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Musings on anything. |
 My blog was filled up. I'm too lazy to clean it out. So I started a new one. |
| I refuse to make another resolution only to disappoint myself. Weekly goals are as far as I care to reach. AARP tells us not to resolve things about achievement. Instead, we are told to think of single words that we want to describe ourselves at the end of 2023, They don't give examples. I thought of thinner or lighter. Richer would be a good one. Stronger, healthier. More grateful. Loving. Etc. You can can come up with better ones. No one is going to describe himself as angry or mean or short-tempered, so it's doubtful that anyone would think of "pleasant" or "patient" or other forms of kindness. We're advised to think of words that help us develop who we want to become, rather than what we want to achieve. So I'm setting no goals. I'm going to work on personal development to become a more secure, calm, peaceful, fulfilled person. We have a year to see how that works out. |
| I had finished my Christmas shopping when I discovered I would have two extra children for Christmas Day. It's not just a meal, I can always feed extras on holidays. But they would be there for family gift exchanging which already included 7 children. I was busy. I had to put candles out on the street, sing in the choir Christmas Day and had much cooking to do. So I would not do any last minute shopping. Needless to say, I am ashamed I had no gifts for a 7 year old and an eleven year old. Fortunately, my brother, who lives in another town, has a ten year old son who thought of it, and who made his parents buy something for him to give them. At least they had a little something to open. Then my 5 year old great nephew was tired and went berserk when they arrived at 3. He wanted to open every present he saw and threw a screaming tantrum. His mother held him to stop the crying much much later. He went to sleep in her arms, so he missed the rest of the family doing gifts in the family room. When he woke, it was almost as bad, just not loud crying. We had finished dinner by then. One family hadn't shown up, so their gifts were still downstairs. He got into them. We caught him before he got far. But he would not come back down to open his gifts. He wanted them upstairs. Now you can't discipline someone else's child. But we will not repeat this next year! My mother would have spanked us until we had the fear of God. This mother is not that stern, and "negotiates", instead of punishing. Nothing went as I had planned. All that housework and furniture arranging to accommodate everyone at once. Trying to have the food warm all at once, etc. What a waste. The kids played outdoors, which is good in that they were tearing up the yard instead of my house! They even played in the dark, when it was in the low 20's. I ended up with my wheelbarrow near the front door. My brother, who is 12 years younger than I, braved the cold yesterday to straighten what he could. One of the non-related children had pulled out some heavy wire (coat hanger thickness) and I got it tangled up in the wheels of the trash can Sunday night. Maybe next year, is I'm not broke by then, I can go on vacation for Christmas! |
| I had to look it up. I read a short story about some gangsters drinking hot Tom and Jerry's in a speakeasy during prohibition. Well, I learned a new drink recipe. It started in the 1820's in England, named for some play characters of the time. It was mostly a holiday drink, but has now fallen out of fashion. Maybe, it's the calories or the extra trouble to make one. When making a batch, which would have been normal, you separate a dozen eggs. Beat the yokes until liquid. Set aside. Beat the whites with enough sugar to make them very stiff. I found one modern version that suggests a pinch of cream of tartar to keep the sugar from sinking to the bottom of your mug. Carefully, blend the stiff whites and the runny eggs together with cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg, all ground, of course. Heat some whole milk. Add a wine glass of dark rum, and a pony glass (approx. 3 oz.) of cognac or brandy to your "batter", or egg mixture. Pour slowly while stirring to avoid coking the yolks. Dip some into a mug of hot milk, although some claim it's just as good cold, but not as comforting in winter. You may sprinkle a dash of nutmeg if you like, or add a spoon of rum. It's the sugar and whole milk that adds extra calories, but 2 or 3 may not be any worse than a McFlurry or a frothy coffee with chocolate mini chips. In the story I read, the gangsters were hilarious after about 5 of these. Talk about a crime gone awry! I really want to try a batch for a gathering. |
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These days I just have houseplants and one lonely portulaca that came up by seed and has bloomed this past week. I've been "home" for three months and the plants have responded well. But, I long for Thailand.
. Isn't it funny how we take things like electricity and plumbing for granted... until we don't have them. Happy for you!