| Author | Message | ||
     Dwardo |
Long ago, I used to buy my parents a real tree every year. Then at some point they said a real tree was too messy so they bought this horrible fake tree (not pre-lit). I had to drag it up from the basement and put the lights on every year. The basement steps are so narrow that most of the branches would get torn off on the way up. I absolutely hated that tree! Then after my father was killed, my Mom spent years trying to recreate a family Christmas that wasn't there anymore. It got really irritating. Now that Mom has passed, my sisters and I just hang out and it is actually quite pleasant. This year I hope to go up to my friends' horse farm like I did last year. | ||
| Crusty |
Speaking of Christmas cards, has anyone been able to find any motorcycle Christmas cards this year? My sources have turned up zilch... :-( Yes. You're on my list. (and I'll be checking it twice) | ||
| Ourdee |
I meant it when I said I wasn't fixing that tree. So, I am harvesting christmas tree bulbs. You know that's where they grow. The harvest on the ground is about 1/100th of what is on it. "Honey, Can you just take the lights off of it, PLEASE?"   | ||
| 86129squids |
I feel ya, Dwardo. It's down to my sis in Little Rock, my stepdad in Nashville, my sweetie and my dogs here at home. As long as our mom was alive, we'd do a nice, modest Christmas get-together, but no more. I appreciate the season and the reason, by all means, but for me it's just BUSY at work (good $$$), then from January to V-Day, sloooow. Here's a couple of my favorite songs... Slaid Cleaves, with a Robert Earl Keen song... | ||
| Buellerxt |
I am right with you, Crusty, and your house looked great last year. Christmas, and the celebration that accompanies it, are my favorite time of year. | ||
| Zac4mac |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOLf8T_Nd8o Asleep at the Wheel... Have a Merry Texas Christmas You-all. Bonus - Elvis and "Blue Christmas" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KK6sMo8NBY Z | ||
| Ebutch |
Crusty https://www.google.com/search?q=motorcycle+christm as+cards&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS778US778&source=univ&tbm= shop&tbo=u&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi2rsTv-sPeAhUI5IMKHaYmC QcQsxgIMg&biw=1422&bih=686 | ||
| Rick_a |
It's a time when I give my immediate family stuff, apologize for buying myself stuff, and laugh at the people freaking out over the holidays. | ||
| Gregtonn |
...and laugh at the people freaking out over the holidays... Amen. G | ||
| Airbozo |
"...and laugh at the people freaking out over the holidays... Amen. G" Ditto. We make most of our gifts. We currently have 4 cases of Blueberry Jam, 4 cases of Raspberry Jam, 4 cases of Hot Pepper Jam, 8 cases of Strawberry Jam and 4 cases of Hot Chocolate Mix. Halfway there. Still have: Blackberry, Olallieberry and more Raspberry that will be made into seedless jam (lots of work, but well worth it). We also have a ton of different peppers left, from mild to scorch the earth hot. Debating making hot sauce or various levels of hot pepper jam. We also have enough stuff to make about 30 more cases of hot chocolate mix (a family favorite and great for hunting trips). | ||
| Ourdee |
We used to make Blackberry jam in the fall. Then, days before Christmas, I'd bake fresh bread to put with the jars in baskets to hand out to friends and family on Christmas. | ||
| 86129squids |
Bozo, RD, +1000! Our garden didn't do nearly as well for tomatoes as years past, nor did our muscadine vines. Usually we're giving away homemade pasta sauce, chili starter, salsa, chowchow, etc. Bozo, sounds like quite a production!! I'd love to plant some thornless blackberry vines, maybe this spring. | ||
| 86129squids |
Oh yeah, hey BZ- shoot me your recipe for a hot sauce base! I've got a 4 YO scorpion pepper plant that we bring in every winter, it's throwing all kinds of pretty fruits right now. We could make gobs and gobs of good hot sauce with those babies!     | ||
| Aesquire |
IF I have all shopping done, I love to go to The Mall on Christmas eve, just to watch people freak... Guy dragging the chrome tie display rack over to the counter.... Clerk, "Sir, that's not..." Guy, "I need something shiny!!!" I can really get into the Xmas spirit with that kind on Schadenfreuda on tap. The lights, the music.. ( It's already begun! But Christmas eve, I'm good ) The decorations, even the occasional glimpse of some Christian icon. All good. And there's always the last minute gift I find when I'm not frantically shopping for something for a Brother in law etc. The lack of pressure works wonders. The family has a spending limit, pretty much broken by all, but it helps to keep down the total crass commercialism. That said, the $5 toy that pops up at the last minute is fair game. And next year it's going to be Garage sale Xmas shopping, all year. Weird dvd? Cooking with Oprah? Oddball exercise gear? Barbie Shake Weight? Antique gadget they won't understand? All fair game. | ||
| Airbozo |
I've got a couple of hot sauce recipes. One is a fermented sauce, but beware, do it in the garage or other outbuilding. Your house will make you cry for months to come. I swear it changed the paint color. I'll dig out the recipes and post them. All of our pasta sauce is already gone. Our garden gave us very little this year thanks to a screwed up watering system and a new dog. OK the dog is mostly responsible for the messed up watering system too. Co-workers gave us about 100lbs of tomatoes and we processed everything in less than a day. The last of the sauce was used for cream of tomato soup at a work party. We are getting very efficient at making jam and since it is easy to get a cottage home producer license here in California, we are working on starting our own side business. Laws won't let us sell on the web, so we will start hitting the farmers markets after we get legal (after the first of the year). Most of our produce comes from organic farms and orchards, including back yard trees and gardens. You would be amazed at how much fruit hits the ground and rots every year. People are happy to bring us fresh produce and walk away with a bunch of jam. That leaves us most of the product to sell. | ||
| 86129squids |
" One is a fermented sauce, but beware, do it in the garage or other outbuilding. Your house will make you cry for months to come. I swear it changed the paint color."  I can imagine the range and quality of produce you get out there... we do pretty well here in E TN, and my sweetie's brother works at a topsoil/landscaping business, so my garden has good soil. That said, I'm planning on having it tested in the spring to see what I can do better for my tomatoes. By all means, if you get around to it, PM me or post up those recipes. There's not much better gifts than a jar of something tasty like sauce or jam, or hot salsa...  | ||
| Blake |
I've been in a funk lately, but popping in here for a visit sure does add some cheer. I'm with you all the way RD, but I do tend to really enjoy fixing things. Michele is the opposite, so I'm known for pulling stuff from the trash and tinkering. I reckon I'm about 50/50 on successful repair rate. Merry Christmas everybody! I love all you guys, heathens included.  | ||
| 86129squids |
"I've been in a funk lately, but popping in here for a visit sure does add some cheer." True, dat! Gotta get my daily dose of good humor and Roadcrust tales... | ||
| Ourdee |
It wasn't warm out this morning. It wasn't windy, raining, or freezing cold. I put the icicle lights on the front of the house.  They will hide there till Turkey Day evening. | ||
| Ourdee |
Check your health. If it's all good, snap out of it! Look, no leaves to rake! Good to hear from you once in a while. | ||
| H0gwash |
Mom is the born again Christian in the family, she requested that there be no Christmas gifts unless they are food. I distribute vegan spaghetti sauce but only the meat eaters in the family want it and I distribute sous vide ribs, but only the vegans want it. My older half gets SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder. I have to drag him out of the house to watch children laughing and playing and generally going bananas and that helps. | ||
| Aesquire |
Showing here, now. Lawn ( that needs a mowing badly, but has been too wet ) turning a pretty white. Time to put on Bing Crosby. Thanks Blake from a heathen! I always figured if the End times came in my life I'd join the righteous in battle, reading Kipling's Recessional, The Sack Of Valhalla, etc. aloud, as we man & women the ramparts. | ||
| 86129squids |
Hey all- if you can look up a copy (now out of print), get yourself a CD of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" by Cyrus Chestnut. He's a phenomenal jazz pianist, I've got several of his recordings, got to see him live here in Knoxvegas a few years ago. He takes several of the Vince Guaraldi "Peanuts" classics and revisits them, along with lots of other Christmas classic music. The whole thing is magnificent, good enough to listen to all year. His version of "Fur Elise", with Strunz and Farah, will make your hair stand up. On a real hi-fi, you'd be hard pressed to find a better recording. Here ya go, my gift to all youns: https://www.amazon.com/Charlie-Brown-Christmas-Che stnut-Friends/dp/B00004U9MM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid =1541789645&sr=8-1&keywords=a+charlie+brown+christ mas+Cyrus+Chestnut | ||
| Zac4mac |
I'm kinda partial to Metallica's Charlie Brown Theme... Happy "slow time" for the next two months. I've got 6 sets of heads on the shelf, BWB IS my social life.. Hiya Blake!!!! | ||
| Hughlysses |
 https://babylonbee.com/news/playing-christmas-music-thanksgiving-now-federal-crime | ||
| Crusty |
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| Ourdee |
Thanksgiving hosting in our family involves providing a Christmas tree for taking pictures with. Helps those that print their own cards to send out. Also takes picture taking load off Christmas visits. That is why......  ......today. Now Tracey wants my rat skeleton un-chained from the porch. I am thinking about chaining it to the bottom of the tree. | ||
| 86129squids |
Allright, dang if it aint December!!! Listening to WDVX, they're the best with any type of good music- here's Rodney Crowell's latest. Flat awesome. "Christmas Everywhere" | ||
| Fast1075 |
Last year I bought a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Going to set it up again this year. | ||
| H0gwash |
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