Mountain Mama

This Christmas

I didn't take many photos. In fact, only a handful, and I didn't like those.

I didn't get a photo of the whole family together. I didn't even get a photo of my brothers or niece with the girls.

I didn't make most of my gifts. In fact I only made one.

I didn't buy gifts at all for some of the people I usually buy for.

I didn't go overboard and over-budget on gifts for the girls.

I (we) didn't make the apple pie. I didn't make biscuits from scratch.

I didn't spend a week cleaning the house or buy new towels.

I didn't make paper chains and gumdrop trees and gingerbread houses.

I didn't put red bows on the porch railings or at the neighborhood entrance.

I didn't write a Christmas letter or get a photo to include in Christmas cards.

I didn't make a photo calendar for my family and friends.

I didn't go to Christmas Eve candlelight church service.

I (we) didn't go for a Christmas Day hike. Didn't get out for a hike at all.

I didn't have a Christmas Day meltdown, crying in my room, losing my cool (well, not until several days later, and only in a non-holiday-related argument between me and Paul).

I did make Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls (from scratch) for Christmas breakfast.

I did make a lovely, delicious meal for my family.

I did go the to Christmas tree farm with my family and some friends.

I did decorate the tree with my little girls and my mom.

I did play in the snow in the days before Christmas with my children.

I did go to Pierogi Day with my in-laws.

I did support local businesses whenever possible.

I did (attempt to) give thoughtful, personalized gifts.

I did receive several lovely, thoughtful gifts.

I did manage to mail a couple of gifts before Christmas Eve.

I did go to Christmas Eve mass (just early in the day).

I did send Christmas cards.

I did go to the movies with my sweetie (and family).

I did talk with and spend time with my parents and brothers and niece.

I did have a lovely visit with some new friends (and their new addition).

I did resolve things and make up with my husband (after the aforementioned argument).

I did laugh.

I did enjoy my children, and all of my family.

And I did have a wonderful holiday.  I hope you did, too.

Holiday Break

Taking a break for the holidays. I'll be back in the new year.

 

Wishing you a very merry Christmas.

Snow Day(s)

It started Friday morning with a 6am phone call--a Robocall from Owen's school. Delayed two hours. We turned on the radio, listened to the announcements of all the other school closings. Every district except ours closed for the day. We turned on the porch light and, sure enough, it was coming down, a light dusting already on the deck and ground and trees. Coffee and breakfast and two excited girls and we hear that, yes, our district, too will be closed.

Paul had to go in to the University. Last final exam day and the University never closes because most students are on campus anyway. Except that many of them were planning to leave after their last exam and now...

Predictions were all over the map--4 inches, 6 inches, 14 inches.

Barely daylight and the girls were anxious to go out. I was briefly a crazed Mommy, forgetting what it's like to be a kid on a snow day. Owen's been watching Frosty over and over on DVD and was dying to make a snowman. Barrett wanted to go with Owen because Owen was going. I couldn't find their mittens (my mom has bought them some for Christmas but that didn't help for now) and only had one pair of boots, claimed by Owen although really she's outgrown them. I put Barrett in her suede Merrills and socks on their hands and sent them along. Paul slip-slid his truck along to work. My dad walked down from his house and spent the morning playing with the girls--building a snowperson, sledding, snowball fights.

 

The snow turned to sleet and then rain, which kept accumulation down.

Didn't keep the girls down. We went through three changes of clothes (kept getting soaked through and coming in to warm up and I couldn't put soaking wet clothes back on them).

The snow began again in earnest. We were getting reports of roads closed. Worried emails and phone calls flew between friends with loved ones traveling in it. Paul finally made it home (after going into the ditch and being pulled out by our neighbor), and we settled in, happy to be safe and warm and together. The power went out along the valley, but not for us. We just lost our Internet service for the night.

 

Saturday morning we awoke to a world in white. 

Pancakes, then dressing in layers and out there quickly. Just running around. Going for a walk. Sledding. Then more sledding. Then more.

 

The sun came out for a while, but then the clouds returned, but no more snow. And the roads were pretty much clear. My dad took Owen Christmas shopping (for gifts for us) and we went on to the store, because, of course, we suddenly needed lots of groceries.

Then home, and soup (what did you expect?) and wine and warm and indoor play and baths and bed.

Good days. Fun days. Snow days.

Wordless Wednesday :: It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

 

Soup Sunday :: Corn Chowder

In my never-ending quest to find the perfect corn chowder recipe, I am always on the lookout for different versions (always trying to duplicate the taste of the chowder made for me by my college roommate's mom). This one, from Real Simple's Easy, Delicious Meals book, seems like it might be simple enough to come very close to my ideal, although it does appear to be missing potatoes (which might not be a bad thing).

I'm not cooking it today, however, as we have leftover chili from yesterday's Chistmas tree party (more on that later) and leftover mushroom barley soup sent home from lunch at my mother-in-law's.

But I want to share this recipe with you anyway, so you can try it. 

Smoky Corn Chowder

8 oz. sliced bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 large sweet onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/3 tsp crushed red pepper

2 10-oz packages frozen corn

3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup half-and-half

Kosher salt and black pepper

4 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

1 baguette, sliced and toasted (optional)

1. Cook the bacon in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

2. Spoon off and discard all but 2 Tbs of bacon drippings and return pan to medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, and red pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

3. Stir in the corn, broth, and half-and-half and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Transfer half the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to pot and and stir in 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper.

4. Divide soup among bowls and top with scallions and bacon and serve with the bread, if using.

Now doesn't that sound yummy? Let me know how it turns out, okay?

Still here

And finally done. Whew! Now it's time to seriously get ready for Christmas. Today we're going to the tree farm. I am sure to have photos, although it's very very cold and my family is sure to want to rush through the process.

Just as a teaser, here is the link to last year's excursion: December 2008 How Lovely Are Your Branches

Please excuse my unscheduled absence

I wrote to a friend today to say that I didn't really fall off the face of the earth. Good thing I emailed her: she was worried. Not just my poor blog has suffered, but emails, too. And reading other blogs. And comments. And many many household tasks. I apologize. We just suddenly had a busy spurt.

Here are a few things that have been going on:

1. End of the semester rush. Final tests, panicked students, grading papers. All of that, hopefully, will be done (for me) by Friday, except for my final exam/critique in my ceramics class, which is Tuesday. I'm hoping to be able to take some photos for you of the pieces I've made in the class, including one inspired by my blog friend Beth. More on that, later.

2. Paul is finishing up his semester this week in grad school, and so has finals to worry about. Then he has to give finals next week in the classes he teaches.

3. We've had a small family situation. I don't really want to go into it, just that an extended family member needed some help from my dad  and a place to stay for a few days. It appears to be resolved, for now.

4. We've had a car situation, as well, which has good parts and bad parts. Bad news: our car needs way more work than we are willing to invest. Good news: we are getting a new car. Bad news: they don't have the car we want on the lot and we've already agreed to trade in the old one. So, we are stuck driving the old car, praying nothing happens to it until the new one comes in. And we're doing a bit of finagling since the dealer is an hour away and we both work all week. Happily my mom (as always) is helping us out in a variety of ways while we figure the logistics. And, also happily, we'll end up with a  new car this week sometime. Merry Christmas to us.

5. And then of course, in all of our dealings with cars and family stuff and work, I have sorely neglected the household duties--laundry and cleaning and meal planning and all that.

6. Not to mention Christmas preparations--planning and gift-getting and gift-making and holiday-fun-stuff-doing.

So...forgive me, please, for my absence from the blog, and my slowness in responding to (or initiating) emails, and, well,  my overall in attentiveness. I will be back soon, I promise.

In the mean time, here's a post I love from last year, on decorating out Christmas tree (something I hope we'll be doing this weekend):

2008 :: Decorating the Christmas Tree

One year ago, today

It snowed a bit.

 

You can read my post about it here, for a little flashback.

30 Days of Thanks :: 19

Today I am thankful for...

my brothers,

this one:

And this one:

Both of whom will be coming to our house for Christmas.

I asked Owen the other day what she remembers best about Christmas and what is her favorite thing she remembers about Christmas. She told she remembered that Uncle David came into her room Christmas morning, woke her up, covered her eyes, and carried her into the living room, then pulled his hand away to reveal the tree and all the presents.

"That was my favorite part," she said.

All summer she has said she can't wait until Christmas because Uncle David and Uncle Stephen and Grandma and Grandpa and cousin Cassie and all of us are here together.

Even Barrett asks for Uncle Stephen regularly--a car pulls up and she'll tilt her head and say "Uncle Steben?" (She doesn't remember Uncle David much, but I'm sure after this year she will).

I love that my girls love my brothers. I love that my brothers love my girls.We're lucky to have such great men in our lives. I know others who aren't so lucky--whose brothers are gone, or who don't have any, or who aren't close to their brothers.

Thanks, big bros. Can't wait to see you.

Handmade goodness in my mailbox

For Christmas this year, I really wanted to buy only local and/or handmade gifts. But then I dilly-dallied too long to actually order anything and had to rush around buying gifts from the usual big box stores.

Something I wanted very much to do, however, I did anyway, only after Christmas. My blog friend Liz  (who is actually somewhat local to me) makes these most wonderful crowns and knit hats which I have admired for a while now. I needed a hat. The girls didn't really but I thought it would be fun if we all had matching hats and, since it looks like my learning to knit will never get beyond casting on, I emailed Liz and asked her if she could make us some.

So Saturday, in my mailbox, I found a large mailing envelope containing these lovely packages:

 

We opened them to find our wonderful new hats. Owen has scarcely removed hers since. She likes to make the edges curl up in back for her own style statement. Barrett isn't too big on hats but left hers on much longer than I expected. Paul thinks mine looks cute and funky and retro. He likes the softness of the yummy organic cotton (is there a gift idea for next Christmas, maybe?).

I think they'll all be perfect for our upcoming Spring Break beach camping trip.

 

Thank you Liz!