Monthly Archive: November 2008

29
Nov
2008

IT’S BEGINNING

For the past 8 or 9 years, I’ve participated in an AWC event on Thanksgiving evening. It’s nothing to do with turkey or tryptophan or football or parades because none of that exists in its American holiday form here in Sweden. Instead, our Thanksgiving celebrations with friends and/or family has always been scheduled for the weekend after (or in the case of this year, the weekend before). Because the fourth Thursday in November is just a regular workday here, it’s been a pleasure to have a holiday event scheduled on that evening instead, something that has now become a tradition...

28
Nov
2008

BAHA!

Cracking Me Up: Not Always Right More Cracking Me Up: Craftastrophe

27
Nov
2008

REFLECTIONS BOUNCE BACK AND LIGHT YOU UP, TOO

I’m thankful for the obvious things that quietly light up my life every day. The things I don’t notice, the things I take for granted, the things I’ve become so familiar with that they fade into the humming background until, like a sudden ray of sunshine, my notice and regards falls upon them and illuminates them; makes them new. My funny, freaky, healthy, smart children. My husband who puts up with much more from me than he probably ever expected. The commitment that we hold for each other. My beautiful cozy home. My far-flung family: mom, sister, brother, in-laws, cousins,...

25
Nov
2008

MONSTER HATS

Not too long ago, ms_hackman, who is intimidatingly crafty to begin with, suddenly became obsessed with monster hats and started making them by the dozens and posting them on her LJ. I immediately squeeed with joy over them, because who can resist monster hats?? and she responded by sending 2 of her amazing creations to the kids. Who are totally in love with their monster hats! THANKS, JENNY!! Humongous Happy Belated Birthday Wishes to gnostraeh!

23
Nov
2008

COOOOOOOKIES!

Tomorrow is the Annual AWC Holiday Cookie Exchange, and I’m participating for the 8th year. My recipe criteria this time was simple: easy, fast and no having to go to the store to buy special ingredients. The kids and I spent the morning perusing cookie recipes, rejecting the ones that, despite how good they looked, required things we didn’t have in the house: no oatmeal, no peanut butter, no chocolate-candy centers. Finally, I found a basic cookie recipe and then I tweaked it completely to come up with our very own new holiday cookie! Pretty soon the house was filling...

22
Nov
2008

TURKEY DINNER NOTES

1. Two turkeys is probably enough, unless we actually have 12 adults. 2. Find something other than green bean casserole for a veggie dish…there’s always TONS of it leftover and no one really likes it that much. 3. Have Kelly do the pumpkin pies every year. MMMMMMMMMMM 4. Maybe move the TV into the playroom for the evening. Or else think up better responses to the frequently asked question about why we adults talk so loudly and laugh so much.

21
Nov
2008

MY COUNTRY, TIS OF THEE

Yesterday, at book group, one of the women asked us to help with an experiment her daughter was doing for school. She is asking everyone she knows to write a few words or sentences about what they think of America. Not Americans—AMERICA. She’s drawn a map of the U.S. on a big piece of paper and she’s putting all the notes that are BY Americans inside the confines of the country, and all the notes that are by NON-AMERICANS outside of the penciled country borders. I joked that my view of America has been revised rather drastically since November 4th....

18
Nov
2008

NOT READY

Even though winter has been galumphing up with its tongue hanging out and its tail wagging a mile a minute, spraying drool and happy pee everywhere I am NOT READY FOR IT. I’m fending it off with both hands, yelling, “NO NO NO! DOWN, BOY! WAIT!” Damn dog. The village has its Christmas tree up by the little traffic circle. No lights are on it yet, but it’s up. Christmas decorations are for sale in the mall and everything is starting to twinkle. NOT READY. I had to scrape the car windows this morning and it wasn’t any wimpy little...

15
Nov
2008

BEATEN, BUT UNBOWED

I know I’ve lamented before about the fact that my family does not play games together the way my first family did when I was growing up. I miss playing games and remember very fondly the evenings of marathon Monopoly games where we played with several versions set together (you had to exchange money at the current exchange rate when you went from the American to the German version or vice versa) and Risk challenges where my sister and I attempted world domination over each other. My parents taught us to play just about every card game under the sun,...

13
Nov
2008

GEARING UP FOR GOBBLING

Nice things about walking on a dark, chilly, wet night (when it’s not actually raining): Dragonbreath No sweatbands required Streetlights make everything sparkly! That Halloweeny-evening feeling Increased chance of frog sightings Things that have run out in front of my car in the past few days: Female pheasant with a death wish Village cat MAN. ON THE HIGHWAY. NO REFLECTORS. Idjit. Things that were big and round in the sky this morning: Gigantic shiny silver full moon hovering above the horizon ahead of me Great glowing globe of fire hovering above the horizon behind me Things I am thinking an...