The Skein Of Your Life

This post is full of random bits of recent life, including art provided by SK, who found a calligrapher to create this gorgeous piece out of one of my favorite movie quotes (from The 13th Warrior), which he then had framed for our anniversary.

Thanksgiving weekend is over and we’re nearly to Witchy Wednesday already again. It’s been a bit of whirlwind, admittedly entirely of my own making. We didn’t have the kids this year for the holiday or the weekend, so we went out for dinner (excellent choice!) on Thursday. Friday my sisters, BIL, and I were supposed to see Les Misérables at the Ordway theater in Minneapolis but one sister got sick because elementary schools are Petrie dishes full of adorably germy little goblins. So she and BIL bowed out and just the two left standing went: it was fabulous, many tears were wept and we both tried REALLY HARD not to sing along out loud (I believe this was the fifth time I’ve seen Les Mis?). Then we had the family Thanksgiving at my parents’ house with our niece and nephews, which was excellent in every way except for missing the sicko sister (kids’ mom).

Saturday was LOTR day, including the three extended edition Lord of the Rings movies and seven hobbit meals starting at 7:30am CST. Except I slept in so I was late to my own party (of two: it was just me and SK and the pets, and they don’t get hobbit meals), so first breakfast didn’t happen until closer to 8:30am. Oops. Sadly, first breakfast was the second big failure from the Unofficial Lord of the Rings Cookbook: Millet Gruel (which sounds gross but it smelled HEAVENLY. It was essentially cinnamon and honey oatmeal made with a different sort of grain). The recipe called for cooking the millet for 10-12 minutes. 40 minutes and those fucking grains were still as hard as uncooked pasta, and the milk/water/honey/sugar/cinnamon mixture had turned into pudding so it was like extra chew cream of wheat. Tasty flavor, terrible texture. Disappointing.

9am – Second breakfast: deviled eggs. Win.

11am – Elevensies: apples and cheese.

1pm – Luncheon: charcuterie and crudités (SK gave me crap about this, and yes it IS more effecient to put the note in my phone for groceries with the French words. I know they mean meat/cheese platter and raw veggies assortment, and it’s TWO words, not six.)

4pm – Afternoon tea: homemade lemon poppyseed scones (sort of – it’s a mix I really like) with lemon curd and berries, smoked salmon and crackers, tea.

6pm – Dinner: homemade leek and potato soup, homemade bread (which was a fucking TRIUMPH. I FINALLY got a perfect loaf!).

8pm – Supper: leftover pie, obviously.

We did take the dogs for a good long walk in the golf course after lunch, around the break in The Two Towers before the battle at Helm’s Deep. I was not dressed appropriately for the wind and my legs were numb by the time we got back, but Minerva slept through the warg riders AND the charge of the Rohirrim, so it was a successful walk.

We finished around 10pm and got preliminary tree and cleaning done Sunday so the horde can do decorating the big tree this weekend when they’re home, so all in all it was successful.

I also found out Defying Shadows is currently with the interior designer/typesetter (WOOHOO), so I’m working on the index keyword list.

Counting down to surgery, which happens later this month, and getting all ducks orderly rows, both scary and practical. Medical directives and trust documents to be filled out and signed, Nora Roberts and Mercedes Lackey books to be stockpiled for reading while I’m on medical leave from work, favorite holiday movies lined up…ooh I wonder how Love Actually, The Family Stone, and White Christmas are on pain meds?? I’ll report back! Yes those are my must-sees. Don’t judge me.

Ok, back to index keywords for Defying Shadows. I’m sure I need more than twelve, right?