I just got back from the mall. I had a couple of little ones to buy for. Don't ever go to a toy store at the last minute on Christmas. I'm lucky to be alive. I bought Sassi a little dog that barks and wags it's tail. Now that was worth the trip to the mall for. She was dragging it around by the ear and trying to get it to bark. Marda, she is wonderful, funny, smart, playful and she is a little doll. We love her so much. Ohiomom, it's weird, and it's a relief. The kids were great, I think they want to plan a family thing later, but they are coming home to help with the packing. I'm going to give the 2 grandsons money, it's what they always want after they get a certain age. Neil and I are getting a new tv when we move so that's going to be our Christmas. Katrina is getting a new bathroom built just for her. Marda do you and John laugh more every day now that Digby is part of your family? We sure do, I don't think there is anything quite as healing is having a puppy in the house.

Tom, It happens, but certainly not every year. Couple of years ago two big storms in one week did pretty much the same thing. There are IMHO strong tendencies of my location being in the heaviest corridor, or it's pretty much all north or south. Almost never are we on the transition from heavy to lighter amount. This time, we were forecast to be on the north edge of the heaviest corridor, and I knew from the start based on past experience, that the odds were high that it would be completely south of my location, and it was. The other mostly likely scenario was for the track to shift northward until it was firmly over north Arkansas. And really the second one happens more times than not. Hence, why I said that it can't be counted on here until it is on the ground. BTW, below is a map of snowfall amounts across Arkansas thanks to the NWS in Little Rock. I'm in those two counties in the far NW corner. So how much snow did you get John? Arktrees

How about Garlic soup? I've made something similar and would suggest skipping the egg & giving the soup a run through with an immersion blender. The soup is creamy & light. This isn't my recipe but I do have a T&T that I can post if you think that you'd like it. ----------------------------------------------- Sopa de Ajo (garlic soup) Ingredients: Water 5 Garlic cloves. Olive Oil 2-3 pinches of Salt One or two days-old bread in slices. The typical bread used for this soup in Burgos is "hogaza" a big rounded bread. 1 egg. Sweet paprika, hot paprika, or both! 1 dried red pepper (optional) Directions: Add water to a saucepan (some 2 litres), the salt, 2 spoonfuls of olive oil, the dried pepper and 4 garlic cloves in thin slices. Bring it to boil. Meanwhile, cut the bread into pieces, not very big, not very small. When garlic slices had been boiling until they are tender, add the pieces of old bread and let it boil. (To know if garlic is ready, take one slice from the saucepan and try with a fork. It the slice of garlic is tender, its cooked). Prepare a small frying pan and poor some olive oil on it (not very much, maybe 1 teaspoon will be enough). When the oil is hot, add 1 garlic clove previously cut in very, very small slices. Let them fry until they take a brown color, but be careful, dont let them get burned, as they would give this soup a very bitter flavour! When garlic on the frying pan is brown, add some paprika or cayenne pepper, the one you prefer. Dont add too much. Just the quantity you can take on the tip of the knife. Stir for a short time, after having removed the frying pan from heat, so that paprika (or cayenne) does not burn. Add a little bit of water on it and poor this mixture on the saucepan, covering the already boiled garlic and bread. Remove the saucepan from heat. Bit the egg and add it to the saucepan, stirring at the same time, until you see the bitten egg becomes solid, dissolved in the soup. Let it stand some minutes and the garlic soup is ready! Tips: We, at home, also add some chopped green pepper to the boiling garlic with bread. Other times, we add some slices of mushroom, but this just depends on your preferences. --------------------------------------------------- Nina

I emjoyed reading about all of your celebrations. Glad to hear most of the steer are home. My Christmas started last Tuesday with the arrival of Nieces 1 & 2, plus 1's DH and two sons. I adore those kids. I gave then some Avatar figures and they played a lot with those. I got a bracelet made of beads. Mom made a pot roast dinner. I worked Wednesday and Thursday. The boss gave me some liquid soap and a candle that stink to high heavens, so they will be regifted or taken to the thrift shop. The aroma is supposed to be Fig but it's actually P.U. Christmas day was very quiet and made me wistful for the days of lots of relatives and complete bedlam. My older son came over and made a nice breakfast of french toast, bacon, eggs, coffee and juice. I got out the good china and silver just for the heck of it. I gave him a set to learn to juggle and he spent most of the day fooling with that and could do it by the end of the day. Dinner with Mom and she made lobster tails that were very good. We found #2 nephews shoes under the dining room table so I mailed those back on Saturday. The other half of the family arrives this Tuesday for lunch. That's my BIL and his wife, Niece #3, her DH and two daughters. Can't wait to see them. I work on Monday then have the rest of the week off. I have a job interview on Wednesday morning. I'll let you know more about that. I think I will make asparagus soup tonight. I bought a lot hoping I could convince Mom to come here for dinner, but no luck. So far no plans for New Year's Eve except to go to bed early!