Wrap Wrap Wrap Away

Got some more items off in the mail today. I finally got my act together and gathered Shelley's winnings for guessing where I was last week. She's going to Santa Fe! How fun would that be. I hope one day I can meet her there because that is one spot of the world I've always wanted to visit. And, I have yet another brother in Albuquerque to boot!

This is my wrapping station--the guest room. Bella is inspecting it to make sure everything is where it should be. I should put a card table in there this time of year. One day, I'm sure I'm going to cut the comforter when I'm cutting the paper. Every time I move the scissors, I think, "Now, is that paper or cloth?"

I finished a couple of projects last night. Wooohoo. My fingers look like I've been playing in mud. They're stained with brown antiquing medium. Lovely. I'm sure people are just shuddering at the thought of how dirty I look. (I know I was.) I'm going to take a long hot shower tonight and clean them all up. Well, maybe a bath. Our shower is stopped up. I've been using Drano, but it doesn't seem to be working. You know men, they just keep using it regardless of how high the water gets. EW. Guess I better get a plumber out here if it doesn't go down tonight. Joy. Always sumfin when you have a house.

Tonight I made a black bean soup from my America's Test Kitchen cook book. It was so good. It was so easy and fast as it called for canned black beans. After you cook everything, you take three cups of the soup, blend it in a blender and then put it back with the rest of the soup. Now that's speeding up the process! I'll have to remember that the next time I make my all-day red beans and rice! The soup was delicious, of course. And you know men, "Soup? No substance." And so, I always make them grilled cheese. I could live off soup and a piece of bread. Yum.

My amaryllis are blooming, at least two are. I always wonder why they never open up at the same time. They're all going to be so pretty though. I just love them this time of year.

Well, it's midterm week for the boys. Can you believe the school year is already half done? I remember while working at a small school in Virginia, as soon as Christmas is over, the year just buzzes by. Woooosh. Yay! Guess I better get moving and help the kid with his grammar exam tomorrow. Yuk. I'm getting too old for this stuff. I did make some hot cocoa to help, hopefully. (PS That's not cognac--my brother makes his vanilla from it. Yum.)