sometimes.

sometimes, you just need a picture of a puppy and a baby.

can i get an amen?

parents (and various), you know you can comment, right? by using the little link to the comment feature under each post?

is this thing on?

what's your 20?

hammer down!

eve redux.

we found cheapo tickets for the light in the piazza new year's eve. still not really cheapo, but we wanted to see it and this looks like a chance. afterwards i might lobby for just going home; i loved the year we watched the ball drop on NY1 in our pajamas and champagne flutes. the ball drop thing always seemed silly to me, but watching the chaos from a new york living room is nice. especially on the local station--they do a fifteen minute montage of the crowd around the ball, focusing on a lot of kisses and usually a few proposals. everyone seems so joyful . . . and i'm always so glad i'm not in times square or dealing with the charming drunks and the barfers on the train.

boxing day.

i got up early and hit some stores. not because i crave the crush; because i need pants.

five pairs to the good (five! thanks for the christmas booty, m.), i trekked home to find my boyfriend doing my laundry. then he made me homeade ravioli.

the day after christmas is way more fun than i remember from childhood.

roasting.

it's christmas!

lincoln center was beautiful last night.



so was mass, but anni gave me the giggles and we've been excommunicated. we heathens stopped for a nightcap--in bar that completely gave the lie to the popular image of sad lonely folks drowning their christmas sads in vats of irish whiskey; it was warm and joyful and full of happy people--we lay us down in our new sock monkey pajamas to sleep.



our breakfast was weird. my streak of successful--admirable, even--baking was brought to a halt with the enormous failure of the morning's cinnamon rolls.



i won't get into regrets and recriminations, but suffice it to say that the right pan and the amazing rolling pin my mother gave me for christmas would have made a difference.

opening the stacks was a joy. carnage!







and the bounty is indescribable.


and also, since i previously introduced you to the aged toaster of my discontent, let me present this year's model:



i love a toaster. good job, christopher. a man who gives you yellow bowls is a keeper.

we're trying the lamb roast right now. the damned butcher didn't butterfly it as requested, so chris took the knife to it. it is now what we call a puzzle-roast; however, chunks of roast lamb are just as delicious as one unadulterated lump. wish us luck.

merry christmas, all.

eve.

christmas eve.

man, i am sick. the transit strike gave me a cold.

and it sucks to be sick on christmas eve.

however, we are bundling up to go to mass at st. paul's with anni.

the stacks are looking good.



but we already unwrapped one of the best gifts of all.



there is no other peanut butter. thanks, mom.

and god bless us, every one.

december 23.

it's always my favorite day of advent, because it's the day before everything starts. it was also the day, three years go, that i told chris i loved him. we were making french toast. very handily, it turned out he also loved me.

we brought home some more christmas ornaments today. these beautiful german glass ones that were on sale in some store next to the porn shop on christopher street in the village:



and also these disco balls that i got at the 99 cent store, six for a dolla. i love them.



they look good together. actually, the tree rocks.

bread.

on the first day of the transit strike, i stayed home and made bread. all things considered, i had a pretty good day compared to most.



and i gotta say, it was some bread. cinnamon swirl, with a textbook shiny golden crust. it was okay straight from the loaf, but it turned into something magical in the toaster. also, extreme french toast.

it was so good it made my toaster look bad. this is my college toaster. i think it might be time to invest in a newfangled one with bagel slots.


my mixer, however, is mighty.

cookie party.

it finally happened. menu included:

cheese plate (feta, swiss, havarti and cheddar; cream crackers)
gaeta olives
pigs in blankets
salted peanuts
dried apricots and dark chocolate
veggies and a french onion dip
lots of wine.
and of course: cookies.

i think it was quite lovely. i needed twice as many pigs in blankets as i'd made; people are wild for those tiny weenies. the cookie decorating was actually pretty lively. we held a contest ("aptness of thought" was put forth as the main judging criteria) and gave away a gourmet chocolate santa from Li-Lac as a prize. surprisingly (or not), the winning cookie was not very christmasy, and i will not describe it here because this is a family blog.