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Below are the most recent 19 friends' journal entries.
| Tuesday, December 29th, 2009 |
cygninae
|
3:32p |
Writer's Block: Reflections
Highs, in no particular order: Literally, flying again. Falling deeply in love with new places and old. Meeting good friends for the first time. Depeche Mode. The perfect beach. A beautiful wedding. Our 10th wedding anniversary. Getting a text saying "It's sent". Rediscovering creativity. Rediscovering myself. Lows: The never ending coughs(that finally ended). His blackouts and emotional state. Heart scare. My redundancy. My emotional state. There were others, but in the grand scheme of what was truly important, they were nothing. No. I wouldn't want to do it over again. There are places to which I wish to return, and concerts to which I wish to attend in the future, and friends I wish to meet again. I've learned a lot from this year, and I have no wish to repeat those lessons, thank you very much. I wish to progress. |
| Friday, December 25th, 2009 |
cygninae
|
12:10p |
Geek gurl is very happy. She no longer has a headset held together with sellotape. And this (albeit cheapish) one is more likely to pick up cats purring ...... plus it's very comfortable on the ears. Geek gurl is also happy that she has a new and improved (albeit cheapish) mouse. It has dpi settings with a gamer setting *nods*. Which is good. Less wrist movement. Much less wrist movement. And even a couple of buttons I can bind for those "Oh crap" moments. We've had a good morning this far into FoE, breakfasted, and sat opening our pressies to each other. The cats are playful, and there's still snow outside, so yes, we're having a white Christmas. Is quiet, pleasant and I am happy. So, warm wishes and love to you all at this time. |
| Thursday, December 24th, 2009 |
cygninae
|
5:00p |
What would Heston think?
Pogona had an early FoE pressie today. Because I really wasn't sure they worked..... Home-made chocolate liqueurs - containing Bloody Mary...... I served then in a liqueur glass. He's working his way through them. And yes. I know. I'm a truly sick puppy. |
cygninae
|
9:12a |
Writer's Block: Tonight, tonight
Technically I'm more a Yule/Solstice girl these days - but that doesn't stop me loving Christmas too. So I lump them all together under the title of Festival of Excess (FoE) and try to do what it says on the packet. That means good food, good drink, good company and a good time. However or whatever I do. Tonight we would have been coming back from my father's, after cooking a large meal for us to enjoy. Sadly, treacherous driving conditions will delay that for a while, so it's going to be a large meal just the two of us. And then hopefully a little pixellated violence with good friends. Because we're sad like that. And it ties in well with the FoE theme. After all, I didn't say exactly what the Excess bit included.....! |
| Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009 |
schnurble
|
9:47p |
Cinnamon Stars
Ingredientswhites of 3 eggs 1 pinch of salt 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice 200 g icing sugar 300 g ground almonds 1 teaspoon cinnamon Preparation- Add the salt to the egg whites and beat them stiff. Slowly add the lemon juice and the icing sugar and keep on beating until the mass is firm and gleaming.
- Mix the almonds and the cinnamon under the mass. The resulting dough should be firm and homogeneous.
- Let it cool in the fridge for about 2 hours.
- Roll out the dough between two layers of plastic wrap, about 5 mm thick.
- Line a sheet pan with baking parchment. Cut out stars from the dough and put them on the pan. Bake them for 10-15 minutes at 150° C (300° F).
- When the stars have cooled, mix icing sugar with water and cover the stars with the icing.
|
cygninae
|
3:44p |
Writer's Block: It's the thought that counts
If it's for someone I love, then I enjoy the process greatly. Be it finding it, making it, planning it, giving it. Whatever. It's those awkward pressents for people you don't really know that well that I find difficult. |
cygninae
|
2:57p |
More snow?! We didn't order that!
According to the Met office and various other websites, we're not getting snow today..... According to outside, it is pelting snow down. It feels like I'm in an alternative universe. If so, can I have one where I can be blue and pretty please, rather than one where the weather reports and I don't match ?! On a more serious note, it means we're unlikely to be able to visit my father on Christmas Eve. Actually I can't see it happening this year. We'll have to get together and do something when the weather clears. On an even more serious note, I hope Pogona can get home tonight... |
| Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009 |
cygninae
|
11:35p |
More kitchen magic
Okay, that recipe's a doer again. Decided to cook the chicken joints that came in the meat box. So I rubbed them with some oil and Roadkill Rub (is a mixed grill rub, and we're running low...must look into this), bunged them onto the wire rack above some cut up unpeeled potato wedges which I'd oiled, salted, peppered and paprika-ed, shoved it all into the oven at 220 degrees, and let it cook until done. The chicken was especially amazing - there's a huge difference between organic and non - and the skin was really crisp. I've now handed Pogona milk with chocolate melted into it, rose syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg, as the poor boy can't sleep. |
schnurble
|
5:07p |
Xmas Cookies
For reference: these are the Xmas cookies I made this year. In clockwise direction these are gingerbread moose, nougat rolls, ginger sluts, piped cookies, cinnamon stars, cornflake macaroons and in the middle marzipan cookies. ( Picture ) |
cygninae
|
3:40p |
Riverford have delivered! All very yummy looking. And healthy, bonus points there. The bananas aren't good, they suffered with cold, but otherwise...everything else looks great. Just....what to do with frost damaged bananas? |
cygninae
|
10:03a |
Glimpses of Kether
As I gazed out of the kitchen window this morning, waiting for the kettle to boil, I couldn't help smiling. The snow over our lawn reminded me of the white of a swan's back. The brilliance, the light, the pure whiteness, unsullied. The dawn of a new day, of a new day with the promise of a little more light. It is beautiful out there. And it took my breath away for a moment, and made me feel a little like a child again, excited, and eager and full of the hope of things to come. And for a little, I forgot myself and was one with the moment and nothing more. |
| Monday, December 21st, 2009 |
cygninae
|
11:41p |
Rather than suffer the usual food shopping angst, we decided to order a meat box, a veg box and a fruit box from Riverford Organics for the FoE season. We've used Riverford before, and they've always been very, very good. And I have to say, nothing's changed there. When I phoned the order through, I wasn't rushed, the lass took her time, confirmed all details, and set up an alternative account so we could have the order delivered to the house, rather than Pogona's workplace, as the Christmas week delivery would have been on Sunday. (They never delivered to our area before, so it was better that way a few years ago.) I had plenty of feedback, confirmation of payment was emailed as I was on the phone, and the lass dealing with the Cardiff area orders rang us as she was concerned there'd been a problem with our order. When I explained what the issue was, she was absolutely fine, and rang up the people who deal with our home area. Who rang us back, confirmed everything was fine. Absolutely wonderful customer service, considering they're probably dealing with a fair few folk at this time. And then, with the snow this morning? They rang us again, to say they were unable to deliver today, but were arranging a four wheeled drive, and would attempt to deliver tomorrow. No us chasing them, no stupid on hold. But decent communication, letting us know what was happening all the way. In this day and age, you can't fault that. And they do bloody awesome food products with it! Win all round! Now...let's just hope they can deliver without any more snow problems! |
nicnac
|
10:34a |
LMAO!
A very puzzled vet nurse just called me to offer behavioural advice because Gomez is apparently aggressive and not to be trusted with children. A quick inquiry revealed that her notes were mixed up with a dog that has started biting. I confirmed that the kittens could be in danger if she sat on them, but that's about the extent of the risk. Current Mood:  amused |
cygninae
|
10:30a |
Cats v. Snow. Cats 0 - Snow 1.
Milton wanted out. When a cat wants out, you gotta let them go....Even if you know there's several inches of snow outside. ESPECIALLY if you know there's several inches of snow outside. Because, let's face it, cats and snow is just SO unbelieveably amusing to watch. So the door was opened. And they just sat there. Except Mystic, who'd obviously seen the snow from a window, as she sat at the inner kitchen door with a "Sod that." expression. And we laughed at their expressions. And then they came back in again..... Cats. What can I say? They like cosy. |
cygninae
|
9:51a |
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| Sunday, December 20th, 2009 |
cygninae
|
3:04p |
Yesterday was pure win. After some frantic thinking about what we could do for peeps and some very productive time spent in the kitchen, yesterday we had a hamper full of pressies to give out to folk. It was almost magic. And it made me very happy that we had stuff. And we'd not needed to go "Arggghhhhhhh" around the shops or wrack our brains. I had ideas. I implemented ideas. Those ideas pleased. And it slightly frightened me as to how much I enjoyed the whole process. It may have given me some directional ideas....maybe. Anyway, we both thoroughly enjoyed our Yule veggie meal with friends, and the exchange of Yule pressies. It was so wonderful to catch up with them, to eat, drink, share laughter with them. The nutroast was awesome, and the table almost buckled under the weight of the food! There was plenty to drink, and a huge pile of loot shared ! (Chocolate karma = utter win!) And then we had pudding, and more alcohol, and played silly games. This morning we had home-rolled croissants with fillings of our choice. And then later we had a second breakfast fry up.And I'm not holding my breath over this, but I think finally the Universe and I are once again on talking terms..... Oh, and I now need a good (and maybe slightly naughty) name for a little Harris Tweed mouse that G. made for each of us who went to the Outer Hebrides earlier this year. Any suggestions?! |
| Saturday, December 19th, 2009 |
cygninae
|
2:47p |
I am a bad and wicked bunny. I have done things with chocolate that really should not be done.....and it's worked! |
| Friday, December 18th, 2009 |
sorcha
|
3:04p |
A very Happy Wossname...
...from all of us and our favourite little snow-monkey! May your holidays be merry and may your stockings and birds be well and truly stuffed! |
cygninae
|
12:02a |
Today has been a good day. It started off with lack of promise, I had a nightmare which involved my being the only one who knew my mother had been taken over by some evil force, and turned everyone against me. It was really Dr Who-ish, and I was woken up by the doorbell, as I was screaming at my father "You HAVE to believe me!". Things got better then. Answered the door to receive an intriguing package. Opened the big cardboard box, much to Milton's interest, and deliberately left it for him. Next time I looked, he was sat in it, proudly, with a "This is MY catship" expression. Today, as well as being lazy, I made chocolate shells for some intriguing chocolate fillings, I ordered our meat and veg for Christmas, I fed him pizza when he got in, and myself samosas and bajhis. I also listened to Azam Ali's Portals To Grace (beautiful) on Spotify, and have been playing through some Emilie Autumn.....I have a tendancy towards the less weird stuff, but I'm particularly appreciative of By The Sword....although I am currently being lured by her rendition of Veracini's Sonata in D Minor for violin and continuo. I don't think I've come across music quite this diverse before. And these are on the same CD as a cover version of Always Look on the Bright Side?! But the best thing? The best thing today was someone coming home and bringing me a bunch of roses! It's been a long time, and it nearly made me cry. They're beautiful. Creamy white, with some slight pale peachiness, and a touch of very pale green in places, and best of all....they smell! Believe me, these roses mean so very much to me for a number of reasons. And they made me smile, and that made Pogona smile, which made me smile more. Did I mention I love roses?! |
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