What makes Christmas?

Heck that is easy KIDS NO Matter the AGE …

While only 2 of the 4 here this year for Christmas…the Fun prevails

DO NOT TOUCH EACH Other SIT ON YOUR HANDS! Lord they dinna listen then Good thing it was FUN Kids are great no matter the age!

Merry Christmas

SIGH

Tiz been a time since I blogged… but that’s ok.

It is the season of busy things

Good busy

Enjoyable busy

Today I shall add personal thoughts to the already addressed Christmas cards.

Hard to believe I actually started this project Thanksgiving weekend.

But then making seven different cookies to share plus the Chocolate Microwave

Cake to give out did take time. I am not complaining I have enjoyed it all.

All of the gifts are wrapped, tee hee I speak about the ones that are wrap able.

More snickering

The traditional OFFICE PARTY is over, man I had a great time.

The College Bowl games have begun and all bets have been placed.

I usually spear head this venture, but this year I yielded to my Sweetie to be the

HEAD Bean Counter.

Time to kick back and listen to Christmas music…

Mannheim Steamroller - ‘Joy To The World’ How Mannheim Steamroller got its name: Chip Davis decided to call his band "Mannheim Steamroller," an amusing, "colloquial joke name" for an 18th-century musical technique known as the "Mannheim crescendo." The orchestral crescendo was pioneered by Johann Stamitz and the Mannheim Orchestra. The Mannheim sound built intensity by adding layers of sound, color, texture, other instruments—and, especially, volume. To Davis, it was like a steamroller. Hence, the name. I want to tell the WORLD my Sister in law totally ROCKS!

She sure surprised me with this fabulous gift! YUP I got to see Mannheim in concert…WOW and days after WOW Life is GOOD! The shopping she and I did was FAB as well, tee hee

This weekend

Check out the classroom

Some time ago a Person donated these animals to WVU. The Long Horn was an aside as the story goes…still one awesome animal for sure.

Did you hear that? We are not forgotten…we continue to TEACH! Did you catch that odor? Ummmmmmmm wonder what it is, be back soon I am going to check it out.

UMM think it is dinner, let’s GO

Check my eyelashes, do they not look attractive?

DANG there is some dead bug on me ewwie!

Hold still I will Get it HONK HONK

My eyes are lovely don’t you agree?

ICK my tongue feels ODD…tastes like dirty socks yuk

Heyya It looks like my antlers are CLAPPING, Totally KEWL

MOOVING to be sure

Let’s see the dimensions for curtains should be about this wide

WINK WINK

I ROCK!

Wonderful information… I learned lots…and even felt good I knew lots! Always a good thing…

Learning is Wonderful.

So far all 4 session have been fabulous… people in their fields sharing their knowledge is SUPER! Topic this session was Wildlife Habitat Improvement William N. Grafton

He is the gentleman on the plaid shirt. Extension Specialist and Associate Professor

He was our Instructor. William N. Grafton, son of a West Virginia logger, was born in Fayette County, W.Va., November 20, 1938. He attended West Virginia University (WVU), earning a B.S. in forestry and wildlife management. After serving with the U.S. Army, he earned a M.S. in forest management at WVU.

Mr. Grafton then joined the WVU Extension Service as a forestry specialist in Beckley, W.Va.; later serving as director for an 11-county area in southern West Virginia. He worked closely with forest and wood industries, concentrating on forest fire prevention and helping produce “Time Is Running Out,” an award-winning film on fire prevention.

While in Beckley, he discovered the location in West Virginia of the endangered plant, “running buffalo clover.” He has become a recognized authority on the flora of West Virginia, especially in the New River Gorge area.

Throughout his Extension career, Mr. Grafton has given of his time to promote forest management education to all citizens in the state. He has been a major contributor to youth education in West Virginia, helping to organize the Youth Science Camp in Wyoming and Raleigh Counties. He has been an annual instructor at the Forest Industries Camp for high school students. Since his return to Morgantown as a wildlife specialist in the 1980s, he has worked extensively on deer herd management. He has worked with farmers, foresters and politicians, trying to find reasonable and sustainable recommendations on deer herd management in West Virginia.

Mr. Grafton has held leadership positions with the Society of American Foresters, and has been recognized by many organizations for his contributions to forest management in West Virginia. In 1993, he was enshrined as an honorary member of the West Virginia FFA. In 1994, he was honored with a faculty award by Gamma Sigma Delta, the Honors Society for Agriculture.

He has been an officer and leader in the Nature Conservancy, which promotes the protection of unique ecological sites. He has also been an officer and leader in the West Virginia Plant Society. For over 20 years, he has been a forest management instructor at the Conservation Education Camp for teachers in Webster County. He also provides information and organizational input for a similar camp held each summer at Blackwater Falls State Park.

"The bluebird carries the sky on his back." -Henry David Thoreau journal

We built bluebird houses

Sound Song a rich warbling whistle broken into short phrases: "Tu-wheet-tudu." Also a dry chatter. »listen to songs of this species

From the Love of my Life

Hand/Homemade Gifts

For years I have made THINGS for people that are in our lives in a non family way.

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This all started when I was a kid...

The mail carrier

We live in a small town, so 6 more for all the workers at the Post Office, yup even

the cleaner upper person.

The garage mechanic, the sanitation workers

The people that I purchase gasoline from

My Florist and her staff

Friends at a couple of place I do business on a regular basis

Used to give to the children’s bus drivers…

Not money, NOPE, stuff made from hand/or by Hand

Cookies, all kinds

Soup in a jar already to add liquid…enuff for a family

Remember the Constant Comet TEA?

Spiced Tea Mix

One year I made all sorts of spices, all grown from our garden.

Another time canned veggies, like when we had a GLUT of green beans or applesauce

Still want to do infused vinegars and oils with the herbs etc from the garden,

maybe next year…Do have the bottles, bought 6 years ago on SALE

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO

Hot Cocoa Mix

Everyone will love sipping on this rich hot chocolate!

For a hot cocoa twist, try different flavored coffee creamer.

5 cups powdered milk

2 cups powdered coffee creamer

1 1/2 cups cocoa powder, sifted *

3 cups powdered sugar 1/3 cup granulated sugar miniature marshmallows, optional

1. With a wire whisk, thoroughly mix dry ingredients together.

Stir in marshmallows.

Divide mix into containers.

2. Attach instructions to jar:

To use, fill mug one third full of cocoa mix and then stir in hot water.

* For a richer, darker cocoa mix, use Dutch cocoa.

Yields: 11 cups cocoa mix

Shades of Cub Scout days for sure!

This year something a tad different.

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

1 Coffee Mug

4 tablespoons flour(that's plain flour, not self-rising)

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons baking cocoa

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons oil

3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional) some nuts (optional)

Small splash of vanilla

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.

Add the egg and mixthoroughly.

Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.

Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla, and mix again.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes on high.

The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!

Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. EAT!

(this can serve 2 if you want to share!)

And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?

Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the

day or night!

December the ONTH!

The Popover recipe re configured…what a bust that was!

However the Apple Pies were YUMMY

With Thanksgiving just barely over we head to the BIG ONE.

Our Thanksgiving was fabulous.

What could be more enjoyable than having family together?

Hectic, sure is BUT man the fun HECTIC makes...

puts a spring in my step to be sure.

Food smells permeated the home, homemade ice cream,

Joe’s Green beans, Sweet Potato Goodness, special YUMMM there,

gravy and dressing; store bought frozen turkey.

Still love to watch the cranberries POP…such fun in the kitchen for sure.

The ICE CREAM MAKER of ALL TIMES!

Christmas Goose is in the freezer, NO not one of ours…

Old but a tried and true recipe

Perfect Ice Cream making causes a STIR at our HOME

The Store Bought Turkey

The tree has been picked out, now to ready the PROPER location in the home. Ah the smell of fresh pine…

HEAVE HO

Lovely LIVE Bird!

Slate preforming in front of the dogs

Gentle touches

Home Sweet Home

NOW

Time to get the inside decorated and begin to surreptitiously drag out from hiding places gifts to be wrapped.

Almost Turkey Day

OR Turkey day is for the BIRDS? HA HA

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Slowly the SIMMER begins. YUP the excitement of having the kids home, smells wafting upwards. Checking the grocery list thrice…

~~

Turkey will go in the oven tonight. Tomorrow morning before the kids arrive, the wondrous smells that evokes memories in us all. I bet the smells will drive the PUPS BONKERS.

~~

WOW, come to think of it, this is Lily and Houses first Thanksgiving.

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Jazz is finally settling down to a life with a real family…wonder if she will sense the difference, the excitement? Dear George, our elder dog, will be content to lie in the middle of any room where food MIGHT drop to the floor, while pools of drool surround his paws.

Amidst all of this, my car is ill…SIGH! By noon I will know why THAT light is on as well as if my muffler has a hole in it. I will be STUCK at the mechanics place until the verdict is pronounced.

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The bummer about that is: people no longer are allowed to watch what they do to your car. Insurance, accidents etc have disallowed curious arm chair mechanics like I to learn. I do not like that! It’s not like I am going to open a shop of my own up! Geesh Louise!

~~

Memories of less hectic times, YA memories of childhood… Dad taking me with him, while he hung out with his buddies that were mechanics. Looking back it was probably a treat from his weekly routine… Ummmmmmm ya think I was bugging Mom so I had to go with DAD? Probably likely actually… Those were great times…I really was no problem, that I RECALL! I did learn more than I thought…

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So instead of being impatient this morning, I will TRY to sneak a look to see what they are doing to my car. As well as amending the grocery list. Let’s see, 1. Diet Coke 2. Root Beer 3. Snacks for the WVU Football game Saturday 4. Fresh flowers for the girls rooms 5. LIFE IS GOOD! AND YES dear daughters, the Pepperoni Rolls are freshly out of the oven awaiting your arrival. The Home Made Ice cream is forthcoming as well! LIFE IS GOOD!

Excitement reigns

The first of Christmas GOODIES have been ordered…

The barn is decorated…the temptation is great to turn the lights on…BUT I shall wait…until after Thanksgiving

~

Tomorrow begin the turkey thaw, HA sounds like a weird dance…

Refrigerator Thawing: Thaw breast side up, in unopened wrapper, on a tray in the refrigerator. Allow for at least 1 day of thawing for every 4 pounds of turkey.

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GADS I need a diaper for the bird SIGH

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How do you diaper a 24# boid? HA very carefully I bet

20 to 24 pounds

5 to 6 days

QUIZ

And I thought I was ahead????????????????? LOL

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SIGH soon the kids will be here, now I am sorry but it cannot get better than that!

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THEN we all go out to PICK the perfect Tree LIFE IS GOOD!