Thanksgiving, Birthday and Cookie Baking

     I've been so busy getting ready for Thanksgiving and Abby and Teddy's homecoming from Boston, that I haven't posted anything.  But I took some pictures:

     This visit was a Thanksgiving, 23rd birthday party and cookie baking combo.  My 86-year-old mom still made the turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, gravy and stuffing as well as her own cranberry sauce cooked from scratch.  Did I mention the pumpkin pie too?  I brought Abby's favorite dessert, chocolate mocha cheesecake, and a new salad I stole from Jan Hall's recipe file.  It had carmelized almonds, greens and lots of other goodies.  The dressing base was lime juice, olive oil and honey.  Our group included Abby and me, my mom and her sister, my two sisters, brother-in-law and one of my nieces.  Oh, and all four of our dogs were in attendance.  One has socialization problems so doggie fisticuffs are always a strong possibility.  Luckily his kennel came with him so while his anxiety level may have been up (his anti-anxiety meds hadn't kicked in yet), ours was in check.
     The same crew minus two of the dogs, one aunt and one sister, showed up at my house the next day for our annual cookie baking session.  We always make sugar cutouts and Mom brings her molasses cookie dough, which we also cut out.  Since diets seem to have taken over our lives, the cookie numbers have declined.  This meant we were finished by 11:00 and had an early lunch.  Mom struggled with the two steps to my house, but she made it and we were all ecstatic that she came yet another year.

     We've been cookie baking together like this since Abby was a baby and I had to juggle cutting out cookies and nursing.  Then the girls grew into toddlerhood.  The sessions grew in length as more sprinkles ended up on the floor than on the cookies, and more guidance was needed.  Through the years boyfriends came too, and the sessions became quite short despite the huge number of cookies because we had so many capable hands.  This year there were no boyfriends and one niece was in Washington, so the group only numbered five.  But the memories are still endless.
     Yes, it's a lot of family and cooking crammed into two days, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Tai Chi for Me?

     One of the monthly meetings I attend is for retired teachers from my school district.  The real draw for me is the good food, of course.  I've never liked sitting through meetings for any reason unless it involves food or money, so this group works for me.  Aside from the requisite meeting and excellent lunch, there's always some form of entertainment.  Since this month's good food involved a full-blown turkey dinner, it made sense that our entertainment was provided by a personal trainer.  She turned out to be a very welcome ending to the load of carbs I'd just downed.
     When I visited China a few years ago, I viewed something that has always stuck with me.  We were walking through a park on an early Beijing morning and came upon a huge group of senior citizens doing tai chi in unison to music.

What I think makes it such an unforgettable memory is that they all looked so calm and at peace as they progresesd through their routine, each movement slow, balanced and artful.  "I want to do that," I thought, and then shelved the idea away forever.

Until last week, that is, when Su Ying, a personal trainer, pilates and tai chi instructor, came to our meeting.

     Since many of us in the turkey-guzzling group were very senior citizens, she gave us some excellent tips on how to stand from a sitting position, how to strengthen necessary muscles that don't get used correctly or enough and how to be safe while engaging in these movements.
     She introduced us to some of the basic tai chi movements, explaining how each helps to improve muscle strength and balance, and as a result helps our core.  She demonstrated a short routine, and once again I was struck by the calmness that seems to accompany this ancient practice.  She was totally in tune with her body and comfortable in her being.  Once again I thought, "I want that."  I've actually written it on my bucket list this time, and intend to look into it. 
     But first I have to figure out why my hip has been hurting more than usual.  I'm hoping it wasn't the tai chi because I really want to be part of a group like this:

I wonder if we get food afterwards.    
   

Mystery on the Walking Path

     While I was on my morning walk not minding the 30 mph winds and near-freezing temps because the sun was out, it started to snow.  It was quite pretty and actually put a smile on my face.  There I was walking in the first snow of the season, temporarily forgetting about all of the leaves that I need to rake.  I don't usually see snow when I'm walking, but I do see this sort of thing:

  

Or this:

Or this:

Today I saw this:

     Very odd, especially since it wasn't on private property.  How did an old boot end up in the middle of a suburban walking path?  Had a dog dragged it there?  Had a hobo made an awkward jump from a train (what train?), and as a result is now wandering around with one boot?  Had someone been looking for the perfect spot to surreptitiously dispose of an unwanted boot and found it?  But then why not the other one too?  Had the woman who lives nearby finally had it with her husband's refusal to get rid of his old boots just tossed one with all of her might, and is she now waiting for a chance to do the same thing with the other?

      These are the metaphysical questions that plague a retiree's soul.