One Week to Go!

Well, if the panic level wasn't high enough already--it certainly gets ratcheted up today.

The Christmas Season is drawing to a crescendo! Excitement abounds. Traffic is excruciating. And every visit by the mail person, FEDEX, or UPS provides renewed excitement.  Riordin, our new cat, is especially interested in all of the packages arriving and being stowed around the house.  He seems to enjoy the taste of the wrapping paper.

I know for myself, I am looking forward to a four-day week next week. And then Christmas Eve--with brunch, and church, and most likely friends for the evening.

Chris and I are thinking about finding a mid-night service to attend, something we have not done in years (or actually since we stopped singing in the choir at church). It was just too tough to do it all and it made for a long evening. But now--I think we could pull it off.


My Florida Dream House



The snow on Thursday--aside from really snarling the drive home, provided a needed boost to the Christmas spirit. Although, I did send Tegan a quippy note (she's in Australia) in her Blog about checking out the beach for me.  I really think I would be good with Christmas on the beach somewhere sunny and warm.  Even hot!

 Wouldn't a cookout around the pool to celebrate Christmas be awesome?  I'm a huge fan of Christmas Palms.  I want to get one on closeout after the holidays and put it in the yard next year.

Actually, I'm told the guy who owned our house before us did that one year to the tune of a couple hundred dollars to open and heat the pool.

But that seems a bit excessive--and propane is not $3 per gallon and not the $.20 it used to be.  It would be $500 easy now with propane and opening and reclosing the pool.

But, I'm dreaming of a beach Christmas--just like when I was in college a long, long time ago.

It was especially more of a dream after I shoveled the driveway yesterday and nearly froze my hands putting washer fluid in Chris' car and flattening the boxes to place them in recycling. 

Let's agree on one important safety tip: 17 degrees is just too cold!

Next week--the post-Christmas clean up begins. But for the next week--be sure you wish everyone a Merry Christmas!  They really want to hear you say it!

Love

Every so often, the lyrics of a song really hit me and stop me for a moment to really let them turn over in my mind.

I have been hearing a song by JJ Heller lately titled "Love Me."  I have linked in the lyrics so that you can read them--but I also urge you to listen to the song.

The song presents three very different people struggling to find, accept, and receive love--unconditional love. The chorus is as follows:

Who will love me for me?
Not for what I have done or what I will become
Who will love me for me?
'Cause nobody has shown me what love, what love really means

The three people described in the song are a boy, who though it is not specifically stated I imagine is the victim of some kind of abuse; a woman whose husband has left her and her struggle to deal with her loss; and a death row murderer facing execution.  And they share this same cry--a cry to be loved unconditionally.

It is a hard love to find and a love we only experience from a very select few. The world tries to mimic this love, but the world only provides a transitory, "what have you done for me lately" kind of love. We see it demonstrated by corporations, sports teams, fans, and many others. It is not love--it is brief admiration masquerading as love.

The song ends with the bridge and the final chorus as follows:

Then he heard a voice somewhere deep inside
And it said
"I know you've murdered and I know you've lied
I have watched you suffer all of your life
And now that you'll listen, I'll tell you that I..."

I will love you for you
Not for what you have done or what you will become
I will love you for you
I will give you the love
The love that you never knew

God's promises!

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28-29

Intersections

I got thinking about how seemingly unconnected things come together at just the right time.

Sometimes the "just the right time" is good--sometimes it is bad.  But these things just happen--circumstance? I think not. I hope not. There are just too many of them and when you consider the astronomical odds--could they really happen that way even if we planned them?

I was thinking back a few years ago, when Patrick rolled his Honda into a tree on New Year's morning a couple of years ago. And there just happened to be a medical professional following him who saw the accident and was on the scene almost before Patrick could extricate himself from the car. The tree impacted just behind the driver in the passenger area--but for three feet, the car could have been crushed onto Patrick. I remember how many times I looked at where that car was crushed as it sat in my driveway for almost a year before being towed away, and I though how lucky Patrick had been.  But it was an intersection--the tree and the car and the medical person all together on the scene, and Patrick was OK and checked out.

And there are so many other intersections--I don't really see them all every day, but I suspect they are there.

Tuesday evening for instance. Traffic was awful as I was coming home from the gym. I-95 was snarled and the on ramp I usually use was backed up almost a mile.  Suffice it to say--it was ugly. So I chose to go the alternate route--US 1. I guess everyone forgot about US 1 because it was clear and 50 mph all the way home.  What was the intersection? As I had just lost an ugly racquetball match and felt crummy, the idea of sitting in traffic really didn't appeal to me--so the whole traffic back up forced me to an alternate route that significantly improved my mood because it was such a pleasant drive.

The intersection of the traffic, with racquetball, with US 1 completely changed my mood.

I had another one yesterday afternoon. I was planning to be with Ethan after school and I had a report at work that wasn't going to get out because my boss wasn't going to have time to review it before I had to leave. So I got an extension on the report. But then, Nicole called and Jax was sick so "E-day," as I call it, was cancelled. Because of the intersection of Jax being sick (a bad thing) and cancelling E-day with the report deadline--I didn't need the extension.

I know this seems a bit fuzzy--but I haven't been thinking about this for very long. I'm going to look hard at the intersections--where seemingly dissimilar paths cross to provide a result.

December's Snow

It was blowing across the parking lot yesterday morning as I arrived at the gym at 5:30 AM.
White and powdery I could just make out the fine snow as it glistened in the headlights of my truck
Blowing in the wind but not really accumulating, ensuring I was aware that the cold December wind
Was bringing the snow which was falling on my windshield as I navigated the mostly deserted car park.

I reflected for a moment on how it was kind of pretty, like dust, or sand on the beach
But then I remembered how cold it was outside my warm, fully heated vehicle, twenty-something anyway
And the wind was whipping across the open areas--I could feel it slam into the truck on the overpasses
As I made my way to my appointed racquetball time at the gym and to start the day.

It was dark outside, but the stars peaked through the broken clouds and cast their cold light on the scene
I thought for a moment of a couple traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem some centuries ago
How cold it was, and how they huddled together for warmth and to protect their unborn child from the wind
I wondered if it snowed and if there was a warm fire outside their tent as they stopped for the night.

The wind whipped through my hair as I stepped out from the warmth and made my way to the building
I was shocked by how cold it was, this morning, but the stars in the sky were beaming down at me then
As they did on a night--so many years before, when the promise made to man by a loving God was fulfilled
When the birth of a small child, in a barn, off the beaten path of the world, changed everything for all time.

Wine Club Dinner: The 2010 Version is a Hit

The Wine Club which we belong to conducted its Sixth Annual Dinner on Saturday night. I was amazed that is was six years, but Chris and I have only attended the past three. This has become and annual event that we look forward to, and when our holiday and birthday party schedule cleared up so that we could attend this year's dinner, we were excited.  It is always a great night with good friends, great food and superior wines.

I am happy to report that the 2010 version met and exceeded all expectations.

The friends were awesome. The company, the discussion, the laughter, and the celebration. Good friends collecting together over dinner or drinks are always fun--but this evening is truly special. Gary and Pam provided a atmosphere that was perfect--in their wine cellar surrounded by bottles of wine and with the lighting absolutely perfect. Thanks guys. And the table decorations and arrangement by Gerri and Jennifer added to the special nature of the evening in a perfect way. I wish I had taken a picture--but alas, I was having so much fun that I totally forgot.

The food--well where to begin. When I looked at the menu and saw all of the talented cooks who were involved, I was sure that the food was going to be a scrumptious as it was. Everything was perfect. I particularly enjoyed the baked brie with cranberries--and many of you who know me, know that I never met a brie that I didn't like! The mixed lettuce, pear, and goat cheese salad was awesome. (Sorry Fran, I like goat cheese!)  The entree was perfect for the evening. Braised beef short ribs over garlic mashed potatoes, roasted carrots and parsnips with rosemary. The ribs were cooked to perfection and the flavors blended perfectly. And the dessert. Where to begin--except to say, Mark you can make a chocolate-raspberry torte for me anytime. What is not to like. It was melt in your mouth good.  So to all of the cooks: Pam, Gary, Steve, Gerri and Mark--awesome. You should consider opening a restaurant someday and I am already looking forward to the 2011 version of the Wine Club Dinner.

If the food was so good, how can there be any level above that--but the wine selections by Gary perfectly complimented the courses.

The highlight was the M. Chapoutier Banyuls Vin Doux Naturel 2007 and how it so perfectly complimented the torte. It was truly one of those pairings that brings out the best in both--the wine, followed by a piece of torte, and then some more wine. It makes me smile as I write this as to how food it was.

The sparkling wine with the appetizer was awesome as usual--especially with the ginger liqueur. It was the Domaine Chandon Extra Dry Riche from California. A beautiful finish which fully complimented the brie and cranberries.

One of my personal finds of the evening was the Roots Run Deep Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Educated Guess 2007 from Napa Valley. Although I do believe it could use another year in the bottle--it matched up well with the entree and I will definitely be seeking it out to add to my personal collection. This wine was not a fruit bomb and had good complexity and tannins to meet the meat right where it was at. I really enjoyed this wine.

And then there was the sherry. It was the Emilio Lustau Jerez-Xeres Sherry Capataz Andes Deluxe Cream Solera Reserva from Spain. So smooth and luscious. It was so good that many of the guests started doing shots of it--just for the pure fun and enjoyment of the after dinner sherry.

So to all of you who prepared and attended the dinner--thanks. It was a lot of work, but I think the results speak for themselves--a superior dinner and gathering of friends around the table to celebrate the victories of the year and to cement the friendships for the years ahead.

Monday Musings - December 13, 2010

1. Less than two weeks to go until Christmas and the panic is rising in the shoppers minds.

2. Holiday parties, friends, family, and new friends. We are very blessed to have so many people to enjoy the season with.

3. We saw our first snow flakes of the season on Friday, it seemed the entire region took a pause to both enjoy their light, fluffy beauty and to remember the hammering we took last winter. We have already been suffering through mid-February like temperatures.

4. Asked to provide one word to describe the holiday season, what would you say?

5. Here is something that bothers me--and I have not yet been able to confirm it--but our Congress is continuing to add pork to the budget bills while at the same time freezing the pay of Federal workers. Wouldn't it make sense to stop the pork as well to bring the deficit under control? One rumor indicated that Nancy Pelosi asked for $5 million for funding renovation of an old military facility for commercial use. If the American public is serious about reducing the deficit, why isn't Congress?

6. This season makes everyone a little more edgy--take a breath before you respond, it will make the conversation easier.

7. Promises. Christmas was the fulfillment of a promise made thousands of years before it happened.

8. With all of the emphasis on football, I wonder if anyone has noticed the Penguins (hockey) have a 12 game winning streak going and Sidney Crosby (their captain) has an 18 game point streak going on as well?

9. Have you looked at where the products you are using are made?  I think I may begin boycotting items "Made in China." But I worry that I won't be able to buy anything at all. (That may not be a bad thing)

Holiday Party Survivor

What a day it was.

A great day full of family and friends and wine.

We attended three holiday parties during the day, starting with Nicole's Birthday Breakfast at 8AM.  The mimosa's were flowing freely and the food was scrumptious. Nicole and her friends Pam and Michelle can really cook up a storm.. And as we all know, I can eat, too. The grandsons were great and even the dogs were well mannered.

From there we had a break before a holiday open house--where the wine flowed freely and the food was excellent. We met new friends and had a great time talking about wedding planning with a young and just engaged couple. We also, of course, were able to retell our story of the consensus blending last week a couple of times as well.

After a short break it was off o our wine club dinner hosted by Gary and Pam and attended by 11 of our closest friends. Wine pairings and good food and conversation highlighted a delightful evening. The hit of the evening was the sherry, I think, although the Cabernet Sauvignon was excellent as well. The conversation never lagged and the food and wine went down a bit too easy.

Was it a chore to attend three holiday functions in the same day? Not at all. It is the holiday season and connecting with friends and family is really what the season is all about. Strengthening ties and rekindling friendships makes each of us stronger and helps sustain us through the bleak midwinter.

I think I miss holiday parties during the summer. I love barbecues but there is something special about the holidays.

Next week is not nearly so hectic--and so I expect to be able to finish my shopping. But yesterday was a truly special day and one that I want to remember for a long time.

Merry Christmas everyone.  Thanks.

Birthday Morning Breakfast

Chris and Jax After Breakfast

We went to Nicole's to celebrate her birthday with a fabulous brunch this morning. The food and the friends who arrived were a lot of fun.

This is Chris and Jax relaxing after the festivities.

Boy in the Window

He was sitting there in the window of a store in downtown Ellicott City. Off the beaten path--but there he was: blond hair, 4 years old or so with a precocious grin on his face accompanied by his dog--a cute black and white border collie.

The building was old, painted white with green shutters and some gardens in front of it and so I was able to watch his antics from a short distance away. I surmised that his parent--probably mother, was inside shopping and he, like me, was bored with the entire shopping experience. I have no idea how long he had been shopping, but I had been on the expedition for only about 15 minutes and we were fortifying ourselves with coffee, but the entirety of the shopping "event" was yet in front of me.

I was with two of my grandsons, Ethan and Jax, but I could relate to the young boy in the window who was amusing himself lost in his own world of imagination oblivious to the passers-by who noticed him.

I was standing in a garden drinking my too-hot coffee while the rest of the group finished up inside. I was thinking I was gonna need a restroom in a couple minutes if I really drank all of the coffee. It was early autumn and the air was brisk, but not yet cold. The roses in the garden retained their full bloom--reds and yellows graced the walk in front of the buildings cast off to the side of the parking lot.

Then the boy saw me watching him. He hid his face, playfully and then peaked back to see if I was still observing his antics.

I stared unabashedly at him and smiled allowing him to see that I was not being judgemental nor disapproving of his activity. Recognizing this, he resumed his play and ignored me. Which was fine. I was losing myself in my own thoughts and he was the catalyst transporting my mind to another place and time.

Ethan strolled out of the coffee shop right at that moment and we began conversing about the day and the flowers and the cold. Ethan too, was already bored with the idea of hours of shopping ahead of us. I soon forgot about the boy and his dog--except--

I wished that it was me playing in the corner of a store window uncaring of the world around me and lost in my own imagination. And you know what? I remember doing almost that exact same thing in a downtown Ithaca, NY shoe store when I was four (without the dog). And for a moment, I could even smell again the strong odor of the stains used to color shoes coming from the back room of the store.

Flowers of Christmas

Technically, I guess it isn't a flowering plant at all--but we all consider the poinsettia to be one of those Christmas icons that homes are just not complete without.

This year we ran across an especially beautiful one and just has to have it. It has a variegated pink bracts.

And it is beautiful sitting on the table. It compliments our large traditional red poinsettia very well.

They are both beautiful, but like roses there is a small problem. Roses have thorns and I am allergic it seems to poinsettias. So I find out this year.

Too bad--I love the way they look and the color they add to the house during the bleak mid-winter is stunning. So I will suffer and remain drugged on antihistamines to function and enjoy the season. I'm also told that copious quantities of wine are good to make me forget my stuffy nose.