Candy Canes of Death and Destruction

Ok, not really....but man, if they sold those evil little crooks of minty sweetness all year 'round?  I'd be in a sugar coma non-stop.  I have absolutely no will power to resist them, zero ability to not power them down.  Rather like a beaver....I gnaw and suck, and chew and bite and lick.....and sigh tis all gone... sigh.  So what do I do then?  OPEN ANOTHER ONE!!!  YIPPEE!!!  What you don't know is that it can take me several days to finish a candy bar the size of a Hersey's, so yeah... I have it bad for these thank gods only seasonal treats.

I've been a bad blogger, and haven't updated my blogs, and only sporadically read and commented.  Sorry about that folks, but winter has me in her cold and dark talons and I'm lucky to get outta bed.  It's gotten to the point of the year where I have to decide if I cook dinner OR shower cause I dont have enough energy to do both.  A good day for me now is to manage both, which leaves me weak the next day.  I sure do hope my winter sojourn to Arizona gives me back some semblance of life, I'm well tired of flying a sofa thru my day.

Last Christmas was such a disaster, TH and I almost gave away or threw out everything that had anything to do with Christmas.  Early in November 3rd son, called me and said, "Turkey day is at our house this year.  What would you like to bring, the turkey?  hint, hint, hint..."  "Hahahaha!  Sure kiddo, I'll do the turkey."  Turkey day was a huge success, and yeah the turkey was tasty too. ;-p  Eldest and his wife didn't show, which is why it was a drama and stress free zone.  In fact it went so well, TH and I decided to give Christmas a try again.  However being so burned from last year, we went in a different direction.  No decorations, no gifts to each other, only for the kids and baby, and a non-traditional dinner menu.  I went with a super bowl theme.  We had hot wings, teriyaki wings, hot german potato salad, green salad, yeast rolls and desserts.  I did make gingerbread, but its a cake like thingy, and we never made it for Christmas, traditionally I made it during fire wood cutting days.  The guys would come in all cold and tired and be met with the fantastic smell of gingerbread.  While we never had a wood burner, TH cut many cords of wood for elder neighbors, or families where the husband was north working, and didnt have time to get their wood 'in'.

We called all the boys, even the one who is currently living in Minneapolis, we didn't want him feeling left out.  I had picked the Friday before Christmas, thinking that would work for everyone.  However, youngest had a 'do' at his GF's father's home, so we scooted it back to Thursday.  I didn't manage to get eldest on the phone, so finally ended up texting him about the date change, and he never answered my text, which TH and I took to mean, he wouldn't be attending.

Monday the temperatures started to climb up the scale until we hit +30!  Whoo-hooo!!!!  And they held pretty much consistent, which made me functional.  Halli-fucking-lula!  The day started out with building the brine for the wings, and off to the desserts, the afore mentioned gingerbread, peanut butter cookies, and a cookie we christened 'dutch crunchies' due to none of us being able to pronounce them.  Call them what you will, these are great cookies!  Then the steamer was drug into duty for the potato salad, and while I was working up the dough for the rolls, my nerves started to ramp up.  TH had the same haunted look around his eyes as well.  By 6 the wings were done, the rolls in the oven, and we waited for the doorbell to ring.............

3rd son and bride came first.  The door bell rang again, and thinking it was youngest and gf, I answered the door, and almost fell over, it was eldest with the baby, and no wife.  It was awkward for a moment or two, and then he leaned over and gave me a hug, and on the way back up, I bussed baby's cheek.  The fact that DIL (the daughter in law) wasn't in tow wasn't spoke of.  Shortly after eldest arrival, youngest came with gf.  Now bride and gf dont get along really well, and its a silly reason really, but we were hoping they could get along for the evening, and they did!  So, that leaves TH and I wondering how much of the friction between these girls is made worse by DIL? 

The night was a total success!  It was easy like it was before DIL came with her drama, and her need to be the center of attention, and her need to stir up conflict.  We laughed, everyone played with the baby, we ate, talked, told stories, and everyone had fun playing with baby and her new toys.  When everyone left, youngest told TH to wait it out, he thinks things will get better, so we shall see.  TH and I went to bed happier than we had been in many a day.

I'm almost completely packed for my trip.  TH leaves Thursday morning in my packed car, and I fly out the 3rd.  Since we have air tickets and a hotel room, the trip is a concrete thing.  I'm getting better with the idea of being alone without TH for 4 months.  We can't afford for him to come down very often, so yeah it will be a swim situation.  Sinking is NOT an option.  I know I can do this, I know I can.