Late November

Is your Christmas tree up yet? 

Wait, don't tell me. I know it is and I'm jelly.

[My niece uses "jelly" in her Facebook posts and I think it means jealous, but I'm not sure. That's what I mean - jealous - but if I got it wrong and "jelly" is literal, it's still applicable. After the way I have eaten the last two days, I am jelly in a gelatin-like sense too.]

Anyway, my trees are not up yet. I can't remember the last time we said good-bye to sweet November in this house and not had a Christmas tree (or three) up. There's just been no time. The last few days have been packed with family, fun, friends.

And that's ok. I'm so thankful for all those wonderful people in my life and the good times we've had over this little holiday break, I just haven't had time to rush into prepping for the next season. Oh sure, I've listened to cheery holiday music while hitting the stores with my girlfriends to do lunch and some Christmas shopping. Even my husband and I had a before-sunrise Black Friday shopping date. [By the way, he kicked Black Friday in the tail feathers, my friends, with his keen bargain-hunting skills. Who knew?]

I am definitely in a Christmas frame of mind, even if there's still corn on my door and pumpkins on my porch. Soon - the next couple of days - there will be ribbon, lights and wreaths adorning our little cottage. But today, we will send November into the memory book with the glowing remnants of autumn.

November is, after all, the middle child of the memorable trio of months that close out the year. She's not the alluring mischief maker like elder October or the gloriously adored darling that is December. She shrinks from the spotlight, overshadowed by those surrounding her.

But November is beautiful in her own way, without sparkle or magic. She brings us thanks amid chaos; serves up transition as the seasons shift again; trades tradition as history. November offers a holiday centered around gratitude.

So I end this November on a thankful note, glad for all the goodness around me and the hope of the season to come.

I wish the same to you!

Pretzels, pretzels everywhere

I am happy to report that this, a Tuesday, is actually my Friday. I have the rest of the holiday week off and I plan to relax as much as I can in between visits and feasting.

One thing I do not want to do is have to throw elbows with all the last-minute shoppers at the grocery store tomorrow. And I definitely don't want to spend tons of time in the kitchen fretting over what to take to the family potluck.

Luckily, I have a go-to food that makes for quick and easy deliciousness.

Yep. Pretzels.

Full disclosure: I'm not much of a plain pretzel fan. They taste kind of burnt and I don't like salty foods. I do, however, like salty foods that are also sweet. That just knocks my socks off. And there are a million things you can do with a simple bag of pretzels, like that $1 beauty pictured above.

So, if you are stumped on what to take to the potluck Thursday ... or a week from Saturday ... or on Christmas Eve ... or New Year's Day ... I'm here on the eve of Thanksgiving Eve to offer three easy (so, so very easy) snacks - dare I say desserts - that will take you and your co-diners to salty/sweet heaven.

And did I mention how easy they are?

Oh, and inexpensive ... did I tell you that?

And great gifts, too? Yes, they are.

Let's take a look.

Idea 1: Dipped pretzel rods.

This is the easiest.

White choc with milk choc drizzle.

White choc with sprinkles.

White choc with crushed M&Ms sprinkled.

Just buy a $1 store brand bag of pretzel rods (it's okay if they are broken) and melt some cheap (store brand works great) white (almond or vanilla) or chocolate bark according to package directions. Grab your pretzel by one end and dip it in the melted chocolate and then place on wax paper. Let them "set" at room temp and store in an airtight container. Total time: maybe 20 minutes. If even that long.

They taste great plain, but if you want to get festive, just add sprinkles (before the chocolate sets), or drizzles. A fun way to display them is upright in a little bucket of M&Ms (red and green for Christmas, perhaps) or Robin's Eggs candies at Easter, like below.

This is an easy grab-and-go treat that kids and adults love. Stretch your portions even further by breaking them in half and dipping the broken end.

Idea 2: Cinnamon pretzels

That's cinnamon and sugar sticking to that pretzel-y goodness, baby.

Oh, these are yum. And they make great gifts for friends, neighbors, teachers, me.

Super easy and it makes a huge batch. I got the recipe from Midwest Living years ago and I am going to send you there for it. You might notice there's one review for the recipe. Yep - that's me; I wrote it. Just spreading the word.

Perfect snack for curling up in front of the TV on movie night.

Idea 3: Salted caramel chocolate pretzel bark

Oh my.

I cannot even explain how good this is. Shannan Martin of Flower Patch Farmgirl turned me on to this and I will love her with undying devotion forever.

And ever.

Here's her recipe. Do this. Don't be afraid. It's crazy easy and utterly addictive in the worst of all the best ways.

And read her blog. I love her for more than just her crack bark recipe ... though we've never met, which makes me creepy, I know.

Pretty sure she'd love me too. If she knew me.

Anyway ...

I hope you enjoy these salty sweet deals, and please let me know of any super easy pretzel recipes of yours.

After all, good food is even better when shared with friends.

Wardrobe functions

In case you are wondering what that is pictured above, I can confirm that it is in fact, not the world's saddest hand puppet.  It's a dingy, hole-y sock. With my hand in it.

The saddest thing about that sock?

It's on my foot right now.

In the lottery of late-in-the-week clean clothes, this guy and its mate (equally hole-y, by the way) are the winners.

They are the king and queen of the sock drawer prom.

I would like to mention in my defense that the gross dinginess of these socks may be attributed to the fact that I have worn these outdoors without shoes already this morning ... and not solely due to my lackadaisical housekeeping.

A little bleach and they will be good as ... well, they will be bright and clean.

Before you tell me to go get some new socks, for Pete's sake, let me tell you about another incident this week: 

I was speaking at a work-related gig to an audience of about 30 or so professionals when I felt the slightly distracting creep of my pants' zipper heading south. My part at the podium was brief and so I discreetly tugged at my sweater set (of course!) to cover any possible offending revelations and stepped away. But make no mistake: the barn door was open.

You see, my fly had been inexplicably doing that all morning. A check in the ladies room revealed that one of my two trouser buttons had gone missing, thus making way for the repeated opening of said barn door. These were my favorite black slacks; the ones that go with everything and look great on me. They fit great (loose at the waist!) and so I would be determined to save them. Thankfully, I still had the other button to hold my dignity in its proper place.

Until I didn't.

That remaining button flew to destinations unknown as I stepped out of the car at lunchtime. The only things holding my pants up at that point were my child-bearing hips.

... Which brings me to my next point ...

My teenage son has grown about 10 inches in the last two years. He's pushing 6' 2" and still moving upward. Last Saturday evening, his dad and I raced out to buy him a new pair of black slacks to wear to honor band the next day when we saw the ones he was wearing to a church function that night had popped up to the top of his (new, larger) shoes. Just two weeks earlier, those pants had fit him just fine.

At some point this weekend, father and son will go tux shopping for the kid's required concert band attire.  That nice suit I bought him last year? Ridiculously small now. That goes along with a steady stream of jeans, shoes, and socks right now flowing through our house.

And so, Mom (and Dad) will make do in the wardrobe department in order to make room in the budget for more urgent needs. 

That's what parents do.

Back to my black pants ... I got through the remainder of my day thanks to a safety pin. The zipper was actually broken and so they had to be retired, and other black pants I already owned called into active service.

As for my sock situation ... I was at the doctor's office recently in socked feet and mentioned that I was embarrassed by the worn condition of my footwear (though not nearly as bad as the ones pictured above). The doctor laughed, kicked her right shoe off to reveal her big toe peeking through a hole.

"I have kids too," she said.

Giving

"Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more," - H. Jackson Brown.

It's the season of giving thanks and my heart is full, dear friends.

And my yard is full ... of leaves.

Mother Nature? She's a giver too.

From here ...

... to here, in less than 24 hours.

Leaf raking aside, we really should take time to be grateful for the blessings of our lives - friends, family, pets, home, church, talents, careers, school, maples trees - all the things, big and small, that provide us with joy, comfort and happiness.

It would be great to reflect on these things all year long and give a shout-out as they occur, but life tends to buzz about and redirect our thoughts and actions to practical matters. We get caught up in just getting by and time jets on.

November to the rescue!

This is the month when we tend to pause to ponder the gifts we've received over the year. Moreover, I personally tend to reflect on ways I can be a gift to others. What do I have to give - time, talent and treasure - to the world (or at least the things I care about within it) so it is a better place? 

Choosing where and how to give can be overwhelming. If you've felt that tug, that call to service, then you know it's important to steer your passion in the right direction. A bad fit can leave you uninterested, feeling unappreciated or taken for granted. Resentment sets in and no one benefits from that.

Plus it's important to avoid overextending yourself. For example, if you cannot commit treasure - you know, real paper money - then limit your financial stewardship to what really resonates with you. And tell everybody else no.

When you do find something - a cause, a charity, a life in need - that speaks to your heart, then giving of yourself is its own reward. It's a great feeling, like falling in love ...

... the kind of love that has possible tax benefits ...

So as we head toward Thanksgiving (and immediately slam into Christmas), please remember:

Count your blessings and be a blessing.

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves the cheerful giver. - 2 Corinthians 9:7.

Halloween

Happy Halloween!

It is a dark and stormy afternoon at my house ... no, really. There's stormy weather moving through. The rain is blasting and the wind is howling. Leaves are falling like orange- and red-hued snowflakes.

Hoping my chimes make it though the afternoon.

I've had the day off and have spent it with my husband dining, running errands and napping. We were curled up on the couch a few minutes ago watching a terrible 1968 movie, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, on TCM. It's not scary at all and the acting is just ridiculous ... save for Dracula himself, the mighty Christopher Lee. I am unable to resist him.

Swoon.

Outdoor trick-or-treating would be hazardous in this weather and what's predicted to come this evening, and that would be a real bummer for the kids; they get so very excited about their costumes. Happily, our county switched the official trick-or-treating from the 31st to to last night, the 30th, in anticipation of the rough Halloween ahead.

Good thinking.
 
Except I totally wasn't ready.

That meant this witch had to grab her broom and start working some Halloween magic.

Yes, that's me. Yes, it's a costume.

Halloween is a big deal at our house. For the last six years or so, we have set up a fun - not gory, not scary - display in our side yard that faces back into the rest of the neighborhood. My husband made "tombstones" and sets up a graveyard scene, complete with arched "entrance." It's a simple set up - put together on Halloween and taken down that night as soon as the last candy-grabber leaves - but it really draws in the kids.

By the way: My husband? Awesome.

My girlfriends and I dress up as witches and then cackle and beckon trick-or-treaters to join us at our cauldrons (full of candy) for treats ... and jokes, songs and laughter.

Me and my witchy "sisters" from last night. Short notice meant our numbers were down, as other witchy friends couldn't change their schedules to accommodate the trick-or-treating change. Still, we brought the scary.

It's a fun tradition and every year our neighbors tell us how much they love it. The children love it and the parents do too. I am photographed repeatedly with kids: "Let's get your picture with the witches," and parents pose their kids in our yard for photos too.

All in all, we probably treated about 200 kids last night. That's down from previous years, but still about 35+ pounds of candy.

And countless memories.

We also host a potluck for those who don't care to witch with us, and so there are a few festive embellishments inside the house as well.

With little time to clean, there are some pretty authentic cobwebs happening in this house.

I am so glad that my son, a freshman in high school, and many of his friends still get in the spirit. My rules about older kids trick-or-treating are: 1. Wear a costume (a teenage boy pushing 6' 1" with a deep voice and no costume is not trick-or-treating - he's trespassing, as far as I'm concerned); 2. Be polite; and 3. No pranks (falls under rule 2, but worth mentioning).

As Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory.

And so with another most excellent Halloween celebration in the history books, we will spend the actual Halloween evening relaxing, eating leftovers (and candy) and perhaps catching a creepy flick with some special effects directly from Mother Nature rumbling about outside.

I wish you a most magical night!

Ready, set ... Fall

"Autumn is a second Spring, when every leaf is a flower." - Albert Camus

Fall is my very own personal gift, wrapped in glorious hues and opened after patiently waiting out the suppression of summer. Its glory is brief: Despite what the calendar tells us, Fall in our neck of the woods tends to shake off the heat of summer later than we'd like and then seemingly turn right around and plunge us into coat-wearing season. You gotta grab on to it while it's here, because it doesn't last long.

While it is here, however, it is like magic ... utterly alluring.

The cool air invigorates me like a sleeping beauty finally getting that princely kiss, awakening my humidity-dulled energy and beckoning me outdoors for hikes and long evening walks.

Fall is also the height of high school marching band season, and so I spend many Saturdays admiring the leaves' transformation along the Interstate as I drive to a host school hours away. I spend my afternoon and evening sitting outside on chilly bleachers, cheering for my son and all those talented kids in the band, slipping off my gloves so the applause is louder and they know I care, support them and am moved by the music they make.

And, on cold, brisk days like yesterday at Semi State, I wrangle those gloves right back on as soon as they leave the field ... before numbness sets in. 

(PS: They are going on to State Finals next week - yay!)

Autumn also pulls me indoors, right to the kitchen. I especially love to cook this time of year, conjuring comfort food of rich flavor. I've been making meatloaf, turkey, pumpkin muffins, banana bread ... filling the house with savory scents. My guys walk in the door and stop to breathe in the redolent aroma of warmed cinnamon. Oh sure, they knew they were at the right house when they pulled in the driveway, but now they know they are home.

My favorite fun holiday is later this week. We go all-out for Halloween. We are that family in the neighborhood, though our creepy-fun decorations are not out yet. We set those up right before the festivities on the 31st because, as much as I love a gorgeous gargoyle, I don't want to look at it on the mantel - and it look back at me - the whole month. I'll share more about our Halloween fun later.

I realize not everyone feels the same way about Fall that I do. It's okay; we can still be friends. I know I cannot convince the Summer lovers to come around to my way of thinking. They get cold. They are sad when the leaves fall. They hate the shorter days. I hear you; really, I do.

Still, I encourage you to take a look around and give Mother Nature her due.

She does amazing work.

20 years

Note: If you've landed here from Pinterest, welcome! You'll find the 20 Things I Love About You pin info here. For newer blog postings, check out the Home tab. Thanks for visiting! - LM

"Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be ..."

That's from the poem Rabbi Ben Ezra by Robert Browning. I had that printed on my wedding program. Today is the 20th anniversary of that wedding. As I mentioned in a previous post, this year is kind of a big deal for us.

And it kind of isn't.

We celebrate a lot of silly, fun things (yes, Christmas in July is one of those things), but we generally don't make a fuss about our wedding anniversary. Usually it's just dinner out and sometimes, it's all three of us, kid included - not even a proper date. He brings me flowers. We exchange cards.

We would just rather hang out together than go to a lot of fuss. We are happy to just be together.

After 20 years, that's pretty good.

In fact, we decided this year we wouldn't even exchange gifts. Hubs would be working in the evening, so there wouldn't even be a date. He'd meet me at my office and we'd have lunch. That would be it.

I assumed he'd bring me flowers - he always does - and so I thought I would break the no-gifts agreement just a little and surprise him with a gesture of some sort. It had to be simple and inexpensive.

Here's what I came up with:

A bucket.

More specifically, a bucket filled with 20 Things I Love About You.

20 Things I Love About You 20th anniversary gift bucket.

Instead of a card, I wrote him a letter, explaining that I loved him in a million ways (true), but that, in observance of our 20th wedding anniversary, I would list only 20. I really thought about who he is and how much I appreciate him - and the things he does for me and for us as a family. And then, I hit the dollar bins and picked up little items he would actually use. I tagged them based on the list and put them all in a bucket (simply because it's another thing he will use).

Here's my list (in no particular order):

• You're a good kisser - Chapstick (he steals mine)
• Your face still lights up when I walk in the room - flashlight
• You wipe my tears - travel pack of tissues for his car
• You always know when the cookies are done - spatula (he never, ever burns cookies)
• You make things brighter - paint brushes
• You're smart - Smarties candies
• You stuck with it, even when we were just scraping by - electrical tape and ice scraper
• Your love keeps me going - batteries (for the flashlight)
• You do your share - cleaning sponge
• You're handy - work gloves
• You sew on my buttons - mini sewing kit
• You're handsome - a hand mirror (he was using what was basically a jagged shard of glass as mirror)
• You're kind to animals - treats for our pets
• You have a nice smile - floss (again, steals mine)
• You're nutty - peanuts
• Your faith holds the family together - Super Glue
• You're level-headed - a level
• You're a good dad - wallet-sized photo of our son and him
• You're sweet - mint M&Ms (his favorite)
• We're a good match - box of matches

You get the idea.

He was genuinely moved by the gesture and just loved the surprise, cracking up at the bucket stuff and the correlation to the list.  He admired my creativity and appreciated the thought, time and effort I put into it. Plus, he really dug all the goodies. (Another level? Yes, please!)

Let's face it, folks: I rock.

He gave me roses, as expected. There were 20 red ones, representing the 20 years of our marriage, plus five white ones for the years we dated. Just gorgeous and they made my office smell incredible.

And then he handed me a simple, dainty diamond anniversary band.

That? Not expected.

So let's recap: 

• He gave me diamonds.
• And I gave him ... a bucket.

Look, marriage is like that: it's give and take - and not always an even give and take. Still, it really is the thought that counts. A thoughtful gesture can let the person we care about know he or she is understood, special and loved.

And another thing about marriage: just when you think you've got a person all figured out, he can surprise you in the biggest way, and make you wonder what other tricks he has up his sleeve.

"The best is yet to be ..."

Indeed.