A Warm Christmas!

    We didn't break any records, but the last week has been warmer than usual for December. The high on Christmas Day was 75˚, not matching the 79˚ recorded in 2015.

    We planned to play pickleball on Wednesday morning, but when we arrived at the Y, the parking lot was empty! I thought the Y would be open for half a day, but I wasn't paying attention to any notices that must have been posted.

    We attended the 6:30 p.m. Vesper Service on Christmas Eve, which ended with candlelight and the congregation singing "Silent Night, Holy Night."

    On Christmas Day, we welcomed Kylie, Steven, and Jayden, with Dustin and Josh arriving a few minutes later. I stuck a casserole in the oven, and we played some Christmas trivia games that everyone enjoyed while snacking on cheese and crackers and sipping wassail.

    The Christmas Day meal consisted of tossed salad, Italian beef sandwiches, and corn casserole. Earlier in the week, I made figgy pudding, a dense, dark cake. Unfortunately, it was not popular, so I won't make it again. I should have used dates instead of figs, but the spices I used might have made it less palatable.

    Since I failed to get a photo of us playing trivia, I was happy to get this one as Dustin and Josh said goodbye.

    While writing this post, I've also been listening to the weather reports. We had a record-high temperature today, but a cold front is sweeping through the area. There have been tornado watches and warnings for severe thunderstorms and strong winds. With a high in the 60s today, we are expecting a frigid 16˚ tomorrow morning.

    We watched the Colts lose another game this afternoon to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Colts became the first NFL team in 30 years to start a season with an 8-2 record and still miss the playoffs. It didn't help that Daniel Jones tore his ACL. The Pacers aren't doing well either. They lost their star guard for the season and haven't found a winning combination since.

    Until next time, may you enjoy a New Year's Eve with good food and companions.

One Week Later

     A week ago, we were digging out after a 5-inch snowfall, but also enjoying the beautiful scenes in the neighborhood.  Today, all that snow has melted.

This was taken on Tuesday.
We're thankful for a cleared driveway and sidewalk.

    We visited the Y on Monday for pickleball. Later in the week, we had rain, and nearly all the snow had disappeared. After the rain on Thursday afternoon, the temperature dropped, and there were icy patches in the Y's parking lot, but we walked carefully and had no problem.

    This afternoon, I finally had a chance to rake the leaves that accumulated from our neighbor's tree. This tree didn't shed its leaves until late November, and then we had rainy days or snow that covered them. However, today was milder with no wind and sunshine. While I raked, I heard geese flying overhead in formation several times.

Blown in by the wind!

Three piles of leaves!

Four bags full of leaves.
Mission accomplished!

    When I raked leaves last spring, I made it my mission to take care of them this fall. For a while, I didn't think it would happen, but it will save me some work next spring.

    We've been watching Christmas movies when we have time. However, most free movies also have commercials. But when we use either Kanopy or Hoopla, provided by our public library, there are no commercials. That's a win-win!

    The Colts are playing in prime time tomorrow night, and that's one reason I had time to rake the leaves. We learned that IU will be playing Alabama on New Year's Day in the Rose Bowl. 

    Until next time, may you have joy and peace during this holiday season.

We're in a Deep Freeze!

    We had another significant snowstorm yesterday, followed by the Deep Freeze! The high for today was 11˚, and as I'm writing this, I noticed the temperature has dropped to 5˚. The high for tomorrow is 15˚, but we'll then have a brief warming spell, reaching the 40s by Wednesday, before another drop in temperature.

    I received the results of last week's bone-density test, and the doctor has prescribed a weekly dose to help strengthen my bones as I have osteoporosis. I took my first dose yesterday, following the instructions to take it first thing in the morning with lots of water and to wait at least 30 minutes before ingesting anything else. Also, do not lie down after taking the pill. I'm grateful I only have to follow these instructions once a week.

    The snowfall began in the late morning, but thankfully, we didn't need to leave the house. Ray bundled up and put on boots to take a letter to the mailbox. It was picked up, but we haven't checked the mailbox since to see if any mail arrived.

    When I woke up this morning, I checked the driveway and sidewalk and was happy to find the snow had been cleared overnight. We got ready for church and made the drive over snow-covered streets. Attendance was down, but I'm happy that we had a service. Dozens of churches had canceled services, but our church parking lot was cleared when we arrived. After the service, we sang Christmas hymns and had a Christmas party in the Fellowship Hall with a cookie exchange.

Angeletti (Italian Christmas Cookies)

    This recipe made about 4 dozen cookies. Some of the cookies were divided to send to shut-in members. I brought home a large plate of assorted cookies.

We'll have cookies to munch on this week.

    Until next time, may you have the time and energy to bake some Christmas goodies, and may you enjoy listening to Christmas carols as we draw ever closer to December 25.   

Brrr! It's Winter!

    Last Tuesday morning, we woke to 5+ inches of snow on the ground. I believe it's the most snow this early in the season in a long time. Because the temperatures were well below average, we didn't see much snow melt until Saturday and yesterday, when all the lawns were exposed, and there was no more snow.

 Snowmen

    On Thursday, our bridge group attended the Jim Rhoades Memorial Hog Roast in Franklin, supporting a food bank and the city's Good Cheer fund. The pork chops are incredible, plus there are mashed potatoes, green beans, pulled pork, fried chicken, and homemade ice cream. After the meal, we drove a short few blocks to the clubhouse of one of our members for our regular Thursday bridge game. These snowmen met us outside the clubhouse.

    On Friday, since it had been two years since the last test, my doctor suggested I have a follow-up bone density exam. I also had my yearly mammogram, but I have yet to hear the results of these two tests. Depending on what you read, mammograms aren't required after a certain age, but some believe it's a wise investment.

    I kept busy on Saturday getting ready for Sunday's afternoon Advent Glow at Concordia by making a date-and-walnut bar cookie for the buffet line. I also had makings for crockpot candy, which makes a vast amount, but I had to wait for several hours for the chocolate to set before I could bag the candy pieces the next morning. On Sunday morning, I loaded the car with my Christmas plates, the date bars, and the ingredients for wassail. I used a gallon of apple cider, pineapple and orange juice, honey, cinnamon sticks, and whole allspice that filled my large crockpot to the top. The wassail simmered for several hours as we went home for lunch, and then I returned before 3 p.m. to finish decorating my table and plating the date bars. The wassail was a hit, as there wasn't any left in the crockpot when the event was over.

The Buffet Line

    The male quartet "Witness" presented a program of Gospel music and led us in singing a few Christmas carols. 

This group was organized by the man in yellow
and has been performing for decades.

    On the sporting scene, before going to bed on Saturday evening, we watched the first half of the Big Ten Championship game between IU and Ohio State. On Sunday morning, we watched the second half to learn that IU was victorious! They have had an incredible season!

    Yesterday, the Colts were trying to win in Jacksonville, where they've been unsuccessful for a long time. Unfortunately, Daniel Jones, the quarterback, sustained an injury to his Achilles tendon, and the last four games of a season that started so well are in jeopardy.

    Until next time, may you enjoy an afternoon of baking, and may you have an opportunity to build a snowman if that's something you like to do.