A sweet story from Colorado on this third night of Hanukkah:
Because of that final comment about the world’s largest Dreidel, I had to find out more about that. Here’s that story:
Albatrossity sent this to me and it made me smile:
And someone linked to this on FB – I tracked down the artist -Betty Matsumoto-Schuch – she does cat greeting cards, seems like that might be a hit here:
It’s going to be in the sub-zero temps for the next few days (and you know what that means). It also means I might have time to post some holiday sweet treats tomorrow since my Solstice plans have been canceled. No promises.
What is getting you through these cold days? How are you coping with the holidays? I’ve been cooking and baking, as if folks around me haven’t been fed since summer. I also put together bags with cash, granola bars, and gloves for those out in the elements. I am going to try and distributed those today. All that has helped to keep the holiday blues at bay this year (as opposed to just cocooning last year). It does feel like the gloom of the last 18 months of constant death and bad news, is finally lifting. A reminder, as Solstice approaches, that the light does return.
This seems like a good resource for coping with holiday stress and depression if you or someone you know is finding it difficult this season.
Consider this a respite open thread
Open Thread: It’s Impossible To Keep Up
Alison Rose
Well well well. Being a Jew and a Lego fan, this post captured my attention right away.
Things are tough here right now. My 80-year-old father has been in chemo treatments for…jeez, close to a year now, I think. But he’s also having a lot of other issues, and was just in the hospital for a few days after falling badly. They discovered he had a blood clot in his leg which might have caused it, I don’t know. But today he was moved to a rehab place because he still can’t stand or walk on his own, and the walker doesn’t help because that’s only for balance issues. We don’t know how long he’ll have to be there. His cognition is also getting a lot worse, and of course, there really isn’t shit they can do about that.
So we’re just trying to trust in the doctors and take it one day at a time, but it’s very difficult. Especially because, due to my own health issues, I can’t be there to help.
But I’ll tell you, at the risk of sounding sappy, this blog is a real blessing some days. (Days when certain commenters don’t show up.) I like that even though I’m homebound, I still have a group of friends I can kibbitz with when I need to.
Sure Lurkalot
It was warmish in Denver today…close to 50, so got in a 5 mile walk mostly along Cherry Creek. Ducks galore, mostly Mallards but also mergansers and widgeons. Some doing weird mating things with their necks. On the way back there was a great blue heron on the bank that blended in so well I’m surprised we saw it at all. Very relaxing and probably the last day of outdoor activity until after Xmas. Supposed to be -5 on Thursday.
mrmoshpotato
Chicago is looking at
Thursday 31/-5
Friday 2/0
Saturday 9/-1
Thick socks, fleece sweatpants, sweatshirt weather – for inside!
NotMax
Respite? Howzabout a fling with flamenco?
:)
TaMara
@Sure Lurkalot: Making me feel guilty. I really should have gotten the dogs out today, but I’ll try tomorrow morning, when it will still be comfortable enough to walk. Weird to think I had the window down as I drove around today…and sub-zero by tomorrow night.
Sure Lurkalot
@Alison Rose: Have you gotten any of the Lego sets from the flower series? We’ve done the bouquet and the succulents. Some of the pieces are very little!
I’m sorry your dad is ailing and around the holidays.
eclare
@Alison Rose: So sorry to hear about your dad
Love the kitty Hanukkah card!
evap
Here in the south it is going to get down to the low teens (F) by the weekend, which is a very rare occurrence, especially in December. Now that all of my grading etc is done, I have been baking cookies and other goodies and reading. Reading actual books! Sitting for hours reading for pleasure. What a joy that is. Meanwhile, spousal unit and I are heading to western Canada (Edmonton) on Christmas day to visit family. It is currently -31C there!!! Luckily for us, it is supposed to warm up considerably by the time we get there. Still, when we are there the temps will be the lowest (or close to it) temps I have ever experienced in my 60+ years on this planet.
mrmoshpotato
@NotMax: Have the storms abated?
mrmoshpotato
SPORTS REPORT
Eastern Michigan won the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl over San Jose State 41-27.
Dan B
@evap: I was reading a comment thread on another blog and people were kvetching about the temperature where they were. One said 22°. Another said 2°. A third said 23° and humid. Made me pause and think hmmm, humid at 23? Then noticed the nym was ArtistNZ (or something but definitely NZ) so it was F vs. C.
Alison Rose
@Sure Lurkalot: I haven’t, but I’ll look for those! I’ve had to force myself not to blow money I don’t have on the pricier ones like I used to. Just glad I bought the Sesame Street and Winnie the Pooh kits back when I could afford them. And thank you <3
SiubhanDuinne
@eclare:
Skullcats!
Kittehs in kippehs!
Roger Moore
Living in Southern California. The short days and long nights are a different matter. I hate the limited sunlight. My big things are making sure I do get outside when the sun is shining for a decent amount of time every day. I walk to the train station as part of my commute, which gets me some sun, and I eat lunch outside. Between those two things, I’m probably getting my daily requirement for vitamin D.
Windpond
Fairbanks Alaska is my home in the winter and today the high is -35 and the low -36! Going to be like this all week. Sun ‘rise’ is at 10:13a and sunset, 3:41p. The trees are loaded with snow, sky is clear blue and crisp. I’ve lived here for almost 50 years and would be bored anywhere else.
Dan B
It’s snowy in Seattle with just an inch and a half with more in the forecast. It’s forecast to drop to 13° by tomorrow night. Buh bye to the cool half hardy plants we’ve accumulated. This will be the coldest Seattle has seen in decades. The fridge is full, cats sleepy, and house is warm(ish). Time to cover the windows!
CarolPW
For some reason the cat and dog drawing (a time for giving) made me weepy. I’m not Jewish but my ex is, I and have always loved Hanukkah. We still spend several of the days of Hanukkah together.
I can’t eat potatoes any more, so have managed to find alternate latke recipes using parsnips, sweet potatoes and zucchinis. Tonight its sweet potatoes with a creme fraiche/wasabi topper.
MagdaInBlack
@mrmoshpotato: I just want to get home Thursday after work before whatever is going to hit, hits. Snow total prognostications are …….changing by the hour.
If I’m snowed in Friday and can’t get to work, oh well
eclare
@Windpond: Wow! Where are you in the summer?
I’ve been to Fairbanks once, in the summer. I can’t imagine it in the winter.
MattF
OT. House committee has voted to release TFG’s tax returns.
eclare
@MattF: Cool! Thank you!
BenCisco 🇺🇸🎖️🖥️♦️
Knowing that I have two more workdays left for the year!! Being a sysadmin during this time of year involves long periods of calm punctuated by (responding to) abject panic from the client base. I’m ready for a break.
danielx
Supposed to rain and then go from 40s to 0 on Thursday evening, with a shit ton of snow* on Friday. Supposed to have my family here on Christmas Eve….when the high is supposed to be 7 degrees. Still have to finish last minute shopping and make sure the snowblower fires up upon demand in addition to a couple of relatively quick work items, so tomorrow promises to be a busy day.
*One source says 5-8 inches, another says 12-24 (!!!). Don’t often need a snowblower around here, but when you need it you really need it. Snow goggles and balaclava time!
wmd
Baking soon. I got a sister to email me a couple of family cookie recipes – Pfeffernusse (we called them peffernuts, and shortbread). I’d used the Joy of Cooking Pfeffernut recipe and it wasn’t the same. I’ll do a half recipe, as it calls for 4.5 cups of flour. It’s a refrigerator cookie (dough should be refrigerated overnight), probably make dough Wednesday and bake on Thursday and Saturday.
Shortbread is so simple – 1:1:2 parts butter:confectioners sugar: flour, 1t vanilla, salt. nuts to taste. refrigerate dough overnight, then bake at 350°.
I’ve been courting a single mom; she thinks her ex will have their kids for Christmas and I suggested she and I could make and decorate cut out cookies for her kids when they return.
CaseyL
@Dan B: Here in the north end, we got a bit more than an inch. Maybe 2.5 inches? And freaking cold.
UW main campus suspended all non-essential operations today, and is for now extending the suspension to 10:00 AM tomorrow. Tomorrow is an in-office day for me, but I’m not at all sure about going in, even if the suspension is lifted.
What’s funny is a friend and I are planning to go to Woodland Park Zoo’s Wild Lanterns tomorrow night. Snow will not stop us from strolling through the darkened zoo, looking at the delightful light sculptures – all animals, insects, plants; not to mention faeries, dragons, and other fantasy creatures.
We went last year, and it was frankly magical. We don’t know if the sculptures will be the same this year, and while we’re interested to see if they’re different, we don’t care if they’re not.
We will, however, care if its raining. Snow we don’t mind, but rain? In this cold? No thanks!
UncleEbeneezer
@Windpond: Speaking of Fairbanks here is a song with that title by one of my fave jazz guitarists, Julian Lage.
Sure Lurkalot
@Alison Rose:
Lego Flower Bouquet
Yeah, they are pricy but they never need watering and no bugs either.
UncleEbeneezer
@Roger Moore: I’m not enjoying these nights in the 40’s. It’s not fun being out on the tennis courts at 8-9pm when it’s that cold. Looking forward to the temps rising this week.
Sure Lurkalot
@TaMara: Don’t feel guilty! I’m a retired person with too much time on my hands and you, you are NOT THAT.
Love the illustrations in this post! I was raised in a Jewish household and Hanukkah was always fun. Though we also “celebrated” Xmas with gifts and a special dinner because most of our neighbors were Catholics and that’s the way our hood rolled in the 60’s…
zhena gogolia
@danielx: where?
mrmoshpotato
@Windpond: Hot! Dog!
I follow a YouTube channel of a couple who lives outside of Willow, and they get the cold there (of course). But you’re even farther north.
mrmoshpotato
@MagdaInBlack:
I hear ya!
Dan B
@CaseyL: The forecast was for more snow than we got, Phew! But it takes a week before our gently sloping street (not so gentle in the next block) to get plowed. We have only had one car in the last two hours since the slush is freezing. My brother lives on the side of Cougar Mountain. We may not be able to get to his house for Christmas. The road to his house has steep switchbacks he calls toboggan runs.
Sister Golden Bear
@Alison Rose: So sorry to hear about your father. Hoping he has the best quality of life he can have under the circumstances.
David ⛄ 🎅The Establishment🎄 🦌 🕎 Koch
persistentillusion
@evap: never been to Chicago in January, have you?
Windpond
@eclare: I own a wilderness lodge 60 miles north of the Arctic Circle, 250 miles northwest of Fairbanks, in Alaska’s Brooks Range so I spend June through mid-September there baking, cooking and taking care of our guests. The lodge is only accessible by float or ski plane. I am a lucky one and never take it for granted.
Paul in KY
@Alison Rose: Hope he can get out of the rehab place the sooner the better.
Paul in KY
Best wishes to all our Jewish Juicers! Hope yours is wonderful.