No Gifts Means No Gifts!

 Day eight of whatever bug has invaded my body. I do feel a lot better, but still not good. Still coughing, but not as much, still dizzy, but not as often. The headache lingers on, as well as the overwhelming fatigue.

I cooked the absolute worst Christmas dinner of my life yesterday. Nothing went as it should have and I honestly don't know why. The sweet potatoes were not as done as they should have been, the frozen creamed corn was awful, tasting like feed corn for cattle. The roast was okay, tender and tasty (after I salted it), the cresent rolls were okay. Other than burning them, there is not much to do to ruin them. HeWho had requested a pecan pie. 

I made it just as I always have, double checking to make sure I got every ingredient in. I used a frozen crust and, let's face it, it is one of the easiest pies to make. No mixer, just stir it all together and dump it in the crust. Should have been done in 60 minutes or less. When I checked it by gently shaking the pan it was still too liquid in the middle. Another 30 minutes and I pulled it out anyway, as the crust and top were too brown. I hoped it would set up while sitting. It didn't. It tasted good, a big hit with HeWho loves pie, as he ate 1/4 of it and got seconds. It was too rich for me and I felt a little gaggy and decided to set it aside.

This should mean that next year's meal will be spectacular, right? My oven is cantankerous, so it should come as no surprise that the meal was in jeopardy. Next year will not have the cook paired with an inferior oven.

I packed 4 boxes yesterday. Only two today. I like my boxes to be full to capacity and packed tight. No breakage if you do it right and today's boxes required searching for items to fit just right. I had planned to get so much more accomplished, but I am so tired.

We had decided no gifts this year, since we just bought a new home and a new RV. But, my reason is much more practical. If we get each other gifts, they will have to be packed for the move, thus creating more work for me.

HeWho is not known for playing fair, so when he asked me to go outside to see something, I knew he had bought something for me. You all remember my newest pet, Adorable Dora, the Explorer? The tiny red bellied slider that was found barely alive in the end of the year pool muck that was originally named Theodore until further investigation took place. You might recall that she was about the size of a quarter and took up residence in a terrarium that was one of the arrangements from my Dad's funeral.

Her habitat is roomy for a creature as small as she still is. She has a pool, rocks to sun on and provide her with "steps" out of her pool. She appears to be quite content with her current lodgings. When I say her name she stretches her neck out and up to see me. I swear to you that she looks me right in the eye. I just purchased a new bulb to keep her warm and healthy.

So, I ask myself, why did HeWho decide to buy a huge new habitat for her? It took up the entire back seat of my car! She is the size of a half dollar! Her current digs are like an entire country to her. Not only that, I wondered WHERE this would go in our new digs. There is no wall space to speak of. Windows everywhere and this thing is way out of proportion to our little house. Her house would be bigger that any of the dog beds!!

I get it, he wanted to buy something for me and he wanted it to be impressive. I am not easy to impress with stuff. I do not like cut flowers, so a big gesture of two dozen roses just makes me wonder how many rose bushes could have been bought to be enjoyed year after year. While I appreciate the sentiment involved with a gift for a pet I love, I convinced him to take it back and I will let him purchase a far more practical one AFTER we move.

My plan was to get him a fishing reel, a really nice one, for Christmas. He is not known for taking good care of his toys. I bought him one when we had the cabin on the lake, but he has no idea where it is now. No need to have to move it, right?