Come, thick night (then go)

Temperature: -4/25ish, and finally: some snow! On the eve of the longest night of the year, thank you, universe, for every flake of light.

Eating: persimmons and clementines

Drinking: Hardys Brave New World Shiraz Black Edition. Well, not at this very moment, over Christmas, sure, and if you like your reds full-bodied and ambrosial, tim-tim, sweetie darlings.

Watching: Game of Thrones all over again. Yes, the whole damn thing, just so I’ll be on top of things in April.

Listening: to The Snowman, which celebrates its 40th birthday. I’m in my forties, so I can honestly say I don’t remember a Christmas without him.

Reading: Breaking news: the remaking of journalism and why it matters now by Alan Rusbridger.

Thinking: how strange and bittersweet the holidays will be for my father-in-law, for all of us, without my mother-in-law. I hope we can make it easier on one another by keeping her favorite traditions going. When I look closer at the traditions we do have, they’re all here. All the loved ones we’ve lost are here with us. In the recipes and decorations, in the music and stories, in the ties that bind us together.

Happy Holidays, dearest denizens, wherever you are. 😘
 

Bake the world a better place

My children love gingerbread in any shape or form, and I love the holiday season, so I decided to surprise them with these tokens of maternal love and devotion and it's-almost-Christmas-why-isn't-it-Christmas-already. No, I didn't get up at the crack of dawn to bake. They're teens, barely conscious at noon on weekends, so I had p l e n t y of time. 

Happy December 1st!