For those of you who don't know, November is National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo). The challenge is to write a blog post everyday for a month. I actually tried to complete NaBloPoMo a few years ago. Surprise... I didn't succeed! But with my recent 30 day exercise challenge success, I feel ready to tackle another "Every day for a month" challenge. Since I haven't been too successful at the yearly challenges...ahem....365 day...fail, I thought I'd try to stick with a 30 day challenge. Although, my husband has informed me that the new standard is it takes 40 days to create a habit, not 30. This as he comes to the end of his own exercise-every-day-for-30-days-challenge.
Anyway, I thought it would be helpful to put a different spin on posting everyday for a month and add a home improvement component. (In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that I stole this idea from a friend who did it a few years ago). I love reading blogs with before and after photos of house projects like Young House Love, and improve-your-house-and-life projects like the 20/20 Cure so I figured I'd try my own hand at it for a month.
However, there are not that many non-expensive projects I can complete and blog about everyday for a month. So, my projects will be cleaning projects. I have house guests coming for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, and while my house is fairly organized and clean, it could certainly be more so. And bringing out Christmas decorations has the tendency to make surfaces look more cluttered, so I'm guessing getting rid of the bits of actual clutter that are there will improve things!
I feel like I've finally gotten a handle on managing our large, lovely, old Victorian house. Old houses get dirty fast! And with so much space, clutter builds up in a heartbeat. If I don't vacuum at least weekly (and preferably twice a week), dog hair tumbleweeds start making their way down our hallways. I was used to a small 3 bedroom house...then a 1 bedroom apartment...and then a townhouse. Going from 1500 square feet with 2 people and 2 kitties (and a roommate who did most of the cleaning)...to 3300 square feet with 2 people, 2 LARGE dogs, and ME doing most of the cleaning was an adjustment.
I also really love the idea of doing a cleaning task each day. Though, it's difficult on days I have rehearsal and leave the house at 7:30 or 8 AM and arrive home at 10:45 PM. But I'm gonna do my best! I think I will always have one day a week where I do a big 2-3 hour clean of the house, but I want to get used to doing one extra task a day as well. I've made a list of every little random cleaning and organizing project in the house I could think of, and I came up with 25. I'm sure I'll come up with others as the month goes on. I have tasks like scrub our marble entrance, organize my closet, and wash my cashmere sweaters on the list.
It's gonna be fun. I'll be completing a project a day, taking pictures, and posting about the project. So tomorrow, look for the first NaBloCleanPoMo post. Anyone else want to join me?
Showing posts with label Holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holidays. Show all posts
Monday, October 31, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
76/365 Basketball and St. Paddy's Day
Basketball on the Big Screen and Green Beer. March Madness and St. Paddy's Day meet at our house.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
2010 Year-In-Review
I love reflecting on this past year...I think it may have been one of the best of my life! Even though it was probably the most stressful, as well!
January- I complete the Goofy Challenge (39.3 miles in two days!) at Disney World. Come home, and J proposes. I giddily accept!
February- Wedding details are ironed out (date, venue, etc). I play "Gertie" in the Chorale's Production of Oklahoma!
March- Good friends throw J and I a fabulous surprise Engagement Party. We make a snap decision to start looking to purchase a house!
April- Travel to SC for 200 guest Engagement Party thrown by my parents. We put in a contract on an old Victorian house in Baltimore.
May- Become a homeowner! I close on our house while J is in France.
June- Begin to settle J into new house. Do A LOT of painting.
July- Complete many wedding details. Visit Chapel Hill.
August- Wedding planning and housework are in full swing. I also complete my third Iron Girl Triathlon (and likely my last for awhile).
September- Everything is pretty much All-Wedding, all the time. Except for day jobs, opera, and singing. :)
October- Only one month 'til the wedding you say? Things are fairly under control. We move my stuff into the Spy House (the name for our new home!). We host a yummy Cabernet tasting dinner.
November- Did anything important happen in November? I can't seem to remember...oh, right! I made a sacred covenant with God and J to be joined to him forever. Also went on an amazing trip to the Napa Valley for our mini-moon (which, let's be honest, was not so "mini").
December- Sang some (but not as much as past Decembers). Worked on getting our house in order. Put up giant, gorgeous live Christmas tree. Parents and Godmother visited for Christmas.
So...that is my very brief Year In Review. Here's to a fabulous 2011, as well!
January- I complete the Goofy Challenge (39.3 miles in two days!) at Disney World. Come home, and J proposes. I giddily accept!
February- Wedding details are ironed out (date, venue, etc). I play "Gertie" in the Chorale's Production of Oklahoma!
March- Good friends throw J and I a fabulous surprise Engagement Party. We make a snap decision to start looking to purchase a house!
April- Travel to SC for 200 guest Engagement Party thrown by my parents. We put in a contract on an old Victorian house in Baltimore.
May- Become a homeowner! I close on our house while J is in France.
June- Begin to settle J into new house. Do A LOT of painting.
July- Complete many wedding details. Visit Chapel Hill.
August- Wedding planning and housework are in full swing. I also complete my third Iron Girl Triathlon (and likely my last for awhile).
September- Everything is pretty much All-Wedding, all the time. Except for day jobs, opera, and singing. :)
October- Only one month 'til the wedding you say? Things are fairly under control. We move my stuff into the Spy House (the name for our new home!). We host a yummy Cabernet tasting dinner.
November- Did anything important happen in November? I can't seem to remember...oh, right! I made a sacred covenant with God and J to be joined to him forever. Also went on an amazing trip to the Napa Valley for our mini-moon (which, let's be honest, was not so "mini").
December- Sang some (but not as much as past Decembers). Worked on getting our house in order. Put up giant, gorgeous live Christmas tree. Parents and Godmother visited for Christmas.
So...that is my very brief Year In Review. Here's to a fabulous 2011, as well!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
25/365 Shanah Tovah!
The architecture at Temple Beth Shalom where we sing High Holy Days services is rather lovely. This is supposed to represent the scroll of the Torah.
Friday, January 1, 2010
New Years' Resolutions
I don't typically put my New Years' Resolutions out on the internet...well really, I don't often even make resolutions! But this year, I've felt a bit of a need for some changes in my life...nothing major, but little ways that I would like to improve myself. I also like the idea of using the "New Year fresh start" to inject a bit more discipline into my life. I look around at my friends with kids and realize how little time they actually have to themselves. If I have kids one day, I hope that I will have used the time I have now to accomplish some small things that are easier without little mouths to feed and lives to mold. So...here are my resolutions for 2010! Let's hope I can stick to them for a little while at least...
1. Complete the 365 day Photo Project- Something about this is incredibly appealing to me. Maybe it is the idea of having a photo record of what I've done for a year...or maybe it is the thought of being disciplined enough to take at least one photo every day and post it. If I'm successful, this blog might have many more posts than in the past!
2. Read through the Bible in a year- I've had this goal for awhile. But every time I start, I lose steam after a few days/weeks and never finish. I think it's important to have read the entire thing if I am going to base my life on the Word of God, so I'd better get cracking! I found a nice plan here...perhaps having a paper copy and one online will make me more motivated!
3. For every novel that I read, read a nonfiction book- I waste a lot of time reading fiction. Some of it is good...some not. So, I think I need to incorporate some nonfiction into my reading regimen...whether a history book, biography, book on a subject I'm interested in, or a spiritual book. Since I joined J's book club, this will be a bit easier since the club occasionally reads non-fiction. Coming up soon is a biography of Huey Long. 876 pages. Think I can get away with counting that as 2 novels?
4. Stick to my savings budget- I go in and out of being good at saving money. My net worth last year fluctuated by $5000 at any given time. Sometimes I'm really good at saving...and then I go on spending sprees. This year, I'd like to even that out a bit, so I've thrown a little "cushion" money into my budget to cover my erratic spending. Instead of putting $1000 a month into savings, I'm going to attempt to put $700. Better less saved a month and kept in there than having money subject to my erratic spending habits!
5. Attempt a "No Spending" month- This goes along with number 4. As much as I detest our materialistic culture, I often get caught up in it. I'd like for March or April to be a "no spending month"...including food, eating out, coffee, clothes, books, etc. Don't worry...I'll still eat! I'd just like to see how long I can last eating out of my freezer and pantry!
6. Cook one or two recipe's from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking for Sunday Dinner each week- So obviously, I stole this from the Julie/Julia Project blog and the book/movie of the same name. But I love French cooking, and need to have a little discipline in order to make myself cook. I am a decent cook...I can whip up a mean red sauce, put together casseroles, and cook a decent roast. But, I'd like to take my cooking skills a little further. I love cooking on Sundays because there is no pressure to be done at a certain time. I can start cooking at 3:00, and if I'm done by 5:00, then we eat then. If it's more like 7:00, that works, too. Part of what I don't enjoy about cooking is the timing. I haven't told my roommate that this is my plan (she might see it on the blog, though!)..but I don't think she will complain since she doesn't think that I cook enough. I'm starting this weekend by watching Julie and Julia and making Boeuf Bourginion. Good luck to me...
7. Oh, and what is a list of New Years' Resolutions without one to lose weight? So, I'd like to Lose 10 lbs. Ha!
So those are my goals for 2010. Again, nothing major, and all improvements I can certainly live with!
1. Complete the 365 day Photo Project- Something about this is incredibly appealing to me. Maybe it is the idea of having a photo record of what I've done for a year...or maybe it is the thought of being disciplined enough to take at least one photo every day and post it. If I'm successful, this blog might have many more posts than in the past!
2. Read through the Bible in a year- I've had this goal for awhile. But every time I start, I lose steam after a few days/weeks and never finish. I think it's important to have read the entire thing if I am going to base my life on the Word of God, so I'd better get cracking! I found a nice plan here...perhaps having a paper copy and one online will make me more motivated!
3. For every novel that I read, read a nonfiction book- I waste a lot of time reading fiction. Some of it is good...some not. So, I think I need to incorporate some nonfiction into my reading regimen...whether a history book, biography, book on a subject I'm interested in, or a spiritual book. Since I joined J's book club, this will be a bit easier since the club occasionally reads non-fiction. Coming up soon is a biography of Huey Long. 876 pages. Think I can get away with counting that as 2 novels?
4. Stick to my savings budget- I go in and out of being good at saving money. My net worth last year fluctuated by $5000 at any given time. Sometimes I'm really good at saving...and then I go on spending sprees. This year, I'd like to even that out a bit, so I've thrown a little "cushion" money into my budget to cover my erratic spending. Instead of putting $1000 a month into savings, I'm going to attempt to put $700. Better less saved a month and kept in there than having money subject to my erratic spending habits!
5. Attempt a "No Spending" month- This goes along with number 4. As much as I detest our materialistic culture, I often get caught up in it. I'd like for March or April to be a "no spending month"...including food, eating out, coffee, clothes, books, etc. Don't worry...I'll still eat! I'd just like to see how long I can last eating out of my freezer and pantry!
6. Cook one or two recipe's from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking for Sunday Dinner each week- So obviously, I stole this from the Julie/Julia Project blog and the book/movie of the same name. But I love French cooking, and need to have a little discipline in order to make myself cook. I am a decent cook...I can whip up a mean red sauce, put together casseroles, and cook a decent roast. But, I'd like to take my cooking skills a little further. I love cooking on Sundays because there is no pressure to be done at a certain time. I can start cooking at 3:00, and if I'm done by 5:00, then we eat then. If it's more like 7:00, that works, too. Part of what I don't enjoy about cooking is the timing. I haven't told my roommate that this is my plan (she might see it on the blog, though!)..but I don't think she will complain since she doesn't think that I cook enough. I'm starting this weekend by watching Julie and Julia and making Boeuf Bourginion. Good luck to me...
7. Oh, and what is a list of New Years' Resolutions without one to lose weight? So, I'd like to Lose 10 lbs. Ha!
So those are my goals for 2010. Again, nothing major, and all improvements I can certainly live with!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Decade in Review
Apparently, a lame blog year in review is not enough...seeing that I have now been reminded by countless "Decade in Review" stories on TV and the internet that we are closing out a decade. Is it the 0s? How do you say that...the "ohs"? Or the two thousands? Are we going to the tens? Anyway, here is my very brief Decade in Review. Too bad I don't have a picture to post from each year...that would be great! But would have required a scanner and me remembering before today that we are closing out a decade. Oh well. Maybe next decade...
2000: Y2k happens. Or doesn't happen...depending on whether you thought the world would end or not. I spend 2.5 months of the summer in Mexico with Campus Outreach. Don't want to leave, but must finish college.
2001: I graduate from college, barely squeaking out a Cum Laude honor. By .01 of a grade point. I go 6 months without a real job. September 11th occurs, further dashing my hopes of a real job. In November, I begin what turns out to be a dead-end-for-me job at a bank.
2002: Turns out to be the hardest year of my life so far that I have learned the most from. Heart gets broken by a boy, job is slow and not challenging, I am bored. Life in the "real world" outside of college is hard. Come to know God more for it, but somehow become bitter, too.
2003: I discover that I need both athletic and musical outlets in my life, even though I am out of college. Join a chorus and train for a half marathon. Two decisions that have made huge differences in my life, even today.
2004: Heart is broken again, but this time I leave dead-end depressing job at bank and SC (my home for 25 years)...and move my life to Annapolis, MD. Best decision yet!
2005: I am a little bit lonely, but am slowly making friends and adjusting to life in Maryland.
2006: I go on last minute Bulgarian Carmina Burana tour to Florida with the chorale. Make what I feel sure will (even today) be lifelong friends. Spend too much money going out to eat and drink with said friends. Move into Home for Wayward Chorus Girls to save money. Another great decision.
2007: Run first marathon. Get new, more likable, better paying, shorter commute job.
2008: Make off-the-cuff decision to sing in the chorus with operetta company in Baltimore. Meet J. Start dating J.
2009: I turn 30 and buy my first diamonds, a pair of earrings. Spend birthday in New York City. Fall in love with J. Train for Goofy Challenge. Go to the opera a lot.
So that's it! My Decade in Review...boy has my life changed! Not quite as drastically as my friends who now are married with 3 or 4 kids, but I am in a different geographic location! That should count for something.
Happy New Year, everyone!
2000: Y2k happens. Or doesn't happen...depending on whether you thought the world would end or not. I spend 2.5 months of the summer in Mexico with Campus Outreach. Don't want to leave, but must finish college.
2001: I graduate from college, barely squeaking out a Cum Laude honor. By .01 of a grade point. I go 6 months without a real job. September 11th occurs, further dashing my hopes of a real job. In November, I begin what turns out to be a dead-end-for-me job at a bank.
2002: Turns out to be the hardest year of my life so far that I have learned the most from. Heart gets broken by a boy, job is slow and not challenging, I am bored. Life in the "real world" outside of college is hard. Come to know God more for it, but somehow become bitter, too.
2003: I discover that I need both athletic and musical outlets in my life, even though I am out of college. Join a chorus and train for a half marathon. Two decisions that have made huge differences in my life, even today.
2004: Heart is broken again, but this time I leave dead-end depressing job at bank and SC (my home for 25 years)...and move my life to Annapolis, MD. Best decision yet!
2005: I am a little bit lonely, but am slowly making friends and adjusting to life in Maryland.
2006: I go on last minute Bulgarian Carmina Burana tour to Florida with the chorale. Make what I feel sure will (even today) be lifelong friends. Spend too much money going out to eat and drink with said friends. Move into Home for Wayward Chorus Girls to save money. Another great decision.
2007: Run first marathon. Get new, more likable, better paying, shorter commute job.
2008: Make off-the-cuff decision to sing in the chorus with operetta company in Baltimore. Meet J. Start dating J.
2009: I turn 30 and buy my first diamonds, a pair of earrings. Spend birthday in New York City. Fall in love with J. Train for Goofy Challenge. Go to the opera a lot.
So that's it! My Decade in Review...boy has my life changed! Not quite as drastically as my friends who now are married with 3 or 4 kids, but I am in a different geographic location! That should count for something.
Happy New Year, everyone!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Quick Update
Here are a few things I've have/will be up to:
- - Christmas at the Home for Wayward Chorus Girls was lovely. My parents were visiting, and we had our normal Christmas Eve gathering pre and post-church. This year, we must have been tired because the night ended at 2:30 AM instead of 3:30 or 4...
- - The kitties are like two peas in a pod for sure now. They did finally separate to sleep the other night though...Alfio came into my room and Marcello stayed with Maureen.
- - While I'm happy to be in the marathon taper stage, that makes it particularly hard to run at all! I also can't seem to stop eating.
- - New Years' Eve, I'll be headed to the Engineer's Club with J again this year for their NYE bash. Should be a good time again as I've heard some other fun folks will be joining us.
- - Somehow this week, I've ended up with a sinus/cold issue. I think it is sinus related because I keep dealing with a sinus headache. No fun :(
- - I'm getting really excited about my trip to Disney in a week and a half for the Goofy Challenge!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Yep...it's Definitely THAT Time of the Year Again...
...the time in which I have little to no free time. Much as I love it, I'm craving a morning to sleep in, drink my coffee, and generally just veg. Not having that time is my own fault though. The Goofy training means back to back weekend morning runs.
The past few weeks have been a lovely blur of rehearsals, performances, parties, and running. I really do enjoy everything I do, I just wish it weren't all crammed into the same time frame! If I ever decide to train for another long distance race, it will not be during this crazy month of December. To give you a taste of what I'm up against, let me describe my next 3-4 days to you:
-Tonight: Messiah Dress Rehearsal. Come home, take relaxing bath, stretch tight hip, go to bed. Say a prayer for no snow on Saturday.
-Tomorrow: I'm off from work due to a doctor's appointment. Get up at 6:45 AM (earlier than I do to go to work!), run 11 miles from 7:30 AM to 10:00 AM. Shower, rush to doc appointment. Come home and get house ready for guests. 6 PM- Parents arrive. Rush to church for Messiah performance. Come home immediately afterwards. Go to bed. Pray for no snow on Saturday.
-Saturday: Get up at 6 AM to drive to Baltimore for a 5 mile race. Pray for no snow. Run race. Drive to NCR Trail. Run 17 more miles. Come home and eat food. Go sing 8 PM Full Messiah performance. Crash.
-Sunday: Sleep in briefly. Brunch with parents. Send parents off to Williamsburg. Sing 3 PM Messiah matinee. Go caroling afterwards. Come home and crash.
I know I often write about how busy I am, but this weekend really takes the cake! Hopefully I will make it to the other side...and let's all pray for no snow on Saturday since I'll be running 22 miles and also don't want our Saturday Messiah performance cancelled!
The past few weeks have been a lovely blur of rehearsals, performances, parties, and running. I really do enjoy everything I do, I just wish it weren't all crammed into the same time frame! If I ever decide to train for another long distance race, it will not be during this crazy month of December. To give you a taste of what I'm up against, let me describe my next 3-4 days to you:
-Tonight: Messiah Dress Rehearsal. Come home, take relaxing bath, stretch tight hip, go to bed. Say a prayer for no snow on Saturday.
-Tomorrow: I'm off from work due to a doctor's appointment. Get up at 6:45 AM (earlier than I do to go to work!), run 11 miles from 7:30 AM to 10:00 AM. Shower, rush to doc appointment. Come home and get house ready for guests. 6 PM- Parents arrive. Rush to church for Messiah performance. Come home immediately afterwards. Go to bed. Pray for no snow on Saturday.
-Saturday: Get up at 6 AM to drive to Baltimore for a 5 mile race. Pray for no snow. Run race. Drive to NCR Trail. Run 17 more miles. Come home and eat food. Go sing 8 PM Full Messiah performance. Crash.
-Sunday: Sleep in briefly. Brunch with parents. Send parents off to Williamsburg. Sing 3 PM Messiah matinee. Go caroling afterwards. Come home and crash.
I know I often write about how busy I am, but this weekend really takes the cake! Hopefully I will make it to the other side...and let's all pray for no snow on Saturday since I'll be running 22 miles and also don't want our Saturday Messiah performance cancelled!
Friday, November 27, 2009
Giving Thanks in the Holy City
My Thanksgiving this year was one of those days that will likely stick in my mind forever. The day was stunning, and we spent the bulk of it in Charleston. Temperatures were in the 60s, and the skies were clear and blue. After 3 or 4 straight days of cold, gray rain in Maryland, 60s and the sun were rather welcome!
We started the day with a walking tour based on Pat Conroy's novel, South of Broad. I finished the audiobook this weekend while roasting my turkey breast. The tour was fantastic and hit a lot of the sites mentioned in the novel such as St Michael's church, the four corners of law, some of the residential areas "South of Broad", the Battery, and more. Here are a few photos I snapped that show how gorgeous the day was:
We started the day with a walking tour based on Pat Conroy's novel, South of Broad. I finished the audiobook this weekend while roasting my turkey breast. The tour was fantastic and hit a lot of the sites mentioned in the novel such as St Michael's church, the four corners of law, some of the residential areas "South of Broad", the Battery, and more. Here are a few photos I snapped that show how gorgeous the day was:
St. Michael's
Four Corners of Law at Broad and Meeting St
Looking down the Battery on East Battery St
Me in Battery Park in front of the Cooper River
After the tour and a little more wandering around, we headed to Magnolia's for Thanksgiving dinner. We met my Godmother and her travel friends, and we proceeded to have a lovely meal. My Dad and I split a bottle of Pinot Noir...and then had some Fried Green tomatoes. I had the "Carolina Carpetbagger", twin filets topped with fried oysters and madeira sauce. Yummy! Creme Brulee was dessert.
As the sun was setting, we were headed out of the city headed towards Columbia. I felt so at peace after such a lovely day. I highly recommend visiting Charleston for Thanksgiving!
As the sun was setting, we were headed out of the city headed towards Columbia. I felt so at peace after such a lovely day. I highly recommend visiting Charleston for Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Downtime is Delectable...
I have to say, this weekend was quite lovely. For me, it was the perfect mix of busyness and downtime. I spent some time with J, got 2 training runs in, had my planned early Thanksgiving dinner with friends, sang a few Christmas carols, and spent Sunday on the sofa watching football, continuing to acquaint myself with my MacBook, and reading.
Even though cooking my early Thanksgiving meal was work, it was very enjoyable. Friday night, I went to the grocery store and cleaned the house from top to bottom. Saturday, I went for a 5 mile run in the AM, had grits casserole with J and watched College Gameday. My turkey went in around 11, and then I started working on the dressing and broccoli spinach casserole. It was a lovely fall day outside, which added to the enjoyment of cooking inside for some reason. My Linner companions came over around 2, and the food was on the table by 2:30. It was certainly a modest Thanksgiving meal...3 dishes and no sweet potato anything, but it was tasty, and I didn't need to have tons and tons of food leftover! A friend brought a yummy pumpkin mousse pie (that I am still enjoying out of the fridge!), and after an enjoyable afternoon, we headed out to sing Christmas Carols at a holiday lighting ceremony.
Once the carols were sung, I headed up to Baltimore to hear a concert version of Donizetti's Don Pasquale. It was a good performance, and I even managed to be home in bed by midnight! Unfortunately, Marcello seems to be suffering from an ear infection (I took him to the vet yesterday), so he was restless and waking me up all night shaking his head and scratching his ears. I was worried about him, and didn't sleep very well. I was up at 6:30 AM anyway to run the Cold Turkey 10K race. It was a fun race...so fun, in fact, that we decided to run it again when we were done! Ok, ok, we did have 12 miles on our schedule for Sunday. :)
After I got home from the run, I ate some leftovers, took a nice hot shower, and crawled into bed for some football and a nap. Di-vine, I tell you! I managed to rouse myself about 3 PM, blow-dry my hair, and head downstairs to veg on the couch in front of football. I haven't had an afternoon like that in a long time. Everything that needed to be done was taken care of, and I just relaxed. I did make turkey tetrazzini with the leftovers to stick in the freezer, and got to finish up listening to Pat Conroy's South of Broad in the process. Since I didn't sleep well the night before, I was in bed by 10 PM. All in all...a great weekend!
Tomorrow, I head to SC for a Homeland Thanksgiving. As I've mentioned, we are headed to Charleston on Thanksgiving Day. We'll start off with the South of Broad walking tour, and then have our Thanksgiving meal at Magnolia's. Sounds like a great day to me! Let's all say a quick prayer that my flight tomorrow night is not cancelled and is relatively on time! I'm bringing my MacBook, so look for some blogs from the Homeland.
Even though cooking my early Thanksgiving meal was work, it was very enjoyable. Friday night, I went to the grocery store and cleaned the house from top to bottom. Saturday, I went for a 5 mile run in the AM, had grits casserole with J and watched College Gameday. My turkey went in around 11, and then I started working on the dressing and broccoli spinach casserole. It was a lovely fall day outside, which added to the enjoyment of cooking inside for some reason. My Linner companions came over around 2, and the food was on the table by 2:30. It was certainly a modest Thanksgiving meal...3 dishes and no sweet potato anything, but it was tasty, and I didn't need to have tons and tons of food leftover! A friend brought a yummy pumpkin mousse pie (that I am still enjoying out of the fridge!), and after an enjoyable afternoon, we headed out to sing Christmas Carols at a holiday lighting ceremony.
Once the carols were sung, I headed up to Baltimore to hear a concert version of Donizetti's Don Pasquale. It was a good performance, and I even managed to be home in bed by midnight! Unfortunately, Marcello seems to be suffering from an ear infection (I took him to the vet yesterday), so he was restless and waking me up all night shaking his head and scratching his ears. I was worried about him, and didn't sleep very well. I was up at 6:30 AM anyway to run the Cold Turkey 10K race. It was a fun race...so fun, in fact, that we decided to run it again when we were done! Ok, ok, we did have 12 miles on our schedule for Sunday. :)
After I got home from the run, I ate some leftovers, took a nice hot shower, and crawled into bed for some football and a nap. Di-vine, I tell you! I managed to rouse myself about 3 PM, blow-dry my hair, and head downstairs to veg on the couch in front of football. I haven't had an afternoon like that in a long time. Everything that needed to be done was taken care of, and I just relaxed. I did make turkey tetrazzini with the leftovers to stick in the freezer, and got to finish up listening to Pat Conroy's South of Broad in the process. Since I didn't sleep well the night before, I was in bed by 10 PM. All in all...a great weekend!
Tomorrow, I head to SC for a Homeland Thanksgiving. As I've mentioned, we are headed to Charleston on Thanksgiving Day. We'll start off with the South of Broad walking tour, and then have our Thanksgiving meal at Magnolia's. Sounds like a great day to me! Let's all say a quick prayer that my flight tomorrow night is not cancelled and is relatively on time! I'm bringing my MacBook, so look for some blogs from the Homeland.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Quick Update
Today, I feel the need resort to a bullet-point post. Please forgive me...
- Last weekend's concert was quite enjoyable. Good music, a decent performance, fun "hang-out" time...that's what I remember always loving about concert weekends. While there was drama...this time I was not involved. Thank goodness!
- I also went on the 19 mile running tour of DC. It was a hilly, tough run...but a lot of fun at the same time. And confidence-building...it was the first of 3 major back-to-back runs in preparation for the Goofy Challenge. 9 miles on Saturday, 19 on Sunday. See my running blog for more details on the run if you are interested...
- I have a good plan in place for my mini-Thanksgiving feast this weekend. 3 friends, good food, and leftovers. Ironically, after we finish eating our "Thanksgiving Meal" 5 days early, we are then headed off to sing Christmas Carols. A sign of the times...
- I finally bought my MacBook! After 8 months of coveting it...I finally was pushed over the edge when my 7 year old desktop stopped connecting to the internet and decided it didn't want to have anything to do with my external hard drive (where all of my music and video files reside). I generally am the type of person to not replace something until it dies (cars, hair-dryers, etc.) So, when I started coveting the MacBook, I guess I was waiting until I "needed" it. Which happened last week. So far, I haven't had too much time to sit down and explore it, but I do have all my music files transferred over and my iPods (all 3 of them) synced up.
- My roommate heads to Paris today, so I'm all alone for a couple of days. Well, alone except for Marcello the kitten (almost cat). I forgot that one of the perks of having a pet is their company when there are no other humans around. Marcello is good company, and tends to keep me entertained, so I think I will be ok. Hopefully we won't need to test out his guard-cat skills.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Gobble, Gobble...Thanksgiving Turkey
For the past 12 years or so, it has been my responsibility to cook the turkey for my family's Thanksgiving dinner. Believe it or not, even with my mom being the accomplished cook that she is, she has never cooked a Thanksgiving turkey! Until they passed away in 1996, one of my grandmothers always cooked the turkey. So, for the first Thanksgiving without them, my mom declared we would not have turkey. I balked at this, so she said, "Well, you cook it, then." So I did.
I went online and found Martha Stewart's recipe for roasting a turkey, and bought a turkey from the grocery store. I followed her instructions and got a 12 lb turkey. Sounds reasonable, right? Well, apparently since my family is small (only 4 of us at dinner that year), we usually got a turkey breast instead of the whole turkey! Consequently, we had turkey leftovers, casseroles, and soups for weeks after Thanksgiving! The turkey was fabulous, though...juicy and tasty, so I was nominated as "turkey chef" for the remainder of my days. And, believe it or not, all of them have been pretty good. There have been a few fiascos of course...one year we almost had "Thanksgiving Chicken" instead, but all in all I've been pretty proud of my turkey-roasting skills. I actually look forward to cooking the turkey each year. Since '96, I think I've only missed a couple of years...traveling one year, and my first Thanksgiving here in Annapolis that I spent all by myself and ate chicken fingers.
This year, I'll be flying into SC late Wednesday night, and back on Saturday. Since I can't take leftovers on the plane and my parents can't eat that many leftovers, we decided to forgo cooking dinner. Instead, we're going to spend the day in Charleston and have our Thanksgiving meal at Magnolia's. Not too shabby, eh? The culinary snob in me is certainly looking forward to that meal! They do have turkey on the menu for Thanksgiving, but I doubt I'll be ordering it.
While I'm ridiculously excited about eating at Magnolia's, part of me is a little sad that I won't get to cook the turkey this year. I was reading all the Home magazines with info about cooking turkeys, Thanksgiving meals, etc...and I got nostalgic and a little sad. I thought about how much I'd miss the basting process, the turkey sandwiches afterwards, having turkey tetrazzini in the freezer for rushed pre-rehearsal meals during the crazy Christmas singing season, the turkey noodle soup...and I decided that I'm going to cook my own Thanksgiving meal the weekend before Thanksgiving! It's the only time I have time to cook, and even then it will be a bit pushed with running, a singing gig and opera to attend that evening. I will perservere, though! I may end up having the meal by myself...which sounds sad but really isn't since it's not actually on Thanksgiving, and my whole point of cooking the turkey is for the leftovers. My roommate will be in Paris (very jealous!), but perhaps I can find some other friends in town to join me. If nothing else, I'm sure Marcello the kitten will be quite happy to sit at the table with me and snack on some turkey!
To document the process, I'll try to take some pictures and post them here for your enjoyment!
I went online and found Martha Stewart's recipe for roasting a turkey, and bought a turkey from the grocery store. I followed her instructions and got a 12 lb turkey. Sounds reasonable, right? Well, apparently since my family is small (only 4 of us at dinner that year), we usually got a turkey breast instead of the whole turkey! Consequently, we had turkey leftovers, casseroles, and soups for weeks after Thanksgiving! The turkey was fabulous, though...juicy and tasty, so I was nominated as "turkey chef" for the remainder of my days. And, believe it or not, all of them have been pretty good. There have been a few fiascos of course...one year we almost had "Thanksgiving Chicken" instead, but all in all I've been pretty proud of my turkey-roasting skills. I actually look forward to cooking the turkey each year. Since '96, I think I've only missed a couple of years...traveling one year, and my first Thanksgiving here in Annapolis that I spent all by myself and ate chicken fingers.
This year, I'll be flying into SC late Wednesday night, and back on Saturday. Since I can't take leftovers on the plane and my parents can't eat that many leftovers, we decided to forgo cooking dinner. Instead, we're going to spend the day in Charleston and have our Thanksgiving meal at Magnolia's. Not too shabby, eh? The culinary snob in me is certainly looking forward to that meal! They do have turkey on the menu for Thanksgiving, but I doubt I'll be ordering it.
While I'm ridiculously excited about eating at Magnolia's, part of me is a little sad that I won't get to cook the turkey this year. I was reading all the Home magazines with info about cooking turkeys, Thanksgiving meals, etc...and I got nostalgic and a little sad. I thought about how much I'd miss the basting process, the turkey sandwiches afterwards, having turkey tetrazzini in the freezer for rushed pre-rehearsal meals during the crazy Christmas singing season, the turkey noodle soup...and I decided that I'm going to cook my own Thanksgiving meal the weekend before Thanksgiving! It's the only time I have time to cook, and even then it will be a bit pushed with running, a singing gig and opera to attend that evening. I will perservere, though! I may end up having the meal by myself...which sounds sad but really isn't since it's not actually on Thanksgiving, and my whole point of cooking the turkey is for the leftovers. My roommate will be in Paris (very jealous!), but perhaps I can find some other friends in town to join me. If nothing else, I'm sure Marcello the kitten will be quite happy to sit at the table with me and snack on some turkey!
To document the process, I'll try to take some pictures and post them here for your enjoyment!
Monday, December 29, 2008
The Return
Tap, tap, tap...is this thing on? Heeellllllooooooo out there Blogosphere! Do I still have anyone reading this blog after my long hiatus from my primary means of external processing? I'll assume I do and continue on.
As you can probably imagine, my long absence from this here bloggy blog was due to a number of factors, all of which stemmed from the Christmas Season of busyness. It began with my voluntary indentured servitude to the chorale...I think someone counted 13 performances/gigs in a 3 week span. That was all wonderful...I had my normal Messiah moments, teary eyes during Christmas Carols, seating dramas, as well as a few insecure times. Par for the course.
Then, last week, I met my parents in Williamsburg for our Christmas trip that involved seeing sights, dinner and lunch at a few of the taverns, brushing up on my Revolutionary War knowledge, many humorous family moments (apparently my Mom can go 20 hours without eating while my Dad and I have to eat every few hours), some fun shopping purchases, musical diversions, and lots of catching up on sleep.
On Christmas Eve, we drove up to Annapolis. After 2 years of missing out on the fun at the Home For Wayward Chorus Girls' Christmas Eve Bash...I decided that this year I was not going to be sleeping in SC at 2AM on Christmas Day getting texts about how much fun everyone was having without me. The party begins at 6ish, breaks up around 9 while everyone heads to sing at church, and then reconvenes around 12:30 AM after church. It was quite a lot of fun, and I think I got into bed around 3;30. Whew!
So, I'm back...and caught up on things like work, finances, and cleaning. Now, if I can just check laundry off my list, all will be well!
As you can probably imagine, my long absence from this here bloggy blog was due to a number of factors, all of which stemmed from the Christmas Season of busyness. It began with my voluntary indentured servitude to the chorale...I think someone counted 13 performances/gigs in a 3 week span. That was all wonderful...I had my normal Messiah moments, teary eyes during Christmas Carols, seating dramas, as well as a few insecure times. Par for the course.
Then, last week, I met my parents in Williamsburg for our Christmas trip that involved seeing sights, dinner and lunch at a few of the taverns, brushing up on my Revolutionary War knowledge, many humorous family moments (apparently my Mom can go 20 hours without eating while my Dad and I have to eat every few hours), some fun shopping purchases, musical diversions, and lots of catching up on sleep.
On Christmas Eve, we drove up to Annapolis. After 2 years of missing out on the fun at the Home For Wayward Chorus Girls' Christmas Eve Bash...I decided that this year I was not going to be sleeping in SC at 2AM on Christmas Day getting texts about how much fun everyone was having without me. The party begins at 6ish, breaks up around 9 while everyone heads to sing at church, and then reconvenes around 12:30 AM after church. It was quite a lot of fun, and I think I got into bed around 3;30. Whew!
So, I'm back...and caught up on things like work, finances, and cleaning. Now, if I can just check laundry off my list, all will be well!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Where is Pa-age, Where is Pa-age, Here she is! Here she is!
In case anyone is looking for me in the next 2 1/2 weeks, I'm gonna make it a bit easier for you.
Tomorrow evening, I'll be singing carols at the Paca House in downtown Annapolis with the newly formed AC All Women's group, and then on to sing the Reluctant Dragon at this benefit for the WBAL Kids' Campaign. Saturday, I'll be at the Home For Wayward Chorus Girls watching the Army/Navy football game, decorating our house for Christmas, spending some quality time with a certain someone, and enjoying a "mini" piano bar party. Sunday, I'm attending this benefit for the ASO, and then singing carols at a Christmas party here.
Next week, MondayTuesdayWednesday nights will have me rehearsing here, and Thursday and Friday I'll be Celebrating Christmas with this concert (click on the link and buy tickets. Now!). Saturday, I'll be Celebrating Christmas with the same concert at this venue. Sunday...All-female caroling here.
The next MondayWednesdayThursday involves rehearsing Handel's music about the life of my Messiah here. FridaySaturdaySunday I'll be performing that bastion of choral repetoire here.
And then at 5 PM on Sunday, December 21st, I will drive to Williamsburg to blissfully relax and spend Christmas week in the Colonial City with my parents. Until, of course, I drive with them back to Annapolis to sing at the Christmas Eve service here.
I love this time of year....Promise!
Catch me if you can! (Seriously, buy some tickets. The Arts need us...)
Tomorrow evening, I'll be singing carols at the Paca House in downtown Annapolis with the newly formed AC All Women's group, and then on to sing the Reluctant Dragon at this benefit for the WBAL Kids' Campaign. Saturday, I'll be at the Home For Wayward Chorus Girls watching the Army/Navy football game, decorating our house for Christmas, spending some quality time with a certain someone, and enjoying a "mini" piano bar party. Sunday, I'm attending this benefit for the ASO, and then singing carols at a Christmas party here.
Next week, MondayTuesdayWednesday nights will have me rehearsing here, and Thursday and Friday I'll be Celebrating Christmas with this concert (click on the link and buy tickets. Now!). Saturday, I'll be Celebrating Christmas with the same concert at this venue. Sunday...All-female caroling here.
The next MondayWednesdayThursday involves rehearsing Handel's music about the life of my Messiah here. FridaySaturdaySunday I'll be performing that bastion of choral repetoire here.
And then at 5 PM on Sunday, December 21st, I will drive to Williamsburg to blissfully relax and spend Christmas week in the Colonial City with my parents. Until, of course, I drive with them back to Annapolis to sing at the Christmas Eve service here.
I love this time of year....Promise!
Catch me if you can! (Seriously, buy some tickets. The Arts need us...)
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
The Magic of Cheese Straws
For the past 3 years, part of my Thanksgiving vacation at home has involved what my family and I have dubbed "The Cheese Straw Factory". I wrote about the Southern art of cheese straws a few years ago, in this post. In short, cheese straws are like a flaky cheese biscuit. Yummy, flaky, spicy, cheesy goodness. And they are considered a Southern delicacy...served anytime...but especially at events such as weddings, funerals, showers, etc. I like to give tins of them away as Christmas gifts. This year, the factory opened just like any other year:
With cheese grating.
Even my Daddy had a job in the factory this year.
After grating, the next annoying part is to mix the dough...which can really only be done by hand. It takes quite awhile to incorporate the flour, butter, cheese and other secret ingredients into each other (you didn't think I was actually going to give my recipe away, did you?)
In years past, we've made the cheese straws fancy by pushing the dough through a cookie press. Unfortunately, the cookie press we used last year got worn out. My mom bought a new one...but it was way too big to actually get any dough through. My poor hands would never have made it through 5 batches of squeezing out cheese straws! Instead, we made them the old fashioned way... with our thumbs!
After they get smashed...we added a stylish touch by imprinting the tops with a fork.
I bet you want to see the finished product, huh? Well, I don't happen to have a picture of the finished product yet. However, some of you will be receiving your own lovingly cared for and created tin of cheese straws soon. Enjoy with port, madeira, or just as a yummy snack. Bon Appetit!
Monday, December 1, 2008
December Already?!?!
Does anyone know where September went? What about October? November? Hmm. Somehow, it seems that we've encountered December. Usually, I'm ready for December. I actually look forward to it every year. This year is no different, but it somehow has snuck up on me.
I've written about my crazy December singing schedule for the past few years. This year has, I think, reached new heights. I'm not really complaining though...I love being busy, especially doing something I enjoy (singing in a chorus). However, when I put together my calendar for December and looked at the next three weeks, the only nights I have without a rehearsal, performance, or "gig" are this Saturday, and Tuesdays. Yikes. That includes the weekends. But seriously, I do look forward to these 3 weeks every year. They are lots of fun, and exhausting at the same time. This year has set a new record, though. Maureen and I were unable to figure out a night to have a Christmas party like the ones we've had the past 2 years. There literally is not a weekend night when we could have it. Last night, we were trying to figure out when to pick up our Christmas tree. There is little time to do that as well. She jokingly said she was going to email our conductor and make him pick it up for us since it is his schedule that is making us crazy! I'm sure that would go over well...
Anyway, I don't feel as prepared for December as I have in the past. I'm not sure why...most of my gifts are purchased, with a few exceptions. There is no party to plan and prep for. My room is fairly organized. I have my schedule under control. Work is pretty sane. Yet, I don't feel ready for December yet. Maybe I can hold it off for awhile? :) Likely not. I don't think I have a choice in the matter!
I've written about my crazy December singing schedule for the past few years. This year has, I think, reached new heights. I'm not really complaining though...I love being busy, especially doing something I enjoy (singing in a chorus). However, when I put together my calendar for December and looked at the next three weeks, the only nights I have without a rehearsal, performance, or "gig" are this Saturday, and Tuesdays. Yikes. That includes the weekends. But seriously, I do look forward to these 3 weeks every year. They are lots of fun, and exhausting at the same time. This year has set a new record, though. Maureen and I were unable to figure out a night to have a Christmas party like the ones we've had the past 2 years. There literally is not a weekend night when we could have it. Last night, we were trying to figure out when to pick up our Christmas tree. There is little time to do that as well. She jokingly said she was going to email our conductor and make him pick it up for us since it is his schedule that is making us crazy! I'm sure that would go over well...
Anyway, I don't feel as prepared for December as I have in the past. I'm not sure why...most of my gifts are purchased, with a few exceptions. There is no party to plan and prep for. My room is fairly organized. I have my schedule under control. Work is pretty sane. Yet, I don't feel ready for December yet. Maybe I can hold it off for awhile? :) Likely not. I don't think I have a choice in the matter!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Homeland Thanksgiving 2008
Well, I had a very relaxing and typical Thanksgiving. When I got up this morning, my Daddy had coffee ready...as well as ham biscuits and fresh-squeezed orange juice. Since I'm the turkey expert at the house, I spent the morning basting and roasting our turkey. As usual, it was moist and perfect. :)
My Godmother came to join us and brought the McCulloch special...Broccoli Spinach casserole. Yum!
Dinner was delicious, and my Mama set a beautiful table, as always.
Dessert was fantastic, as well. It's her secret recipe for chocolate mousse with my Daddy's yummy chocolate chip cookies.
After eating we sat around and chatted for a bit until all the food settled and we could go for a quick walk around the neighborhood. The high today was about 65...quite a change from last Thursday in Annapolis when I don't think we got above freezing!
Once we got back, the four of us turned the gas logs on in the living room and played a fun round of Scrabble...which eventually led to Round 2 of the food. Magnificat had 4 rounds of turkey...his favorite. All in all, a successful Thanksgiving for everyone!
My Godmother came to join us and brought the McCulloch special...Broccoli Spinach casserole. Yum!
Dinner was delicious, and my Mama set a beautiful table, as always.
Dessert was fantastic, as well. It's her secret recipe for chocolate mousse with my Daddy's yummy chocolate chip cookies.
After eating we sat around and chatted for a bit until all the food settled and we could go for a quick walk around the neighborhood. The high today was about 65...quite a change from last Thursday in Annapolis when I don't think we got above freezing!
Once we got back, the four of us turned the gas logs on in the living room and played a fun round of Scrabble...which eventually led to Round 2 of the food. Magnificat had 4 rounds of turkey...his favorite. All in all, a successful Thanksgiving for everyone!
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