Thoughts as the New Year Approaches...

I've always loved fresh beginnings:

• a brand new notebook, waiting for fresh, new stories
• a fresh sketchpad, awaiting new charcoal images
• a new day, filled with possibility
• the change of seasons
• and (most of all!) a new YEAR filled with POTENTIAL

So, in that vein, I wanted to include a link from one of my favorite inspirational blogs - Ann Voskamp's blog, and her thoughts on Setting Out Into A New Year

Her writing is always rich, profound, and wonderful. Enjoy.

Sarah McLachlan.... The One and Only

This song just blows me away... I sing along (loud) with The Magnificent Sarah and dance and spin with outstretched arms (if no one is home). :)

And I'm SO thankful that God gave us the ability to make music. Amen and amen.

For Those Who Like GOOD (No, Make That GREAT) Guitar..

Allow me to present the one, the only, the Amazing Doyle Dykes.
I've been fortunate enough to see this legend - live and in concert - twice, and yesterday I got to get his autograph AND I got to hug him.
He's a kindly Grandpa but he can make a guitar do some amazing and magical things.

Prepare to have your socks knocked off. :-)

Marley & Me - a movie review

Hubster, the kids and I went to see "Marley & Me" last night. It was wonderful!

If you go to see it:

Be prepared to laugh.

And then - especially if you're a dog lover - be prepared to cry. I mean, REALLY cry. As in, racking sobbing noises and not-being-able-to-breathe-through-your-nose type crying.

Marley reminded me so much of our sweet, late, great beautiful Black Lab Chloe who we got as newlyweds (just like Jenny and John from the movie) and who passed away, at home, in 2005. I get teary-eyed just thinking about her.

Chloe was almost like our first child. We loved her so much.

It was a sweet movie. Good family movie (for older kids, not little kids).

How Will 2009 Be Different For You?

I'm curious, my blogosphere buddies..... how will 2009 be different for you?
I'm not talking about the typical resolutions that we all make (and then usually break within a couple of weeks)...

But how is 2009 going to be different? How are you going to make it different, and BETTER, for yourself and your family?

• What are your plans?
• What are your goals?
• What are your dreams, that you're going to "go for" over the coming year?

As they say.... if you WRITE IT DOWN, you MAKE IT REAL.

Yes, It IS a Wonderful Life

9:30 Christmas Night.... and this day is finally wrapping up (Christmas truly is the longest day of the year, isn't it?!)...
Christmas was different for us this year. I spent about HALF what I normally do. And I didn't put ANY of it on credit cards (Dave Ramsey, you would be PROUD!). Hubster and I decided not to buy each other anything. However, the kids saved up their allowance and bought us little gifts: I got a coffee mug with shells on it and Hubster got a stuffed lobster from them (?!) - really adorable and so sweet. We will treasure them both.

Another gift the kids gave us was sleeping in until 8 AM this morning (we were shocked and thrilled!) The day was nice. My mom arrived around 10, then my in laws, and then later my Dad and step mother. We had a casual, relaxing lunch, and plenty of family time. The dogs destroyed their two massive rawhides.
Basically, a wonderful time was had by all. I was happy that all my little birds were in the nest.
We were going to go see "Marley and Me" tonight but we're just all too pooped to do anything further. Hubster is already asleep. J. is playing some new video game on his Nintendo DS, and S. is trying on all the clothes she got from her 3 grandmothers. :-)
Hope all y'all had a great Christmas too.... blessings and hugs to my blogosphere buddies!

S with her "very favorite" gift...

J. with his "very favorite gift"... (and no, we're not NRA members, nor do we have "real" firearms... this is just a standard pellet gun... for target shooting in the woods, etc.)

Christmas Eve dinner at the (dreaded) "Kids Table" - J & S and 2 of their cousins. :-)

My Dad on Christmas Eve (isn't it a gorgeous table??? My step-mother is a WONDERFUL hostess and cook, and quite an entertainer.... and Dad enthralls the guests with his fabulous story-telling... it's always a Good Time!)

Dad & Mom (yes, they are divorced, but still good friends!)

Merry Christmas!!

Here's wishing you and your family

a wonderful, relaxing, warm, peaceful and very

Merry Christmas!

I Never Knew Turnips Were So Funny

The Origins of "The 12 Days of Christmas"

Interesting tidbit that a friend emailed to me this week about the origins of this song that we all know.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly.

Someone during that era wrote "The 12 Days of Christmas" as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church.

Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

• The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.


• Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.


• Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.


• The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.


• The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.


• The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.


• Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.


• The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.


• Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit---Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.


• The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.


• The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.


• The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

If I Ever Met Oprah....

.... it would probably go something quite like this.... :-)
(Just all GUSHING out... SOO much to say... sounding like a total fool... )
Tina Fey captures it so very well. :-)

She's Doing WHAT?....

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=6480218&page=1
Imagine what her Mom and Dad said?!

I would physically SIT on my daughter and not let her leave the house if she came home with this news. (It would be a "NOT OVER MY DEAD BODY" sort of ultimatum.)

Unbelievable.

The Old "Bob and Weave"

Everyone by now has seen this video.
The things that amazed me the most about this video are:

1) President Bush has incredibly quick reflexes (I think if it would have been ME, I would've gotten clocked in the head - probably twice - by the flying shoes).

2) Were the Secret Service fellas asleep at the switch? Did you see how S-L-O-W those guys moved? Hmmm... this really concerns me, esp with President Obama coming on board in just a month. I think they should all report back to H.R. for some "refresher training" prior to next month's inauguration.

Overheard in the Other Room

"Of course it's a real word!"
"No it's not."
"Yes it is!"
"I looked it up in the dictionary, and it's NOT IN THERE!"
"WHAT?"
"You heard me. I looked up "dingleberry" in the dictionary and it's not in there."

... meanwhile I'm working away in my office, hand over my mouth, barely able to muffle my laughter.... !! :-)

Dingleberry. When was the last time you heard THAT word???

Diva Having Surgery Today

Diva, my wild, UNAPOLOGETICALLY destructive 7 month old Chocolate Lab, is getting spayed today.

I asked the vet if they could throw in a frontal lobotomy too.... (KIDDING).

She was SO bad at the vet when I dropped her off this morning. First, she got loose in the parking lot and ran around like a bucking bronco (and then did the "you-can't-catch-me" dance), then once we were inside she insisted on growling at all the sweet "house cats" that the vet has. The cats just glared at me like "This is irritating. Can you take care of this?"

So, anyway. Diva is surely anesthetized by now (and quiet - what a rarity!).

(My kids still think I'm being very mean to not let her have at least one litter of puppies.... SIGH...)

The Grinch on my Couch

If you know a UPS man (or woman), be sweet to them this time of year.

They come home really tired, worn out and run down.

My man is (for most of December) the Grinch in a brown suit... bless his heart.

Intentional Act of Christmas - Tonight!

I am SOOO excited about tonight!
My church, 12Stone, is doing something really amazing and revolutionary (as far as churches are concerned) - they gave each person/couple in the church $100 to go out and "pay it forward" into the community... ie: to find someone who has been "beaten up on the road of life" and help them.
Now, $100 might not seem like a lot, but keep in mind 12Stone has about 3,000 - 4,000 people who attend every Sunday.

(Yes, I see you all doing quick match... And YES, this means that my church handed out $375,000.) Cash. In church. (And yes, I could write another blog post about the logistics of THAT, but suffice it to say it proceeded so smoothly..... as my pastor said "Let's do this in the spirit of Worship, and not the spirit of Wal-Mart." :-)

And, what's even more amazing? The congregation - those of us who decided we wanted "in" on this little social experiment? We decided to collectively pony up an additional $400,00.

SO (more math, sorry), we have $750,000 going back out into our local community (the 'burbs of Northeast Atlanta) this holiday season.

And let me tell you, guys, there are some MAJOR needs out there.
If you ever start feeling sorry for yourself? All you gotta do is open your eyes and look around... there are some people who are REALLY struggling, for life's Basics.

So, anyway, my small group (there are 12 of us... all women, but all very different) have pooled together our money. Some of us only could afford to put in the $100 that the church gave us, and some of us have been financially blessed and could contribute a whole lot more, and we have found a woman who REALLY needs help. Tonight we're going to have dinner with her, surround her with love, and then shower her with cash, which will make her road in life a bit less stressful.

And I can't wait!
It TRULY is better to give than to receive.

Happy Wife Needs Advice

OK, serious question here guys....

I am ALL for Optimism. My glass is always half full. I am forever reading self-help, and motivational books like "Think & Grow Rich" (one of my faves).

But this recession is KILLING my business. We're talking samurai sword-fight! (...sorry, had to add a link to one of my favorite movie scenes here...)

I'm a self-employed recruiter, working 100% on commission, and when there are bazillions of people who are unemployed, 1) companies aren't hiring and 2) tcompanies who are hiring sure aren't using recruiters (there's no need!)

I feel like I'm on the Titanic.... a few months ago, I felt almost invincible.... things were going GREAT. Now, things ain't lookin' so rosey (and I feel a bit queasy!).

So, those of you who are self-employed (and your family COUNTS on your income, and it's not just a "hobby" income).... what the heck do you DO when times like this come around? How have you 'ridden them out' in the past?

I am really struggling with what to do.
I'm praying about it, daily, but I also want wisdom from those who are self-employed ... and those who just have Words of Wisdom to share with little old me. :-)

PS: If you want to send me some "off-blog" wisdom, privately, my email address is on my profile. Thanks, guys!

It's All In How You Look At It!

Check out this great story from Rebeckah's blog ..... thanks for reminding us about the importance of perspective, Rebeckah!

Christmas Questionnaire

Christmas questionnaire.... post idea, borrowed from Boquinha.
Feel free to participate if you'd like. :-)

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Call me old fashioned, but I prefer wrapping paper. There's something very satisfying about ripping the wrapping off a gift.
2. Real tree or artificial? Definitely real. To our family this is part of the joy of Christmas - going out and finding the "perfect" tree... and then it makes your house smell so Chrstmas-y. (Plus, you get a slightly different tree each year.)
3. When do you put up your tree? Day after Thanksgiving, or that weekend.
4. When do you take it down? Usually New Years Day. But one year we had THE most beautiful, healthy Christmas tree that stayed green and lush.... I think we left it up until mid January.
5. Do you like eggnog? Yes, and I have found the BEST way to drink it.... take eggnog, a shot of Canadian whiskey (the nice smooth kind), and a couple of ice cubes - put it in a blender, and make yourself an eggnog smoothie. It's really delicious. The ice helps to cut down on the thickness of eggnog.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? My purple bike. I rode it EVERYWHERE.
7. Worst christmas gift ever received? Gosh, I'm sure there were some doozies, but nothing springs to mind.
8. Hardest person to buy for? My 78 year old Father. He has lived a full rich life, been everywhere, and has done just about everything!
9. Easiest person to buy for? My children. :-)
10. Do you have a nativity scene? We do.
11. Mail or email christmas cards? Mail, and actually I'm REALLY late this year...
12. Favorite christmas movie? "It's a Wonderful Life" - the BEST movie ever made!
13. When do you start christmas shopping? I'm one of those crazy women out there the day after Thanksgiving.
14. Have you ever recycled a christmas present? Guilty. But only to "office-mates".
15. Favorite thing to eat at christmas? Ah, where to begin..... :-)
16. Lights on the tree? Yes, we have multi colored lights that do 16 different things. :-) This is dorky, but at night, after I take out my contacts I'll sit there and just watch the colors all blink and meld together... it's really transfixing.
17. Favorite christmas song? O Little Town of Bethlehem, but I really love all the traditional carols.
18. Travel or stay home? Always at home and we love it.
19. Can you name all of santa's reindeer? Hmmmm.... probably not!
20. Angel or star? Angel
21. Open presents christmas morning or eve? Christmas morning. Crack of dawn!
22. Favorite ornament theme or color? I love ornaments! Our tree is a mish-mash of beautiful, ornate ornaments, home-made ornaments from my children's elementary school classes, bobble-head ornaments memorializing our late great Black Lab Chloe, and EVERYTHING in between! I love unique trees that tell a story about their families!
23. Most annoying thing about this time of year? People who forget or choose to ignore the real meaning of Christmas.
24. What do you want for christmas this year? I want something intangible and it's nothing anyone can purchase for me.... I want a better 2009.... for my family, and for our country.

Hubster has a VERY High Fever tonight....

...either that, or aliens have taken over his body....

I just found him cleaning the kitchen. And I'm not talking about just "tidying up" and putting away pots and pans. He had cleared off all the appliances (coffee maker, toaster, etc), and all the other stuff on the countertops and was using 409 and a sponge and SCRUBBING until the counters were spotless.

I just stood there, furrowed brow, and said ".... You sure LOOK like my husband....."

(Is there a full moon tonight? I wonder if he's going to shape-shift into a werewolf or something....)

Is it Just Me....?

...Or have Donnie & Marie really exhausted their 15 minutes of fame?

I'm really ready for them to just quietly..... exit stage left.....

U.S. to Bail Out Santa Claus?!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

How I Became Happy Wife (ie: How I Met Hubster)

Harken back with me to..... 1985.

Duran Duran was on the radio. Ronald Reagan was still in White House.

Germany was still separated into East, and West.

BIG HAIR was still in fashion. :-)

I was a 17 year old lass, still in high school. I drove a blue 1967 VW Beetle (LOVED that car!)

My BFF Sarah was hostessing, part time, at a restaurant called Bobby Rubino's (a rib joint).

I decided to get a job there too.

On the VERY first day I worked there, I noticed this FABULOUS looking young man. He was tall, slender and extremely good-looking. He was also incredibly shy and paid me NO attention. (A-ha! A challenge!)

Except, 17 year old me was also somewhat shy. Luckily, however, my friend Sarah was NOT shy.... at ALL.

Long story short, she cornered the recalcitrant Romeo back behind the bar and said "My friend... the brunette hostess.... she likes you. You need to ask her out."

Shy Romeo called me and.... we went out. He was funny, smart, charming and we had a great time! Was it a "Summer of Love"? Why yes, it was.

That Fall, however, this particular Juliet moved to New York to pursue her dream of acting... I studied for a year at NYU (and yes - for those of you who don't know - Phil Hoffman was one of my classmates).

Anyway, fast forward a bit.... I returned to Atlanta. (NYC is a great place - still love it - just knew I didn't want to live there long-term, nor did I want the 'ups and downs' of the "acting life"...)

So, Hubster and I resumed dating. We dated for a LONG time. (Keep in mind I was only 17 when I met him....) And then, when the time was right (when I was 24), we eventually got married. :-)

And THAT, my friends, is how I became Happy Wife.

So, how did YOU meet your spouse/partner/significant other?

PS: The photo was taken at a New Year's party back in.... (thinking).... 1987 or 1988... notice my huge hair. Small animals could have been nesting in there and I would have had no idea.

:-)

Gov. Blagojevich.... What a (bleeping) jerk.

This still really shocks me, that a SITTING governor, in our GREAT country, was arrogant enough.... (not to mention CORRUPT enough) to think he could get away with this.

Nyquil How I Love Thee..... Let Me Count the Ways....

Update: Well, THAT didn't take long.... off to bed! Nightie night!

Yes, it's time YET AGAIN for my Christmas cold.

Luckily, this year it descended in mid December. For that, I am happy. Nothing worse than being SICK on Christmas morning when your kids come BOUNDING IN at 6 AM (and yes, even though they are 11 and 12, they STILL get up at the crack of dawn....)

So, I have just poured myself the requisite shotglass of Nyquil, cheered myself in the bathroom mirror. and am waiting for that lovely-sleepy-warm-blanket feeling to envelop me.... and then I'll drop into bed for a lovely, semi-drugged night of sleep.

(It's funny because I rarely DRINK - even socially - but when a cold comes into town, there is NOTHING.... and I mean NOTHING... better than Nyquil....)

Christmas 1996 - Tiny Santa

Suz's post today made me nostalgic for Christmas past.... so I dug out a Christmas pic from 12 years ago!

This is my precious firstborn child - my son J - on his first Christmas.

J was born very very very very premature, and he spent his first several months of life (including his first Christmas) in the hospital. (Actually, he spent his second Christmas in the hospital too, but that's a WHOLE different story.)

So, anyway, we celebrated Christmas late that year - and J. had to come home on oxygen (you'll notice the tiny little cannula), but I insisted that we keep the Christmas spirit, so I put him in a miniature Santa outfit. :-)

Wasn't he adorable?

And he still IS adorable! (below picture is of J. - along with his sister - taken just a couple of months ago.... he's now a big strapping 12 year old.)

There is ONE Thing I'll Really Miss About the Bush Administration

Barney, the first dog....

(the above story was from back in the day when the "The Onion" was a decent online periodical... unfortunately, it's now rather lame ....)

$1.44

That's how much gas is, at the station which is a mile from my house.
(But I don't fill up there, because the man who works there is lecherous and icky....)

But $1.44?????

A scant 2 1/2 months ago I was paying over $4 per gallon, AND there was a gas shortage in Atlanta due to Hurricane Ike.

Craziness.

'Twilight" - A Movie Review

The following is a VERY condensed version of the movie review given to me by my 5th grade daughter after she saw "Twilight" (with several friends, during a Friday night slumber party....).

Me: Hi honey - how was the movie?

S: OHMYGOSH Mom... it was like THE-BEST-MOVIE-EVER! I LOVE EDWARD!

Me: Wow. Sounds like it was really good. What was it about?

S: Well, Edward, he's like this vampire? And he is like SO cute, Mom. And Bella, she's like this girl in high school, and they like wind up falling in love, but like these other vampires are trying to get to her, and Edward has to protect her, and it's SO GOOD MOM!!! You HAVE to see it with me, ok? And I want Daddy to see it too, OK?

Me: Well.... I don't think your Daddy is going to sit through a movie about teenage vampires....

S: But it was SO GOOD! We have to BUY IT the day it comes out on DVD Mom, ok? Edward is SO CUTE, Mom.... I think he's EVEN cuter than NICK JONAS.

Me: (stunned silence... my daughter LOVES Nick Jones....)

Me: Well, does it have a happy ending?

S: Mmmm-hmmm, they go to prom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And there ya have it, folks. Not only is Edward cuter than Nick Jonas (which is a Major Coup in the life of a 5th grade girl), but the vampire GETS the girl and.... they go to prom.

Clearly Academy Award Winning stuff..... no doubt.

"Australia", a Movie Review

Keep in mind that this review is written by me.... a 41 year old woman who has a bit of a crush.... ok, let's just call it what it is.... a MAMMOTH crush on Hugh Jackman.

OK, you ready?

The movie sucked. (Pardon the crass verbage I've used, but I had to get my point across...)

I'm sorry Hugh, if you're reading this.... but you just WEREN'T given much to work with, my darling...)

Now, there were some redeeming scenes (ie: in particular, the scene involving a shirtless Hugh Jackman at the campfire)... but truly the movie was:
1) far too long
2) poorly edited
3) the plot and multiple subplots didn't flow together... at all
4) there was ZERO chemistry between Kidman and Jackman... their love scenes had a very "forced" look and feel to them

...and on and on....

I really, really, REALLY wanted to like this movie, not only because I think Hugh is the bees knees, but because I've always wanted to go to Australia.

However, on a positive note, I did LOVE the little boy who played Nullah. He was absolutely radiant and magical. (And he's not even an actor.... just a local kid Baz Lurhman found who was a perfect fit for the role.) But really, other than Nullah.... and the aforementioned shirtless Hugh Jackman scene, it's just not worth the admission price.

Two thumbs down from me.

(But Hugh, I still swoon for you....) :-)

Mike Kavanagh, 1951 - 2008

One of my favorite Atlanta radio personalities, Mike Kavanagh, passed away suddenly yesterday. He was only 57.

For people outside Atlanta, his name probably won't mean a lot, but for those of us who listened to his radio show, he was a warm, honest and truly caring human being who built his life around helping others.

I'll really miss him, and his radio show.

Thanks for the memories, Mike.

How Dogs & Cats See The World

From a Dog's Diary

8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!

9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!

9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!

10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!

12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!

2:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!

3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!

5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!

7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!

8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!

11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From a Cat's Diary

Day 983 of my captivity. My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.
They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.
The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am. Idiots.

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of 'allergies.' I must learn what this means and how to use it to my advantage.
Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but next time at the top of the stairs.
I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is clearly an imbecile.

Finally.... justice.

Normally I'm not one to gloat (at least I hope I'm not like that...) but I think this is long overdue.

Picture of the Day

Courtesy of the NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day site

This lovely shot is from New South Wales, Australia. Just gorgeous.

Please Keep Michele In Your Prayers

My blogger buddy Michele has had another setback due to her seizure disorder.
Her sweet husband Marcell is keeping us (her friends, and photo-fans) updated via her photo-blog.

Michele's seizure disorder was caused by child abuse at the hands of her father, when she was just a young, young child. It's something she will deal with all her life.

Please take a moment to lift Michele and her husband Marcell up in prayer.

"How To Talk to Girls", by a 9 Year Old Boy

This is adorable.

And the Whiner-Of-The-Year Award goes to....

Kid Rock!

An Unexpected Surprise

Today I had my annual exam at my doc.

He said to me "Happy Wife (actually he calls me by my real name) Happy Wife, do you realize you've lost 10 lbs since last year?"

I had no clue.

But boy, I was happy!

Unexpected weight loss. (The week after Thanksgiving, even! I wonder what the scale would have registered the week BEFORE Thanksgiving?)

I'm going to keep this train rolling.... I'm going to lose 10 more this month.

Why the heck not?

Give A Dog A Bone.....

...and she'll chew a hole in the guest room mattress.

Sigh.

Yes, I'm afraid that my darling chocolate lab Diva (as in "Destruction, Thy Name Is ....") got BORED while I was out today.

Apparently, very bored.

Truth be told, this was an old, OLD mattress that no one (except the dogs) slept on. Eventually I was planning on fully converting this room into a library/office. Now those plans have been accelerated substantially. :-)

SHOCKING, but true....

It is snowing in Atlanta today.
Just flurries, but still.
SNOW. Here.

Hubster is making turkey & dumplings for dinner. Perfect food for a cold gray Winter evening.

(Actually, it's still techically Fall, I suppose....)

A Radical Thought As We Enter December...