New Building Project

Here is the Gingerbread House as it exists today.  The new trees are out in front, but haven't replaced the older ones yet.  Hot glue is difficult to remove.  I ripped off the batting "snow" and want to replace it with something smoother.  Those "fake" gumdrops you see along the bottom wall of the house and along the peaks?  That's what grown adults try and pick off.  I was going to go out shopping for additions but now I think I will "shop" in the attic for shiny things.  The house needs "sparkle".  And I intend to close the back up.  I furnished this house with little chairs, tables, dish cupboards etc.  and this means viewers are trying to turn the house to see inside.  And trying to pry the tiny chairs off the floor.  A mistake on my part.  So I will cover the back and they won't be able to see inside.   I intend to add more glitter to the "Necco Wafer" roof tiles.  I cut them by hand.  The body of the house is painted to look like a German Spiced Lebkuchen cookie.  I even "iced" the house with Squiggle PuffyPaint.  I may change that to white rick rack.

So, just a touch up and some additional sparkle and it will be ready for the Holiday season.

I think Hunting Season has begun.  Riley will need to wear his bright orange vest on future walks in the woods.  The first weekend of Hunting is the most dangerous.  Lots of drinking and wild shooting.  I prefer when they shoot themselves or other hunters.  Not homeowners out hanging laundry or walking their dog.
I despise the entire month of November due to hunting (I live close to land covered in deer). If I wanted to "hunt" I could get a deer every season, from my back stoop.

I just lost the whole second half of the post I wrote.  This is the second time this has happened.  Not that anything I had to say was earth shaking--it still makes me mad.  I think it has something to do with the touch pad.

I am going to finish my coffee, walk the dog, go to the grocery to buy sliced baked ham and eggplant, come home and try and get one or even three things off my list of items to do in the garden.  Then I will settle down to work on my notes for tomorrow's class at work.

I found two new soup ideas on the blogs.  A creamy, cheesy Broccoli and Cheese and a Mushroom and Roasted Cauliflower.  I think a creamy, thick soup will be both filling and Atkins friendly for lunches at work.  I am usually cold, so a salad won't cut it.  Something hot will be better.  And I have eaten all the chili I had in the freezer.  I also want to buy some eggplant and make fried eggplant to eat with marinara and melted cheese and also to layer in a lasagna.  I even have an Atkins friendly Moussaka.  So many things to try with eggplant now that I have "allowed" myself to use bread crumbs.  Yes, I am allowing myself to use forbidden ingredients, in small quantities.  My thoughts on this:  If a very small amount of a forbidden food makes my life a happier place to be, then I will make that allowance.

I have still NOT had ANY bread, pasta or ANY sugary baked goods.  No potatoes or starchy vegetables.  No beans. No chips.  No sugary fruit (apples, bananas, pineapple etc).  And it's been SIX MONTHS.  I think I can continue to eat this way; with small allowances for breaded foods, for my lifetime.  I like being in control of my appetite.  I like not being compelled to EAT, EAT, EAT.  I could never eat just one slice of toast.  I had 4 to 6.  And still wanted more.  So, I can never eat those triggers again.  Sad but true.

Now, back to the coffee and my list.