It's gotten colder up here.  We have a dusting of snow, but that may change for the worse or the better - depending upon how you look at it - as it might be possible for 2-5".  Big Snowflakes are floating down outside our window.

 I knew (after the fact) that we shouldn't have thrown out the turkey carcass because now I have a yen to make turkey soup.  My mistake.  Beforehand, I couldn't see the value of keeping it.  Oh, well  -  we could adjust by running down to Sam's Club and picking up one of their yummy cooked chickens.  That would mean chicken tonight. . . . and the carcass available later on in the week.  And  I would need to buy all the other ingredients for the soup. 

 I dislike snowboots.  And I don't know where my mittens are.  That may be the deciding factor between spaghetti or chicken tonight.


I do know where my bathing suit is. My brown bathing suit will stay up here, for when we come back in the Spring. Paul drained the hottub New Year's Eve.   That was fine with me. 

 I can't stop thinking happy thoughts about  my two new suits in Florida.  Not how I'll look in them, obviously, but the idea that they're there.  Carol O. is excited, I bet, to be taking the autotrain down for her third year.  She'll arrive a couple of days ahead of us with her sister Patti. 

Jil bought Epril a new one-piece bathing suit to wear to the pool because, according to his blog, her bikinis might possibly not go with the Circlewood Crew.  He also bought her a new winter coat because the temperature in Florida "dipped" to 70 degrees.  Imagine if  she'd come up here for Christmas.  By next Christmas perhaps she'll be able to handle snow.  We hope. 

We had a terrifically awful New Year's Day dinner out at the Harbor Hotel's restaurant.   We had candlelight, linens on the table, Christmas decorations. . . . The ambiance was beautiful, and I certainly enjoyed being there with my dear one. . . . a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't go there again. We did have a good glass of wine, and the breads served were tasty, and a lot - served with softened cheeses, olive spreads, butters. . 

But, it didn't make up for the dinner, itself.    I was almost tempted to tell our server how bad it was. After the fact, I wish I had.   Paul doesn't like to make waves, but I do.  The chef deserves to know, when people pay good money, they expect good food.

 We both ordered one of their specials, beef ribs - cooked so the meat fell off the bone..  Same as potroast.    But - this didn't have any gravy or sauce, except dry, if it's possible, tomato paste.  It was cooked so that the beef and sauce (?) were very dry.   We didn't order salad because that was $9.00 extra.   The vegetables, tiny slices of carrots and green leafy vegetables, were literally burned and were dry and tasteless.  The advertised mashed potatoes were actually smashed potatoes, which means they weren't peeled, but sliced, boiled and smashed with a potato masher.  They were seasoned to the nth degree.  We don't like our potatoes that way.  We didn't like any of it.

 At the end  the bill came served with two dark chocolate covered cherries, in a whipped cream base that was drizzled with dark chocolate sauce.  That was good.  Not the bill - the cherries.  But  - just being out with my husband was priceless.  Just like the Visa, or was it Mastercard, commercial?

Lue visited Jennifer's family in Soddy Daisy, Tennessee, for Christmas, and felt fine while there, but has been suffering from a bad cold ever since she's been back.  We've been keeping in touch with her by phone.  We talked with her last night.   She's taking it easy and not doing anything more strenuous than letting Greta out in her fenced in yard area. 

Good news -

Talked with Nancy last night and heard that she  has a new sitter for Evie.  A new  child-care center -  only a half-mile from their home -  is opening mid-January, and Nancy's classes start on January 9th which means an overlap (?).  Evie will need a sitter for the first week.  Her other sitter has a full-time nanny job.  Nancy gets her sitters from a reputable sitter-service with lots of references that she checks on.   Being in a big city makes it easier for some things.

Heard that Edna's Mike was in the hospital, but he's feeling better.  He had pneumonia.   Paul's kept in touch.   

More good news - Paul just asked if I'd like to go to Panera Bread for lunch,  and have a cup of soup.  That means we'll go to Sam's and get the chicken, stop in Top's and get the ingredients for soup.  How about that news?!!!

That's all the news from the Woods Edge.  How're things goin' in your neck o' the woods?


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