Stephanie says

The Antique Roadshow was a highly organized event. My 9:30 a.m. tickets were the second wave, with a new round of 700 tickets every 90 minutes. A fast moving queue, considering the crowd, gave me a chance to see other people’s treasures as I inched along. Each person was required to bring a minimum of one item and two maximum. Staffers worked a table outside the appraisal area issuing markers for each item category (mine was glass). An usher led me to the correct appraisal tables. I got out my candlesticks and the sugar bowl and ran through my spiel, “family history has this bowl coming around Cape Horn”. I mentioned I’d been told the candlesticks were signed at which point the appraiser said she wanted a more knowledgeable appraiser to look at these things. I’m thinking, “All right, I’ve got real treasures!” So next stop is a gap-toothed portly fellow with one wandering eye who I’ve seen on TV. I repeated the Cape Horn story. He replied that stories about family pieces are o...

...after work, I jumped on a city bus with no idea where it was headed. I just wanted to experience the freedom of seeing new sights while taking in the familiar sounds of the city. I ended up getting off in a very old, established part of town. It was dark by then and all the beautiful lights and Chinese Lanterns were aglow with vibrant colors. I meandered through narrow, stone streets lined with open air eateries, little flower shops, fruit stands, and vendors from every corner of China. Since I was already bundled in my winter garb I decided to have coffee and plate of local Chinese food at an outside table set up for pedestrians. It was so cold that I could see my breath, but very exhilarating.

Thanksgiving this year with my brother's family. Sometimes my contributions take a theme, like molded foods. This was a "Pink" year: Raspberry Chiffon Pie and Cranberry Grape Salad. My mom came across this recipe in the mid 1960s and it's been a holiday tradition ever since. The sweet grapes counterpoint the tart cranberries - and the whipped cream just pushes the combination into the realm of heavenly. Seedless grapes were not available in Oregon in those early days - so Mom would hand everyone within reach a paring knife and enforce the grapes were pitted. Escaping this onerous task became a game for all in the know, including my grandmother, cousins, sister-in-law and brothers. The salad is so good that somebody would relent (sometimes Mom). Helene’s Cranberry Grape Salad 12 oz package fresh cranberries 1-1/2 cup sugar 1-1/2 cup whipping cream plus 2 Tbl. Sugar 1-1/2 lb grapes ¾ cup chopped nuts (optional) Grind cranberries in food processor. ...

Christmas music should only be played after Thanksgiving but there is no wrong time for gingersnap cookies. I make a batch of the following recipe, freeze in balls, then bake whenever I feel the urge for a warm cookie and a glass of milk. I bought some at Heathrow a couple years ago, made by Prince Charles’ company (I admit to a silly fascination with him – being incredibly wealthy makes one remarkably better looking – and there aren’t any princes in Oregon…). Those cookies had little chunks of crystallized ginger baked in and were decidedly good. I searched the internet and the following recipe fills all my requirements for an excellent gingersnap. Gingersnaps with Crystallized Ginger (from a Real Simple recipe) 4 1/4 cups ap flour 1 tbsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground cloves 1/2 tsp cardamom 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, plus more for coating 2 large eggs ...

Theme Thursday I heard the first Christmas carol on November 16. Turns out that radio station is playing round the clock Christmas music from that moment until the season is over. Since their season began November 16 - I figure it will end after New Years Day. Their underlying motive is to get consumers spending. Guess it will work on me as I will be buying lots of music for my car trips. It’s not late enough !!!!

My project is done. After making numerous trips to the hardware store (looking a fool each and every time due to my inability to name that part…), a blood blister on my left index finger, bruised knuckles and sore knees, warm air is radiating throughout my house. As enticing as a crackling fire in the fireplace looks, thermostat regulated air temperature is hard to beat… I undertake these projects, partly from absolute belief that I CAN do anything with the correct manual written in English and partly because I’m exceeding frugal – perhaps parsimonious. It surprises me however that I get this stuff to work. Because I don’t have that clear of an understanding of HOW it all works. I’m peeved at myself after all these decades that I never took Physics – I’m convinced that is THE class where the root of all practical understanding lies. I am nothing if not practical so the valuable lessons I missed learning is mind boggling. My daughter, rudely, says I can take Physics now. Of course...

I’ve spent many hours installing an oil heater (OH). I’ve had this unit for three winters and it has always behaved perfectly. But me and OH moved in March and OH has been hanging out on the back porch waiting to be installed in the big house. My neighbors came over and moved the 200 gal. oil tank into place on Sunday. So yesterday I made a trip to the local hardware store buying a 2-1/2 in. hole-saw drill bit and brass compressions fittings for copper pipe. I broke out my bad-boy electric drill, loaded the new bit and promptly drilled a huge hole in an outside wall. Between the interior wall and the exterior wall was nada. No insulation. Hmmm. I got the exhaust pipe fittings installed on the second attempt. I drilled another hole for the 3/8” copper pipe and discovered to my frustration that I’d drilled on the wrong side of the exhaust pipe. Hey, I had a job interview in the morning and blame it for addling my brain… At that point I called it a day. First thing this mornin...