Monday Stuff on the Way to Other Stuff: Patience

     Thanksgiving was fine -- now on to a busy week. The Mama stays through Saturday afternoon, and has lots of plans for filling up a good share of the days. Tuesday, we'll head out to Bailey, to cut Christmas trees. (And hopefully visit the Sasquatch Outpost.)  Tuesday night will be our 'Christmas' with her...so she can see presents opened. Wednesday is sugar cookie-making day; Thursday, my piano students will stay afterward, and help frost them. Friday, we'll go see Daughter #2 and Son #1 in Boulder, then do some shopping at the Friday/Saturday store on the way home. 
     Saturday afternoon, she flies home to Michigan. 
     Somehow, in between all this, I have to fit in two afternoons working at Tuesday Morning; finish up a few reports; write some catalog copy; continue cleaning and tidying up; and somehow keep the Mama happy and satisfied. 
     On the plus side, we'll get a huge batch of cookies that actually look and taste like the ones I grew up with. No matter how I'll try, my baked goods just don't have The Mama's touch. 
     We've had particularly beautiful sunsets all this past week -- perhaps the earth is giving thanks, too? And now Castle Rock has its golden star shining out at night. (See below) That's one of the solid clues that the Christmas season really is begininng. (Here's some background, if you're interested.)

Two of my favorite cousins for cookie decorating and all-around Life: Krindi (middle) and Joanie (far right)

Now on with the show...

See Castle Rock's star at top right? From the town website

Here's what The Rock looks like during the daytime:

Update on the check fiasco -- unfortunately, no update at all. It's now been more than three weeks since I had Priority Choice Marketing's phone call. Do I have to phone and/or write them again?

How to avoid overspending this holiday season.  (From Retire By 40)

See your house in a snowglobe.  It's a bit grainy...but fun.

Remember the autistic boy who couldn't say "Gobble, gobble?" I wonder what's happening with this little innocent (ahem) and his even-moreso mom. Both seem to have fallen off the Facebook bench, after 'poor' Caleb was flooded with presents and other goodies last November. (Nope -- found her -- but she seems to be far more circumspect this year.)

An Irish beach that mysteriously vanished...has reappeared!  (From Irish Central)

Charles Manson died this past week...what became of his 'family?' 
    Was he ever sorry for the atrocities he and his followers committed? Well, let's put it this way -- on the 40th anniversary of the Sharon Tate murders, he broke his silence...to gripe about global warming.

From the Department of 'Now I've Seen Everything:' a sasquatch foot charm.  Ewww.

A gay couple who solved their estate problems -- by having their female friend marry both men, in turn!

Be fierce about following your dreams... you won't regret it. I've experienced this several times. One of my bestselling books (Hanky Panky) was pooh-poohed and ha-haed...but it went into 13 printings. Crazy Quilts' historical conclusions were considered a joke when I first proposed them. It's now considered one of the standard references on that patchwork style.  (From Financial Samurai)

A Christmas Hard Times memory.  (From Harvest Lane Cottage)

Russian teacake...bars?  (From Betty Crocker)

Extreme cooking-from-scratch marathon.  (From Penniless Parenting) Don't miss her recipe for french fried onions.

Ten odd items discovered during an airport luggage search. Including...a dead body? I kept thinking of Monty Python's 'Bring out your dead:'  (Thanks,  Listverse)

The milkmaid and her pail -- a cautionary fable from Budgets Are Sexy.

Stuck in a vehicle during a storm? Thirteen things that can help you survive. (From Living Life in Rural Iowa)

Have a great week. 

See that odd slanted rectangle shape on the horizon? Voila -- Castle Rock, as seen from our chicken coop.