Snow is falling on snow here. The Scion parked out front sports a 16-inch crown and all the neighborhood evergreens preen in their albino furs. Are we ready for Christmas? Welllll. Sort of. Nathan pulled an all-nighter last night and is toiling away at the dining room table on part of his proposal for his dissertation, due "before Christmas". I hope that means before we need the table for dinner which is always lamb piroshkis made by the three musketeers and some black bean soup this year made by yours truly.
After dinner, doors close throughout the house, folks yell, "Stay out" and "Who has the tape?" and there's much flurry and snipping of catalogs and scribbling of pictures to represent presents still residing in stores, and much composing of tags that give a hint of what's inside a box, but not too easy a hint. We're lucky to finish before Christmas day. Last to bed is Mr. Claus, who fills the Christmas stockings to overflowing with toothbrushes and jars of olives and trail mix and whatever else occurred to him as he raced down the aisles of Fred Meyer. Somewhere in the midst of all this we read aloud Astrid Lindgren's Christmas story, The Runaway Sleigh Ride, about family and how every child counts.
For Christmas breakfast we always have a Port Townsend Sunrise, dreamed up during our magical years in Port Townsend. Here's how it goes: Crowd a cookie sheet (if there are six of you or a smaller pan for fewer people) with slices of bread. Cover with slices of orange cut crosswise (the sunrise). Sprinkle with walnuts and chopped dates. Put lots of eggs in a blender and fill to the top with milk. Add a little cinnamon and salt and pour the blended mixture over the bread. Bake at 375 till the milk-egg mixture has set (20-30 minutes) and serve with warm applesauce poured over the top. Yummm. Yum.
Weather permitting, the Hamms will caravan to the beach to spend a couple of days with brother Alex and his family in a 3-story rental with a hot tub and a view of the ocean. Whatever your holiday plans are--and staying home with a warm afghan and a good book also sounds good, I hope I can trust you're spending time with someone you love appreciating what means the most to you this season.
With love from the Hamm household,
Diane
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The last of the snow is threatening to drip away today. The boots I ordered (with free overnight shipping) a couple weeks ago haven't arrived yet. My Minnesota Mom was here for it all -- kids home from school, sledding, no side trips for my book signing in Leavenworth or the Port Townsend visit Mom loves so much. Just us, food, music. We did get in our annual bonfire for our Winter Soltice wild man Jean. Karl chained up the van and collected a couple loads of neighbors.
Today is Kaj's 12th birthday. Our Rockabye Farm boy. When's the new version coming out?
Two birthdays, Christmas, and now we look forward to writing our resolutions in the sand (we thought it might be snow this year) and celebrating Haiti Independence Day with a version of Diane's pumpkin soup. Okay, maybe it was squash, but the traditional Haiti version is pumpkin. Can't remember, but it was yummy!
We'll try a gluten-free version of the P.T. Sunrise here that morning, too. That way we can start our new year with you. Another tradition. Thanks!
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