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Coffee with two sugars
Thursday, December 23, 2021 at 02:44PM 
Sweetness is the sweetest of the sweet ... cats, that is
Actually the pirate drinks her coffee black as a moonless midnight.
Okay okay ... with a splash of heavy cream, on holidays, when my girls are here to drink it with me.
But never with sugar.
Rizzo's favorite pose
As a rule with very few exceptions, mornings will find me sipping hot, fresh, black coffee with my beloved fur babies. One on each side. I often refer to them as my two sugars.
To our left is Rizzo the rescue pup, a Chiweenie (Dachshund Chihuahua mix) whose mission in life is to lounge and sleep approximately 22 hours per day, and spend the other two hours alternately barking and begging for Milk Bones.
And as ultra-domesticated, perpetually pampered canine units go, he is tremendously successful.
Bowtie mug by Krispy Kreme
To our right is Sweetness the rescue kitty cat, a Tuxie with tuxitude but aptly named because she truly is the finest and sweetest feline unit anyone in the world has ever seen or known.
They flank me, snoozing and purring, as I slurp at my cuppa and contemplate the day.
But lately they have had some company and I'm here to tell you about it.
The pirate's black iron skillet could double as her boat anchor
Last weekend we did go to Greenville to visit Henry as well as my sister and brother-in-law. My girls cared for my pets and as always I am grateful for them.
I took with me to Mama's house a spiral-cut ham studded with pineapple rings and maraschino cherries, encased in an oven bag.
Upon our arrival at Henry's, we set the oven to three-twenty-five and shoved the ham inside.
Our Melly: Official Birthday Photo
Also with me was a crock pot of cream corn, the sauce for Mom's famous broccoli casserole, ready to be brought to the boil and poured over the broccoli, and the makings of a festive ham glaze, also ready to be heated and applied.
As I got everything ready in the kitchen, TG and Henry went to the store to buy frozen broccoli, Ritz crackers (the topping for the broccoli casserole is Ritz crumbs), Yukon Gold potatoes, and two pans of Sister Schubert's Parker House Style yeast rolls.
My own sister contributed a fresh garden salad and an eggnog cake that she had baked that morning.
Sweet Seventeen
And so our meal came together and was devoured with great enthusiasm: Christmas ham, salad, mashed potatoes, broccoli casserole, cream corn, yeast rolls, and eggnog cake.
The next day, cool and windy with longish spates of driving rain, we ate out and then visited Mom at the cemetery.
After church on Sunday morning, I made TG, Henry, and me a lunch of creamy buttery grits, eggs, leftover ham, and the second pan of Parker House Style yeast rolls.
Melly and her doting mama
As Mama would have said, it was so good it'd make your tongue slap your brains out.
Once back home and at our church's evening service, TG narrated our Christmas program, which was wonderful and inspiring.
On Monday the finishing touches (freshly painted doors and new door knobs) were applied to the guest bath renovation, which had been completed the previous Wednesday.
Melly and me
Stephanie and her family arrived from North Carolina that afternoon. That night we all gathered for A Tale of Two Chilis: as in, a crock pot full of my original red chili and another crock pot full of Erica's white chicken chili.
I'm glad it was not a contest because I'm afraid I might have lost. Her white chicken chili is stellar.
We served the soups with cornbread muffin tops, Fritos Scoops, sour cream, and shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
O I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
For dessert, I had made a pineapple upside down cake in my huge black iron skillet.
I wish you could have seen TG flipping that thing onto the plate. The skillet itself weighs ten pounds, and then there was the cake ... only a wee bit of juice escaped.
THEN we had Christmas! Everyone gathered in the TV room and gifts were exchanged between Stephanie's brood and all of us, because they are heading up to Pennsylvania for Christmas with Joel's family.
High in the sunlit silence
What a blast.
On Tuesday we devoted the entire day to celebrating two more sweet things: Our Melanie's seventeenth birthday, and Andrew's achievement of completing the formation block of his pilot training.
Melanie turning seventeen was a big occasion in its own right. She is our special-needs angel and we love her so much, it hurts.
Where never lark, or ever eagle flew
After she was dressed and Stephanie and I were dressed, we took some pictures with her.
Later everyone was once again around the table for a pizza party featuring a rather splendid birthday cake adorned with sparkling, flashing, twinkling crystal numerals ... a one and a seven.
Melanie's delight was palpable and sustained as she opened her gifts and celebrated along with the rest of us.
It's anybody's guess what Dagny was doing
Baby Rhett, five months old, is teething and has some difficult moments but there were many arms to hold him and he made it through without too much fuss.
As for Andrew, completing the formation block of his training means that he and other pilot trainees flew in formation the previous week, and on Tuesday 12/21/21 Andrew flew solo in formation with his own Instructor Pilot.
He passed everything with flying colors, as it were, and after the break he will begin the next phase of his training.
The Rhett man ... we call him ol' blue eyes
He was released to leave the base for Christmas, whereupon he and Brittany and Ember set out for Florida to spend the holiday with her family.
Early next week they will come to us and we will have our third Christmas! Can't wait. Much excitement is planned and you know there will be good eating.
(Brittany loves my spicy cranberry meatballs so we will definitely have those, and Andrew does not enter this house when there is not a 9x13 pan of strawberry pretzel salad for him.)
My Papaw took a turn soothing me
Meanwhile on Christmas Eve, after a short service at church, we will be at Erica's for a Christmas buffet. I'm making my cheese ball without which we have not celebrated Christmas in twenty-five years, as well as Mari's Hot Taco Dip (minus the black olives) which is a huge hit with my family.
Along with it we will have Fritos Scoops and Xtreme Wellness low-carb tortillas. (The dip is fabulous wrapped in a tortilla and slathered with sour cream.)
I'm also making chocolate haystacks per my sister's recipe (similar to this), and the girls are bringing various things too, which I cannot wait to see and taste.
I am here if you should need me
On Christmas Day I will reprise the glazed spiral ham recipe that we had last weekend, along with (again) broccoli casserole, sweet potato casserole, creamy ranch potatoes, homemade cranberry sauce, ambrosia, seven layer salad, some more of those Sister Schubert's Parker House Style yeast rolls, and assorted pies, cakes, cookies, and candies.
All enjoyed as we spend time together, laughing and talking and loving on the babies, and exchanging gifts.
I do declare. If that is not an embarrassment of riches, I don't know what is.
Wish you were here with us
We've had some chilly days and nights, but our weather for the next several days is predicted to be springlike.
Tonight our Dagny is spending the night with us, and tomorrow night she will be joined by her mother. They always sleep at ours on Christmas Eve so that we can be together on Christmas morning.
And every morning, before all of the day's happy activities begin? I'll have coffee with my two faithful sugars.
I'll be wishing each of you a Very Merry Christmas and an Extra Happy New Year with each sip.
And that is all for now.
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Happy Thursday :: Merry Christmas Weekend
Reader Comments (21)
I'm so glad to read you are having a wonderful time with your family!! The one photo must be of you and your sister, you look so much alike!! Your mroning drinking buddies are so adorable!! Merry Christmas, Jenny!!!
P.S. I kept wondering where the two sugars came into the picture. And now comes my double take. Very clever, and they do look as sweet as sugar.
Well, now I’m hungry! We have a strawberry pretzel salad enthusiast here, too, so it always makes the Christmas Day menu. You mentioned so many favorites of mine: pineapple upside down cake, broccoli casserole, and white chicken chili with toppings. Oh, and I love those chocolate haystacks. I do have a sweet tooth!
Our Christmas Day menu rarely strays from Neptune Chowder, beef tenderloin with a mushroom wine sauce, some sort of potatoes, spiral glazed ham, and the strawberry pretzel salad. I’m making smothered green beans and a cranberry orange quinoa salad for some red and green color this year. I insist on mixing things up with a few new side dishes each year,
Happy Birthday to Melanie! And congrats to Andrew. Wishing you and yours a blessed Christmas celebrating our Saviour. XO
Merry Christmas, I absolutely loved this post.You are so good at writing!! I just smile reading along. Thank you for that.
Congratulations to your Andrew.
Sending hugs and prayers for your family .. and pets. :-)
Enjoy!
Looking forward to your next post sharing all this Christmas goodness.
Love, Carla
That firat photo of Melanie is just beautiful! Happy 17th to her. I can hardly believe it.
And Rhett! Those blue eyes are as gorgeous as you said they were.
The pics from the sky are just amazing. I am not a fan of heights, but wow - so pretty. And I'm so proud of Andrew!
Looks like lots of good times ahead.
We have a candlelight service at church tomorrow night. My whole family is coming Sat, so there will be 23 of us here. Late Sat night, Andy and Nikki will arrive, and then Sunday afternoon our gang will all join us for our Christmas. It will be busy, and fun!
Merry Christmas and lots of love to the whole Weber gang from the Bruins gang in Michigan!.
@Ginny ... hahaha yes I might not have been clear enough that the fur babies are my two sugars! They are such sweet little companions. And pictured with me is my granddaughter Melanie, the birthday girl! I wish my sister had been there but that was not possible. Merry Christmas to you and yours, Ginny! xoxo
@Bijoux ... yes the pretzel salad is so irresistible, I have to just have a little bit because it is as addictive as banana pudding, another dessert I cannot stop eating until it is all gone!!! Haven't had that in a long time ... perhaps this coming spring I will make one for some get-together or another! Like you I do like to mix it up with new side dishes but this year I'm kind of stuck with old ones. BUT I will be looking up Neptune Chowder because I have never heard of that and my curiosity is piqued! Your beef dish sounds scrumptious! Merry Christmas to you and yours, my friend. xoxo
@Carla ... why thank you so much, friend! What a kind thing to say. It makes me smile if I made you smile. I hope you have the loveliest Christmas ever ... and I hope you get another gorgeous snowfall! xoxo
@Mari ... I know, right? These precious babies grow up in a flash. And I'm not a fan of heights either -- and certainly not of FLYING, hahaha -- but it's easy to be proud of Andrew. He's so excited. I can't imagine having 23 in my house for a meal ... I don't know how you do it. But I'm so glad that this year, you don't have to worry about being called in to work! Lots of love back to all of you from all of us Webers! xoxo
Happy belated birthday to Melanie!! Beautiful sweet young woman!! Congrats to Andrew on his achievements! Darling, adorable Rhett!! Honestly, how can you eat all that delicious food and maintain the figure you maintain?? So scrumptious sounding all of it!! I love how you prepared the meal to take to Henry's. Seems like you are an old pro to do so!! Do you cater and do you travel to cater?? May you all have a wonderful rest of your Christmas celebrations and festivities as you all enjoy the time together :)
Merry Christmas!
betty
@betty ... hahaha nope not a caterer of any stripe but I just wanted to get out ahead of it, as I often say! I figured the more I did at home, the less time I'd spend digging around in Mom's cupboards looking for stuff! It was such fun. I eat TOO MUCH of all that scrumptious food and after Christmas I will be working hard to get my figure back into shape, hahaha! Hope you are even now enjoying Christmas with your own family, and please be sure to give Winslow a great big kiss from the pirate! xoxo
I use flounder, canned crab and shrimp in mine,
Happy Birthday to Melanie! And congrats to Andrew.
Merry Christmas to you and to your family.
I always enjoy reading about your family and all of your celebrations. You are so blessed to have such a lovely family and are able to spend time together.
All of your meals are right up my alley. I haven't made a pineapple upside down cake in a while and I think it's time.
I hope the rest of your celebrations are amazing. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
@Bijoux ... WOW that sounds kicked up! The recipe I found called only for whitefish! We are not big seafood eaters but that really does sound delicious! xoxo
@Jane ... Thank you and same to you, my friend. I am praying for you. xoxo
@Lori ... definitely time for a pineapple upside down cake! Talk about a crowd pleaser. Yes, blessed beyond measure. God is so good and always faithful. I hope you have the BEST time with your family for Christmas! xoxo
Awww! Love your sweet fur babies! Happy Birthday to sweet Melanie! All the food looks and sounds so good! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your wonderful family, Jenny!
_Everything_ about this post, is Joy, and Togetherness, and All of Life's Riches.
Your photos are amazing, as always. Your words, lovely. Your happenings, beyond Joyful.
Enjoy everything, my Dear, as I know you are, and will continue to....
Hugs and Love and Happy, Happy Christmas(s),
Mari-Nanci
@Jeanette ... Thank you my friend and the very same to you! xoxo
@Mari-Nanci ... You are as always too kind! I wish you and your beloved(s) the best of everything this Christmas and in the new year! xoxo
Seventeen??? How is that even possible??? Where is time flying to??
And look at your Dagny!! God, I'm getting old...
They are both beautiful as well is the whole family! And I'm loving your dress in the next post! Lovely!!
Enjoy the New Year sweet friend!!
hughugs
Donna
@Donna ... YES! As your beautiful sweet grands were growing up, so were mine! It's mind boggling. Thank you for your kind comments and the happiest of new years is wished for you as well, my dear friend! xoxo
Oh, wow! Your holidays are simply packed with yumminess and love! I can almost taste all that delicious food. I loved all your pictures of your beautiful family. It isn't Christmas without the love! Thank you for taking time out to tell us all about the fun things you've been doing and the great food you have. Of course, I would like all the recipes, from the Spicy Cranberry meatballs to the Eggnog cake! lol.. As if we need anything more to eat this holiday! Have a really and truly blessed 2022.
@Gayla ... I can certainly give you the Spicy Cranberry Meatballs recipe ... in fact I think that if you punch it into the search field in my sidebar, a result will come up showing that I have shared it before! That eggnog cake is my sister's secret, though ... and if I can get it from her, I'll let you know! Yes we had all the food and all the love and now I must be honest and say I'm glad it's over, haahaha xoxo
The company, the food, the baby, and the two sugars - your festivities sound awesome. I'm always hungry after reading your posts. Congratulations to Andrew and Happy 17 to Melanie (another beautiful birthday cake). It snowed here (finally) - we've had gray skies, wind, and snow since just before Christmas until today when it is below zero, but the sun is shining in a blue sky. Happy 2022 to you and your family, Jenny! Hugs to you.
@Barb ... You have been in my thoughts and prayers since I read about and saw pictures of the wildfires at Boulder! I checked and made sure that was nowhere near you all but still I was concerned. Snow, how beautiful! I don't want your freezing temps but it would be lovely to see some snow. Our temperatures hovered near 80 on New Years Day but now it's more seasonal with highs in the high 40s and 50s. Before we know it, spring will be here! Yes we had a lovely and busy time with all of the family and the babies and too much food. Time to get back on a more sensible regimen. Happy 2022 to you and Bob! xoxo