Around Oak Meadows

Christmas around OakMeadows is such a pleasant season. Long ago we simplified our celebrations to where it is a pleasure to be savored rather than an ordeal.  My decorations do not include a tree but I do decorate the mantle and the dining room side board and table. We do exchange gifts with immediate family--usually gift cards or homemade eats. This year we decided to attend the Houston Symphony and Chorale's presentation of Handel's Messiah. It was lovely. 

We are planning a birding trip to the Rockport-Corpus Christi area right after 
Christmas. I love to see the ducks that winter down here. 

Believe it or not, I am finally making progress on the monster quilt. It is layered, basted, and I have quilted 2 blocks....out of 56.....I told you it was a 
monster. Only 54 more to go. And of course, kittens are right in the middle of it 
all. But I honestly wouldn't have it any other way. My quilts must have a certain amount of cat hair quilted in. 

Lots of good reading going on. I finished My Gentle Barn by Ellie Laks and it was wonderful. I'll have a review later this week.  Wartime Britain by Juliet Gardiner is excellent but at 600+ pages it will be a while before it is finished. And I've started a Manuscript Found in Accra by Paulo Coelho. It reminds me very much of The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. 

My cooking has been mostly old standards but I have plans for some new 
recipes in the New Year.  One new recipe is Balsamic-Braised Chicken with 
Swiss Chard. I will let you know how it turns out. 

It was raining this morning and one of the kittens got out and ran up a tree and out on a limb that was too high and too thin to really support him. He was wet and frightened and mewing piteously. So good old JMM got the extension ladder and got as close to the kitten as he could and I was at the base of the tree talking to him and telling him that he had to go over to JMM and what a good kitten he was and that he would get a can of Fancy Feast if he would be brave and walk the limb back to JMM. 
He finally did and 2 wet people and 1 wet cat finally got to go back inside. 

We made reservations for our Alaska cruise next August.  I have never been on 




a cruise.  I hope to add some northern sea birds to my life list. JMM's brother and his wife are coming with us so it will be doubly nice.  Our other trip for 2015 is a trip to Yosemite in May.  

That's all the news from OakMeadows where all the people are retired and all the cats think they are above average.