crowbelle's Diaryland Diary

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Rolling into a New Year

ROLLING INTO A NEW YEAR

It does not feel any different, being 2005 than it did 24 hours ago as 2004.

Same old world outside.
Same old dust and furs to be cleaned up.
Same old food to be cooked.
Same old laundry to be washed.
Same old dogs lying around on the sofa.
Same old husband wafting up and down stairs, doing end-of-the-year paperwork of some kind or another.

Same old work to be typed. (Yes, I worked today - New Year's Day.)

One thing happened today that was different...

Paul's folks stopped by "just for a little visit." That does not happen very often. Almost never, in fact. They used to live away - in Florida in winters, and in Maine in summers. But they have moved into assisted living housing, in the next town from ours, and they can drive over here with little problem now, as long as the roads are clear of winter-spew from the skies.

I was upstairs working away when they came by. I could not just leave "Mum" down here all alone (with the dogs!), now, could I? So I finished the report I was doing, and came down and joined her. "Dad" was in the basement with Paul, going over a project Paul is working on, giving tips, etc... "Mum" and I had a nice chat about this and that. She is a wealth of trivia and information about "this and that" and never lacks for words... never! I could sit and listen to her talk all day long and never get bored, really.

So, that was our New Year's Day. Paul tried lobstering earlier, but came in around noon due to high winds which make lobstering very tricky, indeed. Since we had a big storm a while back, all his traps out in the ocean are scattered all around and he is still searching for them... It's a time consuming occupation when the sea stirs things up like this.

And we all are seeing what havoc a stirred up sea can cause - Indonesia, Taiwan, Sri Lanka - they are all in our prayers for sure right now. CNN has had a show on all day just about showing up close and personal stories about the events of last Sunday, and the consequences thereof.

So much sorrow, loss, sadness, disbelief. How many "why's" must God have heard asked this past week? And what could His answer be?

As for life here at Crow Cottage, we are preparing to welcome friends tomorrow to dinner. We do not do that very often, being the hermits we are, but now and then it is fun to cook for someone other than the husband and dogs! One of our guests is a vegetarian, too, and that makes choosing a menu all the more challenging for me. I am a meat eater and a meat lover, I am afraid. Have to admit it...cannot deny it... so I have been wracking my brain to come up with something yummmy sans meat.

Going to make pasta... with tomato sauce, and veggie-stuffed green peppers - I saw these made on a Food Network cooking show (she used meat) but I will just substitute - I have some Thai jasmine rice, and some other things, and I am thinking maybe garbanzo beans (chick peas) may work for the meat replacement... some cheese in there... onions, etc. Not too complicated, but warm and hearty.

Got some olive oil-rosemary bread baked at our local bakery that smells devine (it is, too - we have had it before) that I will crust up in the oven.

That should do it. Apple cider on the rocks for refreshment (we are tea-totallers so that is about as "hard" as drinks get here!). Oh, and Margaret is bringing her "famous" brownies, to go with my Breyers French Vanilla ice cream for "afters."

Cheers,

Bex

5:00 p.m. EST - 01 January 2005

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