Have yourself a merry little Christmas . . .

Left to right:

Dave and Erin, a lovely picture of part of a large nativity that graces the mantel of some friends of ours from our December bridge club party, and Magi and Grant from our Christmas dinner and gift opening party at our house on Monday night December 22. Dave and Erin headed to Atlanta on Tuesday night. We spent Christmas day entertaining my dear friend Mary from years together at the library and her husband, eating spiral-sliced ham and other goodies. Afterwards we played Scattergories and dominoes. Bill and ended the evening sleepily watching Letterman and Ferguson before heading to bed after midnight. We were indeed jolly old elves!

Ann Helen (DeLanghe) VandeWater . . . June 3, 1915 - December 21, 2008

• I wanted to post yesterday that Bill's mother died on Sunday, December 21 at 2:00 a.m.
• We were going through some pictures and found this lovely picture of her that we had never seen before. Wasn't she beautiful? I took this photo on my camera using sepia settings (that I just found) since the picture was probably taken around 1935 and included the figures from our Christmas nativity because she was a devout Catholic so it seemed appropriate.

When she first move her, she lived in Nashville in a high rise one-bedroom apartment with meals provided. Then we moved her to a studio apartment on Cool Springs Blvd. closer to us as she got older and finally to a nursing home also in Franklin. While here she progressed from cane to walker to wheelchair. Her mind gradually deteriorated. She had a terrible time adjusting in the years after Bill's dad died (1973) since he had done everything. But while in East Moline there were relatives to help out, mostly Rink Olson, her sister's husband, until he died, and then Mary Ann Lapaczonek, her niece by Cy's sister Toots. And then, of course, us. But the Belgian relatives and all their descendants, who are about as Belgian as we are, are all great people, and Bill and I look forward to seeing them again at the funeral.

Bill had taken a trip with his mom (by plane) back to East Moline, maybe 6 or 7 years ago, so that is the last time she was there. Together they visited Ann's remaining sister Helen (she had 4 sisters and her poor father was a farmer named Achiel but called John in America) and nieces and nephews. What I meant to imply was that her father probably wished for a boy to help with the hard work of a farm.

Ann definitely lost her hearing, but she never lost her smile. She lived 93 good years and died peacefully with no pain in her sleep of plain-old, old age.

Her funeral will be in East Moline in January, I believe the weekend of the 10th.

-

A plug for our Late Late Night boy

Bill likes Craig Ferguson because he's funny. I like him because he's sexy and funny, and I believe I said that in the right order. He's coming to TPAC (TN Performing Arts Center) in Jan. but I don't think we'll pay 100 bucks to see him as a little speck on the stage when we can see him for free every week night for free. For real. In reading the blurb on him, I thought I'd post this because I promise this will be a funny book. I don't know about the novel. Really: In April 2006, Ferguson debuted his first novel entitled Between The Bridge and The River, which became a critically acclaimed bestseller. Since coming into his own on the The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and winning his first Emmy nomination in 2006, Craig achieved a personal milestone in February 2008 when he was sworn in as a US Citizen. Soon after, Craig hosted the White House Correspondence Dinner, where critics raved of his witty and comical deliverance speech to the 3,000 attendees who included political journalists, celebrities, and Washington's power players. In Fall of 2009 Harper Collins is set to publish a memoir by Craig Ferguson American On Purpose - a moving and achingly funny memoir of living the American dream as he journeys from a small town in Scotland to the entertainment capital of the world. American on Purpose reads as if Ferguson had snorted Angela's Ashes," says David Hirshey, Senior Vice President and Executive Editor. "It will make you laugh, cry, and sing The Star Spangled Banner with a Scottish burr."

Tennessee is not Palm Springs, but it's not Northeastern Ohio either

• My Christmas card had a picture of several poinsettias and a pansy on it this year, which may seem odd in a traditional Currier & Ives sense. Pansies and a one-horse open sleigh - hey? Well, one of the most odd sights for me when we moved here from Ohio in November 1991 was that people planted pansies in the fall and, in fact, they are blooming in my "garden" currently.

• I always use the term "garden" loosely since I love love love gardens, but I don't love love love to garden. And I don't fertilize enough, so to have 3 pansies blooming at once is a rare treat.

• But I never tire of the sweet faces on pansies and the many colors. I'm like a kid in a candy store when the pansy flats are at Lowe's and Home Depot. (See, I don't even go to the proper garden stores or nurseries, mainly because there aren't any near to me.)

• All that to say while we had the lovely snow the other day, today we tied the all time high of 73 degrees for Dec. 19. Of course, the high for Sunday when the boys are going to the Titans game is predicted to be 38 degrees so that's how it goes around here. I was able to get out for 2 walks with Bill and Mojo today because when it is too cold it aggravates my face pain too much. Sad, but true, exercise in general aggravates it.

• Well, time for David Letterman and after that Craig-yum-Ferguson. Late night laughter is the best medicine of all! Right after pansies blooming in December on a spring-like day.

Doh! or in Matt Groening's case: Dough$$$

I meant to post this yesterday since December 17, 1989 was the first episode of the Simpsons, an episode called Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire. There's no reason to believe the 20th anniversary won't be rolling around next year of this phenomenally popular 6th grade - adult cartoon comedy hit. It (well, House and Dancing with the Stars) is the only show that is constantly TIVO'd at our house (recorded in case you might miss an episode or even a rerun). Must be a male thing because while I recognize the cleverness of the writing, I just sometimes get too much Homer.

At any rate, if you love the Simpsons and want to get ready for your 20th anniversary party (which you might want to hold in some other month than the one Christmas is in), the website to find out all things Simpson's is http://www.snpp.com/ (Springfield Nuclear Power Plant). The picture in the upper left shows the Simpsons as they first appeared on shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show, also on the Fox Network in 1987. "Wikipedia it" if interested. :-)

We'll probably be watching the Simpsons on Christmas . . . sigh. I'll let you know. This may not be our best Christmas anyway. But it will be Mojo's first Christmas. We're so pathetic we're even thinking of decorating him. Tastefully.

From our house to your house . . . even though I know it's trite

Rare photos

Bill and I got home from the party around 11 p.m. on Sat. night. Lucky, Dave and Erin's large Lab mix, and Grant's Corgi had been left alone in the house and - surprisingly and pleasantly - the house was still in one piece. We had put Mojo in his cage in our bedroom with the door shut because 2's company and 3's a crowd, and when we released him the dogapalooza began. It was wilder than the Frank Sinatra party, and since that was the first time it had been held in conservative Wmson. Co., i.e. not Nashville, I was willing to bet that the kids would come home and tell me that the cops had made a visit to their party. After all, there were tons of people there who were all destined for inebriation. Maybe it was the loud sounds of Frank Sinatra - and not something like Coldplay - music coming from the house that confused the neighbors. At any rate, my kids drove in at the (un)reasonable hour of 4:30 a.m., which was better than not at all. Magi, Lucky, and I were very happy. Bill, of course, was asleep.

• But, back to releasing Mojo, who knew his two dog friends were in his house. He may be the smallest dog and the youngest dog, but he's definitely - I'm sorry to say - the biggest pain in the behind. He picks on Lucky constantly. Lucky - bless his heart - never gives ground, but never shows aggression either. He's about 4 times as big as Mojo after all. Mojo dogged Lucky and Magi till we were exhausted from trying to be the alpha dogs.

• Anyway, by midnight, we were ready for bed and a doggy tranquilizer for Mojo. Which we don't have. So, we just turned out the lights and had to listen to him to whine for about half an hour before he gave up. And he never whines when we put him to bed. But, again, his friends (one at a time) were still outside that bedroom door, no doubt having fun without him. What a "tail" of woe.

• The next morning Dave made scrambled eggs and English muffins for us (don't know what this is about, but when trying to wake up Erin, first he calls out, "Isabella" and then "Trixie"). Grant and Magi left by 11 a.m. as he had an appt. to talk to his pastor, and Dave and Erin stayed and we talked till about 1 p.m.

So, all in all, a groovy birthday. I try to never brag. Not that I have anything to brag about any more. But, I'm setting this down in print so that if I read this when I'm 81, I'll say, whoa, man, cool. I can't tell you how many of the "boys" and "girls" at the party told me I looked good. I hadn't felt that good about myself in years. When I'm 81 I might just read this and think how self-indulgent this post was, but for today I just think what a birthday gift that was. :-)

We cleaned up pretty good

• Friday night, a day after my birthday, was the night we chose to get together for my birthday dinner at Sperry's in Franklin. It was a first for all of us, and I was particularly impressed by the lovely stained glass ceiling in the foyer, pictured in the center photo. Since the yearly Frank Sinatra party followed at the kids' friends house in, as luck would have it, a neighborhood next to ours, we headed to that around 9 p.m. after dinner.

• But before that, three of us dined on medium-ugh-rare filets, Dave on lamb, and myself on the halibut oscar. They then served me a piece of strawberry cake, one of their 3 signature desserts, which could have fed the whole table, since they knew this was a birthday celebration. This was one of those expensive al a carte steak restaurants, but with a strange kickback to the 80's - your entree came with a salad bar! And some of the dressings were ones I hadn't seen in awhile: traditional blue cheese and a red blue cheese and green goddess dressing. I asked the kids if they knew of green goddess dressing and they had never heard of it. I wasn't sure what was in it so I researched it (I actually thought it had either cucumber or avocado in it):

This creamy, herby dressing was invented at the historic Palace Hotel in San Francisco in the 1920's in honor of William Archer's hit play The Green Goddess. It enjoyed great success, especially in California, for decades and, in our opinion, is worth a revival. Yields: 2 cups Ingredients: 1 cup Traditional Mayonnaise 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup snipped fresh chives or minced scallions 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 3 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Stir all the ingredients together in a small bowl until well blended. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate.

So, the next time, you're at a restaurant and they have a salad bar and green goddess salad dressing, try it and let me know how it is. I went out on a limb and chose the regular bleu cheese.

Oblong Thing with head and Mojo's First Snow . . .

The halls aren't the only thing decked . . .

• We usually cover our 3 Christmas tree-shaped Hemlocks with green lights and then put colored lights on top of that to make them look like an indoor Christmas tree. I'm using the royal WE here because of course I am referring to the Royal Sir William, the 33rd King of the Belgium House of VandeWater, which, again of course, means "of the water" or "full of water"; and I'll let you take it from there. Suffice it to say that Belgians love to drink beer. However, that being said, I gave him the Royal Dispensation this year to do only One of the trees (since he's retired) and we bought those little goofy-looking snowpeople instead.
• But, Holy Fake Snowpeople, Batman! It then really snowed! A couple of inches on Friday. Making the lights and yard and everything look so beautiful. As you may know, it seldom snows here, making people unsure of just why they are driving their big SUVs most of the time. Much less Hummers. The children across the street were cute as they built a snow dog? horse? reindeer (but no antlers)? oblong thing with head? You be the judge.
• I know it's hard for my northern relatives to sometimes appreciate snow, but when you don't have it - like everything else - you miss it! We usually, if we are to have any nasty wintry weather, have ice. Would you rather have that instead??? Ours was melted from the roads by Saturday, however. I hated to have to tell you that part. Truly.
• P.S. It was Mojo's first snow.

I'll get the front vandyview tomorrow night if it kills me

Two browns and a grey. Two tans. Those are the dogs. But I am now the only person in my family WITHOUT a full beard. From time to time Dave and Grant have had various configurations of facial hair. But I think this is definitely a first for all 3 at once.

The occasion for the visit last night was for Grant to install our new receiver in our home theater system. He has the same one so it was pretty easy for him. And I know how to get it to play my CDs and turn the volume up and down, so I'm set.

Magi came over too, so the Corgis had the usual dogathon. The above candid is amazing in that 4 of the 5 are standing relatively still. Today is my birthday (60-ugh-01), but tomorrow we are going out to dinner at Sperry's before we go to the Frank Sinatra party. It's being held at a friend of the boy's who lives one short walk from us, so they are going to crash at our house after. Sperry's is one of the few restaurants in Cool Springs that takes reservations. I'll try to get some nice frontal beard views then. Who knows? Maybe the beards will be gone by then.

The picture on the left is of Mojo after the dogathon. He's a little tired. Take a look at that tongue. There's some serious panting going on!

It reminded me of the horse of a different color

What will those Chinese come up with next? This little snowman ornament cost $1.99 at the ubiquitous Walgreen's and has a tiny button on the button on the bottom that you can activate so that the snowman turns not just the green, white and red pictured above, but blue and purple too. Since we have all white lights on our tree, he stands out like the horse of a different color in the Wizard of Oz, my favorite movie. So, if you like it, and the idea that you could have an ornament on your tree reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz without paying some outrageous premium for a trademarked, licensed Dorothy with a basket of holly or Toto with a Santa Claus hat, then this is the ornament for you. And if my Walgreen's has it, then your's undoubtedly will as well. After all, it is the McDrug-Grocery-Clothing-Holiday-Gift-Sundry store presently populating the planet. In fact, they are so obnoxiously ubiquitous that I had vowed not to shop at the new one built at the bottom of our hill (that we really should walk to) when it first opened. That lasted about a month. Now we go to the library, the grocery, the gas station, and Walgreen's, with a few side trips to Lowe's or Home Depot. And, I've actually come to look upon Walgreen's as the five and dime's of the 50's and 60's. And that's not a bad thing, I guess.

But, back to the ornament. While one's eye is uncontrollably drawn to this bold and mutable snowman, it is not my favorite ornament by a mile. I'll snap a couple of pix of my, say, 3 favorite ornaments tomorrow and post later.

Meanwhile, what are the favorites on your tree? Go ahead and post a comment; I'd love to hear from you. Where did they come from? Why are they meaningful? How long have you had them? Don't be a scrooge - leave a comment!

Things I've had since I first got married (besides Bill)

• Off the top of my head (a dangerous position I know), I can't think of anything we've owned - that plugs in - that we've had for our 40-year marriage outside of this little Sunbeam mixer. One could rightfully argue that this longevity is based on usage and that I must not be much of a whipped-cream whipper or cookie dough mixer or whatever else you use these things for.

• I'll admit that I didn't make too much real whipped cream, but I did come of age when mashed potatoes were not supposed to have lumps, much less skins, and we whipped the devil out of them with our electric mixers once we'd hand mashed them. And I made my share of birthday cakes and brownies. Especially my famous chocolate chip brownies as mentioned in an earlier post.

• This Christmas I've made 5 batches of Pecan Puffs, pictured on the left. Three to my brother in Palm Springs, for whom they are an addiction, and one to my parents. I displayed the one that is ours next to a gift in a bag that features a scene from A Christmas Story, the movie with the famous line "you'll shoot your eye out" (refering to Ralphie's desire for a Red Ryder BB gun and his mother's reply). My kids like that movie, and, of course, it holds nostalgia for me since it was filmed in Cleveland, my hometown, and features scenes from Higbee's Dept. store.

• At any rate, my family has been making Pecan Puffs for over 50 years. The recipe originally came from my mother's dear friend Pete Fathauer (a lady whose maiden name was Peterson). Her daughter Judy became one of my dear friends. Here's the recipe for posterity: Combine: 1 stick butter, 2 T. dark brown sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1 cup sifted flour, 1 cup ground pecans. Roll in nickle-sized balls. Bake at 350 for 20 min. Roll in powdered sugar that has a couple of dashes of cinnamon mixed in. Must be butter. And I probably use 2-1/2 T. brown sugar. The end!

The angel was made by Cheryl, my sister-in-law

I once - many years ago now - sent my sister-in-law a picture of the above angel from a craft book in the library. I probably was kind enough to send the instructions too. And suggested that she make some of these. She's crafty. Not sly. Artsy, crafty. I was actually very surprised when I received this angel for Christmas. She didn't make SOME. She made ONE. Evidently, it was a pain in the neck. But, my angel commands a place of honor on my fireplace mantel every year and I love her to death. Which brings me to the question. What do you put on your mantel? Does it have to be the same thing every year or do you like to experiment? Let's hear from anyone who reads this post!

I think a front shot would have sold a lot more papers . . .

Daughter-in-law Erin (David's wife) sent me an email on Saturday asking us to look for her picture in The Tennessean on Sunday. Erin loves animals, as do I, and volunteers one day a month at the Nashville zoo, as Bill and I should. We have always visited the zoos in any large city that we have visited.

But as luck would have it, she did not appear in hard copy. Nor did her face appear in Monday's photo slide show. And since we don't get Monday through Friday's paper any more, an "issue" I have ambivalent feelings about, but too long of a story to go into now, I don't know which picture of the slide show appeared in Monday's paper, nor could I cut out the article for her to send to her parents. But the entire online article is on my facebook account for those who are interested.

The story was about the zoo volunteers decorating the Croft House for Christmas. The Croft House is the 2nd oldest house in Nashville. The picture in the middle shows the 2 Croft sisters, Margaret and Elise, who donated the 1810 house and 200 acres of land to the City in 1964. The third is their mom. But a tour of the house is interesting because it is filled with the belongings of 5 generations of Crofts. The picture on the right is of Erin decorating a fireplace mantel

underneath the picture of the great-great-great grandmother of Margaret and Elise. Her name was Mary Moore Murfree Hilliard. I'll have to research her some day because the large town to our SE is Murfreesboro, home of MTSU.

P.S. I'd just like to say that I always leave a space between my paragraphs, and sometimes this website takes it and sometimes it doesn't, obviously depending on the little elves that work inside on the software and whether they got any sleep last night.

Yes, It's December 1, let the joy begin!

It's a rule at our house that the outdoor lights don't get turned on until December 1, our small step for mankind not to move the holiday back to Halloween. We have fewer lights this year, but I'm hoping that I can still get Bill to add a green spotlight (after we do our evening critique) to augment what we didn't put up in mini lights.

I always have my Christmas tree up on Thanksgiving weekend and we have had that lit for 2 nights now. Shades from my working years. I always wanted to be finished early too in case I got a cold or flu in December. That never happened - getting finished early, but it was always a goal and a stressor. Of course, this is my first year not working, so I still have that since of urgency about time pressure. Old habits die hard. How about you, Patti, Jamie, Cheryl?

Presents to our sons and daughter-in-laws are rahther large checks and do-dads that have been picked up mostly on vacations and routine trips to Target, etc. mid-November. This year I made a laborious effort and baked 4 batches of Pecan Puffs, 3 to go to Mike and 1 to Mom and Dad in Mentor. I also sent Mom and Dad a Mojo mug (pictured on right) made thru Walgreen's photo center online. So easy. I also made Mike and Sean one of pictures I took in Palm Springs while visiting in September. Neither of them read my blog so I don't think I'll be spoiling anything here.