Yes, it’s that time of year again! (It’s the most wonderful time of the year!)

All things considered, I think I did pretty well this weekend, although my ankle has been none too pleased with me in the aftermath.

So far this year:
Sour cream nutmeg cookies
Lemon coolers
Sugar cookies
Peanut butter kisses
Peanut butter shortbread bars
Cranberry oatmeal cookies
Bourbon balls
Pumpkin walnut bread
Chocolate bread

Are you ready for some cookies?!

Yes, that is, in fact, a calculator. I bake by weight. And lots of recipes don’t give weights, so I have to calculate what 2 3/4 cup flour actually weights.

And trust me, you do NOT want to rely upon my math skills when baked goods are on the line.

Peanut butter shortbread bars with sugar cookies in the back ground.

Michael is in charge of the bourbon balls.

This is because he eats 95% of them.

(KIDS! Can you find: three trees, one star, one holly leaf, two dinosaurs, one snowman, and two elephants?)

What? You don’t have elephant and dinosaur shaped sugar cookies for Christmas? For heaven sakes! What kind of holiday spirit is that?!

My co-worker Diana grows catnip, and every year makes catnap toys and dog cookies (“Hey! These taste like meat!”) for the pet owners among us.

The cats really love her catnip.

And to make up for yesterday, wispy flat clouds:

Yup, it’s definitely winter–we’ve got snow and everything! Today’s word is: frozen

Quite a change from last week.

Yesterday, December 7, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The Pearl Harbor attack kliied 2,403 and wounded 1,178. Twenty-one ships were sunk or damaged, including the USS Arizona, which remains on the harbor floor, and the USS West Virginia, which was eventually refloated, repaired, and rejoined the fleet towards the end of the war.

Images from the Pearl Harbor attack.

USS Arizona Restoration

Information about the Pearl Harbor Attack.

The USS West Virginia, including pictures of the ship from the 20s through the “mothballing” of the ship in the 1950s (She was later broken up and sold for scrap).

The USS Arizona, from the University of Arizona, including a brief history and online exhibits.

President Roosevelt’s speech in response to the other attacks that day.

Sorry. Left work early. Came home and napped. Ate dinner. Read. Back to bed.

Amusingly, what made me look up was because I could hear the clicking thing they use to keep birds from hanging out in the letters.

Either this bird is deaf, or they need a new clicky thing.

Michael noticed this one–the water isn’t frozen solid, but it’s frozen enough the quarter and penny are sitting on top of the thin layer of ice.

I’m not going to pretend that anyone reading this hasn’t also spent a significant portion of their childhood reading Greek myths.

Can you guess what those plans are?