Feeling Festive

It's finally feeling like holiday central. Friday night was finish all Christmas shopping once and for all. (I was super proud of myself until I realized Christmas is next week and I had come nowhere near close to my goal of finishing before Dec. 1.)

Saturday night was my company holiday party at this nice little patio bistro. It was so fun to meet all the significant others and pity dates. I saw a new side of everyone which was so refreshing. I wore my new berry-bunch earrings with a mulberry top and brown skirt. (Also the same night as the ward Christmas party where Adam would have had to play Santa Clause. Ho, ho, ho!)

Sunday was finish wrapping all Christmas presents and shove them in the corner under our lamp, which acts as this year's Christmas tree. (I have no qualms about having zero decorations in my house. That will come in due time. Besides, it's never really Christmas in California. No snow = no Christmas.) Sunday night was also dinner at a friend's and gingerbread party at our house!

(Here's Adam opening Aunt Karen's generous gift the other day. Thanks Aunt Karen, aka Devoted Warehouse Blog Reader)Here's our gingerbread house. Adam built the foundation. I topped it with a fish sky roof and made a pathway paved with chocolate. We call this "Born Again Christian House."
Proud owners of "Born Again Christian House." Will you take a look at the Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired graham cracker fountain on the left? Zoom in close if you have to. It is worth a look. Also featuring a backyard of pop rocks.The Heinrichs come to us with extensive experience in gingerbread house making. Ariana made a purple pool out of laffy taffy and a tree from licorice. Christian's house is mostly just see-through. But the fact that it is still standing means everything.

The Neves made "Dream Trailer." We made up a song about it and sang it. It's to the tune of "My Buddy." Sing along if you want: "Dream Trailer, Dream Trailer. Wherever I go...Yoooou go. Dream Trailer, Dream Trailer...where the real estate....depreciates. Dream Trailer, Dream Trailer. Dream Trailer and me! DREAM TRAILER!!!" Such an awesome song.

Merry Christmas, everyone! Next time, pictures from a place where real Christmas happens - aka LOTS of snow!

Angry Charity

Tonight was visting teaching double duty. I visit taught and got visit taught. All in under an hour. Ever been done? I think not. But it was brilliant. And it didn't make me angry at all.

Last night, however, was a different story. I planned to make poppy seed bread for all the co-workers. Mostly Adam's co-workers because I'm sticking to my one secret Santa. I bought the poppy seeds at Food4Less for $1. I got home. No poppy seeds. I KNOW I bought poppy seeds. I looked everywhere and then re-looked everywhere. No poppy seeds. Nowhere in tarnation are the poppy seeds. At this point I am thinking about all alternative recipes that would look nice as a little loaf with tissue paper on top. I bought the wrong butter for lemon bread. In fact I bought the wrong butter for everything. And spaghetti likely wouldn't hold its shape.

At this point I am whining very much because I will do anything at all times and in all places to avoid going to the grocery store. Especially when I am wearing my blue bathrobe with blue slippers and black work socks and am feeling oh-so cozy. But the crap clouds just dumped down upon me and I switched my bathrobe for my yellow jacket. Now I am a sporty-yellow jacketed, blue girls camp t-shirted, plaid pj panted, blue granny slippered, black work socked angered do-gooder. All I wanted to do was make bread for people and now I want to hurt those people.

So I went to the super close, super expensive store that eeks me out everytime. Not because of the luxurious beauty that is wide aisles and flattering lighting, but because of the ludicrous prices. A little place called Albertson's. Where the poppy seeds cost $5. Seriously. Same bottle, different brand, jacked up price.

I came angry, I left angry. And went home and made some pretty amazing poppy seed bread. But I was still angry. And that's when I read the visiting teaching message which I had to preach today. Charity. Pure love. Not just acts but a state of being. I am so far from it but there is hope because little acts add up to being. Get it? I don't got it, but maybe if I make some more poppy seed bread...

Wild Pie

A few recommendations of media goodness. It was only 5 days ago that I realized I could watch DVDs on Adam's laptop while he studied for the CPA on our desktop. Where have I BEEN? All these months of entertaining myself with cooking, baking, laundry, reading, blogging, and walking the streets aimlessly while he's slaving for our future. And all this time I could have been watching chick flicks?! Now I'm annoyed that he'll be done in a few months.

Anyway, here's the first flick I watched. Waitress. SO worthwhile. Makes you thankful for your husband who slaves for your future and doesn't slobber. A strange twist after the movie was finished makes it all the more fascinating and moving. Its director (who plays Dawn in the movie) was murdered after she finished filming it. No, not in the movie. In real life. I remember reading about it last year. Very tragic and truly sad, kind of like the movie, but without a second chance... This is a movie I did not watch but really, really want to. I read the book instead and it was almost life altering. I tried to buck the system while I was in the throes of page-turning, but I couldn't really quit work, don't want to leave my husband and can't carry a 40 lb pack. I also have no tolerance for the cold and buses don't have seatbelts so there's no way I'd feel safe out there. But I like the kid's bad attitude and his distaste for materialism. I'm with him there. The book also cites some really interesting side stories of people like Chris McCandless who try to live off the land, using nothing manmade ever. One man does it for years and years and years and finally declares, "It can't be done." Poignant.

Anyway, I recommend both of these. I kind of like the idea of them mixed together. Adventure in the Wild But Forgot A Map so I Die Pie.