A love letter ~

This year I wrote my Sweetie a love letter in lieu of the traditional pre-printed card. It felt fitting for the year we have had.   And since my letter is meant for my one and only, I thought I'd share this beautifully written letter with you.

August 20, 1918
Darling, my darling. One line in haste to tell you that I love you more today than ever in my life before, that I never see beauty without thinking of you or scent happiness without thinking of you. You have fulfilled all my ambition, realized all my hopes, made all my dreams come true.

You have set a crown of roses on my youth and fortified me against the disaster of our days. Your courageous gaiety has inspired me with joy. Your tender faithfulness has been a rock of security and comfort. I have felt for you all kinds of love at once.

I have asked much of you and you have never failed me. You have intensified all colours, heightened all beauty, deepened all delight. I love you more than life, my beauty, my wonder.

Duff Cooper, English politician, to Diana, his future
wife.


Wishing you all a lovely Valentine's Day ♥♥♥

New Year's Eve

New Years, well it wasn't Rockin' at our house this year like it was last year but it was so fun.

We like to stay in and it seems house parties are the new black, everyone is either hosting or attending a soiree ringing in the new year at home.  I love the idea of an intimate and casually elegant gathering.  This year we stayed in, just the two of us, and Bailey of course.  It was festive and fabulous with a heaping does of whimsy. 

I pulled out the decorations from last year to set the mood.  The theme "Midnight Reverie" and soon our house was dripping in dark blue and gold.  Party hats tiaras, noise makers, glitter, Champagne chilling in the fridge and homemade lasagna in the oven.  Clyde pulled out a delicious bottle of wine and we enjoyed a wonderful dinner while toasting to the end of 2011.

And then, as my East coast friends were ringing in the New Year, it made it's debut, the quirky gift I gave Clyde this year for Christmas and the best twelve dollars I have ever spent;  behold the S'mores maker.



We are not big S'mores people, in fact aside from our camping trip this past summer, I can't remember the last time we actually made them.  But this past summer camping with friends up Icicle Creek Road in Leavenworth, Washington, we were schooled in roasting the perfect marshmallow by our friend Dan.  Dan has the marshmallow roasting down to a tee, he even travels with his own roasting stick.  

It really is an art form, and he has it perfected.

Our campsite. Oh I do love camping, the fresh air, the slow pace and the coffee brewing in the morning.

.....and least we forget the evening's around the campfire.


So when I came across this S'mores maker on Amazon.com, I could not order it quick enough.  The idea of re-creating the classic campfire cuisine right here in our living room on New Years Eve was just too good to pass up.

Oh it was good indeed, dimmed lights, New Years Eve celebrations on the Telly and our little coffee table campfire.  It could not have been better and our indoor S'mores maker roasted  beautifully.   In just a few minutes our marshmallows had a lovely, caramelized crisp crust on the outside and a soft, warm gooey goodness on the inside. 

Yum! I even think Dan would approve.

A few days later I made a thin dark chocolate bark with nuts and dried fruit which elevated this Girl Scout tradition to an over the top extravagant treat.  For now we have put the S'mores maker back in it's box.  I am sure it will make other appearance's on occasion, maybe our next dinner party or perhaps the first warm day of Spring on our patio.  

And back to 2011, it had it's challenges.  The past year  has tested so many of us almost to the point of breaking.  And it is just at that point, that we remember; we are stronger than we think we are.  We often feel so many of life's hurdles are insurmountable, we think of what lies ahead and we say I just don't know how I can get through this, but we do.  We make it through, we may be battered and bruised but we make it because sometimes there really is no other option.  And once we realize we have survived the un-survivable we recognize that we have changed.  We are often more compassionate. more tolerant to others in need, less tolerant of that which does not give back and more resolute in our convictions of what is important to us.  It is easier to edit the drama and cherish the parts that really feed our soul and nourish our future.  It is with these changes, that we are able to move forward in the direction of our one wild and precious life.

I am looking forward to 2012 and this year I wanted to make some resolutions.  I have never really made them and I struggled at the thought of defining what I really wanted for this new year.  If I am going to declare resolutions I want them to be very well thought out, attainable and custom fitted just for me, not the standards many default to but never keep. 

My list is short but they are important to me. 

I want to end 2012 with less stuff than I have right now.  I want to de-clutter, keep only that which is extremely important to me.  If your wondering yes, I am keeping the S'mores maker, it makes me happy, not so much the s'mores themselves but it's fun and I love it.

I want to buy less disposable items and the things I do buy, other than necessities, I would like them to have at least a five year life to them. 
I want to go out to lunch less and meet friends or my Sweetie for happy hour more.

I want to take more pictures, I already take a lot but I often get so caught up in the moment and then forget to capture it, so I need to work on that. 
I 'd like to lose twenty five pounds by the end of June, I may have to break up with the site Smitten Kitchen or at least take a time out.  Oh how I love that blog.  And Ina, please do not hate me just because I don't keep in touch.  We'll always have Coconut Cake and Chicken Stew with Biscuits.

I made two resolutions in November with a deadline for the end of the year.  I accomplished both of them.  I changed and upgraded my health insurance and I moved my accounts from BOA, both of which felt great.  I have hope for 2012, it has a nice ring to it doesn't it?

Have you made any resolutions?  I'd love to hear how you will improve your one wild and precious life in this new year. 

Christmas Traditions, past and present.

I miss my family and it's always harder around the holidays. I have not been home for the holidays in quite a few years. With a guaranteed layover on a flight from Washington to Maine, over a million passengers rushing to get somewhere and the possibility of inclement weather looming, we prefer to fly home in the Summer or Fall. That doesn't mean I don't get nostalgic every year around the holidays and wish we had made the trip home anyway.

I remember Christmas as a kid. We were always up bright and early to get the holiday underway. I remember the gifts extending fifteen feet from the base of the most beautiful tree. My Dad always picked the tree, and while he did not go all Clark Griswold, we always had a very beautiful full tree. And I know the gifts did not come out fifteen feet but that's just how I remember it. I remember the vintage bulbs, the bubble lights and plenty of tinsel. My parents still have all the ornaments from when I was little the hand painted angel I made, the ones I helped pick out and the ones I cupped in my tiny hands as a kid.

I remember my Grandparents always coming over early for Christmas. We always opened our stocking gifts at the table during breakfast. As the scent of homemade cinnamon rolls wafted through the air and Bing Crosby crooned from the record player in the living room, I would unwrap grape Lipsmackers lip gloss and Love's Baby Soft perfume from the same knitted snowman stocking Santa filled years earlier. After stockings and breakfast it was off to the living room for what seemed like a six hour event of passing and opening gifts. Then dinner, our traditional Christmas ham dinner was always delicious and our table went on forever with everyone passing yummy food to one another. It was perfect, we were together and that was our tradition.

I am sure all of that still goes on, maybe a little differently but pretty much the same way. While I miss all of that, knowing they are all there together makes me happy.

So now on Christmas I try to blend the "being away" from home with the "traditions" of home and we have ended up making our own traditions right here in Washington.

Like Gingerbread Lobsters.


I call home every year and get passed around wishing everyone a "Merry Christmas" and a "I wish I could be there too." Then Clyde and I start in on our traditions here in Washington. We sleep in a little late, but still open our stocking gifts with breakfast. I still have the same stocking from when I was a kid and while it has not seen any Love's Baby Soft, it does seem to include some version of lip gloss every year. Bailey always has a few gifts to open from Santa and Clyde and I always exchange gifts. We have the same Christmas breakfast, cinnamon rolls and coffee, orange and grapefruit salad, and tomato and basil quiche. Disclaimer, this year my cinnamon rolls were awful, they did not rise or bake right and so in my lemons to limoncello way, I toasted an english muffin, slathered on some irish butter and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. I have to admit not exactly like cinnamon rolls but a pretty good stand in just the same.

Our stockings, my vintage early 1970's handmade stocking on the right and my Aunt was so lovely to knit one for Clyde a few years ago to match, on the left.


Gifts wrapped under the tree.


Someone was excited to open his gifts.


He loves to open gifts.


After our Christmas at home we traveled to our dear friends, Diane and Bela's for Christmas dinner.

Let me just apologize right now that I did not take more photographs as Diane prepared a meal worthy of a four page spread in Bon Appetite magazine. The main course was roast pork tenderloin with, fennel pollen, and it was divine. She even showed me the tiny jar she collected the pollen in, from the fennel growing in her garden. It was all so good, dear friends, wonderful dinner, great wine and festive merriment.

The table was beautiful.


Even the wooden art dolls were in a festive mood with their own tree to decorate.


It was a wonderful Christmas blended with traditions old and new and I am thankful for all of it.

Holiday shopping with purpose.

Tonight I got home and found this on my door step....


Seriously, shouldn't this be the motto of ALL the places we spend our money?

I found this shop Blue Q through another blog and fell in love with their philosphy and products.  They are based in Pittsfield Mass. and have been the largest private employer of individuals with disabilities in Western Massachusetts for over 10 years.  They design and manufacture all the items they sell.

This cute bag is made of 95% recycled post consumer material.



And I couldn't resist this mod-vintage cigar box to hold some of my most valued recipes.  It looks like the one my Grandma had in her kitchen back in the 1960's.



It's the perfect spot for all my handed down favorite recipes, well except for the pickles, that one is under lock and key!



I bought a few more items but they'll have to remain under-wraps as they are gifts, shhhhhh don't tell.

If you are looking for that unique stocking stuffer or a gift for someone you have no idea what to get, you may just find it at Blue Q.  


Holiday soda's from Cost Plus.
I hear corn popping, have a lovely evening all.

Cookie Exchange

Today I was up bright and early in preparation for my Cookie Exchange Brunch and it was wonderful.

Guests started arriving just before 10am, my breakfast strata had just come out of the oven, Brenda Lee was belting out Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree and freshly brewed coffee was swirling in the air.



In the hustle and bustle of hosting, I simply forgot to snap photos of the parade of Christmas cookies that marched throughout my home in their holiday splendor.  There were so many wonderful cookies no two the same just like the lovely ladies who prepared them. 

We had snowflake sugar cookies, jam filled cookies, brandied chocolate lace cookies, ginger molasses cookies, fig cookies, traditional decorated sugar cookies, chocolate crinkle cookies, chocolate sable cookies, crispy salted oatmeal white chocolate cookies and many, many more. 


A plate of "exchanged" cookies all ready to go home.  The cookie exchange is great because you only bake once and you end up with so many different cookies.


After brunch and exchanging cookies we continued the merriment and enjoyed Brandied Eggnog Snowman; complete with donut hole heads, aren't they just the cutest? 


Party favors: Circle Creek Home hand poured soap, and holiday fridge note pads.

I enjoy hosting this cookie exchange and I am so happy everyone had a wonderful time. 



Thanks you ladies, enjoy your cookies.

In the air there's a feeling of Christmas.

Ahhhhh, the Holidays are in full swing!  Our tree is up, complete with Maine Starfish Santa. 


This year our tree is loaded with memories as opposed to my usual "theme" tree. A few years ago I opted for a tree full of green, amber, gold, and a touch of leopard.   It has ornate flowers and feathers and it looks like it was on display at a fancy store.  It is a beautiful tree but this year I wanted an old school, traditional tree, the kind I grew up with. I loved decorating this year unwrapping ornaments I had not seen in a few years and remembering.

I found the first ornament my Sweetie ever gave me, ornaments from past travels and those given by family and friends. There are ornaments I bought with my Sister in Maine and ornaments I bought when Clyde and I surprised my Mom with an unexpected trip to San Francisco.

This tree is the kind that takes me back to being a kid and believing in the magic of Christmas, and it makes me happy.



Behold, the Christmas Village.



Complete with GIANT reindeer and adorable Basenji.


Oh yeah, in my Christmas fairytale village there is a Basenji awaiting a crackling fire or a warm lap.

So here it is the first weekend in December and that means it is my annual Christmas Cookie Exchange brunch.  Tomorrow at 10am my friends will arrive, full of holiday spirit, with four dozen cookies in tow to share.  We'll sip coffee, eat yummy food, chat about the year behind us, the holidays and the year ahead.  They will tease me about my Cookie Exchange rules and I'll take it in stride knowing all to well that everyone loves a challenge.  At noon everyone will pack up their assortment of four dozen cookies and return to the hustle and bustle of their day. 

Let the baking begin.


Who knew they made edible glitter?  That just makes my heart skip a beat.

Tonight I am baking, Crisp Salted Oatmeal Cookies with White Chocolate, recipe found here.



Oh my gosh, the aroma of these baking is heavenly, butter, brown sugar, oats and white chocolate.



Chocolate Sables are next........

What are your favorite holiday traditions?

Maine ~ part 2. Memory Lane and a Lobster or two.

Oh how good it was to be home.

Memories... 

The town I grew up in has changed and while some areas look completely different, many are exactly the same.  Like the Rollodrome, it was the pre-teen hang out.

I remember waiting in the long line that gathered out front on Friday and Saturday nights.  We would wait, sometimes in the bitter cold, with skates slung over our shoulder.  We waited like Target shoppers on Black Friday, less the riots of course. 

Then the doors would open and we would skate for hours, under the disco ball, to the tunes of the 80's.  We would circle around and around on that gleaming wood floor, while the DJ spun, Come on Eileen, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Safety Dance and the rest of the Casey Kasem's Billboard Top 40 hits.  Then the vibe would slow down for Journey's Faithfully or We've Got Tonight by Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton, oh the 80's were good, weren't they?  Next trip home I am so going skating at the Rollodrome.

Then we drove to Poland and visited the Summer Camp I worked at for three incredible summers.
 

I had an amazing experience at Tripp Lake Camp.  I never realized at the time how attached I had become to this magical place.  I still feel very connected to the property, the meticulous grounds, the dark green buildings, the people I knew there and the lesson I learned. 


Now it is owned by Joan Lunden and her husband, Jeffery Konigsberg, yet many of the directors I knew are still there.  I believe the key to TLC's success is the fact that the owner's have been incredibly detailed about continuing the same mission and traditions held there since the camp was established, in 1911. 


TLC pride's themselves on nurturing strong, confident girls with a deep sense of self worth.  This camp is amazing and the family they create is bonded forever. 
  

It looked exactly the same and while we only stayed for a minute or two, it was so good to be there.

Fall in New England...
As everyone knows, Maine has four very distinct seasons and everywhere we looked, Autumn was smiling back at us.  The air was cool and crisp with the earthy smell of fallen leaves wafting through the air.  


The sky in it's brilliant blue was a perfect backdrop for the vivid display of  Fall colors.  And may I just say, the Maple and Oak trees in Maine deserve a standing ovation.  Their final show of color is both breathtaking and graceful, and the fact that it is fleeting just adds to the beauty bestowed upon those who witness it.

Jen - this pics for you.

LL Bean and a Lobster lunch.
A trip to Maine is not complete without our usual trip to Freeport for a quick stop at L.L. Bean.

......and just in case you did not know, Lobster in Maine is everywhere:

Lobster door handles,



Lobster pillows,



.......and least you forget the Lobster Theatre,

 
"To eat or not to eat, that is the question".......

We ate, at our favorite lunch spot.



Behold the perfect Lobster Roll.


 and a Lobster Dinner.


and yes, it was delicious, right down to the last bite!!!


Final Maine post to come, Family, Pumpkin Carving, and more Lobster.