The First Signs of Christmas

December 1, 2009 / still a dreamer / 2 Comments

December begins and my house is seeing the first signs of Christmas. Take a look – see it?

Not my desktop – that Christmas mug over on the right. See? Yeah, that’s it.

Each year in my house as the Christmas season begins there are two small items that lead the way … my red Christmas mugs from Germany, (bought so many years ago when I lived in the city that I can’t even remember where I got them), and my wonderful dollar store Christmas plates. They’re the first hints that soon the holiday placemats will sit under meals, festive touches will soon start appearing all over the house and that soon … there will be lights and pine boughs gracing the front porch.

I think a little tradition is good nowadays. How about you? Do you have something special at your house that whispers about the magic of Christmas or the holidays?

Halloween Costume Parade

October 30, 2009 / still a dreamer

scarecrow OK, let me warn you right off the bat – this is not the parade in Greenwich Village or anything. Nothing like it. Just a very small town parade held each year with prizes for various age groups, cider and doughnuts for everybody, and people getting together. Almost all kids in the parade, but the whole town participates. I’m just posting a few pictures because I thought they were kind of cool, and it’s fun to see people getting involved with the costumes, especially the little ones.

This scarecrow is a little hard to see with the busy background behind him, but what was funny was his face kept moving around all the time in some bizarre way. Turns out, his hands are behind the burlap of his face and the arms aren’t arms. He made the costume all on his own. (His Grandma next to me swore it.)

This age group, below, had a pretty good assortment of creative costumes in it – they were 6-8 year olds, I think. But I was just fascinated at how effective the plain `ol ghost was, and he or she was my definite favorite.

Lineup-ghost

Then we had some younger kids whose moms and dads were very creative in putting together costumes that were definitely not from Party City or Wal-Mart. These two – Little Bo Peep and a cowboy with chaps and that long coat they wear, (uh – forgot what they call that) – were real cute.

BoPeep-Cowboy And then … what put a smile on my face was a really clever homemade costume … on a dog. (Well, yeah – of course that made me smile!) Her owners also had a head piece they’d made of the same fabric as the inside of the banana, but said the Doxie didn’t like it on very much so left it off. Wow! People that really care about their pet!

Dachshund

This costume and the presence of about 10 other non-costumed dogs prompted me to ask the master of ceremonies to consider including dogs in costume next year, and he thought it was a great idea and announced it immediately. (Now why do I think I’m somehow going to get roped into helping form guidelines as to pets in costume and how old a kid has to be to have a dog on a leash, etc.?)

Anyway. I started thinking if there was a children’s book story somewhere in all of this. If there is …. for me …. it’s going to be about that ghost or the Dachshund! Maybe both ….

Zombie Delight

October 28, 2009February 5, 2012 / still a dreamer / 4 Comments

The Epicurean Z

You ask what makes my culinary bell ring?
I’ll tell you, dear friends, it’s only one thing.

Fingers!

With garlic and butter in a delicate sauté,
Or toss with linguine and a sauce de Mornay.

Cut thin and layered for a scalloped delight,
Or simmer in red sauce … it’s Italian tonight!

Chopped and toasted gives salads a crunch,
Or slice thin on rye for a delectable lunch.

Breaded and deep-fried, tartar sauce on the side,
With brainslaw, you’ll think you went to heaven and died!

Thumbs work best in a rich brown stew,
Or slather with honey on the barbecue.

Now when baking, you’ll want to remove all the nails,
Smooth texture’s a must or the recipe fails.

Chop and add raisins, for a great autumn pie,
Puree as ganache for a torte layers high.

Arrange young fingers with a tart lemon mousse,
Or serve them with custard for a fab Charlotte Russe.

(Well, where did you think they got the idea of ladyfingers from?)

Studded in ice cream with a fudge sauce that’s hot,
Can fingers be more flexible? I really think not!

They’re suited for dinners, or occasions quite grand,
But if in a rush, eat `em right off the hand!

Ready to cook? To scramble or bake?
Pick up Zombie Gourmet – turn to page forty-eight.

New Year’s Resolutions – Wranglers of Dreams

January 1, 2009January 1, 2009 / still a dreamer

starsinsky

“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” ~Les Brown

It’s New Year’s Day – the day that folks sit down and make resolutions to do or not do the things that will help them be better/do better in the New Year – or at least that’s what the deal is always set out to be. And then ensues the guilt, disappointment and shame of either we or others failing to live up to our New Year’s Resolutions. A real Catch-22.

But what are New Year’s Resolutions, anyway? Sitting down today to do some writing on my children’s books and hopefully, some dummying of one of my stories, I looked at my own thoughts as I approach the New Year. I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions. It’s already pretty clear where I want to go and what I need to get there; however, making that list can be a real double-edged sword. I’ve chosen not to make it. Here’s why.

New Year’s Resolutions are nothing more than the wranglers of our dreams. They are akin to rounding up those wild and wide-ranging dreams from starry skies and corralling them into a pen where we can number and categorize them. And tame them. The beauty of our dreams lies in their freedom. The beauty IS in who we are and who we can be.

Why not join our starry dreams in the sky and envision ourselves already there? Why not envision ourselves published with children excitedly reading our books rather than making dull lists about what we have to do to get there? The details will take care of themselves. It’s the vision that counts. Open the paddock gate and let the dreams fly free, far, far away from encumbering lists.

Know that the vision and dreams live within your own heart; that’s where each New Year lies.

The Dollar Christmas Plate

December 24, 2008June 3, 2012 / still a dreamer

christmasplate How does one know the Christmas season has begun? Ignoring the fact that the onslaught of marketing for the holidays has now begun shortly after Halloween to make commercialism at an all time high of 7-8 weeks, what happens in your home that says Christmas will soon be coming?

For me, it’s the bringing forth of two different Christmas dishes – my humble, dollar store plates and my bright red, green and white decorated, coffee mugs. I’ll admit that perhaps why they are the first manifestation of Christmas is that they are conveniently at hand, as are all my dishes, right there in a kitchen cabinet. But there’s something about putting away my winter mugs and replacing them them with the festive red ones, and putting away my stoneware plates in a lower cabinet, their upper spot now taken with these simple china plates, that gets hopes and dreams to stirring.

No doubt the dollar store plates were made in China, too, (the mugs were made in Germany), so as befits this time of celebration, each year I bless those who made and painted them and thank them for this small joy that marks the beginning of the season for me.

Christmas changes as we grow older … once it was the excitement of opening presents under the tree in the morning; later, coming home from college and seeing family and old friends; then through relationships, perhaps children, and so it goes. Each year becoming a little bit different, offering some slightly different gift. Christmas steadily brings the exchange of warm wishes of family and friends, some who we barely have time to keep up with during the year. Cards are still sent and received, and though sometimes in too much of a rush, we get them out and delight at the treasure in our mailboxes.

Among our gifts may be something thoughtful from someone unexpected, new friends, the comfort and love of old ones, new music that fits us just right, the book that we need to read exactly at this moment in time, a candle scent carrying us back over time … riches, all. The care, preparation, hopes and dreams of each of our Christmas or holiday seasons always begins with one simple thing … something as simple as a dollar Christmas plate.