More Comfort Reading Revisited and Revised

The news is upsetting, and just gets worse by the day.  

Seeing photos from Epstein's house hit me hard and made me feel physically sick.

We have, in my opinion, cruel, inept, and insane people running this country.  

We need a break.

Look for beauty.

Plan your dream trip.

Pick up a book that will offer some comfort and a bit of a respite from the crazy hatefulness of it all.

I'm not of fan of overly sweet books.  Lifetime Movies are not my jam.

But I do love a well-written book that focuses on the good in us rather than the bad.  

Rosamunde Pilcher ticks all the right boxes for me with some of her novels, including Shell Seekers, September, Coming Home, and Winter Solstice.

It's almost that time of the ear when I reach for m well-worn copy of Winter Solstice.

 

From Amazon:

"From #1 New York Times bestselling author Rosamunde Pilcher, Winter Solstice (the basis for the TV movie) is the story of five unforgettable characters, lonely and haunted strangers who find love and loyalty as a reborn family of friends during the Christmas holidays.

Elfrida Phipps, once of London’s stage, moved to the English village of Dibton in hopes of making a new life for herself. Gradually she settled into the comfortable familiarity of village life—shopkeepers knowing her tastes, neighbors calling her by name—still she finds herself lonely.

Oscar Blundell gave up his life as a musician in order to marry Gloria. They have a beautiful daughter, Francesca, and it is only because of their little girl that Oscar views his sacrificed career as worthwhile.

Carrie returns from Austria at the end of an ill-fated affair with a married man to find her mother and sister sharing a home and squabbling endlessly. With Christmas approaching, Carrie agrees to look after her sister's awkward and quiet teenage daughter, Lucy, so that her mother might enjoy a romantic fling in America.

Sam Howard is trying to pull his life back together after his wife has left him for another. He is without home and without roots, all he has is his job. Business takes him to northern Scotland, where he falls in love with the lush, craggy landscape and set his sights on a house.

It is the strange rippling effects of a tragedy that will bring these five characters together in a large, neglected estate house near the Scottish fishing town of Creagan."

An old post revised and revisited. Christmas. It's not always for everyone. And it's okay.

I have, in the past, blogged about people who say they hate Christmas. 

I have shared my own feelings about Christmas, and about how I think people who hate it might want to consider walking away from some of the things they hate. 

This morning I received a note from an old friend who remembered a particular post and wanted to read it again, but couldn't find it.  

She remembered that it included a recipe.

Digging in the Meanderings and Muses archives I wasn't able to find it either.

No wonder!  It was one I had written some time back for Jungle Red!

Finally able to find it, I dusted it off, revised it and sent it to her.  (You're welcome, Karen!)

And then decided to share it here.

Because Christmas can be hard.

Here's my unsolicited advice.  Knowing how I feel about unsolicited advice, I completely understand if you close this window right now . . . 



If, however, you're still here . . . 



I've suggested that those who dislike Christmas consider starting their own traditions that don't include those things that they find upsetting.  

Things like the rank commercialization and the whole "too much" thing.  

When did Christmas become so much about all the "stuff?!"  

And why do children need to have 46 beezillion gifts under the tree?! 


There are years I have had to walk away from some of it.  

Some years there just hasn't been much money.  

Some years I was on my own and frankly, didn't feel there was much to celebrate.  

And sometimes, it's just too much.


Is it any wonder this time of the year is so hard for so many?  

And believe me - I do know that for many it's not simply a case of disliking Christmas and some of the commercialism.  

I know full well about Christmas depression and the seriousness of it.  

It's debilitating and scary.  

It affects many.  

And my weak little take on how to get through the holidays with a speck of sanity left is in no way meant to sound dismissive towards those who suffer what is clearly more than "Holiday Frustration."



First of all, I'm certainly not proposing anyone walk away from "all" holiday traditions.  But if there are things happening that overwhelm you or bring up bad memories, why shouldn't you toss those aside? 


Take the holiday season to teach children "your" values - not what society pushes us into.  

The season is about enjoying life and the blessings we have - don't be manipulated into doing things you don't want to do just because someone else says it's the way it should be done.  

Not all of us want a cooking/crafting bonanza kind of holiday and prefer to keep it simple.

I think many of our time honored Christmas traditions are grand.  The old fashioned ones that I grew up with.  I love 'em and they're dear to my heart.

But some years, even those are too much. 

Like decorating our home for the holidays.  I love decorating of any kind, so holidays are the perfect excuse for me to just go kinda nuts.

I'm a lousy gardener, which makes me kinda sad, so I leave the little bit of landscaping we do to Donald.

  But I can do fun "Tablescapes!" 

And Christmas Tablescapes are THE most fun!

IF I'm in the mood.


Some years, the Santas just stay in their box under the bed.

And it's okay.

Some years, Christmas makes an early arrival at our house.  I start sneaking the Santas and a few other decorations in around Thanksgiving.  

A lot of the things I use to decorate with have been with us for a very long time - and many show their age, which makes me love them all the more.  

They're ragtag and dusty, which is sorta how I feel a lot of times, so I feel a special fondness for them.

Which is also why I understand completely that there are some years they don't really want to come out and play.  

So they don't.


And it's okay. 



I love watching the lights on a Christmas tree.  Sometimes if I can't sleep, I'll just wander into the sunroom and sit in the dark watching the lights twinkle.

I enjoy our old Christmas ornaments - the ones we brought into our marriage with us, along with the ones we've picked up together on trips.  

I also like finding ridiculously silly things to hang on the tree.

But some years, if the mood isn't there for a tree - we just don't put one up.  If things are too busy and either of us is feeling a bit stressed, the last thing we want to do is add to the stress by doing something that is supposed to be fun.  

And you know, it's okay.



Another Christmas tradition I love is baking.

And I love love love baking with my mini-bundt pans.  The first round of baking has begun.

Using one of my favorite cookbooks, Bibb Jordan's "The Pound Cake Cookbook."

It's a teeny little cookbook full of the best pound cake recipes you'll find.  Fruit pound cakes, chocolate pound cakes, old-fashioned pound cakes, outrageously inspired pound cakes, a cheese savory pound cake and special miniature pound cakes.  yum.


I made several "Bittersweet & Orange Bundt-lette Pound Cakes"

And the baking was fun.  

But, same as the tree.  

There have been years when I just did not want to bake.  

It just wan't fitting in with all those other things.  

So I didn't.  

And it was okay.

My wish for each of you is for a Happy Holiday Season - whatever it is you celebrate, I hope you celebrate it in a joyous, joyful manner.  In a way that makes you and yours happy and leaves you with a feeling of grace.  May it be a holiday filled with traditions, old and new, of your choosing, and one of peace.

My wish also includes this - if you or someone you love starts feeling the pressures that many feel this time of year - the feelings of loneliness, sadness, or hopelessness - reach out.  There's no shame in asking for help. 

My gift to each of you is Bibb Jordan's scrumptious recipe for these  little mini bundts.  If my name were Santa, I would deliver some to you, but, well - it's not.  So I share this recipe along with a "Ho, Ho, Ho!"

Bittersweet & Orange Bundt-lette Pound Cakes

Makes 14 - 16 mini pound cakes

Ingredients:

Pam or Baker's Joy

1 1/2 sticks of butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup Crisco

3 cups of sugar

5 large eggs (room temperature)

3 cups of flour

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1 cup of milk (room temperature)

6 ounces of bittersweet chocolate (nuggets or chopped  -  your choice)

1 Tablespoon  of finely grated orange zest

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon of orange extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Spray Bundt-lette pans with Pam or Baker's Joy. (this non-stick cooking spray is needed.  The traditional method of buttering and flouring the individual molds does not work well).

Cream together the butter and Crisco on high speed until lightened in color, about 3 minutes.  Gradually add the sugar and tehn continue beating for 5 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.  Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the batter, blend well, then add 1/2 cup of the milk, blending well again.  Repeat with the remaining flour and milk.

Fold in the chocolate, zest, and extracts.

Fill the Bundt-lette molds with the batter, coming to within 1/2-inch from the top.  If they're over-filled they will over-flow.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes,or until tested done.

Note:  The Bundt-lettes may not brown on the top, but when turned out of the pan, they will be a golden color and look like miniature pound cakes.

Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely.

Enjoy!!!!

 

Margaret Berry speaks words straight from my very soul as I turn 77 today.

Old age, I decided, is a gift.

I am now,

probably for the first time in my life,

the person I have always wanted to be.

Oh, not my body!

I sometime despair over my body -

the wrinkles,

the baggy eyes and the sagging butt.

And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror,

but I don't agonize over those things for long.

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life,

my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly.

As I've aged,

I've become more kind to myself and less critical of myself.

I've become my own friend.

I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie,

or for not making my bed,

or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need,

but looks so avante garde on my patio.

I am entitled to overeat,

to be messy,

to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon;

before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read until 4:00 am and sleep until noon?

I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 50s & 60s,

and if I,

at the same time,

wish to weep over a lost love, I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to,

despite the pitying glances from the bikini set.

They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful.

But there again,

some of life is just as well forgotten and I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken.

How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one,

or when a child suffers,

or when a beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion.

A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turn gray and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. 

So many have never laughed and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

I can say "no" and mean it.

I can say "yes" and mean it.

As you get older,

it is easier to be positive.

You care less about what other people think.

I don't question myself anymore.

I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question,

I like being old.

It has set me free.

I like the person I have become.

I am not going to live forever,

but while I am still here,

I will not waste time lamenting what could have been,

or worrying about what will be.

And I shall eat dessert every single day,

if I want to.

-  Margaret Berry

https://alcalde.texasexes.org/2015/07/old-age-is-a-gift/

- - -

 These words from Mário Raul de Morais Andrade resonate with me, as well

 I counted my years and found that I have less time to live from here on than I have lived up to now.

I feel like that child who won a packet of sweets: he ate the first with pleasure, but when he realized that there were few left, he began to enjoy them intensely.

I no longer have time for endless meetings where statutes, rules, procedures and internal regulations are discussed, knowing that nothing will be achieved.

I no longer have time to support the absurd people who, despite their chronological age, haven't grown up.

My time is too short:

I want the essence,

my soul is in a hurry.

I don't have many sweets

in the package anymore.

I want to live next to human people,

very human,

who know how to laugh at their mistakes,

and who are not inflated by their triumphs,

and who take on their responsibilities.

Thus human dignity is defended and we move towards truth and honesty.

It is the essential that makes life worth living.

I want to surround myself with people who know how to touch hearts, people who have been taught by the hard blows of life to grow with gentle touches of the soul.

Yes, I'm in a hurry, I'm in a hurry to live with the intensity that only maturity can give.

I don't intend to waste any of the leftover sweets.

I am sure they will be delicious, much more than what I have eaten so far.

My goal is to reach the end satisfied

and at peace with my loved ones

and my conscience.

We have two lives.

And the second begins when you realize you only have one.

                         Mário Raul de Morais Andrade

                       (Oct 9, 1893 – Feb 25, 1945)

                        Brazilian poet, novelist, musicologist, art historian and critic, photographer

Little Me

Some things never change.

I still love pretty dresses and nice jewelry.

I will often end my posts by saying

❤  Life is good  ❤

I'm not feeling that way since our most recent presidential election.

My feelings now are more in the realm of

Life is . . . precarious

As Joyce Vance reminds us in her latest column, "We live in times where courage is called for. We already see signs that some people will not be brave, that some people will obey in advance. But I take heart from the following quote, a line from the film “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”—that speaks forcefully to how I am feeling as we enter this holiday week: “Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love."

But, for today - remember to breathe

Happy Birthday to Me

Photo by Parisian Moments

Happy Birthday, Annabelle!.❤

 

 Princess Annabelle Turns Nine Today!

And now here she is, The Heart of Our Home

Happy Birthday, Annabelle

❤❤❤

Comfort Read

 

I've been spending so much time talking about it not being my birthday that I've ignored sharing comfort reads.

I need to do better.  

I love this beautifully written novel - 

Description from Amazon:

“Exquisite” (Lisa Barr, New York Times best-selling author of Woman on Fire) and “utterly engrossing” (Katherine Gray, cohost of the Netflix series Blown Away), The Color of Ice will wrap you in its spell, all the way to its unforgettable ending.

Set among the glaciers and thermal lagoons of Iceland, and framed by the magical art of glassblowing, The Color of Ice is the breathtaking story of a woman's awakening to passion, beauty, and the redemptive power of unconditional love. 

The stunning new novel by the author of award-winning novels Queen of the Owls and The Sound Between the Notes . . .

Cathryn McAllister, a freelance photographer, travels to Iceland for a photo shoot with an enigmatic artist who wants to capture the country’s iconic blue icebergs in glass. Her plan is to head out, when the job is done, on a carefully curated “best of Iceland” solo vacation. Widowed young, Cathryn has raised two children while achieving professional success. If the price of that efficiency has been the dimming of her fire—well, she hasn’t let herself think about it. Until now. 

 
Bit by bit, Cathryn abandons her itinerary to remain with Mack, the glassblower, who awakens a hunger for all the things she’s told herself she doesn’t need anymore. Passion. Vulnerability. Risk. Cathryn finds herself torn between the life—and self—she’s come to know and the new world Mack offers. Commitments await her back in America. But if she walks away, she’ll lose this chance to feel deeply again. Just when her path seems clear, she’s faced with a shocking discovery—and a devastating choice that shows her what love really is."

P.S.

It's still not my birthday.