now that we have celebrated GREED, time to get rid of crap

("NO Spike, the new tee is MINE!")


Now that is a cynical view, isn't it, especially from a retailer like me, who dearly wants to fill your life with CRAP THAT I MADE?

(at least the crap I make is:  a) useful!  b) CUTE! c) breakable!!!! drop that mug RIGHT NOW on your tile floor and order up a new one from me!)

So, the wife and I have the delightful Christmas and wedding anniversary (why YES, we got married on Christmas, lo those many years ago) AND Mother Nature had even provided us with a very beautiful snowfall, after it had been 65 on the weekend....
and I pat her on the azz with a cheery "OFF YA GO!" early Christmas morning and drop her at the bus station....

OK, before that last line pisses everybody off, let's keep in mind that a)  I have a wicked sense of humor and b) my wife is not here reading this and telling me to delete it.

So like I was saying, off she goes!
To NY city to see the sisters and eat delightful Japanese food and send me PICTURES of that food to make me jealous....but I am not jealous.  I am home with the cat, taking care of a flock of chickens and Puffy the psycho kitty so YOU KNOW I have the better deal.

Sure I do.

Before she left, I made Christmas crepes!*  It was 4 degrees outside and I was like remember when we made this blueberry jam??? It was July and a wonderful 84 degrees....
don't remind me....

Anyway, something about the DEPRESSING end of all that good Christmas fun makes me look around for the first time since LAST January and I go "UGH, this house is a stinking mess full of junk, I am GETTING RID of it all!".
And we do.  We like to start the new year with a freshly cleaned house.
The wife is out of town.
I shall do my best.
BUT first, check OUT the lovely gifts I got!  A FOREST of brightly colored socks!  Cousin Mark was having the drink with me last summer and I was admiring his colorful argyle socks and I said "NICE.  I love argyle socks too!" pulling up my pant leg to show mine, and Mark tells me, semi-quoting Bill Murray "chicks dig me because I wear argyle socks".
My chick digs ME in my argyles, but look at some of the socks cousin Mark's family gave me, and also my delightful sister-in law!  I tell the wife "they are too pretty to wear!" but she tells me they have "immense socks appeal....TIGER.... rrrrreOW!" and I quickly put some on....




When I say it was 4 degrees yesterday, I am not kidding....poor chickens have a nice warm coop, but their water was starting to freeze!  They were cheerful about it, and it is a lot warmer now, in the 20s, and like they used to say "warm enough to snow!" and it is....

*rice flour crepes -- gluten-free!
1 c. rice flour 
1 c. milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. cooking oil plus some for the fry pan

In a bowl, whisk the 2 eggs, then add the other wet ingredients, last slowly stir in the rice flour, then whisk it all so it is smooth with no lumps.
Pour about 1/4 cup at a time into a medium heat oiled skillet, shake the pan a bit to spread the batter thin.  When the top looks fairly dry after a minute or 2, flip, cooking the other side 45 seconds or so. remove from pan, keep them warm in the oven on a baking sheet at 200.
Serve rolled up with jam or....!