Friday, December 31st, 2021
Friday Five!
TGIF! And Happy New Year’s Eve! Wherever you are, I wish you a safe New Years Eve and a Nery Happy 2022! Now let’s do Friday Five, sharing any combination of our week and/or plans for the New Year. You’re welcome to do more than five if you feel so moved!
- I’m loving my new airbrush. I’ve started practicing, but like most things, it’s going to take a lot of practice and I’m okay with that. True Story–my middle son called and I was telling him about my airbrush. Then I said, “It’s for fun, I don’t have to be good at it.” Dead Silence. I don’t think he’s ever heard me say something like that in his entire life. It was all I could do not to laugh. I know he was thinking, “Who are you and what did you do with my mom?” It’s possible that I’ve been a little driven over the years, LOL
- I made Hot Chocolate Bombs this week. If you’re not familiar with them, they’re a chocolate shell around a powdered hot chocolate mix and marshmallows. Then when you pour hot milk over one, it begins to melt and kind of explodes marshmallows like a little bomb going off in your milk. If you add in sprinkles it’s even more fun. And man it was super rich and delicious, but I need to get the shell thinner to cut down on some of the richness (Wizard disagrees, he LOVED it). Here’s a pic of my first attempt:
- Yesterday, I found a food processor I wanted at Target. I was happy that I found an 8 cup size with all I need at a good price and that I had enough extra cash squirrelled away to buy it. It was all wins for me until I got home and a piece of the set was missing. I’ll return it today. It’s Target so that should be easy enough, but it was the last one they had in stock. However, since I’m not in any critical need for a food processor, this is just a mild inconvenience so I can’t really complain.
- So 2022, I don’t have any professional goals at the moment. I’ve made a deal with myself to not think about, or try to write for awhile. I spent too long trying and feeling so bad not doing what I felt I should be able to that I created a painful block. It was so bad that every time I saw down to write I tensed up with anxiety and frustration at myself. So I’m focusing now on doing things that I enjoy and not stressing. Personally, our goal is to make a life change happen
I’ll talk more about that if and when we get closer, and I’d say there’s a fair change it won’t happen. So how’s that for vague??? LOL! - For New Years Eve, we’re going out for an early dinner then we’ll hang out at home with Maggie. On New Year’s Day we’re going to Turbo’s house to babysit him so his parents can go to a movie. That’s pretty much the sum of our wild and crazy New Year’s celebration plans.
Okay that’s my assorted five, now I’d love to hear yours! Happy New Year!
December 31st, 2021 at 9:23 am · Link
*blink-blink* I’m with Middle…what have you done with Jen? 🤣 I have a couple of recipes for HC bombs. Those look totally yummy (and no, I’ve never made any because I’m not that motivated – LOL). Ugh on having to return the goody. You might could order one? Mental health and self-care is important. Take care of yourself! Also, I’m guessing a new house but we’ll see. LOL And finally, yay for Turbo Time™! My five:
1. A fun paranormal detective noir short story I wrote came off KU and it’s now wide. CAFE MIDNIGHT was fun to write and fun to read. I’m uploading BLOOD & FIRE today, as it came off at midnight and I had it all ready to go yesterday. Five more to go in January then all my self-pubbed books are wide.
2. Baseball Boy is most over the ‘Rona, Stormy–though positive–is mostly asymptomatic and the last I heard, Only is still negative. 🤞🏼 the rest us of come through fine.
3. Boone managed to knock over the floor lamp in the family room Wednesday night. I picked up a new one that also has a reading light. LG is a happy camper.
4. We have an arctic front coming through tomorrow, along with rain later today and overnight. I’ll be taking the outdoor Christmas lights down and storing for another year. Otherwise, they might be up until Valentine’s. 🤣 Why yes, procrastination IS my middle name. Why do you ask?
5. Two things to finish up my five. I have just over 2 hours of listening left on my 200th book of the year so I will reach my Goodreads reading challenge for this year and my unofficial word for 2022 is **BALANCE**. I’ll be talking about that in my blog Monday.
Cheers to a safe and sane New Year’s Eve and a very Happy New Year to us all! Here’s hoping for better things and happier times ahead. 🥰 🥂
December 31st, 2021 at 4:32 pm · Link
1. HA HA! I know the feeling.
2. Those look great. I’ve never had one.
3. Sorry about the food processor. Hopefully you can get another online?
4. That’s fine. Just take care of you and do what feels right.
5. Have a fantastic dinner and wonderful time with Turbo.
1a. Making my huge pan of lasagna and a small veggie onw for youngest’s lady. Takes all day.
2a. Called my mom this morning and her furnace is broken and there is no circuit board to be had right now to get it fixed. The neighbors are taking good care of her :).
3a. This London weather needs to go. Give me snow or rain, something other than fog.
4a. No plans for tonight. Will be a normal night like all others. I haven’t brought in the New Year since I was 20.
5a. Heard a tradition for New Year’s where you place a quarter outside your door before midnight and then bring it in first thing in the morning so that the first thing to enter the house on the new year is wealth. I thought it was kind of cool and may do it for the fun of it.
Have a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!
December 31st, 2021 at 6:07 pm · Link
Silver, LOL! Sorry for baffling you and my son
I don’t drink much hot chocolate, but I wanted to try, plus I got some molds for Christmas. Wizard really loved them. I returned the food process with no problems, and I can order, I just wanted to pay cash I had set aside. Overall, this is such a small thing, I should just shut up about it 
1) It’s a marathon to get all those books wide, but it should be worth it. Always smart to broaden your income streams.
2) Good news that BB is better, and Stormy at least mostly asymptomatic. Hope you guys don’t get it. It’s sweep through our state again too. Viruses have a party this time of year.
3) Yay for the new lamp. Hope Boone is doing okay. Seems like you mentioned LG being up with him one night.
4) First, stay warm. Hope you got the lights down if that bother you. It’d drive Wizard batty, so I’m going to help him take ours down Sunday or Monday when the ground is dry enough for me to stand on a ladder without a 911 call. I procrastinate many things in my world too.
5) Congrats on making your goal, and I love your word–Balance–for 2020!
Happy New Year to you too!!
December 31st, 2021 at 6:15 pm · Link
Viki, I can get a food processor online if I get to the point of wanting it enough. I was just annoyed Target charged five dollars more for the online one, yet claimed it was free shipping.
1) Lasagna sound delicious! Hope you don’t wear yourself out making it.
2) Oh no, I’m sorry about your mom’s furnace and not being able to get a circuit board. That’s awful for her.
3) I’m with you on fog. It’s funny that it reminds you of London and reminds me of San Francisco.
4) I don’t stay up on purpose, and haven’t since my kids were teenagers. But fireworks will wake me if I do manage to actually fall asleep.
5) I’ve never heard of that tradition but it does sound cool. Try it and let me know if wealth comes your way!
Wishing you and yours a Very Happy 2022!