Day 334-O Tannenbaum!

Day 333-Jack Frost Nipping at Your Nose

I started decorating for Christmas today while watching Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus and Jack Frost. Tree is up, but there are no decorations on it yet.

Day 332-Pandora's Box . . . of MUSIC!

I just started using Pandora again, and they have this cool thing now where you can shuffle between stations. So at work I have been shuffling between my Jon Schmidt (Holiday) station, my Josh Groban (Holiday) station, and my Casper (Film score) station. Pretty relaxing stuff.

Day 331-Soups, Salads, and Sundays

Neil reported on his mission today and after church today we had soup! Six kinds of soup!

I made this awesome signs, with help from the bro-in-law:
Neil with the bro-in-laws parents. (My goal was to get a picture of him with everyone, but this is the only picture I got.)

Day 330-Chop, Chop, Chop

Spent the afternoon chopping up vegetables and helping my mom make different kinds of soup for my brother's homecoming reception tomorrow.

This is the corn chowder:

Also made "turkey" noodle soup, gnocchi soup, and will make stew, 5 can soup, and chili.

Day 329-Yes, Virginia

Now that Thanksgiving is over, I have started on with Christmas!! Listening to Christmas music, and watching Christmas movies! Speaking of Christmas movies, one of my favorites from when I was a kid was Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus (1974), based on this editorial from 1897 in The Sun:

After some searching I was able to find it on DVD!!

I think I might use this letter when my kids ask me about the veracity of Santa Claus.

Day 328-Thanksgiving

Day 327-Setting Up for Thanksgiving

We hosted Thanksgiving at our house this year, so we spent the evening setting up enough tables and chairs for around 50 people.

Day 326-Pie

For our department social this month, we had free pie! There was also a pie eating contest, which was HILARIOUS!! Grown men getting pie all over their faces and taking the contest so seriously even though none of them wanted to be in it.

Day 325-Beginning to Look Like Christmas

Every since August I have watched them get Temple Square ready for Christmas. It's been fun to see the lights go up, and now they are on in the morning when I come to work!

Day 324-Primary Progam

There is just something so hilarious about a bunch of kids singing.

Day 323-Tron

Watched Tron (original) for the first time. It was . . . interesting.

Day 322-Crazy for You

My brother and I went to go see Crazy for You (one of my favorite musicals--but, then, anything with Gershwin in it is immediately a favorite) at Alta High. I always forget how talented high school students can be when they put their minds to it.

Day 321-Gourmandise

For lunch today, the ladies I work with and I went to this cute little French bakery and café:

So yummy!

Day 320-Committee

I held my first committee meeting as Chair--my new ward calling.

Day 319-TGIF!!

Just discovered that one of my favorite TGIF shows from the 90s is on YouTube!! Teen Angel!

Day 318-FHE

First time we had FHE with my brother in years!!!

Day 317-Popcorn

I'm a big believer in popcorn.

Day 316-Acting Showcase

Today was the last day of my acting class and my actor's showcase for my monologues.

Day 315-11/11/11

This is the cake I made for my mom's birthday today. I decided it would be a "silver" birthday (since a "gold" birthday is when you turn the same age as the day you were born). I think the day turned out well--I think it helped that she had her son back!

Day 314-He's Home!!

Day 313-Geeking Out Makes the Day Better

Day 312-Boots

I am very grateful for my boots!! They are lifesaver's for those cold wintery mornings as I wait for the train.

Day 311-Office Pranks

This is what happens when you work at home for two days . . . coming back to a historian's head taped to your Josh Groban calendar.

Day 310-That Age

I guess I'm getting to that age as an LDS Single when everyone starts getting worried about your immortal soul, because they become so concerned about setting me up with all of their brothers/friends/cousins who are also single.

Day 309-Remember, Remember

The Fifth of November! It's Guy Fawkes Day! I'm still not exactly sure what they are celebrating . . . that the gunpowder plot failed or that Guy Fawkes tried it in the first place . . . Whatever it is, I wish I could be in England to celebrate 'cuz it looks wicked fun!

[Edit: My curiosity got the better of me. This is what Wikipedia says: "Celebrating the fact that King James I had survived the attempt on his life, people lit bonfires around London, and months later the introduction of the Observance of 5th November Act enforced an annual public day of thanksgiving for the plot's failure."

Day 308-Working From Home

The last couple of days because of dentist appointments (yes two, in a row, and one next week--they must really like seeing me), I worked on the proofreading from home. It's kind of nice, but because I get so comfy while sitting on the couch, sometimes it's hard not to fall asleep. And it didn't help that I am on day 3 of a headache . . .

Day 307-Published!

My first article in the New Era!

Day 306-Superhero!!

Giving blood makes me feel like a superhero!! I saved three lives today!

Day 305-It Snowed