The Year In Review, Just the Good Stuff

One of the best things about writing a blog is I have a record of almost everything I did, thought or wanted to do. As the year ends I want to review the positive aspects of the year. Even the good things related to bad situations. This is not a complicate list, just a few highlights that come to mind when I look back at 2022.

January found me in Kinston, NC for the first of three weeks I would visit this year. I was invited to teach Mah Jongg to a group of the nicest people, who have become friends. I cherish all my students, but the Kinston crowd went out of the way to make me feel welcome. Jane and Warren Brothers now let me stay with them when I come to town and they along with Kristi Blizzard throw dinner parties when I am there. What a joy it has been for me to get to know them.

At the end of April Russ and I went to Chicago and celebrated our 30th anniversary a few day early. We needed to do it then because in May we had to go to Boston to celebrate Carter’s college graduation. She had successfully finished in December and started her new job at Catalent in January, but go to walk in the May ceremony at Fenway. A fun five days in Boston with the bonus of seeing my friends Suzanne and Sally.

In June Russ and. After and I met up in NYC for a second birthday celebration. The highlight being that Carter took me to Funny Girl. It marked the first time she paid for tickets to anything. I love a working daughter.

In July it was back to Boston to go the Elton John with Carter. My friend Stori came into the city to spend the day with me and we had a great time needlepoint shopping, spending time in the commons and going to lunch. I had no idea it would be the last time I would see her and I am so thankful that I did.

At the end of July we had a fabulous family reunion at Pawley’s Island where we scattered my father’s ashes of the Ed Carter foot Bridge in South Litchfield. Thanks to my great Cousin Mary for planning and organizing a wonderful week.

I had three fun weeks at the beach teaching Mah Jongg, thanks to my original agent Reba who let me stay with her and my friend Kate who offered up her guest room when I need it. I love my beach students who then invite me to their home towns to teach. Mah Jongg took me everywhere this year.

In the middle of August Shay and I drove up the east coast on our way to Maine. The highlight of that trip was staying with Suzanne at her house in New Hampshire and starting off my lobster month with her.

August and September were all about Maine. The house we rented for a month was perfect for us, not that staying at Warren’s is not wonderful too, but guests can only stay so long. We had many guests, Nancy, Kar, Suzanne, Oliver, Carter and Estelle. We saw friends, Warren, Julie, Jamie and Wendie. We ate lots of Lobster and enjoyed many sunrises and sunsets over Penobscot Bay.

The fall had my mother moving to Durham to Croasdaile village, even if part time. My friend Carol Walker hosted a welcome luncheon for her in October.

Sadly October also saw the passing of my friend Stori in a freak horseback riding accident. The only good that came from that was my reconnection with her sister Lilea and Stori’s family. I am ever thankful for Nancy Mack Von Euler who came with me to the memorial service where I spoke. And to Henrietta Cheng Mei for taking back to Boston. Boarding school friends are friends for life. The bright spot of that trip is I got to meet Carter’s girl friend Claire and have brunch with them.

November had us visiting Jan and Rex in the Mountains where we had our first snow of the year and excellent puzzle time.

Thanksgiving was the first time Carter had been home in nine months. It was a bright spot to also have her help get the Christmas decorations out.

This December saw the return of all my annual Christmas parties and finally a happy family Christmas.

I am thankful for my sweet family, dear friends, darling dog Shay and look forward to a happy and healthy New Year for you all.

Best Storage Investment

Anyone who knows me knows that I love Christmas decorating. It started in high school where I was on official “Christmas cadet.” I wore Christmas lights to Math class and surprisingly Mrs. Elmore would let me plug in during class.

In college I would get a real Christmas tree. There was a store a few doors down from our house on Pomfret St. where I would buy Swedish ornaments that I still have to this day.

I like to collect ornaments from every place I go. I do not subscribe to “designer” Christmas trees where all the ornaments have a color theme. I see ornaments as the scrap book of my life.

Years ago, probably when we moved into this house, I started purchasing the big plastic hinged top boxes to store my decorations in. Before that I had Christmas themed cardboard boxes, but they were starting to fall apart.

The beauty of the hinged top boxes is they do a superior job of protection and can be safely stacked on top of each other. This is important since I am not the one who puts them away in the attic. It is enough that Russ does this big job. It would be too much if I wanted him to treat them with kid gloves.

A few years ago I labeled all the boxes so when Russ removes them from the attic he can take them right to the room where they will be unpacked or repacked. Today I finished filling all the boxes. They are currently scattered about the house since it was a work day for Russ. I figure tomorrow we will put them in the attic. I went around counting the boxes and found it was over 60. Sadly wreaths don’t fit in those boxes so I still have makeshift containers for them.

I know it will be just under 11 months before I set eye upon them again, but the one thing I know is come next Christmas I will know exactly what is in each well protected box. What a good investment they were.

Waiting Out This Year

As I was packing up ornaments and wiping down tables I got a message from my dear friend Kar. Her 88 year old mother-in-law had fallen and bumped her head right before Christmas. Back and forth to and from the hospital in the Christmas storm they thought she was Ok, until she wasn’t. Kar’s husband made the dash north to be with her and got there before she passed away.

My friend Tom, who was my age, passed away earlier this month after complications from a hip replacement. His memorial service is weekend after this one. I just made “somebody died?” Fried chicken from my friend Michelle after she and her family returned from her father’s funeral after a sudden death. All three of these passings were very unexpected.

As a member of the funeral committee at church, I have made more cookie and sandwiches and served more punch this year than ever. I am ready for 2022 to be over.

For the last two days of the year I am going to lay low at home. Seems like if I give 2022 any more chances it might take it.

Feels like the world is due for a good year. How about some wars ending, and no political campaigns and a reduction in Covid. I don’t feel like it is asking too much. Well maybe a better economic situation and come calming of climate change. Mostly good health for those around me and their loved ones.

Please stay safe out there. We just don’t know how long we have together. I can’t make any more chicken in 2022.

Sweeping Away the Year

It’s Carter’s last day home so to compound the dreaded feeling I decided I needed to start taking down Christmas. I also wanted to take advantage of Carter being able to help take the boxes out of the attic.

I didn’t start with the tree as that is it’s own nightmare. I started by taking down the needlepoint since it is the first to go up. The needlepoint gets treated better than all other Christmas ornamentation. It has special boxes that go under the guest room bed so they are close at hand in case I ever have to escape the house.

I put all the flat needlepoints in one box and all the three dimensional in another. This year the 3-D’s are in a bigger box, but there is still plenty of room to add more. I figure I can stitch for at least five more years and not have filled my two garlands.

After the needlepoint I carefully dismantled and wrapped the village under glass that takes up the whole coffee table. I had to windex the table before putting back the year-round decorations.

Then I packed the nutcrackers, Santa’s and snowmen. Lastly I dismantled the mantle. Cleaned every surface and put back the non-holiday items. Everything looks so barren even though that is not a word you would use to describe my living room.

It didn’t take that long to do that one room, but one was all I could do today. I figure I have until Sunday to get everything done. At dinner I asked what day it was today and when I learned it was only Wednesday I revised my schedule. I think I can get it all done by Friday.

I won’t have Carter to distract me. Russ has so much work he will be tied up. So I might as well get this all behind me in the next two days.

As if the putting away the sparkle is not bad enough, it’s the cleaning between packing the Christmas and unpacking the regular that I hate. Making sure to remove every rogue glitter that jumped from it’s decorations, or the dust that settled between the mercury balls on the table. With the Christmas ornaments the dust is not noticed. Once they are all gone you are only left with the dust. Not so appealing.

Regular life is going to start up next week. There won’t be time to dust or vacuum and I certainly don’t want to start 2023 out with any dirt. 2022 was a year I would like to sweep away. I am hoping that the new year brings joy, health and happiness and dirt does not go with any of those.

Inflation Hits the Mah Jongg Card

For Christmas Carter and Russ made me Mah Jongg business Cards. They secretly conspired trying to figure out what my title should be. Mah Jongg teacher was not enough for them. Instead they deemed me Mah Jongg Sage. It’s a heady title. Carter out a symbol of the One Dot on the back. So glad she didn’t use a Joker. They didn’t arrive in time for Christmas, but they gave me the mock-up.

The cards arrived today right along with the National Mah Jongg League’s yearly newsletter. The BIG NEWS from NMJL was hidden in paragraph five of the president’s letter, “the PRICE Increase of the card.” This year’s large print Mah Jongg card is $10. It has been ten dollars for a while, so the NMJL was due for more dough. The card did not go up $1 as it has in the past. Not $2, which would have been an understandable increase. No the price went up $5! That is a fifty percent increase.

I am not sure Ruth (the now deceased, long time President) would have gone for 50%. Her son Larry is in charge now.

I can make an argument that even $15 is not a hardship to play the game we love so much. The ACBL, governing body of duplicate bridge charges $40 a year to be a member and you pay dearly to play every game to accrue points that are worthless, except for bragging rights. At least at Chuck’s Cheese you get tickets when you win to turn in for a yo-yo.

There it is, Mah Jongg will not suffer due to this price increase, but I will give you one of my Mah Jongg Business cards for free.

This is just a reminder to go head and order your 2023 cards now. They won’t be mailed until the very end of March, but the sooner you order the greater your chance of getting your new card in time to play it on April 1, the start of the new Mah Jongg year.

Three days, Three Parties, Lots of Dishes

The last guests, the four Howells, just left from a very fun dinner at our house. It is hard to believe that have not lived here in twenty years. Having them at our table felt like old times and those old times were yesterday.

It was the last planned holiday celebration. It was the easiest dinner I could make. A big Antipasto platter to start and then Cacio e Pepe and arugula salad followed by the last of my peppermint ice cream. Carter did not remember the Howell since she was only three when they moved, but she knew who Roz was as she had heard the story many times of how Roz broke into the hospital just a few hours after Carter was born by saying she was “Granny Roz.”

The nurse at the desk had no idea I was not an 18 year old new mother.

After they said good night we had another kitchen full of dishes to be hand washed. This being the observant holiday of Christmas on a Sunday, I still haven’t heard back from a potential repair man for my dishwasher. My hands are already raw from washing so Russ took over tonight.

Shay is so exhausted from all these parties she put herself to bed. When I came up she did not even lift her head in recognition. Tomorrow she can recover. We can lie around waiting for the repairman to call and eat leftover so we have no pots and pans to wash. I may have to eat my meals standing over the sink so I have no dishes. My skin can’t take the dishwater.

I Believe

In the last few years we have not had the Christmases I usually like to have. Last year the three of us had Covid, the year before the world was in lock down, before that my father had not been well. The worst Christmas ever was the one I that started Christmas Eve with my father almost dying and the ambulance coming first thing Christmas morning to take him to Duke where I had to stand guard for two weeks to keep him there. Despite that string of bad Christmases I still believed we would once again have a joyous holiday.

Today was the Christmas I dreamed we would have. After a wonderful Christmas Eve we slept late this morning. Carter eventually woke us announcing that Santa had come. Those whom Santa brought presents for opened them. There were lots of games and arts and crafts to keep everyone busy all year. Russ got more hot sauces than there are breakfasts. We will see if any one of them is hot enough for him.

Late in the morning the sleigh carrying Janet, Sophie and my Mom arrived filled with more presents than I have ever seen. Margaret and Pete couldn’t make it at the last minute with all the weather. If they had come there would not have been room for us all and all the presents.

We exchanged gifts for a while, but after hardly making a dent we decided we needed to eat lunch to recharge for more opening.

Salmon, mushroom and leak bread pudding, asparagus and arugula salad refuled us for another afternoon session of opening. My favorite gift was the hand made museum quality Mah Jongg racks my father-in-law made for me. That was followed up by a custom made 2000 piece puzzle of a photo of Carter, me and Shay that Sophie and Janet gave me, but it was really Sophie. All my gifts revolved around Mah Jongg, Needlepoint, Christmas ornaments or Puzzles. Why fool around with anything else.

Eventually we depleted the pile of gifts. There were no moments where someone awkwardly did not have the words when opening a truly odd gift. There were no bad gifts. There was no fighting. No discussion of anything unpleasant or political. No one said they did not want to eat what was being served.

We enjoyed our Christmas peppermint ice cream at five o’clock and did our Christmas crackers. I looked around the table at my family all in their paper crowns and I thought this was a royally good Christmas. I believed it could happen again as magical Christmases had in the past. I knew we could break the streak of disappointing, sad sickness filled holidays of the last few years. Even though every year I said that would be the one that broke the streak.

We did miss my sister and my Dad, but we had a jolly old time just the same. I will continue to believe in the magic of Christmas. I believe in the good that the birth of the baby Jesus brought to the world. I believe that people are mostly good and that in the long run things will work out. Sometimes you just have a bad streak, but streaks are made to be broken. Merry Christmas to all you believers.

Christmas Eve Is My Favorite

Of all the days of the year Christmas Eve is my favorite. Nothing about Christmas is last minute for me. I have never gone to a store on Christmas Eve. I have never wrapped a gift, or baked a cake. Anything that could be done in advance is done. Today is all about fun.

Carter helped me with the preparations for tonight’s dinner with our friends Lynn, Logan and Ellis who are our friends who are more like family. I also prepped food for our Christmas lunch which will be with my real family tomorrow. Nothing was difficult, arugula salad with orange supremes, pomegranate and goat cheese, leg of lamb, smashed potatoes and popovers. Lynn brought her famous green beans with onions and tomatoes and so much bacon.

Since the cooking didn’t take too much time I worked on my Christmas puzzle my friend Christy gave me. It said on the box “Extra Difficult” and I took that as quite a challenge to finish it in a day, which I did. There is nothing I love more than a good Christmas Puzzle.

I was wearing my gift from my friend Mary Lloyd, the warmest cozy slippers which were badly needed since it was 14 degrees out. I know that many of you have it even colder today. I hope everyone has power and heat.

After our salad and main course we all took a pause and went to church for the candle light service. We got to sing carols we all know, except we sang one odd version of Away In A Manger. When we got home Lynn asked why we sang that weird Carol and Russ tried to explain to her about paying for copy write when the service is steamed on You Tube. Lynn didn’t like that answer, “This is about Jesus for heavens sake and a manger, OK.” I guess those copy write lawyers didn’t get the manger part.

I did lean back and whisper to Dave Pottenger that one year when it is time to sing Joy to the World we should start with “Jeremiah was a bull frog…” that got a chuckle. That is probably why he doesn’t usually sit up near our pew. It would become the pews that were most like the back of the school bus.

After church we enjoyed our dessert and Russ and Carter hand washed all the dishes. Such a fun day. I hate for Christmas to come because then I have to wait another 365 days to do it again.

It Never Fails

We are all home. Enjoying meals together. We have guests coming for dinner tomorrow, for Christmas day lunch and Boxing Day dinner. The dishwasher was full after lunch. We tried to run it, to no avail. The dreaded F12 code.

I summoned Russ to see if he could fix it. After a few attempts it dawned on him we had this code people and it required two technicians in two visits with weeks between waiting for parts.

The repair office was closed by the time we figured this out so I have no idea when a repair man might possibly be blue to make it.

Looks like we will be washing a lot of dishes by hand for the rest of the year. It never fails that the dishwasher will fail when you need it most.

Peppermint Stick Ice Cream for Christmas

For the last few years I have made peppermint stick ice cream for Christmas Eve. It is easy and the flavor screams, “Santa is coming.” I don’t have a fancy ice cream machine, just one of those kind with the core bowl you put in the freezer for 24 hours. While that is freezing you make the ice cream base and chill it in the refrigerator at the same time. As long as that core is really frozen and your liquids base is well chilled it only takes about 15-20 minutes of churning to make the most delicious ice cream. What you get is like soft serve. But if you put it in a container and put it in the freezer for a few hours you get hard packed ice cream.

My recipe uses egg yolks, so technically it is a frozen custard. I have made it without egg yolks and it is a little flat tasting. Go for the eggs and you can make meringues with the left over whites.

7 egg yolks

1 c. Sugar

1/2 t. kosher salt

3 cups of heavy cream

1 cup of whole milk

1 1/2 t. Peppermint extract

6 candy canes crushed up.

In a sauce pan put the egg yolks, sugar and salt. Whisk it together for a good minute or two. Slowly pour in the cream and milk whisking the whole time. Put the pan on the stove on a medium heat.

Stir while heating the mixture for about ten minutes. You want to get the mixture to 173° using a candy thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer you want the mixture to be able to coat the back of the wooden spoon and when you draw a line in it the mixture stays on each side of the line.

Pour the contents of the saucepan through a fine mesh strainer into a container with a lid. Add the peppermint extract at this point. Make sure not to add too much extract because it is very strong.

Put the ice cream base in the fridge.

When you are ready to churn pour the base into the frozen core and churn until the mixture is the consistency of soft serve ice cream. Remove from the frozen core and add the crushed candy canes. Store covered hidden in your freezer so your family does not eat it before you are ready to serve it. It is extra good with hot fudge.

Pre-Christmas Cooking

One of my favorite traditions in my childhood was our annual Christmas Eve party. My parents invited all their friends and their families for a big giant dinner on Christmas Eve. Our old barn house had originally been “the party house” for another house. It fit my parents perfectly. They had lots of big parties.

As a child, my father kept my mind off thinking about Santa by having me help preparing the party food. For days we would visit the liquor store stocking the bar, bake hundreds of biscuits for ham biscuits, purchase oysters in gallon paint cans for oyster stew and roast many tenderloins. I credit this party as my introduction to catering on a large scale.

Our house, as a party house, had three kitchens. This was imperative to be able to store all the food we needed for the hundreds of guests. Since it was Connecticut it was always cold on Christmas eve so we also used a fleet of ice chests that lined the bridge from upstairs kitchen door to the land 20 feet away.

As I am preparing for the three major meals I am serving on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day to just dozens not hundreds, I miss those three kitchens. What I really miss is the ability to reliably use the outdoors as a refrigerator, although I don’t want to live in a cold climate.

Today I prepared the base for my homemade peppermint ice cream. I have exactly enough space in the freezer to put the ice cream machine core and once I make the ice cream it will take the place of the core. There is not a square inch to put an extra ice cube.

As I reviewed space in the refrigerator I adjusted my menu so that I did not need to worry about where to put a large ham. I changed a dessert for one dinner to something that did not have to be chilled. Since the weather is reported to be cold I am hoping to be able to keep ice frozen outside my house for two days.

The only good news is I don’t have to soak a country ham in the bathtub like I did as a child. I hope those of you who used to come to that party aren’t worried about that ham. The alcohol you drank killed anything dangerous.

Congratulations to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC

Forbes Magazine just released its list of the Top 100 Charities in the US. The number one charity is Feed America, which the Food Bank of CENC is one of their 200 members. That is very exciting. Even more exciting is that the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC was number 62 on the list! What an honor. We are on a list with the likes of YMCA, United Way, Salvation Army, American Cancer Society. Those are all national charities. The Food Bank is just a charity in 34 counties of North Carolina. We aren’t national, regional or even a whole state charity, and we made 62!

I am so proud of our Food Bank. So much of the credit goes to Peter Werbicki, our 20 year CEO who retired this year. When I started volunteering for the Food Bank he was the Operation’s manger. He brought the Food Bank a long way.

I owe a debt of gratitude to Chuck ReCorr who sent me to Harvard when I was the board chair-elect, to the course on Non-profit excellence. We made a lot of great changes in the Food Bank thanks to that training. Before that we probably wouldn’t have made the list of 1000 best charities and here we are today, 62.

I love to share the good work of the Food Bank with anyone who will listen. I have a fun new event to support the Food Bank coming up in March. It is a Beginner Mah Jongg Tournament held at the Raleigh head quarters. Save the Date, March 20. I look forward to hosting a great Mah Jongg Day that will support the Food Bank, the 62 best charity in the country!

Creamed Spinach

I got a bunch of requests for my creamed spinach after they saw Russ eating it in a photo two days ago.

My father was a big fan of creamed spinach. I started making it the way he did and then spiced it up as the years went on. This is a very flavorful, but not spicy hot version. It’s not healthy, but it’s damn good

2 T. Butter

1 sweet onion – minced

3 cloves of garlic- minced

1 large bag of frozen chopped spinach – thawed, water squeezed out

1 cup half and half

1 brick of cream cheese – cut into eight hunks

1 t. Garlic powder

2 t. Onion powder

1 t. Grated nutmeg

1 t. White pepper

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Salt to taste

In a large skillet melt the butter. Add the onion and garlic and cook on medium meat until the onion is just translucent. Add the half and half and heat.

Add the spinach and the cream cheese. On medium heat cook until the cream cheese is well incorporated into the spinach.

Add the spices. Then the Parmesan. Stir until hot and taste for salt.

Christmas Can Start, Carter is Home

Thanks to flexible work from home rules, Carter was able to come home today for Christmas. She still has to work some this week, but I am happy to have her here so it feels like Christmas.

Shay was especially glad to see her. I had stopped opening Shay’s advent calendars since she rejected most of the surprises so Carter did a big opening with Shay. Amazingly Shay liked most things that Carter gave her. It must be that special Carter touch, or perhaps the enthusiasm Carter sold thing to her.

“Look Shay, gingerbread pretzels!” Shay gladly ate them out of Carter’s hand. Not that way when I tried.

Shay still did not like the balls Carter bounced at her. She has never been very good at fetch and even worse at bringing it back to you.

The crinkly sounding gingerbread man was a hit. Perhaps the gingerbread theme was all she was looking for.

Maybe Shay just did not think it was Christmas until her girl came home. I concur.

Wrapping and Cooking

As I predicted, today was a day of lots of wrapping. Sadly I did not get it all done, but made a giant bite of the wrapping cookie. I found presents I had forgotten about. Made bows that he to be attached to presents with greening pins and used tags I bought three years ago that I hadn’t gotten around to using because they were “too nice.”

What kept me going in my wrapping den was the audio book I am listening to for my tiny book club. We picked Demon Copperhead and I am addicted. I usually listen while I am driving to Mah Jongg classes, but this book has me hooked. Yesterday I did my nails so I could have n excuse to sit and listen while my nails dried. Three hours of wrapping went by in a blink as I listened to Demon talk about his Foster parents. I highly recommend this book!

By late afternoon I had to move on to my other job today, making food for friends who will be coming home from out of town from a funeral for her father. I couldn’t make “somebody died?” fried chicken until tomorrow, but I did make creamed spinach, sea salt brownies and homemade ranch dressing. I filled two giant containers with spinach and had enough leftover for us for dinner. Russ really liked the creamed spinach and did a good job cleaning the ramekin.

I feel better about being ready for Christmas. Carter comes home tomorrow for ten days so it is going to be a real celebration. I wish I could still take her to see Santa. She always wants to know which list she is on. I think I know.

It’s All About the Wrapping Now

I have not taken inventory of my gifts. It is possible I have way too many gifts for one person and not enough for another. I can’t be sure until I start wrapping. I actually already started wrapping, but I sliced my pointer finger on my dominant hand so I took a break to let that little cut heal.

With my parties finished I can begin to put presents around the tree so they are out of my office. I used one whole roll of paper wrapping the gift I bought for everybody. I pray they like it since I am giving seven of them. Even though I got the paper on those gifts they have no bows or tags. I think I know what I will be doing tomorrow.

I want to get this done in one day so I have a little time to fill in the empty spaces, like coming up with something to give my husband.

This is the part of Christmas that makes me crazy, the shopping. I hate shopping and I especially hate shopping when other people are shopping. The way deliveries are going these days I don’t dare order anything in fear it won’t arrive. I want to get everything done and wrapped well before the big cooking has to start.

MTHFR

This is not the license plate form of Mother Fucker, but when I first saw MTHFR that is what I thought. At my Doctor’s today I found out I have MTHFR, which is a genetic mutation that means I don’t process Folic Acid.

Folic Acid is the man made form of folate. I am all good with naturally occurring folate, just not the man made version. The first thing that sprung to my mind is “I took a ton of folic acid in my child rearing years.” Having a high level of folate helps prevent spina bifida in babies.

To help prevent these birth defects the FDA regulated flour, requiring it to be enriched with folic acid. It helped with birth defects, but no one considered it hurt people with MTHFR.

Apparently something like 30-40% of people have MTHFR and most don’t know it. It’s not hard to find out, but you need your Doctor to request a blood test for it. The list of things that could be signs of MTHER is so long from Anaemia, Eczema, anxiety, poor memory, stomach pains, headaches to depression. I am lucky I don’t have most of the symptoms now of what having folic acid can do, but now I do need to try and keep it out of my system.

All enriched foods have folic acids, breads, pastas, enriched rice, cereals. It’s a lot. Thankfully most organic versions of those foods do not as well as most gluten free foods.

I took to my cabinets to look at labels. Thankfully Trader Joe’s has many Folic Acid free foods, but going out to eat is going to be fun.

I write this because I have never had one person say MTHFR out loud to me, or even in a whisper. If 30-40% of people have this genetic mutation they probably don’t know it. I can think of many people who have anxiety or stomach issues. Never has anyone said they needed to stay away from folic acid. Lots of people have turned gluten free and started feeling better. It might not be the lack of gluten that is making them feel better, but actually the lack of folic acid in gluten free foods.

As I learn more about this I will share any enlightening information. If you have MTHFR and want to share anything with me I would love to know it.

Chinese Chicken Salad

A few people from yesterday’s auction want the recipe from the auction lunch yesterday. If I don’t write down what I do when I do it I forget, so here it goes.

The salad is any combination of vegetables, but We used, Savoy cabbage and red cabbage, cut into ribbons, diced cucumber and red pepper, bean sprouts and red onion, shredded chicken , peanuts and wonton strips.

Here is the dressing

Three inch knob of fresh ginger, grated or seven cubes of frozen ginger

Six cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup of rice wine vinegar

3/4 cup of dark sesame oil

1/4 cup of canola oil

1/4 cup of soy sauce

1/4 cup of water

1/4 cup of honey

1 T. Crushed red pepper

1/4 cup of white and black sesame seeds

A bunch of black pepper

1/4 cup of peanut butter

Mix it well and let it sit for at least a few hours to have the flavors marry. Mix agin before you serve.

Auction Success

My favorite activity our Garden club does is our Christmas Auction. It almost is one of my favorite things I do all year. For years Pat Joklik was the auctioneer. She was fantastic. Then she asked me if I would do it because she said she didn’t know everyone’s names as more young members were being admitted. I hated that Pat felt that way, but I gladly took over. You know I like nothing more than a captive audience and a chance to pat them from their money for a good cause. I think this was my 20th year as the auctioneer.

Today was a rollicking event. We had about sixty people, many of whom were well loved guests. The garden club members brought fabulous items to auction. It started late last night when George Littlewood showed up at our house with the largest, most beautiful white pot filled with five fabulous orchids. It was so big and heavy I had to have Russ get out of bed, get dressed and help George carry it in. The requirement of each garden club member is to bring something worth at least $25 to be auctioned. This arrangement was the item of Page Littlewood and Leslie Kirkland and it was way over their requirement. It sold for $500!

Carol Shepard brought her famous Bouche de Noel with beautiful meringue mushrooms. It went for $300! As did Holley Broughton’s Happy New Year wreath! Laura Virkler’s homemade jams and Anna Whalen’s Bolognese went for $300 each and my Turkey Curry in a red pot was just under that.

The bidding was fast and furious. People were generous and competitive. It made for a very fun auction.

I could never host this event and be the auctioneer all at the same time if I didn’t have the best group of Co-hostesses, Christy Barnes, Carolyn Sloate, Kay Peters and Leslie Brame manned the kitchen the whole day! When I say the whole day I mean from nine to three. They baked the Christmas tree cheese stuffed rolls I prepared, dressed the Chinese chicken salad, served the cranberry trifle and cleaned every fork, plate and glass! I am eternally grateful for all that they did, including the at home food prep work I assigned them.

For years one member, who I shall not name, but if you are in garden club you know who she is, has been lobbying to have wine at the auction. This year we decided to honor her request, but then she could not come to the auction. We had a case of wine, of various types. At the end of the day we assessed what was drunk. Two bottles were opened, but only half of the wine in each bottle was gone.

Our club treasurer, Missy McLeod, works all through the auction, never even eating lunch. She checks all the items in, and takes notes on all the winning bids and collects all the money in the end. After the whole thing was done she sent an email out to the club saying that we had raised $6,045 which when she collect money from the people who did not bring a auction item will be an even bigger number, surpassing our highest amount ever raised.

The member who wanted the wine wrote me a response to the big total number, “Must have been the wine!” It was not! All bidding was sober and heartfelt! Way to go Hope valley Garden club. Thanks for another great, no, even better, auction.

Auction Success

My favorite activity our Garden club does is our Christmas Auction. It almost is one of my favorite things I do all year. For years Pat Joklik was the auctioneer. She was fantastic. Then she asked me if I would do it because she said she didn’t know everyone’s names as more young members were being admitted. I hated that Pat felt that way, but I gladly took over. You know I like nothing more than a captive audience and a chance to pat them from their money for a good cause. I think this was my 20th year as the auctioneer.

Today was a rollicking event. We had about sixty people, many of whom were well loved guests. The garden club members brought fabulous items to auction. It started late last night when George Littlewood showed up at our house with the largest, most beautiful white pot filled with five fabulous orchids. It was so big and heavy I had to have Russ get out of bed, get dressed and help George carry it in. The requirement of each garden club member is to bring something worth at least $25 to be auctioned. This arrangement was the item of Page Littlewood and Leslie Kirkland and it was way over their requirement. It sold for $500!

Carol Shepard brought her famous Bouche de Noel with beautiful meringue mushrooms. It went for $300! As did Holley Broughton’s Happy New Year wreath! Laura Virkler’s homemade jams and Anna Whalen’s Bolognese went for $300 each and my Turkey Curry in a red pot was just under that.

The bidding was fast and furious. People were generous and competitive. It made for a very fun auction.

I could never host this event and be the auctioneer all at the same time if I didn’t have the best group of Co-hostesses, Christy Barnes, Carolyn Sloate, Kay Peters and Leslie Brame manned the kitchen the whole day! When I say the whole day I mean from nine to three. They baked the Christmas tree cheese stuffed rolls I prepared, dressed the Chinese chicken salad, served the cranberry trifle and cleaned every fork, plate and glass! I am eternally grateful for all that they did, including the at home food prep work I assigned them.

For years one member, who I shall not name, but if you are in garden club you know who she is, has been lobbying to have wine at the auction. This year we decided to honor her request, but then she could not come to the auction. We had a case of wine, of various types. At the end of the day we assessed what was drunk. Two bottles were opened, but only half of the wine in each bottle was gone.

Our club treasurer, Missy McLeod, works all through the auction, never even eating lunch. She checks all the items in, and takes notes on all the winning bids and collects all the money in the end. After the whole thing was done she sent an email out to the club saying that we had raised $6,045 which when she collect money from the people who did not bring a auction item will be an even bigger number, surpassing our highest amount ever raised.

The member who wanted the wine wrote me a response to the big total number, “Must have been the wine!” It was not! All bidding was sober and heartfelt! Way to go Hope valley Garden club. Thanks for another great, no, even better, auction.

Needlepoint No. 2

Separated by just a week, I had my second Needlepoint group’s Christmas exchange. It is such a highlight of my holiday. This group is smaller. We stitch together monthly and celebrate birthdays together in a big way.

Tonight we all brought appetizers and enjoyed cocktails as we exchanged the special ornaments we secretly made for each other. I was especially excited about giving mine because I free handed it by looking at the opening credits of the TV show, “My Three Sons.” There are two members of this group who each have three sons, but only one got the ornament this year. I may have to stitch another one. I wish I had made a pattern.

After the exchange and the eating we then exchange more gifts. I feel like it is the best of Christmas because each person picks out things they think we all would love that they found on their travels or something unique.

I love this group and all that we share. It is one of my favorite Christmas traditions. I came right home and hung my special ornament on my garland. Ready for the Garden club Christmas in the morning.

Preparing for the Next Party

Once my house is all decorated I might as well have lots of people over. My third party of the season is not actually my party at all. Tuesday is my Garden Club’s Christmas Auction and lunch. It is a group effort to pull this one off.

I am thankful for my friends who co-host with me. I create a menu and everyone helps prepare the lunch. Since garden club members can invite guests we get quite a crowd. This year we will be north of 60, which is not an issue as far as the lunch part of the event, but squeezing everyone into the gathering I’m for the auction is something.

Members bring things for me to auction off. Cakes and meals are popular as are homemade Christmas decorations. Years ago I had to bid quite high to get my set of flower pot soldiers. We have some incredibly talented members who make exquisite items for the auction. Not all things are homemade, but everything is fun.

I host this event every other year and have for many years. The best thing I ever did was buy 45 Christmas plates at the dollar store, back when they sold real china. They stay in a bin in the attic and only come out for this party. I add my Real Christmas china to the dollar store ones and it is just fine. I also have 80 white dessert plates that stay in the garage and only come out for parties if needed. My other most used bulk items are my 100 white linen napkins and 100 wine glasses. I have had them for at least 40 years. Having this stash is so useful. I have gotten my money’s worth out of everything, but especially the napkins.

I love setting up for a party. If you ever need to borrow anything just call.

Springing It On Russ

Late last night I looked at Russ and said, “I forgot to tell you something.”

He looked at me with that look that says, “Oh God, what could it be?”

“We have a party to go to tomorrow night.”

“What party?”

“Counter point, it’s just up at the club, you can just wear your tux.”

“What I wear is not the issue.”

Russ has loved the pandemic. No parties. No going out. Just staying home where he is happiest. But he went without complaint. He put on his old faithful tux. I tied his tie. He cleaned up great.

I pulled out some old dress, realizing I have not worn a dress in three years. Then the shoe problem came. I cleaned out my shoes earlier this year. Of course I had not worn dressy shoes in a long time so I got rid of them. I eventually found something.

We went to the party. Talked to a bunch of friends we have not seen in ages. It was lovely. We had dinner with good friends. And we left early. It was not that bad for Russ. I think next time we have to go to a party I should wait and tell him like thirty minutes before we have to walk out the door. Thinking about going to a party is the worst part for Russ, actually going is not so bad.

Chinese Auction

Christmas party number two today. Lynn and I have been having this party so many years we have lost track. We invite friends and ask them to bring a gift worth $25 and we pick, trade and steal until all the gifts are claimed. This year there’s were many favorite items with lots of stealing going on.

I had ordered a special wooded puzzle with many of special shaped pieces and it did not arrive in time, despite being ordered over four weeks ago. So last night I baked ten pecan sticky buns as my gift. It was popular, but the puzzle would have been better.

This year we had the party at Lynn’s new house. We have been waiting a long time to do it there. It is such a beautiful place and everything was so elegant. Lynn set up two tables and we served lunch on the bar of her kitchen. I made make-your-own Poké bowls, but not with raw fish. I didn’t want to kill anyone this close to Christmas. Plus I have lost enough friends this year.

Lynn made dessert which was a big hit. At the last minute she tried to get out of making dessert. Our friend Kathi had suggested that fortune cookies might be a cute dessert to go along with the theme. Lynn called me to see if it was an OK alternative. Absolutely not! Kathi ended up eating two pieces of cake and was happy we didn’t go with her idea.

Thanks to Jan and Amanda who stayed and cleaned up. The only problem with having the party at Lynn’s is I have to drag all my stuff over to her house and back again. I would say it is worth it as it is such a fun tradition.

After everyone left Lynn and I open all our hostess gifts. This year people went all out with their gifts. What sweet friends they are.

Two parties down. Now I have to get ready to host Garden club Christmas auction and Lunch at my house Tuesday. Only about 62 coming. The Christmas parties never end.

I Never Tire of Christmas

The room in our house where our Christmas tree sits is called “the gathering room.” It was named that by our architect and we found it hysterically snobbish, so in jest we continued to call it that. It is open to our breakfast room and kitchen. As our largest room it is where we gather when we have lots of people around. Now that it is just the two of us at home we tend to sit in smaller rooms, unless we are watching something that requires a big TV, like the world cup.

As the gathering room has very tall ceilings it is the place we put the Christmas tree, along with a bunch of other Christmas decorations. To be totally honest every public room in our house has a bunch of Christmas decorations.

When the tree is up in the gathering room it draws me to want to sit in there all by myself. My favorite view is from the sofa, looking through two German Christmas Carousels at the Christmas tree. I could look at the tree all day and never think, maybe I should be doing something more productive.

The tree and all the decorations have a strangely hypnotic effect on me. Perhaps it is the lights which brighten the early nights. Or the shiny sparkling ornaments that attract me like some half-witted cat.

I will never know the answer. For now I am just going to enjoy the season and not pre-morn when it will all be gone.

Happy Birthday Carter

In honor of her birthday I want to share some of the best things Carter said when she was three.

What An Entry

On this night a quarter of a century ago Russ and I could hardly sleep. I because I was two weeks over due to deliver our baby, he because he was on UK time. We were due to be at Durham Regional at 6am to check in to be induced.

We were there early. They kept us wait around and eventually got to a room. Dr. Fried came and and told me that they were going to give me drugs to induce labor and if the baby didn’t come by three they would stop, admit me, and try again the next day. I looked at him and said, “You made me wait to be induced until I was two weeks overdue. Today is the day I am having this baby.”

So they gave me the drugs and not much happened. Russ worked on his computer as I lay around. I have six different cords attached to me in all sorts of places. My hospital gown covered the front of me, but was open in the back, allowing some of the cords to get to the places they needed to be.

After a couple of hours the monitors that all those cords were attached to started blaring. Russ and I were alone in our room and a nurse and Dr. Fried ran in and told me the baby’s heart rate was going down.

“Turn over and get on your hands and knees and put your head down.” This is much easier said than done by a large heavily pregnant woman with six cords attached to all kinds of places in and in my body while on a small hospital bed, but I did it. With my hospital gown laying on the bed and me with all my glory sticking up in the air, the monitors stop blaring and apparently the baby’s heart rate went back to normal.

I was allowed to roll back over, again a Herculean feat. Dr. Fried said everything was fine, but I was not dilating enough. The labor did begin. The contractions were few and far apart. They started to get stronger so I had an epidural. Then they went to nothing. But the monitors blared again. I was already rolling over when the Nurse got in the room. By the time the Doctor was there the machine had silenced itself, but I asked how often this might happen.

Even though I was getting better at turning over with the wires wrapped all around me, I was not feeling much thanks to the epidural so I was worried I might fall right off the bed.

After the second incident Russ went to the pay phone to call my mother and explain what was going on. Back then you were not allowed to use your cell phone in the hospital. While he was gone the monitors blared again. I was alone, flipping over getting on my hands and knees, with my gown laying on the bed and the Doctor and two nurses ran in.

“We are taking you for an emergency C-section, stay in that position.” So without my husband who would have looked out for me, they rolled me out in the hall on my bed. No one thought they should throw a sheet over my naked backside. As they rolled me down the hall to the operating room a group of pregnant women and their partners came down the hall on a labor and delivery tour. I could feel the horror coming from them seeing me. Certainly not one of them wanted to come back and deliver here after seeing my naked very pregnant self out in the hall.

Once in the OR, they told me to roll off my bed and on to the even skinnier operating table. Dr. Fried asked where Russ was just as he came in the room. As soon as he was by my side they cut into me and delivered my perfect baby girl.

Her heart rate was fine. She just wanted to make a grand entrance. She gave us quite a story to tell. So tomorrow she turns 24. I remember every moment of her birth as if it were yesterday. If I had not had so much public display I might not have, but she has been worth any indignity I had to suffer. Love you Carter. I would do it all exactly the same way for you!

First Needlepoint Exchange without Ann

For eight years my group of stitching advisors has had a needlepoint Christmas ornament exchange. I was very honored to be invited to join this group of accomplished stitchers. In January we draw names and secretly make an ornament for our person. Needlepoint ornaments are works of art. Non-stitchers have no idea the time or cost that goes into making them. So creating one for another stitcher is the only way to get the level of appreciation such a gift deserves.

We were all telling stories today about how non-stitchers say things to us like, “You should sell those on Etsy, you could get like $25 for them.” We all know that they are worth ten times that but you can’t tell them that.

Last year one of the original group members, Ann Hamner, told us it was her last exchange. She had some health problems and did not want to perhaps leave someone without an ornament. We have had other people drop out of the exchange for various reasons, but losing Ann seemed very sad.

She passed away last month, so she was right in her prediction that she might not make it to this exchange. Kate Taylor and Ann always wore some kind of Red tartan clothing to the exchange every year. Ann also would wear her red wool Allbirds. Today in Ann’s honor I wore the same Red Allbirds and Kate wore her tartan vest. Kate and I knew why we did if, even if others did not.

We carried on as Ann would expect us to. We had a couple of new members to the stitching advisors. Everyone stitched beautiful and meaningful gifts for each other. It is my favorite way to kick off the holiday season.

I had drawn Kate as my person to stitch for and I made her a Mah Jongg saying I repeat to her often. She got a kick out of it. Nancy stitched for me a beautiful Nantucket basket 3-d ornament.

Somewhere I know Ann was watching enjoying the exchange as she always did.

Speak Up For Others

I am growing more and more distressed about the hate speech towards Jews and LGBTQ+ people. It’s not just speech, but also acts of violence towards these groups.

Everyone who does not agree with haters like Ye or Nick Fuentes needs to speak up against this kind of speech. You can not sit on the sidelines and say nothing, that makes you complicate.

Turning people on “the other” is nothing new. You can read it in the Bible, making some group feel less than has been around a long time. Just because it has gone on does not mean it should continue or grow as it has been lately. We had made a lot of progress in this country in the sixties through the eighties. There was most certainly hate in some people’s hearts, but they were much more likely to keep it to themselves.

Of course that one man whom I shall not name it to blame for lot of this open hostility. I don’t want to focus on him because this hostility is so much bigger than him.

I am proud to say I have many Jewish and LGBTQ+ friends. I stand with them to protect them. It is disappointing when one marginalized group throws hate towards another. Pushing others down does not raise you up.

I have heard people saying they are against Wokeness. Well I am all for people being “woke” if it means that we treat each other with dignity and fairness. You never know when your group is going to be “the other.”

For those Christians who hate on Jews, you seem to forget that Jesus was a Jew. Of course knowing your Bible is not the strong suit for people who hate anyone. Hate is one of the big things Jesus never did. Who are you to judge others? Stop the hate.

Please don’t be a bystander. Take a stand against hate. I know that loving your neighbor is the hardest commandment, but you have got to try.

What to Give Me

My sweet father-in-law is a world class gift wrapper. Consequently he likes to give real gifts. He works months in advance. Wants lists, tips, ideas. I always am on the look out for things I can tell him that might be a good gift for Russ since I know I am going to get a call asking me what Russ wants. He wants nothing, but that does not stop his father.

It is a little easier for him to come up for gifts for Russ on his own since he is intimately familiar with all power tools and their various uses. Consequently we have a world class collection of drills, sanders, saws, power screw drivers, electric levels and stud finders.

Finding a gift for me is much harder for him. A gift certificate for my Needlepoint store is a favorite gift of mine, but not his since there is very little wrapping needed for that. See it’s all about the wrapping.

Today UPS delivered a box of Christmas presents from him. Not only are the gifts in the box well wrapped, but the card board box is also and engineering feat. He cuts down a larger box folding the extra card board to make double walled protection of the gifts inside. Then everything is tightly packed so no movement can happen which might disturb a well placed bow.

When the box arrived I alerted Russ. He said we must open the box now since there was a gift I had to have now. There were two, clearly marked “OPEN NOW.” The first was a Christmas tea towel, always a welcomed item from him. The second was a beautiful silver and gold finely glittered pine cone Christmas decoration. BIG HIT! There is nothing I like more than a beautiful Christmas ornament. As you might already know about me, you can not have too many ornaments on the tree. Even though one might think I have enough ornaments I can always find a place for a new one.

Amazingly there was a slightly bare branch right next to a red pine cone of a much less fine lineage than the one my father-in-law sent. This ornament is a much better present for me than a power screw driver. I am thrilled with my early gift.

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

Yesterday I had a lovely lunch at CCC with their Assistant General Manager and the lovely Marty Peterson. Marty had been the one who originally brought me to CCC to share Mah Jongg with her friends. Her friends turned into friends of friends and eventually multitudes.

Then CCC put a halt to lessons and I was graciously invited into people’s homes. The wave of Mah Jongg could not be stopped. Apparently enough loyal followers of mine kept asking CCC to bring me back. So I got a call to come have lunch and discuss when CCC can resume classes.

Starting in January I will be back one week a month in January, February and March for Beginners and Advanced Beginners. I will also be doing a giant new card orientation class in April. If you are a member of CCC information about classes will be published soon. They are taking just members for early sign ups and if there are open spaces, non-members can sign up the week before.

I look forward to being back at CCC. For those of you who are interested in classes other places, January dates are booked, but there may be a seat at Benvenue in Rocky Mount the first week of January and Greenville CC the last week of January. If you want a class for your own group contact me about February forward. I will be at Dunes Club May 16-18, Coral Bay June 13-15, July 11-13 and August 8-10. Sadly all the spots are filled at Lyford Cay in the Bahamas.

Thanks to Marty for all her promotion of Mah Jongg. I look forward to seeing my Raliegh

Start Your Advent Calendars

Happy December first. It’s time to start your advent calendars!

As a child one of my great Aunts, not sure which one, but I would bet my Aunt Maize, my grandmother’s twin, would sent us a paper advent calendar. We would punch open the little door each day to reveal a tiny picture of things like an angel or a trumpet. There were not gifts or candy inside. We were just excited see what the picture would reveal. It always had a religious theme. In fact the big window was often behind the baby Jesus and it was usually a star.

The fanciest those advent calendars ever got was when they had a bit of sparkle on them. Of course glitter was not really a happy addition since it became a plague on the house.

Later on, well after I was grown, advent calendars became a chocolate delivery system. Why should Easter, Valentine’s Day and Halloween hog all the chocolate? Those were the advent calendars that Carter had. She was not much of a chocolate fiend so doors would often get opened late. I think I sent her an advent calendar last year that had beauty products in it and she opened all the doors as soon as she got it. So much for the anticipation of the coming Christ.

Now we have two advent calendars in our house to start today. Both are for Shay. When I asked Russ to bring them in from the garage he looked at the giant one and said, “Who needs grandchildren when you have a dog?”

Before dinner we will open both little doors and give Shay her treat. She really likes the traders Joe’s dog advent calendar’s sweet potato teats. I am certain that Jesus will be Ok with Shay being the only recipient of the advent treats. Dog is God spelled backwards after all.