Fun & Games

Christmas took place at my Sister's in Rochester, MA this year. There was loads great food, laughter and QT with the fam and...a power outage? Yep. Here's a shot of the girls (Ma included) hangin' in the dark.

Then there's the food...

Lord KNOWS, I gotta add some grub shots, especially when it's THIS good. Above pic represents the beginning stages of peanut butter blossoms...pure heaven.



Farina "Bon Bon's," (which my Uncle Bill thinks sounds like a "lady of the night" and some of my all time favs) are the ones with the sprinkles on top and below with the maraschino cherries, are thumb prints of course.


and what would Christmas be without Roast Beast? All bloody and delish?

xmas gifts

Anne, Rochester's (MA) next top model, showing off her wears...one of Ms. Carrie Hoge's original "Madder" designs, which she adored.


My Dad, taking to his new role as the "retired chef," got an apron...


I got a sweet stocking from the Roseman girls (and one for Mike). It was full of all kinds of thoughtful treats from toothpaste and clementines to band-aids and bubble gum. Who says 31 is too old to get goodies in a sock?

AND Anna Banana made a pillow for (mostly) all of us in the fam. It's made of fleece. No needles required. Very cool.

I gave Ginny (AKA Nane) a sweatshirt from the greatest city on earth (and her childhood home).

He's finally dressed!

Morning Wisdom...or something

I have had a long, secret love affair with Palindromes; a word or phrase that reads the same backwards and forwards...I recently got a calender full of them at an art show. Illustrated by Beth Nixon. Here's a few examples...

"Sh! Tom sees moths."

"Poor Dan is in a droop."

"May a moody baby doom a yam?"

One of my favorites..."Do Geese see God?"


Then, there's Spoonerisms...( an "accidental" transposition of initial consonants in a pair of words.)

A poem "Runny's Big Romance" From Shel Silverstein's book Runny Babbit.

"Runny had a firlgriend,
Her name was Sunny Bue.
He called her nots of licknames,
Like "Kitchy-Itchy-Koo."
Sometimes he called her "Boney-Hun,"
And sometimes "Dovey Lear,"
But he only called her "Peety-Swie"
When no one else could hear."

How's about a grossly paraphrased quote by Dr. Suess,

"Be who you are. For those who matter don't mind, and those who mind, don't matter."

And another, said by my 20 year old nephew Michael. A philosophizer, wise beyond his years...

"Don't try to hard if it's not returned."

OK<>enough lessons for today. Peace.

Snowy Soiree

Even though there was a blizzed howling outside, I was coerced into having a little "get together" to celebrate the incoming holidays and fend off cabin fever...




Sammy was there, of course, getting frisky with guests as she attempted to claw their certain "off limit" body parts...

But she crashed early, declaring herself...a party pooper.

There was spicy pepper bruschetta, super crispy lasagna and even a party game or two.


My friend and co-worker Yan Michael, was rockin' out in a cardigan and slippers. He declared HIMself an "Asian Mr. Rogers." So true.

Ho ho ho

Good ol' Santy Clause! Have you heard the Surgeon General wants Saint Nick to lose some weight? This is NO joke, the title of an article in the Boston Herald last week read, "Santa, put that cookie down!" Give me a flippin' break! First Cookie Monster, now this! But, no worries, S.C., we love you just the way you are.



His pals
and C.B.! He made it home!
Yes, he's NEARLY naked now...but just you wait!

Our "Charlie B" Tree

The "Beckett ST bunch" decided it was time for a tree, so
Jacques found us a sweet spot in So Po, near Millcreek, where we could purchase one. It was run by the Rotary club of Cape Elizabeth and So Po. If only it were possible to have a scratch-n-sniff post, this would be a perfect candidate. Sheer deliciousness.

I wanted to take THIS home w/ me too. It even has a microwave inside.


This kind man took a chain saw to our new pal, in preparation for its new life (or death as it were...) in our living room. He proceeded to tell us the trees come from a farm in Newport, ME, close to the Moosehead Lake region.

Here we are...Sarah, Charlie B, Jacques and me.

How I spent Sunday

I covered a festering mildew spot in the bathroom w/ grout,


I treated myself to an original "Mint Julep face masque" courtesy of Queen Helene


and wrapped some presents...amazed by my own holiday preparedness.