I went into the PF this week and dropped off my orders. The place is closed this week for Christmas and I told them my intention of taking the week off, myself. I thought "7 days of no needlepoint orders, I'll be able to get so much done! I have things to write and about 9 designs I have to do for me and Mom to stitch, this will be great!"
Guess how much of that I've accomplished? Not 'none' but close to it. I've been too busy having fun.
On Wednesday, a bunch of us went to the Russian Museum of Art, which is in our neighborhood and one of our favorite places, to see "Christmas with the Tzars". It was very cool, with tons of gorgeous Romanov era artifacts, china, jewelry, Christmas trees, ornaments, postcards, snuffboxes and cigarette cases. The cigarette cases were so beautiful it made me want to take up smoking. On the other hand, I'll be they'd hold a lot of altoids. There was even a Faberge parasol handle! It was enameled in green with a ruby at the crest. There was a tree decorated in Faberge egg copies but of course, no actual Faberge eggs. The museum can't afford that kind of security. The gift shop alone is always worth the price of admission; so many chess sets, jewelry, nesting dolls etc. I wish I was rich. As always, when looking at that sort of cultural ephemera, I wonder how such a rich, beautiful culture allowed itself to be co-opted by the beauty-hating soviets. Then I recall that the cultural elite hogged the good stuff and the soviets tricked the prols into fighting for them by promising a cut of the booty, which of course, the people never actually got. This is how most revolutions work out; with the exception of the American revolution, which was lead by the rich and successful.
Which is how a gorgeously painted set of nesting dolls lead my mind to "Medicare for all won't work the way they say it will."
Friday, Katie, BoopityBoop, Josie, Mom and Dad came over to watch Little Women. A month ago, at Katie's suggestion, about a dozen of us decided to re read the book in prep for the newest movie version, which comes out this week. I've read the book at least twice and remembered that I liked it.
I guess twice is enough for me; I'm so bored I couldn't get past the first 5 chapters. I don't remember much of what happens, I just don't care.
I made a huge pot of spaghetti. We ate every bite of it and settled in to watch the movie.
It is a very bad movie.
Despite having Susan Sarandon, Winona Ryder, Clair Danes, Kristen Dunst and Christian Bale, it is a very bad movie. It jumps around, leaping over years without explanation and totally changes certain elements in the book. Despite loving CB (they're both huge fans of Newsies) Katie and Josie intensely disliked his take on Laurie. I just thought he was cute.
And if you're going to cast Winona Ryder as Jo, cut the line "You've cut your hair! Your one beauty!" I mean, seriously. How can you look at that face and utter that line?? She wasn't a great actress but she was very beautiful. And Susan Sarandon may as well have been a coat rack. Fred Astaire's coat rack was more animated.
But we had a great time watching the movie and complaining. When it was over, we watched the episode of Friends where Joey reads Little Women. Waaaay better than the movie.
Saturday morning, Zack, Josie and I went out to Victoria for a family brunch with my Mom's side of the family. Mom and Dad were there as well. It was really fun. My Great Grandmother was one of 9 sisters. This annual party is thrown by the descendants of Genevieve and the descendants of Billie (Wilhelmina) are alway happy to be invited. It was brunch this year, held in a wonderful new space out west of town. The food was tasty, the ambience festive and the company excellent. I'm always happy to go see some second and third cousins. There are so many of us now, I'm sure there were some fourth cousins in attendance. Bill B., the founder of the feast, is my Mom's first cousin. He has also been a friend of my Dad's since they were at St. Thomas Academy together. Mom and Dad never ran into each other back in those days, as Mom was just a little kid when Dad and Bill were palling around together. Bill and his brother Frank, used to pick Dad up in their old Model A (with a rumble seat!!) and drive to school. Bill and Dad graduated in '46. They sat in a corner and surveyed their dynasties. Dad had 9 kids, with 30 grandkids and 6 great grand kids so far. Bill had 10 kids and it looks like 60 grandkids and 300 great grand kids...hard to tell, since no one would hold still.
Sunday, I was happy to have no parties to attend. I made another batch of peanut butter kiss cookies and another batch of devil cookies. Whatever is plaguing my devil cookies hasn't been solved: they aren't good. For years, I've been killing it with those cookies and in the last two months, every batch has been sticky/crumbly and tastes a dry, heavy and a little bit burnt. I haven't changed anything; same recipe, same ingredients but a horribly different result. It's so weird; like a curse has been put on them. They're good but they're not worth the trouble they've become.
Here's the recipe:
Nana's Chocolate Devil Cookies
melt 1/2 C butter and 4 oz unsweetened baker's chocolate in a double boiler. Set aside too cool.
Put in bowl: 1C brown sugar (I use C&H, all others are crap)
1 egg ( I like mine at room temp)
1/2 C milk
Sift: 1 and 1/2 C flour, 1 and 1/2 tsp soda and mix into egg mixture.
Add melted butter and chocolate and 1 tsp vanilla.
Beat it till it's smooth and the shine is gone. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.
See how yours turn out.
While baking cookies yesterday I also drew up the stocking design for BoopityBoop's Christmas stocking. They were here when I hung the stockings this year. They helped me and since our stockings tell the story of Christmas, from the Annunciation to the Escape the Egypt, I told the story. They asked "Where's mine, Nana?"
So I've got to get to theirs.
Xena and Babalouie's set the stage for the rest of the grand kids.
Since BoopityBoop are identical, their angels will be too, only dressed in different colors so they can tell theirs apart. They'll be three at the end of the week!!
I have a year or two before Kitten asks me where her's is.
Tonight, we have another party to go to, then tomorrow is CHRISTMAS EVE!
So much fun.