Moving On

Well, another Halloween is behind us. It is my least favorite holiday. Even as a kid, although I lusted for the bag of goodies, I loathed the whole dress up thing. It created in me a great deal of anxiety. Throughout my life, I've never had a "costume experience" that did not make me extremely uncomfortable.

Well, maybe one. That's when Sand and I dressed as elves to attend the company Christmas party when I was the plant manager. That one worked out well, one because the costumes that Sand made were absolutely fabulous, and two, we were the only people in costume. I was supposed to be the center of attention, and the costumes actually worked to distract people. They were conversation starters, and I've always needed help with conversations in social settings.

Sand likes Halloween. So I try not to be a downer for her, and in fact every year I hide behind her skirts and end up having a pretty good time despite myself. She's good that way.

 It was a very mild Halloween here. It was in the low 60's this evening after an afternoon high of 80, so it was pleasant to be out and about. We moved the portable fire pit out to the driveway and built a fire, more for the ambiance than the warmth. The little kids really like the fire. Even after the streets emptied of 'Weeners,' Sand and I stayed out there in our lawn chairs and drank wine and chatted and laughed. Very pleasant indeed.

Now we'll be moving on to Thanksgiving. I like Thanksgiving. That's a holiday I can sink my teeth into.

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.

Better than Finger Lickin' Good...Maybe.

Bernie's Grilled Chicken

I got a compliment today from my son-in-law John. He said that if he had a choice between my grilled chicken and KFC, he would choose my chicken every time. He and my daughter have been married long enough that I know he wasn't just trying to suck up. In fact, as far as I know, he's never much tried to suck up to anybody in the world (with the possible exception of my daughter).

 That's one of the reasons I like living in California's Central Valley. Here it is December, and I am able to go out on the back patio and fire up the grill. No shoveling snow, no digging the grill out of winter storage, all I needed to do was to take the cover off and fire it up.

I've really honed my chicken skills this past year. I am able to get that nice smokey flavor and the savory crispy skin bits that grilling affords meat, but I keep the meat juicy and tender. I also did some Portabello mushrooms and asparagus spears on the grill. You don't see them in the above picture because they got no bones, but they too were very tasty. 

John tells me that my chicken is perhaps as good as Grandma May's, lacking only Grandma May's famous gravy. Of course, one must wonder if my cooking would be as good if it were not a mere two weeks from Christmas? Could it be that John is taking advantage our fine California weather to do a little pre-Christmas "fishing?"

Hmmm...