"New"

What is it about "new" that invigorates and excites us? New love, new job, new baby, new home... Hallmark makes a fortune on cards commemorating "new" events. Why are we so addicted to beginning or acquiring something "new", rather than continuing or maintaining something already begun or acquired?

I know...

But pop psychology aside, I think it's more than the mere wish to clean the slate or avoid long-term investment and effort. I think that beneath those obvious contributors there's something inherently optimistic about most of us. There's this indomitability in the human psyche that longs for yet another opportunity to fulfill our perceived potential.

Deep inside? We all believe we're capable of better than we've proved so far.

So we look to the new year as a custom-made "do-over" or "do-better" or "be-better" and the challenge is intoxicating at first. No, it's not just the champagne, the new start can be heady, too. Each year as we try to make ourselves, our families, our communities and our world better, the fact that we try is itself our success. To continue to attempt that which has not yet been accomplished -- whether it's quitting smoking, or finding and giving more love, or accomplishing better fitness, or learning a new skill -- is to give us all reason to believe we can.

And that? That's a cause to celebrate if ever I heard one. Happy New Year!

Til' the season comes 'round again...

Random snapshots of Christmas:








What is the word for this? I cannot name it, but it is here all around me. It is not precisely a feeling, nor yet a presence, although there are characteristics of both within it. It is not peace, not contentment, nor even relief. Whatever it's name, it fills me, surrounds me and beckons to me, and I am aware of it only now in the empty space under the tree, the fading glow of the fire, the loaded dishwasher and crowded couch.

It reassures me... but I don't know of what.

Happy Christmas, Happy Hanukka, Happy Kwanza, Happy Solstice, Happy DAY!

After a full day of baking, eating, delivering gifts, and having drinks with a dear friend, I am at last free to give you all a holiday photo gift as you've requested:


Brizzy:









A bonus picture of Grayson:





And finally, especially for Jim:





May you each receive even a small measure of the joy, laughter and delight I have been given by having you in my life via this blog. Happy Holiday!

Monty Python

No, really. He's a python and his name is actually Monty. He belongs to my daughter's 6th Grade Science Class, and he's staying with us during the winter break.


And he's molting.




Nothing says "Happy Holidays" quite like a shedding reptile in the playroom.

If a tree falls in the forest...

***PHOTO UPDATE***




The annual tree hunt went on without a hitch yesterday. And by that, I mean the trailer hitch was not involved at all as they strapped the tree on top of the Pilot. It's a Norway spruce, about 7-8 feet tall, full and pretty and freshly cut from the acres and acres of evergreen varietals at the tree farm up Mission Creek road.

As the ritual takes shape once again, I wonder if it means anything? Granted, the tree is one among hundreds and thousands grown precisely for the purpose of being cut down in its youth and displayed in someone's home wearing garland and lights, its replacement to be planted in the spring. Ecologically I have no particular issue with that. But isn't the practice just a little bizarre?

"Here kids, let's bring a needle-dropping, flammable, dead tree into our home and cover it with things so it looks more like a statue of trinkets than a tree anyway. And if you're good, some old fat guy with wardrobe issues will leave the presents of your dreams underneath it."

Our culture says these things by deed if not word, and proclaims the tree to be the quintessential centerpiece of a holiday about which we don't want the children to become greedy or confused as to "the true meaning of Christmas". Wha??

The giving and receiving of gifts IS the reason for the season. Ask a retailer. Christmas has persisted as a holiday in this post-modern society we're brewing precisely because it means people will buy shit they wouldn't buy at any other time of the year. Like fruitcake. Or dead trees. An entire industry is built around growing and cutting young healthy trees for one day. But of course, now we put them up weeks before Christmas, so that makes it less bizarre??

Whatever. We hunted the tree, we cut the tree, we carried the tree home, and dutifully "conditioned" it in a bucket of water in the garage overnight. Today we will festoon the tree, the children will sigh with happiness and festively packaged presents will begin to accumulate.

And maybe my heart will grow back from the "two sizes too small" it has been so far this season. Hey, don't laugh. It could happen. I saw the Grinch...

Holiday Cookie Exchange, or some such.

The lovey Ms. Fairchild, of What Was I Thinking?! has hosted a blogger Christmas Cookie Exchange today. In honor of this event, I bring you the following recipe:

Chocolate Mint Cookies

Cookies: 1 C sugar; 1/2 C butter (or butter-flavor Crisco), softened; 1 tsp. vanilla; 1 egg; 2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted & cooled; 1 C flour; 1/2 tsp. salt. (Yes, I know there's no baking powder or soda... TRUST me on this.)

Peppermint Frosting: 2&1/2 C confectioner's powedered sugar; 3 Tbls. milk; 1/4 C butter; 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract.

Fudge Drizzle: 1/4 C Butter; 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips; 2 Tbls. corn syrup.

Directions: Heat over to 375F; mix sugar, butter, vanilla, egg and chocolate. Stir in flour and salt. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonful on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each slightly with the bottom of a greased glass dipped in sugar. Bake 6-8 minutes -- DO NOT OVER-BAKE! Cool completely before spreading peppermint frosting evenly over each one. Heat ingredients for fudge drizzle gently over stovetop until melted and mixed smooth. Drizzle holly leaves, trees, stars or other design, or randomly, over each cookie. Let the fudge drizzle set and cool completely before covering or wrapping the cookies.

Makes about 3 dozen.


For those of you who are visual, the lovely SoozieQ made cookies from this very recipe just last night, and was kind enough to publish them on her Flickr account.

Oh, and just so you know? They really complement a cup of hot cocoa made with peppermint schnapps... smarshies optional!

There's no business like Snow "Briz"-ness

Not that anyone has been hinting, or anyone else has requested to see photos of Brizzy in the snow, but someone thinks I should post a few.

And since I just returned from a seminar that succeeded only in robbing me of a weekend I could have used to catch up on my life, without providing me any useful information, I am only a little bitter and pinched for time today. So, today is when I cheat and post this:





And this:




And this too:




And hope that when I get around to checking up on all of you, that none of you have blocked my IP address while I was gone.

For Amy

Photo taken at around 8:00pm, December 8, 2005:

10 More Things

SoozieQ tagged me with a "10 Random or Strange Facts About Yourself" meme. I did 100 Things awhile back, and if I knew how to link back into my own archives I'd make it easy for you to locate that tedious list in case you're a glutton for such punishment. But I don't, so if you MUST know them, you'll have to fish through the archives. (Doesn't THAT sound like a good time?!)

However, if you're the sort to be content with a sampler platter, here are 10 things about myself that make me go, "Hmmmmmmmm....."


1) I had the chicken pox in the first grade, and I have a visible scar from it.

2) I prefer green twinkle lights on a Christmas tree.

3) There are no bumper stickers on any of my vehicles.

4) Given a choice between ice cream or homemade popcorn, I'd take popcorn EVERY time. Of course, this also reveals the somewhat irrationally high opinion I hold of my own popcorn popping skee-uhlz.

5) When asked, I often refer to myself as a "Recovering Attorney", and I'm amazed at how few people actually get the humor.

6) At the age of 12, I was offered a scholarship to the Philadelphia School of Music to study piano performance. I did not ever attend.

7) I completely suck at racquetball.

8) One of my favorite jobs EVER was teaching swimming lessons and coaching the youth swim team during college.

9) Mexican food is the official food of heaven; and if not, then it's not really heaven and I'm not going and you can't make me.

10) Secretly, I wish I were a little kooky, y'know, equal parts trend-setter and eccentric; and sometimes I actually try to be. Those are the times I realize that kooky looks like "ass-hat" on someone who is not, in fact, kooky.... like me.

And there you have it. Sorry, I don't pass meme's along, but I'd be thrilled if any of you wanted to take this home and try it on for size. Just be sure to let us peek in the dressing room.

Winter Wonderland

Every photo in this series was taken this weekend in my pajamas from either the front or back porch of my house. That's seriously how far I have to look to see this stuff. And I have the audacity to bitch about A N Y T H I N G?? How do you people even put up with me?!

Oh, and see SoozieQ? Even in the winter, we have high, blue skies up here!

This, to me, is beautiful:
















Happy Tuesday, one and all!

Bleh

Not skiing. Not today, or tomorrow. Spent the morning at the doctor. Pisses me off. Not so much that I feel like crap, that I could deal with. It's the screwing up a whole weekend of skiing on the first open weekend of the season. THAT is what pisses me off. But I'll get over it. After I wallow in it long enough...


See Squirl? I really DO hate being disappointed, I wasn't kidding. Buy you a scotch? Cause that's what I'm having.

Three

Once in your life, it will make perfect sense to throw yourself head-first into a snowpile wearing pajamas.

Once in your life, you will find utter joy in a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich.

Once in your life, a kiss can mask any pain.







Happy Birthday, my son. You will be Three just this once.