Last Weekend of 2018!

On Saturday I finally got to introduce Syd to MOM's in Bryn Mawr. No surprise, she loved it and wants to try the Sushi Bowl when she comes home for Spring Break.

Then on Sunday Bishop and I spent the day in Philly and at long last, we went to the Keith Haring Garden on Ellsworth!

We also recreated our Boxing Day 2017 photo at the Banana Republic on Chestnut Street:

The Mayor of Castro Street

I had, like Shilts' other book, And the Band Played On, purchased this in the early aughts when I worked at the café attached to a bookstore that was known as The Hellmouth. Prior to reading The Mayor of Castro Street this week, I had already seen the documentary The Times of Harvey Milk in February of 2007 and of course, Gus Van Sant's Milk in the Winter of 2008. But, I distinctly remember the first time I saw Harvey Milk's name. It was probably 1998-ish when I subscribed to Out magazine. In one issue there was a timeline of significant events in gay history and it listed the first high school specifically for LGBT teenagers called Harvey Milk High School. The name is unique and so I never forgot it. Getting back to the book, I suppose what I liked about it was how Shilts never made Harvey into a saint. I can't stand people that do that to those that have passed on; drives me right 'round the bend. It's so disrespectful to paint a person as perfect because you take away their humanity and the things about them that made them special and relate-able. Harvey came across as a man with an agenda, as a fighter, someone that did not back down and was not afraid to be himself no matter what. On the flip side, I didn't like that he outed Oliver Sipple or that he seemed only interested in younger men (that's a pet-peeve of mine - people that are only interested in dating the young. Ugh, it's just so cliché.), but I liked that he annoyed me in that respect. Who wants to admire someone without any irritating flaws? Not me. By the end of the book I was angry, as I knew I would be since the outcome is so outrageously preposterous and infuriating, but thankfully the appendix was Harvey's speeches and his political will. I can't hear the Hope Speech or his will without crying because he had so much more left to do and I know if this world existed without hatred and fear of the differences that make us all so glorious he would still be here - here guiding the youth of today into a more accepting and happier tomorrow. It fucking sucks that it was not to be.

New Year's Cards!

Only a select handful of friends and loved ones got New Year's cards, but I thought these were too pretty to pass up.

Inside I wrote my wishes for 2019 for the recipient and Bella really loved hers!

(Fucking spell check...when I type the word loves I mean fucking loves not lives!!!! So annoying...)

Crinkle-Crackle Christmas Cooks

A while back I ordered The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur by Kelly Peloza and finally decided to give one of the recipes a try. Many of the photos in the book are horrible and not at all appetizing, which is why I left it on my kitchen shelf for so long. Some are way too up-close and the lighting is awful on so many others. (Not that I have room to talk, but still, I expect more in a book than I do on a blog.) That being said, the recipe for Lemon's Dark Chocolate Truffle Cookies was spectacular and I will absolutely be trying more from the book and checking to see if the author has any other vegan cookbooks. I did make a couple changes to Kelly's instructions and ingredients as well as renaming the tasty lil' devils.

Ingredients:
1 cup 365 Organic All Purpose Flour
⅔ cup of raw cacao powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup Wholesome organic dark brown sugar
2 tbsp of Thrive Market organic virgin coconut oil
⅔ cup of Trader Joe's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 tsp 365 Organic Vanilla Extract
½ tsp 365 Almond Extract
2 tbsp Simply Orange Pulp Free orange juice
3 tbsp So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk
¼ cup of powdered sugar

Steps:
Preheat oven to 375°
Mix together flour, cacao and baking powder, and brown sugar in a large bowl, then create a well in the center. (I had never heard of this technique so I just made the mix into a crater in the bowl.)
Melt chocolate chips then combine them with the coconut oil, extracts, juice and coconut milk and pour the gunk into the crater.
Mix until completely combined. (It was dry as hell so I added more coconut milk as was advised in Kelly's instructions.)
Roll the dough into lil' balls and roll 'em into the powdered sugar. Once on the parchment paper lined cookie sheet I smooshed them down with the bottom of a glass.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, let them cool for about a minute then transfer to cooling rack.

Note: this doesn't make much, just a little more than 2 dozen, but man, oh man, are they gooood! I cannot recommend them enough and it was surprisingly easy to do, especially under Mama Rosie's guidance.

The Days of Anna Madrigal

It makes me sad to say this but The Days of Anna Madrigal was tough to get through. Burning Man as a setting? Ugh, so not my scene. And the backstory for Anna? Beyond depressing. Don't even get me started on that creepy scenario with Michael, Ben, and the ex-Mormon. It was so dumb and not necessary, as far as I'm concerned, and had me shouting out loud "What is happening!? What the fuck does this have to do with ANYTHING?!!?" Then we had Mary Ann as a candy-striper? Please. She's the least nurturing person in the series. I just felt so incredibly let down by the entire thing. I'm sure when I re-read the series in the future I'll have a different outlook once I reach this one and will maybe like it, but as of now, I feel seriously bummed. And I mean that in both the American and British sense of the word. I have one more Armistead Maupin book to read - The Night Listener - and I think and frankly, am crossing m'fingers that it's going to be really good. More on that later!

My Christmas

Yesterday I did sod all. Just sat on my arse and watched movies - Rudolph, Hitched for the Holidays, The Gathering (of course!), and the Christmas Special 2016 for Last Tango in Halifax. I also ate every remaining cookie in my house and opened all the gifts I bought myself, as is my sad-sack spinster tradition. I started my day by once again being wished a happy holiday by my Wii. Ain't he the sweetest? (and yes I do realise that this post is interesting only to me, but no one reads this blog but me, so there!)

Then it was massive amounts of texts with friends and family and these were my faves, starting with Bishop:

(this one is from Terri from last night) 

 

 

And here's the goodies I scored:

Pink Scarf and Yellow Buttons

A new mix for Christmas 2018!

Merry Christmas Darling - Carpenters
Open Fire - Johnny Mathis
Snowfall/Snowfall Cha-Cha - Billy May/George Shearing
Washington Square - Chris Isaak
If Every Day was Like Christmas - Elvis Presley
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas  - She & Him
The Christmas Song - Andy Williams
Remember - Harry Nilsson
I'll Be Home for Christmas - Dolly Parton
White Christmas - Barbra Streisand
I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm - Les Brown & The Starlighters
Christmas Time is Coming - Stormy Weather
O Tannenbaum - Vince Guaraldi Trio
I Saw Three Ships - Nat King Cole
Last Christmas - Wham!
Sleigh Ride - Alvin and the Chipmunks
Welcome Christmas - from How the Grinch Stole Christmas 
Walking in the Air - Howard Blake & Declan Galbrath
Somewhere in My Memory - John Williams
Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis - Tom Waits

Is it Christmas Yeti?

Almost!!!

A Weekend of Christmas Gatherings!

Saturday was such fun - I dashed over to Mama Rosie's with some adorably festive Krispy Kreme donuts to enjoy pizza (I ate 7 full sized slices of vegan organic pizza in less than 20 hours. "Fat ass, paging fat ass...") with BFF Amy and her mother, Maggie. Us four gals gabbed on for hours then snapped some selfies (they are grainy as hell but I care not!)before it was time for the ladies to head out. It was fun while it lasted!

Then came Sunday and we celebrated our last Christmas together at the old house. Everyone made it and I took pix with them all...after teaching Syd and Zach how to play Gambler!

Zach, Jax, Syd, and Star

With sister-in-law Mary!

With big brother Wayne!

Silliness with my other sister-in-law, Stacey!

Brothers and sister! Xavier, Wayne, Dave, and me!

Jackson was playing "car catch" with Lucy - his number one gal.

Wayne and I being utter goofballs with tolerant Rosemary.

And finally a lil moment if Nana Rose and her favourite wee granddaughter.

(ps - cookies were gifted!!)