As soon as I walked in after work I sensed a problem. According to Magglio, someone---but not him-must have broke in, turned the shredder bin upside down, spread the shreds from one end of the office to the other and then left. Magglio said we are lucky he was here to protect the house. He thinks it may have been the dog next door--but he maintains his innocence. Just in case, he is retaining the services of a lawyer.

Skating party!

It doesn't happen every year, but when it does----we love it! After a cold spell, we drill the ice on our pond and if it is thick enough to be safe, we skate. And it doesn't come without a little effort----we don't own a Zamboni so we have to clear the ice ourselves of snow. The first ice of the year is the best---smooth and clear. Yesterday we had a little skating party and it is a good thing we did---because today with the warm-up there is open water!

No where to go!

I always take the day after our ski trip off---mainly because I am tired and also to catch up on laundry and unpack. And today is even better because the temps are hovering around zero. And to seal the deal---my husband took my car to work so he can wash it later--so I can't go out even if I want to---Sweet!

Weary travelin'

We are headed back to the Buckeye state after a fun weekend--our annual ski trip. This was the weekend that my husbands family drive up to a beautiful
Area of Michigan to ski, snow shoe, laugh, eat and have fun. As the t shirt attests, we've been doing this a long time. The only low point was earlier this morning as we drove through a snow storm with no visibility. Glad I took tomorrow off
To rest up.

Bees

It was a good feeling---make that a great feeling- to see the girls out and buzzing around as the temp went over 50 degrees!! These smart gals know when the thermometer is a good temp to come out and get some fresh air. But that is bees for you, the rest of us are laying around the house telling ourselves we should be outdoors, but the bees are
actually doing it.

Finally

At last it's Friday! We are going to see Les Miserable tonite---finally!! It was a toss up between Lincoln and Les Mis but since my Honey said "your choice" it is going to be Les Mis. Only because I have loved the novel since I have been 14 and the music since the Broadway version came out. And just because I know how I am with musicals, I am taking the CD along to listen to on the way home.

Homemade Bread

Along with my quest for healthier eating comes an urge to cook. Add to the mix a houseful of sickly people. Not me though---I had a flu shot! Today we had chicken noodle soup simmering on the stove and this was my finest hour for homemade soup. Not sure why this one turned out better than others except I used a really plump-obese would be more like it---roaster and set it simmering all day with just enough water to cover. And then I tried a new recipe for homemade bread---a great no-knead artisanal loaf that called for a pan of water in the oven to give it a crunchy crust. Finally--and this is what I am really proud of---I wanted a dessert and made crepes at the last minute using my homemade pear jam as a filling. The best part was this was not labor intensive but a really enjoyable day!

P.S.

And can I add a few more to yesterday's post?
-Organize my sewing room. And get rid of at least 50% of the "this and that's" that I am saving for future projects. Those projects are never going to happen. I get happy just thinking about an organized room
-Plant enough rhubarb to be able to say I am tired of it. Because I Love rhubarb and found a great recipe in one of my favorite Christmas presents-The Smittenkitchen cookbook. I have planted it for the last 3 years and it never does well. How can it not do well? It's almost a weed!

New Year!

It's a New Year and with it comes that good "let's start anew" feeling. Of course I made resolutions---didn't everyone? I am going to put mine here so I can either publicly humiliate myself or make myself accountable!
1. Stop neglecting my Blog. See-I am already accomplishing this. Oh Instsgram-you have your charms but this blog is my
first love.
2. Do something I have never done before---and that I will be proud of! I just don't know what that is yet! 2 years ago it was beekeeping and last year it was running a 5k. I have some ideas-stay tuned.
3. Lose weight---that is a tradition--the resolution, not following through!
4. And finally--let my fingernails grow!! I cannot do this alone-so I ordered some nasty tasting yet pricey polish to help!