My husband arrived unexpectedly. He showed up for a new client and his boss was fired mid-day and so were others. He never had a chance to make an impact and help the client.
I reached into one area that cheers his mind, heart and stomach. Tonight we’re having Beef Carbonnade. Beef, onions, bacon and beer. Over noodles we make ourselves now.
My family had a tradition that all the kids got their own ornament for the tree every year. I don’t have many of those or access to many I’ve received since we met.
Every year I’ve bought two ornaments for us that celebrate who we are and where we are at the time. Yesterday I found a few and when he got back from a walk with old dog Zoe I had placed them with our Christmas display. No tree this year. Our neighbor, retired architect, trimmed his tree and gave me branches that I have all over the house. They give me the scent of Christmas. I added a few ornaments and have an eclectic holiday from an eccentric woman.
I turned on the lights and asked my husband to cover his eyes. When they opened I asked him about the ornaments I placed. He got most of them. Santa with a lariat, must be Texas. Santa in a kilt, must be Scotland. Moose riding the trout must be the day I tried fly fishing, drowned my cell phone and Dee had to go fishing for steak for the neighborhood because I was gone 12 hours without a phone call to home base.
Of course the ornaments that involve whisks and copper pans are mine. Stockings are a cardinal (the red male bird), and an angel.
When I mentioned cell phones, we finally, after years, got new ones and I still can’t get mine to work. This is our “tree” with a recycled glass star from the Eco Center, a tie clip of a Euclid tractor from Euclid OH circa 1960.
Oh, that’s me on the top with a plate full of cookies. For Santa, of course! Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Be well, and with family. Dee
Cooking with Dee 