1. Nice dinner with my boys. We always eat too late but at least we enjoy the candles.
2. I'm home with a cold. I haven't had one in awhile I don't think so I guess I can't complain. Eh. It did give me time to make some mulligatawny soup with my turkey broth and leftover turkey. Nice flavor from the Sola Gratia forgotten kohlrabi....and why don't I cook with celery more? And bless Penzey's for not just their political stance but their freaking great sweet curry powder.
3. These guys.....go watch this.... Aaron Lee Tasjan and Brian Wright. Lately, we watch it pretty much every time we cook dinner.
4. Don't forget....two weeks from today....Mabel's Night Unplugged at the Accord. Brought to you by our very own Sandwich Life House Concerts + Swede Films + Shatterglass Studios, and a benefit for Josh's Fund. It will put you in the mood. Not just the holiday mood although I'm sure that will be there, but the mood of coming together with friends and music. I think it will be a special night. Mabel's Night was fantastic and I absolutely loved it, but I almost feel as though we are in a different time now and I, and maybe you, need events like this more than ever. I know that the country is the same country it was before the election, but my perception of it has changed, and to me, the need for this kind of community is even greater. Thanks John Isberg for all you do for our music community...and bringing together different components of it. We are so fortunate to have you.
Oh, and I get to see my beloved Kenny too. Heh.
AND....can you say early show? Yes, thank you.
DOORS 7:00 PM
SHOW 7:30 PM
FEATURING:
Jay Rosenstein (Otis and the Elevators)
Brian Leach (Last Gentlemen) and Brian Krumm (Great Crusades)
Nick Rudd (Turning Curious) and Lynn Canfield (Ack-Ack)
Ken Draznik (Vertebrats)
David Adams (Screams) and Dawna Nelson (Mudhens)
Edward Burch (Kennett Brothers)
and also appearing:
Gloria Roubal
Kurt Bielema
Aron Stromberg
Jared Roberts
The Bashful Youngens
5. Owen saying, "Are you REALLY taking a picture of this?" I never could decide between the Lego City advent calendar and the Lego Star Wars advent calendar so the last year or two I got both. It seems a little silly now that the guys are so grown up but I'm a sucker for the calendars too. This year I decided just one...Lego Star Wars. Then the boys complained that we weren't using the wooden Christmas tree advent calendar. I groaned because it's a pain to find gifts to fit in it...especially now that they are older...used to be a sticker would work. They seemed so outraged though that I was strangely touched. Judi gave them the wooden Christmas tree advent calendar years ago, and the deal was that she would send gifts for it every year. Judi was wonderful at finding gifts and I know she would be even now with these big galoots that are her sweet peas. Ernie and I always grumble at buying things for it though and say, " DAMN IT Judi...you were supposed to be HERE to keep buying the gifts!" The fact that my grown up boys still wanted the tree though touched my heart...made me feel that connection to Judi, made me feel their connection to Judi. It will be EIGHT years this February since she died. It is hard to believe. The boys were so little. I told her though that she would always be in our hearts and so yesterday, from my perch on the couch, I sent Ernie out to Target to get some things for it.
Any suggestions for tiny advent calendar gifts for boy-men?
6. We have begun our holiday traditions....last night the guys brought the trees in and set them up and we put the trees on the mantel. We're missing a few, there must be another box downstairs but we got started. We pulled out the Reader's Digest set of Christmas carols that we had when I was a little kid and played it while the guys pulled the trees out and arranged them. Pleasure Programmed people, Pleasure Programmed. God that makes me happy.
Oh, and when I looked at the stool that the records were sitting on I noticed that Owen had labelled it. Sasha...a boy after your own heart....
Our messy house. Oops, laundry on the newel post..Rascal won't be happy.
7. And last but certainly least...... Yes, it's the night after Mabel's Night Unplugged, but if I can go out two nights in a row then so can you! And besides, Fats and Kristi Rose make it officially Christmas....