Much Ado about Something

Looking Up

2010-01-06T13:58:00.000-08:00

It has been a balmy 70F for a few days around here.
Two days ago I spent a pleasant morning rearranging the furniture on our covered deck. Yesterday I was happy as a clam digging under the fig tree, making a nice soft bed of crabgrass-free dirt...and then, to revive my aching back, I spent a few hours lying on the sofa and polishing off The Cross of Christ, by John Stott that I started in October.

...but today...

(Today, by the way, is Epiphany, the last day of the Christmas season.)

Today I was stir crazy....
I had to get away...somewhere...anywhere...

So I took myself to one of our local temples of consumerism to walk.
One of our "outdoor malls" with its acres of parking lot rimmed around the edges with movie theatres, big-box stores, craft stores, clothing stores, book stores, coffee shops, eateries....you get the picture, I'm sure. The parking lot was 80% empty on this warm and sunny Wednesday morning. Maybe everyone went to the beach....or perhaps consumerism has palled now that Christmas is over...

There is certainly nothing I want right now, so despite being surrounded with shops selling everything under the sun, I found the best things to look at were outdoors, and to be seen by looking up!

...blue sky, palm trees, interesting angles...

I didn't walk very far...a couple miles I guess. Then I picked up some Greek food...a yummy gyros plate to go, and drove up to the top of Signal Hill to eat my lunch, watching the blue sky in the rear view mirror and ghostly Catalina Island in the haze 30 miles or so out to sea....

...it's all wonderful, but I sure would love to see it frosted with beautifully soft white snow! On the weather map on TV it looks like the entire USA is under a cloud of cold weather, except for our southwest corner! Which is, of course, where I live.

2010 Book List

2010-01-06T09:01:00.000-08:00

Here is where I shall list all the books I have read during 2010.
Anyone interested in seeing previous years may click HERE, or visit them in my sidebar.

Afternoon in the Cluny Gardens, Paris
Charles Courtney Curran
(American, 1861-1942)

January 2010
1. The Cross of Christ, by John R.W. Stott
2. God With Us, various authors (readings from Advent to Epiphany)
3. Watch for the Light, various authors (readings from Advent to Epiphany)

12 Kuvaa, 12 Pics

2010-01-05T14:10:00.000-08:00

It's time for the next 12 Kuvaa/12 Pics photo!

January 5, 2010 at 1:45 pm
And, since the light is so dim in this north-facing window this time of year, here are a few close-ups, just for fun:

The top shelf...as you can see in the background, most of the leaves are now gone...

...some of the small glass objects in the clear vase...

...a better look at the vase...

...the little blue fish...

* * * * *

December 3, 2009 at 1:45 PM

November 10, 2009 at 1:45 pm

October 2, 2009 at 1:45 pm

My kitchen window
September 4, 2009
1:45 pm

I hope this will be an interesting enough subject to photograph as the year goes by. I wanted something close to home and something that will change with the seasons (both the objects in the window and the tree outside).

* * * * *

Blogger friends from Finland, Krisu and Mari, have invited me to join the project of a Finnish bloggers' group, "12 kuvaa,12 pics" which involves photographing the same spot from the same perspective over the course of one year, one photo each month. I am simply re-posting the original September post with the October photo added....and I cropped the photos so all you see is the window.

In case you missed it....

2010-01-02T09:36:00.001-08:00

Not much ado....

2009-12-30T08:39:00.000-08:00

It has been quiet here at Much Ado lately....I am not feeling the inspiration required to be making much ado about much of anything as the year draws to a close and we look forward to 2010. So....

Maria Konstantinova Bashkirtseva
(Ukrainian, 1860-1884)

At a Book

...in the meantime....
I've spruced up the blog,
and now I wait...

...until I do have something to say...

Till then, I am being quiet at home,
probably reading a book....

...or visiting your blogs...

...or taking a walk...

Wishing everyone a safe and happy New Year's Eve
and God's blessings in 2010.

In the Bleak Midwinter

2009-12-25T08:31:00.000-08:00

For Christmas Day 2009 I am reposting this article I wrote one year ago, when I first discovered this lovely Christmas carol...Merry Christmas to all of you!

* * * * *

How have I lived all these years and never before heard this Christmas carol, a beautiful poem written by the English poet, Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)?

A Christmas Carol
Christina Rossetti, 1872

In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold him,
Nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When he comes to reign;
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty
Jesus Christ.

Enough for him whom cherabim
Worship night and day,
A breastful of milk
And a mangerful of hay;
Enough for him whom angels
Fall down before,
The ox and ass and camel
which adore.

Angels and archangels
May have gathered there,
Cherabim and seraphim
Thronged the air,
But only his mother
In her maiden bliss
Worshipped the Beloved
With a kiss.

What can I give him
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man
I would do my part—
Yet what I can I give him,
Give my heart.

By an interesting coincidence, I had just read this poem for the first time last week, in a book by Emilie Griffin, Wonderful and Dark is This Road: Discovering the Mystic Path. And two days later I was given a gift of Sarah Brightman's new CD, Winter Symphony. It is one of the pieces she includes in her collection of Christmas music, and the lilting, Celtic, melancholy music immediately had me playing it over and over.

As Emilie Griffin describes in Wonderful and Dark is This Road, page 99:

In one of her best-known poems....Christina Rossetti expresses her deep love of God. Her poem looks beyond Christmas to the Second Coming of Christ, "when he comes to reign." She draws contrasts between heaven and earth, riches and poverty. Rossetti's devotion to Christ is shown intensely in her last stanza.

You can hear it sung by the Gloucester Cathedral Choir here. It's beautiful. Take a minute and go listen; I think you will find something lovely that speaks to what Christmas is really about. Quiet your soul and may peace be upon you.

Sweetness

2009-12-22T11:04:00.000-08:00

Goodies are arriving in the mail.....

...and being enjoyed with careless abandon of any thoughts of calorie counting!

Cookies are being baked....

...including these scrumptious Almond Roca Bars, which I saw on Judy's blog, My Front Porch, and just had to try out. They are truly incredibly good (click the link above to get the recipe from Judy's blog). I even bought myself a new cookie sheet with sides just so I could make them. And I've been eating them....and eating them...and so has everyone else!

Christmas books are being read, including this one by one of my favorite authors, Rumer Godden. I would not have known about this sweet children's Christmas story if I had not read of it at Kathie's blog, A Sparrow's Home, after which I managed to find a copy to add to my Christmas book collection.

And with all the sweet goodies in which I've indulged lately, breakfast this morning most definitely did not include bacon, eggs, toast and jam....no, it was an apple, a banana, wonderful Greek yogurt (plain, tart, thick and creamy) over which I poured a little golden honey.....and later, I enjoyed a sweet orange, just because I could...

...and with that orange, I made something I have never made before...

...candied orange peel. More sweet goodness! The last time I tasted real candied orange peel was about 50 years ago, can you believe it? It was so good that I've never forgotten it. My grandmother was a wonderful cook and it was at one of our infrequent family gatherings at my grandparents' home, in a distant town, that I discovered this delicacy. And now, 50 years later, I found myself thinking back on those earlier days and decided to try making some candied orange peel myself. It is actually quite simple, but takes a couple of hours to complete, and lots of sugar.

Candied Orange Peel
(from my 1979 Betty Crocker Cookbook)

With sharp knife, score peel of 2 large oranges into quarters. Remove peel gently with fingers. Heat orange peel and 6 cups water to boiling. Simmer 30 minutes; drain. Repeat process, cooking peel in another 6 cups water. With spoon, gently scrape off remaining white membrane from peel. Cut peel lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips.

Heat 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water to boiling, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add peel, simmer 45 minutes, stirring frequently. Turn mixture into strainer; drain thoroughly. Roll peel in 1-1/2 cups sugar; spread on waxed paper to dry.

How silly of me to have waited 50 years to try this!

Fourth Sunday of Advent

2009-12-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent....

Nativity
Anthony Van Dyke (1599-1641)

Peace had come down to dwell with men forever. No matter what the suffering, the fighting, the storms, the distress, nothing now could ever take from the lovers of God the gift of his peace. Men could never again doubt the goodwill of God toward them, for God had given his own Son to be born to live, to die, for their salvation. God's goodwill was incarnate now as a little child lying in a manger.

Elizabeth Goudge
For God so Loved the World, p. 26

Light looked down and beheld Darkness,
"Thither will I go," said Light.
Peace looked down and beheld War,
"Thither will I go," said Peace.
Love looked down and beheld Hatred,
"Thither will I go," said Love.
So came Light and shone;
So came Peace, and gave rest;
So came Love, and brought Life,
And the Word was made Flesh, and dwelt among us.

Laurence Housman
(quoted in For God So Loved the World, p. 27)

A snowy walk, and lots of music.

2009-12-18T12:16:00.000-08:00

After our crazy evening at Disneyland, let's stop to catch our breath and remember pleasant scenes and experiences from our trip to Salt Lake City....

Part of the wonderful tour that Jill treated us to included a drive out to the ski resorts of Snowbird and Alta....winter wonderlands for ski enthusiasts.

Snow skiing is something I never learned to do....but just seeing these resorts I could sense the fun and excitement that others find in this sport. I don't plan to try it at this late date however! I've never been particularly well coordinated and I don't want to break my neck.

But there was plenty of winter charm in downtown SLC also, as the Musician (aka my beloved, CT) and I discovered when we set out after breakfast Saturday morning for a walk....

Our first destination was the snow-iced shopping mall nestled behind the restored grand train station building at the end of the street. Here we browsed in a bookstore, strolled around the outdoor mall, and then decided consumerism wasn't of much interest today but we would like to find our way back to the Cathedral of the Madeleine.

On the way we passed this interesting restored mansion, the Devereaux House...

Salt Lake City's earliest mansion and, in its day, the most elegant. As a unique mansion in an isolated frontier city, the Devereaux was the setting of many social gatherings that included prominent local citizens and important national and international visitors. Portions of the house date from 1855, only eight years after the first arrival of the Mormon pioneers in Salt Lake Valley. Extensively added to and remodeled in the 1870's, the Devereaux House estate featured the mansion, extensive ornamental gardens, a kitchen garden, hothouses, vineyards, orchards, stables, and a carriage house.

That might be a good place to tour next time we visit SLC.

Right next door is some interesting sculptured glass set into a large rock....

...and across the street are the Light Rail stop and this gigantic arrowhead...

A few blocks further and we are passing Temple Square on our left....here are more of those snow-dusted trees that I fell in love with....

...while across the street is a bright and cheerful banner wishing everyone Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Note the holiday windows decor painted along the walkway below this construction project...a multi-story structure towering high above all else in the area....

...including the historic Temple, across the street!

I can only imagine how lush and lovely the gardens must be in the spring and summer. They are pretty enough in winter to be put on a postcard....

...isn't this picturesque?

I enjoyed the festive fruited garlands along the ironwork railings, sugar coated with real snow....perhaps you see now what I meant when I said I felt like I was walking around in a Christmas card scene....

Just a few more blocks until we reach the Cathedral....but I had to stop and take yet another photo of the beautiful winter trees.

And...here we are! The cathedral entrance is one story above street level, so first we walk up two flights of brick steps to the entry porch above....

From inside the doors I take a peek back down to the street corner....

The Musician and I hear lovely strains of music and singing wafting through the doors that open into the nave....and quietly passing through them we find a rehearsal in session. We creep into one of the back pews to listen....peeling off hats, gloves, scarves, jackets....

The Christmas music pairs perfectly with scenes on the beautiful stained glass windows....

The windows are difficult to capture due to placement of several hanging lamps and the high angle of vision from down on the floor. Because the musicians are rehearsing I don't want to go around standing up on pews and trying to get the best angle. But all the windows are gorgeous. Photographing them might be a good project for a future visit....

Soon the choir joins the musicians and begin their rehearsal...I leave my own Musician to his reveries, ensconced in the back pew, and go exploring for more photo opportunities...

There is a little chapel for private prayer off to the side of the entry lobby....

...where I find these simpler but no less lovely windows set into the thick cathedral walls.

The glorious sound of the choir and the soprano solo, however, draws me back out into the entry lobby. Looking through the window in the door, I can see the director pausing to look back at the organist in the loft above me to give some instructions....

This is what the director sees from his vantage point (a photo I took the day before when we were here with Jill)....

The pipe organ, close up, with the high round window behind and above it, is stunning; and so is the glorious sound that emanates from it....

They are singing the traditional carol Angels from the Realms of Glory...

Angels from the realms of glory, Wing your flight o'er all the earth; Ye who sang creation's story, Now proclaim Messiah's birth: Come and worship, Come and worship, Worship Christ, the newborn King! Shepherds, in the fields abiding, Watching o'er your flocks by night, God with man is now residing, Yonder shines the infant Light; Come and worship, Come and worship, Worship Christ, the newborn King! Sages, leave your contemplations, Brighter visions beam afar; Seek the great desire of nations, Ye have seen His natal star; Come and worship, Come and worship, Worship Christ, the newborn King! Saints before the altar bending, Watching long in hope and fear, Suddenly the Lord, descending, In His temple shall appear: Come and worship, Come and worship, Worship Christ, the newborn King!

The Musician tells me they are using the Mack Wilberg arrangement and music. This is the same piece we heard the night before when we attended the Christmas concert of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, featuring Natalie Cole as the guest artist, and David McCullough as the narrator. You can hear this arrangement sung by the Norwegian singer Sissel by clicking HERE. The little choir we heard rehearsing in the cathedral went through it twice....and the ending crescendo gave me shivers both times, with those amazing acoustics and that powerful finish! What glorious praise....

It seemed the perfect note on which to leave the cathedral and go find some lunch. After lunch we continued our walk around town, following our noses with no particular plan in mind. Not much later we turned a corner and found ourselves walking past Abravanel Hall, home of the Utah Symphony....something appeared to be going on inside so we said "why not, let's go find out!"

The modern lines are quite stunning in themselves....

...and the Chihooly glass sculpture called The Olympic Tower in the lobby is certainly worth a closer look...part of the 2002 Olympics art projects....

Anyone can walk into the lobby, tickets or not, and so we did. Asking an attendant what was going on, we were told, "Oh this is Kurt Bestor's Christmas Concert! It's an annual tradition. Are you fans?"

I just had time to say that we'd never heard of him when someone walked up and asked the attendant if he knew of anyone who needed tickets. It seems they had just been given two tickets by someone else for better seats....well, you can guess what happened next. Within 10 minutes, we found ourselves seated about 18 rows from the stage and the concert began! He does know how to put on a good show!....two hours of Christmas music, popular, jazzy, traditional...all of it with great showmanship, an accompanying orchestra and jazz band, and a guest performer from South Africa, Jonathan Butler, who sang the most amazing rendition of O Holy Night, with such a spirit of praise and worship that I was in tears, as were many others in the audience.

Well, after this wonderfully snowy walk that took nearly all day, interspersed with music that was simply dropped in our laps because we were at the right place at the right time, songs were ringing in our ears and our hearts. It was a lovely day.

And it wasn't over yet!
After dinner with Jill at a wonderful Indian restaurant downtown, we all headed over to enjoy the sights and sounds of Christmas Utah.....

...which is someone's home a few miles away....

...decorated to the hilt with brilliant colored lights, all timed to accompany Christmas carols that you can hear on your car radio by tuning to the appropriate station...

...what an extravaganza!

The next morning we had to say goodbye to our white Christmas adventure....

...as snow began to fall outside the airport terminals....

...and fellow travelers to Southern California wore shorts and sunhats....

...after a gate change, and the plane being de-iced on the runway just before take-off, we were soon above the clouds and heading west. Home sweet home! Where the sun was shining and it was a bit warmer....60 or so!

It seemed the whole world was there, looking for the magic...

2009-12-17T13:22:00.000-08:00

As the title of this post implies, D*isneyland was impossibly crowded!

The castle, however, looked amazingly magical.
This vision was probably the nicest thing about our visit last evening.

But I should start at the beginning....
Our first order of business was dinner, and we had not eaten much for lunch for this very reason...so after being wowed by the beautiful lobby of the Grand C*alifornian Hotel...

...we made our way to our selected restaurant nearby, only to discover that on weeknights it closes between 2:00 and 5:00; and it is now about 4:15 pm. Oh no! Now what? We are too hungry to putz about for 45 minutes until dinner...

So, back out to Downtown Disney we go....there are plenty of places to eat out here too.

And we stopped off in New Orleans. Well, actually, it's called The J*azz Kitchen, and the food was delicious. And the decor unusual enough to elicit a photo or two...I love those colorful parasols hanging from the ceiling. We were certainly early enough to avoid the crush; but when we strolled by later in the evening it was standing room only inside.

The lights were quite pretty...and we aren't even inside the park yet.

Hordes of our fellows were streaming through the gates, and when we got inside we were greeted with cordoned off crowds pressing against the constraints all up and down Main Street. It was almost time for the Christmas parade to begin...but first, a marching band. Yikes! I wasn't expecting this crush of people. I guess a veteran attendee would have realized, but it has been quite a long time since I've been here after dark, and never during the Christmas season.

The truth is, I am not really a D*isney fan, and crowds make me want to run the other way! However, I recently discovered this is a wonderful place (during weekdays when not so many people are there) to get in a good, long walk. So CT and I are brand-new card-carrying members and can come here anytime we like, except for the black-out dates, which for us are many, because we purchased the least expensive membership available. Which suits us just fine, as the black out dates are also those that will likely be the most crowded.

So....the parade came along and since I was there I felt a picture or two ought to be taken for the benefit of anyone interested in seeing this, before CT and I escape from the crowds into the relative quiet of Adventure Land.

Standing on tip toe and raising the camera up above my head and the heads of everyone in front of me...this is what we see. This was the first float in the parade; we didn't wait around to see anymore.

For old time's sake my beloved and I decided to take a ride with the P*irates of the Caribbean and in 5 minutes we were already on the boat and sailing past the restaurant....no flash photos allowed. That first part of the ride is our favorite....peaceful and serene with crickets and frogs singing, stars shining, as we glide quietly past bayou cabins resting on stilts just above the waterline. The ride has been updated a bit since I was last there...I saw Captain J*ack Sparrow (aka J*ohnny Depp) showing his handsome face more than once as we glided along past caves of golden treasure and drunken pistol duels.

When you exit the ride and come back outside, a quick left turn brings you into a small street of New Orleans style buildings and shops. This is probably our favorite place and I, for one, regret that it is all too quickly passed through and left behind. But before we leave, isn't this a charming scene....a shop full of beautiful crystal, light from the door flooding the darkened pavements of the little lane outside.

Emerging from the little street of shops, we notice the masses of humanity have now invaded Adventure Land (no photo for you of that) and we depart there to investigate if Main Street is navigable again. Here we are, walking down the middle of the street, parents, children, toddlers being pushed in strollers (I've never seen so many strollers!! it's really amazing!), young adults, teenage girls giggling together, grandparents limping along....every sort of humanity is passing by in both directions...

The tall Christmas tree at the end of Main Street is a huge attraction, and I see families snapping photos standing at its base that would make great Christmas cards, if they had not already been sent out to the yearly list of recipients.

The clock on the train station at the entrance tells us it is only 6:25, but we've both had enough for tonight and we decide to depart for home, sanity and peace and quiet! It was an adventure but I can assure you we'll try to find a quieter time for our next evening stroll here!

Catch of the Day

2009-12-16T13:57:00.001-08:00

Today I went trawling....at the One Dollar Bookstore. Sometimes I go there and leave with nothing, but today the fishin' was pretty good!

This small, 90-page volume just looked interesting...all about women of the Bible. And somewhere, sometime I recall coming across this author's name, though I can't remember anything about it! But a bell rang in my head, so to speak, and it is only $1.00, so why not?

Here is an author I know and have read. He has never disappointed. So I'm looking forward to finding out what he has to say about Nehemiah....

Mary Oliver. I've seen her poems quoted here and there on some of your blogs. Normally I don't have the patience for poems....but I've been trying to learn how to slow down and savor the moments, and what better way to do that than with poems? I know this will be good.

When I'm "fishing" at the One Dollar Bookstore, or any used bookstore for that matter, the first thing I look for is old book covers....like these two below. Sometimes they signal fantastic treasures; sometimes not.

James Street...never heard of him. But the cover intrigues me. When this book was published, I was one year old....I wonder what stories this book could tell of where it has been for the past 58 years? And I'm not too sure about a book whose main character is named London Wingo....but the plot sounds interesting and for some reason I am thinking reading this book will be like watching one of those good old black and white movies...you know what I mean? I saw "Meet John Doe" with Gary Cooper on TV the other night and have those good old movies on my mind....

And finally, this novel by the author of The Robe. The Robe I know...though it must be 40 years since I read it. And of course, we've all seen the movie on TV around Easter time. As you can see, the cover is a rather tattered and there is slight water damage, but the pages themselves are fine. Copyright 1940! Inside the flyleaf is written "Mr. and Mrs. Larson, Greetings! from Miss Brewster, Christmas 1957."

Miss Brewster....gone are the days when single young women went by Miss anything! It conjures up for me further visions of the old black-and-whites, and those wonderful fashions....men in suits, ladies wearing hats and gloves.

I guess I'm feeling a bit nostalgic for days of yore....and I was too young in those days of yore to even realize what was going on. Blame my nostalgia on the movies I guess!

I remember being about 10 or 11 and wishing I was grown up so I could put my hair in a French roll and don gloves and high-heels, a string of pearls, and of course a beautifully constructed suit of the finest order. Then came the 1960's, the Beatles, the Surfer Boys, Bob Dylan, and hippiedom. I hear on the East Coast and among the wealthy, style and fashion remained....but for a poor girl like me coming of age in the late 1960's in free-wheeling Southern California, such things were just not happening. The world changed, and it is still changing. So now and then, I think a little venture into an earlier time is a good thing. Perhaps that is why the old book covers speak to me so loudly. I want to find out how people acted and thought and what they believed and wrote about once upon a time.

Okay, that's the end of my lecture for today!

And now, my beloved and I are off to Downtown Disney in search of an early dinner at one of the restaurants there and then a leisurely stroll around the Magic Kingdom enjoying the Christmas lights and decorations.

Enjoy your evening. I'll be back tomorrow.

Meanwhile, back at the "ranch"....

2009-12-15T13:07:00.000-08:00

While it snows in northern Utah, back here at home autumn color lingers....

From the plane window as we swooped in to land on Sunday afternoon, I could look down and see pools of brilliant magenta, yellow and gold scattered along the city streets.

This tree on my street is a good example of that liquidamber tree color. Some are yellow, some are magenta, some are this gorgeous orange-red....

Standing at the base of the tree and looking up...there are still so many more leaves to fall!

And after the leaves are gone, down will come those hundreds of prickly seed pods. Those on my neighbor's tree are already dried from green to brown and ready to descend when the next wind blows....but don't they look gorgeous against that blue sky!

The wisteria leaves are beginning to change from green to yellow...and the seedpods are splitting and releasing those beautiful chocolate brown seeds that look a bit like large M&M's...

Miss Kitty is all fluffed and puffed and white-ruffed in her winter coat...

...and the Christmas red and green...

...can be seen all around the house...

...along with a bit of gold, maroon...

...and garlands of trumpeting angels...
so I'd say we are ready for Christmas around here.
And winter too...
...but no snow!
This coastal town would come to a screeching halt if it ever snowed here.
I'd sure like to see it happen though!

All that snow....

2009-12-15T09:13:00.001-08:00

It seemed like a lot of snow to me, Southern Californian coastal dweller that I am!

Where's he going in all that snow?

Jill gave us a personalized tour of some highlights around town...

...and the award-winning Salt Lake City Public Library was a must!
The architecture alone was stunning...

...and inside we found an arcade of wonderful little shops too! What a great place to hang out. Note the hanging mobile art high above?

It is created of little butterflies resting on open books of blue. And if you stand and watch long enough you will notice the butterfly wings fluttering slowly from the air currents within the space.

And...when viewed from a certain angle, you will see the mobile forms the shape of a child's head...how amazing is that!

The buildings are situated on a very large open space with gardens, snow-covered at the moment...

...including a lovely fountain area...

...and this sculpture garden dedicated to children...

...where the joyful fun of childhood has been captured perfectly....

...and the delight of a mother and child in each other...

Speaking of delight....what delight I found in crunching through all that snow with my newly purchased all-weather boots (incredibly comfortable!)...I felt like I was walking around in a Christmas card picture for our entire visit!

After the library we moved on to the State Capitol building, seen here from below through Eagle Arch...

...which has a high perch and looks out across a field of snow to city and mountains...

A pair of lions valiantly guard one entry to this massive building...

Inside one finds grandeur indeed with marbled halls and domed ceilings....I stood in the exact center under the dome....

...and pointed the camera straight up, looking at the dome above through this wonderful chandelier.

There is so much detail to catch one's eye....

...and interesting views in all directions. Anyone wanting to see more of this beautiful Capitol building click HERE to go to Jill's blog. She has posted much more about it from her earlier visits here.

Other visits on our tour included Mrs. Backer's Pastry Shop, where I was so blown away by all the goodies to be seen that I neglected to get out my camera....!

Also the Cathedral of the Madeleine, a gorgeous Catholic church....
The first thing I noticed were the gargoyles waaaaaay up there at the top!

Inside the cathedral there is beauty, beauty all around. I'll be posting more about the cathedral later, so be sure to come back...

A Winter Adventure

2009-12-13T19:47:00.000-08:00

Now I know why artists paint bare brown trees
iced with powdery white snow....

Art by Camille Pissaro

CT and I have been in a snowy place for the past few days....
a place we've never visited before...

...and everywhere I looked I saw beautiful wintry trees frosted with white....

Some areas reminded us of England....
although we were there in the snowless summer,
I do believe this might pass for an English winter scene....

We had to find warm coats for the visit....
and shoes made for tramping about in slush and snow...
These are not items we need in our everyday lives.
But now that we've got them,
I think we need to use them as much as we can,
don't you agree? It only makes sense....

And so, of course, that means more trips back...
...to where red berries glow against the white snow....

And a fallen, snow-covered leaf is a work of art....

Where libraries win awards....

...and county buildings are picturesque and grand...

And from the steps of the Capitol upon its hill are amazing views....

And where, best of all, we have a welcoming friend
who enjoys showing us the sights....
Thank you, Jill, for the personal tour of Salt Lake City!

* * * * *

I'll be sharing more about our winter adventure in Salt Lake City soon....

I do believe it's raining!

2009-12-07T10:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday there were clouds.....

...as we drove north on the 110, here approaching downtown Los Angeles, on our way to a Christmas concert in Pasadena....

The Ritz-Carlton's interesting facade of fragmented blues loomed tall as an obelisk up into the sky....was that there when we last drove through here several months ago? How did I miss that?

These musicians, from the Los Angeles Philharmonic, however, are old friends. They have been hanging out on these particular walls for quite a while, gigantic versions of themselves advertising their first-rate orchestra.

On our way home after the concert, about 5 pm, it was already dark. The air had grown colder and the cloud cover thicker....and the traffic lights became candy canes in red and white as I attempted to take a photo in a moving car (CT was driving)....where on earth did all these people come from on a Sunday evening...it looks more like rush hour on a workday!

In fact, traffic actually came to a complete standstill just long enough for me to capture this blue Christmas tree atop one of the city buildings along the freeway....

...and then, this morning, wonder of wonders....

....it is raining! Actual water drops are falling from the leaden gray clouds! This is a big event for us here in Southern California. I am enjoying it immensely and instead of going out to run a few errands today I am sitting cozy and warm in my house listening to the wonderful sound of rain on the roof and thinking about what warm, comfort food I shall make for lunch today....

Keeping me company, playing a merry tune on his flute, is the little snowman in the window....

....while his cousin cheers him on with a bright smile....

...and Santa practices loading and unloading the Christmas train in preparation for you know what....

...a whole host of companions watch the rain drops collect on the outside of the window....

My favorite, after the three glass angels on the top shelf, is the little candy cane.

A glimpse out the front door reveals the side view of my Christmas friends' window perch, as well as wet ferns and lawn...and the Italian cypress arch two doors down....

...while a glimpse out back proves just how much the plants are enjoying this much-needed, life-giving shower of wonderful rain. I know they are happy to have months of grime and dust being washed right off of their green leaves!

Something for Sunday - Advent 2

2009-12-06T08:26:00.001-08:00

Today is the second Sunday of Advent....

Here is something to ponder, written by J.B. Phillips (British Bible translator, 1906-1982) from a selection entitled The Dangers of Advent, found in Watch for the Light, Readings for Advent and Christmas:

This almost beggarly beginning has been romanticized by artists and poets throughout the centuries. Yet I believe that at least once a year we should look steadily at the historic fact, and not at any pretty picture. At the time of this astonishing event only a handful of people knew what had happened....when the baby was grown to be a man, only a few recognized him for who he really was. Two or three years of teaching and preaching and healing people, and his work was finished. He was betrayed and judicially murdered, deserted at the end by all his friends. By normal human standards this was a tragic little tale of failure, the rather squalid story of a promising young man from a humble home, put to death by the envy and malice of the professional men of religion. All this happened in an obscure, occupied province of the vast Roman Empire.

It is fifteen hundred years ago that this apparently invincible Empire utterly collapsed, and all that is left of it is ruins. Yet the little baby, born in such pitiful humility and cut down as a young man in his prime, commands the allegiance of millions of people all over the world. Although they have never seen him, he has become friend and companion to innumerable people....We shall be celebrating no beautiful myth, no lovely piece of traditional folklore, but a solemn fact. God has been here once historically, but, as millions will testify, he will come again with the same silence and the same devastating humility into any human heart ready to receive him.

The Cat's Pajamas

2009-12-05T17:15:00.000-08:00

A guest article written by Miss Kitty.

She had a couple hundred old Christmas cards shoved away and forgotten in the bottom drawer. It seemed such a waste to throw them out every year and so, when Christmas is over, she tosses the latest batch into the drawer until, now, the drawer is simply bulging with cards and there's no room for all the other flotsam and jetsam that belongs in there.

Then, the other evening, she had a brainstorm....why not use the cards to make bookmarks!

She says to me, with a wink, "I've had a brainstorm! The perfect solution to my cluttered up drawer and a wonderful use for all these pretty Christmas cards I've been sent. Why, it's the cat's pajamas!" "

"Hmmmm," I think to myself, "just where is this leading?"

And so....that's just what she did. Made bookmarks. For hours and hours on Thursday and Friday, fussing about with scissors and tape, cutting and measuring, muttering to herself (reading the notes inside the cards from friends over several past Christmases) or humming Christmas songs, or even laughing delightedly when one of her new bookmark creations seems especially charming to her. She tells me this creative extravaganza is great fun and she enjoys the challenge of making something new and useful out of all those cards.

I'm still wondering where the pajamas fit in....

When I try to get her attention by jumping up on the dining room table and walking all over the cards she's cutting up, to meow and complain about her lack of attention to Moi, her only response is to pick me up and set me on the floor.

"You know," she says, as if this should be of interest to me, "lots of people love to read. Maybe I'll send a few of these bookmarks to my book-loving friends for Christmas. It's even better than a card because they can use it all year long. Yeah, it's the cat's pajamas!"

I can't read. (Maybe you are wondering how I can type? I'll have to let you in on the secret someday...) I don't need any bookmarks, because I have no books. So....I'm not particularly convinced by her explanations. However, pajamas for a cat? I find that rather worrying!

I give her my doubtful look. She ignores the hint and carries on snipping and trimming, matching this color and that color and inserting the finished product into the plastic bookmark sleeve. She seems to have an endless supply of those plastic sleeves! Where on earth did they all come from anyway?

I sure hope she is not thinking of creating a pair of pajamas for me from those uncomfortable plastic thingies....

As for me, your humble correspondent, faced with such focused concentration on bookmarks, what can I do? I sigh an expressive kitty-cat sigh and then gracefully jump up onto the side table for a little nap. Maybe when I wake up again things will be back to normal. But I'm not going to wear any pajamas! No thank you! No cat's pajamas for me.

What are cat's pajamas anyway? I sure hope that silly idea is not another one of her brainstorms!

Seasonal Reading

2009-11-28T17:51:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Book Collection

The little Christmas book collection sits on the same shelf all year long, adding a bit of color to the living room decor. In the summer heat of July or August I sometimes take a volume down and leaf through it, remembering that unique Christmasy magic, recalling cooler weather and the scent of cinnamon and cloves, and cookies baking in the oven. But usually it is not until mid-November that I truly begin to hear all those special stories and essays and poems start whispering softly, enticingly calling...."draw closer and take a look at what we have to offer....remember the treasures we hold? It's time to take another look..."

In yesterday's post I mentioned we were expecting a storm front to roll in. Well, if it did, I missed it! Actually, it did roll in but it rolled right past us here and today the skies were mostly a brilliant blue and the sun shone, as usual! Thunderclouds were piled white and high, like huge mounds of whipped cream, to the north and east of us, gathered along the mountain ranges there, most of which are about a 90-minute drive away. No doubt there is rain falling somewhere there and perhaps even snow! But here on the coast it is as dry as ever.

So....I never did get my hot chocolate yesterday afternoon, nor did I begin to decorate for Christmas. I did, however, as darkness fell and temperatures dropped, succumb to the siren call of my Christmas books! There is now a selection of two or three on the coffee table, awaiting my attention.

Alice Taylor's An Irish Country Christmas for example....it must be 6 or 8 years (I'm too lazy to check my book lists to find the exact date) since I read it and, to be honest, I cannot remember much about it except that I enjoyed it immensely. She treats us to "the joyful glow of a child's Yuletide celebration" drawn on memories of her childhood Christmases in a small Irish village. So reading it this week will be a special treat....I can't wait! Here's a little teaser....

The magic of Christmas was out in the moonlight haggard with the cattle and down the fields with the sheep but most of all it was here in the holly-filled kitchen with the little battered crib under the tree and the tall candle lighting in the window. The candle was the light of Christmas and the key that opened the door into the holy night.

And this book is the one I began reading just this morning. Joni Earekson Tada's A Christmas Longing, published in 1990 and featuring some of her beautiful paintings, is a new book for me; I found it at Acres of Books before that fabulous used book store disappeared from the scene a couple of years ago. Acres had an entire wall of Christmas books and I'd go there once or twice a year to see what I could find. A Christmas Longing has been sitting with its fellows on the Christmas shelf in my home, unread, since then. I never quite got around to opening its pages until today. I'm so glad I did! She begins the first chapter by speaking of her seven-year-old self and the inexpressible longing she felt for something more, beyond the gifts and the loving family gatherings, at Christmas time.

Why did I feel this mysterious pull to get away, go beyond, even "step into the other side" of Christmas? Bright red ribbons, scented pine branches, spices and candles, the joy and laughter—these things were warm and precious, but they also were inklings, hints and whispers of an even greater celebration. A celebration to come... It's a Christmas longing.

Best of all, as we begin Advent tomorrow, is a book I found at the One Dollar Bookstore, Watch for the Light, Readings for Advent and Christmas, including selections from the likes of C.S. Lewis, Thomas Merton, Philip Yancey, Madeleine L'Engle, Henri Nouwen, Kathleen Norris, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and many others. Clicking HERE will take you to a link at Ama*zon and you can read a selection yourself.

Not much reading got done today, however, despite this delightful richness of words to feast upon, as I spent the afternoon taking down all the autumn decor and exchanging it for a bit of red and green and gold in celebration of Advent and Christmas. Nothing big or fancy this year. The simple, rustic creche adorns its usual place of honor on the mantel....

...we won't have a tree this year, so I filled my trifle bowl with some pretty Christmas ornaments to brighten up the dining room table.

There's a cinnamon scented candle in a red ceramic container on the coffee table...and a few other Christmas tchotchkes here and there...

...and there must always be angels at Christmas. The little angel candy dish awaits some special Christmasy sweets.

And we all await Advent, the time of waiting for Christmas Eve and Day. And there is a bigger waiting too....Dietrich Bonhoeffer puts it so well:

Christ is still knocking. It is not yet Christmas. But it is also not the great final Advent, the final coming of Christ. Through all the Advents of our life that we celebrate goes the longing for the final Advent, where it says: "Behold, I make all things new" (Rev. 21:5). Advent is a time of waiting. Our whole life, however, is Advent—that is, a time of waiting for the ultimate, for the time when there will be a new heaven and a new earth, when all people are brothers and sisters and one rejoices in the words of the angels: "On earth peace to those on whom God's favor rests." Learn to wait, because he has promised to come. "I stand at the door..." We however call to him: "Yes, come soon, Lord Jesus!" Amen

Five Miles....

2009-11-27T15:37:00.001-08:00

It is a good morning for a long walk....the air is cool, not too cold, not too warm, and thin, wispy clouds float high above in the blue sky...

The sun is shining cheerfully, whenever the high, torn clouds moved aside to reveal his beaming face. On this Friday morning after Thanksgiving Day, the neighborhood I select for perambulation is quiet and serene. Not many humans are evident, except the occasional passing car, and I do not see any animals either, not even birds, though I hear the occasional song up above in the tall treetops.

A few gardens are still sporting wonderfully round and orange pumpkins. I am especially drawn to this welcoming arrangement. That door color is simply divine! Elsewhere on my five-mile walk I notice Christmas lights lining the roof edges and even a decorated Christmas tree in one of the front windows. Already!

Plenty of fall color still abounds, amidst all the green with its many tonal variations....and seeing this red and green as I stride at a constant but dignified pace down the sidewalks (I can't manage five miles unless I pace myself!) reminds me it's time to put away the fall decor in my home and bring out the Christmas boxes. Just the thing for a quiet Friday afternoon! A storm front is coming in and the skies will be gray and gloomy later today. Perhaps I'll make a cup of hot cocoa and set up the Nativity scene first of all.

Thanksgiving Day

2009-11-25T21:02:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving Day to you!

Jules-Alexandre Grun: The End of Dinner

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
Serve the LORD with gladness:
come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD he is God:
it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
and into his courts with praise:
be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the LORD is good;
his mercy is everlasting;
and his truth endureth to all generations.

* * *

If the only prayer you said
in your whole life
was "thank you,"
that would suffice.

~Meister Eckhart

Dear Diary

2009-11-23T19:14:00.000-08:00

Dear Diary, today is Monday, November 23. Just one month until Winter officially arrives....the year is almost over. It has gone by awfully quickly!

...yes, and just one month until Christmas too!
The liquidamber tree
(also known as American sweetgum)
in front of my house
still has all its leaves,
but, as you can see,
most of them have now turned.
Finally....
It glows in the afternoon sun.

(PS: I don't know whose car that is,
but I've always hankered after a red car...)

Meanwhile....
in the northern reaches of our Globe
most of the brilliantly colored leaves have fallen,
and snow has begun to cover the landscape with a soft white blanket.

And yet....
down below in the other hemisphere
green is the predominant color
and they are gearing up for summer weather!

I think, Dear Diary, that this world is an amazing place.

A walk on Thursday

2009-11-19T13:14:00.000-08:00

It's 1:15 pm as I sit down to write this post. The day is bright and sunny, the temperature is 70F. Such a nice day that this morning I decided to get out of the house and go for a real walk.....

Walking is more enjoyable, I find, when I go to the prettier neighborhoods in town, with quiet streets, well-kept homes, and lovely gardens. So, after 10 minutes in the car, I parked, got out, and hit the pavement!

The only wild creature I saw was this squirrel....

He had a big ball of cotton wool, or maybe it was fake spiderwebs left over from Halloween decorations, that he was teasing with his teeth. Perhaps it is destined as lining for his bed?

I was also on the look-out for garden ideas. Isn't this a pretty fence?
I don't know where I'd put such a fence; but I do like the latticework effect,
and the roses too.

And I've always loved trellises, or is this an arbor?
Or perhaps it is called a trellis arch?
Well, whatever it's called, I'd love to have one in my back garden...

...and someday, a real front porch, with room for a bench.
This one is appealing.

It was a pleasant day for walking. After 90 minutes, however, and 4 miles, it was time to return home and cool off. And have lunch....salmon salad on a bed of greens...mmmmm!

Well, now it is 1:35 pm, that didn't take long. Out the window I can see the liquidamber tree that is turning magenta and gold, and across the street my neighbor's lawn is ankle deep in autumn leaves....although his tree is still very green. Hmmm, maybe those are my leaves on his lawn? It's obvious that autumn is finally showing her face around here. The birds are chirping away and I can hear my DH practicing the piano down the hall. Life is good.

Window Views

2009-11-18T12:04:00.002-08:00

In Coupeville on Whidbey Island my sister and I had a good time perusing the little shops along the main street. Some of them look out over the Puget Sound....

...and when I came across this particular window,
it sang its siren song to me, whispering,

"Look at me, replete with magical mermaids
and framing the silvery blue of the salty sea..."

Well, how could I ignore such an invitation!
I looked.
And the camera clicked.

* * *

For more window views...and doors too!, click HERE to visit Mary the Teach.

Their Royal Cat-nesses

2009-11-16T14:28:00.000-08:00

Cats truly believe they are royalty...I'm convinced of it!

This one, Miss Kitty's cousin, is surveying his kingdom...

...and there is a lot to survey from his lofty perch....

...all of it gorgeous...
and no doubt full of intriguing little creatures to stalk and hunt!

He prefers his drinking water, however, straight from the tap...
and will sit there regally until you to turn on the flow just for him!

Miss Kitty, on the other hand, won't go anywhere near the tub or the sink...
...or any running water...
But she's not averse to the occasional shoe box,
even when it is on the table, where she knows she's not supposed to be!

Art by John William Godward

They can't help it really, being such beautiful creatures.
Being regal is part of their nature. That's one of the things I love about cats.

I found this amusing little tale at catquotes.com:

When God Made Cats

When God made the world, He chose to put animals in it, and decided to give each whatever it wanted. All the animals formed a long line before His throne, and the cat quietly went to the end of the line. To the elephant and the bear He gave strength, to the rabbit and the deer, swiftness; to the owl, the ability to see at night, to the birds and the butterflies, great beauty; to the fox, cunning; to the monkey, intelligence; to the dog, loyalty; to the lion, courage; to the otter, playfulness. And all these were things the animals begged of God. At last he came to the end of the line, and there sat the little cat, waiting patiently. "What will YOU have?" God asked the cat.

The cat shrugged modestly. "Oh, whatever scraps you have left over. I don't mind."

"But I'm God. I have everything left over."

"Then I'll have a little of everything, please."

And God gave a great shout of laughter at the cleverness of this small animal, and gave the cat everything she asked for, adding grace and elegance and, only for her, a gentle purr that would always attract humans and assure her a warm and comfortable home.

But he took away her false modesty.

...Lenore Fleischer