Did you have a merry Christmas? Last night while I was working I played Josh Groban's Christmas CD. That makes everything all better. Some of the arrangements on there are brilliant . . . brilliant. I could listen to these songs millions of times.

I got what you might call an unusual Christmas present from Mike. He gave me a pink and brown glazed antique spittoon. Try to top that one, will you? He's not a big shopper so after leaving the cigar store due to the smokey atmosphere, he went to the nearest antique shop (which was across the street, let's not tax the man), which houses millions of do-dads, and what do you know, but there was the perfect spittoon. He could have searched the world over, or at least one more antique store (let's not tax the man), and not found a more suitable cuspidor for his beloved. It beats all, I tell you. He's been asking for the last couple of years, Do you want a brass or silver spittoon? This pink number is much more feminine than harsh cold metal, eh?

He also is handing me the dough from his singing class. I might go buy Calphalon pots and pans, since the TRY ME Calphalon omlette pan makes such great crepes and is such a cinch to clean. As opposed to my SaladMaster cookware that has to be cleaned with an abrasive powder that is probably killing me but is advertised to last a lifetime unless the powder kills you first. Or unless the handles come loose, then what? After 27 years (TWENTY SEVEN YEARS?????!!!!!!) of excellent service, well, the handles have jiggled loose and when I called about getting them fixed, oh no, Sister, mail the whole set in and we'll give you new handles. Oh no, brother, not so fast. Honestly, to replace the handles you may as well buy a whole new set of SaladMaster. And I don't have the dough for that. So, this should be a no brainer, but I'm attached to my faithful cookware, it's really very good. It's waterless cookware, for crying out loud. It should be obvious that my SaladMaster has served me well but it's time to move on, especially eliminating the aluminum powder that I breathe in daily and is probably killing my sinuses, at the very least, the powder or newsprint. I found out tonight that my dinner guests are allergic to newsprint. Okay, I'm so spent that I have no idea what I'm saying . . . next topic.

Then my stepson outdid himself for me. I'm telling you, I expect the earth to cease orbit tomorrow. He gave me a darling plaque of Audrey Hepburn. Miss Hepburn is looking straight at me. She has a weird hat on with leaves floating all around. She holds her sunglasses across her mouth. The quote is: My look is attainable. Women can look like Audrey Hepburn by buying the large sunglasses and the little sleeveless dresses." What are we waiting for?

He also got me the Vidalia Chop Wizard . . . As Seen on TV. I've always wondered about such miracle contraptions, now I shall know. His manager has Chop Wizard and highly advised giving it as a gift. It brags on the box: Fastest/safest/easiest way to chop or dice fruits, vegetables & more! (I love the "& more" part). With one swift motion. This is good because all of my knives are about as sharp as a pancake. Whenever I'm in JoAnn's and see SIGN UP TO GET YOUR KNIVES SHARPENED, KNIFE SHARPENER COMING TO TOWN, well, that's exactly what I need to sign up for. But it never materializes for me. Anyway, with Chop Wizard, all your chopped goods drop into a box below, gorgeously diced by Hi quality stainless steel blades that never need sharpening. Not only that, it comes with a BONUS!! -- Free dicer blade (as opposed to the mere chop blade). It minimizes hand contact with onions, it's easy to clean and, moreover, has non-skid feet. AND. And it has a lid cleaning tool. Why how did the world ever get on before this little item broke onto the scene? Onions, carrots, peppers, apples, mushrooms, zucchini, eggs and MORE are no match for Chop Wizard. Honestly, he should have given me this yesterday, when what was I chopping by hand for chicken pot pie but onions, carrots, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, potatoes, turnips, celery and MORE. For crying out loud, what are we waiting for?

Then he threw in a box of those chocolates with liquid cherry centers. WOW! BRAVO! Well done, Stepson.

DTD commented that one of the gifts I gave her was in a bag that she's seen, oh, maybe the past dozen Christmases. Well, good for me.

I have three lovely friends for dinner. When Mike was leaving to pick up one guest, the other couple was arriving. FORTY-FIVE MINUTES EARLY. Well, at least 15 minutes early because I gave a broad window for arrival time. But it was definitely 15 minutes early. I was still in my work clothes trying to throw a salad together (Chop Wizard anyone?) when Mike reappeared and said, Umm, they're here already. I'm like, You're kidding! STALL THEM! I ran upstairs and threw on my, thankfully, predetermined outfit while Mike gave them a tour of the yard. Whew, that was a close call.

Well, the one friend brought a fabulous assortment of pre-dinner treats (since I can't spell you-know-what). She is a total spirit-lifter, so sweet. We enjoyed our dinner with Mr. Groban in the background. Then we exchanged gifts. Everyone was pooped and we called it a night.

Okay, that's all she could spit out. One last tidbit, if you don't have Josh Groban's Christmas CD, you simply MUST have it. Get it TODAY.

Christmas Cheer and Love,
KEM