Okay here’s this week’s edition of CK. We only took one photo because I was being a… grump. But of course I inherited from my mom the inert ability to close my eyes during the picture. This isn’t the worst of it. At least I don’t look stoned (eyes on the way shut). Onto better things, when I got dressed this morning this song was continually reeling through my head, “ah barracuda!” So this is my barracuda outfit (mostly skirt). I always feel brave when put on this bad boy and wear it to church! Enjoy….
PS: Look forward to next week, I’ll be featuring Holiday CK!
It became so blatantly that time of the year as soon as she opened up jar of cloves to scoop out a teaspoon and a half and the smell of the spice wafted. What she was doing was primarily an act to solidify Christmas in her own mind, to ensure that it kept some of it’s similarities to the Christmases of her childhood. And secondly because of the taste, and thirdly because she loved to bake! She was mixing swedish gingerbread cookies, a McNeill family favourite. It was probably the only cookie in the book that took so much effort and time. Melt this with that, let it cool, mix it with that, refrigerate it, then roll and cut a quarter of the dough at a time. Yes time consuming and so worthwhile. Although, somehow everything she made could never be compared to the perfection of anything her mom made. Mom’s gingerbread men were just a pile of twins; none of them waved or kicked their legs out of uniform. A perfectly splendid army of gingerbread men. It didn’t help that she stepped out of tradition cutting the cookies out in the shape of stars as well as the classic gingerbread men and traditional hearts. Oh well. Some things never stay the same. Change cannot be out run, it is inevitable. And so she does her best despite the meagerness of the situation to keep Christmas alive, real and as close to that of her childhood as she can. Of course she doesn’t over-try because she still remembers the last Christmas, the last wonderful winter when it was just her and her family. A strange eden despite the whirlwind just around the corner. That winter she felt quite strongly about ensuring everything went without a hitch, it had to be perfect simply because she knew that things would never be the same. It was a choking fear and when she tried her very best to suppress it as utterly and completely as she could, it was rather overwhelming and resulted in a less than perfect Christmas.
And so for the past three or so Christmases she has melted and mixed as she made those sweet gingerbread cookies, while memories – sweet and lovely – flooded her mind. This rich traditional will continue and you will see her in her kitchen each December remembering and reminiscing in a sea of nearly satisfying recollections of Christmases that were.
I have sad news that is tagged with a bit of hope. My poor, dear, empire red KitchenAid Mixer isn’t feeling so good. It makes a funny clicking noise and has just loosened up a little too much. Porbecita. So at the start of next week, I will be taking it to the mechanics. Although I know it just needs a tune-up, I’m still a little heartbroken and, I must admit sheepishly, in the back of my mind I’m asking myself if I would get another red one or choose a different colour. Or would I get a professional one (a dream of mine)? But no, surely this will be a swift repair. I can’t imagine how empty and lonely my counter top will look when it is without my best friend.
I’m sure it’s just that time of the year… you know, Christmas, but I really feel like no one is taking me seriously. My blog is such a roller coaster. It’ll be a source of discussion one week and then nada the next!
Well, take me seriously on my last post. I want to tell you how much I enjoyed Stephenie Meyer’s first two books, Twilight and New Moon. I read the first twice and the second once in four and a half days. Twilight is 498 pages long and New Moon is 563 pages long. Did that matter? No. So obviously I enjoyed them. Maybe you will too. I’m dying for tomorrow because that’s when I get the third book, Eclipse!
Now, someone humour me and tell me they put the first book on hold at the library or picked it up from their local bookstore.
I’m a self proclaimed book worm. I’m totally comfortable with that. And furthermore, I am seriously grateful for all the time I have to indulge in books! My recent reads are Ella: Princess Saint and Martyr, a biography by Christopher Warwick and Women of Magdalene, a heroic tragedy by Rosemary Poole-Carter. I found the biography a difficult read, however it was extremely interesting and I felt my intelligence level rising with each chapter. Women of Magdalene was devoured in as little as a few days. Truly a fabulous combination of mystery and Southern States’ history.
Let me tell you about my most recent read, begun last night and finished this afternoon. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer was absolutely spell-binding! I am so glad that I was lent the second in the series when I received the first! To give you an idea, I went to bed thinking about what I had read and the instant I awoke this morning, my mind continued turning and analyzing the most recent events I had read. I even got up early to get grocery shopping out of the way so that I could read with as few distractions as possible (a great sacrifice considering the fatigue this week has brought). I laughed aloud, giggled like a little school girl, shook with excitement and even felt weepy once. So what’s the book about? I’ll answer that blatantly and frankly. It’s about vampires. To give you an idea I will quote the back cover:
“About three things I was absolutely positive.
“First, Edward was a vampire.
“Second, there was a part of him – and I didn’t know how to dominant that part might be – that thirsted for my blood.
“And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.”
Doesn’t that just get you going?? Reading books like this makes me want to sit down and write a book. Although I can never figure out how they make the dang books so long. I tried writing a book when I was really young and I think I made it to a maximum of 10 pages. Back to the point of this blog… READ THIS BOOK! My mum told me about it a few weeks ago and I felt really hesitant about it and I’m so sorry that I did!! From one book lover to another… this is a must read.
Now since I am going to be done with the series quite quickly, does anyone have any book recommendations they would like to share?
