This and that, around the house... :-)

OhOh!  Look what we start the New Year off with........   A worn out one of those ding-dang NEW fangled bulbs!  Which you are supposed to carefully dispose of.  Around here, that means, take it to a Hardware Store, which disposed of them.  -Blast-   But just like returning bottles, or plastic bags, etc. ~~~  This means remembering to take it with you, when you are headed in the correct direction.  

And if you are supposed to remember something.....  'Murphy's Law' sezzzzzz you will usually forget.

-chuckle-

.♥.

I haven't posted anything about my reading in a long time.  Before Christmas, I was reading Cozy Mysteries Set At Christmas Time.  That was fun.  Although it was hit/and/miss.  Some are more fun, than others.

I have to say I wasn't totally thrilled with "The Legacy."  It seemed to kind of drag, and I admit I didn't read every page.  -sigh-  So I don't claim to have fully read this.   But I did have to get to the end, to see how all the threads of the plot, finally tied together.  !!!!

We watched "The Thin Man" on New Year's Eve.  Well, we watched this library dvd first.  And then watched "The Return Of The Thin Man" on Turner Classic Movies on the tv.  In other words, we tried to *OD* on 'Nick & Nora'!  ,-)

I took the original "Father Of The Bride" out of the library,  just for looking at the decor in their house.  I  LOVE  FILM  SETS!!!  Susan Branch loves homes in old films.  It's basically the same thing.  Susan has an extensive List of the "home" films, which are her favorite.  "Father Of The Bride," is on that list, and it was in the library, so I started with it.  Oh those ruffle-edged white organdy curtains!!!  I so remember loving them, in films, when I was growing up!!!!!!  And my mother and I got them for my bedroom, because of seeing them in a bedroom, in a film.   

.♥.

So I am getting the old films on her List, which are in the library system.  Then I'll finally get NetFlix again, for a while.  And see more of them. 

Do you ever do something like this?  Go through a List, of this or of that?  

.♥.

Just an old left-over photo, of the New Year's "Bubbly" bottle, the next morning.  :-)

.♥.

(Source)

:-) If you go to the Source Link, you'll see that this sweet little art-work is done with "Home For The Holidays", written under it.   But I thought it kind of shows the feeling we get, after the Holidays too.  Of wanting to be cozy and warm and snug, at home.  :-)

And of course, our Christmas Tree and Wreaths are still up, around here!!!
.♥.

(Source)

From an old book by Gladys Taber:
.♥.

 "January is drama in the season.  

Driving against the pane comes the sleet, 

and wild is the sound of the wind from the fierce heart of winter.  

The sky can be black as anthracite, and the drifts roll under it.

.♥.

In the house, there is a special sense of security.  

The house is as tight and snug as a ship.  

In the old black kettle swinging from the crane, Cranberry Island stew is simmering.  The range glows in the back kitchen, and beans are baking for Saturday-night supper.  

A few cockers are dripping on the hearth, 

and the cats are asleep 

on the hottest radiator."

.♥.

snow-marshmallow-whipped-cream-"Auld Lang Syne"

As you can see, I didn't keep the all-plain-white background for long.  But, this cute little pic is kind of over-kill, the other way.  Meaning, I went from very plain background...  To a little-too-much- going-on in the background.  ~~~~   Mmmm, later, changed again.  :-)

We have the lobster...  We have the Champagne...  We have "his" cheeses and "my" cheeses...  And grapes and diff crackers, for with the cheeses.  Not sure exactly what we'll do with the lobster.  They are cooked and chilled and could just be cracked (by HIM), and cut up, and dipped in a wee bit of hot butter.......   We'll see....

We have "The Thin Man" dvd from the library.  (1934)  "Nick and Nora Charles, a former detective and his rich, playful wife, investigate a murder case mostly for the fun of it."...  That about sums up the plot.  But it's the inter-acting of William Powell and Myrna Loy, which puts this classic film, over-the-top.   Fun!  Fun!  Zany fun!  ;-)

Oh and don't forget to turn on the scanner!  To hear the nutty things which the poor Police Dept. has to deal with, on a New Year's Eve.  ,-0

Happy New Year's Eve to you, Dear Reader!!!

"If New Year's Eve night wind blow south, 
It betokeneth warmth and growth:
If west, much milk, and fish in the sea:
If north, much cold, and storms there will be:
If east, the trees will bear much fruit:
If north-east, flee it man and brute."
 Traditional

Kitty...Question...Dvd's...Etc. ADDITION...

ADDITION:

I  HOPE  IT  IS  OBVIOUS,  THAT  THIS  POST  WAS  SCHEDULED,

BEFORE  THE

HORROR OF THE SCHOOL SHOOTING.

Do you see "BK," the next door kitty, in the bottom left pane, of that little window???  There are 2 of these little, high up windows, and she seems to be getting up in this one.  In order to get a good outdoor view.  Her porch perch isn't open to her much, in this cold weather, naturally. 

There you can see her better, in this pic.  Even though there is a lot of reflection of trees/sky there too.  The small window to the left of this one, is where I can see the top of their Christmas tree.  And I have shown a pic of that.  :-)  

.......

There are shelves for books and this and that, below each of these windows.  "BK" being  a youngin' can manage to hop up the shelves to the window, without disturbing anything.  I doubt if "Lucky" could do that, anymore.  "Lucky" is older and heavier.  ,-)

Seems I'm kinda' *hung-up* on Holiday Time Business...   Are we rushed?  Or aren't we rushed?

.......

I am not.  But many are.  And blogging/blog reading may be a nice break, from their hectic days/night.  Now if this be true, and blog-stuff is a respite for you now....   Then I don't want you to feel you *have to* leave a comment here on my blog.   REALLY!!!!!   You read that correctly.  I did say that!  Although it is unusual for me, I know.  Me...  "Auntie"...  "The Queen Of Why Don't People Comment?".......

.......

But truly, there is a time/and/place for everything.  Nothing is set-in-stone.  Holiday Time...  Or whatever one's personal Busy Time may be...   No need to worry about comments.  (Mmmmm, I suppose you are thinking that would be more easy to believe of me, if I wrote it in blood, hu?  -grinnnn-).....

.......

BUT!!!  (Hehhhh, you knew there would be a "but," didn't you?)   BUT!!!   Please leave comments turned on.  For people like me, who are not stressed-out with doing things...  People like me, who always seem to have something they just *HAVE TO* comment.  :-))))))))))   Please and thank you.

I've gotten all the "Pie In The Sky" dvd's out of the library, which they have.  -sob-  -sigh-  -moan-   I so miss my "Henry Crabbe"!!!   -whimper-   My library system does not have the full episodes of the full 5 Seasons though.   So, after the Holidays, I'm going to get Net Flix, so I can see ALLLLLLL of "Henry"!!!!   :-)

.......

But for now, I have the above dvd's out.  I've already see "Miss Marple" and "Mrs. Bradley Mysteries."  Not sure about the other one...  But I watch most everything, to enjoy the scenery and sets and clothes and etc.  "Miss Marple" has lovely UK settings.  So does "Mrs. Bradley Mysteries" and these are fun, fun, fun, too.  ,-)

.......

I seem to *have to* walk, after my main meal.  And it's easier to do so, watching an episode from old tv shows.  

Just another fuzzy pic.  Wouldn't want you to think I had forsaken fuzzzzzzzzzzzy.  ,-)

 "There is no instinct like that of the heart."
~Lord Byron

Kitty...Deco...LOVELY Christmas dvd... ADDITION

ADDITION:  below...

A couple more pics of the new visiting kitty...  But again, I waited too long to get a better pic.

ADDITION:  below...

It comes in under the pool fence gate, to the west.  Walks around the pool area, *inspecting*...  And exits via a place under the fence, on the other side.  It doesn't take long, doing this little part of its daily Route.  But if I watch, I could get a better picture, out the Kitchen window.  :-)  Must remember to have camera at-the-ready!!!!!  -grin-

It's well fed, not a stray.  But relatively new to us.  As long as it's well fed, I don't have to fret about it.  Strays make me feel very sad, but we do not, not, not feed them.  Because we can not, not, not encourage them.

ADDITION:  below...  

Busy day today, so not much of a post.  Just random reflection pics.  Which are kinda' hard to get, because by their nature, they are in dim lighting.....

ADDITION:  below...

 One thought I did have.........   What do I really want, this Christmas Time?   No, not what I want to get!  What do I want to DO?  Like...  I like to look at my Christmas Books, which I've collected over the years.  And I love to watch the dvd of "A Child's Christmas In Wales."

 Lovely that!  Warm and old fashioned and mesmerizing and delightful.  I tell of the dvd of "A Child's Christmas In Wales," every year.  I so hope that some year, all my Dear Readers will manage to view it.  Betcha' you'll be delighted!  :-)

ADDITION:  

My gracious, didn't know I had all these Dear Readers, who don't know about the following....  Ahhhhh, concerning End Of The World possibilities on Dec. 21, 2012.

Click below...

So here you are!!!!!!!!!

Now granted, why think those old guys could predict the End Of The World????????   But!!!!!  Are there going to be un-natural celestial happenings, on that date?  Remember how even sun spots, can mess with our earthly communications?  Will planets/moon line up?

So, IF there are to be planet line ups and etc., could these things cause enough disaster on our Earth, to disrupt LIFE  AS  WE  KNOW IT???

Think of life on earth, without any electricity, communications, passage of food and necessary materials, from one area to the other, etc.?  Caused by freaky happenings, which are all just natural things, like earth quakes and volcanoes???  (How about the BIG ONE, under Yellowstone???)

That is where the Survivalists jump in.  Get your water.  Get your non-perishable food.  Get your gun.

OK!  No more excuse for my Dear Readers, to not at least have a teeny, tiny, niggling worry......  Hehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...     >,-)

Lately, I've been waking at..........

Lately, I've been waking at 6am.  Opening the shade by my side of the bed, and laying there, watching the sunrise.  Well, the wee little bit of sunrise, which we get in this house.  Trees near and far, hide the full sunrise/sunset.  But I see a spot, out my window, where the sky (between trees and over a roof) begins to lighten.   Then it turns various shades of gold and golden pink. 

I come down and get the coffee/decaf going.  And can see the sunrise proceeding (the rosey-bit, seen through the trees), from my south-facing kitchen window.  And the Old Oak Tree greets me, every morning.  :-)

I also like to get up, well before sunrise.  Come down when the outside world is still dark.  I like to open the shades, and see my kitchen lights, bouncing back at me, from the windows.  When outside is black, inside lights reflect, and it looks cozy, to me.  :-)

Yesterday, while "Uncle A." was fixing the tiles in the front hall...........   I was baking again!  I tried making  G/F Biscuits.  But I didn't have G/F Bisquick, which I thought I had.  So I used another G/F Baking Mix and kind of adapted the original recipe.   Mmmmm, they don't look all the great.  But they taste ok, so who cares?  ,-) 

I used some of that mixture, to top a G/F Blueberry Cobbler for me....  It's really a little one, made in a little glass casserole.  And then I made Cranberry/Orange/Nut Muffins for "Uncle A."  NOT G/F, of course.   :-)

Then I put the Cobbler in the refrig.  Bagged the Muffins and Biscuits, and froze them.  When we want one, we take it out and microwave it a bit.  They stay fresher, this way.  

 

If you remember, I've been hooked on an older Brit tv show called "Pie In The Sky"...  And I want to take a look at "Rosemary and Thyme."  Both these can be gotten from my Library System.  Well, I went to amazon, and asked for a list of British tv shows.  Up came a *zillion.*  I'd read  up on them, then if I liked it, I looked it up on my Library System Net site.  My System has loads of them!!!  Hoooray!!!!!   

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Above is from "Wodehouse Playhouse" and has 2 favorite actors of ours...  Double Hooray!!!!!

I can actually see how people could do away with cable, keep tv, and rent old shows to watch.  :-)  And renting from Library doesn't cost, like from Net Flix, etc.  (Our taxes pay for the Library of course but.....)  No, we won't be getting rid of cable, because there are things on cable, which we want to watch.  But!  No more need for those times when the general opinion is; "There is NOTHING to watch, on tv!"  :-)

Of course, I always have books to read, so tv is not that much of a necessity.  But...  I'm so glad I finally took a look at what my Library System has to offer, as to tv rentals.  :-)

"I have a kind of a built-in clock
which always reacts against
anything Orthodox."

~Vivienne Westwood

Do you know 'Henry'? Plus other stuff..... :-)

I am totally enamoured with 'Henry Crabbe'!  I admit it.  I don't mind saying it.  I am.  And who is 'Henry Crabbe' you may ask?  Why he is the main character in "Pie In The Sky," a British tv series of a bit back.  I'm renting it from our Library System.  We're on the 3rd Season now.  :-)

Oh yes, I know!  -sigh-  He played the worst 'muggle' of them all, in 'Harry Potter.'  But I love him as the Detective/Chef in "Pie In The Sky."  :-)))) 

.

When we went to the orchard shop, to get the Mac apples for the pie...    I found this quite pretty Photo Op.  :-)  Sun, through Maple Syrup bottles.

"Uncle A." was way down in the apple bin, which contained the Mackintosh Apples.  The only ones he wants in his Apple Pies.  Note that there weren't that many left.
 

This is a picture, taken across another bin full of apples...  With him leaning down, to get the Macs.  There were lots of bins full of apples.  But must be, the Macs are the most popular.  Maybe...?

I'm finding more and more delicious Lactose Free items.  This being Creamy Goat Cheese with Roasted Red Peppers.  Yummmmmmmmmmmmy!!!!!  :-)

Must use Bell's Seasoning, in the turkey stuffing.  Must!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you too, Dear Reader, use Bell's Seasoning?

"A skinny cook can't be trusted."

"Old cooks never die, they just get deranged."

"Hunger is the best sauce."

"Life is short, eat dessert first."

"Chocolate........Coffee........Men.......some things are better rich!"

"Cooking is like love, it should be entered into with abandon, or not at all."

"Life is so brief that we should not glance either too far backwards or forwards...therefore study how to fix our happiness in our glass and in our plate."

"Apple pie without cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze."