S'long to the Big Beauftiful Tree

We took down what we felt was a best tree we ever had.  It was shapely and pyramidal, bushy. We had it up for more than a month, but we always take down our trees on New Year’s Day. By then, the tree is dry and beginning to drop some needles. I will never forget visiting an old friend in southern New Hampshire. She lived in a 200 year old farmhouse.  It was either late April or very early May and she still had her tree in the corner of the dining room, lit up with all its ornaments. It was almost without needles, gaunt. Reminded me of Miss Haversham living in her decaying mansion Satis House, mirroring her sad life, frozen in time.  It was ghastly and I thought it a fire hazard. Still, it’s always a somewhat melancholy time, as this tree gave us more pleasure than any other.

Taking it down  and stowing all the ornaments we cherish with their many stories signals holidays are over and it’s time to get back to work, which I am doing.  I wrote yesterday and today after taking ten days off from writing, editing. It feels good to resume to what passes for normal around here.

We have snow, snow, more snow. It has been a much colder December than we’re used to on the Outer Cape. Last year, we had snow maybe twice and it was gone in a day or two. Now we have a snow cover that we won’t see the end of for days if not weeks. And it is cold. Very cold.  Woody goes out as he always does, and shovels and moves around the cars and takes out the compost. Says it’s his version of winter sports. I have no desire to go anyplace while the weather is like this.

We watched an excellent movie, ONE BATTLE AFTER THIS. I was the best movie we’ve seen in a long time. I was astonished it got made. How many movies now have revolutionaries as heroes and the Establishment and far right billionaires as villains? They even showed a flash of THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS which moved those of us in the Movement back in the day as this film moved me now. I wasn’t bored for a moment, which is not normal for me. Normally I find patches of most films dull.

I’m reading REVENGE OF THE TIPPING POINT by Malcolm Gladwell. Woody has been a Gladwell fan for years but this is my first. It’s fascinating and well written.

Tonight, Chaim and Theresa are coming over for supper. They’re piscatarians, so Woody is making his basic white clam sauce with pasta and I’ll cook broccoli. We have little plum puddings for dessert and I’ll make hard sauce with some liqueur for dessert. Chaim is bringing his fabulous hummus as an appetizer.

Many football games to watch Saturday and Sunday and we’re unapologetic fans. My Super Bowl picks as of this minute: Niners versus Texans. (Sorry, Pats…next year.)

I couldn’t see my posts for Facebook or the comments for the last month or more, but finally FB corporate fixed it yesterday and I’ll go back to daily posting.