Some of my favorite things

I love having Lacy snuggled next to me while I read
candles
bubble baths
having someone else shampoo my hair
making my favorite Christmas cookies (mom's)
eating my favorite carrot cake
lobster
crab (tis the season here)
opening presents
wrapping gifts and giving them
midnight mass
hot chocolate
Christmas lights
ornaments collected over the ears
fireplaces
friends
mi amor
Christmas break
lavender

Physical Therapy hurts. I got a 3 foot hard Styrofoam cylinder to lie on and exercises to do. I go back tomorrow for more. I need a heading pad. Now it's ice for the inflammation and patches on my spine with an electric current for 20 min.

I'm looking forward to 2 weeks off for Christmas break.

School is out for break tomorrow.

The Aftermath

Dinner was excellent we has champagne and lobster in blur blanc with fin herbs, artichoke soup, homemade sourdough bread and a salad of romaine, cheese, avocado, croutons, blue cheese with anchovies on the side. I can't stand them. Turns out, Armando isn't a fan either. Our entrees were tornados of beef for Armando with chantrelles and a reduction, asparagus, potato fluff and carrot. I had veal in a cream reduction with brandy, asparagus, carrot, what I thought was a parsnip but was more like a white squash. Desert was a sample of all, creme brule, burnt cream, chocolate torte, berries and amaretto cheese cake but no gran marnier souffle.

I misses Michael's birthday call.

The window installer put one window in yesterday. The ladder marked the wall which is a special melon shade of cantaloupe so now he'll have to repaint the whole thing since it was specially matched and it couldn't be done a 2nd time. Armando helped negotiate the price of installationn He told me one thing. Armando said...do you want the work? He said yes and the price dropped 300 dollars. I find it difficult to be so direct. Surprises me. It's cuz I know him.

Feliz Cumpleanos a mi

Well I went to the staff Christmas party last night. The first one was better despite the white elephant gifts. One of the gifts was a live crab. They cooked it fir her too! I got mine stolen 4 times...,once a megaphone once a bottle of wine, once singing,walking penguin.

Armando made me my birthday cake carrot with cream cheese icing of course. Tonight we are going out to dinner a La Foret, a French restaurant in the forest that used to be a boarding house during the gold rush when the silver mines were operating. I haven't been there since 1983. I'm in the mood doe lobster and champagne and a Cosmopolitan.

The painting on the eves was done yesterday, just in time to repaint now that the new windows are in, Watching, It's not an easy task especially balancing and banging away while on a ladder.

I begin physical therapy 3x a week for my back.

Today I go o sleep in, stay in my new flannel nightgown, have fresh squeezed tangerine juice and Christmas cookies for breakfast, read, nap, have some birthday cake for lunch and a bath and soon I'll get ready to go out.

Ouch said the back

After moving furniture in the library after the holiday concert and cpr class I threw my back out. I went to out Workers Comp place where they took xrays, put me on ice, hooked my up on wires, acupuncture with electricity and hydrotherapy, gave me a back brace, hot and cold packs and sent me home for 2 days. Here I am back after 1 still hurting but not as much.

I figured, If I could make my birthday cake, Christmas shortbread and butter cookies, I would be ok. I burst one hot pack with all the gel gunk. Glad it was wrapped in a towel. Guess it wasn't meant to be lied upon. It's hard to put it into my back brace alone.

Armando was here. He did the dishes. He painted the eves of the house and a pannel. Today they are replacing two windows. Please let them be the right size. I want someone else to take the responsibility for the measurements. He did take them but I like to do it more than once and since they are above the front door and in the living room to the l and r of the fireplace I couldn't get up that high or let's just say didn't want to.

I still have one batch of Christmas cookies to make. These require more effort to roll them out and decorate. I got some yummy stuff from my fellow teachers and some birthday cards too. The Principal and vice principal cave me some butter cookies and a card. When I told him I was injured he didn't ask how I was just looked displeased.

Armando and I are going to La Foret, one of my favorite French restaurants for my birthday. I haven't been there since I was married.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

After climbing around in the rafters in the garage I found the decorations. We decorated the Christmas tree. One set of bubble lights hit the dust and of course I didn't test them first so it took awhile to readjust. Now we are tweaking.

I made a wreath for the front door too.Armando finished priming the garage and painted it and the hallway.

I made 2 batches of Mom's frosted Christmas Cookies. I have to figure out a way to get the cookie cooked and the bottoms not burned...maybe silpat.

We had thai food. We love this coconut chicken soup with baby corn and straw mushrooms, carrots and onions.

I made Armando's favorite chicken mole verde with cilantro,toasted pumpkin seeds, onion and chicken broth. I don't like it but he loves it. This is my second attempt to get it right. I don't have a blender and the cuisinart doesn't get it fine enough so I made it as smooth as I could and then took it over to his place and combined everything until he said it was right. Unfortunately, I had to cook it for 30 min and I put it over rice in the oven and the rice absorbed all the mole. FortunATELY, HE HAD MORE MOLE VERDE IN HIS FRIG SO MAYBE HE CAN SALVAGE IT. WHAT i SAMPLED WAS TERRIBLE.

He wanted to talk to Bob but not last night when I spoke to him. He described his
European cruise.

Hanukkah

I got out the menorah one night late and I don't have candles this year so far.

We put up the tree last night.

Actually it's a branch from my huge blue spruce in the front yard. I did this once before about 17 years ago. The tree needed trimming. It's about 60 ft tall and produces a lot of shade for the house. I can't find the decorations though.

I have a tiny tree in the bedroom too. That is decorated.

I've had a girl here in the library with me for 4 days. She had a melt down today and was on my last nerve. She has been pulled out of her classes because she is so disruptive. She does fine with me one one one and likes to help but is inappropriate in her remarks to boys and other s in a quest for attention and acceptance.
She's been transferred to another school into a special day class in the hopes she can get control of herself. She thinks that makes her retarded.

Armando got the garage sanded and primed yesterday and blinds hung in the bedroom.

He trimmed my bushes so I can make wreaths for the front doors.

Karen's Birthday

Today is Karen's birthday. We have been friends for almost 40 years. It was good to see her and stay with her and Rick this spring.

Christmas wish list

THO socks in black and white (the cushion the feet) In the summer I like the low cut ones like tennis) I have them here and got 4 pair in Williamsburg. They are expensive..over $10 a pair.

Black tights Lane Byrant

Starbucks gift card for my hot chocolate

A flannel nightgown

A green rain jacket

Today I gave the secretaries in the office a basket of this great cinnamon bread and butter for Christmas, tea, coffee, plates napkins and a card. They have cinnamon bread every morning and I have been telling them about this brand.

I got all my library student assistants little gifts in gift bags and cards.
I got my library assistant a subscription to Bon Appetit and a card. We both like to cook. She wanted to change it to Cooking Light. She gave me a Christmas card and a box of cinnamon sticks.

Tonight I made some Oatmeal raisin cookies yum...!

Started watching the moving introducing Dorothy Dandridge. It's really good so far.

I made some pumpkin soup last night . I didn't do it this year for Thanksgiving.
It has a carrot, onion, shallot, 2 c stock, 1c. so cream 1 c. cream, 1/2c 1/2 & 1/2, salt, 2 c pumpkin. It's different but rich and good.

Holiday Parade

We went downtown to the San Jose Holiday Parade last night and to see the trees in Christmas in the park. What a zoo. Roads were closed, garages full,valets overworked...

Then we had dinner and drinks again at Il Fornio. I had risotto again with peas, mushrooms, shrimp and asparagus and a Cesar salad. My tummy is queasy so no wine or Cosmopolitan this time. This time I got a calender of Italy for next year and entered in a drawing for a trip for 2 to Italy.

Everyone was dressed up in their holiday regalia and women tottered on impossibly high spike heels. I have a pair that were Mom's They are good for about 10 min 2 mh 2 min. of walking.

From shopping on line I think I have discovered that lands end followed by llbean, Eddie Bauer and rei are the cheapest. I like the free shipping and no malls.

Today we are making wreaths for the front door. The green should look nice against the red. Time to decorate the house and deck the halls.

I still have roses to pick and Armando cut them for me while he trimmed back the bushes for winter.

I have a possum that eats dropped fruit. It hollows it out with it's long nose. They are ugly. It scared me when I saw it through the door.

I ordered my 3 odd sgaped windows for the LR and over the front door. No snow...they can be put in during Dec.

a day in

Today is a day to stay in and I'm still in my flannel nightgown, bed socks and slippers.

I did some Christmas cards this morning.

The black beans cooked with the ham bone. onion, carrot and garlic are fantastic.

Breakfast was ham, scrambled eggs with cream cheese on a sourdough English muffin with fresh squeezed Tangerine juice.

I love that Odwallda juice.

My oranges and lemons are getting ripe. By January they should be ripe and sweet enough to squeeze.

I'm sneezing a bit so resting and reading is a good thing. Lacey is curled up next to me.

I've dot two movies,

Introducing Dorothy Danridge

and Road to Perdition to watch.

I'm gonna put up a branch for my blue spruce as a Christmas tree for the second time. It's unusual but looks ok and my huge tree needs a trim. One 6' branch will do it good.

The blinds are up mostly

Wee the new blinds are up in the kitchen, my office and the spare bedroom. Now to rehang those in my bedroom. The issue is finding replacement hardware,

Armando painted the remaining adjacent dining room wall today. The first color of cantaloupe and the second also specially matched to a stripe in the couch are not quite the same. I wonder if anyone will notice except us.

I'm making a pot of black beans with the ham bone from Thanksgiving. The place smells great.

Armando planted my bulbs today. finally. we BOUGHT THEM IN 1/2/ MOON BAy right before the pumpkin festival IN Oct.

He cleaned the kitchen and vacuumed for me today. It was so nice to come home to an elf that cut the grass watered the plants and everything else.

I got a new flannel nightgown for my birthday from my friend P.J. in Oregon, and a fluffy bath sheet. I soaked my aching back in the tub with my favorite Pellier honey body scrub and soaked till I felt almost normal again.

Unfortunately trying to but the remaining meat off the bone almost did me in again until Armando stepped in again. Bless the boy....

He cleaned up the kitchen afterwards too. then I passed out from 8-12.

I have discovered my principal is a micro manager and wants to know everything. Teachers run to him like nursery school to complain and he likes it like that!?

I don't.

a wedding?

"One perfect rose he sent me since we met" Dorothy Parker

I don't think so...I was surprised when Armando mentioned it last night. I have grown accustomed to my ways. It would be hard to live with a person....
Why at 21 did 9 mo. seem long enough to know and now....

I spent Thanksgiving alone and lonely and didn't go out for the 5 days I had off. I saw Armando on Wed. but he was sick. I took him medicine and soup but after hearing him hack decided I could do without the rest.

I spent 2.5 hrs with the school financial planner last night looking over my investments. I have a lot of dead wood only earning 2.5 % for my IRA and less in some mutual funds that need to be moved.

I thought I would have had more in my IRA's since I opened it in 83. It was supposed to be around 300 by now.

We all just got back from this break and I was looking forward to getting back and now we're all tired again and looking forward to the 2 weeks off at Christmas.

Mom's Birthday

Today is Mom's birthday. I never forget her, or the day. We are so lucky to have had such a warm, caring woman as our Mom. I didn't appreciate her enough. She put up with a lot of garbage and I'm sure I was more difficult than the boys.

Wesley was baptized over the weekend in Columbia.

I'm glad this week and next are short ones. I was going to do a turkey but it turns out that Armando really doesn't like it and neither do I. I like the potatoes, and stuffing and pie and cranberry sauce though.

Veterans Day

Looking forward to a 3 day weekend. The spirit is weary.

I met with the districts' retirement tax deferred person yesterday. If I can stay in the district until 2011. I'll be entitled to a chunk of retirement that has been growing. Every year beyond that it grows more.... That's a nice thing to find out it pays till I drop.

Now I know why Michael was not concerned with funding an IRA. It's interesting because schools and libraries don't pay into social security.

We had lobster and baked potato last night. Rico....delicious!

I drive in the carpool lane and this morning I couldn't see a difference between it and the others except one person was pulled over. It took a long time. Traffic is worse and only 4 lanes. I remember when it would have been great to be in the car pool lane and when gas was .29 a gal. Now it's pushing 3.20 and they say $4.00 may come soon. This is insanity.

November is still great weather

I have gotten used to having my reserve book list at the library full. I seem to always have 10 books on the list and fill it again as soon as I check some out. The public library is my favorite place. I've started going to the one next to school which is smaller but only 2 blocks away. I am looking forward to the Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwell. I'm also a fan of Clive Clusser and am looking forward to his new book. At the moment. My list is full so I have to wait.

I am ready for a break. I'm tired of being around school. I had in easy when I was adopted as a new teacher by the teachers across the hall. It was nice to have some friendly faces. Here, I am isolated which my other new teachers tell me is a good thing. There is a lot of moaning and I'd rather not be a part of it.


I'm not sure I'm up to cooking a Thanksgiving feast either. The thought overwhelms me. If I'm in the mood, that's one thing.

I got a quote for cabinets including a new pantry. The pantry would be to the ceiling with pull out drawers. Looks like the new ovens are bigger than my existing ones so that whole cabinet will have to be redone too. Anyway the cost is over 5,000.00. He said that I need to empty everything out first and then put on new countertops in granite then the cabinets. Yikes! Too much work!I'm having the pantry built now. It should be her the 2nd week in Dec.

and the earth shook

I was brushing my teeth when the earthquake hit a little after 8, I had just arranged to meet Armando, not really wanting the company until then. Then you don't want to be alone. He couldn't get throygh to call me on my land line although his cell phone worked.
It seemed to go on forever even though it was only a 5.6. It was centered near our homes. It took about 10 min to get any information on the t.v. Nothing fell but my Lacey was freaked out.

Tody is Halloween and all the kids are excited and dressed up in their Halloween costumes and ready for the parade at lunch. Some of these kids have been up since 5 putting makeup on. The costumes range from clowns to slashers to goths. I wanted to stay home today.

Costume or not?

The first rain of the season hit yesterday. It made me want to curl up and read with a fire, a bowl of soup and a book.

The time change hasn't happened yet but getting up in the dark makes it feel like it.

This weekend it is going back up to 80.

My last chance for painting and windows. I can't believe Thanksgiving is three weeks away.

I went to see the Dr. at Kaiser yesterday. The dermatologist told he I have rosea, adult onset acne and gave me an antibiotic and cream. I had such great skin for so many years I find this really hard to deal with. After a mere 4 days my skin was better but I needed to discontinue the doxycycline. (sic) It made my tummy sick. Not to mention the GI upset and the interaction with calcium.

I'm having one of those days where I just don't want to be here. The superintendent is having a luncheon here today.

My assistant was a flapper.

red door

Emily, Scott, Abby, Ethan and Libby celebrate the season

I've got a new red door. Granted it could use a bit more sanding. The garage is next. My friend wants me to just get a new one. My thinking is that this one works just fine. It can wait.

I talked to some people who built their own cabinets this weekend and it would see, I've grossly underestimated the cost of a kitchen remodel.
I figure counters refacing cabinets, new ovens and a pantry floor to ceiling.

My new blinds came and I got 2 of 4 hung.

I decided to repaint the garage door too...terra cotta. I can't believe how much time it takes to just paint and hand stuff. prep is a lot of time.

The weather was beautiful. I love it in the 70's.

like giving birth

Having my wisdom tooth pulled was like giving birth..you want to say lets forget this, leave it in I want to go home, but you know you can't. I did say mid pull, I'll just take care of it, we can forget this idea. Oops too late.

On the positive side, He said I have strong bones.

On the negative side he had to take a wooden mallet to it eat more Wheaties and beat it out. The root was twisted so it come out in two pieces.

It turns out my pcp told me the clindanizin he proscribed and gave to me yesterday presurgery, I'm alergic to. I haven't taken any more but my choices are so limited. doxycylin but no sulfa or pencyclin drugs and I hate enythroymecin. Maybe I don't need the drugs. It's hard to smile much.

Tonight I'm going to a play Arriving from Arrivada, the story of Mexican illegals walking across the Sonoran dessert to enter Arizona. It's in English and Spanish.

The potluck yesterday was great. A good thing before an extraction. I should have had done a r upper quadrant deep cleaning too as long as I was numb but I'm sure the oral and maxillofacial and facial cosmetic surgeon might not have wanted to do that.

He did tall me that he thought the bump I have on my tongue is 99% probably not cancer but just scar tissue from a place I bit. Now I have to get some antibiotics and go back in a week. Imagine they wanted to do 3 at once. Are they crazy? 1 was traumatic enough. I have 2 out 2 in. The last one 17 years ago was not as difficult but I was surprised then too that they just yank it out. This time they did drape me like for surgery to isolate my head and keep the area as sterile as possible. It was a good thing. I was bleeding a bit. I'm still in trauma and it's the next day.

I'm aware of the stitches and the swelling but there is really no pain. I did take one ibuprofen 800 mg last night at 1. He gave me 600mg. Imagine putting my age to the year and month on the bottle! It caused me to miss my nap. I fell asleep during ER.

Wisdom lost

Time to have another wisdom tooth pulled. Two to go but I need to go one at a time. Last week I broke a tooth chewing gum and a week later it was filled and may need a crown. Theses teeth are just getting old.

It doesn't help that I like bit of honey and sticky candy and gum.

The weather here in No. CA has been spectacular. "They" call it earth quake weather.

I'm planting my bulbs and put in paper whites and yesterday picked 3 more tomato's. In the back where they don't get enough sun I've yet to get one but the basil is fine. I need to more those sweet 100's to the front and see if I can get one this year from the plants I started in May as seeds.

The primroses and violets and inpatients look great.

My 4 new sets of blinds game yesterday. Three go in the kitchen to replace the woven wood that were there when I bought the house. The other set are for my office. I need to move the one there to the spare bedroom and put mine up again from under the bed.

My cat Lacey won't be happy. She likes to "Patrol" from up on that window and that is where she goes every a.m. around 6.

I'm having one more wall in the dining room painted melon, the color of cantaloupe. I hope they managed to match what the other one was. I did the first 3 2 years ago in the heat of the summer.

I just read the new Stuart Woods, "Stone Barrington" novel,

Shoot him if he runs

. Kept me up till 1. That must be why I woke at 7:15. I've got to start setting that alarm again.

We're having a potluck at school today. I made my carrot cake with cream cheese icing.

Painting

Armando just primed the front door and then it gets painted red. The trim is black. After 4 trips to Kelly Moore and one to Orchard Supply, my Sunday was filled with the farmers market and the Thai restaurant we love for this great coco, chicken soup with lemon grass, carrots, onion, cilantro, tomato and I also like their yellow chicken curry as hot as it is.
I hit the farmers market too.
After the Mexican market where I discovered carnitas I made the rounds home.

It was a spectacular weekend. I love October in CA.

Before I left on Friday I chose the winners for the bookmark contest at school.

I need to copy and laminate them now.