Home again

We spent the last week at the farm. I wish I could say it was relaxing, or healing, or something. It wasn't. But, for now and for the next week, Miss M is here, so I'm not squandering any more time with her pouting, crying, screeching, or otherwise feeling sorry for myself. I want to Ice Skate, see the Titanic stuff, and teach her to do laundry. Then I'll worry? Who knows? But we're home again. I missed it.

What a picture...

Nevermind

No job. Long story, but no job. I start anew in a new year. This sucks.

Pine Nut Cookies with Rosemary

This recipe is phenomenal. It sounds odd, but I swear, it's great. I am very much not a baker, but I discovered (in making this recipe last night) that Miss Baby adores making cookies. It was really fun, and I got a wonderful treat. In all seriousness, these cookies pair well with dry chardonnays. Who'd a thunk you'd make a cookie that goes with chardonnay? Incidentally, Mr. Mac does not particularly like these cookies, because they aren't very sweet and they have no chocolate involved. To each his own, I guess, but I love 'em!

RECIPE:

Pine Nut Cookies with Rosemary

Makes about 6.5 dozen (I made about 125 somehow!)

Ingredients:

3 ½ teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted, plus more for topping cookies

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon coarse salt

10 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 large egg

Fine sanding sugar for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Finely chop rosemary in a food processor. Add pine nuts: pulse until coarsely ground. I used a hand chopper widget to do this. A blender also works. Transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in 2 cups flour, the baking soda, ginger, and salt; set aside.
2. Put butter and granulated sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in olive oil. Reduce speed to low. Mix in flour mixture. Add cream; mix until well combined, about 2 minutes. Mix in egg, then remaining ¼ cup flour.
3. Shape dough into 3/4 inch balls (I used my 1/2 teaspoon measure - maybe that's how I made so many cookies), and space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly with fingers (or, in the case of Miss Baby - SMOOSHIE MAMA! FUN!), and top each with a pine nut. Sprinkle with sanding sugar (I dipped in the sugar before putting onto the cookie sheet).
4. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through (I left this step of rotating out), until edges are golden, about 13 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes on sheet on wire racks (I lifted the parchment off the cookie sheet and onto the rack to cool so I could continue baking). Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

Probable New Gig

More soon. But, it's looking extremely likely. The offer is in HR being approved, we hope. This job is a mile from my house. It's in a group of people who are smart, funny and cool. I still can't believe this is going to work out. As I said - probable. Stay tuned.

(woot! woot!)

Peace

As is my tradition, every year I include wishes for Peace in our Christmas Card. I feel it's an important wish, right up there with Joy, Love and Hope. In the Methodist Tradition, these four words are celebrated in the four Sundays of Advent.

The kid manning the counter at the photography store* in my hometown didn't see it this way - my card proof was printed without "Peace". When I made him change it, he wanted to challenge me on it. "Do you really want that there? I mean, this is a CHRISTMAS card, right?"

Yeah, I do. I really do want peace. On my card, and in my life, and throughout the world. It's important to me.

Today is the third Sunday of Advent - it is the day of Peace. Today, our preacher gave one of the most beautiful, moving sermons I've heard him give (and that's saying something - he's AMAZING). Mr. Mac and I chose our church because of the congregation, its location, and its children's programs. This church also has outstanding music, as it's affiliated with Emory. Additionally, it's been blessed with a wonderful pair of ministers in this rotation**. Today's sermon talked a lot about Peace, and what it is to wish for Peace, even in the face of wartime. Of course, he mentioned the controversy over the "Peace Wreath" in Colorado.

But, then he took me back to a part of my life I'd forgotten. After my Sophomore year in college, I went abroad to study in Germany. One of the modules we did was on the East/West relationship. This was the summer of 1991, so the East/West relationship was changing dramatically, especially for Germans. The wall had fallen a little less than two years earlier.

This morning, our preacher retold the story of the congregation of the Leipzig Nikolaikirche, who celebrated a Mass of Peace every Monday evening, even in the face of the STASI (police). They marched, peacefully, through the city streets after their service, despite armed men and tanks threatening them. They sang songs of freedom, and peace, even though doing so could mean the end of their lives. Families chose one member to go to worship, and one to stay home and remain alive, to raise the children.

But nobody was ever killed in these demonstrations. These Christians took their message of Hope, Love, Peace and Joy to the rest of the world, without ever raising a finger. More remarkably, not a finger was raised against them, either.

I'd forgotten this piece of history. This moment that was part of the Eastern European groundswell***, clamoring for Freedom not too many years ago. I didn't have this in mind when I wished everyone Peace on my Christmas Card. I don't know if Lisa Jensen thought of it either, when she hung her "Peace Wreath". I know that I certainly wasn't trying to make a political statement on my card.

Why is it, then, that a wishing for PEACE has become so politicized? Why can't we, a citizens of a nation fighting a war, wish that peace would come to this Earth, without being branded traitors or cowards?

Peace, my friends, is that thing for which we should all strive. It's personal, and it's spiritual. And may it come in my lifetime.

* I chose to patronize a locally-owned store in my hometown, paying almost double the price for my Christmas Cards, and take political smack-talk, rather than going to Sam's Club (where I'm sure they would've had issues printing the order correctly, but I'm also sure they wouldn't have questioned my motives).

** As Methodists, we generally get a new team of ministers every 5 years or so. The Wesleyan tradition of the Itinerant Minister has taken some getting used to for me, raised Presbyterian.

*** I will write more about this subject at a later time. Short version - I visited the USSR in the summer of 1989. My dad's Rotary Club sponsored me, and I had to give a speech on my return. They all thought I was completely insane when I said that the Soviet Union would fall in a matter of years, if not months. I told them that the Baltics were ready to secede, and they all worried that I'd gone away and become some idealistic hippie. They were forgiving, though, as I was just a naive girl of 18.

Bullets - It had to happen one day

* I interviewed, AGAIN, with the lovely University across the creek. This time with ANOTHER director of another functional area. Love you folks. Mean it. Now, about the offer? Any idea when I can expect that particular detail?

* Miss Baby is a terrible two. "MYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEE!" means "I would like to have that thing, please mommy, so I won't throw a fit." "No, no! NOT NICE!" means "Please cease and desist in your attempts to make me do/eat/wear this thing/food/item, as I do not prefer it in the least, and I will throw a fit." Yeah, pretty much everything is "Or else I will throw a fit."

* Miss Baby also seems to be cutting eye-tooth #4. Hallelujah and pass the oragel and ibuprofen.

* Mr. Mac is taking his first final, as I type. I must say, I'm impressed with his dedication and thoroughness in studying and preparing. Actually, now he's finished, and so I must go get him.

Peace out folks.

Good Day

I interviewed with the whole 'committee', and I seemed to hit it off with everyone. Now they have to meet. So keep the fingers crossed, prayers said, and all the good mojo coming our way. It looks good, but until I have a letter in hand, you know - nothing is set.

Thanks, Georgia Voters (GRR!)

I guess I knew this was going to happen. Turbo-Repug Mike Eaton ousts the lone Democrat on the Public Utilities Commission. Now, the regulation of my natural gas and power supply is 100% in the hands of the GOP.

Nice.

I voted! Have you?

That's what the stickers they gave you when you voted used to say here in Georgia. Now they are a round sticker with a (very dot-blasted and out of register) peach that says "I'm a Georgia Voter". I liked the old ones better.

Seems today, the answer to "Have You?" is a resounding 'NO!' When I voted at about 2 pm, the lady at my precinct told me that I was #31 to cast a ballot there today. Sad. Yeah, it's a run-off with one race on the ballot - for Public Utilities Commissioner. But people don't get it when it comes to politics. They'd rather ensure they educate themselves on the big national races, or state-wide top-of-the-ticket races, than worry about County Commissioners, Public Utility Commissioners, School Board Members....

What the electorate fails to grasp is that these races determine which people get to decide which roads to pave/fix, what the policy regarding natural gas distribution and gasoline taxes should be, and the things our kids learn in school. These decisions impact our daily lives on a fairly dramatic scale. Certainly I care about the war in Iraq, but in a lot of ways, but my daily life is much more affected by dealing with the pothole I have to drive around twice a day on North Decatur Road.

So why is it, then, that elections like this have such poor turnout? Do we not care about what is happening in our very communities?

Santa Tree

It just occurred to me that my blog posts are really about myself, my issues, and everything DMD. I have not been the dutiful mommy-blogger, talking about my kids. And for that, my friends, I am very sorry. 'Cuz, you see, I have a fabulously wonderful Miss Baby, who is just freaking hilarious and cute and wonderful. And fun. All those things. She's a horrific eater, preferring 'fish' and 'cracka' (Goldfish and PB/Cheese crackers) to pretty much anything remotely healthful. She eschews all meats except fish sticks. She will eat 'Chix Nuggets' from Whole Foods.

So, without further ado, I tell you of the Santa Tree.

As is my habit, I put up this year's Christmas Tree before Thanksgiving. Not so much to prolong Christmas, but to have it ready for ornamenting when Miss M visited for that long weekend. One day, I went up and got it down, and put on the lights and the 'filler ornaments' (those that I stuff back in the back to give it some 'depth' - mom tells me that's important). And then, mission accomplished, I went and got Miss Baby from the school.

"OH WOW - Momeeeee! A TWEEE! SANTA TWEEE!"

"Das Pret-ty"

Over Thanksgiving, Miss M worked with Miss Baby to put all the 'special' ornaments on the tree. She carefully lined up the '12 Balls of Christmas' and even allowed Miss Baby to place the Lords a-Leaping on the tree near the bottom. We pulled out the Pink Pig ornaments, all the dolls that go on there. Pretty much everything Miss M decrees 'pretty special'. The most special ornaments are for 'her' tree, which is a little 3-foot thing we're now keeping on the kitchen counter.

So now, Miss Baby has dragged her little rocking chair into the living room. Every evening, before I go get her from her school, I 'turn on' the tree (the lights are plugged into an outlet hooked into a light switch). When we get home, she goes to her little rocker with Monkey and looks at the tree.

"Oh wow. Das pret-ty. Santa Twee."