two thousand fifteen

Up until now, the weather has been unbelievably mild. On Christmas Day, it was balmy and green and it felt exactly like spring. I snapped a photo of the children by a small spring in the woods without jackets, which has never happened in December before. That was two days ago.

The forecast today called for a pile of snow. I've been watching the fine dusting accumulate for the last few hours. Wrapped in a fluffy cream blanket, sipping herbal tea and watching Netflix by the fire, I’ve spent the day so far in my tethered old Pj’s skimming cookbooks and earmarking all the drool-worthy recipes. Flipping through design magazines and dreaming of all the little projects I want to get tangled in. I’m eating Mr. Noodles out of a small domed box. It’s brothy and peppery and filled with those gummy rehydrated vegetables that remind me of University. Directly to my right is our Christmas tree. I always miss its soft, perfect light when it’s time to bid farewell for another year. Under the tree is a small pile of presents I’ve yet to put away. One of them is a cream lace dress my mother gave me. It came disguised in an old Young Canada box that is flimsy and bendy and torn on one edge. She's kept that box for more than thirty years. Sentimental I guess. There were a lot of Friday nights spent at that store looking at clothes that were much too cool for my ten year old self. Off the shoulder neon sweatshirts and gnarled acid wash jeans and strappy, jeweled tops. My mother would mouth an unmistakable NO while paying for their sensible counterparts and I walked away huffing and puffing.

It’s hard to imagine that in less than a week, a brand new year will begin. And like I do every year around this time, I wait and wonder- not wishing time away, but eager for what lies ahead. My children looked at me the other day when I mentioned all of this…

“You should take more pictures and write more stories.

And more spaghetti!

Oh, and more honey in your tea. It’s not sweet enough.

More sweetness mom!” 

Giggles. Drawings. A mouthful of shortbread cookies. These little faces with hot chocolate moustaches and buttery fingers know what they're talking about. 

Honestly, I can’t think of a more perfect vision for 2016.

My children.

They always know just what I need.

P.S There's no recipe for this easy appetizer board. Arugula and radicchio scattred and drizzled with a mixrure of olive oil, balsamic and dijon. I added bits of blue cheese - That Dutchman's is my favorite, along with prosciutto, pistachios and fresh figs and voila! A really beautiful and tasty starter that you can whip up in minutes.