Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to you!

Thinking About Joaquin Phoenix

Some of the boys on Facebook have been putting up movie quotes.


I rarely recognize them, but for some reason I've been thinking of Joaquin Phoenix as Merrill in Signs saying, "Felt wrong not to swing." I loved him in that movie. The whole thing with the nerds explanation and the aluminum foil cap. He was so charming. Then, I remembered when he was in that movie Inventing the Abbotts, the movie where he drew the side burns on with a permanent marker and he falls in love with Liv Tyler. Did you see that one? I loved that movie. Last weekend I saw him in Ladder 49. Sad ending. I hated the ending.


When I was first married, my husband Todd and I watched the movie Parenthood. Remember him (when he was River) in that movie? All that hair and anger? When I was pregnant, just a few months after seeing him in Parenthood, I saw a rerun of Space Camp. He was "Max" in that one. That's where I got Max's name, from a movie that most people haven't even heard of.


Earlier this year, Joaquin Phoenix was acting pretty odd. I sure hope that guy is okay.

Okay, enough stalling.......tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I'm not prepared. Ooops.


Image credit: Amazon.com

Falalala Lifetime

I decided to start writing my food blog again. I took a break while writing for Food/Nutrition at Blisstree. I started with a review of some truffles from Vosges (photos below) and a quiche recipe. I want to work on trying some things. I get so used to making tacos and taco salad and breakfast for dinner and ...........blah, boring. (Although I love tacos and honestly never tire of them).
My girls are both at sleepovers right now. Max is in bed and I have no idea where Kitty is off to. It's so quiet here. Nothing but the sound of the dishwasher and a movie with Jamie Gertz on Lifetime. Does anyone else think of The Lost Boys every time they see her? It doesn't matter how many years or how many episodes of her former sit com that I saw, she's still the Lost Boys girl to me. Or possibly Muffy (?) from Square Pegs.

This movie is pretty cute. It seems like movies on Lifetime are either women in peril, women causing some sort of peril, or love stories. Uh oh, guy in this one has issues with his dad. I gotta go!

Image credit: Michelle Smith

Feeling Chatty....

I started my holiday baking last night. I made some combo chip cookies with semi-sweet, milk chocolate, white chips and coconut. They turned out good, but I've never met a chocolate chip cookie that I did not like. Sometimes I put a little bit of oats in them. I like a crisp cookie and both the browned coconut and oats really give a cookie great texture.

I made up sugar cookies with the cookie cutters that I got from Mom and Grandma. I love using their tools. My rolling pin used to be Great Grandma Halfhill's. I like feeling like they are somehow baking right alongside me. Most of my pans belonged to Grandma Halfhill, my strainer, my colander, all the things I use every day. I'd like to add to my pan collection, but I will always use these tools. I trust them.

I have a friend who uses his mother's baking table when he cooks. It's perfect - good height, good size, and you can see the marks she put into the table over the years as she prepared food for her family. What a treasure. He lost his mom way too early, but every meal he prepares, her hand is in it.

That table means a lot to him. I appreciate people who get things like that. New things are nice, but a little family history, there's nothing like it. I want to hand things down to my girls when they have their own families. I want Bailey to be able to grate cheese for tacos with Grandma's grater and Sarah to scoop ice cream with her wooden handle scoop. It might sound silly, but that's just me.

Baking, it really helped to regain my holiday spirit. I've still got a lot left to do - lacy almond cookies and some fudge. Maybe some chocolate krinkles for Mom. Tonight I'm going to make a quiche for dinner. I haven't made one of those in a long time. When I was a hairdresser, I'd take my tips upstairs where I'd pick up quiche and spinach salad for lunch. Yum. That reminds me......I think I need a bag of spinach. I'm going to finish my decorating and my wrapping. Okay, I'm going to start the wrapping - I have nothing under the tree so far. It's going to take me awhile. Good thing I've candy canes and cookies for energy.

Kitty scratched Sarah's face today. Sometimes she's mean and nasty. I try to get Sarah to understand that she can't have her face too close to her. I'm afraid that she's going to get her in the eye. I love my cat, but when she makes my girl cry, I feel like doing a Grandpa Harold, I feel like sending her sailing out the door (he chose the deck, flying kitty - don't worry, she always landed on her feet). I don't. I am gentle with her, but she's going to stay stuck in my bedroom for awhile today.

I'm done with my work-work for the day. Way early. Feels great. I may even get time to read today. Guess what? This was my 300th post. Wow.

On My Makeup Wishlist

My minivan over-heated today. Damn. I don't know what is wrong, but I filled it with anti-freeze and drove home. I checked later and the level was low again. I'm going to baby it and try to wait until January to get it fixed. Luckily I live close to the grocery store, etc, so I can walk if I have to.

I'm really enjoying my new job at Gadabout Media. I love the freedom to write about pretty much anything that tickles my fancy like this makeup kit.........

I wrote about it after seeing an article in SELF magazine about low cost makeup ideas for gleamingy, sparkly holiday looks. The whole kit, made by Urban Decay, is only $18. If you'd like to see the post, it's here. You can use it for way more than just eye makeup. I so want that kit!!

Bah Humbug

I'm feeling extremely bah humbug-ish. At this point, I want the holidays to be over. Past. History. I blamed a broken heart on the last two bad holiday seasons, but really I think it's just me. I think I'm anti-holiday and no matter how much I try to get into the spirit, I feel overwhelmed by regular life.

Here's something that I do love about the holidays.........

Candy canes do not suck. Glittery stuff is kind of cool, too. See, I'm trying. I haven't given up completely.

This is our Christmas tree. The prettiest ornaments we have - other than those made by the kids - are from the Dollar Tree.

I took this the other day out on the patio, before the rain started. Someone should put a coat on that kid. It's chilly.

I think I'll be in a better mood when I get to the cookie baking. I'll let you know if it works.

I Want To Give Basketball A Hug

Today was the first day of the Winter basketball season for CARD. The kids got to watch the CSUC Men's and Women's team practice and do a dunking contest. Later, the kid's teams met and each played 2 practice games.

Sarah is my youngest and the smallest person in our family. When she's on the basketball court, she looks huge to me. She blocks and runs and waves her arms around. Her little face gets so red and if I were her, I'd probably barf from all the exercise. I am so proud of her and the effort she puts into her game.

The kids have a break until the second weekend in January. They practice but no official games until that weekend.

I'm really going to try to perfect my sports photography. I want to try to convey how exciting the girls are when they play. They put their whole heart into it, they don't care how they look, they don't worry about boys, or mean girls.

A girl's life goes like this - first they feel no limitations, they feel like they are beautiful, smart, strong, capable, then life starts to chip away at their confidence. Someone calls them ugly or fat or in some way makes them feel less or diminished. They deflate a bit. When girls play sports or sing or play an instrument, when they find something that they feel good about, it helps to inflate them again. They grow bigger, stronger, they work harder, they enjoy some success. It's a wonderful thing.

I love what basketball does for Sarah. I wish I could give basketball a big hug of gratitude.