Gingerbread lattes are my favorite. I luckily found a bottle of gingerbread flavored syrup for $1 last January that is probably saving me big bucks on fancy coffees this year. Homebrewed coffee, a bit of cream, and syrup is just as decadent as far as my tastebuds are concerned.

I also got pumpkin pie spice ad eggnog syrups at the same time - I tried the pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving but misread the instructions and only used half the recommended amount. Consequently, that was not so delicious. But I haven't been motivated to try again because I've got gingerbread and why have anything else when gingerbread is available?

I got the candle lamps into the front windows yesterday. I think I'll investigate the LED pillars Calli spoke of. The little candles that looked so cozy in our tiny upstairs dormer windows get lost in the wide windows in our new house. Plus the windows are divided in the center, so I really need four treatments, not two, for them.

The new wreath we bought last year, complete with the bows I tied and arranged with wired red and gold spangled organdy ribbon, is safely stored in the workshop attic, along with some other ornaments and decorations. H has tweaked his foot to the point he's been on a cane, and now crutches, so his progression of chores slammed to a halt a couple of weeks ago. The middle of the shop is occupied by components of three projects, so we can't let the attic stairs down without moving everything....

...I'm headed to Michael's and Joanne's on Monday to buy a new evergreen wreath, a small grapevine wreath, silk botannicals and florist wire. Oh, and more sparkly wired ribbon.

Indoors we'll do the minimum of the wooden sleigh driven by the Welsh Toybox bear and piled high with miniscule wrapped beribboned presents, rocking horse and tiny teddy bear, star-spangled garland wound about the sleigh's runners, various candles, and H's hand-painted Santa and Father Christmas figures. I may swag fake garland or tinsel along the rail of the antique crib full o'teddy bears, several of whom already wear brass bells on their leather collars. Or, you know, bow ties on their shirt collars.

I'd love to get a tabletop real tree, but I don't think we'll manage that this year. Also on the list for next year is an exterior electric outlet on the shop so we can put a wreath wound with white fairylights around the red metal marshall's star on the shop gable.

What's in eggnog syrup?

I am trying to process that part of my family that I have been avoiding pointedly for 8 years is going to be at the wedding in January. I'm hoping the actual bitch queen herself won't be there. But I do know her sister is invited, and I really don't want to have that conversation. I hope her sister doesn't bring anything up.

They sell these tins of what they call Hot Buttered Rum mix around the holidays that are basically just fine brown sugar with a ton of spices. It's awesome for sprinkling in and on things all year round - oatmeal, cookies, cereal. I need to remember to grab up a couple of extra this year.

Is it mix to put in hot buttered rum? Or is it butter and rum flavoured?

Egg nog syrup ingredients: sugar, water, natural and artificial flavorings, citric acid, yellow 5. That's not very informative. I suspect it's just the spices that would go in eggnog, but I am frankly a little afraid and haven't opened it, yet, so I don't know.

For me, the spices that would go in eggnog are cinnamon and nutmeg. I wonder what's all up in there.

Thanks for the suggestions, Hil and Tom. I'll check them out.

Tangentially, now that it is eggnog season, I don't have ready access to fresh eggs. Alas.

Ever since the Christmas the whole household--including the cats, who got spoonsful in their saucers--came down with salmonella, I use Eggbeaters for my eggnog. Not as good, but almost. I miss whole-egg eggnog. But not enough to risk that misery.