Rock To Wind A String Around

I’ve been planning all sorts of of post holiday updates but I’ve been side-lined by a blood donation.  What?   A blood donation, you say?  I know, it sounds crazy but something went horribly awry and I am now deeply bruised and swollen from my elbow into my hand (for those of you lucky enough to glimpse it on Monday, it looks a million times uglier now).  It isn’t all that painful, but it is inconvenient.  Typing and small muscle work in my hands is verboten, so is aerobic activity unless my arm remains stationed above my head for the duration.  I’m icing 4 times a day, and while all of that sitting seems like a fun idea, we’re throwing a party for the 100 or so people we see regularly on Friday nights this evening, so really, I’d like to use my arm NOW.  I was also looking forward to better work outs.  After 4 weeks of physical therapy, I was cleared for additional workouts on the day that I gave blood–but no longer.  Oy!

Whine, whine, whine…it will be fine, I will be fine, and more importantly, my husband (who has been home for 2 weeks!) looks fine

Off to ice, and to supervise the crafting of scrumptious treats for tonight’s shindig.  I’ll see you next year!

So, back in the dark ages, my parents, who were both born in Philadelphia (or ’round those parts) moved the five of us to Florida.  Although we missed a good many things about our suburban Philadephian lifestyle–our relatives, good schools, sidewalks, what we missed most often was the food.  A whole world of food was left behind when we moved south.  A few years after we moved, my mother found a recipe for Philadelphia-style sticky buns.  These buns are a slightly sweetened yeast roll, filled with a cinnamon swirl,  topped with a sticky brown sugar syrup, and studded with nuts and raisins.   This is not a roll to be confused with a Cinnabon.

My mom began to bake these each year for Christmas morning.  A once-a-year treat, we all loved them and looked forward to our annual taste of Philadelphia.  Once I was married and began celebrating Christmas morning under my own Christmas tree, the recipe appeared in my mailbox so I could continue the tradition, and I have, since 1996.

This year, things looked a little doubtful.  Yeasty sweet rolls are pretty incompatible with a gluten free life, but I was determined to give it a try.   Behold!  the majesty:

(okay, I threw her in for good measure)

and the tradition:

May your holiday be full of the same.

A few years ago, I decided I wanted a break from the Christmas mayhem to actually enjoy the season.  Solstice seems like a lovely time to usher in winter with soup and homemade bread, and candles, lots of candles, so I declared that we would begin to celebrate.  It is usually a quiet affair–us, Pops!, maybe a few friends –dinner and a puzzle, with a gift for each tot.  I pick something small that would normally get lost in the Christmas melee.  This year, Elliott received a kirigami set, which will amuse him for hours between now and Christmas.

Although usually we stick to home for our solstice celebration, tonight there was a dilemma.  My very favorite holiday activity,   Tuba Christmas , was scheduled for this evening.  What to do, what to do?  I decided we could accommodate both activities this evening, and I’m so glad we did.

blurry solstice fun

There’s just something about the swell of more than 50 tubas.  By the middle of the second carol, I was cheered to my core.  As the concert continued,  all of the dark spots of my heart were warm, and by the end, I couldn’t imagine a better way to usher in winter than crowded cheek-to-jowl listening to the loudest carols known to man.   We came home to soup, and bread, and presents! surrounded by the glow of lovely trees and pretty candles, but really, the tubas crafted the beauty of the evening.

Happy Solstice!

When a dad spends an evening alone with the tots, and decides to bathe the girl with stinky toes, he will decide to wash her hair.  After, he will remember that his wife moisturizes all parts of the girl–skin and hair, so he will dutifully comb plenty of leave-in conditioner through her tresses.  Then the dad will look at the clock, spy the late hour, and choose to put the girl to bed with wet, unfettered locks.

This will be the wife’s wake-up call:

Wanna guess how long it took to tame it?

Back from my full annual well-check and the third excruciating physical therapy appointment this week before I toddle off to my first-ever mammogram this afternoon.  It’s a Holly Jolly medical day, yee haw! If anyone can dream up a more perfect Friday, I’d like to hear about it.  No really, I would.

I thought I’d post this email I received just a few minutes ago.  It’s worth a look, and could be a worth a good bit more if we act on it.

Hi Cause Contact,

We know that many causes have had a hard year, so we'd like to try
something new to
help Ethiopian Orphan Relief that requires your participation, but is free
and definitely easy.

iGive.com is going to attempt to donate $5,000 in just 24 hours to
Ethiopian Orphan Relief and other causes.

For each person who joins iGive using the special link below and does just
one web search on our
site between now and noon Thursday, we'll give Ethiopian Orphan Relief a
dollar.  

5,000 new members, $5,000.  No purchase necessary.  

Of course, if they search more (or buy something) they'll earn even more
money for Ethiopian Orphan Relief.
Right now, we're donating $.02 per search and a bonus $5 for that first
purchase plus the usual percentage.

Here's where you come in.  The only way Ethiopian Orphan Relief will get
new supporters and that free $1 (or more)
is if you invite them.  Send your friends, family, and colleagues the
following link in an e-mail, tweet it, chirp it, do a
Facebook posting, put up posters, shout from mountain tops (you know the
drill) and let them know you think
Ethiopian Orphan Relief is pretty cool and deserves their support,
especially since it's free!  You can even just forward
this e-mail.

This is the link:
    http://www.igive.com/welcome/warm_reg_promo.cfm?c=47153

We're really proud of our search capability, powered by Yahoo!  We've made
tons of improvements over the
past four months, so we want lots of people to try it out and put it to the
test.  If they keep on searching or
shopping after testing us out, so much the better for Ethiopian Orphan
Relief and iGive.com.

The details:
     - Offer active between now and 11:59 a.m., December 17, 2009 (Chicago
time).
     - New members only (never have been an iGive member previously).  All
the normal rules of membership, searching, and
        purchasing apply, our site has the details.
     - Once we've given away $5,000, the offer ends.

That's it.  Don't forget to try our search yourself
(http://isearch.igive.com).  You may need to login or register first
(personally, as an iGive member).  We sent you this e-mail because you're
in our records as the cause contact, not as a member personally.

From our families to yours, we hope you have a great holiday season.

Yours,

Robert N. Grosshandler
Founder

If you've thought about joining iGive.com today would be a great day to do so--they don't spam, and they really have
helped provide some much-needed cash for our projects.

Wow, I think that’s the longest I’ve gone without posting in months and months. What can I say? Despite being thrilled about an emptier than usual December calendar, (what with the EOR annual campaign in the mail last month, and the lack of travel/moving slated for later in the month) the month is bursting at the seams. Fencing has started in earnest–both classes and private lessons, there’s a full complement of doctor/dentist appointments to attend to, and after a follow up trip to the sports medicine doctor, I find myself sailing across town 3 x a week for physical therapy. Add in the delights of the season, and well, it’s been busy around here.

Last Saturday, I signed on to wrap gifts at Barnes & Noble. All of the tips received go to Ethiopian Orphan Relief, so it’s a nice way to make some easy money. I asked for volunteers in our ethiohio group, and was surprised to keep company with 4 good friends throughout the 4 hour session. We didn’t wrap a lot (that comes on Christmas Eve when I go with Albert and maybe Elliott) but we had a great time–lots of laughing, and much oohing and ahhing as we finally saw pictures of Jen’s referral.

Tonight we’ll get together again with a few other ethiohio mamas for our monthly night out, conveniently held here, where babysitters are hard to come by.  Things are tidy, decorated, and there are sweet treats in the oven.  Sopes go in the oven this afternoon following my ever-delightful physical therapy session (I can’t tell you how painful and embarrassing it is–I fall a lot while going through the exercises).  I’m excited to host tonight–it definitely helped me to finish decorating.  If not, the house would still be ringed with a variety of rubbermaid tubs spilling all manner of holiday cheer–festive, it’s always festive.

So tonight we’ll nosh, make merry, and celebrate with a Yankee Trade.  I didn’t want the gift-giving to cause undo stress (one of the attendees is leaving to meet her little one on December 23, and the rest of us are busy) so I specified that the wrapped gift you bring must be something you already own.  I can’t wait to see what pops up.

Pictures to follow (perhaps in less than 6 days time).

which means the pictures on the holiday card are even more fabulous.  aren’t my tots gorgeous?