Happy Birthday Marion!!

I forget EVERYBODY'S birthdays.

I consider it a personality flaw. Really. I SUCK AT IT...

To be fair -- I really don't expect anybody to remember my birthday, either -- so don't think you can get back at me by ignoring my birthday. I honestly won't notice...

Really, the older I get -- the LESS I WANT TO CELEBRATE. But I realize that's not how everybody feels about it.

And I think a person's birthday SHOULD BE A SPECIAL DAY....complete with the perfect chocolate cake...and well wishes from the people who KNOW IT'S YOUR SPECIAL DAY...That's the whole point of birthdays, eh??

So -- with that in mind -- HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARION!!

Because my young Canadian friend has a birthday on the last day of January (right? or was it yesterday??)...I am making this my blogging mission for 2012. Because I am WAY BETTER at the blogging thing than I am at the birthday thing -- I'm going to use the blog as my own personal "birthday card" to people who I love.

AGAIN -- HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARION!!

And I am already looking forward to our 2012 road trip. Where will it be this year?

The LAST time we got together -- Marion was recovering from chemo...so she booked us into a fabulous hotel in downtown Chicago...where she could do a little shopping therapy...

We had a wonderful time taking the Frank Lloyd Wright architectural tour...

And we LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the boat tour of Chicago...I'd recommend this to anybody visiting the Windy City!!

Of course -- you MUST go to the Art Institute....

This is one of my favorite pics -- a mirror shot in the hotel room.


For me, the living memento of that great Chicago trip -- when we stayed at the JAMES HOTEL -- was popovers!! I will always remember that fabulous dinner -- when they delivered a hot, crisp popover, in it's own little metal pan -- it was SO DELICIOUS....and as I went on and on about it...you were amazed, and said, "I can't believe you've never had a popover."

You have brought a lot of joy into my life, Marion -- and we've had so many wonderful trips together. New York City, Arizona, that car trip through Oregon? Remember that little breakfast joint with five tables and the homemade bread?? Our writing workshop adventures...where we learned,

"why would anybody write fiction when the truth is so bizarre, it will NEVER let you down!"

Because we met when we were both in the fabric business -- there were sewing machine conventions -- you visiting my store, me visiting your stores. Your visits to Iowa -- sitting on the porch -- my trips to Kingston, Ontario -- learning how to Kayak (okay -- that never happened)..

OH MY GOD -- what was your favorite trip? NYC?? Upstate New York....visiting FDR's home -- and eating lunch at the CIA...??

Thanks for all of it, Marion -- and HAPPY BIRTHDAY. I'm going to make popovers today -- IN YOUR HONOR. Every time I make them, I think of them as a gift you gave me. (even though, in ALL THE TIMES I VISITED YOU -- you never ONCE made me a popover!!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARION...I can hardly wait to see where we're going to go next!!

Project Runway Ice Cream Challenge

This week, the challenge was to make something inspired by the color of ice cream. Thinking that was too boring -- the producers added a time element to the challenge. They only had six hours to create their garment.

They had 30 minutes to shop in the "mini-Mood" store set up near their workroom.

Mondo lamented that he didn't buy enough fabric. Then he proceeded to make a long, flowing caftan, using three different fabrics....??...his whining made no sense...

As far as I'm concerned, Rami could have won every single challenge this year. His garments are always beautifully sewn, very creative -- with something unexpected.

But, then again -- maybe I'm just reacting to his MUSCLES. At the beginning of this episode, there was a shot of the designers, sitting in their chairs -- and Rami is wearing one of the wife-beater shirts he is so fond of...and his arms looked AMAZING. It made me wonder what he's been doing for the last couple of years.

Where has Rami been since his last Project Runway? Maybe he's been in prison...pumping iron??...

Sorry -- back to the show...

Michael won. AGAIN. I was fine with that. His work has been consistently good -- and he's been near the top every single week. He designs quickly and every garment he makes is finished when it walks down the runway...

The big disappointment for me this year has been Austin Scarlett. I expected so much more from him...but his garments are fussy and overworked and last night he ended up sewing the girl into the dress AND he used a hot glue gun??

April was on the bottom with a dismal blue dress that was so short her model had to put make-up on her ass cheeks. Kara was also on the bottom because her ruffled mess made her model look pregnant. Neither April nor Kara has a point of view -- and neither of them has made a garment worth remembering -- so a double elimination would have been fine with me.

But Kara will stay for one more week...

Painted Luggage

Yes, I paint my luggage...

Actually, it's one of my FAVORITE THINGS TO DO...
Other people watch the dozens of black bags go around and around the airport carousel... wondering which one is theirs...because THEY ALL LOOK ALIKE...

But my suitcases are always VERY EASY TO FIND -- and I'm the first person out on the curb, looking for my ride...

My bags have been to many, many airports over the years...including Memphis...

Reno, Cincinnati, Seattle, Chantilly, Kansas City...

NO AIRLINE could ever lose my bags...there simply is no excuse...I have the AIRPORT CODE painted right on the bag...

Sometimes, I do the EMBROIDERY on a piece of fabric -- and then glue it on the bag before I Mod Podge the whole bag...

Mod Podge is the key to success. You have to use it to seal the luggage fabric -- otherwise, the paint just soaks in...

Once the sealer dries -- I use any kind of paint. In this case, white paint and yellow paint -- then I decorated on top -- using more paint -- or felt tip markers...

THIS SUITCASE was written up in Designs in Machine Embroidery magazine! I did all the embroidery on fabric, then cut it to fit the shapes needed for the luggage...

When your design is complete -- put MORE MOD Podge on -- to seal everything. Believe me -- the paint job will hold up long after the wheels are busted.

Sadly, last year, two of these bags were destroyed by the rough handling. Ugh. One had the handle ripped off...another lost a wheel...

Treating them with the respect they deserve, like a worn out American Flag, or a treasured Lazy Boy recliner -- I had a little funeral and burned them...

Now I'm on the hunt to find another rolling duffel that is worthy...

And the next time I'm writing about painted luggage -- it will be to unveil my NEW BAG...!!

My 'GO TO" dinners

The other day, it was snowing HEAVILY -- and Emily called to tell me they were on their way to our house.

I did the first thing every mother in America does -- I asked, "are you hungry?"

Sometimes -- I have days to prepare and plan the perfect meal...

But more often than not, I get very short notice. And when I need to do something in a HURRY... I have a few "go to" meals.

For that reason -- I always have Italian bread in the freezer. Wrapped in a napkin, a frozen loaf will thaw in the microwave in just a few minutes...then I slice it and can go in several different directions.

With a jar of spaghetti sauce, cheese & pepperoni or sausage...I could make a very quick PIZZA...

Really. I can have that on the table in about 15 minutes...

OR -- with mayo, ham and cheese -- popped under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly.. and it's a hot ham & cheese sub...PERFECT.

OR -- I could slap together a Mufaletta sandwich. I usually have the olive mix in my refrigerator -- and the rest is easy. Ham, hard salami & provolone. Yumm-o...

Sometimes, tho -- there's a BIG crowd coming. You just NEVER KNOW when you might have to feed some hungry men...and for me -- the quickest thing and the biggest bang for my time is spaghetti!!

For one thing -- I ALWAYS have it on hand...

First -- put a pot of water on to get it boiling -- then look in the frig to see what I have. My go-to-pasta dish is Carbonara, using leftovers. (If you are a REAL Italian -- you might want to stop reading right now...)

But here's my interpretation...

As I boil the whole box of spaghetti -- I fry off 4 strips of bacon -- very crispy...(set it aside).

Then I chop up what I have in the frig -- and saute it in some of the bacon drippings:

4 green onions (tops & all)
1/2 c. leftover steamed broccoli (could be green beans or peas)
4 slices of hard salami (or ham, or leftover breakfast sausage)
half a tomato, cut into bits (or some cherry tomatoes, cut in half)
some sliced black olives
2 garlic cloves, minced

When the spaghetti is cooked -- I drain it. Then, some olive oil into the hot spaghetti pot...and I combine the hot spaghetti and the sauted lefltovers -- toss it all with 2 beaten eggs and 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese. The last thing is the crispy bacon...and if I have it -- some fresh parsley.

DELICIOUS...

And I swear to you -- it took me longer to write about it than it took me to actually COOK IT.

In less than 20 minutes, you can have a very large, colorful bowl of delicious food on the table...and it's a little bit different every time I make it.

Project Runway ALL STARS

Okay -- I keep forgetting to blog about the Project Runway ALL STARS.

It's on Thursday nights (tonight), on the Lifetime network, and I am QUITE enjoying it.

Just when I thought I was missing Tim Gunn -- it turns out he's on another show everyday -- the ABC afternoon show called "The Revolution" (I think). Hey -- I did try to watch Tim's new show, but I kept falling asleep. Apparently -- I'm still mourning the loss of my soap operas... I'm just not ready....it's still too soon.

Back to Project Runway ALLSTARS. The first challenge was the Dollar Store and the crazy Elisha went home -- which was not a surprise.

The second challenge was to make a gown suitable for the opera. Of course, there is a lot of pressure for Austin Scarlett to knock it out of the park...and he WAS the winner. But I thought Michael should have won it...and Sweet Pea went home for making a Laura Ingalls Wilder dress. I could have told her that prints are NOT A GOOD IDEA for the opera...(it's a long story)...

Which brings us up to the third challenge. Make something for Miss Piggy to wear to her movie premiere. THIS WILL BE FUN.

Oh no...wait...Here's how it's going to work -- the dress would walk the runway on a regular model -- but will be "altered" to fit Miss Piggy for her event.

Okay -- maybe it's just me -- but why, then, bother to bring Miss Piggy into it at all? What's the point, really? We NEVER GOT TO SEE the winning garment on the pig...

Speaking of the winning garment -- I think it should have been Rami. Everything about his outfit was spot on. Great color, wonderful personality...perfect for Miss Piggy and her movie premiere...

But -- NO -- they gave the win to Michael. Which I think is totally because he SHOULD HAVE won last week -- but nobody could stand to put Austin Scarlett in second place for an opera gown.

What Michael did for Miss Piggy was a very tight sheath dress -- with a gigantic bow in front. I cannot imagine how uncomfortable a pig will be in a short, tight dress...no -- wait -- I actually CAN IMAGINE that...

Normally, I would put up a picture of the WINNING dress -- but the Lifetime website didn't even bother to post one. Instead, they have a picture of Michael, holding his fist up in victory...

Anyway -- for this challenge -- they sent Gordana home. Even though Miss Piggy would have looked WAY BETTER in her dress than she will look in Michael's...

But then, I forget -- it really wasn't about the pig...

Watching Amy's Boys

Amy & Bill were going to be in Las Vegas for a week. And their three boys are in school -- so it would be good if they could find somebody to "stay at the house" and watch the boys...

In this Thanksgiving picture, you see Amy with her youngest, Cash -- and Garrett -- with his newly renovated black violin..
I volunteered to take a few days -- as these three boys happen to be some of my very favorite people. I set a jigsaw puzzle up on the kitchen table...which we worked on in the evenings and in the mornings, before school....Garrett is a MAD puzzler...


HOWEVER....Amy forgot to tell me that this was wacky-week at school. Every day, they were supposed to "dress up" in some goofy way...

Okay...I wasn't in charge on PAJAMA DAY...somebody else got that easy gig...

On my first day on the job, the boys cheerfully got out of bed and made themselves breakfast...then they told me it was "dress like your favorite character in a book" day.

WHAT??

Cale already had something figured out, and I found a Ninja outfit for young Cash...but Garrett was at a loss....

Feeling bad, I offered, "you could just dress normally and then make up a book character..." He gave me a quizzical look, and I said, "hon -- no teacher has read every single book..." But he didn't go for it. As he walked out the door, he said, "not everybody participates, Aunt Rita..."

However -- THE NEXT DAY -- I am way more prepared. This is the day they are supposed to "wear the outfit that depicts the JOB you want to have when you grow up". Okay. This time, we had time to plan. Garrett loves animals...so he decided on being a zookeeper. He had a few stuffed animals -- and my contribution was a wonderful Fedora. WHICH Garrett made a headband for...that said, "zookeeper"....

He looked smashing in the hat, don't you think?

AND we managed to get the whole 500-piece puzzle put together before their parents came home.

Farro Family Aprons

During the Christmas holidays -- there was A LOT OF COOKING...Lillian, in one of her dozen little velvet dresses -- making cookies. She is really concentrating -- but the dress is mostly safe because, of course, she has her own little apron!!

Grandma has her own apron, too...(and my favorite necklace -- a gift from Lilly & Emily)...

The cookies are of the refrigerator-tube-variety. But that's not really the point of this activity...

It's more about having a conversation while you are doing something together...making cookies, putting stickers on the windows, watching a snow storm...making sure you are wearing just the right accessories...

When Lilly comes here, she knows exactly where her apron is hanging...
And her first choice of activity is always -- CUPCAKES!!

This isn't such a great picture -- but Lilly is sooo excited -- her little fists are moving at hyper-speed...as she presents the finished cupcakes to Grandpa...

At her own house in Wisconsin, she has a different little apron -- which also hangs on it's own hook...

Because I'm a big believer in hanging aprons on hooks in kitchens...I have several full-size aprons on this hook at all times...One of them was a gift from Mary Mulari for my 50th birthday...one is a wrap apron from the 1930's that I bought at an antique store (while shopping with Mary)...

Mary Mulari is a big part of the Farro Family apron story. Here, with John -- who is wearing his favorite "butchering apron" -- also a gift from Mary.

It's reversible -- one side is a golf fabric...

So -- my best winter-activity-advice is to GO THROUGH YOUR STASH...and make a bunch of aprons while you're snowed in. (remember -- if you can't get to the fabric store -- you could use old t-shirts for one side). Giving anybody an apron is such a practical, appreciated gift -- and what I love about it is that every time they wear the apron, they'll think about you.

If you don't have a pattern you like -- be sure to check out Mary Mulari's website --

Parker's Aunt Rita Adventure

One of the great joys of my life is that I have S0 MANY WONDERFUL GREAT-NIECES and NEPHEWS. And I am a very lucky Great-Aunt because lots of them live close enough for me to occasionally take them on Aunt Rita Adventures.

My adventures can be anything under the sun...and some are better than others. In many ways, they are like the Forrest Gump movie and that box of chocolates...

The very best thing about these events is that they are a GREAT EXCUSE for me to attend a completely fun, entertaining activity...with no redeeming knowledge or benefit whatsoever.

Case in point -- recently I saw an ad for an event at the Waterfront Convention Center. A "magician" was going to perform. Ron Royals -- he was billed as "an illusionist".

WHAT FUN!! All I have to do is figure out who's next in the Aunt-Rita-Adventure-lineup.

PARKER!!

Yippee kayee. Parker is 14 years old -- PERFECT....here's my favorite picture of him at Christmas, with his Mom, Nicole...


When I went to pick him up -- I gave him the keys to my car. He very recently got his learner's permit -- so I thought this would be a memorable part of our adventure. And it was. In a very good way. Parker was a careful and considerate driver -- with a good sense of the "middle of the road" and an excellent awareness of the speed limits, etc.

He chose Red Robin for our pre-show dinner. I didn't tell him what the actual "event" was until he pulled into the convention center parking lot.

The dinner was delicious, the magic show was entertaining -- and the kid is terrific.
Parker is a bright young man, who loves sports, is active on all kinds of team activities, AND he got a 4.0 GPA last semester...(which he just about always does).

It was such a pleasure for me to spend a little one-on-one time with Parker and talk about stuff. Nothing major. Our family....how it seems like just yesterday I was teaching my own boys how to drive...Now Elliott is in the Army and Ross travels all the time...

Gee...it all goes so fast... In a blink of an eye, little kids grow up and want to borrow the car....

I have a small picture of Parker in a magnet frame on my refrigerator. He's a year old baby, with an odd blonde curl of hair over his left ear. Could that picture really be hanging there for 14 years already??

The first full understandable sentence Parker spoke aloud...

"My name is Parker Martin Kearney and I come in peace."

Grace & My Best Uncle

The best Christmas gift I received this year came from my Uncle Melvin.

My mother's younger brother -- he has always been everybody's favorite Uncle. When we were growing up -- he was a fun loving young man who came into the room with a big smile -- and actually had CONVERSATIONS with us kids. Looking back at it -- it is stunning to me that he took so much time and was always interested in what we were doing.

I mean -- WHO DOES THAT?

He'd show up at our house (six kids, remember?) -- with a brown paper bag full of Hersey bars. Then he'd play baseball with us in the front yard...

When my brother Calvin was nine years old, he spent a long time in the hospital having surgery on his ear. When he came home -- Uncle Melvin had BUILT HIM A CAR. We called it the "jeep" -- it was burgundy and had a gas engine -- and we drove it all over the farm...for years...

Really...who does that??

This year -- on Christmas Day, Uncle Melvin gave me a CD he had made -- which was a snippit our family from the 1950's -- when he was the only guy in the county with a home movie camera.

He's spent the last year -- watching hours and hours of those old home movies -- and then moving the images to today's digital technology. He made and delivered 32 CD's to various people and families...

For example, he sent a CD to a woman (now 65 years old and living in Florida) -- who is the daughter of a man Uncle Melvin knew from his Navy days. In the 50's -- they vacationed together and the movies show a young family camping and horsing around for the camera. Uncle Melvin's friend died when he was only 49 years old. When that Florida woman got the CD, showing her as a young girl, with her Dad...Well -- you can imagine.

I mean -- WHO DOES THAT??

When Uncle Melvin walked into my house for our New Year's Dinner -- he was wearing a blue and green plaid shirt. Just like the man in the picture. "Grace" -- remember?

Because John was ALSO WEARING a blue and green plaid shirt -- I decided to set up a photo moment...with John on one side and Uncle Melvin on the other....Kathy is holding the picture...

In their blue/green plaid shirts -- my husband John and my Uncle Melvin....

If saying "Grace" is about being thankful for your blessings...I am....because they are...

STELLA awards

For some reason -- blogger will not let me load pictures. And, as you can imagine, I ALWAYS START WITH A FEW PICTURES...

So, just as I was puzzling what worthwhile thing I could put up for today's blog -- I received this forwarded email from my clubber Linda -- WHO IS IN SUNNY ARIZONA...

Thanks, Lin!! I LOVE IT...

************

It's time again for the annual 'Stella Awards'!

For those unfamiliar with these awards, they are named after 81-year-old Stella Liebeck who spilled hot coffee on herself and successfully sued the McDonald's in New Mexico, where she purchased coffee.

You remember, she took the lid off the coffee and put it between her knees while she was driving. Who would ever think one could get burned doing that, right?

That's right; these are awards for the most outlandish lawsuits and verdicts in the U.S.

You know, the kinds of cases that make you scratch your head.

So keep your head scratcher handy.


Here are the Stellas for this past year --


*SEVENTH PLACE*

Kathleen Robertson of Austin, Texas was awarded $80,000 by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store. The store owners were understandably surprised by the verdict, considering the running toddler was her own son ...

Start scratching!


* SIXTH PLACE *

Carl Truman, 19, of Los Angeles , California won $74,000 plus medical expenses when his neighbour ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Truman apparently didn't notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to steal his neighbour's hubcaps.

Scratch some more ...


* FIFTH PLACE *

Terrence Dickson, of Bristol , Pennsylvania , who was leaving a house he had just burglarized by way of the garage. Unfortunately for Dickson, the automatic garage door opener malfunctioned and he could not get the garage door to open. Worse, he couldn't re-enter the house because the door connecting the garage to the house locked when Dickson pulled it shut. Forced to sit for eight, count 'em, EIGHT days and survive on a case of Pepsi and a large bag of dry dog food, he sued the homeowner's insurance company claiming undue mental anguish. Amazingly, the jury said the insurance company must pay Dickson $500,000 for his anguish. We should all have this kind of anguish. Keep scratching.

There are more...

Double hand scratching after this one ...


*FOURTH PLACE*

Jerry Williams, of Little Rock, Arkansas, garnered 4th Place in the Stella's when he was awarded $14,500 plus medical expenses after being bitten on the butt by his next door neighbour's beagle - even though the beagle was on a chain in its owner's fenced yard. Williams did not get as much as he asked for because the jury believed the beagle might have been provoked at the time of the butt bite because Williams had climbed over the fence into the yard and repeatedly shot
the dog with a pellet gun.

Pick a new spot to scratch; you're getting a bald spot ...


* THIRD PLACE *

Amber Carson of Lancaster, Pennsylvania because a jury ordered a Philadelphia restaurant to pay her $113,500 after she slipped on a spilled soft drink and broke her tailbone. The reason the soft drink was on the floor: Ms Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument. What ever happened to people being responsible for their own actions?

Only two more so ease up on the scratching...


*SECOND PLACE*

Kara Walton, of Claymont, Delaware sued the owner of a night club in a nearby city because she fell from the bathroom window to the floor, knocking out her two front teeth. Even though Ms. Walton was trying to sneak through the ladies room window to avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge, the jury said the night club had to pay her $12,000 ... oh, yeah, plus dental expenses. Go figure.


OK. Here we go!!


* FIRST PLACE *

This year's runaway First Place Stella Award winner was: Mrs Merv Grazinski, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, who purchased a new 32-foot Winnebago motor home. On her first trip home, from a football game, having driven on to the freeway, she set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the driver's seat to go to the back of the Winnebago to make herself a sandwich. Not surprisingly, the motor home left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Also not surprisingly, Mrs Grazinski sued Winnebago for not putting in the owner's manual that she couldn't actually leave the driver's seat while the cruise control was set. The Oklahoma jury awarded her, are you sitting down? $1,750,000 PLUS a new motor home. Winnebago actually changed their manuals as a result of this suit, just in case Mrs. Grazinski has any relatives who might also buy a motor home.

Sigh.

Blue Jean Repair

The men in my life HATE buying new jeans. When Elliot was a teenager -- he had a favorite pair of jeans that I mended more than 30 times...I wonder if he still has them.

John is the same way...and his jeans always get worn and stringy at the bottom...

So here's how I repair them. First -- I cut off the ragged hem...

Then, right sides together, I stitch on a 2" piece of t-shirt fabric...

I turn the knit fabric into the inside of the jeans and top-stitch in the ditch...

On the inside, I cut away the excess knit fabric.

THERE IT IS...I didn't really change the LENGTH much -- but there are no more raggedy bottom pant legs.


These jeans could last John for another 10 or 12 years...yes...I'm kidding...

Christmas Coverlet Style show

One of the highlights of Christmas 2011 was the Christmas Coverlet party for Ronda's grandchildren. It started with my compulsive thrift shopping...when Christmas Coverlets became my passion.

Here's the thing I really loved -- EVERY ONE IS DIFFERENT. I mean -- what are the chances. I probably bought 50 of them...and NO TWO were alike...

There are gingerbread men...

Many featured Santa Claus...

Or snowmen...

There were animal theme coverlets -- one had a Christmas grizzly bear in a tree -- or adorable dogs or cats...in this case -- birds...

My personal favorite -- NEW YORK CITY street scene...

Flower designs, or holly, or wreaths...
Many variations of a Christmas tree design...

A "Nutcracker" theme for Lillian's room...

WOW!! These are just a few pictures I took before packing away Christmas. I already have a good start on NEXT year -- but I will STOP buying them now...because even I cannot use a dozen Christmas coverlets.

The thing that fascinated me was that no two were alike. EVER. Really. I know that isn't possible...every single Christmas coverlet in the world cannot be a one-of-a-kind...but that's what it felt like.

Just like people....or snowflakes...

New Year's Day

Every year, on January 1, we eat the same meal. Fresh pork, mashed potatoes and sauerkraut. This is a Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania tradition -- and it does not matter if you are Irish, Polish or Italian, English, African-American, Dutch or French -- you eat this meal. It brings you good luck -- something about pigs "rooting ahead"....and so far, it's working.

I love setting the table with Aunt Rozella's silver...Spring Glory...


And of course, I love using the good china...Coaching Scenes...


This year -- I invited Uncle Melvin and his wife Kathy. The menu is: Pork roast, mashed potatoes, sauerkraut, homemade chunky applesauce, a big relish tray and POPOVERS. Yumm-o. Kathy is bringing a Rum Cake...

The meal was FABULOUS. The star is a very large fresh pork shoulder roast. After two hours, the temp was up to 140, so I poured off the fat and surrounded the roast with two large jars of Frank's sauerkraut. My mother-in-law always cut an apple in quarters and nestled it into the kraut -- so I do that, too. (I pick it out and throw it away before serving the kraut).


Uncle Melvin and Kathy have never had popovers...and THAT IS ALWAYS SO MUCH FUN.


When they walked in the door -- I had just put the popovers in the oven. Kathy and I watched them raise up like it was a TELEVISION SHOW. They were perfect. Really wonderful with this meal...


Kathy's run cake was TO DIE FOR. It was sooo rich and moist. With a pecan crunch on the top...the perfect ending to my holiday over-eating!!

The very next day -- I got on the treadmill and walked for 2 miles. I enjoyed the holidays but IT'S OVER NOW.

I am quite sure eating fresh pork with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut is why I have such good luck...so I'm very optimistic about 2012...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!