy or three.  

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  I hope your day was filled with lots of amazing food and good times.  

It was not the usual for me.  I hate to say it, but I love nothing more than to sit home with my critters in my jammies and watch football while the turkey roasts in the oven.  Instead, I accepted an invitation to a Bingo Thanksgiving.  Five of us workers were invited to Kathy's house for dinner.  

My plan was to take a new-to-me corn casserole, for which I had purchased all the ingredients.  When I related my plan, I was shot down like a turkey.  Someone else was bringing that.  I got fruit salad.  WHO wants fruit salad at Thanksgiving, not to mention I had NONE of those ingredients.  I scrounged through my cabinets to find pineapple, mandarin oranges, a banana and some pecans.  They of course wanted maraschino cherries, so I actually had to hit up the store.

I arrived to find jalapeño cranberry cream cheese, from three different venues.  They forgot the crackers, so we used bread.  We all agreed it's delicious, but buy it at TARGET of all places.  Costco and Walmart lost the bet.  That was followed up by deviled eggs and French Quarter Cheese Spread.  WOW ... if you like garlic, look up this recipe.  It's one of the best things I've ever had!!!  Cream cheese, garlic, brown sugar and roasted pecans.  It disappeared in a flash.

Here's the turkey.  Just kidding.  I didn't get a single picture, mostly because I was in the den watching the football game.  I didn't miss anything because two of the others smoke, and were outside freezing on the patio.  This is MY turkey, soon to be turned into a tender delicious bird.  I see a lot of turkey soup in my future.  

We had turkey, dressing (with chicken livers I found out after the fact), green beans, corn casserole, mashed potatoes, gravy and fruit salad.  It was WAY too much.  I took very small portions so as not to be bloated and miserable an hour later.  Sadly, they were not small enough.  I think it was all the appetizers we ate.

I had a very nice time talking illnesses over dinner.  Why do old people do that??  Luckily this hostess will not allow anyone to help clean up the table or the kitchen.  Believe me, I tried.  Not a problem though, I was soon out the door between football games.  It had been a long six hours and I knew Mr. Cooper was waiting.

This was almost the best part of the day.  It was absolutely quiet ... like a neighborhood should be.  Not even a light from the noisy rude neighbors next door.  They are GONE ... hopefully for a few weeks, but I imagine my hopes will be dashed.  By the way, I'm not the only one who is complaining.  There have been multiple posts on Facebook about their rudeness and noise.

After his dinner of Old Man dog food, recently purchased because the Vet wasn't happy with MY choice, and some pasta (which he loves), he crashed on the couch.  Thanksgiving dinner overload, puppy style!

And so this morning I will be hard at it preparing my stuffing, stuffing the turkey and whipping up a delicious Thanksgiving dinner for the two of us.  Make that three since Jonathan loves cornbread.  I'm even making my caramel pecan pie.  Most ALL of this will go in the freezer for my trip South.

And so I wish you and your family a multitude of blessings at Thanksgiving.  I'm so thankful to have all of you wonderful friends to talk to every morning.  It makes my day, my week and my year!!  I'm truly blessed!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

 

May the bluebird of happiness fly up your nose ... oh wait ... that's not it!  May your Thanksgiving be blessed with family, friends, peace love and LET'S EAT!! 

Truly, I had planned a nice two days home with my kids, enjoying the football games and quiet.  It began like this, with Kitters staring at me.  The flea medicine arrived, and though I was pretty reticent to apply it, it had to be done.  She faired just fine.  This is the FULL BELLY stare.

Which quickly turned into this.  

And then this.  I'm really trying not to let her get too comfortable, because truly, she cannot go with me to Arizona.  I've tried a couple of things, but she's too much of a wild kitty.  I see disaster written all over dog-cat-parrot in a 5 x 10 box, especially when I'm not there.

It was gardener day.  My least favorite day and my favorite day.  He does a fine job, but arrives at 7:30 when I'm still in Bingo hangover.  It was payday to boot, so I had to make myself presentable.  I SHOULD have gone out the BACK door, but NOOOOO ... I went out the front to see my gutter full of leaves.

Don't say leaf guard because those will not work.  The dirt and mud in the gutters has to be cleaned out more often than the leaves.  It's so heavy here that it will tear the gutters from the edge.  Ask me how I learned that part.  

So I grabbed my trusty ladder and crawled up with my big flat spoon (purchased just for the purpose) and scraped out the 1/2" thick mud and leaves.  It's clean as a whistle now, which will last maybe two weeks.  I'll get to the back of the house tomorrow.

Since I was up, I decided I should take my new bicycle cover out of the box.  This is not it, but it SHOULD look something like this.  Turns out, this is not a BIKE cover but a MOTORCYCLE cover.  It was shrink wrapped so tightly that I literally could not get it to open up.  

I spent the good part of an hour stepping on the side while pulling up with all my strength to get the two sides apart.  I've never seen anything like it. They must have sucked all the air out of the bag while it was still hot off the press because every square inch was literally glued together.  

That's when I discovered it was WAY too big for my single little bicycle.  I wadded it up and hit RETURN at Amazon.  That's when I realized the brake lights are covered.  Well that's not good.  I ordered another one that is see through, after struggling to get my bike ON the rack to measure it.  This may be more trouble than it is worth.

Since sitting is not good for my bones, I went out for a nice three mile walk around the neighborhood.  Whatever this tree is, I do NOT want one.  Oh my goodness it is gorgeous and matches that van perfectly, but the pile of leaves on the ground is epic.  

It seems everyone is getting a head start on their decorations, but that story is for another time.  I told them they are making me look bad since I won't be putting up ANY decorations this year.  Nothing says I'm not home like leaving Christmas decorations up until the middle of February.

MY thanksgiving is being postponed because of an invitation to a friends house.  If you're single and you get an invitation, you go.  That meant a quick trip to the store to get ingredients for a fruit salad.  That's not one I've ever seen on a Thanksgiving table, but I will oblige.

Since I still have a huge turkey to cook tomorrow, I whipped up a batch of cornbread for my stuffing.  

I doubt I will have a turkey this pretty ... but I'll try.  Tomorrow will be MY turkey day.  

I hope everyone's Thanksgiving is filled with family and friends.  As one of my friends said, be sure and talk politics over the dinner table so you will have less Christmas presents to buy.  JUST KIDDING.

Don't talk politics at all ... just have a GREAT time with your family!!!

Don't Burn The Building Down

 Mother Nature is having hot flashes.  Our lows are once again high ... and our highs are HOT.  I'm pretty sure that brings out the crazy just as much as the full moon.  Oh wait .... is it a full moon????

No it's not ... but it sure felt like it.  You know instantly by seeing NO pictures, that it was a stressful night.

Here's how it went.  I arrived in time to catch the Club Manager in order to discuss the Vendor Fair happening Saturday.  It should be canceled due to absolutely NO planning or preparation.  To make it worse, the person who set this up has to work all day, meaning everyone is just hanging out there on a ledge.  

Next up ... one of my favorite Knights is sitting at the table looking green.  Please go home ... you don't look well and we don't want to get sick.  He went home.  That's when I got the text messages.

I'm in Arizona ... I won't be there.  Ummm you're telling me this 2 hours ahead?  Ding ding ding ... I'm driving to the airport to get my kids.  I won't be there.  

YIKES ... we're three men down.  Make that FOUR since the best caller has to work late.  Oh heck ... let's just make it FIVE!  My cashier called me fifteen minutes after she was SUPPOSED start selling, to say she was out of town.  Nice!!

The good part was a gal I used to work with had volunteered to learn the cash register.  She thought she would just watch, then go play.  OH NO my friend ... have a seat.  The best way to learn is to do it.

It was the perfect night.  For whatever reason, one player the week before told everyone we would be closed on this night.  We started off with barely 50 people, which made it less stressful on my Lady in Training.  She did a fabulous job.  I mean really, no one even complained one bit!!!  That's a miracle.

Now we're up to SIX missing because the guy who helps me set up didn't show up either.  Good grief.  I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off.  I had to move the seven boxes of Christmas decorations out of the way in order to set up the Bingo table.  One TV gave me fits, but I finally got all six to work, which was a blessing!

Just as I sat down, I was up again.  A sweet young girl walked in and said she wanted to volunteer.  HECK YEAH!!!  I immediately walked her back to the kitchen.  She says she can work a few hours on Tuesday nights, and coincidentally we need a cook one Tuesday a month.  

I took her back and got her started on hand washing rules while introducing her to one of our best cooks.  I told them to stand back and just tell her what to do.  Watching doesn't get it ... it's easier to learn if you DO it.  And she did!!!  

Everything kind of went okay until the King had to actually call Bingo.  He doesn't hear all that well and the machine makes a very loud noise blowing those balls around in the box.  Someone yelled BINGO.  The verifier raised his hand, but the King thought it was for something else and he called the next number.  

OH MAN .... THE UPROAR!!  They were throwing knives, machetes, spears, pitchforks and rocks!!!  Because the very next number would make someone ELSE the winner.  To make it worse, he forgot how to push the balls down in order to record that number ... so one did not show up on the board.  

Okay players ... DON'T BURN THE BUILDING DOWN!!  The King rules!  He finally called the first guy a winner and continued on to the next game to the cat calls from the crowd.  

To end the night on a good note, I didn't balance.  In fact, I'm not sure what the new cashier did, but the tape said we made $5,000.  I fought with the infernal machine to finally find we made $5.00.  I think that's the closest I have ever come to zero.  That's of course because I pay out everything we make on selling cards.  It's the pull tabs that make the money.  

I literally RAN out the door.  We got through the night, but I think that's the worst it's ever been.  Oh but wait ... a late volunteer wanted to pick up their turkey that was still living in the LOCKED walk-in freezer.  Big sigh ... back I want, froze half to death digging through the boxes, before quickly locking it back up and sneaking out the back door.  

All in a day's work at BINGO!!!  The good news is I have absolutely NOTHING to do today.  YAY FOR COUCH SITTING!!!

May your turkey be thawed by the time you need to stuff it in the oven!!!

 

THE BIN BRO'S

 A little break in the action ... SUN in sunny California.  Except ... this was last week.  There was no sun to be found the entire day.  That makes Nancy a crabby girl.  It just hangs over you like a cloud ... dreariness and lacklusterness.  I don't think that's a word.  

I'm sure there's a closet I should have been cleaning out, but instead Mr. Cooper and I watched absolutely nothing on TV.  There was one show I thought might be interesting until I read it was from 2017.  Good grief ... what has happened to Hollywood?  Don't they make real shows any more?  I completely missed out on the adult cartoon phase.  They just are NOT funny.

I finally got off the couch long enough to drive into town and mail a box out, along with an Amazon return, of which there have been many recently.  In spite of good reviews, all this Chinese stuff is junk.

Back home 30 minutes later, I reluctantly grabbed the pumpkin quilt and began sewing the binding.  How boring can it get!  

On the other hand, I love the quilt and am very happy to have completed another from the growing binding stack.

I just could NOT get motivated.  While rummaging through the stash, I found my ELK quilt that I wanted to hang up.  These are my two all time favorite quilts.  

With nothing else to do, I took that $6.00/lb hamburger I bought and turned it into meatloaf.  Add to that three red potatoes turned into MASHED potatoes, and lunch was served.  I don't think I have EVER eaten such TOUGH hamburger ... and it was the "good" stuff.

I'm trying the mashed potatoes out on Cooper.  He wasn't impressed, but he ate it.  I also ordered a new bag of low protein dog food.  I hope the Vet is happy now.  That 20 pound bag of food is costing me $56.00.  Yup the dog food people have learned from the grocery store .. that bag used to be $29.00.  I see a LOT more potatoes in Cooper's future.

Suddenly, the door bell rang.  Truly, NO ONE has hit that door bell since I put it up.  There stood two boys maybe 12 years old.  They handed me this.  I was in SHOCK!  These two kids came up with this idea to make money.  Not that I EVER considered washing out my trash cans .... but hey ... if they are getting out on a cold foggy day to make some cash, I'm all for it!  Wash away guys!!

Someone's parents are raising them right.  They emptied the cans, drug a little power washer out of the wagon they were pulling around with their little bike, and got to work.  They sprayed it with something, scrubbed it with a brush, power washed it and sprayed it again.

No kidding, for 30 minutes these two worked their butts off.  Uh oh ... I didn't have any cash.  They said to call their Mom to see if they could take a check.  She said yes and I congratulated her on raising two GREAT kids.  

Have you ever known any kids today doing this kind of thing?  I asked what the money was for.  BASEBALL they said.  They both play and need new mitts and maybe a new bat.  Dodgers fans they were, but I didn't hold that against them.  It was $10.00 a can, which I would never pay in REAL life, but for these kids, I paid it and added a $5.00 tip.  They deserve it!!  Sparkling clean and it even smells good.

Happy that the world wasn't ALL going to Hell in a hand basket thanks to these kids, I sat back and thoroughly enjoyed the last It's It ice cream bar.  I doubt I will ever see another one, but that won't stop me from looking.

It's time to put on my armor ... yet another Bingo day has arrived.  We are short two guys, but that's not MY problemo.  I'm passing on the STUFF.  I have enough STUFF in my life.  What we DO have however, is TWO $1199 hot balls just waiting to be won.  That means we will be swamped tonight because if they have the winning number, one game will net them $1449.00.  I think I better stuff a little steel wool in my shirt just for good measure!

BACK TO KILLING TREES

 It's Winter once again in Central California.  If there's one thing we are known for, it's FOG.  Tule fog they call it, as in Tule swamps which used to cover the valley and be the home of Tule Elk.  By the way, wasn't I shocked to see a large herd of Tule Elk at the San Luis Reservoir in the westside mountains heading back from the coast.  That's the first time in my life I've actually seen them.  They used to cover this valley before humans moved in.  No pictures, it's a steep downhill, everyone race to the finish line at 80 mph, road.

Mornings look like this ... 

And sound like this.  No kidding, I have never seen a cat this affectionate in my life.  All new adventures at MY age!  Kitters spent most of the day and all night in the Cat House.  At least it's up high where the skunks can't reside.  I'm still smelling them often, but so far have not found any holes into my yard.  

As for the stop at the fabric shop ... I don't know what's wrong with me.  I had two of these fabrics and only walked out with four small pieces, along with the caramel one.  I threw in a piece of backing just for good measure and only dropped $123.00.  I think that's a record.  Now if I can only get motivated to cut and sew again.  It seems to come in waves.

Then came the hard part.  NOT eating everything in sight just because I did for the last few days.  This was breakfast.  I know, Bad Nancy, but I surely wasn't going to throw away LAYS potato chips.  Wasn't I surprised to find I bought a bag-o-air.  Seriously?  This was it ... 1.5 ounces of potato chips in the very bottom of the bag.  What a rip-off!  

By 8:30 I was off to Wally World, trying to beat the Sunday Pajama crowd.  I think in honor of Thanksgiving, they have lowered their prices back to normal.  Two 18 packs of eggs were $6.00.  Butterball turkeys were 97 cents a pound, a purchase I could not turn down.  Semi-sweet chocolate chips ... $3.00 versus the normal $7.00.  It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas CANDY!!

Hamburger, not so much, but at least it was a little cheaper at $6.00 a pound instead of the $11.00 it was two weeks ago.  Just to prove a point about their checkers ... I checked myself out while the guy watched me, and I put five items in the bag without running them over the machine.  Yes, I took them back out and paid for them ... I'm not a thief ... I just wanted to prove a point.  They must be losing millions of dollars.  The guy was more interested in the bag of marshmallows he was eating.

By the way, we are back to KILLING TREES since they discontinued the use of plastic bags (just when I needed them for the rig) and are back to paper bags.  Make up your MIND!!  Cheap thin ones with no handles that you have to pay 10 cents for, only to have all three of them rip apart when you take them out of the basket and put in your car.  

It was sort of my lucky day however ..... MUCH cheaper groceries and THIS!  I found a $5.00 penny.  I used to walk on by, but NO MORE!  It's a 1986 model I think, and will be worth its weight in gold in a few more years.  I'm leaving that big jar full of pennies to the Elks Lodge.  It will probably pay for the elevator they want.  

Not really ... 

Back home I made my caramel/toffee bars.  Alas, I got the wrong toffee.  Seems it was also caramel.  These things are going to stick to your teeth like Gorilla Glue.

Definitely not the flavor I was going for, but they will be eaten over the next few months,  I put them in these little containers and freeze them for when I need a pick me up.  That won't be any time soon because I've got a few pounds to drop off somewhere along the way first.

Thanksgiving is almost here ... only one Bingo Away.  I've got returns to return, boxes to mail, turkeys to defrost and two "kids" to spoil today.  I'm looking forward to cooking for four hours, just to eat in 5 minutes and do dishes for the next hour after that.  THANKSGIVING IS ALMOST HERE!!!