Quote of the Week

Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year to All!
 

May Peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through! 

- Author Unknown

Winter Weather, Winter Food

Hi.  Just more ramblings today.  I thought I would start with the local weather report.  We have the first Winter Storm Watch of the season for tomorrow and Saturday.  There is apparently a big blow coming up from the Gulf.  The moisture will come up and collide with the cold air here, and poof...Snow!  Like many of these forecasts, things change and we end up not getting anything, so as usual I'll believe it when I see it.

I'll be staying on top of the forecast and following the progress on the radar.  Now I really don't care for cold weather and the bitter windy days of winter.  However, I have always liked snow, especially long walks like I used to take with my Mom.  We had such fun walking in the woods with the snow clinging to the pine trees.  One time we even took my sled and went sledding down the path made by trail bikes.  It was hazardous to say the least, but thankfully we never crashed.  Alas, those days are gone, and so are those woods.  They are now a housing development with no sign of their former beauty.

Speaking of cold, snowy weather, it is time to break out the soup pots.  Playing in or shoveling snow builds up a big appetite, and soups and stews are a warming, filling antidote for the chilly-willies.  This is where the crockpot comes in handy.  Just toss in a chuck roast, some onions and carrots, flip the switch and you've got a hot satisfying dinner in the making.  What I did the other day was take some of the broth from the roast and made a gravy.  I whipped up some mashed potatoes and it was pure deliciousness on a plate.  A hearty, healthy, homemade dinner can be quick and easy when you let the slow cooker do the work for you.  Dig in, everyone.

It's Almost Christmas Again

It's amazing how fast time goes by, and once again Christmas is just around the corner.  Yep, just 9 days away.  Is your tree sparkling from top to bottom with a zillion lights, and ornaments of silver and gold, red and green, and all the trimmings?  Do you have all your shopping done?  Presents all around the tree?  I finally started wrapping/bagging yesterday.

My list is short these days, and on-line shopping makes is so much easier.  No driving all over town, waiting in long lines of traffic and longer lines in the stores.  Just click here, click there and you're done.  Simple.  So far, I've had 3 orders from Amazon, one from Penzeys, cashed in green points for a gift card, and ordered ink for my printer to print more money-saving coupons.  The more you save, the more you can give.

I still have a few gifts to get for the "hard to shop for" folks.  My guess is gift cards for them.  I know that sounds like a cop-out, but personally I never mind getting gift cards.  Being the frugal shopper that I am, I make the most of them.  

So, my thoughts in a nutshell...Shop on-line, use coupon codes and seek out free shipping deals.  When you do have to go to the stores, the same principles apply.  Use coupons, especially combined with sales to get the best deals.

Quote of the Week

The only person who never makes mistakes is the person who never does anything.

-  Denis Waitley

We almost didn't have a quote this week.  I hadn't found the right one until now.  This one fits the everyday life of all of us.  It is apparent in many daily acts, at work, with family, even cooking.  I use a variation of this when one of my culinary experiments doesn't live up to my expectations.

Why I Don't Like Shopping at the Mall

Are you a mall shopper?  Do you favor the specialty shops or the high-end department stores?  What trips your trigger about mall shopping?  Is it having all those stores under one roof even though you have to walk at least two miles to see them all?  Not me.  During my teenage years, and through much of my working life, I would shop the mall regularly.  It was a mecca of activity during the holidays, and the huge poinsettia tree was a thing of beauty.  Ah, those were the good 'ol days. 

Now it's a horse of a different color.  You can't walk from point A to point B without being accosted by someone selling something, offering to "lotion" or "perfume" you or wanting to see your nails.  They approach you from their kiosk, "Hey lady, can I ask you a question?"  "NO", keeps walking.  Reminds me of Tiajuana.  Really, I just want to get what I came after and leave as quickly and peacefully as possible.  I don't like being rude, but gee people give it a rest.  If we want to see what you're selling, we'll stop and ask.  Otherwise, just leave us alone! 

After 33 years, I would expect things to have changed.  In some cases not all changes are for the better. 

There are some good sales and deals to be had, though, if you can bear the harassement, the parking, the  traffic and the crowded stores especially around Christmas.  I try to limit it to one visit over the holiday, and that was today, probably the coldest day of the year thus far.  What a joy.  I treated myself to lunch at McD when I was done.