Merry Christmas from Sammie Claus and Cash Kringle!

Hello, everyone! It’s Sammie Ann Beutke DeVito, the feline daughter of David and Allyson, writing again this year. We hope you’re doing well, staying warm and enjoying the holiday season. I have lots of exciting news to share about our lives in 2010 and in 2011!

I prefer the warmth and comfort of my winter blanket than playing outside in the snow.

First, we’re now living in the Bluegrass—Lexington, Kentucky. I don’t know why they call it the blue grass since the grass isn’t blue, but I digress. My super smart dad accepted a full-time chemistry lecturer position at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) in Richmond, Kentucky, about 20 miles south of Lexington. Ironically, his luck started to change in August when he received a phone call from the chemistry department head on Friday the 13^th, and a little more than a week later, he started teaching three chemistry lecture courses and two labs. 

The view from my dad's office at Eastern Kentucky University.

My mom already signed up to teach at UT-Knoxville, so the fall was a bit of transition, but luckily they found a house for us in Lexington and we moved on the weekends during September.

The front of our rental house in Lexington with some fall decorations.

For the first few weeks, my dad had to live in an apartment until our rental house was ready. The apartment smelled like a combination of cigarette smoke, animal urine and mold, but it had gorgeous hard wood floors. Lucky him! 

The smelly apartment my dad lived in, but look at those gorgeous wood floors!

We really like our new house in Lexington since Cash and I now have stairs to run up and down. My mom says it's funny how folks ask about us and want to make sure we like the new place. They seem more concerned about us than my parents. That’s so sweet of you. 

This is a view from the top of the stairs. Note the ledge that goes across. Cash loves to run up the stairs and then jump onto the ledge and walk from end to end. It makes my mom a nervous wreck!

A lot of the streets up here are named after famous racehorses, such as Man O’ War Boulevard, Star Shoot Parkway and Sir Barton Way, since Lexington is the horse capital of the world. I think Sammie Sleeps A Lot would be a good name for a horse.

My dad is teaching five classes again in the spring, and he really likes the campus and all the people, including most of his students. Several of them nominated him to attend a faculty appreciation dinner this fall. 

Dad wore a tie to his appreciation dinner, and Cash insisted on trying it on for size.

Anyway, he’s still getting crazy excuses from students about why they can’t attend class because someone in the their family had a bizarre accident and/or near-death experience each week of the semester. While some of them sound outrageous, one of his students did have to go home because her grandmother was arrested for driving under the influence and smoking marijuana, and she had to bail her out of jail. True story!

My mom taught her final class at UT and will teach at EKU in the spring. During October and November, she commuted from Lexington back to Knoxville one or two days a week to teach. It was a beautiful two and half hour drive each way with the fall leaves changing. She said the worst part was the other drivers who try to pass in the left lane but still drive the same speed as the cars and trucks in the right line. As part of a completely unscientific study, she observed that the drivers who most often commit this offense and don’t know how to drive at all have Ohio license plates. Coming in second, Michigan drivers!

While this photo doesn't contain any Ohio drivers, my mom saw a lot of them trying to drive.

My parents made a short trip to Florida in September to meet my new human cousin, Judson Beutke, who was born to Kristen and Jason on September 14. 

Judson with his dad, Jason, and a Gator outfit my parents got him. He's only a couple days old here.

I’ve seen photos, and he’s a cutie pie with chubby cheeks, and some of his facial expressions remind me of Grandpa Amos.

Everyone loves this photo of three generations, Grandpa Amos, Uncle Jason and Cousin Judson.

Grandpa Amos took this photo of Judson, and it's one of my mom's favorites. Wonder what he's thinking about?

What a happy family! Judson is wearing the Santa Pooh Bear/Baby's 1st Christmas outfit my parents bought for him.

He already weighs more than Cash and I combined! I found a t-shirt online (WARNING: This link has some offensive t-shirts on it!) I thought about ordering for him. On the front, it says: “I’ve accomplished more than Obama!”

In other exciting baby news, my parents are finally ready to share their big baby news—we now have three new fish and are hoping for babies soon! Cash is still a great help with feeding them each night. 

They are hard to see in this photo since they are rather small, but our new fish seem to love their new home.

The first visitor to our house, besides the plumber and the gas man, was Grandpa Sam. He drove up again this year for Thanksgiving. We set him down in front of the gas fireplace since he was cold in Knoxville last year. I also sat on his lap while he watched The History Channel over and over and over again.

Notice the remote control in his hand and the blanket and me on his lap.

For New Year’s, we’re expecting a visit from Grandma Betty, Grandpa Jean-Paul, Aunt Allison and Uncle Matt, and our canine cousin, Toby! Maybe I can convince Toby that he needs a brother, and they’ll take Cash home with them. A girl can dream, can’t she!

I got this photo from Aunt Allison's Facebook page. Toby was a hot dog for Halloween. Isn't he cute!!!

We’re hoping Grandma Sharon and Grandpa Amos visit us soon. I’ve got some word jumbles I can’t solve, and she’s so good at them. Some of you might have heard that Grandma Sharon was diagnosed with the earliest form of breast cancer in September. She underwent surgery and then seven weeks of radiation and is doing great. She appreciates all your thoughts and prayers and reminds you to have a yearly mammogram since early detection is so important. Save the Ta-Tas!

Doesn't Grandma Sharon look great! I wonder why she isn't working on a word jumble in this photo.

Oh, I completely forgot to share the biggest and most life-changing event that will happen in August 2011 for our family. After much praying and planning, I know a lot of you have been waiting for the special official announcement: My dad has been accepted to the University of Kentucky’s College of Dentistry. That’s right…he’s going to be a dentist. The man loves school more than Sarah Palin loves Alaska! I can’t imagine sticking my paws in someone else’s mouth, but he’s quite excited about it. I did make him promise that he’ll never try to clean my teeth though. Did you know Kentucky has the most number of people with few or no teeth? They really love to drink Mountain Dew up here. We’re very happy for him since it just confirms what Cash and I have known all along—cats, especially wildcats, make the best college mascots! 

The dental program at UK in Lexington is four years long, so we’ll live here for a while. My mom will always be a Gator and a Volunteer, but she and I are quite excited to eliminate orange from her wardrobe. She says the color orange is for the fruit, not the person. Kentucky’s colors are blue and white, which match my gorgeous blue eyes and snow white underbelly perfectly. Coincidence? I think not. In case you haven’t figured out my parent’s pattern, they just move from SEC to SEC to SEC school. I’m hoping this is the last stop, and we don’t move farther north, especially to a place like Ohio. I mean their mascot is a nut, the buckeye. I’m sure they chose it because they’re nutty drivers. (If you don’t get this joke, please refer to paragraph nine of this letter.)

My mom made my dad a blue and white Kentucky Christmas tree once he found out about his acceptance to UK's College of Dentistry.

We’ve already had more snow in Lexington than we did all last winter in Knoxville. It snowed 4 to 6 inches the first and second weekends in December. 

Look at the poor dog who has to go outside and use the bathroom in this weather. I'm so thankful for our indoor litter box!

Highs barely make it out of the 20s and lows have been in the single digits with wind chills below zero.

We had a wintry mix of ice and snow Dec. 16, and a 1/4 inch of ice covered the several inches of snow already on the ground. There is still ice on our back porch more than a week later on Christmas Eve.

The weather folks said Lexington usually gets about 16 inches of snow each winter, but we’ve already had half of that, so I’m just hoping the groundhog doesn’t see his shadow on February 2, and winter will be over. Do you ever wonder how a groundhog can predict the weather? Couldn’t a cat have the same magical powers? Maybe I’ll stick Cash in a hole in the ground that day, and we’ll see if he comes out and sees his shadow or not.

My mom took Cash outside in the snow to play, but there was so much that he just sank down in it and couldn't really walk.

We hope that when you think of all the Christmas cards you get each year, you remember mine, I mean ours, as your favorite. I had writer’s block for a while this holiday season. It takes a lot to be this creative and still find time to nap 20 hours a day. I wonder how members of Congress maintain the same schedule. 

We love naps!

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Please come visit us! Have your pets spayed or neutered!

                                                                       

Love,

Sammie, Cash, David, and Allyson DeVito (dmdevito@gmail.com or allydevito@gmail.com)

***My parents no longer have a home phone…something Grandpa Amos, who worked for the telephone company for almost 40 years, still can’t comprehend!

P.S. I know the Gator Nation had a rough football season, and Urban Meyer has said he’s stepping down again. At least the new coach has a winning name. Coach Muschamp must be a champ! Get it! Have a wonderful 2011 and Go Wildcats! Go Gators! Go Volunteers!

More posts soon...

Sorry I haven't kept up my daily posting of the top TV Christmas specials. I promise to complete them all before Santa arrives later this week. It's been a busy holiday season. :) Merry Christmas!

UPDATED: Twelve Days of Top TV Christmas Specials—Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer

Update: It's hard to believe this song is more than 30 years old. The video above is the original music video for the song. The song spawned an animated cartoon movie that was released in 2000. It has aired on the Cartoon Network and The CW network.

Watch this ABC news package about it that aired last December at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euX_YpU-tR8&feature=related

Also, this song inspired another holiday classic you might remember—New Kids Got Run Over By a Reindeer about popular 80s and 90s boy band, The New Kids on the Block.

Twelve Day of Christmas Top TV Specials—How the Grinch Stole Chrstimas

I don't mean to be a Grinch, but another great Christmas special is How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which first aired in 1966. The story was first a book by the legendary Dr. Seuss and became an animated special with narration by Boris Karloff. I wouldn't touch the Grinch with a thirty nine and a half foot pole either, however, I think it might be a great time of year to live in Whoville and celebrate Christmas!

Twelve Day of Christmas Top TV specials—Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

According to CBS, Rudolph is the longest-running Christmas program on television and first aired in 1964. It is a classic with the island of misfit toys and the Abominable Snowmonster. Personally, I think Santa is a little too skinny in it. I'm all for a healthy life style, but I think he needs a few more cookies from Mrs. Claus to fill out his suit. (I forgot to post this yesterday, so expect another top special later today!)

Twelve Day of Christmas Top TV specials—Frosty the Snowman

I'm listing my top 12 Christmas TV specials, and today's pick is Frosty the Snowman, an animated cartoon that first aired on Dec. 7, 1969. It aired on CBS last night and will air again on December 17 at 8:30 p.m., Eastern Standard time. There is also Frosty Returns, but I still like the original version best.

We're getting some snow in Lexington, so maybe we can build a Frosty.

Twelve Days of Christmas Top TV Christmas Moments

I love Christmas TV specials, and from now until Christmas, I'm sharing some of my favorite television Christmas moments and episodes. For tonight, let's watch the amazing Florence Henderson from The Brady Bunch sing O Come All Ye Faithful in 1969. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8LdJz_HxTM

Cane syrup...the best breakfast condiment ever

My family has a long tradition of making cane syrup, a most delicious substance that is far better than any other type of syrup, especially maple.

My brother, father and some family friends continued the tradition over Thanksgiving weekend. My dad sent the photos below, and I've simplified each step greatly, but the general idea is to: 1. Grow sugar cane 2. Cut it down. 3. Grind it 4. Cook it. 5. Bottle it. 6. Eat it on homemade biscuits, waffles, pancakes and more. 7. Repeat step 6 often.

One of my favorite meals was eating cane syrup with my Papa's homemade biscuits and pork sausage. It was divine.

Another important job is supervising, a task my mom excels at, in addition to delivering pizzas and brownies to the workers. 

They made 7 gallons of cane syrup, and I hope they saved a bottle for me. 

Here's a great shot of my dad, brother and the newest little syrup maker, my nephew Judson. He's already looking up to his Grandpa. :)

Update from Sammie and Cash

Hi everyone,

I'm using my mom's computer since she and dad are at my club (Sam's Club) shopping for Thanksgiving. Cash and I have settled into living in Lexington. My mom says it's funny how a lot of folks ask about us and want to make sure we like the new place. They seem more concerned about us than my parents. That's very thoughtful of you, so I thought I'd share some photos my parents have taken this fall and let you know we're doing well in the Bluegrass. I'm also working on writing my annual holiday letter, so you can expect to see that on here next month.

Before we left Knoxville, I decided to jump on top of the fridge one last time. Mom couldn't find me any place in the house and was concerned until she looked up and realized where I was hiding. 

The paint was so cheap in our Knoxville house that when Cash and I ran behind the bed, we actually made our mark on the wall. My dad says that all you had to do was look at the wall, and it would leave a mark. We don't miss the cheap paint.

On the afternoon we left Knoxville, Cash and I decided to explore the back of the Jeep Liberty as Dad loaded it. We had no idea that we were about to ride in a car for almost three hours to arrive at our new home. I wailed a lot, and Cash whimpered, but once we arrived and had special canned food for dinner, we got over it.

One of the first things we found in our new house are the stairs. Cash runs up and down them more than I do. I prefer to sit on them and look at everything below.

We spend more time sleeping on the couch next to each other up here, and I'm not sure why. I think Cash is still a little scared when my parents are gone, and he wants to stay close to me. My parents often come home after being gone all day and find us sleeping the day away.

My dad must be a great chemistry teacher because his students nominated him to attend a faculty appreciation dinner on campus last week. He wore a tie to work that day, and Cash decided to try it on when Dad got home.

My parents say the nicest feature about our new house is the gas fireplace. It took several weeks to get it working since water had gotten into the gas line outside, and a plumber had to flush it out before the gas company could install the tank. However, it was worth the wait. Cash enjoys lounging on the floor in front of the fireplace.

We're looking forward to a visit from Grandpa Sam for Thanksgiving. It's going to be very cold next week with highs around 40 and lows in the 20s. Hopefully he won't wear his jacket in the house like he did in Knoxville last Thanksgiving. We're going to stick him in front of the fireplace and give him a cup of hot coffee. Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,

Sammie and Cash

Dinner in a pumpkin

I had never heard of making dinner in a pumpkin until I saw a recipe for it online last month. I thought it was a unique idea and decided to try it. After searching for recipe variations, I developed my own list of ingredients. The hardest part was finding a smaller sugar or pie pumpkin in the grocery store.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground pork sausage (I used the sage-seasoned package)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons of soy sauce
• 1 1/2 cups long grain and wild rice mix
• 1 sugar or pie pumpkin
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 2 (4 ounce) cans mushroom stems and pieces, drained
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can French cut green beans

 Directions

• In a large skillet over medium heat, brown sausage and chopped onion. Cook and stir until evenly browned. Mix in salt and pepper, pumpkin pie spice, and brown sugar.
• Drain meat, and mix in chicken stock and rice. Cover, and cook 25 to 30 minutes, until rice is tender.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove and reserve top of pumpkin. Scoop out seeds and stringy pulp.
• Mix soy sauce, cream of celery soup, cream of mushroom soup, mushroom stems and pieces, and green beans into the sausage and rice mixture. Spoon mixture into the pumpkin, and replace pumpkin top.
• Place pumpkin on a large baking sheet, and bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until pumpkin is tender. Scoop out portions of filling and parts of the cooked pulp to serve. 

The sausage and rice mixture was great, but we couldn't taste much of the pumpkin even after we baked it. I'm glad I added the pumpkin pie spice since it helped bring out a pumpkin flavor. While it's fun to bake it in the pumpkin, the sausage and rice mixture would be a great meal on its own. 
 

The past 2 months in 10 photos

It's been a whirlwind two months...we've moved to Lexington, Kentucky! David has started a new job as a chemistry lecturer at Eastern Kentucky University, and we traveled to Florida to meet my new nephew, Judson. I'm still commuting to Knoxville a couple days a week to teach, but the drive is beautiful, and the fall leaves are changing colors.

I know I haven't posted a lot, but I'm trying to catch up. Here are 10 photos that represent what's been happening in our lives since August 13, the day David received a phone call about teaching. I'll write more soon about each experience, but this is a good recap.

If you're a Gator fan, you know football season hasn't been a great experience. Oh well. At least my adorable nephew Judson has a cute outfit to wear for basketball season. I found it online at the Disney Store. 

Cash and Sammie love the stairs in our new house. Although, Cash is more daring than I'd like. He tries to step outside the railing and walk down.

On our final day in Knoxville, David was packing up the car. Sammie didn't want to leave, so she hid in the green chair AFTER he folded it up. That's classic Sammie.

Her curiosity got the best of her, and she jumped up into the Jeep Liberty once David had packed it in the garage. Little did she know that she'd be riding inside a Honda a few hours later and wailing at the top of her lungs. I guess she prefers Limousines.

David lived in a temporary apartment for about a week that smelled like a combination of cigarette smoke, animal urine and mold, but look at those gorgeous hard wood floors. Lucky him!

During a moving trip to Kentucky, I managed to give Heidi Honda a flat tire when I tried to parallel park at the temporary apartment and hit the curb too hard. Where's the candidate for public office who wants to eliminate parallel parking? Let's focus on real issues!

David really likes his job teaching chemistry lecture and lab courses at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky, about 20 miles south of Lexington. It's a beautiful campus, and this is the view from his office. 

In case he forgets where he is, there is a sign outside his door.

Speaking of chemistry, we also gave Judson his first Pooh Bear, but I think he was upset more about his own pooh in this photo. :)

My mom finally has her first grandson, but she's had an "adopted" granddaughter for a while who she adores. I think the feeling is mutual. :)

I'm officially an aunt

My first nephew, Judson, was born Sept. 14 at 6:18 p.m. He weighs 8 pounds, 6 ounces and measures 21 inches long. I'm posting a few photos of the cute little guy.

I think he looks a lot like my dad. Congratulations to Jason and Kristen and all the new grandparents. I think he's a keeper! :)

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. Crazy life changes have been getting in the way recently. I'll post an update soon.