Rah, rah!

Hello dear blogosphere, how is the countdown to the new year working out for you? Today, I've been sitting at the computer for what seems like eternity. Forms to be filled, bills to be paid, appointments to be made rescheduled, a million emails to be written and answered (not all of them personal); visits to the bank and post office and grocers are all snapping at my heels. Tomorrow, as they say, is another day. I hear several other bloggers and friends caught up in "the dance" and despite the busy-ness I can't help but feel a smile curling the corners of my mouth as I write to you. I realize now that this is my happy place, this little window on a platform called blogger. This, then, is what has been on my mind lately.............

Sometimes, I feel as though I have my own personal cheering squad (hence the post title) in the blog world. Weather dragging you down?--there are posts timed just right to pull you out of the glum and gloomies. Can't plan what to have for dinner? for snack? hit the blogs---droolicious recipes and pictures to send you scrambling for the kitchen...and these are recipes tried and tested by people like you and me---no fancy shmancy chefs with television shows and websites you can drown in! Stuck in a wardrobe rut?--feel like you wear that "uniform" every day of your life?---ideas galore on the fashion blogs on how to remix it to the max! Clever DIYs, intelligent writing, a large dose of humor, poetry, book recommendations, it's like I have everything I need (apart from maybe extra time?) a mouse-click away.....internetz, I love you. Bloggers, you make my life complete---and you do it with that critical human element that's missing in magazines or newspapers. I feel like I know you. Heck, I do know you, because you pour out your heart into each line that is written....

Because it's the final weekend round-up for '10 over at Patty's blog, I want to invite you into the weekend that was....a table piled high with papers and forms, giftwrap sitting in the corner, ribbons pulled out of the stash to be matched up to my eco-friendly giftwrap option (I won't disclose it on the blog yet because a certain someone reads it) can I admit to the last wild dash for gifts--luckily the streets were clear of traffic on Sunday afternoon. I was in and out with military precision!! :D Here are some more holiday pictures from my home (the tree is finally up, yay!--I'll take pictures and post them up here soon)...

There was cooking (and for once I managed to get a pretty "before picture" --before it went into the oven that is!!! LOL! we attack grub like we've been starved for ages here on P&P central. Heh heh. you see before you pictures of my just risen "everything" focaccia before it went into the oven--I used AP flour, but I have used a mixture of AP/whole wheat flour earlier, it comes out great! Nothing like freshly baked bread! Don't have after pictures, but you can use your imagination! :D

Sunday brunch with: red onions, rosemary, sesame, parmesan, garlic, fresh basil and loads of EVOO....... yummmmmmmmm. An excellent tutorial for basic focaccia can be found here. I make mine with about two cups (just adjust the amounts accordingly)

Started on a DIY that I've been meaning to do for ages. Sneak peek for now........ reduce,  reuse, recycle, upcycle...........

This, and madness, happily cohabited my weekend. How was yours?