i'm still in christmas mode.

grant and i are currently in my hometown for a belated christmas + new year's visit. for the last 8 years at mom and dad's house, these two holidays have meshed together into one giant party. and from this afternoon on out, it's all about tradition. the schedule will proceed as follows: tonight my li'l sis will get home from her ski trip, we'll eat hors d'oeuvres and play board games, clink our glasses while we drink something sparkley, and shout hooray for the big ball drop. tomorrow morning we'll run downstairs to find our stockings magically filled, eat mom's christmas breakfast casserole, and open the presents that are stuffed in, under, and around the gigantic tree. talk about something to look forward to.

wishing you a fun day finishing off 2009 and a very happy twenty-ten!

back in the day, when i still lived in the upstairs room at the end of the hallway, dad would pass the video camera to my sisters and me on christmas morning and have us document our gifts. brilliant idea. now we'll be able to remember and reminisce about our toys from days of auld lang syne. here's to keeping that tradition alive.

grant| vintage 'scotland yard' board game, vintage 'acquire' board game, mike tyson dvd set, xbox 360 remote, beef jerky

summer| anne of green gables dvds (oh man. been wanting these for years), mr. men and little miss book set (remember when i said how much i loved these?!), mrs. meyer's geranium candle (mm. i've heard great things about this), silk long underwear (perfect for blizzards), martha stewart living subscription (the ultimate mail).

what a shame. the flip video camera so should have been under grant's christmas tree. small, handy, high def. it's the perfect toy for my home video specialist .. except for the $200.00 price tag. if only i had realized its perfection earlier, maybe i could have scrimped and saved and swung it. ah well, no matter. there were many other treasures for us to open. christmas gift log 2009, coming soon.

in the news.. i'm sitting in the family room at my parents' house, with movie theatre popcorn in my stomach and a dog at my feet. it's a wonderful life- up next. yay. my old stocking is in view, hanging on the mantle that is growing ever more crowded. this year we welcomed the 'derrick' stocking to the family fireplace, green felted name and all. during december, that mantle is one of the best sights in all the world. garland, colored lights, and cherry red socks, all in a row.

off to take out my contacts and throw on cozy sweats for the movie.

happy holidaying.

harmses flocked together at steve and judy's house

a music video was recorded in the backyard

radar reports were given hourly

lamps flickered during a showing of the movie up

a 13 hour power outage ensued

meals prevailed, thanks to judy's gas stove

pineapple chopped and guacamole made by candlelight

toilet flushing began again, thanks to the generator

an impromptu, a capella christmas concert performed in the living room

wild winds and deep, unplowed snow

26 people stranded at the farmhouse

emergency overnight stay

beds of blankets on the floor

a furnace break down, a fried refrigerator

a fireplace.. thank you, Lord

parker plumbing & heating makes housecalls on christmas day.. thank you, Lord

steve's sturdy truck chauffeured families to town and back

houses and cars half-buried

home again, fresh socks have never felt better

grant's new snowblower put to good use

total accumulation upwards of 20 inches of snow

a christmas to remember, and we all lived happily ever after

ps. more photos to come

hope you had yourself a merry little christmas!

yours, summer

the amaryllis has had another round of blooms

the gifts are wrapped

the carols have been sung

the wreaths have finally been hung

the 7 ft artificial pine has been sprayed with my favorite mist

the snowstorm is on schedule (100% chance christmas eve, 80% on christmas day)

the family is heading our way

grant is at school, but only for a half day

a phone call is in an order to my nebraska clan

and all i need from the store is brown sugar and dish soap.

at this point in the christmas timetable it seems like i must have a strand of colored bulbs in sight at all times. can you spy my li'l tree? it goes wherever i go these days. i take it up to our attic bedroom at night and it throws a pretty pink glow on our sloping walls. and each morning i carry it back downstairs to enjoy on the kitchen counter all day long. hats off to mom for putting this notion in my head. she always had a little tree in her kitchen to brighten her baking. to all of you who will be joining me in the kitchen today, i wish you sweet merry-making. as we prepare our feasts, may we also prepare our hearts.

i've already played up my preferred version of little women, now for my favorite edition of the night before christmas. a whitman giant tell-a-tale from 1960, with exquisite illustrations by catherine barnes. it used to sit in the hall bedroom at grandma's house on 39th street, begging for little girls to page through its oversized pretty pictures. we didn't even notice the crayon marks dad had made when he was a boy. we loved it. it was extra special, as all the toys were that we could only have at grandma's house.

pound cake. not peppermint bark or divinity. not pfeffernussen or toffee. not even the trend-setting homemade marshmallows that have blogworld all a-buzz. nope. pound cake. i was bent on having one at christmastime, so that's what i churned out over the weekend and toted along to sunday dinner at the harms farms.

i won't rehash the recipe here, because deb's is perfect in every way. you can just pop over there and see for yourself. for me, summer 2009 will forever be remembered as the summer of the pound cake. we made many a batch of this golden loaf in the camp kitchen, using this very recipe. and that's when i fell in love for the second time at summer camp. i will never have need for another pound cake recipe.

it's beginning to look like cake will prevail over candies in my kitchen this christmas. i almost feel i'm doing an injustice to mom's good christmas repertoire by going rogue like this. her beat-up green plastic binder, stacked with hundreds of handwritten recipes on yellowing college-ruled, is crammed with accounts of lavish christmas baking that goes back years before i was born. when it comes to christmas, mom has always baked to beat the band. i love that about her. i can picture her as a young bride, standing in the kitchen of the little brick house in texas, copying her mother's recipes, and planning the magnificent production of dad's old-fashioned favorites. when i hold that notebook of hers, i feel i'm holding a piece of history. thanks, mom. you've made december a nostalgic time for me to be in the kitchen. and knowing you, i know you'll forgive my swerve from tradition for this year.

ps. mom, i just remembered, i made haystacks! bingo. redemption.

this morning we drove down our full-on frosted street, and amidst shimmering trees we trekked out to our countryside church. without question, it was the most beautiful car ride i've ever been on. from my window, the world was a study in whites, and we felt like the only slash of color on the face of the earth. it was a real life run-through of an infiniti commercial; a veritable 'marshmallow world'; worthy of pages in a storybook. and, good news.. maybe more white out days to come. they're calling for snow all week and possibly a little storm in the works for christmas. hooray for the gift of winter wonderland.

those march girls. they get to me every time. i have a tiny obsession with the name 'march.' miss march. oh so perfect. i wish i knew someone with that last name so that i could hear it roll off my tongue now and then. anyway. i try to multi-task while i watch this movie, taking time to answer emails and lug laundry baskets, but i can't help but throw myself completely into this story.

i sing along with their cheery outburst of merry christmas time is here, happiest time in all the year! i envy their treasure chests, all lined up in the attic, engraved with each sisters' name, and delight in the honest things of the era: sugar lumps, lamplight, curtsies, and ladies' gloves. i see their sisterly woes through teary eyes, and break down in a fit of sniffling over beth. i take comfort in the beautiful 1949 technicolor film (never mind this b + w photo) and courier & ivesish scenery. and of course, of course, i'm infatuated with their vocabillary, as miss amy march would say. words like plummy, bilge, grim, and quincy, leave me wishing we spoke with such finery today.

perhaps i celebrate this film with such feeling because years ago, grandma taped it for me on a kodak vhs. i can still picture her elegant handwriting scrawled across the sticker on the spine. even when i was a little girl, grandma understood my love for all things quaint. now when i see it, it sparks memories of watching and re-watching at mom and dad's house, pre-dvd days, trying to de-fuzz the scratchy tracking on the tape. remember tracking?

i truly hope you have a favorite version of little women to swoon over this season, too.

it's officially christmas vacation. and i'm about spent. dressing 20-some angels and shepherds, calming tear-streaked faces and mediating tattle tales, juggling two school schedules with one car, an early morning meeting, a late away game tonight, a motley collection of shoes at our door, and a 20-pound purse that, as far as i can tell, gains weight by the hour. i'm so not used to leaving my house for 13 hours at a time.

today was our christmas program|party at preschool. we jingled bells, sang 'away in a manger' to a sea of proud parents, ate birthday cupcakes for baby Jesus, and lucky miss summer (they really call me that!) got 29 christmas hugs from some of the most lovable little people she knows. today was also my first time to accompany the basketball team on the bus to their game. i got to share a seat with my husband at the front, while the boys claimed the cool backseats. i'd never been on a school bus with grant before. as he told me stories of the day's misadventures in his classroom, i tried to picture what it would've been like to sidle up to him as high school sweethearts.

basketball currently makes up about 75% of our life, which is ironic, since sporting events were entirely absent from my growing up days. and now look at me! a coach's wife. going to games. knowing the rules (sort of). and loving it. admittedly, i miss grant something terrible when he has to be gone, and the time he spends at home is like gold to me now. but going to games together is worth all the time apart. it's my new favorite date: bleachers, starbursts, varsity players, and grant by my side to explain everything. perfect.

the short and sweet of it: busy days. so busy, our tree hasn't even been lit up today. scandalous. and yet, with all the toing and froing, i've found time to start reading a book again. go figure. christmas is coming. must make it a time set apart. fling wide the portals of your heart. (love this new-to-me christmas carol.) tomorrow i'm going to sit at the black table in our living room, look out the snowy window, and think christmasy thoughts.

i went brown paper packages tied up with string on my gift wrap for '09.

ps. happy one-month mark, new house.

last week, at a christmas party, during an icebreaker, (after the refreshments, but before the white elephant exchange,) a sweet lady was given the job of introducing me to the group. when she came to the end of my mini bio, heather simply said, '..and she loves being married.'

funny, her statement totally stunned me. why wasn't i thinking that before she said it? i had predicted something along the lines of 'and she just bought a house' or 'and she likes to bake'. but this candid detail .. this was most unexpected. i took it as a huge compliment. it was completely different than the other facts that were being doled out around the circle. and boy, did she hit the nail on the head. in hindsight, i can see that any other information about me would have been less fitting and significant. certainly, i already knew that i love being married to grant, but now i realize how highly that little fact ranks in my life. being married, and my role as a wife, have and always will be my passion. i can't separate what i'm like as a person from that. it's part of what defines me.

later, heather said that she had perceived my love for being married via my facebook profile. right then and there, my pride bubble burst. i was still flattered that she would include it in my introduction, but sorely disappointed that it didn't just show. silly me. i don't simply exude love for my husband. so at this point i'm thinking i may have a new year's resolution on my hands. actually, more like a lifelong goal. to live in such a way that people who know me, will know that i love being married to grant. and writing about it here doesn't count. it will mean using my actions, spoken words, and attitudes to properly show it. something like..

laughing at his jokes (not hard to do), speaking well of him to others, holding his hand always, caring about his opinion, being a good listener, not complaining, no snubs, talking to him with respect and politeness, being an encouragement, and never criticizing him in front of other people. basically making it a point to enjoy his company and be a good companion, both at home and in public.

i've picked up a tinge of a christmas cold today, but don't you fret. i've got remedies galore over here.

1. the christmas blanket. it's absolutely my favorite. (not sure how it made it from grandma's house to my clingy arms.. apparently i think i have dibs on this vintage treasure.)

2. clementines, cold water, and decongestants.

3. freshly-washed handkerchiefs.

4. snowflakes blowing by my window. they look just like specs of glitter today.

5. my best-loved version of little women dvr'd.

6. hot piles of laundry.

7. leftovers from sunday dinner in my pretty new pyrex. truly, leftovers have never looked so good.

8. harry connick crooning, via pandora. i love that place. i love free.

9. space heater blasting.

10. a thoughtful husband who tells me, 'you should take it easy today.'

maybe you all should take it easy today, too. you want to be nice and healthy for the holidays, now don't you? wishing you a great monday. be snug.

i have been on the hunt for subtle accessories, as i am fond of the soft look this winter. and eureka! i do believe i've found the hot spot. elephantine's etsy shop is chock full of dainties that would be just right. she's mastered the perfectly understated frill.

grant got a new toy just in time for our new house. lately the stud finder has been beeping around our bare walls, showing him the right spots for nails and bolts. it's pretty nifty. perfect for boys who like to be precise in their craft. i'm guessing any guy would like something under the tree that makes him feel like a bona fide handyman.

in my dreamworld, i would drop by the neighborhood antique shop and run into one of these elegant beauties. and maybe it would even turn out to be a pretty jadite like one from rachel's table.

then i would wrap my arms around it in wonder, pay the kind lady at the counter, and cradle it in my lap as we drive home. and forevermore it would grace my table and coax me to host scads of tea parties, showers, and such. the end.

santa baby, i want a ruffly cake plate for christmas, please.

snowdays are the only days we wake up before the alarm. we lay there and lay there, reluctant to get up, because if you get up, you're admitting that it's going to be business as usual. so, we restlessly wait to see if we'll get the call. today we both got the call. woohoo.

this has been a unique snowday. we are getting stuff done, man. i actually got out of my pajamas and took a shower. grant, as you can see, used our new snowblower on our driveway and our neighbor's and even cleared a path for the mailman. i cleaned the bathroom top to bottom and made biscuits for the first time ever. they were downright delicious, if i do say so myself. see the recipe a couple lines down. bonus.. no yeast required. and this afternoon we watched the star trek movie, which was solid entertainment. i've never seen anything trekkie before in my life, but i really liked this.

tune in tomorrow to see more for him, for her. i'm off to keep seizing the snowday. nails to paint, gifts to wrap, bacon to fry, you know.

via the camp shetek golden anniversary cookbook

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup butter (plus more for brushing on top)

2/3 cup buttermilk (i did the vinegar + regular milk trick)

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet with waxed paper.

2. sift together flour, baking soda and powder, and salt.

3. chop butter into small pieces and cut into flour mixture.

4. fold in the buttermilk, combining just until moistened.

5. turn dough out onto flat surface, mound it into a ball, and using your hands, press to a 1/2 inch thickness. spread with melted butter.

6. using a biscuit cutter or drinking glass, cut into rounds, gathering scraps to continue.

7. arrange on baking sheet, sides touching, and bake for 10 minutes. eat immediately, smothered with butter.

this has 'grant' written over all 2 inches of its width. days ago, i wandered into express, within arm's reach of scoring one for my dashing man, only to find that they were, even under the black friday spell, too spendy for my budget. but still i dream of the skinny.

i like stopping in the restroom at other people's houses. first of all, that room gives me an excuse to wash my hands, and i'm always looking for chances to do that. i'm obsessive about it. i love to warm my icy fingers under scalding water.

some projects from last week. grant fashioned this handsome rack for my pots (please excuse the peeling paint where we tore off the old trim) and hung blinds in our front window, and we both put up the tree. right now the tree sits about 400 bulbs brighter than it does in this photo, and boy does it look dazzling. grant doesn't see the point of skimpy lighting (me either). i couldn't stop the smiles as i watched him 'destroy it with lights.' his words. the more, the merrier, i always say.

i am basking in all this simultaneous christmasing and settling in. on this week's agenda: hooks inside our closets, hanging wreaths, installing the garage door opener, garland in the bay window, drawer pulls in the kitchen, gift wrapping.

in the meantime, my house is surrounded by micro snowflakes. yesterday we had big, fleecy flakes that seemed to float, and today we have the tiny ones that come fast and furious. either way, it is gorgeous. and good news: i still have some of these babies tucked away from last night's baking. if you like butterfingers, you're going to love these babies. these babies even get stuck in the deepest, darkest crevices of your molars, just like butterfingers. mmm. i love these babies. it's beginning to look like a perfect december day.

hey everyone, remember the tea towel that was hanging on my oven door (you know, the one that needs to be ironed?) if you liked it, mom got it for me last christmas from this crafty shop. normally i don't prefer things hanging from my door handle, but in this case, i made an exception. the vintage ornaments are totally up my alley, and those colors are killer eye candy.

happy birthday, sister!

it's hard to believe that you are that tiny baby in my arms. i wish i could remember what it felt like to hold you when you were this small. but i'm so glad that there are lots of things i can remember.. mom and dad taking us out to dinner at denny's and telling us that you were in mom's tummy, how cuddly you looked with the pacifier in your mouth and your footed jammies, your two-year-old birthday party when you got the big kitchen set, how you called us your 'sissies', your white-blonde hair, seeing you in your preschool christmas program, and secretly video taping you while you played in the bathtub. you were so darn cute. (and you still are.)

today you are young and sweet, only seventeen, and i can hardly believe it. i love you. you were the best early christmas present ever. happy birthday, chels!

twice a day, two days in a row, guys. i hope you can keep up with me. it's gonna be hoppin' around here if things keep up. i've got posts out the wazoo.

so here's a fresh batch of decemberness to unload on you: have you been catching all the christmas specials on tv? because you know that i have. and i've been recording them on, get this, our new dvr. another luxury that came with the new house! a year of free dvr, baby. this is a wide world of wonder to me; all my christmas favorites niftily stored away for me to enjoy while curling ribbons and placing 2-inch strips of satin gift wrap tape. cool.

because i adore them so much and want you all to watch these christmas greats with me, and because i've already done the research, i've made up a little reminder card for some of the big pictures. just for you! i gave the date, the name, and the channel, and i'm counting on you to look up the proper time for your zone. (fyi, 'abcf' = abc family) i'll be sipping hot chocolate and thinking of you when i press play on dr. seuss' how the grinch stole christmas. it was on earlier this week.. hope you didn't miss.

sidenote.. if you're going to be around, be sure to drop by over the weekend. i'll simply have to start doing saturday and sunday supplements in order to give this jolly season it's proper due.

ta-da!

i'm blown away by how roomy it is in that fridge. there's even a drawer just for cheese and a gallon-of-milk sized compartment in the door. i've always wondered what it would feel like to store my milk in the door. it feels good. except when you accidentally grab the gallon of water that's also in the door and start pouring it on your cinnamon toast crunch. and i'm still amazed that i'm the one who gets to use these newfangled machines. me! wow. over thanksgiving, i was chatting with grandma & grandpa about what an extravagance it is to pick out your own appliances. some people will never get to experience this. i really do feel like one privileged girl. so many luxuries keep rolling in with this new house. (including our first water bill.)

this is why i sprang from my bed this morning. and why today the music seems merrier and more fitting. and as i have no big plans for the weekend, i'm cheering let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

during our no-fridge-or-stove stint, grant and i found this to be a decent dinner. for not being a soup enthusiast, i was surprised by how much i liked it. if you crumble tortilla chips and sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top, it's entirely yummy. and 100% natural to boot. might just stock my new lazy susan (or as grant has labeled it, the 'hungry susan') with a few more cans for winter.

tell me, do you have a knockout soup for me to try?

ps. but do keep in mind, i'm not terribly fond of high bean levels in my bowl.

also, would you like to see my new fridge and oven? i should whip a photo up here soon. i forgot to tell you, but they arrived the day before thanksgiving, and they're just as spacious and stainless steelish as they were in my dreams. the first thing i made on my gleaming ceramic smooth-top was a batch of soy garlic stir-fry with leftover thanksgiving turkey, instead of chicken. it was a so-so result on the fork. but hey, we're off to a good start with the whole live and learn thing, right mr. fancy frigidaire?

you may have noticed that mail christmas cards was not on the list yesterday. were i not such a scrooge (i love the subjunctive. 'were i'?.. it sounds so wrong, but it's so right.) about buying cards, i might snatch up some of these from this long-awaited shop.

i've always had trouble paying the big bucks on cards, especially if i must also pay s + h. i know that by confessing this i'm practically speaking blasphemy in this paper-goods-crazed blogworld, but i'm just telling it like it is. i usually resort to the homemade kind, if anything. but guys, anna bond is brilliant. her stationery tempts me in a way i can't understand. i'm thinking it must be the folksy-vintage style she rocks. you just can't teach that.