Have a Jolly Holiday!

Jezebel ignoring my camera
Christmas 2013

Where has the time gone? It startled me to realize how long since I posted anything here. Now seemed like a good time.

Our Christmas season has been low-key for years. I'm fine with that, and especially grateful nobody expects us to travel. My husband buying me a powerful, super fast new laptop last month was a wonderful surprise bonus.

Sad to say, a downtrodden friend made me even more grateful for my husband and our life together. How I got so lucky as to find a responsible and respectful man compared to the loser guy she married is beyond me. I can only wish her a brighter future and appreciate my joyful existence.

Why is it some people make themselves feel better by tearing down another? And how do their victims succumb, tolerating the mistreatment for decades when the early warning signs were so obvious from the outside?

I hope this wasn't too much of a downer. Merry Christmas!

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Hey! Whatcha doing?

Our darling Jezebel is becoming quite the snuggler. As I type this, in fact, she is pressed against my leg.

Don't mind me...

If I'm in an unusual spot she'll investigate before settling down. That entails sticking her nose and paws in my way more often than not.

Excuse me, I'm trying to sleep here.

She can also be a pest about it. She got restless this afternoon and tried to walk across my keyboard5.62 Uh, yeah... The numbers are her input.


Jezebel wants to know if I'm being deliberately obtuse. "Why don't you wise up and feed me, human?"

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Change of Plans & Pictures

My Monday outing did not reach the arboretum as planned. Instead I visited a closer, more esoteric park along the way. This public space features a disc golf course.

Tee Time...

The visible upkeep and apparent upgrades made me happy, as did seeing incoming and outgoing athletes discuss various challenges. I also explored more new (for me) terrain. The old footbridge was a fun surprise, as were some other sights.

View from the bridge...

 

Can you see the blue target up the hill?
It's an athletic sport, to be sure.

Sycamore Trails also features an ugly but
prolific duck pond with beautiful birds.
Have you ever played disc (or Frisbee) golf? Did you know there is a professional players' association?

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Off to the Arboretum

It's cold. It's dreary. And I'm going to take a hike in the woods. I tried to convince my husband to accompany me, but he doesn't fancy this weather. Me? I look forward to having the place pretty much to myself. I hope to share a few cool pictures tomorrow.

Meanwhile, do you like super dark humor? If so, and you have a few minutes, check out this Gary Larson collection. Every panel had me laughing. Have a great day!

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Sharing a Giggle...

 

Feline Senility, Boredom, or Something Else?

Of late I've discovered our aged kitty Jezebel displaying new and strange behaviors. We can't help but worry a bit that she is fading despite her apparent physical health. For example, Tilly used to sit in the shower stall before her passing in September of 2019. And why Jezzy kept returning to sit on our top cellar stair this afternoon is a mystery.

What? I'm on patrol.

Do you think she's becoming senile? Or perhaps she needs an entertaining feline friend or two? Then again, did the huge hairball I cleaned up a few minutes ago cause her strange actions?

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A Bit of Good Luck, Some Holiday Flavors, and Bit of a Bummer

To get a minor disappointment out of the way, my husband told me Gary Larson asks that no one posts his Far Side comics on social media. It’s understandable since everyone has to make a living, so here is a link to The Daily Dose. I don’t know if ad blockers will prevent viewing, but be sure to show him some love by clicking on the hearts if you can and do visit.

Meanwhile, I’ve been experimenting a little in the kitchen. It started with leftover apple cider from a failed recipe. I debated how to cut the sweetness and am not a big fan of hot drinks, though mulled cider is nice. Then I remembered my reduced calorie cranberry juice cocktail contains apple. Mixing one part cider with about three parts juice, it turned out okay. Then I added a can of diet 7Up. Yum… Refreshing, too. There is no picture because, to be honest, the muddy color looks unappealing. If you try some variation or other let me know what you think.

This morning I tried a simple recipe from ‘American Lifestyle’ magazine and baked actual cookies for a change. While our ground ginger and cinnamon are ancient, the treats turned out tasty. I almost ruined them, however. This recipe calls for baking soda, not the baking powder I pulled to mix with the flour and spices. What luck I caught and corrected that error in time. I wonder how they would have turned out. Not good, I imagine.

I lacked the pretty crystal sugar;
and we didn't miss it...

Do you know the difference between baking soda and powder? Did you know that freezing peeled ginger root both keeps it fresh and makes shredding easier?

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