Pulitzer! Pulitzer!

Oh, I'm sorry. That should be "Another Pulitzer!

Maybe he just couldn't afford to get his mom a present

Dog shoplifts bone from local grocery. How funny is this? And no, there is no catch. The dog does really shoplift a rawhide bone, all by himself.

If the dog was actually trained to do this as a joke on the manager, I'm sure we'll shortly find out.

Christmas eve, Christmas carols, Christmas kittens

The kittens all adorned with their brand new collars and tags, the country music station is cranked with Christmas carols, and I am belting them out without restraint. Wrapping presents, cleaning the house, and not having worry about what any other human thinks.

To take each moment
And live each moment
in peace, eternally
Let there be peace on earth,
and let it begin with me

Merry Christmas! Have a wonderful holiday!

How many do you have in your bottom drawer?

Whatever you come up with here please don't give it to me, okay?

Have fun! The music is very catchy. :)

What's in the freezer; what shall I make?

I can't thank my friend Cary enough for her constant IM-ing about how she was eating shrimp in this, shrimp in that...I finally broke down a few months ago and bought a big bag of frozen cooked shrimp (tails on) and discovered that whenever I didn't know what to eat, I could always through a few shrimp in a pan or pot and come up with something. Best of all, even though a bag is fairly pricey ($11-$13) one person won't eat more than a handful, so a bag lasts a long while. It's important to keep it wrapped up tight, and to not leave it out, as shrimp thaws very quickly.

I am not a shrimp fanatic, but being able to throw together shrimp scampi, or toss a few shrimp in a pasta sauce, has certainly brightened up some boring dinners.

The other day I was mulling over all the sausage in my freezer from the local pig we purchased last year, trying to figure out what to do with it. And I thought "I have shrimp, I have sausage, I have rice: Jambalaya!"

I scoured the internet, and what I happened to have in my cupboard and came up with this:

INGREDIENTS

* 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
* 1/4 pound spicy or mild sausage (not sweet) cut into small chunks.
* 1/2 cup chopped onion (I had no onion, so did not use this)
* 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper (nope, no pepper either)
* 1/4 cup chopped celery (hey, I had celery, so I added about 3/4 cup)
* 4 large garlic cloves, minced
* 2 cups chicken broth (I used the whole 32 ounces, or it would have been wasted)
* 1 can diced tomatoes (mine were Italian herb) The recipe actually called for more tomato, but I wanted diced instead of crushed.
* 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (nope!)
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves (yup!)
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves (yup!)
* 1 bay leaf (I had ONE bay leaf left)
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (I used a dash of hot sauce because I threw out all the unmarked red powders. Mark knew what they were. I didn't).
* Salt and black pepper to taste
* 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
* 1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled

Heat a large skillet or medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the oil, then the sausage, onions, peppers and celery. Sauté until vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another minute. Add the broth; increase heat to high and stir to loosen any browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in the rice, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Add the shrimp to the top without stirring; cover and continue to cook until the shrimp turn pink, about 5 minutes. Stir to combine the shrimp with the rice. Discard the bay leaf and serve immediately.

Even with my omissions and tweaks, this stuff smells and tastes incredible, and I haven't even added the shrimp yet. I'll even take a picture of it when it's done, just like those foodie blogs.



Wine, plate, newspaper. Perfect.

Post note: Excellent! I would definitely add onions, and use good cayenne powder instead of old hot sauce. Green peppers if you like them. I am ambivalent. And they were right about the tomatoes. A large can of crushed tomatoes is probably a better bet than a small can of diced.

Back to my dinner and my newspaper.

Well, it's ordered...

I went into Ithaca and ordered the new fireplace insert. At the cost of them, I understand why people limp by with the old ones. Nonetheless, they are a big chunk of metal and stone, and the price is understandable. When you are spending that kind of money, it's almost like "what the hell, let's order the fancy pewter door, too!" (pictured in the stock photo above) but I was a good girl and stayed with the basics. It will be pretty enough as it is, and, let's face it, I don't think I've ever noticed what type of door my friends have on their woodstoves. I've just noticed A) whether I can see the flames and B) how much heat it gives off!

Given that I've had two fuel oil deliveries already this season, and the last one was for $580, this insert, installation, and chimney lining would be paid for after six or seven deliveries. So 2-3 years, tops (keeping in mind my fuel oil also heats my water so the entire fuel bill isn't whole-house heat). That's a pretty fast payoff.

IF I cut my own wood instead of purchasing it.

Installation day is January 7. Sadly, it's after Whiskers in Winter, but still, that's quite a timely order-and-install date, so no complaints here. We'll still have the fireplace in the great room.

There is some irony that it is being purchased with natural gas lease funds.

Yeah, it's cool, but where can I buy that blender?

Lighters can be chopped up in a blender. Just in case you didn't know. But I am more amazed by this: The blender keeps blending!

I can't even get a coffee maker that lasts more than three months!

The things I learn by blogging

Even from my own family! Mom sends this email:

I read your blog with the cookie recipe. I'm happy that you're carrying on the tradition. My grandmother brought the original recipe from Germany. It was made with only honey and the cookies had to sit about a month until they softened up enough to be edible. Also--everything she cooked or baked went by amounts that were "handfuls; pinches, dashes", etc. My mother finally had her cousin Jack translate things into actual measurements (except the flour) and he was the one who replaced half the honey with molasses which makes the cookies softer. Jack was a baker and set up the bakeries for a grocery chain. Thought you might enjoy knowing the family history. This is why you will never find another recipe for "Mom's" cookies that's the same. It's an original from our family.

I know mom must have told me this at some point (I distinctly recall being told about the "pinches" "dashes" and "until it feels right".) But I had forgotten the rest of the story.

Well, I think I'll have another!

I am finally doing it.

I am making pfeffernusse.

And you are saying feffer-what?

My mom made this cookies faithfully every single year for Christmas. The best part about them is that they last for weeks in an airtight can, and she made dozens and dozens and dozens of them. So an enterprising young child could sneak into the laundry room where they were kept, quietly pop the top on the big metal cherry can, steal a handful, rearrange the remaining cookies, and sneak away.

There were that many cookies in there.

Interestingly enough, when I went looking on the internet, the recipes were all wildly different. I haven't found one like mom's yet.

The Barefoot Kitchen Witch has no fruit in hers, and like mom's, has no powdered sugar.

Allrecipes says they should have pepper. Mom's has anise instead.

Mele Cotte does the powdered sugar thing.

The powdered sugar version will look familiar to most people, as this is how they come commercially packaged at the store. But mom is the only person I know who actually bakes them. This is my second batch. I made them...oh...more than eighteen years ago, when Mark and I were living in the trailer on Chaffee Creek Road. I never got around to it again.

I'd always say "THIS year I'm making pfeffernusse." I even bought the makings, once or twice. I'm using the candied fruit I bought last year with good intentions. That stuff has a three year shelf life. Or maybe ten years. Has it ever been tested?

Until now. Mom's recipe is one of those "add flour until it feels right" things, so I put a test batch in and they've just come out.

And they are amaaaaazing. It's Christmas at last. They will be even better in a week. This is one cookie that gets better with age.

Mine are perhaps a touch sweet. I think maybe a bit more molasses and a bit less honey, next time. (Post-note: the extra sweetness faded once they sat overnight). I threw in more walnuts and some Craisins (dried cranberries). Because, oh yes, I forgot to mention, this recipe makes 13 dozen cookies, and the batch is so huge I suggest you mix together everything but the flour, then split it in two big bowls, because you won't be able to handle it all in one bowl once you start pouring that flour in (approximately 3.5lbs). So you can get inventive with the second batch after tasting the first. I actually intended not to use candied fruit at all, but I didn't have enough dried fruit in the house.


Mom's Pfeffernusse

2 eggs
3/4 cup shortening (the only time I use Crisco)
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp allspice
4 tsp baking soda
2-3 cups mixed fruit
2 cups chopped nuts (I added more)
2 Tbsp anise seed
3/4 cup hot water
1 3/4 cup brown sugar
1 3/4 cup molasses
1 3/4 cup honey
Flour to make stiff dough - very stiff
Form into small balls and bake 10-12 minutes at 375F
Makes 13 dozen
I suggest using old dark baking pans. The fancy coated cookie sheet was a failure.

Post Note: More history on this recipe here.

One or two steps away from "poof!"

My chimney sweep came today, and there is a good reason why you have a professional come and look at your chimneys.



I had planned on replacing the fireplace insert in the great room. Based on what he found, I've flipflopped in my plans. The great room fireplace, while inefficient, apparently has a totally clean, very high-end chimney that could handle the biggest woodstove I could plunk in there. So I can burn my pretty little fires in the totally useless fireplace, and at least enjoy the ambiance this year.

However, the fireplace insert in the den, which I rely on for heat, is very inefficient and has a lousy chimney. So creosote builds up fast. All the creosote in that bucket came from just the one chimney. There were some sizeable chunks up there that he pointed out were at the point of possible ignition.

I will keep the fireplace as is in the great room. Instead, I'll replace the den insert in addition to getting the chimney lined as planned. I guess I'll go stove shopping again on Saturday!

And now I'm glad I never fired up that stove.

2 AM! TWO AM!!!!

Never talk to your oldest sister on the phone in a room with no clock. No wonder she said it was time for her to get to bed.

It's time to realize that "agriculture" is "food"

And you can learn all about it here.

I'm working on resolutions this weekend

Actually, I changed my "to-do" list, which was an outright failure, to a "I hate that I..." list.

It's a lot more effective. However one of the things on the list is "I hate that I don't get to bed by 11:30" and it's 11:30, so I'm afraid it will have to wait until tomorrow.

However I will post my Craigslist score today, the final piece of furniture I needed to complete my move downstairs:



It's an armoire for the downstairs bathroom to hold my day-to-day clothes, so I don't have to venture up into the cold unheated upstairs after my shower. It replaces the cherry dresser that was Mark's. It has a rack for hanging clothes, three drawers, a shelf, and jeans can be folded and sit on the bottom under the hanging tops. You are being treated to the armoire's Craigslist photo because unfortunately it is still in the truck, being too large for me to get to the house myself, and the snow is too deep for me to drive around back to the great room entrance. I'm sure I'll sucker some passerby into helping me out tomorrow.

I bought it from a family in Brooktondale. I arrived just as they got back from sledding--mom, three kids, and their SPCA puppy, bless them!

Thank goodness for Craigslist and friends. It took six months, but the house is finally a home, and functional, and it was a cheap fix. Everything was between $5 and $80 (or, in the case of friends, free). Everything downstairs can be cleaned off and cleaned under. Most of my clutter is gone. Things I never use are gone. New things I get will only be things I need, and really, I need very little--almost nothing.

It's a nice feeling. A relief, really.

Now it's time to get to work on the cat facility!

I think I'm in the new snow belt

It seems like lately, storms are either forming off Erie and coming down from the west/north to the east/south across Syracuse on down to Elmira/Spencer, or forming south and west of Scranton and coming up toward the east and north---across Elmira/Spencer.

We got socked without about ten inches of snow last night, and I'm guessing mom probably got hit pretty hard, too. I'm debating whether I should go shovel, or put it off by calling her to commiserate.

At least it looks like Christmas out there now!

Online therapy. And snow.

The back of my house has a floodlight that I turn on when the snow is falling, so I can watch it pile up. I have recently added a bird feeder, which makes the birds, the watching cats, and myself, even happier. And recently, squirrels.

I digress. Anyway, I'm watching the snow come tumbling down.

I suppose nobody will find it surprising that I headed off to counseling when I discovered my marriage had become a non-marriage. It actually was a surprise to me. I'd always thought I was the kind of person who would never share my feelings with a total stranger, but a huge black hole opened up when my husband left, and I needed to fill it with something--anything--damned fast.

The first counselor was nice enough, and I really needed the ritual of going somewhere every Wednesday to talk. But frankly, I got tired of talking about how I felt. I wanted answers or--if not answers--then some steps to understand what had happened and for getting myself back on track. This particular counselor was more of a listener. I wanted someone to say "think about addressing XYZ this week, and let's talk about it next week." I also needed feedback on his actions, not just my own, and the counselor was interestingly quiet on the topic of why spouses might do what they do. There came a point where my friends were more helpful than the counselor, and it was time to move on.

I then did the life coach/job coach thing which was also extremely helpful keeping me going from day-to-day, but did not address putting relationship ghosts to rest.

So what's a girl to do? Google, of course.

I found the web page of a family therapist, Vikki Stark, who specifically is researching situations where one spouse walks out of a relationship without warning. I was lucky enough that I actually stumbled across it only a few months before she decided to hold a multi-week web therapy gathering for left-behind spouses. So for the past four weeks, I've been logging in on Thursdays for online group therapy that is hard to describe.

First, it was incredibly helpful to hear from other women. You went into a room to talk, and finally it wasn't all about you. It was a good way to step outside your own problems, while still working on them. And none of these people were your neighbors. You weren't going to bump into them on the street. In fact, most were from other countries. So you could say what you thought and felt, without wondering if it might get repeated at the local book club.

Secondly, the therapist had to be the active mediator. My first counselor was all about letting me talk and interjecting generalities now and then. I really didn't feel like I was getting the benefit of her expertise. Because this new experience was on screen (think PowerPoint-type structure, but graceful and minimal) and over the phone, it wasn't going to succeed unless the therapist was active about encouraging people to talk, giving them something to talk ABOUT, and pulling it all together to some positive resolution. Which she did.

Thirdly, she was all about providing steps and tools to acknowledge what had happened, what was happening, and how one might move on (realizing that it there would be ups and downs along the way). And getting us to share what we ourselves had found that helped us each on our own road.

There were four sessions, and at the end of the last session tonight, it was difficult to hang up realizing I would probably never talk to those women again. Of course, we hadn't really gotten to know one another well, but nonetheless you'd heard their stories and shared their experiences for a full month and it was tough to leave them behind, wondering how they would be in a year, two, or three.

Vikki is publishing a book, otherwise I would go into more detail about the help she offered. Also, I'm not posting the direct link because there are quite a few people who read this blog who know and love my husband (we all have the power to Google on our own if we wish). However, I thought I'd post where I've found I am, now, in her seven steps:

5. Give up trying to get the acknowledgment and apology that you deserve

6. Turn your focus from the past to the future

Number 5 was a big deal for me. I can't begin to describe what it's like to be told you have to give up loving a person when you don't understand why you are being forced to do so. But discovering that it's a common denominator that most spouses deal with in this type of break-up is incredibly freeing. OK. Let it go. There will be no answers, not today, not tomorrow, not ever. So stop giving the desire for answers power over your life.

It was rather poignant to have this last session fall on the launch of the holiday season. There was a rather wistful feel to the final session that hadn't been there in the past three. Whether it was because of the holidays, or knowing it was the last gathering, I'm not sure.

I am glad it is snowing. I need snow right now.

I'll miss my new friends, and I want to thank them for all they had to offer and to wish them well. And thanks to Vikki for her sessions that, frankly, may be soul-saving.

Hannukah on the Range

Thanks to Dave Barry's blog.

Lighting up one's attitude

I realized this morning that today was December 5th and Lights on The River was taking place this evening. It seemed like the kind of thing a local ought to crawl out from under her rock to attend, so when quittin' time arrived at 6, off I went.

I had sugerplum visions of some Christmas shopping, coffee from a vendor on the street, dinner at one of the restaurants (expecting a long wait or perhaps being turned away due to crowds), and watching the fireworks from the bridge.

However, the devil on my shoulder whispered nagging fears of parking problems, heavy crowds, and me being a shivering wimp as I stood waiting above the shining but deadly cold river.

Parking was indeed a bit of a problem, but while it was cold, it wasn't windy, so after a few passes around downtown, I found an outlying parking spot and strode about five blocks to the village center. Not so bad.

The event was bustling, but it was clear I had a case of the grumps and the street jugglers and delighted children were wasted on me. There were too many people, and it seemed while I wanted to browse, people kept bumping into friends and stopping in the store aisles to talk, blocking the way.

How could you get angry, seeing people do what people ought to do on such a night? Nonetheless, for a person alone it was frustrating. I gave up on stores and strode down to the The Jailhouse hoping a single person might be able to get squeezed in. But this single person couldn't even get a host to acknowledge her presence for 15 minutes, even after practically waiving her hand in front of three faces, hoping to at least be told whether there was a chance in hell of getting a seat. Watching the young staff was almost amusing, seeing how they ran hither and yon, faster than any 45 year-old could go, but getting only half as much done. I finally turned and left, with understanding resignation more than bitterness.

I stopped over at the Parkview but there I couldn't even see a host or figure out if the line was for dinner or the bathroom. By then I was certain dinner in Owego was a lost cause, but decided to leave town by way of The Cellar.

At last I found a place where the staff would meet my eye, and luckily, a patron was abdicating the bar, leaving the end seat (where the staff picked up drinks) available. The 40ish female bartenders were kind, efficient, and neatly choreographed as they addressed both the bar traffic and the restaurant orders, and their art stacked up glass after glass before me, to be whisked away by table staff. The entire bar was drinking red wine (it was a bit Twilight-Zonish to see all those identical glasses the entire length of oak) so I ordered merlot, and a dinner of tapas. A new group came in and sat at my left, and my nearest seatmate was polite enough to share an engaging line or two with me throughout the evening, but was wise enough to leave me be most of the time.

Carolers came in and performed to bend-over laughter and much applause. I never did leave to see the fireworks. It was a warm and comfortable evening.

It was 9:30 when I left. The streets had been teeming when I came in at 8. They were nearly desolate just over an hour later. The stores were closed. The lights still twinkled. The streetside candles flickered alone.

Except...the Riverrow Bookstore. The lights were still blazing. I tentatively pushed at the door, and it opened. It was warm, and there was music.



I wandered, and enjoyed, and made my purchases just as the music was turned off for the evening. Ah, contentment.

As I walked back to my truck through the quiet streets, I passed by a few more die-hard shops with welcoming lights, and several restaurants filled to capacity--not a common sight in Owego. The street was dead quiet, yet when you looked through the glass you saw flights of diners filling every table, engaged in soundless conversation. It was a beautiful night.

So next year I think I'll leave the bustle and the fireworks to the people who love the jostle of crowds, and wander in a bit later.

And now, I think I'll read my handsome and familiar used book. I used to snitch this one repeatedly from my sister's room when I was a kid in Earlville, reading it in bed and then sneaking it back.

Yes, Linda, just like your "Bambi" book (private joke)!

No need to sneak now.



Kitty to the left of me; kitty to the right, and a fleece throw around us all. With a good book, what more could you ask for? I even changed into my jammies.

It's beginning to look a bit like Christmas.

I cannot join the Thursday night gathering...

...however they were kind enough to send some sage advice:

IMPORTANT HEALTH ADVICE FOR WOMEN.

Do you have feelings of inadequacy?

Do you suffer from shyness?

Do you sometimes wish you were more assertive?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist about Chardonnay.

Chardonnay is the safe, natural way to feel better and more confident about yourself and your actions. Chardonnay can help ease you out of your shyness and let you tell the world that you're ready and willing to do just about anything.

You will notice the benefits of Chardonnay almost immediately and with a regimen of regular doses you can overcome any obstacles that prevent you from living the life you want to! live. Shyness and awkwardness will be a thing of the past and you will discover many talents you never knew you had. Stop hiding and start living.

Chardonnay may not be right for everyone. Women who are p regnant or nursing should not u se Chardonnay. However, women who wouldn't mind nursing or becoming pregnant are encouraged to try it.

Side effects may include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, incarceration, erotic lustfulness, loss of motor control, loss of clothing, loss of money, loss of virginity, delusions of grandeur, table dancing, headache, dehydration, dry mouth, and a desire to sing Karaoke and play all-night rounds of Strip Poker, Truth Or Dare, and Naked Twister!

WARNINGS: -

* The consumption of Chardonnay may make you think you are whispering when you are not.

* The consumption of Chardonnay may cause you to tell your friends over and over again that you love them.

* The consumption of Chardonnay may cause you to think you can sing.

* The consumption of Chardonnay may make you think you can logically converse with members of the opposite or same sex without spitting.

* The consumption of Chardonnay may create the illusion that you are tougher, smarter, faster and better looking than most people.

Please feel free to share this important information with as many women as you feel may benefit!

Now Just Imagine What You Could Achieve With a Good Dry Merlot!!!

How many people...

...have the story of their own farm from the mind of the person who lived there when it was created?

And it's even more amazing to have pictures.

Yup, that's my farm.