Lazily Awaiting the New Year

New Year's Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.

Mark Twain

I don't know about you, but between Christmas and New Years I have a difficult time accomplishing anything. The empty boxes from Christmas Eve and all the ribbons adorn the family room floor, albeit stacked neatly by my husband. I still have Christmas cards to send. I have 75 emails awaiting my replies and blogs to visit. We're out of trash bags and the refrigerator is finally void of leftovers. A visit to the grocery looms.

Hope someone else will take care of all that as I'm on vacation. Seems like a sin to spend my time doing anything but piddling around, reading, watching football, and reruns of Lost Season four and five. (Have to get ready for when the show's final season begins in February.) Next week brings routine. This week I remain true to the art of avoiding any semblance of work. Even forgetting the route to the YMCA.

This morning I leisurely wrote several pages in my journal, thinking about the past year. Mused about what this new year might bring for those close to my heart -- their woes and their joys. Thought about whether a discussion might be warranted with my husband regarding his choice of gift for me - like was a gift certificate to get the windows tinted on my seven year old car really something he thought I'd want? And then...

I took a nap.

Sort of like this one that someone happened to capture on December 26, my favorite day of the year. Now, I think I need another cookie. And maybe a margarita.

I'll close out my 2009 year of blogging with a couple shots of the sunset last night. Beautiful site.

May you all enjoy a very Happy New Year! To 2010!

Hallelujah, Everybody Say Cheese!

Life becomes religious whenever we make it so: when some new light is seen, when some deeper appreciation is felt, when some larger outlook is gained, when some nobler purpose is formed, when some task is well done.

Sophia Lyon Fahs

For those of you who have followed this Midlife Jobhunter all year, I wish you a very happy holiday season. For those of you who have joined the ranks as a midlife jobhunter this past year, know you are not alone. Keep your feet moving, one in front of the other. Never give up and never give in.

Have some fun with a little Robert Earl Keen. My destination for New Year's Eve (DO FOLLOW THIS LINK AS IT IS MUCH MORE FUN THAN LOOKING AT PICTURES OF MY FAMILY - Merry Christmas from the Family. Enjoy.

Meanwhile, snapshots from the year (missing Jim and Frank - sorry!) My family. Special love to all of yours.

The Season Continues - Lefsa Included

Why not seize the pleasure at once, how often is happiness destroyed by preparation, foolish preparations.

Jane Austen

The muse of writing has left me the past few days as I've been entrenched in the business of Christmas. I'd like to write that I've done something altruistic and spent my time volunteering or aiding those in need. Somehow that aspect of the holidays has escaped me this year. I've entertained and had family and friends around me, but as to giving of myself, no.

Driving around my town the past few days running a myriad of errands, I haven't noticed Christmas decorations. Instead, the autumn leaves ablaze with color have caught my eye. My middle son arrived home from college in northern Arizona this past weekend. As we visited the toy stores in search of Dora items for my young niece, he replied, "It is still Fall here." Indeed, the oranges, reds and yellows are vibrant and have often drawn attention from my driving. Today, I will take my camera with me.

I do hate to put out yet another post of nothing worthwhile in terms of words, but here are a few pictures of the book club party (our December book What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver) and...





... for those of you Scandinavians out there, join our lefsa making party. Lefsa is sort of like the Norwegian/Swedish version of a tortilla, chapati, or mu shu shells. (Now the Norwegians claim it, but the Swedes do also. Little contention there. I was the only Swede in attendance that night.)

Lefsa is made from potatoes. The dough is rolled out very thin before cooking. We had to experiment a little before remembering our strategy from previous years.

We use a long stick to pick up the dough and roll it onto the griddle.

I like mine spread with soft, creamy butter and sprinkled with sugar, then rolled or quartered. I also like it spread with lingonberries. A friend eats his with Caro syrup. Another with cinnamon.

And what would a Scandinavian event be without the appropriate drink - Akvavit!

The results. Wish I could share it with you, but the photos will have to suffice. Please click on my friend, Beth's, blog as she has more photos. Disregard that photo of me. I never look like that.

Greetings until a better post.

Family Outing Helps Prepare for the Season

No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.

H.E. Luccock

Sunday glooms, but we head out

and out

Catching the ride back to the parking lotA stop at the rabbits

The goats

The chicken BBQ

Pork Ribs

Baby back ribsCompany to eat with

Home to the task at handCompleted

Our angel. My oldest son made it in 2 year old preschool out of a paper plate. We've had it for 22 years.

Tree up and house decorated one more year. Relief. At least until the day it has to be taken down.

Meanwhile - the Bunco Bitches enjoy the evening.