WHAT STORM?

 Here I sit all comfy, cozy and safe whilst armageddon is happening everywhere else.  Nothing nefarious seems to happen here in Port.  Yes it did rain billy oh for days but it just ran down the hill into the river/channel out to the ocean.  Other than getting soaked every time you stepped out the door (which isn't a frequent event in my house) you would never know it was 'extraordinary'.  Right now though it has started to snow!  Much better than the rain.

Much to the chagrin of the grinches in my life I have put up my Xmas tree.  It isn't decorated yet and won't be until the normal time for tree upping, around, I would say, at least December.  But there have not been a whole lot of turkey type events over the last two years so I want this one to be drawn out and spectacular.

So I put my little tree up.  It isn't big.  It sits on a table in the middle of the front room window and it has a million lights on it.  And there it is.  That is what I love most.  I can sit, listening to Abba and Boney M, just staring at the lights on the tree that are creating a soft christmassy glow in the darkened room.  I put the fireplace channel on the tv, sit back and relax.  That is the best part of Xmas.  So I started a couple of weeks early this year.

My boys, Graeme and Peter are gone.  Peter is really gone.  He packed up all his stuff and is moving to Vancouver with Graeme.  Sigh.  I miss them and its been less than a day for one and a week for the other.  It is very quiet around here now.  I hope Vancouver doesn't kill their souls.

Shopping.  Hoarding.  I have to admit that I made a big shopping list at Walmart's site and picked it up yesterday.  I did buy eight pounds of butter.  That was the only hoardy thing I did.  The rest was basically Christmas dinner, sans turkey.  There isn't even one turkey in this town.  But I got all the bread for stuffing, which I am making today and freezing.  I bought frozen green beans in case there aren't any fresh ones at Xmas.  I bought eight cans of cranberry sauce (that is NOT hoarding, that is stocking my pantry AND Christmas prepping).  I bought fifteen pounds of potatoes.  Frozen peas for the carrots and peas.  Sweet potatoes. Turnips for turnip poof.  Now I just need the turkey.  But just in case, just hedging my bets, I did buy two big whole chickens.  But if I am any judge of humans, they will get that gravy train open out there pretty damn quick.  Meanwhile I am going to make a boat load of the shortbread that no one really really likes, but it's tradition.

Last night I thought about a bunch of things I forgot, like eggs etc..so I made up another Walmart list, and when I went to pick a time slot for pick up, they all said full.  Like no time available...for days and days.  I noticed a note that said due to the food chain interruptous, they will not be able to supply us.  Jeez! That was fast.  I am glad I got the first batch in!

One of the things we have planned, we being April and Myles, Bradley and Aryn, possibly Stan and Antonia, Monte and Myself, is a massively large charcuterie table.  I would say board but it is going to cover the coffee table.  We will put a parchment paper over the table and let it develop.  Meats, pickles, sauces, dips, crackers, spinach dip and bread chunks, cheeses, olives, veggies, fruit....that is if the gravy train is back to delivering food to us in hinterland out here.  

Well I have to go out now into the sloppy mess outside, the snow turned to rain, and move the garbage cans.  Milly is coming, thank goodness, and she needs a spot to park.  All for now.  Take care, stay safe, keep dry and TTYL

Adults can take a simple holiday for Children and screw it up. What began as a presentation of simple gifts to delight and surprise children around the Christmas tree has culminated in a woman unwrapping six shrimp forks from her dog, who drew her name.  Erma Bombeck

THE SUGGESTED CHARCUTERIE!!!!!