Walking along, whistling a song, barefoot and fancy free. A big riverboat, passing us by, she's headed for New Orleans.

My husband is scheduled to come home this week. It seems like he has been gone a lifetime. He left out in the middle of October. This was the only way he could swing being home for Christmas this year. Our 2006 yuletide season will be spent apart, again, (sigh...) but that is how this crazy towboat wife business works. No time to sit around worrying about next year though. Hubby and Oscar both will be going over the hill on December 13. David will be 40 and Oscar will be 6. Is that 42 in doggy years? Anyway, I have been threating throwing a party for both of them with paper hats and everything! Homemade cherry cheesecake is definetly on the birthday boys' agenda.

Speaking of cheesecake, and addressing an item in my prior post, it appears that I could very easily go into the pastry business as a vocation calling. I made a praline cheesecake for Thanksgiving and my cool cousin Ricky christened it "famous" after the first bite. My father requested that I make him another entire praline cheesecake for his lone consumption. My mother wants more than the 2 slices I brought her Thursday afternoon. A co-worker and another friend wants to try it too. It seems that everyone wants a piece of my cake!

I have a thought of a new recipe that I want to try out as soon as my husband gets home. It's some sort of salsa ranch scalloped potatoes. I going to use some various fingerling potatoes, thinly sliced, with the skins on. I don't know, that may just turn into a big baked dish of overkill. Anything is better than freeze-dried boxed Betty Crocker taters, in my opinion, so I have nothing to lose in trying it out.

Now, I'm awaiting my husband's arrival home so at least it will seem like I am married, even if it is for a short time.