Day 663

Santa comes tonight. I don't know how he knows who is sleeping at our house on Christmas Eve, but he always figures it out. Since I crocheted new stockings for daughter's boyfriend and the kitty, I'm just sure he'll show up for them, too.

Happy Holidays to all.

Day 662

Over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house we go.

Not exactly. More like:

Across the desert, through the fields and over the fence they go.

It appears we have a migration happening. After several days of high winds, tumbleweeds have jumped the fence and made their way into our backyard.

And set up shop in the rose garden. Looks like our rose-turned-tumbleweed garden is now open for tours.

Day 661

Last quilt of 2012, just for me. On to the next project, one involving yarn.

Day 660

The morning started out beautiful with this sunrise taken from the parking lot of hubby's school.

Why was I in the school parking lot? Well, hubby went to a breakfast the teachers were having on this last day before Christmas break, a day that kids weren't in school. He got to see the staff again, was able to do whatever it is he does when he's around people (I suspect BS), and even got to stop in his room for just a moment. First time since May.

His day didn't end there. As soon as he came back home a little after 9:00 our Friday baking began. Prepping for Christmas morning breakfast and Christmas dinner we worked together all day and whipped up homemade:

• Zucchini Bread
• Pumpkin Bread
• Blueberry Buckle
• Apple Strudel Muffins
• Potato-Bacon-Chive Muffins
• Cinnamon Rolls
• Flaky Dinner Rolls

Everything smelled so wonderful. Being that we taste-tested several things (don't want to serve guests bad-tasting bread products!) we know everything tasted wonderful, too.

I think the prettiest things were these muffins. Just look at the yummy pieces of bacon and chive.

Day 659

What does a cold day + very strong winds all day + a car sitting under a carport all day + a dusty day in Owyhee County equal?

This right here. Poor car.

Day 658

Hubby finished up his baking goals. The last on his list was baking powder biscuits, but he decided to turn them into cheesy garlic biscuits like you might find at Red Lobster. Oh, my.

What we had with them is something you probably wouldn't find at Red Lobster.

Homemade pureed kale-Swiss chard-carrot-celery-onion-garlic-zucchini-bell pepper-cayenne pepper-beef soup. Again, oh my.

Day 657

Tuesdays are hubby's favorite night at the Mexican restaurant in town, Alejandra's. All-you-can-eat taco night. But since he's been sick he hasn't been able to partake in the tacos. Too much sodium, too much protein for his in-crisis system. With his diet restrictions gone and his kidneys much improved it was time. And boy, did he go all out! (I think six months away was just too much for him.)

His plate started like this:

 And no fewer than six tacos later it looked like this:

Day 656

That's it for the charity quilts for 2012.

22 charity quilts for the year. This one here is headed to Alaska's Operation Kid Comfort.

Day 655

I've decided I like lounging in my PJs on a Sunday. (Guess Pajama Boy is rubbing off on me.)

I guess it isn't exactly lounging if I finish a kid's quilt - complete with quilting. I even took the time to quilt around the designs on the middle piece. Just look how one of the trees came out - proof that my quilting is slowing improving.

This is another one of those Alaska Operation Kid Comfort ones.

Day 654

We don't go out much after dark, especially at this time of year. It is hard for me to see when driving and it is so doggone cold.

But we just so happened to be in Caldwell as the sun was setting. Instead of rushing home before it became pitch dark we decided to go out to Chinese food for dinner. Delicious. Yet it wasn't the Chinese food that became the picture.

It was what we saw when we came out of the restaurant. As we walked across the street to the car we could see Christmas lights down at the end of the block. We took a little post-dinner walk and found something we didn't even know existed. A creek-side park, part of the city's recent revitalization, all decked out in every possible color of light.

A perfect after-dinner detour.

Day 653

Fridays are turning out to be hubby's how-to day. The day he asks to be taught something new. Inspired by yesterday's huge cinnamon rolls at Sunrise Restaurant he wanted to tackle two things.

Sticky buns and cinnamon rolls.

And boy, did he conquer both! I can attest that they both taste as delicious as they look.

Day 652

Hubby first wanted today's picture to be of the cinnamon roll. Sunrise Restaurant has huge ones! Half a cinnamon roll equals most of a plate. Yum! But I wanted today's picture to be of the beautiful bush with red berries on it outside the Mexican restaurant. Yet by the end of the day he wanted the picture to be of his school. The place the kidney specialist has cleared him to return to after the first of the year. Finally.

On hubby's last day of school before summer break - May 21 - we thought he'd have 84 days of summer vacation. 84 days of no kids. As it has turned out, by the time he starts back he will have been gone from work for 226 consecutive days. That's a long time.

He's like a kid at Christmas right now. Happy as a clam.

And partially happy about today's picture. Red berries and cinnamon roll.

Day 651

I'm outnumbered.

Guess who has joined hubby in the it's nice to relax in front of a fireplace on TV club?

Day 650

With hubby growing up around fireplaces and woodstoves he has a different opinion about them than I do. He sees them as comforting, relaxing, and mesmerizing. I've spent the bulk of the last few days in my recliner down with the flu and he keeps asking the same questions: Are you cold? Do you want another log on the fire? He'll even get me to smile a bit when he occasionally moseys up to the fire to get warm.

But we don't have a fireplace.

It's a video on Netflix. Fireplace for Your Home. A solid hour of nothing but logs burning. Another solid hour of logs burning and Christmas music in the background.

It may not put off heat but it does look real. Doesn't do much for me, but he sure is into it.

Day 649

I think hubby was hoping I hadn't already taken today's picture. I think he was hoping I would take a picture of the sock he darned, but I didn't.

I went with the fabric choices for the next kid's quilt. Certainly much prettier than a darned sock.

Day 648

A six year old boy who lives in Alaska. Has a dad in the Army, stationed away from home for the holidays. A dad who, when home, goes fishing with his son.

It looks like that six year old boy will be getting a quilt with pictures of dad - and fish - before Christmas morning.

One of two quilt tops for the Alaska branch of Operation Kid Comfort ready to be quilted.

Day 647

Alfred Hitchcock?

Nope, kitty cat who jumped on the table and sat right in front of the TV.

Day 646

When I was at my mom's place today she told me the picture of the Christmas tree I took on Day 643 would make a perfect Christmas card. She even downloaded the picture onto her computer. And that is when she realized it would be perfect - except for one thing.

The light switch is in the photo.

So I'm back at it tonight, trying to get a picture that doesn't contain a light switch. Not the easiest task in the world, as the other side of the tree has the snowman quilt hanging by it.

Day 645

My personal chef, live in housekeeper, and sewing partner (AKA Pajama Boy, AKA hubby) branched out today. While he enjoys cooking (his new hobby), he has always left the baking to me. Until today.

Today, on my day off, is a day that will go down in history for us. I thought the day he first used my sewing machine to make those potholders was miraculous. But today took the cake. Took the bread, I mean. Today is the day he baked bread. For the first time. Ever.

Back on Day 33, I made some delicious rosemary bread. Today he added garlic to the recipe and made some super-delicious rosemary garlic bread. (Beat the taste of mine, that's for sure!) He also ventured into the french bread baking department.

What a guy!

Preparing the French Bread

Rosemary Garlic Bread

The Final Products - French Bread, Rosemary Garlic Bread

Day 644

Any new parent (or grandparent) will tell you their baby is the cutest one out there. I'm starting to fall into that way of thinking about the cat. It probably comes from the empty nest syndrome, but how can you resist such a silly cat?

She thinks she has to protect the gift wrap while I do the wrapping. Just look at those glowing eyes - they'd scare off any wrapping paper thief.

After being disturbed when I kept taking wrapping paper out from under her, she decided the TV needed some protecting, too.