Where I Work

This is my workspace. If you walk straight back, past the white bench, you'll come to the back doors where all my deliveries arrive (in warm weather). My carts are coming in through the warehouse these cold days and then through the garden center and down the ramp into the greenhouse. I order replacement poinsettias every afternoon before going home. These are the fourteen dollar, pinched pinks and whites.

This is a non pinched red. I love the little yellow flowers in the center. The red leaves are just that- leaves. You didn't know that did you? I have explained the way to color the leaves on poinsettias that are living a long and lovely life as a houseplant. Fourteen hours of complete darkness for 5 to 6 weeks. I actually did this with a poinsettia and got it to turn a pale red in it's second winter with me. I felt like Mrs. Wizard.

It snowed overnight. Just an inch or two but it feels more like winter now. Riley loves the snow and wants to go out, go out, go out. He has squirrels to track and chase. He ran through the Invisible Fence this afternoon. I don't think he felt anything. No jolt of electricity. So now we have to stand at the window and watch him. I whistled for him when he was in the woods and he came right home. But if he gets too far, he may not hear us or may get confused and lost. It's too cold here at night for a house dog to be lost in the woods. And there are coyote.

The crew Christmas party was fun. We were the "old" people (G & I). Old enough to be the grandparents of most of the others. But they didn't treat us that way. They expected us to "get jiggy" with them. We laughed a lot. I have very nice co-workers. VERY nice.

This week we are going to a cocktail party hosted by the team that manages our 401K. How's that for a brave and daring thing to do???? Wow. And then on the weekend, the Art Walk Open House at the gallery where my quilts are on display. I have to be there Saturday and Sunday to talk with any guests who come see my work. I hope someone comes.

We had the last of the Thanksgiving Turkey, roasted to a fair thee well, with BBQ sauce and served on cheese covered corn chips with salsa, sour cream and jalapenos. Turkey Nachos. I did get the turkey a little too brown (really, there was some black) but when you roast it till crispy with BBQ sauce it almost tastes like pulled pork. (which I like better than turkey) I made Mexican Black Bean Bisque and it is very spicy and hot. Too hot. Next time I will skip the red pepper and jalapenos.

All the Thanksgiving pies are gone. Eaten. Today I baked caramel walnut brownies for G's desserts. I think I will be skipping dessert at home for a few weeks. I do have parties to attend and WILL eat dessert at parties if the dessert looks delicious. And I have nuts in the shell to snack on. Walnuts and Almonds. We always had a bowl of mixed nuts when I was a kid. At Christmas only. When my kids were little, we always had large bowls of naval oranges in December and I would peel several oranges for the two of them every day. I wonder if they still eat oranges?

I was going to work on my handmade Christmas cards today but I worked on the evergreen head ornament for the Hindu Goddess by my front door (pictures to come) and I took apart the Thanksgiving table centerpiece and made it over into a Christmas centerpiece with evergreens, pine cones and Christmas balls (which are too large and need to be replaced).

I'm going to go watch some TiVo (Mansfield Park) while G watches the football game. See Ya!