Stomp!

We often call Kaitlyn our 'little stomper' because of her stumpy, stompy legs.

Saturday we saw some other stompers....

The theatrical show, "Stomp", is celebrating its 30th anniversary and a touring company came to Tampa.

We saw the original Stomp show in 1998 in Savannah, GA.

We thoroughly enjoyed it.

If you aren't familiar with the show, it is a high-energy percussion show, with great choreography, where the performers demonstrate coordinating rhythms using everyday objects, such as brooms, match boxes, sinks(with water) and metal kitchen implements, and garbage cans. 

The performers use everything on the set to drum on, with fingers, hands, drum sticks or other items. At one point several are in harnesses, suspended along the upper wall, where they drum on the collection of objects. 

Nothing is spoken. However, the stompers engage the audience through gestures and facial expressions, getting us to clap and cheer in the rhythms they want. 

This is the humorous fall guy in the show. He had us laughing simply by the lift of an eyebrow!

Here, at the close of the show, he had just signaled by changing the 'turn of a cell phone sign' that we could take pictures, and he hammed it up for us! 

One of the highlights of the show, for me, was a child that was sitting quite a ways behind me. From the pitch of his/her voice I'd guess they were around 6. The chortles of glee and the exclamations made me smile and laugh, too!

It was a lovely afternoon, despite the long drive into downtown Tampa.

Takeout and Takeaway

I really enjoyed our Christmas breakfast with our neighbors. We had not met several of them, and even some of the folks attending didn't know others. My 'takeaway' from our event was that we need to have more social activities with our neighbors!  One new friend said she'd have a Halloween party! We'll have to see where it goes from here. 

The weather was perfect! We were able to open our 3-panel sliding glass door and most folks congregated on the lanai, or just inside at the dining room table. 

We have almost recovered. 

Most of the dishes are washed.

Most of those have found their way back to their cabinets or boxes.

Speaking of boxes; I picked up some "Chinese takeout" boxes at Hobby Lobby.

The one remaining (green) can be seen in the pile of dishes.

It was a super idea. Everyone seemed to love grabbing some leftovers and taking them home in their takeout boxes! 

So, another of my 'takeaways' is that I should have containers when I have our annual breakfast next year! 

 

When Life Gives you Lemons... or Leftovers

 Make Quiche!

It's difficult to plan for a party, and know how much of each food item to buy. I had leftover eggs, ham, sausage and cheese. I also had some spinach, green onions and peppers. I had excess milk. 

I also had two frozen pie shells...

It sounds like a quiche...(or frittata)... to me!

These will be yummy some evening when I don't feel like cooking 

Merry Christmas

 Merry Christmas to all!

The Calm Before the Storm

 We had another busy day of getting ready to meet and greet our neighbors and enjoy more than a bite to eat Christmas morning! We both had long lists of things to accomplish...and we made its through most everything. 

Tomorrow morning will be hectic, putting one dish in, stirring another, taking a casserole out, plating fruit and veggies, cheese and sweets, and getting them all in their places. Luckily the weather, if it cooperates, will be warm enough that much of the food can go out on the lanai.

Even though I had 'older' eggs for my hard-boiled eggs, evidently they weren't old enough! It took me far too long to peel them. I tried every trick, even my fail-safe method of shaking them in a jar of water. It was almost noon before I finished this one dish. 

I dropped the sugar container on the floor. 😜

Luckily it stayed upright and only a small amount flew out the top.

I had help cleaning it up right away. I laughed at the tongue tracks along the floor!

It almost looked as if a large snail had come through my kitchen.

I won the Stupid Award for the day! 😝

I decided my crockpot wasn't very festive so I wrapped a band of wrapping paper around it, cutting out a hole for the control knob.  Doesn't it look sweet? 

Now, I have to cook grits in it overnight.

Tell me, where is 'low'?

What about 'high'?

Does this model have a 'keep warm' setting?

So, now it is almost time for bed.

What's done is done.

What isn't finished can be addressed in the morning...

or perhaps it isn't that important!

This table holds serving pieces, sweets and crackers to be put together and put outside tomorrow.

The Mister's almost clean office is in the background. A few days ago one could barely walk in there. Since we moved it has been a repository for anything and everything we didn't know where else to store.

The hot foods will be served on the island. 

Coffee is set up in the background and other beverages will be on the counter to the left. 

As I said before,

what's done is done.

Merry Christmas to all...

and to all a good night!

Getting Ready for the Day

 The last few days have been busy. I've shopped a few times, at different stores and different times, trying to get everything I need for the varied dishes I'll serve for breakfast on Christmas. (Shopping at different stores and different times means I'm not hit with a huge surprise at checkout!) The Mister is in charge of the 'bar' and he has a few more things to get. 

I've been cleaning - mostly spending time working on the pool deck and the lanai...both areas we have neglected since the temps dipped to where neither of us prefers to swim. I've also pulled out serving dishes and seldom-used glassware so I can get them washed. 

I hemmed some Christmas fabric to make table coverings for a few of the serving tables and a card table for extra seating. The weather might be nice enough on Christmas morning so that we can open the sliding glass doors and put the card table by the pool. Have I ever mentioned that our new home is quite a bit smaller (I generally say 'cozier') than our previous house?! I'm still not certain where all of the serving dishes are going to go!

Tuesday I cooked 3 pounds of bacon. Using the griddle was a perfect solution. All of that bacon grease was so much easier to manage...and clean up was a breeze. On Christmas morning I can heat the bacon  and put it in the heated serving tray. The girls 'supervised' my cooking...hoping I'd drop a piece or two for them!

Tomorrow my prep continues. I have a list of food prep things I can do,  as well as the last minute house cleaning/tidying that would be nice to accomplish.  By the time I go to bed I hope to have all counters and tables ready for bowls, plates and trays...and I'll spend Christmas morning shoving casseroles in the oven, and pulling others out.

At some point I'll recover and remember why I wanted to invite all of our neighbors to breakfast on Christmas morning!

Look Through Any Window

 When I thought about starting this post, the title of The Hollies' song (1965) came to mind. If you are of my era, you may recall it.

Of course, now I have an "earworm" . That song is on instant replay in my head!

But, this post isn't really about looking through a window...it's about my former window, now a frame for some sort of painting. 

I am still not thrilled with the work, but, it'll do for now. 

It's all a learning curve!

The Lull Before the ... Party

As I mentioned previously, we invite neighbors and friends for Christmas breakfast. Unbelievably, EVERY neighbor did RSVP! It seems that in the past folks often didn't bother. We will have 27 guests...and I am providing breakfast for all of them! 

Here are a few pics from 2024:

What makes this a bit easier is that over the years I have kept a spreadsheet with all kinds of notes. Some of the tabs on the spreadsheet include:

Invitations - with a check off when I send one, or hand deliver one

Menu - this sheet is broken down into basic categories, like finger foods, egg dishes, etc. I also have a column for recipes and notes from previous years, like, "don't bother" or "folks liked this" or "double the recipe"

Shopping - as I review each recipe I list items I need to get, in columns by grocery type; frozen foods, dairy, and so on.

To Do - of course I have this one... listing all of the basic party prep things

 

and the most important sheet....

Timing! Here I break down things I need to do beginning about 5 days before Christmas. I try to cook as much in advance as I can, or prep things by chopping and sautéing ingredients and sticking them in the fridge for a day so I just need to pull out a baggie or

A Mahjong Blessing

 I penned a Mahjong Blessing for my friends. (It's fun to say "penned", but can one really say that when a computer was used to write it?!) 

A few days ago I had an opportunity to play Mahjong with three ladies from the "Branches" group, a subset of a newcomers group that I joined.  The Branches seem to be an active group of women, 

("older" women,  I guess I am one!),

 in the development in which I live.  

I gave each player a copy of the blessing:

Sadly, my blessing brought no luck my way. 

I was almost to the point where I needed to pull the quarter off to pay my debts. 

As in my recent BINGO (BING-NO) experience...

my Mahjong games were a bust!

Maybe next time!

Proverbs

 Do you have personal proverbs that guide your life? (Or perhaps there are adages that irritate you?) My dad constantly told me, as well as my brother and sister, (and probably my mom) that we should always be doing something constructive...and that we must finish what we start.

These sayings certainly have shaped my life. But, maybe not always in a good way! If/when I don't finish something, I shoulder a bundle of guilt and carry it around until I get that project that is nagging me completed. 

As a quilter and crafter, I have many UFO's - unfinished objects. See the two stacks of  bins on the bottom of my shelves? Those are just some of my projects-in-waiting! There are more projects scattered elsewhere in different stages of completion... as well as pictures with ideas for projects on my phone, and my head is full of ideas as well!

For some twisted reason, in my mind, I have decided that my dad would feel that sitting and reading a book is not constructive use of my time. Therefore, I find it extremely difficult to enjoy reading during the day! Well, it's not just the constructive thing weighing in, I also just see so many things around me that I want to do! Just yesterday I was raking up some leaves and cleaning up my back garden. As I swept the pea gravel off the stepping stones I realized that the large stone was begging to be made into a compass rose! Bam! Another constructive thing to add to my list!

I could paint something like this on that stepping stone...dontcha think?!

Sweet Memories

I had a conversation with Mom today. I unpacked Christmas bins and memories came flooding back. Mom gave me these candles as a Christmas gift...some time around the turn of the century! When I chatted with her today I told her how pretty they still are, and how I wish she was here to enjoy them.  Christmas was her favorite time of the year - I inherited that from her! 

They have always been too pretty to burn!

I'll find a way to gently heat them and correct their candle scoliosis!

Maybe this year I'll actually light their wicks.

Maybe not!

Love you, Mom and Dad 💕

You are here this Christmas,

...in my heart.

BING-NO

We belong to the Civic Association, which runs a monthly dinner and BINGO.  Neither of us are huge BINGO aficionados, but it gets us out to see other folks and have an inexpensive evening of fun(?)!

Dinner and BINGO cost the princely sum of $11 each.

This month's dinner was 2 hot dogs, a bowl of beans, chips and ice cream for dessert.

You can't argue with that price!  

After dinner our certified BINGO caller steps up to the mic, and things get serious...

well, maybe not!

Daubers are at the ready.

I silently appeal to the BINGO Gods to announce a number I can use.

It rarely works. 

Another month /year of not being able to call out "BINGO"!

For me, it was definitely BING-NO!

 

Horse Show

 Our community Equestrian Association had a fun-time horse show on Saturday.  It began with a costume parade that was fun to watch. 

This sweet pony was very fuzzy.

This stocky horse seemed to have a marvelously calm disposition.

This was another calm horse, and he seemed to like showing off is decorations

The donkey was my favorite equine.

The horse behind the donkey later decided he wanted to roll in the sand, and plopped down before the rider really knew what he was doing. Luckily, she got him back up before he flopped on his side.

Santa came to visit as well. He was a grateful, jovial guy, just like a Santa should be.

But, not everyone wanted a picture taken with the big, red elf! 

I did not stay to see any of the other competitions, but it looked like they had a fun line-up of classes that would appeal to beginners as well as advanced riders, as well as both English and Western riders.

A Perfect Day Gardening

 Although we had a chilly (for central Florida) start to the day on Friday, it warmed up and we enjoyed a beautiful sunny day.  I did a little work in the garden. 

It's a bit of a challenge trying not to grip anything with my right hand!  I did manage to transplant three walking Iris. I planted them in a shady area of the garden last year, then we had trees removed and the area became too sunny for the Iris. They were quite unhappy.

The Mister, after having dug up an area for the Iris, planted a Leyland cypress we had purchased quite some time ago.  I added a few baubles for the season.

As I puttered around the yard I came across some prettiness I had to share:

Gerbera Daisy

Tractor Seat Plant

Azalea

Our first Camellia bloom of the season

All of the blooms were on plants we planted over the past year.

Holiday Preparations

 I have slowly been preparing for Christmas. 

Very slowly!

I did climb up to the attic to hand down some bins and boxes of Christmas doo-dads to the Mister, who stood below waiting to grab things. I always find it fun to rediscover Christmas! This year I'm finding that I'm missing things. Hmmm, did we give it away? Throw it away? Bring it here, but it is still hiding in a box somewhere?

I have jettisoned many Christmas items from the past, and occasionally I do miss them, but we just didn't/don't have the space. 

I did find our fake tree, and found a corner where it will work. I have more ornaments to add. Frequently I grab one and hang it as I go by the tree. I want to get tinsel. It can make a huge mess, but I love the way it sparkles. Do you fondly recall tinsel of old...like the leaded tinsel that we carefully saved each year?! (Or wadded up into balls to toss at siblings!)

Our stockings are hung....

we don't have a fireplace.

For now they are on this display cabinet.

Later I may put them under the TV, and access one of the online fireplace displays,

complete with cracking log sounds!

I threw this hanging together once we moved up here. 

I quilted it on my embroidery machine.

I'm glad I have a long arm quilting machine 

because using the embroidery machine for this purpose is a PITA!

Here and there I have a few other seasonal items I've hung onto.

We put up some lights outside, and I have a few wreaths to hang on the front and side doors.

I'm sure we will put up a few more Christmas items before the day.

But, the big deal is that we decided to continue our long-standing tradition of having our neighbors and friends come to our home for breakfast on Christmas morning.  

I sent out invitations earlier this week. 

(If y'all are in the area, come on by!)

It started over 30 years ago. Both sets of parents were living within 15 miles of us. My mother and father always celebrated on Christmas Eve. My in-laws always celebrated with a huge Christmas dinner. What was I to do?  Why, of course, the only meal left: Christmas breakfast! 

Then one year a friend and her family had no one visiting. So we invited them to our breakfast. The next year we expanded, and invited a few more friends without family. and our family for breakfast.  Following that, we invited our neighbors, friends, and family. 

We have only briefly met folks in our neighborhood. We decided to continue our tradition, and perhaps get to know our neighbors a bit better. We could have 4 extra folks in, or we could have 24...either way, it will be fun to have folks here to celebrate the day. 

Do you have special holiday traditions?

Do you host a special meal over the holidays?

What is your favorite dish?