I Look Like Samuel Gompers But I Feel Like Baby Jane

Last week when I posted it was still unseasonably warm in Omaha and my garden was still thriving. Well, the garden may still be thriving beneath fleeces and tarps (I haven't checked) but we've since had our share of snow, ice, and freezing temperatures. Not that it matters because really, where am I going?

Have I ever shown this pendant turned into a brooch? It is solid silver and adorned with the loveliest foil-backed stones. I wouldn't dare risk wearing it outside the house for fear of losing a stone, but these days that's hardly an issue. 

It has been a similar situation with these vintage bangles adorned with rhinestones. Sometimes it seems silly to own things I don't wear, but finding pristine pieces does make it seem a shame to risk it. I suppose that's something every collector grapples with, so I'm welcoming the opportunity to wear the items, even if only long enough to snap a photo. 

I'm not really a Grinch. I rather like this time of year, but the fun Instagram filters are just too hard to resist. 

This sweater comes courtesy of Dan, who outgrew it along with pretty much every sweater/jumper he owns. At just about 6 Ft. there isn't much in his wardrobe that still fits-not that it matters at the moment because he lives in Adidas track pants and tee shirts. When life gets back to normal he's going to need an entirely new wardrobe.

Meanwhile, I can keep taking his clothes. 

Awww,  practically a baby.

Mine now 😀. 

He's free to steal my clothes, which he does (joggers, socks, hats, sweatshirts). As a teenager I "borrowed" many a flannel shirt from my old man instead of buying my own, as he'd already done the hard work of breaking them in. Who wants to wait for a flannel shirt to soften up when you can just help yourself to something from the work clothes cupboard? It was a good thing he had a 44 inch waist or I'd have been borrowing his trousers too. We didn't share genes either (ha, see what I did there?). 

Time for a pie break! No, it isn't squirrel pie. It is mushroom and ale pie. Only did a top crust as it was being served with mash. We'd bought some Belgian ale that wasn't terribly interesting for drinking but just expensive enough that it would be a shame to pour it down the drain. In those situations I re-purpose and either bake a pie or batter fish. I really, really hate to waste, particularly now. I didn't try any, but the boys both enjoyed the pie so now I have a good plan for some of the remaining bottles. 

Happy Chanukah! This year we've been using several menorahs because, why not? 

There were potato latkes as promised. I did get a bit fancy and grated some carrots and onions into the potatoes. Some people do apple, which also sounds nice. 

There's been baking as well. The Lusekatters were delicious this year. Out of 24 I managed to snag one. You have to act fast around here!

An exciting and successful experiment was adapting my toffee recipe to a dairy-free version so Dan could have some. I used Earth Balance sticks and oat milk to great effect. So far, just about everything has worked and while margarine is of course different from butter, there are places where the substitution is less noticeable. I had to make him toffee because what else would he do with his antique toffee hammer?

I've read that suffragettes in the UK would use them to smash windows as they were small and easy to conceal. No joke, you could do some real damage with this thing.  Sharp too-like a tiny hatchet. It is hard to imagine in 2020 letting a child wield one of these at a solid block of candy, but it is equally difficult to imagine sending the wee ones off to labour in a factory or go down a mine. Not to worry though, we'll be back to that sort of standard again soon if things continue on this trajectory. Wow, that got off topic again, sorry. Here, have some Pulla.

Went with a braided loaf this year instead of the buns as I thought making a gooey topping with margarine might be a bit much. This has proved popular as the slices are easier to toast. There's a whopping two teaspoons of cardamom in the two loaves and it smells fantastic when toasted. 

The angel is so over everyone's bullshit. 

There aren't many occasions where white tights are appropriate (I means, unless you're a nurse and even then, I think just about everyone wears surgical scrubs these days). The exception is at Christmastime, when white tights seem almost required against some of the brightly coloured attire. This heavy, wool skirt isn't strictly holiday clothing, mind but that does seem to be when it gets worn. 

The Christmas corsages are making their annual appearance. 

Tempting as it is to get out the glue gun and make a new one, I've resisted as it would be difficult to improve on these vintage ones. Yes, the ribbon has faded over the years, but that is to my mind, why they're so delightful. It continues to surprise me that the fad for these hasn't been resurrected. They're cheap, fun, and can be made from broken bits of holiday tat. Perhaps I'm talking myself into it as I type. Maybe next year. 

So. There's a lot of people on the naughty list this year, and I'm telling Santa. Anti-maskers? Naughty! Neo Nazis? Fucking horrible! Conservatives? You don't even deserve the coal-you probably exploited a miner to get it. Naughty, Naughty, Naughty-the lot of you. 

 I'm ratting you out to Santa...Right after I get my hand out of his pants. Ooh, matron.

Busy week here with Dan finishing up his remote school semester, his Birthday on Sunday and just all the general stuff that needs to get done. Trying to do everything from home can be difficult, but anything that keeps me from being out is worth the trouble. I hope you're all having a good week. Stay safe and well.