dancinghorse | Dec. 21st, 2004

Happy Solstice to all!

Not quite done yet, but the frantic scramble is in the homestretch. I realize that I really do hate baking cookies. I love eating them, but baking them, no. Pies (despite Issues with the crust) don't bother me nearly as much. Cheesecake? Bring it on. Cakes, brownies, bars, crisps, coffee cakes, muffins--I'll whip one up in an hour, from scratch (we do not Do mixes here, with rare exceptions--I hate fake vanilla and I really don't like all the added salt and sugar). Cookies, urrrrg.

So yesterday was cursed by a complete inability to keep numbers, quantities, and ingredients straight. I had to do the spritz cookies over from scratch, and the raspberry jam cookies had Interesting Times. Still, they are made, they are edible, and the raspberry cookies will probably get another batch later on--they go fast. For spritz, I had new cookie cutters. The howling coyote, I swear, looks like a Corgi. Most of them came out as Cardigans, with tails, but a few ended up being Pembrokes--the tails broke off.

Because of Curse of Misplaced Everything, I never did get a ride. Horse dinner was my one break in the wars. I fell over after they were done, and slept straight through until horse-breakfast time.

Today has gone much better. We're having a Solstice gathering in Green Valley tonight. The rhubarb pie is made and the lasagna is done. No disasters, though the piecrust was a bit dry and needed tweaking. I've got the calibration now, which is good--Christmas Eve I'll be doing apple and pumpkin pies. At any rate, the current batch is ready for transport, and we will have other things and do mulled cider in front of the fireplace, and it will be good.

Meanwhile I can go Thud for a bit. I've arranged the horses so I can ride da Pook before dinner, dammit, and still get some downtime. Tomorrow smoemeth will be here and we can put up the tree and be a bit lazy. I have a hay delivery coming in, running ahead of any possible storm. They're forecasting snow for Thursday night--it's still tentative but the temps will be in the 20s and there's a storm coming. Right now it's 60 degrees, breezy, overcast, and I tarped the few bales of hay I have left because there's rain in them thar clouds. The horses are very sleepy, which is interesting. Basking in the warmth, I think, before the cold front moves in. And Trouble-kitty is at my feet, which usually means cold weather.

Already the first noodges of postholiday duty are happening. I have story proofs and a book proposal to do by the 3rd, and Luna PR materials of various sorts will be due throughout the new year--there will definitely be Work after the holiday hysteria is over.