Looking For a Light in the Darkness ~ Solstice...and some Baking

''(Winter Solstice) is on Saturday, December 21, 2019 at 11:19 pm in New York. In terms of daylight, this day is 5 hours, 50 minutes shorter than on June Solstice.''

Mo and I have made a deal, that if it is below 20*, or icy, or gale windy, we will skip his late night walk. Mo likes that idea, as do I. Not laziness, just too bleak, too dark, too cold---maybe even a bit unsafe?

But tonight was milder, 25*. We went out after  his dinner to greet the winter, and the coming New Year.

"Carry me now, mommy, my feeties are cold, I am tired." 

 We met this striped ''feral'' cat, over towards the koi pond street. Could he possibly be my Stripey? I don't know that it is his sweet face, but he'd be 11 or 12 at least, if he is Stripey, who appeared as an adult winter 2009.

He comes to me when I call him as "Stripey" and takes a few of Mo's treats from my hand, lets me take his picture. Obviously he is cared for, so fluffy and chubby. But always roaming outdoors, and no collar.

Back home, after hot peach tea and Mo's snackies/trick session, a bit of gift wrapping. Look, Mel! A mess! LOL.

Earlier we practiced Santa Hat wearing. Pugs will do anything for a treat, but today he was shy. He'd wear his hat but not look at the camera.

Here is Mo after his hat session, reaping his rewards.
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I did a bit of Christmas baking. As blog friend Kit says, it just seems like baking and Christmas go together.

I made my mom's half recipe of  Pecan Balls / "Snowballs", the one written in turquoise ink. It fills just one cooky sheet, about 3 dozen.

The snowballs are removed from the sugar when cooled.

And I made delicious spiced roasted pecans, for Christmas Eve antipasto  spread. Recipe from Quilting Babcia, yummy! [Thank you, so much!]. These crispy little guys are maybe addicting.

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This cookbook page is for Kel.

I wrote about goulash last month and she noted that her mom made a pasta dish called ''goulash'' that wasn't like classic Hungarian goulash at all. My grandma made the same dish---it was always waiting  on the stove when we'd arrive for holidays, after the long drive to northern Ohio. There she'd be in her pretty French dress and Euro look peep-toe pumps, champagne blonde hair carefully waved, rhinestone earrings clipped on; all wrapped up in a crisp white chef's apron. Stirring the pot of what she called goulash, but that my mom, her daughter , a food purist, taught us to call Grandma's Dish. I made this a few weeks ago, comfort food!
This cookbook is the one I took to college, it truly has all essentials, despite its well used condition.

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The Solstice occurred as I typed this tonight. It strikes me as such an ancient, pagan moment /notion, yet thinking critically, I wonder , What exactly was that ancient Man, that Tribe thinking? Surely they were intelligent, they had memories, they must have known/  remembered that the cold starving time ahead would pass in 100 or 150 days. It did last year, it will next year. Ancient man had calendars! But even the most rudimentary keeping of days---notched on a sapling stick, pebbles lined up in front of the cave, would mark the passing of the cold days that lie ahead, before the Earth reawakens. Something to look into further--did ancient man really celebrate that almost imperceptible shortest day, knowing that the coldest time was ahead of them---or were they saying , winter is coming, bringing Misery and Want. My tribe may  not survive. Let us party now, one last time!

An interesting book on the Solstice, here: a poem and artwork, not technical. Adult or children's book? I cannot tell. The Shortest Day here below, an illustration, note the V of geese.




love 

lizzy 

gone to the beach...

Blog Hop Holiday Favorites ~ Make Day

Hello regular reader friends and welcome if you are visiting via Lori's Holiday Blog Hop.

This weekend was what I secretly call Make Day---It once was  the day, or days, when I made Christmas cookies or a Gingerbread House with my kids.  The kids are too busy for gingerbread magic and cookies are deemed too unhealthy and full of bad things like white sugar and white flour. The banana vegan cookies a few years ago, the gluten-free snowflake disaster, these were the cooky day's final demise.

So this year, I'm home alone with Mo and we are going to make scented fruit garlands for my Scandinavian style Christmas theme of recent years.
Visitors looking for quilts will find them tucked here and there.

I love the smells of open windows, salt air, Mrs Meyer's lemon verbena or basil cleaners, my verbena beeswax I use on my primitive furniture,

but at Christmas I want more. I use a lot of candles, a favorite source is Bath and Body Works, good scents, sturdy safe jars.  Fireside and Old Pine,below.

Cinnamon apple cider, chosen mostly for the glowing red jar.

This past year I've begun using wax warmers too. I'm informed by the kids-police that they are not ultra-cool, but since I am in and out so much, especially with Mo the Pug/ aka Baby Mo, I prefer the safety that an open flame candles just do not provide. In the warmers are Leaves and Apple-Cinnamon. Mason jar wax warmer: Target.

Another favorite is dried scented botanicals. I make herbal sachets for my etsy shop and I like to fill bowls with dried lavender and rosemary in the summer, cinnamon  and star anise now.

Dried fruit pomanders are fun too and last forever.

Recently I saw this tutorial on FB Marie Claire Idees. Dried orange slices with cinnamon sticks, rosemary and/or pine.
Let's give it a try! instructions

Bought the fruits.

Rosemary and pine:

Gathered up the twine.

Bought optional long needles at Hobby Lobby.

Earlier in the week I dried orange slices. Cut 1/4", place  on parchment lined cooky sheets, at lowest oven temp [mine is 175*]  for about 8 hours. This also warms your winter house and smells delicious.

Let's try these mandarins too, aren't they adorable! About 1 1/2 - 2" little fruits. [very sour, though, too bad.]

Everything set out, ready to go.

Mo supervises closely.

Garland done, not difficult. I will brush the cinnamon sticks with some cinnamon scented essential oil, as the fragrance is not very strong. I used only rosemary, not the pine.

The mandarins were funny, and fun.

Drying and setting overnight.

Trying them out around the house the following day.

on the c. 1840 jelly cabinet, made by an ancestor of mine, an immigrant to Pennsylvania.

I love the look, very Scandi and, what's that new four, five years ago word, um, ...? Hygge? here

Clean up. Mo is miffed. No edible food was prepared or presented.

In the end I used my swags outside on my white windbreak fence. Tomorrow they will look so pretty as the snow falls at sunset.

Happy holidays, Merry Christmas!

love

lizzy

gone to the beach......

The Marie Claire Idees link HERE.

Two good sources for botanicals, oil, and beeswax are Bulk Apothecary and also Atlantic Spice Company.

And a little gift from me--not new, but I hope you'll enjoy it. The Last Tree Standing

my holiday favorite things: wreaths on Jeep fronts, Santa hat on Mo, cutout sugar cookies,  stockings filled with little somethings, remembering the good times, my kids and friends, the beach in winter, real Christmas trees, the tree stand at the Firehouse, Christmas Eve dinner, holly, old Shiny-Brite ornaments, presents wrapped in real paper tied with real ribbon bows, windows with flickering faux candles, Church fairs and outdoor markets, hot chocolate, Christmas books, finding or making that special gift for someone I love, my Noah's ark, vintage linens, red and white quilts, Christmas lights,white branches, our lighthouse tree topper, snow, holiday sweaters [not ugly], pink champagne, skating at Rockefeller Center under the Tree, Macy's Santa Land, marzipan fruit, parcel post boxes full of secrets from far away family, Christmas letter from my mom, Grand Marnier after dinner, new mittens, memories, love....

what would you add?