(hank snuggled up by the fire)

even after eleven years in boulder, i am always caught off guard by the weather. this year we had a stunning, temperate fall with outrageous rainbow colored trees and then POOF - the wind rolled through, the leaves fell down and we got this freezing sleet/rain/snow with temps in the low thirties. my body just could not process the drastic change (hank’s didn’t have to as he simply refused to go outside) and i was FREEZING, despite my hat, scarf and jacket. 

(my tree was just GORGEOUS this year)

and then i remembered my fireplace. last winter patrick (my builder) converted it from a wood burning one to gas (in all my time in this house we only ever had a fire once because the whole process made me so nervous… i was afraid to go to sleep [and i LOVE to sleep] because i was worried that it hadn’t all burned out, i could never tell if the flue was open or closed and i didn’t like getting my hands all sooty when i pushed the lever AND in the morning i came down to a ton of ash blown all over the floor, which did NOT respond well to vacuuming - which i love to do - so i had to mop, which i do NOT love to do.) so all i have to do now is press one button on the “marote” (as lucy calls it) and POOF - i have a lovely fire. i DID have to track down new batteries for the remote and i was just delighted when i found a stash and didn’t have to leave the house. hank and i settled in with hot toddies (well… only hank did because i had to work and he just had to nap) and cozied up for the afternoon. this pandemic has made me a bit of a recluse and now that it is winter (lu says it’s NOT officially winter because that designation is determined by a date, not the temperature, but i disagree - it is officially winter in my book) and i have discovered “hello fresh” (i KNOW i am late to the game) and i have my vacuum back from the repair shop, i may not leave my house until spring.

* i happened onto a hello fresh promotion when accepting an evite invitation for lucy and have had boxes delivered for the last three weeks. this week i forgot to select my meals and they just sent what they wanted. that was stressful for me because i am a little particular …there are a few things that i REALLY don’t care for (raisins, salmon, mayo, blue cheese, oysters, gum - i don’t think gum will ever be an option, probably not oysters either) luckily none of those items were in my box. i DID have to deal with sour cream (that i also don’t like, but not with the ferocity of my disgust for mayo) to make a sauce, but it was served on the side so i didn’t have to eat it… the kids loved it though - WHO raised them?

(LOOK - if i’m not careful , hello fresh might sneak some salmon in my box!)

** hello fresh is making me feel like i love lucy in the episode where she and ethel are working in the chocolate factory… i just got a text that i’m getting a delivery tomorrow (wednesday) and i have no i idea what is in the box and why it is even coming because i thought my boxes were all coming on sundays. somehow i think i have TWO accounts and too many surprises!

(here i am trying to keep up with my “hello fresh” boxes)

(here is my house… OVERRUN by hello freshes!)

*** my “extra” box actually had the same two meals i had just made (and hadn’t selected!) so i gave it to first husband because i couldn’t face the sour cream again AND i thought the whole point of hello fresh was to EXPAND your recipes, not REPEAT them… HAY SEUS!

**** lucy was RIGHT… a few days after our sleet/snow it went up to the 70’s. the weather in this town is BANANAS!