The lost week

Many of my blogging friends must wonder where I disappeared to. Many have even left me wonderful and thoughtful comments over the last five days, none of which I have answered. Nor have I been to their blogs. What started as a week that should have been very relaxing, turned out to be one I must call the "lost week." For during that week (and weekend) I lost track of time, days, nights, sleep, and was on the computer a total of about 30 minutes.


It all began last Monday when I invited my friend Sally to join me for a trial meal. If I am preparing a big "shindig" I will often try a few recipes on my friends, and I did just that last Monday before my friends were to arrive. What I was "really" trying were the creamed onions, and my first time making a new sweet potato recipe. I added the green beans, baked potato, and (sadly not set) jello I made just for Sally. The verdict was the creamed onions were too seasoned because I used too much fresh thyme. The sweet potatoes were perfect because they were not too sweet, or too juicy. And Sally gladly took the jello mess home that I made just for her. I knew it would firm up overnight.

My friends who joined me over the "lost week" asked that I not show their faces, their outlines, or their names. Since they read my blog, there was no way I was going to promise something I wouldn't deliver. So everyone remained anonymous.


I tried to figure out how to turn these next photos into a mosaic, but I ended up wasting precious time I could have spent posting this and visiting a few blogging friends. I was attempting to show how I put 8 people at a table where I had enough plates and such, but not enough cups or napkins. So, I


mixed up the napkins and used different napkin rings, as well as


different cups for each person.


I didn't remember that I had two


different styles of small bowls,


until I had them out


and was about to set the table. Needless to say, it was crowded, but we had more than enough food for everyone. And that was true the entire weekend. I don't think I've cooked so much and so often in years!


After we ate, some wanted a nap, others played scrabble, and I was lured to the front porch by the sounds of the wind chimes singing in the very high wind.


The next morning, while everyone slept, as is my custom, I was up before dawn, ready to decorate my house for Christmas. Only Bleubeard and I were awake and you can tell how dark it still is.


I had the house decorated before my company woke.


I was trying to stay quiet while others slept, so my photos were a bit blurry.


I realized after I took this photo that I had to add a rock or something to the pot so the tree would not flop over. However, I was just trying to get everything finished before it was time to fix everyone breakfast.

Needless to say, after everyone woke to a Christmas household, Friday was a day out and about, but I didn't even take my camera since it would have made a few of my guests nervous. And Saturday, we made the rounds in the neighborhood, where there are several small family owned shops. It felt good to visit places I wouldn't normally, since like so many other people, I have a tendency to shop the big box, corporate owned stores.

My friends left Sunday afternoon and it was time to go to my friend Sally's where we were going to have a belated Thanksgiving dinner, this time with her preparing most everything and me bringing a couple of leftovers.


I had trouble believing it was the end of November when I looked out Sally's back patio windows and saw all those green bushes. Even the grass that had not died out due to the severe summer heat was green. I'm sure winter will come soon, but for now, I'm just thankful for all the decent weather we are having.

It's now time to catch up on my sleep. I think I'll sleep the entire day today (Monday). Hopefully, the lost week was not as lost as it might have been and I will be able to catch up with all my blogging friends over the next couple of days. But for now, it's time to catch up on sleep!