My Own Personal Day of the Dead

December 30th

Today is a beautiful, sunny, cold and crisp winter day. She was such a good dog. Even when she was bad. My baby girl.

Helpless

Helpless in the face of adversity, aka... the holiday tables... laden/loaded/heavy/groaning with delicacies of every description. All the pretty little poppers that just fit & fill your mouth and take their time disolving. Insert full body moan here. I like the savoury ones the best. Appies so wonderful you are barely civilized. Then of course there is the holiday fall from grace, the turkey. Let's talk turkey. The aroma alone causes me to forgo all pretensions of being a non-meat eater. I know, I know, there was that disturbing incident with the elk salami, but this one is even more visceral. There is a bit of the 'honour & adore' syndrome at work here and a lot of salivating. I am happy to know it was free-range, organic etc., but in reality, I really don't care. I eat it anyway. There, I said it. Father forgive me my trespasses and pass the gravy. I am pleased that we seem to have passed into a phase of celebrating Christmas more with edible excesses, rather than with 'gifts' and I am very okay with that. The few gifts that are received tend to be very meaningful and so delightful in their unexpectedness. So, 'cheers to that' and 'may the wind be at your back', and 'may you live longer than you imagine' and 'may all good things come to pass' and 'sleep tight and don't let the bedbugs bite'...oh...we can't really say that one anymore, can we?

Seeing No Evil

So anyway 'tis the season of fantasy. Let us put on our 'PPE' (Personal Protective Equipment) and forge on into the holiday fray. I love this season of indulgence. I am a top competitor in throwing caution to the wind. I dive into that holiday buffet table at party after party with no regard for calories or even ethics...yes, guilty. I recently ate and enjoyed several types of, godforgiveme, elk salami (!) the other night and would have eaten more if only there were no other pesky guests around. Next was a hearty hello to the salmon/goat cheese pate-filled marinated cherry peppers that were, how you say, to die for? Then, I heard rumours of a fig/goat cheese appie that was making appearances at parties here. My dental hygienist was describing their deliciousness to me while she was scraping my teeth and hosing out my mouth. I was moaning and spitting at her in agreement...yes, yes, yes, must have some of those. Soooo, yesterday there they were at a little afternoon getogether sitting innocently on a tray, each one in its own tiny pastry shell. So pretty. I think I ate an embarrassing number of them. To be continued...

Six Weeks Crash Course

i learned to drive in the snow. i remembered how to pump my own gas. i entered a grocery store and actually shopped. i used up most of the 'back-up' basement food. i slept like a zombie. i spent less time cleaning the house. i checked in on myself. i trained the dog to be polite (mostly). i thought a lot about the future. i spent time with friends. i forgot to pay the stupid credit union and got a delinquent notice. i skied in the woods and enjoyed the quiet of that. i learned how to make charcoal out of eggs.* i knit for good.** i believe that being alone is not the same as being lonely. i am not lonely. i had a birthday. i read some really good books. i like to cook for myself. i am looking forward to having Mr.Big back. *place eggs in pan to hard-boil, turn burner on and go out on the trail to ski for 2 hours. **the Nelson Knitting Co-p where we all 'knit for good'...it's our motto.

Birthday Revolutionary or Che Bambina?

Every year on my birthday (yes, it is today) to celebrate being alive and ambulatory, I make a point to get outside and work out. It is my birthday present to myself. I like to celebrate still having the use of my body....still having everything in working order. I am thankful that I have legs that can run and arms that are strong and a heart that keeps it all going. So, this year, living in the ice & snow of the lovely north, I took myself and my dog for a ski through the woods. It was pretty nice.