Delusions of... Everything

This and That Thursday

Dancing Daughter has a Dancing Friend who had surgery last week for Scoliosis.  I took DD to see her in the hospital on Sunday.  She was in the PICU.  I'd never been in any kind of ICU before.  It was rough to see the cribs with little bundles inside.  Her friend was doing ok... She was a little medicated, but otherwise chatty. 

We joked that Dancing Friend wouldn't be shorter than DD anymore.  They expect her to get an inch to an inch and a half back in height.  DD thinks that's great!  I just hope she has a speedy recovery!

I've been a baking machine, but find it next to impossible to take pictures as I go.  My hands are always messy with flour or butter or any manner of goo.  I've baked 15 different items for our Holiday Open House on Saturday.  My freezer is overflowing with:

• Snowballs
• Fudge
• Cheesecake squares
• Chocolate pecan bars
• Snickerdoodles
• Heath bit Snickerdoodles
• Shortbread
• M & M cookies
• Heath bit, chocolate chip and pecan cookies
• Chewy Coconut cookies
• Pumpkin bars
• Double Chocolate Mint Cookies
• Rice Krispie Treats w/ M&Ms
• Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats with Nutella
• Date, pecan, coconut, cherry balls!!

Our annual Holiday Open House is on Saturday and I'm so not ready.  I still have food shopping and preparing to do, the bathrooms need to be cleaned.  The windows really need to be cleaned to, but if it's going to be cloudy I'm not going to bother.  I need to go to the liquor store.  Thankfully Handy Man has Fridays off, he's a great help with party prep!

On the other hand, I'm almost ready for Christmas.  Besides all the baking, all the decorating is done.  I've sent out my cards, I've almost completed my shopping, I've wrapped everything I have.  I'm still waiting for some online orders to be delivered.  I even have DD birthday present!  Her birthday is the 6th of Jan., right about the time everyone is partied out.

How are your Holiday preparations coming along?

Sing-A-Long Saturday

***There is still time to enter the give-a-way I'm having, go here to comment for a chance to win!***

Last week I posted about some of the Christmas music I listened to growing up.  This week it's all about the new younger artists I'm listening to this holiday season.  At the top of my list is Josh Groban... Oh. My.  Gawd. can that man sing!  Here he is singing Oh Holy Night from Rockefeller Center 2002.  Enjoy!

Sing-A-Long Saturday

Growing up Christmas music was very big at my house.  We started listening to my mom's collection soon after Thanksgiving.  We listened to Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Wayne Newton, The Chipmunks, the list goes on.  The one artist that spoke Christmas to me more than any other was Andy Williams!  I still listen to a lot of Christmas music.  I have more Christmas albums than I care to admit, but it's not truly the holiday season until I hear Andy.

It Has Begun...

...The digging out of and sorting of recipes.  My goal is to one day make a cooking scrapbook complete with photos of the finished product.  For now I have assorted magazines, books and loose sheets of paper that I sort through for my favorite recipes.

Every year we have a holiday open house.  We invite all our friends and family to stop by for some baked goods and a cup of cheer.  I do all the baking with some help from Dancing Daughter.  I usually start earlier than now, but between scrapbooking weekends and the sunshine we've had I haven't had the time or the inclination to bake.

I finally got a start over the weekend.  This year I decided to do the harder and more time consuming baking first so when time is short I can whip out the easier stuff as the day of the open house gets closer.  Dancing Daughter spied a cheesecake bar cookie she wanted to try so we made those first.

Second I made these babies.  This is a recipe I had been wanting for years.  Recently Asthmagirl posted it for all her bloggy friends to have.  I'm so lucky to be a bloggy friend of hers!!  I highly recommend you make these heavenly delights.

How about you?  Do you bake during the holiday season?  What are your favorites?

The Recap

The Halloween party was a huge success, especially for the teens!  Unfortunately I started not feeling well Friday night and continue to not feel well today.  Here is a quick party recap post mostly in photos!

Dancing Daughter decided maybe she wasn't as terrified of the Scarecrow as she thought she was

The boys taking a break mid-set up.  They were transforming the family room into a haunted clown cave.

The stairway going down into the haunted clown cave.  (Sorry it's so dark)

This is what greeted you at the bottom.

The wolf had the funniest costume.  Can you guess what he is?

He's white trash!  Get it?

My chili was enjoyed by all.

The cat is glad Halloween is over!

Happy Halloween

The porch is decorated...

The spiders have made themselves at home...

And everywhere I go I feel like I'm being watched...

Yep, I'd say we are ready for Halloween!

Have a good one everyone!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

This is how my kids carved pumpkins. 

They hated the feel and the smell, but loved seeing their carved creations lit up at night with a candle!  Now, at age 14 and 17, they don't ask to carve pumpkins.

He Has More Decorations Than Me

Yesterday morning I woke to 38 degrees and this amazing view out my window. 

Halloween is in full swing at my house.  Party preparations are underway.  I have a feeling it will be a mostly teen party.  Our friends who usually party with us have younger children who are still trick or treating age, so they will be busy with them.  We might have a few brave grownups, we'll see!

I would like to share the differences between my Halloween decorations and Handy Man's...  Beware some images may be disturbing.

Mine:

Handy Man:

Mine:

Handy Man:

Mine:

Guess who:

I'm sure you are getting the idea now!

Seriously his decorations out number mine!  We will be having a frightfully good time this Halloween! 

What plans do you have?

Wordless Wednesday

Let's just say we are getting ready for Halloween at my house!

Fireworks

Happy 4th of July!

Handy Man took these shots using a tripod in 2007!