Yes, that’s Roxy, my favorite Rottweiler, eyeballing you from my blog header photo, sporting her new pink collar.
If you squint just a bit to the right of her head, you can see an unfocused Apollo guarding her back. He’s my other favorite Rottweiler. But you can’t see his new red nearly identical collar.
Aren’t they cute?
Here’s a similar closeup of Apollo:
Apollo Posing for His Close-Up
And because I just can’t leave well enough alone, and will change my header photograph the next time I take a nifty photograph, here’s the photo I used to crop the shot above from:
Last Sunday I started my first crochet project of 2011 and this morning I finished the Brimmed Cap. Not without some stress and do-overs, especially on the brim. In fact, I may re-do this entire project again later in the month. The first time I do a pattern, I learn it and by the second or third time) I work all the kinks out of it.
Today is the Twelfth Day of Christmas. If I really aspired to ambitious social impact, I’d host a Twelfth Night party, but I’ll settle for coming home to grouted tile.
Why? Because nearly two years ago, we laid down tile in our front entryway. The grout remains in the box.
Tiling Entryway January 2009
I love the feel of the tile and the non-squeaky, non-creakiness of it (compared to the rest of the floor in the house which is nailed to the joists, not screwed).
With Rachelle’s help, or Terry supervising Rachelle, the spaces between the tiles should be filled sometime today. Keeping the Rottweilers occupied while it sets will also prove challenging.
Two weeks and last year since I sat down to compose an entry. Half my offspring have come and gone (north then south) mysteriously in the night. Said goodbye to one of the best years of my life with some trepidation, concerned that 2011 can’t possibly exceed it.
After trimming the tree on Thursday the 23rd, I spent nearly all of Friday the 24th (Christmas Eve) preparing a family tradition — giving the gift of sticky buns to various friends. I, of course, modify the recipe a bit (see previous link) and don’t bake them. Rather, Rachelle and I deliver them with instructions on how to refrigerate, thaw, rise and bake them so our friends can enjoy hot out of the oven buns in all their sticky sweet goodness.
I asked, but did not insist, if anyone wanted to attend Christmas Eve services. My inquiry met with less enthusiasm than I’d hope, so we spent the evening watching DVDs from Netflix (the Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Price of Persia). Oddly, we did not and have not yet watched the Muppet Christmas Carol, a Moss Family tradition going back a decade or more. Perhaps Rachelle, Terry and I will watch it this evening.
Christmas morning, I took my time waking, since I knew my main courses for Christmas dinner (scheduled for one o’clock) wouldn’t take more than a couple of hours to bake). Rachelle was next to awaken and by eleven o’clock couldn’t contain herself and insisted that grandpa arrive early (since I refused to let her distribute gifts until he arrived). Once grandpa arrived, with his delicious pasta cucumber salad, Royna played Santa with Rachelle as her elf-like assistant.
The Christmas dinner menu consisted of a fresh green salad with my home made dressing (an off shoot of the dressing grandpa uses for his pasta salad), said pasta salad, a boneless turkey breast, a spiral cut ham, mashed potatoes (because Terry and I forgot to bake the potatoes), green bean casserole and fresh hot sticky buns for pseudo-dessert.
We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing, conversing and even played a game of Catchphrase. Grandpa returned home, everyone took a nap and I read a book (no surprise there).
The strangest and saddest event was Derek and Royna’s sudden departure around 9:00 p.m. that evening. They had carpooled with friends from Texas the previous Sunday and now they wanted to hit the road back south – overnight! The catch was Derek and Royna needed a ride to the UMKC campus (just a couple of blocks southeast of where I work five days a week in the Plaza Library building near the Country Club Plaza). I agreed to transport them and they quickly packed. Being a mother, I was concerned about an overnight return trip to Dallas and insisted that Derek text message me at 6:00 a.m. so I wouldn’t worry. Their return trip was uneventful, he rememered to text me and Derek and Royna were safely home by 7:00 a.m.
Sunday the 26th, I filled up both Pontiacs and saved a dollar per gallon because I had earned over one thousand points at Dillons during the month of December. I knew I’d be driving to work four days this week since my vanpool was on hiatus between Christmas and New Year’s Day (Hallmark closes during that week). I don’t miss having to drive in traffic or fight for a parking space (at least the one I want to get) even though I arrive at work very early.
Monday and Tuesday swept by boringly but Wednesday brought a visit from Terry’s sister Bonnie. She came to visit after dropping her daughter Katie off to visit friends. We enjoyed her visit, and dinner at Famous Dave’s at the Legends. Terry and Rachelle also met her the next day for lunch at Azul Tequila in Lansing. Bonnie retrieved her daughter Thursday afternoon for the return trip home to the Cheney area.
Thursday evening, Terry, Rachelle and I caught a showing of the True Grit remake starring Jeff Bridges at Rooster Cogburn and Matt Damon as Texas Ranger Leboeuf and Barry Pepper and Lucky Ned Pepper. Hailee Stanfeld gave an outstanding performance as Mattie Ross. I highly recommend this movie, even though I’m not entirely sure it’s better than the original. Watch either or both … you can’t keep a good story down.
Friday, New Year’s Eve, arrived. The final day of twenty ten. The only day that last week of the year I didn’t have to drive to Misery (er, Missouri) to work. Rachelle intended to spend the evening with friends. Terry and I thought about finding something at a local bar to participate in, but nothing appealed. So, Terry invited Sean over and I took the dogs upstairs to relax, read and perhaps play a few hours with friends on Aardwolf, an old-fashioned text-based MUD. Not surprisingly, I fell asleep shortly after ten o’clock, only to be startled awake by the boom of fireworks, dogs barking and my daughter text messaging. I eventually returned to my dreams.
Early morning, New Year’s Day, twenty eleven, I’m startled awake, again, by the sound of hail stones dancing on my roof. Did I just sleep through three months of winter and arrive to a Kansas spring thunderstorm?
Spent most of the morning reading a book, playing more Aardwolf and waiting for Rachelle to return home. Later in the afternoon, Terry, Rachelle and I travelled to the Legends (twice in as many days) to watch the latest Narnia flick: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. We had to watch it in 3D (and pay a premium matinee ticket price for the privilege) but the movie was excellently rendered. Again, you can’t keep a good story down.
Today, the second of January, two thousand and eleven, dawns crisply cold and clear. I’m castigating myself for not dragging out the telescope to view Mercury and Venus this morning. I’ve taken too long to write this blog post and missed the opportunity. I spy a gleam of dawn to the east.
Have I resolved to change or achieve anything new as the year starts fresh? Perhaps. I have a few ideas that I’m still brewing and stewing about; just not ready to codify them publicly via this blog.
I’ll leave you with this thought for the day: various translations of Psalm 90:12
Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom. (NLT)
Teach us how short our lives really are so that we may be wise. (NCV)
Oh! Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well! (MSG)
Peace and may all your years, new and old, be happy!
Another Tuesday is upon me and I survived the Holidays … barely. Last week, in my A Trivial Holiday post, I shared seven mid-winter holiday themed trivia questions, courtesy of Ken Jenning‘s weekly Tuesday Trivia e-mail service.
And now, the answers you’ve all been waiting for:
1. How many tiny reindeer pull Santa’s sleigh, in the poem that begins “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”? Eight tiny reindeer–Rudolph was a later addition.
2. What sitcom featured a character with the very festive full name of “Christmas Noelle Snow”? Chrissy Snow, Suzanne Somers’s character on Three’s Company, was saddled with that wintry nightmare of a name, for which at least three different explanations were given on the show.
3. Which of the three traditional gifts brought by the three wise men has the highest market value today? Frankincense and myrrh, being nothing but tree sap with vaguely aromatic/medicinal properties, retail for just a few dollars an ounce. Gold is about a hundred times more valuable.
4. Rod Carew was a Minnesota Twin, but who are the only *real* twins name-checked in Adam Sandler’s “Hanukkah Song”? Ann Landers and her sister Dear Abby. (Harrison Ford’s a quarter Jewish–not too shabby!)
5. Most commercial Advent calendars begin on what date? The actual dates of Advent move around, since the period officially begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, but the eponymous calendars typically just start on December 1.
6. “Christmas disease” is another name for the ‘B’ type of what disease, most famously suffered by Alexei Romanov? Hemophilia B was named for Stephen Christmas, the first patient in which it was identified.
7. What unusual distinction is held by these countries in this order, and no others? Spain, Saudi Arabia, China, Russia. These are the (modern-day) sources of the four “ethnic” dances in the second act of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker: a Spanish dance, an Arabian dance, a Chinese dance, and a Russian dance. When I first came up with this question, I thought there were a few more countries on this list, but it turns out the list just SEEMED longer when I took my four-ear-old daughter to The Nutcracker a couple weeks ago.
If you’d like to see this week’s questions, submit a comment replying to this post and I’ll see what I can do.
Probably rates a 3.5, but like Connie Willis, I love Christmas and singing in very large choirs. Combining the two, especially with Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus, is priceless.
And as Aunt Judith and the Altairi reminds us: ‘A prompt handwritten note expressing gratitude is the only proper form of thanks.’ I’ll be posting those notes to friends and family today.
Highly recommended, especially during this joyous season, bearing tidings of comfort and joy to all.
Ten days and over a thousand miles ago (1,313 miles or thereabouts, but who’s counting?), Terry and I survived a weekend of single digit temperatures and 35 mph north wind gusts without a working furnace. We kept our home a toasty 70 degrees with two oil heaters and two inexpensive fan space heaters, even in the aforementioned frigid weather conditions.
Tuesday, 14 December 2010: Mark Moody, life-long friend of Terry from the Wichita area, and his assistant, Kenneth, arrived with our shiny new 96% efficient furnace and four ton air conditioning unit. In record time (and I mean record), Mark and Kenneth installed both units and by the time I arrived home from work on Wednesday evening, I had a warm toasty house.
Wednesday, 15 December 2010:
"After"
Texas Visitor's Center near Gainesville
Thursday, 16 December 2010: Only about twelve hours after thanking Mark and sending him home to Wichita, Terry, my dad and I hit the road south to Texas for a weekend of celebration, exhibition, reception and graduation for my son, Derek Moss. We took our time, had fantastic weather and arrived in Plano as the sun was setting.
Friday, 17 December 2010: Derek’s exhibition demonstration was scheduled for 4:00 pm at the Guildhall (SMU @ Plano campus) so we (Dad and I) retrieved Rachelle from Denton via SH 380. That took a couple of hours, and a stop for lunch at Braums.
Derek Moss as part of the Synesthetic Dream Game Team of Cohort 13
Once back in Plano, we left Rachelle at the Residence Inn and headed over to the Guildhall for the presentation and later the reception, which included a talk by the EA’s Chief Creative Director, Richard Hilleman.
Derek Moss receiving his stole for his Certificate of Art Creation
Of even more importance to the photographers in the audience, the graduates donned their academic regalia and received their stoles and master’s hoods.
Saturday, 18 December 2010: Friday, we left the Residence in after a quick continental breakfast to brave the Dallas traffic to the main SMU campus. On a normal day, Google maps estimated an hour drive. Since it was early Saturday morning, it took us just a bit over a half hour, giving us some time to cruise around campus and take in the beauty of the grounds at Southern Methodist University. We scored close parking, thanks to Terry’s handicap hanging tag and great seats (also in the handicap accessible area) of Moody Coliseum.
Derek Moss waiting to walk across the dais at the SMU December Graduation Ceremony
A couple of hours later, at 10:00 a.m., the graduates processed in and the fun began. The Guildhall graduates were the last set of Doctoral or Masters candidates to walk before the ‘regular’ Bachelors degree students.
Derek Moss, SMU Guildhall Graduate, Certificate of Art Creation
After the ceremony concluded, it took us a few minutes to find Derek again out in front of Moody Coliseum, but we eventually got together for some family photos. Derek turned in his gown and led us to the home of one of his team members for a after-graduation party. Stunning home (built by the owner/father), savory pulled pork (prepared by Derek’s friend), wonderful vodka punch and great fun.
Sunday, 19 December 2010: For some unknown reason, Terry and I were up, wide awake, by 4:30 a.m. We packed as quietly as we could and started stowing away items in the car. By 6:00 a.m. we were done and waiting for Rachelle, asleep on the hideaway. Rather than wait another hour for the continental breakfast provided by Residence Inn, we left early and descended upon an IHOP just north of there on Preston Road. If you haven’t tried their Harvest Grain ‘n Nut pancakes (with a side of turkey bacon heave), you don’t know what you’re missing. We dropped Rachelle off in Denton and said a quick ‘hi’ and ‘goodbye’ to Nic as he was heading off to work (the only Sunday he is required to work all year for his employer). The rest of the trip north, with a hefty tailwind to aid our gas mileage, was uneventful. We arrived back in Lansing before 4:30 pm.
Just a few hours later, while Terry was talking to a friend down in his band room, he started experiencing chest pain. We called an ‘ask-a-nurse’ service and tried to wait it out, hoping the pain would resolve itself, but after a couple more hours, he was still in pain (but not experiencing any of the other ‘usual’ symptoms associated with heart attacks or strokes – no numbness, tingling, tunnel vision, radiating pain, etc.). So, at 10:15 pm, we arrived at a quiet St. John’s Hospital emergency room, where we stayed for a battery of tests until 3:30 a.m. Heart issues were quickly ruled out, as well as stroke, but it took some time to rule out a blood clot in the lungs. Eventually, Terry was released to return home with some pain medication to help deal with the chest pain, which continued but was unexplained (yet apparently not life threatening).
Monday, 20 December 2010: We slept late (see previous paragraph), but not too late as we had several errands to run, including retrieving the Rotts from the boarding kennel. Squeaky clean excited Rottweilers in the back of your car and in your home for the first fifteen minutes; makes it difficult to take snapshots, but I persisted:
Roxy and Apollo all clean for Christmas
Tuesday, 21 December 2010: Knowing I had to work a whopping two days this week, I went to bed early. Terry woke me up around 2:30 or 3:00 a.m. to let me know Derek and Royna were arriving in thirty minutes. Shocker! I blearily got up and prepared the spare bedroom and slunk back to bed to finish my interrupted sleep. After work, I made a couple of loaves of Rosemary Sourdough to take to work on Wednesday as last-minute gifts for a long-time co-worker and my boss.
Wednesday, 22 December 2010: I survived a slow day at work, anticipating Rachelle arrival from Texas, via the Kelloffs, later that evening. She arrived safely before 10:00 p.m.
Thursday, 23 December 2010: Rachelle and I, the early risers in the family, rearranged the great room to accommodate the Christmas tree.
Santa's Helper
Thanks to Santa’s helper (Rachelle), who transported the tree and trimmings from the basement storage room up two flights of stairs to the great room, we have a beautifully decorated Christmas tree in the northwest corner of our great room.
And here I sit, on the morning of Christmas Eve, reflecting back on a year of surprises, filled with joy, hope, grace and love.
Re-posting this from the weekly e-mail I subscribe to from Ken Jennings, which he coins as “Tuesday Trivia”:
Season’s greetings from Tuesday Trivia! Christmas and trivia go together like a creepy Bing Crosby-David Bowie duet, so we hope you enjoy this Christma-Hanuk-Kwanzaa-themed installment of our weekly quiz.
Now BRING US OUR FIGGY PUDDING! We won’t go until we get some. And some pudding.
THIS WEEK’S QUESTIONS
How many tiny reindeer pull Santa’s sleigh, in the poem that begins “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”?
What sitcom featured a character with the very festive full name of “Christmas Noelle Snow”?
Which of the three traditional gifts brought by the three wise men has the highest market value today?
Rod Carew was a Minnesota Twin, but who are the only *real* twins name-checked in Adam Sandler’s “Hanukkah Song”?
Most commercial Advent calendars begin on what date?
“Christmas disease” is another name for the ‘B’ type of what disease, most famously suffered by Alexei Romanov?
What unusual distinction is held by these countries in this order, and no others? Spain, Saudi Arabia, China, Russia.
——————————————-
As with all good trivia, it would take you about 30 seconds to Google the answers to the first six questions above. So you’re on the honor system here: no peeking, and only send in the answers you knew off the top of your head. Answers will appear in next week’s mailing.
The seventh and final question every week is a “What do they have in common?” question, designed to be harder to Google. As I arrange to send out goodies to high scorers, it will be on the basis of these seventh questions only.
Send responses to tuesdaytrivia@ken-jennings.com by noon Pacific each following Monday. That’s also the address to contact if you missed the quiz one week and need to request a replacement.
I mailed out ten cards today to the American Red Cross’s post office box, which closes this Friday, December 10th. I may send out another ten tomorrow and again on Friday.
Such a small thing that could brighten the day of one of our service men and women.
