Cold as Christmas...

November and December have been strange and rather unsettling months for me. Good and not-so-good currents have upset my otherwise pretty stable atmosphere.

My good high school friend, Barbara, visited and it was wonderful to once again be sixteen, talking about junior prom, red licorice (inside joke) and mutual friends and then just as quickly returning to age sixty-five and chatting about books read, marriage, and weight gain.  There was cataract surgery #1 and cataract surgery #2, both successful and after over two years of seeing everything in a blur, my vision is now just a hair short of 20/20 and I’ve assured David I still want to stay with him.

As usual, I’ve cooked, baked and read a lot, not necessarily in that order. Thinking back, as we’re nearing yearend, I’ve come up with my own list of 2014 Top Ten Books Read. For the most part it was a serious year. Drum roll.

Tehran Noir (an anthology of noir short stories in the Akashic Noir series)
Life Drawing by Robin Black
High As the Horses’ Bridles by Scott Cheshire
The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman (a visit to Masada this summer made this particularly poignant)
The Son by Jo Nesbo
The Enchanted by Rene Denfield
To the End of the Land by David Grossman
The Marco Effect (part of the intriguing Department Q series) by Jussi Adler-Olsen
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (a surprise Top Ten for me)
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

You can read the reviews on Goodreads, if you so choose.

Next year I’ll keep track and draw up a list of my Top Ten recipes. That should be interesting.

My brother has found new love. My sister struggles with the loss of her love to Alzheimer’s. My love continues to grow for both David and family, although these last two months it’s been tested. I’ve done a lot of thinking lately about that quote I’ve always loved so much and one that’s been appearing a lot on Facebook (I found it first.) “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” It’s been my mantra for years, but recently it’s been put to a test. Sometimes we have to let go of our battles. They are old and if we hold onto them, they will only create new ones. And that is what has happened. It saddens me. It grieves me particularly when I see and know others who struggle with adversity not of their making, yet do not complain and continue to give love and laughter to others, asking nothing in return. They have learned the lesson of letting go.

Enough. I have a good life, a wonderful husband, who is both an old and new love; a son, recently engaged, and following his dream of a musical career; new FB friends to meet and a new year ahead of me. Stay tuned for a new cookbook review of Bitter: A Taste of the World’s Most Dangerous Flavor with Recipes by Jennifer McLagan. I’m looking forward to reading it, trying some recipes upon my return to Maryland, and then telling you about it here.  For an earlier peek:

http://www.randomhouse.com/book/224835/bitter-by-jennifer-mclagan

“May the lights of Hanukkah usher in a better world for all humankind.” – Author Unknown

Happy Chanukah!

“May peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through.” – Author Unknown

Merry Christmas!