Ramping Up

I'm hosting Thanksgiving for my family this year. My parents are driving over today, but spending the night with my elder sister--she's mad for bridge these days and will be leaving in the morning to spend the weekend with her in-laws--so we won't be invaded until tomorrow. I've been distracted by my new project and not feeling 100% the last couple of days, so the house is not as clean as it could be, but it's not in bad shape. Something is wrong with our plumbing, so there's a plumber coming this afternoon to deal with that. In a few minutes I'm going to head over to Wilson Farms, the world's most glorified farmstand, to pick up the fresh veggies and nibblies. I don't feel very prepared, but it will all work out. At least I already have a turkey.

In addition to my parents and my other sister and brother-in-law, we'll be having my sister's pet little old lady and one of her students, my yoga instructor and her fiance. That should be an interesting crowd with enough conversation to entertain themselves and let me focus on the kitchen.

Cider! I should remember to pick up cider!

Ramping Up

I'm hosting Thanksgiving for my family this year. My parents are driving over today, but spending the night with my elder sister--she's mad for bridge these days and will be leaving in the morning to spend the weekend with her in-laws--so we won't be invaded until tomorrow. I've been distracted by my new project and not feeling 100% the last couple of days, so the house is not as clean as it could be, but it's not in bad shape. Something is wrong with our plumbing, so there's a plumber coming this afternoon to deal with that. In a few minutes I'm going to head over to Wilson Farms, the world's most glorified farmstand, to pick up the fresh veggies and nibblies. I don't feel very prepared, but it will all work out. At least I already have a turkey.

In addition to my parents and my other sister and brother-in-law, we'll be having my sister's pet little old lady and one of her students, my yoga instructor and her fiance. That should be an interesting crowd with enough conversation to entertain themselves and let me focus on the kitchen.

Cider! I should remember to pick up cider!

Wilson Farms

Well, that was a zoo. The line of cars stretched halfway back to Rte. 2 (so about half a mile) and both the main lot and the additional car park were full. When B. mentioned that no one was there on Saturday I should have known it would be a scene.

Inside it was an exercise in four-dimensional space-time relationships, as we all tried to negotiate our carts and bodies around the displays and shelves.

I'm always a sucker for their stuff and this time I resisted no temptations. I got (deep breath)...harvest soup and chunky apple sauce and homemade root beer, ice cream and heavy cream and fresh milk and eggs and plain yogurt, a mango and fresh raspberries, blueberries, scallions and broccoli, onions and potatoes, dried cherries and cranberries and figs, pistachios, cider donuts, blueberry bread, english muffins, white bread, whole wheat bread, unbaked baguettes, mini cinnamon buns and brownies, button mushrooms, cotswold cheese and humboldt fog and vermont goat cheese and new york sharp cheddar and some st. andre and a big block of mousse truffee pate, smoked mackerel, smoked salmon, prosciutto, a box of clementines and a gorgeous small flower arrangement in a clear bowl filled with cranberries. I think that's it, but I've probably forgotten half a dozen things. I think everyone should be able to find something yummy in all of that.

Wilson Farms

Well, that was a zoo. The line of cars stretched halfway back to Rte. 2 (so about half a mile) and both the main lot and the additional car park were full. When B. mentioned that no one was there on Saturday I should have known it would be a scene.

Inside it was an exercise in four-dimensional space-time relationships, as we all tried to negotiate our carts and bodies around the displays and shelves.

I'm always a sucker for their stuff and this time I resisted no temptations. I got (deep breath)...harvest soup and chunky apple sauce and homemade root beer, ice cream and heavy cream and fresh milk and eggs and plain yogurt, a mango and fresh raspberries, blueberries, scallions and broccoli, onions and potatoes, dried cherries and cranberries and figs, pistachios, cider donuts, blueberry bread, english muffins, white bread, whole wheat bread, unbaked baguettes, mini cinnamon buns and brownies, button mushrooms, cotswold cheese and humboldt fog and vermont goat cheese and new york sharp cheddar and some st. andre and a big block of mousse truffee pate, smoked mackerel, smoked salmon, prosciutto, a box of clementines and a gorgeous small flower arrangement in a clear bowl filled with cranberries. I think that's it, but I've probably forgotten half a dozen things. I think everyone should be able to find something yummy in all of that.

Taking a break

The plumber showed up early and everything else was in hand, so I took a break and went to the movies with my sister when she got off work early. We saw _Under the Tuscan Sun_ which was just the right thing for me today. It was so good to see Italy! The scenery was gorgeous--and the places looked nice, too.

It's basically about building the space you live in--physical and mental--for the life you want to live. Sort of "if you build it, they will come," but a villa in Tuscany is much closer to my ideals than a baseball field in Iowa. Sometimes it takes a while--which is where I've been stuck lately--but it's good to remember that life will go on, even when you're distracted by crises.

And Diane Lane is so amazingly gorgeous!

Taking a break

The plumber showed up early and everything else was in hand, so I took a break and went to the movies with my sister when she got off work early. We saw _Under the Tuscan Sun_ which was just the right thing for me today. It was so good to see Italy! The scenery was gorgeous--and the places looked nice, too.

It's basically about building the space you live in--physical and mental--for the life you want to live. Sort of "if you build it, they will come," but a villa in Tuscany is much closer to my ideals than a baseball field in Iowa. Sometimes it takes a while--which is where I've been stuck lately--but it's good to remember that life will go on, even when you're distracted by crises.

And Diane Lane is so amazingly gorgeous!