Wigilia 2023

This year the matriarch (my mom) is hosting since her house is done up so well for the holiday and I haven’t decorated this year. I’ll be bringing dishes and finishing them there and am trying to make minimal mess in her kitchen, so have mixed up the menu a bit:

My menu:

1. Potato mushroom soup with a variety of wild mushrooms (some I harvested myself foraging earlier this year with a friend)
   
2. Smoked salmon dip
   
3. Shrimp cocktail with white horseradish sauce
4. Baked brie
5. Fresh baked bread (rye if I can find the rye flour)
6. Brussels sprouts with balsamic and honey
   
7. Cannellini beans with spinach
   
8. pierogi, various kinds - potato and cheddar cheese, & potato and onion.
9. broiled salmon with miso glaze
   
10. Kutia (barley pudding, or can be made as wheat berry pudding) 
11. Tropical fruit compote
12. Dessert: Kolaczki cookies by my mom, the best cookie maker I know.

More inspiration: Polish Christmas Eve Supper Recipe | The Spruce Eats

Covid vaccine

 

My son got the covid shot today - I’m hoping his efforts as a contact tracer will let us reduce spread of this illness and start lifting restrictions we live with today.

Watching Hogfather tonight

All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need... fantasies to make life bearable."

REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.

"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—"

YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.

"So we can believe the big ones?"

YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.

"They're not the same at all!"

YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.

"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—"

MY POINT EXACTLY

Watch Hogfather on Amazon Prime

We pause for this interruption to our regular programming

During my last conference call, while my coworker was on video presenting to ~40 of us, his preschool daughter broke into his home office with a ukelele and played it while singing, as he chased her around the room in his roller chair apologizing profusely. I am so HERE for these wonderfully entertaining work-at-home moments and not looking forward to boring old corporate office meetings without ukelele intermissions.

Pandemic pup

Has anyone else adopted while home on lockdown? We're looking at a hound from Lucky Dog rescue. We’ve been in touch with them about a dog listed for adoption and are taking it slow with a few introduction meetings and trying to understand what we're in for. Howard is described as a high-energy dog. The adoption coordinator shared some info about how he interacted with the trainer's dog: she "let her cattle dog out. She really doesn’t like him. She herded him, snapped at him, and he loved it. Just ran joyfully around the room thinking it was the best thing ever."

 

Consider donating to Lucky Dog or another dog rescue of your choice.

Medieval covers of current songs

A few years back I had the chance to visit another city and ride a ferris wheel with some dear friends.We talked there for a bit about the weird combo of cheery pop music combined with dire gothy lyrics as represented in Pumped up kicks. Today I heard a medieval version and it is just as weird. 

Listen to Medieval Covers of “Creep,” “Pumped Up Kicks,” “Bad Romance” & More by Hildegard von Blingin’

Apocalypse Fashion Update

I went for a walk in generic uggs, flannel PJ bottoms, hoodie and leopard print gloves, and one of my kid's knit skater hats with an angry fat dachshund on a dental floss-sized leash. And ran into a co-worker so we had a socially distant chat. How's your Tuesday? #apocalypsefashion

These people at work

 I’m getting real frustrated sharing my break room with all these people. Don’t they realize their mother works here?

PS If you're wondering what to do about any household help during lockdown, you should pay them.

I must not fear. Fear is the mind killer.

 

Time for a re-read?

What can brown do for boo?

I stopped a giant UPS truck trying to navigate into my narrow gravel driveway today as I got home. I offered to take the packages and save him the trip down my driveway, which has to be tricky in those boxy trucks. he said thanks, “your yard is scary, I always wonder if I’m going to get my ass bit.” I said yea, the driveway is narrow. He said “no, it’s the creepy woods.”

I guess my Blair witch holiday ornaments aren’t a hit this year.

davina and the vagabonds

I took a photo of Davina last night at Jazz Kitchen. She is such an engaging performer and had a graceful way of gathering her presence to herself to share the stage with her band; then she’d take control with her larger-than-life personality after they’d had their moment.

 

Freaking magical unicorn

A card I received from a coworker who I’ve really enjoyed working with. She just gave notice but had the foresight to drop cards in inter-office mail to “our gang” before they walked her out.

You're a magical freakin' unicorn too, dear, and I'll miss working with you.

The Second City - Cubman

Source:
The Second City
http://bit.ly/2dNeKCi
Just one f***ing time! Is that too much to ask? #FlyTheW Chicago Cubs

Thomas

Source:
Thomas
http://bit.ly/2dGizXn
Tomorrow is the last day of voter registration in Indiana, confirm yours or get registered. Then you can vote in Indiana early starting on Wednesday.

Andy Borowitz

Source:
Andy Borowitz
http://bit.ly/2di7lsd
Donald Trump's claim that he was "smart" to pay no taxes is somewhat diminished by the fact that the way he did it was by losing a billion dollars.

How to talk about female Olympians without being a regressive creep – a handy guide | Lindy West

Source:
How to talk about female Olympians without being a regressive creep – a handy guide | Lindy West
http://bit.ly/2aLgp8h
Want to avoid gaffes when reporting on female athletes? Do write about the sports they did. Don’t bring their makeup, very small shorts and marital status into it.

How Ibtihaj Muhammad Made it to the Olympics

I'm happy to read that Team USA considered her to carry the flag.
Source:
How Ibtihaj Muhammad Made it to the Olympics
http://on.wsj.com/2auuipK
Rio 2016: How Team USA fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad made it to the Olympic Games

It back

The One Cognitive Bias That Could Be Derailing Your Productivity

From Hubspot.com

Set the to-do list aside sometimes and work on what inspires you.
Source:
The One Cognitive Bias That Could Be Derailing Your Productivity
http://bit.ly/292tn1e
Learn what "completion bias" is and why it can get us into trouble when it comes to productivity.

The Ugly Volvo

Go, Dog, Go!

Source:
The Ugly Volvo
http://bit.ly/1Yt4huN
Dear female hat-wearing dog. I read your story almost every night and I couldn't go any longer without speaking up.