Friday, November 26, 2010

quiet

Suddenly, it’s very very quiet. Daughters left town to visit family members elsewhere, Ed retreated to his sheep shed, ostensibly to give comfort to Isis, his cat, but more likely to recover from a day of raucous merrymaking (food and drink, aided by a constant stream of music and movies).

I’m left to tackle the post turkey clean up. It’s amazing how one bird can nearly destroy your oven, your hands, your pans, your pristine neatness that you’re trying to maintain for a condo sale.


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Outside – it’s winter. I can feel it. Everything has changed: it’s a different, biting cold outdoors. There are chilling winds that freeze the frown on your face, even as on the up side, we are having a magnificent winter blue sky.


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I'm turn inwards. The outdoors is no longer the default option. I doubt that I’ll take the bike out again, even if the weather returns to a decent range. I’m differently oriented now. I'm taking on a winter mood.


Though not entirely. By evening, I want at least a little of my old life back: I don’t bike, but I meander out for a winter walk. Even as the sun reminds me that if you want its warmth, you have to remember to be out before 4.  I missed it today. Now,  I'm just catching the last wisps of its brightness.


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Yep, it’s winter. May as well be December.


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change

In my experience, kids don’t like change unless they’re in charge and are the instigators of it.

I cannot tell you how many times I tried, over the years, to reconfigure Thanksgiving breakfast, for example. I got nowhere. Spice cake, apple strudel and bacon! We can't wait! The only way to  bring forth change was to introduce something new alongside the old and hope, HOPE that the new would catch their fancy, so that we could phase out the old.

That’s how I eventually switched Thanksgiving breakfast from spice cake and apple strudel to what we have now – cinnamon rolls.


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After breakfast? Well, it s a nonstop cooking and eating day for us. Though... what a surprise -- many of the foods are the same as last year. Take lunch: squash soup with herbed goat cheese dumplings and chive scones.


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Then comes dinner. No, actually then comes predinner. Snack foods. (This year's addition -- crostini with wild mushrooms.) The foods that keep everyone happy while the turkey takes its time.


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Finally. The bird's done. With a kick.


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The rest? Well, there's the chipotle corn, the whipped potato, the cranberry muffin, the mushroom gravy... You know, the usual. Except I introduce yet another vegetable (brussel sprouts). Shhhh! Let’s not focus on that wee change. Let’s just say things are the same. We like stability in foods and habits.There -- we finish with pumpkin souffles. Just like last year!


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I do hope your holiday was stable and happy. The best ever!