Living in the US - Where we say TO MA TOE and you say TO MAH TOW

[alipiggie]

Wow we filled the thread guys. So as I was about to Say UR you've probably had squirrel if you've eaten Chinese . Think I've had most things. Just don't ask eat. Roasting hot here, very busy but having a blast. Enjoyed our new gym yesterday and picnic in the park tonight which was wonderful. Live music, handsome young men - need I say more.

You can have winter tyres. I don't know what they are. Maybe the same as snow tires?

So I'm going to yell - I'M ON VACATION FOR A WHOLE WEEK YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. It's way below freezing here and going to remain so tomorrow brrrrrrrr. We've been ice skating today - fun fun fun. Tomorrow is DS1's birthday party at an indoor party zone - Pump it Up. Then it's onwards and up wards to the big day itself. Shopping all done, just a few pressies to wrap and cards to write and Im all sorted. Phew.

Was manic out there today. We also went to see The Tale of Despereaux. You have to go and see this feel good family movie. Different from the book in many ways - not as dark though. All ages will love it.

Stay warm and stay safe and SB - I'm totally shocked at the Tow Truck Man but glad you are both okay.

I'm all for feel good family movies. If we ever get out of here. 8 inches of snow covered in a 3/4 inch layer of ice. Not good.

We've had heavy snow on and off for 2 days and there's about 18" out there with at least 24" drifts! It's beautiful but I am seriously concerned about driving up north tomorrow now! More pressingly I need to go to the mall this afternoon, and I am tempted to hike there as I doubt any cabs will take me and I certainly won't be driving there! Looks like we're in for a Very White Christmas this year

How do you actually get around out there, mananny? Do you have road crews who plow the roads or something???

It's freezing here too, but thankfully, sunny - which imo makes the cold more bearable.

Spent part of Friday and all day yesterday making special Christmas cookies with dd and a pal of mine. Said pal is single, childless and a designer/decorator who could be Martha Stewart's missing sister.

We made dough on Friday, and then refrigerated until the next day. Yesterday we cut out shapes, and baked. We then mixed up about a dozen different colours of icing using food colouring. We dipped cookies for 'base' colour, let them dry, and then spent until about 7 last night painting designs on the cookies with various size paintbrushes. Labour intensive, but we now have absolutely gorgeous cookies that no one wants to eat!

I just spent an hour trying to dig the car out but it won't budge so we're stuck at home. I felt a bit cold when we got in so I checked the weather and it is minus 19c but feels like minus 33

EB, your cookie day sounds lovely. Do you have any pics?

This thread is lovely - it always feels so homely and comforting

What a lovely post, Earlybird. Warm, supportive, Christmassy-type feelings to you and all on this thread.

Am beyond at your beautiful cookies. I wanted mine to be that way, but they definitely look like a 3 and 5 year old were the chief cookie decorators. I am consoling myself with the fact that even the most beautifully decorated cookie will look the same as ours after it has been chewed up and swallowed.

We brought out some of the presents last night and put them under the tree. My children have spent probably close to an hour just sitting in front of the tree and looking at them.

SB, sorry you're stuck too. In real weather, that makes ours look ridiculous.

It took me about 10 minutes to finish my last post, because I had a polite request for apple cider and muffins. That makes breakfast number 3 today for my children.

Sounds like my house, Dooney. Dinner does nothing but eat. Yet he's so skinny. He still doesn't weight 30lbs.

Did you ever make cheese? I'm having a go at paneer. I'm strangely excited.

We have trucks out plowing and sanding every hour or so but it is coming down so fast that theres another 2 inches each time! My flatmates have been out to dig their cars out, there's like 2 foot of snow up against them from the plows. Am so, so, so glad I put my car in the underground garage!!!!!! Am dreading heading out shortly but I have seen cabs drive past so I know they are available. There's a real camaraderie when the weather hits like this, it's cozy and warm

@ indoor parking

I wasn't thrilled with paneer. It had no taste. I don't know what I did wrong.

Am going crazy right now, because it did nothing but freezing rain, and swirling wind last night, and I can't see out of my house, because all but 1 of the windows are covered in freezing rain, and the 1 window that isn't is a tiny little one in my bathroom that even standing on my tub, I'm not tall enough to see out of, and all I can see is the sky.

It costs me $40 a week tho SB! Saying that, it is TOTALLY worth it when we have weather like this!!!!!!

Paneer doesn't taste of much but I quite like that. It was fun to make. Is your weather set to improve, Dooney? I am meant to take DS to playgroup tomorrow but the car will still be stuck in the morning and it is about 1.5 miles away which I'd usually happliy walk but I don't think it is a good idea in this cold. I feel like a bit of a wuss saying, 'we can't come cos it's too cold'

@ $40 a week but given today, I'd pay that! Hope you're keeping warm mananny. Good luck on your drive.

Where's Anorak? Anyone know how she is?

I really hope so, SB. It doesn't look like it will get any better until Wed. afternoon. I hope it does before that, as they've closed down the freeway between here and IL's, and there is no way IL's can get here without going over a mountain pass.

They wrote their Christmas letters today. I learned from Colin that you don't mail a letter to Santa, because he doesn't have mail. You leave it on your mantle, and Santa reads it, and has a magic bag of toys that gets you what you want. I guess fortunately for that theory, I was 2/3 for him and 2/2 for her.

Colin knows a lot about this. Dinner told me he wanted a Little Einsteins Rocket for christmas. I said I didn't know if Santa would be able to make one of those and he gave me a withering look and said, "He already made them. They're in Target "

So will Santa be bringing one then, if they make them at Target?

Do me a favor. You have to kick me up the you-know-what to do something about the 10/10 club the new year. I realized I do really good feeding fruits and veggies to the kids, but I really only get about 4 a day, and all at dinner. I need to start exercising, too, because I never really have, and 35 is making me realize my metabolism isn't going full-speed like it used to. Okay? Thanks.

It started pouring down freezing rain. The little tiny spot that melted on my window is freezing up again. Poor DH had no power at his work for 3 hours, and he has to come home uphill to this. His phone ran out of charge, and I saw the charger here, but fortunately someone from his work called me to call him, because the power out knocks his phone system out at work, and she brought him her cell phone to carry with him in case he needs it.

Ok Dooney, I'll harp on at you about 10/10. Although I've been pretty crap at it recently. Will start again tomorrow. When I am doing well, I make an effort to get at least 4 in at breakfast - raisins, blueberries, banana, juice etc - and that makes the rest of the day much easier.

Your poor DH.

He said he barely made it up the hill going home. He came close to getting out and walking, even with a truck and chains. He also had tons of excitement, because a transformer blew up right behind him. He thought some sort of a bomb went off, and said it looked like a nuclear explosion in the his rear view window. It made the power go off here for a bit though. Am quite worried it will go off again and not come back on for a long time.

Cali, what a kitchen fest you've been having. Nigella has a great Buche de Noel, you could have made one. Chocolate sounds like a good substitute.

Hope power stays on, Dooney. Sounds scary

Hello! I've been reading the thread but I haven't had much to say.

Sounds like some of you are really up against it with the weather. It's one thing having pretty snow to look at out of your window while you gather round the roaring fire and sing carols. It's quite another when you have to trek out to work or the shops.

dooneygirl I think some time back I offered to talk to you about cooking veggie dishes? Since then it slipped my mind, could be something to do with the fact that I've been slit open from hipbone to hipbone or something

Anyway it's been 4 weeks since my op, and 2 weeks since I returned to Bermuda, sounds like I got out of Boston just in time.

I've been slowly recuperating and having a bit of Christmas fun. My DH is taking his core annual leave and we have been out for meals and to a party. Today we went for lunch in a place where they had Santa, and a magician, and an air hockey table. DS and his little mate had a wonderful time and we enjoyed it too.

Hooray, Anorak! Are you feeling less uncomfortable now? Hope all is well.

Christmas in the Bahamas must be so different.