A Backwards Look

Today I am sick in bed, actually I have been sick in bed for two and a half days.  Right after I finished my dog route on Wednesday I started to get a sore throat and feel achy all over.  Yesterday was the worst, I slept most of the day, with fever and chills and annoying sore throat.  I hate to breath through my mouth, but I was so congested that it was required so I wouldn't suffocate. Today I feel better, but sound worse.  Froggy throat, blowing nose, and continual coughing.  I have stayed in bed all day (just because it is fun) but I haven't slept.  I have finished a couple of animal books I would recommend to all:  "You Had Me At Woof" by Julie Klam and "Homer's Odyssey" by Gwen Cooper.  I am a sucker for animal books, even though I know the animal usually dies at the end (not the case with Homer's Odyssey however).  Books about animals usually have a riveting storyline (at least for me), are inspiring, have no profanity, lurid sex or violence- in essence a "clean" read.  Not too many of those out there.

While I have been keeping myself entertained in bed today, I perused some photos that were taken at Thanksgiving that I have yet to post on my blog.  I thought I would give it a try all by myself with out having to ask Chuck for technical assistance (he is downstairs watching a football game) or calling Rachel in Idaho and getting her long distance help.

This  is our main dish for Thanksgiving dinner- split cornish game hens on a bed of stuffing.  We have done cornish games hens instead of a large turkey for the last 3 years running. We love them! they don't take days to defrost, only an hour to cook , they don't dry out like turkey, taste great with all the traditional accompaniments and BEST OF ALL- no leftovers!! We always use Grandma Elaine Bishops stuffing recipe with the golden raisins (a family favorite- we make sure to have plenty of that left over).  We fill the roasting pan half full of stuffing and set the game hens right on top to cook, so the stuffing gets all the juices- it is to die for and only dirties 1 pan.  Becca came up with all the accompaniments this year as usual. We tried a new recipe for roasted sliced yams (in the picture) with cumin and lime juice: so good! Will definitely do that one again.  Fresh steamed asparagus with homemade holladaise sauce (another new experience neither Becca or I had ever made our own Hollandaise before- so simple and yummy).  Then Becca's specialty relish- ciproline onions in a basalmic vinegar with craisins and pomegranates.  This entire meal came together in about 2 hours! and it was scrumptious.

As always, the Saturday after Thanksgiving is the day we put up the Christmas decorations- both inside and out.  I love to do it then because Becca is always home from school and she enjoys the decorating.  We even got Jared to help with the tree this year!  Usually Dad does the out side decorating, and Mom and the kids do the inside. Chuck got ambitious and put the new LED type lights on a tree in our backyard. It  makes me feel all warm and mushy inside to be able to sit in the house and look outside on a winter wonderland!

p.s. I posted these pictures all by myself!

Festival of the Nativities

Sunday evening Chuck, Jared and I attended the "Festival of the Nativities" at our stake center.  It was amazing! The outside and inside of the building were decorated with white Christmas lights, 200 pointsettias and hundreds of lit christmas trees both large and small, including a 20' tree in the center of the cultural hall that reached to the ceiling. On display were hundreds of nativity scenes from all over the world.  While we were browsing thru the display, live music was being performed in the chapel.  There were other rooms in the building to visit as well. There was a "life of Christ" room that was filled with beautiful framed pictures of Christ, depicting scenes throughout his life and ministry. Another room that drew a lot of attention, was the "tent room".  The inside of the room had been draped dramatically with fabric to give one the impression that you had walked into a tent from biblical times.  Once inside there were gorgeous theater quality costumes that families could put on and pose around a manger as if you were present in Bethlehem on that first Christmas night, with a photographer on hand to record the magical moment. At the end of the evening we were able to retire to the chapel and watch a broadcast of the First Presidency Christmas Devotional.  It was a beautiful and spirit-filled experience.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: how to recognize a meth lab

Although my business has scaled down considerably over the past 1+ year with the down turn of the economy, I still find myself out of doors 3 days a week in any weather thoroughly enjoying my doggie friends.  Although all TOO frequently some of them resemble the meth lab in the above picture, there is nothing else I would rather do (ok, hold my new grandbaby, is right up there on the top of the list).  Dogs are fascinating, entertaining  and plain fun to hang out with, and they seem to feel the same way about me.