Gingerbread Man

I knew today would be physically demanding but I got through it knowing I promised myself a treat at the end of the day.

I had another day off from work but I spent it doing a lot of physical labor. My friend Don and I were once again emptying out my old apartment. The task is almost finished. Of course, then I will have to go through all the boxes again when I get settled. Moving is the worst isn't it?

I was ruthless with some of my things, throwing scads of items out and givng away boxes full of stuff. That's what happens when you don't purge your stuff occasionally. You have too much stuff! Don kept saying bag it, box it, or toss it! This is a lesson I hope I will remember in the future. I told Don I am never moving again.

So tonight I am tired from a long day's work. I've decided physical labor isn't my thing. I've also decided that Don is a really good friend. He spent full days helping me move so I didn't have to pay a mover a huge amount of money. All I paid was $200 for 2 guys to move my bed, sofa, kitchen table and chairs, and a hutch for the dining room.

Anway it's now evening and I pulled out some of the Christmas decorations that were packed away. I have a star on the treetop and lights on the tree but that's it. I did do some decorating of the dining room hutch. The decorations are simple, just some Christmas dishes and greenery. Easy!

Now it's time for my treat. I get to eat the long awaited gingerbread man cookie. I love anything gingerbready. Like gingerbread lattes or gingerbread cookies. Today I even showered with Philosophy's Gingerbread Man shower gel. If you haven't tried it yet, you need to. It's fabulous and makes your bathroom smell great!

OK, I photographed gingerbread man and now I have to leave you all and have myself a snack!

Giveaway Winner

I drew the name of the giveaway winner and the recipient of the New England inspired mystery giveaway is.... Mary Jane Smith. Mary Jane did not enter a comment because she doesn't have a blog but she emailed me. She found my blog through Michelle @ Chocolate and Marmalade Tea and she thinks her special talent is her typing speed. I could use a little of that!

Anyway, thanks to all who participated. Stay tuned, more giveaways to come!

Home is Where the Molly is

Last night was my first night at the condo. (As you can see by the photo above, I've done a little decorating for Christmas). The movers disassembled and then reassembled my bed, then moved the sofa, armoire, table and chairs into my new condo. That's it, all the big stuff was moved and only the small stuff remained in my former residence. Actually one of the biggest things was moving my cat, Molly.


Molly lived in my old apartment about 6 1/2 years. She was rescued from a trailer park in New Hampshire when she was 6 months old. So she was not too happy at all to be moving. I tried to bring some of her toys and a couple quilts that were her favorites. When I first brought her to the condo, I put her in the bedroom with the door closed while I brought more things in. When I finished I opened the bedroom door and eventually she did the tour of the place.

With break neck speed, she ran from room to room, investigating and sniffing. No familiar smells here. Poor kitty was so overwhelmed. During the night, she woke me up every hour. By the morning, I was mighty cranky.

Over the past 24 hours, Molly is doing better. She is a little more relaxed. I've actually seen her sleep a bit today. She is obsessed with a mirrored closet door and she is afraid of ceiling fans. I think she thnks they are going to swoop down and attack her.

Last night, I did not feel like this condo was my home. It was 4 degrees outside and cold inside the condo. ( My old appartment was toasty warm ). Then this morning. I couldn't get the hot water in the shower to work. Today when I came home from work Molly was at the condo. It felt more like home. And tonight when I went back to my old apartment and I opened the door there was no Molly to greet me. I looked at the space where the couch was and the now empty space that occupied my huge bed. And I realized this isn't my home. Home is where the Molly is.

Insights

Michelle from Chocolate and Marmalade Tea asked me to blog 6 things about myself and she also wrote some very kind words about my blog. I enjoy reading her fun and informative blog so check it out.


I remember or sort of remember a line from the movie You've Got Mail when Meg Ryan is sitting with Tom Hanks and she says her email friend has 152 insights into her soul or something like that. Anyway, I had to think about the 6 things I'm calling insights into my soul.

So here are 6 insights into my soul. Quite the buildup isn't it?


1- I am a Starbucks addict. Since I just bought a condo, I was thinking I could save money and you know pay the mortgage by cutting out my once a day Starbucks habit. But, I think that's just wrong. This is a joy in my life. I guess it's kind of a routine and to quote my sister, "Routine keeps us sane." I might go insane without my Starbucks. Will it be a grande ice no room Americano or a no whip Cafe Mocha? I have many happy memories of times spent at Starbucks with friends. Last year, I even gave the Starbucks staff at my favorite store in Reading, lightup Christmas pins, which by the way really perked them up. Hah, no pun intended!


2- I am a total animal lover. Case in point, when I was a teenager, I came home in the afternoon to find a squirrel drowning in our swimming pool. It was Fall. The squirrel had ripped the pool liner and he was swimming but failing fast. I ran and got the net we used to clean the pool and I fished him out. I thought if he didn't drown he might freeze to death. So after I got him out of the pool, I got a towel and wrapped him up in it and brought him to my neighbor who said an eyedropper of whiskey should warm him up. Poor thing was shivering or nervous or both. She gave him the whiskey and I took him home. Yes, I brought him inside the house! Good thing my mother was not home. Once inside the house, I used the blow dryer on him to dry him off before I released him. He was still in the towel. Anyway, I got him dried off and I put him outside in the backyard. He was still wrapped in the towel. I went inside the house and later I went to check on him and he was gone. I was thrilled that he was able to move. Of course, he was probably drunk! So you see I will go to any length to save an animal.


3- I think one of my talents is.... I am an excellent gift wrapper. I always receive nice comments on my gift wrap when I give someone a present. I keep snippets of ribbon, old buttons. silk flowers, recycled cards, etc in a hatbox. When I need a package tie- on I go to the hatbox to find something interesting for the top of the present.


4- I love reading magazines. It is a form of relaxation for me. My absolute favorite is Victoria Magazine. When they went out of business in the early 2000's I was depressed. I am so thrilled they're back in business. The subject matter, the photography, the shopping resources, fabulous!! I also enjoy reading Romantic Homes, Yankee Magazine, Country Living, and Country Home. And of course, Martha Stewart Living.


5- I love to ice skate. When I was younger, I took figure skating lessons. I followed amateur skating as a spectator too. In fact, I was at the 1994 National Championships in Detroit when Nancy Kerrigan was attacked by Tonya Harding's henchmen. I also attended the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. A trip of a lifetime! My sister was my travel partner when we went to the events. I skated as recently as last year. I still love to feel the cold on my face and the wind through my hair when I skate. I have a friend who bought new skates for the season so I am hoping to do some skating this winter.


6- I collect sports memorabilia. In my new condo, I am going to have a sports room. Finally, a room to house my Boston Garden chairs, my Tom Brady autographed football, and my Olympic pins. This has been a dream for many years. I finally have my sports museum.


Wow, I really enjoyed reminiscing and making this post all about me. How self centered am I?


So, I am supposed to send this off to 6 blogging friends but I don't know who to send it to as everyone I know has already been tagged. I think I will do this instead. Leave me a comment during the week of Dec 1st and tell me something you think you do better than anyone else. Tell me about your special talent then I will draw a name at the end of the week and give away a mystery package inspired by my love of living in New England. This will be my first giveaway!


It's Sunday night. Enjoy the upcoming week and think about your special talent. Looking forward to reading your comments.

It's Thanksgiving!

I am not cooking today so I have time to blog. My sister and I are going to the home of our "Italian Mother" today. Clara already has eight children so what's two more at the table. She is a lifesaver. Since my mother's stroke in 2004, Thanksgiving has not been the same.

Mom is in a nursing home and doing pretty well, and my dad has noontime dinner with her. The powers that be at the nursing home decided two years ago that they would institute a two guest rule for holiday dinners. That means that one of the three us would not be able to eat dinner at the nursing home on Thanskgiving. Our solution is to have dad eat with mom and my sister and I join Clara's family for their Thanskgiving celebration. After dinner, we go to the nursing home, my dad takes a break and then he spends a little time with us, then he's back to the nursing home to be with mom during the evening.

Oh well, that's the way it has to be, so we deal with it. We are very fortunate to have Clara and her family in our lives. She calls us her "Irish daughters". We love all the commotion that goes on with a big family celebration. There is an abundance of food and laughter and the noise level!
Well, you can just imagine.

Clara lives in a fabulous old home with a tin ceiling in the dining room , several stained glass windows, a walk in pantry, and a fabulous wrap around porch. The home is located in a section of town once known as Nobility Hill. It is the perfect setting for a holiday meal.

So I have much to be thankful for today. My real family and my adopted family are both doing well. I am looking forward to the meal, the company and the football.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my blogging friends!!

What happened to Thanksgiving??

I pose the question what happened to Thanskgiving because I am really getting tired of all the Christmas hype so early in the season. It's still Fall. The most beautiful season of the year, at least in my opinion. Poor Thanksgiving gets merely a mention.

In the stores, it's Halloween and then immediately thereafter, it's Christmas! Thanksgiving is the best holiday of all. There's great food, time spent with family and friends and football! Can you think of anything better?

I saw on TV today that Walmart is open all day on Thursday for their Thanksgiving Sale. And
Starbucks is open 7AM-4PM on the holiday. I heard one barista say she has to work all day so her family has to delay their Thanksgiving meal until 5 o'clock.

Thanksgiving should be about savoring the gifts of the season. Feasting one's eyes on the rich autumnal colors on the table, enjoying the wonderful smells of the cooked turkey and the apple pie, hearing the voices and laughter of our loved ones, and making memories. Thanksgiving is a treat for the senses. It is unique.

I urge you to relax this Thanksgiving, enjoy every moment. The hustle and bustle of the Christmas season can wait, at least until Friday.

Cooking School

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I was attending cooking school today. I signed up myself and 12 friends from my afternoon tea group for a class on Comfort Foods. The class was held at the Stonewall Kitchens Cooking School in York, Maine. Our instructor, Linda Driver, waa fabulous! She was so knowledgeable and relaxed. She interacted with us and created a cozy atmosphere on a very cold day.

The first course she made was a squash soup topped with beets and creme fraiche. Linda demonstrated how to make each course and then we all got to eat it! This soup was the perfect texture and absolutely delicious. Doesn't it look inviting?

This kitchen is too die for. Imagine having a kitchen like this one! Cooking would be such a joy!We not only learned how to make each course, we also learned some interesting tips to make cooking easier and safer.
The second course was grilled ham with fruit compote. The fruit compote consisted of pears, pineapple, apples, apricots, and honey. My taste buds were in heaven! A potato dish was also demonstrated and then served along with the ham. We ate scalloped potatoes with three cheeeses (cheddar, parmesan, and gorgonzola). I loved the potato dish. I am Irish and a potato girl.
Here's the ham and fruit bake with the potatoes before I devoured it!

For dessert, we had brownies with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. The perfect finale for a wonderful and delicious learning experience. I have to say the staff at Stonewall Kitchens was top notch. Each step of the process went smoothly from my first phone call in September when I first booked the class to the last phone call last week. I begged for 1 more seat because I had incorrectly counted the number of reservations I needed. The class was sold out but they still accomodated me.

The women who served us during the class were as sweet as could be. They all looked genuinely happy to be there assisting us! When is the last time your server was truly happy to wait on you?

And there was Richard who took care of us from the minute we walked in the door. He made sure we knew we could get 20% off at the cooking school and the store. He was there to answer any questions and he was as upbeat and personable as the ladies at Stonewall.

Here's the outside of the store. No matter the season, it is always gorgeous.Inside the store,there is a cafe, bakery, and an array of jams, chutneys, sauces, oils, and unique gift items like a sconce made of snowshoes. Most of the time when I visit Stonewall I buy their coffee caramel or mocha espresso sauce. Just add vanilla ice cream and you are all set. There are also many varieties of hand soaps and lotions. I picked up a bottle of White Pine hand soap for my new kitchen. I also bought a beautful basket made of birch bark.

I know you all want to check out this store's website so here it is http://www.stonewallkitchen.com/ .

If you buy one of their jams or sauces, type in the name of the item on their website and it will pop up with recipes you can make with your particular item.

I hope if you live in the area you will visit Stonewall Kitchens and if you have the time, take advantage of one of their cooking classes. My friends have already mentioned they'd like to go back to take another class perhaps next time we can learn about appetizers or desserts.

While I'm on the subject of food, I'd like to wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with

family, friends and great food. Blessings to you all!