Merry Christmas (a few days late)

Merry Christmas, everyone (all two of you readers) - hope it was wonderful! Ours was nice and quiet, but fun. Went over to Dad's on Xmas Eve- made a rib roast; came out wonderful. I felt Mum was with us. We had bought packages of socks for the boys and marked them from "Santa" - Mum made a point each year to buy both Dad & Big Bro Dude socks and underwear at Xmas ("anything to make a package under the tree!" was her motto), and she wrote "from Santa" on all her presents. So, when they both got their socks (they're on their own, underwear-wise) and saw the "from Santa," they both laughed. They got it.

Spent Xmas day with Mr T and another friend joined us. This time, we made a ham. I had found a recipe for scalloped potatoes and made that for the first time - came out killer. Another nice, quiet day spent congenially.

Never did get my boxes out - only one to Special K's brother, since he's away from family/friends and on his own. And he got that on Xmas Eve, so very timely :) Hoping to get the rest out this week - I like to think the folks getting them will appreciate another package after the day.

The "S" word is in our forecast - I certainly hope not. Supposed to go to Dad's again on New Year's Eve, but if it snows with any accumulation, we're not going anywhere. Big Bro Dude is bringing his two fellows (he's a caregiver now, for two developmentally challenged men) for New Year's Eve - I have a bag made up for each, so I'm really hoping we can make it. Plus, I'm making the traditional Dutch New Year Eve's pastry (oilieballen) - Mum always did. It's a beer-batter deep fried donut of sorts, with either apple, raisin or pineapple in the dough and once out of the oil, you dust them real good with powder sugar. Major yum! Pop's excited that I'm going to give it a try.

Now, if the damn snow fairies will make sure the roads are clear on Friday, we'll be good to go.

Finally

I can't believe I didn't get our Xmas cards out until yesterday, a mere four days before Xmas. I've been making our own cards for years now, but this year, I had a huge mental block. Nothing looked right. I did find one pic I liked (snowy mountains with a thin Santa on a bicycle along a mountain path), but Special K didn't care for it. So we broke down and bought some the other night at the World Market. My. God. When they get to be so expensive! We saw these really pretty angel cards - package only had 8 cards and they wanted 19.99! Even at 50% off, that was $10 bucks. For 8 cards. Are they out of their flippin' minds? I told K we were in the wrong business - lol

But they're done. And out. Now tonight I have a few boxes to pull together (for family out of state). To mail tomorrow. Actually to FedEx tomorrow.

Next year, we're going to do all our Xmas shopping/wrapping, etc and be done by August.

Yeah. Right.

Don't laugh, but I'm a "Farmer"

Yep, got involved in that silly Farmville on Facebook. Years ago, had a friend in Facebook that kept sending me Farmville messages and I finally asked her to stop. She said she can't unless she unfriends me, as that's the nature of Facebook; however, I could "block" Farmville related items, so I'd still get her stuff, all except the Farmville crap. So I did that. Much better.

Fast forward a bunch of years - I had asked Big Bro Dude how Dad's doing and he said really good; much better than he had expected. He said Dad's been very involved with this new game on Facebook called Farmville. Told him it wasn't new - been around for a while. He said that's funny; it still says "Beta." Shared with him that I read somewhere that beta means never having to say you're sorry :)

So he asked if I would sign up and be a neighbor for Dad and him. I said no, thank you. He said pretty please; Dad's been very busy in there but in order for it to play right, one needs neighbors. So I gave in. Said OK, sign me up. And there went the last of my free time.

I am obsessed; totally hooked. In the evening, once the critters & Special K is fed and Spark is walked and the kitchen is clean, then it is my relaxation time and I go Farm. I actually have two farms, as I've taken over Special K's facebook account and built her one, too. You can go for hours on that thing, if you do everything you're supposed to do to advance in levels. I'm only playing for about not quite a month and already I've passed both of my Dad's farms (that's how well he likes it; he created another FB account in his father's name so that he could have two farms. Don't blame him - not alot (any?) of his friends are into FV and you gotta have neighbors in order for it to work right).

Last night, I got all the ingredients out to make a new Xmas cookie recipe I've been wanting to try and told myself, "ok, when I'm done farming, I'm coming to make these cookies." It was 11:30 by the time I was "finished." The thing is, stuff you do generates other stuff that the other farm can then go get, which in turn, generates more stuff again, so I can go back and forth between the two farms for hours. Talk about a time-waster.

Which ordinarily wouldn't be a bad thing, except Xmas is only two weeks away. I haven't even made our Xmas cards yet (big mental block this year - keep trying but nothing feels or looks right). Keep this up and I'll be sending happy new year cards instead :P We got a lot of the shopping done, but I still need to make tons of cookies, fudge and chex mix (Special K's asked that I do that this year for her guys at work).

I keep telling myself to limit it to a half-hour a day, max. A co-worker and his wife are neighbors (and have been sweet enough to pick up Dad and Big Bro Dude, too) and he told me he too went hog wild at first, spending so much time in there that his little ones were getting fretful - Daddy won't play with us anymore - when he heard that, that's when he started the half an hour a day limit thing. But a half hour is not enough (do I sound like a junkie or what?)

But then I remember how my Dad's face lit up when Big Bro Dude told him I was their new "neighbor" - so totally worth it.

And, uh, anyone reading this - if you happen to be a Farmer too; find me on facebook and let's be neighbors, 'k? Can always use more :)