Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

In keeping with the general theme of "well that was a busy year," we kept things pretty simple for Christmas over here.

We started out Christmas Eve right with homemade waffles:

Then we spent the day relaxing, cooking, and watching Christmas movies before celebrating our new favorite thing: the Icelandic tradition of  Jólabókaflóðið, or Book Flood. This is a tradition, where books are given as gifts on Christmas Eve, and the evening is spent cozied up and reading.

On Christmas Day, we made coffee and cinnamon rolls:

And then got to work enjoying our presents. Lorraine, did too -- she opened this nice new fuzzy blanket from MOB all by herself:

We spent the day relaxing, nibbling on samosas and curries, and reading and watching the 1978 version of Death on the Nile. 

Susie came over for a bit, and then we spent the evening watching the 2022 version of Death on the Nile (1978 is the clear winner), and appreciating the lights of our decorations:

 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving over here was very peaceful this year. It's been a busy year, so we kept it very low key.

Lorraine put on her Thanksgiving finery:

We put out some nice bitters to splash in some sparkling water to keep us refreshed while we cooked:

Susie brought over her famous mac and cheese to keep us fortified (with kale and chickpeas for extra fortification):

A midafternoon coffee with whipped cream was required to keep up our energy:

And in the end we had a delicious meal of pan-roasted potatoes and carrots, roasted mushrooms, and sauteed kale:

And the pièce de résistance...a boozy bourbon apple cake with chopped pecans:

It was a wonderful afternoon, and just the right speed. Perfect way to usher in a long weekend!

Todos Santos

Today we are celebrating Todos Santos, or All Saints Day.

On Todos Santos, we pause to remember our dear, departed loved ones by setting out pictures and mementos, and sharing our memories. 

Happy Halloween!

 

Happy Halloween from legendary rocker, Bone Jett, seen here on the cover of her 1980 solo album, Bad Decisions!

(Apologies to Joan Jett)