Breaking the Silence

OK...I know today is supposed to WORDLESS WEDNESDAY (which I did do earlier), but...I'm changing the rules. They are my rules, right? Right. And besides...it is MY BIRTHDAY...so that means I get to do WHAT I WANT, right? Right. So...I'm breaking the silence...just this once (but don't hold me to that).

I just wanted to share what my DH gave me for my birthday...early this morning. I came down to the kitchen and there was this GIANT WRAPPED BOX sitting on the kitchen counter. Now, this was quite a sight...because our kitchen is tiny. He insisted I open it...so I did.

Here is what was inside:

A red Artisan KitchenAid Mixer! (Not to be confused with a Red Ryder BB-Gun with a compass in the stock and this thing which tells time...from my all-time favorite Christmas movie.) Now...those of you who know me well...know how much I've wanted one of these for a LONG time (and are probably sick of hearing about it). Well, DH listened. Just to be fair...he has talked about buying one for several years, but I always say they are too expensive and we really shouldn't spend that much on birthday presents. They still are and we still really shouldn't...but I'm sure glad he did. He assures me he got a "really good deal."

I'm just trying to figure out what to bake first...using this gem of all kitchen gadgets...on its maiden voyage. Any suggestions? I'm thinking cupcakes or some kind of cake...from scratch, of course. Stay tuned to see what happens.

I unpacked it this afternoon. That sucker is HEAVY! Yowza! I think it looks RIGHT at home in this corner of the kitchen, wouldn't you say? Can you tell I love red?

Now...we return to the SILENCE for Wednesday...another 80's (into early 90's) classic for all you fellow DM fans! Gosh I SO LOVED this group...still do. (What an odd combo of topics for a blog post...a mixer & Depeche Mode! Oh well, like I said...guess I'm doing whatever I want on my birthday!!)

Wordless Wednesday

Needless Knowledge

DH had the idea for this post...while driving by this building, he suddenly turned down the side street and told me to get out of the car and take this photo.

Anyone ever eat at Subway? Of course, we all probably have at some point. Anyone ever heard of the Subway Guy, Jared Fogle? Of course, you cannot watch even 15 minutes of television without seeing a Subway commercial. Well...this is where Jared, the Subway Guy, got his start. This is the Subway where he went ate all those meals while losing weight due to his Subway Diet. He lived in these apartments attached to Subway (right above it, I believe). It is on the IU campus right across the street from the School of Optometry.

There...that's your little tidbit of needless knowledge for the day.

Here's one other...Jared and my DH went to the same high school.

Hoosier Happenings

This post is for all you IU Hoosiers out there. DH & I visited the Indiana University Bloomington campus during the holidays. We took a walk on campus on Christmas Day. It was very quiet and pretty much abandoned, as you might imagine. No noise, no students, no hustle & bustle...just cold air and peace & quiet. Here are some things we saw:

Pretty IU stained glass in the Rose Well House.

DH near an OLD IU bench.

(He didn't want to sit on it...ice was on the seat.)

Maxwell Hall.

I'm sitting on Herman B. Wells' lap.
(Don't worry...it is just a statue.)

Venus at Showalter Fountain.

--

GO IU...fight, fight, fight! Go BIG Red.

Sort-of Spontaneous B&B Stay

On our "sort-of" spontaneous stop to visit my brother (see previous post) we needed a place to spend the night. We love staying at B&Bs. DH got on the Internet (what did people do before the Internet?) and found a few places...including this one:

Davis Rose Inn B&B. Their website indicated they had openings, so DH called. His master negotiating skills even convinced them to charge us the week-day rate (instead of weekend), so the rate was better than any regular motel. The place was all decked out for Christmas and looked lovely. The innkeepers were very nice and we got to meet their cat (Spooky), parrot (Smoochie), and BIG dog (Baron).

The front desk...in holiday regalia.

The upstairs hallway.

Christmas tree...in our room!

Home Sweet Home

After being gone for a week, we made it home last night. The roads across the four states we drove (MN, WI, IL, & IN) weren't the best...understatement. Going down we hit an icky ice storm in WI (so bad that I think I had my first real mini panic attack...no joke...and had to pull over & let DH drive). On the way up we hit fog, then thicker fog, then ice, then rain, then more super thick fog, & then more rain....throughout IL & WI...you get the point. Fun...not. When we got home I wanted to get down and kiss our driveway, but was concerned about slipping on the thick ice everywhere out there...so I grabbed a few things out of the car and just focused on getting in the house. Our cat, Kenya, was SOOOO happy to see us. What a wonderful welcome!

We made a sort of spontaneous stop to see my brother in central IL. I say "sort of" because I suggested it the night before to DH...as a way to try to break up the 12+ hour drive. He agreed. It was great seeing my brother...we don't see each other often enough. After exchanging gifts and hanging out at his place for a while...we went out for dinner.

Lucca Grill. The photo looks funky due to very thick fog that was in the air that night causing moisture to build-up on my lens.

Me, my brother, and DH at the bar...enjoying a beer & some food.
I promised the owner to give them a "shout out" on my blog...so here it is: Lucca Grill. If you are ever in town, stop by and check it out.

Me & my "baby brother"...aren't we cute?

Here's what we ate...yum!!

It was called the Baldini, named after the original owner of this old-time establishment.

Love Friday (5th Edition)

• LOVE spending time with family for Christmas.
• LOVE good holiday food...special to this time of year.
• LOVE cooking in the kitchen with my DM (dear mother). We were the "chefs" yesterday.
• LOVE taking a walk on the Indiana University campus on Christmas Day with my DH. We met at IU 17 years ago during our under-grad days.
• LOVE that my DS (dear sister) is home recovering from surgery after a week in the hospital.
• LOVE the gifts given & received for Christmas.
• LOVE my Christmas stocking at my DM & DF's home (made by my DM, of course).
• LOVE that I'll get to see my DB (dear brother) tonight.
• LOVE that my DM still packs up a big bag of Christmas cookies for us to take home...every year.

Merry Christmas!

Here is a little evidence of how we spent Christmas Eve...

DH, me, DM (dear mother), & DF (dear father)

DM & DF - The Two Chefs (nice aprons, don't you think?)

Our traditional Norwegian Christmas Eve meal: Fiskeboller (white fish cakes served over boiled potatoes with a white gravy with shrimp), Kjottkakke (literally "meat cakes...my DF is carrying on my grandparents' recipe), carrots, peas, and Lingenberries (think cranberries, but much smaller). Served on my DM's beautiful Polish Pottery (no, she's not Polish, but collects the pottery). For dessert...we had some of the apple pie I made the other day and/or Christmas cookies. Not bad.

--

Today I'm helping out in the kitchen. We're doing a pork roast (spinach, raisin, pine nut, & garlic stuffed), potato sausage, multi-whole-grain rice pilaf, salad...and German chocolate cake.
--

Merry Christmas, everyone!

-------------------------

In the previous blog post...that is my DH's family (my DBIL & DMIL with us).

Wordless Wednesday

Very Presidential

Yesterday we visited the home of Benjamin Harrison in downtown Indianapolis. He was the 23rd President of the United States of America (from 1889-1893). He was an attorney and came from a long line of politicians (go figure). His father, John Scott Harrison, was a Congressman from Ohio. His grandfather, William Henry Harrison, was the Governor of the Indiana Territory and our 9th President (only serving 31 days in office before his death). His great-grandfather, Benjamin Harrison V, was Governor of Virginia and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

BH's beautiful sixteen room Italianate Victorian home was built in 1874-75 for the price tag of $28,000. Can you imagine what it would cost to build today (even in the currently poor housing market)? It was decorated for Christmas and was lovely. My DH & I are really into historic architecture and history in general.

Here we are on the front steps.

A close up of the fine details. Such craftsmanship!

DH checking out the exterior some more (in the bitter cold).

Thank You

Ankle update... Several of you expressed concern about my ankle (either here on this blog or via email or phone calls). Thank you. I'm fine. Really. The ankle is still sore, swollen, and a tad bruised, but everything is fine. It didn't stop me from helping cook our family holiday meal today, including baking (of course). This time...another apple pie. My DH was thrilled (spoiled man) and the rest of the family seemed to enjoy the pie, which makes it all worthwhile. (We're visiting my DH's family.) I'm blogging with my ankle elevated...ahhhh, laptops...gotta love technology.

The Baking Continues

On Thursday we had a holiday potluck at work. These are always fun. People bring in some good stuff. Typically, I bake something for my contribution. I baked two things this time: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (blogged about earlier) and Peppermint Cheesecake Brownies. While both were very well received, the brownies were a HUGE hit at the party. A good combination if you like chocolate and cheesecake. They were pretty easy to make and looked/smelled/tasted delicious. Mmm-good.

Note To Self...

...Do NOT fall down stairs at 4:30 in the morning.

Woke up early (those of you who know me know I'm an early bird)... 4 AM today. Stayed in bed until about 4:30. Decided to go down and let the cat out. Yes...our cat sleeps in the basement. Let's just say she is a "furry alarm clock" who wants to wake us up repeatedly throughout the night. Why? Well to be fed or play, of course. This led to her having her own private room in the lower quarters...complete with her own wicker sofa, fluffy cat bed, and private bath. We B&B innkeepers aim to please.

Anyhoo...I went down to let her out and serve her first meal of the day. Let's just say I forgot about or failed to notice the final step. This led to my falling face first on the hard, basement floor. Thud. But of course...not before twisting my good ankle on the way down. I say "good" ankle, because the other one is crap after my bout with cancer in my lower leg bone. That ankle is permanently fused together. Hey...a fused leg is better than no leg (amputation was a possibility). But...I digress. As I lay in a heap on the basement floor...I contemplated my options. 1.) Yell for my DH...two floors above me...who was still sleeping. I knew that probably wouldn't yield much...other than to get the cat, locked in the room about 20 feet from me, really agitated. She was already meowing her head off and scratching at the door of her room (cell?) wondering why I wasn't coming in to meet her every need. 2.) Lie there and wait for the wave of pain and nausea to pass. or...3.) Crawl to the cat's room and hope she somehow had a scant of Lassie's DNA in her and she'd run for help. I ended up with a combination of #2 & #3. I waited and then crawled. Let the cat out...which just created more of a feline frenzy...as she circled around me on the floor...demanding to be fed. Nope...no Lassie in her! Imagine that. So...I crawled a little further and fed my demanding 4-legged prisoner. That shut her up. I sat there...waiting...and eventually decided to try to stand. I managed to get up (like an old granny with my butt in the air and my gait as wide as a toddler learning to walk). The pain was immediately worse, but given that I could stand on it without crumbling to the floor was a good sign

Eventually...I managed to limp upstairs. DH came down...wondering why I hadn't made the coffee yet. Hmmm...

Love Friday (4th Edition)

This Love Friday is dedicated to the memory of my dear friend, Kathy, who passed away two nights ago...on Wednesday, 12/17/2008. I met her July 2005 at a Rein in Sarcoma picnic for sarcoma survivors. She was diagnosed with her sarcoma (MFH of the bone: malignant fibrous histiocytoma) in April 2005. It spread from her leg, to her hip, to her lungs, to her spine... She fought so hard...but fights no more. She was a true lover of the outdoors, nature, family, friends, and this wonderful earth. She was Executive Director of her company, Eco Education. Her company's mission is to foster within young people the appreciation, knowledge, values and skills necessary to inspire ecologically sound decisions and actions.

I will miss our friendship, Kathy's beautiful smile, her always-perfect, always-kind words, her support, and our long talks. She went too quickly, too suddenly...but it is always that way. She is no longer in pain, no longer unable to move her legs, no longer suffering. Kathy was a runner and loved to move. I know she is running now...and is free.

Kathy, Namaste. The light in me honors the light in you. May your light shine bright...beautiful and free.

Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the gentle night to you
Moon and stars pour their healing light on you
Deep peace to you, deep peace to you

Elves & Tequila

Last night was a date night. Yep, a mid-week date night. How novel! The Christmas spirit must have grabbed both of us by our jingle bells. We decided to stay downtown after work and head to Macy's for the Holiday Show. BTW...I HATE that is it Macy's now...I still call it Dayton's...which was followed by Marshall Field's...which I was OK with since I'm originally from the Chicagoland area. But...I digress... The theme of the show this year is "A Day in the Life of an Elf in Santaland." Here's what we saw...

-Elves building a snowman.

-

Animals decorating a Christmas tree.

-

Singing Christmas trees. DH said he'd like to have one of these in our living room. I thought they were a little scary...so, no thanks.
-

Elves building a rocking horse. Awe...how cute (?).
-

Elves baking some sweets. Now...THESE elves I wouldn't mind in my house.
-

And...after the show...we went out for some food & drinks. We decided we needed to counter-balance the sweetness of the Elf show...with some...you guessed it...tequila! We went to a new "hot spot" downtown called Barrio tequila bar. I'm pretty sure we were one of the "older folks" in there...but we still got carded...and that's all that matters. (When you are in your VERY, VERY LATE 30's...getting carded is pretty fun.) We each had a fancy drink and shared some small plates of food.

All in all...a very good mid-week date night. Thanks DH!

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Birthday Ben!

Today is Benjamin Bratt's 45th birthday. I feel like we're buds, well...sort of. Why? Well, thanks for asking. Let me back up... Being that we live in the upper Midwest, our brushes with fame are really limited...essentially non-existent. (Local newscasters DON'T count!) Anyhoo...this fall we visited my DH's cousin and his wife (and their cutie-patootie little girl) in Santa Monica, CA. While there, we were hoping for some STAR sightings. On our last day there, we were shopping in Whole Foods in Santa Monica (I should say one of the THREE Whole Foods in Santa Monica...yes, they must need 3...it is So. Calif. after all). While in said WF I was checking out the seafood counter selecting some salmon. (I was making dinner for our hosts that night.) My DH suddenly came over to me and mumbled something under his breath. I missed it the first time, but caught it the second time. "Star Sighting...straight ahead." There was a tall dude sporting the LARGEST pair of sunglasses I've ever seen (well, except for Big Bird's sunglasses). He had a scraggly beard, longish hair, and it took me a minute to recognize him...but then I figured it out...BENJAMIN BRATT! What a HOTTIE! He was there with his wife, Talisa Soto, and their two cute kids. If it weren't for his wife and my husband being in the store with us...I'm sure it would have been an instant love connection. Ah well, another time...another place. Anyway...we (BB & I) were side-by-side in the produce department...selecting our apples & avocados. Yep, rubbing elbows with Benjamin...that was a very good day for me (sorry DH). Happy Birthday, Ben. I hope we meet again someday...I'm happy to help you select produce...any time.

Under Cover

This post is about my dear mother (DM) and her super-duper hand-craft talents. She is a very crafty person. (Sometimes I wonder why those talents didn't just trickle down to me.) She sews, knits, cross-stitches, and quilts (and I'm sure I'm forgetting something). When I say my DM quilts...WOW, does she quilt! This quilt is called "Lotus," (even though I think the flowers look more like Poppies...but that might be due to my color choice on the fabric). LOVE.THIS.QUILT. The bright colors and vintage-design fabric just make me smile every time I see it. The fabric is mostly Amy Butler, which if you haven't heard of and love fabric...where have you been? I LOVE Amy Butler fabric, patterns, and design. Her stuff rocks. I especially LOVE her handbag and purse patterns/designs...super cute! (Hint, hint.) Makes me wish I knew how to sew. Trust me...I'm NOT a sewer...you should have seen my pathetic attempts in junior high home-ec class...bad, bad, bad. The second best thing to being able to sew, is having a mother who is a true master. I know her creative brain is already scheming of the quilts she will make for her future grandchild...if she hasn't already started, which I suspect she has. This child will be well-covered, that's for sure. Considering where we live, especially on bitter cold days like today...that's a very good thing. Thanks Mom! Love you!

Christmas "Quiz"

I received this Christmas Quiz via email from a few friends...so I figured I'd post it here to answer and pass along to you.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Paper

-

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial (wasn't my choice, but I do like it now, especially clean-up)

-

3. When do you put up the tree? The weekend after Thanksgiving

-

4. When do you take the tree down? Early January

-

5. Do you like eggnog? Not really

-

6. Favorite gift(s) received as a child? Atari (yes, that will date me) and a Chrissy Doll

-

7. Hardest person to buy for? My dad

-

8. Easiest person to buy for? My mom or sister

-

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yep, it sits under the Christmas tree...just like when I was a kid growing up.

-

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Definitely MAIL! Lots!

-

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Multiple pairs of slipper socks...more than one year in a ROW!

-

12. When do you start shopping? Usually not until after Thanksgiving

-

13. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story

-

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Can't recall...maybe

-

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Christmas cookies...all sorts

-

16. Favorite thing on the tree? I have far too many "favorite" ornaments to choose just one

-

17. Favorite Christmas song? Winter Wonderland by Johnny Mathis

-

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel. Someday...hope to stay home & have Christmas in our home.

-

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yep. Here they are.

-

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel

-

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Usually both

-

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Commercials about all the SALES and the common theme (push) to BUY MORE in order to have a Merry Christmas

-

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Ornaments from our trips over the years and for our hobbies

-

24. Favorite food for Christmas dinner? My father makes a traditional Norwegian dish called Fiskekake (Fiskeballer), which I just LOVE. We only eat this on Christmas Eve, which makes it special. If you aren't raised on this stuff, most other people aren't huge fans, but my DH has some every year (good sport).

-

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Time spent with family & friends and Peace. Oh...and if it has to be something tangible...I wouldn't mind one of these (in red).

Carols & Cookies

This afternoon I cranked up the holiday tunes, donned an apron, and baked some cookies. What kind of cookies? Today it was time for...Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies. These are two of my most favorite things: CHOCOLATE and PEANUT BUTTER. They totally belong together! I'm of the belief that simple is best. Simple ingredients (you probably all or most of them in your house right now) plus simple preparation...equals tasty brilliance. LOVE the way fresh-baked cookies make the house feel and smell. We sampled, of course...YUMMY! So...What's baking in your world?

Wrapped in Bacon

Last night, my DH & I went out to dinner. We went to Heidi's. We've been there a few times. Every time the food has been excellent. Last night was no exception. While I am not a vegetarian, I LOVE the vegetarian bolognese. YUM! DH had the seared chicken breast. It was the "wrapped in bacon" description that got him. I swear if they had "Old Wheelbarrow Tire...Wrapped In Bacon with a Red Wine Reduction Sauce over Pureed Dandelions" on the menu...he'd order it. That being said...his swine-wrapped bird breast was quite tasty. We also had some wonderful wine: Mitolo Jester Shiraz (2006). Normally, my palate isn't too terribly picky when it comes to wine...almost all red wines are fine by me. But this wine was REALLY good. So good...that I want to hunt it down to have at home too. About 1/2 the bottle came home with us (yes...we're weak...didn't feel like finishing the bottle last night...so we corked it to go), so we'll enjoy it some more. For dessert...oh yes, the DH always has to have dessert (which ends up benefiting me as well)...last night it was ALL about chocolate. Chocolate sorbet with a sliver of chocolate cake and chocolate sauce. Yes! How can one go wrong with a dessert that has the word chocolate in the description THREE times? OK, OK...I just might try the Wheelbarrow Tire...if it was dipped in chocolate...wouldn't you?

Love Friday (3rd Edition)

• LOVE my cat...who LOVES the radiant floor heat we have in our bathroom. This morning I found her snoozing on the bathroom floor rug snuggled up against the warm radiator too. The more heat the better, apparently...that's her motto.
• LOVE our down-filled comforter that keeps us cozy warm on these cold winter nights.
• LOVE going down for coffee with my friends at work first thing in the morning.
• LOVE this book I'm reading. Don't love that I won't be able to finish it before the library due-date & cannot renew it because there is a long wait-list. That is OK...it is short stories, so I can check it out again later and read some more. LOVE Jhumpa Lahiri. I've read everything she's written...she is one of my favorite authors.
• LOVE all the snow we've had this past week. I really does look like Christmas. The outdoor decorations look even better with some snow on them.
• LOVE date night...tonight my DH & I are going to a favorite neighborhood restaurant...we'll walk down there...yes, even in the cold.
• LOVE my sister...who is having surgery next week. I'll be thinking of you ALL the time.
• LOVE my friend, "K," who had major surgery today on her spine. Trying to be patient...waiting for her sister to post on her Caring Bridge website to see how everything went. She is truly a fighter...battling sarcoma. (Definitely DON'T love any kind of sarcoma!)

Phone Call

Yesterday I missed a phone call on my cell. When I pulled the phone out of my bag, I looked to see who called. It was our adoption agency. My heart immediately began to race. I knew it was WAY TOO early to be getting "the call" about a referral...but at the same time I thought (hoped) we had somehow magically popped up to the top of the waiting list. So...I dialed to call the agency back...but then realized I had NO idea who called me. Therefore, I waited...and then my voicemail beeped. With shaky fingers I dialed and then listened to the voice mail. Nope, not a referral...which I knew would be the case. It was our new social worker calling to introduce himself. (They are having to do a little re-assigning of social workers and we're obviously at a good point in the process for this.) I was right...it isn't time yet for us. Can you imagine how excited I'll be when we do get "the call"...yikes!

Bangawoyo!

This word was on my Flickr greeting page this morning. Now I know how to say HI! in Korean. BANGAWOYO, Janet! Do you think it is a sign? I'm thinking yes.

Wordless Wednesday