Oh Friends, it has been a busy couple of weeks, but now I am happily on vacation for the next two weeks. Aaaaahhhhhh.
The busy was from many things. At work it was wrapping up the semester and trying to make sure the professors I support had all the research materials they needed while the library is closed for two weeks. This while also supporting students studying and taking final exams.
Then home to more busy. James and I helped plan our sangha’s annual tea ceremony. We did not go last year due to bad weather, so we had zero context for what we were helping with. The person doing the bulk of the planning was first out of town and then otherwise engaged, and there was much to do in a week and a half. So many Signal messages and emails and time spend on Zoom working out the details. And of course, the day of the tea ceremony the weather was terrible—first rain, then ice, then light snow and howling wind blowing the snow around. It took me extra time to bike home from work. Then James and I ate a very fast dinner before bundling up and biking very carefully with our portion of supplies to the ceremony. I am grateful we don’t have to bike far.
James and I helped set up, which was already in progress since we were late. Our role in the ceremony itself was to serve the tea and treats to sangha attendees, which involved lots of formal bowing while carrying big trays of tea-filled cups, followed by big trays filled with plates of cookies, fruit, and nuts, which also required lots of formal bowing. In addition I ended up filling the role of tea offerer—placing a cup of tea and a cookie on the altar—because the person who was going to do it lives in the burbs and didn’t come due to the icy roads The altar as on the floor instead of the usual table, and surrounded by candles and flowers. I had to bow and kneel with the offering in my hands, then set it down on the altar. I am proud to say I didn’t spill anything on the altar or on any sangha members, though I did manage to kick two of the many tea light candles on the floor later in the ceremony, making a waxy mess on the floor and on my pants leg.
Still it all came together beautifully and all the attendees gave us gracious praise. Some even stayed late afterwards to help us clean up.
We were out again Friday night, biking in the dark and on sometimes icy roads, to a Beloved Community Circle gathering across the river in St. Paul. The gathering was wonderful, as they always are. Part of our evening was spent formally watering each other’s (metaphorical) flowers. It is so easy to speak from the heart to other people about how wonderful they are and what I admire about them, it is a challenge to accept the beautiful words they say to me. But giving and receiving is part of the practice, and spending the evening with increasingly dear friends was exactly what my heart needed even though we didn’t get home until after 10 and my body was very tired.
Because James had to work at the bookstore on Sunday, the actual day of Solstice, we celebrated on Saturday. Part of the menu was crusty sourdough dinner rolls, which I had enough foresight to make the weekend before and keep them in the freezer. One less thing to do! So after a busy two weeks at work, a week and a half of tea ceremony planning and performing, and a late (for me) night with friends, I spent almost the whole day Saturday cooking.
As you know, James is the cook in the house and he does all the cooking all year except for Winter Solstice. This tradition began over 30 years ago because James with his retail career, was never able to get the Solstice off—too close to Christmas. So I make a sometimes rather elaborate menu, and do all the cooking and have dinner ready when James gets home from work. All these years later, his schedule is much different, but we keep the tradition of me planning and cooking a special meal.
This year’s menu was holiday roast stuffed with roasted golden beet, carrot, and parsnip; wild rice “un-stuffing,” aloo bonda also know as mashed potato fritters (from Vegan Richa cookbook), spicy cranberry chutney, and crusty sourdough rolls. For dessert we had salted date caramel chocolate pie with whipped coconut cream on top. The pie did not set up like it was supposed to and didn’t hold form when removed from the pie plate, but it was delicious all the same. The whole meal was delicious. All the flavors went together beautifully.
Sunday we ate leftovers, and I was able to fully enjoy the meal since I wasn’t tired out from all the things. Tonight is leftovers again. Then the roast will be gone and everything else will get incorporated into other meals.
And now, rest. Though we are in the midst of having our bathroom remodeled. We are converting from a tub with shower to a shower stall that has grab bars. Some days James’s MS leaves him feeling unbalanced and nervous about stepping over the high side of a bathtub. We are also having the old, worn out vinyl floor tiled to match the shower, getting a new toilet that fits our tiny space, and a new sink that also fits the space better.
It was supposed to be done by now, but the city took a long time to issue permits, delaying the start of the work, and then after the new plumbing was done, it took the city inspector a week to come out and give the ok. At the end of last week they did the prep work for tiling. I think that bit is done, but I’m not completely certain since I don’t know what done looks like in this case. All I know is that half my living room is taped off with boxes of tile and other supplies piled up, and I have to walk downstairs every time I need to use the bathroom. The novelty and adventure of this whole project has quickly disappeared, and with Christmas this week, I’m not certain what the work schedule is going to be.
So what do I do for an hour and half this morning? Start back to work on my attic remodel project! I’m still ripping out the old, gross carpet, pulling carpet tape off the under-floor, and cleaning up and moving things around as I go. You may recall I am turning this into a fiber arts room for sewing, weaving, spinning, and knitting. However, it has years of accumulated junk and chaos, some of which I have already disposed of, some of which—like the bins that currently hold my fabric and yarn stash—are getting shuffled around as I work. I would pile them in my living room except I can’t because of all the bathroom remodel stuff.
But now, after this is posted, I plan on some tea and garden dreaming. It’s time to start figuring out what I’m going to grow next year. To get my garden inspiration going, as if I really needed it, I listened to the first Plant Circle Gathering while working in the attic. The Plant Circle is part of a new project by Robin Wall Kimmerer called Plant Baby Plant. It is intended to be the antithesis of drill baby drill. I love their tagline: Raise a garden and raise a ruckus. Yesterday was the first plant circle and when their website officially launched. Be sure to check it out and get inspired!
Something else to inspire you, a photo essay of the anti-ICE march that took place Saturday in Minneapolis. I wanted to go, but just couldn’t fit it in and cook too. Thankfully, thousands of other people were able to turn out.
Happy Solstice!
Hehehe, I read the part about you accidentally kicking the tea lights and thought, “Wow, she got so spiritual, she almost burned the place down!” You’ve got the fire, sister!
Your pie not setting up reminds me of my mom. It doesn’t matter how many times she made no-bake cookies (she hasn’t made them in decades at this point), they would NOT set up, and everyone would eat them with spoons. They still tasted great!
Also, I want to water your flower: I find you to be funny and smart, loving and practical. I think about you surely way more often than you think of me. Every time I see my spouse leave the water on slightly too long or thinking about how far I drive, if I’m recycling/reducing/reusing (which and why?!), when I see someone on a bicycle, when it’s freezing and I think of you on your bicycle, etc..
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Oh Melanie, you mad me laugh! Thankfully nothing was set ablaze and I somehow managed to only utter “shoot” under my breath instead of yelling shit! 😀
It heartens me to hear your mom has trouble getting no-bake cookies to set. We almost ate the pie with a spoon. And wouldn’t you know it, yesterday’s leftover piece of pie had finally set. James said I should make a note on the recipe to make the pie 3 days in advance, like that is ever going to happen.
Thank you for your kind words! You might be surprised how much I think of you! Whenever I see anything Deaf/deaf related or turn on closed captioning on a video, I think of you. Whenever I come across a new book of horror I think, I wonder if Melanie would like this book and whether she knows about it? Should I send her an email? (Clearly I haven’t, but doesn’t mean I won’t sometime!). You are kind and thoughtful and have a big heart. I love that you are so dedicated to caring for often marginalized communities and that you generously share and teach me about them. You broaden and deepen my perspective and I am grateful!
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Well, wasn’t this just one big, mushy, happy exchange 🥰
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The best kind! ❤
I hope you and Nick have a wonderful Christmas!
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What a lovely exchange between you two. And I think of you both too, for the very same reasons you have given each other. (You both keep me thinking and consciousness-raised in different ways.) So, instead of repeating that I’ll share a story from Christmas yesterday. We are developing new Christmas traditions. Wth my parents gone, and our two kids (and two grandkids) in Melbourne, our Christmases are in Melbourne and we are no longer the organisers, which is lovely we must day. We contribute food of course but we are the participants not the organisers. Anyhow, we were at our daughter and her fiancé’s (partner’s) place and were talking Kris Kringle traditions at work. Our daughter’s fiancé (I’ll call him SIL Gums since he’ll soon be SIL) said that at his (new) workplace all the gifts are in a pile. After you’ve opened yours, you pick up a gift for someone else (which, unless it happened by chance, would not be the gift you bought for them) and before you hand the gift over to that person you have to say something nice to (about) them. His sister hated that, but SIL Gums loved it, though he said it was easier to compliment someone else than to receive it. It is so hard isn’t it?
And, one other story from Christmas day is that I one of the things I made was a gf dessert treat – a slice. I’ve not made it for decades and it’s my MIL’s recipe which is back in Canberra. So, I Googled, messaged my SIL who doesn’t have it but whose daughter said she had it SOMEWHERE! My SIL and I found a recipe online that we thought sounded like it (and I just substituted the normals cookies that you crush for gf cookies). Well, it tasted good but it was not the nice easy sliceable thing it’s supposed to be, it was sticky and gooey, but SIL Gums said it was the best of the treats!! (He is very sweet, and he also comes from Irish stock, so I accepted the compliment but did have a little chuckle.)
Why am I rambling when I have so much to read, write and do! Because you two are so lovely, that’s way. Hope you have had a wonderful day, and I wish you both the very best for 2026.
(Oh and one more thing, Stefanie, this “We are converting from a tub with shower to a shower stall that has grab bars…” Absolutely, I HATE those shower over tub arrangements. One day, when you are old you will appreciate it too! I fell in a shower-over-tub when I was 24. I was fine but I cricked my neck badly and was in pain for a couple of days. It taught me a big lesson when my body was still young enough, my bones still strong enough, to handle such a tumble!)
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Ah WG, the love just keeps on growing! You are firmly attached in my mind to all things Jane Austen and you pretty much represent Australia for me, which means I assume everyone there is as lovely and kind and thoughtful as you are and a little cheeky sometimes too 🙂
What a marvelous holiday gift giving tradition at your SIL’s workplace!
I had to look up what a slice is! What a decadent dessert! I hope you find your MIL’s recipe. But still, it sounds delicious even if, like my pie, it didn’t quite turn out how you wanted it to.
Oh my goodness, I hope you have no issues today from that tub tumble! I’m very glad to be getting rid of the tub. I’ve never been a bath person so I won’t miss it. And the bathroom is so tiny having just a shower will make it feel so much bigger. Two of the shower walls now have tile, so one more wall and the floor and then they can grout. Hopefully after that installing the fixtures and toilet and sink will go quickly!
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Love this Stefanie – though I think there are many kinder (and many less kind too) Australians. We are the usual mixed bunch but I’m glad I give us a good name. Australians can be cheeky too.
I just realised that SIL can be son-in-law and sister-in-law. Hmm, will have to think about that one.
When I used slice, I was to remember whether Americans use that term. I had a feeling you didn’t because I feel I remember some of my Aussie friends and I joking about Australians and slices. I guess you make them but call them something different. I can’t recollect though.
Good luck with the bathroom. I hope we get a pic eventually.
You needn’t reply to all this. Enjoy your free time!
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Heh, like anywhere I know Australia is a mix of people, but you are a marvelous ambassador who inspires warm feelings for your lovely country 🙂
I don’t know that we have anything like slice in the States. It’s kind of like a cake but not completely and I can’t think of an American equivalent, which makes it even more interesting in my eyes because it is culturally specific.
The bathroom tile is done and looks so pretty. Now just waiting for all the rest to be installed. I will have photos when it is all done. They are not painting the walls or anything and I suspect that I will be doing that eventually because already the walls are looking rather shabby. Isn’t that the way of projects?
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That’s interesting about the slice. I just couldn’t remember from my two postings there, but maybe that’s why I couldn’t remember. You don’t really have them! They are a great treat because they are are sweet but usually keep longer than cake, and they can be cut into bigger or small pieces, so if you want a “little” bite with coffee they are great. Brownies are a bit in that theme – they crossover between cake and slice – but we have many slices!
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I love learning about foods from all over and trying them too. It appears there are a fe vegan slice recipes online. I’ll have to get James to make one for us sometime!
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Yes, we do too … and I reckon you should. We went out to lunch with some old friends yesterday – who moved to Melbourne a long time ago – and they invited us back to our house for coffee. And what did they offer us but some Christmas chocolate treats and a slice!!
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I hope you’re enjoying your vacation, Stefanie. It sounds like it’s well deserved with how busy you’ve been lately! Belated Happy Solstice!
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Thanks Laila! Vacation has been lovely and I am starting to feel a little sad that it is almost over.
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I thought about you both at the Solstice, your meal sounds and looks great. Yes I am absolutely fine, but just don’t have the time or the inclination to continue with blogging. I am still reading as much and gardening when weather permits. We are also enjoying being grandparents now and help out when needed. I am astonished that you have to get permission to renew your bathroom – so much for the land of the free!
Have a great New Year, I hope that 2026 will be a good one for you both.
I think though that it’s time to sing that song – Always look on the bright side of life – on both sides of that pond!
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I’m glad you are doing well Katrina! I completely understand shifting priorities that don’t include blogging. Little ones don’t stay little for very long. I needed to get a permit because the plumbing was changed and it has to meet building codes, that was the only thing that needed a permit to do.
Life of Brian! Yes, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life! Happy New Year!
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The tea cermony sounds lovely. Your reno’s sound…ultimately rewarding? I love tub bars and am so grateful one has been included in our current rental (now it’s an essential). And I did find the protest photos inspiring. Especially right now. Take care! xo
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