Everyday Chatting & Waffling {2024} Let's get to know each other!

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FormbyGirl

FormbyGirl

Sugar Cookie : GingerScraps Praise
Sorry, I got a late start.

Here's a new thread for 2024 - I hope to see us all here chatting. Welcome back to the familiar faces, and I'm looking forward to seeing some new faces!!

As always, we started the year well with our family traditions at home. This year was no different for us.

I baked Mincemeat Pies (not mince, not meat; I have no idea how they got their name!) for the second year. This has always been my mother's task, but now she is gone, it rests on my shoulders to carry on the tradition. I struggle with a good recipe for pastry. If you have one, let me know. I think I have a decent one; although it is a tad crumbly, it is delicious.

At midnight, my husband takes the old year out at the first stroke of 12, runs around the building, and brings in the New Year on the last stroke. He brings in silver so we will never be poor and coal so we will never be cold. We always greet him at the door with mincemeat pies and Grand Marnier, then toast the new year and take our pictures in front of the tree. Then, after sending the family Happy New Year wishes, we toddle off to bed. This is the second year we have done it without my mother. I still set her out a glass of Grand Marnier and a mince pie.

Cheers all, this is our New Year thread; I hope to see you all here, along with some new faces.
 
Happy (late) NEW Year! Thank you Lynnie for once again keeping us on track with our waffling. This year was a bit different for us as well without my Mom. I usually did an early party with her and then head on home to sit and watch the ball drop on TV but this year I was just pooped and actually went to bed early. I did have a wonderful gathering with hubby, son & grandson on December 30th for my retirement and it was rather lovely with just the 4 of us to chat and snack and have a wee bit of wine.

Wishing everyone a happy 2024 with lots of waffling!
 
What a wonderful tradition, Lynnie! What even is in mincemeat pies? I've always wondered--I never cared for them.

I'm going to an activity tonight put on by our church women's auxiliary. It's all about self-care, and who couldn't use more of that? Eren's still on winter break from school, but is going back to school on Tuesday. They also are restarting their job as a delivery driver. Hubby took 2 weeks off for Christmas but went back to work last Tuesday. Me? I'm enjoying time with Eren while I have it! :) And looking forward to more snow. It's hasn't snowed much here for the last few years.
 
Ane, Mincemeat is things like nuts, raisins, sultanas, orange peel, lemon peel, and other things. It is cooked in a suet. You can make it to your taste if you like to cook :) I love it, but I was raised on it.

Christmas at my place was lovely. I cooked a nice ham with all the surrounds. Everyone had a beautiful day, and everyone was happy :) It's just the way I like it.

Hubby Rand and I celebrate New Year just us. It was great with just us.

Since New Year, I had a little falling out with my daughter. It has devastated me. I try to be neutral and see all sides, but she is very black-and-white and thinks I should always take her point of view. She texted me to say she loved me the following day, but I won't know if our relationship will ever be the same.

I am still babysitting four days a week and have felt a little worn out. I can't manage to keep up with my regular life these days. I took Monday off, I needed it and will take more of them. Steven doesn't work on Mondays, but I babysit because he has a bunch of errands and chores to get done (like mowing the grass) that can't easily be done with two children in tow.
 
I am still around. I have started some training in order to help others on Family Search dealing with issues they may have on the site. I went to bed early on New Year's Eve. Some days this Christmas season have been great and others not so good. I did have a great Christmas with family. I do feel more at peace the last few weeks than I had for a couple months. I love hearing from all of you and worry about problems you may have. May this year be great for all of you.
 
Thanks for the heads up or should that be threads up message Lynnie. :)

Love mince pies but haven't had one for several years. I used to make mincemeat every year a few months before Christmas so it could 'mature' (it contained brandy). Some family members loved to have them served with Brandy butter. Very decadent.

They were originally made with meat. I feel like I've posted this link before but there's a short history of mince pies at the historic UK site: https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Mince-Pies/

I was listening to the historic royal palaces podcast just before Christmas and they were talking about food and how originally Christmas pudding was nothing like we have now. They have a blog post about the history of Christmas pudding that includes a victorian christmas pudding recipe that uses mashed potatoes - of all things. https://www.hrp.org.uk/blog/a-christmas-pudding-recipe-with-a-victorian-twist/#gs.2u52td
 
Happy New Year everyone! We had a great beginning to the new year. Kent and I cooked our normal Black-Eyed Peas, Cabbage and Cornbread and just spent some time together. Sassy was happy when I put away all of the Christmas Decor and Kent took down the tree because that meant that her big fuzzy bed would get put back where she thinks it belongs! Gotta love that dog!

I was able to see two of my cousins that I haven't seen in a very long time. They live close by but we are all busy with our own thing that we don't get together much. It was good to just sit and catch up with everyone.

Have a great week and thank you Lynnie for starting this new thread!
 
Ane, we all need some self-care. Get some for me, while you are there :)

Anne-Marie: I love your challenges. I just wish I had more time to scrap. I would totally do them. I did for a while, but I couldn't keep up.

Katherine: Do you ever scrap genealogy pages. I have done a bunch and love doing them. I am glad you found some joy in your Christmas and New Year. It is always hard after you lose someone.

Julia: Thank you for all that lovely information on mince pies and Christmas Pud. I am a huge fan of both. :) Do you have a good recipe for pastry? I am not pleased with mine.
 
We always did the mincemeat and shots too Lynnie! Of course, us kids HATED mincemeat. Dad LOVED it and we LOVED having a once-a-year excuse to have a "shot", albeit a VERY SMALL one. I think we did Jack. LOL. And in MN, we did NOT run around the house, but we did open the front and back doors to issue out the old an in the new.
 
Lynnie, thank you for the new Wafflers thread! And thank you for sharing your New Years traditions. I hope your daughter comes around and you can restore your relationship.

Anne-Marie, thanks for sharing the new links, as well!

Katherine, glad to see you’re still around! Hope your training is going well.

Julia, thank you for the recipe on mincemeat pies. The only reason I knew about them was from watching the Great British Baking Show. Over the holidays, I found a season where Paul and Prue judged the Great American Baking Show. It was fun, but not as good as the original. I love that show which is ironic since I don’t bake at all! LOL!

Carla, ha… how funny that your dog has a clear opinion about the decorations coming down!

For New Years, Randy and I drove about an hour to visit the Kansas City Union Station where they had decorated the main hall with light displays, animatronic animals, a kiddie train, and a choreographed fountain with lights surrounded by a forest of Christmas Trees. It was massive. It had been up since before Christmas, so it wasn’t very busy when we were there. Perfect place to take a bunch of holiday photos while still getting to be inside where it was warm! Neither Randy nor I grew up with any food traditions for the New Years. Although some in our community insist on eating black-eyed peas (supposed to bring luck to the New Year for some reason??). It is always fun to learn about traditions in other parts of the world!
 
Hi everyone. Thx Lynnie for starting a new thread for the year. Our Xmas and NYE was very quiet. We are still unpacking and settling into our new home. This was the first year I didn't have a tree up and gifts under the tree. It sure was stress-free. Also, I didn't cook Xmas Eve or Xmas Day which was a first and I enjoyed the much more relaxed schedule. I am 2/3 unpacked now and have started putting up a few framed photos and decor, in between unpacking boxes.

We all love the snow here and love the view out of our kitchen nook every day. We got permanent lights installed on the house so never have to put up Xmas lights again and have an app to change the colors/pattern. After next week we'll pick a more subdued color/pattern for the front and will always keep the back of the house in soft white that illuminates the yard wonderfully (for keeping track of the dogs at night in the dark). in our cul-de-sac, a few of our neighbors also have the same kind of light system so we sort of coordinate, it's fun. We've met most of the others on our little street and so far everyone seems friendly, most are older adults/retirees. What a lovely neighborhood we are in. The deer are everywhere so we have learned to look outside and make sure they aren't in the yard before letting the dogs out. We often have to stop the car and wait for them to cross the street.

So far, our little town is perfect for us. We go out tomorrow night to meet a few locals for drinks/appies at a local pub and down the street from there at the legion they have games night so we'll have fun participating in that.

I'm enjoying getting back into scrapping a bit in between unpacking and getting out with the dogs. Life is relaxed but busy.
 
Sorry I've been a bit absent as of late. Christmas and New Year's were quiet at home. I'm the basketball book keeper for the local Lutheran high school and have been busy in my evenings with games and the girl's tournament. In between all that I had RSV. I have 6 more games and the boys tournament and things will slow down again. Been busy scrapping and celebrating our 30th anniversary in between all the games.
 
Happy New Year 2024! May it be a wonderful year for all of us.

I got so lost in the 2023 LONG thread...I just couldn't keep up.
Cliff notes here: We are all doing fine. The holidays were very nice. We hosted Christmas and my son in law asked if his co-worker and her fiance' could come as they are from Miami and would not be going home. Of course!! They were nice to have.
G'kiddo's had a wonderful day.
New Years Eve- we were home and asleep prior to midnight.

I'm still dealing with the CPAP machine. Now on a controlled pressure.Doing much better. I just don't like it.

I remain busy with all the crafting I do. It's fun.

G'kiddo's keep us busy with their activities which are often in my gallery.

Hubby and I have a big river cruise booked in the summer.

Katherine- I think it is so cool how you know so much about genealogy. I dabble in it but have many dead ends. Also have had several surprises too.
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NY eve is crazy loud in Hawaii. Professional grade (illegal) aerials with bombastic loud booms set off thruout the night, culminating at midnight. Our poor dog thinks it's an invasion and goes nuts every time.
Today, Jan 10, my youngest son moved to Arizona. Happy for his "next chapter " as he calls it, but my heart is aching a bit.
 
Thank you, everyone, for coming to the new thread :) For those who struggle with getting lost, when you come into the thread, there is a link on the top of my first post on the right - it says "First Unread Post!" Click on that; it will take you to the first post you have not read. Alternatively, you can go to the last page, go back a page, and start there. Don't worry about answering everyone; this is about having a good time and being here when you need us.

Karen is talking to me. It is just about everyday things. I am still feeling very broken and hurt. I have sat under my blanket since Saturday and felt sorry for myself.

Well, except for the cooking (not under the blanket, that would be a fire hazard!).
And the cleaning...
And the prep for my friend's visit from England in April...
And my Bible Study.

I even called in sick for babysitting on Monday. (I actually called in 'Sorry for myself." )

I am pitiful! :confused-8:
 
Lynnie, I am sorry to hear of your you and your daughter's troubles. I do hope you will resolve them quickly as the longer the go often it has a longer affect. I had something similar with my sister when we were caring for our Mom. We finally have come to an understanding and things between us are much better. You should not feel guilty about taking a "sick" day as we all need them, even if it is just to take care of our mental health.

Rae, So happy you are settling into your new place, sounds like a wonderful choice. We are getting our house ready to make a major move too probably closer to spring.

Katherine, I have been dabbling in my family genealogy for some time now and found a few interesting facts but it is is so hard. Do you have any tips for searching for German, Ukrainian/Poland roots?

Glee, My son moved out of province last year and I have finally adjusted so hang in there, it gets easier as time goes on.

Hi Ginger, nice to see you pop in and see all the action here. Sorry that I am not able to join in on the 365 this year, hoping for next year!

DJ, congratulations on your 30th Anniversary!

Michi, sounds like another fun year with your cruising, have fun!

Sherri, I see you are back in full swing doing layouts. So happy that you are doing much better and wish you good health and happiness for the new year!
 
FormbyGirl said:
Julia: Thank you for all that lovely information on mince pies and Christmas Pud. I am a huge fan of both. :) Do you have a good recipe for pastry? I am not pleased with mine.
Click to expand...

I have to confess I was lazy and mostly bought pastry pre-rolled pastry. I haven't made regular pastry from scratch in years, I remember the trick to managing it was always to rest in the fridge before rolling, especially in our summer heat.

I use low-carb alternatives now but they're hit and miss and I wouldn't say I'd found a reliable recipe yet.
 
RAE!!! I am SO THRILLED that you are happy in your new town! Sounds like a wonderful place. I'm enjoying your pics.

Ginger... Thanks for the invite, but I just don't know that I have it in me to do 365 anymore.

Lynnie, can you help me out with that "First Unread Post"? I'm not seeing that when I look at your first post? I just go to the last page, but it would be awesome to go to the last post that I READ! These do get to be long threads. Which are wonderful. I love this group!
 
DJ, sorry to hear you had RSV. Hope you’re feeling better. Hubby talked to one of his friends yesterday who had developed a respiratory issue. His friend told him that he sneezed so hard that he broke a couple of ribs! Egads!

Michi, now you have me curious. What’s been the biggest surprise you’ve ever uncovered doing genealogy?

Glee, I hope your son’s move is a smooth one. I saw a meme on Facebook the other day that made me laugh… you’re not a real empty nester until your children get all their stuff out of your basement. Ha. Our daughter lives and works in a town about 45 minutes from us. She hasn’t lived in our home for the past 3-4 years. When she asked me what I wanted for Xmas, I told her I wanted her to go through her bedroom at our house and remove all the clothes and shoes and papers that she clearly isn’t using or needs. I’d like to be able to use her room as a guest room. But she needs to go through all her “stuff.”

Lynnie, thanks for the directions on how to get to the unread posts. And I love how you’ve shown self-care by hibernating under a blanket (metaphorically, it sounds!). Sometimes we just need to go into a cocoon so we can emerge again.

Ginger, I adored your first 365 page. I’ve never done any scrapbooking like that but I’m inspired. I think that sort of layout would be perfect for my week-long youth programs this summer. We always pack the days full to keep the kids entertained and on the move. I could do an entire album every year for each program. But since I’ve been doing these programs for more than 20 years, I challenge myself to find new ways to scrap / summarize the week. The weekly summary will be a good challenge for me.

Hubby signed us both up for the Noom app. We had both lost so much weight during COVID… not having crazy travel schedules and just being at home where we could plan our meals and walk every day really helped us. Now that life is “back to normal,” our weights are going up again. Ack. So I am now logging all of my meals and trying to prioritize my health among all of my other responsibilities. I must admit that sometimes knowing I’m going to have to log a food item makes me second think if I really want to eat it. So I guess that’s helping already. Ha.

Other than that, we are preparing for a bitterly cold weekend. Forecast is predicting temperatures to be between -10 and 5 degrees F. So I need to grab some ingredients to make some soups or slow cooker meals so that I don’t have to leave the house all weekend. Ha. Happily, next week, I’m heading to Tampa, Florida. So I will be able to thaw out a bit.
 
What a fun and creative way to send the old year out and the new year in, Lynnie. I am glad you are off to a good start.
 
Happy Thursday! I had a slight panic a bit ago...I accidentally opened the 2023 chatting thread and about had the big one!!!! LOL- So far, I'm still all caught up on this thread for 2024.

Congrats Rae on the new home. I'm intrigued about the permanent lights.

Lynnie- I hope things settle with your daughter. Prayers and crossed fingers.

Ginger- I will look at the 365. Love your page and the one Karen Schulz did too.

Shana- If you're sure you want to know...Ancestry: Discovered I have a half sister who is 7 years older than me. Mama was 17, pregnant, Catholic and the year was 1944. She was adopted by our great aunt [Grandma's sister] who didn't have any children. We have met. She is awesome and so much reminds me of Mama.
On Daddy's side- very mysterious. So much of what Daddy mentioned to us growing up and even when I asked him to write everything down for me, because 'he' had asked me to make a memory scrapbook of pictures for him. So much of what I've discovered is not what he said. It was either because it was what 'he' was told growing up or dang...a darn good story teller. Not sure which. I do think much was what "he' was told. His mother as I've discovered is Native American and a tri-racial tribe. His father was not born in Germany and was not doing secret government Army work, but spent time in jail. Daddy mostly lived with his mother's relatives. He claimed it was because his mother traveled with his father.
Daddy's birth certificate only lists his name, the date, and male. No parent names are on it.

The majority of the 'cousins' on ancestry I've found are on Daddy's maternal side.

Today is cold!
Have a good one.
m
 
Michi - they are little LED lights that have 3 little lights per mini disc, that are installed permanently on the house. They are energy efficient and are programmable from a phone app, where you can choose presets or make your own combinations of colors, patterns and speed. They have a lifetime guarantee for parts and 5 year labour, but the tech says he has not had a repeat customer needing repairs in all the yrs he has been with the company. It's so much fun to program them to whatever combinations we want. Because of the way they are installed, they are not noticeable during the day, only when turned on in the evening. Many people here in our town have gotten them.

IMG_3804-M.jpg
 
Rae those lights are so cool! Remind me again where your new location is?

Michi, that's a LOT! wow.

Lynnie, her initial text was a sign that all will be well. Have fairth. She knows you love her and you know she loves you.
Also, I did not know about (or notice) the 'last read post' tab; thanks!!

Shana, Be warned, Tampa gets darn cold, too!

thank you to all for the fledging leaving the nest support. We want that for him. I know it's a good thing. Just need to get used to it.
 
Glee - we moved to Alberta, a small town called Okotoks. About 1/3 of the size of Kamloops where we lived for 1.5 years after leaving the Vancouver BC lower mainland area. We are only 15 min from Calgary which is a very large city so we don't have far to go if we need anything aside from basics - groceries, costco, walmart, etc.
 
Wow, I login late in the day and find a lot of posts waiting for me! So cool!

Lynnie, glad you are hibernating a bit! Good for you!

Rae, glad you are thriving in your new home! The lights are gorgeous!

Sherri, it's always good to see you here!

Glee, we became empty nesters last year. Now our youngest is going to school 30 min. away so we usually see them on the weekend. It's nice, but someday they will move away and I'll be in your boat! :)

Michi, wow, those are some wild genealogy surprises! So far I haven't found anything like that in mine.

Shana, we're going to drop below zero this weekend too. I suspect that you're a bit more north than we are. Enjoy Tampa!

I haven't been too busy this week. We went to a college basketball game last night (Eren is in the pep band and gets us free tickets) and go with some regularity. We don't have much going this weekend, but I am hosting book club this coming Tuesday, Hopefully I can get the book read before then!
 
Happy Friday to all! I have my knit and crochet group this morning at church and several items to take in.

Yes - Tampa does get cold. Maybe not the number on the thermometer other places get- which I could not imagine, but cold for us. Houses are built differently and heated probably differently. I made a most delicious soup last night. I'm going to scrap it so I don't forget how I made it.

Rae- I love the photo of the house and the lights! They are so cool. Everytime I try to post a picture on this thread- it goes crazy with a lot of text and no photo.

Glee- glad you are adapting to the empty nest. It's a big step. Luckily our daughter has remained closed by. The older one married military and have been all over.

m
 
Happy Friday, all!

Ha... yes, Tampa will be "cold," but it will still be 50-60 degrees warmer than home next week. So I will take it! LOL!!!

I spent my high school and early college years living in South Dakota. One day on my way walking to biology class on campus, my hair froze. For the entire class, it slowly melted and dripped on me, and I thought to myself... I DON'T have to live where it gets this cold for this long! So the next semester, I moved to New Mexico. Ha! What a culture shock! I remember that next winter, the temps were in the 50s and all the locals were bundled up with gloves, coats, and earmuffs. All of the students from northern states were still wearing T-shirts.

I hope everyone has a lovely day. I have a short day at the office today, and then I'm going to get a haircut. I also need to take my car through the wash and get some of the salt from the roads off it. We had another smaller storm last night, and the road departments have salted everything again. The wind chill advisory (expecting minus 30 degrees F) starts this evening, so that gives me time to run to the store. Lynnie has inspired me and I'm very much looking forward to hibernating this weekend.
 
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