Just a'ramblin'

Today is Monday, November 2, 2009. The sun is shining brightly and the sky is blue as blue.
I can hardly believe it is November already. On Saturday night we turned the clocks back. It was so dark last night by 7 PM we all felt like going to bed. By all, I mean our daughters who were here visiting us and Glen and I. But we didn't. We stayed up awhile longer, reading and doing stuff on our computers.
Changing the clocks always reminds me of what Dad Wahlquist said about it. "It is like the old Indian who cut off one end of his blanket and sewed it on the other end to make it longer." Oh, well! We seem to be stuck with it. Wish I lived in Hawaii - for more reasons than the one that they don't change their clocks twice a year.
Friday night was the Ward Halloween Party. Everyone seemed to have a good time. There are always ingeneous costumes. One of our clever young mothers made herself a beautiful ball gown from trash bags. It really was "beautiful." With lots of lacy looking ruffles. Her husband was all decked out in a nice tuxedo made from trash bags, too. She is such a clever gal. And it was wonderful to see that she felt like making it. She has been very sick for several months.
There were not very many princesses this year. Lots of variety of costumes. Glen wore a sandwich board and went as the Northridge Neighbor. He topped it off with his Greek seaman's cap. I wore a black wig - hardly anyone recognizes me with that black wig - and my sequined shalwar kamez (can't remember how to spell the word). It's very fancy and sparkly. I got it when we were in Pakistan. I love wearing it. One daughter wore a flapper outfit with a black wig. Nobody recognizes her either with a black wig. One daughter was Cruella DeVil and the other daughter stayed home - sick in bed.
I'm not a great fan of Halloween but we go to the party to be supportive of those who plan the activity. And it is fun. In my opinion some things go to the extreme. But that is my opinion.
I like Thanksgiving and Christmas way better than Halloween. And both of those holidays will be on us before we know it. Thanksgiving - I love the smells coming from the kitchen. I love making the dressing - saute celery and onions in butter to add to the broken dry bread along with the sage and other spices. I love mincemeat pie. Pumpkin is okay. I always want at least one piece with "real" whipped cream. But mincemeat is my favorite. Anymore it is hard to find commercial mincemeat without brandy in it. Last year I went to Raleys. Yes they had Borden's without the brandy, they said. But guess what, the shelf was empty. They still had plenty of the brandied kind. Then the clerk showed me another display of a different brand of mincemeat. It looked okay in the bottles and I bought it. Oh, my gosh! It was the worst tasting stuff I have ever had! Fortunately, I had a few green tomatoes still on our vines and could make my own mock mincemeat from Mother Wahlquist's recipe. I had enough to make just one pie. That saved the day for the three of us who like mincemeat pie.
Speaking of not being able to find the foods you want in the grocery store - Does anyone know what is happening with Kraft's Miracle Whip? We seldom find it anymore in the quart or larger size bottle. It is always in that crazy little spreadable bottle that you squeeze. Good grief! Am I the only person who uses Miracle Whip for almost everything? Cole slaw, Waldorf salad, slathered thick on a sandwich, or on a lettuce wedge. Kraft people, if you are listening, tell the stores that we want them to stock it. I tell them, but they don't pay much attention to me. They tell me they don't stock it because nobody buys it.
I think I've rambled about enough. We are off the to Family History Center to catalog books. That's all for today.