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Christmas in Texas

We're back in Austin after Christmas at Rob's parents in Kingwood. It was a good visit overall (if we ignore the continued offer of cheese to Rob, who hates cheese, and me, who doesn't eat a lot of it).

We got to Kingwood, about 30 miles north of downtown Houston (but still part of the City) late on Christmas Eve. We exchanged gifts Christmas morning and then starting preparing the evening meal -- turkey, potatoes, green beans, etc. Yummy.

On Saturday, Rob and I and Rob's brother Mike went into downtown Houston to visit the Menil Collection, including the main museum, the Rothko Chapel and the Byzantine Fresco Chapel. Beautiful! Mike then took us on a little tour of downtown and then over to the University of Houston where he does contract work for the Creative Writing program. Back to Kingwood for dinner and conversation and lazing about before finally going to bed.

We left for home pretty early on Sunday and stopped at Bastrop State Park for a short hike with the dog in the piney woods. On the ride home, we talked about Gramma and getting the phone call that she had died one year ago. I miss her but am so glad she's free.

Home to watch football, read, nap, and generally be lazy. More of that today since we're both still on vacation.

Remembering my mother

It's been a year today since Mom died - she went peacefully, at The Caring Place here in Franklin. The funeral was on New Year's Eve day - a cold blustery winter day. She lived a long life - 90 years and 7 months. I spent a quiet day today - I put up the poster of her life that we used at the funeral home and remembered many events that she enjoyed during her long life. My father died in March 1985 - Mom spent a lot of years without him, and during her last months mentioned wanting to be with him. I'm sure she got her wish.
Loving daughter, Sylvia

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all of you family members who are reading this and those who don't have the time!! Shame on you.
May blessings abound in your life today and always.
Julie and Todd

Christmas guests arriving

Jenn & Rob came last evening about 10:30 after a flight into Pittsburgh International Airport.
Today we were up early and Jenn dropped me off a mile down the road at West Park Rehab for another 8:00 therapy session. Darren usually provides transportation. At 10 Jenn, Rob and Julie came to pick me up and we went to downtown Franklin to French Creek Cafe for late breakfast. Delicious as always!
Julie came up from Harrisville to visit with these Texans...
They are off shopping and I started making a strawberry pretzel salad for tomorrow.
Still some snow on the ground, but not enough yet for skiing. Jan, Tom & kids should arrive tonight from Broadlands, Virginia. They plan on staying at a motel.

Taking to the air

One more day before we fly out. We've rented a car so we're all set. Well, aside from staring blindly at our clothes trying to determine which ones will keep us warm enough in the cold, cold Pennsylvania weather.

Luckily, we've had a slow introduction into cold weather in Austin. Lows in the 30s, highs in the 40s for the last couple of days. In fact, December weather has been decidedly below normal the entire month, with clouds. With clouds!

I'm looking forward to the visit and getting away from all the responsibilities in Austin, if only for a few days.

Any chance of some winter activities? Where would one rent cross-country skis? Where would one go cross-country skiing in Franklin?

Off to look for more coffee and warmer winter gloves.

Oh, so close....

I can't wait to have coffee with one of my sisters on Friday morning! I will see you then, dear Jenn!

Thursday night, I have been asked to photograph a dinner party at the Foxburg Allegheny Grille - they have invited many underprivledged families with children and will provide a grand meal and presents for the kids - Santa will be there!! They have received many donations for this wonderful event, I am glad I am not the shopper or the wrapper. It will be a fun night.

Pone Lane Posting - December 9th's Weather

Pone Lane Posting
Yesterday's weather here in Western Pennsylvania was weird and wacky! Rained overnight, windy, hail, cold, then sunny. About noon we had thunder and lightning, pea sized hail, high winds, trees and limbs down. Some areas had electric outages. Gusts up to 68 mph in some areas. The Weather Channel introduced a new word for me - Graupel - supercooled droplets of water condensed on snowflakes. Not quite the same as hail. Who knew?
This morning we have snow on the ground - enough to shovel on the front sidewalk.

Refreshia, not a soft drink

Refresh is a redesign project for UT Austin's Web site. I'm on the core team and I'm leading the information architecture (IA) working group, the Refresh IA group. We call ourselves Refreshia, not a soft drink. (I have to have fun somehow since it's a huge project -- many months of work with many things to do.)

We have a blog for status updates for the project: blogs.utexas.edu/refresh/.

Snow and fog

We did get snow last Friday. I personally saw about 100 or so flakes! East and west of Austin had a lot more. Oh well, at least we had the freezing temperatures (25* at our house). It's just been foggy since then until today; a cold front blew through last night so we'll have slightly cooler temperatures. I know I'm acclimated to Texas weather: I think the current 43* is way too cold.

Pone Lane Posting

Having an achy knee/leg today. Maybe it is the 25 degree weather?
I'm not ready to dance yet - therapy started yesterday and the West Park Rehab is only a mile away. The owner, Eddie St. Clair, did the evaluation and first time therapy.
My knee is doing great and my ability to bend it is really good, and I can put full weight on it, but the muscles in my leg are so weak, I am not allowed to go without a walker for support, in case my leg buckles. So, I will go three times a week until I get stronger.
Darren donated some split oak firewood to my back yard this morning - a nice stack. For future cook-outs next summer. He also planted some tulip and allium bulbs and dug my calla lilies. Always some chore for him to do. The ones Julie & Rick used to tend to when I lived on Rt. 208.

Asparagus

ASPARAGUS and smelly pee...

I stole this info from...Shilpa P. Saxena, M.D. is a Family Practice Physician specializing in Functional Medicine in the Tampa, Florida area. Visit her at www.MyLivingWellness.com
Around our home, it's just not Spring until that tender, sweet vegetable that is asparagus pokes up through the newly warming earth. For some, those delicate tips usher in a season of fresh dining and outdoor grilling, but for others the thought of the dreaded 'asparagus-induced urine odor' forces them to pass on our Spring delight. Why does asparagus cause smelly urine? It's a very common question that has sparked many a wives' tale....so, if you've ever wondered, here's the real story about asparagus and smelly urine.
Asparagus contains a unique acid, appropriately named 'asparagusic acid', found only in this delicious vegetable. When asparagus gets processed for elimination, the asparagusic acid is broken down into 6 different sulfur-containing compounds with varying intensities and types of smells ranging from sweet to pungent. The way these compounds are used by the body dictates the predominant odor that we may experience. This is why some people experience a pungent, ammonia type odor while a small, yet lucky few, enjoy a more perfumed fragrance. It also seems that the younger the asparagus, the more asparagusic acid, and therefore, the more intense the odor.
Recent research has proven that asparagus urine odor is universal among us humans, however, our ability to smell the odor is determined by our genes! Believe it or not, one such study has concluded that only 22% of the population has the gene necessary to smell any of the compounds present in urine. So, if you're one of the lucky 22%, you've identified a very unique talent, albeit it one you may wish to leave off your resume. Either way, asparagus is a great source of iron, folic acid, thiamine (Vitamin B1) and dietary fiber....so eat up and maybe hold your nose!!

December 19th Menu

Any agreements/additions/ideas?

Do we want Oyster Stew?

Spiral Ham - Mary Kay and Doug
Sloppy Joes, Buns, Condiments - Julie and Todd
Cookies - Julie and Todd
Baked Corn - Barb and Rick
Cheesy Potato Casserole - Shelly and Darren
Lime Jello/Pineapple Salad - Mom
Snacks/Drinks - Cousins
Wine/beer? - Rusty
Hummus, dip and veggie tray - Jan
Taco Salad via Mom - Jenn

Beardless Amish Man named John

Notice: no beard on the Amish.

This means he is a bachelor (single) and at age 37, I know why. He is too cute!! (he can't find a woman who loves how much he loves to hunt and fish). This is one of the crew from the garage project. I wonder how John likes shaving every day, he is NOT allowed to grow a beard until he marries.

I don't think he will mind that I took his photo, you can't see his eyes to steal his soul.

A picture is worth a thousand words

But if I were going to use words:

Snow! In Austin. This is an abomination.

West Texas Road

I had this image in the header before Jules sent the lush PA photos.

The west Texas road was a little too arid for The Coast Land blog. But I missed it and so now it gets its own post.

This was from our trip last December and it's a road outside of Marfa, TX. I love the rolling road going off into the distance.

Pone Lane again

I forgot to mention that I came back from Darren & Shelly's on Thanksgiving Day with the 'turkey carcass.' On Friday I started making broth with it, and in several stages, slowly, I had a pot of turkey broth to work with. I made my first batch ever, of Italian Wedding soup on Saturday. It turned out to be quite tasty, but I should have had more broth. I used a recipe from 'Barefoot Contessa' which I googled. I've been eating it myself, and Darren took some to the hunting cabin and served it to Big Darin and his daughter, and also he and Zac ate some too. They said it was good. I still have a portion for Shelly to sample. I shall make this again, but will keep cans of broth on hand to add to the brew.
Mom

Peaceful Posting from Pone Lane

A wonderful day in Pennsylvania - school vacation because it's the first day of deer hunting season. Cold, but no snow on the ground.
Darren & Zac are at the Coast cabin, not sure what Shelly is doing and I'm lazing around here in the house - 13 days after knee replacement surgery at Meadville Medical Center. I spent 10 days of rehab at The Caring Place here in Franklin, and came home on the 23rd. Have to sign up for more rehab at nearby West Park Rehab.
Thanksgiving Day was nice - out of the house and to Darren & Shelly's. Zac had work at the Animal Clinic, and Darren picked him up - came to stand guard as I took my first solo shower. No problems. We had a good dinner at their house - Nicole baked apple & pumpkin pies on Wed. - Shelly made pecan pies. Rory was a guest, too. After I got back here to the house, Julie, Todd & Will brought a full plate of leftovers and pie for me, from Cody & Amanda's dinner. Had enough leftovers to keep me going for a few days. Yesterday Maribeth Bajorek sent Jim over with creamed turkey on biscuits. Good and garlicky. Jim gets my newspaper everyday and puts it between my doors. When he or she bring my mail, they come in and hand it to me as I sit in my recliner with leg elevated with ice packs. What a life!
I am keeping up with favorite TV programs, White Collar, NCIS and MONK, of course. Anxious for the continued episode coming Friday night - the end of the series.
This should be a great site - nice to keep in touch this way. I'm a little tired of FaceBook - I don't like the games...but it is nice to view all the friends & family pictures.
Mom/Sylvia

Thanksgiving in Virginia

Good morning everyone. I had to post - trying to figure out the blog title "Harrisville Hurricane"... snow, a flurry of activity?

We have a quiet house today - just the four of us. Brittany came Wednesday and left yesterday morning. Sarah always gets sad when TK or B leave after a quick visit. We haven't seen B since last August so over a year.

Thanksgiving was good -relaxed, everyone in the kitchen talking, cooking, visiting. Tom's sisters Wendy and Sandi and families came over for dinner which was only 30 minutes later than planned. Tom made a Italian Sweet sausage/fennel stuffing that was a big hit - I don't have the recipe. I found a garlic, ginger green bean recipe online that was also a success - and that is basically the recipe - add 1/3 c. chicken stock and you're done. The turkey was moist, the prime rib roast was perfectly cooked and our buffet pans on the sideboard were a big help keeping the food warm. We're bringing them up to the Coast Christmas - if they're needed - racks, pans and sterno - I'm happy just thinking about how helpful they were.

Sandi and Greg spent Thursday night, then the older children stayed another night - Newell, Savannah, and Tanner. They watched movies, rode bikes, played xbox and playstation games and generally got to hang out. I took them down to town yesterday - I thought I'd be able to find a parking spot easily but everyone else thought DC was a good place to visit on Thanksgiving weekend. Sandi and Greg met us in town and found a $5 garage so I went there- and was easily the largest vehicle there. I had no problem driving in DC - I knew that I would come out on top, literally, if I had any traffic issues.

We went to the Museum of American History - the kids all went their own way - cells phones are really handy for coordination. We left town at about 5:15 - lots of traffic still in town but no problem once I got over the Potomac River. The Washington Monument lit up at night was worth the night time driving.

Can't wait to see everyone in a couple of weeks.

Jan

Harrisville Hurricane

Thank you Jenn for the business end of this blog, sure hope y'all join in. That means everyone, if even a 'Hi, I am still hanging here in Columbus!"

I won't tell you about our Thanksgiving, again, as I did once already on the Journal; http://www.caringbridge.org/ toddmiller51 Sure sounds like you outdid yourself for your first big meal in your newly remodeled home, I CANNOT wait to spend some time with you and use your gorgeous balcony!!

No decorations yet here at the Miller house, they are all in the lower shed and need strong boys to carry them up for us. Todd wants to go all out this year with decorating, now to find the time to get that task underway. Any takers?

I woke up at 7, showered and came right to the computer, my usual morning routine. I was all set to think about my journal page and I was pleasantly surprised to read about the GREAT INVITATION you all have gotten. Please don't be intimidated, just add your post by clicking at the top right on NEW POST.

I know Doug and Mary Kay are busy today, taking Monica and her two friends back to Bradford, PA - they may stop on their way home for a visit. Darren, you could bring Mom down if you are not busy? But, whatever happens, happens.....Hope all of you have time to participate, if even just a bit!

Thanksgiving in Austin

Rob's parents and brother came up from Kingwood to enjoy the first sit-down dinner in the remodeled space.

We finally bought a dining room table: the Tuscan from World Market. (This is their picture.) We got the chairs and bench that go with it, too. Our old table was one I bought at a church sale in 1995, when I first moved to Austin. It was $3 with flaking veneer, but the legs are great. We'll keep it but we may not keep the chairs -- a mismatched set from Rob's family that I covered with yellow and gray striped material from the remnant bin at a local fabric shop. I love that material; maybe I'll take the covers off and ditch the chairs.

Dinner was good, if a bit late. Rob smoked a 12-pound turkey, using a drip pan with apples, onions, carrots, and seasonings. We used that for the gravy -- it tasted like liquid smoke (now I know how to make that). Rob put the turkey on at 11; I was still cleaning and mopping our floors -- we needed a clean house for the dinner but that meant I didn't start cooking until 12:30 p.m., a bit too late as it turns out for dining at 3. We ate at 4:30 instead -- the turkey was done early but we had Ted carve it and put it in the warming oven.

With help from everyone - Ted, Helen, Mike and Rob preparing the food (Juni kept the floor clean) -- and the Internet for the recipes -- the Elizabeth Street Thanksgiving Menu:

• Smoked Turkey, from Amazing Ribs
• Stuffing with Chestnuts and Cranberries, from Whole Foods Market
• Chipotle Mushroom Gravy, from The Splendid Table
• Mashed Potatoes, an America's Test Kitchen recipe
• Honey-glazed Carrots, from Whole Foods Market
• Green Beans with Shallots and Almonds, from Whole Foods Market
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Macadamia Nuts, from Whole Foods Market (minus the nuts)
• Emmitt Smith's Sweet Potato Casserole, from a 1999 newspaper clipping
• Cranberry Sauce with Pomegranates, from The Splendid Table
• Dinner Rolls, from Whole Foods Market (bought these instead)

We had fun finding the recipes and experimenting with new flavors (chestnuts: yum, but probably not worth the effort; chipotle mushroom gravy: very hot, and not like gravy at all; pomegranates: a lot of work for crunchy seeds; macadamia nuts: lost in the 4 hours of frantic cooking). The sweet potato casserole is now a 10-year old tradition in the Doyle household and the only recipe not from the Internet. I'll put it in another post so you can see how much butter we used.

Ted, Helen, and Mike brought dessert: cranberry-apple pie and a pumpkin pie cake. Not that we had room for it (but we persevered).

We all went into the living room to watch the Texas/A&M game. Sadly, it was on ESPN and we don't have cable, only rabbit ears. Alas. So, we watched Night at the Museum on TV instead or stumbled off to bed, according to the sleepiness of each.

The next morning was pancakes and coffee and packing up leftovers for the Doyles to take back to Houston. They left at noon. I took a nap.

The first post

Jules had a wish: a blog for the family. This fulfills that wish.

I wonder if it will work?