RIP Sue Grafton

If you are not familiar with Sue Grafton she wrote the alphabet books, starting with A is for Alibi. I have read up to S and have the rest I think, if not I will get them. Kinsey Millhone is her main character who is a private investigator.  See if you can find her books you will like them and then try to read them all.  Y was just released and there probably won't be a Z to finish the alphabet.

 https://media.bookbub.com/blog/2017/12/29/mystery-author-sue-grafton-death/

Deja Vue

We had snow again this morning, the last bit from Sunday morning was not all gone. However today was bitter cold and tonight will be close to zero or below.

Many have asked why I hate winter so much.  I was born in LA and then we moved to southern New Mexico.  We had snow once for half a day and it was all melted the next day.  When I was entering Junior High we moved to Des Moines, egads my first experience of winter.  One day mom and I were going somewhere in our  Falcon station wagon. Mom could not stop at the bottom of the hill and we slid out into traffic on a busy street.  When I opened my eyes I looked at a telephone pole.  It scared my mom so bad she has never driven in weather.  It took me until a couple of years ago to ever feel somewhat comfortable driving in weather. 

I don't like the cold, I much prefer the warmer weather being inside and outside and being able to do all I want to like have flowers and leaves on the trees, etc. 

Anyway we had another inch of snow this morning.

Merry Christmas

When I was  a kid Christmas was a yuge deal.  The tree, the cookies, the food, the festivities, the church programs, and then the gifts.  We made lots of cookies and apple santas and we cooked and ate and it was great. We would drive around town and look at the Christmas lights.   Now I go to the Assisted Living Facility where my parents live and we did have a great meal.  I do miss cooking and baking, all the festivities, the game playing, etc.  I hope families today understand how much it means to spend the time together and create memories. Although the activities are gone, the memories are still there.  Maybe someday when we have all gone up yonder we can have that Christmas again.  

First Snow

We had our first snow early this morning. I don't do winter and I don't do snow.  Having been born in  LA and then living in southern NM until I entered Junior High I just don't like it.  There are always lots of wrecks the first snow because somehow people forget in a just a few short months how to drive in it.

I think it is a good day for vegging the Netflix and knitting and let the idiots have at it.

Have You Noticed?

The past few years I have hardly seen Christmas lights on the outside of houses, not many decorations and even the amount of cards I receive have been far and few between.  This year so many of my neighbors have decorated the outside of their houses.  There are lots of lights, blow up ornaments, and those lights that shine on houses with the glitter like look.  I have a large stack of cards I have received as well this year.  Could it be that people feel like celebrating Christmas again?  We don't feel there is such a war on Christmas as in the past?  Are people feeling better about things?  I'm not sure why but there is a feeling of Christmas in the air this year and it feels good. 

An Advent of Gratitude, Who is Joining Me?

Cookies

Today is National Cookie Day.  Who doesn't like cookies?  I am not talking about the computer cookies, but the kind you eat.  We are having our Cookie and Candy sale at church this weekend and I am been on Pinterest trying to find some easy Christmas cookies. I found several recipes and some candy ones as well, so this week my house will smell wonderful.  Good thing too because this morning it is 66 and the rest of the week it will be in the 40's during the day and 20's and below at night. A great chance to warm up the house.  I have 40 pounds of flour, 15 of sugar and 10 of butter and other goodies.  I think I am ready. 

When I was a child on Black Friday mom and I would drag out all the cookie making stuff, get our cookbooks out and the cookie cutters.  We spent the entire day making cookies.  We would get a box and decorate it and fill it with cookies. My dad would then take them to work and the guys would have cookies until the box was empty.  It was a lot of work and a lot of fun.  We had so many decorated sugar cookies.  A couple of years before I retired I did the same thing.  Cookies are always appreciated no matter who they are made for.

So will you join me this week in making some cookies. Perhaps give some away. I always make a treat bag for my trash and recycle guys, and postman.  My neighbors get a tray as well.  Make some cookies, warm up the house and then sit with a cup of coffee and have one or two.