Goodwill Was A Gold Mine

I do love Goodwill.  I found EXACTLY what I was looking for yesterday, even something fabulous that I wasn't looking for, and I don't think I spent $15. (no, you can't see, it's presents)  I made the Boilo.  It smelled great in the crockpot, well, it couldn't help it with oranges and lemons, spices and honey.  It simmered for about 3 hours then I strained out the liquid, which was exactly the amount the recipe said it would be, mixed in the whiskey and tried it.  Blammo!  It was warm and boozy and... it needed something.  So I perused the other 3 recipes I had printed off and discovered one that called for ginger ale.  I had an old can of that kicking around so I sloshed half a can in and that did it.  We have these tiny, thimble-sized cordial glasses that look like beer steins so I filled one up and sipped away.  Then I had another.  Then I thought we'd better have supper so I heated up the leftovers.  (I love having leftovers, don't you?  it's so easy)  After eating I slumped on the couch knitting (a dishcloth, not something complicated--friends don't let friends knit drunk, er, impaired) and watching some unsatisfying show about Yellowstone on Discovery.  It had good scenery but someone had evidently gotten a new x-ray machine so they x-rayed the caldera to delineate the magma chamber, wolves to find some sort of blood-sucking mites (ick), a peregrine falcon (I want one) to figure out how it flies so fast so they can apply the info to making airplanes, a mouse-eating rattlesnake (sort of ick but kind of cool), and... and something else but I kind of fell asleep right at the end.  Then I took my sick and slightly boozy (hey, I'm the world's cheapest date) self to bed.  I slept great but all my "medicine" stopped working around 6 AM so I woke up coughing and needing a nose blow. (that's a great good morning, don't you think?)  Here it is, Christmas Eve, and it's snowing a light slow snow.  It looks pretty but I prefer the sunshine but I suspect that I blew all my powers on the storm last week so I won't be able to push the clouds out of the way all on my own.  That's okay, I don't think I need to go out today.  All I need to do is wrap gifts.  WRAP GIFTS!  I know I'm going to look at the paltry pile and think I need more for everyone but I'm saying it right now that what I have is enough (mostly I'm saying it to myself, you understand), bigger piles don't mean you love them more, Barbara Sue, it will be enough.  E. Nuff.

December 24--Iran, Nishapur, Chess Set.  At first they looked like fingertips.  Sheila brushed away the soil to expose the rounded tops.  The first ones she found were brown, they looked like skin that had been in a marsh or bog but there were no...

That's it.  Once again the cold won and I conked right out.  Sorry about that, dudes.  Are you going "over the river and through the woods" today?  We're staying put and going to DS & DIL1's for Christmas dinner, then DD & DIL2 will arrive on Friday.  It's nice to be old enough to be the destination.  Have a merry Christmas Eve.  Have a cookie and some nog for me.
--Barbara