Story Behind the Mantle

I was just checking my blog and looking at the picture of the mantle in my cookie recipe post. I did it a couple of years ago: it was the last thing I built and was a great solution to an angled wall near the front door.

Over the years I have built many pieces and all of them were designed to solve a space problem. Finding a solution was a gratifying part of my woodworking---almost as much fun as building and watching plain pieces of wood transformed into objects of beauty and function.

World's Favorite Christmas Cookie Recipe

It's time once again to publish my favorite Christmas cookie recipe. A friend sent this recipe to me years ago and I guarantee it will become a favorite. You don't even have to bake. Just reading it will warm the cockles of your heart.

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup of Water

1 Cup Flour

1 tsp Baking Sod

1 Cup of Sugar

1 tsp Salt

1 Cup of Brown Sugar

1 tsp Lemon Juice

4 Large Eggs

1 Cup of Nuts

2 Cups of Dried Fruit

1 Bottle of Jose Cuervo Tequila

*Sample the Cuervo to check quality. Take a large bowl, check the Cuervo again, to be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one cup and DRINK.

*Turn on the electric mixer...Beat one cup of butter in a large bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar...Beat again

*At this point, it's best to make sure the Cuervo(Tequila) is still OK, try another cup...just in case

*Turn off the mixerer thingy. Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit. Pick the friggin fruit off the floor...

*Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver.

*Sample the Cuervo again to check for tonsistinsee.

*Next, sift 2 cups of salt, or flour o! r something. Who giveshz a sheet..

*Check the Jose Cuervo. Now, shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts for pitz. What? You know what I meant....

*Add one table. Add a spoon of sugar. Greash the oven.

*Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over.

*Don't foget to beat off the turner

*Finally, throw the bowl through the window, finish the Cose Juervo and make sure to put the stove in the dishwasher.

CHERRY MISTMAS

Health Care Reform Need Brought Home

I recently had some major eye surgery for epiretinal membrane, otherwise known as macular pucker. Granted, it is a tough surgery because the area in question in inside the eye, on the backside. If you think of the eye as a basketball, imagine going through the front of the basketball to a little area on the inside of the back wall. I'm not questioning the complexity of the surgery but the hospital bill arrived today and I am questioning some of the costs.

The total hospital bill (not including the surgeon) was over $11,550 (for ambulatory surgery). Included in this bill is the cost for two Tylenols---$13.00, and a "head cover drape"---$72.40. Oh, and let's not forget the "skin scribe marking pen" used to put an X over the eye to be operated on for a price of $3.50. I could go on with comments for each item but that won't alter the costs or make me feel better.

Do I think we need health care reform? I'll let the the $13.00 Tylenol speak for me.