Stormy Weather.

At its start, the storm didn't feel like it was going to be a terribly powerful one.  As the day progressed, however, the wind certainly picked up strength.  For the first time in a good while (a decade, at least), lost power for more than a few minutes. 

After about 1/2 a day, things switched back on.  It's still kind of raging out there, though.  And the next Spring tide will be coming in, soon, which will cause more problems.

Took a short walk around the neighborhood to see the extent of damage.  Was whipped about a fair bit by the wind:  Big girl that I am, who knows  how to keep steady in wind, needed at a couple points to grab a lamp post to not be blown into the street.  Kind of scary, kind of exhilarating.  Not anything I'd want to be out in for an extended period, though.

Thinking good thoughts for all the folks who had to evacuate due to the tides.  For all the First Responders, all the Folks keeping us safe, clearing downed branches, getting our electricity back up, helping to back up an already overtaxed infrastructure.  

Romantic Mood Lighting:  as everything here's dependent on electricity, just prepped up a simple snack of cheese, pickles, crackers, tinned fish.  The big treat was braving the elements for a warm drink from Dunkin:  meh.  Power finally did come on; rested in candle light for a bit, though, as it was so relaxing.

Parfums Exotiques.

After a disappointing engagement with the Bigelow version of chai, decided to head to the local hippie store for some Good Stuff.  Good Heavens!  No Comparison:  whereas the Bigelow tasted like watered down Ovaltine, the Chai-wallah melange was spicy, perfumey, had a bite ... perfect!

With the temps at near freezing today, it was positively balmy compared to the weekend.  Decided on an iced latte at right around tea time tonight.  Enjoyed it at teatime tonight, on the back balcony, watching the warm weather snowflakes fall.

For two:

- 1.5 c. freshly brewed chai, cooled
- 2 T coconut cream
- Sweetener (honey for my tea partner, stevia for me) to taste
- milk
- ice

Shake or beat chai with coconut cream and sweetner until well-mixed.  Fill glasses with ice to about 1/4 - 1/3 full, add chai mix.  Top off with milk, if desired.  Give it all a good stir.  Decorate with crushed cardamom pods, rose petals, even a shake of fresh ground pepper or ginger, if desired.

Hot Toddy.

Day 4, Dry January:

The cold, the monthly hormones, and a fair bit more stress than usual took their toll on the tum today.  Peppermint oil, ginger ale and broth weren't helping, so decided to try another old standby:  star anise.

Broke up and set a few stars to decoct for a while (approx. 20 min) with some fresh ginger.  Tossed in a sachet of chamomile / anise infusion and let that all sit for maybe 5-10 minutes more.  Sweetened with a touch of honey.

Tonic.

Calmed the tum sufficiently to Get Things Done (mainly shoveling.  Also a good bit of setting topsy turvy to rights in the house.).

Be safe, stay warm.

Finch Brunch.

This morning, we counted six goldfinches (three males - I think, three females) and four house finches (two males, two females) on the seed feeders. Mealtime was civil save for a bit of a dogfight between two of the male goldfinches.

The sparrows kept their distance for a while.

Pavel was so pleased, as he'd feared not seeing any goldfinches at all this year.

-Wouldn't it be nice, he asked, if we'd just get a bluejay in for the color? He could come swooping in yelling "global warming! Global warming!" at everyone and the regular working class finches would continue eating and try to ignore him best as possible. Kind of like everyone else around here does.

(snort)

Did get our wish: a bluejay swooped in a bit after, but kept silent and to himself. Saw him grab himself a good bit of suet (takeout?) and settle down to eat on a fencepost on the other side of the yard.

Full Moon and Frost Flowers.

Last night, was out in the elements for a good stretch (nearly three hours, I think). Sure it was cold and the wind was strong, but gosh, it felt *good.* Natural for this time of year. Really enjoyed it.

On the walk home, saw the sun fade out and the sky turn that glorious royal blue that one only really sees in the Winter. Craned my neck to the right (had to crane it, the joints were freezing!) and caught the Wolf Moon shining brightly just above the horizon.

At home, saw that it was playing with the frost in interesting ways on my upstairs window:



This does no justice to the view from the back window. The frost was acting as a prism and it was quite a colorful display.

Since I sleep under a roof that has windows in it, felt a bit like I was in more northern latitudes during Summer, as everything was lit like twilight for a good bit of the night.

This morning, checked the frost patterns again and found that they'd grown some overnight.



Not quite the sort of garden I'd like to be fussing over, but for this time of year, it'll do.

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!



I might actually need to go out and shovel and salt tonight. Imagine that.

Back Again.

Am still a bit woozy. Travel was pretty hellish yesterday, though not as bad as it could have been. Have a lot of sleep to catch up on, as was up for nearly 30 hours straight.

Having a hard time reconciling the fact that just a couple days ago, I was out sunbathing, too. Oh well.

Improvised Minestrone.

Needed something warm based on stuff from the larder. This was a surprisingly good improvisation.

1 can (13-16 oz) White Kidney Beans

1 can (same size) tomatoes (this time around, I used some store brand stewed tomatoes with green pepper and 'latin' spices)

1 small package mixed vegetables (just like that creepy canned Veg-All, only frozen: diced carrots, lima beans, potatoes, corn)

1 8oz container sliced mushrooms

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic

3-4 bay leaves

salt-pepper, basil, oregano
to taste

2 T olive oil

3-4 cubes bouillion (doesn't matter which flavor)

3-4 c water

Chop onion, mince garlic. Saute in olive oil until transparent. Add canned tomatoes, beans, frozen veggies, water, herbs/spices. Simmer 1/2 hour. Add mushrooms. Continue simmering until mushrooms are soft. Serve with bread, rice, pasta, whatever you like.


***

Amazing how acts of desperation can turn into keepers sometimes. Enjoy.

Fur Hat.

Remember a while back when I was talking about wanting a fur hat to go with the fluffy mittens I was making? Well, ask and you shall receive.

I love it. Found it around New Year's time at one of those little boutiques that seem to be cropping up everywhere in former industrial areas that are now rezoned "hip." This particular one, with its expensive goods and minimalist decor, could have been anywhere in the West or West-imitating world. In fact, I'd have thought myself Union Square, Somerville instead of Puteaux if all the prices weren't in Euros.

Anyway, have noted that the French seem really into fur this winter, major accessories being fur scarves, hats and (I'm shaking my head at this one) rabbit-fur vests. Does my heart good, on one hand, to see that PETA holds little sway there. On the other hand, fur farming practices where a lot of this stuff is coming from (my guess is China - tried on a real, non-antique fox-fur hat that was only like 90 EE. Can't imagine that being made over there for that cheaply.) is kind of upsetting to think about, so opted for a lovely fake.

Of course, now I need a new scarf and gloves to go with the hat. Haven't decided yet what would go best: maybe dark brown, maybe black. The Frenchie says that, if I get a red coat and the riding boots I've been eyeing for a couple years now, I'll be having a problem with men falling at my feet. I like the idea of a red coat, but not so much the random men dropping like flies around me. That sounds kind of annoying.

If you take a look at the meteo, you will note that not just Paris, but all of France got nailed by snow and cold weather. Perhaps it was due to their major source of hot air heading south and west for Christmas break.

Anyway, below freezing temperatures and maybe three inches of snow does not seem like much to us stoics in the US Northeast, but it was devastating, I tell you, devastating to Paris.



The haze is actually smog.

My stomping grounds are in a place called Suresnes, which, like Somerville, is a rapidly gentrifying industrial city. Also like Somerville, it is very hilly. Was very interesting to see something like four accidents within the first hour of snowfall around the block from the house*.

Walking was pretty difficult, as things had iced up a lot. Given the grades of some of the hills and the lack of snow cleanup, I probably should have brought my crampons in addition to the boots and winter coat. Still, it was pleasant to be out and the change in weather (first Christmas snow in more than 10 years?) seemed to provide a much-needed lift to folks' spirits. I noticed a lot more people smiling this last time than on past visits.

***

*That's right, Paris, like Boston, has more than enough a$$hole drivers. Perhaps Paris has even more, proportion-wise. The Frenchie's always trying to get me to drive there, but I won't. Haven't driven here at all in four years because the freaks on wheels scare me so. Don't see why I'd start there, where the laws are different and the roads more treacherous.

Christmas, 2008



All sorts of good things washed down with a good Bordeaux. Celebrity cameos by Obama and Narcissus.

Un joyeaux noel à tous.

Pablo's first worry was making sure that the birds had something to eat. Last night was a rough night between the wind and the extra snow. In our comfort, we kept wondering what the birds and (yes) the squirrels were doing.

So, this morning, after I shoveled the back patio and steps, Pablo dove into the yew tree, which was seriously bowed down by the snow, to hunt out the suet feeders.



Poor guy - I made him pose for way too long to get this picture. Look at the snow in the beard. Look at the jaunty angle of the hat.

He found one of the feeders - happily, the double one - but the other just vanished. Will have to replace that one, as folks outside are kind of stressed out from the cold and lack of other food options.

First Snow of the Season.

The guy at the corner store yesterday said that we were going to have snow today, though not much more than a light dusting:



Kind of pleasant, though it's really doing nothing for my seasonal spirit.



I might feel differently when it covers up the junk in the yard. Oh, and when the schoolwork is done. And when I'm safely landed and on my way to what's sort of becoming the default home for the holidays. (Don't like flying at this time of year. There's nearly always weather trouble at some point in the trip.)