<p>WHAT? OWLICE does not make and eat every bite of this? Now I know there is not a Santa or a diet fairy:(
These new neighbors seem to be invisible. I think they msut be from Dubai or some very interesting place. Have never seen anyone who remotely looks like an owner and H has only seen the builder a few times. The house is decadent and does not fit it this very nice but not opulant neighborhood–at least not this section of the neighborhood. Have decided not to do a thing about the trees until the house it painted at least.
eddi–yes, I do remember the Dobbin House. If my memory is correct (one never knows these days) I was a super duper vegetarian those years and so remember being served a plate of steamed broccoli and carrots and being charged the same as for a meat dish. It was a lovely place, esp. in the winter. I will bet they have made progress in the alternative diet arena and if not we will sent Owlice their way.</p>
<p>Welcome back Owlice. I must say my cyber-self has been wasting away in you absence. iRL, of course, is entirely another matter 
</p>
<p>PRJ, too funny. It’s a good thing we’re not rabid football fans, or our friends might disown us if they knew of our secret friendship! To give you an idea, in four years, H and I have not yet made it to the big house. Mcson only went to his first game this year at GF’s behest. Until the advent of GF, he always said Sat was an excellent day to get work done as everyone else cleared out for the game ;)</p>
<p>Plant mom, I read Possession so long ago I barely remember it now, though I believe I loved it at the time. Funny there’s a thread about it now! Is it reviving in popularity? Trying to picture it as a movie without all that beautiful writing…difficult to imagine. Whatever the case, I’m glad for the author!</p>
<p>So, last year at this time I was rehabbing the old house every weekend, lamenting that I couldn’t wait until his year where I could just read and eat Bon bons by the fire. So yesterday, I was bored and decided it was a grand idea to semi-Reno the gets bath in the new house, which led me on a labyrinth quest for matching tile. Mch has noted that I am my own worst enemy and since he is still feeling rough I am forbidden to begin my project just yet. So today I will practice enjoying the nothingness I allegedly craved last year ;)</p>
<p>Missy, you’re still in my thoughts and prayers for grieving, healing, and celebrating your day’s life.
Hang in there, Fallgirl, sendin ya the light to!</p>
<p>owlice, I have several (ahem, okay, a lot) Pinterest food boards that have served my food longings in your absence. It’s a good thing we’re not neighbors, or I would weigh far more than I do now. </p>
<p>KMC, H is usually working every single weekend, so I often think of all the home improvement projects I should be doing. Our house desperately needs it but I am sorely unmotivated. It would be DIY, and while I helped my father with many DIY projects, it was his skill that made them possible. I just have a very low level of motivation to do anything around the house, including housework. That needs to change today. Blech. </p>
<p>Missypie, today will be hard but I know you can get through it. Thinking about you and your family.</p>
<p>Sending you love today, Missypie.</p>
<p>OK, I’m cracking up at the notion of a guest thinking they were popping a mint chip thingie when it is really cheese. (One year long ago, Jelly Belly made the unfortunate choice – in some people’s minds – to make a red licorice jelly bean with licorice flavoring. I like licorice. A lot. And cinnamon. Bought a little baggie of them mixed, and H reached in grabbed a handful, popped them in his mouth, and then got the most amazing look of disgust on his face. He did subsequently keep his hands well away from my bag of jelly bellies. He got his revenge a few years later when the tidbit I grabbed at a cocktail party turned out to have nasty liver inside.)</p>
<p>Missypie – I hope you’re comforted with family today, and keeping the potato chips and Coke as close as you like.</p>
<p>nachos and ben and jerrys are my go to stressed foods.
I remember owlice but was it from here? could have been another thread as I was a later joining person.
My dad died whenI was pregnant with my first child, My FILdied before that, age 52 and 58 respectively. My D’s never had grandfathers except my grandfather for a short period. It was sudden heart attacks for both. It was so hard to process for a long time. particularly with my dad as I was pregnant, somewhat protective over the pregnancy, and they live in the south. Everytime I went to visit my mom, I felt that had missed someone to see, almost as if my dad was on a business trip. needless to say when I turned his age i felt stressed. I take after that side of the family. I comfort myself with that they did not suffer, although feel sad for all they missed. Hoping the day goes ok for MP thinking of her and her family on this sad day
Going for a walk, the the Patriots. thats my big day still recuperating form the cold.
Hope Woody is better. Glad Eddie saw her girly. I dropped off some things at my D’s dorm and she got in my car and talkedfor 90 minutes so funny</p>
<p>arabrab, a cheese and <em>green pepper</em> thingie. 
hahahaha on the Jelly Bellies! </p>
<p>PlantMom, peppermint patties are good. For a warm place, I might suggest peach schnapps, cranberry juice, and club soda, but it’s your choice, of course! (And don’t forget the mimosas!)</p>
<p>oregon, much less food on the virtual table is imaginary than you would ever think, and often what is imaginary has only recently become so because I polished it off just moments before. How does mushroom, broccoli, and feta risotto sound today? I usually serve this with (lots of) parmesan or romano. I’m planning a white pizza for later today, too. </p>
<p>woody, hiya! </p>
<p>sabaray, my hips take the hit to spare others’. :)</p>
<p>I still have blood oranges and want to experiment with making dark chocolate covered slices. I make chocolate covered strawberries a lot but I do oranges much less often and have never chocolate-coated blood orange slices before. Anyone care to taste test these? </p>
<p>Fallgirl and Missypie, you’re in my thoughts today.</p>
<p>yes please, after a slice of the white pizza.
A GF and I are working our way through Ina Garten’s new Foolproof cookbook. Pretty fun and amazing and $$–have to admit the recipes are delicious. #1 for me has been white truffle butter mashed potatoes. I don’t really care that much about mashed potatoes in general but these were delicious.
Owlice–is this also a career for you? Wish you were my neighbor.</p>
<p>Missypie–we have blue skies here today and am hoping the same for you. Sending comfort your way.</p>
<p>Fallgirl and Missypie, I hope you are doing as well as can be.</p>
<p>Owlice, last night, we had dinner at a Persian restaurant and had a green olive, walnut, pomegranate seeds and dates (I think) pate last night that was just extraordinary. And, over the last week, I’ve had two dishes with very thinly sliced (shredded) brussel sprouts sauteed in oil that were outstanding. Friday night’s were just with olive oil, salt, garlic and butter. Last week’s version had pancetta and ricotta saltada. This week, I’ll be eating at a restaurant that I’m told is on the list of the Best 50 in the world (not sure how one could possibly make that list). </p>
<p>It is fun and a little jarring to watch ShawSon. He asked for my advice for a) an email for another potential customer; b) the proposed engagement letter for his new company with a well-known San Francisco law firm; c) whether he should drive down to NY to meet with a very successful ex-techy CEO and now venture capitalist who also mentors a few early-stage companies (no doubt for a slice of equity) despite the fact that his math comprehensive exams are the next day; and d) whether he should start raising angel money (one investor has offered $50K if they can raise another $100K+). On the latter point, I told ShawSon he’d get a higher valuation if he waited, but he said, “This is my first startup. I will sacrifice the highest payoff on success because it increases the risk of not surviving and would prefer to have adequate funding and ensuring that we have the chance to do pretty well even if I don’t make as much as I might. I want to make sure we have adequate funding for next year.” He recognizes that life is long and, as engrossing as this is, it is one step in his trajectory and he wants to maximize the chances of success. </p>
<p>ShawWife is concerned that ShawSon will get too pulled from his work by the a) excitement; and b) demands of the new company. He wants to do a great thesis and graduate summa cum laude and would love to leave college with nothing below an A- as a triple major. And he has a girlfriend living in another city. He’s got so many things vying for his attention that this semester could be pretty demanding.</p>
<p>Owlice, yum on the warm weather concoction!</p>
<p>oregon–the mystery house would have me stressed to no end. </p>
<p>kmc, yes Possession is an “old” book, and the movie came out over 10 years ago, so it too is not new. The CC reading group selected it, and I’ve always wanted to read it. I got about halfway through Byatt’s newer Children’s Book, but already I’m a good way into Possession after staying up way too late reading last night. Yes, with it’s beautiful detail, I think it’s much richer and even more enjoyable than the movie.</p>
<p>ShawB, your son is certainly taking on a lot! I wish him luck. My D really wanted to graduate summa, but she had two A- grades in her entire college career, and they were enough to bump her down to magna. I’ll never forget the look of disappointment when she saw she didn’t receive summa honors. The A- grades were not even in her major, rather upper level courses way outside of her science major; she did quickly rebound when she discovered that her thesis had been designated the highest honors award. We were proud of her accomplishments, of course, in spite of her higher ambitions. She, somewhat of a perfectionist, is always tougher on herself than anyone else. She also had a BF in another city, and a pretty demanding research advisor. Intense years, for sure.</p>
<p>oregon, </p>
<p>“is this also a career for you?”</p>
<p>Eating? No, just a hobby. :D</p>
<p>I don’t cook for a living, either. I do like feeding people, though. And, as mentioned, eating. </p>
<p>shawbridge, your son certainly has a lot going on! And on the Persian pat</p>
<p>plantmom, at ShawSon’s school, the honors level comes from the honors thesis. Is your D in grad school now?</p>
<p>Son realized quickly that the C first semester freshman year would make it a near impossibility to graduate summa and he’d have to really screw up now to graduate less than magna, but shhh… my luck would see that happen. Not sure what he decided to do with the thesis but like Shawson that is how one earns departmental honors. Last I heard from him he texted to thank me for the box I sent of clothes that did not fit in his luggage including a blazer and his suit coat as he had a formal to go to that evening and was glad the cord blazer had arrived. I was like… corduroy and formal do NOT go together, but who knows what he means by formal.</p>
<p>Eyes have stopped itching for the most part… but still pretty swollen underneath. Had I just had the uppers done I think I would be thrilled right now, it’s just the swollen bags under my eyes that are bugging me at this point. He said I wasn’t allowed an opinion for three weeks, so I’ve got two more to go.</p>
<p>Moda- I was wondering how you were doing. The swelling should be much better in 2 weeks.
Do you have a lot of bruising? </p>
<p>Oregon - that is so odd about that house, but it does sound like either an out of town buyer or is it a speculation house? </p>
<p>I’m keeping missypie and family in my thoughts.</p>
<p>Shaw your S amazes me. So exciting about the startup and his maturity in considering the long term rather than the short term.</p>
<p>Owlice I am happy to report that the brownie was delicious.</p>
<p>I wish you all were my neighbors!</p>
<p>Owlice, you’re making me hungry, and I just ate lunch!</p>
<p>ShawB and Moda, yes her honors level came from the department, maybe with votes from other science divisions. She was very happy to have received the highest honors designation because it came from professors who knew her best, rather than the very strict number cutoff for summa. For crying out loud, her GPA was a 3.98 something. But…she was early Phi Beta kappa, and had been trying to fulfill the broad spectrum of courses required for that as well as the Latin honors. No regrets on the broader based education, but grumbles about the two A- grades. She is not in graduate school, yet; rather, working for two years as a lab associate in a well known laboratory institute affiliated with two wonderful universities in Cambridge. She’s actually trying to figure out if she wants to go to grad school, or out into the world sooner, into more profitable industry. We’d like to see the former, but she makes the decisions now, thank goodness!</p>
<p>I think my D will graduate magna. She is working on her thesis, we are flying down to see her present it, it gets published as well, but I am not sure where.
Kids sound amazing, like Mark Zuckerberg, we will be hearing about them soon.
I am in the process of finding nutella recipes, D2 loves nutella. I made some refrigerator cookies meh, so am going to make to make chocolate chip with nutella and brown butter. this will be tomorrow.</p>
<p>DTE, you’re coming to DC? Maybe we could meet. Fallgirl is not far away either. I think she and I are the closest, then probably TheAnalyst…</p>
<p>Whoa… no mini reunions BEFORE an actual reunion! (kidding, kinda) but perhaps we ought to get that going. Hope Analyst is enjoying her cruise! I know it is bitter cold here and so being anywhere else would probably be an improvement.</p>
<p>Watching the 49’ers making more mistakes than they can ever make and still win. Disappointing because I am rooting for them. New England will have my vote in the next game. </p>
<p>As for bruising, I have to say at this point it doesn’t look too bad. I am not fair skinned even though I am blue eyed, so maybe that’s part of it. Of course, under my eye is yellowing so I imagine the bruising hasn’t really settled in amidst the swelling. I admit to feeling somewhat vain in having had this done, but when even on the best of days it was a crap shoot if the light didn’t make the problem worse looking or if I would be the least bit tired and it wouldn’t matter what the light was.</p>
<p>I haven’t really read CC for a week and now I am seriously behind again.</p>
<p>Owlice, welcome back! We are in for a deep freeze, and tomorrow I intend to buy the ingredients for your Peppermint Pattie.</p>
<p>PRJ, I hope you are doing better …I will PM you later.</p>
<p>Missy, I am so sorry about your father. I lost my mom after a long illness when I was 19, and watching her suffer was horrible. I lost my father very unexpectedly when I was 38, and that was horrible too. There is no easier way of losing someone you love.</p>
<p>Got back from the cruise tonight. We hit one night of 60 mph wind and reportedly 16 foot waves, which I found to be exciting. Lots of banging noises as the ship hit down hard at times. The captain did shift course and we came back to port a few hours late. Otherwise, sunny and surprisingly warm. We met lots of interesting, nice people and particularly enjoyed the two couples at our table for dinner.</p>
<p>Missypie, very sorry to hear about your loss.</p>