Progress

Nearly two days marked off of my two weeks "off". Not that I am counting, or anything. No, I am not anxious to go running back to my office. Yet.

That said, my company has unveiled a lot of remote working technologies recently that enables me to use my kitchen table as my office easily. I can remote directly to my computer and get stuff done. Which has been vital in my taking two weeks "off". I have a large deliverable going out on Monday and no intention of setting foot in the office.

Anyways, my evenings have been quiet. AB and Leif are performing nightly in our church's Living Nativity. They volunteered to be shepherds and AB was suddenly - the night before the media performace - promoted to Innkeeper. They seem to be enjoying it despite the long hours every single night until the 23rd.

Skadi and Aunt Tara and I have spent our evenings watching movies and hanging together. Skadi, I believe, has really enjoyed this one on one time.

Saturday I decided to start out my days off on a good note by getting up and mixing up divinity.

Then we went to the last swimming lesson of this session - since it had snowed two inches that morning, the kids were the only ones at their respective lessons and lucked out with private lessons.

We went and saw Dancer and Prancer at Beaver Bark. Leif asked - as he does everytime we go there - if they have a Venus Flytrap plant. (Still no.) Then we headed to Leif's last basketball game. It is always nice when these YMCA team sports come to an end. We are ignoring the existence of Indoor Soccer next month. Shhh.

We got back and unfortunately the divinity was still the texture and consistency of marshmallow cream. (Not terribly surprising. I bat about 50% with candy.)

We mixed up sugar cookies. My great grandmother's recipe that is tempermental at best - but I have mastered it. And my kids will also master it. Skadi was a bit disappointed to hear that the dough needed a full 12 hours - no shorter - in the fridge and it would be tomorrow before we could roll it out. Leif was just disappointed there was no chocolate in it.

Sunday I decided to tackle the kitchen desk (worst ever design idea in the world... I would far rather have extra counter/work space than a desk in the kitchen. I organized that space and cleaned out the cupboards above.

It's the cupboards above I am struggling with. I don't know what to put there. I do realize it is of huge benefit to actually have empty cupboards in my kitchen. But I have plenty of things that NEED spaces. It is just a decision to decide what to put there. The cabinets are not terribly easily accessible. (They currently hold the phone book - who really uses that anymore? As well as light bulbs and vitamins, essentially.)

What would you put in cupboards above a desk in a kitchen?

Oh and the last thing I did today before leaving the kitchen a mess and landing on the couch with Skadi for our evening movie?

Butter Toffee.

I am fine with the 50% batting average with candy, as long as the butter toffee turns out. And oh wow, it did. Wow.

Butter toffee, English toffee, Almond Roca, whatever you call it.

Delicious.

I did half a batch with sliced almonds and the other half with sea salt.

Sea salt butter toffee. This is where my hips grow a few inches.