Cumberland Island

Steven and i are packing right now for travels... and some of our travels include taking the ferry to Cumberland Island, on the Atlantic Coast on the Georgia / Florida border, and backpacking across the island for several days. It is beautiful this time of the year, balmy during the day, and cool at night. The island is undeveloped and a former playground of some robber barons (the Carnegies? can't remember); one finds ruins of a huge mansion called Dungeoness there. The floor of sawgrass palmetto seems to go on to infinity in many areas, topped with a towering canopy of twisted, beautiful oak. First to Atlanta to visit friends and family!

The packs feel light without any water in them yet! Keep your fingers crossed we have dry, sunny, warm weather on the coast of Georgia. So far, i can see the weather channel's forecast 10 days out, which will be our first day there, and it is slated to be mostly sunny, 70 / 49 at night. Perfect.

North Star?

As usual, not much decorating going on here for the Horrordays. We did, however, both get into a bit of a zen moment (yes, even Steven) transforming the Sputnik in the Living Room into an even more kitsch display of holiday sentiment. It happened quickly, instinctively, in a way that made me feel a kinship to bloghunk Drew and his "special" uncanny ability.

Just Another Wednesday...

but a few things to report. First, as this is JingXia's last week here, she is apparently feeling compelled to cook enough to last us through the winter. Here is a little Chinese Sandwich *sweet rice cake* i'm eating for a light supper. She's made 3,747 more of these and putting them in the freezer. For us. Because, you know, we both hate to cook and all. We're thinking of buying a factory for her next year.



In other news, my manscaping project is coming along, dunno how nicely though. I've decided for this winter, i will keep my head SHAVED, while letting my beard grow into a big Grizzly Adams Bear Affair. Just for a change of pace. It is itchy.



Steven gets to go to Taliesin West on Friday, after he wraps up his week in Phoenix. I hope he takes lots of very, very detailed pictures.

I am deep into watery eyes, drippy throat, coughing, mouth-breathing right now. Taking nyquil for night #2 now. I hope it ends tomorrow; keep your fingers crossed for me!

What else? OH! We had 4" of snow today! Happy happy, joy joy.

Finger Likkin Good

We just supped on a wonderful combination of things from our farmer's market. If we stay here long enough it's going to save our lives. We had some wonderful lamb ribs--locally raised on grass, healthy and good for us--that i braised in a bunch of aromatic herbs and seeds (cumin seeds, onion, garlic, coriander, pepper, shzechuan pepper, anise, cloves, cinnamon, and who knows what else) and then roasted in the oven with some honey, wine, mustard, and a little more of the aromatics and garlic, toasted and crushed in the mortar & pestle. Also had some red potatoes with butter and parsley and some brussels sprouts from a local farm. A reduction of the braising liquid was a tasty foundation to everything, along with a mash of the 3 or 4 whole onions from the braise.

Yum.

Now, the Chinese are in there roasting some fresh chestnuts. And Steven is watering all his plants and saying goodbyes to them. How xmasey you say?

Steven is going to Phoenix tomorrow for a weeklong work seminar. On his return, JingXia will depart for Haikou with all her booty recently amassed for the grandson now studying in Beijing.

In other news, Jay, my sister Karen's husband is recovering nicely we hear from his recent aneurism and surgery. It was a close call this week, but we hope he will make a full and complete recovery.