General Chat December, 2010

Dale, What you say regarding the course you took sounds familiar. I've had the same experience. I think it's difficult to find the write instructor. So many styles and I find it difficult to try to emulate someone else s style. I always walk away learning something but wishing I had learned more. I'm looking forward to seeing your paintings. The singing sounds fun.

Happy New Year to Everyone!!!

Judy

Happy New Years from the east coast - we get it first!

Happy New Year from the Rockies

Kate made plum duff with hard sauce,
so we won't need any champagne tonight!

A lot of dancing going on here! lol I'm joining in.

Happy New Year everyone!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, to you all! We get it last, in California. Happy Dancing and lots of beautiful paintings in the New Year!


Dayle

Jim,

The plum Duff sounds like it might really be good. Can you explain a little bit about it?

Judy

Judy,

It's a substitute for plum pudding (i.e., no suet).

Simmer one box of pitted prunes for 1/2 hour in:
1/2 cup sherry,
1/2 cup orange juice,
1/2 cup water.      Cool and drain.

In large mixing bowl, beat well:
2 eggs, and blend in a medium speed:
1/2 cup melted butter/margarine,
1 cup brown sugar and the drained prunes.

Stir in:
one 4 ounce container citron (diced dried pineapple if you can't get citron),
one cup mixed candied fruits.

Sift together:
1 cup all-purpose flour,
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt,
spices (Kate uses 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg/1/2 tsp mace, 1/2 tsp ginger)

If this all sounds interesting I can post the container/cooking part of the instructions.

Now here is the really bad stuff :

Hard Sauce: beat well one stick butter/margarine,
Add alternately:
1 lb confectioner's sugar,
brandy.
Sprinkle mixture w/grated nutmeg.

Serve on warm plum duff.

Sounds like a recipe for a very warm New Years Eve. Thanks.

Judy

Happy New Year to everyone!!!!
The flu has me down, but wanted to check in and see what's going on. Pounding headache makes it hard to concentrate, so will just lurk a bit while I enjoy my Nyquil "cocktail" before oozing back to bed.

Jim, thanks for the recipe...It sounds really good!

Callie, Hope you feel better soon!

Dayle

Callie, get well soon!

Sorry you're starting the new year feeling so bad. Look at it this way...all it can do is get better. Hope you feel better soon.

Judy

Callie, sorry to hear that you're not feeling well. I hope you're feeling better soon.

Belated Noo Year greetings to everyone.
Hope you are better now Callie
Jackie and I had a great Noo Year party so much so I decided to write a kinda poem about it. I'm taking the liberty of posting it here. Hope you don't mind.

JACK AND JACKIE’S PLACE

THE LONG ROOM AWAITED
GLITTERING AND GOLD
TABLE PREPARED TO ENSURE GUESTS WERE SATED
WINE PRESENTED ENSURING THE WHITES WERE COLD
A LAST LOOK ROUND, THE HOSTS WERE ELATED
AT JACK AND JACKIE’S PLACE

GUESTS ARRIVING COATS UNTANGLED
AND HUNG ON HOOKS JACK HAD PREPARED IN ABUNDANCE
BAGS OF GOODIES FROM WRISTS DANGLED
A QUICK KISS, GOOD TO SEE YOU, THEY MAKE THEIR ENTRANCE
OBVIOUS PLEASURE THAT THERE WAS NOTHING NEW FANGLED
AT JACK AND JACKIE’S PLACE

SLOWLY THE SILENCE CHANGED TO PRATTLE
AS THOSE ATTENDING GREETED EACH OTHER
EVERYONE RELAXED FOR THERE WAS MUCH TITTLE TATTLE
FATHER WITH FATHER AND MOTHER TO MOTHER
THE CONSTANT EXCHANGES MADE THE PLATES RATTLE
AT JACK AND JACKIE’S PLACE

MEAT PIES, PUDDINGS, SAUSAGES, GRACED THE TABLE
AND MORE
EYES GREW ROUND AS THEY SAW THE DÉCOR, IT WAS NO FABLE
FOR THERE WAS MUCH TO ADORE
GENTLEMEN SOPHISTICATES AND LADIES SO LOVABLE
AT JACK AND JACKIE’S PLACE

SUFFICIENCY WAS AT LAST ACHIEVED, AT LEAST FOR THE FOOD
WINE CONTINUED TO FLOW AND CONVERSATION MELLOWED
THE HOSTS CONSIDERED AND DECIDED RIGHT WAS THE MOOD
JACK THEN BELLOWED’
THE CABARET BEGINS AND, NO ONE BOOED
AT JACK AND JACKIE’S PLACE

FIRST TO FACE THE FOOTLIGHTS, NO OTHER BUT HARRY
‘BEAUTIFUL DREAMER’ WAS HIS CHOICE OF RENDITION
HIS VOICE WHILST TENDER OH! HOW IT DID CARRY
NO ONE COULD DENY HOW FINE HIS CONDITION
HOW COULD OTHER ‘TURNS’ PARRY
AT JACK AND JACKIE’S PLACE

THEN THE HOSTS WITH A ROMANTIC DUET
‘REMEMBERING IT WELL’ WAS THE THEME
WITH APOLOGIES TO LERNER AND LOEWE HOPING THEY WOULD’NT RUE IT
JACK AND JACKIE WORKING AS A TEAM CARRYING IT OFF WITH SMILES ABEAM
RECEIVED THE APPLAUSE THANKFULLY, THEY HADN’T BLEW IT
AT JACK AND JACKIE’S PLACE

NEXT THE SURPRISE A POEMIC READING, BY FRANKIE
GLORIOUS THOUGH SHE BE, WITH JOHN WATCHING
DEFINITELY NO HANKY PANKY
THOUGH THE THEME WAS DISMEMBERMENT SHE WAS SO EYE CATCHING
THE HUMOUR WAS SUCH THERE WAS NO NEED FOR A HANKY
AT JACK AND JACKIE’S PLACE

WITH MIDNIGHT APPROACHING THERE WAS NEED FOR A RING
THE KNOCK AT THE DOOR WAS AWAITED
THEN IT CAME AND WITHOUT A THOUGHT FOR ANYTHING
HARRY ENTERED WITH HIS GIFTS SO WELL RATED
AULD LANG SYNE RANG OUT FROM THE GATHERING
AT JACK AND JACKIE’S PLACE

NEXT CAME A FIERY AND NOISY INTERLUDE
JOHN, AT HIS CALM, CONTROLLED BEST
PREPARED AND FIRED OFF CANNON AFTER CANNON INTO THE EVENTUDE
OVER HIS SHOULDER, BETWEEN HIS LEGS, THANK GOODNESS HE DIDN’T GO WEST
HIS FORTITUDE AND PERSEVERANCE SHOWED HE’S A DUDE
AT JACK AND JACKIE’S PLACE

NEXT CAME A GENTLE PERIOD OF TIME
GLIDING, ASCENDING, TWO PAPER LANTERNS ALIGHT
THE FIRST WAS CAUGHT BY A TREE IN IT’S PRIME
THE SECOND ZOOMED OFF INTO THE ETHER WITH THE FLAME BURNING BRIGHT
THE EFFORTS OF THE ‘MONTGOLFIERS’ WE CANNOT MALIGN
AT JACK AND JACKIE’S PLACE

A BRIEF VISITATION BY DAISY OCCURRED, MUCH ADO
A MOMENT OF EXCITEMENT WITH HUGS AND KISSES
THEN, NOTHING WAS HEARD, SHE’D GONE, TOODELOO
BACK TO THE WINING, EATING WAS OVER, ONLY THE DISHES
WHAT’S TO BE DONE, YE KEN, THE NOO
AT JACK AND JACKIE’S PLACE

NOW THE DEPARTURES SO SAD BUT SO RIGHT
COATS DONNED, KISSES AND HUGS
WELL AFTER MIDNIGHT, BUT EYES STILL SO BRIGHT
WRAPPED UP WARMLY LIKE SO MANY RUGS
CRYING BEHIND THEM, GOOD NIGHT, GOOD NIGHT
AT JACK AND JACKIE’S PLACE

REGARDING THE SCENE, QUIET AND ALONE
T’WERE GOOD WEREN’T IT WAS THE JOINT THOUGHT
WE’VE EATEN SO MUCH WE MIGHT INCREASE BY A STONE
BUT EVEN SO, SUCH PLEASURE, COULD NOT BE BOUGHT
WITHOUT SUCH FRIENDS AS WE HAVE IN OUR PLEASURE ZONE
HERE, AT JACK AND JACKIE’S PLACE

Sorry to have taken up so much spacve
Jack

Jack, great poem! Don't mind at all. Loved it!

Wonderful poem and lots of fun expressed. It made me remember the years when we all stood around the piano while my aunt played and we all sang our hearts out. Thank you for bringing back such good memories.

judy