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chelidonMy in-laws have been up visiting us for just under a week now, their visit coinciding not only with the holidays, but with our son's school vacation -- they're spending the time with him during the day while we work, which they all enjoy, and is a blessing to us. And while there's a wee bit of friction now and again (we're all rather strong-minded folk), in-law visits in this case are just about as good as you could ever hope for. I definitely hit the jackpot in the in-law department. My partner's parents were something of bohemians and beatniks, and later were apparently always the "cool parents" who had the place where all the kids hung out, and as far as I'm concerned, they're still earning that title. They're my inspirations for graciousness, and I hope to be as intellectually sharp, engaged and curious as they are when I am their age.
In a short break between writing work, I just got done chatting with my father-in-law about some of the topics in Gregoire Nicolis and Ilya Prigogine's Exploring Complexity, which I'd loaned him, ranging from the natural tendency over time towards stasis and entropy in any group, movement or organization, effective strategies for introducing constructive change, and the crucial difference between priests and prophets, rule-makers and rule-breakers. It's probably no coincidence that most of my heroes are heretics, and most of the people I respect most in the world are/were successful heretics, a very rare thing indeed.
Tomorrow night I'm setting up one of the computers to the TV so they can show us their pictures from Sicily, where they spent a couple of weeks recently celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. The actual date of their big anniversary, Dec 24th (was when he could get a travel pass back home during the Korean War), was spent here, so we did a combined holiday/anniversary dinner for them here, and had a delightful tapas meal. When we pull out the stops, we don't mess around much ;>
The menu included the following (and I'm sure I'm forgetting some of the dishes):
Nice assortment of a dozen or so cheeses and pate, ranging from Italian Gorgonzola Dolce, Tronchetto and French Port Salut, to local Brie and goat cheeses
assortment of Italian olives and pickles
Spinach salad with garnishes
Stuffed mushroom caps with ground chicken and pine nuts
smoked salmon with capers, cream cheese and garlic jelly
Apple chicken sausage with figs and sweet and sour sauce
Peppery lamb meatballs in a tomato brandy sauce
chocolate mousse
clementines and cinnamon orange glazed almonds under thin drizzled caramel sauce
Ukrainian xmas cookies, poppyseed and nut rolls, homemade truffles with various liqueurs, breads
I played bartender/sommelier for the night (in garb perhaps rather different than many of you are used to seeing me in), starting everyone out with cocktails and champagne. The wine was good, but not spectacular (I'm saving some of *those* for our household 12th Night dinner), but I served a good 2002 Sonoma Zin (Ravenswood Monte Rosso) , a very well-structured 2000 RVR (Rhone-style) from Nadeau (small Paso Robles winery), some decent Chardonnay, and for dessert, a bottle of Rosenblum's new Désireé chocolate port, a case of which I'd hand-carried back from my writing trip to the west coast last week. It's not sex in a bottle, but it's pretty darn close -- we've been waiting for three years for Rosenblum to come out with a chocolate port again, ever since their wonderful Danielle dessert wine (of which I still have a precious 2 bottles or so in the cellar). I sent everyone home with a bottle of the Désireé as a holiday present, but kept the bulk of the case for special nights at home ;> There was also, as is tradition here, a range of nice Islay single-malt and other such tasty things for afters.
I always love being able to help set up (and enjoy) special events, being able to create a warm hearth, a space and time for beauty, delight and the experiences that create deep, lingering good memories. Our memories are what make life rich, not possessions or money. May we all be rich beyond measure in memories, and precious time shared with loved ones.
Some other miscellaneous pics:
One of the nice things about winter is that we can get a free outside cooler simply by not shoveling all the snow off the deck ;>
The afternoon after Santa came (and he stayed up very late assembling toys, I can tell you...):Post-Santa Nap
Channeling Oscar Wilde (which reminds me, we haven't had our traditional holiday screening of The Man Who Came To Dinner this year yet -- it also makes a fine double-feature with A Lion In Winter for those who are getting a bit too much seasonal cheer and need some bite in their holidays (and an abundance of deliciously pithy one-liners)
In a short break between writing work, I just got done chatting with my father-in-law about some of the topics in Gregoire Nicolis and Ilya Prigogine's Exploring Complexity, which I'd loaned him, ranging from the natural tendency over time towards stasis and entropy in any group, movement or organization, effective strategies for introducing constructive change, and the crucial difference between priests and prophets, rule-makers and rule-breakers. It's probably no coincidence that most of my heroes are heretics, and most of the people I respect most in the world are/were successful heretics, a very rare thing indeed.
Tomorrow night I'm setting up one of the computers to the TV so they can show us their pictures from Sicily, where they spent a couple of weeks recently celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. The actual date of their big anniversary, Dec 24th (was when he could get a travel pass back home during the Korean War), was spent here, so we did a combined holiday/anniversary dinner for them here, and had a delightful tapas meal. When we pull out the stops, we don't mess around much ;>
The menu included the following (and I'm sure I'm forgetting some of the dishes):
Nice assortment of a dozen or so cheeses and pate, ranging from Italian Gorgonzola Dolce, Tronchetto and French Port Salut, to local Brie and goat cheeses
assortment of Italian olives and pickles
Spinach salad with garnishes
Stuffed mushroom caps with ground chicken and pine nuts
smoked salmon with capers, cream cheese and garlic jelly
Apple chicken sausage with figs and sweet and sour sauce
Peppery lamb meatballs in a tomato brandy sauce
chocolate mousse
clementines and cinnamon orange glazed almonds under thin drizzled caramel sauce
Ukrainian xmas cookies, poppyseed and nut rolls, homemade truffles with various liqueurs, breads
I played bartender/sommelier for the night (in garb perhaps rather different than many of you are used to seeing me in), starting everyone out with cocktails and champagne. The wine was good, but not spectacular (I'm saving some of *those* for our household 12th Night dinner), but I served a good 2002 Sonoma Zin (Ravenswood Monte Rosso) , a very well-structured 2000 RVR (Rhone-style) from Nadeau (small Paso Robles winery), some decent Chardonnay, and for dessert, a bottle of Rosenblum's new Désireé chocolate port, a case of which I'd hand-carried back from my writing trip to the west coast last week. It's not sex in a bottle, but it's pretty darn close -- we've been waiting for three years for Rosenblum to come out with a chocolate port again, ever since their wonderful Danielle dessert wine (of which I still have a precious 2 bottles or so in the cellar). I sent everyone home with a bottle of the Désireé as a holiday present, but kept the bulk of the case for special nights at home ;> There was also, as is tradition here, a range of nice Islay single-malt and other such tasty things for afters.
I always love being able to help set up (and enjoy) special events, being able to create a warm hearth, a space and time for beauty, delight and the experiences that create deep, lingering good memories. Our memories are what make life rich, not possessions or money. May we all be rich beyond measure in memories, and precious time shared with loved ones.
Some other miscellaneous pics:
One of the nice things about winter is that we can get a free outside cooler simply by not shoveling all the snow off the deck ;>
The afternoon after Santa came (and he stayed up very late assembling toys, I can tell you...):Post-Santa Nap
Channeling Oscar Wilde (which reminds me, we haven't had our traditional holiday screening of The Man Who Came To Dinner this year yet -- it also makes a fine double-feature with A Lion In Winter for those who are getting a bit too much seasonal cheer and need some bite in their holidays (and an abundance of deliciously pithy one-liners)
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no subject
Date: 2005-12-29 09:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-29 09:42 pm (UTC)Lion in Winter
Date: 2005-12-29 10:24 pm (UTC)I'd have been OK with any of the Elven folk from the LOTR series.......
Happy Post-Yul-mas
Re: Lion in Winter
Date: 2005-12-29 11:36 pm (UTC)Heh, if you get a line on elves of whatever stripe, let me know, we could use a few up here!
And a Happy Inter-holiday Lull Week to you! (and Happy Moose-Mas, too!) :>
no subject
Date: 2005-12-29 11:39 pm (UTC)I got a book of something like 200 different margarita recipes for Yule. We may just have to go through them all and try them out...oh, the horror. *pained sigh*
no subject
Date: 2005-12-29 11:55 pm (UTC)Re: Lion in Winter
Date: 2005-12-30 05:02 am (UTC)Lull week indeed - and the beat goes on LOL
Moose-mas, I dig that far more than the alternatives! I trust yours is healing nicely?
no subject
Date: 2005-12-30 10:00 am (UTC)Re: Lion in Winter
Date: 2005-12-30 01:48 pm (UTC)Yes, da moose is well, covered in a few inches of snow right now, I'll have to take a pic one of these mornings!
Re: Lion in Winter
Date: 2005-12-30 05:48 pm (UTC)Good moose!
it's a good day for chocolate moose.....mouse.....moose.....