Cocktail Wednesday - Sidecar and Clover Club

We started back up with Cocktail Wednesday with the new year.  Had our first night back on January 13th with the side card.  This was my dad's pick.

Recipe from here .. basically.

Ingredients:

• Brandy - 1 1/2 oz
• Triple Sec - 3/4 oz
• Lemon Juice - 3/4 oz

I put the ingredients together in the shaker (not pictured here) with ice, shook for a bit, poured it into the glass. I poured it over ice, but my husband liked it neat better.  (it's actually his go-to drink now).

The next drink (1/20) was the Clover Club.  My YD's dance instructor suggested this as a cocktail to try.

Recipe from here.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Gin
• 1 egg white
• .5 oz Fresh lemon juice
• .5 oz raspberry syrup

 

I made the raspberry syrup with some raspberries I had bought for lunch.  I mashed them, put them in a pot with equal part sugar and then cooked it until it boiled, and then a little more.

I put the ingredients above (doubled) in a shaker with ice, and then poured into the glasses.  It was really pretty and tasty too.  Not too sweet.

Rolling down the "hill"

Playing at the park .. what more can I say?

Scarf Progress

So one of my goals is to knit two "Tom Baker Scarves".  He was the fourth doctor in Doctor Who. Here's an example of what it looks like.

(Image from here.)

I went out and got yarn ...

and started to knit

This is what it looked like on 1/3 ...

 

And this is how far I've gotten so far.  It's a little ambitious to think I will have two done by the time we go to Gallifrey One, but I'll try. 

Bowling ...

So one of the things I wanted to do this year was go bowling.  We actually did this on January 1st.  I probably went bowling before I posted my list, but it was on the list before I went bowling.

We met up with our YS and family and went to the alley right by their house.

The boys had a great time .. though it perhaps went a little long.  Mikey really enjoyed it.

I didn't get enough pictures.  next time.

Birthday Buddy!

The trip to Ohio/Indiana for the wedding, also involved attending my grand nephew's first birthday.  He was born on my birthday in 2014.  So, I was finally able to meet my birthday buddy -- it was at his first birthday, but better late than never.  He is such a cutie!

The birthday party was probably really fun, but I locked the keys in the trunk of the rental car (when I left to get ice) and spent the good part of three hours waiting for a locksmith to open the car .. I was so frustrated with myself .. and what a waste of time.  After the party, we went to my nephew's house for games and general fun stuff.

 

 

Some final shots of me and my husband as the "I" in Indy.

Week 52 : Dec 24 - 30 + Dec 31

 Dec 24 - gingerbread tree

 Dec 25 - Christmas day

Dec 26 - scanning things on boxing day

 Dec 27 - at my OS/DIL's new house

 Dec 30 - orchids

 December 31 - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

The LIST for 2016

So here's my list for this year.  I always have the general goals of be healthier (eat better, exercise more), laugh and smile more, and watch less TV, be more positive, but those things aren't quantifiable, so here's the list.

1. Visit the Grand Canyon
2. Complete the Couch to 5K program
3. Run an actual 5K
4. Robin's Wedding - DONE
5. Go to Gallifrey One - Done
6. Finish the Grinch quilt
7. Read 12 biographies
8. Go bowling -  DONE
9. Complete 6 quilts - 1) chevron (#2); 2) baby girl quilt; 3) another baby girl quilt;4) Deer Quilt;
10. Make 7 different breads (to finish the 12 from last year)
11. Make 5 different soups (to finish the 12 from last year) - #8 Corn Chowder; #9 Tomato Soup; #10 Slow Cooker Nacho Soup; #11 Pumpkin Soup; #12 Cheesy Enchilada Soup
12. Read a classic novel
13. Make/buy new Christmas decorations

14. Make a gingerbread house with the little boys

15. Blog weekly
16. Knit Tom Baker scarves -- DONE
17. Quilt for Nathaniel (before he turns one)
18. Mail 12 notes/cards
19. Visit family on the east coast - went in September for my uncle's memorial/celebration of life
20. Upload Round Robin letters to the blog - still working on it
21. Take a hike with Rumit et al
22. Go to 6 new walking spots - #1 Sanborn County Park; #2 Coyote Hills Regional Park; #3 Pulgas Ridge Preserve;
23. Walk 1000 fitbit miles - DONE (1,144.82 miles)
24. Go to Hearst Castle
25. Hang pictures on the wall
26. Make curtains for boys' room
27. Make a 5-year plan
28. Take a road trip
29. Attend a local art and wine festival
30. Go to a farmer's market
31. Plant some herbs or fruits or something - done - Basil, tomatoes, mint, etc.
32. Visit a few of these sites : the-best-places-to-see-in-silicon-valley-2010
33. Make curtains for my room
34. Take a walk on the beach - DONE (in Michigan, week of Aug 22)
35. Have a 30,000 step day - Monday, August 22 (30,033 steps).
36. Go to lunch with someone I haven't seen for a while
37. Make a family photo calendar
38. Cook something with grandson(s)
39.Try a new ethnic food
40. Try one new recipe
41. Make a souffle
42. Finish watching Classic Who
43. Watch Sharknado - DONE - Sept 3 -- watched the end of it.  That was enough!!
44. See Pride & Prejudice & Zombies - Done!
45. Make a quilt for baby Thea
46. Make ice cream - DONE

47. Make doughnuts
48. Get a waffle iron - DONE
49. Try making mozzarella cheese
50. One Second Every Day Project - didn't do it everyday but did it for some
https://youtu.be/3XJ10aUZ_oA
51. Send out Christmas Cards
52. Make a list for 2017 - DONE

Obviously not quite finished, but I'll come back and update ...

2015 List Update

So here's my wrap up from last year.  I finished the following : 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 17, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 33, 37, 43, 47, 48, and 50 (and of course #52 will be finished on 1/1/16).  That's 19 out of 52 completed.

I made partially completed the following : 3, 7, 9, 21, 30, 31, and 51 (watching Doctor Who marathon),  I didn't watch any "official" marathons, but I think I watched enough to at least say I partially completed that one.

That makes 26.  So I achieved, or almost achieved half my goals.  Not great, unless we're talking baseball, then I'm batting .500.

I guess my basic goal for this coming year will be to complete more than that.  I need to make more of the goals attainable -- and things I actually want to do.  The list should just push me in that direction. For example, Bodega Bay.  That's a place I've been wanting to visit and because of the list, I finally did.