Monday, December 31, 2007
Edgy
Saturday, December 29, 2007
The Finished Product
Friday, December 28, 2007
My New Hobby
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Basking
Monday, December 24, 2007
Ribbon Candy and Feasting
It's been a week-end of debaucherous feasting around our place. Yesterday I was still full from our Indian meal of Saturday night (a friend's birthday dinner) and this morning I'm still full from last night's offering of crab legs, roast beast, risotto, salad, antipasto, Christmas cookies and stewed cloudberries. And Christmas hasn't even officially started yet! I still need to get through tonight's tourtiere and a multitude of other delights, and then of course there's Christmas dinner. Yikes! I love it all though.
Merry Christmas and happy feasting everyone. And thanks be to the Gods that we have the fortune of being able to feast.
Friday, December 21, 2007
The Longest Night
Typically on this night I go for a walk in the woods with a candle-lit lantern. But it's really gusty here tonight, so that was out. For the same reason, Plan B was also out...dusting off the advent garden and decorating it with candles - one for each person who's close to me who's passed on. Enter Plan C: light the candles in a darkened livingroom instead.
Not sure if this attracted any spirits: if it did, there must have been quite a crowd in the house tonight.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Long John Weather
I hate wasting food...especially home grown food like that. But with busses coming 40 minutes apart, it's not a matter of saying, "Ah, I'll just catch the next bus". Next time, I'll give myself 15 extra minutes, although I already get up at around 5 to do my yoga, etc. and it'll be tough to push myself out of bed any earlier than that.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Memory Tree
1) dough heart: made the year the four of us (Jamie wasn't born yet; Alan was 3 and Iris 18 months) lived in Toronto while Joe worked on his Masters. Money was tight, so we made most of the ornaments. This is one of the few that survived.
2) elf: made by one of the women who takes part in our Advent Garden celebration each year. I loved it, and the following year made a number of them myself for friends.
3) papier mache bell: purchased in India and carried in my backpack over the Anapurnas in Nepal.
4) kitchen angel: accompanied a cookbook of special recipes that Lucca built for me during the 12 Days of Christmas. Seen close by is one of the many Nutcrackers that Iris has received over the years from all her roles in the ballet. She received that one the year she was Clara.
5) Alan's reindeer, made during a decoration making evening at his elementary school. We'd go every year when the kids were young, bringing back a whole bag of delights each time.
6) Christmas in Newfoundland, from my friend Ted...
7) and Christmas in Australia, from my friend Faye.
8) cork reindeer, made for me by one of my piano students. Again, I stole the idea and made a whole herd of these one year for friends.
9) Iris' feather angel, another of the ornaments made during decoration making night at her school.
10) Jamie's "J", made out of playdough in kindergarten. It's gotten broken several times, but each year we patch it back together and hang it on the tree.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Blur
I'm almost ready....just need to do some grocery shopping and pick up a few more stocking stuffers.
There's one delimma I'm wrestling with. As unbelievable as this might be to you, my 14 year still thinks Santa is real. Unlike any other child I know, he has never asked that life altering question, "Is there a Santa Claus?" As the years have gone by, I've thought, "Surely he must have figured it out by now." But then he'll make some comment that makes me realize that he actually still believes!
This year, I thought I should take the bull by the horns, so while in the middle of my cookie making I said to him, "Jamie, do you still believe in Santa?"
He hesitated for a minute, and then said, "Well, yeah."
"Oh," I said.
"It's like God. Just because you can't prove he's real doesn't mean he doesn't exist," Jamie said.
I took a deep breath. "So, do you believe that Santa is a guy in a red suit that leaves presents for people?"
"Yeah, kind of."
I looked at him. He appeared to be in ernest. He really didn't look like he was pulling my leg. In fact he looked a bit puzzled that we were having this conversation. What should I do? He's 14 for Pete's sake, and he's not stupid. What's going on here?
I said nothing more, but I'm still thinking about the right course of action. People have said to me that he really doesn't believe in Santa...he's just keeping it alive because he thinks he'll get more presents if he pretends to believe. My gut is telling me that's not it. Jamie isn't greedy in that way. And he's the most spiritual kid I know. Sometimes I think he's not of this world.
What would you do?
Thursday, December 13, 2007
And Furthermore....
Yesterday's posting has me thinking more about memory, and what a wonderful thing it is. Just think what our lives would be like without our memories. We'd only get to enjoy things once, and never have a chance to re-live them again. I'm reminded of a book that Lucca gave my kids many years ago. It's called Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge, and is about a boy who has lots of friends in an old folks home. One of his closest friends is Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper. Miss Nancy has lost her memory, and Wilfrid is determined to discover what memories are so he can get her's back for her. He asks all kinds of people to explain the meaning of memories. His father said it's something you remember. Mrs. Jordan who played the organ said it's something warm. Mr. Hosking who told scary stories said it's something from long ago. Mr. Tippett who was crazy about cricket said it's something that makes you cry. Miss Mitchell who walks with a wooden stick said it's something that makes you laugh. And Mr. Drysdale who had a voice like a giant said it's something as precious as gold. Based on all this, Wilfrid gathered together a box of things and brought them to Miss Nancy. At first she thought this collection was rather odd. But then she began to remember. She held a warm egg and told Wilfrid about the tiny speckled blue egg she had once found in a bird's nest in her aunt's garden. She put a shell to her ear and remembered going to the beach by tram long ago and how hot she had felt in her button-up boots. She touched Wilfrid's grandfather's war medal and talked sadly of her big brother who had gone off to war and never returned. She smiled at a puppet on strings and remembered the one she had shown to her sister, and how she had laughed with a mouth full of porridge. She bounced a football to Wilfrid and remembered the day she had met him, and all the secrets they had shared. And the two of them smiled and smiled because Miss Nancy's memory had been found again. |
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Once Upon a Time Long, Long Ago...
I also don't recall the first time I had a Jamaican patty from the Patty Palace. But I do know I was convinced from that very first bite that this was indeed food for the Gods. I became addicted to those patties. When Lucca and I lived in the Market I ate them almost every day. Every once in a while I would go out on a limb and try the competitors' wares, but for me, none of them could hold a candle to the Patty Palace.
Sadly, the place is no longer there. Now when I go, I must satisfy myself with patties from the Patty King. They're OK. In fact they're more than OK. But as with any memory food, the original can never really be replicated.
So thank you Ted, for sending me this photo from all those many years ago. While it may have been a simple gesture on your part, the photo elicited many happy memories. What a wonderful gift!
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Apparition, Excess and Poverty
It's still cold here....cold enough that I wore my warmest duds again today, including these beautiful mitts made by a special family friend who has since passed on. I especially love the detailed beading on the thumb.
My bus this morning was all decked out for Christmas. I suspect it's the bus they will use for the city's annual Christmas Lights tour. Hank Karr, who is a musician/songwriter when he's not driving bus, devotes an evening to taking folks all around town to see the light displays. It's a ritual that I don't think many people partake in any more. When I was a kid, that annual drive with my parents was like magic. Today, it fails to impress most youngsters.
In fact, it's pretty darned hard to impress these days. Kids have so much that it's almost impossible to find something that will register on the 'special' scale with them. For example, when Iris and I were in Argentina earlier this year, I purchased what I thought was a lovely Noah's Ark, hand made by a woman who was struggling to make ends meet. I appreciated the care she put into her work, and thought my nieces would like it. However their reaction when I gave it to them was ho-hum, and two minutes later I had to rescue it from the floor where it had been left for someone to bump into and break.
This Christmas I've sent these same nieces a whole manger scene, all hand made. But I doubt they'll appreciate that either. I really am at a loss as to what to give them that will have any meaning for them. It's sad really. I don't blame the kids so much as I blame our society. Somehow, the Western world's excess, instead of enriching our lives, has led to poverty...poverty of spirit, of simple pleasures, and of special moments and memories.
Hmmm, aren't I the cynical one this morning!
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Story Time
This is by the same author as 'The Story of the Root Children', which is a children's classic. In this story, Poppy (the little girl) is looking out her window when she sees that the falling snowflakes are actually little Snow Children. They take her away to the Snow Queen's wintry kingdom for an adventure.
This is the companion to 'The Tomten' - a book that all my kids loved. The tomten lives on a farm and helps all the animals and people there. In 'The Tomten and the Fox', the Tomten saves the chickens from Reynard the Fox and offers his own porridge to feed the hungry fox, keeping everyone happy.And finally, this one, that reminds us that for everything there is a season. It tells the story of what happens one year when Winter won't wake up. The tired trees need to rest. Their fallen leaves have made a blanket for the sleeping seeds. All the woodland animals try to tell Winter their work is done and it's his turn. They try every kind of persuasion, but Winter won't wake up. Finally a ladybug whispers something gently in his ear, and that does the trick.
If you are interested in any of these books, they can be purchased here.
Now it's your turn. What are your favourite children's books?
Monday, December 3, 2007
A Successful Evening
(Above) The nature table is set up: the manger seen in the corner. (Below) The candles are ready to set in the garden, King Winter and his reindeer have appeared at the window, the cookies are made, the table is set, and the beeswax candles are made (each person is to receive one as they leave).