Sunday day and Christmas eve eve...

I woke up at 6:10 AM Sunday morning. Busy day today, so I posted the blog, then copied it and printed it out for Mom. I also reprinted last weeks AND the recipes for all my Christmas dinner dishes (she's gonna ask, anyway). There was a weird noise coming from the downstairs room, and I was concerned. I thought my furnace fan had broke or something. But, when I got down there, it was just a very hard rain, driven sideways by the gusty winds, and hitting the south facing window. We have a high wind advisory for this morning until noon!

Next, I baked the chocolate chip cookies. I noticed something (a bit late). I did buy the Ghirardelli, but it's the 100% Cacao unsweetened chocolate baking bar. I'm not into sweets, but I hope it doesn't wreck the cookies! Got those done (and they look great!) Then I cleaned the kitchen up and put everything away (I'll make the last cookies - the Molasses Crinkles - after Christmas). I put some of the cookies in two tins, one for my Mom and one for B___'s family.

I shaved and showered, then got dressed to go. The plan is to visit my Mom first, then stop a B___'s house for a Holiday dinner celebration with he and his family along with his brother Bob and his friend Linda.

I was about to leave when I saw two large branches had blown off the maple tree out front and were blocking the driveway and part of the street. So, I dragged them off onto the grass and finally left. I stopped for gas, and then headed out on the expressway.

I got to Mom's about 11:30 AM. She was sitting up in her wheelchair, reading, so I sat on her bed. I gave her the cookies and the blog(s). We chatted a bit (both she and her roommate had also noticed the heavy rain and the high winds out there window. She said she went to therapy this morning, before breakfast! She said she barely had her eyes opened, when they took her down.

She said they had brought some of the empty soup containers back and told me to take them home. I asked her what she thought of the potato soup and she said she never got any!!! I said, you mean you haven't tried it yet? And she said, no when she asked for it, they searched everywhere and it was gone! Somebody else ate it! So, I promised I'd bring her some more. She did say the Beef, Mushroom and Barley soup was delicious, so I felt better about that. But, we will have to wait some more for her critique of Jake's potato soup!

They came to take her to lunch about 12:15, so I said my goodbyes and headed out for B___'s. It wasn't until I put them in the car I realized I also had somebody else's containers, too. So, let me know who's they are and I'll get them back to you.

I got into a terrible traffic jam, due to construction at 23 Mile Road and Romeo Plank, but I did make it to B___'s just after 1:00 PM. They already had the food cooking and a veggie tray out, so some snacking and visiting was in order. His younger daughter is home from college for the holidays and his older daughter was also there, so there was a nice, family feeling in the house. I often miss that...

B___'s wife and oldest daughter agreed to be food critics for my botched chocolate chip cookies. They both said they wouldn't throw them out (as I suggested I might do) and that, while they weren't sweet, they had a strong, pleasant taste of hot cocoa. I heard their words, but was looking at their faces... I dunno... I think I'll wait for the judgment of the toughest critics I know: the dreaded Jake and Carla food review team!

Bob was late as the wind had damaged some of his house siding and blew over (and smashed) his garden gazing globe. But, he eventually got there and then we ate. The menu included a big, beautiful beef roast, along with the roasted carrots and onions, a reduction sauce for the meat made from the beef pan drippings, twice-baked potatoes (topped with cheese and fresh bacon bits) and an interesting jello dish with raspberries and sour cream. Dessert was homemade apple pie with ice cream (I had to pass, of course). And, did I mention the fresh ground hazelnut coffee?

Okay, so I ate too much, but it was hard not too!

The older daughter's beau, James, stopped in as we were watching pictures of B___ and his wife's trip to an Elk Ranch up North. I checked the time (almost 4:30 PM) and realized I should leave now to get home before dark. So, I made my goodbyes and headed out. Bill slipped me a birthday card on the way out; that I'll read at home (I don't want him to see me cry if it's mushy, lol).

Traffic was light and it took me 45 minutes to get home (contrast that to the 1 1/2 hours it normally takes B___ to go to and from work). First thing I did was open my card and, while there was no big dollar-amount check in it like I'd hoped, there was a picture of a monkey and an oddly touching personal message. And, it don't get much better than that!

Remember how I said I cleaned up after making the last batch of cookies this morning? Well, in the early evening, the kitchen didn't really look all that clean. So, I started a load of laundry with all the towels, tablecloths, etc, I'd dirtied and scrubbed the counter and stove down again. I swept the floor again, then, after vacuuming the two walk-off rugs downstairs (full of Caley's hair, again), I washed the kitchen and upstairs bathroom floor. I washed the bathroom and kitchen throw rugs after putting the first load of laundry into the dryer.

It was just after 8:00 PM when I decided it was time to quit. I was still too full from my holiday dinner to worry about a real dinner, so tonight's "dinner" was various snacks throughout my night's TV watching, including some olives, two dill pickle slices and a hard boiled egg with salt. I went to bed at exactly 11:00 PM.