Many Sleepy Returns of Christmas Day

Twas the Day After Christmas

Yes, the Day after Christmas at our house is one big slumber party. You won't see us at the mall returning gifts or stomping around looking through the picked-over piles. You will see little piles resting here and there around the blurry Christmas tree. When I take my glasses off the Christmas tree is extra pretty. The curtains are closed, and we are snug with blankets and pillows resting our sleepy heads. The television is droning with some football game that my husband is sort of watching while he snoozes until he wakes enough and switches to the Golf channel which always shows a tournament going on somewhere in the world. I tried to read my new book but slumber is just too wonderful.

It's a beautiful day.

We could go for a walk; too sleepy and too comfy.

Am I the only woman in the world who likes a little bit of after Christmas mess? I like little piles of fancy paper and sparkly ribbon. There are cookies and fudge still left on plates. There has been so much chocolate in the house; hopefully, the dog won't go for smorgasbord. Dear sweet husband is a vet so our dogs won't do that kind of thing. If he wasn't, we probably would have had to make 3 trips to the clinic by now. Well, anyhow, the cats and the dogs are happily snoozing in their pillow piles never far from the humans.

So, for today, at this house everything can wait. Paper and bows, boxes and trimmings will have to be put away sooner or later. Lights are cherished and Christmas letters are still to be read. We are happy right now to have sugarplums mixed in with piles of Christmas strewn all 'round this house.

Don't look too closely, you might see a mouse.

All worn out from the festivity,
Thankful for lights and family and friends;
Rest is good because of the Nativity.

To Juice or Not to Juice

Christmas is packed full of so many good treats that we look forward to eating every December. With all sorts of cream cheese filled wontons, sugar sprinkled cookies, chocolate candy filled with whipped sugar and huge squares of fudge just laying around tempting every finger and thumb going by, a conversation about juicing was unexpectedly welcome. I try to avoid sugar overload, but my chocolate need gets really strong in this dark damp month. Everyone contributes to this with an unimaginable variety of delicate fancies on pretty plates with powdered sugar and candy adorning tables of bounty. As I get older I just don't feel very good mentally or physically with all those calories.

I belong to a few organizations and organizations always have a Christmas Party. This is to make sure all the people pay their dues and remember how much fun we have with everyone so we will make sure to keep on being in the group. One of my groups had their party at a Chinese Buffet. I happen to like this place and go there for my birthday sometimes. This was another night to pile every plate high. I try to eat slowly, but you can imagine how my waistband starts to cut into my middle when I'm done. After a huge meal I was stuffed and happy. I was the designated driver and tried to keep up some conversation on the way home. We settled on the subject of MSG and how it is added to Chinese food to make it taste so good that you want some more. Hmm, I don't think marshmallows have MSG in them?

So, the conversation started on another path when one man said he was juicing. He explained how he'd lost about 12 pounds and kept it off and felt really great. Well, I was interested as by now my stomach was a little uncomfortable under the seatbelt. He was telling how he gets fruit at Costco or some frozen fruit on sale. That full feeling around my middle was getting more pronounced as we got nearer to dropping him off. I told him I do have an old Vitamixer and was meaning to try it out. He said I could turn it in for a new one and get some money off. Oh, boy, there's the driveway and "Merry Christmas" to all; I'm glad we had this conversation." See you next year; I was outta there.

Out of their driveway and down the road and then I turned down the lane to my driveway. As I ran to the house sort of waddling, I was thinking that maybe juicing is something I should carefully consider.

Dried Out Pork Chops

What do you do? I always have trouble answering that because so much of what I do is everyday things. No matter who you are in this world, you have to take care of certain things or have someone else take care of those things for you. Having to eat is one of those things, and I'm the designated cooker. So, I do a lot of cooking. I like to cook but not everything comes out good to eat. My husband doesn't love to eat, but he likes food that tastes good and gets very hungry. I wish I could cook healthy things that taste so yummy, but that doesn't work out all the time. He likes the green salads I make, though.

The Internet, like television, has good things and bad. My mom always said, "If you go looking for the bad, you can always find it." This week I found the good in a website called "The Pioneer Woman" that has the best way to cook Pan-Fried Pork Chops. My dear darling husband liked it. Monumental Occasion! My kids are all grown up now. There's only one in the house to complain when dinners are just so-so. If you're gonna have pork chops, they might as well be good. For healthy stuff I'm gonna keep those salads coming.

My husband never complains about my cooking; he just answers with an "it's OK" if it's not that OK.