Solstice

The sun has now set here on the shortest day of the year. As we go into the longest night, the rain has stopped, the sky cleared, and we had a few longer moments of light. This evening we will celebrate with light! We're going to Garden 'd Lights at the Bellevue Botanical garden. Tomorrow I'll have pictures. And tomorrow brings a new beginning. Slowly the light returns and the days become brighter. May your days do the same. HAPPY SOLSTICE!

Seahawk Sunday in Seattle

The week we received some free tickets to the Seattle Seahawks football game from a friend who was given them and couldn't use them. We had never been to an NFL game before, only soccer in the stadium, and were eager to experience the 65,000 fan atmosphere. The throngs began on the platform waiting for the light rain train. We arrived at Qwest Fields with a cast of thousands, most dressed in their team colors. The SeaGals, dressed in holiday finery, entertained on the big screen... ...and on the field.

Sounders Soccer goal keeper Kasey Keller was a popular choice to raise the 12th Man Flag, a Seattle tradition.

The National Anthem was sung by a harmonious group.

Rain was in the forecast, but we sat in sunshine and everyone started peeling off layers of clothes. Tom went for water and caramel corn to sustain us.

Everything was great except the game on the field, unfortunately. This has been a bad season getting worse. Early in the fourth quarter, as Seattle suffered another interception, the fans began to leave. But we stuck it out until the final interception in a nearly empty stadium with 7 seconds to go. I guess the final score was Tampa Bay 24, Seattle 7.

But we weren't done. We got back in the train and rode downtown to Westlake Center. We dined at a restaurant in Pacific Place, and then took the sky bridge to Nordstroms.

By now a soft rain was falling, adding to the light effect on the streets.

We strolled around the center, just enjoying a bit of Christmas in the city.

The Bon Marche star is now the Macy's star, but it still shines.

Families were enjoying visits with Santa, riding the carousel, and horse and buggy rides.

By 7:00 we were headed back to the metro station to catch our ride back home, tired but happy. It was a fun Seattle Seahawk Holiday Sunday.

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And as for the football team? Well, there's always next year.

A Christmas Gift?

I hope so. I hope the bill now awaiting a vote in the Senate will do enough. I hope the good, strong reforms included in this bill will survive and be strengthened in conference with the House. Right now, a vote has been delayed by the Republicans while they force a full reading. It looks like the Senate vote will occur at 1:00 AM Sunday/Monday night. The Republicans are still trying to kill it, but it looks like the 60 voters will hold. Is it all we wanted? No. It is being described as a "starter home", not a mansion. It has a good foundation and a solid protective roof. It has room for expansion. I can accept this. I can claim it as a victory. The whining Republicans will be telling us about all of the ills of the bill. But they have nothing except a will to kill it, for political reasons. I won't be buying their message. And so, for me, this is a gift. A Christmas gift! Merry Christmas!

Slip-slipping Away

The days are slipping softly by. One week left until Christmas. But I'll be ready. My checklist now has lots of checks. Gifts are purchased and wrapped. Decorating has long been done, and admired by guests at our lunch and dinner parties. The cards and letters have gone out. Most of the baking is done. I'll do the Christmas bread tomorrow, and wrap and freeze it. There will be traditional cut out cookie baking with the "kids" of two generations after they arrive next week. Yesterday I finished the last sewing project. Last summer I harvested lavender from our garden and thought it would be fun to make some sachets. I used my machine embroidery to make pockets and a matching tea towel. These will be gifts but I can't tell you who will receive them because one of them just might be reading this. Linda of A Slower Pace writes about lag time, that time she has between the early holiday season preparation and those last minute things, like the bed making, final dusting, and grocery run before her daughter arrives. Things it's too early to do. But I'm thinking I'll be coming out just about right, with maybe a bit of time for a walk and a nap. We still have Garden D'Lights to attend, and it looks like we're going to be given tickets to the Seahawks football game on Sunday. We may spend a little time downtown after the game. I'd better write that walk and nap on my calendar, or I might not get them in! And just in case, we got our H1N1 shots today. Wishing a happy and healthy holiday to all!

Making Lefsa

We made lefse today. I thought I posted about this last year, and I may have, but I couldn't locate it in my archive, so I'm using the pics I took last year. The process, and the mess, is the same. This is potato lefse, a Scandinavian "tortilla" made with potatoes and flour. I make the mashed potatoes a day ahead. They must be cold. Then I add an uncertain amount of flour - the amount it takes to be able to form a soft dough - not too much, just enough. I go by feel. Shape the dough into balls. Each ball is rolled out very thin on a well floured cloth. I have an old cotton flour sack that fits perfectly on my pull-out cutting board.

My rounds are rustic, not so perfectly round.

The rounds are transferred to the griddle with a special stick. This is a delicate operation, and Tom's job.

Watch for the brown spots, and don't overcook.

Stack the lefse rounds to cool.

Then wrap in plastic ( I don't think this is "traditional") and store in the refrigerator until needed.

When you are ready to eat the lefse, brush it with melted butter.

Sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar.

Cut it in wedges and roll.

Warm gently in the microwave ( another non-traditional modern convenience) and serve.

I have been making lefse for quite a few years now. I'm the only member of my large family that still makes it, so I take it to share at the Norquist family gathering. It quickly disappears. Even my German Swiss mother likes it!

Candle Glow

Our friend Mavis, an octogenarian and retired teacher, stated at breakfast a few weeks ago "Just give me roses!" I can't remember the context, but my thought then was "I can do that!"

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As I prepared for our Lucia Day dinner party, I kept that in mind. I gathered greens from the garden and bought red roses. And there, as my centerpiece on our feast table, were roses for Mavis, and for all of us.

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I took photos of the dining room in the afternoon, before guests arrived in the dark and the rain. By then the candles were lit and spread a warm glow. Holiday music played and the kitchen was fragrant with herbs.

My decorations included Swedish straw ornaments, red hearts and Dala horses, and a nod to Tom's Dutch heritage with wooden shoes.

The cedar planked salmon Tom prepared on the outdoor grill was perfect. It was accompanied by roasted, herbed fingerling potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and a bibb lettuce, orange, avocado, dried cranberry salad.

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Someone asked me it we served traditional food for Lucis Day, and in the past we have, including a smorgasbord, but lately we have settled on the wonderful fresh foods now available to us, with salmon as our bid to the Norsemen of old.

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For dessert I presented my cookie and fruitcake tray, and we sat for a long conversation over cookies and coffee.

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It was a lovely evening, marred only by the absence of our dear friend Jeanne, who is in poor health, and was not strong enough to come yesterday. We drank a toast to her.

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And as we sent our guests back out into the dark and the cold, each lady went with a rose.

Making Progress

Tom has been busy wrapping gifts and I have been working on sewing projects. He's doing a wonderful job and making good progress. I have completed one set of projects and have a good start on the next. It feels good. Sunday we'll make a trip to Costco to get groceries for our dinner party Monday. Sunday, Dec. 13 is Saint Lucia Day. While it is acknowledged in many countries, it is a very special day in Sweden. Since Tom and I both have Swedish ancestry, we have adopted it as a special day, too, and usually have a dinner party to celebrate. This year we will feast on Monday instead. Lucia Day, like so many other holidays at this dark time of the year, is about bringing light to the darkness. We will light candles and enjoy the glow of light and friendship, good food and good company. For Jewish families the celebration of Chanakah, the Festival of Lights, is currently underway too. Happy Chanakuh to you. I love the idea of bringing light to push back the darkness. We can all use a little more enlightenment.

Holiday Lunch

Yesterday (Wednesday) we hosted a lunch for teachers and staff I used to work with at McMicken Heights Elementary. Most of the invited are now retired, but Chris, a former principal, Cathleen, my former reading program partner, and Dawna, one of the instructional assistants, are still working in the district. Cathleen took a long lunch from the administration offices where she now works. Chris, being a principal, excused herself from work for most of the afternoon. Dawna came after her work day was over. So we had some comings and goings among our seven guests, but it all worked out fine. I had a big pot of turkey soup on the stove to take away the chill of the below freezing outside temps. We provided rolls and croissants and fixings for little sandwiches, coffee and tea, and a little plate of the three kinds of cookies I've made so far. Others brought small salads, fruit, pumpkin bread and candied pecans. But mostly we just had a good time visiting around the table, catching up with each other's lives, and district gossip, of course. Then we had a little tour of the decorations and collections around the house. It was fun to share the things that are meaningful to us. Tom was wonderful. He joined us ladies at the table for lunch, and then quietly disappeared into the kitchen to do the clean up! By the time the last guest left, everything was done. What a guy! Today we're setting out to run errands, pick up various and assorted items, and have our photo card and Christmas letter printed. Then this afternoon I'll bake two more kinds of cookies, and get that part of the baking done. We'll work on cards this evening. Then tomorrow I need to get started on some sewing/embroidery projects I want to give as gifts. One of the good things about being busy is that I'm actually losing a little weight! It helps that I keep all of the cookies in the freezer except when we have company. We're having a wonderful holiday season so far, enjoying good weather, good health and good friends. I hope you are, too.

Field Trip: Christmas Shops

Monday our destination was the suburbs of Lynnwood and Woodinville, north of Seattle. We took some of "the ladies" to see two nurseries that have amazing Christmas shops.

The first stop was Wights in Lynnwood. I'm not sure how many themed trees they have, but it's dozens. And then around each tree are display after display of the featured ornaments.

It was hard to resist, and we didn't, coming away with a few more ornaments for us and some to give away.

After lunch at a nearby Olive garden, we were off to the Poinsettia Festival at Molbaks in Woodinville.

Molbaks also has a huge gift shop where more shopping was done.

It was a fun day and our guests were most appreciative that Tom was once again willing to do the driving. And me too. I am very lucky to have him as my partner.

Weekend Fun

Saturday we spent most of the day in Gig Harbor. This is a small bay on a peninsula in Puget Sound, across the Narrows Bridge from Tacoma, . Every year the high school puts on a very high quality arts and crafts sale called Tide Fest. The gyms are filled with vendors from all over the northwest, and the student organizations have food booths. We did some good shopping there, had lunch, and met up with friends and Tom's sister, Jan, who was the principal there before she retired. After leaving Tide Fest, we did some looking in the new Uptown Center, but it's the old village down by the harbor that I like best. My favorite stop is the Beach Basket Christmas Shop, where we managed to find more ornaments we "needed" and more to give away.

As darkness fell, the town sparkled with lights.

And so did boats at the docks.

We attended the tree lighting ceremony, and then had dinner at the Tides, a favorite local watering hole.

On Sunday we baked some more cookies, watched the Seahawks finally win one, and then attended an open house.

Dale and Betty Parkhurst live in north Seattle in the same home where they raised their family. For years they have decorated their home and opened it to others. We attended an open house many years ago when our kids were young, but haven't been since. Dale and Tom are related, second cousins once removed is what we figured out. We decided it was time to reappear.

This couple is seriously into decorating. I think they said they have 67 trees of various sizes this year. In addition they have an extensive collection of nativity scenes, a Santa collection, and another of reindeer. With the lights inside and outside the living room is a sparkly wonderland, and everything is color coordinated. Betty changes the color scheme every year, so she stores everything by color.

The bedroom goes Victorian.

The den is aglow in white and crystal.

The kitchen is Santa Claus Land.

This cluster of nine trees in the dining room is devoted to the grandchildren and the children they sponsor in far off lands.

Dale and Betty are button collectors. This tree is decked out in ornaments made of buttons.

We had a very pleasant visit while enjoying the beauty of all that glittered around us.