Dec.13

Drove in to Orlando for the granddaughter's Christmas program at a large religious-based pre-school. It was adorable, seriously. Those kids were all so cute, from the little boys beating on each other as they came down the aisle to my fair-skinned blonde granddaughter who positively glowed in her angel costume. They sang a combination of serious Christmas songs, fun songs and upbeat religious pieces. Simply charming. And so fun to watch the expression on the parents' faces too. Grandparenthood can really be a freeing experience.

Both baby granddaughters sick with ear infections.

Lunch at Hamburger Mary's with a friend. Had a quesadilla with mushrooms and chicken. Yum. Fun place. Even more fun to spend an uninterrupted 90 minutes just talking.

Shopping. Bought the wrong thing for a gift after a mixup on a wish list. Nailing down the final items.

Still must decorate the tree. It looms large, an unpainted canvas in the living room.

Struggling to get on the lists for Christmas bird counts this weekend. Finding the whole process a bit more political than I realized. Too bad. I was hoping to do 5 this year. I learn a lot during the bird counts. Spending time with experts really improves your skills.

Wedding this afternoon was sweet. 22 seems younger and younger every day.

Made a 3-layer Chocolate cake tonight. Frosted with my favorite chocolate frosting. Topped with a single pink rose and surrounded the cake with more pink petals. So pretty.

Butter cream frosting (enough for three layer cake)
Blend:
2 sticks butter
5 squares semisweet chocolate, 2 squares unsweet, melted in microwave
6.5 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk or cream
1 T vanilla or 1 T amaretto or Kahlua

Beat for a minute or so.

Blend for a minute or more