Eggnog Pancakes and Elves Named Crumpet

Thursday, December 10, 2009
What a happy, odd little day it’s been. The winter blizzard that seems to have hit every other bit of the Midwest tracked too far south to really affect us: just some flurries and blowing. The past few days heralded in the cold weather though. It’s looking like our high today will be around 1 degree. Yes, that’s Fahrenheit.

I put out the new suet feeder on Tuesday. The pine marten hasn’t been around for a while and I feel like I’ve found a more secure location for the feeder. However, the only birds to notice the newly available suet were the already happily full chickadees. When I filled up the tube feeder with sunflower seeds this morning, I gazed wistfully at the suet feeder and wished a woodpecker –who are the true suet lovers – would find the feeder soon. “Chickadees don’t even like suet,” I thought to myself. I picked up the bag of sunflower seeds and trudged to the door when who should swoop down to the post with the suet feeder but a hairy woodpecker (Mr. Harry Woodpecker, is it?). Then this afternoon, I walked downstairs to find two pine grosbeaks plunked in the snow picking at fallen seeds. With their rosy coats, pine grosbeaks could be the wildflowers of winter.

The one article was sent off early in the week and went well received and now I’ve just sent off another batch. I’m mildly concerned that I’m making a habit of submitting things before their actual deadline. What will the other writers think?!

I’ve been in an excessively Christmasy mood lately. Perhaps that comes eating nothing but sugar today, a sure sign the holiday season is upon us. This morning I was overcome by an odd desire to create eggnog pancakes. I’d heard of eggnog French toast and figured there was no reason why eggnog couldn’t make up half of the liquid in my pancake recipe. Low and behold, they turned out high, fluffy and just slightly noggy.

The rest of the sugar load came at the mid-morning women’s book club meeting which seems to be an excuse to eat sweets, drink tea, socialize and occasionally discuss books you’ve read recently. I’d never been before, but a group of women from lodge were and it seemed silly not to tag along. In the woods, in the winter, you can hole up in your Shack and not venture out until April. Or you can drive 30 mph and actually see other people. I vote for the latter.

The Christmas cards are nearly done and gingerbread house construction is slated to take place sometime this weekend. It’s a good time to make some tea and think about elves named Crumpet.

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