Cold rainy day lends itself to nurturing food

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aromatherapy, cauliflower, dreary, gratin, postaday2014

There is nothing better than the smell of swiss cheese melting and developing a golden crust from within the oven. The nuttiness that develops from the melting at high temperatures permeates the air and that is when you know that the gratin of whatever you like is done. Today I chose to make a gratin of cauliflower, complete with a béchamel sauce, to ward off the cold dreariness of the weather outside. Cold rain is depressing with all of the grayness enveloping Blandford from all around, so I use my oven and food to combat that oppressive external influence and brighten the mood with Mother Nature’s form of aromatherapy.

When to dismantle Christmas?

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Christmas, decorations, dreary, January, postaday2013

The question is relative to each and everyone. My answer to the question is of a varied type; January is such a dreary month, long and cold and pretty much a let down after the buildup of all of the holiday festivities, so getting rid of all the decorations seems like a lot of work for not very good results. However, that being said I am finding myself eyeing the other homes waiting to see who is taking the initiative first. I sort of don’t want to be the first to say good bye to the holiday cheer. We might also have a visitor this weekend so I would like to keep the cheer going for a little while longer.

I think that I will put off taking down the decorations until next week when it is closer to Martin Luther King Jr’s Day. I’m pretty sure that I will be quite ready to accept the new year clean and tidy and decoration free.

Two days of freezing rain in Blandford

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boots, cold, dreary, freezing rain, postaday2012, slippery, walking dogs

This is what my world looks like today, an icy, winter wonderland. It has been like this since yesterday, non-stop freezing rain which makes walking a treacherous sport. Jack isn’t very happy with the state of the weather these past two days. I’m not thrilled either but what can you do? We have to go outside to do our business don’t we Jack? When I calmly explain it to him, the look on his face is priceless. I bet that he wishes that he can use indoor plumbing like the rest of us. I’m sure that many dog owners would be fine with that evolutionary tweak, enabling dogs to figure out how to sit on the toilet and flush afterwards. Can you imagine? Gone would be the 6:00 a.m wake up to walk the dog outside in the cold rain, snow or icy winds. No more 9:00 p.m call to walk the dog in the same freezing rain, snow or icy wind. Alas, the evolutionary tweak is only wishful thinking, it could never happen.

Until tomorrow, Jack and I will do our best to not fall in a heap while navigating the icy paths around Blandford. I am going to build a fire in the living room so that we can at least be cozy when we come back in.

The beginning of semi-hibernation in Blandford

Tags

cold, darkness, daylight savings, dreary, postaday2012, winter

A brief note about last night’s potluck dinner, it was lovely. Everyone brought something different so there was plenty to pick from; chicken Alfredo, rice pilaf and Swedish meatballs just to name a few. As usual, there were also a multitude of desserts and mine, the creme caramel, was a hit. I was very happy about that and now I have an easy addition to my dessert repertoire.

Last Saturday night was our turn to “fall back” with the clocks. In my opinion, this loss of an hour is the official start of winter. It is getting colder by the day and darker earlier; that taken together spells winter for me. Now Jack and I make sure to get our final walk done by four o’clock when we can still everything clear as day in the park. I scared myself once before at night in the park just the other night and I don’t want to do that again. There I said, I’m a scaredy cat.

Poor Jack, he isn’t a fan of winter either. He doesn’t like going out in the backyard by himself at night, I think that it is during those moments that Jack misses our Rex the most. When Rex was with him outside, no matter how dark it was Jack felt protected and safe with his big brother around. Rex has left a void in our lives and we are still dealing with it. I know that it will take time and I don’t mind the grieving process because it keeps Rex fresh in my heart and I often find a smile on my face when I think of something that he would do or his handsome face.