Tuesday, December 18, 2012

around here


I love watching the mother cat (Masa) groom the kitten (Aji). She licks and nibbles, spends much time on the ears, including inside. Last night Aji started grooming her mother, inside of ears included.



How's the holiday stuff going? There is now a tree, though it's still on top of my car. More deer and greens and holly around the house. Lights (colored, always) are up on the outside tree.  I'm thinking about making apple cake and cranberry orange cookies and am pretty sure my sons will take care of Christmas dinner, because they enjoy cooking more than I do.


I'm concurrently reading a trio of books: Team of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin; Best American Sports Writing 2012; and Out on the Rim, by Ross Thomas. They balance each other nicely. When I've had enough of Lincoln I can read about a baseball player. You don't have to like sports to enjoy Best American Sports...they are human interest stories, always well-written. I just finished one by a writer who, like me, knows nothing about cricket and who went to India and Bangladesh for the 2011 Cricket World Cup to learn. It was completely confusing to him until he played street cricket with the 10-year old son of a taxi driver, and then it came together. Like all the best writing it's about more than one thing. 

And if, like me you have a semi-secret love for espionage novels, you should check out Ross Thomas. He published 25 books in the 70's and 80's but never got the attention he deserved.


It's cold and rainy and I'm planning to put together a sweet potato and cannellini bean casserole. How to spice it? Cinnamon? Curry? Garlic? Which way should I go?

18 comments:

  1. My husband and sons really like to watch American football. In January Rice Bowl is held in Japan, but it sounds like rice ball for those who have poor knowledge about it like me.:)

    I'm curious about the flavour of your cuisine.

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  2. How about nutmeg? Those two are real beauties, so regal. I see you changed the baby's name but you still kept with the mexican food theme, I like this better. I'm thinking about cookies too, wanted to make some for work but I only have until Friday because then everyone disappears. I like your eclectic reading, I'm reading a book in Spanish now. I'm behind on everything.

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    1. Nutmeg would be a good kitten name. How do you say it in Spanish?

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  3. Sounds lovely at your place Jen! We don't decorate a Christmas tree before the little Eve (as we call two days before Christmas here) I'll bake some greek small cakes during the weekend and travel a bit south with family to celebrate with my sister-in low & her family.
    There is snow, and blue colours here.

    lots of love and Merry Christmas to you!

    ps: I am always going the cinnamon way ; )

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    1. I think there must be a cultural aspect to when people put up their trees. In my family it was always Christmas Eve. There are people who put them up weeks before.
      Greek cake=yum.

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  4. I'd go for curry. not reason except that I hadn't had a good one in a while. I'll keep ross thomas in mind. I love a good spy novel. thanks for the tip :)

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    1. Curry! I've made a spicy sweet potato tofu scramble that would be great with curry.

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  5. Hello Jen, I am in the middle of Organic Orcharding by Gene Logsdon, great escapist fare for a rainy December day. Your post made me realize that I am not currently reading any fiction, so I just pulled Edith Wharton's Ghost Stories off the shelf.
    --Road to Parnassus

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  6. Hi Jen, just catching up on some blog reading,I have been so busy! I didnt realise you had some kitties, they are gorgeous.I should think they will wreck your house this christmas if marmalades first christmas is anything to go by. She thought the christmas tree was for her to climb up, she would do just that, scratch the trunk and flick the baubles off!! We would arrive home from work to have to redecorate the tree! Hope you have a wonderful christmas X

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    1. The kitties have been here less than two weeks. I don't think I'll put any breakables on the tree this year...

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  7. What is the origin of the cat names. The sound good on the tongue. I've noticed that names with more than 2 syllables get shortened, so best to begin short.

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    1. The naming process was way to long for here. Maybe I'll write a post on it one day.

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  8. Amelia wrote nutmeg.. i would agree.
    Your cats look perfectly purrrrry and happy.
    your books sound very interesting.

    Dear Jen.
    Thank you for coming over to my blog and leaving your comments.. Its been super to read your posts .
    Wishing you a very Happy Christmas.
    Family duties call now.
    val xxx

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  9. Sounds lovely about your house.

    Are they leaving the tree alone?

    Kitten cleaning is a one way street around here. Lucy cleans Gus.

    the end.

    xo jane

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  10. i haven't had time to read a good book lately. i'll have to check out the ones you mentioned... Merry Christmas!

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