The First Sunday in Advent

 

This year's decorations are minimal and as Meredith pointed out, it is my choice. If later I decide I want more decorations, I just get them out and add them. 

One thing that stays the same, however, is the Advent wreath. Simple, plain, and very meaningful.

Another standard is that I get out all my Christmas books so they are within easy reach to read once again. As I was looking at them this morning, I realized I know most of them by heart. There are short stories, full fledged novels, poetry and fun. I usually start with Sandra Boynton's Christmastime, and move on to Anne Perry's Christmas novels. The Grinch gets saved for Christmas Eve with my family. The point being, I suggest that you read something this season that you almost know by heart. It doesn't have to be a Christmas story. Just one that you have read often, that brings you pleasure, and will bring you comfort as you live into this beautiful, frustrating, odd, delightful, painful, hopeful season of the year. 

Blessings, my friends. 

Today I Wore Pearls

 

Today I wore pearls in honor of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

In honor of RBG ~ and Democracy

 ~ and Lady Liberty, the words on your base are not forgotten

~ and Abigail Adams, who said, "Don't forget the ladies, John"

~ and all the Native American mothers who walked the trail of tears

~ and all the black mothers who hold their breaths until their sons return home safely

~ and all the women who marched, were jailed and force fed so that we could vote today

~ and Rosa Parks

~ and all the women who wear the title "the first woman to . . ."

~ and all the LBGTQ folks struggling to have the same rights as everyone else

~ and all the wives and mothers who bear the burden of having sons and daughters at war

~ and all those whose anger is fought against instead of being listened to as legitimate protest

~ and all those who have the courage to flee domestic violence

~ and all those who fight for justice whether in the streets, the courts, the home, or the government

~ and all our daughters whose strength and wisdom is just now rising to the fore.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg,

May her legacy be a blessing and a beacon to us all. 

Mama Susan's Sous Chefs

 

I had good helpers baking sour cream pound cake yesterday. 

After hand washing and assurances that they would follow instructions and take turns,

they started by just watching the butter cream.

Taking turns, the eggs were added one at a time and cups of flour

alternated with the sour cream. 

One of the joys of baking is licking the beater so we all shared

a finger full of the delicious batter. 

The bowl is heavy of course and  I was taller so I poured the batter

into the pans by myself. 

My sous chefs were very happy with the outcome,

and when asked what they did today, the first answer was 

always, "we baked a cake." 

And so I leave you with a question: how do you define "rich" in connection with a cake?

Question: what does the sour cream do?

Answer: it makes the cake richer than ordinary cakes.

Question: what is "richer"?

Answer: hmmmmmm - well, uh, . . .

And there you have it. She is 7. I am 77. I know and understand, I just had a hard 

time defining. I'm open to suggestions. 

First Votes

 Two grandsons turned 18 this year and yesterday voted for the first time ~ in what I believe may be the most important election of their life times. Another grandson and a granddaughter just missed the last Presidential election so although older, this was their first election too. So proud of our families teaching the next generation how important involvement in the political process is. Good for all of you!!

Lettie & Levi On Line

For the first time in months and months we have family visiting. It is so good to see them even though we are staying some distance from each other. The kids are so active that we don't have a chance to be too close to them because they are so busy running around the deck and the house and being on line.

Sister and Brother playing games.

Like Grandfather like grandson. 

Dean on his side of the window seat.

Levi on his side of the window seat. 

Lettie on line ~ virtual school can be attended from anywhere. 

 

The Saga of a Cake

As I was growing up, we would visit my mother's family in North Carolina and part of the summer ritual was Aunt Lalah's Sour Cream Pound Cake. One day when I was living in Denver, Aunt Lalah came to visit and I asked her to make me a sour cream pound cake. She did ~ and at that altitude, it fell. This amazing North Carolinian cook was Devastated. And I never tried it again but I always kept the recipe close at hand. Then I moved to Tahoe and was once again living at altitude so when visiting daughter Michelle in Oregon, I asked her to make me a sour cream pound cake. This is how it turned out ~ and it tasted just as good as it looked and as good as I remembered. 

In Tahoe I have a neighbor who is a culinary schooled pastry chef, so I asked him what I might do to make this cake at altitude. I tried his suggestion and the cake tasted really good and . . . it crumbled coming ut of the pan. 

Oops. But it tasted good ~ what to do? 

I had lots of fresh fruit so I made a fruit bread pudding ~

with rum sauce (another story). 

Delicious, moist and truly wonderful. But I still hadn't accomplished making

the sour cream pound cake at altitude.

"Give it another try", suggested my bakery chef friend, "only this time make

no adjustments to your original recipe. And bake in loaf pans instead of the bundt 

pan the recipe calls for."

Ta-dah!! Perfect!! No falling, no crumbling. Just wonderful,

delicious, as I remember it pound cake. Slices tasted so good under

strawberries, ice cream and whipped cream on the deck with

grandsons. 

It was with joy and sadness that we celebrated Kyle's leaving us after five years in Tahoe that started with his living 9 months in our guest room ~ and the fun of welcoming his brother Carter who has been in Tahoe all summer and is staying around. Although not living with us, we look forward to seeing him occasionally for more dinners on the deck and some skiing with Grandpa over the winter. We love you guys and I am so glad the sour cream pound cake was a success just in time for the start of new journeys for you both!

Small Heroes

 We are used to hearing about Heroes: first responders who rush into burning buildings or to an accident or more recently who don haz-mat suits and nurse folks with COVID or fly over huge fires doing their best to bring them under control.They are heroes indeed and we should be grateful for them everyday.

Today I want to remind you of other heroes, heroes with a small “h” who have probably never heard themselves referred to in that way. They are out there, day in and day out, and especially during these massive fires that are burning in the west. Our family has been directly touched by the Alameda fire that practically destroyed the towns of Talent and Phoenix, Oregon. And so I give you my list of small heroes.

Daughter Michelle who gathered her family and a cat and drove them to safety ~ a 3 1/2 hour convoluted drive that normally takes her 20 minutes. 

Grandson Akira’s friend who said, “we have a guest house. You can stay there tonight.”

The hotel who gave them the lower weekly rate and the school’s union who gave $200 toward that hotel bill and a $200 gift certificate to Fred Myers. 

The friend who, when Michelle’s battery went out, drove back to Medford to pick up Marc from the airport. He had been being a terrific dad and helping his son move to Des Moines. 

Whoever drove Michelle and family to the evacuation donation center where they were able to get a few extra clothes and some food supplies.

Everyone working the evacuation donation center and Harry & David, the food company, who donated some of their wonderful pears. 

One of Trinity’s teachers from middle school who has given them her studio apartment for the duration. Although Michelle’s apartment is still standing, there is no electricity and no water and until those are restored no one returns to Talent.

A God-mother and a cousin both of whom have sent money to help with expenses. 

Marc, who even as I write, is in line waiting to be escorted back into Talent where he will have five minutes to gather whatever necessities were left behind. And the people who organized this escort service so people can return briefly. 

You’ve heard it before and it is so true: heroes do not always wear capes and angels do not always have wings. Prayers of blessings and gratitude for all of these small heroes who are pitching in to help where they can in the midst of a fiery crisis.