m.o.M - mother of Michael

Mission Accomplished

My blanket-bearing package arrived safe and sound last Friday. Only one day late for Alex's first birthday and months late for a baby blanket.

Alex apparently has a great appreciation for the finer things in life!

Delighted

adjective
a delighted child | the Fitzgeralds were delighted with the kitchen remodeling
pleased, glad, happy, thrilled, overjoyed, ecstatic, elated; on cloud nine, walking on air, in seventh heaven, jumping for joy; enchanted, charmed; amused, diverted; gleeful.

Erik was enchanted and amused by the alligator claws.

Submitted for the Moody Monday challenge.

Balance

Submitted for the See It Sunday challenge.

Immature

immature |ˌiməˈ ch oŏr; -ˈt(y)oŏr| adjective
not fully developed : many of the fish caught are immature | immature fruit.
(of a person or their behavior) having or showing emotional or intellectual development appropriate to someone younger : his immature sense of humor.

Submitted for Photo Friday challenge.

Happy Thanksgiving

We cooked, we drank, we had a good time.

Next year, I'm serving meals at the local soup kitchen...I'm not kidding.

Playing with my food

Thanksgiving. Not one of my favorite holidays. I understand why we have it: Pilgrims, religious prosecution, new world, breaking bread with native Americans, giving thanks. I can be just as thankful with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on a paper towel as I can with turkey, four vegetables, two kinds of potatos, gravy, cranberry sauce, pies and rolls served on china and crystal. And as far as breaking bread with native Americans goes...well, we all know how that eventually ended. Greeks bearing gifts, Pilgrims serving turkeys, same thing.

On a brighter note, I did have a lot of fun with the pre-preparing this week. Food + exhaustion + a new camera = a whole lot of silliness.

I had to go to four stores to find the leeks. Is there a leek shortage that no one know about? I think they are beautiful vegetables...can you tell?
The chestnuts were staging an uprising so I took preemptive measures; I cooked them.
The pumpkin was so hard that I could only get the knife in it the one time and had to wait until Michael got home to cut it open.
Bouquet Garni swinging from it's rope.

Brussels sprouts - Lizzy loves 'em.

If a turkey gets cold, are they still called goosebumps?

My darling Michael took the red-eye from L.A., dropped his bags by the front door at 7:30am and went staight to the kitchen to prepare his delectable pies. That's my guy!

Going...going...GONE!

Hurray! The baby blanket is gone! No more baby blanket blues! As I write this, it is winging its way north and will only be one day late for baby Alex's 1st birthday...not too bad considering she was only three months old when I had the brilliant idea to make this blanket.

For all my bitching and complaining, I think it's probably the prettiest thing I've ever made and I never could have done it without Patti. Thank you, thank you, my friend!

Now I think it's time for Frau Henkell and Senora Campari to have a nice long spa weekend and celebrate!

A Farewell to Sampson

Sampson departed from this fair world today.

When he joined our family he was very much wanted. I even slept on the idea of Sampson before I made the actual decision because I did not want to be impulsive. I read all the books and searched all the websites. I even bought vitamins.

When Sampson arrived his room was made up and the lights were on. We fed him and cleaned up after him. He and Michael were virtually inseparable. He oversaw Lizzy's homework.

His favorite activity was looking out the window at the swimming pool.

Sampson wasn't any trouble, perhaps we should have made more of a fuss over him these past few months. He was the victim of "squeaky wheel" syndrome; everyone else was getting greased and he was being ignored.

He'll be sorely missed. After two years with him, I had grown quite attached and enjoyed talking to him when I worked in the garden. Like me, he loved hibiscus no matter what color the flower was and he enjoyed the gloxinias blooms like no one else. He was a very good listener and kept many of my darkest secrets.

I know he's in a better place now. Somewhere where the tropical breezes blow and orchids sway beneath the trees. Maybe he'll find a Delilah there and they'll live happily ever after for all eternity.

Farewell.

One last note: Last time I thought Sampson had left us, I did the necessary burial only to find him very much alive several hours later. He'd gotten too cold and once he warmed up, he was fine. That was the time his name briefly changed from Sampson to Lazarus.

Stay tuned. One never knows what's in store for a mother of Michael.

Wait! Stop! Slow Down!

What's the rush? Where's the fire?

Why can't we enjoy one holiday at a time?

It seems as though the moment the school supplies are put away, the Halloween decorations are put out. The moment the kids step out the door to trick-or-treat, the Thanksgiving stuff comes out. During half-time of the football game on Thanksgiving Day, the Christmas things come out.

I can't get the dishes put away from one holiday before I'm expected to be doing something about the next one.

And another thing. When did Halloween become a holiday that we decorate for? What happened to a good ole' real pumpkin, carved with a candle in it? Why am I expected to buy stuff that I have to store from one year to the next? It's becoming the same with Thanksgiving, too!

I like my holidays one at a time. Holidays filled with things that can be enjoyed and then consumed.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, the race is on and you'd better fasten your seatbelts because one week before Thanksgiving, look who was at my local foodery handing out sugar to the little tykes and getting them all wishing for packages under the tree.

The Santa who stole Thanksgiving!

Reality Begins to Set In

It must be true. I must really be going. Bills, backpacks and boots aside, real proof arrived today. My airline ticket from New Delhi to Kathmandu.

I realized just how far I was going when upon examining my ticket, I came across this: