Italian Priest

I can finally enjoy Christmas. No more cleaning and cooking and fussing. It is over for the muggle born.  Do not get me wrong I love the frenzy of before Christmas. I love the action while it is happening but what I love most are the 12 days of Christmas that follow Christmas. No stress, no fuss. Relaxing, reflecting, knowing that most people are putting it behind them and back in its box and putting it out with the trash. Some will leave it all up until after January 1^st. A very few like me will leave it up until Epiphany. Even fewer will actually celebrate the visit of the Maji with gifts and the telling of the tale. Members of three Royal houses of Persia traveled many miles to greet a King and give him gifts that though strange and symbolic would provide the much needed income to safely keep Jesus and his family in Egypt.

We went to midnight Mass Christmas eve at a local Catholic Church. It is a tradition I have been doing for years. There is something very sacred and magical in the traditions of Christmas Mass at midnight. The ritual of the Mass that people hundreds of years ago did the same thing. You grow up with family members and traditions are adapted to include you and for years they exist and then family members pass on and the tradition changes and you adapt and new traditions are born and you do them every year and then family members pass on and again traditions change. Midnight Mass has not changed since I have been attending just the church I attend it in but then there is a great comfort in that too.

This one however, was different. I was gifted with a flask of Scotch early in the evening. I would take a wee sip now and then as the evening progressed. My favorite Shoe and J invited a lonely friend over to spend Christmas Eve with us and he was excited about attending Mass with us. So he arrived early evening and brought whiskey and beer. The merriment started. We loaded into the car and some of the occupants lit up cigarettes. We rolled up into church smelling of beer, whiskey and cigarettes. Not how I had envisioned this. Well we were there. I do not think the lady sitting behind us was very impressed with our Irish pub scented arrival…or feeling tolerant GOD bless her. Now she was either cursing us or praying for us. Shoe thought it sounded like cursing I was thinking it could have been more like “Oh Lord help these sinful people”. Either way lady it was Christmas and GOD bless us …Everyone…even you. Perhaps I should have introduced myself to her as Lady Tamara www.LairdOfLochaber.com    and she could have excused it as we were part of some crazy aristocracy from New England, New Jersey of Rhode Island. It would have seemed OK had the priest been Irish but he was Italian and the entire experience turned freakishly surreal. Suddenly we were transported to Romania and I had the sudden urge to search out who in the audience was a Vampire. In all my years of Mass it had always been spoken by an English speaking priest. The sanctuary was packed and he was very warm and welcoming to the parish members as well as guests. It was lovely.

I had asked a daughter to bring eggs and cucumbers because I needed them for Christmas dinner. I prepped dinner on Christmas Eve so I needed them sooner than Christmas day and I had not heard back from my daughter as to whether she got my message or not so I asked another daughter who arrived on Friday to get them. So…. Does anyone have any idea what I can do with eggs and cucumbers?

Death of my eggs

I just spent the last 28 minutes writing a story about the idiot woman who attempted to kill me, my daughter, my car and 11 other people and their vehicles all so she could cross 4 lanes of traffic, fail to yield and make a left turn she could have made from at least 2 other safer alternatives. Thank GOD for my horn. However, that did not detour her from her stupid headlong dive into exiting traffic. She did manage to kill two of my dozen eggs. The Butterfly lost the document I had just created and for some reason brought up the deleted one from yesterday.  SO for the shorter version…. Those red and white triangular signs that are on the roadways do apply to you! They mean …give way to, abdicate, and submit to oncoming traffic. Looking over at me and making eye contact and then charging over in front of me slamming on your brakes as you pull in front of me is not how that is done. You jeopardized my daughter, me and at least 11 other drivers and their cars. Then looking at me with your large ugly eyes as if to say “ what did I do?....” may work on Daddy or mommy or boyfriend or husband and probably your daffy friends definitely works at the Quarry and Stone Oak but does not work over here. You will obey the rules of engagement over here!  It was like you said….”ooooo chicken!!!!!”  and proceeded to lay chase to it heedless of your surroundings.

Lady Tamara www.LochaberHighlandEstates.com  needs a driver for the Holidays!

I do not have my tolerance for stupid engaged. I am trying to enjoy my Holidays! Stupid is not an option.

Breakfast Letters: Whoa ho ho

Breakfast Letters: Whoa ho ho: I took a long hard look at my printer, which was still not scanning I had tried everything. Talking nice, threatening, unplugging, tur...

Whoa ho ho

I took a long hard look at my printer, which was still not scanning I had tried everything. Talking nice, threatening, unplugging, turning off, shaking, reassigning it a wireless. It refused to scan and it was not talking to the Butterfly any longer. I had five choices, accept this situation (I am not good at this option), donate the thing to Goodwill and let them refurbish and sell (which is what usually happens), call in the Fin (which would require payment in cookies), uninstall the program and attempt a reinstall (this would require backtracking, an adventure in itself, patience which I was already very short on but, would offer me an intense amount of control and satisfaction if it worked), or retrieve my sword from the wall and go all William Wallace on the thing. The last one of course being my favorite option since I am very aware I have some displaced aggression just waiting to be unleashed. Then it dawned on me uninstalling is a form of destruction and required less energy. I opened the control panel and started. There were five programs that had to be killed. I was practically drooling with the anticipation of it. I envisioned myself like one of Frank Frazetta’s women, not, Lady Tamara http://www.highlandtitles.com/ more like Tamara Empress  Warrior . I named each program and one by one killed them. I was so exhilarated I could hardly wait to install the program.  I was practically daring it to not work right again. It asked me to do a test scan and so I placed a photo on the plate closed the lid and clicked the scan icon. It rattled and hummed and there before my eyes appeared a photo of me armed with a pistol . It was like TRON. I am sooo happy!!!!

There I was at a Christmas party with friends from a former job, teammates and ladies who worked there before me. We were having a wonderful time when the hostesses man comes home and is attempting to get from the dining room to the bedroom and he walks up to a group of woman and says “OK ladies spread” and waves open his arms. I stopped dead in my tracks. Had anyone else heard him through all the chatter?  The Ladies moved aside without skipping a beat and I looked at Moon and she was looking at me like I am sure I was looking at her. Spread Ladies? Are we in a Bordello? Is he inspecting? The visual in my head was like a drill sergeant walking past all the “ladies” with their goods spread for inspection. He was dressed like Napoleon but looked like Hitler. I just giggled.

What happened next was the best part of the afternoon. We heard sirens down the street. We all ran outside to look and there at the start of her street were fire trucks and they were slowly making their way up the street. Could it be Santa coming to town in a fire truck? I had not seen that since my oldest children were toddlers and we lived in Alaska. This was so exciting.  I looked over at Moon and there she stood with a huge grin on her face and a glass of wine in her hands. We all laughed at what the reaction of Santa and the firemen would be and the thought of presents of a different type came to mind. We waved; they grinned and threw us some candy. Santa laughed as he waved back and “Whoa! …… Ho Ho…HO” at us. The sweet faced fireman behind him smiled and starred at us as we faded into the distance.

Moon and I dashed to the street and picked up pieces of candy that had been touched by firemen. The treats are in my purse. Where I will pull one out now and then and show Shaggy and say “Look Shaggs a fireman touched this.” Mom!!

Shaggy and I went to a movie last night and saw New Year’s Eve. Loved it! Shaggy loved it and now has kicked Shia to the curb and is stalking Zach. It was very cute and fun and romantic and had a few surprises. To my surprise that little tiny flame known as hope that lives in the caves of my heart flickered. I suppressed it with a glass of wine when I got home. I feel safer but less human and very sad and shame on each one who attempted to destroy it. But now I know it is still there and that changes things. This is exciting.

Is your flame of hope still there?

Breakfast Letters: The scan

Breakfast Letters: The scan: This season is rushing past. Slow down Christmas. You are the one month I wish to savor, to linger over like a very fine wine shared wit...

The scan

This season is rushing past. Slow down Christmas. You are the one month I wish to savor, to linger over like a very fine wine shared with someone I love.

It had been lightly raining off and on throughout the day. I had come home and at the front door I turned back to gaze out on my roses to see if there were any blossoms or buds I could bring into the house when I saw it There was no sunlight streaming through, just the light of the overcast day, but there strung up looking like garland were diamonds. Just off my porch and only I could see a spider had created an invisible circling of silk and hanging on to the tiny threads were little drops of water. It was beautiful and had I the camera that could capture the scene I would share it with you.

Sprint!!!! Are you married to your equipment? You price the stuff like you do NOT want to get rid of it. Really?? $39.99 for a charger? It is NOT tipped in gold, there are no emeralds or rare black sapphires. You know I should have reconsidered buying from the guy in the van on the corner of Zarzamora Street. At this point I feel I am now in possession of a rare, highly sought after treasure. I should insure the charger with Lloyds of London or something.

I have been arguing and fussing and flat out having a serious battle with my scanner. I have talked with it, and to it, I have unplugged and replugged and unconnected and reconnected and still it (the scanner) tells me to scan through the computer. The computer does not recognize the scanner. It knows the printer is there and they are the same machine. I went to a sight that gives me live trouble shooting via a live chat and before Alan would talk to me he wanted me to give him $49.00. His name was probably not really even Alan. I immediately hit the box on top of the screen with the X. I have now uninstalled the program on the advice of the program. I will reinstall it today. Needless to say this has affected my entire week. I did nothing to the device that would cause it to behave this way. So I fail to understand why it would do this to me. But I never understand these behaviors of ugliness in kind for not being ugly. Maybe, my printer, scan, fax machine is possessed by an ornery little demon and all I need is a priest. Or a witch doctor.

We had game night. We played Outburst. It is my 18 year old daughter and I against my favorite Shoe and J. They are not 25.The category 1960 Political figures comes up. We are playing the adult version of the game. For what adults? None of us were old enough to have been even the least bit interested in politics in the 60s. Another question was to name electronic devices made by Sony. We named more products that had not been invented yet than the 10 required answers. So the adult version should say senior edition. However playing with Jack Daniels while naming 10 songs performed by the Beach Boys was musically brilliant. We made the cast of Glee sound like screeching owls.

I need to refill my tea cup and since this Lady Tamara www.HighlandTitles.com,does not at the moment have staff I must go do it myself. Savor your day!

Breakfast Letters: I heart Cartier

Breakfast Letters: I heart Cartier: There was a Horatio sighting the other day. I did not see him, it was phoned into me.  I love it. I have not seen much of him lately and a...

I heart Cartier

There was a Horatio sighting the other day. I did not see him, it was phoned into me.  I love it. I have not seen much of him lately and assumed he had moved onto another city but, no he is here or at least he was moving with great speed toward a crime scene on San Pedro Avenue.

I finally became a cheerleader yesterday. Another lifelong dream fulfilled. I was even caught on film and if I knew if it had been uploaded yet to our website I would send you there, maybe tomorrow.  We had cheer practice for an hour yesterday and it was some very hard work with giggles along the way. Reminded me of dance team, and road trips to away games and always being the officer on bathroom duty before we left, knowing there would be that one Cadet who would refuse to go and then need to on the trip. Then that total freak out right before you stepped off and could not remember the routine. I forgot it as I pranced through the door. Aaaarrgghhhh!!!!

There is a jumble of corporate style restaurants headed our way. You know the chain store types that appear at every mall, crossroad and shopping Mecca. Chili, Olive Garden. Etc…..  I am far less than thrilled. I do not like those national public feeding troughs. Give me a real restaurant where a real chef prepares real food and there is an interesting selection of fares of the day. Where there is care and detail added to my experience. Where I know in Denver or Phoenix or San Jose someone else is not sitting down to exactly what I am. However, when it has been one of those days and I want to curl up into the memories of childhood when all was wonderful and my biggest worry was which horse on my shelf was really my favorite I want MacDonald’s.  

Speaking of yummy comfort food I made a Texas Shepherd’s Pie the other night. Sautéed the ground beef with onions and cayenne and cumin. Added the vegetables and a jalapeno tomato sauce, smashed the potatoes, put it all in a casserole topped with cheddar, jalapeno cheese and baked. Best Shepherd Pie EVER!!!!!!  It was cold and chilly outside and warm and cozy inside and Shaggy and I watched a Christmas movie. A romantic Christmas movie….. What is it about Christmas that brings me to think romance…..LOL…. Probably all of the jewelry store adds. This year I love Cartier’shttp://www.wintertale.cartier.us/#/en-us/precious-objects-for-her snow leopard ad…Brilliant.

Dawn is peeking through the window and I need to refill my tea cup. www.HighlandTitles.com Lady Tamara has Christmas cards to write today. What is awaiting you today?

Breakfast Letters: Christmas Cookies

Breakfast Letters: Christmas Cookies: I have a delightful tea tray this morning. I smelled Christmas cookies all day yesterday. So when Shaggy and I got home from the trauma of...

Christmas Cookies

I have a delightful tea tray this morning. I smelled Christmas cookies all day yesterday. So when Shaggy and I got home from the trauma of shopping yesterday I marched into the kitchen and made a batch of Christmas cookies.  I took Shaggy to work and settled in to do some ghost hunting; the first of the weekend which, was now about over. I could not get comfortable in this big old chair so I paused to consider what was troubling me and the answer came, go bake! Baking was once upon a time my therapy. My way of coping, the one thing I had any control over and I baked all the time. Homemade bread, pizza dough, muffins, cakes, cookies, you name it I baked it. I baked last night. I have Christmas cookies with frosting and red sprinkles, Molasses spice bars, (yes Val there is cinnamon in them) and Mochalouscious Brownies. Today I am thinking coconut macaroons, Oatmeal Jumbles and ……? Back to my tea tray… I have one of each of the treats on a small Christmas tree decorated dessert plate. Orchestral Christmas music playing, the tree is twinkling, the heater is humming, Goblin is on the back of my chair purring and Lady Tamara www.HighlandTitles.comis feeling more like Christmas.

Ok, people…..you all need to slow down and enjoy the Holiday. This driving like an insane blood crazed Zombie through a parking lot has to stop. You care going to hurt someone and since it is very obvious you care only for yourself let me just point out that you are going to get hurt. No one in your family or anyone else’s family really want to spend the Christmas Holidays in the ER or Hospital. Driving at mach 6 through the parking lot to get to Best Buy and grab that last MW3 game is NOT a guarantee it will be there. Then driving like an angry cheated blood crazed zombie down to Game Stop to see if they have it will not guarantee that they have it. Perhaps it means that you should drive over to Anything Goes with Glass and you and your child sign up for stained glass classes and make gifts for everyone for Valentine ’s Day. Spend some together time together creating. They can always buy the game later with the cash Grandma will give them. Me you ask? I was on a treasure hunt with a $5 limit. So I was not frantic I was sifting and hunting and enjoying the surprise of what is available with a budget.

Sometimes, just when you are feeling fluffy in a bad way and you are out of makeup and black eyeliner and pink eye shadow are your only tools; you step outside and a fire truck is cruising past and they honk their horn and blast their siren for a second and wave, you realize that GOD thinks you are a hottie and he sent a squad to tell you that. I am still smiling……LOL

Is there anything better on a blistery chilly,  day than fish and chips? Mmmmmm…..

What is the deal with Shoe stores? Remember last year about this time Shaggy and I went into Macy’s to buy boots and shoes? We had money and we were on a shoe buying mission and we were ignored for 15 minutes and I then called management and left a message wanting a return phone call and not getting one. Being ignored on top of being ignored and I have boycott them ever since. Imagine a whole year and NOT shopping at Macy’s…..LOL…… it can be done! Well, yesterday in another department store Shaggy and I are being ignored in the shoe department. Deja-Vu! We look at each other as I make the comment and we smile. She raises her hand, like she was in school, like she did last year at Macy’s, we giggle. I decide we will give them a couple more moments. We are in no hurry but it is a respect issue. We bought one pair. Had we been treated with more respect it would have been 3 pair. So ….dear department store CEO when you are looking at your December and your numbers are down call me I will explain about customer service and the consequences of none.

In case any of you are wondering if men work at anything Shaggy found the answer on her new pair of shoes. They say “All man made”……LOL Many men worked on making her a pair of shoes. She is feeling quite special and appreciates the labor.

One more thing before I go. When you are in a store and you are blocking the entire aisle and someone says excuse me and needs by do not just lean forward. Move a step or two out of the way. Remember….I did not barge through or bump into you. I said excuse me and waited for you to move. Trust me I am NOT shopping for what you are. I am NOT going to take that the minute you put it down. From the look on your husband’s face he is right now NOT thinking about what you are thinking about buying for his mother. His is definitely thinking about me. So you see it is in your best interest sister to move out of my way.

I am shopping for a gift to send to California today what are you shopping for?

Breakfast Letters: Claymore

Breakfast Letters: Claymore: I have left my devotional book upstairs. I suppose I have not yet gotten used to bringing everything for my morning routine down with me. ...

Claymore

I have left my devotional book upstairs. I suppose I have not yet gotten used to bringing everything for my morning routine down with me. I did not get by the market to get a little   cream yesterday but I did bring home a wee bit of milk from Mothers. Not that this is a full blown complaint, I am grateful I have it but, it is NOT cream and tea I just some simpering brown liquid without a shot of cream. Spoiled? …. Maybe. Deserve to be spoiled? …..uh….Lady Tamara!www.LairdOfLochaber.com

I usually decorate my house for Christmas by putting a everything everywhere. I like the “mash-up” look and feel of it. This year it felt all wrong and so I have the snowman display, the Santa display, the Christmas tea set display, the candy display, and of course my beloved nutcracker display. I gravitate to the tall muscular looking nutcrackers.  My daughter Shaggy who is 6’2” seems to prefer to buy me the short, squatty, rounder, jollier more whimsical nutcrackers. Is there some psychological, subconscious thing going on there, or is she attracted to their jovial appearance. If I ask her I do not think she could tell me so, it must be visually they are more appealing to her. It does not matter to me. They are all wonderful. The Rat King, the Scotsman with his bagpipe, the German man with his sausages, the Mariachi man, the Chimney sweep, all of them, I adore them.

Shaggy’s phone went black screen on her last night. One minute it was fine and the next gone. The phone is only a few months old. She was very upset and came fussing to me, I am not a phone repair man. I know nothing about the inner workings of a cell phone. Shaking it is the first thing that came to mind. Then snapping to the frustration and the anger and fear in her voice, that mother thing kicked in and my first thought was to kill that which was causing my child distress.  I love that brief moment when the attack signal goes off and the adrenaline surges. I pull my Claymore from its scabbard and assume a pflug position. Giggle at myself and my amazing ability to visualize while at the same time calling Samuel and ordering an airstrike on a little phone. These amusing scenarios bring me back to practical and my response is we are going in the morning to Verizon and they will buy back their defective piece of (insert word here). She calms a bit and I ask her if I can order the airstrike to stand down. She replies “let’s wait and see what Verizon says first.” Well, OK.  As soon as we get home she gets on her computer and does a search on troubleshooting. The advice it offers does not fix the problem. She is once again standing before me fussed up. I can hear the slide of a round being chambered in my Glock, I am wondering what a 4G android looks like with a bullet in it….. I smile, Verizon? Tomorrow? “Yes mom”. There is a wicked grin on her face. If we could have gone last night I am sure those people would have gotten a verbal lashing from her.

 Two items are on my list for today, cream and Verizon. What is on your list?

Breakfast Letters: Bank of the West

Breakfast Letters: Bank of the West: Good morning. My mouse seems to have taken on a life all its own this morning. I roll over it in one direction and it goes another. But th...

Bank of the West

Good morning. My mouse seems to have taken on a life all its own this morning. I roll over it in one direction and it goes another. But then I have also misspelled every word I have typed so far including the little ones. Did I have a stroke while I slept? I am thinking peaceful happy thoughts and am about to tell a story and the mouse is fussing me up. Not what I planned….LOL…but therein lies the joyous albeit almost morbid curiosity I have for my plans going awry. It is as though I challenge them to…LOL

Shaggy needed to deposit the money for her phone bill into her friend’s bank account so he could make the payment. We went to our bank and she withdrew the money from her account. We drove to Wells Fargo, which was his bank. Keep in mind that the young man lives in California, and always has. He probably banks where his parental units banked. She fills in the deposit slip and passes the monies over to the teller, Cody. He is very interested in helping her and has assumed the gentle authority of a competent male. It is refreshing and adorable. Why has this young lad learned a simple skill most men never do? His mom?  His Dad?  Cody cannot locate the account. He tries several times. He tries using the phone number and name and city and state and Chris has no bank account. Cody asks Shaggy if perhaps she wrote the number wrong. She shows him the text message. He keeps trying. I admire his dedicated patience at helping her. Meanwhile Shaggy insists he has an account at Wells Fargo and texts Chris again. He responds with yes I have a bank account at Bank of the West.  Shaggy asks Cody what bank she at. He smiles and replies Wells Fargo we have the horses. She grins and “…uhhh….my bad! He banks at Bank of the West. There is not one of those anywhere near here.” She is embarrassed and I say to her “Honey don’t worry they both have a W in them.” Cody agrees.  He advises her to tell Chris to open an account at his nearest Wells Fargo so she can continue to come in and do business. His reason was probably two-fold…..LOL Her and Chris now have to work out a solution.

I am out of cream this morning. I made a casserole last night with vegetables, pasta, and fresh cheeses.  It was very cold winters night creamy deliciousness. So, now no tea, I am drinking coffee with peppermint mocha creamer. Shaggy loves it.  I am looking over at my Christmas tree twinkling back at me sipping warm pepperminty mocha joy. It tastes like Christmas. Not that I have associated that particular flavor combo with the Holiday ever before. It just right now smells and tastes like Christmas.  If I were writing this at night it would have to be a charming 21 year old Scotch I would share the moment with.

I was just now pausing to gaze at the Christmas tree when I noticed something, ( which is why I gaze at the tree). I have an ornament I got years and years ago, so long ago I do not quite remember where exactly he came from. Jack Frost, a beautiful fairy dressed in blues and silvers and whites. Lovely gossamer wings and he carries, of course, a wand and at the end of his wand is a frozen icicle crystal. He is about 8” tall and soft like a doll.   He has had the honor of adorning the top part of my tree for several Christmases. I have always tried to position him so the light will reflect itself off the icicle he carries. It never has, until now. Jack is sitting on a branch near the top. His wand is at a right angle to him pointing away from the tree and the icicle is hanging out into the air and the very tip of it is capturing the light of the tree and holding it. As though it was electric and connected to the rest of the lights upon the tree. It is just a brilliant and gives the illusion that it is melting and at any moment a drop of water will slide off the tip of it. That it and it alone is responsible for the lights and the twinkling not the electrical current. After all these years Lady Tamara www.LairdOfLochaber.com has been blessed with seeing Jack light the Christmas tree. Magic!

What magic will you discover today?

Breakfast Letters: Loch Duich

Breakfast Letters: Loch Duich: I am writing form a new location this morning. No, I have not gone out of town again. I have moved the butterfly and my morning tea downs...

Loch Duich

I am writing form a new location this morning. No, I have not gone out of town again.  I have moved the butterfly and my morning tea downstairs to the living room where the Christmas tree is located. I can now enjoy the beauty of the tree while I also listen to my beloved Christmas music. I miss the fireplace now though.  The ideal would be a Christmas tree in my room or a fireplace in the living room…..or both!  This new arrangement of my morning routine had fussed up the cats….LOL…. They are stopping by my char to stare up at me as if to say…”so are we going back upstairs not now?”  They are pacing and are restless. Not that I am cruel or mean spirited but this is a little amusing….. I can hear Goblin grumbling somewhere in the kitchen.

Excuse me a moment I must go check on my Haggis hunting grounds. There is snow on the ground at Inverness, Must be warm in London there is a girl standing o a street corner in a mini skirt. Someone needs to clean the gutters on the Royal Mile at Edinburgh, the view from Loch Duich is amazing this morning. No Haggis, I will keep checking.  I hunted all last Christmas and won not even a bag of Haggis flavored crisps. I shall endeavor to persevere…..LOL…. I can hunt Haggis as well as those winners from last year! HA…. Caught one!

Shaggy and I were out running a few errands on Saturday when my stray cat daughter Lovey called from Austin and said she needed to pay her rent. Well, how nice! I have a house payment to make also. “No Mom I do not need you to pay my rent I need you to write a check for my rent.” ….uhm….Great! Lovey!! Do they need real money? “Mom! I have money.” Well OK baby thank you for calling. Have a nice day. “MOM! I need to pay it by tonight.” Well sweetheart you should so that. “Mom…. (Panic in her voice now) I did not get to the bank in time and I do not have checks and I need to pay with a check. Can you meet me in San Marcus and write me a check I have money?”  Road trip was not on my list of errands…..”I will pay you for the gas”.  See you in an hour. Shaggy and I looked at each other and together said “Road Trip!!!!” we put fuel in Charles and headed north to find what adventure lay ahead for us. We got to the meeting sight before she did so we wandered into a little boutique we found and were greeted by a wonderful caring staff. We were offered cookies and warm apple cider. I shopped for the perfect gift for Mother. Lovey soon arrived and we went to the parking lot to count money and write a check. I gave her a box that Grandpa had mailed her. It felt and probably looked like some back street drug deal. She left and we left and now I have to go to the bank this morning. At least they decorated for Christmas this year and have cookies and coffee.

While I was ghost hunting this weekend I came across a relative who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I. He was given land in Monmouthshire Wales. A few have been calling him a Baron.  However he does not appear in some ancient peerage book so the rumor has been dismissed by some hunters. Sir or not for him I am still Lady Tamara www.HighlandTitles.com,.

What adventure will your next phone call send you on?

Breakfast Letters: Man vs Nature

Breakfast Letters: Man vs Nature: Happy Christmas! It is the first day of the month of December. I am going to pray it drags by me unlike the past few months which have s...

Man vs Nature

Happy Christmas!

It is the first day of the month of December. I am going to pray it drags by me unlike the past few months which have seemed to fly by on magical wings. I can feel the tendrils of wishes, hopes, dreams, magic and the anticipation of the unknown meandering toward me.My father always wanted to take my mom to London for Christmas and ride in a horse drawn sleigh in the snow. She never wanted to go. Sounds like a lovely way for a Ladywww.LairdOfLochaber.com to spend Christmas eve.

Prague update.

We have set aside the Prague Idea. I do not know if we shall ever revisit it. I am not a planner or a goal setter so to say it is on my 5 year plan and we will be there in 2014 is just plain crazy to me. We are now dreaming of Hogwarts. Shaggy has decided we will go to Hogwarts for her birthday. Well this sounds like a big adventure so now her sights are set on Hogwarts in May. 

Tonight is game night and my favorite Shoe and her Johnny are coming over. I am cooking vegetable soup, cheese biscuits and pumpkin pie. Star Wars Trivial Pursuit!! Ooooo maybe I should buy a Guinness for the soup…..

Shaggy and I got to see a live version of Man VS Nature on the side of the road. There was a large white truck pulled over and in the rocky pilled garden a man had a grip on a young sapling and was twisting and pulling and shoving the sapling all around. I am not sure what he was really trying to do but if it was a random attack on Nature , Nature was winning. You could just sense the more the man pushed the tighter the grip the roots took. I kept looking at the scene in my rear view mirror expecting that at any moment the tree would start acting like the Whomping Willow. We were tickled over the memory and the possibilities for about 15 minutes.

I all of a sudden have a intense craving for eggnog…..I will stop by the store while I am out. Do you need anything picked up?