Moot Thoughts & Musings

I love living in a city that has a song about Christmas time in that city, sung by none other Louis Armstrong. I also love living in a city where even though Louis is an institution (our airport is even named after him! the Louis Armstrong International Airport) you can still here him on the radio every day. Why, as a matter of fact, he's singing right now as I type.

Anyway. It is Christmas time here in New Orleans. And last Saturday, I came to the shocking reality that I only have a week left. So I started my shopping. Today I must run a few more errands to finish the gift round-up and to obtain the last few supplies for home-made gifts. I also need to start my mad cookie dash. This is the only time of year that I feel obligated to make cookies. I'm going to use some as gifts this year, which is why I feel so driven to bake. I think I might also get my pasta started for Christmas Eve's big Italian seafood dinner. Everywhere I read says that shell fish should be avoided for pregnant women. How seriously do i take this? Is this like the caffeine thing? It's kind of cramping my style for Christmas Eve. Anyway. At any rate, we'll have some kind of fish for the main course--and if I can afford it, it'll be cod (baccala). I'm also make spaghetti with some kind of marinara sauce (with clams?--maybe I'll sautee them to serve on top), and ravioli stuffed with ricotta, mozarella, pine nuts, and shredded zucchini. Last year I did crab ravioli (so good!), but then there's the shell-fish thing again. Even if our seafood options are significantly reduced, it'll still be a yummy dinner.

(HEY! My song just came on the radio!! Right now as I type, Louis is singing "It's Christmas Time in New Orleans." How cool is that!?!?)

Tonight my parents head off to Germany to spend Christmas with my brother, and tomorrow my teenaged brother and sister, Sam and Luisa, are coming to spend Christmas with us. I'm getting really excited. Our family has a lot of fun Christmas traditions (like opening presents C'mas Eve night) and having a quiet, lazy C'mas day. A few years ago, my mom introduced the tradition of allowing us to pick out the most desired Junk Cereal (we couldn't have a favorite, because we were never allowed to have it) for C'mas morning. Last year (our first C'mas at home), Chris and I evaluated our respective family's traditions and came up with the synthesis that was uniquely ours. Italian dinner, movies, games (I'm still working on that one), and great music on the radio (wh. works at least while we still live in NOLA) for C'mas Eve. Presents on Christmas morning. This year, I'm getting junk cereal for Sam and Lu (partly because I don't know what else to serve them for b'fast) for the week, and pain au chocolat from our boulangerie for C'mas morning breakfast. Our church also does not have a C'mas Eve service, rather a C'mas morning service of lessons and carols. And we'll have C'mas dinner with the Hamiltons (our pastor and family), who are from the UK and give us a nice British C'mas dinner complete with flaming pudding. Maybe we'll make this dinner a tradition when we no longer have the Hamiltons to have Christmas with (perish the thought). C'mas is great fun this year, but we can't wait for next year when we have Elvis to share it with. Woohoo!

The loot pile under the tree is growing. (always exciting.) I feel like such a kid. Sneaking peaks and shakes to try to figure out what Chris got me, but still holding back a tad, because I want the surprise! I'm also such a kid in that when I get Chris something obviously shaped (like a book, or CD, or DVD) I wrap it in another box so that he couldn't possibly tell. He really should do that for me, because I'm the one that sneaks shakes, and he doesn't. Or maybe he does and he's so sneaky that I don't know. I just assume that if I'm going to shake everyone will, so I have to protect them from themselves. We WILL have surprises on Christmas morning.

I've decided to email Christmas letter this year. I've been enjoying very much receiving all the letters and pictures from my friends and family. But due to the large cost of doing cards, letter, and pictures all with first-class postage, I think I'll email as many as I can. I really hate to do that. I enjoy the Real Deal, and think it's worth it. I've taken to just sending postcards intsead of emails to friends. There's nothing like seeing your friend's familiar penmanship oozing their personality in a reply note. Maybe with more planning at cost-effectiveness I can return to Real Cards next year.

I have a TON left to do before Sam and Lu get here, and before Christmas. So blogging may be non-existent this week. So until next time....

Merry Christmas!!!!!