rajafacesbothways

Valentine's Day

"Saint" Valentine was a  Roman bishop who allegedly brought sight to a blind girl; did he become the saint that tried to prove that love is not blind? Later Roman Claudius condemned him to death and had him beheaded--another example of losing one's head over love--altho Valentine's love was for Jesus.

So were these considered romantic behaviors for Hallmark to encourage guys to spend money on candy, gifts and cards on this day-- while making those who loved and loss or never loved at all, to feel real bad?

Actually, Ground Hog Day makes more sense. Except for the chocolate.

 

 

 

 

 

Don't Breathe!

Had a super Christmas visit with Karen and friend Kathryn. The strong odor downstairs still persists; thanks to my landlord, we moved to the Magnolia Inn a block down Main Street to spend our nights. I keep the heat off, my back and front doors are open when I'm here and it is getting better. However we managed to be fed and entertained well by friends and had a casual Christmas dinner here.

Kathryn--eating soup, waiting for heat to come on.

By dinner time we were warm and filled with good beer, fine wine--and I recall a Bloody Mary?!

 

Christmas Parade

The usual Christmas parade was unusual this year--didn't see one Virgin Mary--have they run out of virgins to play the part?!

Of course a firetruck led it--i believe we have more fire equipment than any place in KY, thanks to Toyota.

Another new addition was a band--kinda--they did make music---

The horses and wagon provided trips around Georgetown during the day--similar to horse and carriage rides around the Water Tower area in Chicago.

No parade is complete here without a string of guys on motorcycles. That could explain the lack of Virgin Mary material...

And finally--here comes Santa Claus!

Afterwards went to Galvins for bourbon tasting. All that excitement and I never left the block.

Thankful Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving weekend was a delight--mainly because my grandson, Cory, drove up from GA to be a part of it. There was lots of food, great camaraderie and many laughs at this table.

Cory, who has lived in France, discovered and dusted off a bottle of wine in my rack--an 1986 french Bordeau  that had increased in value temendously and could have been fabulous or tasted like vinegar.

Fabulous won. Three of us savored it while one guest stuck with his 2010 Dr, Pepper.

And to prove that Kentucky isn't just about bourbon, i introduced him to the Beer Trappe in Lexington. I believe that alone could have made his trip worthwhile. A beer lovers heaven.

And I was the beneficiary of his computer and iPhone skills--he showed me wonder with apps, etc. I had no idea what they were for.

Next time I see him he'll be en route to Korea so this was definitely a visit to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving

Am chopping, grinding, mashing, stirring, etc. for our dinner tomorrow. Four of us have gathered here for the past several years and a huge additional treat this years will be my grandson, Cory, who is driving up from Fort Benning, GA where he has completed his Army Ranger training and will soon be headed to Korea. A  ROTC graduate from Saint Thomas College, MN, he's smart, funny, and has worked for Apple so he'll fit right in.

So Happy Thanksgiving to all. It's my favorite holiday--no gifts, religion, politics. Just food, food, food--enjoyed with friends and family.

July 4th Parade

Parades here usually consist of several fire trucks, politicians and Miss "Whatevers" waving from a convertible, a few decorated wagons and no music. This year was different: only one firetruck and the Marine Band based in New Orleans marched down Main Street. What a treat!

Waiting for the parade:

The Marine Band:

And local participants:

Timing Is Everything

At precisely 11:11 a.m. on 1-1-11, I entered Favas for the traditional southern New Years Day meal of corned beef, cabbage and potatoes and black-eye peas. I had 1 serving of the meat--1 serving of the veggies--and 11 spoonsful of black-eye peas.

In Bowling Green, KY a couple got married at 11:11 on the same day. Mine was the smarter and safer choice, I believe. And not that I'm competitive, but living in Eastern Time Zone, I got there first.

Farewell 2010--Whew!

Reread my journals for 2010--much more grubby and detailed than this blog. Discovered the year worthy material for at least a three-season soap opera, despite lacking steamy sex. (Hmm--wonder if that could be spliced in from former journals?) Fortunately I waste little energy on worrying; I can't possibly keep track of all I'm supposed to worry about.

The hummingbirds taught me a great lesson this year. I had given up on their return; about to take down the feeders when----whoosh. There they were! Revealing themselves (like life) on their own timetable, not focusing on the length of the journey but on gathering the nectar,  sticking their beaks in as rapidly as possible and fighting off others who tried to prevent them gathering the sweetness.

So in 2011, discount the difficulties of the journey. Enjoy the flight, and relish "sticking your beak" in the delectable pleasures that sustain the trip.

Happy New Year!

 

That Time of Year

Because I have no "kin" here and live alone, this often puts a dismayed expression on some faces. Actually, so what? I've had some super family Christmas gatherings--but for me family doesn't mean crawling out of the same gene pool. I believe it has a much broader context.

My first year here on the farm was spent in beauty and isolation and it was lovely. This year I went to Shaker Village for an excellent English tea, am going to a seafood fest given by a lawyer who originally came from Boston, and later to a Polish Christmas Eve supper. Each event involves a unique mix of people and excellent food. And there is something to be said for being slightly detached from all their quirks and problems. No concerns about "Uncle Tom is drinking too much and acting depressed", or  listening to Cousin Lena's marital problems.

Tomorrow morning I'll toast you all with a Bloody Mary made with a super-duper mix sent from my sister and husband, enjoy a few phone calls, and watch the expected 2-3 inches of snow fall that will enhance the beauty of the day.

Merry Christmas.

What's That White Stuff?

SNOW! Enough to close the schools and cover the black ice under it. Not much by Chicago standards, paltry by Minneapolis standards, but enough to keep me from driving among the inexperienced-on-snow drivers that abound here.

FLOUR! Covering the kitchen floor and counters. After a couple of days of entertaining here, I turned to baking yesterday and turned out Grandma's nut roll and batches of cookies, some to be mailed north.

Even though my place looks as Christmas-y as hell, I can now enjoy the season with no pressure--going to gatherings where other people have done the work.