A Winter's Tale

Patio Before Weeding

Today was a good day. It was one of those days in the Central Valley where you go around humming quietly to yourself "it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...." We don't get the snow, but winter does bring the fog. The valley fills up with fog, sometimes so thick you can't see from one side of the street to the other, and when it settles in, it may not leave for days on end. During the day, it may lift a little and create a pale gray ceiling at the tree tops, but it doesn't leave. It blocks the sun, and temperatures won't get any higher than the 50's.

Patio After Weeding

 Like the snow, the fog tends to soften the sounds of the world. Maybe it's because there are fewer people doing things outside, or maybe there is some law of physics that governs sound transmission in such weather, but whatever the reason, it's quiet. It's kind of like being in a softly lit cave.

Evidence of Weeding

Patio Before Feeding

It is absolutely perfect weather for Advent. It's dark, and cold, and after a few days without seeing the sun, you really begin to long to see the light.            






Weeded the patio today to immerse myself in the winter weather, and I grilled ribs to commemorate BBQ Monday, the day that reminds us of the Magi's journey to Bethlehem. They had begun their journey already in order to arrive in time for Christ's birth. Their journey was plagued with problems, from camels gone suddenly lame, lost reservations, and really bad service in the turnpike service plazas. But like the rose colored vestments of  Gaudete Sunday the day before, there is a lightening in the penitential mood at this halfway point of Advent. BBQ Monday reminds of us a respite in the Magi's journey, the occasion of their dinner at the last rib joint before entering Israel. The ribs were so good that the Magi considered giving up and just spending the holidays in Jordan, but their decision to persevere should remind us that we too must continue our preparations for Christmas.

The story of the Magi's journey may be apocryphal, but Advent Ribs have long been a tradition in our house.