Featured

I'm feeling all blushy today because I'm being featured over at Blog Nosh! Check it out. :-)

The Beach

She wore a white dress but decided, as she took one last look in the mirror, that she needed more. Something bright. She saw the vase on the nightstand and grabbed a single orchid. Her fingers trembled as she pinned the purple blossom to her loose braid. Shoes seemed just silly, so she kicked off her sandals and stepped outside. The sand was warm beneath her toes as she walked gingerly toward the shoreline so as not to step on a shell or jagged rock.

When she reached where he stood waiting she uttered simply and with conviction,

“I do.”

------------------------

This was a challenge by Velvet Verbosity to write a 100 word story based on the word "nervous." Go check out some of the other entries.

12 days of christmas music

I love Christmas songs. LOVE. THEM. I love them a little too much for my husband's taste. But, I tell him, singing along to "White Christmas" at full volume is part of my charm!

Anyway....I thought that I would share some of my favorite Christmas songs with you through the magic of You Tube. I'll spare you the sing along.



White Christmas is the best Christmas song ever. Do not argue with me, because you will never convince me other wise.


Now this is a classic, of course. Care for a chestnut?


Another classic by Judy Garland. I am cracking up right now because yesterday my mother lipped synced this song on Skype to my son. HAHAHA!! Trust me it was funny. Yeah, you had to be there.




This song reminds me of a friend in college who made me soup and bread and copied The Charlie Brown Christmas music to a cassette for me, which I have since lost. I hope she is well now and is still making warming, yummy soup for her friends.



This one gets me right in the heart. Ever since I moved East, away from my friends and family, I can't hear this song without bursting into tears. Oh no, here come the waterworks...



Now the King will croon...



I used to listen to this song as a kid and dream about life in The Big City.



I remember listening to this song on my tiny clock radio while wrapping Christmas presents for my grade school friends. I don't remember what the gifts were, but I can guess that they may have been florescent socks or big plastic earrings. I was probably wearing stirrup pants.



This one is for my son who when asked what the most common winter holidays are said, "Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, and Feliz Navidad."

This one is all about nostalgia for me. I remember learning this song at school when I was very, very young maybe 1st or 2nd grade. I hear it now and instantly feel like a small girl eagerly awaiting Santa's arrival.



This one is for my daughter who thinks this is the greatest Christmas song EVER.



Another one that reminds my of being a little girl....When I was young my parents had lots of Christmas albums, but the album I enjoyed the most was the Perry Como one. I loved to sit by the tree with his record on softly in the background.

So there you have it--12 songs for the 12 days of Christmas. Have a joyous holiday my friends!

secret society

It's like a club. There isn't a secret handshake or a special password, but there is a unique look, a shifting of the eyes, a softening of the mouth, that will give you a clue. You'll be talking to someone, and when the word "father" comes up in conversation you'll see it and know before they say the words:

"He died."

Oh yes, you understand. You step a bit closer and ask, "When?" The answer is different every time, of course.

"Last year."

"In September."

"When I was in high school."

But you know in your heart that it doesn't matter how long it has been. You are all lifetime members of the same, sad society.

There are rituals, of course. On Father's Day, you may run into a fellow member in the store or on the street. A squeeze of the hand or a simple, "How are you?" takes on a special meaning. You don't need them to respond to know that they miss him today.

The birthday ritual and the passing date ritual are, of course, more private. Everyone has their own specialized routine. For some it is quiet prayer in church. Others crawl into bed and have a good cry. Some look at old photos or wear his old flannel work shirt around the house.

But you don't have a particular rite that you perform. Some years you simply think of him in passing and go on with the day as planned. Other years you are floored with grief.

So you write.

You write private thoughts into messy journals that no one will see. Or maybe you pen a birthday letter and share it with the world, your family, your friends. Sometimes you write thinking it will make it hurt less. You write and pretend it isn't real.

But no matter what you do, write, or say, you can't terminate your membership in the club. You may smile and say to the world all around, " I'm fine," but it is a lie. You are not fine. You have no father.

Your daddy is gone.

So you turn to the members of the club and wordlessly plead to be understood. They know you want to be heard but that you don't want to talk. They will let you feel what you have to feel without pushing you to share or heal or move on. Knowing they are near, that they will be there to hold you up when you just want to crumble under the sadness, buoys you.
------------------------------------------

for Karen, Barb, Veronica, Lorraine, Sue, Sandy, and all of the daughters out there without fathers.

by christine green, member for 15 years

when all else fails post a recipe

I am having a hard time finding my words right now. I look at the blank computer screen and panic because nothing comes.

Nothing.

Part of it is sheer busyness. I am just whirling in circles with the kids, work, volunteering, etc. I hardly have time to breath much less write. Part of it, though, is simply self doubt creeping in. I see wonderful writers and artists around me every day. They are writing brilliant blogs, penning novels, winning awards, and publishing.

And I am not.

I know, I need to just get over it. If a writer's life was what I really wanted I should have aimed for a degree in English rather than Anthropology. But I didn't take that route, and I have to live with my choices.*

So to fill the space and to make me feel a little more accomplished I will post a recipe. Here is my favorite Lemon Pie recipe, adapted from the Fannie Farmer Baking Book.
--------------------------------------
1 9-inch pre-baked pie shell
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups water
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
grated rind of 1 lemon (both white and yellow)
whipped cream or cool whip for topping

Blend the sugar, cornstarch, and water in a saucepan. In a separate bowl beat the egg yolks with the lemon juice then add to the sugar mixture.

Cook over medium heat while stirring constantly. The mixture will become translucent and thick. Cook three minutes longer while continuing to stir.

Remove from the heat and cool for at least one hour. When the mixture is cool spread in the pie shell and top with whipped cream or cool whip

Refrigerate if not serving immediately.

Enjoy!

--------------------------------------
*Please, please, PLEASE don't leave {{hugs}} and "I get it" or "You're a great writer!"in the comments. Just say something about how yummy this pie looks. Or, better yet, tell me what your favorite pie recipe is.

Thanksgiving

*Holiday traditions, for many people, revolve around food. My family is no exception. Every year at Thanksgiving we make this recipe. It is perhaps the best cranberry bread I have ever tasted. Rich with butter and tart with fresh cranberries, it makes the perfect breakfast on any winter holiday. We tweak the recipe just a bit. . .we substitute fresh cranberries for the raisins, and we don't bother chopping them at all. The recipe also makes delicious muffins or mini-loaves. It is best served with whipped cream cheese.

The recipe is originally from the book Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin. I still have the copy I had when I was a young girl in California. This is my favorite passage:

"What a great full dinner that was--with everything cooked with crisp edges and tender centers.
'How delicious!' said Maggie.
'How exquisite!' said. Mr. Horace.
'How about some more?' said Mr. Whiskers."

from Cranberry Thanksgiving, page 15

I can only hope that the holiday meals I prepare this year will meet with the same, loving praise.

*originally posted November 2008

the winner is...

Kelley at Craffing Out Loud! She won a copy of Mother Muse by leaving a comment at my last post. I very scientifically wrote each name on a piece of paper then had my son draw a name out of a hat. :-) And when you have a chance do go read her blog--she is is a lovely writer and I so enjoy reading her blog.

I am battling a cold and a very busy week, so I don't have much more to write today. I promise to get a real post up next week. Until then enjoy the musical interlude....