The Almost "Norman Rockwell" Christmas
This one was as good as it gets. It was a pleasant and satisfying Christmas for the kids and adults. The company was good, the food was enjoyable, and the conversation was pleasantly refreshing. (As in, it's good to hear those stories again). My Dad turned 79 and we celebrated his birthday on Saturday.
The first weekend in December, the four of us attended A Christmas Carol at Ford's Theater. What a spectacular performance in a historic theater. I hope the girls look back on it as a great memory. I have fond memories of the last time I had seen A Christmas Carol in Princeton.
The next Sunday, it was time for a going-away party for Jeannette and Bob. They've only been gone since Saturday and I miss her already! It was a fun party to throw, many friends pitched in, and it was a nice farewell. (Party tip: Schedule the carpet cleaners when you send the invitations. It took all the stress out of the red wine stains in white carpets). Have fun in Washington State!
December in the Olive Oil business was busy-crazy until the last week. I've never "done retail" before, so it was all new. Now, I'm spending my days planning for 2007, but it seems so less productive than actually shipping lots of great olive oil. Most exciting olive oil news: the Novellos have arrived. Those are the newest, freshest extra virgin olive oils. We have Olio Verde Novello (Sicily) and Tenuta di Capezzana Novello (Tuscany), and are awaiting the novellos from Santisi (Sicily) and San Macario (Lucca.)
On to the holiday weekend menus. Friday night was pizza night. The only thing homemade was the salad with romaine, arugula, and radicchio, dressed with Mosto and balsamic vinegar. Saturday's birthday dinner featured two Turkey breasts rubbed with Mosto before roasting, mashed sweet potatoes, mashed cauliflower and broccoli. Lots of vegetables to keep it light before Christmas. At least before the chocolate cake—the chocolate cake made with Miracle Whip that my mother used to make. It was my turn to cook again on Christmas. We returned from Mass to have Italian sausage (both hot and sweet) with onions and peppers and great bread. The big meal featured an antipasto dressed with Tenuta di Capezzano and balsamic vinegar, two pastas the fettuccini noodles we call "homemades" and cavatelli (made with ricotta). Christmas sauce features lots of meat -- meatballs, sausage and chunks of beef falling apart. Sometime over the weekend, Tom counted our open olive oil bottles. Courtesy of Olio2go, we have 14 open bottles! I think it is very important that I bring the damaged labels and expireds home for tasting. We pay for the bottles we give as gifts! And I've been buying a lot of gifts. Three more today!
Tonight, Katie and I are heading into DC to go to the Verizon Center to see High School Musical: The Concert. I can’t wait to hear the screaming. Or maybe I can.
I have a goal of finishing a couple of knitting projects through the New Year’s weekend. I need about 10 minutes to finish a purple hat, and I’d love to finally finish the gray and black striped vest. It’s time to focus. I’ve been tempted by the postcard and emails from Brenda at Uniquities, but I can’t rationalize a trip for more yarn.
Tom and I have been continuing to read Donna Leon’s mysteries set in Venice. Death at La Fenice is now in the house. We just returned Death in a Strange Country and Death and Judgment. I’ve been trying to read Mayflower. It was so interesting in the beginning, but at mid book, I’m finding the beheadings rather tedious. Barbara Taylor Bradford’s Just Rewards was the perfect bedtime reading during the rush running up to Christmas. On my last trip to the library, I lucked into a copy of The Memory Keeper’s Daughter. I’ll have no problem finishing this one within the two week limit.
One of my best Christmas presents was the Tuscany calendar from Katie. It’s in the “cube” known as my office. There’s only one problem with all the calendars around her. I can’t believe how many dates are already booked between May and August….we’re anticipating various high school, college, and family reunions, a beach week, a possible work trip to Aspen (rough, I know…), a field hockey camp at a college for Carly, an NYC trip for me, possibly Geometry (to get it out of the way) for Carly, and then we’re socked in with field hockey tryouts. There goes the summer!
Happy New Year....I hope to post again in less than a month!
posted by Carly @ 12:58 PM
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