No matter what your beliefs, nature provides an ever-present gift.
Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, whoever you are with,
you are always welcome here.
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Sit down, relax, and enjoy the good food and wonderful company.
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Please recommend (and unrecommend the Cafe/Lounge from earlier)
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Today’s Cafe Crew: katiebird, kansas, and AndiF
That 4 looks great on you
The staff is happy to see you. We may be gone for a bit during the day but never for long.
It’s a Sunday brunch. Help yourself!
(sniffing)
ummmm. . . .
What a beautiful photo, AndiF. And now I’m going to dig into the buffet.
Hi Kansas. I hope you and your son are having a great holiday morning. Don’t eat too much breakfast — gotta leave room for you Xmas pizza (tomato and green peppers?).
Thanks for the compliment on the picture. I have to admit I’m really pleased with it. It’s one of the first two WWOD shots I’ve taken that actually came out looking good.
What would Olivia do?
Every time I try a macro shot, that’s what I ask myself — delusionally hoping that by doing so that some tiny bit of her immense skill and talent will magically appear in me.
Where was this delightful spread before you stole it and set it up for us?
and not my macro ice image.
I found it through google images and have used in a coule of cafes. It was at some hotel but I don’t remember which one.
Ha! That’s what you think — I’m so dominated by food, I thought the spread was what kansas was talking about all along. In fact at some point, I almost wrote a comment to her that I liked your Ice Macro also.
I’ve had my coffee & cereal now, so I should be safe to talk to.
that could have been exactly what kansas meant.
Son’s at his dad’s, but I’ll pick him up in a while. Part of me misses all the Christmas fol-de-rol, but the other part of me is so happy not to have to do ANY of that work. If I live long enough to see him hook up and have kids, I’ll have to gear up for it all over again, and I don’t know if I can do it! Although, I suppose for grandkids. . .
that said “If I had known grandkids would be so fun, I would have had them first.”
Fair warning.
Beautiful Andi!
Merry ChrisKwaHanaSol to all!
Peace
Thanks dada. Hearing that from you with your amazing skills makes me feel very good indeed.
Agreed. Andi’s ice image is truly, truly lovely. The delicacy of the ice comes through beautifully — a reminder of the temporal nature of things. Very nice.
Thanks for the kind and, as always, interesting comments.
I hope you have solved your plumbing difficulties.
Either way, have a very enjoyable holiday.
I am going to keep it up as a sort of live action wallpaper.
Thank you.
What are your plans for today? Are you going to stay home or go visiting family?
We’re staying home, it’ll be just the two of us until about dark, when the two youngest kids will come over.
We have fun. Puttering around opening presents whenever (we’ll have to wrap them, I suppose) and cooking dinner.
Have you decided where you’ll hike? Local, or State Park?
Sounds like a very nice day.
It’s been raining for hours and it’s still raining so we’re just going to hike around here. It’s just not the kind of day to go take a really long hike.
It’s too bad you didn’t get to make the choice yourself, but I’m glad if it means you’ll be around for an extra 4 hours of fun!
make sacrifices to the weather gods so that we’ll stay at home and they can go along.
No wonder your mother had seven more after getting such a cutie on the first try.
I think more than my appealing good-looks, it was my compulsion to make them happy by pretty much always doing what I was told & my almost total lack of temper that tricked them.
You can imagine their surprise, when they discovered that most children aren’t nearly so docile.
Andi, the thread was getting so narrow yesterday that I didn’t respond at the time, so I’ll say here how amused I was when you said you never feel insecure about bad taste. Snortage. You did very well with your experiment in good taste this morning, dear. I think we may even trust you to try it again some time, but don’t get carried away and think you can display good taste all the time, okay?
to be good doesn’t hit me very often — in fact, the lack of practice is probably a major cause of my insecurity. (Plus, being good is really, really boring.)
You know that you’re totally full of it, don’t you?
Who is the first in the place to pass out 4s, who is right there with exactly the kindest and most gentle and encouraging of comments to froggies needing support? Who gives thoughtful critiques of every photograph?
You couldn’t be not-good if you tried!
(I’m sorry to yell at you on Christmas morning)
lol! Boy, we can’t get away with anything around here! kb’s got your number, af.
I came very close to ruining the entire cadence of the rant by linking your name with hers.
You, Andi and my mister have taught me a lot about being kind, nice, gentle and compassionate while having clear bounderies of self & still being wickedly funny.
Just sit back and wait for other people to take care of discussing all the options for you. I like it.
kansas is such a wonderful mentor.
but there’s always the chance that I may be able to get somebody else to do it for me.
and preen. That’s one of the three* things that is never better to let someone else do instead of you.
*Getting a massage is the second thing.
And preening is something kansas is REALLY good at. I really like it when she follows it up with that little twirl.
Oh, for a graphic.
BREAKING NEWS – Santa Landing Rumored to be Dangerous
News at 11:00
Ouch!! Hey, Sally, I saw yesterday that you offered to help serve the coffee today. Shall we add your name to our day’s hosts?
I’ll be out until 4 or 5pm or so Pacific…but can take the late night cafes until 10 or 11 pst. I’ll serve the antacids and ibuprofen….
We have a 2.5 hour drive to see the grandkidlets…brunch at 12 then home early.
Great Morming, SallyCat.
I hope you’re up this early because you were just too excited about Christmas to sleep and not because of your insomnia.
When do you take off for Lassen?
Slept until 6 – which is pretty late for me….we leave in about an hour and half for grandkidlets.
We’ll leave Tuesday am for the mountains….woo hoo!
that is just toooooo funny….
and a whole crew manning the cafe this morning. Who says customer service stinks these days?
We had a very pretty, sunny, warm day yesterday but sometime overnight rain moved in, and I awoke to find my dripping New York Times in the driveway, and the paper-bag luminarias which lit up the streets last night now a bunch of soggy, sorry looking clumps.
We’re going to see King Kong today, other than that it’s going to be very quiet around here đ
Wow, that’s a froggy trend!
What’s the latest with the stepdaughter (unless you’d rather not talk about it today)?
Social services is conducting a family assessment of stepdaughter, boyfriend and baby. Meanwhile, she is not speaking to us and we haven’t heard anything about how the assessment is going. Stepson, meanwhile, is spending Christmas in jail after getting arrested one week after a plea bargain got him off severel B&E’s with only probation and a suspended sentence. He will likely serve the entire 7 month sentence that was originally suspended.
On the bright side, it sure saves on Christmas shopping!
We have a had a huge rift with my stepsister and one of her kids for a couple of years now and it makes family gathering so much more relaxed and enjoyable that I have to admit I hope it never gets fixed.
Honestly, Andi, I hope he never gets out. And I have to admit I have daydreams about the stepdaughter leaving her baby with social services and just taking off for parts unknown with the boyfriend who is obviously more important to her anyway.
My mom did for a long time until she realized that it was necessary for her own self-preservation and that was even more important to the rest of the family than it was to her.
Wow. Just wow. Let’s hope the 7 months gives her time to, um, Think Things Over. Hey, it’s Christmas, we can be optimistic!
I’m glad that at least you don’t have to be scared in your own house today. (And what a thing to have to say to you!)
The one in jail is the stepson/sociopath. Stepdaughter is still on probation for trying to beat up a cop last year who had come to arrest her for beating up her boyfriend. You need to get the criminals in my new family straight.
Wow…you gotta admit, it’s a little hard to keep them straight when they’ve been so…busy.
Hope you’re all having a nice Christmas without them.
We had a trouble-boy and in the days when he was actively trouble he’d always get picked up for the stupidest of things as a juvenile.
It always surprised us how much more relaxed we were when he was locked up. I think because if he was locked up for the stupid stuff, he couldn’t stumble into more serious trouble.
I think he’s straightened up since he started having kids. But, if he hasn’t — at least he doesn’t tell us about it anymore.
This kid is just pure trouble. He doesn’t have a genuine emotion in his body. Everyone is a potential victim to him and he grooms people by being charming and then rips them off. Then when he can no longer get anything out of you, he just writes you off. Last week he stole his mother’s car and got arrested at Walmart. She bailed him out. That night she put her car keys in her pillow case and during the night he came into her bedroom with scissors, cut the corner off her pillow case and stole the keys. Then he went to a grocery store and got arrested stealing baby formula which he resells.
I garbled the point of that comment. Which was that when family members are locked up it can be a period of calm and relaxation. So, I personally am glad for you that you aren’t worrying about him today.
I didn’t mean to sound like I was bragging.
No, I know what you meant. It’s been a very peaceful and relaxed week or two without them.
I had hoped we could be a “normal” stepfamily some day, but that will never happen and now I just try to minimize the contact with myself and my kids.
Thanks for the photo compliment. I’m definitely got one of the seven deadlies going today over that pic.
Ah the traditional Christmas movie to warm the cockles of your — ummm, well, whatever. I hope one of your boys will succumb to singing Gorilla of my Dreams.
My daughter saw Kong the other day and said it was really good, but it’s over 3 hours long and I have trouble sitting still for that long. My family teases me about getting up every 5 minutes when we watch movies here at home.
How are you getting those tight shots without it being all blurry? I used to have a Canon AE1 and I loved to take macro shots with it and I must admit they were fabulous, but I haven’t gotten the hang of doing it with my digital. Maybe it just doesn’t have the capacity to do so. I try to get closeups of the cat’s face, but I can’t get closer than about 24 inches without it being out of focus.
Does you camera have macro capability because mine lets me get to within about 2 inches with the combination of the macro lens and the wide angle. And I also have digital macro capability which is what I used to take the ice shot because I couldn’t get close enough to use the macro lens (little problem with standing on your subject matter destroying it)
We’re going to King Kong too!
Merry Christmas Morning everyone, especially kb, kansas and Andi our hosts. Andi what a beautiful picture! I am worthless with a camera but I enjoy looking — and this was something exquisite to wake up to! And the brunch spread — you all really shouldn’t have.
No snow here in st. louis kb, just rain. Did you ever get any in KC?
Merry Christmas, MaryB!!
We didn’t get any snow here, in KC — we got what seemed to me a “traditional Christmas Eve”, raining all day. So that was fun.
Good Morning, Kids. Merry Christmas or Happy whatever it is for each of you. I so enjoy the pictures you share here with us all. Thank you so much. My family and I will do our Christmas tomorrow. When one works at a job that is 24/7, there is just the time off to do the gift thingee and then eat and have family in to enjoy.
My morning has not changed in how things are done here. Up to the coffee pot and the cats wait in a line up for the food bowl to be filled, looking at me as if to say, why is it taking you so long to do that chore…:o) Once I have fed and watered them, I am out to the deck to do likewise for the only dog left, after all these years of outside dogs. I have fed and watered her and wished her a Merry Christmas and gave her a special treat too….:o) My mind is drifting back to years of the past on Christmas this morning. I suppose it is the age I am in now…;o) I remembered those Christmas mornings and am filled with wonderful joy and love for that time in my life. Each and every Christmas had its own special thing to remember.
I can definitely testify to is the grand kids being a great joy. They certainly are! I try hard to make each day I am with the grandchildren a special event. I want them to remember the special times with Nana and have that joy in their hearts too, as they grown older and have grandchildren of their own.
I miss my parents, who have since long passed. Most of all, I miss my only child to pass before me. She was so special in so many ways. I just feel her spirit with me today in such a way it is hard to define.
I love ya all and embrace the good tidings we all share here. HUGSSSSSS Peace be with you always and forever…..
{{{BrendaSteward}}}
I love you too. And I’m so glad your daughter’s spirit is with you today.
A new generation to go hiking and camping and rafting with…and a junior blue dot in the family!
Have a great day…watch the spiked coffee and eggnog!
Oh so cute! Don’t ya just love ’em? I sit back wonder what they will become and what kind of personality they will finally have. I wonder if they will do good for us old ones by being a leader in all of our rights. I love your picture….the kidlets are lovely…They will look back on that very time, someday……;o)
You got a Christmas Eve present that I’ve tried to give to you but you never came back to the diary.
Here it is.
Merry Christmas from me and the skies of Brown County.
That’s gorgeous, Andi.
Thanks. That’s one of those shots, though, that to take it all you have to do is to be awake.
Oh my heavens.. how lovely….thank you so very much…you can never disappoint me…..Thanks so much….
The Blue Dot is beside herself with joy at thought of having such wonderful companions.
Have a great day of joy and fun with them.
Hope you’re all having a great day. The guys and I are just kicking around, listening to our new tunes, trying not to dread the arrival of ex-spouse this afternoon…
I can relate. I swear I can tell by the ring when my ex calls. It still makes me feel sick to my stomach. Not that he’s a bad guy (he’s not) it just instantly takes me back to a time that I would like to forget.
I hope the Christmas spirit will infuse me with good cheer and I can be extra nice if he calls today.
We have our KingKong plans in place to minimize his impact on our day today…and tomorrow I get to celebrate the beginning of 9 years of freedom!
You split up the day after Christmas? I knew the holidays were stressful, but, wow!
It was over long before then, but we had agreed to go do a mediated, amicable divorce after the holidays were over. Instead, he sandbagged me with papers (and physically attacked me) the day after Christmas.
I’ve never missed him, and it really is a celebration tomorrow. đ
Creep. Sorry, that Christmas spirit went out the window.
I’ll be celebrating right along with you tomorrow, cause it’s my birthday. Actually, I think your reason is a much greater cause for celebrating.
Know what’s hard for me? One of my sons looks just like his father. Talk about mixed feelings, because I think he’s the most handsome thing ever, but sometimes it creeps me out. Anything like that with the cabin boys?
Second Nature, let me be the first to wish you a very happy birthday……clearing throat……
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birhtday to you.
Happy birhtday to you, Dear Friend,
Happy birhtday to you…and many, many more…hugs..have a wonderful,fun day tomorrow…is my wish for you.
Thanks, hon!
So if I’ve got your aging scheme correct, this would be a Happy 35th?
Did you have a long chat with your parents about doing better planning on their children’s birthdays once you were old enough to realize how screwed you were?
I certainly did with my mom when I realized that my birthday was going to show up at various times on Sukkot, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur. Loved celebrating my birthday by sitting in temple (especially when it was accompanied by fasting).
Never having been very good at math, I’m going to say that I think I will be 34 tomorrow.
I always loved getting birthday presents wrapped in Christmas wrap, and, in fact, having been swiped from under the tree in a panic when they realized they’d forgotten about my birthday. Or the dreaded “combo” gifts. Like: these mittens are for Christmas and your birthday!
I’m still voting for 30! We’ll have to raise a virtual glass together tomorrow! đ
I’ll be sure to eat a good meal beforehand so I can hold my liquor better.
But won’t that take half the fun out of it?
You realize that eventually you are going to be too young to have been my daughter đ
Getting mittens as a combo Xmas and birthday present is absolutely grounds for divorcing one’s parents.
It’s your birthday tomorrow?! Damn, it’s too late to send anything. I’ll have to be creative… đ
Should I be frightened? đ
Come on, how could you be scared after you’ve seen what a harmless little elf I am? ::blinks innocently::
I have learned lo these 34 years on earth, that the innocent looking ones are the most troublesome.
Learned well, you have. /queer Yoda voice
I promise to behave and not send you something wholly inappropriate. đ
Oh, please do!
is well worth a visit.
Okay, I’m off through the suburban woods to grandmother’s house. Picture me twirling in my red cape. Y’all have fun.
Have a great day, Kansas. Travel safely and have fun.
Christmas morning, and we’re…doing laundry. đ (Damn “female issues”…) At least we’ve got tons of time today; don’t have to be at the in-laws till about 4-ish. Still need to cut up the veggies for the veggie plate I’m taking, and prepare the paté plate. Spouse will need to disappear into the bedroom soon to prepare my gift; I still need to do his card and all the in-laws gifts and cards.
My sister had a card for me on Friday from one of my Missouri aunts (Dad’s sister); I didn’t know any were still around, so I was quite pleased. We’d kind of lost touch with that side of the family over the years; Mom wasn’t too crazy about Dad’s crazy family. I found a nice New Year’s card to send, and will also send a note with my address if any of the cousins are still around (especially some of the ones I used to be pen-pals with!). Hoping to send a picture…but the last time I used the digital I left it on đ so I’m hoping 6+ hours will be enough time to get a decent charge on the battery. (At least I checked it now instead of waiting till right before I leave!)
Need to get stirring here, and maybe even make a good breakfast for me and the spouse… đ
Warmest holiday greetings & blessings to all!
May peace & joy fill your day today.
Many, many thanks to the gracious hosts of today’s cafe’ , with especial thanks for the lovely & fascinating image up top. No doubt, nature’s gifts are ever present for us, regardless of who or where we are.
Sincere apologies for makin’ like the reindeer & dashing away from yesterday morning’s cafe’. Such is the solitary woodland life — wherein there’s little help in a crisis but a ‘what about us?’ look from the kitties đ
The following comment contains images of cuteness that might damage someone cute-o-meter. Please use extreme discretion when reading.
Andrew hasn’t quite figured out how to rip open gifts, but once the toys are open, he knows exactly what to do. Everyone in the house is napping, except me. I am about to start my new book – “The Truth, with jokes” by Al Franken. Please excuse my manners if I start to laugh aloud. I’ll try to keep it down.
Many thanks for sharing a truly beautiful image, Toni! It can almost bring back my memory of very early Christmas experiences, when everything — but everything — was infinitiely fascinating & new!
You both seem to be having a blast.
Thanks so much. He is fascinated by everything. It’s incredibly cool to watch him try to decipher his world.
Isn’t it? What a wonderful time of life this is for him — & for you both!
I’ve been fortunate enough to share my life with a number of small children as an adopted caregiver, helping them form & share their impressions/experiences. It’s quite a blessing to be invited to do so; one can’t help but feel honored by the opportunity & hope to meet it with diligent care & wisdom.
Toni, what a terrific picture to share with us. He is so cute. Christmas is for kids anyhow. I get more joy seeing them with the experience of gifts and opening them. YOu are so fortunate to have him. This is the year of special joy for you….I know. Hugs…
We have felt lucky for months.
Too cute for words.
Thanks for the beautiful boy.
Thanks for the warning but I, for one, no longer need them. I know to always take precautions where Andrew is concerned.
I just came back from a hike in the cold and rain and he warmed me right up!
Hi Everyone, have a Merry and Happy Day. The repast set out by our gracious hosts looks quite yummy and I’ll be digging in soon after I wake up a bit more(I am not a morning person)…and after I go open my presents. I’m one of those people who like to anticipate and might not get around to opening the gifts my sister left me until this afternoon.
I was reading about people talking about ex’s..I mentioned several weeks ago that my ex who I hadn’t heard from in about ten years got in touch with me(I think he’s on his 3rd marriage)..anyway he’s been emailing me, sending me poetry he’s written and now he’s been on messenger with me ..still waiting for him to get to the real point of his renewed contact(although I can guess-even though thankfully he lives clear across the country)….so another email from him just popped up and he wants to chat with me tonight as he said he doesn’t like the idea of me being alone..wow such concern after being divorced for over 20 years…so the ex-husband saga continues.
I’ll check in later to see whatever is up to.
I found the incantation for you and posted it in Diane’s Seasons Greetings Diary last night.
Have a Great Day!
Peace
Merry Christmas dada…that is one gorgeous picture and the words lovely, thank you.
Merry Christmas Chocolate, wow what a turn of events with you ex…
Lucky me I got to spend some time with mine at our Xmas party, and they all got to talking about my site and my blogging and my posting pics of family and he said yes, Diane will prob. take my pic. and post it saying “and here’s my ex”.
Course I got my jib jab in when I pointed out to him he was the last to know about our daughter’s pregnancy, which she told him at the party…She wasn’t too happy with me for saying that and pointed it out to me later…of course I was sorry for saying it…so they should never give me wine at these parties.
I look forward to hearing more about your ex and what he really wants…what a mystery.
Merry Merry! Hope everyone is fairing well today. My day has been very — quiet! Resting, some baking, some cleaning. Subdued and thankful for it. My family should be arriving in about 1/2h, so I can’t stick around too long, but will try to sneak back on later tonight! đ
I saw Brenda made a visit upthread, so I’m posting this photo for her as I know she likes it so much.
Thank you kansas, katiebird, and Andi for all the work you do in the Cafe.
((((kansas, katiebird, and Andi))))
Hugs and kisses everyone!
For Brenda! (view large)
I was about to open a new cafe but since things are so quiet and you just posted that lovely image, I’m going to leave it open awhile longer in the hopes that many other people will get you enjoy your splended holiday gift to all of us.
A happy day to you and your family.
We’re relaxing around here — got all the presents packaged (except for the spouse who has to do mine, so I’ll probably retreat into the bedroom. Still need to cut up the bell peppers (red and green, naturally) for the veggie plate, everything else is pretty much done. Actually could probably use a naplet…zzzzz…
Hugs to you! Happy napping on your new bed! đ
Maybe old froggybottom could steal the image as an added attraction to the new Cafe? Like in the Extended Text section, or something? I don’t know what, exactly froggybottom has in mind for the decor, would it fit in?
that you aren’t planning on being froggybottom on the next cafe?
Smoochies to you too! (I’m okay with you taking it!)
Smoochies to you! Hope you and Jim and the furry kids are keeping warm. đ
Come on over to the new cafe.