Not much progress today.  Only wove about 5 inches.  Have 6 more to finish this towel. Hope it is finished tomorrow.  For some reason, I'm really tired of this pattern - - maybe it's the tension and not the pattern.
Made rolls for tentative soup at Freda's tonight.  Wanted to test adding 1/2 cup spelt (have to add honey with spelt [like whole wheat]) to the Parker House recipe - - forgot to put in the potato flakes !  They taste OK, but won't be adding that much spelt again.  Well-l-l, maybe I'll try it again with potato flakes.
Neighbor is home, so took her 10 rolls. The son answered the door and told him that this was a test recipe.  He sure is 'pretty' and very tall.

December 29, 2015
Not too productive.  Put away a couple more things in the kitchen.
Wove half of towel #3.  Tension at the beginning was OK, but started to deteriorate soon after the heading was woven.
THIS time, when #3 is finished, I'll remove the 3 towels and rework the warp. - - no more patches.

Gordon's Birthday

Began with a stormy morning. 55 years ago I was out catching the after-Christmas sales and began labor.  Sometimes it seems like last year.
Goals for today:
Weave  -  about half way into towel #2 and would like to finish it today.  Not enamored with the pattern, but I think it will show up more when washed and be a subtle point pattern.
If that gets done, then I need to adjust the tension before beginning #3.
Clean off/organize at least ONE kitchen counter.

Later ~ ~
Towel #2 finished and tension adjusted (just hope it lasts).
Half of one counter cleared.

Christmas night 2015

Dinner was a little late - Freda just had too much to do by herself.  Chris mashed the potatoes and opened the peas.  There were other helping hands to put out the plates, silverware and glasses for tea/water.
There were 19 people and no one left immediately after the gifts were opened.
Wow, that's was a frenzy.
It was warm enough that some of the young folks went outside - some to smoke and some to talk - before and after dinner.

Christmas day 2015

Christmas day 2015
Started Parker house rolls this morning to take to Freda's for 6:00pm dinner.  While waiting for the first rise, I began a batch of 'refrigerator' cookies.  Before adding the nuts, I divided the dough in half.  Half was to be the recipe recommended pecans while the other half I used almonds.  Like peanut/pecan brittle - it's difficult to say which I like better.
While the 'new' cookies were chilling, the older cookie dough was cut and baked. Got 2 small and 1 large sheet baked before the rolls were ready to shape.
After shaping rolls, while waiting for that rise, a batch of cranberry/pistachio bark was prepared. Watching carefully the progress of melting the bark (not chips this time) paid off immensely by offering itself to be poured, not pried out of the measuring cup. I was so pleased it was pourable that the cranberries and pistacios were left out! How can that be!  While still semi-liquid, the ingredients were stirred/squeezed in by hand on the cookie sheet.  Worked surprisingly well except for the edges being a little sloppy.
While the rolls were baking, all the utensils, bowls, etc. were washed - what a mess.  The floor only got a quick wet paper towel wipe 'near' where the flour was scattered. (reminder: never add flour to mixing bowl with moving beater !)
Summary:
rolls look good - almost too brown to later be reheated in oven
cookies - some were over-baked (but I like those)  **
candy was actually successful - easier to cut than first batch that was over-heated

** baking time varies between 11 and 15 minutes depending on coldness of raw cookies