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*gets keys, unlocks doors* Come in, come in, it's Fiesta Friday!

dernwyn Forum Admin / Moderator Dec 12 2025, 5:13pm Views: 683 *gets keys, unlocks doors* Come in, come in, it's Fiesta Friday! Welcome, all and sundry, to a mid-December Fiesta Friday! Our barmistress, Altaira, is finding herself bereft of Internet service today, so I shall be your hostess. The buffet is stocked with soups and breads today, for those of us in the chill of near-winter, and the bar blender is ready for any kind of cool smoothie for those of you in the near-summer heat! What are you planning to make for the holidays - any special meals, or desserts? Tomorrow night is our town's Light Parade, so I'm baking gingerbread snowmen as some of the dozens of cookies we'll be handing out at it, along with cups of hot chocolate. And that will be needed, it's supposed to be clear but near freezing temps! Come on in, grab a mug and a plate, and let us know what you've been up to! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire"

dernwyn Forum Admin / Moderator Dec 12 2025, 5:40pm Views: 645 Gingerbread Recipe Here's the recipe I used - warning, it's a rather old one, "Miss Shourd's Ginger Cookies" (from an 1890's Cookbook) 1 cup of molasses 1 cup of strong boiling coffee 1 tablespoonful of ginger 1 cup of brown sugar 1/2 cup of lard 1/2 cup of butter 1 teaspoonful of cinnamon 1 teapoonful of baking-soda "Mix the butter and lard together. Dissolve the soda in a tablespoonful of boiling water, then stir it into the molasses, which add to the butter and lard; add the spices, and mix all well together. Pour over the boiling coffee, and add sufficient flour to make a soft dough. Then roll out about three-quarters of an inch in thickness, cut with a round cutter, and bake in a moderately quick oven about fifteen minutes." You can use Crisco or other shortening for the lard. She doesn't say what to do with the brown sugar, so blend it and the molasses together into the butter/shortening mix. The soda does not need to be dissolved in water, but you may if you wish. Mix the coffee in well before adding flour. It will take 4-6 cups of flour to make a soft dough that's easy to roll out. And you can roll the dough out to 1/2 inch thick and use a variety of cookie cutters (bake for about 10-12 minutes). "Moderately quick" means 375 F. Store in a closed container. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire"

Kimi Forum Admin / Moderator Dec 12 2025, 10:47pm Views: 645 *Totters in* Yesterday afternoon I was taken poorly with what was probably a dose of food poisoning. Eventually nothing remained to make its presence felt, and I had a huge sleep and feel somewhat better today, though still a bit fragile - and not very interested in eating. That aside, it's been a mixed week. Still waiting to get our car air-conditioning fixed, but now have a (somewhat eye-watering) quote, and the parts are on order, with a fair chance of getting it done before Christmas. We shall see. We had a nice outing earlier in the week, walking in one of the regional parks followed by an excellent lunch at a cafe near the park. Last time we were there I realised afterwards that I'd left my sunhat behind, but didn't bother doing anything about it, as it's too far to drive just to retrieve what was an inexpensive hat. It's months since we were last there, but as soon as we walked in the guy said, "I've been looking out for you! I've got your hat." So that was a nice wee surprise. I've started writing some blog posts to share some of the interesting (to me, at least) background details I've come across in the course of researching for my latest book (official release in two days time!). One of my favourites is the tale of the polo ponies and the wronged mathematician in the 1890s. Who knew Auckland had quite such rarefied scandals :) It's amazing what turns up - and how one tale leads to another. The whole exercise can be very rewarding. It's been very warm this last week, but the temperature has dropped several degrees, and we might see some rain this coming week, which will be quite welcome. Wishing everyone a pleasant weekend. The Passing of Mistress Rose My historical novels Do we find happiness so often that we should turn it off the box when it happens to sit there? - A Room With a View (This post was edited by Kimi on Dec 13 2025, 12:41am)

dernwyn Forum Admin / Moderator Dec 13 2025, 1:33pm Views: 638 That's a horrid end to a pleasant week! I'm glad that bout is over, but food poisoning is one of the worst things to experience. The park staff still had your hat, and they knew you'd return - that is amazing! What a bother about the car; yes, it would be very nice to get it all fixed by Christmas. "The Polo Ponies and the Wronged Mathematician" sounds like a nice title for a short story, maybe you could put together a book of these tales you've come across? Hope you're soon in the mood for some soothing hot tea! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire"

grammaboodawg Elvenhome Dec 13 2025, 5:00pm Views: 641 *climbs BOT MOUNTAIN to see what I can... uhhh...* *still waiting* ;) HEY! I made it! :D But I've forgotten why... OH YEAH! Happy Fiesta Friday Everyone! Thanks so much for grabbing the keys, dernwyn :D Ohhhhh.... cookies! I'm definitely going to try your gingerbread peoples :D l really enjoy making what my family calls Crust Cookies. Usually the best way to use left over pie crust, we make the crust just for cookies. Recipe: 1 cup Crisco shortening (or Crisco sticks) 2 cups unsifted all purpose flour 1 tsp salt (or to taste) 1/2 cup COLD milk (or COLD water) - Put dry flour & salt into medium-size bowl - Drop shortening into flour and cut/chop into very small chunks and softly blend into flour. Don't over stir - Mix in COLD milk/water. DO NOT over-work. - On a flour'd surface, roll out as you would for a pie crust (or a bit thicker) but more in a square shape - Slice into approx 2" x 2" squares and place on ungreased cookie sheet - Sprinkle as you like with combined cinnamon and sugar. You can also brush on egg-wash or milk before sprinkling. I like it without :) Do some with washes and some not and really live on the edge! - Bake in pre-heated oven to 400-425 degrees for 10-20 mins (depends on thickness & size) I just start watching them to brown on the edges after 10 mins and pull when done. You want to be able to pick them up without crumbling apart. You can make the crust ahead of time and freeze in flat balls. Make sure to seal tight! When thawing, open to air or it will get slimy/wet. Wait until completely thawed at room temp before rolling out. I also like to use the crust for fold-over mini pies. Cut the squares a bit bigger and place apple/berry/etc. on one-half and fold over, washing inside edges and pinching into place. Top with cinnamon, sugar, etc. OR they make great little meat pies. The next few weeks are going to see me more gone than here. My daughter and g'son are actually moving into their new home by the end of the week! So between trips there and back again with loads of boxes, etc. and getting to Dr. appts, Hobbity, Sam and I (SUV/Trailer) will be putting down a lot of miles across Michigan! Their current townhouse must be cleaned and vacated by the end of the month (HAPPY NEW YEAR!)... so I'll be busy over there. HUGS TO ALL and have a wonderful weekend! Thanks again for taking such great care of us, dernwyn! Enjoy your weekend cookie celebrations! We have been there and back again. TIME Google Calendar

Meneldor Doriath Dec 13 2025, 6:23pm Views: 636 Get better, Kimi They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters, these see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. -Psalm 107

dernwyn Forum Admin / Moderator Dec 13 2025, 6:44pm Views: 631 *urg* ! //   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire"

dernwyn Forum Admin / Moderator Dec 13 2025, 7:06pm Views: 632 That sounds like a cinnamon cracker recipe! Thank you for this recipe, gramma! That's a good point about NOT over-working the dough, otherwise it could become brittle. Those would make nice "crackers" for enjoying with a cuppa hot cocoa! Here's prayers and well-wishes that all goes well with all that moving. What a Christmas present that is to your daughter & grandson - a house all their own! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire"

Annael Elvenhome Dec 15 2025, 3:09am Views: 629 the bots must have been out in force this weekend! But at last I'm here . . . hello? We had an exciting week. I live a quarter-mile from one of the rivers that flooded in Washington state. It got to within 50 feet of my place. One sleepless night before it peaked, luckily NOT has high as predicted, but we set a record anyway. All of my friends were fine, although some were cut off for a while as roads were not passable. The river's gone down to below flood stage now but it's supposed to rain again starting tonight and the river's going to come up again, although not as high. Some little towns near me are devastated, and I just heard that one of the roads we use to access hikes in the North Cascades is . . . just gone. Another town that had a fire go through it last summer has had a bad landslide. Not surprisingly, the two holiday parties I was invited to this weekend were cancelled. We've not had the cold most of you have had, but the temperature is dropping and heavy snow is forecast in the mountains. My friends who live just over the pass are expecting a couple of feet of snow by Christmas. I did a lot of baking while stuck at home. I have a pile of work - I actually had to turn away a new potential client - so I'm staying busy. Got all my shopping done before the monsoons so that's good. *pours hot chocolate, adds a generous dollop of Bailey's* I am a dreamer of words, of written words. -- Gaston Bachelard * * * * * * * * * * NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967

Kimi Forum Admin / Moderator Dec 15 2025, 7:43pm Views: 609 I was wondering how close that flooding was to you - the answer is very close! What a scary time - I'm very glad you escaped the worst of it, but as you say, much devastation for people to cope with. Turning away work is a great situation to be in! The Passing of Mistress Rose My historical novels Do we find happiness so often that we should turn it off the box when it happens to sit there? - A Room With a View

dernwyn Forum Admin / Moderator Dec 15 2025, 8:37pm Views: 604 Your Northwest Monsoons I've been watching the weather reports and wondering how you and everyone around you was faring! It's worse than bad when they have to order entire small towns to evacuate. Were you under any prepare-to-evacuate orders? It's good to have baking and work to keep you busy indoors, but still, it is too bad to miss the parties and friends. How about some Bailey's-flavor marshmallows for that hot chocolate? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire"

Annael Elvenhome Dec 15 2025, 10:47pm Views: 600 oh, nom! Tasty! Because I was just outside the 100-year floodplain, I was never under orders to be ready to leave. But when they started predicting that the river might go 5 feet OVER the 100-year-flood mark, we got worried. Again, it wouldn't have gotten to my tier of the condos but definitely would have hit my immediate neighbors. One man, whose mother-in-law occupies one of the lower units, apparently spent the entire night on the lookout. What surprised everyone was when a drainage slough backed up and flooded a neighborhood unexpectedly. My upstairs neighbor's sons own a house there, and they managed to get the basement cleared out in time, but not their shop. I am a dreamer of words, of written words. -- Gaston Bachelard * * * * * * * * * * NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967

dernwyn Forum Admin / Moderator Dec 16 2025, 2:05pm Views: 543 I hope your neighbor's sons can recover what they lost - water can rise so quickly, they were fortunate to save what they could! And your situation was scary enough. How much rain have had, so far? Let me add a touch of humor. Over 30 years ago, when we were living in a small house on a knoll beside a little stream and the kids were very young, we once had a deluge of rain that caused the dam further upstream to break, and the river rose well over its banks. Our house was okay, but the water flowed into the street in front, coming within 10 feet of our driveway before receding. The kids were delighted by it, however, when we saw the local ducks paddling about in front of the house! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire"

Annael Elvenhome Dec 16 2025, 7:47pm Views: 511 The mountain range east of us got 16 inches of rain over the last week Which is where our rivers arise. I think we got about 6 here. Today we have a gale warning out in the strait west of us, a winter storm warning east of us in the mountains, and we're still on a flood watch until Thursday. Oh, and we're also supposed to watch out for landslides. Fun times! I'm going to play cards this afternoon with the neighbors and we're going to bring all the food we had prepared for the holiday parties that got cancelled last weekend. I am a dreamer of words, of written words. -- Gaston Bachelard * * * * * * * * * * NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967 (This post was edited by Annael on Dec 16 2025, 7:48pm)

CuriousG Gondolin Dec 16 2025, 8:17pm Views: 505 50 feet is way too close! Glad it stopped where it did. //

cats16 Gondolin Dec 16 2025, 10:55pm Views: 480 Keeping you all in my thoughts! I was worried it was close, but didn't realize THAT close. Sending lots of positive vibes that the newest storms aren't as bad as the last and you can get some dry weather soon. Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!

cats16 Gondolin Dec 16 2025, 11:02pm Views: 480 Finally made it! I have been stuck in the catacombs of Botlandia for the last week or so, and it seemed to be especially bad around Fiesta time. But smooth today! All is well in our neck of the woods. We've been hovering about 70F (sorry, don't mean to brag!) but it's going to get colder as the holidays approach. It looks like we'll get some rain at the bottom end of the back-to-back storms that Annael is getting up north. Fingers crossed we don't get anything too intense here, as my parents are coming to visit for a few days later this month. To my surprise, we are 95% done with our Christmas shopping, which is quite the feat for us on December 16th. Work suddenly went into "everyone is driving me nuts" mode the last two days, as if people realized we're a few days out from Christmas and they had to make everything as annoying as possible for the rest of us. Wishing everyone a happy week, and raising a glass to the great Rob Reiner! Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!

dernwyn Forum Admin / Moderator Dec 17 2025, 2:28pm Views: 434 Ah, the holiday rush. Bummer that it's happening at work! Are you getting much vacation time for Christmas - New Year's? Will your folks be coming post-Christmas? Yes, hoping you get decent weather for their visit! Do you have only the "stocking stuffers" left to do? I've got one more shop to check out - it's supposed to have a specialty chocolate that I'd like to get for hubby. I'll join you in raising a glass to "Meathead" - yes, that was when I first saw him, boy am I dating myself! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire"

Meneldor Doriath Dec 18 2025, 3:10am Views: 405 Get outta my chair! They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters, these see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. -Psalm 107

cats16 Gondolin Dec 18 2025, 5:46pm Views: 366 I thiiink it might be starting to slow down (but I don't want to jinx it, lol). I'm actually taking off that week between holidays - I'll already have the 31st and 1st off, but having the whole will will be nice since that's when my parents will be out here. It seems the rain is indeed coming around Christmas Eve/Day! The only good thing is that the city here is usually emptied out by then (as empty as it'll get). Ah shoot, I actually do have some stocking stuffers yet to find, thanks for the reminder! Ooh, chocolate sounds nice! I always pop into a See's Candies here this time of year to find something for the chocoholics in our lives. And I watched that too (re-runs)! Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!

Ioreth Ossiriand Dec 20 2025, 10:50am Views: 274 missed this a) the boards have been unusable for me for like 3 weeks. Either taking eons to load or just giving errors b) I was mentally preparing for that glorious LOTR EE marathon here in Sweden on the 13th :) it was MAGICAL!!!!! :)