Day One Hundred and Forty-Eight

Hallelujah! There is a God, and God is the Sun, and it's high in the sky and magnificent. As you can probably guess by now, I was elated to see a bright blue sky, birds and glistening snow this morning. There are so many birds out and the resident hawk was perched in the neighbor's tree scoping out the day's first meal. It is truly a sign of the power of light when the birds disappear and don't present themselves until the sun presents itself once again. I went out and threw a bunch of seed on the ground so they can munch away before the next round of rain and snow.

Day One Hundred Forty Six and Forty Seven

I was in a real funk yesterday. The weather was the most depressing display of snow, pouring rain, slush, and dark, dark, dark gloom. Even physically, I was struggling to find solace and comfort which didn't seem to want to manifest. Bob and I decided to brave the weather and head to Grover's Hot Springs just to find some forward momentum in some activity. It helped to get into the hot water, although the temperature wasn't as hot as it usually is. We sat in the hot water and watched several snow squalls move across the little valley below the springs and felt the snow and rain come down, sometimes pretty hard on us while we relaxed. We stopped at the Cutthroat Saloon and had lunch and then headed back home. It was a nice get away and we almost felt as if we were in a time warp as we didn't see many people out that day and we were the only ones in the restaurant.

Today, however, was a different story. After running into a very excellent friend and sharing our mutual stories of our Sunday funk, I felt comforted in a selfish way that I wasn't the only one out there ready to throw in the towel of life. We hugged and reassured each other and ourselves that things would be alright - and they are - because this evening the full moon presented the most incredible optic experience I have ever witnessed during the winter. I have a large maple tree right outside my back door that leads to the backyard. It ends up being beautifully backlit when there is a full moon and tonight was no exception. But something extraordinary occurred mainly due to the wet weather we had on Sunday, my day of funk. There were frozen droplets of water all over the tree - small and round. Because there's going to be a lunar eclipse tonight, I poked my head out the back door and the droplets of water all over the tree were lit up by the moonlight. It was as though the tree was strung with Christmas lights! I keep going out the back door just to catch another glimpse and soak in some of the magic even though it's icy cold outside. It is truly beautiful and I wish I could get a photograph. How magical. Thank you universe for the natural uplift from the dreary doldrums of yesterday.

Day One Hundred Forty-Five

The weather's been pretty blustery and chilly but I did manage to get out and go to the grocery store. However, this afternoon was a different story - it warmed up and the snow has been melting quite rapidly. Despite the warmer temperatures, I felt colder this afternoon than at any other time during the day. So, with that said, I decided I needed to get in the kitchen to warm up. I pulled out a ricotta gnocchi recipe from Cook's Ilustrated as I've been coveting some homemade ricotta I had stored away a couple of weeks ago. The recipe was surprisingly simple as it didn't require any potato mashing, but instead used the ricotta as the base. Since my ricotta was homemade, I was able to omit the necessity of straining the store bought cheese which saved me a lot of time. I think all in all, it only took me about 20 minutes to get the gnocchi ready to cook. While the batter refrigerating for about 15 minutes before cutting, I cooked the sauce which consisted of some leftover marinara with a splash of vodka, some roasted pine nuts and finished with about 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese. I think Bob likes it as I haven't heard a word from him since I put the plate on the table. A good glass of sauvignon is washing it down as we speak. I did taste it and I certainly could eat a whole bowl full, but because my heartburn has been a real issue for the past couple of weeks, I'm not going to risk the tomato acid. Oh well, at least I'm able to feed my husband, and guess what? - I'm sweating!

Day One Hundred Forty Four

It's a good thing I took the time to bask in the sun yesterday because today the snow fell all day long, leaving about 7" on the ground. It was beautiful to watch but I was feeling rather restless this afternoon so I ended up donning my snow gear and schlepping around my neighborhood just to get some exercise. My blood pressure has been a bit high despite the fact that I take medication and have absolutely no stress right now. I'm sure I'll find out that there is stress during the Holidays regardless of whether you feel you should be experiencing it or not. The only problem I've been having is getting a good nights sleep which might be the culprit.

Tonight's going to be a soup night - minestrone. I don't think you can go wrong with a good pot of soup and some crusty French bread on these nights when weather keeps you at home. I can't even imagine having to do any type of Christmas shopping this late in the game. I told my boys that their father and I have enough stuff and what we need, we end up buying when we need it. So, with that said, I let them know that it would be more than welcome if they bought the supplies for the Christmas dinner. We enjoy eating together so much and enjoy each other's company, they might as well be the founders of the feast! They've requested a list and I'll get that together soon. I know it's going to be some type of beef dish, as it seems that's been our tradition now for several years. I'll leave the choice up to them, but a rolled flank steak has been mentioned, as well as medallion of beef. I already have two lobster tails to make ravioli for Christmas Eve. I wish I could have been blessed with skinny genes!

Day One Hundred Forty-Three

It was very enjoyable to have friends over last night. I really should do it more often as it makes me feel a little more connected to others and keeps me from sheltering myself within the confines of my own world. It's funny how I love to travel and yet, moving around within my community has become so painful - just seeing people while going here and there can be quite unnerving.

I was able to get a few Christmas cards done this morning as well. I do love to hand write letters still, as I find just the act of having a pen in hand ends up being an artistic endeavor. It's very beautiful to watch words flow on paper from the ink of the pen as the hand guides it along. I do believe the scrolling letters written as they have been for thousands of years will not be something that endures time much longer with the advent of computers. I mean, look at me, I've joined in the slow death of penmanship as well! I've even resorted to jotting down notes on my iPhone or iPad for future reference. I look at the stacks of handwritten notes I have tucked away in my writing desk and wonder if those will be antiques someday.

Well, Christmas is nearing and I'm pretty much done with my forays into the retail jungle. Not much buying this year as I pretty much leave that up to the boys by giving them money and letting them go get what they need. When I do end up venturing into some of the shops, I come away with nothing as most of it is just stuff, albeit pretty stuff sometimes, but out of the context of the store, becomes rather lonesome when it's taken away from its "friends." (Wow, the sun just popped out from under the clouds - I think it's time to go outside and enjoy it while it lasts.)

Day One Hundred Forty One and Forty Two

Guess what I'm doing? Baking!!! My dining room table is full of sweet goodies for the friends I've invited over for Wine Down Wednesday and I'm working on the savory stuff this morning so that we have a good mix of food for wine tasting. Here's a rundown: mini mincemeat tarts; wine cookies; butter cookies; lavender biscotti; cognac sourcream cake with chocolate frosting; tamale casserole; baked brie with Indian chutney; artichoke and spinach dip; mushroom tarts; and, I'm still thinking I might make some puff pastry appetizers. The problem with all this food is, there probably won't be that many people as everyone is so busy at this time of year! (I did invite my oldest son to stop by after work if he wants as that with solve the "too much food" problem - he can take some home to his brother as well.) Someday I'll have to invite the husbands and SO's but, right now, I do so love to be with just my girlfriends!

Day Somewhere around One Hundred Forty

Just sitting in Comma Coffee listening to some live old time banjo music from one of our local old guys band. Interesting but after awhile, all the songs sound the same - just a little too much washboard at times - I guess it beats cowbells. I think being out of the house today has helped get me into the mood to blog today because during this time of year, and being around the kitchen all day, I just want to bake, which I have been doing a lot of. I've been able to give a lot of it away to friends which makes me feel a little more involved in the Christmas season. I was very busy doing a picture book for my siblings with all the really old photos we had of our parents and grandparents. It was a real chore to get them all scanned and put into an arrangment for printing. I still have to do some kind of key so that everyone knows who is who. My mom had sorted the pictures and given each of us kids our share but none of us knew who had what so, earlier this year I asked my brothers and sisters to send me what they had and I'd put something together. I didn't realize how little we had after they had all arrived by post but, nonetheless, the collection made for a nice book we can all share and past down to our children. I'm sure many families end up with incomplete photo collections as siblings move away from each other and photos end up getting lost or misplaced, not to mention those family members who really could care less about their heritage. I've been wondering lately just what my cousins may or may not have in the way of photos. Another task for me to do one of these days.

The Holidays have seemed rather subdued this year. This season is the first for Bob and I as official empty nesters. I must admit that the house stays much cleaner but I do miss having the available conversation when others are in the house. I've enjoyed listening to my Christmas music everyday and am sure that someone would end up saying something about it if they were subjected to it all day long. I love it. Music makes life rich and poetic and isn't that what it's all about - making life poetic? I believe so. It's certainly not about working yourself to death to make enough money to buy all the stuff that ends up cluttering thought, clouding emotion and getting in the way of real love. It's a trap that I've periodically been snared by. Reflecting on all the things I felt I couldn't live without or the impulse buying I've done for the instant rush is puzzling at best. I'm not sure whether it's a symptom of the times we live in or of the generations past who existed on so little and wanted us to have so much more than they did. Why has consumption become such a conspicuous measure of success for many Americans? Sometimes I'm envious of the lives I can imagine my ancestors living where hard work producing the things they did enjoy gave such a wholesome quality to life and was the true measure of comfort. The things they did have were so special to them. Nowadays, we have so much that we can't place much sentimental value on anything. We don't even anticipate passing down family heirlooms because all the stuff we have can be easily replaced or bought from the next year's clearance table. I didn't even put the fake Christmas tree up this year. I ended up decorating a live evergreen houseplant with only those tree decorations that were made for me by friends, my mom, or by me. An evergreen garland holds the overflow that didn't fit on the houseplant. I must say, my house looks decorated and festive but not contrived. I feel very comfortable this year and look forward to sharing food and wine with friends and, of course, cooking for my guys the feast that is anticipated by all of them. That's really what I enjoy the most. The cherry on top would be to have the company of a dog as loving and good as Buzz was - someday perhaps, after Bob and I have decided not to do so much traveling.

Day One Hundred Thirty

A friend's husband passed away this morning. They are an elderly couple who have gone through many health crises and the husband has been having dementia issues for about the six months now. They have been through a lot together, both good and bad. They are old school - they remind me of my parents, hard working, moral and deeply honest. She is just a little bitty thing who, just a few months ago, almost died after lung surgery to remove a growth. I'm sure her tenacity and the fact that she knew she still needed to care for her aging husband got her through the ordeal, but because her husband has been having many problems recently, she has become exhausted. On Sunday she had to call 911 to take her husband to the hospital as his dementia was getting to the breaking point for her. They diagnosed pneumonia and said he was in bad shape. I went over last night to talk with her and bring her something for dinner because I was sure that eating was the last thing on her mind. She told me all about the weekend ordeal and was quite distressed at how the dementia had taken her beloved away from her - she said the man who has been needing her constant attention for the past few months was a stranger most of the time. I almost felt relief for her knowing that he would probably never come home. This morning she called and left a message saying he had passed.

When I called her back, she said she had to tell me a story. After I left her house last night, she was just digging into the turkey soup I had left when a call rang the phone. She picked it up and was surprised that her husband was on the other end. He seemed very coherent and wanted her to come to the hospital. When she got there, the nurse said he had woken up, took off his oxygen and asked for the phone. He was sitting up in bed and smiled as she came into his room. He said, "I have something I want you to help me with." He then asked her to put his arms around her so that he could hug her. She did just that and they both exchanged prolonged, heartfelt "I love yous." He then said he wanted her to go home, take care of the dog and not come back to the hospital. When the nurse walked in, he said he wanted to go to sleep and requested the oxygen not be put back on. As my friend was walking out, her husband pointed his finger at her and said, "I'll see you down the road." After all the struggles she's had with him lately, she said she is thankful to have had that memory which will erase many of those she's experienced recently. She felt like she was able to say goodbye to the man she married many, many years ago. I will remember him as one of those men from my father's bent. Part of the greatest generation.

Day One Hundred Twenty-Nine

I'm not a turkey fanatic but I do love turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce. The only thing I have left of the turkey and turkey breast I cooked this season is the breast which is great for just that. I usually balk at all the turkey recipes that seem to flood the cooking magazines - most of them sound just dreadful. I think you can really overdose on turkey if you're not careful. Recently, I informed my friend Marti of just how repugnant I found leftover turkey recipes when I commented that I hated turkey soup. Since she's a soupaholic, like me, I think she was shocked. But I must admit, and will probably take some ribbing for it, I did end up making turkey soup for dinner tonight. I had a ham bone that I threw in a pot to cook down for broth and added some onion, carrots, celery and some Harvest Grains Blend that Trader Joe's sells which is a nice blend of Israeli couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo beans and red quinoa. I also added the fried sage leaves I had left over, some herbs de provence and, yes, turkey! A little turkey gravy in the broth was good as well. Yum, it was good.

Day One Hundred Twenty-Eight

Bob and I took our walk today down by the river as the weather has turned sunny but still crispy. It was wonderful to see the sun for a change but we still needed our gloves, hats and scarves. I hope it stays dry for awhile - I like it when it snows, melts and goes away, remains dry for awhile and then snows again. Aren't I hard to please! I think I'm just use to the cycle of Northern Nevada winter weather.

Watching a movie (Stepmom) but I'm at the point of sappy saturation so I think it's time to crack one of the numerous books I have going (both actual paper and electronic). I'm such a techie. I do love my iPad and reading books on it is so convenient. The only problem is, I can't procrastinate as well with the iPad as I can with the paper version of a book. Leaving the book behind is always an option, but I take my iPad with me wherever I go. Then there's also the numerous books I have on my iPhone which I definitely never leave behind. I don't think religion has as much of an influence on us as our electronics do. Maybe the advent of all this technology is the second coming of Christ - or something like that. We just haven't been able to acknowledge it's preeminence since it doesn't have a human face - yet.

Day One Hundred Twenty-Seven

I've vowed never to shop on Black Friday and yesterday was no exception. Considering all the stories of people being trampled, pushed, shoved and ripped off, I am once again secure in my boycott of this ridiculous holiday tradition of hedonistic consumer spending and, what I believe to be a terrible way to begin the holiday season. There is absolutely nothing out there I would want to bring home that would warrant putting myself or my loved ones in harms way. Luckily, my children are grown and I don't have grandkids. But I did venture out today with a friend who I called this morning to see what she was doing and low and behold, she was getting ready to go out and asked if I wanted to tag along. The few shops we went to were rather quiet and we were able to get what little we needed with subdued effort. It was even nice to browse and the stores were so packed with merchandise, it made me wonder if yesterday was a success for the consumer spending index. Afterwards, I came home, unloaded my goodies, and pigged out on turkey again. The weather's been a real teaser today as it was sprinkling snow when we left, the sun came out while we were shopping, it's been a virtual blizzard since I got home, but now I can see some blue sky again. What fickled weather we have here in Nevada.

Day One Hundred Twenty-Five and Twenty-Six

I've already blown my resolve to blog everyday but I guess I had a good excuse - preparation of Thanksgiving dinner (although I had started cooking on Sunday and most everything was already in the fridge waiting to be reheated). The turkeys were the only things I needed to cook and also the task of stir frying the brussel sprouts. I must say, and my family seconds it, this meal was the very best of the best when it comes to the feast of the turkey come each November. I relied on several new techniques learned from Cook's Illustrated, probably my favorite cooking magazine. I like the fact that their recipes are tested as I have been burned many times by other cookbooks and cooking magazine recipes that were either marginal or failures. I think that's why I don't use recipes themselves but mainly get inspiration from the ideas and ingredients and then put them together as I see fit, or end up substituting certain ingredients for others that I think will work better. It seems to work for me. Cooking is all about technique and good ingredients as far as I'm concerned.

We did something different this year that I'm sure is going to become a tradition for us both at Thanksgiving and Christmas. At about 1:00 pm on Thanksgiving we sat down to a warm goat cheese, beet, arugula and mandarine orange salad with mandarine orange and vanilla balsamic vinagrette. It was very savory and after we ate and talked a bit, we put on our warm clothes and headed out to Riverview Park for a 2 mile walk. It was brisk, the sky was clear except for a few feathery clouds and the view of the new fallen snow in the valley and on the Sierras was just beautiful. We walked, talked and felt invigorated. When we returned, I just needed to make the gravy, brussel sprouts and carve the turkey. We had a leisurely dinner and didn't feel overly stuffed. Dishes were minimal and so we broke out the Scrabble board and began to play, with Bob leading off with a bizarre word that set the tone of the board for the evening. I never laughed so hard in my life listening to Jay and Eric joke around with the words that ended up finding their way onto the board. At one point I had to leave because my stomach muscles were in jeopardy of exploding. It's bad when these two brothers get together and it gets worse when you start laughing at their jokes! It just spurs them on.

I finally took pictures of the two pastels I did up at St. Mary's Art Center and I'm definitely ready to do some more. The photos I took are a little crooked as they're just taped on my easel but here they are.

Day One Hundred Twenty-Four

Ah sunshine, bitter cold, but sunshine nonetheless. There is a blanket of snow everywhere and I don't envy those people who are traveling to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends. I'm just happy my turkeys are submerged in brining solution, and the pies are the only thing I have left to assemble. Since I've been experiencing so much joint and muscle pain recently, I think it's a good thing that I won't be pressed to prepare much of our Thanksgiving feast - as my sons call it - in one day. Maybe I should start focusing my travel excursions to places that are warm and sunny instead of cold and rainy. It's terrible when your soul is one place and your body craves another.

Since my day is pretty much free, I think I'll try to put some finishing touches on the two pastels I did while in Virginia City. I'd like to start another painting while I wait for some photos of Scotland and England to arrive. I'm still concentrating on Italy but am anxious to tackle some of the compositions from our recent trip. Now the big decision is whether to learn to frame my own works as framing pastels can get rather pricey - minimum $250 and can go up, up, up from there. I must say that having the pastels back in my hand feels real, real good, especially after unloading a good portion of my fabric stash. It seems the more stuff I have, the more the stuff ends up defining what I do and who I am, or it is just a constant reminder that I have a lot "to do." There's much to be said for living simply, and absent of clutter.

It must be warming up outside as I see a Stellar Jay hopping from limb to limb in the neighbor's tree. I guess it's time to go spread some seed.