TheKingD

It is currently 27F in Charlotte, and the wind chill makes it feel like it is a lot colder. @notamermaid, I wish we could share some of our cold weather with you, and your friend is correct that there are scattered power outages all around. We live in an older part of town with lots of huge old trees that are notorious for dropping limbs on power lines. We will definitely leave some dripping faucets tonight, and we will also wrap some pipes. At least we have crystal blue skies and no snow, so we are luckier than other parts of the country. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all!

We have so many sporting events to follow in this area, with college football (US football) and college basketball, so the World Cup has a lot of competition in this area. @notamermaid, I'm glad your friend in Charlotte NC is in good spirits, and I think many people here are in better spirits than we have been for a couple of years. More and more people are going all out with their Christmas lights in their yards. Our display is much more traditional, and here are a couple of photos - not really good quality, but the sentiment is good! Our weather has been all over, with some days warm and some days colder, but we rarely have snow for Christmas. I'm a bit envious of those of you who do, even though a little would go a long way!

Another good book about the time after Pearl Harbor, for @luvteaching and others interested, is Properties of Thirst by Marianne Wiggins. It is fiction, but the setting and time period are very real, and it contains some captivating story lines, including how people can be interconnected in ways they never knew - much like the Daily-ites!

Good morning from soggy, but lucky Charlotte, North Carolina. @notamermaid, I think your friend is close to us, and we were barely on the edge of the more dangerous parts of Ian. We had about 4 hours of heavy rain and wind late yesterday afternoon and some areas lost power. I’m watching news reports this morning and they are reporting that we had just under 4 inches of rain. Our power flickered and the neighborhood streets have lots of debris but nothing serious. Hopefully your friend is ok too. The reports coming out of Florida are heartbreaking, and we know we are very fortunate.

Sending prayers for all the Floridians and other affected by Ian. We will have rain and wind here in North Carolina by Saturday, but we are lucky this time around. @dfishthis mug is for you. I love the mid-Century modern look of the new house. Congratulations. @kazu, I took a solo cruise years ago after a really sad time, and it was just what I needed. I could stay in my cabin (in my robe and snoozing on my sofa) if I wanted to, or I could be around people if I wanted to. Please take good care, everyone.

Good afternoon dear people. About boiled peanuts, we have had them all our lives, because my father used to make them, and plenty of roadside stands have them, and DH makes the best ones! @TiogaCruiser, he orders the jumbo raw peanuts in their shells from Nuts dot com, because smaller ones are more difficult to cook to the right doneness. Their website has the instructions, and you can adjust as necessary. We cook ours on our outside burner next to the grill in case of a boil-over. Use a huge pot, and you might need to put something heavy on top of the nuts in the beginning so they don't all float to the top of the water. We like them best when they are close to al dente, or "medium rare" as DH prefers to say. Some of the roadside ones are softer and saltier, and I have never had the ones from a can so I'm not sure how those compare. DS lives in California, and he usually takes some home when he has been to the South, because his West Coast friends like them once they try them. I think you should give them a try!

@KenzSailing, here is another coda to your extravaganza. Keith looks like he has never had a bowl of ice cream, and I know Roy is an ice cream guy. I get to stay in the cool kitchen while DH is outside at the grill and smoker in the "air you can wear" - perfect description! I bought a Whynter ice cream maker and in less than an hour, I have a batch of delicious mint ice cream with stracciatella-type chocolate shavings in it. I chop up some Mint Milano cookies and put those in for good measure. Happy Anniversary to Keith and Anne Marie!

Terry @smitty34877, I am so sorry the virus has spread in your household. I hope it will help to hear that the Paxlovid definitely helped my DH. I must have gotten the virus first, and I have no idea where or how - a couple of weeks ago. My case was mild, but I had given it to DH before I knew I had it, and his was not mild. The Paxlovid started helping him by Day 3, and he was even better from then on. My DB now has it and just started Paxlovid yesterday. I think we may all be older than you - I'm late 60's, and DH and DB are 71 and 69 1/2 - if that matters. DH did not have any adverse affects. I'm wishing all of you all my best. Cindy

Good afternoon, dear people. After reading @XBGuy's post, I wanted to chime in about both moonshine and about wine. I'm in North Carolina, and I used to use an old full-service gas station, and it finally closed about 10 years ago. If I ended up stopping there late in the afternoon, near closing time, which was about 6, the guys who worked there would be clustered around the back of someone's truck passing a mason jar around. They were always happy to share, so that is my only experience with moonshine, and I was honored to be included. I always learn something about wine from @cat shepard's posts, and then @XBGuyfurther enlightens me. I have made a note about Theopolis Wines from a week or so ago, and now that you are talking about old vineyards, do you know Tofanelli? His vineyard is really old, and some of his structures were damaged in the fires last year, so he has stopped producing his own wines and is focusing on rebuilding as he is now back to selling his grapes to other wineries. He has grenache, plus he has petite syrah, and he has charbono and semillon. My wine club memberships are a bit out of control, so after he depletes his inventory from his cellar, I can add Theopolis to my list, since is looks like she has similar wines - all my favorites! Thanks to everyone for always adding some kindness to my days. I read every day. Cindy