Finding a Silver Lining

I, like everyone else, was disappointed, angry, and even depressed at the Glowforge delay. I got over it and have even found a bit of a Silver Lining in it all.

You see; I was hoping, and in the spirit of the Season, Believing, that I might find a Glowforge under the Christmas Tree sometime in December. So - - I got ready for it.

Holiday decorating was done earlier than ever - I get time to enjoy it longer.

Almost all my shopping for Family and Friends is completed - only a few odds and ends that I may want to pick up. I saved a few things for the Holiday Bustle right before Christmas. Call me crazy, but I’ve enjoyed the few times when I shopped for the little “Something Extra”. Always knowing that I wouldn’t be disappointed if I didn’t find that last little extra item for someone.

I’m going to enjoy the Holiday more than I have in a long time. Partly because I felt like a kid anticipating the present I REALLY wanted - I’m an adult, so I got over it and won’t pout. The real Silver Lining is that the anticipation of a Glowforge got me to prepare early and I can now relax and enjoy.

Light snow falling in Wisconsin right now, Christmas music playing, nursing a Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet (it’s a Wisconsin thing and delicious), dogs at my feet and leisurely wrapping presents.

Heck, the spot reserved for the Glowforge even makes a great wrapping station. :santa:

However you and your Family and Friends celebrate the Holidays, have a Great Season. For me, it’s Merry Christmas. Please translate my heartfelt sentiment into whatever Holiday Wish that you hold dear to your heart.

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Merry Christmas, Bill! :santa:

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Thanks,
And a Merry Christmas to you and your Family.

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I always do some shopping on Christmas Eve. Helps me get completely in the mood. Used to take the kids to the mall Christmas Eve, gave them each a couple hundred bucks and sent them on their way - we’d meet back at Santa after a couple of hours. They had FRS radios (pre-cellphone days) but I don’t think I’d do that again with the way the world is. But they grew up sharing the anticipation of Christmas Eve shopping. Since I don’t rely on it to be my primary shopping it’s fun being the non-stressed voice in the madness :grinning:

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Mine too! Chuckle! :smile:

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I loved reading that. Pretty much the same thing with me, this year. Some years I am very much in the spirit of the season…other years, not so much. This year it hit me early on…in a good way. And part of that was because until that ‘certain point’…I too was expecting my Glowforge and the special place reserved for it sat patiently waiting. It will be the perfect place to wrap gifts…gifts that I bought early, too. For me, that’s saying quite a bit. We have simplified gift giving considerably in the past year or so, so that sure helps. I would love to know how to make a Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet…I have ‘some Wisconsin’ in me…my grandparents came out west from Wisconsin. Merry Christmas to you and yours, Bill. :evergreen_tree: :sparkle:

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Happy to oblige. It pretty simple actually. Bitter are about the only somewhat unique ingredient, and if your bar is prepared for Manhattens, you’re pretty much set.

Here’s a small snippet from The Fox ValleyFoodie web site.

Servings: 1 drink
Ingredients
1 sugar cube
2-3 dashes of bitters
2 oz of Brandy
2 oz of 7 Up

Instructions
Place sugar cube in an old fashioned glass, add the bitters and muddle.
Add ice, brandy, and top with soda.
Best garnished with an orange slice and/or cherries.
Recipe Notes
You notice I use a 1:1 ratio of liquor to soda, many people do not. Diluted ratios of 1:2 or 1:3 are quite common, but to me that is madness. The liquor adds a ton of flavor and should be the star of the drink. It doesn’t make sense to drown it out. If you don’t like the taste of liquor you probably should stick to your wine coolers rather than ordering a cocktail. That is just my humble opinion of course.
Next time beer is beginning to feel routine, give brandy a wink. With a noticeably sweet first impression masking the booze and the bitter undertone, the Brandy Old Fashioned is the quintessential Wisconsin woman. And unlike polka or the idea that Miller makes great beer… brandy is one Wisconsin pastime I do not want to see fade away. Cheers!

Read more at Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned - Fox Valley Foodie

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Thank you. Have no bitters, but that’s easily remedied. My Swiss grandparents pastime in Wisconsin in the early 1800’s was making Limburger cheese. No thank you! I’ll look forward to trying this recipe.

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I think you’ll find a Old Fashioned to be a mite tastier than Limburger Cheese. We used to have a Bank office in Cheesemaker Country, Monroe, WI. That’s possibly where your Grandfather was from. There is a heavy concentration of Swiss ancestry there. My boss used to have one of the Loan Officers send him DOUBLE Limburger cheese every now and then. It came well wrapped. He opened it once at the office. Then it was banned.

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Yay! A silver lining thread! I hope I’m not derailing the thread by adding my own silver lining comment…

Yes, I really, really, REALLY wanted my iForge this month. But, the delay gives me more time to re-home the remaining sets from my mother’s massive salt & pepper shaker collection which is currently taking up way too much space in my house. Freeing up the space will create more room for materials. :relaxed:

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I think I might give one of these a try tonight as I try and catch back up with what has happened on the forum over the past few weeks.

I took a little break after the annocement. Now I’m way behind. So a good drink is exactly what I need.

Thanks for the recipe.

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Have 2 drinks (stiff, don’t go too heavy on the 7 Up), and just skim some of the posts. It’s the best approach, trust me. Also, if you find some posts that agitate you, make a pledge that you DON’T DRINK AND POST. :grin:

Merry Christmas.

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Don’t know why it took me so long to see your reply. That’s exactly where my grandfather…and my great grandfather were from…Monroe. Before that, from Switzerland. One Christmas, my dad’s sister sent a ceramic box with a skunk on the lid to my dad. It was for his limburger. My mother made daddy keep his cheese in that box out in the garage. I have the written recipes for limburger left by my grand uncle, but have no plans whatsoever of using them!

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As soon as you mentioned Wisconsin, Swiss Ancestry, and Cheese, I thought of Monroe. It still is a huge cheese production area and maintains its quaint Old World Swiss charm. I’ve NEVER seen so many Chalet facades on buildings as I have in Monroe.

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