Yesterday was the big day, the New Christmas Cookie Tradition with my Aunt and her side of the family. I started out with the idea from her brother last Christmas. I asked her if she wanted to join in having a Christmas Exchange and I began asking co-workers, friends and other avid bakers. I had 20 people interested in October. By Thanksgiving we set a date for either the first or second sunday of December. As the date grew closer I have more and more cancellations. Before I knew it - it was down to just me, my mom and my aunt. I then was chatting with (e:springfaerie) and told her how bummed I was that she would not be coming. After a little while my numbers went up to four as the Sunday was arriving by the end of the week.

We all baked at least 4 different recipes, with a doged determination to make things work in a new kitchen. We had problems from the get go, but my mom and I were committed. We kept working. We really had the most fun I have evr had baking cookies. No, it was not your traditional cookies exchange. We baked at our location, mostly family experience. Other family members dropped in to check on our progress. We ate. We laughed. We worked. We baked. We frosted. We did lots of dishes. I can not tell you the final numbers because we were very unorganized. I can tell you all the amazing cookies we baked: The Traditional Anise Polish Cut-Outs; Sugar Cookies with Anise frosting; Anise Pizzelles; Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies; Tree Spritzers; Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies; Mexican Wedding Cakes / Russian Tea Cakes; White Chocolate Macadamian Nut Cookies; Peanut Butter Cookies; Gingerbread Cookies; Chocolate Chip Nut Cookies; Spanish Galletas and Homemade Pizzia to fuel our energy.

We started at 2pm until 11pm. So nine hours later we had so many cookies we had no clue what to do with them. YEAH! We all agreed to give it a go next year.

This morning I awoke with more aches and pains than I knew was possible. I felt like I had gone to the gym for a full body workout! I fell asleep before I remembered to take any pain relief medicine and boy did I pay.

In summation I really decided that Christmas Cookies are a labor of love, but aren't we all worth it? So remember the next time you take a bite out of a homemade cookie the amount of love, work and time that goes into making that delicious moment of pure heaven in your mouth!

My mom and I have been looking forward to buying this movie. So when Target's sale paper came out off we went to Christmas shopping and also bought this DVD to help aid our motivation in making Christmas cookies (see in a blog near you).

We watched this movie over two evenings due to our crazy days and schedules. We also watched the specials in the bonus features. The added benefit of buying or renting the dvd versus the paid per view, just my humble thought on the matter. Both of us enjoyed the dual storyline. It did peak my interest in finding out more about Julia Child. We both agreed to look for the Chefography to see if there are any on her.

I think the wierdest part about a happy ever after ending movie like this had me questioning the timing. Did they ever meet?

My second thought the movie inspired was the blog perspective. So many questions, most of them I need to direct toward (e:paul). How did blogs evolve into being? What is the rest of the story behind blogging? Andy you are falling behind? I ask myself, why do I blog? You know folks, I do not know I have an answer that I like. Because I need to. I have to take this up under further advisement. I enjoy reading as many other blogs as I have time to read. I feel like it is more personal and is a way to be real. Of course I joined this blog because I met many of the core group and really enjoyed them. I also wanted to met more people that live off the strip. Yet I am amazed at how often other people's blogs seem to have an element of role play. I really do not know how I feel about all this, jury is still out, but I am curious and collecting more information.

I have been really good for a while about blogging when I am actually online, which as you can tell I have not been in awhile. WOW! I have so many photo blogs to update that I still have to edit the pictures, we are going back to like July. UG. I have had some things pop up that are still not quite finish enough to post. I am still tackling my attic, but Christmas shopping has cut off that project for a few weeks. I usually make handmade gifts each year with some kind of theme. For example, I decided one year to make jewelry as the theme and I made earrings and necklaces for the women and rosaries for the religious and either keychains or beaded critters for the men. I usually start buying things between thanksgiving and Christmas this year to work for 10 to 12 months for next years presents. Well, I am not sure what happened, but recently in the last few months someone asked are you ready for christmas? And for the first time in years I am like NO! It was already the first week of December and I had not one present for anyone. UG!
It is 11 days to Christmas and I am proud to report I only have two more presents to buy and I will have everything I need for the holidays!
I have been trying to write down thoughts and ideas, journals, blogs and other stories. So I will have a few post tonight to make up for the past few, but I warn you they are completely out of order and are priority to the muse that runs my brain when I am off resting.

So like I barely keep up my blog and I haven't checked my email since June and there I was hanging out with (e:springfarie) just before school started to watch TrueBlood and we had a couple of hours between dinner and Trueblood so what is there to do...

She dragged me kicking and screaming to facebook. For like two weeks I could not help but check everyday. Who said what. What was my mini post going to be. More names to search for. I found a friend from college I had lost touch with through searching for her family members. We had lunch later in the week. Talk about instant gratification!

Found friends I did not mean to loose track of. Got in touch with current friends. Talked with camping buddies. So many people so little time.

I found a childhood buddy from my teenager years. It had been 20 years since we have seen each other. We talked on the phone like two days later.

Then it was happening everywhere in my life, not just on the computer. FOR example: My dad, mom and I were headed over to the family poker night. There is a stop sign at the end of my street and I watch thi van go by. I was like holy that looks just like my friend Jason. So we turn and meet up with the van at the next stop sign turning the same way, not once, but twice. (lots of one way streets on the west side...) Then pulls into the driveway to back into the one across the street and I'm like that IS my friend Jason. So I jump out of the car. We chat for a minute and I realized my parents are like who is this guy. So I introduced them and we exchanged phone numbers and we headed off to card night.

Today I was waiting for prescriptions at the pharmacy a Wegman's and ran into a former co-worker and exchanged emaiil addresses.

I am blessed with getting reaquainted with friends I thought I'd lost just from livin' life. Cosmic. Truly inspirational. Slightly confusing, but fun!

Tuesday was great working with my new students and getting to see how much my students have grown. Later in the afternoon I was starting to feel an unxpected pain on the right side of my neck.

Wednesday morning I woke up feeling like I had freeze dried my neck it was so stiff and in so much pain. I put topical pain rlieers on and tried to do my physical therapy exercises to loosen up the neck and upper spine. I was no good that day.

Thursday I woke up with more mobility but there I was looking like an extra for Mr. Roboto. I did everything I could and went off to work. Good day with the students. Hard day reigning in my temper. I have a short fuse when I am in pain. Who doesn't? I did not actually have problems with students. I had a co-worker problem. Go figure?! I also had to get home quickly because over my birthday weekend the new fridge stopped working for the holiday weekend. SO ther repari guy was due in. Nice guy but the part was on order. See ya tomorrow!

Friday was better mobility but I had spoke with the shool nurse and showed her my neck which was all bruised. I look like someone hit my neck & skull with a 2x4. So I decided to bite the bullet and call for a doctors appointment. I also had to call my insurance because they changed the policy as of Sept 1st. Ug! Higher co-pays! $250 deductable, which sounds like cool, but what it really means is you pay the first $250.00 out of pocket. This after recieving my first check on the year that is restructured for less money per month. There is an extra check that we will get it in at the end of the year. Oh, and then I wonder why I am getting migraines and have spinal pain.?! No really?!

Everyday was like come home and take a 2 hour nap and still I could sleep 8 hours no problem. I basically was limited as to what I cold do and what my body would give me permission to do, which was no much. Hot showers, exercise, stop pain, tylenol, pain patches, ice, heating pad, sleep. I could watch tv. So tv it was.

I rewatched Centerstage, Teen Wolf and Teen Wolf Too! When the phone rang...My BFF (e:springfairie) who has HBO called Saturday to let me know that HBO was replaying TrueBlood both Sat and Sun. SO I invaded the family compounded proceeded to stare at the tv screen for like 13 hours over two days. Yeah True Blood! Thank you for the fantasy repreive.

Today was the doctors appointment. More exercises and two muscle relaxants, which once I got through the deductable and reducing my savings to a mere nothing. I have all but one script to go. Once I got the first muscle relaxant I started to feel human. I still have a tension headache and moderate pain in my neck and upper spine, but it seems much more reasonable then when I did not have the script. My mobility has increased as well. Yeah!

THe next one is for bed time and I guess makes you really sleepy. We shall see at bedtime.

"NO it is to the pain, Highness" Wesley AKA the Dread Priate Roberts from the Princess Bride...

So much more to blog... different topics though...

I woke up thinking ok. I am 35. Half way between 30 and 40. I proceeded to ask myself what I wanted to do that day. I determined that Laundry therapy, some movies and maybe go to my dad's labor day yard party.

I managed to get he laundry done and as I was folding I discovered that the Labor Day Yard Party was supposed to be surprise party for me more like spontaneous b-day party. I'm like ok cool. So I pick out a cute outfit and head down after the laundry.

Did I remember to take one picture? NO!

So there were like 25 friends and neighbors. Ok. One set of neighbors piled their plates and left. Did not speak to me or wish me a happy birthday. How rude? Another ate more than half of my Carvel Ice Cream Cake. Same person took home two plates of food saying my dad said it was ok ad he knew nothing about it. Beer was the drink of choice. I do not drink beer. (long story) People were being loud and obnoxious. I was really surprised. After I helped to clean up I put myself to bed early.

Just before I go to bed I hear a huge arguement. I still have not got the skinny on ths one and I do not think I care to know t be honest.

THe food was awesome. We had beer, pop, hot dogs, sausage (which were eaten before I made it down to the party), hamburgers, potatoe salad, spicy cabbage (OH my was that good!), baked beans, puerto rican rice and beans, ribs (which I never got to taste.) and Carvel Ice Cream Cake.

Overall a very wierd welcome to my mid-thrities...maybe that is why I like to spend time with individuals instead of having a party.

I had stopped into the mall on the 7th. We had to pick something up or pay on something. Anyway we were there and stopped into Clarks. My mom wanted a new pair of shoes. I'm like tired of the mall and want to go home. This Sales Associate was so cool. Before I knew it I was trying on shoes. Being a teacher you are on your feet all day. She told me about this shoe line called UNstructured. OMG! I tried the shoes on and did not want to take them off. SO much more comfortable than the sandles I was wearing. I bought them. I notice that they had blue which matched my purse, so I ordered them and had to go pick them up. They were in so we went on the 13th. Here is an interesting part: I had bought a pair of shoes from them back 2 years ago. I loved the color: green. When I wore them all day I had blistered at the heels of my feet. PAINFUL! I remember shoving them under my bed and forgoting all about them. They gaurantee their shoes and they gave me my money back which I promptly spent on the second new pair. I forgot to take a picture of the shoes...we walked all around the mall. Stopped to Johnny Rockets for a bite to eat. Went into Lane Bryant for Shirts for work. SALE. Then we were headed for something to drink when a man with a clipboard asked to talk with us. He was from a survey place and wanted to know if we would take a suvey based on food and beverages. Sure. Then we found out we got paid at the end of the survey. Cool. Between the two of us we made $10.00. We were no longer thirsy and continued to shop. We found a sheet sale. Then dad called and it was time to head home.

In no particular order the pictures from that day:

I like clouds.


I like to see what I can see in the shapes of clouds.


More clouds.


THis one looks like a bird to me.


Dark Clouds.


Around the bend toward the Galleria


Galleria Entrance


Flags at the Galleria


Lord & Taylor at the Galleria Mall.


I looked up to see directly over my head once we parked.


Galleria Parking Lot.


Sky above the Galleria.


Heading toward the Galleria


Little Clouds


More Little Clouds


Macy's at th Galleria


Many more clouds


More and more clouds


Clouds are cool.


Scene from the Thruway


My favoriteset of trees on the thruway.


Walden Village Sign on the way to the Galleria Mall.


Sky


Good - bye Galleria!


Heading home from the Galleria.

Friends of the family asked for some artwork on the threshold of the entrance to their home. I decided to reacquaint myself with the glass painting process. I started when I was in grammar school. I did a Mickey Mouse on a glass square with the art teacher at my mom's former school. He then told me to keep it up. So I got into some experiments, here they are:

I went with a lightning veiny design to color, using more negative space to complete the design. I was amazed at how dark the colors become once they dry. I will have to try to remember to take pictures while I am working to show you the differences.

I did a large lightning with a small. The red does come off as red, but it went on looking like bright pink. The blue is darker than I thought.

I like the pearlescent white. I like the finished product.

This design started with the bubbles of the fish and then I added the fish and the grass.

Here fishy, fishy. I had two different kinds of paint. The primaries were opaque and the others are more traditional stain for glass.

There goes the fishy. See I do not need pets.

Here's the frst view of simple swirly design.

Scond view of same bottle.

A side of tall jar. Which could be used for pencils and pens.

N side of tall jar.

D side of tall jar. I did not color in the next two I thought it gave a cool view o the other side of the jar. What do you think?

I side of tall jar. I am currently doing research to bring Glass Painting into my classroom. I think the students would enjoy learning a new kind of painting project.

Yesterday I had to go to work to take down a summer bulletin board. So my mom and I decided to have lunch at our favorite restaurante in Lackawanna: Victoria Square. It is some place I grew up at. My parents are friends with the owners. They work very hard and it is a special place for me. Cindy makes homemade pies for dessert!
We were entering and I was completely flabbergasted because they changed the decor with new colors and new decorations. Cindy was heading home and we were like WOW!
They changed the color to shades of greens. The siderail is painted reddish brown, which really bring out the wood. As red and green are complementary colors they work together to make things pop. The decorations are an earthy mediterranean flavor. I was so overwhelmed with the decor I forgot to take pictures of our lunch! Me! I forgot the food!
Well here are the pictures, see for yourself the changes:

I thought this was so cool, because it is a special blend of regulars that enjoy Victoria Square. We ran into a fellow choir member out celbrating with his family. As I spasmodically took pictures all over me fave eatery.

I am always looking at their clock to make sure I am on time, maybe I will remember to eat on time too!

CAFFIENE! Here is Victoria Squares Coffee Station. Anyone who knows me, knows that I usually only order coffee during the winter or with the yummy delicious homemade desserts.

I thought these were totally cool. I somehow see a future art project evolving from these pieces.

I like collage compilations the interst for me comes with the individal piece working in tandem with the entire visual and yet keeping its originality. Very American feeling Individual Unity.

I thought this was so cool. My mom and I are noted for our flower pitures interspersed in our rolls of film and digital has not changed our behavior.

This is right after you come into the entry way directly to your right when facing the main window. I love booths so I have sat in everyone.

This turned out better than I hoped. I believe it was a gift to Louie and Cindy when thy opened. I would have to double check with them, but it looks great with the new colors.

I just love the decorations and the way they look. The employee was there who put them up said it only took an hour and a half. Which anyone who has hung artwork or pictures in their home is really good for that time!

This was the very cool decoration next to our booth! My mom and I discussed the decor until our food arrived. She ordered a House Salad. I was amazed I was actually there for a special on the special day. Thursdays is Cold Subs for $3.99. I ordered an assorted. I love the fact that they toast the rolls automatically. I learned from other travel this is a Buffalo thing.

Here is our view from our booth. I really liked the chages, but they really caught me by surprize.

I am finally remembering to take my camera with me when I do stuff. I have been having flashbacks to high school (I was yearbok editor) which means I had the headphones and camera out all the time. It was a wonder what I wrote about did not have a soundtrack.

Anyway I took some pictures in my neighborhood while struggling with rechargeable battery issues - they are not keeping there charge! UG.




The Adult Learning Center on its own block beteen Edward, Virginia and Elmwood. This ws the first of a series of photos from a moving vehical on the passenger side, of course!


Betty's Restaurante on Virginia. It has been a long time since I have eaten there, but there food was good.


This one hurts. Hispanics United of Buffalo New Addition to the old building had a muralist begin a mural several years ago. As an artist this hurts to pass almost everyday I leave my house. I do not know the story behind why the artist did not complete this mural. I did see scaffoldng go up and then what ever must have been done was minimal. From the viewers perspective it bothers me to see this work of art incomplete. From an artists perspective I am patiently awaiting payments for a mural I completed to the clients specifications from 3 years ago.


I thought this a cute picture of the mini playground on the corner or Virginia and West.