KITCHEN ADVENTURES

The second half of a loaf of no-knead bread, made start to finish yesterday in about two hours.

This one was a success.

On the other hand . . .

As Judy was working in a frigid garage this morning getting her sale organized for the weekend, I was rampaging through the pantry looking for ingredients for a pot of soup.

I originally had a hearty potato soup in mind but didn't find the proper ingredients.

Then I was examining a quart of miso broth we've had forever.

Then as I was fondling a package of beans for 15-bean soup, SWMBO came in and began offering instructions.

After boiling and draining the beans and throwing them in the slow cooker with a chopped up onion and some celery and some pieces left over from a ham awhile back I topped them all with water.

Too much water, according to Judy.

There are beans down there, underneath all that floating onion and celery and ham.

They'll cook, as Judy put it, "forever" and maybe eventually, some day, we'll have bean soup.

So it goes.

I try.

God knows, I try.

AGING

An old, and long-time, friend of mine sent me a picture of his growling self the other day.

I replied jocularly, "Where's that Easy Ed smile I used to be used to from you?"

So he sent me one of him with a goofy grin on his kisser.

(Ed, you can rest easy now - I'm not going to post it!)

A little later I was trying to figure out how to start a new picture file for this new month of December and I reasoned that the easiest way was to snap a picture of something and upload it to the computer.

The "magic box" takes care of the rest, opens a new file and names it for the current month.

So what photo do you think I took?

Yup, a selfie.

Now, my wife, SWMBO of fame, would never willingly have a current picture of herself put out into cyberspace.

But me?

I have no shame.

So there it is - the Catalyst nearing the downslide to 80 years of age.

(That occurs next April 24th, if I make it.)

I sent the photo to Ed and commented that smiling is not one of my big traits these days.

And I noted that while I have more hair than he does, he is older than me.

And my hairline is receding.

And receding.

And receding.

After reading what I've just written, I don't feel so well.

I think I need to lie down for awhile.

POOR CAR

SWMBO has been busy recently staging our garage for a sale in about a week.

It is filling with "stuff" that she and the BRD are hoping to get rid of in return for some "filthy lucre".

The problem is that over abundance of goods has forced my beloved car to be parked outside.

And when a winter storm has just graced our area with rain, ice and snow the poor automobile has taken the brunt of it, sitting silently and uncomplaining but no doubt suffering.

But the sun is back today and the temperature will be climbing up into the melting zone over the next couple of days.

The cheerless owner and, I'm sure, the vehicle itself can't wait.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Just for the record . . . no one, neither birds, cats nor man, find this funny.

The Catalyst was greeted with these scenes when he rose from the arms of Morpheus this morning.

The first snowfall of the season.

Oh well, the larder is still stocked from yesterday's feasting, we have nowhere to go and the mercury will begin rising again tomorrow.

So let us get on with this week's edition of The Friday Funnies!

Oh, quit puzzling.

It's his ARMS!

(I took some time with that one, too.)

Well, fellow frozen ones, let us struggle through the "drifts" of time, keep a stiff upper lip and try to have a fabulous weekend, in spite of all the snow shoveling.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

HAPPY THANKSGIVING & TBT

To all of you celebrating Thanksgiving today I offer my wish for a happy non-political day of feasting and football.

To the rest of you I wish for a quiet, warm and happy day.

Here in Arizona, as in much of the U.S.A., there are storm clouds on the horizon.

A pretty sky to the south at sunset last night.

A striking view to the west.

Today will be a day much like one I photographed last week.

Rain showers during the day will change to snow overnight and last through early Saturday morning.

But we have a warm house and lots of good food for our annual feast.

The BRD and Beau Jack are vacationing in Puerto Vallarta, which brings me to ThrowBack Thursday and a day from back in the 1980's.

Lovely Judith, aka SWMBO, and I were living in Guadalajara, Mexico then and my former colleague in my television days, a young fellow who later on evolved into Baseball Steve, flew down to meet up with me in Puerto Vallarta.

Our younger, slimmer and fully bearded selves enjoyed a couple of golden days in the sun.

Today I give thanks for "the good times", many of which I've had and continue to have.

Enjoy your memories and your turkey*.

* - Not everyone eats turkey on Thanksgiving Day.  We're having Rock Cornish game hens.

SWEET AND SPICY

The holidays are a time to bring out some time-honored recipes.

SWMBO has some that are favorites, like her Red Pepper Jelly.

To begin . . .

. . . some big beautiful red bell peppers . . .

. . . chopped up and combined with the juice of some lemons . . .

. . . in the food processor . . .

. . . where they are pureed and then strained . . .

. . . and then boiled and stirred on the stovetop with a generous slash of sugar, some red wine vinegar, a little of the strained juice, pectin and a surprise ingredient this year: a slosh of Sambal Indonesian hot sauce to give it a little kick.

The eventual jelly is poured into glasses and topped with some melted paraffin and cooled.

Kind of looks like Christmas, doesn't it?

HOT & COLD

Here in the Central Highlands of Arizona the Thanksgiving Day weather forecast is not promising.

Snow starting during the day and continuing through Friday.

Yikes!

That's what the BRD commented this morning when she emailed me a story about the storm.

Meantime, she's trying to stay cool, listening to a couple of mariachis in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

She and Beau Jack are enjoying a respite from the colder weather back home.

In the latest photo she is posing as La Reina de las flores (the Queen of the flowers).

Seems like a little Frida Kahlo influence, don't you think?

ZANINESS

What strange paths the sleeping mind travels.

I woke this morning, thinking of this.

Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies comprise over a thousand short theatrical films that introduced characters like Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig and Daffy Duck.

They were a mainstay of my childhood many, many, many years ago.

Who knows why they came into my mind this morning but there they were.

On another front, I heard a strange whirring sound coming from above the other day.

It grew louder as I listened with some trepidation.

Then I saw it!

A drone!

Right above me!

How did it get into my house?

But then I realized - it was only the ceiling fan in my den.

Now to get back to reality and the puzzle of where the BRD and her Beau Jack are spending Thanksgiving Week.

It's not Florida.

It's not Hawaii.

It's tacos for their Thanksgiving Dinner.

They're spending time in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Some folks have all the fun.

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

I know.

It's still a few days before Thanksgiving.

And I know how SWMBO puts off any Christmas decorating as long as she can.

That's why I was agape when she brought this home from a brief shopping stint the other day.

Yeah, you've got it, it's a giant poinsettia plant.

I love 'em but we rarely get one in the house during the holidays unless the BRD brings one over.

When we moved to Mexico back in the distant '80's, I was amazed to find several of the blooming beauties in the yard of a house we rented.

As I told Judy, I thought they always grew in pots in the grocery stores.

BTW, in Mexico they're called flor de nochebuena, or Christmas Eve flowers.

To this day I always think of them as nochebuenas and have to go to The Great Google to bring the name "poinsettia" back.

Whatever you call them, they're beautiful.

When I questioned my housemate about it she said it was only $5.99 and they're normally 3 or 4 times that for one that size.

So the Christmas season has started early, even in my house.

Speaking of Christmas, the BRD emailed us this picture this morning.

And, speaking of the BRD, she sent a picture of her view this morning.

Do you have any idea where she is?

FOGGY FRIDAY

The sun is back today but yesterday morning was a bit of a surprise.

Fog was blanketing my neighborhood.

A foggy day always makes me think of the Sherlock Holmes stories I read as a kid.

"The game is afoot.

Watson?  Watson?

Where the devil are you?"

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

I suppose to some it started with Halloween but with Thanksgiving coming up next week we are officially in the Holiday Season.

Just to put you in the mood many retailers large and small have designated today Black Friday and begun their huge sales.

Aren't you happy?

Well let me lighten your load, Gentle Readers, with a small dose of medicinal humor.

There you have it, folks, the annual turkey trot.

I hope you all have a very happy Thanksgiving and that you don't eat too much.

In the meantime have yourselves a wonderful weekend and always remember to keep laughing.

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(oh, don't they just irritate the heck out of ya?)