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Life has been a bit chaotic of late. The fall and early winter are always that way. Attila works all hours and is perpetually exhausted throughout the fall. Just as he catches up with his sleep the Christmas holiday bustle starts. Christmas is accompanied by school holidays, always a challenge. Then New Years, and a rash of important birthdays need careful attention. This year the Christmas shopping is done early. Attila loves the eleventh-hour rush; I do not. We have compromised. The primary gifts are purchased and will soon be wrapped, some to be shipped to the United States. Attila will purchase the smaller, whimsical gifts at the last minute. We are both happy.
We are having a bit of weather. It started snowing yesterday at about noon. By midnight it was raining. This morning it is snowing once again. The howl of the wind ensures that those of us, lucky enough to spend time in rooms with a view to the outside world, can hear as well as see the weather. There are a great many tall trees near us and it seems inevitable that one of them will eventually succumb to the pull of the wind and gravity. This possibility usually draws me to the windows when it is blowing outside. All that has fallen in the yard during the past seven years have been rather large branches. The top of a dead tree did topple over once out beyond the back of the yard, but it was calm and had been for days. I would have missed the event had I not been puttering about in the garden at the time. Describing the topple of the treetop has triggered my thought processes. Often, when events occur, a part of me silently wonders, "Where is the music?" My childhood was isolated and most exposure to the outside world was through the television and books. While books were a quiet and powerful experience, television portrayed a world where events were usually accompanied by a sound track. I assumed that this represented the reality that existed beyond the boundaries of my small world. It has been many decades since my discovery that, in the world at large, the band does not play during events both grand and small. The habit remains though, of waiting for the music to set the mood and provide a clue to the current socially acceptable emotion that should accompany any given event. Without the fanfare of musical accompaniment, I find myself simply accepting the wonder of life as it unfolds.
Since the weather has decided to make walking difficult and driving unwise, I will spend the day cozy at home. Today's projects include preparing two large meals that will yield significant leftovers. When all is said and done, we will have enjoyed a total of five to six meals prepared from the 1 1/2 pounds of ground meat from the freezer. First, I prepared all of the meat by slowly frying it with lots of onions and fresh garlic. One half of this mixture went into the crock-pot with broth, tomatoes, peas, carrots, potatoes, and spices. By tomorrow, this will be a delicious soup. The second half of the meat mixture has been combined with tomatoes, noodles, Parmesan cheese and spices. It will be popped into the oven for this evening's meal. A quick green salad will complete the menu. The good smells and exotic tastes of Attila's cooking fill the weekends, so that I will not think about cooking again until next Tuesday. What incredible good fortune we enjoy. |
RECIPES :: Cast Worldly Distractions  Looking out at the snow. No color here. By the Easy Chair Life in a Medieval Village by Frances and Joseph Gies Airwaves Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Mel Gibson Braveheart Composed and Conducted by James Horner Performed by The London Symphony Orchestra On the Agenda A leisurely bath. Stringing colorful Christmas lights to alleviate the starkness of a black and white world. |
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