what we did today

1. had lunch out, L, D, and I: trout; tenderloin tips; breast of quail; shared a trio of desserts: eggnog cheesecake, rich chocolate cake, and creme brulee
2. went to the video store
3. rented Little Miss Sunshine and The Red Violin
4. watched Little Miss Sunshine with L, but
   
5. missed half of Little Miss Sunshine while working on Ene's Scarf
6. called knit store maven to leave message concerning possible stitch problem with Ene's Scarf
7. rued day knit store maven decided on career change
8. plan to watch Little Miss Sunshine again tomorrow, sans Ene's Scarf project
   

L doesn't know

but the first present she opened on Christmas Day was the Last Doll. I remember when I got mine; I was about her age and it was a pretty fancy one, in its own trunk with several changes of clothes. And I remember feeling pretty sad that it was the last one. That doll resides on a shelf, high up in my closet, and I can't remember the last time I took her out, but I'll take her out again, just to make sure she's all right.

Later that day, L told me she a bit disappointed at first when she opened the doll, but then decided she liked the idea of getting a doll, an unexpected toy, for Christmas, among all the CDs and clothes and other acoutrements of the teenaged.

It is just another step down the road, away from childhood, but that Last Doll seems to sum up so much that really shouldn't disappear into our grown up selves: pretending, playing, acting parts. Maybe it won't be the last, after all. And maybe I'd better take mine out soon, and check on her.

On Christmas Day,

it was just the three of us. We got up early, of course, because that excitement to see what appeared under the tree during the night never disappears. Santa still leaves the gifts and fills the stocking I knitted ten years ago. All of us came away well satisfied and happy. Some of us wore what we received and some of us drank some champagne from a special handblown glass.

Still, we made a big dinner; our organic CSA had goofed and had an 18 pound turkey for us, so creativity at mealtime will play a big factor in the coming days! And we had roasted Brussels sprouts, mashed potato, butternut squash, stuffing, the world's best gravy. Very calm and most relaxing Christmas, until the washing up part.

L and I had made the easiest candy for giving: white chocolate, pistachio, and dried cherry bark, which involved merely melting the chocolate, adding the nuts and cherries, spreading the lot on a lined baking sheet and sticking it in the fridge to harden. Then we broke it up into large shards and packaged them up in cellophane bags. Different.

Today I worked on something due tomorrow and promised L a trip for school clothes and to return somethings at the mall. Not looking forward to this. I ran into someone who had gone to the mall a few days before Christmas to visit a particular store in the perimeter; once she got churned into the clog of traffic, she couldn't get out! She spent an hour getting OUT of the mall, and never got to the store at all, fearing if she extricated herself from the ooze, she'd never get back in.

Ornaments

What if the Star of Bethlehem should shine this Christmas Eve?
Would we follow its rays to the stable small and the Christ Child receive?

The tree

Here it is, and quite a lovely shape it is, too. Now we have to remember where it was we stashed the lights last year. We discovered some old outdoor ones from several years ago, but not the inside ones.

inching along

For some reason, I saw fit to clean my ovens over the weekend; the top one is self-cleaning, but the bottom one required some elbow grease, as it were. I left a bowl of boiling water and one of ammonia in there overnight, anticipating clearing away the muck with a wet sponge. No such luck, as nothing had "melted." So, much scraping and scrubbing and an hour or so made it much more presentable. Then I tackled the entire cooktop, which gets a going-over once a week, because whatever it's made up shows any spatter immediately. Wish I'd known this when we bought it, or we may have ended up with a much different option.

It does feel better, doesn't it, knowing the inside of your oven is clean?

However, all this meant that the tree didn't get up until this morning. Now it awaits lights and then decorations. No breakable ones, what with Bear, the new(ish) kitten eyeing the trunk as an interesting climbing option.

The snowmen are coming out gradually, too, so we are finally getting festive. The last box of presents to L's godmother is going out today. Will she get it by Christmas? We'll see . . .

How's it going at your house?

Saturday and then Sunday

This Saturday was the greening of the church, a work time to hang yards and yards of pine garlands, hang wreaths, set out candles, and generally get everything set for Christmas (no red, however, during Advent, so no berries yet). The person in charge wanted to have a "vision" for the decoration, to do something new. When I go to these work-bees, I generally want to be as efficient as possible, to get as much done in as little time as it takes! Luckily, there was a like-minded, vision-less person there also, so we accomplished our setup rather swiftly! Still, I was there for 2-1/2 hours

When I got home, I was of a mind to cook something a little different, so I used a recipe from a cookbook I've never used before, but that I've been reading: the Pedaling Through Provence Cookbook, by Sarah Leah Chase. This is something called Black Olive and Swiss Chard Tarte, and it was a hit. Next time, I'll blind-bake the crust before adding the filling, but it was quite delicious (if I do say so myself). This photo doesn't show it, but there is a sprinkling of pinenuts on top, as well as the olive.


Tomorrow, we'll see how the greening looks with all the candles lit and the altar set. L is playing for someone's birthday lunch aftward--for payment!

Christmas, knitting, and transitions

Christmas is coming soon. L's exams are finished. She met up with some friends for lunch, and I went to sit in my soon-to-be-departed knitting shop to wait and knit for an hour or so.

When the shop closes, I'll be looking for a place to knit, but I don't think I'll find any spot quite so congenial, or one that will open up quite such an interesting network of friends and aquaintances. Without the bonhomie, I don't think I would have finished so many projects (started, yes, but finished? I don't think so!) It's hard to keep a small business going on your own, as B has tried to do, especially in the present economy (no, we're not booming; quite the contrary). I'm a rather shy person, so coming every week, not really knowing who will be there, has been an interpersonal challenge!

However, I think B is landing on her feet, and this experience has been a positive one for her. There are plans to keep meeting somewhere else, maybe on Saturday or in the evening. So who knows what's in store for 2007? I know I have 3 projects on my needles (a sweater, a scarf, and a lace shawl), so I'll keep going, one stitch, then one row, at a time . . .

Sunday

Things I did today:

Attended church, and did my altar guild cleanup (but did not attend the annual meeting!)

Finished my second linen hand towel, from Mason-Dixon Knitting, which is now being washed and dried to full

Encouraged D and L to go get a tree, which they did and which tree is now in a bucket of water outside (we don't really decorate until a few days before Christmas)

Worked on an editing "test"; these things are always nerve-wracking, as I know, no matter how many times I go over, it there will still be something I've missed--but it is like doing a crossword. You have to get into the "zone" of concentration; when you achieve that, then it's pretty smooth and sometimes even (well, almost) fun

Tried not to think about my beloved knit shop closing, where I've spent many productive, gossipy hours at the round table. But I'll write more on that at a later date.

Fed the cats numerous times, and let Soul out and in numerous times. Bear allowed me to knit without reaching for my yarn.

Did laundry (but didn't make my bed . . .)

What did you do?

The 4 meme

I've been tagged by Angela to respond to my second-ever meme:

4 Jobs I have Had.

1. In high school, I cleaned women's houses who didn't want to spring for a cleaning lady's wages (!)
1. In college, I was a waitress at my college, which still had waitressed meals for students.
2. I worked for air freight forwarders after college, because I didn't want to be in the ususal corporate track. And very interesting it was . . .
3. And now, I'm a copy editor (I don't quite see the progression)

4 Movies I would Watch Over and Over

Hmm . . . I don't go to lots.

1. Rushmore (O, R they?)
2. I Capture the Castle
3. Notting Hill
4. Etre et Avoir

4 TV Shows.

1. The Office (U.S. and British, though British is almost too painful to watch)
2. Fawlty Towers (I agree with Angela)
3. Dancing with the Stars (yes, sorry)
4. Anything with Nigella

4 Places I Have Visted.

Athens (when I was in college)
southern France (two years ago; may return to the same house next year)
Cambridge, UK (right before Princess D died)
Quebec City

4 Favourite Foods.

1. spaghetti and meatballs
2. roast chicken
3. a beef stew of any stripe
4. chicken noodle soup

(cooked at home. by me. I'm a fan of my own cooking)

4 Websites I visit daily.
1. NY Times
2. the blogs I read
3. L's school's website
4. my local paper's website

Poetry Thursday: tut-tut

No comments:

Poetry Thursday

Poetry Thursday proposed answering this meme:

1. The first poem I remember reading/hearing/reacting to was …
Besides When We Were Very Young by A. A. Milne, I was read to out of a little book called Silver Pennies, which had lots of great little poems for little chiledren. And the Golden Treasury of Poetry!

2. I was forced to memorize (name of poem) in school and …
You know, I don't remember being made to memorize any poems, but my daughter has had to memorize several. She has gotten quite a bit from the experience of being made to memorize; she can think about the meaning of the poem because now it is part of her. I wish I had been required to memorize some.

3. I read/don’t read poetry because …
I read poetry because sometimes I like the flow of the words; sometimes I like the puzzle of figuring what the poet is actually talking about. I find reading poetry to be a very active kind of reading. Even funny ones have deeper meanings (Wendy Cope).

4. A poem I’m likely to think about when asked about a favorite poem is …
Most poems by Mary Oliver; I've kept a book by Carolyn Forche, Gathering the Tribes, close by for years. I like Phyllis McGinley, who wrote so many good poems about ordinary family life. Hmm . . . I don't see any men in here.

5. I write/don’t write poetry, but …
I don't write poetry. I think I'm afraid to explore things in that depth and to use figurative language effectively.

6. My experience with reading poetry differs from my experience with reading other types of literature …
Because I read and reread a poem over and over again; every single word is there for a reason, and understanding the ryhthm and flow and meaning takes time.

7. I find poetry …
to be something I turn to when I can devote myself to reading or hearing it with attention.

8. The last time I heard poetry …
Garrison Keillor was reading it through my computer on an NPR station via iTunes.

9. I think poetry is like …
a stone being tossed into a pool; the words reverberate out. And the effect they have on the reader/listener can often be surprising.

this time of year

we always receive a paper ornament that L's godmother has made. I think this year's is especially appropriate.

The quote is from Marshall McLuhan. On the back, she has written "Safe journey with treasured memories."

Something to think about . . .

Poetry Thursday memehttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

Poetry Thursday proposed answering this meme:

1. The first poem I remember reading/hearing/reacting to was …
Besides When We Were Very Young by A. A. Milne, I was read to out of a little book called Silver Pennies, which had lots of great little poems for little chiledren. And the Golden Treasury of Poetry!

2. I was forced to memorize (name of poem) in school and …
You know, I don't remember being made to memorize any poems, but my daughter has had to memorize several. She has gotten quite a bit from the experience of being made to memorize; she can think about the meaning of the poem because now it is part of her. I wish I had been required to memorize some.

3. I read/don’t read poetry because …
I read poetry because sometimes I like the flow of the words; sometimes I like the puzzle of figuring what the poet is actually talking about. I find reading poetry to be a very active kind of reading. Even funny ones have deeper meanings (Wendy Cope).

4. A poem I’m likely to think about when asked about a favorite poem is …
Most poems by Mary Oliver; I've kept a book by Carolyn Forche, Gathering the Tribes, close by for years. I like Phyllis McGinley, who wrote so many good poems about ordinary family life. Hmm . . . I don't see any men in here.

5. I write/don’t write poetry, but …
I don't write poetry. I think I'm afraid to explore things in that depth and to use figurative language effectively.

6. My experience with reading poetry differs from my experience with reading other types of literature …
Because I read and reread a poem over and over again; every single word is there for a reason, and understanding the ryhthm and flow and meaning takes time.

7. I find poetry …
to be something I turn to when I can devote myself to reading or hearing it with attention.

8. The last time I heard poetry …
Garrison Keillor was reading it through my computer on an NPR station via iTunes.

9. I think poetry is like …
a stone being tossed into a pool; the words reverberate out. And the effect they have on the reader/listener can often be surprising.

little trees; why not make some, too?

Today, I had a little fun (though this photo isn't so great) making some of these that Stephanie kindly gave the pattern for:




I filled the bottom, for weight, with dried black-eyed peas; in the U.S. South, it is good luck to eat Hoppin' John, a beans-and-rice dish, for good luck in the New Year, and black-eyed peas are an ingredient (I think; I'm not from around here . . .)

Now I have to figure out Flickr, so I can post my picture with those of the others in the soft trees group. It's never-ending, isn't it, the technological side of things? Maybe if I weren't in a Mac-based environment, things would be easier . . .

First Sunday of Advent

Today, one candle was lit in the Advent wreath. The sermon was about impatience in this season of waiting. I couldn't resist taking the Old Santas out of their hibernation. They have made a yearly appearance since D was a little boy.

We have our wreath on the front door and a Welcome wreath, with two snowmen, on our kitchen door. I feel this year I have room to breathe, finally!

L and her Sunday school mates are shopping for presents for a family not fortunate enough to buy their own. Near disaster was averted, however, when it was revealed that one of them is still expecting Santa to pay a visit on Christmas Eve!

I'm looking forward to all of it this year. I'm impatient to begin!

sugar bowls and creamers

Over at Willow House, there was a nice series of teapots. My mother was a great collector, and had a good eye; this is part of some of the things that she collected.

This one is from Limoges, in France (THE Limoges?); wouldn't you like to know whose hands rubbed the gilt from its handles, and over what conversation, and at what table?



This is an old English one. I keep these up high on a shelf, where I can see them, but I can't break them. I think I should get them down and use them, to keep their spirits alive . . .



And these are thick pottery ones you would have seen in a diner or restaurant. We actually use these:


The one in the foreground is from Norway; the yellow emblem on the front makes it look like it might have been used in a dining car of some kind; it has that "transit" feel.

We have gone from 70 degrees F to under 40 degrees F in 24 hr! December seems to be coming in, in a proper way for Advent.