Paging Jacob Marley

Fountain Inn's nostalgic Spirit of Christmas Past Festival begins next week. I wrote about all the details in today's Tribune-Times. New this year is the outdoor skating rink made of a synthetic material that closely mimics ice. Hopefully that's as close as we get to the real thing.

It's beginning to look a lot like...

a Christmas meme, from the folks at Sew, Mama, Sew who have saved my sanity on more than one occasion.

If you’re making gifts this year, what are you making? (Post photos if you have some!)

I am making several gifts. Some involve primates. Others involve chenille, which I WILL conquer or die trying. There was also talk of a yo-yo tree skirt but it has taken a backseat to primate production. In the interest of Christmas surprises, I can't post a full photo -- just a few segments. (Edited to add: I have victory over chenille at last!)

Name one thing on your personal wish list.

An obscenely large cutting mat -- don't know where I would put it or how much I would actually use it. Details... (To anyone buying me a gift, I really do need to account for those details before I get the mat.)

What is your favorite holiday food?

Just one? Cider, egg nog, homemade candies, cake, vegetarian stuffing, Brussels sprouts (really).

Do you have a great recipe to share?

It is hardly a recipe, but for the world's best Brussels sprouts, trim them and cut them in halves or quarters, depending on size. In a nonstick skillet, drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil and get the pan as hot as you can stand without the oil reaching a smoking point. Toss in the sprouts, season liberally with sea salt and lots of fresh cracked pepper. Toss and saute over medium-high heat until the sprouts have begun to blacken along the edges, generally 7 or 8 minutes. Serve immediately and sneak a few from the hot pan, burning your tongue and repeating, "Ow! Hot! Good! Hot! Good!" as often as necessary.

Don't forget them!

Read here about an amazing combat photojournalist from our area who is serving in Afghanistan. Spend an hour or a day looking at the faces of the people our troops are helping everyday.

Read here about the Mighty Bravo's Family Readiness Group. The FRG helps the families of deployed troops and the group is always raising funds for emergency expenses and those months when families run short and dad (or mom) is away. While writing this story, I was told more than once that soldiers who are stressed out about the needs of their family members at home are not as focused on keeping themselves safe. Help the home front, help a soldier.

Not an armadillo

A friend called yesterday to ask if had a good red velvet cake recipe. Well, since that is oxymoron, I had to send her to allrecipes.com and ask her if she remembered the armadillo cake from "Steel Magnolias." Gross, just gross. (See below for a mind-blowing reproduction.)

I also could have sworn that the cake from my second birthday was a red velvet cake. I was sure of it until I found this picture showing the cut cake. The (probably toxic) red food coloring never made it past the icing, I guess. It looks like I enjoyed it. I never met a cake I didn't like, except red velvet.

ABC: Already Been Chewed

Here is the finished product from Nolan's group during last week's animation seminar with Joe Summerhays and the USC College of Mass Communications and Information Studies.

Next Gen?

During a break from the incredible stop-motion animation seminar we attended this week, we walked under the street, through the tunnel to the law school. It's a nice place to visit but I already lived enough years in the law library, thank you very much.

Go gamecocks!

"It's me, looking at me, looking at me!" -- Steve Martin

Why a web site? Isn't a web site with my name and my life the most narcissistic thing ever? Well, yes -- yes it is, but it is also a business necessity these days, especially for writers. More details are in this month's issues of Upstate, Palmetto and Lowcountry Parent. (I will post a link when the column is online, of course, like any good narcissist would.)