Technically the sun has officially passed the solstice mark, but let’s go with a more seasonal approach since it’s still very much midwinter even though we are likely to have a record warm day here of over 50F/10C. But the real warmth story is that we are keeping above freezing at night for several days in a row. Unless we get a really cold snap in January, the garden insect pests next year are going to be horrendous. But that’s a bridge to cross later.

The chickens are really happy to be able to wander around a snowless garden all day and even scratch in the not quite frozen soil. James is happy to bike to work without struggling through snow and the ever narrowing roads that winter plowing bring about. I’d be really happy too, only I had to bus and metro train to work this past week because of my broken clavicle. But I suppose I am happy that I didn’t have to walk to the bus stop on icy sidewalks. My supremely cheerful morning bus driver is balanced out by my deeply grumpy evening bus driver. It’s kind of funny, as if the universe can’t have too much of one or the other, and these two people hold the opposite ends of the continuum in place.

One handing it at work for three days had its challenges. I’m used to carrying an armload of books up the library stairs to the stacks for shelving, but with only one arm I can carry books or open the door from the stairwell but not both. So I put the books on a cart and wheeled them into the elevator. The doors closed, and I stood there, waiting. Then I noticed the elevator wasn’t moving and got confused—did it go up a floor and I didn’t notice? And if so, why didn’t the doors open? Is it stuck? Oh crap! I’m stuck in the elevator! No, wait, I think I’m still on the same floor, not going anywhere. Then I realized I had to push a button to make the elevator go up. This newfangled tech, I tell ya!

I got lots of sympathy, and many stories. One person told me he was the king of breaking clavicles, having done it twice, because apparently this middle aged man has the bones of an “85-year-old bird,” as he said it. Big time osteoporosis. And he told the story like he thought it was really funny. I tried to not look horrified. I also received a lot of advice from people on how to take care of myself, some of it very mom advice, some of it completely contradicting what my very good orthopedist told me. Smile, smile, smile, and thanks, because I assume it comes from a place of care, and even if it was bad advice, I appreciate the care.

Solstice morning on Thursday, I went through all the recipes and James chopped everything for me—onion, potatoes, apples, walnuts. Very nice of him since you should have seen me one-handing it with the garlic press! There ended up being an entire head of garlic mixed in between all the dishes and while my hand strength is fine, the size of my hand is small and couldn’t reach both press handles to squeeze. My garlic press sat nicely on the countertop and allowed me to push down with one hand until both handles were close enough together to grab and squeeze.

Overall, it was a pretty straightforward menu this year and I’m glad I hadn’t planned on making raviolis from scratch or something with phyllo dough like in years past. Here is the menu:

• Firecracker burgers
• Ranch dressing
• Pretzel buns
• Garlic herb roasted potatoes
• Baked beans
• Apple cake
• Vanilla sweet potato ice cream

The burgers were so good! James liked them so much he says they are going to move into regular meal rotation. The buns came out great too. I was a bit worried kneading them with one hand, but it worked just fine. The potatoes were wonderfully crispy. The baked beans are, and will continue to be yum for awhile since the recipe filled a casserole dish. Though I suspect we will be tired of them in a day or two and they will disappear into the freezer for a bit.

The cake recipe called for a glaze made from so much sugar and oil that I just couldn’t bring myself to make it, even though it would have made the cake prettier to look at. But looks aside, the cake is moist and oh so delicious. I cut the sugar in half and it’s still plenty sweet with the apples. Sweet potato ice cream is a not uncommon treat at our house. It has a completely different flavor than banana or coconut milk ice cream and made the perfect compliment to the apple cake.

Now that all the Solstice cooking and eating is done, I’m trying to figure out what to do with myself. I can only spend so much time sitting—reading, one hand typing, and garden planning—before I need to get up and move around. Trouble is, there’s not much I can do. Weaving, spinning, knitting, sewing and even mending are out for now. I tidied up my desk. I have some bookshelves that need tidying up but I need to stand on a step stool, and with only one hand for balance and moving books, that’s too risky a proposition. So I wander around the house a lot and stare out into the garden at the chickens.

I also hover over our house guest, Kringles the bearded dragon. A coworker got the dragon for her son for Christmas and s/he has been staying with us since Wednesday to prevent accidental discovery. The dragon eats live crickets and mealworms. I have no problem with these insects, I stuff Japanese beetles in my bare hands to feed to the chickens after all. My coworker was worried chirping crickets would give away the presence of the dragon, but the crickets haven’t chirped once.

The crickets are in an ingenious little box of their own and it’s really easy to get a few out when it’s time to feed Kringles. Once in the terrarium with the dragon, they don’t live long. Faster than Ho! Ho! Ho! Kringles slurps up them up.

I hope your own Solstice celebrations were wonderful and tasty. I’m grateful the days are getting longer again, even though they will (probably) be getting colder. I find more sunshine to be good compensation for colder days.

If you are celebrating Christmas, I wish you much joy.

Reading

• Poets & Writers Magazine, January/ February 2024: The Alchemy of Inspiration. This is a series of five essays by different writers taking their theme from the four elements. The fifth essay by Camille Dungy, sort of melds them all together to “manifest some magic.”
• Humor: McSweeney’s: Ayn Rand Writes Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Listening

• Podcast: Between the Covers: Naomi Klein: Doppelganger: Part Two. You don’t need to listen to part one at all. In this interview Klein and Naimon, both Jewish, discuss the Jewish elements of Klein’s book. Given what is happening in Gaza right now, the conversation stretches to talk about it as well as Zionism, Marxism, and the Jewish Labor Bund.
• Music: The Four Seasons by Vivaldi, performed by Mannheim Steamroller with Vivaldi’s poems read by Patrick Stewart

Watching

Nada

Quote

Being teachable means being open to influence—receptive—and being receptive involves a kind of emotional discipline, a letting go of habits and beliefs about yourself, on the page and in the flesh, a dismantling of defenses that would bar the door to new systems of thought.

Micah Bay Gault, Water: Stay Fluid, Poets & Writers Jan/Feb 2024

James’s Kitchen Wizardry

Sorry James, it was Solstice kitchen witchery this week