First Snow of the Season at Our House (HGR Effect), Dec. 2010

Today's Joy: Oodles of Holiday Cheer.
What a wonderful day, Reader! We got our first snow of the season--4 inches of the wet, heavy stuff perfect for making snowballs. All that magical whiteness made the perfect backdrop for a holiday shopping trip to downtown Geneva, IL. Every store Mom & I visited was decked out in Christmas finery and smelled of hot chocolate or spiced cider. We had such a good time being out and about & sharing holiday cheer with our fellow shoppers. It's really nice to see the spirit of the season so prevalent this year. Would that peace, love & good will were always so common!


Mom & I Going Out Holiday Shopping

Carriage Rides, Downtown Geneva, IL

Mom & Brother

Candy Ornaments


Today's Joy: It's Finally Christmas Time!
Hurray, Reader! It's the 1st of December! It's finally socially acceptable to crank up the Christmas carols and walk around with a child-like grin plastered on my face. This year, the holiday spirit seems to permeate everything I do and I just feel good.

It started on Thanksgiving and developed into a full-blown case of holiday cheer the following day when I joined the women of my family for a Black Friday shopping trip. We laughed and oohed & ahhed, filling up the back of a Ford Explorer with wonderful gifts. Ever since, my thoughts have been full of what Christmas really means and all the ways we celebrate it: parties, church services, charitable activities, cookie exchanges, Christmas concerts, gift-giving and waking up on Christmas morning.

The miracle of Jesus is so much more real to me this year than ever before. In my heart, it's as if I'm hearing the story fresh and for the first time. A wonderfully joyful feeling.

This will also be my first Christmas living with Aunt, whose gorgeously-appointed Christmas tree could teach even Martha a few things about holiday decorating. So far, we are having a ball decking the halls together.

My candy cane obsession has reached a whole new level this year. Reader, there is something about the smooth lines of that red & white color scheme that appeals to my inner holiday decorator. Over the last 5 years, I have acquired candy cane serving pieces & accessories, as well as cranberry glass plates & stemware--making for an adorable candy-themed display.

A few new additions this year also mean I have enough ornaments, ribbon & garland to do a candy-themed tree. Aunt was kind enough to lend one of her small, pre-lit trees, which I did up with candy ribbon, red & white ornaments, candy garland and some fab sequined picks that look like holiday fireworks popping on top of the tree. Viola! We have a focal point for the dining room:


Candy Cane-themed Tree, In Progress

Only 24 days until the big day! Hope you're enjoying every moment too! Will keep you posted, Reader, on all the holiday cheer and delish recipes...

Soup Course, Thanksgiving Dinner, November 25th, 2010

Today's Joy: Thanksgiving Dinner with the Family.
Reader, I've been looking forward to this Thanksgiving holiday for weeks. A whole lot of planning & delegating resulted in the most relaxed Turkey Day ever. Every dish that came out of the kitchen was perfectly done & more delish than the last. Had a wonderful time visiting with everyone--I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. So many blessings to be thankful for!


Table Setting



Plate Of Joy
(clockwise from top: greenbean casserole, yukon gold mashed potatoes w/gravy, mussels, stuffing, oyster stuffing, scallop & shrimp scampi (center), cornbread & turkey)


Place Setting

Enjoying Old Photos

Buffet & Serving Pieces

Mom & I at the Midnight Premiere of
Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 1


Today's Joy: Embracing the Nut Within.
All right, Reader. I try very hard in my lovely little blog not to overwhelm you with in-depth ramblings on my specific hobbies, else my posts begin to bore those of you who don't love orchids, cooking and holiday decorating quite as obsessively as I do. Still, you know the desire to ramble on is there, just as I know you long to acquaint me with the minute particulars of the things you love best. We can't help being passionate about our passions, after all. Don't you find, sometimes, when you meet someone new that it takes all your self-control not to wax poetic for 20 minutes about the activities you love? If not, I salute you.

Still, our pet projects are so much a part of who we are and what brings us joy that they can't be over-looked in a balanced life. So, consider this fair warning. I'm about to talk some Harry Potter.

My mother is about as big a Harry Potter fan as you will find outside the Rowling family. We have both enjoyed the books immensely and always go to the theatre to see the latest film versions when they come out--usually attending the midnight premiere. Last night was no exception.

Brother, Mom & I all attended the premiere of Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 1. The movie was extremely well done and far exceeded our expectations. By splitting it into 2 parts, the film makers were finally able to truly delve into the nuances of the book's storyline. Thus, all of the things that made it such a great book were well-showcased in the movie. This was definitely a book lover's film.

This was also the first premiere that Mom & I dressed up for. (Yes, I am that geeky about this.)Thanks to Aunt Chef's fabulous, costume-quality, handmade hats, we drew stares from the moment we entered the building and received many compliments. Mom was all aglow with excitement. From the moment we took our seats up in the highest row (didn't want anyone to have to sit behind our hats--they were both over 1 ft tall), we became part of this mass of die hard fans. It was like the whole theatre turned into one great, big Harry Potter single celled organism. We all laughed and cried and cheered as one. Everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time. And we left doubly excited for the last Harry Potter premiere.

So, my suggestion for you today, Reader, is embrace whatever gets your inner geek in a tizzy. Life goes by so fast and that nutty thing you put off doing or don't allow yourself to enjoy now, may soon become out of reach or out of vogue or forgotten when life suddenly puts a curve in your path. When I am ready to move on from this existence, I won't remember the exact date of each movie premiere or the theatre we were at. But I will remember how much joy it brought to share them with my mother and how fabulous we looked in our hats.

New York Strip w/Baby Portabellas in Russian Marinade

Today's Joy: Culinary Therapy

Do you find as I do, Reader, that getting in the kitchen, rolling up your sleeves and whipping up something delicious is probably the best thing you can do with stress or negative energy? I love the idea of making something tender & mouth-watering out of my own frustration.

Tonight, Aunt came home in need of a little venting. As she told me about her day, I defrosted two of our own delectable, farm-raised steaks (each about 2 1/2 inches thick), sliced & sauteed fresh baby portabella mushrooms & garlic in rich butter, then marinated both in Russian dressing (couldn't find any red wine). Then I sliced up leftover potatoes and threw them on the griddle to soak up some of the marinade and steamed a package of chopped spinach (we must have something healthy, after all). In about 20 minutes, we were in steak lover's heaven. All the cares of the day seemed to vanish in a wave of flavor.

Why is it, Reader, that cooking with butter, bacon or chocolate always makes us feel better? It's one of the great mysteries of the universe. Right up there with black holes and the search for extraterrestrial life. Yup, aliens and bacon. Butter and pulsars. Chocolate and the space/time continuum. But, I digress...

Last Weekend's Breakfast: Eggs Benedict with Our Bacon & Sausage

Today's Joy: The Little Things We Look Forward To.

Is there anybody, Reader, who doesn't love the weekend? Whether yours comes on Sat & Sun or in the middle of the week, having two whole days together where you aren't punching a clock for someone else can feel like the best gift there is. Two mornings where you can either sleep in until the sun is well overhead or get up early to do something of your own choosing.

For me, the weekend represents a multitude of little rituals that I don't usually have time to enjoy during the week: fresh-brewed coffee with a designer creamer; fussing over my indoor plants; lounging in bed reading or enjoying a hot, homemade breakfast--all the while not caring what time it is or where my cell phone is at.

Couple any of these with my family's usual kooky adventures and you have my idea of a perfect weekend--the kind you think about for the rest of the week. So, when I have a lousy Tuesday and work is about to kick my butt, I just have to remember those simple joys because I'll be right back there again in a day or two. If practice makes perfect, I'm gonna be the Queen of well-lived weekends. Here's hoping, Reader, that you are too!

Pair of Turkeys

Today's Joy: The Things You Don't Expect to See on a Turkey Run to Sterling, IL.

Uncle & Aunt Chef invited me along today as they drove west to Sterling, IL to pick up a pair of live turkeys. It seems Aunt Chef, who works at a local school for at-risk high-schoolers, will be using the birds as part of a live lesson to teach her students about the first Thanksgiving. The pair of turkeys were coming from a small farm that also raises several kinds of exotic birds including love birds, peacocks & finches. Always up for an interesting adventure, I grabbed my camera and we hit the road.

Uncle decided to take us the scenic route and we saw some gorgeous farmland, rolling hills and several wooded miles along the Rock River.

Along the way, we also saw a most random assortment of sights, most of which are pictured below. We drove past Ronald Reagan's boyhood home in Dixon, IL (a quaint, unassuming little house). We also stopped at Uncle's father's farm in Ashton, IL to see their new Oreo Cows (also known as Belted Galloways) with thick, curly hair and funny expressions. Once at the lovely farmette where the turkeys lived, we saw white peacocks. And on our way home, we stopped at a McDonald's drive-thru for hot chocolate and spotted what can only be described as a Chicken Car parked unassumingly in the parking lot. (Yep, you read that right.) It said Soon To Be Famous along each side and sported painted-on wings.

All in all, it was a most amusing road trip and a great chance to spend quality time together asking each other, did you see that?

Here are the highlights, Reader, so you can see for yourself:

Farm Vignette


Turkeys

Belted Galloway (Oreo Cow)

Love This!

Tom Turkey

Belted Galloway

Pair of Turkeys

Peacocks in White & Regular Varieties

Chicken Car