Books Read in 2009

A Crochet Mystery: By Hook or By Crook by Betty Hechtman
A Crochet Mystery: Dead Men Don't Crochet by Betty Hechtman
A Crochet Mystery: Hooked on Murder by Betty Hechtman
A Smart Chick Mystery: Blind Dates Can Be Murder (re-read) by Mindy Starns Clark
A Smart Chick Mystery: Elementary, My Dear Watkins (re-read) by Mindy Starns Clark
A Smart Chick Mystery: The Trouble with Tulip (re-read) by Mindy Starns Clark
A Texas Legacy Christmas by DiAnn Mills
Alibis in Arkansas (3-in-1) by Christine Lynxwiler, Sandy Gaskin, and Jan Reynolds
Blackwork by Monica Ferris
California Capers (3-in-1) by Dana Mentink
Cozy in Kansas (3-in-1) by Nancy Mehl
Death of a Maid by M.C. Beaton
Direction: Discernment for the Decisions of Your Life by Cheri Cowell
Dogwood by Chris Fabry
Five Little Questions by Dannah Gresh
Getting Old Is Murder by Rita Lakin
Getting Old is the Best Revenge by Rita Lakin
How Can I Run a Tight Ship When I'm Surrounded by Loose Cannons? by Kathi Macias
Josey—Chill Out, Josey by Susan May Warren
Josey—Everything's Coming Up Josey by Susan May Warren
Josey—Get Cozy, Josey by Susan May Warren
Kinsey Millhone: "A" is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
Kinsey Millhone: "B" is for Burglar by Sue Grafton
Kinsey Millhone: "C" is for Corpse by Sue Grafton
Kinsey Millhone: "D" is for Deadbeat by Sue Grafton
Kinsey Millhone: "E" is for Evidence by Sue Grafton
Kinsey Millhone: "F" is for Fugitive by Sue Grafton
Lanterns and Lace by DiAnn Mills
Leather and Lace by DiAnn Mills
Lightning and Lace by DiAnn Mills
Living Simply by Joanne Heim
Mayhem in Maryland (3-in-1) by Candice Spear
Mocha on the Mount by Sandra Glahn
Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today by Kathi Macias
Murder, She Wrote: A Little Yuletide Murder by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain
Murder, She Wrote: Knock 'Em Dead by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain
Murder, She Wrote: Murder at the Powderhorn Ranch by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain
Murder, She Wrote: Murder in a Minor Key by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain
Murder, She Wrote: Trick or Treachery by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain
O'Malley Chronicles by Dee Henderson
Seven Wonders Series: City of the Dead by T.L. Higley
Shadows of Lancaster County by Mindy Starns Clark
Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes by Robin Jones Gunn
Squeezing Good Out of Bad by James N. Watkins
Swan for the Money by Donna Andrews
Thai Die by Monica Ferris
The Cat Who Sniffed Glue by Lilian Jackson Braun
The Edge of Recall by Kristen Heitzmann
The Great Christmas Bowl by Susan May Warren
The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart
The Promise of Lumby by Gail Fraser
Treasures of the North by Tracie Peterson

Acronyms

My cousin Jennifer, who is really a nice girl even if she did throw sharp-pointed scissors at me once when we were teenagers, brought up the nickname she used to call me in the comments of my birthday post. It wasn't really a flattering nickname, it was identified by an acronym, but she's still a really nice girl. I promise.

And it's really no wonder that I have had hair issues my entire life.

If I could digress for just a minute though, right after this acronym comment, Hubby and I were out driving, picking up my Dairy Queen birthday cake and the Little Caeser's pizza, and a lady didn't pull out quite appropriately. This is what transpired in our vehicle next.

Hubby: "Sometimes I think people are just trying to make me mad. She's a BDC."

Me: "A Bad Driving Chick?"

Hubby: "Yes."

Me: "That's what you thought I was the other day."

Hubby: "No, I thought you were an SDC."

A few seconds of thought.

Me: "A Slow Driving Chick?"

Hubby: "Pretty soon you're going to be a GDC."

A few more seconds of thought.

Me: "A Granny Driving Chick?"

Hubby: "A Granny Driving Chick!"

Hubby couldn't remember what the acronym CBFH stood for that Jennifer used to call me either, and I reminded him a year or two ago when it came up between us the last time. I'm not so sure I want to put it here for posterity, but I'm also pretty sure I've embarrassed myself worse.

Cotton Ball Frizz Head.

It's My Birthday — The Big Hair Edition

Last year when I posted about my birthday, I promised I'd post a big hair edition this year. Well, embarrassing as it may be, I'm keeping my word.

Get your giggle on!

It all started innocently enough. I was about 18 months old in the summer of 1967.


The biggest hair didn't start until college in 1984. That's when I also discovered the joy of the perm. It helped to "control the natural curl in my hair." Uh-huh. Whatever. I also went through an inhuman number of cans of hair spray. For years.

This is my freshman year in college:

This is my sophomore or junior year in college:

After graduation from college in 1988, Hubby was commissioned into the Army and went to Virginia for his Basic Course. My grandparents and I went over Thanksgiving to see him and visit the East Coast.

The wind never made it look any better. This was on the Virginia Beach boardwalk.

We also went to D.C. We were standing by the JFK Eternal Flame here, thus the serious faces. My grandma always had a smile on her face though. I wish I looked like that. Notice the hair doesn't move or change.

The hair even looked big from the back. What I wouldn't give to be able to wear white pants again though. If I had those, they wouldn't even go up to my knees. Gosh, they probably wouldn't even go on one leg.

This was in October, 1990. Still under the idea that bigger was better.

Even if I trimmed off length, I still kept big, and bangs.

This was the Christmas before I had the girls, so a little less than one year before I had them. I'm in the middle back, or I could say look for the biggest hair.

Today, there are no perms. I haven't had one in over 10 years. I have finally come to grips with my naturally curly hair. Unfortunately, it's still big on it's own.

And I'm actually happy to have a birthday. I'm weird about numbers. I don't like the prime number 43, so I'm happy to be 44. Who's weird enough to like to get old?

No need to answer.

What a Difference a Year Makes

Or not.

This is Peka last January.

This was him as soon as it started getting really cold this winter.

As soon as I switched out and put my heavier duvet cover on the bed, he started getting up there to sleep during the day. It's fluffier and so he sinks into it more.

At least somebody, or something, has figured out how to acclimate in this weather.

I'm just a little jealous of the naps on my bed during the day.

Menu Plan Monday — December 28

I hope everyone had a wonderful, blessed Christmas. We are finally about done with the leftovers at our house. How about you?

Monday — I expect to be at the car repair shop all day in the waiting room while we have a major repair done on our one vehicle. We will be eating a smorgasbord from the freezer and pantry. Somebody may even have cereal for dinner!

Tuesday — I have some cut-up chicken left over from what I prepared for the Christmas Day chicken pie (I'll share that recipe later in the week). I'm going to take advantage of that and make Chicken Spaghetti. I even have everything I need in the pantry already except for the spaghetti noodles.

Wednesday — It's my birthday! I may try to hold off going out to eat until Sunday and just kill two birds with one stone. It's been an expensive month. But a Dairy Queen ice cream cake would be nice (not the cookie dough kind). Hint, hint, for any Hubby out there reading. If we stay home, maybe we'll have Little Caesar's pizza.

Thursday — We're going to a New Year's Eve not-really-party but party at a friend's house. It's just some families from church getting together. But we're having food so I don't have to fix dinner, but I do have to take something. I'm not good with appetizer-type things, especially the ones that have to stay warm. I'm just good with the ones that you eat straight out of the oven, or cold. Any tips you have would be great.

Friday — Beef Stew, if I can talk Hubby into manning it while the girls and I go get our hair cut. It has to simmer for a few hours and then the vegetables have to be in for an hour or so to get tender.

Saturday — Leftovers.

Sunday — Eat out since we ate in all week, and of course for my birthday!

Be sure to visit The Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

"Socks"

Here is my "Sock" my grandma made for me that I grew up with.

Here is the one she made for Hubby when we got married. I love the Razorback.

I asked my mom to send them to me this year. My aunt knew just where they were in Grandma's house.

I have fond memories of the stockings at Grandpa and Grandma Wheeler's house. Grandma always called them "Socks" and Hubby and I do out of habit now. It's become a term of endearment.

As soon as we finished eating and cleaning up the kitchen, we read the Christmas story from Luke, then all the grandkids (there were four of us) got to open our socks prior to the presents. I always loved the socks the best.

My kids love the socks too. We love to stuff them, they love to open them. So much so, that when I saw this idea in Country Living, or Country Something-or-Another, about 10 years ago, I jumped all over it.

Bags.

Our socks have become bags.

But we still call them socks.

Makes a lot of sense, doesn't it? Rhetorical, I might add.

I made these with some flannel fabric without a pattern. When I was done I just folded the top over and sewed a seam to tack it down for the cuff. They are about 18 inches tall, which is totally an eyeball measurement. They would have been so much better if I'd known how to make that box bottom I just learned on those bags.

You know I'm going to be looking for some flannel fabric for some new sock/bag/stockings now.

And this year, we're opening the socks last.

Chicken and Dumplings

As usual, I totally butchered a recipe I was using, but it turned out to be absolutely delicious.

Delicious!

I hope SnoWhite isn't too mad at me for playing around with her Chicken and Dumplings recipe. I used the "chicken" part of the recipe, but since I don't like mushrooms, and I don't put celery or green peppers in stuff unless I absolutely have to, and I was running out of time so I didn't bother to chop up the onion, and I despise green peas with every fiber of my being, it ended up being a bit different from hers. Plus I didn't do mine in the crock pot. Time issue again. I did it on the stovetop in a big old pot.

Still delicious.

So here's what I did (I doubled the original recipe also to have enough for all of us and a little left over, but not enough for everyone — this is doubled):

Chicken and Dumplings
tweaked from SnoWhite's recipe

2 cups baby carrots
1 48 oz box chicken broth
2/3 C flour
2 lbs. chicken breasts, cut up kind of messy
4-5 smallish potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp rosemary
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup milk

Boil chicken, cool, and cut up or shred into bite-sized pieces.

Reserve two cups of the chicken broth. Take the remaining chicken broth and heat it in a large pot along with the milk, carrots, potatoes, seasoning, and your cut up chicken. Take the two cups of chicken broth and mix with the flour; stir it into the other broth mixture.

Simmer until the vegetables are tender, stirring frequently, then make your dumplings and cook them. The directions originally called for cooking them for 10 minutes with the lid off and 10 minutes with the lid on. I had to add another 10 minutes with the lid on and turn up my heat just a little. It may have been because I doubled the dumpling recipe also and it was just too much for the top of the pot. Nothing horrible happened; there was just a little bit of the stew that stuck on the bottom of the pan.

Dumplings
from The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp double-acting baking powder
1 tsp chopped parsley
1/2 tsp salt

Mix above ingredients in a large bowl with a fork.

In a cup, combine 2/3 cup milk with 2 T vegetable oil; slowly stir into flour until soft dough forms.

Drop by heaping tablespoons onto chicken. Cook uncovered 10 minutes; cover and cook 10 minutes more (simmering).

With slotted spoon, remove dumplings. Spoon chicken into serving dish; top with dumplings.

This is the recipe not doubled.

This is a picture as soon as I put the dumplings on top of the stew.

This is when it was all finished. I had to take a close-up shot because I forgot to take one before we started spooning it out and eating it!

I loved the way the seasoning blend made this taste so much I'm going to use it when I make Chicken Pie for Christmas Day.