September 8 ... honouring your inner control freak...

To all my Jewish friends and family - Happy New Year.

9 years ago when Honey and I moved into this house, we accepted and assumed the responsibility of hosting two dinners a year for his family, Passover and Rosh Hashana. This has meant having a sit down dinner for as many as 21 and as little as 10 people. Either way ...  it's a cooking day for me. In the end we've done more - hosting summer parties, anniversary and birthday parties. I kind of love doing this. Today, even though lovely young cousin is coming to help, I have done the lion's share of preparing and cooking. I recognized that I "needed" it to be that way. I feel comfortable now - at three in the afternoon, knowing what lies ahead of me. I like knowing what's left. I like taking charge and having it my way. I like that the napkins are just so, or the honey pot is in the middle of the table, not at the side. I like that the knife blades are turned inward not out... what can I say, I'm honouring my inner control freak.

It works!

And to those family members that are far and wide away..... we will miss you tonight. I hope your year going forward is filled with health and love.

xo

January 30 - Play Time

Good day to you. How has your day been? Mine has been lovely. I've been playing! Getting dirty! Soooo nice.

My dear friend Christiane has a pottery studio on the South Shore. I have mentioned before that I've been invited to go on a bi-monthly basis. Today I built amazing "lampions" - they are tall, elegant vessels for candle light. What fun that was. I made 7 of them! Even better - I am full of ideas for other things to make: a turtle candle, something with a balloon as the shape-maker, lamp shades - all out of the finest of liquid-porcelain and cheese cloth, fancy that! And, and! I have two bags of wood fire porcelain downstairs. I am going to revive them. I am going to make magic boxes out of them and have some of them fired in a wood kiln, and some I will smoke fire! I saw a very inspiring piece on an a poster at the studio.

A creative outlet has been missing for me for far too long. I am really very grateful to a) have someone as amazing as Cri Cri as a dear, dear friend, b) to have a friend like Cri Cri who has a studio!!!

I am grateful for the amazing things I get to do in my life. Today it's about friends, creating with them, cooking for them, ... life is good. I am grateful.