Whew … I haven’t looked on this blog site of mine in awhile. My ictus has been up for way too long, and it’s about time it came down. Seriously.
We went to Texas for Thanksgiving and an extended visit with my side of the family. What a fantastic time! Also got to reconnect with some precious friends. It is such an amazing confirmation of life to see how much certain members of the family can grow so much in half a year – how one’s vertical space increases while another’s horizon expands (mine) or decreases (my brother’s); and how the capacity for mental maturity spans a great scale (?). All are well and we are so blessed.
Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that play out much better when experienced from within the contextual borders of where it originated. That being said, we were thrilled when snow fell in large, swirling, fluffy flakes the entire day! Absolutely glorious. At least NINE INCHES of it. In West Texas, of all places!! As if all those dearly-departed turkey birds were orchestrating a newly-composed gobbler symphony, forgiving us our culinary transgressions (that would be an event in itself, as one has yet to be composed – thankfully. One couldn’t quite call it a swan song, eh?)
Our flight took us out in November and brought us back in December, safe and sound. My musical commitments are great in December, so blog posting will not be a priority, but I’ll make an attempt as I can. Has anyone returned from a long journey and not tried to catch at least a month of tasks up into one week?
I’m just glad to be home. Shopping in M&S the other day, it was so exciting to see all the Christmas goodies out on the shelves – chocolate Yule logs; Christmas cakes; the seasonal tins of biscuits; the copious varieties of luxury, butter-encrusted mince pies; Christmas puddings large and small; the party trays of trendy food bites.
Yes, FOOD!!
As I pass from one continent where we dined on Tex-Mex foods, buttermilk biscuits with sausage gravy, Texas chicken-fried steaks, Dairy Queen Buster burgers with cheese (and thick milk shakes), cornbread dressing, candied yams, pumpkin and pecan pies TO this island where taste buds are transformed and taken over by December’s delectable delights like all the above-mentioned sweets soon to be augmented by roasted parsnips, brussels sprouts, mulled wine…
An agonizing thought occurs to me:
A very fine line exists between savouring one’s cultural and seasonal food cravings and out-and-out sinful gluttony.
