Monday, December 23, 2013

It Really is a Wonderful Life.

Christmas at the Chicken Ranch! Small, but appropriate to our dainty living room. This reminds me I need to post more pix from the leather-sectional man room.
And, what has become a tradition in the Norred Family...the Christmas tumbleweed. Which I picked up while climbing Camelsback.
And I adorn it with these glass teardrop ornaments which I love love LOVE.
What else is going on this holiday season? This Wonderful Life at Boise Contemporary Theater! They decorated the place like the movie. So sweet.
Oooh! Bad ol' Potter.
They did a really nice job with the signage and decor. :)
This is us in our bright scarves and colorful woolen winter coats, standing on George's bridge...
But its much better in black and white. :) "Dear George, remember no (wo)man is a failure who has friends." Amen to that. 

Snooooow! Snooooow! Snooooow! SNOOOOOW!

Yeah, it snowed. And mostly i love it when it snows.
My husband had left around 4 a.m. to go duck hunting (MISERABLE) and the snow filled in his tracks by the time I got up! NICE!
LOVE IT!!
Christmas lights through the window.
:)
I love the light through the door glass, but especially the snow light.

Shrimp and Crab and Glitter and Rainbows

We put down the butcher paper and these two thought it was time to draw hand turkeys. Hmph.
See that pile of corn and tatoes and crab and shrimp and sausages and glitter and rainbows and awesomeness? YES. THAT. Mmm.
Hey ladies!
And after our glorious day of leisure and dilly-dallying and fun, and then, after about 45 minutes of cooking, we cleaned up in about 5 minutes. SO FUN!
Oh I do love that grin!
Then some Cards Against Humanity. You know, "The card game for horrible people." That's us.
The next day, off to the Goble Tavern for Thanksgiving lunch with Sister and Mike! Such a fun weekend in the Northwest! Thanks family!

Happy Boil Day!

So back to the Pacific Northwest for Thanksgiving with the parents. This was the book that we found on the nightstand in our room. Uh-huh. 
And Dad came up for dinner and evening! The menfolk! So fun!
And he brought us some smoked salmon. And trout too, I think. Mmmm. Amazing as usual
We had snicky-snacks and jibber-jabbered all afternoon, perusing travel maps and walking in the sunshine. Not slaving over a stove for 8 hours.
Because...instead of traditional fare, we did a low country boil, a pile of seafood and veggies and sausage and awesomeness that you boil all together and throw on the table, basically with lemons and a whole tin of   and eat. with your hands. SO good. My recipe takes parts from the Low Country Boil recipe and parts from the Frogmore Stew recipe. Corn!
Andouille!
Baby taters!
Leh-mons.
My handsome sous chef, in charge of garlic bread! Yessss!
I love love love my in-laws new house, but as Stacey says, it's mostly a one-butt kitchen.

44

Even at the tender age of 44, he can barely wait to open gifts. Woman. What. Are. You. Doing.
Among other assorted gifts my husband received these elk pants. And if you look closely, just beneath them you can see the red good pants he also received. I like this pix because he appears to be wearing them, but isn't really.
He also got these awesome copper cups for Moscow mules and other chilly drinks. Just moments before opening this gift he had been nagging me that he wanted some of them, pointing them out in a magazine. Mwahahaha! I am so clever! Hahah!
Then over to Porterville for a festive combined birthday celebration with Mike, another Sagittarius, for gifts, clam chowder, and Sunday night football!
We were also treated to a concert by the best trumpetest around. She's getting quite good.
My husband even participated in a staged stomping in the room, as she'd learned the Darth Vader theme from Star Wars. Hahah!
Then, the German chocolate cake! YAY!
Ruby thinks she's a lap dog. Such fun!

Sunday, December 22, 2013

The Deer Hunter Returns

The deer hunter and his peeps returned! With dead things!
This is a pretty big ice chest, but it's still shocking what comes back from processing. Still very happy about what comes back.
His new rack, plus a couple of sheds. I had hoped to introduce you to my new sink in another way, dear internets. But here it is, my new gorgeous white porcelain kitchen sink! My sweet husband found it for me at a home repair thrift store, $25. Yay!
The next day, yes, boiling heads. Gross.
Thankfully he had the (enforced) sense to destroy his own pot, not one of mine.

It was a bit brisk out, enough to generate steam...
...but warm enough that one didn't need a coat. To sit outside. In the sun.
Coats back were required after a bit.
These are a bit out of order, but here's the mighty hunter back from his long drive, and soon snoozing on our tiny couch. Welcome back!

Holiday Party!

My company moved our holiday party to early November, for reasons you don't want to hear about. Trust me. Three hours before the event my husband returned from 2 weeks of hunting in Montana, and was smelly and hairy and crusty. When I asked if he'd want to go, his blunt answer was "&#*$ no." Luckily, my sweet friend Shelby was on standby to be my date, in her swanky purple dress.
I brought out the fancy Nordstrom rhinestone shoe clips my mom snagged from her thrift store for me. They don't come out often, but I love them so.
Fur coats. Nuff said. It was a murder mystery theme with an "old Hollywood glam" theme. YES.
My and my lovely twin. Some folks see it, some don't. Those who do often ask, "Are you too sisters?" Often.
When I invited my date, I outlined the features of the event, including among other things, a prime rib buffet and door prizes and whatnot. Shelby said, "you had me at photobooth."
Some of us had fun with some of the murder mystery decor. And the candy cigarettes passed out by the cigarette girl.
I do love a good next-morning rock-and-roll vignette, as you may know.