Goodbye 2007

It was a great year, no if, ands, or buts about it. We lead a charmed life. And if there's any doubt about that, go back and read each and every post in the last year. I've read, not all, but quite a few, of the 2007 posts over the last few weeks, and I'll be the first to tell you that we've got something good here, just off Magazine.

And thankfully, I know it doesn't stop here. Bring on 2008.

Going to town

Can you see why it'd be hard for me to live around here??? It was a cold wait and an even colder stroll around town.

Top of Lift 2

Here's a tiny photo of us atop the mountain taken by the professional photographer capturing all of those priceless family moments in Vail. Sorry, can't make it any larger as this is a bootleg proof. We'll be ordering one so maybe I'll scan it in.

This photo was from yesterday, when I actually skied. Today, the temperature was 10 degrees warmer, but it was cloudy with a bit of wind and some snow. The overcast skies made for a bitterly cold day and I spent most of the day in the warming hut people watching while I clutched my hand warmers. Tomorrow I'll probably skip the trip altogether and maybe take the bus into town late morning for some shopping without Charlie.

I'm sure the money I spend shopping will be worth every penny for Charlie to not have to worry about carrying two sets of skis, carrying two lunches in his pocket, and not have anyone other than himself to get up and down the mountain.

On the mountain

We headed to the mountain this morning...it was sunny and 2 below! I am a southerner for crying out loud. I don't do the cold very well. I was fretting over the cold temperatures thinking I would be ultra whiny (you know, southern girl whiny) for dearest Charles. But believe it or not, I was hot at one point even though the thermostat never read higher than 9 degrees. The sun made quite the difference.


It was a picture perfect day, and probably my best day of skiing, ever. I did well and only fell a handful of times, and even managed to hoist myself up unaided once.


Charlie takes good care of me on the slopes...picking me up after spills, carrying my skis, zipping my zipper, defogging my glasses, covering my ears, pushing me into position so the lift doesn't knock me out, handing me the end of his pole to pull me into position.... God help him if we ever have a gaggle of kids for him to tend to....or God help me I suppose, because I'll have to start fending for myself!


Our soda, cookie, and milk in the lodge cost a whopping $10. Thankfully Charlie carries our packed lunch from home in his pockets. You'd never believe how yummy a Lipton cup of soup tastes when finally finding a spot to dine and unbuckle your boots.

I think Charlie's looking forward to ditching me for a bit tomorrow to do some "real" skiing. I think he's taught me enough for now, and now I just need to practice.

Let's just hope the Advil liqui-gels do their magic tonight and we're good as new in the morning.

You are just one big equipment woe, he said

Me in Vail Village.

We've made it to Vail, and headed out for a snowshoe this afternoon. And my fleece has a busted zipper. And I've forgotten my warm Under Armor layer at home. And my snap on my ski jacket popped off. And my sunglasses keep fogging up. And the zipper on my gator wouldn't zip. And I kept stepping on the straps of my snowshoes. And, worst of all, my ski jacket is too tight on my hiney.

But, in 9 degree temperatures as snow landed on my already frozen nose, somehow all of that melted away as we made our way into the mountains. Something about being in the mountains and being in the mountains with Charlie.

Charlie promised to fix it all, with the exception of the big hiney, but he promised to make me work that gluteus maximus on the slopes all week. On the other hand, Charlie's ski pants are fitting better than ever!

And how could I forget

Here they are, a sampling of Janet's holiday cookies...

And this is just what she brought out after dinner. There are more, lots more....angels, reindeer, bells, stars.

But I can't think of anything my dear husband loves more than a Santa cookie, covered in frosting....

We've got the cookie cutter and the recipe, but I don't think I'll try this one for some time...until Janet's hands are shaky and arthritic. Don't think I could do them justice.

Happy Holidays

We're in Denver, having a white Christmas. It was snowing when we got up this morning and it's still going strong.

We arrived yesterday just in time for Janet's traditional Christmas Eve dinner. But apart from Christmas Eve dinner, this year things would be different. Things aren't done differently very often around here, but change is good.

We all emptied the goodies left by Santa in our stockings...


Lots of ipod gear for some, along with some lessons later in the day.


Lots of great surprises,


and it's always fun to see what everyone got!


Usually, Christmas morning means lots and lots of cinnamon rolls, but this year we had a full brunch complete with egg casserole, fruit, and the traditional cinnamon rolls, right after we emptied the goodies left by Santa in our stockings.

An all adult Christmas brunch meant cocktails...bloody marys and mimosas!

Charlie doubled as Santa and the bartender....


What better than Santa delivering a stiff drink Christmas morning!


After brunch it was off to open presents....

Charlie gave me the sweetest gift...

.
..a necklace from Tiffany's....with an infinity symbol to match those on his wedding band. Each time I'd prod him for hints about my gift, he'd jokingly promise I'd love the gift of "membership in the salt of the month club" but I'm not the least bit disappointed in jewelry instead.


Charlie got new gear for the slopes.


He was quite the happy boy and worn out from his Santa duties.

The rest of the day has been spent hanging around the house, watching the snow, snacking on leftovers, and waiting for Janet's next round of cooking.

A large dinner on Christmas day is not typical here on Charrington, but I think it was a hit. Turkey last night and rib roast tonight make for lots and lots of yummy leftovers.

We'll be heading to the mountains soon to spend time with friends and family...let the holiday cheer continue.

Formal Photo

Just a quick pic of the happy couple.

We Believe

Not sure how much faith will put our team in the playoffs. They've got to do their part, and quite frankly, I'm not sure at this point in the season it'll make any difference.

We cringed through the last home game of the season against the equally pathetic Eagles. Hopefully we'll break even and end up with an 8 and 8 record after next week.

Equation for Disaster

Hormone injections and fertility drugs + doctor restricted exercise for 1 month + Thanksgiving + Christmas =
One Big Watusee

This has got to stop...I have got to get control of this and bring the weight back down, and I haven't even gotten to Christmas dinner yet! I'm up 6 pounds and I'm feeling it. There are some new year's resolutions coming on...

Christmas Tradition

Introducing tradition 2007...


You may think Charlie looks like he walked in the line of preppy puke, but he is just the victim of my window shopping on Magazine Street on the way home from the park. I spotted these pants at Perlis and decided he'd wear these each and every Christmas until they fell apart.

I'm hoping our future children have many eye rolls and fond memories of these pants. I know I will.

Corn Pudding

This is a double batch! Baked for nearly 2 hours....until "firm."

Ingredients:

• 1 box of Jiffy cornbread mix
• 1 egg
• 1 stick of butter, melted (don’t try to use margarine)
• 8oz. sour cream
• 1 can of super sweet yellow and white corn, drained ( I use green giant 11 oz. can )
• 1 can of cream style sweet corn ( I use green giant 14.75 oz. can )

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Pour into a baking dish and bake @ 350 degrees for 1 hour
3. I estimate it to be about 8 servings
   

This recipe was given to me by a friend and there are many variations online with differing amounts of cream, eggs, butter, but for the most part they're all the same. Some recommend cheese mixed in or on top. When I talked to my Danny (my grandmother) she recommended some parsley just to make it pretty. The lady knows what she's talking about. Next time I'm going for the cheese and I think I'll toss in some green onions

My contribution to the potluck meal tonight was going to be limited to hummus, made by someone other than myself. But this is so easy, I figured I could pull it together, stress free.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

It's downright cold here. I have enjoyed the 70 degree December weather, but even more, the $92 electricity/gas bill that accompanied those temperatures.

I loved the 200+ dollar savings so much that I have been on a quest to conserve energy during this cold snap we're experiencing, and not turn on the heat. Hence, blogging and other activities have been on the back burner while I shiver myself warm. That also means I have been sleeping in wool knee high socks, a fleece atop my pjs, and I have had wool socks on my hands. Just can't type with those socks on my hands.

I've been content each night and plenty warm under the covers next to Charlie, who exudes heat, even when it's 42 degrees in the house and he's asleep in nothing but his skivvies. How does he do it?

Cowboy Cookies

From the Times Picayune, and they report the dough can be frozen, and cookies sliced and baked from the frozen dough in a jiffy.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups oatmeal
• 1 (8-ounce) bag of chocolate chips (or other kind of chips)
• ½ cup chopped pecans (or walnuts, but they won't be as delicious)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease some cookie sheets if they are not nonstick.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy.
4. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until fluffy and light.
5. Add flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder.
6. Stir well.
7. Add oatmeal, nuts, and chocolate chips.
8. Use a teaspoon to drop dough onto cookie sheets.
9. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, then cool on racks.
10. Makes about 8 dozen

I don't know if the Christmas Ale influenced my feelings about this recipe, but I could have eaten the entire bowl of batter. And it's pretty good after baking, too. We have some new neighbors and word has it that they're good cooks. I'm hoping this "welcome to Bordeaux Street" scores us a dinner invite!

Back in business

I got a new mixer! Best time to hit Target is 3:00pm. The retirement crowd is home for the day (right, Dad?) and the soccer moms are in carpool lines.

And, my Kris Kringle at work hooked me up with some beer.

It's Christmas, alright.

Living

Gardeners live in the most beautiful places
because they make them that way.
-Joseph Joubert

Thanks for the reminder, friend.

We reap what we sow, don't we?

Lovin'

• hot chocolate with marshmallows (1/2 mug chocolate and 1/2 mug marshmallows)
• exercise and eating routines
• cookie baking
• grilling, after all it is 80 degrees each day
  
• string cheese, not the band (don't know when this happened)
• "the absolute animal" by Dyson
• Into the Wild by John Krakauer, why'd I wait so long to read this?
• NOLA Christmas tunes
• packing, unpacking, packing
• hot green tea each morning
  
• Etta James and Nina Simone in my iTunes library
  

Outside In

Even in December, as the garden goes dormant, and is offering fewer and fewer flowers, I am able to find a bouquet for the kitchen.

Oh, and I think my amaryllis outside will bloom in the spring as bulbs tend to do when not forced to bloom at Christmastime.

Cream Cheese Choclate Chip Cookies

This recipe was torn from Oprah Magazine (hope you weren't turning pages looking for it, Emmy) and credits Carrie Nahabedian.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (3 oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature
• 16 Tbsp. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 tsp. grated orange zest

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter and sugar on high speed until well blended.
• Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth.
• Reduce speed to low; beat in flour and salt until just combined.
• Stir in chocolate chips and orange zest.
• Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets; space dough about 1 inch apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned around the edges.
• With a spatula, transfer to racks to cool completely; store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

I didn't have any orange zest on hand, and I added pecans. I like nuts in my cookies.

The recipe says it makes about 54 cookies, and I got about half that. I suppose my making them too large is one reason why they didn't take 12 minutes to cook and they never really got brown.

Keeping in mind that my mixer bit the dust during step one, I think they turned out rather well, although I still like the recipe on the back of the chocolate chips bag better. I suppose I'll bake those next week, if I get a new mixer!

Smoke, but no fire

I had no intention of being within a five mile radius of any retail operation until I hit the after Christmas sales, but an emergency has arisen. My hand mixer burned up during my batch of cookies and I'm right in the middle of prime baking season, no less. I have breads, cookies, and sweets to mix!


I imagine party goers at our upcoming holiday gatherings won't even know the difference anyway as I usually bring something premade from Dorginac's, but I had visions of the house smelling of gingerbread as I prepared jewel toned tins of homemade cookies for our neighbors and friends. Since I haven't yet bought any jewel toned boxes, I suppose it's just as well the mixer go up in smoke 14 days before Christmas.

Amaryllis Indoors

The amaryllis bloomed while we were away. I am getting better at timing the indoor blooming. Each year, right before Thanksgiving, I start amaryllis and paperwhites inside, hoping to get the blooms for Christmas.

I plant the bulbs outside in the garden afterwards, and am wondering about their blooming times. Last year's paperwhites are coming up, so hoping to see some blooms soon. Last year I didn't get any blooms on the amaryllis in the garden, but I moved them to get some more sun. I should probably get out there and poke around to see if there are any buds popping up. I'd love to cut some to bring inside.

The only other photo

It's me...paddling the canoe at the Natural History Museum in Norman, Oklahoma. Cute, right? ...but that's it. Our only photo from the weekend. I've got to do better.

Fun weekend for all. My next trip to OKC has got to be in the middle of the summer. Seems as though every time I'm there the temperatures don't make it out of the 40s and we inevitably have ice from the sky and stuck on runways and airplanes.

Thanks, Mary, for a great weekend. We look forward to your coming down for a visit in January.

An Event

We're in Oklahoma City for a black tie event with Aunt Mary. And I haven't been very good about taking any photos yet again, but we did do this one self portrait when we got in the other night.

Charlie tied his very own bow tie....something he'd always relied on JB to do during his college fraternity formal days. Thankfully the internet is filled with step by step directions.

Follwing Up

Yesterday was our follow up. Doctor reviewed all numbers with me: bloodwork, follicle development, and embryo quality.

There was an "unexpected" change in my E2 levels but he attributes that to the medicines (ganirelix) I took to prevent ovulation. E2 levels increase as the number of mature follicles increases. He prescribed this medicine every other day to help defray the costs, but had I taken it each day, he could have been more certain if it was indeed the reason for the decline in E2. He does not think the E2 level declining is of concern.

He thought my "stripe" (endometrial lining) was still a bit thin, even though we got to 9, it should have been thicker by that stage.

Bottom line is that he thinks it is just numbers, probability, and luck. He recommends another cycle, with little or no change. This time we didn't have high quality embryos, but we've eventually got to get some good ones, is the gist of it.

Part of me agrees with his take and another part of me would have felt better if he would have had a new plan to "fix" whatever went wrong with this cycle. He's also rather conservative in his approach, and while I appreciate this and see it's merit, at this point in the game, I'd like to be more aggressive. If we're going to go through this, I'm wiling to take risks and want to go for broke. Of course, this was one thing I wasn't able to convey through the snot and tears as we talked.

We're tentatively scheduled to begin the next cycle in January. Charlie and I are going to talk it over once again and I have some questions I want to get answered.

I am also wondering if it's worth looking at "the other" clinic in New Orleans. Their SART data doesn't show as high results as my current clinic, so I am a bit torn.

It's hard knowing what it is we're supposed to do...what'll work for us...what'll make us happy.

Magic Cookie Bars

Ok, I think condensed milk is my new best friend! Something magical happens when you mix it with graham cracker crumbs.

I found this easy, can't not make recipe last week on the back of the condensed milk can when I was baking almond graham squares, which I ended up really liking once they'd cooled. Turns out they were yummy, almondy, and the easiest thing I've made to date.

And this "bar recipe" was pretty easy as well...


Charlie said I "hit a home run" so this is a definite repeat, but next time, less chocolate.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 stick butter, melted
  
• 1 14 oz. can of condensed milk
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped nuts (I use pecans, of course)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 for a glass dish)
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter
3. Press graham cracker mixture into a 13x9 inch baking pan
4. Pour condensed milk evenly over crumbs
5. Layer remaining ingredients
6. Press down firmly with a fork
7. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned
8. Cool and cut into bars
   
9. Store covered at room temperature
10. Makes 2-3 dozen bars
    

The new toy

Charlie has a new favorite toy that I hope he uses quite a bit. Believe it or not, it's a vacuum. The man has been desperately (yes, desperately) wanting a Dyson vacuum cleaner for some time, and his parents were kind enough to fulfill the man's wish as an anniversary gift.

While a vacuum may not immediately sound like a terribly exciting anniversary gift, take a moment to think about your husband being anxious to try it out on the floors, under the furniture, along the blinds. Great gift. No doubt about it.

We don't have a rigid division of household chores. Charlie always does the floors and then whatever else I ask of him. The whatever else usually amounting to "bustling up" and putting away his things that have managed to find new resting places all around the house. But the floors are always his responsibility, hence his pining for a Dyson.

After many small test runs with the various tool attachments and requests for an audience for demonstrations, Charlie finally put the Dyson "Animal DC-17" on her first official run.


I hope he doesn't lose interest in her and continues to show me how much easier it is to clean the floors.

I have to admit, I am pretty impressed by the vacuum, almost as much as I am grossed out by seeing how much dirt and dog hair accumulates.


I may even have to try it out if Charlie loses interest.

We're Decked

It wasn't as "Americana" of a night as you might think, but Bordeaux Street is decorated for the holiday.

The lights are up...

Why is it that we can never remember how we put them up the year before, and we end up short one string? After some problem solving and "discussing", it's done.

We're also enjoying pine bliss. The tree went up this afternoon. Once again, I backed out on the 12 ft. tree due to sticker shock and settled for the 8 ft, $50 frasier fur from Lowe's.

I did the lights, 13 strands, and Charlie helped with the ornaments...


Hanging old...


...and very old...

My ornament from kindergarten.

...with the new...

Our newest ornament from our summer trip. We try to get one from each place we visit.
Unfortunately, we weren't able to find one in Vermont.

The tree pretty much looks the same as last year,


with the addition of a new tree skirt!


I got the monogrammed skirt after Christmas, bargain priced, from Pottery Barn last year. Hoping my watch list for this year makes it to the holiday clearance.

Only a handful of gifts under the tree, as most have been sent off to their final destination already. A few left to ship and cards to mail. So that means I have lots of time for some holiday baking!

We'll have some hot chocolate tonight, with lots of marshmallows, as we enjoy the tree and the 70 degree New Orleans December temperatures.