a stop along the way. . .

There is an abandoned house that i love that I see on my drive between Ohio and Pennsylvania. I have stopped before and took pics of this house, there is something that draws me in. I was shivering from the cool wind, and my honey was sleeping in the passenger seat. I had to stop on Thanksgiving when it was a the perfect time of day, before dinner, when the lighting was just right, I had to stop again. I walked through the mushy mud and snow to get to the porch and take some quick photos. The soul of this place shines through the rubble and the wear of the years. The windows and the doors open to the world, accepting the light and the darkness. Open, with nothing to hide.

Wow! That's Meaty Chili!

no picture available at this time
Wow! That's Meaty Chili!

two cans of diced tomatoes (Rotel is good or fire roasted)
1 1/2 lbs of lean ground beef
3 different types of beans
(chili beans, black beans, and kidney beans, for example)
Large bottle of Spicy V8
one large sweet onion chopped
one large green pepper chopped
Aleppo pepper and chili pepper to taste

Place large pot on stove. Start by pouring V8 into the pot. Brown and drain your beef and add to pot as well. Add all the other ingredients. Be sure to open the cans of beans before placing them into the pot. Otherwise, the flavor just won't be right. Cook on medium heat for a half an hour. Simmer on low for another half hour. Serve with dollop of fat-free sour cream and chipolte (or however you spell it) shredded cheddar and bake up some yummy crescent rolls. Makes about 10 servings.

it's the most ________ time of the year. (fill in the blank with the appropriate word)

I just experienced the loveliness of human kindness while racing though the isles of Costco. OK, not really. I had to do some deep breathing exercises to avoid ramming people with my monster cart. Rudeness. People are flat out rude. I don't care who they are, the woman in the motorized wheel chair thing, especially rude. She was parked sideways in the main isle, so that no one could go past her, and if you tried she would move up or back just a little bit so that she was sure to block you. She was like a goalie with that thing. I wanted to hit her, but I refrained. So, the human kindness was there, it was me, not pushing her out of her chair. Gosh, I'm nice.
This time of the year can be unbearable. The bright part of the day is spent inside at work, and when you can come out of your cave on the weekend, the crowds can cause this girl to get a little hostile. Planning, traveling, baking, family, fa la la la la and the stupid holiday shoppers fa la la, la la la. I think I am going to do most of my shopping on-line this year, fa la la, la la la, la la LA!






It is so easy to lose sight of what the holidays COULD be. Not that they are EVER the way that they are depicted on "It's a Wonderful Life", at least not that I have witnessed first hand. Would we even really want it to be like that? It's more like "Dysfunction Junction". It feels more normal with the drama. The Kodak moments last about as long as a shutter on a camera, CLICK, Done.
What I would like the holidays to be is a time to enjoy the company of the ones we love and to see people we rarely see and wish you could more often. I miss my Jersey girl, and my Izzybug.
It doesn't matter where we are or how it happens, just as long as we are all together. Cherish the precious time! THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING OF ALL! The petty crap that people hold onto is asinine. If you kick the bucket tomorrow, who really cares that your aunt made a comment about your living in sin with your live-in LOV-A???
Here's another example of human kindness. . .yesterday, a minivan or some SUV type of vehicle backed right into my vehicle in the middle of Carson Street on the South Side of Pittsburgh yesterday evening. They hit my vehicle and stayed on the front end until the light changed and then. . .kept driving. They didn't even acknowledge that they had hit me. Well, have yourself a merry little Christmas, hit and run jerk. Have a jolly big mug of cat poo coffee.

cozy cup of cocoa

Vanilla marshmallows make creamy hot chocolate even better. Mmmmm!
This fun purple mug was picked up at the Fiesta Outlet store in WV a few years ago, it is one of my favorites.

i heart pumpkin

Embee is so funny. I caught her in mid-launch onto my lap. Look at that form.






Pumpkin scones that I made today.




Pumpkin smoothie

1/2 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3 tablespoons of Splenda
4 ice cubes

stick in blender and prepare to be happy




We made a pumpkin tart from a recipe that we found in Everyday Food.