We spent the Thanksgiving weekend at what has come to be our "other home" down in Salem with Cindy, Barry and Kylee (House of Tarte). Their home is so warm and inspirational...and is one of the only places Joe will actually kick back and relax like he is actually at home on The BH Farm. It was also the first time in many, many years that WE have NOT hosted T-Day and been stressed completely with all of the responsibilities with slaving over the stove and cooking for our friends and family. HEE HAW!! We had limited tasks...I made a pomegranate glazed ham, Joe made a delicious cranberry bunt cake, cornbread dressing, his "famous" mashed potatoes...and WE kicked back and watched the rest of the team scramble around with all the hard stuff (hahahahahahaha)!! It was all fun and laughs until Barry jumped across the table and grabbed me and Joe by the collars and told us how he hated being called "The King of Tarte!" Slow down Cowboy... 
There is absolutely toooo much beautiful Ironstone on this table to destroy because of a term of endearment! After we finally calmed Barry down by deciding to let him "pick" his own name (still tbd)...there was even more "family stuff." A divide between "The Magazine People" (Cindy and Joe) and "The TV People" (Barry, Kylee and Jermonne). The magazine people literally stocked-piled magazines/books around them and to only speak in "magazine/book 'creative director' code language," exiling the rest of us to the living room to watch TV. Don't you LOVE the holidays!!!?? Since I don't have a dog (did I mention I don't have a dog?), there was not much for me to do but to feed left-over turkey to Jake (aka "Dog of Tarte," unless he decides to bite me next time we visit for calling him that) and watch TV...AND CRY, because The Magazine People were ignoring the rest of us AND I don't have a beautiful dog like Jakey-Poo (Joe forbids it). Poor Me! 
So after "The Tarte Family" finally kicked us out of their lovely home...Joe and I had no choice but to go to Hawaii!!! HEE HAW, HEE HAW!!! (more lolly-gagging)
We spent eight luxurious days on The Big Island of Hawaii, bathing in the sun, drinking Big Island Tea (along with many, many, MANY other tropical concoctions), AND getting kicked out of several posh restaurants and bars at the resort - Barn House Style! Joe's inappropriate attire even got us kicked off a couple of beaches. "Really, I didn't know my white speedo would be see-through when it got wet!" Like my mama says, "That's how we roll!" ;o)
This resort was absolutely AMAZING! There were boats and even a train that took you from one section to another. The indigenous art everywhere was unbelievable. The weather was perfect! Joe often said he was never leaving...but I assured him that was not an option...
So THEN...we came back to "ARCTIC BLAST" or "SNOWZILLA" as the media likes to call it...
The stage is set, and in walks "Joey Drama!" If you could only see the theatrics of this character. He should really win an Oscar for his performance this week!! Imagine, twenty degrees and two feet of snow...not being able to leave the house (to shop)..."Who LIVES like this??!!" with tears in his eyes, pulling his heart out of his chest and throwing it against the wall...
After being in Hawaii for over a week, apparently he came back in total shock. He certainly has given a performance of a lifetime (which is quite an accomplishment after considering the performances of our two previous NW winters). BUT, NOT ME! The roads have been so bad I have had to work from home for a week. :o) I am even sitting on my porch right now in 20 layers of clothes writing this blog...as happy as a lark (and very closely resembling the Michelin Man)!!!! HEE HEE HEE HAW HAW HAW!!!
Happy Holidays!!!Icy Joe and Eskimo Jermonne
The Boys of Barn House
