It's the stressful holiday pre-season, and Farmer H and Mrs. HM are not on the same page. They are not sympatico. Not mind-melding. They are getting along like opposite poles of a magnet. Oil and water. The Mansion needs signs posted, declaring ENTER
AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Of course I have been busy cooking. Getting as much out of the way as possible before Christmas Eve (when the evening is taken up by the party at the home of my sister the ex-mayor's wife) and Christmas morning, when I must have everything cooked and on the table by 11:30. I've done some shopping each day, because I know that I have to carry in everything by myself.
Right now it's Tuesday. I've made four batches of Chex Mix, and three Oreo cakes. And some Hidden Valley Ranch veggie dip. Boiled 40 eggs. Boiled 5 pounds of russet potatoes. The big push comes on Wednesday. Putting together the hash brown casserole, deviled eggs, potato salad, cutting up broccoli and cauliflower, roasting potatoes/carrots/onions with bacon. And then Thursday, getting it all cooked/warmed, along with the ham, stuffing, and making the 7 Layer Salad and two individual salads.
There. Proof I've been busy, and will be busy. Not saying Farmer H hasn't. He does a lot of work. OUTSIDE the Mansion. On the flip house and his business and those time-consuming elderly apartments. It was kind of him to volunteer to vaccuum and clean the bathroom on Tuesday.
It was not so kind of him to switch up the plan...
I came home Monday shortly after 4:00. Normally, Farmer H doesn't get home until 5:00. I carried in my two bags of groceries. I knew he was in the house. SilverRedO was outside. The TV was still on the Cooking Channel, where I leave it for listening. Farmer H was not in his recliner. He was in the boys' bathroom, the one I use all the time, on his hands and knees.
You know. Because there's no other time to do that task except a day before he SAID he was going to. And at the precise time he knows I get back from town, and want to change clothes. Which I leave hanging on the towel rack in that bathoom. The bathroom which I clean every week. Which will be "possibly" used by our guests (Genius and Friend), who are here for four hours, once a year. There is so much more worthwhile "cleaning" that Farmer H could do. As in years past, when he's Swiffered the kitchen floor. Or even just put away his tighty-whities that are stacked on the long couch from his laundry folding.
Anyhoo... I had the audacity to ask, "WHY are you doing that NOW?"
Well. I suppose that was a sensitive subject. Because Farmer H erupted. He jumped to his feet like an agile Chinese gymnast, and began waving his arms like a signal man on an aircraft carrier. How dare I complain about him HELPING ME! He was sick of it. He had THINGS TO DO! And thus stormed out the kitchen door into the gloomy soon-to-be dark evening.
I proceeded to ice my second Oreo Cake in town clothes. Wash the pile of cake-making dishes. Farmer H came in the front door 25 minutes later. Apparently having DONE HIS THINGS. He sat in the recliner.
I changed clothes. Started my scratchers. It was Farmer H's night to warm his leftover cheeseburger mac. Yet he made no move to do so. He left the TV on the Cooking Channel, which he does not watch. At 6:00, I head it switch to Gunsmoke. At 6:15, Farmer H went to bed.
I have a feeling he thought he was really hurting me by sending himself to bed without supper. On the contrary. I enjoyed the peace and quiet. Because he had put the TV back on the Cooking Channel. But turned the volume down so it could not be heard in the kitchen, where I was listening to classic rock on Spotify anyway.
Every Christmas, Farmer H says he hates this time of year, because I go crazy.
6 comments:
My gosh, but you have been really busy. I sure hope everyone appreciates it. My husband used to feel the same way about this time of year, because I used to make the big dinner for us and prior to Christmas eve. would be making chocolate covered cherries, homemade pizzelles and almond bark and I would recruit him to help with the pizzelles and cherries, both of which he liked, so knew he would also benefit at the end. I was always pooped out by the time Christmas was over and that was knowing there was probably still a get together with my dad and his lady friend etc. Now, I appease him and don't do much of any of it anymore. So much of our family have passed away so the reason for much of what I did is no longer with us, so I don't do a whole lot. Just a simple meal for us. I do always make pie. Sometimes just pumpkin. Sometimes just apple. And sometimes both. This year it is pumpkin because I made apple pie for our Thanksgiving. I will likely make apple crisp after Christmas, though. We get enough "special" items given to us that it's not necessary to go crazy making a bunch of things.
I know you go to the extreme to satisfy your family by doing special things for certain individuals. Like I said. I hope they appreciate it. I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas and maybe grumpy Santa will have woken up on the right side of the bed. Ranee
Rae,
Grumpy Santa was not grumpy today, so there's that. He even seemed concerned about me going down the porch steps of my sister the ex-mayor's wife. Not concerned enough to help, like The Pony, but concerned enough to say, "This is why you need to get your knees fixed." Merry Christmas to you as well!
Hopefully you will soon get your knees fixed, but that won't lessen the burden of shopping, preparation and cooking that you do. I wonder if a family discussion on "cutting back" would help? Tradition is all very well, but surely people can make their own oreo cakes? And how many people get chexmix? Is it all necessary?
I also wonder about the ham, those hams are already cured smoked, whatever, so are ok to eat cold, why take the trouble to warm them?
If you aren't ready to give up some things, if you are happy to continue, then do so of course.
My comments are disappearing lately on other blogs and now here too? Blooger isn't playing nice. Yes, I typed Blooger on purpose.
River,
I would be THRILLED if such a knee-fixing would allow me to stand and prepare the foods again. It's true that the cake recipients are in their 40s now, and capable of making their own cakes. Well. As capable as any man baking a cake could be...
20 people get Chex Mix. I guess it's not NECESSARY... but it's a good-enough gift. Yes, the ham is cooked, but they prefer it warm, even though they make sandwiches with it. I guess I'll keep doing it as long as I can.
River,
Maybe I just didn't have time to publish it, due to the holiday preparations.
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