Saturday, January 19, 2019

Emma's Awards Night...Our Winter Visit...3 Day Weekend, Football, Grampa's Chili and Snow



Sofi pulling an ET.


Gathered some of my bears into the rocking chair after Christmas...and Sofi loves hiding in their midst!

Ready for the long weekend. In fact if the snow comes and the temperature really does dip Monday and Tuesday into below zero...I may just hibernate until Wednesday!


"Hibernation sounds good...and what is that wonderful smell?"  - Sofi


Busy week.

Started Monday with Emma's Awards at the Cloverdale Town Board Meeting. 



So proud of her. 

They selected one student from each school (Elementary, Middle and HS) as student of the month...and recognize them as the board meeting. Nominations are made by Teachers, Other Students, Principals et al.  And they are given engraved awards.

It was wonderful. We were all there. Grandma Nancy, Brendan and Aiden, James and Nicole and I. And as they read what everyone had said about her I was so proud. 

Helpful to others.

Positive attitude.

Always Smiling.

Excellent Student.

And she surprised me...when they asked her future career aspiration she said she always wanted to have a little cafe or tearoom that makes and serves pastries.

Which years ago...used to be my dream!

James took everyone out for ice cream after the presentation and photos were over, and Nicole is going to make sure we all get copies of the paper when it is run.

We also had our Winter Visit and Brunch with Chris this week. It was my turn to host and I fixed Meatloaf and Mashies and Seasoned Greenbeans with Apple Strudel for afters.

He showed us a project he has been busy on since Christmas.


The assembly and painting of intricate models for a game that he and his friends are playing.  Even the photos don't do this one justice...so many tiny parts and the detailed painting.  The cloth-look of the cape even with tinier tears and cables projecting from them. It is Outstanding.

Political pontification. Catch up on Chris' Cisco Training, and plans for the wedding.

We all parted with See-You-In-Spring Plans.

They forecast snow for the weekend...though I haven't seen any yet...it has started raining. At first they said 12 inches, then 9...and I think the last I heard was 6.  We will see.

~laughing~

Went out yesterday and picked up fixings for Grandpa's Chili because it is time!!!

Dad was (among other duties) a Mess Cook in the US Army in WWII. Every Winter as the temperatures dropped outside (when I was a kid) he would pull out an enormous cooking pot and make...his specialty...Chili.

Not just chili...but Grandpa's Chili. And no...you can't have the recipe.

It was a chopping, dicing, stewing, simmering all day affair...and well worth the wait.

I made mine last night for most of the weekend.

Chili, Snow, Three Day Weekend, Candlelit Baths and Football!

What's not to love?

So the Championship Games are Tomorrow.

Saints-vs-Rams

Chiefs-vs-Patriots

at 3:05 and 6:40 P M respectively.

It is no secret that I would love to see a Saints-Chiefs Superbowl...but we will see how it plays out.  They have all had incredible seasons.

Oh...and for those of us who have been waiting and waiting and waiting for the Game of Thrones Finale...we now have a Mid-April date for its return.

What a grand early Birthday Gift!

Angie had a strange happening in her Secondhand Shoppe this week when one of the vendors brought in this doll

Which Angie described as

"A creepy haunted doll...you should hold it and feel how it feels"

"I'll pass."

Followed closely by saying that she thinks she is going to either  buy it or give the woman her booth-space free until it is paid off.

Ummmmm...oh-kay.

Remembering a creepy doll I had first as a child...then later she made an appearance as an adult...





She was a Patti Playpal.

I named mine, Lynn.

And she looked exactly like this. She was easily as big as a four year old child. For the longest time she could wear my clothes.

She had hinged arms and legs and a soft stuffed body and could walk with you.

But at night...sitting in your room she was creepy as hell. 

Even as an adult she was.

I left her in the garden shed when we lost our house in Bainbridge. She had (by then) been relegated to it for quite some time...and I wasn't bringing her with us.

Let her give somebody else nightmares.

(...yes...I know what she is worth now...and NO...I don't care...)

Nightmare...yes...that was the past week in politics, as well-



 Just when you think he can't possibly get more tasteless...tackier...classless...


 Yes.

When I first saw this photo I thought to myself

"Surely someone just photoshopped that"

Sadly...no.

What a damned embarrassment.

Inviting the College Champion Team to the White House for a dinner...and then serving them fast-food in their dress clothes. With McNugget Dipping Sauce in the Lincoln Silver Gravy Boats...still in their little cube plastic packages.

Unbelievable.

The Government is STILL shutdown.

28 days.

And Pelosi uninviting him from the SOTU Address...which as Speaker of The House she can do.

And him countering, refusing to let her use Military Transport to Afghanistan for a preplanned visit with the troops and NATO. Which is his right as CiC.

Trump trying to blame The Democrats for the shutdown even though when it happened he said clearly that

1. He would shut down the government unless he got funding for The Wall.

2. He would take responsibility for the shutdown and was proud to do it.

and the check's in the mail...it's only a cold-sore and I won't cu....well you know how the rest goes. 

Today at 3 he has called a Press Conference. Says he wants to sweeten the deal so Pelosi and Schumer will agree to funding his wall. Offer them things that he says Democrats want.

I feel really badly for the 800,000 people who have to live without pay while this mess persists...I really do...but-

No still means no.

We don't govern by hostage taking.

Pass the budget deal...reopen the government...then we can negotiate about Border Security...m'kay?

We'll see what happens.

Meanwhile Guiliani is spouting random incriminating things...Cohen is talking...Mueller is winding down his investigation...impeachment and indictments are on the way...

Oh, and Trump is STILL going to end up in Federal Prison.

Steve King (Iowa's 4th District)

After spouting NAZI crap...because...well he is a White Supremacist...and that is kind of what they do...was rebuked by the GOP this week and may face Resignation.


Leading some to see him as





Sacrificial Offering on the Alter of "Don't Throw Us Out in 2020"

But I have a very different take on it.

I think the GOP is using him like this




As a Canary in the Coal Mine...

Just to see what the public outcry will or will not be.

If they can do this without severe backlash, then can Trump and Impeachment and Removal be far behind?

They saw their future in 2018 when there were 40 Seats lost in the House. Enlightened self interest is going to kick in before the 2020 Elections.

We will see...

Have a Great Relaxing Three Day Weekend!