Sunday, November 30

There is an ornament workshop after church school today, and I have suggested that we could make, rather than buy pizza to feed the attendees. After making pizza dough and helping children roll it out for over twenty years now, I am somewhat of a pizza making expert.  Mine are not perfect in presentation, but they are tasty.  Once I think about what I have volunteered to do, I realize I don't have the time to make the pizza at church, so I bake them early at home and plan on reheating them before the event.

In Sunday school we introduce the children to Henry David Thoreau.  We read a book called Henry Walks to Work (Thanks to Valerie, this book has served many children well!) It tells the story of how Henry takes a walk into the world surrounding his home, and uses the things he finds and learns there to help his neighbors.  There are herbs and berries to share with friends, simple tasks to help make travel easier for others, observations about the world to help advise people to prepare for the awakening day.  I love this book and this lesson because it teaches children that some of the most simple tasks they can perform can be a help to the world around them, and they take nothing but a small amount of time and kindness.  Henry does all of this as walks to work, which happens to be writing in the very cottage he has left from.  Simple doable tasks which help us to be superheros.  I like to think we all have a bit of Henry in us.

Instead of going to chapel with the children, I join my co-task force friend, Michael in the basement  speak with the youth group to see how they are doing.  They are enthusiastic and excited about their up coming coffee house on December 13th to raise money to help send some of them to GA in Portland, Oregon this coming summer.  They are also interested in being more involved with the congregation in general, something I really want to help them with.

I get back to my class just as they are having sharing time, which means I only missed chapel, and little else.  Sharing time is something that seems to be intergral to our Sunday school experience at 1st UU.  I am not sure where or when it started, but it has crept down from the older grades and I think almost all of the classes do this at some point during the morning.  In our class, we pass around a talking stick, and each person shares something from their week or something coming up. Only the person holding the stick is supposed to talk, and for the most part the children understand this.  It is so amazing what they will share.  Sometimes it is something like an upcoming visit, party or celebration, other times it could be the death of a beloved pet or relative.  

We continue to talk about Henry and how he observed nature.  From our second floor window, which is city close to the neighboring building, I think there is little hope of finding nature there.  With observant eyes, the children find plants which have sprouted though concrete, and bushes in back of the house next door.  We see slivers of blue sky, clouds and birds.  We think about these things, and what we see in our own backyards, and draw pictures in our nature journals.

I leave the class a little early to heat up the pizza.  Erin and Dan find me in the kitchen, and return some dishes from Thanksgiving.  Dana also manages to find me there, amazing since this is not where I would usually be found on a Sunday morning.

I am delighted, because I think these three will get along, and I have been thinking about how to introduce them.  This is perfect.  They help me bring the pizza up to the ornament workshop, which seems to be very explanation intensive.  The four of us had considered making something, but before it gets started, Dan and Erin need to leave, and soon after Dana needs to leave too.  I walk with Dana to her car, and decide I should also head home.

I want to drive with Allie today, but I also need to rake my leaves.  I tell Allie to pick me up in an hour, and this gives me just enough time to get the front in good shape.  It is very mild out today, so I am glad that I put this task off.  Allie comes just as I finish, and we practice highway driving on 146, parking lot navigation, parking, and end up at Target.  Of course we need to stop in and look around while we are here!

Steve is out for most of the day, wrapping gifts at Barnes and Nobel, so I don't see him for most of the day.  It is nice when he gets home, and we can share stories from our day.

Saturday, November 29

It is forecast to be cold and I want to rake leaves today.  My plan is to do something else until it gets warm enough to stay outside for a while.  I bring all of the Christmas gifts I have accumulated to this point downstairs to the kid worktable that is in my living room, find all the necessary accessories, put on some Christmas music and start wrapping gifts. I do this with a bird perched on my shoulder.  I am bird sitting two little parakeets for the holiday weekend, and they need to spend some time out of the cage.  I split their time, and wrap accompanied by the chirping and the occasional fluttering of wings.

It never really gets warm today, and early in the afternoon I have an engagement gathering to go to for some close family friends. Maybe I can rake leaves tomorrow.

Kaileigh and Josh have stopped in today hello and bring me some lunch.  This is so appreciated after sitting and wrapping all morning.  They are on their way to Pastiche to pick up some cakes for the party we are going to this afternoon.

 Julie and David are in town for the Thanksgiving holiday, and while they are here, they are celebrating the engagement of their son Ben.  He and Helen are both in for the holiday from California, so it is the perfect time for everyone to come together and celebrate them.  It is hard when families start to spread out across the country and distance makes it difficult to share in life events.  It is really nice that Julie put together this gathering, not only for Ben and Helen, but for everyone invited as well.   We get to gather and enjoy cake, celebrate a happy event, all in the company of friends.  What could be better?

The party is at the First Unitarian Church, which has a lovely space for celebrating in.  There are large, colorful Persian rugs covering the floors of two of the rooms, antique sofas and a fireplace adding ambiance to the space.  David greets us at the door with a big hug and guides us to the gathering.  The first thing you notice when you walk into the room is a long table filled with cake.  They look beautiful and smell delicious.


The there are tables in an adjoining room to sit and enjoy the cake, although many people stand and eat their cake close to where they will go to get their next taste.  I could list off each of the cakes, but it would make you too hungry, so I will just tell you my favorite.  The chocolate mousse cake is heavenly.  It is light and fluffy, with such a dark intense chocolate flavor that is not too sweet nor bitter.  It is a rather plain looking cake, not as fancily decked out as the others, but this is only to fool those who don't know better.  This is the most heavenly cake of the bunch.

Dear Friends,

I am writing to let you know that I am doing fine.  Last week was a busy one, and left little time for sitting at the computer and writing. This week also looks as if it may be a little less busy, so I will try and get some computer time in.

Thanks for your love and concern,

Love and hugs,

Kathy

Friday, November 28

Even though I went to bed so early last night, I sleep until six this morning.  I thought for sure I would wake up around four, maybe five at the latest, but I guess I really was tired.  My plan was to rise before the sun and head out to the mall to do some Christmas shopping.  I love to go to the stores when they are not crowded, and from past experience, I know that five is a great time to shop.

Instead of that plan, the one where I would be home by the time Steve needs to go out, Steve drops me at the mall around seven thirty and heads over to Walmart to cover the protest going on there. By the time he comes back to cover the Buy Nothing Day, taking place on the State House lawn, I have amassed as many purchases as I can carry.

I feel a little bad about this contrast, but here I am with a day off from work, and this shopping that I need to do.  If I were able to, I would have all of my shopping done before Thanksgiving, and be able to join in on the buy nothing campaign.  The reality for me, time wise and financially, is that buy nothing day is the most convenient day for me to shop.

As I stand outside the mall, I see some of the appreciative recipients of the Buy Nothing Day Coat Exchange.  There are quite a few families with young children, and I am glad that they have been able to find warm outerwear for the winter.

We arrive home just in time.  Steve's dad, his wife and her mother are just getting ready to get in their car to leave.  I thought they had said they would visit at ten thirty, but they were here at ten.  It is now ten fifteen, and we almost missed them.

His dad and Jan are up for the Thanksgiving holiday. It is so nice that they were able to stop by since we didn't make it to the celebration they were at yesterday.  We have a little time to catch up before they need to leave.  It is so nice to see them, and especially to see Jan's mother.  We haven't seen her in quite a long time.

Later, I walk up to Hope Street to visit the small shops there. Steven and I have been invited to a Sinterklaas celebration this evening, and we need some small gifts to bring.  Hannah, Ayla's friend since first grade, moved to Amsterdam last January to be with her boyfriend Job (pronounced Yōb).

They have come back to the States to visit for Thanksgiving, and want to share this tradition from Job's culture with us.  It requires each person to bring three small wrapped gifts with them.  It is usually celbrated on December fourth, but since they will be leaving before then, we celebrate tonight.

marzipan pig

Hannah and Job made us a traditional Netherlands dinner, called stampot, which is potatoes with greens and cheese mashed all together.  It is served with sausages and gravy.  As with most cultural celebrations there are many food traditions attached.  This one includes small ginger cookies called pepernoot, chocolate Sinterklass and Black Peter candy, Stroopwafels, marzipan pigs, biscuits, and the first letter of each person's name made out of chocolate.

We eat our meal and begin the gift exchange.  It is similar to a Yankee swap, but with dice.  Each roll dictates what the person rolling the dice should do: take a gift from the pile, take a gift from someone and give it to someone else, pass gifts to the left or right, unwrap a gift, take someone else's gift, and finally put an unwrapped gift that is in front of you under your chair.  Once the gift is under your chair, no one can take it from you.  It is much fun to see how the game shifts with each unwrapping of a gift.  We played for a couple of hours, and though it did start to get a little tedious toward the end of the game, we were in such good company, we still had a fine time.

Thanksgiving Day

November 27, 2014

This morning I get up and tell myself I will not turn on the television and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Instead, I will do something else.  Usually, I bake a pie running back and forth between the kitchen and the living room to see what is coming next, but I baked last night.  So, I get up, and turn on the television, sit on the edge of the couch and start watching.  I am not sure why I have to watch this parade, but I do.  It is something I have done every Thanksgiving since my children were old enough to watch.  We would wait to see the newest balloons, and anticipate the arrival of old favorites.  Together we would enjoy the precision of the marching bands and their associated flag or rifle corps, and critique the lip synching abilities of the singers on the colorful sponsored floats.  We would enjoy the snapshot scenes of Broadway shows being reenacted in front of the Macy's entrance.  To miss all of this, seems like leaving something out of our Thanksgiving.

Even though only Alex is currently at home, one by one, each of my children join in watching the parade with me as the morning goes on. They come in from their travels, and gather in the living room and it is like old times.  It is a part of their tradition that they also look forward to.

We will be spending Thanksgiving Day at my sister's house.  We go there most Thanksgivings, but this year, without my dad, it will seem a little smaller, a little different.  I have invited the young couple I met at church last Sunday to join us.  It occurred to me late in the week that they might not have any plans, so I asked them to come along with us.  They happily accepted the invitation.

I want to make a quiche for our guests, since I have learned that they are vegetarians.  As I watch the parade, I calculate how long I can wait before I start it. The parade ends at twelve, and we need to be at my sisters by one thirty, so I can safely wait until the parade is done before I start the quiche.

Kaileigh has brought me some butter from her house, since I discovered I wouldn't have enough for a pie crust unless I went out for some.  This would violate the don't buy anything on Thanksgiving Day goal I have set for myself.  Not that I would go to any of the big box stores on this day, but I think the workers at milk stores deserve a break too.

Once the parade is over, both Ayla and Kaileigh come into the kitchen to help with the quiche.  We are not working from a recipe, just the idea of what we want.  I make the dough and roll out the crust, the girls decide on the filling and prepare that.  By the time it is baked, we are all ready to go. Kaileigh and I go to pick up Erin and Dan, and Steven, Ayla and Alex will meet us there.

My sister's house is a sweet little cape, with sleepy gardens in the front yard.  The scent of Thanksgiving seeps from the house into the yard.  When we enter,  it is steamy and warm from all of the cooking that has been going on all morning.  There is a slight wait until everything is ready, but her kitchen is so small, only one other person is able to help out.  Ayla goes in and claims her spot as helper, and the rest of stand around and talk until dinner is served.

Dinner starts with a beverage survey, one of my kids will find out what each person needs to drink, and brings it to the table.  When I was growing up, you would never have been allowed to have a soda can on the table, we would have glasses which would require refilling very quickly.  These days we are much more casual, and drink from the can.

The table is set beautifully, covered with a lace cloth, just like when we were kids.  The table, the place settings, the china was from my grandparents house, so this all feels comforting and familiar.  It is a connection to our past, as well as the present. The room is painted a spicy orange color, with curtains with big blossoms scattered across them.  There are china cabenets in the corners, and plants in front of the windows.  A buffet chest stands along one wall, with artwork made by family members who are no longer living.  This is such a wonderful place to spend this day, surrounded by family, love and mementos of those who are still alive in our hearts.

The table is spread with so much delicious food!  We can't wait to eat: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, turnip, green bean casserole, spinach quiche, boiled onions, olives, black and green, celery, gravy, and cranberry sauce, whole and jelly.  These are the very same foods my grandfather used to make us at Thanksgiving, with the addition of the quiche and the green bean casserole.  Each Thanksgiving he would tell us that this was the very same meal his mother would make for the Thanksgivings of his childhood.

Since we are using my grandmother's china, the serving area is much smaller than plates of today.  It has always been a challenge getting all of your dinner on one of these plates, but in years gone by, I would have gone back for a refill of everything, and be sitting at the table feeling like I could barely move.  This year, somehow, no one seems to eat too much, and we are all happier for it.  After all, there will be plenty of leftovers for later!

Steven and I start in on the pile of dishes, while Kaileigh takes all the meat off the turkey carcas, a job she has had since we discovered her talent at stripping a turkey!  Food starts to get put aside in containers for each group to bring home, and while we finish up in the kitchen, a game of Anomia begins at the table.  Once the kitchen is back in order, Sara, Steven and I join into the game, giving our dinner a chance to digest a little before dessert.

Anomia is a fast paced card game that involves matching symbols and shouting out answers to categories such as famous address or superhero, as quickly as you can.  These are not things I excel at, but it is fun to be a part of the game.  We play a couple of rounds before we are ready for dessert.

My grandfather's desserts would have included cranberry pie, mince pie, squash pie and a suet pudding.  The mince disappeared from the table by the time I was in my twenties, but the other pies have been a mainstay.  This year the Onepie canned squash we use was no where to be found, and the suet pudding exploded, so they were absent from our menu.  My kids have never been big pie fans except for a chocolate cream pie, so we have added that to our menu, and Ayla has discovered she likes to bake apple pie, so we've added that as well.  These days there is always ice cream, and the fruit tower remains, my grandmother's contribution to our historical dinner.

The food and company today have all been lovely.  Our pilgrims, Erin and Dan have been excellent guests, such a nice addition to our celebration.  We have missed my dad, Grampie, but felt his presence in small but significant ways.

We gather our food and thank Sara for the delicious meal she has made and shared with us, and head back to Providence to drop off our guests and go back home.

When my children were younger, at this point, we would go to visit Steve's mom and her Thanksgiving celebration.  For the last couple of years though, the day seems too short, and too rushed so we have skipped it.

This year, I am so tired when we get back home, I can hardly keep my eyes open.  I worry that if I go to bed early, I will wake up in a couple of hours and not be able to get back to sleep.  By seven, I can't keep my eyes open much longer and get myself to bed. I lie in bed feeling grateful for my family, my friends and the beautiful Thanksgiving I have just enjoyed before I drift off to sleep.

Monday, November 24

Today it is raining, but deliciously warm.  No need for hand warmers or mittens or layers of clothing.  It is oh, so heavenly.

I don't blog because I feel like I am coming down with a sore throat, and go to bed early.

Tuesday

I awaken at two this morning, and while I might normally just get up, I still feel like I have a cold coming on. I concentrate on an earworm to prevent me from worrying about everything and fall back asleep only to wake up again an hour later. This pattern continues until I finally get up at six.  I shower and start cleaning while watching the news to see what has been happening in Ferguson MO. It has been a restless night out in the world too.

By nine o'clock, I am so tired, I need to take a nap.  I ask Steven if he can cover for me, so I can sleep a little more.  He and Sara take the kids to the playground, and I sleep for an hour and a half.  It is warm out, so I walk to the playground needing only a sweater for extra warmth.  I know that Steven has a busy day today, so I am grateful for his help.

I find everyone playing around the fountain.  We love it this time of year, because it is empty and we make full use of it's play value.  We can walk on the edge and play inside.  It is decorated with colorful chalk lines the kids made before I arrived.  Some of the kids run around inside the bowl of the fountain, some like to search for coins left behind from the summer.  They are hidden beneath the accumulation of leaves or under the piping the rings the base.  There aren't many left, but occasionally one will pop up somewhere.  There is good treasure hunting here.

We play at the north end of the park for a while before heading back to my house for lunch.

It is still warm out in the evening, so I walk to knitting.  I am hoping I will leave early,to look for gifts on Thayer Street.  Instead, I leave later and arrive just as knitting begins.

Wednesday

The weather forecast for today is rain and snow mixed.  Looks like a nor'easter.  Due to the bad weather, some of my children have left early to get a head start on traveling to Thanksgiving in other places.  Still, we manage to have five for the day, and make ginger bread cut out cookies.  The rain lets up a little, so we take advantage of the break and take a short walk.

I was hoping to have the monthly knitting night at my house this evening, but cancelled it last night based on the forecast.  It was a good call. Instead, I baked a cranberry pie and a pumpkin pie to bring to my sisters house tomorrow.

Sunday, November 23

There is a Thanksgiving Service today at church, and I want to sing with the Joyful Noise Choir. This special choir that has been brought together for this multi-generational service, and is made up of people of all ages.  I have tried unsuccessfully to get to the required two rehearsals, but only make it to the last one this morning.  The songs are some we have sung in children's chapel, so I think I can wing it.

I am a greeter today, one of the duties that people on the Prucom are responsible for.  I get to stand at the door and welcome people into the church.  This is a job I seldom get to do, but one I really enjoy.  I haven't done it since just before my surgery, last June.  When I am done greeting, once the chalice is lit, I go to sit with my fellow kindergarten teacher, Sarah.  When it comes time to sing at the front of the church, I bring her along with me.

After the service, as a part of my greeter job, I go to the newcomers cafe and say hello to people new to our community.  I notice two little girls who had come into the church with their mother earlier.  They are all dressed up, in fancy dresses and shoes.  One is in pre school, and the other, in first grade.  Neither will be in my class this year if they continue to come, but I tell them about Sunday school, and talk with their mom. I also meet a young couple who have recently moved to Providence, and just started coming to the church last week.  I find out they are close in age to Kaileigh and Josh, and live on the same street as one of their friends.  While we are talking, we get invited to witness two new members signing our membership book. This officially makes the signers voting members of our church community.  The signing of the book means they have also agreed to our covenant, which is only in its third incarnation in nearly three hundred years.

We, the members of the First Unitarian Church of Providence, with respect for the worth and dignity of each person, with wonder at the light we know by many names, and with gratitude for our deep connection to each other and the larger web of existence, covenant to walk together in our search for truth, seeking the paths of wisdom, compassion, and justice. 

The couple who are signing the book happen to be the grandparents of a child in my Sunday school class.  I feel like it is a special privilege to be invited to witness this signing.

After a quick lunch, Allie and I go driving.  We run a few errands for her mom, and drive to her school in East Providence.  We practice backing up and parking between the lines.  She does well.  On the way home, we decide to stop at Dunkin Donuts.  On our first try, we to the drive through.  Allie asks for powdered sugar munchkins. The person taking the order tersely states, "we have jelly." Did that person really just say that?   It feels like we are in a comedy sketch.  We decide to try another instead.  We drive less than a mile to find the next Dunkin Donuts. Here we go inside. They have powdered sugar munchkins, but Allie decides to try cinnamon.  The donut dealer gives her an extra, probably because he thinks Allie is so cute.

In the late afternoon, Steve and I go out to see a documentary movie, Citizenfour, about Edward Snowdon, .  It is a very intense movie which tells his story from the time he first reveals top secret documents about domestic spying to the press.  It starts in Hong Kong, and follows him into Russia, where he remains today.  The film maker and the journalist are very brave people to have documented this very powerful story.  I am surprised that there are not more people at the show.