Welcome newcomers! Please introduce yourself
Come on in!
Coffee & Tea under the window, platters of treats on every table
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Newspapers are in their regular spot next to the door
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Please recommend (and unrecommend the Cafe/Lounge from yesterday)
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May the 4’s be with you
But, other than that — let’s blow the lid off this joint!
Hey, cool photo, kb. Where is that?
I have finished my Xmas Eve stuff and am now enjoying a glass of Pinot Noir and a J.D. Robb futuristic police novel. Sheer luxury.
Thanks, ks — It’s just south of Clear Lake, IA. Sadly, it was a terribly overcast day so the photos aren’t as wonderful as we wanted. But, I thought this one of our daughter taking photos was kind of cute.
I didn’t know what you were talking about, so I looked it up.
It sounds good. Did you know that I read all of the JD Roberts books in a 3 month period last spring? Because you told me she was a genius. And I was recovering from bronchitis & couldn’t do much else. And I’m probably kind of crazy.
Apparently you liked them. 🙂 My influence is scary!
I did like them (and I’ve kept up on the two (2!!) she’s published since then as well.
But, I have to admit, by the end I was feeling a little psycho. They’re pretty bleak.
I don’t think I could have read that many in that short a time. Although, the humor helps a lot with the bleakness. Still. . .
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Not as sexy as JD Roberts series, but very thought provoking. It gives a glimpse into a whole different culture – Botswania. And it has some passing view on Botswania’s neighbors as well. But the characters are the main thing right? And Alexanderr McCall Smith has drawn characters that are very compelling.
I thought that was you in the photo. Truly.
That’s so sweet. And more realistic if it was taken maybe next summer. At the time that photo was taken there was at least a 50 pound difference between us (and it’s still a pretty dramatic difference).
But, it’s exciting to think that we might really look like a little like each other. Like a mother & daughter, maybe.
Thank you.
every 5 minutes like nora roberts, you could have an entire winery, a palatial Kansas mansion, that visualized Florida estate, and an exquisite pair of pink, fluffy bunny slippers.
(whispering very softly) how many ghost writers. . .
I can’t say it. I don’t believe it, either. But how DOES the woman do it?
A bookstore owner and I were just talking about this today when I bought the book. On the one hand, how DOES she do it? But on the other hand she works harder than any writer I’ve ever heard of, and always has, and the books in that series all have the same distinctive voice and it’s one that would be very hard to mimic, imo. She’s amazing.
Oh, I know, I totally know that she works harder than anyone. And really, I don’t believe she has any helpers. I don’t.
But, there are only so many hours to type in any given day. And I’ve read interviews where she says she can totally lose herself in Internet Research for 4 hours at a time almost every day. So that’s 4 hours a day she isn’t actually typing words for a book. And she must sleep. And she’s publishing something like 4-5 books a year. Every year.
I’m not trying to put her down at all, I even read her romances. I just don’t understand how she can get that much out of a day.
Of course, she hasn’t discovered the Froggy Bottom Cafe, yet.
Don’t worry, I know you’re not putting her down at all. I think everybody wonders about her. How could we not? It seems super-human.
She tells a story about how she met her husband that tells a lot about how hard she works. If I remember it correctly, he came to her house to do some work on it and, seeing how overwhelmed she was, eventually said, “You need help!” And married her. How come my plumber never says that to me, huh?
You want to marry a man who who shows you his butt crack?
Well, when you put it that way. . .
Wow, the 3rd cafe. It’s been a busy night. I am burning some cd’s for my mother-in-law and the hubby is wrapping gifts. We had my best friend over for dinner and she totally spoiled Andrew, who doesn’t yet get the ripping paper off gifts thing.
How has every else been?
Hi Toni!
I think there’s a lot of drinking going on. I’m working on about an ounce of Drambuie & kansas is drinking something, I don’t know what — it’s French, I think. I don’t know what Andi’s doin’
When I get loosened up enough I’m going to cut mats.
Cut what mats? For some pictures? Watch your fingers!
tick, tick, tick. . . .
I’m giving photographs to the kids & we still have to mat & frame them.
But, I was really kidding about doing it after drinking for two hours (which isn’t as bad as it sounds, it’s still the same 1 oz I’ve been working on for 2-1/2 hours.
Sounds like a late night.
yeah, but how was the dill pickle soup? I had never heard of such a thing til you mentioned it so I googled it and it sounds like I might like it. But there were lots of different versions, some with sour cream, some without. How was yours? Does it taste very pickley?
Dill Pickle Soup??? That actually sounds horrible. (shivering)
That’s what I thought until I tried it at a Polish restaurant.
My family is Ukrainian and we used to eat cabbage soup on Christmas Eve, but my husband does not like cabbage, so I made this.
I could not find the recipe I have used before, so I was not happy. Everybody else seemed to like it. This one had sour cream (I used fat free) and did not have enough of a pickle taste.
I think I would like anything with sour cream.
But, think how much better the sour cream would be without pickle soup.
That’s all.
that this means you have never had beet borsht.
You are both so funny! (Meaning you here and kb above.)
And indeed, I have never had beet borsht, and I think you can rest your case on that. It has always sounded awful to me. Before I can eat beets, they must be so well disguised that even their own mothers wouldn’t know them.
Borsht – yuck. I tried, but I just couldn’t stomach it. My mom once made it from scratch. She loves beets.
I like beets but not that way. If ever there was a food which both looks as bad as it tastes, it’s borsht.
Hey Kansas….I got my sister hooked on the Eve Dallas character(in the hopes of course she’d have to buy them all)….one of the 3 best series around(besides yours)..there’s Eve Dallas and the great Sharon McCone books… Which one are ‘Death’ book are you reading?
Why am I not surprised that you’d love them, too, choc? I am reading Survivor in Death. It’s so impressive to me how looonngg she keeps us wondering about the motive in the crime.
Seems like the place is pretty slow tonight…think everyone is home waiting for Santa? We must have been very good (or very impatient) because he came here early and we’ve already opened gifts, filled the living room with empty boxes and paper, and tied ribbons and bells around the cat.
Is it okay if I put up a tree here in the cafe? I know it’s a little late but I think it will look nice.
Thanks! It’s really brightened the place wonderfully!
I love reading and drinkin’ by the light of a Christmas Tree.
Hi Laura, would you mind lugging a copy of that tree over to my Season Greetings diary. I thought it would look so lovely…
Best wishes to you my dear and all the Cafe Inhabiters, may your coming year be filled with your heart’s desire.
PS I love the tree!!!!
Merry Christmas Diane! Feel free to lug it over yourself if I haven’t figured out how to do it in the next few minutes!
What a pretty tree!
It’s already Hanukkah (started at sunset), it’s almost Christmas, and Marmotdude has chewed up all the wrapping paper worth eating.
Hi all, I was just looking at recent comments and as usual most of the comments were for the FBC….lol…sometimes I am so amazed at how active and jumping this place gets.
Can I get your help decorating my diary on Seasons Greetings, it looks so bare in there and wouldn’t mind a few of your always lovely comments….
Merry Christmas to all and especially those who frequent ye old cafe.
Hello Folks,
Since I seem to have a habit of coming in at the very end of a cafe,
here’s my Christmas Eve Sunset again.
click to enlarge.
Puget4, Gooserock, Toto2 and Toto3 wish to you all
a very happy, healthy holiday season.
And to the Earth we wish Peace and Respect for all.
Hey, AndiF! I finally tried the recipe for carrot soup that you gave me. I substituted lots of ginger and sweet spices and some brown sugar for the bay and dill and parsley and lemon, and thyme called for in the recipe. It turned out pretty much as I hoped. I was trying to replicate a carrot-ginger soup I had recently at a swanky restaurant nearby. I’d asked the chef if he would give me the recipe but his reply was, “Over my cold dead body”. 🙂
I hope that the soup’s turning out the way you hoped means that it came really close to one in the restaurant.
And in case you didn’t see my reply to your sunset picture in the other cafe, I’ll repeat it here:
Thanks very much for your kind words.
Florida Mom has moved on to visit Gooserock’s brother, so things are beginning to settle into place here again. We have a very small house and we discovered that we have a two butt kitchen and not a three butt one. Both of the Totos have been searching around looking for Grandma. She’s a great person to have around even in small quarters, but we are enjoying getting back into our routines.
I’m sure I’ll be checking in more often again now.
Me thinks it’s about time for Santa to arrive so I’ll be gone for a little while. 🙂
(4-worthy wrong, that is.)
Christmas Eve turkey dinner: eaten
Leftovers: packaged for later eating
Kitchen: cleaned
Dessert: Esther Price chocolate awaits
Roomie: playing world domination games on her ‘puter
Beer: Paulaner Hefe-weizen
Music: Motown, disco, funk, & 70s soul
What’s up with y’all?
I’m watching some movie about a guy driving across the country in a Santa Suit. Trying to get home for Christmas.
I have no idea what it is. Or if I like it.
How’s that Drambouie working for you? 🙂 Should make practically any movie interesting if you give it a chance.
Actually?
I really like it. It just slides right over my tongue and relaxes everything.
And the flavor (at least a drop or two at a time) is very nice.
I really like it.
I receive a bottle of Bailey’s every year from my brother for my birthday, and I officially drank the last drop tonight, exactly 363 days after I started it.
Let me know when you’re ready for another one, I could bartend a bit and give you a well-earned break!
Well not much. I did just figure out that I have a UTI and of course it’s a weekend, and not just any weekend, but Christmas. I’m hoping she takes pity on me and calls in a prescription tomorrow and that I’ll find a drugstore open.
Aside from that I’m thirsty as all hell from eating ham for dinner, so I’ve had like 6 glasses of Fresca and now I’m just chewing on crushed ice.
Aww, sweetie, I keep a ton of amoxicillin in the house just in case (the autoimmune thinger makes it dangerous for me to get infections). Too bad I’m not local, I’d share my drugs with you any day. 🙂 Hope you feel better soonest.
If you’re ever gonna share drugs with me, let’s make it something a little more fun, shall we?
And may I say…Ouch!
These are fun:
Well, roll out the barf bucket and don’t try to wake me for at least 18 hours if I take any of those.
I’m reasonably sure that images of my favorite drugs are against the TOS at Photobucket so you’re gonna have to fire up your imagination from here. 🙂
I don’t think you saw my comment to your on your new laptop so here it is again (and if you did, you can stop reading now): “Touchpads are crap. There are nice optical mice made specifically for laptops; most of them are wireless.”
Funny thing is I’m back up in the office at the old desktop while my son is loading fun stuff on the laptop. I do hate the touchpad and will definitely get the mouse. In the meantime if I accidentally troll rate anyone, please accept my apologies.
I have a touchpad on my HP and I love it. I don’t think I could easily go back to a mouse. Seems like too much effort!
Maybe I’ll get used to it after awhile. Right now it feels like I’m trying to write my name left-handed while looking in a mirror.
Maybe but I’ve been using laptops for years and I can’t stand touchpads. At home I use a trackball which I really like.
What’s blowin is fog. Thick grey fog socked in for day two….. Other than that, the smell of burnt food is blowing through the house though there’s been no cooking or ovens on for two days… hmmm……
What I’m watching on TV during the Rites of O’Reilly:
Muppets Christmas
Pirates of the Carribean
The Grinch
What I’m reading:
Constitution In Crisis
Memoirs of A Geisha
When Big Business Becomes Big Brother
Dressing for the occasion:
Mismatched pyjamas and a dressing gown, with the occassional yellow goretex coat for cigarette breaks.
I’ll just have one more shot of Absinthe and go to bed. Nite all!
i need a hug.
I am so sorry for your loss. {{Cedwyn}}
{{{Cedwyn}}}
I am so sorry, very, very sorry. I don’t know what to say. I wish I could give you a real. real hug.
Ah, Cedwyn, you sure do need a hug. (((Cedwyn))). She sounds like the MOST wonderful dog. I love her just from reading what you wrote about her.
i figured she deserved a memorial of sorts.
thanks for all the kind thoughts, everybody.
I’m sorry too. She looks like she was a wonderful friend.
(((Cedwyn)))
We’ve to do this three times and it’s so hard. So I send you my sympathy and also the joy of wonderful memories.
i don’t think i could take three times. jeebus.
We’ve got three dogs now so I know we’ll have to face this again but I wouldn’t do anything any differently. Each one of our dogs has given us such joy, comfort, and good times and in return I think we’ve helped them have happy, full lives. I find I can accept the sorrow of their deaths as part of the fact of their lives.
I am so sorry.
{{{{{Cedwyn}}}}}
Hi. CSK, here. First time Cafe Customer.
Well, hey, CSK, good to see you here, although I’m already yawning and heading for bed. See you all in the morning.
Thanks for the Cafes today, katiebird.
G’night, CSK, and all!
What’ll ya have? We can set you up with just about anything.
Readers, if I can drum some up. 🙂
Hi CSK!! I’m glad to see you. What brings you in?
And. . . . . What can I get you?
Whoops, sorry katiebird! Didn’t mean to horn in on your gig. 🙂
No, NO, no!!
We all pitch in here, when needed, don’t we? I think we are all just that excited to see a knew face.
I think we are all just that excited to see a knew face.
If your spelling skill deterioration is any indication, you’d better lay off that Drambuie before you use any sharp scissors.
Nighty night. See you tomorrow.
In my case, it’s a gnu face. 🙂
Ha! Snark & Run, I thought you were better than that.
Goodnight, sleep well.
I hate the sorry state of my spelling ability.
I occasionally post some work here. I had an Xmas story that I wrote a year ago, in ‘honor’ of a rather nasty reverend (sic) who had some choice things to say about the tsunami victims…so I had to (fictionally) lay some smack down on him.
It turned out to be a rather nice story, despite the wrathful motive, so I thought I’d share it with the Froggies 🙂
It’s got some choice lines, like:
“Oh, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”
and
and
I mean, it’s definitely in the Christian motif…but so is the intended target. 🙂
Love the image of Gabriel shuddering.
I just finished a piece of erotica (which I’d never done before) and referenced Soren Kierkegaard’s Fear & Trembling, where he riffs off of Paul, in a way that make both Saint Paul and neurotic Soren spin in their graves.
Cheers to you! I’m off to open another beer and read your piece.
From Valerie P., Kashi, their seven teenagers, and the other ones in the ‘hood, a merry, merry C’mas — and thanks for all the treats!
I love this!! It’s wonderful.
Can I hire these guys for the New Years Eve friday nite jazz jam?
Not this:
But wouldn’t it be nice?
But not here! Every table in the place is dirty & I’m not cleaning it until Tuesday!!
I’m exhausted. Drambuie really relaxes a frog.
Come on over to the new Cafe!!
What MIGHT blow you all away is a pic of me indulging all my bad habits on my 50-th – oh dear!
Ah, come on — Test us!! Come over to the new cafe & post a couple of pics.
I don’t know how- I am a lame of the first degree.
Will you be around tomorrow? I can talk you through it.
And yesterday Andi posted a pretty detailed tutorial (with screenshots!) of just what to do.
I’m just about to shut down for the night. But I’d be happy to help tomorrow.