Egg Nog and Real Tree

 Our annual batch of Egg Nog is bottled and in the ice box, aging its way to Christmas.

 

It's based on "General George Washington's Recipe" which I first saw a couple years ago on "Tasting History" with Max Miller. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bsHOxQtBW4

The recipe is also available here: https://www.almanac.com/george-washingtons-christmas-eggnog

But my concoction also has a pinch of good old Alton Brown's take from "Good Eats". 

https://altonbrown.com/recipes/aged-eggnog/

https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/good-eats/videos/school-of-hard-nogs

 

I mean, ya gotta have some nutmeg!

 

What makes this batch extra special is that we'll be enjoying it this year in front of the very first REAL tree I've ever had for Christmas -- extra, extra special because the tree came from Casper Mountain.

 

 

 

 

Perpetual Preparation

Seems like I'm perpetually preparing. 

Scrambling to locate glasses for last week's annular eclipse (I have dozens left over from the eclipse in 2017 still hiding somewhere).

Working to finish remodeling my Mom and Dad's kitchen--or at least to reach an acceptable stage of functionality--before this past Thursday so the family could properly celebrate the 50th anniversary of them signing the mortgage and moving in.

Now spinning like a whirlwind to get ready for Hallowe'en. Decorations still awaiting. Costumes to finalize. Groceries to gather. Cookies and cakes to bake. Chili to concoct. Cider to mull. Pumpkins to carve. On and on and on... All we must do in order to enjoy the evening's feasts and festivities.

Then, already looking forward to the work needed for Thanksgiving.

And nevermind Christmas!

With Winter looming ever closer--snow icing over the horizon this very moment--and all that must be done to prepare for its wrath.

All the while haunted by the thought that I simply must locate those missing eclipse glasses in order to get ready for next April's trip south to witness another solar eclipse.

 

Ready or not, the future keeps on a'comin'!

 

 

 

 

Submitting to Submission

Today I sent a submission in the mail. 

In the mail.

Haven't done that in twelve, maybe thirteen years. Perhaps even longer. It's been all electronic submissions for so long that the entire process of typing up a cover letter, signing my name, and sealing the envelope felt somewhat strange--like reliving far forgotten memories, once part of every day yet faded and made all but obsolete against a whole other way of remembering.

How marvelous it was, though, to fall into the same old habit of driving the same old route to the same old post office and following the same old way home. 

Whether the story is accepted or not, I'm delightfully convinced that I ought to seek out opportunities for physical submissions more often, if only to keep the whole process new as ever.

The Last Light of August

The Last Light of August

 

From 

"Away With Words"

 by 

Jim Matheos 

Pioneering Twins

Thanks to the staff of the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center and also Fort Caspar Museum for helping our Student Docents make it a Summer of Pioneering Adventure!

https://nhtcf.org/

https://www.fortcasparwyoming.com/

Aestivation Arrives

 

 

 

Overcast in Casper all day, we never did see the Sun.

Nevertheless, it's still Summer!

 

 

 

Aestivation Awaits

 

 

 

When next we see the Sun it shall be Summer!