IT’S THANKSGIVING!!!
This is the Thanksgiving card I got from Engie! Thank you, Engie! I am giving thanks, and I am happy. We’re thoroughly enjoying our Thanksgiving-Christmas mashup! Tinsel and star are now on the tree: …and we have the first candy canes of the season. I’ll be back tomorrow with photos from Thanksgiving dinner, but here’s a preview of the pies: I feel like the Charlie Brown of the pie world. I just can’t seem to get them to come out right. Looks-wise, I mean. I’m sure they’ll taste great! If you celebrate Thanksgiving, Happy Thanksgiving! If not, Happy Thursday! I hope everyone has a delicious day.
A Cry For Help!
HEEEELLLLP! I need help with my face. SIGH. I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned it here- I know I’ve talked about it in the comment section of other blogs- but I have rosacea. It first showed up about twelve years ago, and it’s been plaguing me on and off ever since. About three or four years ago, it got so much better! I started to think it was gone forever, but then about a year ago it returned, with a vengeance. I have the extra-special kind of rosacea that’s not just red, but also looks like little pimples (I know- yuck.) Some days it’s better than others, but I know it’s been really bad lately. How do I know this? Because other people have started commenting on it. One day, a coworker said “What’s wrong with your face?” Okay- time out. I don’t think this is something that should ever be said. Granted- this woman speaks English as a second language, BUT STILL. It’s a Universal Truth that that question is not acceptable. Another day, a client asked me if I had just done a chemical peel. And several other people have asked- in a “tactful” way- what’s going on with my face. I’ve never been overly concerned with my appearance, but as you can probably imagine, I’ve become a little self conscious. I’ve experimented with some “home remedies” like turmeric, ice, and antibiotic ointments, all of which seem to work temporarily, but nothing really helps. I don’t eat dairy, I do eat gluten but try to limit it, I eat very little sugar, and I’ve tried eliminating various other things from my diet, like seed oils, but it doesn’t seem to make a difference. Of course unhealthy things creep in here and there (hello, Coke Zero). I think I may be looking at some sort of drastic elimination diet (sob) but I just can’t think about that till after the holidays. There are some products on Amazon that say they work for rosacea- of course the reviews vary from “this cured my rosacea!” to “this did nothing.” I’m willing to try, but I also don’t want to waste my money. Has anyone had rosacea? What did you do about it? Tell me there’s hope! Ending on a positive note- the grad school essays are going well- I think we NAILED the “diversity statement!” And… I’m off to make the dough for our pie crusts! Wednesday is “pie day!” Top photo by Aarón Blanco Tejedor on Unsplash.
Lights!
The lights are on the tree! It took a little finagling, as always. I didn’t seem to have enough strands and had to borrow some from the outdoor lights (which, luckily, are not up yet.) I was wondering why, until I remembered THE INCIDENT from last year, where my son was trimming a couple errant branches on Christmas Eve, and accidentally cut through a strand of lights. I’m sure there’s a note to my future self, tucked away in a bin I haven’t opened yet, explaining that I need to buy two new strands of lights this year. The important thing is, the tree lights are up. Outdoor lights can wait a little. I wish it were all Christmas and fun around here, but my son has essays to write for grad school applications. He’s applying to eight schools, and they all require different “personal statements” and/or “statements of purpose.” A couple of them are generic, and some are more specific with their prompts. Additionally, two of the school are asking for “diversity statements,” and we have no idea where to go with that. Those are optional- but does it look bad if he doesn’t do it? He took a writing class this semester and the teacher taught him the value of the SFD, or “shitty first draft.” I can say that he’s accomplished a few of those so far! We’ve got a long way to go…. but I’m undaunted. I’m a NaBloPoMo veteran! I can help him get through a few little essays. Sigh. Next up… tinsel and ornaments! Do you like writing essays? – My son… doesn’t. But we’ll get it done.
So, This Happened…
We got our Christmas tree! We were having a family meeting about our change of schedule this year. We won’t be able to decorate the tree on Black Friday because there’s a high school football game. Would everyone be okay if we decorated on Thanksgiving? Yes, my son said- OR we could just go out and get the tree today! Yes! Yes! Once he suggested it, I couldn’t wait to do it. Since everyone seemed amenable to changes, I tried something else. Would anyone object to changing from colored lights to white? Unfortunately, that was a bridge too far. One person almost had a meltdown over that idea, so we’ll continue with colored lights. I don’t want to ruin anyone’s Christmas! We’ll let the branches open up for a day, and then I’ll get the (colored) lights on it tomorrow. It smells sooooo good. I’m excited! If you celebrate Christmas, is your tree up? Or is it too early? Colored lights, or white?