We all know the holidays really aren’t about presents.  But sometimes…yes, they are. :smile93

So what nifty new toys did Santa bring you this year? :smiley11

To be honest, I never expect much for Christmas, because…well, you know, I seem to perpetually be on Santa’s Naughty List. :smiley57  But also because we don’t tend to do big family get-togethers where many gifts are exchanged amongst many people.

But that’s okay, because the things I do get tend to be things I really want, or at the very least I appreciate them more. :smiley56  And that’s definitely true this year!

My favorite bit of booty, I think, is the new under-the-shelf radio/CD player/iPod dock I got for the bathroom.  Yep, for the bathroom.  I’ve always had a radio in there because I love to have music on when I shower, but being the old-fashioned “boom box”-type, it was kind of clunky & in the way.  This one is so much sleeker, & as I said, also hooks up to my iPod, which the old CD player didn’t.

I’d actually gotten this for my birthday, but it sat in the box until the day before the Day Before Christmas, when I finally got it installed.  And I LOVE IT!!!  It fits perfectly under one of the window shelves I had built for The Kittehs, taking up zero floor space.  It turns on at the touch of a button—radio or CD player; I haven’t actually tried the iPod yet, but I’ll bet it’s fab, too :smiley89 —so I can turn it on even just while I’m washing my face, or even have it on while I’m moving around upstairs because I can hear it from every room on the second floor! :smiley13  And it has the ability to pre-program up to 10 radio stations, whereas the old one used a dial & pull-up antennae.  (What can I say?  It was a leftover from my high school days; totally out-dated, but still works like a charm. :smiley68  I’m not even getting rid of it, just moving it to another room. :smiley23 )

Can you tell I really, REALLY love it? :smiley88

I also got an adorable porcelain Edward Bear (a.k.a. the original Winnie-the-Pooh) figurine/coin bank.  I love it, too, but probably only because I’m crazy for all things Pooh & Friends. :smiley33

And a 12-month collection of seasonal notepads, sticky pads, & page markers…  Squee!  In case you didn’t know, writers are ga-ga for office supplies.  Especially of the cute-as-a-button variety. :smiley81

Last but not least, I received a lovely Christmas present from my very own subconscious.  On Christmas morning, I awoke with a smile on my face after spending the night dreaming about my Darling Dwayne.  Ooh-la-la. :smiley15

Now, nothing dirty, you gutter-brains! :smiley2   In fact, in the dream, Darling Dwayne & I were traveling, but since it was coming up on Madame Mommy Dearest‘s birthday, we were browsing airport gift shops for something she might like.  I found a Mylar balloon I knew she’d love, but the florist shop was out; Darling Dwayne even helped me sort through all the boxes of flat balloons they had in stock to try to find one.  Then as we were leaving that store, we noticed some loose balloon floating toward the ceiling—you know, as they’re wont to do if one lets go of them. :smiley73  Darling Dwayne lifted me up so I could reach the dangling ribbon, & we joked about walking away quickly so no one would catch us “stealing.”  After that, I left the balloon with him & ran to the bathroom, & when I came back, he had two birthday balloons for MMD.  I asked how he got the second one, & he said something along the lines of, “The Rock has a way of getting what he wants.”  And he gave me that sexy wink he’s so well-known for.

Hey, it made me happy. :smiley62

So how about you?  Did you have a wonderful Christmas?  And what did Santa bring Mistress Heidi‘s naughty, naughty Darlings? :smiley44

Sweet & Sour Champagne Mojitos

1/2 cup blood orange juice
juice of 1/2 a Meyer lemon
2 ounces light rum
16 mint leaves
champagne

Combine juices, rum, and mint in a blender. Puree completely. Strain.
Pour about 3 tablespoons of juice mixture into each glass.
Top with champagne.

(Serves 4)

It’s possible you don’t like citrusy stuff as much as I do, but dang, does this sound good! :smiley69

Happy Sunday, everyone!  The very first Sunday of 2015—can you believe it?! :smiley71

I hope you’re having a wonderful New Year so far, as well as a wonderful holiday season in general!  What are you grateful for &/or happy about this week that you’d like to share with us?

This week, I AM HAPPY that I had a very nice holiday! :smiley44  My birthday & Thanksgiving were a bit rough (losing Miss Precious & such), but Christmas was lovely, & so was New Year’s.  And that in itself is a blessing. :smiley14

I AM HAPPY that I found the stone from my ring that I lost on Christmas Eve. :smiley88  One minute it was there, the next it wasn’t.  And, boy, did I clean looking for it.  I thought it had fallen out in the kitchen, so I was on my hands & knees in there—searching, sweeping under appliances, & even skulking around in the dark with a flashlight, hoping it would glitter if I ran across it.  But, no.  I actually found it in my bedroom, just as I was getting ready for bed.  I looked down, & there it was on a pile of clean clothes I hadn’t put away yet.  Ha!  It’s not chipped or anything, either, so I think the prongs of the ring just came loose & let it fall out; it was pretty easy to repair.

I AM HAPPY that I discovered “The Holly & the Ivy” by Peter Noone.  What a beautiful song!  How have I never heard it before now?  (Or if I have, I sure don’t remember it.)  I only stumbled across it as I was searching for another song, too, but now it’s one of my favorites! :smiley61

Lastly, I AM HAPPY to be catching up on a few TV shows & DVRed movies on the Torture Cycle, too.  Some have only been so-so—Monsters University & the current season of Once Upon a Time, for instance—but the ones I really liked were Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit & Whiteout.

I didn’t know what either was about, & was barely interested in seeing them, but they turned out to be really good!  Both edgy & intense.  For one thing, I would never kick Chris Pine out of bed for secretly being in the CIA.  For another, it was a lovely surprise to discover that Alex O’Loughlin & Gabriel Macht both star in Whiteout.  Basically, the movie should be called Kate Who? :smiley78

So how about you?  What are you feeling happy about, thankful for, etc. this week?  I hope there’s lots, & I hope you’re willing to share! :smiley33