Timelies all!

Another crappy weekend down the drain.

Those look delicious, Calli.

Happy Gotcha Day, msbelle & Mac!

Very sorry to hear that, Sheryl.

We had a yum dinch (late lunch/early dinner) with a couple of friends, and DH is now assembling the computer parts he bought just before dinch. Should be a whole-ass computer when he's done (speaking of fiddly bits.)

I'm slowly but surely adding ornaments to the tree. If I'm done by Tuesday, I'll be happy. I get bored SUPER easily decorating the tree. It's weird, and I don't really know why. Some things I can do on repeat and be fine.

Probably has something to do with making placement decisions that don't "throw everything off" or something like that -- the interim phase is clunky, but I don't have the stamina to do the whole thing at once.

Anyway. Mellow evening.

Happy Gotcha Day! It autocorrected to Gothca Day, but that seems like more of a Jilli thing!

Sheryl, that sounds harrowing.

I have been crocheting mittens that I started last year.

The thought of crocheting things with turns and bends is too much for me. Then again, I've only ever completed one scarf, so, I guess that's not surprising.

Those look delicious Calli.

I’m making some shortbread cookies from an NYT recipe that have cocoa, ginger and sesame oil. We shall see.

I’m making some shortbread cookies from an NYT recipe that have cocoa, ginger and sesame oil. We shall see.

That sounds like it could be really good!

Our tree is not up yet because Tim has spent the last 2 days in his workshop (adjacent to the exercise bike troll hole in the basement) (honestly, the workshop is also a troll hole) tinkering with...something to do with the new train set. But he's utterly tickled to have a workshop and have tinkering to do, so I have zero complaints. I am in no rush to decorate.

Slightly related: my shiny rock advent calendar is AWESOME.

I’m making some shortbread cookies from an NYT recipe that have cocoa, ginger and sesame oil.

That sounds delicious.

Our tree has been obtained with the traditional Carrying O' The Tree (Emmett & Matilda do this now), but now to the further destination of the new house.

It's up, and decorated and the lights are on, and Advent has happened. We also have outside lights, but we're still trying to figure out where the stockings will go and whether we need to put more lights in our window.

AND we inherited a tree in the front that is wrapped in xmas lights but we'll have to rig up an extension cord from the house some how to make that work.

The important thing, though, is that I've been ordering pajamas for everybody.

A new addition to the tradition was the tamale cart parked next to the hardware store where we buy our tree. Tamales & Xmas! Woo!

I'm having a new notion for xmas eve dinner and it involves a variety of cozy pot pies, like the one that Kiki makes in Kiki's Delivery Service (but not Herring/Pumpkin as she makes, but maybe a salmon dill one?) I have to think about this.

Salmon pie, mushroom pie, chicken pie, brie en croute...

Cookie verdict: YUM

I made these [link] spiced marble ones with the sesame and ginger and these [link] sparkling shortbread cookies from the same base recipe.

They’re both really excellent and totally different. Crispy with just a hint of chew. Shortbread rich and buttery and the other pleasantly nutty with just a little bite. Success!

(The cook time in the recipe is a bit off. I took them out at 20 minutes instead of the recommended 22 and they probably could have come out a minute or two. earlier.)

The thought of crocheting things with turns and bends is too much for me. Then again, I've only ever completed one scarf, so, I guess that's not surprising.

You just go around and around in a circle. I like knitting and crocheting in a circle though, better than back and forth.