How did it get to be Sunday ... already?!

Wow, this week absolutely flew by! I'm sitting here looking at the calendar wondering how it can possibly be Sunday. Some of that may have to do with the fact that, because of the President's Day holiday, last week was a short week. But I'm guessing that it has more to do with the fact that we had so many plans.

The Pasadena Convention Center hosts an event called Distinguished Speaker Series. I've always wanted to attend, but you have to buy tickets to at least four in the series and tickets are prohibitively (at least for our budget) expensive. However, as luck would have it, I was able to find a FREE source for tickets!! My friend, Terry, is the office manager at the high school and they are given free tickets for students and chaperones. Terry mentioned that Kevin and I were welcome to tickets to any speaker we were interested in seeing. How cool is that! This past Tuesday night we saw Anderson Cooper. What a treat! He is an amazingly intelligent man (with a wicked sense of humor, I might add) who is humbled by the stories he's covered in his life. He believes his job is not that of a reporter, but to bear witness to the struggles and stories of others. If you ever have the opportunity to hear him speak, I highly recommend you do so.

Friday night was girls night out. My friend Holly hosted one of our now famous WOFA events. What, you may be asking yourselves, is a WOFA? Why it's Women of First Avenue, of course! A few years ago our tightly knit (and some may argue, tightly wound) group of women at school started a summer group we called WOFA. The basis of the group is that we have so much fun together, when summer comes around, we're all kinda bummed that we won't see each other every day. Hence, WOFA was born. Okay, so it's not summer yet - but we all felt the need for a WOFA event, so why not? The men had their 'Man Party' (watching football, of course), so we figured we'd counter with a WOFA. Anyone can suggest an activity. We've done anything from mani/pedi's to movie night to afternoon tea to yoga classes to wine tastings. Holly decided on something completely different: Bingo, baby! That's right, my friends, bingo is not just for the older, blue-haired set. It's for anyone who has a hankering to shout loudly at small gatherings and have a great time. We kind of used it as an excuse to talk, laugh, eat and drink, but in all fairness we played bingo, too. And had a great time! To add a little more fun to the mix, each guest was to bring a wrapped $20.00 gift. Before the bingo action commenced, we drew numbers and chose a gift in the order drawn. We were to open the gifts to see what everyone had then, if you won a round of bingo, you could steal the gift you wanted. Some people ended up with several gifts, some with nothing at all. However, no one went away disappointed because we all had so much fun! I came home with the gift my friend Amy brought. It was a particularly 'good pick' because it was something her husband - my friend Michael, with whom I discuss all things wine - put together. It contained a wonderful bottle of chardonnay, smoked gouda, a very piquant cheddar with herbs, olive tapenade and whole grain crackers. Something tells me I see a Sunday afternoon picnic in our very near future!

Saturday we continued to help the LaLa's with their move. Last week, packing. This week, the actual move. What a job! I daresay Kevin and I probably preferred the packing over the moving, but hey ... it all has to be done, so we jumped in with gusto. I probably don't need to say this because you've already guessed it but, we were all completely exhausted. Though not something we'd consider particularly 'fun', their move did remind Kevin and I of something very important for our own search for a home: avoid stairs at all costs! There is still much to be done, but the final outcome is that Deb, Bill and the boys have a wonderful new home that they can, and will, enjoy for many years to come. We love you guys and are so happy for you! And, oh yeah, please plan on being in town when we move so that you can return the favor!!

Though both Kevin and I were dog tired when we got home late Saturday afternoon, I'd promised to attend a housewarming party for the daughter of a friend of mine. She was so excited about the party, I couldn't disappoint her by not attending. However, I told Kevin he could beg off if he wished. At first he said he'd take me up on the offer and stay home to nap. But after he thought about it, he decided that we should both attend. As he put it, 'we there support each other - even if we're tired'. Awwww - isn't he just the sweetest! I promised we'd make it a short visit. Tired or not, we did end up having a good time. Mike and Deanna were very proud to show off their new home. They loved the gift we brought and we had fun visiting with everyone. We stayed for about an hour and then headed home for some well deserved rest!

Whew! No wonder the week felt like it flew by - it did! It's funny - the other day I was having a lively conversation with my friend Ray. He said that a good friend of his had been going through a rough time recently having suffered a job loss and foreclosure on his home. His simple advise to Ray was to 'enjoy every day'. Excellent advise I'd say. Advise certainly well worth taking. I hope you find enjoyment in each of your days as well.

Do You Fondue?

Valentine's Day.

If you're living right, Valentine's day is no different than any other day of the year. That is to say, we should live every day as if it were Valentine's day. Show your loved ones you love them daily by doing little things: whispering sweet nothings in their ear; sharing a well-timed wink; indulging in sweet kisses; a warm nuzzle on the neck; relaying a silly joke or story. By this definition, Kevin and I celebrate Valentine's day every single day we're together.

That said, for Valentine's day this year, we planned to stay in and create our own fondue dinner, ala The Melting Pot restaurant. Which we did! ... just not on Valentine's day. We had helped the LaLa's with their pending move by spending Saturday packing boxes and delivering them from their current house to their new house. Though we left around 2:00 p.m., by the time we got home, we were completely exhausted and decided that we were too tired to enjoy our planned fondue dinner. No matter, we thought - we have a nice long weekend ahead of us so why not create our celebration a bit later? Doing so would allow us to really enjoy the whole process such as working side by side in the kitchen to prepare the ingredients, setting the table - the whole experience.

I'm happy to report that we did, in fact, enjoy our special Valentine's day fondue dinner. And it was perfectly delightful! If you've not tried something like this with your honey, I highly recommend it. It's both fun and romantic -- even if you're not dressed to the nines (Kevin: "May I admire the lovely sweatshirt you're wearing?" Randa: "Right back atcha, handsome!")

The LOCALS

Kevin had his first gig last night with a new band: The LOCALS. They were sensational! The crowd thought so, too. They danced and cheered and clapped with wild abandon. When the guys announced 'this will be our last song', the crowd heartily cheered 'One more! One more! One more!' Talk about an ego rush - they delighted in every uproarious moment.

I was particularly fond of the cute drummer. I couldn't help myself - I flirted with him all night long... See how cute he is?! You would have flirted with him, too!

"We Gather Together"

I have a friend who is dying. She's been battling cancer for the past three years; the cancer is winning.

The word has gotten around to her family and friends that her time is short and now is the time to gather around her with love and prayers. Kevin and I went up to visit with she and her husband the other night. We weren't quite sure what to expect - how is she feeling? Is she up to visitors? How is Jon handling all of this? What stage of grief is he dealing with at the moment?

We brought with us decadence in a bag. All of those goodies that you believe you shouldn't indulge in when you think you have your whole life ahead of you and you need to 'be good'. Milk and florentines (milk and cookies). Brie with apricot preserves and crackers and delicious red wine (adult milk and cookies). Fleur de sel caramels; roasted almonds and cashews; dried apricots dipped in rich dark chocolate. And orange asiatic lillies. We figured that, even if she couldn't eat all of those things, it's symbolic: Live it up! Enjoy yourself! Life is short, indulge!

Upon our arrival, Jon was visibly tense. As you might imagine, he's not dealing well with the impending loss of his wife of more than 30 years. Jann was, while happy to see us, incredibly weak and looked exhausted. Susan and Donna were there, too. The four of us worked together years ago and this was the first time we'd all been together since that time. I've seen Jann off and on, and Donna more in recent years because I work with her husband, but none of us have seen Susan, so it was it was an interesting reunion.

It took a few minutes to get the ball rolling, but soon, we were all sharing stories and rememberences of times past and filling each other in on current happenings in our lives. We ate and drank and laughed until we almost had tears streaming down our faces (let's just say that carrying on a conversation while enjoying a fleur de sel caramel is not for the faint of heart! However, if you want a good laugh, give it a try). Jon loosened up and Jann relaxed and took comfort in the conviviality of our gathering. After about 90 minutes Jann was too tired to continue, so we hugged her and kissed her before Jon whisked her off to put her into bed. Donna, Susan, Kevin and I busied ourselves by cleaning up the kitchen and dining room, chatting comfortably as we went along. Jon came out and thanked everyone for being there. He said this is truly the most comfortable he's seen Jann since August. He said that, though she was tired, she was very happy - and relaxed. And they were both so happy that we could all be together that night. After a while we bid each other good night and all went our separate ways.

I don't know if we'll see Jann again. I hope so. My plan is to go up there this weekend, even if it's just to stop and say hello. But who knows what will happen between now and then. I do know, however, that our gathering earlier this week will be something I remember for a long, long time. I'm thankful that we could all be there for Jann -- and for Jon. It was a such a small thing - yet at the same time a huge reminder of what really matters in this life. Family. Friends. Love. Sharing. Caring. With these things, life is rich and full - no matter how long or short it may be. Who could ask for more?

Amaryllis in Bloom

A friend of mine gave me an amaryllis bulb for Christmas. Funny things, bulbs. It always makes me curious how something so ugly can produce something so beautiful. Personally, I think flower bulbs are proof that God and Mother Nature really do have a sense of humor.

I think Nancy was almost embarrassed when she gave me the bulb as a gift. In an almost apologetic tone she said 'If you plant it now, it should hopefully be in bloom by Valentine's day.'

Well guess what, Nancy? You were absolutely right! I planted it just as we left for winter break in December. I placed it in a cute little white vintage McCoy pot and put it in the garden room where it would get lots of light. Almost immediately the leaves began to grow. We've watched the blooms grow recently and knew they were about ready to open. Yesterday morning when we walked through the garden room, we noticed a little bit of red bloom peaking out. Today, one of the blooms is beginning to open up. Red amaryllis blooms ... just in time for Valentine's day!

Thrifted Sweaters

Two more fun finds from today's thrifting adventure: two perfect silky sweaters. One of them is the yummiest shade of raspberry, the other a delicious summery shade of pink. The pink one has the sweetest trio of delicate fabric flowers sewn on one of the shoulders. The inside of the flowers even have translucent pink beads! I can just picture the pink one tossed over a floaty chiffon summer dress. Total for both sweaters: $8.00.

Boots!!

This never happens to me. I'm never able to find boots, or shoes for that matter, at a thrift store. Well I have news: good things come to those who wait! Today while I was checking out a Goodwill store I'd never been to, I found THE most perfect pair of black (!!) Bandolino stacked heel stretch boots. And they were brand new! I didn't want to get too excited at first. I mean, maybe they'd fit, maybe not. Maybe they'd be comfortable, maybe not. So I tried them. I nearly fell over (literally, actually, since there was no place to sit) -- they fit perfectly! And they were comfortable!!! ...and I bought them. How much, you ask, for these perfect gem boots that I will wear again and again and practically live in? A cool $14.00, thank you very much!!

On the move

No, Kevin and I aren't moving. But our offices at FA are. Or did - last night. I suppose I should be grateful. After all, I didn't really have to do any of the moving. I did, however, have to do a great deal of packing and, honestly, I think I would rather someone else have packed and I would gladly have moved the furniture!

For the better part of two weeks, Jeff, Rod, Linda and myself packed up the main office, Jeff's and Rod's offices, supply closet/student store, mail room, copy room and faculty lounge. Kevin and Nancy packed up their offices (how did they get off so cheaply?!), and last night the movers came in and did the actual moving. I'm afraid to wait until Tuesday morning when school resumes (Monday is a holiday) to see the results, so Kevin and I are going to sneak in and take a peak either tomorrow or Monday.

Here are some snaps of how things looked 'during':






Tuesday, they begin demolition of the old office area, lounge, a classroom, the restrooms and supply area. If all goes according to plan, they'll be finished in about 6 months...just in time to move in and start the new school year!

Yep, it's January

We had some crazy weather earlier this week. In the very, very early hours of Monday morning, we had a thunder, lightening and rain storm like we haven't seen in I can't tell you how many years! It literally poured buckets and buckets of rain ... that is, before it turned into hail. Then, in some areas it hailed so hard it looked like it had snowed - some places had two inches of hail and it stayed all night and into the day it was so cold. The thunder was so close overhead, that our house literally shook. Poor Slips - she was terrified and woke us up to comfort her. Thankfully, it was a fast moving storm. After about an hour or so, the thunder and lightening had travelled far enough east that Slippers finally began to calm down and we could all go back to sleep.

By Tuesday, it was absolutely beautiful! The sky was a beautiful shade of blue and so clear there was not a cloud in sight, and the sun was shining and it had, in fact, turned quite warm. The rest of the week our temperatures fluctuated between the mid-seventies to mid-eighties -- and that's about where we stand right now.

With all of this wonderful weather, Kevin and I began to think that it will soon be 'porch sittin'' weather - we like to sit outside on the front porch and have breakfast on the weekend and read the paper - so we decided to work outside a bit this morning and get things back into shape.

Kevin removed all of the dead impatiens from the front of the walk way. He tilled the soil really well and planted new impatiens that will soon explode into bright, cheery colors:

While he was busy doing that, I removed all of the furniture and plants from the front porch, washed everything down and then began replacing it, rearranging as I went along. This morning we were out early and found some new cushions for the chairs and love seat. I also found a pretty green planter and some beautiful red cyclamen - just in time for Valentine's day!



Since the red camelias are in bloom, I picked a few of those and added them to an old red and white enameled pitcher. I thought it looked pretty on the little coffee table in front of the love seat.

Now all we need is a little coffee, some bagels and juice and the Sunday L.A. Times and we'll be all set.

Lemon Bars, Rice Krispies Treats and the Superbowl

Tomorrow, it's our turn in the office to bring treats for the staff. We sign up twice during the school year to bring treats; typically, one time it's just for break-time snacks such as bagels, fruit and yogurt. The other time, we typically do a lunch of some sort. Well since it's almost Superbowl Sunday, we decided to use that as our theme for lunch. We're serving grilled hotdogs, pasta and potato salads, chips and dips, and desserts. I signed up to make the desserts.

I mentioned it to Kevin the other day and asked if he'd like to bring desserts for his staff on Friday, too, and he thought that was great idea! So tonight after dinner, we got busy and whipped up two sheet pans full of Rice Krispies treats, and another sheet pan of lemon bars. We had a fun time working side by side in the kitchen. We're a great team! In fact, we have matching "Weir Cooking" aprons - though we forgot to wear them tonight. Wow, who knew that would make so many treats! Our kitchen is literally over flowing with goodies! I think both of our staffs will be verrrry happy with us tomorrow!

And, come on ... who doesn't love Rice Krispies treats and lemon bars?
Mmmmm ... the fresh, tart scent of the lemons made my mouth water as we were squeezing the lemons for juice and grating the rind! Lemon bars are especially nice with a cup of hot tea. First you take a bite of the bar and let it sort of melt in your mouth, then take a sip of tea and wash it down.

Now I've done it ... I think I need to go sample a lemon bar!!

The $1.00 Angel

It's been about two weeks or so since I've browsed my favorite thrift store, so today at lunch I decided to check it out to see what was 'new'.

When I arrived, there was a customer looking at a collection of ceramic pommanders in one of the glass cases. I commented that the pommanders were really pretty; each one was a different pattern, one prettier than the next. She and I chatted for a moment, then I headed off in another direction.

A few minutes later, we were both looking through the housewares section when she commented to me that she loved looking through thrift stores. I readily agreed. She said that one of her favorite things to look for were angel food cake pans. And off we went, launching into a very pleasant conversation. She remarked that she makes many, many angel food cakes during the summer months and everyone always comments on how delicious they are. She said that she uses a mix - something that most of those enjoying the cake would never guess! So for a fun gift, she will go to a thrift store and find an angel food cake pan - which typically run about a dollar - and purchase a box of the cake mix, wrap the whole thing in cellophane and tie it with a brightly colored ribbon, then gift it to those who'd really enjoyed the angel food cake she'd made.

I told her that I'd never baked an angel food cake myself, but that my grandmother used to make them all the time. We serve them with berries during the summer months and we all love it! She picked up a couple of pans and showed me the difference; one was a two piece pan set, the other - quite solid - was one piece. She spoke of the advantages and disadvantages of both and explained exactly how to turn the pan over onto the top of a bottle and while the cake cooled. Just then her husband came over and joined in the conversation. As we continued to talk, one of the store employees came over and joined in the conversation as well. I told her that she'd sold me and she gladly handed me both of the pans with which she'd conducted her demonstration -- each of which was one dollar. The store employee looked at me with a wistful look and said 'My mom would be so happy to know that someone will put those pans to good use. Both of those pans were hers; she passed away in November and when she passed, I donated them to the store. She made many wonderful cakes with those pans and would be so pleased to know that someone else will use them to make many, many more.'

I was touched by his comments. I truly think he was happy to know that his mom's pans were going to such a loving home. I'm both happy and honored to think that I can carry on such a wonderful tradition. I might just have to test out those pans this weekend and bring a cake by the store...just so he (and the rest of the staff) can relive a little piece of the past.

Answer: Dogs and Fertilizer

Question: What are two things you should never mix?

Go ahead. Ask me how I know.

Last weekend Kevin and I went to mom and dad's to help put a storage cupboard together. Or rather, I should say, Kevin put the cupboard together - with dad supervising, of course. Mom and I hung out in the house and chatted and fixed lunch for all of us. A few minutes after we'd been there, Slippers came running inside, 'fresh' from her exploration of the front yard. Pretty soon we all started noticing that there was a certain scent -- okay, stink! -- in the air. Sure enough, it was Slippers. Apparently she'd rolled in the grass that had been recently fertilized and inherited the stink. And boy, did she! She stunk to high heaven.

At first, we thought we could ignore it. Soon, however, it was evident that the ripeness could NOT be avoided and I herded Slippers outside and gave her a bath. Whew! What a relief for us all!

Flash forward to today. Kevin was going to a meeting this evening, so after work I decided to drop off some homemade enchiladas at mom and dad's house. Having been stuck at home all day, I thought I'd give Slippers a treat and take her with me for an outing. Everything was fine until just before I put her back in the car to leave. I noticed that she was rolling in the grass and, you guessed it, she STUNK ... again!!

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh LAWD! I had to drive home with that stinker. YUCK!!

We walked in the door and I immediately changed clothes and began 'the proceedings'. You know what I discovered? It's a whole lot easier to give a dog a bath OUTside with a garden house, than it is to give them one INside in the bathtub. The first hurdle is getting them in the tub. No easy feat, mind you, with a 90 pound dog that has a mind of her own ... and that mind tells her she is NOT getting in that tub! We went a few rounds before I finally won and got her in the tub. Then, of course, comes the challenge of getting her coat wet enough to add the shampoo and lather. It was definitely much easier outside as the faucet in the tub is much shorter than she. No matter, we muddled through -- and she even began to relax and enjoy the warmth of the water and getting a bit of a massage as I worked the suds first in, then out, of her coat.

Things were definitely going well. ... until she began to shake. Niiiiiice. Now I ask you, who *doesn't* love a spray of water all over the walls and mirrors in their bathroom? Anyone? Anyone at all?

Everything's fine now. She's warm, dry, clean - BRUSHED (her favorite part!) - and calm, and laying on her blanket on the couch. Sheeesh. What an ordeal! Next time, she stays home!

Happy Inauguration Day!

"Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things.

The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."

Barack Obama
Inaugural Address
January 20, 2009

Comfort Food

Mmmm. I just love it when our house smells warm and comforting with wholesome food cooking in the kitchen. It's not so much that this is unusual as we cook dinner at home most nights; however, some dishes just lend themselves to these 'comfort food' aromas. This evening is just such an evening. Actually, though, the meal won't be enjoyed until tomorrow evening; Kevin had a small medical procedure done today and wasn't quite up for this version of comfort food tonight. (So instead we had another comfort food ... chicken potpies!)

This particular meal is one my grandmother used to make quite often and we all loved it! What is it? Chuck roast with homemade noodles. Just typing it is making my mouth water! Typically this would be a weekend meal because noodle making is a bit more labor intensive than what you might want to do on an average weeknight. However, since today was a holiday and we had the time, we went ahead and pre-cooked the roast (mostly finished, but not quite all the way) and made the noodles and stashed them in the fridge (which is fine to do since the noodles need to dry a bit anyway). I can hardly wait for dinner tomorrow night!


Chuck Roast with Homemade Noodles

1 boneless chuck roast (3-4 pounds)
1 onion, sliced into 1" half moons
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups water, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 14-ounce can beef broth
Pepper to taste

In a dutch oven, brown roast and onion in oil. Add 1/2 cup of water. Cover and bake at 325 for 2 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender. Meanwhile, for the noodles, combine the flour and salt in a bowl; make a well in the center. Beat egg and milk; pour into the well. Stir to form a stiff dough. Turn onto a well-floured surface roll into a 15"x12" rectangle. Cut into 1/8" strips. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Remove roast and keep warm; add broth and remaining water to the pan. Bring to a boil; add noodles. Cook 8-10 minutes or until tender. Pepper to taste. Serve alongside roast.

Everything old is new again...

Early in December, I mentioned to Kevin (okay, I more than mentioned...I selected - online -, then added to the cart, then mentioned) how much I'd like a new set of plain white dishes for my birthday or Christmas.

Curiously enough...I got a new set of white dishes for my birthday! I then asked mom (hi mom!) if she'd like our old set of white dishes, which were perfectly fine - in great condition actually. It's just that it was a set of eight and I really wanted a set of 12 for larger gatherings (see Christmas eve post...). She said she'd like the dishes, and we brought them over about a month ago.

Last week she began cleaning their home, room by room. When she got to the dining room, she wanted to put her 'new' white dishes in their china buffet. Which meant, of course, that she'd have to get rid of the items that were currently occupying that space. Which prompted a phone call to me: "I'd like to put my white dishes away in the buffet - would you still like grandma's old china?" Me: "Of course!"

It did take me a few days to break the news to Kevin that we were inheriting another set of dishes. But, trooper that he is, he just smiled and said "That's fine." Awwww, don't you just love him?!

So yesterday, we went to mom and dad's house and packed up our 'new' 'old' set of dishes; once those were packed and in our car, we then put away mom and dad's 'old' 'new' set of dishes.

I think what they say is true: there is never anything new - we all just keep trading 'stuff'!!

I love my 'new' dishes! When we got them home, I washed all of the pieces, took everything out of our china cabinet (which, coincidentally, also belonged to my grandmother -- thanks, Deb, for 'giving' me that cabinet! ...and no, Patrick, mom doesn't get it back now that you're moving!), and began arranging the pieces, one by one. I absolutely love the way it looks! See for yourself:
Aren't they just beautiful? The manufacturer is J & G Meakin; the pattern is Nordic Blue Onion. It's actually ironstone made in England. I just love it! Thanks, mom and dad, for bequeathing this treasure to me. I think it's in it's rightful spot - grandma's china in grandma's china cabinet ... what could be more natural?

Happy New Year!

It's hard to believe that it's 2009! Where did 2008 go? I suppose we think this every year, but the last year really did go by fast. And NO, it's not because I'm getting older! Because just remember ... if I'm getting older, it means you're getting older, too! Yeah - kinda puts a new perspective on things, doesn't it?!

So ... what will this wonderful new year bring? Who knows? I do, know, however, that I've got many goals I'm thinking about and would like to achieve. To follow, just a few of the things I have in mind:

~ Since mid-September, Kevin and I have been enjoying our Wii Fit and losing some weight. In addition to the activity of the Wii, we've been cutting down on fats and eating more fruits and vegetables, which has also contributed to our weight loss. Flush with success, we will both continue to work out on the Wii no less than 4 times per week (more when possible), and continue to improve our eating habits. Goal: 1) being more physically fit and, 2) weight loss

~ Kevin and I will seriously begin our house search in March. We will go in and get our pre-approval and begin the search. The plan is to keep socking away as much money as possible. Then, by late March, we will have added to our available stash of cash, (hopefully) interest rates will have gone down (we've heard rumors of a new legislation looming that will help us tremendously: 4.5% interest for all first-time home buyers!), new deductions and such will have been stabilized on our paychecks - at least enough for the bank to see what our 'regular' income is (deductions such as new tax rates, new insurance rates, etc.), and Kevin will have been at his job a bit longer. Though the plan is to begin all of the paper work and searching at the end of March, our goal is to have found something by May, clear escrow in June and begin moving in July - when we're both off work! Goal: 1) saving money and, 2) purchasing a home of our own

~ Having been inspired by fellow bloggers, I am on a serious mission to cut our grocery bill and put that extra cash in our house fund. To this end, I will be actively seeking out as many coupons as we can use for the items we buy, looking high and low for the best deals on those products, religiously using up leftovers, and committing to eating out only twice per month (this one is fairly easy since we really don't eat out all that often). Goal: 1) cutting the grocery budget, 2) saving money and, 3) using up leftovers (aka - stop wasting so much food!)

Those are the 'serious' goals. Here are the 'fun' goals:

~ Enjoy the Huntington Library more often
~ Attend as many Dodger games as we can
~ Hollywood Bowl summer concerts
~ CalPhil Concerts on the Green at the Arboretum
~ Watching Kevin's band 'gig'
~ Day trips/weekends away in: San Francisco, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Palm Springs
~ Disneyland!
~ Griffith Observatory
~ A concert or two at the Greek
~ Farmer's markets
~ Walks on the beach
~ Picnics
~ Hikes in the local mountains
~ Recipe experimentation: trying at least one recipe from each magazine I receive (just so you know, that should result in no less than 7 new recipes per month!)
~ Summer vacation (destination will depend on if we're moving at that time or not...)
~ Spending as much time as possible with family and friends
~ Thrifting, antiquing, bargain hunting
~ Movies & books - catching up on all of those "I've been wanting to see/read that!"
~ Crafting
~ Taking a class or two ... just for fun!
~ Being open to possibilities and opportunities that come my way ...

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope your 2009 is filled with love, happiness and joy!!

Merry Christmas to all ...

We had a wonderful Christmas! I hope you all did as well. It was a cool and rainy day - which is somewhat unusual for us on Christmas, but it was definitely a welcome change.

Deb, Bill and the boys spent the night at mom and dad's house, so they were all just waiting for Kevin and I to arrive on Christmas morning before the gift opening frenzy could begin. All in all, it was an orderly frenzy - if such a thing exists. There is always so much fun and excitement on Christmas morning and I really want to watch everyone open their gifts. It's difficult, though, to watch everyone at the same time! As with most things - we just sit back, relax, and do the best we can. (as you can see, Drew is still wearing his paper crown from Christmas eve. Personally, I think he slept in it, but he swears he didn't! ;o)
We all received many nice gifts - the greatest one of all, though, was being able to spend the day together.

Mmmm...Prime Rib!

So Kevin and I hosted Christmas eve dinner this year. It was FUN!! We had a great time setting everything up during the day and 'fancifying' the table.
We took a 'before' dinner photo: As you can see, everyone is looking very proper and 'photo worthy'. Then ... we opened our Christmas crackers and all bets were off:
Well yes, those are paper crowns we're wearing on our heads - why do you ask? What followed the paper crowns? Everyone telling the joke that was in their cracker, playing with the toys we each received - parachute men, whistles, frogs, click-clackers and other noisemakers. Oh yes, and we ate a fine and delicious dinner, too!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas eve, everyone!! Kevin and I have been very busy getting ready for the dinner we're hosting this evening. I'll post some photos later, but for now, I just wanted to stop in and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I hope you're all out there enjoying time spent with your families and loved ones.

~ Christmas Eve Dinner Menu ~

Baby Mixed Greens Salad

Prime Rib (with au jus and horseradish)

Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Creamed Spinach

Green Beans Almondine

Chocolate, Lemon and/or Tropical Sorbet

Sliced Lemon Pound Cake

Christmas Party 2008

Last night we hosted our annual Christmas caroling party. It was a blast! However, for the second year in a row, it was the caroling party at which we did not go out caroling. No matter - we stayed inside by the fire where it was nice and warm, visited, ate homemade chili and cornbread (thanks mom and dad!), constructed gingerbread houses ... and listened to other people sing Christmas carols on the holiday music station. All in all, it was a perfect night.



Let the building commence!

Team LaLa: Pat and Drew work out the ins and outs of construction Deb lends a helping hand Drew and Pat inspect the final results

Team Weir: Gram and Lill create a foundation
Brian helps with the finer points of construction Next comes cottage beautification Lilly shows off the final product - so proud!
Team Goegebuer: Bryn, Ian and Tracy work together to stabilize the roof Tracy works on structural issues while Bryn carefully contemplates the next decoration Bryn: next Design Star
Maybe next year we should bill the party as a Gingerbread House party ... and, who knows? We might go caroling!