Everybody seems to say this, but it is true -- I can't believe Christmas is almost here. That means 2018 is coming to a close. Yours truly and his fun-loving wife will soon be invaded by some little monsters from up north. No, not elves -- our grandsons! I hope we can make it through that challenge.
The kids are coming to town today (Saturday) to celebrate the holiday. That means Miss Donna is in the kitchen this week getting goodies ready for the little terrorists. You know the old saying -- feed the grandsons or they'll eat the grandparents. That is how it goes, isn't it?
A bit of Thai for lunch
We did a bit of shopping Monday to pick up items for the weekend. Then we went to one of my favorite restaurants in San Angelo. We don't have much in the way of exotic eateries in town, but we do have a place that does a pretty good job with some Asian dishes I like. So, we went to
Ban Moon for lunch.
We started our meal with shrimp spring rolls with peanut sauce. The peanut sauce at Ban Moon is a little thicker than we are used to, and it has a strong peanut butter taste to it.
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| Spring rolls (shrimp) and peanut sauce. |
Donna enjoyed some panang curry, which consists of Lao-Thai herbs and spices blended in chili paste, kaffir lime leaves, and bell pepper, all simmered together in some rich coconut milk.
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| Donna's panang curry with a side of steamed rice. |
I opted for a bowl of massaman curry, which blends southern Thai spices in chile paste with potatoes, onions, and cashew nuts. As with Donna's dish, all of this is simmered in rich coconut milk.
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| My massaman curry, also served with a side of steamed rice |
I tasted Donna's curry, and I actually prefered it to mine. Now, mine was good, but Donna's was a bit spicier, and it lit up my throat just enough to be enjoyable but not overpowering. Next time we go there, I'll get the panang curry, I believe.
Tour of Lights
Later that evening, we hopped on our Rio Concho West bus for a tour of Christmas lights. Actually, we had such a good turnout that we had to borrow an extra bus from our sister property downtown, Rio Concho Manor. The tour lasted almost 2 hours. It was nice to be able to sit back and let someone else drive while I enjoyed the beautiful lights. We ended by driving through the
Tour of Lights along the Concho River downtown. I did not take any pictures, but you can view those on the web site link just above, or visit one of my entries from years past.
One of my favorite parts of the Tour of Lights is watching the reflections of the lights in the river. This year, we were fortunate to be out on a very calm night, so the reflection of the lights in the river was especially beautiful. The city does a good job with its lights.
The aroma of Christmas
Well, Donna went berserk this week. Now, that isn't all that unusual; after all, the old woman has been living life on the edge for quite a while. I'm really the only thing standing between her and the loony bin. Usually when she goes berserk, though, it's in a negative way, such as when she knocks me upside the head with an axe handle or tire tool or something similar. But this week she went berserk in a good way. That's a nice change for me.
I don't know what came over the old girl, but she surely has been making some tasty treats in Donna's Kitchen. The smells coming from that room -- which is usually off limits to yours truly -- have really been inviting. And the odd thing about it all is that she is letting me have a few tidbits. I even got to lick the bowl and spatula after she made an especially good batch of fudge.
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| Fudge. Don't worry, there's another layer below this one. |
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| Chocolate covered pretzels -- dark on the left, white on the right. |
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| One of 2 large bowls of trash, with Chex, pretzels, peanuts, and other goodies. |
I'm in hog heaven. I'm sure it's all a dream and I'll wake up in the real world soon, but until then, I'm having a good time -- and putting on a few pounds. I'll have to increase my walks, I guess.
Going away party
We spent some of Thursday afternoon at the club house at a going away party for our director (I guess that's his title). The man has worked for Rio Concho Properties since 1992 or so. He manages Rio Concho West, where we live. It was a nice little party, and the turnout was really good. We wish him well in the next phase of his life, whatever that may be.
Winter is here
Officially, winter arrived on Friday, December 21. The temperature almost reached 70 that day. Yep, I was walking in the neighborhood in short sleeves. If the wind had not been steadily blowing at 30 mph or more, I might have worn shorts. Our weather for the next week promises to be very similar. I can't complain at all. Life is good!
Merry Christmas!
This will probably be my last entry before Christmas, so let me wish all of you a wonderful Christmas Day. My Christmas wish is for peace on this earth, and that we can learn to get along, despite our many differences. May you and yours come together in love and happiness!
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