Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Boxing Day


24 comments:

  1. Susan--thanks for the tip. On the spur of the moment, I opted for olive oil roux; the next time that sort of emergency arises, I shall try butter. My mother always saved bacon grease, as did I for a few years, but we don't fry enough bacon to make it reasonable.

    --Alan

    ReplyDelete
  2. Pretty wreath!

    Listener, your card arrived today. Thanks! Sis loved it. Also, yours was the only Christmas card I got this year, which made it extra special. ♥

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gosh, the storm must have delayed delivery! They said all my cards going to New England would arrive on Saturday. I guess it's a good thing that Christmastide is 12 days!! I'm glad you got one!! I was later than usual and ran out of cards and time on the same day, so that's when I stopped. I could probably mail 30 more, but I sent over 100 as it is.

      Delete
    2. It was a lovely surprise. And Boxing Day is a great day to receive a card. Thanks again for including me.

      But, my goodness, you must single handedly support the Postal Service. *smile*

      Delete
  3. The house is cold, especially downstairs -- 58F. Luckily my office is upstairs. When we got our new high-efficiency furnace (was that 10 years ago? 15?) the House of Heat warned us that the size it was recommending wouldn't be entirely adequate when the outside temperature fell below zero. Turns out it's seriously inadequate even at 10F. If we'd known that we would have chosen the larger, slightly less efficient, size.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bill, how often do you get temps around 0F?

      We have electric 'backup' throughout the house, as well as a propane 'wood stove' style stove in our living room. Now that the electric is linked to solar, that may become our primary heat source.

      Delete
    2. I wonder how propane compares in cost to pelletized wood for heating. Any idea, listener? I've seen real snazzy pellet stoves advertised. (Probably cost an arm and a leg, though.)

      Alan

      Delete
    3. Pellet costs less, but is more work, Gas burns more cleanly (important if there are any respiratory issues).

      https://www.kompareit.com/homeandgarden/hvac-compare-gas-fireplace-vs-pellet-stove.html

      Root*Center*Son had a pellet stove in a house he rented. He liked it, but I note he really doesn't miss it. He now has an electric fireplace that is run off a personal solar panel on his property. He loves that!

      Delete
    4. I would guess that there are typically 2-3 days a year with highs around 10F. Often enough to be a nuisance. And an electyric space heater is available, but the effects are limited in a 9-room rouse.

      Delete
  4. We had a white Christmas. Snowed prettily all morning and we ended up with a few inches, enough to look good.

    Alan, I love Yorkshire pudding! Always looked forward to it. It's one of those things, even school and rehab center kitchens managed fairly well. But I can't recall ever having home made. You are indeed adventurous. I'm glad it came out well.

    Susan, sounds like you had a lovely Christmas.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We had the same Christmas snow, Catreona...2" and very pretty. My dearest friend, Kim, in NW PA lives near Erie, where they got 53" of snow in 30 hours...!!! And they were expecting another foot of snow today.

      Delete
    2. Fifty-three inches of snow in 30 hours is enough to impress me...

      --Alan

      Delete
    3. Indeed, most impressive.

      Delete
  5. It's nice to have you back on the blog, Cat!! You've been missed.

    What have you been reading? Or what have you been up to?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Listener♥

      Well, let's see. I read the most recent Georgie Rannoch mystery, On Her Magesty's Frightfully Secret Service. Delightful as always, though Georgie is growing up a bit. Her adventures aren't quite as mad cap as they were in the beginning of the series. also, we're up to April, 1935, and the Nazi threat is growing ever more real. The lady who writes the series must be right-thinking - A couple of times the Nazis said Hitler was going to "make Germany great again. *smirk*

      Before that I was on a bit of a Tolkien binge, reading and rereading. Took a break for Georgie, as noted, but now have returned to The Lord of the Rings.

      Also I found on BARD some handbooks for various levels of Girl Scouts, some volumes a bit older, some newer. That came about through curiosity. The heroine of a story I'm writing for my own amusement mentioned working towards a swimming badge; so I was curious to find if there actually is such a thing. Spent some time exploring the Girl Scouts' web site and then on a whim checked BARD. I must say, it was a surprise to find anything. They make interesting reading. The Girl Scouts teach a great many skills and life values. I wish more children were in the scouting movement.

      As to what I've been doing, not much. One hopeful development: That dreadful girl who was the editor of Slate and Style has gone, and an acquaintance, almost I might say a friend of mine has taken over the editorship. She's much nicer and a far better editor. Anyway, she contacted me late in November to ask if I had any holiday stories for the Winter issue. Seems she remembered the Dragon Christmas story that was published in S&S some years ago. Needless to say, I was touched and very pleased. Worked hard on the next episode (following the one published in S&S), which had been languishing, and got it in just under the deadline. And, she accepted it! Since it's been quite some time since I've had anything published anywhere, I was delighted. After the first of the year, I'll send her a Snowball and Cassie story for consideration for the Spring issue.

      Delete
    2. You've turned into a more-published author while you weren't blogging! Wow! Congratulations!!!

      I do believe there is a Swimming Badge.

      Great choice in rereading Tolkien!! Yeah!!

      "A couple of times the Nazis said Hitler was going to "make Germany great again. *smirk*"

      I love it!!! :-D

      Delete
    3. It's a relief to find there is such a badge, since Susannah earned it. *grin* Is it for Brownies though? I don't remember seeing it in The Brownie Handbook. I can easily enough adjust the age she was when she earned it, of course.

      Her friend the centaur took her to Atlantis for swimming lessons with a mermaid. Er, that's the kind of story it is. Like I said, little to no appeal to anyone but me. I add a few lines most days, though, and it keeps me amused.

      Delete
  6. Got my phone line back today! Twas out all day Sunday and yesterday. Life involved a lot of digging behind the desk to use the remaining phone line for both talking and computing. The splitter I used to use has gone to that great miscellaneous drawer in the sky.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yikes! I'm glad you're back, too, puddle! ♥

    ReplyDelete
  8. Here we are the day after Christmas and both our cats barfed several times! So strange for them, especially as there has been no change in their food, and they are indoor cats. Suddenly we realised: they got new catnip toys for Christmas! We removed the toys and no more barfing! Ha! =^. .^= =^. .^=

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Are the toys organic and clean, so to speak? For instance, the catnip toys from Cat Faeries are hand made in California with organic catnip and carefully selected felt and other materials. The toys never get irradiated or doused with chemicals.

      Delete
  9. Well, there's something in catnip that makes cats drunk, so. . . . Maybe the throwing up is just a response to the hangover?

    ReplyDelete
  10. There was a woman writer in VA who grew it, and bobcats and cougars used to hang around it. . . . and get drunk, just like tabbies!

    ReplyDelete