I have used this recipe for 40 years. Mother originally gave it to me. She said that she got it from my Grandmother, Norman’s Mother.

Baked Custard

3 eggs slightly beaten

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

3 cups scaled milk.

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. { I preheat my baking pan with water in it at this time. When the ramekins are ready to bake I put them directly into the bain de marie}

Add 3 cups of milk to a saucepan. Heat till slight steam comes off of a spoon. Take off of burner.

Beat 3 eggs slightly in a med bowl. {I use the Williams Sonoma bowl with a lip to pour} Add salt and sugar.

Add a little milk slowly, stirring constantly. Continue adding milk till it is all incorporated. {if you pour all of the hot milk in the eggs at once, you will have scrambled eggs.} Take your time, whisk well.

Add vanilla.

Pour into custard cups. {ramekins}

Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Place ramekins in a pan of hot water. Bain de Marie

Bake for 40 min till knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Please enjoy this custard. I share it with love.

Love you. Me

I have been cleaning up The Cottage. When the tree fell through the roof, it flooded the guest room and made a huge mess of everything. Insurance has been wonderful replacing things for us and I get rid of the damaged things in the garbage.

This is the week of the new pillows. Macy’s had a good sale, so damaged, flood saturated, unused pillows were dis-guarded into the garbage yesterday. There are 6 new pillows in the house and the old, water damaged ones are gone….

This morning, Larry asked me if I heard the garbage men? I said not yet. He said: The pillows were gone but all garbage is still there. GROSS. … {all of the pillows had peeked out of the top of the garbage can, but were gone this morning.}

I told Larry yesterday, that if he did not hide the nasty, water damaged pillows, Gladys Kravitz, our nosy, garbage picking neighbor would come and go through our trash. For years, 20 years…. she has come over and pilfered our garbage and things marked for the Salvation Army. I don’t know why it bothers me so much. The things were being donated… it just feels gross when she goes through our trash.

I feel agitated. Should I feel that or should I just feel sorry for her? {she and her husband both have jobs and drive nice cars. They are not in need of anything}

Thank you for listening…..I am going to watch our surveillance video now….and solve the mystery of the vanishing nasty pillows.

Love you beyond the moon.

Me

Per tradition, on Christmas Day, we all are not together. Larry and I have our traditions, Lauren’s Family does what they “do” and Jamison & Jared have their traditions. BUT sometime, during Christmas week, we all get together and it is wonderful. Last Saturday was the day for this year. We laughed, played games {Game Pictonary Air was a big hit!} and ate lots of good food.

Now, we are at New Years week. I am being dragged unwillingly into 2020 and want to freeze time right now. How unfortunate is THAT? A bad attitude never helps, but here I am. Larry says that I am allowed to be sad right now. I do not agree, but cannot help it.

SO, it is Monday. The laundry is getting done, Larry is sequestered in his office taking care of last minuet business and it looks like a beautiful day outside.

How do you handle the new year? Do you jump into it full force with a happy positive attitude? Do you dread moving forward but put on a happy face and pretend for the people around you? No matter which one you are, we cannot stop it.

Here I am 2020, do your best!

Love you beyond the moon.

Me

It is the day after Christmas and I don’t quite know what to do with myself. There are a few projects that need finished, but my heart isn’t in it. Perhaps Larry has an idea for the day. {Even though he is working}

What is it about the after Christmas-let down? What do we do with the bubbly friends who are just so…perky? Strangle them? Just joking.

Everyone was very wonderful to us this year, if you discount the sad puppy dog faces saying, “I am so sorry that you have cancer again.” It happens a lot. The sad puppy face. I tell myself that it means that this person cares about me. Ignore the pity. They CARE.

Yesterday Larry and I hiked. {a short hike} and came home to our annual prime rib dinner. Mashed potatoes, Broccoli casserole and Buche du Noel for dessert. The day drained me physically and mentally. It was the most frustrating thing EVER, but dinner was scrumptious.

Larry has been wonderful. He has been cooking, cleaning and he changes my bullet wound twice a day. When they took the catheter out of my chest, the wound left, looks like a bullet wound. {disgusting} Larry volunteered to change it for me. FOR ONE MONTH! I always knew that he was a “boob” man. Go on. Smile.

I wish you a happy day. Keep smiling and remember “Don’t burn the Buche du Noel at both ends.

Love you BEYOND the moon.

Me

Good morning. Yesterday at church the choir sang one of my favorite hymns. I am a bit tired today and hope that you do not mind me posting music? Please close your eyes and listen.

Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

It is a beautiful day. Be joyful and well.

Love you beyond the moon.

Me

I am posting only a short note here. It is Monday, December 16th. 2019. The sun has not risen and I am ready to get this show on the road.

The Christmas gifts that I am making, clutter my work desk. They tempt me to start working but this day brings bigger things to do.

Are you ready? Christmas is one week away. I believe that I like the pre-Christmas hustle and bustle better than the big day itself. It is lovely energy.

Have a good day.

Love you beyond the moon.

Robin

The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!
Now, please don’t ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be his head wasn’t screwed on just right.
It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.

~Dr Seuss~

I love the Grinch. For many reasons, but the main reason is that even though his heart was two sizes to small, he was open to be accepting and when he was, his heart grew.

Things happen in our lives that make us Grinchy. It is easy and very normal to become sad and withdrawn. But when I take a deep breath and smile, the moments become easier.

Inhale. Exhale. Smile.

Love you beyond the moon.

Me