2022: The Year in Review

2022 was both eventful and...not, if that makes sense (trust me, if it doesn't, it will). It was a year of change for several of my loved ones. Mom left her lifetime home, Queen B got her first very own place, and the Man-Cub and Shanti moved into the apartment over the hardware store together. Hugh and I didn't move, obviously, but, if we had, it would have been the year for it, apparently.

2022 was neither memorable for amazing things, nor memorable for awful things, which makes it a pretty benign year, and, I'm not complaining. I don't know what 2023 will bring, but I am actually quite hopeful that it will be a turning point toward better things for the remainder of the decade. Fingers crossed.

But, before we ring in the new year, we need to properly say goodbye to the old one, so; here is a look back at the year that was 2022.

January

January was a month of hibernation, with a heavy emphasis on coziness at home, including a lot of bread baking. I also made a better effort at self-care, which included exercise and better nutrition. That probably lasted until February, if I'm being honest.

February

For the first time, ever, I decorated for Valentine's Day. Honestly, the only reason I did was because I was too lazy to take down the small Christmas tree that I had put up in December. Well, that and because I was inspired by several bunches of faux tulips that I got at Marshalls; they look so lifelike!

In February, Queen B flew to Denver for her God Daughter's first birthday party. Hugh and drove up for the weekend to join her in celebrating Miss Z.

And, speaking of birthdays; earlier in the week, Queen B turned 26, which just blows my mind, considering she was a toddler just yesterday.

March

March was a pretty quiet month. I finally took the Christmas/Valentines Day tree down and put out my Easter decorations, including more of those gorgeous faux tulips.

And the Man-Cub adopted a kitten. He named her Princess Leia. Because of course he did.

There was a pretty heavy spring snowstorm that gave Boomer a perfect excuse to wear his new snow boots.

April

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and I tried my hand at a balloon garland for the event that we hosted for Not So New Job. It turned out pretty damn well, as did the event, itself.

It was also the beginning of spring, which means thoughts of summer gardening started to flit across my brain. At my request, Hugh started building a set of raised beds for my garden, and, as with all his projects, he started with a design sketched on whatever piece of paper was handy.

May

Hugh installed the beds in my garden in May and I started planting with wild abandon.

I also opened the porch for the season, which was a little later than I normally aim for, but, was delayed due to late spring snow storms in April.

Toward the end of the month, I flew to Dallas to spend a week with Queen B. We took a road trip to San Antonio, where we spent a few days exploring the River Walk and eating our body weight in Tex-Mex.

June

June was mostly about relaxing. I spent a lot of time on the porch, in the park with Boomer Dog, and in the garden. I also started growing my own sprouts, which was interesting.

Also, in June, Hugh passed his Boards to become an EMT. Retiring from law enforcement apparently left him plenty of free time to pursue every little boy's dream of becoming a firefighter.

July

Things really started to get busy in July. Hugh and I kicked off the month with a 4th of July camping trip with all of The Newlyweds. We spent three days 4-wheeling, star gazing, making s'mores. and cooking out. It was a lot of fun and a good way to relax before things got crazy.

The second week of July, I  organized a golf tournament for Not So New Job; it was my third one and I finally feel like I'm getting the hang of it. Also, thank goodness for a great staff and phenomenal volunteers!

The following week, Queen B arrived for a long visit. Our first order of business was a trip to Mayberry for Stampede and to help Mom host her 60th High School reunion. 

At the end of the weekend, Mom came back with us to Petticoat Junction, where we started a search for her new home. But, first, we invited the old gang over for Porch Night.

After looking at a number of houses, Mom put in an offer on a townhouse in Hooterville. Her offer was accepted and I could see a weight lifted off her shoulders.

The Cub drove Mom back to Mayberry and dropped her off to start the process of sorting through over 50 years of life in one house.

We then finished off Queen B's visit with an evening on the lake with Chris and Jana.

August

Once we had a timeline for when things would get moving with Mom's house (literally moving), we took advantage of the last days of summer by enjoying August.

That meant spending a lot of time in the garden, as well as attending a flower arranging class with the Newlyweds.

We purchased a Blackstone for Hugh and he broke it in with breakfast for Phoebe and her family, who had arrived to spend the weekend and for a senior pictures session for their daughter. It was good to catch up with Phoebe and the pictures turned out great.

I finished off the month with a visit to the cut-your-own flower farm in Pixler with the Newlyweds, several dinners al fresco with the Man-Cub, Hugh, and Shanti, many evenings spent on the porch playing checkers on my Dad's old Carom board, and even more time in the garden.

September

Hugh and I celebrated our 29th anniversary with a long weekend at The Venetian in Las Vegas. We enjoyed good food, a great show (The Atomic Saloon), days by the pool, the Mob Museum, a gondola ride, and room service. It was a great way to mark almost three decades of matrimony.

(This is also the month that I decided to throw in the towel where it comes to fighting the gray in my hair. I decided to let the roots come in and to tone the rest of my hair to blend with the new growth. It will be a work in progress for quite some time, but I had arrived at peace with it)

Not So New Job hosted its annual Barn Dance and we raised over $30,000 while listening to a great local band, eating BBQ, and visiting with friends.

On the 23rd, the Man-Cub turned 24, which was just as crazy to me as his sister turning 26. We gave him a travel version of the Blackstone and marveled at how grown up he has become.

At the end of the month, Hugh, the Cub, Shanti and I traveled to Mayberry to help Mom and my sisters with a large yard sale. It was bittersweet to part with so many objects from our childhood, but we were very proud of Mom for doing such a great job at downsizing her possessions for the move.

The following weekend, Hugh once again participated in the judging of an apple pie contest hosted by one of the local apple orchards. It was his third year to participate and we were amazed at how much the event has grown.

October

The first weekend in October, Hugh and I drove back to Mayberry to help Mom finish packing and to supervise the movers as they loaded everything up for the trip to Hooterville. It was a lot of work, as was supervising the unloading of the truck once it arrived at the new house that Monday. I took the entire first week of the month off to help Mom unpack and adjust to her new home.

The rest of the month consisted of visiting the farmer's market with Mom, putting the garden to bed for the season, decorating the house for Halloween, hosting a "haunted" dinner party, and taking in the colors of fall before they slipped away to winter.

November

Mom, the Newlyweds and I took a charcuterie class in Pixler. I learned some new techniques and discovered some new locally produced jams as well as a truly amazing chow-chow. It was a fun afternoon.

Santa was visiting the local pet store for pictures with pets, so the Cub, Shanti, and I loaded up the dogs and took full advantage of the opportunity. Boomer and Jade were so good, they each got a fancy cookie as a reward.

Queen B arrived for Thanksgiving, and we started decorating for Christmas while I had her here for manual labor. I shamelessly used the Man-Cub and Shanti for that purpose, as well.

We also took advantage of having a full house for Thanksgiving dinner by surprising everyone with a family photo shoot, specifically for our Christmas card photo. Mom, Shanti, and Oscar were great sports; Emily took some convincing.

December

December was all about family, fun, and Christmas blessings. At the beginning of the month, I took Mom, Oscar, and Emily to the local community theater to see a radio production of Miracle on 34th Street.

I sent out the Christmas cards that we made with the photo taken at Thanksgiving and received mostly rave reviews from family and friends.

Later in the month, Mom and I visited a drive-through live nativity.

Queen B and the Rodeo Princess arrived and we gathered up all the kids for cookie decorating and popcorn ball making.

Mia and Trevor joined us for the 2nd Annual Christmas Cocktail Contest.

And he hosted Mom, Midge, Oscar, Emily, and Shanti's parents and brother for Christmas dinner.

It's been a busy month and a busy half of the year, after the slow start (see why I said it was both eventful and not?). As I said at the beginning of this post; it wasn't a terrible year (2020, I'm still looking at you). It was full of big changes, for sure, especially for Mom. 

At the beginning of '22, I chose Strength as my Word of the Year, and, the good lord saw fit to give it to me when I needed it. I'll be forever grateful for that.

Tonight, we will see the year off in style, with a small gathering of friends and for a fondue party. I don't know if I'll make it to midnight to usher in the new year, but, I'm going to try. I really do have high hopes for 2023.

 23 is my lucky number, after all.

Well, It Was ALMOST a White Christmas

In true Colorado fashion, Christmas day was sunny and unseasonably warm, which meant that a snowstorm was imminent...it was just a question of when.

Last night. That's when.

Queen B and I had to drive into Hooterville for Not So New Job's holiday party, which meant driving back home in the dark, on snowy roads, with large puffy flakes still coming down. I am not a great driver in the snow. Or, in the dark. I'm even less great in a snowstorm in the dark.

Spoiler: we made it. And, this morning, we awoke to a winter wonderland, just days too late for a white Christmas.

I'm not bitter. Plus, I got a chance to dress the Boomer dog in his new coat and his snow boots from last year. And, he got to ride on the back of the 4-wheeler as Hugh plowed snow, which is one of his favorite things to do.

So, it's not such a bad thing, but, still; come on, Colorado!

What's Up Wednesday, December 2022 Edition

 

I know Sheaffer and Shay aren't hosting the link-up this month, but, I decided to go ahead and answer the prompts, anyway. I hate to leave things undone, and not posting would feel like quitting. I'm no quitter, so here we go.

What I'm Eating 

So.Many. Leftovers! Not only do we have leftover turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, etc., etc., but; we have an entire mini fridge full of leftover Chinese food that we got as takeout so I wouldn't have to cook on Christmas Eve. Don't even get me started on the baked treats.

What I'm Reminiscing About

It's hard to think of Christmas without reminiscing about how we celebrated at the house in Mayberry. It's also crazy to think that it was just last year at this time that Mom sat us all down and told us that she wanted to sell the house and move to Hooterville. A lot can happen in a year.

What I'm Loving

Queen B flew in from Texas on the 19th and I am loving my time with her!

I tried my hand at homemade eggnog for Christmas and it was so good, I will never purchase eggnog from a store, again. Hugh even did a blind taste test between my home brew and a bottle of Jack Daniels Eggnog that he received as a gift from one of his wrestling official buddies and mine won, hands down. Also, I served mine in a silver punch bowl; it doesn't get bougier than that.

What I've Been Up To

Earlier this month, the Man-Cub underwent surgery for an old football injury on his shoulder. He came through like a champ.

Our family hosted our 2nd annual Christmas Cocktail Contest, which was a lot of fun. I didn't win, but I also didn't come in last, so, yay! I made each of the competitors wear Santa jumpsuits, so, we were all winners, really.

We also made time to decorate cut sugar cookies and to make Dad's favorite popcorn balls. Mikey and Shanti joined us this year, and the Rodeo Princess had arrived from Texas just in time to attend; I cherish this time with us all together and I'm so happy that my kids (and my bonus kiddos) all enjoy carrying on these precious traditions.

What I'm Working On

I'm not really working on anything, at the moment. We typically close the office at Not So New Job the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, so I have mostly been hanging out with Queen B. She goes back to Texas on Friday, so I am trying to soak up every minute with her.

What I'm Dreading

I'm not really dreading it, but, January is reporting month at Not So New Job. I don't have as many grants to report on as I used to, so it really isn't that bad, just time consuming. But, hey! If this is the worst thing that I have to deal with, I'll take it.

What I'm Excited About

Dare I say; I am excited about a brand new year? 23 has been my lucky number for years, so I am really hopeful that 2023 will bring us nothing but luck. Fingers crossed! (please don't smite me, Universe)

What I'm Watching

I got super burned out on all the Christmas specials, Hallmark shows, and similar seasonal schmaltz that infiltrated every streaming service to which we subscribe, so I joined Queen B in watching less, ummm.. savory offerings, including Secrets of Playboy on Hulu (takeaway: Hugh Heffner was the devil, incarnate) and I survived a Serial Killer. Then, because I needed something less dark but not quite as saccharine as Hallmark; I watched the latest season of Emily in Paris (Takeaway: I really want to go back to Paris).

What I'm Reading/Listening To

I haven't had time for any reading this month, but I have listened to my entire collection of vintage Christmas music on my record player while wrapping presents and baking.

What I'm Wearing

I busted out my vast collection of holiday pajamas and made it a practice to come home from work and change into a pair. I've also worn a holiday apron quite a bit, because I have several and I like them. So, there. 

What I'm Doing This Weekend

Saturday night, we are having friends over for a New Year's Eve gathering. We are having appetizers and cheese fondue. I haven't pulled out my fondu pot in years; I hope it still works.

Sunday will probably be Day 1 of a two-day de-Christmasing spree. I have Monday off from Not So New Job and am hoping to get the inside decorations down and stored away for another year.

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month

January is always a strange month; we have no activities planned, no trips to look forward to, etc. I'm hoping it is a month of reorganization, relaxation, and hibernation, following the craziness of December. Last year, I embraced the hygge philosophy, and I'm thinking I'll do the same this year.

Favorite Amazon Find This Month

I purchased this tablecloth for our Christmas table. It coordinated beautifully with my Pfaltzgraf Winterberry dishes. I wish I had thought to take a picture of the finished table, but I was too busy feeding thirteen people.

Recipes From the Porch: Bourbon Eggnog

Ok, I wouldn't necessarily serve this on the porch, but, I could if it were warm enough outside in December. It's Colorado; you never know!

Anyhoodle, a little back story on the recipe: earlier this month, I took the Seniors to see a play at the community theater in Hooterville, and, afterwards we went to Mom's house for cocktails before dinner.

Mom was playing holiday tunes on the record player, her house was decked out for Christmas, and we were all feeling very cozy and nostalgic. Oscar and I got on the topic of old fashioned holiday things, and, eggnog came up. Oscar challenged me to recreate the eggnog of his youth and I accepted.

The recipe I settled on is from the Cocktail Contessa, and, after the sampling that we did on Christmas day; I can say that it is a keeper.

The ingredients:

12 egg yolks

1 3/4 c sugar (pictured separately because I forgot it in the first photo, because of course I did)

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tbsp vanilla

1 1/2 c bourbon

1/4 to 1/2 c amaretto

3 c heavy whipping cream, whipped*

3 c half and half

Additional bourbon, to taste (optional)

garnish: nutmeg and cinnamon sticks

1. Separate eggs, reserving whites for another recipe, or, tossing down the garbage disposal (that's what I did, which is probably a crime, given how expensive eggs are these days).

2. Beat egg yolks in standing mixer for 5 minutes, or until lightened a bit.

3. Add in the sugar and mix until the batter is a thick, cake batter-like consistency.

3. Add in vanilla and nutmeg.

4. Add bourbon and amaretto a tablespoon at a time, mixing constantly.

5. Transfer to a glass container and refrigerate at least 24 hours. Three days to a week is better (I refrigerated mine for four days).

Remove from fridge and  fold in whipped cream* and half and half. Add additional bourbon now, if desired (I didn't, it was perfect as it was).

Store in fridge until ready to serve. Garnish with grated nutmeg and a cinnamon stick, if desired.

I served my eggnog in a silver punch bowl that I had chilled in the freezer for half an hour.

This recipe makes quite a bit and I stored the leftover in the glass mason jar that it originally fermented in. I plan to serve it again on New Year's Eve, assuming Hugh doesn't drink it all before then.

No guarantees, there.

*Be careful not to over whip: If you do, use a whisk to incorporate into the eggnog. Don't ask me how I know.

Christmas Wrap-Up

This Christmas was typical, yet different in so many ways.

It was Mom's first Christmas away from Mayberry, which was very different, yet, her new house is already so reminiscent of the old house; it looked and felt like Christmas back home.

As with other Christmases, family visited. Queen B arrived on the 19th, which gave us the whole week before Christmas to visit and enjoy one another's company. 

The Rodeo Princess arrived on Wednesday, and the Rebel Without a Pause and his daughter arrived late Thursday night; while they couldn't stay through Christmas day, it was good to see them, and they got to spend a bit of time with my sister Midge, who arrived Friday.

Unfortunately, on Friday, Mom fell in the street while delivering cookies and other treats to neighbors in her new neighborhood. She, the Rodeo Princess, and my great-niece were crossing the street to return home when my great-niece accidentally knocked into Mom's knee, causing her to lose her balance and fall. She ended up in the emergency room, with what would be diagnosed as a broken wrist. 

She took it like a champ, and, I knew she would be ok when she was joking about the hot doctors in the ER. We teased the Rodeo Princess about missing her opportunity for a Hallmark Christmas love story; city girl, home for the holidays, meets hot doctor after a Christmas cookie accident, yada, yada. But, hey! It could happen.

Anyhoodle, Mom is doing fine and I get to say that it didn't happen on my watch (whew!). She even made it to the Christmas Cocktail Contest that I wrote about in a previous post, and, she spent Christmas Eve with us. Granted, she slept in a chair, but, she was there (the recliner was the most comfortable option for her).

We had a full house on Christmas Eve. Mom, the Rodeo Princess, Midge, Queen B, the Man-Cub, and Shanti all spent the night. On a typical Christmas Eve, we open new holiday pajamas, but, this year I decided to do something a little different; I bought everyone a fuzzy blanket in a print that I thought matched the personality of each recipient. For example, Mom's blanket had wiener dogs in holiday sweaters, which we all agreed was perfect, given the loss of her wiener dog, Roper earlier this year.

The blankets were a hit, and now I'll have to come up with something new for next year.

Christmas day started bright and early, with mimosas, Mom's homemade cinnamon rolls, and gifts. When the last of the wrapping paper, ribbons, and boxes were cleaned up, I started in the kitchen, cooking a feast for twelve (which ended up being 13, but I'll get to that in a minute), including turkey and stuffing (I roasted the turkey in an electric roasting pan, which was a first for me), glazed ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, broccoli cheddar rice, cranberry sauce, and rolls.

I also made homemade eggnog, which was a first for me. Oscar had challenged me to try it and I found a recipe online. It turned out so good, it definitely deserves it's own post, but suffice it to say; Oscar considered the challenge answered and Hugh thought my home brew was superior to the eggnog he bought at the liquor store.

As I was serving up the first cups of eggnog, Shanti's parents arrived for dinner. I invited them earlier in the month when Shanti mentioned that her older sister and brothers wouldn't be in town for the holiday. We really enjoy their company and I was hopeful that they would accept the invitation, which they did. In addition, Shanti's brother who was supposed to be in the Dominican Republic with his girlfriend's family, joined us for dinner when his flight was delayed for the third time (hence, dinner for thirteen instead of twelve). 

I was so happy to have a full house, and, while I did a shit job of documenting the day in photos, the memories will last for some time to come.

And, that's a wrap for Christmas 2022! I hope your holiday was wonderful, whether typical or full of new experiences; both are to be enjoyed and cherished.

We Bring You Greetings of Yuletide Cheer

This past Friday night, my family held our 2nd Annual Christmas Cocktail Contest. You may remember that we started the tradition last year, so; it's a pretty new addition to our holiday festivities. If this year was any indication, however, it's only going to grow and grow.

Competing this year: Queen B, the Rodeo Princess, myself, and Mia, who is one of Queen B's college friends. In attendance were: Hugh, Trevor (Mia's fiance), Mom, my sister Midge (who made the last minute decision to drive from Arizona for the holiday this year), and my nephew, who you may remember as The Rebel Without a Cause, on this here blog.

The judging was conducted the same as last year, with everyone in attendance rating the drinks from 1-10 in two categories: Presentation and Taste. Each contestant had time in the kitchen to privately prepare their drink, after which they presented it on a tray. Each cocktail had to have a name, of course.

The Rodeo Princess went first, with a Mrs. Santa Claus Mistletoe Margarita. I found her presentation quite pleasing, and I enjoyed the taste of the drink, which is why it was so surprising to me that she came in last in the competition.

I mean, really, I was next, and while my Red Nosed Reindeer was cute and all, the Irish coffee was nowhere near as good as that margarita and I'm not too proud to admit it.

Queen B went third, and her Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer was over-the-top in presentation. It featured whipped vodka, champagne, Sprite, and grenadine and it was also quite tasty, which probably explains why she won (second year in a row; you can bet we are all gunning for her next year).

Mia's offering was a Perfectly Peppermint and it was both pretty and tasty. She got second place for it, which was well deserved.

The evening was so much fun! I had purchased the cutest Santa jumpsuits at Marshalls and we all looked adorable (if I do say so, myself). 

The girls liked the idea so much, we agreed that next year, contestants will be requited to wear a costume that represents their drink. We also agreed that the previous year's winner goes first (The Rodeo Princess went first this year and she came in last. I went first last year and I came in last. We were sensing a theme). We also decided that we need more categories for the judging, so we are going to include ratings on the name of the drink and on the relationship between the costume and the drink. It should make the competition even better. 

Plus, after we posted the video of the event on TikTok, we had several friends who reached out to say that they are in for next year's contest.

See? It's just going to grow and grow!