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December 22, 2011
...“Can Spring be far behind,” so asked Percy Bysshe Shelley somewhat rhetorically.
That's the problem with winter, not loved that much for itself.
And it has come.
Finally.
Not really as dramatically as last year’s, which coincided with a total lunar eclipse.
Certainly not as dramatic as the one arriving in 2012, which intersects with the end of the Mayan calendar and perhaps signals the end of the world.
All the more reason to give this one some love.
This year falling on the 22nd, instead of the 21st.
(It can do that you know, thanks to Julius Caesar and the Gregorian calendar.)
Specifically at 12:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time tonight, when the axial tilt of the North Pole is farthest away from the Sun.
While the Southern Hemisphere is stuck with summer, we have to face it.
We're not.
But then there is homemade soup.
All the mosquitoes are really gone.
The grass stops growing; nobody can grow anything, even Mr. Perfect next door can't.
A real fire is right there in your living room, in a fireplace, hopefully — makes you feel positively primordial.
True, there have been many winters that spring has been longed for like:
"The Great Frost", when the Thames was frozen all the way up to the London Bridge and the Great Blizzard of 1888 in the Eastern U.S.
Of course, there are people in this country that have never heard of winter.
The poor souls living in a temperate zone all year round, who are not able to experience the magic of "the change of seasons."
(Nevermind that winter is the season most people want to change.)
But still how can one appreciate spring without winter?
Nature writer Ruth Stout:
“There is a privacy about it which no other season gives you.... In spring, summer and fall people sort of have an open season on each other; only in the winter, in the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself.”
I am one of those poor souls who lives in southern california. It was 63 degrees here last n...
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But, tell me, Ruth Stout, why would you want to belong to yourself when you can belong to the Village?
I do enjoy winter -- warm fires, good books and time to read them, hot cocoa, hot soup, music, time for reflection.
And the ever-growing anticipation of spring.
Happy solstice
and Winter, the only time you can shovel rain,and get paid for it..(or pay someone else to do it)...and get rid of old carrots by sticking them in the round face of a snow person....they aren't ALL snowMEN you know....(that begs a line about snowballs, but I'll leave it to your imagination...)
"The darkest evening of the year..." R. Frost opined.....and indeed it is a dark day...foggy, rainy, and dreary, .....unless you build a fire in the fireplace, light up the mantel houses, turn on the waving Santa and the lighted deer in the yard, and the tree with its myriad lights, and wrap up some nice gifts for your loved ones.....gifts that were on their "Wish Lists" so you know they will smile and be grateful!
Sipping on my cup of cheer (Canadian Mist and gingerale), and getting the joy from the cute paper, bows, and messages, and knowledge that these things are to be appreciated. The granddaughter's velvet riding helmet, the son's dutch oven, the daughter's books, and my significant other's (oops, I almost spilled it! He usually reads PEye, too!) In spite of the rain, I am happy, and looking forward to seeing the family together on Sat.-Sun.
Wishing all of you good times and a day or two without fussing or disappointment. I'm planning to dwell on what's right with the world....hope you can do likewise.
I think I noticed a wreath with a red bow on the caboose of theSepiaTrain, and a Menorah with blue and silver ribbons on the center table of the dining car.....Floyd was curled up in his new fluffy bed, and Fiona was purring nicely by the radiant heater. Someone was stirring the eggnog and shaking nutmeg on each cup....I even saw a fruitcake sliced and waiting for us all. I do hope that everyone in the Eye village can make the journey. Thanks to our host, J. Peterman, and the engineer who guides this train. It is a fine trip.
(I will be away for a few days, so am saying my "God Bless Us, Every One" now.)
luckily, I heal quickly, so the slices are not to concern all Y'alls
I just read that yesterday was national Hamburger day
http://www.gone-ta-pott.com/national_hamburger_month.htmlsee?
What I think is that somewhere pretty soon I am going to be saying, Hey, is it just me, or are the days getting longer?
RY: Egads and gadzooks....a national food holiday passed without even a microfulmination in the village? No puedo creerlo.
Lotlot: Who is Ruth Stout? Have searched the memory banks. No data.
KSS~ Ruth Stout, nature writer, as quoted in last paragraph of Mr P's Epistle Of The Day.
I LOVE this day! It makes me so happy to see each day get just a little longer and its a constant reminder that no matter what, spring always comes.
I like cold weather. Its always possible to get warmer, unlike hot weather when I am very uncomfortable (and frequently whiny). And yes, fabulous soups--much more satisfying to make and to eat than salads. I wanted to embellish the quote at the end of Mr. P's opening monologue by adding "and you can look at the other houses." Its just a silly thing of mine, but in the winter when the leaves are gone it is possible to glimpse buildings otherwise hidden by foliage and the voyeur in me is always interested.
It is surprising that National Hamburger Day slipped by, but then we were Bah Humbugging....and we'll always have burgers......
Happy Solstice Everybody.
Haze: I will wear a dunce's cap for a bit. I drove right by the paragraph in question. Interestingly, I really did do a sophisticated control-f search for Ruth Stout and got nada.
Since the Mayan calendar asserts we're in some sort of final countdown, each day being ticked off for its final time in eternity,OBVIOUSLY this will be the last winter ever and we should relish it. We could really use a little Michael Stipe singing "It's the end of the world as we know it....And I feel fine."
Winter does always bring to mind Jack London's short story "To Build a Fire" and a question I have often fleetingly contemplated. If I had to choose between dying in and from cold versus in and from heat, which would I rather? "To Build a Fire" makes such a strong case for the former.
And, as Jethro Tull sang, "Ring out ring out solstice bells." (On the "Songs from the Wood" album.)
KSS~ Dying of cold vs dying in a fire? No contest. Hypothermia, I am told by people who have experienced it, is quite pleasant. Strange that part of the process is that people start taking their clothes off because they feel hot. Jethro Tull - O yes!
O, I forgot. The predictions of the Mayan calendar. It mayan and it may not happen.
Mr. Peter Lake ~
When Park4 was getting snow and you were getting rain, we had nothing until tonight when waking to a strange sound, I saw, not Athansor but a man across the street walking with a flapping sole and when's the last time you heard that?
There is a sparkly dusting of stellar dendrite snow flakes that would show tire tracks if anyone were out. Nobody is.
On the other hand, if it happened where our pal Georgia is, she'd probably be out making quarter inch deep snow angels on the lawn… absolutely giddy.
Sluey, the first but not the only person ever to call rain "gudders" "eves troths" (oddly marital sounding), said that the longening of the days seemed like a slower process that the shortening on the other end. We, of course, knew exactly what he meant.
ChefDeb ~
Soup, you bet. When one of my older brothers was hospitalized and very sick, he got soup and his wife complained: "You can't live on soup."
I could with some decent bread and maybe chili once in awhile.
Am about to Flush n' Brush, and then hit the Rain Locker before getting a few hours sleep ... Channukah is going well and the Holiday Crowd has been streaming in, in increasing Numbers each day ... A lot of Tribe Members have shown up again this year, to share with us in the Festival of Lights, and the Food of course ... and Believers in the other Holiday Bunch are pitching in with the chores too ... The overlap in the two celebrations happens every two or three years, but we always get by ... I refused to do Turkey this year, since we fed Turkey for nine days at Thanksgiving, but we did do six hundred pounds of my most excellent Cornbread Dressing ... goes well with the Haifa Brisket that I stole the Recipe for, from my Aunt Ellen(fifty years ago) ... We also Smoked a bunch of Brisket, and Barbecue'd a bunch too ... and even the xmas Revelers are lovin' the Latkes, Tsimmes, Kugel and Kreplach along with their Traditional xmas dishes ... We don't do xmas here, but not everyone who comes here hungry is Jewish ... so we do the best we can to make their dining experience with us as pleasant as possible ... we want people to feel that they can come to us whenever they want or need to without their feeling that WE feel like we're doing them a favor, or they're being look'd down upon ...
You know I keep you all in my Prayers, and thru my celebrations I send up a little extra on y'all's behalf ... just cuz I'm not around the Village much doesn't mean y'all are forgotten .......
HAPPY HOLIDAYS !!! CHAG SAMEACH !!!
Be Safe & Be Well .......
IVAN
Thanks Ivan and blessings a thousandfold on you and your house.
oh Brisket, oh my....
Stoney-- I made soup every day for 25 years and had something of a following for it. Even now cooking for 2 I can't help making a gallon...freezes well and friends are happy to get little tupperwares of it. Growing up in NYC we had incredible bread selections so my kids really grew up having soup, salad & good bread for dinner several times a week. Sadly, now, my daughter is married to someone who does not consider soup to be anything but something to dip a grilled cheese sandwich in at lunch, but my son living in CA has Pho for breakfast everyday. I have a beautiful hambone calling me in the kitchen.....and people in and out who will relish a hot cup of whatever bean soup I make..I think white bean and sweet potato today.
Happy Winter Solstice, everyone. I will join you in rejoicing that the days will start to get longer, although Virginia is far enough south that this shortest day is not extreme, about 9½ hours of sunlight. One of my sisters-in-law lives in Anchorage and today will be less than fours long. We have yet to see snow here. Unlike two years ago when we already had seen our second blizzard which proved to be the first of a series and ended with our having a record snowfall for the year. We have had rain here and there, and this year has seen a plenitude of rainfall. We are at least 25% over normal. I doubt the whole saw about the Mayan calendar and 2012 is anything but a humbug. The mathematicians laugh, and the archeologists suggest that it merely ends and could be restarted. I never hold my breath when someone predicts the end of the world or the Second Coming. Not in our lifetime. As to me, I'd love to be one of the folks at New Grange in County Meath, Ireland, and watch the rising of the sun as it streams down the tunnel on this one day of the year to brighten the central chamber.
Thank you Ivan and backatcha to you and yours.
CD ~ My mother, who came from a huge family, never got out of the habit of cooking for a horde. As well, I should say first, that she should have been a child of this generation, she never got in the swing of that mother thing so she was always looking for a prepare-ahead dinner. Soup was it. She did make the best soups. I got some "kind of" recipes when I got married, "kind of" since her cooking never followed a recipe but was a little of this and a little of that. So many of the old delightful foods that our parents and grandparents made are lost because of that.
It seemed that we always had a pot of her soup on the stove and lots of people visiting to eat it. Winter does bring that urge on; the urge to make a big pot of soup and bake some bread.
My youngest daughter and her husband appreciate and make some really good soups -- and they share.
Re: Soup -- remember Phyllis Diller's garbage soup? She claimed that she kept a pot on the stove at all times and all her left-overs went in it.........after awhile it started to sound like a good idea. And of course The Soup Nazi from the Seinfeld Show.
ANDY I had a friend who had a restaurant in Amsterdam and that is exactly what she did---just kept a pot on and kept throwing stuff in it! So glad your family is a Soup Family!! Best Holiday Wishes
CD--Your first comment above mirrors my feelings almost to a T! I would much rather be cold...I can always layer more on..........but, there is only so much you can take off in the heat and still be able to answer the front door. And, that part about being able to see the houses and buildings...one step further--drapes open and lights on each house looks like a stage set and I am the audience. But, it's too cold to wait for any action to happen, so I pass on and get to imagine the rest. Soup? Soup? oh, the slurpy sounds of sucking soup off a spoon..........
OK then, soup it is. Broccoli, Stilton, Vegetable stock, Glug of white wine, Dollop of double cream. Crusty toasted buttery dunking things. .
In the days when I kept a cafe, Soup of the Day was always Cream of Mystery. Andy & ChefDeb~ the perpetual smimmering pot of soup - I lived on soup and salad for years.
Okay, now back to winter. What's not to love? Dry skin and hair, chapped lips, runny nose, shoveling snow, paying someone to shovel snow, having a neighbor thinking it would be nice to shovel snow for those old people at the top of the hill <chuckle>, cold, cold, cold and short, short days. As I said, what's not to love? Ugh!
IVAN, A BRIGHT LIGHT to you, and may you long continue to distribute it.
Hhmmm talk of soup and cocoa and fires, and we've finally made it DOWN to 71 degrees today.
STONEY, how right you are, and thank youi for thinking of me. Given the chance, yes, I'd try to make a snow angel, and relish it. Many snow angels. Multiples of snow angels. And pleasepleaseplease send out your stories for publication; I think of it every time you tell one, and hope only that I've not nagged you too much; it is sincere nagging (I may have just coined a term). You have ample gifts, and writing is among them.
Off to Charleston, if all goes as planned.
Happy solstice, all, and wishes warm as our temperatures.
Snow purifying the landscape.....snuggling down in the lush caress of vintage furs (discards of MIL and a great aunt...lucky me!)......stylish hats (not stocking caps that flatter no one)...lovely boots (not galoshes), leather gloves, silk scarves draped over neck and shoulders.....beautiful deep jewel toned velvets.....Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh--the beauty of Winter!
The reason I enjoy winter: the hurricane season is over until next June.
Seriously, I live in Zone 9, and we do have seasons. Not the ones you-all think of, but there are changes. Our overnight temperatures at the moment are in the 60s, with daytime highs in the 80s, and soon we will be picking the first strawberries of the season. We do experience frost, as all the strawberry growers are acutely aware of. Our roofs turn white, our plants die and we are cautioned not to cut them back until all fear of frost is gone (the end of March generally).
The live oaks which last year dropped a record number of acorns not only in New York, but also in Florida, are shedding their leaves at the moment, along with the sycamore next door. Springtime is short, but the new leaves are such a wonderful shade of vivid green .
This is also the dry season, and then the hurricane preparedness will be back, all too soon it seems, and Fall occurs when mercifully the long oppressive humid heat finally starts to abate.
It just seems to the snowbound that we don't have seaons. And, I read somewhere this week that once a person has lived in the sunshine it is very difficult to return to the cold, the grey, and the snow--but Sting did a wonderful album on Winter, and I have an electric fire that flickers with lifelike flames, even if I have the heat function turned off! It is also a time when the utility bills are a lot cheaper, too, for us to make up for the high cost of water and the high cost of air conditioning.
People who complain about the Florida heat need to be reminded that Northerners don't go willingly into a blizzard, so we have to turn our minds around and do the things they do in December in June--a bit like the people Down Under.
Happy Christmas, everyone!
Living in such a mild climate as we do makes it necessary to travel, at least an hour into the mountains, at times when we begin not to relish the warm sun and soft breezes. I'm okay without having to shovel snow and scrape ice off my windshield but, I do love to visit deep, beautiful, white snowy places sometimes. Aren't the best things often appreciated in contrast to others? Happy Winter Solstice!
lotlot
Forgot to mention that, like you, I like winter a lot. All it takes at this latitude is a good car (we have one) and a wife who loves to walk in the snow.
Every night, before going up, I step out on the deck, get two lungs full of winter and sleep like a log.
They do know how to take care of the roads.
CD ~
I made the US Senate bean soup and a friend from the coffee shop mentioned how much he loved bean soup.
He was not home when I dropped off a quart in a tupperware container but he tossed that container into my car the next morning and confessed that having come home from a rough trip to the dentist, he ate the whole thing.
I tend toward non-slippery (if you know what I mean) not too thick soups. If you can't spill it, it ain't really soup- is it?
The lunch counter at a J.C. Penney store in a mall had a great soup maker. A retired military man, he made two a day and never a bad one.
IVAN ~
Thanks as always. Enjoy your Holy Days.
Georgia ~
Thanks. You made me smile back.
It too 2.3 seconds to decide what to do with that extra second of daylight.
Have a marvelous time in Charleston!
Mooseloop, I love your vision of the Sepia Train. Fruitcake and eggnog sound sinfully delicious!
I love winter too. I do a lot of walking; I don't make it every day, but at least 3 times a week. In winter, I don't see many other walkers out there, just the hard core. Winter keeps the riff-raff away. Sort of like the out-of-the way places I like to visit. In winter, the light is better and it is so quiet with the snow squeaking beneath your feet. As long as you're well dressed, it's ok. Someone said that there is no such thing as bad weather, just improper clothing. Of course, no snow yet. It isn't even below freezing!
All that being said, I also love the fact that the days are getting longer. There will be a time in late Spring where I'll feel giddy from the sun being out after 8 pm.
Happy Solstice everyone and Merry Christmas too. May the light shine in your hearts and home.
I think the Ruth Stout cited is the sister of Rex Stout, the mystery writer. She was an early (1930s or '40s, I think) advocate of composting, among other things. I came across an old paperback of hers 40 years ago or so, and it changed my attitude toward leaf raking.
I think the Ruth Stout cited is the sister of Rex Stout, the mystery writer. She was an early (1930s or '40s, I think) advocate of composting, among other things. I came across an old paperback of hers 40 years ago or so, and it changed my attitude toward leaf raking.
I think the Ruth Stout cited is the sister of Rex Stout, the mystery writer. She was an early (1930s or '40s, I think) advocate of composting, among other things. I came across an old paperback of hers 40 years ago or so, and it changed my attitude toward leaf raking.
Ooops, sorry for heavy thumb. Once is more than enough.
What's the damned hurry? Slow down and enjoy every
I LOVE soup, although I have a different take on it than most. Instead of using theday of every season instead of wishing for what's down the road. Every climate
zones have seasons, some only varying in rainfall.
soup pot as a recycle or compost bin (I have a thing against foods older than
48 hrs.)I always use the freshest ingredients, and recipes morph with what's
available with the change of seasons (try a few pieces of cubes sweet potato or
hayman in your next batch of veggie soup). Any extras go right into the
freezer. My favorite flatware is (are?) my sterling Gumbo spoons.
Mooseloop,
have a great holiday, see ya in the clubcar!
Welcome samgr. You berted......
pardon the typos and other errors, still operating on X200.
Snowed in with my woman at Timberline Lodge in 1990 with copious amounts of hot buttered rum, drifts covering the view from my room, and cryptic field notes stuffed in my ski parka from the Kama Sutra. Cabin Fever ain't so bad with Heidi the St. Bernard holding down the fort and a dollop of Daisy on my nachos as the harbinger of the Ghost of Future Spring. You should never trade now moments for future seasonal moments on a routine basis.
Tommy TStop it, I'm getting a visual.....even with my(currently temporary) bad eyesight, that isn't good.
Merry Christmas everyone! I love winter, it is the one season that makes the other season we have here bearable. NO MOSQUITOS! NO HUMIDITY (GREAT Hair days). But today it is raining and cold and I am enjoying the weather, especially after the dry summer we have had. I don't expect snow, but once, a few years ago, we had snow on Christmas Eve! It's true, I have pictures! It only lasted 24 hours, just long enough to put everyone in the spirit of the season.
I love egg nog, but will pass on the fruit cake. Not a fan. Though I still have plenty of banana cake loaves, I will start slicing them up and brought cream cheese softened to spread on the top! Great with hot coffee or hot tea. I'll also bring my favorite soup: Baked Potato, very cheesy, thick and very "bacony" or should I say "containing LOTS of REAL bacon". It's delicous with cruty bread and I will freeze the leftovers, if there is any. First time I made this soup was for 80 hungry Scouts and Scouters, served with french bread and real butter (BUTTAH!!!). YUMM. Plenty for everyone!
CRUSTY bread not CRUTY ----lol!
I am one of those poor souls who lives in southern california. It was 63 degrees here last night and I went to the store in boots, gloves and a coat. The thouht of a REAL winter sounds wonderful! That is if I could survive it. :)
more on the honor rollOn the subject of the Mayan calendar, why would we think these relatively primitive people knew more than we do? Maybe they just ran out of space, or maybe the sculptor died! I don't hate winter, but I prefer it mild -- low precipitation and mild temperatures! We don't often get that in Southern Ohio, but I can wish! I wish all of you a wonderful Christmas or whatever you're celebrating this time of year! And a truly prosperous 2012!
For all Y'alls that gots to entertain children:
HAVE A PUNNY CHRISTMAS
by Richard Lederer
If athletes get athlete's foot, astronauts get missile toe.
A bird dog could be called a point setter.
James Fenimore Cooper wrote about the life of Santa Claus in his novel The Deer Sleigher.
What's the difference between a one-winged angel and a two-winged angel? It's a matter of a pinion!
It's a matter of my opinion that Yule love the game we're about to play. In each sentence below,
fill in the blank or blanks with an expression commonly used at Christmastide.
Answers repose at the end of this column.
1. On December 24, Adam's wife was known as _____ _____.
2. In Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, Scrooge was visited by the ghost of _____ _____.
3. An opinion survey in Alaska is called a _____ _____.
4. What does Santa Claus do with his three gardens? _____, _____, _____
5. What Christmas message is conveyed by these letters?:
ABCDEFGHIJKMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
ABCDEFGHIJKMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ. _____, _____
6. When the salt and the pepper say "Hi!" to each other, they are passing on _____ _____.
7. A holy man bereft of change could be called _____ _____.
8. When you cross a sheep with a cicada, you get a _____ _____.
9. A quiet medieval armor-wearer is a _____ _____.
10. A cat walking on the desert is bound to get _____ _____.
11. People who tell jokes on December 25 might be called _____ _____.
12. An airplane disaster in Israel is a _____.
13. Actor O'Connor and actress Channing are known on December 25 as _____ _____.
14. What do Spanish sheep says when they wish each other a Merry Christmas? _____ _____.
Meretricious to all! And don't forget that There's
No Plate Like Chrome for the Hollandaise.
Answers
1. Christmas Eve
2. Christmas Present
3. North Poll
4. Hoe, hoe, hoe.
5. Noel, Noel (no l, no l)
6. seasons' greetings.
7. St. Nickleless.
8. Bah! (or Baa!) Humbug!
9. silent knight
10. sandy claws
11. Christmas cards
12. cresh
13. Christmas Carols
14. Fleece Navidad!
Cyndy - I think the last thing on the Mayan calendar is "turn me over and start again!"
Thank you Road Yacht for printing the answers... there is no buzz kill like telling a joke and forgetting the punch line... I HATE it when that happens!
Penelopetx and Cyndy, you both beat me to it.
Good morning, dear Village! A brisk 54 degrees here in my part of SoCal, and I can tell it's winter because the air is impossibly dry and I had dust devils whipping across my driveway this morning.
My favorite soup of all time (maybe because of the memories associated with it) is still my father's sorrel potato soup. When we were young and living in Idaho, he had a beautiful 1/4 acre garden. The sorrel was fresh picked, mixed with chopped potatoes and canned to save for the winter months. Nothing tasted better than that piping hot soup with big slices of buttered wheat bread on the side. Outside, the snow was often being blown into drifts up against the house. During the day, all the kids would dig into the drifts to make snow caves.
Since I never had to drive in it or scrape the ice off a windshield or back a car over a 2 or 3 foot mound of ice chunks left by the snowplows, I have very romantic memories of it.
This weekend, I'll be enjoying the Southern California version - nestled next to my honey on the couch, homemade nachos in plates on our laps while our pair of potbellied pigs keep our feet warm like living ottomans. We'll be watching the San Francisco 49ers football game on Christmas Eve, then I'll try my hand at Christmas dinner on Sunday.
Ladies of the Eye, many thanks for all your tips! My blouse is now balsamic vinegar free!
This is a very good time. Skiing and snowboarding and the scenery is beautiful. Standing at the top of the lift at White Pass on a clear day and looking at Mt. Rainier about 25 miles away is inspiring and most impressive. No more skiing for my wife and I due to old age and bad knees (me) and feet (spouse) but for over 30 years we not only enjoyed the skiing but all the friends we met while doing so. Now we are content to sit in the lodge and enjoy a nice adult libation by the fireplace and watch the kids and grands do their thing on the slopes. Very enjoyable. There are usually a few other couples that are like us in that they can't ski anymore but enjoy watching their offrspring. So we gather st the alter of friendship and sip a hot buttered rum or a Tom and Jerry and just relax. afterwards its back to the cabin,about a 20 minute drive for a great bowl of whatever soup my wife has prepared.Its never made the same way twice but its always very good. A little of this and some of that until it looks or smells right. No recipes.just what works. Then sitting in front of the fire with a good warming drink and looking a the witer scenery is relaxing. Sometimes instead of soup we have a cheese fondue and that is also great. Everyon e have a great Christmas and New Year season and count all the good things ,like family and friends as a blessing.
We had sweet and sour braised brisket last night, with garlic roasted root vegetables, latkes, kugel, and packzi. It was so delicious, I just wish there were some leftovers.
Today I'm bracing myself to have most of my nieces and nephews for a movie night/sleepover. I've done this for years at my home but it is too small for us now so my mother is letting us use her large basement TV roomfor the festivities.
12 of my 13 nieces and nephews are coming and my husband has invited his niece and nephew, plus my oldest sister is watching a little boy who's parents went to Ukraine to adopt another baby and are tied up in red tape and won't be home until Saturday night, so he's coming along as well. There 15 kids between the ages of 1 and 18. We will eat pizza, popcorn, and chocolate while watching classic kids holiday movies, the girls will get their nails painted, the kids will stay up far too late, my dad is making us breakfast (his specialty) tomorrow morning, and then we are all going swimming before the moms and dads come back to claim their rabble. It is fun but exhausting, good thing I was able to take tomorrow off from my jobs. Somehow spending an evening with a huge crowd of children makes the long nights seem a little brighter...especially since I know I can give them all back the next day, there is nothing like a child at christmas.
leonadi~ You wimp!
ooops, keyboard glitch. It's 9 degrees C in Wales and the weather forecast people are calling it exceptionally mild. I'm with you on the scarves, gloves and wooly hats. Wrap up warmly.
60 comments down, and it has been a delightful read. Soup the stuff that warms the tummy and interesting villagers the stuff that warms your heart. Thank you all.
Ivan, Happy Channukah.
nachista~ Have a lovely time. As you say, the borrowing of children is a great blessing.
Forty-two years ago today I gave birth to my second daughter. We drove to the hospital in the begining of a snow storm and by the time she was born and I was in my room my husband wondered if he would get home.
Oddly enough that year the solstice fell on the 22nd. Her birth just added to my appreciation of winter when the days grow longer. Yes, when the days grow longer. It was on June 22nd that that days began to get shorter. Daylight savings time allows us to forget that. So remember even if it is cold for us in the more northern reaches--and I'm in Virginia like Lynn--the days have more daylight hours and SPRING truely is not far away. Happy Birthday to my Christmas Angel.
No time to participate, I promised some local needy children (parents in need of steady employment, (no budget for toys) that I have already scheduled the evening @ the North Pole, waxing the skids on Santa's sleigh..... Telling my daughter that she will have a little less from Santa this year, so that others (but for good fortune it could be HER) share at least one new appropriate toy, some traditional appropriate Santa stocking stuffers (oranges, walnuts in the shell, Cracker Jack sized replica toys like spinning tops). Please virtual friends, regardless of spiritual orientation, take the time to do at least one little gratuitous act of kindness this gray & overcast holiday season!!!
No time to participate, I promised some local needy children (parents in need of steady employment, (no budget for toys) that I have already scheduled the evening @ the North Pole, waxing the skids on Santa's sleigh..... Telling my daughter that she will have a little less from Santa this year, so that others (but for good fortune it could be HER) share at least one new appropriate toy, some traditional appropriate Santa stocking stuffers (oranges, walnuts in the shell, Cracker Jack sized replica toys like spinning tops). Please virtual friends, regardless of spiritual orientation, take the time to do at least one little gratuitous act of kindness this gray & overcast holiday season!!!
No time to participate, I promised some local needy children (parents in need of steady employment, (no budget for toys) that I have already scheduled the evening @ the North Pole, waxing the skids on Santa's sleigh..... Telling my daughter that she will have a little less from Santa this year, so that others (but for good fortune it could be HER) share at least one new appropriate toy, some traditional appropriate Santa stocking stuffers (oranges, walnuts in the shell, Cracker Jack sized replica toys like spinning tops). Please virtual friends, regardless of spiritual orientation, take the time to do at least one little gratuitous act of kindness this gray & overcast holiday season!!!
Rats. I "Berted" again!!! too many wireless devices competing for Verizon Wireless' celltower signal.
Not to gloat, but despite the solstice, despite the weather, despite everything, my carrots are coming up!
Rusty - Today is my sister's birthday, as well. I was just imagining back 57 years when my parents had her and then another nine months before that when they must have been so happy creating her at the end of March that year. Spring into Winter. And then a child. How beautiful is that.
O, Bert~ I do love you!
Bert, it is ok, it was such a generous post it decided to share your love a couple times over. You and your daughter are very kind. She will remember this Christmas forever.
Penelopetx, the no humidity is my problem! I feel like my skin is going to dry up and blow away, we've got the humidifier running around the clock.
It may not be a solstice birthday but I have a holiday birthday story.
Long before I was born my aunt Marion was pregnant with her 6th child and due on the 20th. She refused to do any Christmas shopping in her "advanced expecting state" (I love how delicate my family used to be, heaven forbid you say pregnant), she said she'd have the baby, get home from the hospital and do all her shopping while her mother watched the kids and that would be that.
The 20th came and went with no baby. 21st and 22nd as well, with my aunt refusing to shop, her husband being the old fashioned macho man type didn't know how to shop for kids clothes, hair accessories, and children's toys so he went along with it thinking she would come to her senses and get it all done.
The night of the 23rd my aunt went in to labor and her husband took her to the hospital. The baby wasn't delivered until 4pm on Christmas Eve. Once mother and baby were safely tucked away in a recover room with a horde of nurses to look over them (they were the only ones in the entire women's ward that year), my uncle called my mother in a panic...he had absolutely nothing for their 5 kids at home. My mother called my father and he picked up my uncle from the hospital and took him to a few stores for toys(my father has always been an awesome shopper), my mom recruited her brother and his wife to shop for stocking stuffers, and my mom went to work sewing a dress for each girl and a new pair of pants for each boy. Together these 5 elves made magic happen.
This story gets told every year by our cousin (the tardy baby in the story) and her mother and we all laugh. My mother concludes with "The moral of the story is due dates are always wrong, do your shopping in November, and never get pregnant in March".
nachista - What a great story!
Stoney, i cannot remember the last time I heard the flapping of a soul....shoe or otherwise. I too would have to follow the sound to bring back those memories. Better shoes....maybe. Different shoes.....probably.
A flapping soul is kinda like a slowly turning flat tire with the treads separated.
I also bet that Georgia makes angels on the front lawn even if it is just covered in morning dew. I can see her laughing and giggling......
One of the characteristics of this place of ours is that it seems to attract and be populated by good hearted folks who's very nature is generous thought and deed; especially to those who are in need.
There is not a need to provide examples or urge us on........ It is already in the fabric of who we are, what we probably just do...
I like that about this place.
PL--me too. I like that.
Peter Lake
Mr. Peterman provides the pot and we Villagers
provide the ingredients for our Magic Stone
Soup.
My oldest sister was born on December 23rd, what my mother calls the "Adam of Christmas Eve" I don't know how or where she coined that term, she is a creative person, always making up songs and poems. I love my family, I love my parents and I am looking forward spending time with them on my sisters birthday, we make sure it is always separate from Christmas.
Mr. Peterman sure has provided a great place to attract such tempting ingredients. And he allows us play without supervision too. What a country!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFwX5OAQZO4&feature=fvst ;
Miss Blue~ How lovely to bring up Magic Stone Soup. It's one of my favorite stories. And you couldn't be more right. :)
Dash, what did you do about celebrating your sister's birthday? We decided to have just cup cakes and one big present in December, and then on 22 June we celebrated her half birthday. It was perfect when all the kids were out of school and we could have sleep-overs or do something really special. Of course the funniest part was when the child was asked her age iin October or so while still quite young and she would say three and a half with great emphasis on the half. It was left to the parent to explain.
How can I let this day pass without a cheeky entry to say the weather's all sunny and awesome here! With my son planning to spend most of his holiday time with friends, I am glad I have a vistor in town and so will have an excuse to see some of the places I have been putting off. Friends and business associates have also been so kind, making sure I don't have to spend Christmas alone. To each and everyone of you, here's a greeting from down under!
http://petermanseye.jpeterman.managedmachine.com/photos/567151
The Night before Christmas in Aussie Land
'Twas the night before Christmas; there wasn't a sound.
Not a possum was stirring; no-one was around.
We'd left on the table some tucker and beer,
Hoping that Santa Claus soon would be here;
We children were snuggled up safe in our beds,
While dreams of pavlova danced 'round in our heads;
And Mum in her nightie, and Dad in his shorts,
Had just settled down to watch TV sports.
When outside the house a mad ruckus arose;
Loud squeaking and banging woke us from our doze.
We ran to the screen door, peeked cautiously out,
snuck onto the deck, then let out a shout.
Guess what had woken us up from our snooze,
But a rusty old Ute pulled by eight mighty 'roos.
The cheerful man driving was giggling with glee,
And we both knew at once who this plump bloke must be.
Now, I'm telling the truth it's all dinki-di,
Those eight kangaroos fairly soared through the sky.
Santa leaned out the window to pull at the reins,
And encouraged the 'roos, by calling their names.
'Now, Kylie! Now, Kirsty! Now, Shazza and Shane!
On Kipper! On, Skipper! On, Bazza and Wayne!
Park up on that water tank. Grab a quick drink,
I'll scoot down the gum tree. Be back in a wink!'
So up to the tank those eight kangaroos flew,
With the Ute full of toys, and Santa Claus too.
He slid down the gum tree and jumped to the ground,
Then in through the window he sprang with a bound.
He had bright sunburned cheeks and a milky white beard.
A jolly old joker was how he appeared.
He wore red stubby shorts and old thongs on his feet,
And a hat of deep crimson as shade from the heat.
His eyes - bright as opals - Oh! How they twinkled!
And, like a goanna, his skin was quite wrinkled!
His shirt was stretched over a round bulging belly
Which shook when he moved, like a plate full of jelly.
A fat stack of prezzies he flung from his back,
And he looked like a swaggie unfastening his pack.
He spoke not a word, but bent down on one knee,
To position our goodies beneath the yule tree.
Surfboard and footy-ball shapes for us two.
And for Dad, tongs to use on the new barbeque.
A mysterious package he left for our Mum,
Then he turned and he winked and he held up his thumb;
e strolled out on deck and his 'roos came on cue;
Flung his sack in the back and prepared to shoot through.
He bellowed out loud as they swooped past the gates-
MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, and goodonya, MATES!'
Time out for today for a second.....
Sometimes I need to sleep on things of said, to think them though; which usually is a tad too late and a dollar short of being able to retrieve that arrow I shot into the air.
There were some very sad, unfortunate memories shared which revealed why Christmastime, or any season of celebration cannot enjoyed, or perhaps even the target of their long-lived and even current deep disappointments and resentments.
Now don't get me wrong, I still stand by what I said. I do believe it to be true. It has worked for me at least, but like anything of this nature; it is not a silver bullet for everyone.
What I do hesitate/regret is that perhaps those who shared these experience with us, only wanted to be heard, or at least provide a different perspective; but without seeking a possible solution or any attempt to help them deal with it. Sometimes the best thing perhaps is to just listen. After rereading some of the posts, it seemed obvious that that may have been the case.
I must have not paid as much attention to that class as I should have. But I don't believe any of us are mind readers when it comes to this.
Anyroads, I wish you all to find good tidings wherever you may find them. ThisSepia is always a safe have.
I heard this song today that gave me a little cause for pause.... And no, I've not got my feet in wet cement of the ‘60s and ‘70s stuff......well maybe one foot.
Here ‘tis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbN0nX61rIs
I see it as a song of hope.... But that's just me
Keep calm and carry on....... I'm baking Mexican Wedding Cookies.....and the buzzer just went off
PL~ How right you are - I often have the desperate desire to fix, salve, wish away, and magically cure whatever ails those around me... Often to the detriment of simply allowing people to be where they are. Perhaps on this day, I shall find a bowl of lentil soup, a big crusty slice of fresh cornbread from the oven, and simply love... Love Mexican Wedding cookies, by the way - they sound so lovely on a crisp clear winter day Socal-style.
PL--may I get the first round on the Sepiatrain tonight?
Wassail with a shot of Meyers?
There you go Miss Blue, I'm buying...
Why thank you ChefDeb, the good news is that drinks, elixirs, and all real and imaginable beverages are always on the house in theSepia's club car. The fireplace is crackling with Yule logs, your favorite beverage is already prepared just for you and eager for the opportunity to be served.
Let us raise a glass and toast our dear friend geraldine who is part and parcel of the magic that guides this train.
Tonight we will be transported to the frozen shores of the Lake of the Coheeries where we will ride horse drawn sleighs across the lake to the ale house on the other side.
I can already hear them singing there......
Cassiepants.....I'll bring the cookies
good stories,well told. Santa loves you all. Here in Elgin there is an employee owned food store,part of a Weeesconsin chain,called Woodmans. I shop there regularly,at least twice a week,to keep Mom supplied with her favs. They have a rack full of sealed shopping bags,containing staples;oatmeal,macaroni and cheese,things like that,and it goes to the food pantry locally. It has a $5.99 price tag,and I buy one each and every time I go in there,even if only for Mom's milk and bananas. I can't imagine being hungry for the Holidays,and yet, I am certain these small necessary bags are the difference to some,of nothing to eat,and a normal breakfast and lunch,at least. I know the local food pantrys are hurting,too. Not if I win the lottery!
Spring - Loved your Aussie version of the Night Before Christmas, or as Clement Moore called it, A Visit from St. Nicholas.....quite creative and visual!
I've been making cookies, wrapping gifts, and now am making stuffing to take to daughter's tomorrow as we pull the Chevy truck out of Moose Loop and hit the I-75 south for Atlanta to have a couple of days of ordered chaos that we call Christmas getting together....a real blended family with my 2 kids, a granddaughter, my first husband (their dad), the youngest son and his wife of my second husband, the roommate/significant other, and moi. A convivial group in spite of the blending.....no one holding grudges that I can see.
All stories today are good ones, and enjoyed for the reading....and as Bert suggests, I have good deeds on my schedule tomorrow for some loners who have no family around, plus a few sheckels for the church as I go south. We are in an odd frame of weather here for the beginning of true winter, as we had tornado watches all day, rain and fog all day, and temperatures that set record highs around 70. Looks like a warm and rainy Christmas, but I will take it over the piles of ice and snow in some places.
Good tidings to all, regardless of Hannakah or Christmas or whatever your heart celebrates. Happy birthdays to those above who were born at this time (my son was a Dec. 7 baby, so I had him a few weeks by the time Christmas arrived in 1968, but the family dragged me to the freezing cold Peach Bowl on Dec. 30 anyway....but that's another story and not a pretty one....All good night...leaving on an UP note....remember the kindness you do will be your legacy.
PL.......................I must have been making making the same cookies as you ( whether you call the mexican wedding cakes, russian teacakes, or italian teacakes ( I put toasted pinenuts in mine) they are to die for) and I thought of you as I had several w/ my hot tea this morning.
Whatever CHEFD or MISS BLUE is serving I will be lining up for more..................