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Altaira
Superuser
Oct 7 2022, 4:11pm
Post #1 of 44
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It's Friday, so let's Fiesta!
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A warm welcome, everyone, to this week's Fiesta Friday celebration!
Will someone tell me how it got to be October already? Yes, yes, I know: the earth moving around the sun and all that. I guess time really *does* fly, doesn't it?
B.G. and I had the oddest cold this week. Not sure you can even call it a cold because there weren't many sniffles or coughs, jut legs that felt like led and a lot of sitting around and sleeping out of exhaustion. It definitely wasn't Covid and luckily, we're at the end of whatever it was, so on to getting all those things done we intended to do this week!
How about you? how did your time fly by this week, and/or what might your weekend plans be? Order up your favorite drink and be sure to make a pass or three at the buffet which is piled high with amazing goodies and treats today.
*kicks juke box* Coal Miner's Daughter by the great Loretta Lynn starts to play. She'll be missed!
Have a wonderful weekend!!!   
(This post was edited by Altaira on Oct 7 2022, 4:13pm)
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dernwyn
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Oct 7 2022, 4:35pm
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Half the trees here have turned now, and tomorrow we're not supposed to see temps above the mid-50s (12 C). Halloween will be here before we know it.
Hm, seems like you got more of a flu-type thing - we've had odd ones going around here. Glad that you're getting over it! Sleeping and hot drinks/chicken soup are best for these things, and about all one can do anyway.
I need to get more apples this weekend - my family can't get enough apple crisp, they just about inhale it!  And I need to make more applesauce. We have a holiday Monday, so I'm looking forward to an extra day to sleep in. And this is a great time to take a walk in the woods.
How are the fall colors in your area, Altaira?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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Annael
Elvenhome
Oct 7 2022, 4:40pm
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Will someone tell me how it got to be October already?
Time is accelerating, I swear.
I'm at the really fun stage of moving in. Everything is unpacked and somewhere, and now I'm wandering about "adjusting." As in, "I think I'll switch these two lamps . . . yes, that's better." I have a lot of art and tchotkes and I'm playing with how best to display them all. I intend to spend most of the weeking futzing about in this way, and then Monday: boom! back to working on the novel!
Making dinner for a friend who is camping out at her daughter's house dogsitting tonight. It's a brand-new home with a gorgeous view and enormous deck, designed for parties, and daughter told mom "invite people over!" so several of us have been driving out there to sit on the deck and go for walks. One of our favorite walks is nearby, but the trail has been closed for repairs; it opens again TODAY so we'll also do that.
This week, instead of doing Wordle every morning, I've been voting in Fat Bear Week! Go Team Holly! I frequently tune into the bear cams at Katmai to watch the bears fishing. That's as close as I care to ever get to a brown bear.
https://www.nps.gov/...t-bear-week-2022.htm
I am a dreamer of words, of written words.
-- Gaston Bachelard
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NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
(This post was edited by Annael on Oct 7 2022, 4:42pm)
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Altaira
Superuser
Oct 7 2022, 4:48pm
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I made some apple cobbler this week.
In our household, apples often get overlooked in favor of bananas, fruit smoothies, and/or berries on cereal to the point where we've come to call them 'sacrificial apples.'But this week I finally rescued some and made apple cobbler. Yummy! I would have made apple crisp, but we're out of sacrificial oatmeal. (I rarely eat it in the summer, and B.G never eats it).
Fall colors are in full display here! I'm sure in your part of the country they're spectacular, as usual.
Have a wonderful weekend!
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Altaira
Superuser
Oct 7 2022, 4:57pm
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Too funny! I've watched that cam in the past. Thanks for the reminder about how interesting it is. I've yet to see a bear in the wild, so I'm hoping to see some on a trip to Alaska we have planned. From a distance, of course!
It does sound like you're at the perfect stage of moving in. Do you like putting things together by 'theme' (color, a certain trip), mixing them up, or both? I usually do themes such as our NZ display (to keep B.G. connected), trips we've taken, Tolkien, etc.
Have fun visiting your friend. Sounds like a great place to relax, enjoy the deck, and the great outdoors!
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Annael
Elvenhome
Oct 7 2022, 5:44pm
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My pictures are kind of arranged by theme
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The bird pictures are in the office, the original art is mostly on display in the living room, and I have "local" pictures in the bedroom - a painting of the tulip fields here, one of the lighthouse out where I used to live, etc. My print of the TORn version of Middle-earth that we oldtimers had Daniel Reeve draw for you (when was that?) hangs over my desk.
I am a dreamer of words, of written words.
-- Gaston Bachelard
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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cats16
Half-elven
Oct 7 2022, 6:52pm
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October is indeed rolling right along. Before you know it we'll be adjusting our clocks one last time! I wonder how many people are going to be thrown off when it comes Spring and we don't change clocks again.
Glad you're at the end of your cold/flu/bug, Altaira! My dad picked up something on the train (cross country) recently that didn't seem to be Covid, so there's definitely some stuff going around. We're getting our second Covid booster and flu shot tonight so we'll be good to go for holiday travel season.
Meanwhile, we're ramping up quickly on the apartment hunt. The beginning of the month brought quite a few things onto the market I think, so I've been in a daze sending emails and looking up places. Looking online is only half the battle anymore - nothing still beats driving/walking around and finding signs posted by landlords who don't want to post listings online. We have a fairly promising lead that I'm checking out this afternoon - I'm trying to buddy up with the broker, so even if this place doesn't work out, she'll have us on her list for when other properties she's managing are available. But the place I'm going to visit checks all of our boxes, so I'm hopeful something can come of it. Things are always so competitive though, so it's hard to know if you're really in the running or not. Fingers crossed, I guess!
It's been a longg week at work, so we have very little on the docket this weekend other than our vaccines and maybe another apartment visit or two. We still need to watch the new RoP episode, though (I say that as if it's been out for days and not like, 15 hours, LOL).
Hope everyone has a good weekend!
Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!
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Greenwood Hobbit
Valinor
Oct 7 2022, 6:52pm
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a neighbour gave me a few pears, which I cooked up with a little brown sugar and ginger for a simple, tasty dessert, and I've just cooked a batch of my daughter's cooking apples ready to make apple crumble. Yum! The raspberry canes are still producing a few to sprinkle on the breakfast cereal, and there are some tomatoes still ripening. A friend gave me some home-grown carrots too - so full of flavour! There are still eating apples on my tree to be picked this weekend. all good, hobbity stuff. I squeezed a very ripe tomato onto a piece of kitchen towel and spread out the seeds to dry; if I can remember where I put them, they'll be planted next spring.
Sorry to hear you were both under the weather, but glad it's passed. There are so many viruses floating around to pounce, aren't there! Not just covid - I had my autumn booster a couple of day ago and am due a flu jab in a week or so. I think we might end up wearing masks in crowded places before too long, as the case nunbers are rising again. *sigh*
I'm visiting a couple of old (we met when we were 12 and we've all hit 70 this year) schoolfriends for a few days after the weekend; we're sharing a Cotswold stone cottage with a woodburner. We try to meet up every year for a few days, but haven't since 2019. Chatting in person is a luxury, as we live far apart (by English standards!)
Hmm, music - here's an obscure but lively one, nothing to do with food or the weather, about going to a shinty game (kind of like hockey with attitude). Runrig - "The Clash of the Ash". Cheers, folks!
(This post was edited by dernwyn on Oct 7 2022, 11:40pm)
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Oct 7 2022, 7:35pm
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What a miserable way to spend a week :( I'm glad you're on the other end of it, though.
Yummy on the goodies! I worked up an appetite over the past several days, so a stop at a well-laid table is very great! Thank you! :D
I got quite a workout earlier this week as my daughter and I did a mad-dash through Philadelphia's Historic Section. Our train was over an hour late getting us there, so our time was cut short dramatically! We RAN from the train station, to the subway, then 5 blocks to where the bell tolls! We had about 90 minutes in all. Yes, yes... we were very dramatic about our disappointment with the schedule and train cost; but we were determined to at least get to Independence Hall!!! "oooo... look!" *BONG* "THE" bell chimes 1 o'clock as we trot up. *snaps pics...RUN back to station*
We were such bad tourists! It was a great workout; but sadly, we didn't have time for more... not even *whimper* a Philly-cheese-steak sandwich*. BUT we vowed to try again next year and to do it properly. We only planned this one for about 7 months. Now we know what to expect! Next time we're DRIVING! We really did have fun, though.
I'm heading back home much to Pickle's relief. Little-man is stressed; but he and daughter's now 9-month old kitten that was SO sick a few months ago became fast friends within half an hour of meeting! We were worried Koala/Boo-kitty would be scared, but they've been nuts for each other! I think she's going to be looking for Pickle for a long time.
Must dash! Have a wonderful weekend everyone... and give honours to the great Loretta Lynn. She's an icon :)
We have been there and back again.
Join the "Tolkien Fandom Oral History Project"
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SirDennisC
Half-elven
Oct 7 2022, 9:25pm
Post #10 of 44
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Ack *that* cold that’s treacling around
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Seems everyone we know has it! It’s so irksome after almost 3 years without catching a cold, probably due to COVID precautions (which are all now but lifted, go figure). Still it’s the perfect excuse, and with this fall weather, to make a big pot of turkey soup. That’s the real highlight of Canadian thanksgiving, which is this weekend, well that and turkey sandwiches.
Treacle update:
So I managed to find some treacle. It was at a local fish and chips place that runs a little English import shop in the pub lobby. I also learned here the difference between molasses and treacle. Fun fact, according to the site, you can substitute treacle for molasses, but not molasses for treacle. Good to know!
We hope you and B.G. Are feeling better real soon!
Ps if you get a chance to try the pumpkin pie recipe dernwyn shared a couple fiestas ago (look for “a banner recipe?” By dernwyn) I have it on a pumpkin pie aficionado’s authority (my love N.S.) that it’s the best ‘dern’ pumpkin pie you’ll ever eat. (Pum-kintended)
(This post was edited by SirDennisC on Oct 7 2022, 9:28pm)
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Kimi
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Oct 7 2022, 10:11pm
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Air straight from Antarctica. As the met office people said, temperatures that would be very cold for July (i.e. our mid-winter), let alone October (i.e. well into spring). Snow in areas that rarely get it at any time of year, and unfortunately quite a few crops of asparagus ruined, along with damage to fruit trees and grape vines in blossom. Chilly here in the "winterless north", too, with the need to have the fire going all day. Mr Kimi was out this morning swinging the axe, chopping up the last few huge logs from last spring's firewood, at the same time as he's planning this spring's firewood gathering (he likes to give it ample time to dry out, and gathering in spring is best for that).
The chainsaw has decided to play up, and we'd already decided that next time that happened we'd probably replace it with an electric one, so now need to read reviews, etc. The Mr is good at fixing small issues with the saw, but anything beyond that costs so much to repair that we'll be better off with a less polluting and nicer to use (albeit more expensive to purchase) one.
My wrist surgery is a few days away, and since I'm among friends I'll admit to being a bit nervous. Not for any profound reasons, just because it's unfamiliar (last year's wrist repair was the first time I'd ever been hospitalised at all, as well as my first-ever surgery) and feels scary. So any good thoughts, prayers, etc, would be most welcome.
Not a lot planned for the weekend, though I'm hoping to catch up on a few tasks that won't be as easy post-surgery. Weekly food update: I made cereal this morning, Mr Kimi made blueberry muffins (he's taking some to a friend who's on his own), and tonight will be duck breast with cherry sauce.
Time to hang out the washing, and hope there's enough warmth in the air to dry it!
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
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Altaira
Superuser
Oct 7 2022, 10:49pm
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The apartment search is in full swing!
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Good luck with the place you think you found. Will all of your existing roomies be going too?
I was pretty sure, so I looked it up: the bill to end daylight savings time passed the Senate but has to go back to the House, then be signed by the President. If approved, it wouldn't go into effect until daylight savings time ends for 2023 on Nov 5. So, get ready to spring forward all over again for at least one more year!
We also still need to watch the new RoP episode. Our Broncos played a Thursday night football game so we watched that. Boy were we sorry, lol! Tonight we'll watch the previous episode and the new one together.
Have a great weekend!!
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SirDennisC
Half-elven
Oct 7 2022, 11:15pm
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May your surgery go exceedingly well, the doctors and hospital staff perform their jobs expertly, your recovery be comfortable and complete, and may you have peace about all of this. (That should work!)
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dernwyn
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Oct 7 2022, 11:23pm
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I should make that for something different! ("Sacrificial oatmeal" - LOL! But my family loves the stuff.)
Yes, the reds especially are vibrant this year. I love walking amidst all the colors.
Enjoy your weekend too, Altaira!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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dernwyn
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Oct 7 2022, 11:27pm
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Congrats on getting everything unpacked - and I'm assuming you do mean, nothing is left in a box anywhere, you've met your tossing-out goal! Did you find a suitable sofa?
That house sounds perfectly situated! This is the best time of year to go on walks. Do you take those dogs with you?
Oh gosh, are some of those bears FAT - and ready for hibernation!
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"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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Ataahua
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Oct 7 2022, 11:34pm
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Yes, it was grumble-cold on Thursday,
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as in everyone was grumbling about how cold it was. But with today's sunshine down here, it's practically warm! I'm about to get my washing out on the line and then jump on my bike for some much-needed exercise.
Best wishes for the outcome of your surgery! Whenever I've had an op, I remind myself that from my perspective, the operation is over in a second (as I'm asleep for it).
Celebrimbor: "Pretty rings..."
Dwarves: "Pretty rings..."
Men: "Pretty rings..."
Sauron: "Mine's better."
"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauron’s master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded beggar with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.
Fantasy novel - The Arcanist's Tattoo
My LOTR fan-fiction
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dernwyn
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Oct 7 2022, 11:34pm
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It's good to get a broker on your side, especially now that she knows precisely what you're looking for.
Do you have the Monday holiday off? I've scheduled both the booster and flu shot for Sunday afternoon, figuring I'll have that day to just sleep if needed. I've been thinking about that flu shot all week, each time one of the kids sneezes or blows their nose...so thankful to have a sink in my workroom, and rubbing alcohol to clean off suspicious book covers.
That is one of the good things about working from home! Do you ever have to go into an office of sorts?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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dernwyn
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Oct 7 2022, 11:46pm
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Pears go nicely with those seasonings. You do have good, hobbity food right there! And make sure to make a big label for those tomato seeds.
I'll still be wearing a mask in crowded places: since mask-wearing began, I have not gotten any nasty sinus infections.
What a delightful holiday that will be with your friends, I hope the weather's good for some walks together!
Oh, and there's the Runrig link for you. Have they fully ended concerts?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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dernwyn
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Oct 7 2022, 11:56pm
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A cousin-kitty! But he is a nice size for cats, and he's laid-back as well.
What a whirlwind tour, I'm sorry you had to rush through! Next time you can sit on the Independence Hall inner staircase and start singing "We're listening for the chirp, chirp, chirp of an eaglet being born..." I hope the rest of the visit was wonderful!
Be sure to tell everyone what a Philly cheesesteak sandwich is!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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cats16
Half-elven
Oct 7 2022, 11:57pm
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Nah, I'll be moving in with my girlfriend into the new place. The roomies are looking for their own. The visit today went well, and thankfully we'll get to go back in the morning so my girlfriend can see it in person too. I'm usually the first to call out any red flags that give me pause, but I didn't really have any here. I've learned that it's unwise to expect the *perfect* place and it's healthier to ask "could this be home?" Hopefully we can apply for it and cross our fingers there aren't 10 others who will get considered first.
Ah shoot, you're right! And here I am, someone who follows Congress more than they should (I had a brain fart and thought it was a House bill in the first place). So drat, another year of this!  
Thanks, you too! Hope you're both back to 100% after the weekend.
Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!
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dernwyn
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Oct 8 2022, 12:05am
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Thank you for the review, and for that link! Well, now I know why molasses works nicely in that pie, since it's a bit on the savory side - but now I'm thinking of finding some treacle to try in it also. I do have golden syrup, I've used that in a tasty cookie recipe of Greenwood Hobbit's, but the pie would be better with the stronger flavour.
Turkey soup this coming week! Made with the carcass of the beast? And do you save the wishbone for making a wish upon?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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cats16
Half-elven
Oct 8 2022, 12:06am
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It almost felt like a first date - trying to make a good impression on the broker so she wants to help us out.  I always get nervous when they start another tour right as you're leaving. But fingers crossed!
I don't have Monday off, but my girlfriend does, and to be honest she's the one that's gotten hit hardest by all Covid shots to date. We actually just rescheduled for tomorrow instead - the idea of having a couple of additional apartment tours 16 hours after getting our shots felt like an unnecessary risk, so I'd rather us do the tours *then* get the shots. I can imagine that you've been itching to get your shot, though! Hope you have minimal side effects and can just enjoy yourself on Monday.
No office, ever! I know, I'm spoiled. Sometimes I wish I had the option to go to one every month or so just to mix things up.
Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!
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dernwyn
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Oct 8 2022, 12:13am
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That cold at this point is not good - here's hoping the crops can recover!
Best of wishes for the wrist surgery! Here's prayers that all goes smoothly and those involved in doing the operation have good feelings and confidence - and that it's over before you know it, and the healing goes swimmingly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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DGHCaretaker
Rohan
Oct 8 2022, 12:35am
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It's seems like every day I visit I see a post that says it's Fiesta Friday.
It's like I'm in a movie montage and the calendar keeps flipping through Fridays. Please make the weeks slow down, or I'm going to end up late for everything. Maybe this is how Nivens McTwisp felt.
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SirDennisC
Half-elven
Oct 8 2022, 12:47am
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Oh I wouldn’t mess with perfection
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Though dark treacle is about as close to black strap molasses as you can get.
Yes, yes from the turkey carcass, skin, and some drippings. Depending on how savoury I go when roasting the turkey, no additional seasoning is needed for the soup, apart from a few squirts of lemon juice. I leave the wishbone in while making the broth — not that it imparts any special virtual, but it comes out nice and clean (as do all the bones). I should say that I’m not superstitious, but do appreciate the tradition of a good old fashioned wishbone pulling contest.
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