I can’t believe it! I have NO HEAT! The Inn felt cool, but I had turned down the temperature to 58 before I left for L.A., but the thermostat said 50. 50!! Yikes! That is way too cool. So I jacked up the heat to 65 and started getting things ready for our guests that would be arriving that afternoon.  The fireplace in the dining room was working but the furnace had not kicked on. That was strange. I went downstairs to check on it. That metal behemoth in the middle of my basement was stone cold. That couldn’t be. I had 239 gallons of oil delivered yesterday so that wasn’t the problem.

      As I stood staring at the gauges, I decided to flush the tank, just in case. Black gook streamed from the valve followed by water. I added water to raise the level to where it was suppose to be and rechecked all the valves. Everything looked good. I went back upstairs and checked the thermostat. I wondered if a thermostat could go bad.

      Time to call RJ.

      I left the Inn and started down to the “little house.”  RJ was in the doorway with his keys, getting ready to go shopping for supplies. “We have no heat,” I called to him.

     “No heat?”

     “No heat. Forget about going shopping.”

     We went back to the Inn and he started to do the same things I had been doing. Checking the thermostat, checking the furnace, checking the valves, checking the oil tank, circuit breakers. Everything looked good. So why wasn’t this working???

     We called our heating and A/C guy with finally made arrangements for a service man to come out. My biggest fear was that I would need a new boiler.  I had planned to put a new one in next year, and this was a bit earlier than I had planned.  I waited as patiently as I could for the service guy and was thrilled to see his truck pull up to the Inn. “Hi,” he said. “My name is Lou.”

     “Hi. Boy, am I glad to see you.”

     RJ came up the driveway and greeted Lou. “So you are the man of the hour.”

     “Yes, I am.”

     We went inside and he headed straight for the basement and my oil tank. The boiler looked good as did the oil tank.  “Hmm… When was your delivery?” he asked.

     “Yesterday,” RJ replied. “We are on automatic delivery.”

     “I think you may have an air block. Your oil was too low and the boiler was unable to pull the oil.”

     Minutes later, the boiler roared to life. That rumble never sounded so good. Soon the Inn was once again warm and inviting.  Our guests arrived later that afternoon, never knowing that we were rushing around all morning trying to get the boiler working. So goes life at the Inn. J

     Today while I was walking Cookie and Pippa with RJ, I met a man taking out his trash.

     “Good morning,” I said.

     “Good morning,” he replied.

     “Beautiful day,” RJ said.

     “Yes, it is,” he answered. The old man began walking down the driveway toward the street where we were standing with our son’s dogs.

     RJ paused. “This is Cookie and this is Pippa.”

     “Cute dogs.”

     “Thank you,” RJ replied.

     “You know, I’m 88 years old. I was wounded in Italy during World War II. I can only raise my arm this high.” He raised his arm straight out in front of him. “But I’m alive. I was wounded on January 8, 1944, 65 years ago on this very day. Can you believe it? Sixty-five years ago today.”

     “Wow!” I said softly.

     “I spent a lot of time in a lot of hospitals with his arm.”

     “My father was in the Polish army during the War,” RJ said.

     “My dad was in the army. He was awarded the Bronze Star. He drove a tank,” I added.

     “I was in the infantry and I’m Jewish. In fact my commanding officer said to me, ‘Cohen, you are not too smart being a Jew and in the infantry.” He tapped the side of this head as he spoke. “Maybe I wasn’t too smart, but I’m alive today.”

      “That’s great,” RJ said. “You have a nice day.”

      “I will,” he said as he turned and walked back up his driveway toward his back door.

      RJ and I walked back to our son’s house in silence. Sixty-five years. That’s a very long time and still Mr. Cohen remembers Italy and being wounded as though it was yesterday. Sixty-five years. So much time has passed and before long there will be no one left who served in World War II to tell the story of those men and women who went to fight in a foreign country to fight in a war that was to end all wars. How many wars have there been since that one? Too many, I’m afraid.

     I think I would like to sit and talk to Mr. Cohen again, to hear more about the war and what he did. What the battle was like near Rome, Italy, where he was wounded, when did he return home. So many questions. I think I would like to get to know him better. I bet I could learn a lot.

     I can’t believe how I have been sleeping in the morning. It is so unusual for me to be getting up at 8:30 AM. I’ve been an early riser since I can’t remember when. Now that we are “on vacation,” early morning just doesn’t happen. This morning we walked Pippa, M & J’s cockapoo. We walked to the Los Angeles River and toured the surroundings neighborhoods. Houses here are very expensive compared to a similar neighborhood in New York. The lots are relatively small compared to where we live. It looks like the houses fill the entire lot. Very small front yards with no side yards.

     There is so much traffic! I think I would have a hard time driving in L.A. until I had a feel for the streets. M & N took us to the Pantages Theater for the Wicked lottery. What is the Wicked lottery, you ask. Well, the Wicked, the musical, has been sold out forever, and it’s only in L.A. for 7 more days. There were 2 cancellations today for $250 each. But in the lottery, today there were 26 tickets available.  You have to get there 2 ½ hours before the show to enter. Then 2 hours before the show, people are selected based on those who had signed up for the lottery. Needless to say, we didn’t win any tickets, but we certainly had a good time participating. 

     Then we went to Amoeba, which is this absolutely the most extensive music and DVD store I had ever been in. RJ managed to find Letters to Iwo Jima, which had been looking for and I found a copy of The Orphanage, a Spanish horror film.  M found a complete copy of Vampyr, the classic German vampire movie. So all in all, it was a good day.

     This evening we are playing Wii. Got to go!

      This morning I had the undying pleasure of reading all morning!!! I finished Creepers by David Morrell. He wrote Rambo. I was addicted to the story. I couldn’t put it down.

      Today we went to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with Brad Pitt. Superb! I would highly recommend this movie.  Read the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. You can get the short story online. http://www.readbookonline.net/read/690/10628/  This film should be nominated and win awards for make-up, costumes, and screenplay. Brad Pitt was wonderful as Benjamin Button.  This was a 3 hour movie, and I swear, it never felt like it was that long. I would definitely recommend seeing this film.

What a fabulous game! This is my first Rose Bowl Game ever. I had an absolutely wonderful time! I can’t remember ever remembering seeing so many people in one place. The Rose Bowl had a crowd of over 92,000 people. The Penn State Blue Band, as always, plaDayyed superbly. Tight formation. Great sound. It reminded me of M’s Penn State days and his time in the percussion section.

Today was pretty low key.  We had a fantastic dinner. N got in from NYC this afternoon and cooked for us. The dish was chicken with onions, dried cranberries, raisins, olives, and garlic. The sauce was a yogurt with garlic, salt and pepper. He made a rice side disk that was crusted on the outside and moist on the inside. 

This evening I had time to knit, write, and watch a movie with my son. Can’t beat that! It’s had to believe it’s Friday already and the second of January. RJ and I still have a couple of days with one of them before M has to go back to work. I would like to visit the Angeles National Forest. It could be fun to do a little hiking.

I’ll keep you posted on my L.A. adventure.

     I am always so surprised how time gets away from me. I think I have all this time and I don’t. There is so much going on in my life that I am always looking for just a couple more hours. Time to knit… time to write… time to bake… time to spend with RJ…

     Today RJ and I spent a good portion of the day out and about. I do not have the shop gene. I start out okay, but lose interest quickly. The stores feel too crowded. No one seems happy to be there. The traffic is crazy. All those people going no where fast. I saw an accident today. It looks like someone was driving too fast and decided that the car that was changing lanes just wasn’t doing it fast enough and decided to redesign the front fender and side quarter panel.  Both cars were a mess with glass and metal all over the road. Merry Christmas to you!

     We stopped at Barnes and Nobel searching for the “perfect” gift.  Is there really such a thing as a “perfect” gift? We spend a lot of time and money buying things that we think our friends and family want or need. I’m more excited about my family coming over on Sunday for dinner. We should have about 28 people over. Now that will be a good time. Tomorrow I’ll start baking and preparing.  I only baked 12 dozen cookies and that won’t last. So it’s time to do the Christmas cookie thing. I have a couple of new recipes and several tried and true that will round out the sweets. Yesterday I baked another Blueberry Muffin Bread for the weekend and tomorrow are the Cranberry Nut Breads. I bake extra for gifts for a couple of my neighbors; Sarah, my postmistress; Jason, my trash guy; and John, my UPS guy. J, J, and N will be arriving on Sunday. I can’t wait to see my kids. I know it hasn’t been that long, but at the wedding, everyone was so busy and the trip was so short, that I felt as though I never got a chance to visit with anyone. So this week will give my time to spend with my family.  The time goes by so fast and before I know it, they will be returning to their lives and I to mine.

     I do have guests coming in on Friday and Saturday along with some family that will be staying over.  The Inn is totally decorated and looks beautiful. RJ bought a timer for the outside lights, so now we don’t have to go up to the Inn to turn off the lights manually. I don’t know why we didn’t do that last year… or the year before… or the year before that.  Sometimes bright ideas come after time, I guess.

     Here is another one of my recipes for tried and true cookies. Make sure you use a good chocolate like Ghirardelli chocolate. It makes all the different in the world!

Preheat oven to 375º F. Cream butter and sugars until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Beat until smooth. Add flour. Stir in shaved chocolate. Drop by teaspoonful on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on rack. Store in an airtight container.

      I had a bad day yesterday. A terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day! Fortunately, I don’t have many of them; otherwise I think I would just drop off the face of the earth… f o r e v e r!

      Today, RJ and I went with friends to the Genesee Country Village and Museum to see Yuletide in the Country. This tour takes you into the museum’s village with a step back into history beginning in 1814 and continuing to 1890 following the evolution of our American Christmas tradition.  I think this was the best one yet. The tour lasted about 1 hour 45 minutes and it was followed by a fabulous buffet dinner comprised of a variety of dishes from the 1800’s. Of course, I manage a faux pas by asking the chief if there was any gravy. I was informed that it had not been invented yet. Oops!

     The Yuletide menu was all meals that were served in New England and the mid-Atlantic states from foods that were available in the late fall and winter. So dishes with beets, celery, corn (corn chowder), onions (onion soup) chestnut dressing, squash, peas, potatoes – all put into absolutely divine dishes for consumption. I definitely have got to get the recipe from Shaun on the ginger beets. They were superb! The butternut squash with nutmeg was flavorful and a perfect side dish to the beef and turkey.

     I think I will add a couple of these wonderful side dishes to my menu for Christmas dinner next week. They will be a welcomed addition to our own feast.

     It’s Thursday and I’m glad to be home. This afternoon RJ and I went out to run a couple of errands. It didn’t matter what store we were in, Bah Humbug! was in the air. I have never seen so many unhappy, rude, and totally disconnected people in all my life.

     In AC Moore, an arts and crafts store, the lady at the checkout counter, stood there will a frown on her face and a bite in her voice.  There was no one in her line, so RJ pushed our cart into the aisle toward the register. The old gal looked up and snapped, “This was my last customer. I’m closed.”

     RJ backed out of the aisle and returned to the first aisle with a long line of customers waiting to check out.  I mean really; there was only 2 registers. Why she snapped at RJ is beyond me.  I looked at him and he said, “Well, I guess, she told me. I’m not used to getting hollered at, especially in a store.”

     I said, “So much for customer service.”

     The woman ahead of us did not hear the exchange and walked toward the old gal with no one in her line. RJ watched. He knew what was coming.  Needless to say, the quip from the old gal was just as harsh and the woman returned to the end of our very long check-out line, obviously embarrassed and upset.  RJ said, “You were in front of me. Come up here.” The woman thanked him.

     I said, “So much for Christmas spirit.”

     “My, I was yelled at,” she replied. “All I wanted was to buy this tissue paper. I’ve been looking for gift baskets. My mother died and I am getting things ready for the funeral.”

     I said I was sorry for her loss. She paid for her things at this register, thanked the young man behind the counter as she took her bag.  We were next.

     “Did you find everything you were looking for?”

     “Yes,” I replied.

     Meanwhile, the old gal was getting ready to leave her register. Another associate (or supervisor) was checking out her drawer. The old gal grabbed a shopping cart and pushed it toward the exit, almost running over RJ. She left the cart in the entrance way and blew passed us without a second look. I glanced up at RJ is amazement. 

     “Not happy,” I said.

     The young man at the register was trying to check us out, answer the phone, and wrap my candles all at the same time.  I couldn’t wait any longer. He asked me if I wanted my candles wrapped in paper.  I said I did. The phone rang again. He answered it. I started to bag my own things. As he wrapped the candles, he gave them to RJ to bag. I couldn’t believe it. I’m bagging my own merchandise!

     This is the last time I shop at AC Moore.

     Favorite recipes are hard to come by. I’ve been compiling recipes (the tried and true ones) since who knows when. It seems that when I was a little girl growing up in the bar, the kitchen was the place to be.  Everything smelled good. The hustle and bustle of my grandma cooking and my aunt serving tables was a way of life. My job was to stay out of everyone’s way. Dad would come in and call out orders from the bar or grab wrapped packages of food for customers who had come in to pick up their orders. The bar was a very busy place. It was a local tavern and restaurant that served good old fashion home cooked meals – mostly Polish cooking, but my family could cook just about anything. Fridays were fish fry days and boy, could we move fish!  Breaded, fried fillets of haddock were served with stacks of French fries and homemade Cole slaw. My grandma and aunt would put the food on thick cardboard plates (none of this thin paper plates of today), add the tartar sauce for the fish, cover it with waxed paper, wrap it in sheets of newspaper, and slip it into brown paper bags. God, I loved those fish fries.

     Today’s recipe is one of my favorites. Easy to make and delicious with a cup of coffee.

Alternate:        1 cup sour cream

Bake at 350º for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown or toothpick comes out clean. 

This coffee cake can be made ahead and frozen. Drizzle confectionary sugar frosting over cake or sprinkle with confectionary sugar.  The coffee cake is good enough to serve without the sugar frosting.  Enjoy!

RJ was downstairs in the basement doing whatever and I was working at the Inn in the kitchen when I heard my name called. I hollered out, “Just a minute,” finished wiping my hands, and started downstairs into the basement.  “What do you want,” I called out. No answer.

As I turned the corner around the washers, I spotted RJ rummaging through the shelves where all his jars of screws, nails, and other absolutely needed items are stored.  “What do you want,” I asked again.

He looked up briefly to say, “I didn’t call you.”

“I heard you call my name.”

“Well, it wasn’t me.” he insisted.

“Hmph,” I said. “I could have sworn that I heard you call my name.”

RJ did not reply to my statement, so I went upstairs to continue my work in the kitchen. Where the kitchen is located in the house and where RJ was working downstairs, it made perfect sense that sound could travel up to me. I mean it is an historic house. There are plenty of nooks and crannies. I’m sure his voice could carry if he called me. In fact, there have been times when he has call up to me from the basement and I’ve heard him, so what happened this time.

Maybe I’m just losing my mind and I don’t know it.

Cranberry Nut Bread

From the kitchen of Deborah Stankevich at the Genesee Country Inn

2 cups sifted flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup sugar

1 egg lightly beaten

¾ cup orange juice

2 tablespoons of melted butter

1 cup whole cranberries

½ chopped walnuts

Sift flour. Sift all dry ingredients together. Add egg, orange juice, and butter.  Mix well. Fold in walnuts and cranberries. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5 greased loaf pan. Bake at 350º for 1 hour or until well done.

Makes 1 loaf.

I sit on my local library board of trustees.  At our meeting this evening we were presented with the number of circulated books and people that patronize the library. The numbers continue to grow each month as this recession continues throughout our country. I asked our director why she thought the numbers continue to increase. Her response was that when economic times get tough, people visit the library for free video materials, books, magazines, audio books, and programs for the whole family. Then my question is why is the county and state cutting funding to our public libraries when we need the money the most for all of our citizens? I am an avid reader, myself, and frequent the public library frequently.  The Monroe Library System has Overdrive, a system to download books to your computer.  I just love it. When the weather is inclement and I don’t feel like walking to the Donnelly House to my branch, I can go online and peruse a plethora of book titles, download, or go on a wait list if my favorite book is unavailable.  Unfortunately, my book habit can be very expensive, so the library is my salvation.

“So many books… so little time!”

Our selection at the branches and online are extensive, so choices are sometimes difficult. I still like the feel of a hardcover book. I don’t think online books will ever take the place of a good book in my hands. It feels real. I get lost in the words and the pages. I don’t think I would have it any other way.

Today after my guests checked out, my morning and early part of the afternoon was spent cleaning and straightening rooms.  I still need be finish decorating the guest rooms. I love to put unique Christmas items in all the rooms. This year I put more lights in the dining room on the stairwell railing. It looks so very festive. From my house, I can see the Christmas tree in the dining room and the brightly colored lights across the railing. It looks beautiful.  It’s times like this that I wish I lived at the Inn.

But then I look around me at the “little” house. The Vermont stove is burning brightly warming my house. The dogs, Bentley and Cooper, are sleeping in front of the stove, enjoying the warmth on a cold evening (27 degrees), while Sam, our Maine Coon Cat, is curled up on the dining room chair close by. RJ is sitting in the living room, Christmas shopping online, I’m sure.

Tomorrow I’ll put the wreaths on the outside front windows and the garland on the sign. I think I’ll add some bright red ribbon bows to the posts to add a bit of color. I have more guests checking in tomorrow afternoon so baking is on the agenda – Cranberry Nut Bread and Blueberry English Muffin Bread.

Christmas always makes me think about my mother.  As I decorated the trees at the Inn, my thoughts drifted to Christmases long ago. Each one of the unique glass ornaments were placed on the boughs carefully with memories of family.  After 60 years, some of the ornaments are showing some wear.  The “Merry Christmas” on one was missing an “r” and an “a,” but I still knew what it said.  The really old ones were in shapes of a Santa and a bell. Those, I think, were on my mother’s tree BC (before children). The lights glowed and filled the room with the warmth of the season. In all the front windows, I placed the dusk-to-dawn candles. They really make the Inn festive.

I put the garland on the mantles in the dining room and parlor and hung the wreaths on the front door and in the foyer.  It never ceases to amaze me how the Christmas season affects me.  RJ and I are planning our Christmas dinner with family this year at the Inn. I can’t wait! It’s one of those few times when I can get all the family together (or at least more of it) to dine and enjoy each others’ company. Ham will be on the menu this year along with lots of Christmas cookies and pies.

I was thinking about my Christmas caroling yesterday at the Monroe County Hospital and the patients who reside there. I can’t image being in that situation and not being able to communicate. I mean, I write and read and talk to people all the time. What if I couldn’t do that anymore?  Are these patients trapped in their bodies where their minds are sharp and clear and their bodies no longer able to do what they would like them to do? Or is God kind and they are totally unaware of what has happened to them?  I watched the caregivers as they tended so carefully to those in their padded chairs, some strapped in so they wouldn’t fall, others leaning so far back, they could not sit up even if they wanted. I pray for them. I ask God to be kind.

Today was the day to bring out the trees at the Inn. We put one in the parlor, one in the dining room, and one in the foyer on the Garden level. Into the basement we went in search of boxed trees, ornaments, and wreaths.  Of course, I couldn’t find the tree stand for the parlor tree.  That means we had to start pulling out boxes in search of lights and the elusive tree stand. We found three stands, all for live trees. So that wouldn’t work. I found the lights – and lots of them. No tree stand. More boxes were opened. Soft ornaments, flowers, garland, tree skirts. No tree stand.  It wasn’t until RJ brought up half the boxes that he managed to find the elusive stand hidden on top of a box stored way in back. Once the stand was located, the trees were up in no time, followed by the lights.

We ran out of time and had to call it day since we had to get ready to go Christmas caroling.

RJ and I went Christmas caroling at the Monroe Community Hospital with the Scottsville Rotary, the Wheatland-Chili high school chorus, and faculty. The hospital is filled with patients that are there for a very long time. Some will never go home again. As we walked through the halls and sang traditional Christmas carols, some of the residents were able to sing along; others just listened. One older woman, while listening to “Silent Night,” began to cry. I was so moved that I got teary-eyed myself. It was heartbreaking to see so many people with so many health issues that confined them to this hospital. I was thankful and grateful for my health and my family.

     This has been quite a day!  After my guests checked-out and I cleaned the Inn, I moved my efforts outside to help RJ rake leaves before the snow flies.  The air was a crisp 39 degrees. I could not believe all the leaves that were still on the ground even after days of RJ raking before the weather warmed up and we finished painting the deck.  I lost track of how many cartfuls of leaves I moved to the compost heap.  As the afternoon wore on, the temperature began to fall.  I slipped a pair of work gloves over my regular gloves as I tried to keep my hands warm and my fingers supple.  As I dumped my umpteenth cartload of leaves, the sleet started and the wind began to pick up… and I got chilled.  I couldn’t wait to finish and get inside.

      Yesterday we washed and clipped Cooper.  I swear it’s an all day affair. I wash him in the morning so he would have time to dry. His coat had gotten so long that he had the “Elvis” look. Wild and wooly!  When it gets that long, it takes forever to dry and he hates the hairdryer, so it’s a multi-towel dry and then he gets to rub his body all over my carpet (lucky me).

      I went over to the Inn while he was “drying” and waited for my guests to arrive. There is always something to do at the Inn while I wait. I managed to keep myself busy laundering, putting dishes away, dusting, and cleaning out the refrigerator.  After my guests checked-in and I made dinner reservations, I came back home to do battle with Cooper.  Time to cut off all the fur! 

     I’ve done this enough to know how long it would take, but his fur was so long that it took me a whole lot longer then I had planned.  I used scissors to clip his ears and paws and clippers on the rest of him. Fortunately, he wasn’t matted except for a couple of knots on his legs. I left his feathers, which gives him that Springer Spaniel look. When I was through, I had enough fur to knit a sweater! At least he looks good. I think it took me longer to clean up! There was fur everywhere.  I cleaned his ears.  You know how spaniels have those long floppy ears. Well, they are prone to ear infections and wax accumulation if they are not cleaned regularly.  Fortunately, Cooper lets me clean them, but then he runs off and drags his head – and ears – along the floor. Nail clipping is much easier. He will give you his paw and let you clip his nails.

      Bentley, on the other hand, is not so easy.  RJ got the idea to clip Bentley’s nails since we had all the tools out.  I called Bentley.  Of course, he didn’t come. My couch potato was sleeping on his bed, which is next to the fireplace. He was way too comfortable to get up and be tortured, so a little bribery was in order.  It’s amazing how a dog will come when food, especially treats, are offered. 

      “Bentley,” I called. Bentley poked his huge head around the corner.  I waved the treat in front of his nose.  “Do you want this?” I asked walking backward toward the center of the kitchen.  I mean, he is one BIG dog.  I need a little bit of room if RJ going to cut his nails. First of all, have you ever seen a Great Dane’s paw?  It’s the size of an adult man’s hand. HUGE!  Bentley came into the kitchen; I gave him the treat and coaxed him to sit down.  He wouldn’t give RJ his paw, so we tried to get him to lie down. I could not get him all the way down, so we rolled him on his side, I wrapped my body around him and whispered in his ear until he calmed down long enough for RJ to clip 10 nails. Once we finished, treats for everyone, including me!