After I blog and get some coffee into my system, we'll be packing to head home to California.  It's been an extremely festive visit.  Day before yesterday, we hung out most of the day being lazy and then went to Steve and Kevin's for Christmas Tea. 

Kevin and Steve had prepared lots of yummy treats.  We noshed and chatted, enjoying their new home and the food.  Dick and Dotty left before dusk while Dan and I stayed for more rest, visit and noshing.

Yesterday was errands day.  We ran about doing some purchases and returns in the morning.  Then had a wonderful lazy afternoon with video games, a delicious burrito dinner prepared by Dotty, and more relaxation in the evening.

Words?  What words?

I'm going to be working on the novel on the return journey but note to self for next year.  I can work through November but I just can't make myself work when I'm away from home and in the middle of a holiday.

See you on the flip side!

We've had a splendid Christmas day in North Carolina with Dick and Dotty and Steve and Kevin.  Hope that the same is true for each of you wherever you've spent the holidays.

The day began with coffee and muffins, stockings and gifts.  Then we segued into cooking a wonderful filet roast with port wine reduction sauce, accompanied by green beans and delicious rosemary infused mashed potatoes.  I'm amazed I could type it quickly given how intricate the preparation process was...but it was well worth it.  Kevin was Chef, Laura was sous chef, Steve was sous chef and runner.  It's a truism that there's always at least one thing you need to run out for when preparing a holiday meal. In Steve's case, it was two things.

We had a great, post-prandial conversation and dessert.  Then Steve and Kevin went home and we've been poking around, uploading Ipods, chatting with various friends/family members and watching videos.

Quite festive all the way around.  Merry Christmas to all!

 

Happy Christmas Eve!  The last two days have been a bit of a whirlwind so I haven't written a lick on the novel.  We went to Kevin and Steve's house night before last where we enjoyed a yummy, satisfying spaghetti dinner in their newly remodelled home.  Their elderly cat, Dusty, was a key participant in the evening with lovely poses before the fire, refined begging at dinner time and sufferance of our obeisance in the form of petting.

After dinner, we watched one of Dan's and my all-time favorite Christmas movies, Love Actually.  Then we were tucked into their extremely comfortable guest quarters on the third floor where we had a great night's sleep.

After a "lie-in" in the morning, we had a breakfast of Kevin's special cheesy eggs and then hit the road for Fuquay-Varina--home of Dan's brother, Ken and Ken's wife (my good friend) Cindy.  There we offered more adoration to cat-beings Max and the ever-elusive Fanny.  We took a tour of Ken's office and campus at Campbell University (in the rain--badly needed here in drought-bound North Carolina) and continued on to Coats, where Cindy has her studio.  We got to see a few pieces in progress and were very impressed with the work space she's created for herself.

Then we went back home for unwrapping of presents, extensive conversation regarding movies, books (The Ender and Shadow series by my former professor, Orson Scott Card), and playing Spades.  Cindy and I were roundly trounced by Ken and Dan the first game.  After a break for dinner, we took them on again and, although it wasn't quite as ugly, it was a beating of sorts.  It's tough realizing that you're the worst card-player in a particular group (although I do take some comfort in the fact that Ken is simply the best card player I know, Cindy's married to him and Dan grew up with him).  So I've been doing a bit of ego nursing and am glad to have a husband who tolerates a grumpy wife.

Earlier in the trip he proclaimed that he is "Happy" and I am "Grumpy."  I never suspected he might actually be right!

As to the International Heifer, one of my fine friends has given me a wonderful gift this year--the purchase of

2 colonies of bees

3 clutches of chicks

Trees (quantity unknown!)

1 Flock of Hope (chicks, geese, ducks)  

via Heifer International.  I've always wanted to give one of their gifts and Erik's gone and beaten me to the punch.  It makes me feel good to know that these gifts will be enriching lives and the earth this coming year.   I hope this blog finds everyone enjoying a cozy, refershing and love-filled Christmas eve with family.  We'll be enjoying ham and trimmings along with board games, holiday songs and (I am sure) lots of laughter.  I'm not sure about cards.

We had a very nice, if chilly, morning at the State Fairgrounds near Cary.  Evey weekend there is a flea market at the grounds and so we browsed the antique booths, a very nice kitchen shop, bought some fudge and and headed outdoors. 

Kevin found a box full of wonderful old photographs (which I spent this afternoon browsing through...fascinating stuff) which he bought.  Dotty bought a hat to ward off the chill.  Then we slowly but surely made our way over to the funnel cake/deep fried twinkie stand. 

I have long said that I wanted to eat a deep friend twinkie at least once in my life.  We can definitely check that box!  Here's the recipe as I observed it for those who want to try at home.

Ingredients:

Frozen Twinkie
Funnel Cake Batter
Powdered Sugar
Oil
 
Take the frozen twinkie and insert a popsicle stick into one end.  Dip the twinkie into the funnel cake batter, allowing excess to drip back into the batter bowl.  Put twinkie in hot oil and cook for two minutes on each side or until golden brown.  Remove twinkie from oil and sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar.

Enjoy.

I have to say that I never truly understood the words "sugar rush" until 15 minutes after eating the twinkie!  Woohoo!  Click here for a link to a friend's website wherein a photo of such a twinkie exists.

Then we came home, I wrote my 1500 words (the Shimotos just got word that they're going to Manzanar and Lenn's broken up with his girlfriend, Ami.  This was just fine with Ami since she'd developed a crush on their mutual friend, Miro).  Dan fixed lunch for Dick, Dotty and I as I wrote.  Then, sugar rush long since past, I took a nap.

We're off to enjoy dinner and a sleep over with Steve and Kevin.  Tomorrow, we will celebrate an early Christmas with Ken and Cindy.  I'm hoping to see her studio as well.

In the meantime, I need a new "I must do xxx at least once in my life."  Kevin's suggestion was "get a hole in one."  (My reply?  If I make it that wish, I should live forever!).  Any other suggestions?

Signing off from North Carolina (in a bit of insulin shock, I'm sure).

We arrived safely (which you can surmise since I don't think one can post from beyond the grave) in N.C. yesterday evening after a very uneventful day of travel.  Kevin and Steven were kind enough to pick us up and deliver us to Dick and Dotty's house in Cary, N.C.

We arrived after dark, so we didn't get the chance to see the area until today.  After enjoying nibblies and conversation, we toddled off to bed and had a very restful night.  It's very quiet here, even compared to the relative quiet of our isolated house in Orange County (of course...isolated and Orange County being relative terms).

Dan stayed in Cary today with Dick and Dotty while I ran around Chapel Hill with Kevin enjoying lunch, shopping, antique-ing and a preview of his and Steve's gorgeous home (in almost-finished remodel stage).  It was a wonderful welcome to North Carolina.  Lovely people, fun shops and convivial company.

All of which was continued (substituting food for shops) this evening as we had a dinner together at Ruth's Chris to usher in the season.  Very festive indeed.

I did not write a lick on the novel...but I did get in 2400 words yesterday so I was caught up as of this morning.  I will figure out how to get the rest of my words in over the coming days...maybe need to carve out some time while Dan's napping or just count on a marathon writing session the few days following Christmas.  For some reason, this is harder than writing during the Thanskgiving season.

Maybe it's the traveling and the novelty...or the time change!

Anyway, tomorrow's a flea market, possible mattresss shopping, and if I am ambitious, 2400 words on the novel to catch me up again.  Enjoyed a wonderful conversation with Dick about immigration...very thought provoking indeed.  I've been reluctant to write about such a complex issue but he's given me some framework to go from...so who knows.  Maybe in March after the first draft is through, I'll tackle that hot potato.

Off to dreamland again.  Missing the West Coast.  Enjoying N.C.

We're ready to go...la, la, la, la, la, la, la.  Leavin' on a jet plane!

Fortunately, we do know when we'll be back again (Lord willing)--but for now, we're concentrating on the fun we will have visiting Dick and Dotty, Kevin and Steve, and Ken and Cindy.  Never been to North Carolina before...that should be fun.

I'll be interested to see the political ads there as our ad season hasn't really geared up yet.  Go Edwards!

I'll be blogging sporadically from N.C. (as I may have said in yesterday's tidbit). 

In the interim of travel day, check out this guy's musings on the passage of dreams.  I love his business card art and this entry is particularly thought provoking.

Ciao!

Today was supposed to be my typical day before a trip.  I was going to do Lolowrimo (put in about 1200 words on the novel), blog, do laundry, pack, finish up my daily task list and hit the proverbial hay.

However.

Instead, Dan and I spent a genuinely lovely day.  We had breakfast together at the local Corner Bakery.  Then he had a haircut while I finished reading a fun book (Blind Submission by Debra Ginsberg).  Then we did a little retail therapy followed by lunch.

The afternoon was a bit more hectic.  I did my article for StartSmallStartNow.com (look for it in a few days) and made dinner.  Dan did the laundry while I hit the gym for a session with my personal trainer.  We had a yummy salad and then packed.  Then I did a bit o' research on Prop 92.

Now it's time to toddle off to dreamland.  I'll be catching up on my novel writing tomorrow in the friendly skies.  Posts may be sporadic as we're back in N.C. with relatives for the holidays.

Merry!  Happy!

I got rejection slip #2 in the mail for this year's poetry submissions.  So far I've submitted 13 poems and placed zero in poetry publications for 2007.  (That's about 100% more poems than I submitted last year, so at least I'm putting a few things out there).  The rejection letter wasn't nearly as nice (or personal) as the one I got earlier this year from Runes.

I submitted three of my more formal poems to Measure, an annual review of formal poetry.  If I'd had my druthers, I'd just have sent one in--"Mrs. Bartlett."  But usually they like to see between three and five poems, so I sent along two others.  I did get a handwritten, "Thanks for sending" on the form letter, so that makes it a little easier to deal with the "no, thanks."

On the noveling front, I got in about 1300 words today, keeping on pace to finish 20,000 words this month.  I continue to be inspired by the daily goal although I'm finding that the writing goes a bit more smoothly when I write around 2,000 words a day.  I'm also floundering a bit in this middle section, so there will be liberal edits here once it's all done.  I'm at about the time when the Shimoto family finds out they're moving to Manzanar after a three month stay at the Santa Anita Race Track.

The family is in flux in their new environment.  There are changes in responsibilities, roles and relationships.  Lenn's contemplating breaking up with his girlfriend.  Matsuko, Lenn's Mom, is going to work for the first time.  Lots going on but not much propelling the novel forward.

Last blog item for the day, I've started gearing up on the Propositions Review in the CA Voter's Guide section of this website.  Today I'll update the section with my first recommendation on Proposition 91.  After the holidays, I should get around to a few more Republican Presidential Candidate reviews, too.

I was looking for some information in an old "Damn Democrats" essay today and realized that after 14 months off from the newspaper, I do miss the column.  Nice to have the blog instead though.  This editor is extremely flexible with deadlines!

Yesterday was the Baldridge Family Christmas Party (and gift exchange).  Dan and I drove down at mid-day and hung out with Dad and Sally until it was time to go over to the recreation hall.

The gathering really is one of my all time favorite events every year.  This year was no exception.  There was teasing galore (aka the ghosts of Christmas parties past), camraderie, excellent food (prime rib and barbeque fixin's supplied potluck style), and just the warmth of family time.

All of the Baldridge "Boys" were there along with Candy, Donna and Jeanne filling out the "wife" contingent.  Sister Pamela was there as was Cousin Martha and her son, Matt, along with our "adopted" family members, Debra and Alan.  Almost all of the "kids" were there, too.  Deanna and Tim, Amy, Brian and June, Heather, Jason.  We missed Jay (who is out to sea right now), Matthew and Erin (Matt was sick) and Sarah and her Jason (school obligations interfered), Darrell Jr. (also on duty) and Vic--never did figure out why Vic wasn't there.  So all in all, we had about 26 people there including Dad, Sally and the "boys" mom (also one of my mothers!) Pat.

The stars of the party, of course, were all the "grands" (or great-grands depending on your perspective).  David and Avery got along famously, sharing toys and helping the adults to rip open gifts during the gift exchange.  Little Ainsley was adorable in red velvet and patent leather shoes.  It's hard to believe that the kids are now having kids and the "boys" are becoming grandparents!

Good thing Dan and I are staying so young, eh?

The gift exchange is one of those "game" exchanges where all gifts are under $25 and we draw from a pile, stealing presents from one another and getting lots of laughter out of the stealing.  This year's byword?  Fast, fast, fast!  No lollygagging about opening presents in this group!

It's been good to be back home, busily preparing Christmas presents for our trip back east and for our late Christmas with Mom, Charlie and Anya.  I've even managed to be fairly disciplined, getting in 1600 words today and over 1200 yesterday.  So the book continues to grow.

Not that I'm complaining AT ALL, but there was a tiny little technical glitch while we were over on the Big Island.  Dan's computer screen died and, since we were only going to be in Kona for four more days, we decided not to buy a new screen just for those four days.

So...no blog, no Lolowrimo, no emails.  It was tough!

We played golf four times in six days.  We ate yummy food (mostly at home but we did go to a wonderful cafe in Holualoa for lunch one day and also to Pesto in Kawaihae on another afternoon.

We watched movies in the evening, hung out in the hot tub in the afternoons, enjoyed brownies kindly sent by a friend (thanks, Erik!), cleaned the stores of their supplies of a brand of Kona coffee that we like, and read books.

Then, as we were packing to leave yesterday, we saw two whales from the lanai--spyhopping, slapping the water with fins, and generally acting like whales.  Very fun!

I'm back on the Lolowrimo wagon today, already logging 1,339 words for the day.  I recalculated my goal to compensate for the missing days and will need to put in just over 1,200 per day to reach my goal for December.  I'll keep you posted!

Looking forward to the Baldridge Family Christmas party tomorrow in San Diego!