1st Christmas Day on Duggan

The children are playing Sims Agents on the Wii. Radio 2's Christmas Day programming is playing on the computers - just waiting for the Messiah to start. I would have played the Tafelmusik recording that we made back in the 90s when I sang with the Tafelmusik chamber choir but I seem to have given away all my copies before burning one to our computer. I will clearly have to rectify this situation. I hope I can still buy a copy through the Tafelmusik head office since I haven't been able to track one down online.

At some point we'll go out for a while to deliver a present to their new best friend Bronwyn and chocolate liqueurs to Grandad - my 92 year old father. When we come home it's time to cook since Amnon and Alisa are coming for an early dinner. Eyal is planning on making a bean and escarole soup and a cheese fondue. Alisa is an inspired baker and cook and it always raises our game when we cook for her. Walnut Cream Roll is one of the amazing desserts she makes for us for very special occasions. When I tried to encourage her to add my birthday to that short list she quite rightly reminded me about the old adage about fishing. Were I to learn to bake this cake for myself I could have it any old time I want it!

Today is the day that I will tackle a Walnut Cream Roll for the first time. This is the recipe I will use. It's a combination of the recipe my MIL uses which she dictated to me from an Israeli cookbook that I can't read and a recipe I found at cooks.com. It turns out that she's been substituting Hazelnuts for Walnuts. Yet another reason for me to make this recipe for myself since I'm mildly allergic to Hazelnuts!

5 eggs (separate yolks and whites) 3/4 c. sugar 1/4 c. flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. vanilla 1 1/2 c. walnuts (chopped fine) 1/2 pt. whipping cream

Beat whites, salt, vanilla until stiff peaks form. Add sugar gradually, then set aside. Beat yolks until they look a lemon color. Combine chopped nuts and flour. Fold yolks into whites then fold in flour and nut mixture.

Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Spread mixture evenly and bake at 375 for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove wax paper from roll and spread on a cloth that is sprinkled liberally with powdered sugar and roll up while the roll is still warm. This must be done immediately because it has to be kept moist otherwise it will crack. After it has cooled, mix the whipping cream, spread on roll and re-roll and keep enough whipping cream for the top and sides of the roll. Decorate the top with chocolate shavings. Keep in refrigerator until served. Makes one roll. Serves 9.

Wish me luck!

Holiday Feast

My brothers and sister and I grew up enjoying a "real Christmas dinner" served mid-afternoon just in time for us to take a break from playing with all our toys. Well into our adulthood we continued to gather together around a Christmas tree and a turkey to exchange presents and eat too much. As the years have gone by our Christmas traditions have fallen by the wayside. Chanukah and other Jewish celebrations have become more important to some of us, travel to visit distant relatives has become essential for others.

Yesterday my sister marked the "ninth" night of Chanukah with her annual Latke Flip. Dozens of friends and family crowded into her kitchen clamouring for latkes as her son Daniel stood at the stove frying them up hour after smokey hour.

Today the turkey I 'won' at Loblaws for spending $250 in one fell swoop is ready to go in the oven. Two stuffings have been prepared to bake beside it - the traditional stuffing (including sauteed turkey liver) and a vegetarian offering with toasted walnuts. A spicy broiled salmon will be available for those who aren't fans of turkey. My brother and sister and their families will be descending upon us in a few hours to help do it justice. I'm not going overboard on the side dishes because, as my husband and I always say, "nobody eats".

Yesterday I made the cranberry sauce. Usually we make jellied sauce over bartlett pears in honour of my Granny. This year I've switched to a whole cranberry recipe because I prefer it. I'm bracing for the chorus of disapproval.

Now it's time to start the mulled cranberry punch. I searched the internet for a recipe and this is what I've decided to try based on what I have in the house and the flavours that strike my fancy:

Cranberry-Raspberry cocktail
A touch of Red wine
cloves
cinnamon stick
tangerine

My nephew Daniel will bring the cuisinart and some more potatoes and the flipping of latkes will continue. My sister in law and I will lead the family in the singing of Christmas carols, the children will play the Chanukah songs they learned this year and we hope that Daniel will spend some time getting reacquainted with the piano after his months away at University.

On Friday my sister Judy and I were moved to tears by the Petit Fours and Buche de Noel at Patachou and the memories they brought us of our mother. Cranberry sauce for Granny, a buche for Mummy, latkes for Bubbe - we wonder what traditions our children's children will carry on in our memory forty years from now.

Happy Holidays however you celebrate them and whatever traditions you treasure.

The Best Laid Plans

Okay, I admit it, the garage sale did not happen. Instead of doing something new I reverted to my usual modus operandi with one small twist. I gave stuff away to family and friends, sold a couple of big ticket items through craigslist and word of mouth, and I've started listing things on freecycle again.

Oh how I love freecycle. I figure that anyone who is willing to take the Subway, walk or ride their bike across to town to pick up one or two Piano Primers deserves them!

There have been two small disappointments on the road to decluttering. We have each discovered that our treasures are not as valuable on the open market as they are to us. In the children's case it is the problem of what to do with their stuffies. Some toys and books can be given to smaller cousins but the kids were really hoping to make a small fortune from selling their huge collection of stuffed animals. Why, you ask, do they need so much cash? Didn't their mother already blog about their generous allowance? The answer, of course, is that they need more money to buy more stuffies! Perhaps if you were eight years old you would understand.

In the case of the grownups of the household the problem has been what to do with the hundreds of classical, jazz, world and alternative cds (every song's a treasure) in our collection once they've been burnt to the hard drive. The answer, yet again, is give them to nieces, nephews and siblings. The after market for used cds is just not what it used to be. And why were we hoping to receive this windfall from selling our cds? To buy more music on iTunes of course! Plus ca change!

Giving Thanks and Giving Back Garage Sale Saturday October 10th

As we prepare to move into our new home, and as we enter the season of Thanksgiving we realize that we are blessed by an overabundance of possessions. For a number of years our "Family Charity" has been the Therapeutic Clown Program at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, fondly referred to as Sick Kids. To quote Flylady we are going to Bless our home by getting rid of the things we don't need and Bless the Therapeutic Clowns by donating all the proceeds to their program.

Please consider digging through your closets and storerooms to help make this event a huge success. Contributions of furniture, pictures, books, cds, baked goods, toys, games, tchotchkes or anything else you'd like to get rid of will be welcomed at the old house until October 6th and at the new house starting October 7th.

Tell anyone you know who may be setting up a new home that we'll be selling lots of big ticket items: a dining room suite, couches, dressers, bookshelves, and hundreds of books and cds.

Come on out and see the new house and help support the Therapeutic Clowns.

See you on the 10th!

Celebrating Mishpochah

I was so touched and proud to hear that my beloved Auntie Eleanor has been reading and enjoying my blog. When one sends these rambling thoughts out into the ether there is no knowing who (if anyone) will show up.

What a wonderful word mishpochah is. I love the fact that there are a dozen different spellings, just as there are dozens of different ways people can be connected to you to count as part of your mishpochah.

Yesterday I attended the funeral of my cousin's cousin's mother. My Dad's sister's SIL. A woman who proudly laughed back in 1982 that her BIL's, BIL's, BIL's BIL and her BIL's, BIL's BIL had both won the Nobel Prize! The sweetheart who threw a wedding shower for me and my husband at The Stream, her gorgeous country retreat. Who invited me to sing at fundraisers and encouraged me to be active in her children's theatre company The Golden Horseshoe Players and her pet charity for Israeli children Birthday Angels.

The funeral, interment and shiva were all models of grace and dignity. The honour and love that everyone feels for Sharon, Larry and their whole family was palpable.

My cousin Nomi asked me to tell her what I saw and heard. At the shul I saw a little boy quietly and respectfully comforting his Dad. At the cemetery I saw many of Max's descendants striding through the beautiful Holy Blossom Memorial Park in search of his stone before heading back to the fancy stretch limo for the drive back to the shiva house. At the shiva I saw a nephew perched on the arm of his bereft Uncle's chair for a long quiet chat in the midst of all the laughing, talking and reminiscing.

I bumped into an old friend who I didn't even know knew the Enkins. But he is 'like us', and like them. And he and all the other friends who were there are part of their mishpochah.

I heard story after story of Sharon Enkin's goodness, determination, generosity and encouragement.

I Must Be A Gemini

My interests shift and change. Gardening got me through last summer,designing and making charity quilts and Judaica was my passion over the winter. And now I am obsessed by tables, couches and colour as we prepare to move to our new home. Our lifetime home. The house is beautiful and old with a rich history (fitting since one of the present owners is named Rich). I'm told that the house was originally built on spec for Lawren Harris I feel a responsibility to the house and to my family to make it lovely and welcoming.

A simple colour scheme, comfortable furniture, a hidy hole for each of us to do our thing. For the children it will be their bedrooms and a room in the basement. I won't call it a playroom because they are big 8 year olds and have gotten rid of most of their toys. Emily is even ready to give away her American Girl. I persuaded her to keep it for a while so she can have something to play with when her AG obsessed friends come over to play. The main amenity of their room will be a comfy couch to sit on while they wait for their (short) turn on the wii.

Eyal will have his study. I see glossy teal walls, antique furniture and a Persian rug. He sees a lighter palette. The drama unfolds.

My studio will be on the second floor. I have claimed a longish room on an E/W axis with windows on each end. Light will stream in throughout the day. A welcome change after my years spent in the basement. But what will I do in my studio? What will my new obsession be? Truthfully I feel a pull back to music.

Which leads me to another room entirely. The living room is going to be heavenly. A grand piano, beautiful sofa and chairs and French doors leading to the garden. The music studio may call me away from the crafting studio for the next while. That is after the "Extreme Makeover" has happened, of course.

I lie in bed making lists in my head - this carpet needs to be pulled up, these built ins have to come out and the walls need to be replastered (or is it drywalled?), wallpaper needs to come down in several rooms. Almost the whole house will be painted. OK, let's say the whole house for argument's sake.

But soon it will all be done and we will relax and be home. And then I will open myself up fo the new obsessions to begin.

Artists For Change

I just joined Artists For Change a Kiva lending team.

You can go to Kiva's website and lend to someone across the globe who needs a loan for their business - like raising goats, selling vegetables at market or making bricks. Each loan has a picture of the entrepreneur, a description of their business and how they plan to use the loan so you know exactly how your money is being spent - and you get updates letting you know how the entrepreneur is going.

The best part is, when the entrepreneur pays back their loan you get your money back - and Kiva's loans are managed by microfinance institutions on the ground who have a lot of experience doing this, so you can trust that your money is being handled responsibly.

I just made a loan to an entrepreneur named SOPE MAME DIARRA THIOUNE II Group in Senegal. They still need another $400.00 to complete their loan request of $1,075.00 (you can loan as little as $25.00!). Help me get this entrepreneur off the ground by clicking on the link below to make a loan to SOPE MAME DIARRA THIOUNE II Group too:

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=115047

It's finally easy to actually do something about poverty - using Kiva I know exactly who my money is loaned to and what they're using it for. And most of all, I know that I'm helping them build a
sustainable business that will provide income to feed, clothe, house and educate their family long after my loan is paid back.

Join me in changing the world - one loan at a time.

Thanks!

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What others are saying about www.Kiva.org:

'Revolutionising how donors and lenders in the US are connecting with small entrepreneurs in developing countries.'
-- BBC

'If you've got 25 bucks, a PC and a PayPal account, you've now got the wherewithal to be an international financier.'
-- CNN Money

'Smaller investors can make loans of as little as $25 to specific individual entrepreneurs through a service launched last fall by Kiva.org.'
-- The Wall Street Journal

'An inexpensive feel-good investment opportunity...All loaned funds go directly to the applicants, and most loans are repaid in full.'
-- Entrepreneur Magazine