Solstice Party
The weather has taken a turn into deep winter, even though by the calendar it doesn’t begin till today. But we had snow, then cold rain, then temperatures @ night of 19,18. If you live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan or in Minnesota, these temperatures may appear almost balmy, bu there they are bitter cold, a wet cold accompanied by wind that cut right to your bones.
We did a whole lot of shopping in Hyannis on Tuesday, the only day we could get away. I stepped in a puddle at Whole Foods – no way to avoid it getting off the entrance platform. So I spent 3 hours with a wet shoe and wet sock. Not fun but we got most of what we need for our dinner with Melenie Thursday and the Solstice party on Friday.
Thursday I had a haircut and a semiannual checkup with my Wellfleet doctor, Dr. Prazak. Woody had a 6:45a.m. haircut and a bit of shopping to do while I was having my haircut in the mid afternoon. The doctor’s visit was good; except for my thrice sprained ankle that doesn’t want to heal, my heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, thyroid, blood pressure, chloresterol, blood count etc are all excellent.
Melenie arrived for a lobster dinner Thursday and we exchanged presents, knowing there’s be no time for that on Friday with all the cooking for 20 people at the Solstice Party. Thursday I made my triple chocolate pie and got all the recipes for Friday together. Woody cooked the lobsters for supper and for the lobster mac and cheese for the party.
I straightened the house and cleaned some. Woody also roasted a turkey breast.
In the morning, we started cooking for the party. Chickpea feta salad, curried turkey salad, lobster mac and cheese, shrimp avocado pepper salad, 3 good cheeses, gravlax, mushrooms stuffed with tuna etc. . People brought some delicious dishes and desserts. As usual there was much more food than people could eat. We had about 20 people, maybe a couple more. I think everybody had good time.
The first night of Hannukah, I lit the yahrzeit candle on the day my mother, may she be a blessing to us, died according to the Jewish lunar calendar and said the mourner’s kaddish for her as I do every year. We caught up with what we didn’t have the enrgy to do on Saturday and we exchanged a present.
Monday I’ll work with Dale half a day, count up my contributions over the year and do some more. I do tithing. Sunday was a first pleasant day in a while, not too cold, lots of sun and little wind. So many birds at the feeders. It was so very cold this week that every night at least one mouse came in. Willow and Xena dispatched them quickly, but it tok Xena two whole days to catch a jumping mouse. They are cute but can run up walls and run around the top of the room, so catching them requires endless patience. I was in bed just dozing off when Xena came into the bedroom. Now normally she is a quiet cat, but she started loud mewing, jumped on the bed and put something down on my chest on top of the covers. I turned on the light to see what was the matter. She had placed a dead jumping mouse on my chest, close to my neck. Startled I tossed it off. Xena retrieved it and tried to get me to eat it. I threw it as far as I could and she went off in disgust and ate it herself.