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Christmas morning at Barb's

77 degrees on Christmas Day

A 3.5 mile to Prospect park with 3 leashed dogs is like 15 miles without a dog!  (Note Roxy's bow).

You try and get 3 big dogs to pose for the camera!

Isn't this pretty? (This is before the Brussels sprouts, onions, and potatoes were roasted.)  Unfortunately, it was overcooked.  Deb left the potatoes in the turned-off oven while the meat was grilled and they were crispy critters.  Fortunately, the flank steak was delicious and made up for it.  And the dessert was not bad either!

And finally--dessert!  Barely edible--we both had two pieces.  Oink!  Barb will take the rest to work tomorrow.

Merry Christmas from Arlington!

Merry Christmas everybody!

Ted and I are having a quiet morning together. He just opened his present from me - orienteering gear. I got him some gaiters (they cover and protect his shins as he runs around in the woods) and a finger-mounted check-in device (SI card).

If you've never heard of orienteering, you are not alone.

Basically, Ted goes to these events in the wilderness where he gets a map, a compass, and his SI card. He uses the map and compass to find checkpoints ("controls") that have been hidden all over the terrain, and he has to check in at each control using his finger device. It's a type of race to see who can get to all the controls and reach the finish line the fastest. The SI card tracks your time as you check in at each control.

A couple nights ago we had the family Christmas since the nieces and nephew are elsewhere today. You may not realize this, but around here I'm the aunt (pronounced "Ahnt Mackenzie")! :)

I got to read some books with our nephew, Dylan, who I tutored this summer. He was very proud to show me his reading progress this year in 2nd grade.

We have 5 nieces, two of whom were present on this night (Hayden, 6, and Amelia, 17 months).

And finally, let's not forget the cats. :) They each got a new catnip toy. Milo got the Kong Kickaroo, which he has been doing his best to destroy.

Minnie got a petite, pink catnip pillow, since she prefers to gently lick her catnip. They are both very happy and seem to remember Grandma and Grandpa's (Jo Ann and Ed's) house from this summer.

I hope you're all having a nice Christmas day. I'd love to see some pictures and posts!

A Walk Around Redlands

 The owners are in debtors prison to Southern Cal. Edison!

We liked the bulbs hanging from the swag.

Merry Christmas Grandma!

Yep - this is Grandma's car. And no, she wasn't driving - it was her very skilled, Indy-trained daughter with millions of miles under her belt. That couldn't protect her from a 16-year-old driver who had had her license for 13 days in a public parking lot with her 16-year-old girlfriend. 
Ho ho no.

Kinda hard to see out of the mirror.

Christmas Eve

"Suffering" from "cold" weather in San Clemente....

I had to water this AM; it is so dry.

Gardener pruned back the tree that's why it's bare.

Christmas cactus is still blooming like crazy!

Baja--enjoying the sun...

And just a warning, Barb and I may overdose on chocolate...

Whipped cream and sugar sprinkles to be added later.

Recipe is from The Food Network magazine

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and Debbie is coming to Redlands, and what is more important than meal planning?  Am I the only one that has never heard of saltine toffee bars? I had some at work this Holiday season and they were yummy.  So, I got on the internet and found the recipe, and look at the corrections to the original recipe! Can you imagine if I used white sugar?

They are in the 2 hour cooling mode right now, then I will cut them up and refrigerate them. I can't remember if Debbie likes pecans so I only put them on half.

I can't wait to try them.  Too bad Ted's not here to help us eat them!

December 16th in Bend

OK - this is a text - will add photos later (trying to show Mom how to post to the Blog)

Remember this year

Two gifts

A friend, Bob Francis, is learning how to paint.  He painted all his surfing friends and gave us the six inch works for Christmas.

I stopped to get gas for the truck tonight in Oceanside on the way home from work.  A homeless guy came by and gave me a rose.  Said he wanted to give it to the first beautiful woman he met.  Then he wished me, "Merry Christmas" and vanished.  One of those Twilight Zone moments...

Cold weather, Warm cats

We're having cold weather, dipping into the 40's at night.  I don't run the heater except in the early morning and the house is chilly.  The cats have found ways to cope:

In other news, Barb and I, her friend, Kristen, and room mate, Sherry, toured six houses, all part of the Redlands Holiday Home Tour to benefit the legal fund of the local YMCA.  Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos.  The homes were a variety of styles, ages, but were generally large, expensive, and featured decorating quirks that you don't see in the slick magazine spreads.  One house had a "travel" room, another an octagonal room that used to be the master bedroom.  Several had pizza ovens in the backyard and the last one we viewed had a walk-in wine cellar and tasting room.

One of our favorites was actually out in Mentone and was owned by a painter and assemblage artist.  His was a modest tract house that he had customized by adding additional large picture windows, painting the kitchen cabinets red (though not as red as our cabinets in Highland), and building a large studio behind the house.  The studio/gallery had a high ceiling and was perfect to view his creations which were huge and meant to be viewed from a distance.  He was in the studio when we visited and Barb talked with him a bit.  It was a working studio rather than a "show place" which was a refreshing change from the other homes.  Barb asked him if his metal garbage can, which was covered with paint and dented, was one of his creations and he replied that it probably would be incorporated into one of his works one day! 

Attached are the few photos that I did take:

Sherry and Barb

Barb and the new Honda

Kristin, Sherry, and Barb in the entry court of one of the old houses.  Barb is holding the paper booties we had to wear to walk through the houses.

Loggia and Koi pond in the same courtyard

Another house.  We liked the succulents in the fountain.

On the way home...note the fog bank at the foot of the mountain.

Not on the home tour--look at the fog!

After a long day of trekking through all the ritzy dwellings, this house got my vote as the best one:

It's Barb's, of course!

This shot is for you, Ted.  Barb & Sherry made six different kinds of cookies!  All yummy!

Happy 65th Anniversary, Mom & Dad!

This statue is around the corner from Barb's house.  Reminds me of you and Dad, Mom.  Note the cat in her lap.  And of course, Dad has his book and is trying to explain investing or golf to Mom who appears to be listening but is actually dreaming about her next quilt.

Here is the rest of the house--decorated for Christmas, no less.

 

 

Barb buys a new car!

So, getting divorced and feeling sorry for yourself for driving a pick-up truck for 15 years of marriage are probably not the right reason to buy a car.  At least not a luxury car.  But that's what I had to have because my friends and my sister have luxury cars - and heck, I deserve it too, right?

So, a year and half later, as retirement approaches, I realize that my used luxury car is going to be about worthless (okay maybe not worthless) at the same time as it is paid off, which coincides with my planned retirement date (if there is such a date).

So, with my goal of being debt free (except for the house payment) in four years to position myself for possible retirement, I chose to trade in my beloved Audi Q5 for the Honda CRV.

The Honda CRV is similar to the Audi Q5 in looks only.  It drives more like a Toyota.  But that's okay - I'll get used to it.  And I should be able to drive it for many years into retirement.

I can blog

Did you know that Mom and Dad's 65th Anniversary is in 9 days?

Dinner at Jeanette's

I thought I'd post a few photos from dinner at Jeanette's.  Mackenzie, Zach, and Jamie have actually been to her house years ago and swam in the pool with Jeanette's boys, Stewart and Miles. 

Jeanette's "boys" are on both ends of this photo.  Miles is in the dark shirt and Stewart in the grey shirt.  Stewart's wife, Vanessa, his daughter Tigan, and son Parker are in the middle.

Stewart had to work (he is a prison guard in AZ), so only Miles was there but the "boys" (gay couple) came from across the street and also Jeanette's friend, Pat, whose husband had to work.

Jeanette's kitchen.  Her husband, Gary, remodeled it a few years ago.

Gordon (from across the street) and Jeanette

The red jello mold (same one that you used to make Mom) prompted Jeanette to haul out one of her mother's cookbooks.  It was dated 1948--I flipped through it and laughed.  Desserts were the biggest category.

Jeanette's husband, Gary, is in the center.  Larry and Gordon are the guys from across the street.

Jeanette

Jeanette had bought a couple hats: a live turkey and a cooked turkey, and everyone had to try them on.  Larry ended up wearing the cooked turkey for most of the evening.