Hester

Too much salty food & socializing yesterday, so now I'm wide awake before the dawn.

Punk

Before bed, I had rum-laced eggnog. [but obviously the effects of my nightcap have worn off, or else I wouldn't be wide awake at this ungoddessly hour!] And I used Appleton Estates Reserve rum in the eggnog. As I opened the bottle, I noticed it had a strong scent of butterscotch. Mmmmm!

[sorry, Jenny -- we've eaten all the cinnamon buns. Besides, it would have been stale by the time it got to you in the mail. ] Chocolate-covered pomegranate seeds Fairy lights Daithi [OMG!] Linda & Liz

tamales [And wouldn't they taste great with a batch of frozen margeritas?]

Cinnamon bun with cream cheese icing Sudden snow squall The M-i-L (She always seems to call when Mr. H. is out. Ugh!) My mom

HarbourMaster: You ARE a good neighbour!!! Love your choice of headgear for snowplough driving! Lady B.: Yup, bloody big storm system! I'm up here across the northern border, in Toronto.

Dune

Bananarama http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=qRQ1zv9Finw

Waiting for Mr. H. to fetch the dinner guest. After 45 minutes of fruitlessly trying to catch a cab in arctic temperatures, she had to give up and call for rescue. Hmmm... how slowly can ya cook a Prime Rib roast?

Day-O http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=jUqtC1oiztw

Taking a break from cleaning the bathrooms ... and listening to Mr. H. vacuuming up the pine needles.

Psychobilly Xmas carol... Reverend Horton Heat, "Santa Clause is Coming to Town" http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=PDMAM_89mME

[Pappy: Ya dropped a letter, ya silly swab!] tub

Lull between snowstorms today. Bright sunshine sparkling on the pristine white blanket covering everything. But the radio said it was -17 degrees C when I woke up this morning. Brrrr! And look at the frost on my original Victorian-era windowpane: Round Two of snow predicted to start at midnight tonight.

Hang in there, Maggie! (And maybe treat yourself to a rum toddy before bed as a reward for all your hard work for your family!) Oh, yeah, I'm way behind on the Xmas decorating too. Gotta clean the house first. And I have a friend coming for dinner tonight to help with trimming the tree. It's been an annual ritual for us for about 15 years. Thanks, I'll look for some sublingual B12! And hey, only about 7 more years to go now -- LOL!

Yup, I really should turn off the computer and go to bed now!

Clementines [the Xmas treat you don't have to feel guilty about] Relentless snow Carol on Facebook B.B. (and who can blame me when he posts pics like this?)

chica

I can relate, Syren! I was taking a 'Snow Day' today, so I didn't bother putting on any make-up, since I knew I wouldn't be going out. I was supposed to be housecleaning in prep for our annual 'tree-trimming' dinner with a friend tomorrow, but I just couldn't work up the energy. Anyhow, I just caught a glimpse of my face in the bathroom mirror, and I look like I'm auditioning for a vampire movie! Ashen cheeks with bruised-looking circles under my eyes and totally bloodless lips. I suspect that blood test I just had done on Thursday will show my ferritin levels have plummeted again. [Oh well, at least that would provide an explanation for this continuing fatigue.] But, I'm trying my best to fight the anaemia. Had a steak tonight, and tomorrow it's Prime Rib for company. Anyhow, Syren, I know your condition is much more severe than mine, so I hope you're taking things easy! Best wishes, Hester

somnolent

slothful

A mist of tiny ice pellets pelting the window. Wonder what the Inuit word for that is?

I don't drink ... wine... and I know sweet F.A. about it. But, I needed a relatively inexpensive red wine to make the gravy for my Prime Rib roast tomorrow night. So, I browsed around the liquor store and fell in love with this piratey-looking bottle: Wonder if my dinner guest will try a glass with the roast?

Tonight: Steak, baked potato & salad Tomorrow night's tree-trimming dinner party menu: Prime Rib with red wine gravy Button Crimini mushrooms, mini carrots, red pepper & green beans, all roasted in the pan with the beef Mashed Yukon Gold potatoes And for dessert: Chocolate truffle cake, with Cassis-macerated berries [Hey, Capn Bob: that rum-laced chili sounds good! Tell us how your experiment works out.]