Twas The Hodge Podge Before Christmas

I’m still here! We’ve just been busy with the party coming Saturday and all. I’m bummed that I skipped out on the Monday Quiz About Me again this week. I like the interaction with my fellow bloggers and when I take my afternoon break, I might still get back to answer some of those Monday questions!

The squirrels have been all over this morning! We’re expecting rain changing to snow tonight; I wonder if that’s what all the squirrel-action is about? It doesn’t matter. I love active squirrel days and I’m enjoying seeing one or two busy ones out every window of the house!

Today will be another day that my wedding ring spends in the 1/3 cup measuring cup in the kitchen drawer and it will probably stay there until Friday. That’s where it stays when I’m doing stuff with dough that I don’t want caked in the setting. The next at least two days are the final Davinities baking days before Christmas. Today will be 2 small and a few mini Loaded Loaves. I like a loaf for munching on Christmas morning and so we have some for the party. That Loaded Loaf is one I made for the first time last year and I hope everyone who gets to taste it likes it as much as I do! (Rina loved it last year) The loaf is pumpkin-based with spices, raisins, chocolate chips and walnuts. It’s very good!! Tomorrow will be dough-day for the crostadas we’ll have for Saturday and the ones that will go to Michigan with me on Christmas Eve. I also have wrapping to finish up and we need a couple of little gifts for my brother’s present.

But, for now, I’m joining Joyce at From This Side Of The Pond for Wednesday Hodge Podge!

1. How will you spend 'the night before Christmas'?

Christmas Eve is my family’s Christmas dinner at my cousin’s. It’s been, all of my life, a bounty of mostly fried fish, although last year there were some tasty non-fried options. As I’ve said before, I don’t go for the food, I go to be with my family, but I just might chance fate that there will be un-fried options again and pass on my traditional Christmas Eve burger on the way.

David will meet us back at Pop’s house after he gets off work. The family meal is an early dinner and dinner starts about the time he gets out of work…an hour and a half away! Pop says we’ll bring him a doggy-bag. LOL Then we exchange gifts between our sibling families. My cousins don’t exchange gifts amongst the adults, so we have our gift exchanging at Pop’s. We did that before dinner last year, but this year David won’t be there until later and besides, Dave didn’t like it earlier, so both of the “Dav Men” will be happy..


2. What is one thing you are not?

Fast



3. Fudge-are you a fan? Your favorite flavor?

I do like fudge, although oddly enough, I don’t care for the smell of it cooking. Yes, I’m odd. Give me something that tastes like fudge and smells like a steak cooking and I’m all set, but if it smells like fudge cooking or tastes like steak, keep it away from me!

I won’t eat Rocky Road fudge or anything with cookie dough I it. Other than that I pretty much like it all! The favorites I’ve tried have been plain old chocolate, black forest and pistachio.



4. Did you attend any craft/vendor fairs in the month of December? Do you prefer homemade goodies or the more professional stalls? Are you giving any homemade gifts this year? 

No, I didn’t attend any events.

I do give cookie boxes as gifts and have also done hand-made gifts over the years. I did wool-capes for both my Mom and SIL years back as well as wool scarves and one year everyone got a cross stitch ornament. Most recently is the silk-screened pillows I had done for my Aunt with photo art I had done of both of her dogs.

This year, I bought a couple of hand-made gifts from Etsy shops and I’m a very satisfied customer. That may be a regular place I look for gifts going forward.


5. What's your favorite type of holiday gathering?

My favorite type of gathering is coming up! I like small groups, fewer than ten people, where everyone can be part of the same conversation and enjoy each other’s company together.


6. We're approaching a new year...what's going to be different in 2013?

Well, as 2012 is ending, I am an official TARPS rider and have available paratransit services curb to curb. I’m also in the process of getting a power chair. Hopefully that means that 2013 will see me get out of the house more and hopefully, find employment. Golly, I miss the 3 P’s that make working worthwhile; People, Productivity and Paycheck!


7. Share a favorite scripture, quote, saying, or song lyric relating to peace.

I’ve always loved the hymn “Let There Be Peace On Earth.”


8. Insert your own random thought here.

Kaline has a vet appointment tomorrow. We think she has a sore tooth/teeth. She sniffed at treats and struggled to eat them yesterday, this morning I gave the kids treats and she acted like she wanted it, lacking her chops and it and sniffing, but didn’t eat it. She did the same thing with breakfast; acted like she wanted it, but ate one kibble and walked away. She’s not acting otherwise sick, which is why we think it might be teeth. Poor baby-girl! :(