Welcome Back!
WHERE have y'all been? I've been waiting forever to talk to you! Actually, I so appreciated the blog break. It allowed me some time to get some stuff done, to quit ignoring my students (then to discover paying attention to them wasn't all that effective either), work on my yet-to-be-titled YA that picks up with a character from Save the Date, and flunk out of National Novel Writing Month. Again.
Every day I would think of a million things to tell you. And then I'd remember. “Oh. I'm not blogging this month.” So I definitely missed my blogging friends. And I'm sure you've missed our deep, intellectual conversations. Like I wanted to tell you that the famous Asian You Tube cat who jumps in boxes is now in an American Fresh Step kitty litter commercial. Deep, intellectual conversations. I have missed them.
First of all, Harry Potter. Anyone see it? I know the whole HP thing is a debatable topic, so I'm not encouraging those of you who abstain from his Royal Potterness to order a wand off of ebay, watch the movies, and get down with your bad occult loving self. But for those of you who did see it, what did you think? I must admit, I stopped reading the books after book two. I think they are the most brilliantly written, brilliantly created, brilliantly executed things ever. I truly do. JK Rowling is a freakin' genius. It's just not really my cup of tea. But I love the movies. How have these things not accumulated a million and one Oscars? I mean the cinematography, setting, costumes, and art direction is unreal. The movies are like stepping into one of Bert the Chimney Sweep's sidewalk drawrings. Assuming he drew dark and wizardy stuff. And I love the mix of realistic visuals with quirky. The mix of serious lines with laugh out loud moments. But you really needed to be up on the actual book to truly follow along and get it all in movies six and seven. And I miss Hogwarts. Some other thoughts:
1. Hermione can pull a month's worth of clothing out of her purse, but not a broom to get away?
2. Hermione is related to Mary Poppins. That being now understood, Hermie clearly needs to sing. On screen. At critical times. With jazz hands.
3. I think Bellatrix is mean because it takes her so long to comb through her hair. I had the same hair as a kid. Bellatrix, girl, get you some Johnson and Johnson No More Tears. Life saver.
4. Rita Skeeter=the best name ever.
5. If you were Voldemort and had his sinus issues, you'd obviously be on an evil tear, too. Cut the guy some slack. He barely has nostrils and probably has to carry a portable oxygen tank in his robe.
I'd also like to talk about Glee. Did you see last week's episode, where Sue married herself? I got the whole “accept yourself/love yourself” theme. But that was the dumbest episode ever. Even Jane Lynch is on record as calling her wedding weird. The music was good. But it was a total waste of my hero, Carol Burnett. I loved this person's thoughts on the episode.
My main problem with that episode is that the fact that Sue married herself (huh?) was bizarre and just purposeless. I mean, she had no shower. And let me tell you, if there is any reason to marry yourself, it's not to send out invitations, like Sue did. It's to have a dang shower. At this point in Sue's life, she would've been invited and produced gifts for a few thousand people, their babies, their graduating children, and their questionable Bar Mitzvah's (…but I could've sworn you were a Methodist..?) So to stage an event where you get to contact alll those folks you've gifted over the last twenty years? Brilliant. To marry yourself in an assisted living facility wearing an Adidas floor-length skirt? Lame.
Did you guys have a good Thanksgiving? I did! We had so much food. I tried to make these adorable pilgrim hats. See them HERE? How easy could those be? You slap some icing in the middle of a cookie and squash a mini Reese's on it, then pipe some “hat” details on to round out your simple hat. Let me show you mine.
And this one: 
Let me tell you, Martha Stewart is looking at those pictures right now and fearing for her job. That's right, Martha. Hide your icing bag. I'm coming to get you.
And since the hats didn't work, what's a girl to do with all those cookies? Yep. Eat them. Details are a little fuzzy what happened to the icing, but some friends of mine were recently alarmed that I brought it with me to church Sunday.
Before I wrap it up and embarrass myself by bragging on any more of my baking prowess, I'd like to thank you for being my blog friends. I appreciate you returning after my little hiatus. Thank you to those of you who commented or emailed to remind me that you were waiting for some blog posts. 🙂 That was almost as good as the turkey. I appreciate a reader I will call “Flossie” who had this to say:
Jenny, I think I might be addicted to your blog. I have missed the blog more than you could understand. I didn't even know until it was gone. I call my disease nojonesblogitis. And it desperately needs a cure because it is starting to consume my every thought.
That's really sweet, Flossie. But many of us are wondering…did you try more cow bell?
See you guys Friday!
