190
3 years ago
Monday, November 30, 2015
Silent Within
I thought of writing more about Thanksgiving -- about the myriad pies, about the joy of having all three Offspring at home, about the pleasure of having companionship in the kitchen -- but I cannot. While some sentiments are best released through writing, others are best held wordlessly in the heart. And so it shall be.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Home
Home wasn't a set house, or a single town on a map. It was wherever the people who loved you were, whenever you were together. Not a place, but a moment, and then another, building on each other like bricks to create a solid shelter that you take with you for your entire life, wherever you may go. ― Sarah Dessen, What Happened to Goodbye
Home: we carry it with us.
It was collected here for Thanksgiving; and now some portions have dispersed once more. Such it is, when the Universe has called us to different places on this small blue planet.
My hope is that the pieces of Home that they carry with them will shelter and protect them, always.
Home: we carry it with us.
It was collected here for Thanksgiving; and now some portions have dispersed once more. Such it is, when the Universe has called us to different places on this small blue planet.
My hope is that the pieces of Home that they carry with them will shelter and protect them, always.
Friday, November 27, 2015
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Eeeeeuuuuuaaagh
Thanksgiving will be at my house.
This evening's efforts included dry-brining the turkey.
Handling the turkey was enough to make me seriously consider becoming a vegetarian. Ew.
Much more enjoyable to make were the blueberry and cherry pies; the squash; the cranberry sauce; the zucchini bread; the pumpkin bread; and the Boston brown bread muffins.
Next up: mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and the stuffing. And gravy, which is surprisingly tricky.
More details, and perhaps pictures, to follow in due course.
I am enjoying the cooking.
This evening's efforts included dry-brining the turkey.
Handling the turkey was enough to make me seriously consider becoming a vegetarian. Ew.
Much more enjoyable to make were the blueberry and cherry pies; the squash; the cranberry sauce; the zucchini bread; the pumpkin bread; and the Boston brown bread muffins.
Next up: mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and the stuffing. And gravy, which is surprisingly tricky.
More details, and perhaps pictures, to follow in due course.
I am enjoying the cooking.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Bank of....
Herself speaks.
'Tis the season... for holiday catalogs. So. Many. Catalogs. Some are interesting, some are filled with perplexingly expensive items that I can't imagine anyone actually purchasing. Some are pure schlock.
Today a catalog of jewelry arrived. Although I'm not enamored of large or expensive jewelry, I do like to thumb through those catalogs, just to see. This particular catalog was an equal-opportunity offering -- there were selections for men as well as for women -- that included the money clip shown in the photograph below (my thoughts follow the picture):
Just.
No.
For so many reasons.
Primary reason one: if one is a father, one should expect to pay for items for one's offspring on occasion. That doesn't make one a "bank". That makes one a responsible (and occasionally generous) parent.
(I wonder, is it a thing of pride for some dads to be a "bank" for one's children? I can't fathom. But then again, I'm not a dad.)
Primary reason two: where is the "bank of mom" money clip? Is it that women don't use money clips, that it is not offered? What if they do?
I find myself thinking that this is some sort-of-sexist thing, where the patriarch controls the money. Perhaps that's ridiculous to think so. Yet it's a subtle thing that permeates so many things: for example, when we received the check from the insurance company to repair the hail damage to the house, the check was made out to Beloved Husband and the mortgage holder. I'm on the mortgage. I'm on the insurance policy. Why am I not also on the check?
Why is it so easy to dismiss or overlook a woman's involvement in family finances, even when in many households (such as mine) a woman is solely or primarily responsible for ensuring bills are paid and necessities are bought and gifts are purchased?
I may never know the answer. It grates at me, just a tiny bit, each time.
'Tis the season... for holiday catalogs. So. Many. Catalogs. Some are interesting, some are filled with perplexingly expensive items that I can't imagine anyone actually purchasing. Some are pure schlock.
Today a catalog of jewelry arrived. Although I'm not enamored of large or expensive jewelry, I do like to thumb through those catalogs, just to see. This particular catalog was an equal-opportunity offering -- there were selections for men as well as for women -- that included the money clip shown in the photograph below (my thoughts follow the picture):
No.
For so many reasons.
Primary reason one: if one is a father, one should expect to pay for items for one's offspring on occasion. That doesn't make one a "bank". That makes one a responsible (and occasionally generous) parent.
(I wonder, is it a thing of pride for some dads to be a "bank" for one's children? I can't fathom. But then again, I'm not a dad.)
Primary reason two: where is the "bank of mom" money clip? Is it that women don't use money clips, that it is not offered? What if they do?
I find myself thinking that this is some sort-of-sexist thing, where the patriarch controls the money. Perhaps that's ridiculous to think so. Yet it's a subtle thing that permeates so many things: for example, when we received the check from the insurance company to repair the hail damage to the house, the check was made out to Beloved Husband and the mortgage holder. I'm on the mortgage. I'm on the insurance policy. Why am I not also on the check?
Why is it so easy to dismiss or overlook a woman's involvement in family finances, even when in many households (such as mine) a woman is solely or primarily responsible for ensuring bills are paid and necessities are bought and gifts are purchased?
I may never know the answer. It grates at me, just a tiny bit, each time.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Anticipation
I'm a firm believer in refraining from anticipating things: experience has taught me that hoping for, or looking forward to, something far too frequently results in at best, disappointment, and at worst, an unfortunate cosmic "you may NOT have what you want" moment (or even occasionally, a "you may have the OPPOSITE of what you want" moment).
I bore this prohibition in mind while setting the table for Thanksgiving. Even though I don't want to jinx matters by imagining the pleasure of having some of my very favorite people sitting down to a meal together, I did, nevertheless, allow myself to enjoy setting the table. It looks nice. And that alone is enough to make me happy for now.
I bore this prohibition in mind while setting the table for Thanksgiving. Even though I don't want to jinx matters by imagining the pleasure of having some of my very favorite people sitting down to a meal together, I did, nevertheless, allow myself to enjoy setting the table. It looks nice. And that alone is enough to make me happy for now.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Scorpio/Saggitarius Cusp
I haven’t had a birthday party in a while, probably because I’m not really into celebrating myself. Especially not for an achievement (the creation of me) that I did not contribute to. ― Jarod Kintz, This Book is Not FOR SALE
We celebrate you, for our world is better for having you in it.
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