What a wintry wonderland outside. I’m saying that, of course, looking out from the inside where it’s warm by the wood stove.
I like the snow; I don’t even mind the cold too much because I know that within a couple of months, the tide will have turned and what is now dead will rise again. I also think of winter as a time to focus on the warmth of relationships. With no distractions on the outside except for a few snowy treks in the park, I can center in on what really matters in my human life: my connection to others.
That usually starts out with taking a good look at myself: not selfishly but introspectively. What am I doing? Where am I headed? What is working? What is not working? From there, I create visions of where I hope to go and what I hope to do. Maybe it’s like a glorified list. It works for groceries and for chores.
I also use lists to make menus and and to get ready for a trip. So when the first of the year rolls around, I make my list for myself: work I need to get done, projects I want to try out, goals for the year. But all of those begin with taking a good hard look at my self and making essential changes (or not) to who I am. I have to be realistic about what I can do and am able to do. I have to accept those things about myself that are less than perfect, acknowledge them and move on.
I need to assess what I can build on and what I need to let go. This process is not something I dread; I rather look forward to it because I know that it frees me to keep becoming the best I can become. Sometimes, yes, it is hard to let things go or face the harsh truths but once observed, I find myself able to move on. It’s like being on a trip with a heavy backpack. As the trip continues, I find the pack getting lighter and lighter rather than heavier.
Just like the lists that I make and cross off as I finish each project, I find that paring down to the essentials simplifies my everyday life. It’s easier to make decisions when I’ve already cut through the fog that covers most of my daily life. And when I’m done with this, I can move on to others and offer what I know of myself to them. So in January, I reflect on life and then I embrace it, seeking out the relationships that bring warmth. I accept the good and the bad, knowing that is part and parcel of human life.
I thought about these things when I delivered some bread to a customer one might last week.The weather was too bad for her to come to the store so I trudged through some knee high snow to take her the bread.
She told me that when she looked out the window earlier that day, she thought of me when the snow coming down looked like someone was shaking a huge sifter of confectioner s sugar over the earth.
I saw the beauty of the snow in her eyes and realized the wisdom she carries and I thought, “I am so lucky to know people like her.” Each person that I come in contact with brings their stories and their understandings to my life and it makes my life so much richer.
So this week, we made a dessert that is perfect for a cold night and here are some of the pieces that brought it together: eggs from a family on the outskirts of town with ties to Canada, raspberries from the Amish man who knows first-hand the ravages of abuse, pottery from a man who grew up in Uruguay during some tough political times, a copper bowl from an amazing old-fashioned kitchen store in Paris, made by an artist woman from Pennsylvania and a guitar maker in a wood fired oven here in Goshen, Indiana! As your year starts, think on these things in your life and enjoy the richness.
Raspberry Gratins
8 large egg yolks (room temperature)
2/3 c. sugar
1 c. sherry
1/4 t. pure vanilla extract
1 quart frozen raspberries
Preheat broiler. Whisk together the egg yolks and the sugar in a heatproof bowl. When they are well mixed, set above a pan of simmering water and continue whisking until thick and creamy, about 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in the sherry and continue whisking over water for about 5 more minutes, until mixture is thick and smooth. It ll read about 150 degrees on a thermometer. Whisk in vanilla and remove from heat. Divide the raspberries into 6 shallow individual gratin dishes. Divide sauce between each dish to cover raspberries. Sprinkle each with a tablespoon sugar. Arrange on sheet pans and place under the broiler for 2 or 3 minutes until tops are lightly browned. Serve warm with wedges of cookies.
Life
La Bonne Vie
Connections with others make your own life richer
- Life
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In the end, I'll take the peace of love and family
I should warn you: My brain is especially dense with thought these days. Elbow-deep in philosophical essays — the kind that demand three or four reads — I’m taking an ethics class required of us would-be health professionals.
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Finding the perfect filler for your garden
Rose mallow is a great garden filler. It’s origins are the genus malvaceae (mallow family) and if you are like I am, the mallow family gets rather confusing.
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The ‘evolution’ of homeschooling
“Benefit number 9,267 of homeschooling.” That’s one of my favorite lines. I use it — any four-digit number is fine — when I hear something about public schooling I find objectionable, sad, mildly amusing, downright ridiculous or about which I’m simply glad to not have to bother.
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COLUMN: It’s a new year for all you gardeners
Believe it or not it’s countdown time until spring— maybe I’m stretching it a bit but planting time at all the greenhouses is about to begin. Cuttings will be arriving in just over a month and that means activity.
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Electoral homefront leaves mom the clear winner
It was the morning after the Iowa caucus. An eager nation had waited into the night, breathless, for an unnamed citizen in a pickup truck to arrive with the last of the votes.
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When babies bite while nursing and other thoughts
It’s too soon for toilet training — in my house, that is. My toddling, teething baby starts his second year next month (meaning he turns 1).
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Longtime church secretary retires
GOSHEN — For 15 years visitors to the office of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Goshen were greeted warmly with a big smile by former church secretary Veronica Gouker. And visitors or callers would soon find out what a wealth of information was stored within Gouker as she swiftly and efficiently handled requests.
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Grapes are a passion in southwest Michigan
Lake Michigan has an impact on the rolling hills of southwest Michigan for grape growers. All the way from the Indiana/Michigan state line, north to the Kalamazoo River, and west to the city of Kalamazoo, where the bulk of the growing is done, moist lake breezes prevent the extremes of heat and cold in the spring and summer months.
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What keeps you going during the lull of winter?
I’m never quite sure about January. First, there’s the cold, chilling to the bone. When I’m out walking the dog, a sharp western wind numbs my brain as well as my fingers.
Then there’s the realization that winter is still here for a couple of months. After the magic of the holidays, each day turns into every day. -
ICE ESCAPADES IN ELKHART
Winter was slow in coming to the Elkhart County area this year, but now it’s arrived and with it the traditional winter activities are finally available, such as snow-shoeing, sledding and ice skating.
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