Nov 29, 2010 | This Life
Fah who for-aze! Dah who dor-aze!? Come on, sing along.
I’ll admit it. Last year I had a serious case of Bah Humbug.* If it weren’t for the fact that we decorate our Christmas Tree first as a Birthday Tree for the boy’s birthday, the tree wouldn’t have even gone up. Decorating? If you count dust and assorted piles of laundry strewn around the house. Then, check! Decorating done. The only baking I did was the annual Chocolate Pie, and only because revolution was threatened if I didn’t. It’s not that I didn’t want to filled with the Spirit of Christmas. I just couldn’t summon my holiday mojo. It was on strike and with good reason.
Part of it was that I bit off way more than I should have in re-doing the boy’s room for his 13th birthday. And part of it was the prospect that we could lose our house due to a severe pay cut and a troubled economy. The reality of our situation was overwhelming. I suspect everyone struggles a bit during the holidays, how to pay for it all, how to balance expectations and the inevitable stress. How to avoid the mall after December 15th. But our struggle with the bank only heightened the experience. And it had me wishing for June.
It’s not much different this year. We’re still waiting on the bank. We call only to be told we’re “in process”. The Grinch has a new name (and it rhymes with BofA). Breathing in. Breathing out. Wait, wait, hurry up and wait.  Most of last winter was wasted on worry; today we’re just moving through our lives. Because worrying changes little except the contours of your face.
So, this year I’m banishing the bah humbug.  I’m summoning my inner Cindy Lou Who and serving notice to the Grinch– Our home is a home because we are together, not because we own it. I’m doing the laundry and decorating the halls. I’m liberally applying sugar sprinkles on edible surfaces. Mostly, I’m choosing to focus on the hands I have to hold. And I’m keeping faith that these little choices will add up.
How about you? What are you doing this year to foster the holiday spirit?
* The holidays are often a trigger for depression. When is it more than just “the blues”? Know the signs.  If you or a loved one is struggling with depression, please seek help. You are not alone. ~~Wende
Nov 16, 2010 | This Life
2007– A walk at night with Miss Sophie in the Snow
Ok, so it’s not really snowing here. But my feet would beg to differ. I’m cold! Yeah, I know, whine, whine, whine. Presently, IZ and the boy are off at Costco picking up, among other things I’m sure, an electric throw blanket for miss whines-a-lot. I can’t help it, I’m purple.
And I apologize for the blast from the past photo. I’ve been multi-tasking: taking copious amounts of ibuprofen for a very sore jaw and spending far too much time in the studio. It’s November and Mireio is swapped which doesn’t leave a lot of time for extra-curricular photography or blogging. Â That’s a good thing. A very good thing. But I finding all the dental appointments (and the painful aftermath) to be pressing my juggling skills to their breaking point. So far, I’ve managed to keep all the important balls in the air. But the laundry ball has rolled under the couch and is collecting dust along side the blogging ball.
So, that’s me… cold, whiny, munching pain meds like candy, and hoping the new electric blanket will restore order in my world. Or, at least make me a bit less purple.
UPDATE: It’s 11 pm; I’m snuggled under a warm blanket and can now feel my toes. It’s a veritable sauna on my couch. My husband is a genius and a saint and I need something new to whine about. Oh, don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll find something. I’m resilient like that.
Nov 11, 2010 | This Life
Dear God: Kinda going to hold you to that promise, OK? Much love, Wende
Nov 8, 2010 | From the Kitchen, This Life
There were three loaves… but, um, we kinda ate one right out of the oven.
I’m not sure what got into me today. But I woke up with that over-acheiver mentality that sometimes possesses me in my sleep. I swear, it’s IZ whispering to me as I snore, “Sweetie, you should really bake something tomorrow.” I wake up, a list drafted in my sleep, and it always contains more than I can achieve in one day—and apparently an agenda item to “bake.”
And evidently, bake something just as over achieving as my delusional to-do list. What is it about Nissua recipes? Three loaves… everyone one of them? How many  Finnish babies do you think I have anyhow? (that’s a trick question, we’re Danes) Ok, so my teenage boy counts as two, but really, three loaves? What are we going to do with three loaves of Cardamom bread?
So I got productive today. Laundry and errands and even a Spiritual Direction meeting—all the while working the steps that is bread baking.
I have to tell you, I’m feeling pretty smug today. I have no business feeling smug, because only yesterday in my multi-tasking frenzy (it’s a trend this time of year) I over-looked a potentially embarrassing flaw in one of Mireio’s glasses. And then last Friday, on an equally “I can do it all” time warp of a day, I managed to bake under baked brownies—those darn things spent 45 minutes in the oven and still were slushy in the middle. So, really, I have no right being all “I can DO this!” But, I can’t really help myself. I baked bread, people. Three loaves of delightfully airy bread and I didn’t burn down the house. Or forget the laundry. Or mess anything up. I homeschooled the kid, flirted with the husband, signaled before turning, and managed to sit down for afternoon coffee and a slice of bread.
Of course, I totally forgot to put on mascara and the dog still isn’t bathed, but we won’t dwell on that.
As for three loaves of bread and what we’re going to do with them…. well, turns out, that’s not so much a problem. The first loaf is already gone, the second is iced for dessert, and the third? Can you say French Toast in the morning, baby? Yeah, IZ, I’m talking to you.
For all you bread baking enthusiasts: I started with this recipe: Finnish Nissua. But then I ran amok, altered the recipe, and well, you know the drill, click here for a recipe card:Â Cardamom Bread
Nov 1, 2010 | This Life
Danish Maid donuts for All Saints is a family tradition. Despite the fact some of us are still coming down from the previous night’s sugar high. One of us, usually me, braves the rain (it always seems to rain the day after Halloween!) to head downtown for our donut fix.
This year, it seems especially important to honor the tradition. In part, because so much of our traditional Halloween activities were hampered by a string of storms that assailed the North Coast last week. Traditionally, we would head downtown to trick-or-treat in early afternoon, then meet up with IZ to chat about our time over coffee. A quick dash home for dinner and then trick-or-treating in our neighborhood with friends—and back to our house for a little late night snack for the adults, and candy swapping for the kids.
But the potential for rain made me a bit hesitant to commit to all the out-doors events this year. Deluge is not synonymous with a good time! The prospect of drowned teenagers and grumpy parents had me re-thinking our plan. The wind  blew in more than rain, but change as well. Boy Wonder  is now 13 and feeling like he may have outgrown the downtown event. So, the weather provided an easy out—despite the fact that the storm we were expecting didn’t show up until very early this morning. His choice of costume wasn’t water friendly, so he jumped at a chance to just have his buddies over for a party instead of trick-or-treating. He also decided he was OK going without a costume… since his Chewboxa (don’t ask!) costume wasn’t Wii game friendly either. Not our traditional plan, but a good plan!
Of course, you know that just hours before the party he changed his mind. So we scrambled. And sometimes those last minute costumes are the best. I was deeply relieved that he decided to abandon the “ghoul” get-up that has been his tradition for the past 6 years! His Albert Einstein made for a friendlier presence at our front door—and didn’t completely freak out the few tiny visitors that opted to brave the weather! Â We had a lovely time with friends. And all the elements of our traditional Halloween were there, good food, good friends, fun costumes, lots of candy—but mixed up to create something new. Something wonderful. Perhaps something we’ll do again!
Traditions can change. Sometimes they need to, in order to thrive and remain meaningful. It’s about finding just enough of your tradition to carry forward—honoring the past as you step into the future. It’s not an easy task to leave behind “the way we’ve always done it.” But it is a rewarding one.
Especially if there are Danish Maid donuts on the other side.
Oct 27, 2010 | This Life
Tie-dye sock monkey—what’s not to smile about?
This guy brightens my day. He’s unfinished but I kinda like that about him. One of his button pins reads, “I’d rather be smooching my nerdy husband.” His perch in my studio is just within my eye-line while I sew, a constant reminder not to take myself too seriously.
Meanwhile, the weather has turned here on the edge of the world—winter is arriving early. We’ve been slammed with storm after storm—wind, rain, hail, thunder and lightening. My child is ecstatic. He’s a big fan of this weather, the rest of the family thinks he’s a bit nutty. Poor Snickers hides under things and Miss Sophie refuses to participate in the walking part of her day. Nothing like compelling a stubborn terrier onto the grass… PEE! Sophie, PEE!
My poor neighbors.
I wouldn’t mind this weather if our house was better insulated. Ok, that’s not true. I’d mind it LESS if I could take in a storm through the safety of double paned windows beside a roaring fire. But this is not the case. Sure old houses are charming, but that’s code for paper thin walls. The real estate agent never mentions your walls are so thin, even animals won’t make a home in them. No, they’re too busy pointing out the lovely molding and the original 1920’s windows.
Original windows? WHAT? How is that a selling point? Original windows = It’s COLD in here. How cold? I can’t feel my feet cold. I can see my breath cold? I’m stealing long underwear from IZ, heating blankets in the dryer, and sucking down liters of hot tea cold. Even Miss Sophie spends her evening with her nose tucked in a blanket.
It’s going to be a long winter  and y’all have been warned: it’s 49 degrees and I’m already whiny. It’s only going to get worse.  You might want to stop reading until next May.
Speaking of tea, tonight’s tea bag wisdom said, “Don’t sleep counting sheep. Count your blessings, then sleep.” Â So, in the spirit of taking advice from a tea bag, “I’m thankful it’s not North Dakota out there!” Brrr. Â (Hi, Treva! Bundle up!)
