West Coast

I came back from a lovely trip to CA and WA last week. I visited ML, Robert, and Arlo in Novato then Moody's first wife, Terry, in Seattle. While in Novato we enjoyed a 4-mile hike on a 75-degree sunny Valentine's Day followed by sushi al fresco. Robert, Arlo, and I went to Chinatown while ML worked on Sunday. It was a bit crowded due to Chinese New Year (year of the sheep), but we did find some dim sum. On my first day, Arlo, ML and I walked around Novato's downtown checking out various chocolate bars.

In Seattle, Terry and I went to the Science Museun for an exhibit on Pompeii and an IMAX film on Ancient Greece & the volcano eruption on Santorini (Thira) in 1600 BC. The exhibit included castings from the ash graves of Pompeii residents who were killed immediately from near 500-degree heat from the eruption.  It also included lots of artifacts from Pompeii and background music from HBO's "Rome".  Terry and I walked around Pike Street Market where I bought some yummy cheese (Beecher's Flagship) made across the street. ( I think it some kind of white cheddar from cow's milk) Tuesday night we had French food at a bistro with my former boss, Jane, who moved there 3 years ago when she retired from NCHS. Her house near Lake Washington is gorgeous! Terry showed me all around Horizon House where she lives just a block from the Convention Center. She is lucky to live on such a nice CCRC.  We went to Ash Wednesday service at her Church which is near her previous residence, a really cute house near a park. We also walked along the canal locks between Lake Washington and the Pueget Sound.   She gave me the recipe for her mother's Old Fashion Cocktail that Moody made every Xmas.  It is very yummy! Glad to get home to Sim and da girls who had been in snow and ice and temps below freezing for a week. United Airlines was on time for almost all the flights!

Sim, John, Carol, and I have signed up for a cruise from Venice to Istanbul next March (2016).  It stops at Santorini which will be really fun. Also is a pic of the lovely card tablecloth that Patti made for me.

Terry is on the left and Jane on the right.

Terry's cute former house in Seattle.

Waterfall in Pioneer Square in Seattle

Irresistible Arlo

I'm so excited to return to Novato to see Arlo for Valentine's Day.

Forty weeks in and forty weeks out!

Arlo 9 months old

Candlemas Eve Tapas Party

I hosted a tapas party for some of my chorus friends last evening. I prepared all the food and hired a classical guitarist to provide mood music. I was set up for 19 but only 15 folks actually showed. I had 5 tables set up in the living room but should have removed one when I saw we were short.  Below are some pictures.  Folks had never heard of Candlemas so I gave a background homily about the feast day.

Being one of the 4 cross-quarter days, halfway between the solstice and equinox, Candlemas (Feb 2) is suppose to be predictive of weather.

If Candlemas Day is clear and bright,

Winter will have another bite.

If Candlemas Day brings cold and rain,

Winter is gone and will not come again.

In the US it has morphed into Groundhog's Day. Candlemas is a relic of pagan customs, and a high holy day for Wiccans. It was characterized in one of my favorite horror films, "Horror Hotel", with witches sacrificing a beautiful maiden when the clock strikes 13 on Candlemas Eve.

Christians celebrate the time as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem. According to Hebrew tradition, forty days after the birth of a male child, the mother was supposed to go to the temple go be purified.  Mary took baby Jesus to the Temple where they met Simeon. 'Twas Simeon who prayed what became known as the Nunc Dimittis, which is sung at every Evensong service.

"Lord, now letest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: 

for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people:

to be a light to lighten the gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel." (Luke 2:29-32)

The church uses Candlemas to bless all the candles used in worship services-a light to lighten the darkness. Often on Candlemas Eve, the people carry lighted candles through the town. The first signs that spring will come is around this time with bears coming out of hibernation and calves being born. 

I first heard of Candlemas from Ingmar Bergman's 1960 claasic film "The Virgin Spring" where the young beautiful maiden and her ugly pregnant servant are carrying candles to the church for blessing on Candlemas when the maiden is viciously attacked in the woods: not something to forget.

Luciano Suarez

 

See the beautiful runner Patti made!