Weaverly

Limited Fiber Content

Skip this one if you are bored with other folks' family pictures. Limited fiber content, except for the pillows in the final picture.

I love it when the whole gang is together, a rare event these days. Mimi made the most incredible pizzas on the outdoor grill. This was my favorite, bacon, asparagus and a fried egg. 

Catalina appropriated my camera and took some very interesting photos that perfectly captured the essence of the celebration. Here she is pointing the lens back at herself and Willy…

…and a carefully posed group shot of Alice, Bruce, and Erik…

…and on the other side of the table we have Birdie, Karl, and Mimi.

When I finally got my camera back, I caught Karl in a quiet moment.

Fun and Games in Miami

Did you think only crazies leave the Piedmont to go to Miami in August? Maybe so; we're enjoying ourselves nevertheless. 

Miami at night is a feast for the eyes.

And by day there are feasts of a more literal kind. We had a healthy breakfast with Erik,

…and previewed some lunch possibilities.

I saw this curiosity at the marina in Coconut Grove.

Comfort Food

It's time to get out my grandmother's chopping bowl and knife again. This afternoon I made charoset. Everyone's got their own recipe for this mixture, and I never make mine the same way twice, but here's how I made it this year: 6 granny smith apples, peeled, cored & chopped…

…one pound of shelled walnuts, chopped…

…two teaspoons of cinnamon, and enough Concord grape wine to make it all stick together (several generous splashes).

Serve on matzoh. Yum.

In Dangerous Territory

My passion for chocolate is so intense that I try not to keep any of it in the house, except on special occasions. Imagine my chagrin when the King Arthur Flour catalog arrived in my mailbox. The cover of that catalog is pure chocolate porn: a stack of two fudge brownies up close and personal, covered with chocolate sauce, a dollop of whipped cream, and chocolate shavings. I've been staring at it for two days now. It makes me weak in the knees. It's a very good catalog, by the way. Just beware.

And while we're on the topic, here's a draft I did last year for a 24-shaft loom.

The Joy of Everything

Once a year my now-47-year-old copy of The Joy of Cooking gets opened to this page. It actually falls open to this page by itself. You'd think that by now I'd remember how many minutes per pound to roast the turkey… This ritual is a little melancholy, because it makes me think of all the past Thanksgivings, and the people who aren't around the table this year.

 

But it also reminds me of how lucky I am. It was a wonderful day! We had lots of family, one foreign student, and two granddogs here (the dogs were from different families, and were a bit argumentative at first, but eventually settled down together). After dinner everyone went outside; the dogs fetched sticks and the children rolled down the hill. In the evening, C took all the dishes out of the china cabinet, arranged them on the bedroom floor, and invited everyone to her "tea party." K presented a handlettered menu, with beverage choices of "red wine, white wine, and green wine." Most everyone chose green wine, and we all sat cross-legged on the floor (I can still do that!) to enjoy the impromptu party.

After we cleaned up I noticed that someone had polished off the Brie that had been inadvertently left on the coffee table. I suspect it was a canine guest.

If I told you that this is all that remains of the turkey, I would be lying:

Cranberries

I just brought home the turkey—it's definitely starting to feel like Thanksgiving. When I took the cranberries out of the freezer and put them in my wooden chopping bowl (it was my grandmother's bowl, and I love the associations it calls up whenever I use it), they got an icy bloom of condensation - it almost looks as if they've been snowed on.

 

I can't leave a picture like that alone.

Perhaps a weaving someday…

Stalking Fall Foliage

Today we begin our pursuit of fall foliage. I know, I know. It's crazy to set out on a road trip just as gas prices zoom again. But when you get to a Certain Age, you don't postpone things like this. 

Blogging will be a catch-as-catch-can affair, but I'll try to report every few days if I can get a decent Internet connection. We plan to see some friends, take loads of pictures, visit a few car museums, and check out as many yarn stores as humanly possible.

And "now for something completely different." Yesterday at the Fresh Market I saw these amazing radishes—they're called Easter Egg radishes, and were all shades of red, magenta and pink. Amazing.