St. Charles County Living

Along with these warm days, we are now hearing of tornado watches and warnings.

Currently (10:25 a.m.) St. Charles County is under a tornado watch, flash flood watch and wind advisory.

The National Weather Service has posted tornado warnings for counties of Monroe, Ralls and Audrain. A report just came through for a tornado warning for the cities of Louisiana, Frankford, Bowling Green and Curryville (in Pike County).

I hope our communities stay alert and think to take cover from dangerous weather...even if it is December. At least it's not the wee hours of the morning, when everyone is sleeping.

My fear is to have company over when a tornado warning is issued...and then we all have to file downstairs...revealing my messy basement. Shameful. I should just clean it.

Of course, a stupid messy basement is chicken feed compared to the real consequences of dangerous weather.

Please stay alert and safe!

Kris 

Posted by admin at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's that strange time of year...in between Christmas and New Year's. I never know what to do with myself. It's too early to put the Christmas decorations away, but the pressure is off for Christmas.

This is a good time to dream optimistically about the new year. Next year I will get organized, eat better, exercise more--yeah, yeah...same as last year.

What will make 2009 different? Well, I hope we can pull out of this messy economy. But I think each of us needs to think about our own families and plan how we will ride out the storm.

Grow food in the backyard, cut down and eliminate processed, overly-packaged foods and open our homes to family who might need somewhere to stay.

For green thinkers as well as non-eco-freaks, living lightly should be encouraged...if for no other reason than to save money. The causes might not unite us, but the frugal/green actions will.

This week is for pondering the future in the remaining dreamy glow of the Christmas lights and for getting so sick of sweets that a New Year's diet doesn't sound so difficult.

Kris
 

Posted by admin at 02:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Happy Christmas Eve!!

As I'm preparing goodies for tomorrow, like: fudge, rum balls, sugar cookies and candied pretzels--bits get nibbled here and there.

To make a nice presentation of fudge, one must trim off the unevenness of each piece, creating perfect little squares. What happens to the unacceptable fudge trimmings?

Guess.

As for the candied pretzels--How can you tell when the candy shell is firm on the pretzels?

Guess.

It's not even noon yet and I'm on a sugar high...plus, rum balls loom merrily on this afternoon's agenda!

Here's to careening out of control. 

Kris 

Posted by admin at 10:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Maybe it's a lazy thing...or more of an apathetic symptom. Here's the deal:

Sometimes it gets to be quite late in the day before I plug in the Christmas lights. I'll walk by and not really care, especially, if the lights are on or not.

Of course, by the end of the day they are plugged in, but where's the love?

This year feels different to me. Jobs losses, foreclosures and bail outs are dancing through my head.

Like so many others, the sugarplum fairies must have recently received merry pink slips. They haven't shown up once to bust a move in my dreams this year.

Oh well, it's almost 3:00...time to turn the lights on, I guess.

Kris 

Posted by admin at 02:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Is there margarine in your possession? Uh-oh.

Since about 1895, Missouri has had restrictions on imitation butter (aliases include: margarine and oleo).

Penalties for dealers could be up to a month in jail and a $100 fine for first-time offenders; and six months in jail and a $500 fine for repeat offenders. Yikes! Pretty stiff, especially for 1895.

Thanks to Missouri Rep. Sara Lampe, D-Springfield, Missourians may soon be free of their collective guilty conscious.

In January, Lampe intends to file legislation repealing the law.

What a relief.

Kris 

Posted by admin at 07:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We're hearing reports of many motor vehicle accidents, all within the last half hour (around 5:30 p.m.):

Accident #1 Car overturned (didn't catch the location)

Accident #2 Three cars blocking the roadway in the eastbound lanes of Highway 70, east of Lake Saint Louis Boulevard. I believe they mentioned a tractor trailer with this one.

Accident #4 Single car went off the road and into a fence on Highway A and Josephville Road.

I've been out frolicking and shopping this afternoon, taking the clear roads for granted.

Be careful if you go out tonight!

Kris 

Posted by admin at 05:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Isn't it sad that schools and other institutions ban homemade goodies from parties and bake sales? This comes to mind this week, because holiday parties will soon be in full swing.

If I recall correctly, cupcakes purchased from a bakery cost around $40 for a class-sized order. To make cupcakes from scratch costs about $1 for the mix and another $1 or $2 for the icing. OK, add two eggs, about 20 cents. And some cupcake papers, maybe $2. Add that up: $5.20.

On the bright side of that splurgy bakery order, you might obtain some really cool cupcake containers. These are very much worth washing out to use again for when you bake cupcakes to take them to a homemade-accepted gathering (like family).

Baking from scratch has traditionally helped families on a budget. A gorgeous display of sugar cookies, icing included, costs only about $4 to make. Youd be lucky to get two cookies for that price from a bakery.

If purchasing baked goods is the only way allowed, Little Debbie type cookies and brownies offer quantity in approved, separately-wrapped servings. An awful lot of the time, the birthday kid brings in a couple dozen donuts in lieu of the traditional cake.

Oh well, times change.

Here's hoping you are baking up a storm this week for those who will appreciate it!

Kris 

Posted by admin at 05:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Just a few minutes ago, about 9:50 p.m. Sunday night, fire hydrants were reported opened at Timberland High School.

I don't know what caused this phenomenon...but I'll take a guess--

Snow day, anyone??

Kris 

Posted by admin at 09:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Went Christmas shopping today. The crowds were "curious, but well-behaved" (WKRP reference).

Traffic wasn't horrible (Wentzville/Lake Saint Louis/O'Fallon) and shoppers were polite, for the most part. Stayed away from that one super-big-mart. I got exhausted just looking at the parking lot.

Besides, there is just something special about a locally-owned business. Their holiday decorations are unique as well as the gift items. They appreciate customers and it shows--it all means so much to them.

Think of the movie, You've Got Mail. Meg Ryan sincerely loved her book shop customers (and didn't you just looove her precious store?) while Tom Hanks' character viewed his customers as walking dollar signs (yuck).

I wish Christmas wasn't commercial at all. If we have to get all gluttonous and greedy, maybe we could pick a different day...just not Christmas.

Oh well.

Kris

Posted by admin at 05:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)