Another Year Gone

Another year comes to a close. Much has happened in my part of the world.

Drought ravaged the panhandle.
Fires raged, blackening a million acres and killing 12.
When the drought ended, flooding took one life in town.
My divorce became final.
I celebrated my first anniversary at my new job.
I spent my third Christmas in my new home - with my friends and extended family.
Snow and ice hit us three times - unusual for year's end.
The third is working on us as I type. I hope we don't lose power.

While the year had its ups and downs, the net result was very much "up". I look forward to the New Year, and what it has waiting for us. I know it will be just as good if not better!

Here's wishing you all a very Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!

Be well, and be safe.

Jerome Murat

This is really cool!

jerome murat
Uploaded by segalier

Christmas Tradition

A friend and I have started a Christmas tradition a few years ago. We swap ornaments.

This is the one I got. Since I'm a proud veteran, she appealed to my patriotic side. I love it! :)

It's a Hallmark keepsake ornament called "The Proud and Brave".



On the back, it says:

Dedicated.

Undivided.

Strong and free,

we stand united.

So be it.

Kidness

No, that's not a type-o or misspelling. Toy stores can bring it out of you - kidness. :)

I couldn't help myself yesterday. I was at a local toy store, similar to Toys R Us, but smaller and very much unlike it. I just had to play with their toys! ...and they didn't mind at all. In fact, they seem to encourage one to do so. The employees would come around and explain what they were, and how they were to be played with.

This was a dedicated toy store, one that had generations of toys - from the latest radio controlled cars, to the board games and wooden (and die-cast) trains of yesteryear. There were Wheel-O's and dolls. (No, I didn't play with the dolls.) There were stuffed toys and tops, stick horses that relied on the rider to make the sounds, gun sets to battle Indians and outlaws with. I remember being on many a cattle drive in my younger days, and keeping law and order in the old West on my trusty steed. They had microscopes and telescopes, banks that looked like safes, doll houses and toy ovens that did absolutely nothing - but spur a child's imagination. Ladies, do you remember the ovens of yesterday? They didn't make noises. There were no lights that flashed, no bells that dinged. There were only gourmet meals that magically appeared - after suitable baking time.

Speaking of baking, it's about the time of year when kringla need to appear. I need to make a list and check it twice - to make sure the ingredients are readily available.

Kringla

1	c	Sugar
½	c	Butter or oleo
1		Egg
3	c	Flour
1	ts	Vanilla
1	ts	Baking soda
2 ½	ts	Baking pwd.
½	ts	Salt
1	c	Buttermilk

Mix sugar, butter, unbeaten egg. Add buttermilk and soda, then flour, salt, baking powder and vanilla. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Must keep dough cold as you work with it so just take out of the frig. what you need at a time. Roll out small pieces like a pencil on a floured pastry cloth. Can make them into a circle, a bow shape or a figure eight shape. Bake at 400 F. on an ungreased cookie sheet til very lightly browned, only about 8-10 mins. Serve spreading butter on the bottom. You can double this for five dozen. These freeze well and warm in microwave oven for drop in coffee friends.

And, VOILA!

Tora! Tora! Tora!

December 7, 65 years ago. Our complacency and arrogance resulted in a sucker punch. On that day, 2388 were killed in that attack. Only 48 were civilian. It could never happen to us.

September 11, 6 years ago. Our complacency and arrogance again resulted in a sucker punch. On that day, over 2700 civilians were killed. It could never happen to us.

Today, wheels are in motion in our Government that would set up the same situation again. They fail to see the root causes of both of the aforementioned attacks: Complacency and Arrogance. We were comfortable and complacent in our comfort zone. We were too arrogant to believe it could happen to us. It did - twice. It will again, if we do not become passionately aggressive and forget about political correctness.

Mr. Politician, tell our fighting men and women what outcome you wish them to achieve - and "...let slip the dogs of war!" Let fighting men fight, and let politicians sit back and shut the hell up.

Our wimpy stand and desire to talk to madmen intent on killing all who do not think like them will be our undoing. You cannot reason with unreasonable people. You cannot reason with one who is sworn to kill all who are not radical Extremist/Fascist Muslims!

Let us keep Pearl Harbor from occurring a third time. May we never forget that we are vulnerable and that people wish us dead. We have been told twice, on 7 December 1941 and again on 11 September 2001. How many times do we have to be told? Let us honor those who died at Pearl Harbor and on September 11th, by not allowing it to happen again.

Remember September 11.

Remember to Remember.

May our comrades' souls rest in peace.

Tree Trimmin' Time!

Yesterday we got our tree out, and dug out all the decorations. Lord, I didn't realize we had so much Christmas stuff! We barely had room to walk with it all spread out on the living room floor! It took a little while, but we got it all done. And, the stockings were hung on the mantel with care. There are still some things to put out inside, but the outside hasn't been started yet. I still have a string of lights in my bedroom window, but I think we'll need more than that. ;)

Here is the end result:

Merry Christmas to all, and to all - a good life!