Miscellany, mostly of the Christmas and feline persuasion

It is very cold suddenly. Winter! Things appear to be hardening all around. The ground, for one. Drivers are more aggressive. Fewer are smiling. Coats are zipped high and tight.

But I patently refuse because Christmas is nigh, and I am nothing if not a jolly g-damn Christmas reveler.

My entire dining room table is covered in holiday card- and gift-making supplies. Even Oliver, a serious crafting guy, is impressed. "Mama, you have a LOT of craft stuff." Tom, too, feels my Martha-parts are really living big these days. I think my use of his heat gun took him aback just a tad. But y'all, embossing powder is fun! Teachers, grandparents, friends, neighbors, "strangers" (those online friends you've not yet met in real life but intend to and so in the meantime, snail mail during the holidays!)...there is much love and gratitude to be shared. 

Lest you think my inner activist is quieting, she is not. There is much work to be done, and I have tried to do at least one action-item per day since the election. The orange yam continues to disgrace the office of the Presidency. It is shameful. I am ashamed of him. Stand strong everyone.

"When a great ship is in harbor and moored, it is safe, there can be no doubt. But that is not what great ships are built for." -Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Indeed!

The Nut and I spent a great deal of quality time together today. He is so delightful! Also, Big Boggle. Fun game for the whole family. I was competitive but only quietly. ;) Oliver repeatedly found "Ol" and "SOS." I'm not sure what to make of that- hidden message?

He lives a charmed life.

I finished Hillbilly Elegy, quite good not amazing; more on it later, yesterday and am continuing now with H Is for Hawk, masterful. Does anyone else feel totally overwhelmed by content lately? God, it's like a world-sized snowball.

Do: cook your salmon with lemon, olives, grilled artichoke hearts, salt, and a pat of butter in a foil pack. Serve with asparagus, quickly roasted until just crisp-tender, generously dashed with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. A healthy, easy, winner of a meal.

The Good Men Project

Today I was thrilled to make my debut on The Good Men Project, a site that seeks to best understand, and encourage action on, what it means to be a good man in the 21st century. My essay, What's Right Is Always Worth the Fight, is about watching last week's election with Jack and also about the larger responsibility and opportunity I feel I have as a mother raising two sons. 

Today also found me spending many hours with friends. I joined one in her kitchen to debrief about the election and also catch up as we rarely have enough time together. Over cups of tea and honest conversation, we made a double batch of Nanny's Cranberry Sauce for our Thanksgiving tables. I can't adequately tell you how much it means to me that so many have adopted one of Nanny's recipes as their own.

Later, I took a long walk with another friend, another woman of whom I'm deeply fond and never have enough time with. It was a beautiful fall day, albeit unseasonably warm, and it felt good to stride up and down hills together, admiring the foliage and feeling the sun's heat on our cheeks.

My throat aches tonight, and I am taking myself to bed with a new book, Hillbilly Elegy. As Trump announces his appointees, I find myself increasingly worried about the future of our country. Jeff Sessions, an on-the-record racist, and Mike Flynn, an outspoken anti-Islamist, are not tolerant men. Please, friends, take action against this bigotry!

Fantastic pasta and a few more laughs

Tonight, tired from all the yoga and pilates in the world because #electionstress, cold because #fall, and hungry because, well, #hungry, I wanted a quick, hearty dinner. I'd bought a lovely rotisserie chicken from the market earlier, knowing the boys wouldn't eat it all and so I'd have some leftover bird. On a hunch, I put a tub of mascarpone and a box of whole wheat spaghetti in my cart too, just in case. 

And so became dinner. I forgot about the originally-called-for fennel but subbed a celery heart with great results. Likewise, I didn't recall recently using up my stash of currants and so used chopped sultanas. Also a terrific sub. Lastly, I was again reminded that the best outcome for any pasta dish really depends on a salt-loving heavy hand. Go big or go home, be flexible, enjoy.

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Chicken, Fennel, Currants and Mascarpone. 

In addition to all the yoga and pilates, I have drowned my election depression in my garden. Somewhere out there I lost my favorite pair of Fiskars clippers, but I planted a couple dozen tulip bulbs and trimmed away two garbage bins of yardly detritus.

And I have greatly appreciated the proliferation of more Biden-against-Trump jokes. A few more for you. God I'm gonna miss these two!