M.S.

Yes, Martha Stewart. Am I crazy to get myself a subscription to her Living magazine? It was the holiday issue with the photos of the Springerle cookies that hooked me. Lovely.


Anyone else want to join in? They've got a two for one deal going on, I'll pay. It would make me feel a little better.
Carmen might be interested. For those of you who don't know her, she is our dear friend who cares for Lydia, just as she cared for Sahara before she was old enough for preschool. She went home to France to spend the holidays with her family. She'll be back for the rest of the school year, gracias a Dios. She gives me her old Marie Claire Idees magazines which are THE BOMB for wannabe craftsters like me. The recipes look good as well. Too bad I don't read French. They are increible. I told her I want to own every copy that has ever been published. The website doesn't do the magazine justice.
I love cozying up when Pablo is off playing volleyball with friends with an old copy and slowly looking through all the needlepoint, felting, sewing, knitting, papercrafting, etc.. projects that I would love to try.

Dinner tonight was - Mushroom + Fennel Risotto, steamed Rainbow Chard, and for dessert some Soy Glazed Sweet Potatoes.

Lydia LOVES playing in water. For Christmas Nana got us a punch card to the (warm) pool up the hill. We all went for a dip on Boxing Day. Ahhhhhhhhhh. It was divine. I think we'll all go once a week. Pablo and I can take turns with the girls and sitting in the hot tub.

Rain rain rain

Lartte

Pablo,
I think you need to practice more. (wink wink)









We made some cordials for friends as Christmas gifts, one being an espresso cordial. I am in charge of the gift tags. Hmmm... let's look for a neat picture, I thought. I typed "coffee art" into the Google images search page. Whoa!

Winter Wonderland


Woohoo!!
I'm officially on Christmas Vacation. I was so disappointed with the sunshine on Sunday and went to sleep prepared to teach yesterday. Lydia and Sahara both woke up in the middle of the night which is very unusual. Snow makes the world sound different.
We woke up to 4 inches of powder so fluffy we couldn't even build a snowman.
This morning our local station said the temperature was 16!!!!
I think that is the coldest I've ever walked around in.
Pablo put chains on the car.
We are in for more . . . more snow, more below freezing, more adventure.
The plan was to drive up to Seattle on Friday morning but I don't think that is going to happen.
Friends came over for some Christmas cookie baking this morning, and then we all took afternoon naps. Dinner was chili and cornbread.
Next up, chicken pox.
The girls were unintentionally exposed last week. With a two week incubation period, they should be experiencing their first itchies on Christmas Eve.

Cozy


The heaters are on most of the time now. We don't have the usual rain rain rain but it has been chilly. When Sahara gets up in the mornings the house is still cold, so I give her a stack of books to cozy up with in bed until the kitchen has warmed up a bit. Both girls get up around 6:00 which is a good time for us all to be rising, but many mornings I wish they slept in 'til 7:00.