Happy 4th!

Although I live in a small town, right outside the only city in our county, we happen to have some of the BEST fireworks in the nation (or so say they say). I can't speak for other places, but ours are quite good. Anyway, we always have a week long carnival called Community Days. It's really more of County Days because people from ALL OVER the county and surrounding counties come. It goes from Sunday to Saturday and ends in fireworks. Here is a picture I took at last nights fireworks...unedited because I'm currently without software :(

Weekend/Vacation/Excitement

Tomorrow we leave for New York. Greg has a half marathon in Flushing Meadows, New York. What we just found out today is that he has to pick up his race packet (and goodies) tomorrow between 12 and 6 and it is pretty much in New York City. I can't believe it! I have never been to NYC and I've always wanted to go. Granted I'm not going to really be visiting...more like driving through. But STILL! I am super excited about this trip. Not to mention the course route includes lots of laps which means Katy doesn't need to run around to different spots for hours trying to catch a glimpse of her husband! hooray! PLUS, it is going to be B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L weather.

Let's see, what else?!? I don't have to work or really even think about Rita's until Monday--except for a teensy bit tomorrow morning, and the schedule that I need to fix as soon as I'm done with this post. AND I got my first paycheck...wowsers. I haven't gotten a paycheck like that in a very.long.time. 1.5 months shy of a year.

I'm just about all ready to give my presentation next week on photography. I'm really excited to share with people that they can do it too! and I created this super cute brochure [aka cheat sheet] for everyone to take home with them. 

Now I must finish the schedule, clear off my memory card, charge batteries, and ahh pack! Maybe you'll get lucky and get some updates throughout the trip?!? who knows!

Christmas Lights

I must admit that this year, I am saddened there are only a few strings of lights on the house. However for you to fully understand what I mean I think it's important to tell you we probably have at least 50 strands of lights that have been used before to decorate our house for Christmas. For example, here is what was NOT used this year. Normally I would expect these 3 boxes of lights to be strung all around the inside and outside of the house. [fyi-they are big boxes] ...maybe next year. Yesterday, while out with the pups (playing in the snow) I decided to take a little video to add some Christmas spirit to my blog...AND to let you all have a sneak peak at our (Greg's) Christmas Light Show. Enjoy! [make sure to have your speakers on!]

A Zelinske Tradition

Ever since I can remember, my grandfather, Bum as we called him [maybe more on that name later] always made cut out cookies. Since they were soo tasty, my parents got the recipe and it was the one cookie that we made and ate EVERY year. Well, Bum passed away September of 2008 and I the cookies took on a whole knew meaning. Now they aren't just a cookie but they remind me of him.

So in honor of him, I took my first crack at it. My directions more or less were to cream butter & sugar, add the egg, vanilla, baking powder, and flour. Roll out, cut out, bake for 6 minutes (depending on your oven). GREAT this should be a piece of cake.

But no...then came the exceptions. 

"Well," my mom said, "I'm never sure how thick to roll them. 

If you roll them too thick they won't cook (aka raw egg), 

and if you roll them too thin they will burn." 

My response....

"How on earth am I supposed to know how thick or thin to roll them."

My mom's response...

"Roll one set and bake them. If they come out okay, you did it right.

If they burn or don't cook, you did it wrong."

Ohhh of course! Why didn't I think of that. Without a real clear answer (and by the way I left out the conversation about whether it should be butter or shortening) off I went with the recipe with no intention to make them this weekend due to other plans. We tried going to church this morning, but we have to use a windy and hilly road to get there. We got about 85% there when we hit a stoppage of cars on a hill that we classified as a "sheet of ice". So no church today, we turned around and came back home. 

Which leads me to my cookies. The first batch was thick--they were in the oven for quite awhile, and although they were checked frequently they got a little brown...really only a little. So I rolled the next 2 batches better (at least in my opinion). And here they are in all their sprinkled glory (next time I will be using colored sugar...sooo much better than sprinkles). They are a little crunchy..not burnt...crunchy. They look pretty, but someday I'll have to try again to do them justice.

 

 

**Now for my grandfather's name, Bum. The story is that he would always tell the first Zelinske grandchild (not me, I'm the 3rd) "You're a bum." and eventually my cousin responded..."No, your a bum". So the name was born, Bum...or Bum-Bum because we repeated cool names like that.

Tis the season to give and receive...

Christmas Cards.

I start looking as soon as I see them. Naturally there are so very many that I like, uhh..no  scratch that...LOVE. Then it comes time to decide. Luckily I was born with an innate ability to talk myself out of things. Of course looking at prices helps--but sales do not. So when faced with the decision of buying customized cards (buy 50 get 25 free!) I almost caved...until I realized it would cost closer to $50.00 plus shipping. That my dear friends is NOT in the budget. Plus I don't think I would even need that many. My correspondence list is rather slim.


So off I went to my dear Photoshop program. Even looked back at last year's card so as to not do anything similar and yet simultaneously be inspired. (My how things have changed in a year)

 Still not inspired, I turned to pages and pages of other customizable cards. I am happy to report that I found an idea that I like and tried to replicate in a similar (not identical) pattern. And I am very happy with it...even ecstatic to get them sent out. The puppies had their "photo-shoot". I was going to get our picture tonight, but the hubby was putting up Christmas lights and re-injured/popped something in his back---so maybe tomorrow. As soon as that is all set, they will be signed, sealed, delivered. Can't wait to see the finished product! And not to mention getting your cards in the mail.

Christmas-fying: Step One

Recently, I've been saddened by the fact that our 'married' Christmas tree would be unused this year--well more to say that we don't have room for it this year. Luckily Walmart came through for me and provided me with a real tree for our tiny space: a Norfolk Pine.

 So I added a short strand of white lights and some mini blue, green, and silver ornaments. Complete with a silver star on top.

And our Charlie Brown Christmas tree was complete!!

Can't wait to put up the rest of the lights. :)

Turkey here, turkey there, turkey turkey everywhere

I can officially say Thanksgiving is over. It wasn't just the eating of one meal and visiting with family on Thursday. No, no--as a married couple, our Thanksgiving last 3 or 4 days interspersed with Christmas preparation. Normally we would go to State College for a pre-Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday night, but because Greg was golfing (in the rain nonetheless!) we were unable to make it to dinner this year. So we packed up the car, dogs and all, and off we went to start the 3 hour drive to Woolrich, PA (it's about an hour from Williamsport).

Thanksgiving day was filled with a plethora of food that included turkey of course, ham, stuffing, sweet potatoes, corn, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, extra large rolls, gravy, limas, and I'm sure other things I'm forgetting right now. But then came desserts--3 or 4 different kinds of pies and 3 different kinds of cookies. Not to mention a very wonderful Keurig machine to make hot chocolate or coffee instantly---mmmm. It isn't a holiday or family gathering with a game of Scrabble (which my hubby and I clearly won)

To fight the post-meal nap, we put up my grandmother's Christmas tree. Not to rush the holiday or anything--it was a lovely gesture that turned out to be quite fun with the other ladies in my family. The final product...

And no Thanksgiving is complete without an almost completely pointless trip to Walmart for Black Friday shopping. 3 years we've been going and this is the first year we actually bought something that was on sale---DVD's. (Benjamin Button & Dark Knight--$5) I've been sad the last couple of days thinking that we wouldn't be able to have our own tree here on the 3rd floor due to space. In comes Walmart to the rescue with an adorable Norfolk Island Pine that I am ecstatic to decorate with miniature ornaments and star that I also found at Walmart. Stay tuned for the before and after pictures

Our Thanksgiving was made complete and final with a trip to the Clark family Thanksgiving. With the annual BFL (backyard football league) kickoff at 1pm and dinner at 4:30, we concluded Thanksgiving with a potentially cracked & bruised ribs, some speed scrabble, great time with family and of course pumpkin pie.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving (whoever you who are reading this is). And I hope you stop to think who you are thanking. My mother in law so graciously reminded me that people think of what they are thankful for but often times don't remember who they are thanking for it all.

Plus---here's a little flashback of last Thanksgiving. A walk down memory lane:

Christmas can't be very far away...

Thanksgiving is here, literally--it's tomorrow. For me Thanksgiving has always been a time of hopping in the car and driving multiple hours to visit family. After the turkey is eaten and the tryptophan has worn off it means it's time for Black Friday shopping. My cousin, my brother and I were always left under the care of the men in the family while my mom, aunt, and grandmother hit the stores armed with their list--well at least 2 lists (my cousin's & my brother's). I truly must be the WORST Christmas list maker in the world. 

I mean sure--when I was younger I had lists..at least I remember circling almost every toy in the Toys'R'Us catalog, but then again that was when Santa (my Pappy) was calling me on Christmas Eve to make sure I was going to bed early. Since I've been a teenager, there have always been one or two things that would be "my list". This year is a whole different story.

I actually find myself asking my HUSBAND what I should put on my Christmas list--WHO does that? Now you might ask, why am I so worried about my list? Well, let me tell you. My grandmother asks for it at Thanksgiving even now...which means TOMORROW. I have always been the practical one--so naturally my list is pathetic. So pathetic my husband laughs. "Sheets? Who puts sheets on their Christmas list?" My reply: 1-they are expensive, 2-why not? hahahah Well I've wasted time from trying to come up with a list to write this post and now Greg is on his way home and I must leave to deliver my list. Here's to hoping I come up with some better things than slippers (which are a high priority on my list this year). :) Happy Thanksgiving!