Thoughts on Family holidays

Not sleepy, but that's not unusual.
Sleep doesn't usually hit me 'til around three or so, then it's back up by 6 or 7 unless I have a headache or my legs don't want to work.  Then I get to lay around for a bit until things clear up, but really laying in bed isn't my idea of a good time.

There's just too much to do!  Especially around the holidays!  Either making gifts or wrapping them, going somewhere to deliver them or having company come over.......whoever invented the idea of a "holiday" sure didn't mean "take it easy day."

Modern Isolationism....rcw

But that's okay...and it's even more exciting now that Jack's family is including us in their celebrations.  It's been a little lonely these past many years, even though we have friends to share the time, there's something about family...just can't be replaced.

I used to not thing this way....used to consider myself just a stranger in a strange land, until l met my birthson...then my thinking changed a bit...the whole family thing took on new meaning.

I hope to go see my folks some time soon.  Mom ain't getting any younger and neither is any body else.
Here's hoping the coming year brings a chance for that.

So for today, Fifty Five Is The New Thoughts on Family holidays....some of the best stuff there is!

Home For The Holidays

Chalice by rcw

Holidays bring on memories....one of my favorite is how Mom would decorate the house.  Of course that was predicated by a grand old house cleaning, stem to stern.   This included everything from polishing the dining room furniture with Old English and a cloth to polishing the fancy gold flatware we'd be using at said table as we feasted upon an amazing meal.

Mom can cook.

This whole thing would commence shortly after Halloween and continue through Thanksgiving...the house would already be spic 'n' span for that, but we'd have to do some touch-ups for the Christmas/New Year celebrations.

I used to love polishing the dining room table legs. I'd pretend they were trees and I was hiding in a forest, or countless other scenarios while rubbing that polish deep into the grain. I'd do the chair legs as well, and why not? Then it would be on to the server, then finally the china cabinet.  I couldn't reach the tall parts....not even standing on a chair. Mom or Sister took care of them, unless one of the brothers could be drafted.

One of my most favorite memories is of the dining room window.  It wasn't much of a window, really...kind of a long window grouping that wasn't very tall.  It was highly placed on the dining room's rear wall, leaving plenty of room for a server (not sure what else to call it) under neath.  But she took that humble feature and transformed it into something very special during Christmas.

She'd tease me....I knew she knew I loved that particular decorative element, so she'd tease me.  We'd have to dig out the special curtains....wonderful, special things they were, too.  White, almost transparent panels with softly ruffled trim....there were actually three parts to the window treatment.  First were the panels that went across the window, like regular curtains do.  Then came the sides and finally the valance.  The sides criss crossed in the middle and tied back, creating a nice enough effect.

But when she put the electric candelabra on the window sill and lit it against the night sky, the sight was amazing.  Textures bent the light into a million cascades of folds and ruffles. Absolutely beautiful.

I miss my family, especially around the holidays. None of us are getting any younger, so I'm gonna get back to see them in the coming year.  Been a long time, and it's time to reconnect.

But for now, Fifty Five Is The New Home For the Holidays...even if it is only in memory.

Sondtrack For a Bake-A-Thon, Part 2

Call me crazy.   I'm baking more.  But it's so much fun, especially when there's the following musical line-up to keep me going:

We started off with Supertramp's Breakfast In America, went into Dire Straits' Brothers In Arms, livened things up a bit with some old Rolling Stones via Git Yer Ya Yas Out, and now I'm wondering what to listen to while I take a break.

Music is amazing in how it can uplift and energize. That's one thing I depend on during these almost round-the-clock bake-a-thons.

So I'm keeping this blog entry short....I think it's time for some Allman Brothers' Eat A Peach. Yep, that'll help bring it all home.

So for today, Fifty Five Is The New Soundtrack For a Bake-A-Thon Part 2....just in time for gingerbread!

Soundtrack for a Bake- athon Part 1

December 15th  2010


The world's gone mad and I'm on a holiday bake-athon, the kitchen smells of sugars and cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, dried fruits, raisins and cranberries...I'm up to my neck in flour, sifting and mixing like a mad woman over her caldron of many secrets.  "Boil, boil, trouble and toil..." ah, but this concoction is bursting with all things good to warm the heart and cheer the soul.  So trouble, be gone for a few moments.

Cooking

Today's kitchen to-dos are brought to us by the Beatles, so far Beatles '65, followed by Abby Road played side two then side one just because.  Right now I'm on a break while "I Want You" starts in the background.  Brother Jim, this one's for you.

That battle of the bands in high school, glad they let you play after all that work.  I mean, here's this high school kid who should have had a record deal since he was, I don't know, five...learns the song, writes the musical parts for said piece, assembles members of the high school band and together they just plain old ROCK the gymnasium!   Jesus, I was soooooo proud!   They disqualified him before the contest even began (smart move, he'd have won hands down otherwise!), but let him close the show  with the piece as a special number.   I'm tellin' ya, the whole place came alive....even the teachers were rockin!  The end part, the instrumental jam ending was just incredible....with his band plus the high school band members all going at it-
the room started to swirl and spin......we all danced, twirling around like whirling shamans, calling up incredible things to dance with us.....the sound surrounded us like wind, like blankets then it stopped.

And all that was left was the echo.

Then silence as it drifted away.

Then silence until the silence came back.

And then, incredible applause, stomping, screaming and cheering......

I don't remember how long it went on, but eventually the applause ended.  I remember going by where Jim and his ensemble were picking up their things. We hugged.

The world was crazy back then, too.  Vietnam, social unrest, the generation gap and so on.  It was a time of upheaval and change, much like today; but we survived.

I believe we can survive these trying times as well, with a little bit of faith, a little bit of common sense and a little bit of rock n' roll....so for today, Fifty Five Is The New Soundtrack for a Bake-athon Part 1, because sometimes ya just gotta get creative and baking is a good way to do it!
'

Goal Orientation

Sometimes I watch the Biography channel.....gives me a chance to see how other people did what ever they did to get where they got.  One thing stands out loud and clear; they get no where at all until they are true to who they are as people.

Is that my problem?  Haven't I found out who I am as a person yet, after all these years? One would think all that psycho-drama insanity of my earlier years would have resulted in some sort of discovery by now. Or perhaps that process is still going on.

What do I really want to do with my life?  Music, Art, Writing.....I've fought most of my childhood for the chance to do these things. These are the things I still want to do, and I fight each distraction now with a vengeance.  Too many years I allowed other things to draw me away from my real inner calling.

Some day, when I'm a very ancient woman, I'll be sitting on a front porch rocking in a wooden chair....pleased that I was able to earn the home, chair and other things needed in my life through my creativity.

That's what I really want in my life....to earn my keep through my abilities.  And by God, I'm going to do that.

So for today, Fifty Five Is the New Goal Orientation....due now!

Virtues of Vinyl

Got a chance to listen to some of my old vinyl earlier today....sure sounded great!

Yes, there were the old pops, pings, crackles and crunches.....and of course I had to get up and manually turn the record over to play the other side.

Hey! That's how we did it in the "olden days."

I actually had to laugh, not remembering at first that most albums only had 6 or 7 songs on each side.....I'd be in the middle of doing something then have to stop and change the disc.   Boy, times have really changed!

I'm glad there are still turntables out there to play these things; and am equally glad to note that vinyl recordings seem to be available once again in the open market.  Yay!

So for today, Fifty Five Is the New Virtues of Vinyl....records that is!

Thoughts on Getting Older

I confess, I'm getting old.

Used to be a baking marathon was nothing more than a long day.  Not so now!  I woke up later than usual, back aching and arms aching too.  Sheesh!

I used to hate it when the "old folk" complained about their "itisuses and isms," rubbing their joints like they were rubbing Aladdin's lamp, wishing for a change.  "Gawd!" I used to think at thirteen years of age, "That'll never be me!  I'll die first!"  Sure. Right. 

Karma is hell, especially when it comes to aging!  I'm going to lay down for a few more minutes before starting into the baking craziness all over again.

So for today, Fifty Five Is The New Thoughts Getting Older....let's face it, none of us are getting any younger!