Odds and Ends

Thanksgiving:
Went well. My mom seems to like featherlight rice rolls better than ones I've made in the past. How do I know? She actually had more than the obligatory one at Thanksgiving Dinner! :-) So I'm pleased, and will likely make this kind for future holidays. Grandma said she liked the sweet potatoes better than anything else. My suspicion is that there's a nutrient in them that she's lacking in, but I could easily be wrong. Dad showed up for a while. Long enough to carve the turkey and eat a meal. Mom used her overly bright voice the whole time he was there, while he more or less glowered and tried to pretend he wasn't there. It was rather a relief when he left (too much tension in the air).

Notes (mostly for myself for later): Scooping the bread dough up by quarter-cupfuls and putting a quarter cup in each muffin cup makes nearly uniform size rolls that do not need much smoothing. The dough comes out easier if the cup is sprayed routinely with olive oil. Also, for the cinnamon-pull aparts, it works well to scoop it up by the teaspoonful (dipping the spoon in olive oil when too much dough gets stuck to it). Oh, and for the pumpkin cookies, use about 1 1/3 cups of whatever flour, two cups pumpkin, plus whatever else the Bette Hagman recipe calls for, and 1 1/2 c GF chocolate chips.

Yesterday:
While decorating the Chrismas tree, Robin (the Church choir director) muttered, "Where am I?" So I helpfully told her, "Pocatello."
My mom chimed in with, "In Idaho."
I added, "In the U.S."
Mom: "North America."
Me: "Earth."
:-D Robin glared at us. "I think I'd have a permanent headache if I had to spend very much time around the two of you." Then she threatened us with swear words learned from her military father. This did not have the desired effect. I was mostly curious. My mom said that her father (my grandad) had been in the Merchant Marines, so there was little she hadn't already heard.

Today:
I got my driveway nearly completely shoveled (as complete as its going to get; I've got room to turn my car around), and got a path made on the sidewalk. I was nearly done when the neighbor's...cousin (possibly brother or nephew) came over and offered to help. To be fair, I think he'd been going around the neighborhood helping other people. He also might have just gotten home from church. Anyway, he did about an eight foot section of sidewalk. It was the deepest part of the sidewalk, so I appreciated it. I am very glad I got as much done yesterday as I did. The six or so inches on the driveway wasn't too bad. The fourteen or so inches on the sidewalk was...difficult. My legs got tired enough that I had to use my back a bit more than I should have, but I'm still not nearly as sore as I have been in years past...and in years past, I never did this much. I always gave up and talked my dad into bringing his snowblower over to finish. I am planning to avoid that this year. Dad's been going wacky whenever anyone asks for any sort of favor, especially if it involves borrowing any of his "toys."

Anyway, I don't quite smell like a yak at the moment, but my presence will be more appreciated after a shower. Au Revoir.