Like most everyone, I’ve been glued to the news this week: first, watching the results come in from the Georgia Senate runoffs with great excitement, and then watching insurgents rush into the Capitol (with the hopes of stopping the certification of Joe Biden as president… to do disgusting damage and possibly take hostages or kill elected officials?) with great horror. It’s most horrifying, perhaps, because of how unsurprising it was. How many times did Trump warn us all that he was not going to create the conditions for a peaceful transfer of power? How many times did he praise and align himself with white supremacists and conspiracy theorists? Wasn’t this all, as much as it somehow still played out as a shock, exactly what we were promised? Isn’t this exactly what we knew was being enabled by the Republican legislators who backed him? It is both appropriate and nauseating that we are at this moment.
We made these “pan-banging” ginger-molasses cookies from The Vanilla Bean Blog the other day and I’ve been slowly finishing them off myself, rather than sharing. They’re so good! I might even up the ginger a touch to make them a bit more spicy, but they have a nice little kick—along with a lot of butter. Some might find them a little salty, but I’m a salt-addict, so… I love them. Perfectly salty and sweet. Next I need to decide on a dessert to make for Christmas Eve. I was thinking I’d like to try the cranberry tart that was in Cook’s Illustrated around Thanksgiving (supposedly a close cousin to a Key Lime Pie), but it’s tempting to make this Yule Log Cake again. The kids just have so much fun with the decorating!
Our plan is stop by my parents’ house on Christmas Eve and Aron’s parents’ on Christmas Day, but to stay outside again to make sure everyone stays safe. I know it must be so much harder in places it is very cold, and I think of you all often. Sending warm thoughts.
Speaking of which, I just saw that New York got its first big snow of the season and I just happened to come across this photo from one of our first storms when we lived there.
I was going through old photos looking for some to make this post on Instagram. Aron and I just crossed that threshold of knowing each other for more of our lives than not, and we just marked twenty years together this month! It’s hard to believe it has been that long.
Has everyone finished holiday shopping? I think we’re nearly there. I felt a bit behind on it all this year (no surprise there). Our holiday card is set to arrive (to us!) on December 24, if that’s any indication. And I’m sorry the gift guides never came this year. However, today I went through and added about 25 favorites to the SHOP tab. I’m always hopeful that the entire shop will prove inspiring—especially for sourcing similar items in your own local stores. I know our downtown needs us, and I’m sure yours needs you, too. The same goes for these gift guides.
We finished The Queen’s Gambit last night. (It was so wonderful! I’m going to miss Beth Harmon.) Hudson is obsessed with chess right now (he offered to play chess for a talent show the other day), while Skyler is listening to Oh Hanukkah on repeat. We’re wrapping up school and watching lots of holiday movies and rounding out the advent calendar with crafts and candy. Tonight we all go over to our quarantine-pod friends’ home where we’ll zoom together with other friends for our annual Harp and Beer party. What are you up to lately?
We’ve just received some new stay-at-home orders from the state, so fortunately our weekend plans already included plenty of that: a zoom call with Santa, a take-home Nutcracker goody bag, and some ornament-making. No doubt we’ll add in some holiday movies, too. And I’d like to try a new recipe for gingerbread cookies. How about you? Have a great weekend!
