Posted by Loulou on Nov 30, 2015 | 6 comments

Thank you, friend of mama, for sending this to her for Thanksgiving. It just about says it all, right?

And now, let’s move on into holidays that have some substance!  Let’s deck the halls and make the plum puddings and the matzoh and the sugar cookies and the jams and jellies for gifts and the holly wreathes for the door and lay the track for a little train (do they DO that any longer?) and wrap up the iPad or iPhone or MAC or PC and several neckties and scarves and gloves and tams and socks and maybe throw in a few bon bons and little stocking presents like walnuts and oranges and tiny puzzles or tiny anything so that it fits in a sock and let’s LEAVE all of this political sturm und drang to the politicians and leave security to the police and the army and the CIA and the FBI and President Obama and leave crazies outside of your mind, which is where they hope to find a place and drive you nuts, too, and let’s get on with some semblance of the holiday season so that just maybe, just perhaps, just inch by inch we can all move forward from the horrible events of 2015.

Maybe these will help:

Throw coins in a fountain, any fountain, and make a wish!

Spend a quiet time with the plants in a lovely garden, any garden.

Study leaves on trees. Why is this one read and all the others green?

Have a  nice bowl of pasta to start the evening. This is cacio pepe–only grated pecorino and fresh pepper mixed with a little of the water from the boiled pasta. One of the easiest and one of the greats!

Think up a new vase for your flowers.

Look up instead of ahead or down and see what surprises you find.

Make a bouquet out of almonds or candy for a holiday present.

Have a little bitty tree this year and save yourself lots of work.

Bake a really BIG loaf of bread! Your house will smell wonderful.

Try sleeping in a new position. That always cheers me up!

HAPPY ALMOST FIRST OF DECEMBER!