I have only two more presents to buy, and I'm restraining myself from buying myself another Christmas present.  I've already purchased a lightweight jacket for in-between temps.  Between windbreaker with flannel lining and heavy winter coat.  My usual "good" coat is about 15 years old, and I feel guilty wearing it downtown, as I imagine people thinking, "well, here she comes in her green coat again."  But that's silly.  The fact is that even though it still looks okay, the fiberfill filling has become very thin, and I mostly need it to go out and do chores, like getting in firewood, feeding the chicken, and bringing the dogs out and then in again.  So I don't feel bad about getting this intermediate jacket.  If I wear a sweater under it, it's as good as a winter coat.  And I only paid $29.00 for it - had a coupon at Sportsman's Guide, and it was on double sale.  But I see where they have snowshoes for $53.00...but I'm not going to get them.  I have my exercycle upstairs that John got for only $10.00 at a thrift store.  And that will be enough for me.  Another thing I wanted for Christmas was one of those machines that wrap your food in plastic, suck all the air out, and seal the package, so you don't get freezer burn, etc.  However, this might be a temptation to put just about every little leftover in plastic and seal it up and freeze it.  I can just imagine...

It has been cold, but we have been missed by the ice storms and snow that much of the country has been getting.  I feel so bad for people who have no power right now, in the coldest part of winter.  I have heard from my grandson, who is busy daily with the snowblower, keeping the driveway passable where he lives. 

As I mentioned before, I must focus on getting those last two presents, and that will just about do it for this holiday season.  Oh, and I still have to assemble two baseball cap racks...wait...should I assemble them first?  How will I wrap them, then?  If I wrap them in the box, the giftees will have to assemble them on their own.  Hmmm, they at least are handy people who can do it.  And what if assembling them is harder for me to do?  I might, just might, wrap and let them assemble.  Is that nasty, or what?

I'm going to make Hamburger Soup right now.  Here's the recipe.

In a large soup pot, brown 1 lb. of hamburger and 1 medium onion, chopped, in 1 tblspn. cooking oil.  Add 8 cups water; 4 beef boullion cubes; 1-1/2 cups chopped carrots; 2 cups chopped celery with tops; 1-1/2 cups chopped green cabbage; 1/2 tsp. garlic salt; 1 small clove garlic, minced; 1/2 tsp. lemon pepper; 1/4 tsp. black pepper; 1 or 2 tsp. salt; 1 medium potato, scrubbed and cubed; 3 tblspns. barley; 3 tblspns. orzo; 1 medium tomato, chopped; 2 rounded tsps. capers with juice; 1/2 tsp. white sugar.  Simmer together 1/2 hour to 45 minutes.