Saturday, November 9, 2019

Fast Five for Friday... on Saturday


Kathy Reel is the winner of a copy of BOXING THE OCTOPUS by Tim Maleeny! Kathy, please give Tim your mailing address; you can reach him at Tim at Tim Maleeny dot com.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: It's another crazy weekend for the Reds, dear readers. Half of us are at Crime Bake, New England's premiere mystery writing conference, where Hallie is receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award! Rhys is on deadline and Jenn is promoting both her holiday rom-com A CHRISTMAS KEEPER and her upcoming stand-alone, PARIS IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA. (Did you catch the cover reveal? You can see it and find out more on Jenn's Facebook!) In short, things are a bit frantic around here. Which means it's time for a Fast Five.

Today's FF theme is  WINTER IS COMING because holy forking shirtballs, we're supposed to get the first real snow of the season this Monday and Tuesday. I may pack myself in Lucy's suitcase before she leaves Crime Bake and smuggle myself to Key West.

1. What's something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change of season? (Warm weather friends, you can substitute getting ready for the holidays instead, but do be aware we hate you.)

2. What's your favorite thing to wear this time of year?

3. Hot cocoa, hot tea, rum toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder?

4. One consolation for colder weather? The food! What's a dish you make when it's frosty outside? (Warm weather folks, you can substitute 62F for "frosty." Please see note, v.s., re: we hate you.)

5. It's important to get outside and appreciate nature in the 9 hours, 55 minutes 9 hours, 52 minutes 9 hours and 50 minutes of daylight we still have. What do you do to be outdoor and active this time of year?



JENN McKINLAY:

1. Something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change of season: Must finish revising one book and writing another! Cue maniacal laughter. Also, I need to replace the security door on the front of our house because now that it isn't 1,000 degrees outside, it's nice to have the door open (sorry, not sorry).


2. Your favorite thing to wear this time of year: JEANS! Finally, I can' put the shorts away and wear pants!!! Oh, joy.


3. Hot cocoa, hot tea, rum toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder?
Cocoa, always cocoa, by the fire pit while we make s'mores cause it's in the fifties at night (shiver).


4. A seasonal dish you like to make: A butt ton of Xmas cookies, but also Posole because...Yuuuum.


5.  Your late fall outdoor activity: Swimming in the pool. (Again, sorry, not sorry).

RHYS BOWEN:


Something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change of season: 
Sorry, Julia  I hate even to mention this but I'm in Arizona where it’s still mid eighties. But when I return to California I will need to get the house ready for the family invasion this Christmas. All coming for once


2. Your favorite thing to wear this time of year:  my bathing suit  the pool is heavenly ( again sorry)


3. Hot cocoa, hot tea, rum toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder?
Rhys: I’m really affected by the seasonal thing I’d which is why we went to Arizona in the first place  I can’t write if there is darkness and gloom


4. A seasonal dish you like to make:
 A big chicken stew  and any veggie soups  I had pre- made a freezer full of them until we lost power and my son had to throw them all away

5.  Your late fall outdoor activity: driving out into the desert. Taking photos

DEBORAH CROMBIE: 1. Something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change of season: I left for London with half of my winter clothes still in plastic tubs in the bedroom and summer clothes still in the closet. That will be waiting for me to sort when I get home.

2. Your favorite thing to wear this time of year: Sweaters and boots!   So glad to get out of shorts!


3. Hot cocoa, hot tea, rum toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder? Tea and the occasional hot cocoa. I don't think I've ever had a toddy. What am I missing?

JULIA: Rum. Hot, sweet rum.

4. A seasonal dish you like to make: Any kind of soup. It was too hot all summer to enjoy soups.

5.  Your late fall outdoor activity:  Walking. And especially now in London. Even though it is cold and rainy, it's still wonderful to walk.

 
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: 1. Something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change of season: Well, I'm twenty pages from the end of the new book, and it has be completely finished, pencils down, by Thanksgiving. I'm just back from being Guest of Honor at Bouchercon, and shockingly, no one wrote those pages while I was gone. Can you believe it? So, gang, I am writing. Monday.


2. Your favorite thing to wear this time of year: Fleece. Big fleece tops with hoods. I love hoods. And warm boots. Sweaters. With hoods. And big shawls. Hoods and shawls. And a blanket. 


3. Hot cocoa, hot tea, rum toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder? Huh. Not big on any of those. Red wine?


4. A seasonal dish you like to make: Stuffing for turkey! Turkey. Chili.


5.  Your late fall outdoor activity: Going inside for a nap.  Under a blanket. 

JULIA: Those people in Arizona, we hates them, my precious. Yes, we hates them. Except for poor Rhys losing all those  stews and soups. That's the worst.

Okay, dear readers, you know the drill. It's your turn for Fast Five - copy and paste the questions into your comments and let 'er rip!


1. Something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change of season:


2. Your favorite thing to wear this time of year:


3. Hot cocoa, hot tea, rum toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder?


4. A seasonal dish you like to make:


5.  Your late fall outdoor activity:

91 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. 1. Something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change of season:
    Should I stop praying that winter will skip us this year?
    I have to find Miss Phoebe’s windshield cover [and then remember to put it on so I don’t have to scrape snow and ice] . . . .

    2. Your favorite thing to wear this time of year:
    Sweaters . . . long sleeves . . . blankets . . . anything that will help me stay warm.

    3. Hot cocoa, hot tea, rum toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder?
    Coffee. I have to have my coffee . . . . [Red Wine Hot Chocolate is good, too] . . . .

    4. A seasonal dish you like to make:
    White chili [chicken with beans, cheese, and a yummy sauce]
    Maple chicken because, well, maple. Yum . . . .

    5. Your late fall outdoor activity:
    Snipping whatever remains in the herb garden before the frost does in all the plants; then popping everything into the dehydrator . . . .

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  3. We turned the sprinkler time down for plant and grass watering in the front yard. Backyard still needs to be adjusted.
    Favorite clothing is a sweatshirt, shorts and running shoes instead of flip flops.
    It is still too warm for hot drinks.
    We will start to make chili soon.
    Outdoor activities include running and swimming..
    California not Arizona.��

    ReplyDelete
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    1. We're going to hate you, too, Susan. Don't take it personally.

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    2. No offense taken! My flowers are blooming again too, they think it is Spring again.😎

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  4. 1. Something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change of season: I desperately need to clean up the front flower bed and mulch those tender perennials. But there's been a concert, followed by Bouchercon, and another concert coming next week, so my weekends have been scattered and frantic. No time for gardening.

    2. Your favorite thing to wear this time of year: Big, sloppy sweaters and my band jacket! Also, for my birthday I bought myself two new pair of boots. Cute boots, not cowboy boots.

    3. Hot cocoa, hot tea, rum toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder? Hot tea, although there is some Seasonal Affective Disorder if we don't get at least one good snow.

    4. A seasonal dish you like to make: I live in Texas. There's apparently a law here that you must make chili the first time the daytime temps dip into the 40s. I'm good with that.

    5. Your late fall outdoor activity: Wow. I would love to say something about long walks with the dogs or cycling around the lake . . . It rains a lot here before it gets really cold and dark. That means I'm a bit behind in my backyard poop scooping duties, so my late fall outdoor activity is likely to be shuffling through the leaves, looking for the worst sort of booby prize ever. But let's be cheerful, shall we? Let's say I'll be trimming back my holly hedge and bringing all those lovely red berries indoors for seasonal decorations. Here's wishing all of you the merriest of Winter Solstices!

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    1. LOL Gigi! "shuffling through the leaves, looking for the worst sort of booby prize ever." This is the best line I'll read all day.

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  5. I'm getting to this late... I'm at the New England Crime Bake, too, and pretty full of myself because I'm being given their Lifetime Achievement Award.

    1. Something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change of season:
    Definitely the backyard. Our massive maple tree falls late and the leaves need to be raked before the first snow. And, heaven help me, I'm already finishing up my Christmas shopping.

    2. Your favorite thing to wear this time of year:
    Scarves. Long, soft, warm colorful ones around my neck. That I can take on and off, tighten and loosen as my temperature...fluctuates.

    3. Hot cocoa, hot tea, rum toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder?
    Hot water with honey and lemon. For the scratchy throat I get from dust allergy that gets kicked up when the heat comes up for the first time.

    4. A seasonal dish you like to make: Minestrone soup. Apple crumble. If I can have two.


    5. Your late fall outdoor activity: Walking and shushing through leaves.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, congratulations, Hallie! Enjoy every minute of the adulation!

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    2. What a wonderful honor. So pleased for you, Hallie.

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    3. Kudos Hallie. You deserve this. xox

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    4. CONGRATULATONS, Hallie!!! That’s fabulous! I’m thrilled for you!

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  6. Julia, you forgot to give us your!
    1. Find the rest of my warm scarves.
    2. Warm scarves and boots.
    3. Rum toddy - Debs, they are yummy.
    4. Sourdough bread.
    5. Walking in the crisp air.

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    1. Ooh, Edith, I'm going to make sourdough when I get home, too. My poor starters have been languishing in the fridge all summer. Hope I can revive them!

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    2. I did forget! I'll see if I can add them after my panel and signing this morning.

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  7. 1. stocking the cars with the snow brush/ice chipper combo, kitty litter, folding shovel, fresh flashlight batteries, and a blanket.
    2. ancient hooded sweatshirt and flannel PJ bottoms
    3. Trader Joe's superb sipping chocolate
    4. Chicken parmesan and baked stuff pork chops
    5. raking leaves and disposing of the pot plants

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    Replies
    1. Margaret, you're growing pot? That's very au courant of you. :-)

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    2. no! The annuals and herbs planted in pots on the deck. If I were growing cannabis, it would be under grow lights in the basement.

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    3. And you know this how Margaret? Watch your electricity use. That's a tell

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  8. 1. Something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change of season: Take coats to the cleaners


    2. Your favorite thing to wear this time of year: long johns


    3. Hot cocoa, hot tea, rum toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder? Hot cocoa


    4. A seasonal dish you like to make: nothing special


    5. Your late fall outdoor activity: outdoor activity in the fall - no such thing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm with you, Dr - my favorite outdoor activity in the fall is looking at the outdoors through a window while a read a good book.

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    2. Dru Ann, we all know your favorite is hot cocoa all year round!

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  9. 1. Something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change of season: Cover the ceiling AC vents to conserve heat. Rake leaves if they ever finish falling off the trees.


    2. Your favorite thing to wear this time of year: jeans and hoodies--the softer the better.


    3. Hot cocoa, hot tea, rum toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder? Hot cocoa, hot tea and cocoa with Bailey's when the SAD gets to me.


    4. A seasonal dish you like to make: beef stew, soups, apple crisp


    5. Your late fall outdoor activity: Walking in the woods

    And apologies if this shows up twice in the feed--weird stuff happening from this end of the computer!

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  10. 1. Something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change of season: Stockpile things like bags of dog and cat food, cat litter because if I can't get up the driveway I don't want to have to carry those things up.
    2. Your favorite thing to wear this time of year: Like Hank said, hoods. My favorite bathrobe is fleece with a zip front and a hood. I practically
    live in it and wish I could find a new one.
    3. Hot cocoa, hot tea, rum toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder? Any hot drink works for me, even water!
    4. A seasonal dish you like to make: Corn chowder from my mother's recipe that my son has since tweaked.
    5. Your late fall outdoor activity: You mean other than walking down the driveway to get the mail and paper? Probably that would be shoveling my decks and a path for the dog. Not that it's my favorite thing to do but at least it is outdoor activity and otherwise I probably wouldn't even step foot out. 16 degrees here when I got up this morning and there is snow on the ground.

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    Replies
    1. Judi, I just got a Coldwater Creek catalogue out of the blue (I thought they were out of business!) and I noticed they had several classic zip front robes for sale. They caught my eye because those were always my mother's favorites. Check out the web site!

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    2. If all else fails on the bathrobe hunt, try Vermont Country Store.

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  11. 1. What's something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change of season? Bring out box of sweaters that I packed away last spring.

    2. What's your favorite thing to wear this time of year? Jeans, sweaters, and boots.

    3. Hot cocoa, hot tea, rum toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder? Hot chocolate or tea. I have the *opposite* of SAD. I *love* the fall and winter months! And snow! And cold! (I blame my Scandinavia ancestors. Their genes are probably why I'm also heat intolerant.)

    4. One consolation for colder weather? Homemade soup.

    5. What do you do to be outdoor and active this time of year? First, do my "Yay, the ragweed is dead!" dance, then go outside and breathe without wheezing... until the maple tree sap starts running in February, making my allergies start again.

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    Replies
    1. Okay, Cathy, you've decided me - when individual gene editing is available with our home Mr. CRISPR kits, I'm injected a healthy dose of Scandinavian into my DNA.

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  12. 1. Something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change of season: Rake the leaves and plastic over the windows.

    2. Your favorite thing to wear this time of year: Sweaters!

    3. Hot cocoa, hot tea, rum toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder? Hot cocoa AND SAD.

    4. A seasonal dish you like to make: pot roast

    5. Your late fall outdoor activity: walking (I did half a mile the other day!)

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    1. Liz, I like Flora's idea to counter the SAD with Bailey's in the hot cocoa. Or around Christmastime? Peppermint schnapps.

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  13. 1. What's something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change of season? Putting away all of my summery front porch decorations (bird houses, wind chimes, etc)

    2. What's your favorite thing to wear this time of year? Fleece! I love soft, snugly fleece.

    3. Hot cocoa, hot tea, rum toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder? Hot cocoa with whipped cream!

    4. One consolation for colder weather? The food! What's a dish you make when it's frosty outside? Creamy Potato Soup with homemade bread. YUM.

    5. What do you do to be outdoor and active this time of year? After decades of cleaning stalls and breaking the ice in the water buckets when we had horses, now that we don't, my outdoor activities are largely limited to walking out to the end of the driveway to get my mail. If it's nice and sunny and warm, I might go for a real walk.

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    1. Oh, Annette, I haven't made potato soup in months and now I want some! Thank you for the reminder - I'll start a pot when I get home from Crime Bake.

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  14. 1- we already have snow since Thursday here so I need to buy new walking boots
    2- everything soft and warm from pants to sweaters, tuques, scarfs ( including hoods, long johns, blankets )
    3- hot tea, latte, chicken's broth
    4- homemade soups
    5- walking when weather permits

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    1. So lovely meeting you at Bouchercon.

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    2. As Ann said, it was so nice to put a face to your name, Danielle. And I have to remind myself that as much as I complain about Maine winters, our friends sur la nord en Quebec have it much harder!

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    3. I was very happy to meet both of you

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  15. 1. Something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change of season: find room for the winter clothes to coexist in the drawers with hot-season clothes, because...lower Alabama.

    2. Your favorite thing to wear this time of year: big, old sweatshirt, flannel pajama pants, thick socks

    3. Hot cocoa, hot tea, rum toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder? Hot tea and SAD.

    4. A seasonal dish you like to make: chili (although I'd rather eat it than cook it)

    5. Your late fall outdoor activity: figuring out how to dress for the day (will it be cold and rainy, hot and rainy, both cold and hot - and rainy)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mary, you have my sympathies. "What to wear" was a daily game throughout October in Maine, where the temperature varied from 80 to 40 and went from sunny to rainy to nor'easter. It felt like Mother Nature going through menopause.

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  16. 1. Something you need to do to finish getting ready: buy plenty of new books and puzzles for those cold winter nights
    2. Favorite thing to wear this time of year: sweatshirts and flannel shirts
    3. Hot cocoa and chai lattes
    4. Seasonal dish: beef stew
    5. Late fall activity: dog walking is the only thing that gets me outside this time year. She is a little tiny thing, but she loves bouncing through snowdrifts. She comes in covered in ice pellets, but I indulge her.

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  17. 1. Need to find which clothes from last winter still fit. I’m hoping for at least most of them.
    2. Favorite thing to wear: My knee high, fringed boots. Trust me, they’re awesome. But I love big owl’ sweaters, too.
    3. Cocoa, I guess, although that first peppermint mocha of the season is calling my name!
    4. Cassoulet, a big pot of cassoulet.
    5. Bundling up and walking, I guess... although going to the mall and walking is good, too...

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    Replies
    1. Joni, you've reminded me of one of my favorite consolations of the season: when Dunkin' Donuts begins selling their mint hot cocoa. I'm not one for coffee drive-throughs, but I'll stop for that.

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  18. Shalom Reds and fans. Something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change of season: Finish off my war on clutter. Really not seasonally determined but I’ve set Christmas Eve Eve as my “drop dead date.” (Mostly books I haven’t touched in years and clothing which I can’t or won’t ever wear again.)


    Your favorite thing to wear this time of year: I would say sweaters but you can’t wash them in the machine. So I compromise with heavy sweatshirts with hoods. This morning was our first morning in the teens. I was tempted to wear my new (last year) heavy hat with the flop down ear protectors. It has fake fur all around.


    Hot cocoa, hot tea, rum toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder? Caffeine and nicotine, year round. Every now and then, I will splurge on some crazy sugar hot espresso drink at Starbucks. I don’t get SAD, but if temperature or snow and ice keep us inside too much, I do suffer from Cabin Fever.


    A seasonal dish you like to make: I collect recipes but I seldom cook beyond making a pot of spaghetti or scrambling some eggs. However, sometime in the winter, I will gather the ingredients needed to make a Lasagna with cannolis as a dessert chaser. In addition, this year, I will probably cook a turkey.


    Your late fall outdoor activity: I like walking but not so much in snow and ice. (I am afraid of falling.) With a smartphone with unlimited internet access I love to listen to music. Whenever I walk, I listen to podcasts, or audiobooks, or music. And as long as it is after Thanksgiving, I love to listen to Christmas or Chanukah music. (I also count sitting in Starbucks and people-watching as an outdoor activity.)

    Starting last year, in Philadelphia, they had “community sing” which featured an easy choir arrangement of Silent Night. This year, they’ve added another song; I forget which. I’ve downloaded the sheet music already and I plan to get on the train and travel the hour and a half to participate.

    My birthday is the First of December. And in 1953, having been born at 6:14 pm, I was born on the first night of Chanukah. I always say that if I can get from December to February, from Chanukah to Tu B’Shvat, I am good. The last week of February, I start looking for crocuses and snowbells.

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    1. My birthday is the 3rd of December. We are special, David. Holiday babies.

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    2. You must have been a welcome light in the darkness to your parents, David, just like you are for us!

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  19. 1. Finish organizing my socks and figure out where sweaters should live in my new closet. We traded our dressers for his and her closets and I'm still trying to organize. Plus, my boots are all up on the highest shelf, so those need to come down where I can see what I have, at least.

    For now, I'm done with packing boxes, or unpacking boxes. After almost two years of that I'm sick of the sight of cardboard!

    2. My favorite winter apparel includes wool and cashmere sweaters I've collected over many years, and wool and alpaca socks, ditto. All layered, because I'm always cold.

    3. Tea finally gets drunk when it's cold outside, although we also always have hot cider with cinnamon available, with a glug of bourbon for special occasions.

    4. Homemade comfort food: soups, stews, and breads. Ideally, with enough extra for stowing some in the freezer for later.

    5. Sitting by a cheery fire under a snuggly blanket, reading. With a nice warm cup of tea at my side. Heaven.

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    1. Also, I guess it could be SAD, but I could also be part bear. I tend to hibernate in the winter.

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    2. I'm right there in the cave with you, Karen. Winter is the season I'm most grateful I don't have a "real job." I love being able to spend my days writing at the kitchen table with a fire burning in the woodstove and the cat curled up in the comfy chair.

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    3. I often said that I had bear's blood.

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  20. 1. Something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change of season:
    I hate to say that we are up to date other than unplugging the lovely new awning and bagging the plug against the snow.

    2. Your favorite thing to wear this time of year:
    Three layers: what I would refer to as a vest but in polite society, a camisole (mine is heavy duty). I grew up wearing vests, of course not much central heating in the UK, so its a comfort thing. Next layer a polo or turtle neck, and third but best preferable cashmere which I am collecting as other wool is itchy.

    3. Hot cocoa, hot tea, rum toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder?
    I do have a little SAD but counteract it with workouts, yes if I can bear to go out, lots of tea with milk of course, lots of hot cider with rum, or dark and stormies, or sherry, or - did I miss one?

    4. A seasonal dish you like to make:
    Well here is a clue; Black Bean chicken or pork is delicious in cold or hot weather, home made soup, stews etc. etc.

    5. Your late fall outdoor activity:
    Haha. Sitting and looking at my lake, taking photos of my lake, posting photos of my lake. I shall attach one to a JRW Facebook post so that you may all enjoy my lake. Seriously when house hunting in Maine I noticed very few houses had garages attached to the house. What horrors I thought. But that the Maine outdoor activity, skating between house and garage if lucky, or barn, or outhouse (yes I have friends who have only an outhouse, they are still building the house!), or, most important, the woodpile (ask Julia here).

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    Replies
    1. Moving split wood from the dooryard to the woodroom and from the woodroom into the house is my primary form of exercise between October - April, Celia!

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  21. 1. Something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change of season: Pack away my summer clothes and get out my sweaters and cords--I've already done that, even though in Northern CA the highs are still in the low seventies and high sixties (go ahead, hate me).

    2. What's your favorite thing to wear this time of year: Uh, sweaters and cords.

    3. Hot cocoa, hot tea, rum toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder? Hot cocoa, hot tea, all of the seasonal coffees at Starbucks (pumpkin spice, eggnog, etc.).

    4. One consolation for colder weather? The food: I agree with Hank--made myself a pot of turkey chili, which will last me through four dinners and four lunches! Throw some avocado, red onion, and cheddar on top and it's as good as the first time.

    5. Get outside and appreciate nature: Nothing special. Does it count that I went to High Hill Farm (part of Apple Hill) to enjoy their spectacular donuts with my family in Sacramento when the wind was blowing horizontally and they had no power at home?

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    Replies
    1. I say that does count, Margie. Was the wind blowing horizontally at High Hill Farm as well?

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    2. Yes! And my sister-in-law and niece had flown in from SC and TN, respectively, and only had sandals to wear (who doesn't check the weather at their destination?). I loaned a sweater to my sister-in-law to go over her skimpy jacket. Fortunately it was sunny, but the winds cut right through us so we didn't stay as long as we might have (no entry fee, hurray). The donuts did make up for a lot of it, though!

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  22. Wonderful post!

    1. To finish getting ready for the change of the season, I am hoping to complete the De-Cluttering project by Thanksgiving!

    2. Favorite thing to wear this time of the year - SWEATERS!! There is a Sweater Weather GIF.

    3. All of the above! I have what I call "hot cocoa weather" when I want to drink hot cocoa with marshmallows. Sometimes I want hot tea. Sometimes I want a hot toddy or mulled spices drink only if I have something to eat too. Never drink alcohol on an empty tummy.

    4. One consolation for colder weather is clothes that fit me! And eating lots of yummy food. I love the idea of hygge and the Icelandic tradition of giving books at Christmas.

    5. Favorite outside activity is ice skating or cross country skiing.

    Diana

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    1. We love hygge at our house, Diana! Sometimes the girls and I have a hygge night - fire in the fireplace, candles lit, and everyone reads books while cuddled up in blankets and knit socks.

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    2. Julia, hygge is wonderful, right?

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    3. I made hygge my theme at a recent Toastmasters meeting. And I just bought a super-thick, soft throw blanket from QVC for my evenings on the sofa (mostly reading, some TV).

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  23. 1. Make sure the de-icer, scraper, brush, shovel are in the car.
    2. Fuzzy pajama pants
    3. Hot chocolate!
    4. Anything. We do less baking over summer to avoid heating up the house, when winter hits we make cookies, cake, fudge, brownies, candy, whatever we're in the mood for.
    5. Put up the downspouts, fuel stabilizer in the lawn mower, refill gas cans for snowblower, cover rosebush.

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    Replies
    1. Alicia, I'm going to print out your to-do list because I always forget to put the winter tools in the car until I actually have to USE them, at which point I wind up late to wherever I was going due to spending twenty minutes tracking everything down. Scraper in car NOW, before the first ice and snow!

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  24. 1. Something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change of season:
    There is no forking change of season.It's boring Florida. //We have 2 Wet or Dry. Right now it is dry. Although there is Snow bird season/hurricane season/love bug season/. Lucky me.


    2. Your favorite thing to wear this time of year: clothes. It is finally coolish.


    3. Hot cocoa, hot tea, rum toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder? Chocolate milk or ice tea as usual.


    4. A seasonal dish you like to make: I can't help myself. As the days get shorter, my German side comes out. Last night I made boned out a fresh ham and made an apple/rosemary stuffed rolled pork roast.


    5. Your late fall outdoor activity: Trying to convince my trees, Miss Maple and Grandfather Oak to change colors. 21 years and they still are not listening.

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    Replies
    1. Coralee, I nearly fell over laughing at your favorite thing to wear. Clothes! I guess that's a side of Florida life those of us who visit in February don't get to see!

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  25. 1. What's something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change of season?

    I don't have to do much to get ready except make sure the shovels are in the house instead of the shed. I've already cleared the pipes to the outside faucets. I know that people probably expect me to say rake the leaves but with my shoulders, I'd be in physical therapy if I tried to rake them up. I don't decorate the lawn so I don't have to put anything away. And the heat came on earlier this week.

    2. What's your favorite thing to wear this time of year? Other than switching from shorts to pants, I pretty much wear the same type of clothes year round. I have started wearing a heavier jacket (A Patriots one of course!). I suppose you could classify my Boston Celtics knit hat as a favorite thing once it is cold enough to switch from either no head covering or my NCIS baseball hat. I've had the Celtic hat for a LONG time and it is still my favorite hat. When that needs to be washed, I have a new hat this year advertising the evil corporation Blue Sun (Bonus points to anyone who knows where that comes from).

    3. Hot cocoa, hot tea, rum toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder?

    I despise hot drinks so the first three options are out. As for SAD, I think I get a bit of that since my mom died. Particularly as the holidays get going.

    4. One consolation for colder weather? The food! What's a dish you make when it's frosty outside?

    I don't make the dish (even though I do have the recipe) but for Xmas Eve my aunt always made this chicken dish for the family gathering. Whatever the official name of it is, I just call it "My Aunt's World Famous Chicken Dish" and it is freaking DELICIOUS! One year, I handed her a Tupperware container when I arrived at her house for the gathering. She said "What's that for?" I replied, "That's what you can put my leftovers in now." I would eat that for breakfast on Christmas morning it was so good. I don't get it anymore because the gatherings have ended and the prep time for it is far longer than I'm willing to spend on making food. But the memories remain...

    5. It's important to get outside and appreciate nature in the 9 hours, 55 minutes 9 hours, 52 minutes 9 hours and 50 minutes of daylight we still have. What do you do to be outdoor and active this time of year?

    I do nothing special about getting out. I work during the week so I'm inside earning money and go home when the darkness has fallen already. On the weekends, the only going out I do is when I'm going to do various errands related to keeping a roof over my head.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Firefly!!!

      I'm a browncoat, I confess it.

      Delete
    2. Julia, there are a couple of albums you should listen to as a devoted Browncoat. The first is called 'Firefly Drinking Songs' by Marc Gunn & The Bedlam Bards. The second is by Marc Gunn on his own and it is called 'AS Long As I'm Flyin''. All the songs are written about/inspired by Firefly. They are outstanding. Any Browncoat needs to listen to them!

      And 1,000 points to you for knowing the reference!

      Delete
  26. 1. Something to get ready for the change of seasons?
    The change of season already happened here. Had a PhD Eastman student here Thursday who put the garden to bed, just in time. She's a wonder to behold!

    2. Favorite thing to wear?
    Wool socks. Sweaters, soft stretchy Land's End corduroy pants.
    Hank in a hoody boggles the mind.

    3. Favorite drink?
    Water. Eggnog when it's closer to Christmas, with bourbon not brandy, freshly grated nutmeg.

    4. Seasonal dish?
    SAUSAGE ROLLS!!! What else. Already made the first batch. Rhys?

    5. Favorite outdoor activity: This is year round, spring, summer, fall, winter, every day, rain or shine, sleet or snow, as long as temps are above zero. We have two dogs. Dogs need walking. No option.



    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sausage rolls? We really need to collect these recipes and publish them on Sundays as the nights grow longer and the days grow colder.

      Delete
    2. Remind me. Easy and fast and don’t last past the third kid?!

      Delete
  27. 1. Going through the sock drawer and throwing away most (all with holes!) and replacing. Plus putting away the summer stuff that I didn't put away in the first round.

    2. Boots when I'm going out. A big sweatshirt and fleece pajama pants with slipper socks at home.

    3. Hot tea, but definitely some SAD, too.

    4. Soups, all kinds. Last winter I kept a log and I made 23 different soups between October and April.

    5. My actual favorite is not going outside at all, but on that rare fall day when the sun shines brightly, even if it is cold, I like hiking in a nearby park that has trails deep into the woods. The smell in there after the leaves have fallen is kind of delightful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Susan, you're reminding me of the joys of slipper socks and fleecy pjs. So nice to be able to snuggle under thick comforters wearing warm pajamas!

      Delete
  28. First, I have to say that you all crack me up! You Reds are so witty, so funny, and I love you all, even the ones we hate who are swimming. Hahaha! And, I am so thrilled to have won Boxing the Octopus! It may sound like a small victory to some, but with the horrible year I've had, winning that book and finding out that the nodule in my lung has gone away (CT on Thursday and doctor visit yesterday) have given me much needed positive energy. Of course, this blog always gives me positivity and joy, so let me thank all the Reds for that. Now, on to the questions.

    1. Something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change of season:
    I need to buy a warm winter coat and some new gloves. Looking at the L.L. Bean and Eddie Bauer and Lands End catalogues for either coat or ideas of what I might want. Macy's has some good possibilities, too. Any suggestions are welcome.

    2. Your favorite thing to wear this time of year:
    My favorite thing to wear would be jeans and a warm, comfy top like a flannel shirt or tunic-type top.

    3. Hot cocoa, hot tea, rum toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder?
    I am a coffee addict, so coffee for me.

    4. A seasonal dish you like to make:
    That would have to be chili. My husband and I both love my chili, so it seems I make it a lot during the cold months.

    5. Your late fall outdoor activity:
    I want to say a nice walk outdoors, and I really am trying to get back to walking, but what I really love is to snuggle up in my chair and read, with my little heater going and a small blanket thrown over my legs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hurrah for a clean bill of health for Kathy! May this be just the beginning of a year of small wins and great victories.

      Delete

  29. 1. Something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change of season: find my window scraper


    2. Your favorite thing to wear this time of year:pjs


    3. Hot cocoa, hot tea, rum toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder? cafe au lait


    4. A seasonal dish you like to make:fish chowder


    5. Your late fall outdoor activity:raking leaves and cutting back my flower beds

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fish chowder, yes! I have to dig out my recipe for fish chowder and use it on the blog soon. It came from a teacher friend of Ross's, and was so delicious even my non-fish-living kids would gobble it down.

      Delete
  30. 1. Nothing really. We have 4 seasons through the winter. I will disconnect the hose outside if we have a hard freeze.
    2. It’s jeans season again! I’ll layer thermal henleys, sweatshirts, fleece vests, fleece pullovers, whatever works for the temperature. Or just a tee. Four seasons in one, you know?
    3. I add hot cocoa to the mix. My hot toddy has whisky not rum. Wine is always good.
    4. Chili and its delicious variations like frito pie.
    5. It is finally decent weather for walking and doing garden chores.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love the difference between the southern residents and the north - fleece hoodies and heavy pjs versus "Hurrah! It's cool enough to wear jeans again!"

      Delete
  31. 1. Something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change of season:move all my summer/winter clothes around. I was leacing summer clothes out for after trip to Dallas B'con. Ha, ha! it was freezing.


    2. Your favorite thing to wear this time of year: sweaters or. varying weights. Velvet for occasional dressing up.


    3. Hot cocoa, hot tea, rum toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder? Tea is always and forever, so winter : hot cocoa.


    4. A seasonal dish you like to make: chili. Warms, spicy, easy, nourishing.The best.


    5. Your late fall outdoor activity: sweeping piles of leaves from street tree in front of house. Did it today! And still hoping to get bulbs in ground on time. Not optimistic on that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Triss, I had a bunch of warm weather clothing out to go to Dallas and threw in a few heavier items at the last minute. Thank heavens I did so! It was colder there than it was in Maine. (Sadly, we've switched back into a more normal warm/cold configuration since then.

      Delete
  32. 1. putting the shovels, ice scraper and salt on the enclosed front porch.
    2. fleece
    3. hot tea and some SAD. I don't like the dark!
    4. crock pot meals and baking
    5. cleaning up the garden

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. November is the start of crock pot season for sure, Sally.

      Delete
  33. Saturday - you'd think I could read and write in the morning, nope, flowers and set up for Sunday services this week but I'm here now. First, I had a blast last week. I met each of the Reds and can't wait for next year.

    Now to the subject of the day WINTER IS COMING..
    1) What's something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change is season?
    I need to clear out my apartment. Between fire evacuations and a lazy personality, I have left piles of yarn and returned evacuation items in the middle... Need to find my drawers, to find my few sweaters.

    2) What's your favorite thing to wear this time of year?
    I do like to pull out my cardigans for an extra layer. I also like jeans, comfortable jeans not skin tight.

    3) Hot cocoa, hot tea, run toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder?
    Hot tea with a little honey and a couple spoons of brandy - sleep like a baby....

    4) One consolation for colder weather? The food! What's one dish you make when it's frosty outside?
    Pot roast, plain and simple. Pot roast for one is a bit too much so I ask the butcher to cut the roast and double wrap one half for the freezer. I also love to make oyster dressing for Thanksgiving and old fashioned raw cranberry orange relish, which is not cooked, it's raw! Sorry, I know people who ask how long it takes to cook the relish.....

    5) It's important to get outside and appreciate nature... What do you do to be outdoor and active this time of year?
    Lazy personality here, my walks to the apartment complex laundry room can be it sometimes. I like to just leave the door open during the afternoons for fresh air. I like to stop at the of work before I get in the car and just stop... no heat, just crisp and cool.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's interesting - if you read the other comments, Deana, cleaning out the house or getting rid of clutter shows up tome and again. I wonder if the traditional Spring Cleaning has been replaced by the Fall Reorganization?

      Delete
  34. 1. Something you need to do to finish getting ready for the change of season: Finish putting my summer clothes away.
    2. Your favorite thing to wear this time of year: Cozy hoodies and warm socks.
    3. Hot cocoa, hot tea, rum toddies or Seasonal Affective Disorder? I drink hot tea year 'round, apple cider in the fall and hot cocoa in winter.
    4. A seasonal dish you like to make: In the winter I make mac'n'cheese (Kitchen Treaty's recipe if you need one) and freeze it as the perfect comfort food side.
    5. Your late fall outdoor activity: Walking and enjoying all the leaves.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Holly, I'm enjoying the leaves a lot more now that my lovely young house sitter raked and bagged everything in my front and side yards. Now I'm walking through scenic leaves in the woods or other public areas, not guilt-inducing leaves on my own property.

      Delete