Some days it looks like winter and others days it does not. We have had rain, sunshine and snow squalls this past week and currently we are having freezing rain. A true mix of winter weather. Officially winter doesn’t start until next week but it always gives us a good dose of reality as we lead up to Christmas. Family will be traveling over the next week with Katie’s return from Mexico and Jack finishing up at university. The Asheville family will head north via plane and car. We just need to be ready and that is going to be a challenge. Read on.

Update on Jenny Lane

After weeks of quiet around here we let loose the destructors. The guys arrived Thursday morning intending on finishing the hallway outside our bedroom and Jack’s. However, a decision had to be made regarding the door into the bathroom. First off, the permanent door we had expected to use turned out to be too small. Then we started talking about where to put this too small door and I decided I didn’t want multiple doors into the bathroom and laundry I only wanted one from the hallway (this might change). Well then the talk moved to how could we possibly design a new bathroom and laundry when we didn’t really know what space we had. Thus destruction began. Out with all the bathroom fixtures and walls and ceiling and the wall between the laundry and the bathroom had to go too. Now we have a huge space that we can carve up into a new bathroom and laundry combination. We had worked with Terry, a kitchen a bath designer who specializes in cabinets, to get the cabinets for the kitchen. We asked her to help us come up with some ideas for the bath/laundry but it was really difficult to do that when we didn’t know the size of the space. Hopefully removing all the current walls and ceiling will help. Of course, now we have to wait for the plumber to tell us how we can move pipes and still have water and heat where we need it. Once we do that then we need the insulation guy, Jason, to come and do the foam insulation for us. Our trusty “Uncle Bill” the electrician, has already been here and made sure we had a couple of lights and plugs and that the wires were where they need to be for him to do outlets when the time comes. Mind you he just shook his head when he walked in.

We kept the toilet as we old folks don’t need to be doing stairs in the middle of the night. However, without walls, it did feel a little open air, so we hung an old shower curtain and a sheet and made a semi- not very private – water closet. Not for public use. Reminds me of my real estate days when I walked into a rather sketchy house and the owner’s daughter was sitting on a toilet in the middle of the living room. That was the day I quit being a real estate agent 40 years ago.

So, just when we thought we had the house in good shape we are in a state of upheaval just in time for the holidays.

Exercising This Week

This has been a good week. Six days of exercise. Feeling good and very happy to have the treadmill to use when the weather is awful. The bike is good too. The Peloton classes are good motivators and I am beginning to find the ones that I really like. Pretty happy with the interval walk/run classes for 30 minutes and then a 10 minute stretch class. Later in the day I take the dogs out for their walk so I get 45 to 50 minutes of fresh air too. Hope this is the balance that I have been looking for.

Cooking and Baking

Libby is our candy maker and her buckeyes are legendary. She has given me permission to share her recipe which she has adapted to make it her own. Nothing says Christmas more than smelling the wonderful aromas coming out of the kitchen as she bakes and cooks.

Libby’s Buckeyes

4 cups powdered sugar
2 cups of creamy peanut butter
10 tbsp salted butter
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
12 oz semisweet chocolate bars
1 tbsp coconut oil
A good hefty splash of homemade vanilla

In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and confectioners’ sugar. The dough will look dry. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.

Press a toothpick into the top of each ball (to be used later as the handle for dipping) and chill in freezer until firm, about 30 minutes. (Or as Libby did, put outside in the grill until ready)

Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until smooth.

Dip frozen peanut butter balls in chocolate holding onto the toothpick. Leave a small portion of peanut butter showing at the top to make them look like Buckeyes. Put back on the cookie sheet and refrigerate until serving. (or you can freeze until ready to use)