Today's Update - 12 Dec 2014

I'm dog sitting my brother's wolf-dog.  I don't know what you call it because it is like one quarter wolf, half something else, and then a quarter of another one.  Basically it is a mutt that has some wolf in it and roughly the size of a small car.  Well, he isn't really a mutt.  He can be sweet but he is definitely an alpha male dog and Darth Molly adores him but you can just imagine that his patience is sometimes at least as tried as mine gets with her with all of her need to pay attention to someone and get attention paid to her.  Plus he is seven and is way beyond the puppy stage and skittish because of the wolf in him.  But he minds and considering how big he is - not fat, I mean big and tall - I'm glad he does.  He's taken me skiing a few times but didn't mean to though so I have to be careful to have a good grip on him.  When both dogs get going it is like having two horses in the house.  One of the horses might have some manners to him but still two horses and when they run they rattle the crockery.

Just about finished decorating the house.  Now I have to finish cleaning up the mess that decorating created.  Boy am I behind.  Haven't even sent Christmas cards out but plan on taking care of that tomorrow.  Have so much to do I'm honestly not sure I'm going to get everything accomplished I need to.  And with the end of the fiscal year approaching which means new forms, files, etc for 2015 for the business I'm really not sure it is all going to get done.  At least this year Child 2 and 3 are helping with the business side of things.

Forgot to mention that older son got accepted to be a counselor for Winshape this summer.  Winshape is the summer camp program that is sponsored by Chik Fil A.  He'll have just completed his BS in health services so that will be a nice job that will give him a nest egg to start graduate school with.  It will also give him experience that will help him with his career choice.  But that's months away and I'm just glad he is around and helping out right now.  Still, I see that next year is going to bring more changes to our household so I'm trying to enjoy the end of this year as best I can despite the work.  No one is promised tomorrow so I try and make each day have some value to it because really, while other types of legacies can be good to leave behind for your family, memories last longer than physical items do.

Speaking of work, little light on the updates again today and I'm just going to say when things get up they get up and if they don't get up one day or the next they'll eventually get up.  Just this time of year is very busy and I don't want to over commit and promise and then not deliver. 

Zombies Aren't Real ... Are They?!
http://zombiesarentrealarethey.blogspot.com/

A Bunch of Wild Thyme
http://bunchofwildthyme.blogspot.com/

Up On Hartford Ridge
http://uponhartfordridge.blogspot.com/

Mother Hen's Recipes
http://motherhensrecipes.blogspot.com/

Today's advent activities with my youngest were based around shepherds as the theme.  In addition to researching shepherds and their duties and other similar types of activities we made peppermint candy canes and candy cane cookies in the form of the shepherd's crook.  After we made our candy canes we watched a video on how large commercial operations make candy canes.  Pretty interesting.  Just as neat is the last video that gives directions for homemade chocolates with only four ingredients.  Chocolate isn't cheap so I decided to rotate some cocoa and make my own.  Bonus is that I'll know what is in the chocolate so I won't have to deal with eleventy-dozen, unpronounceable preservatives and other things in my candies.

How Candy Canes Are Made

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbnBJGOEPMo

 

Candy Cane Cookies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKzoGC1npcw

 

Homemade Chocolate with Four Ingredients

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQePk_xlbGA