New Look For A New Year

I thought it was about time to update the look of my blog. Before you get too impressed, I did not actually design the new layout of my blog. I used one of the free templates supplied by blogger. I've made a modification to the template and will probably make more modifications in the future. Blogger is making it easier and easier to maintain my blog. They offer a commenting system now, so I've switched from the third-party comment provider I was using (Haloscan). This means that the comments that were previously posted on this blog will no longer appear. The comments still exist on the Haloscan website (accessible only to me via password). Blogger doesn't have a way for me to import those comments. At least not yet. So please, post your comments folks! As 2005 rolls in, I resolve to keep on bloggin' on. After all, we bloggers have been nominated People of the Year by ABC News.

Brad and I rang in the new year quietly, as we usually do. We don't relish going out on the roads on New Year's Eve. We'll leave the partying to other hardier souls. We popped a cork in front of the telly and watched Jools Holland's Hootenanny. We saw some great musical acts including Mavis Staples, Amy Winehouse, Eric Clapton, Natasha Bedingfield, Franz Ferdinand and a few others I'd never heard of before. Like a pixie-ish dynamite of a jazz musician named Jamie Cullum and the Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain who performed a fantastic rendition of Nirvana's "Smells Like Team Spirit".

Despite our modest festivities, I couldn't help but feel so sad about the horrific tragedy wreaked by the recent earthquake and tsunami. I can't help thinking about the terrifying conditions the survivors are going through right now. It is almost incomprehensible. Not almost, but most. And the staggering loss of life. I am afraid to turn on the news anymore. I hear that aid is finally beginning to reach the affected areas now. May the healing and rebuilding begin.

Muddy Walkers

Today I went on a walk that was advertised in our local paper. It was described as an easy 3- to 4-mile hike through old Bilton with commentary by a local historian. Also on hand would be a bird expert to help spot and identify birds along the way. After the walk, we had the option to stop off at The Garderner's Arms, an historic pub. The reality of the walk was far from what was advertised. It started out nicely enough with a stroll through Old Bilton, but then we began a difficult descent in mud, muck and mire into Nidd Gorge. The landscape was bleak and there were few sightings of birds. Indeed, most of us hikers had our eyes glued to the path, carefully making our way through the mud, dodging tree roots and stones. Quite a few people showed up for the walk, many more than the organizers had expected, so it was slow going into the Gorge. Once we reached the banks of the river Nidd we stopped for a talk by our local historian. Bilton goes back quite a ways in history. Older than Harrogate, Bilton got a mention in the Domesday Book. It was a "scattered village" -- dwellings were scattered here and there; there was no village square lined with houses centered about a church as is typical of most English villages. A lot of industry took place in the area: coal mining, lime kilns, cotton and flax mills. We saw remains of ancient coal pits (very primitive methods of extracting coal) and quarries. In the Nidd we saw evidence of old weirs and the old mill house which is now a spectacular private residence. We walked past Nidd Viaduct, a fabulous example of Victorian architecture. It's higher than Knaresborough Viaduct but is now blocked off and no longer used. It was across Nidd Viaduct that the Flying Scotsman train used to travel on its way to Edinburgh. We did manage to spot a few birds along the way: a couple of dippers, some goosanders, a red wing and some sparrow hawks. We even examined an otter print on the banks of the Nidd. We were still walking at 4:15 p.m. and it was getting dark, too dark to see the path clearly. We eventually made our way up and out of Nidd Gorge, crossed an open field and made a beeline for our cars. This walk turned out to be longer than most of our Thursday rambles and was quite tiring because of the mud. I don't think anyone went to the pub afterwards. Now that I know where it is, I hope to visit the pub another day.

Boxing Day

Another very cold day. We took a walk into town hoping to go shopping for bargains but there were only three stores open: WHSmith, Debenhams and TK Maxx. I guess it's because Boxing Day fell on a Sunday this year. Normally most stores would be busy with after-Christmas sales. Those sales will start tomorrow, while some stores will not be open until Wednesday.

Yesterday was a picture-perfect Christmas with a light dusting of snow in the morning. Brad went in to work from 11 to 1 to help serve food to the folks that had to work on Christmas Day. Before leaving he prepared some mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes and stuffing to bring along for the feast. In the meantime I went to work on our Christmas feast, a carbon copy of last year's meal minus the sauerkraut (turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole and cranberry sauce). It may not be the most healthy of meals and is an old-fashioned menu but mmmmmmm I love it. We will be eating leftovers for a week, I'm sure.

We watched the Queen's Message at 3 p.m., an annual event that has spawned alternative messages on another channel. This year's alternative message was from Marge Simpson. It appears The Simpsons are wildly popular in the UK. We watched the British Comedy Awards the other night and The Simpsons picked up the award for best International Comedy Show. Simpsons' creator Matt Groening was also presented with an award (to a thunderous standing ovation) for Outstanding Contribution. Brad and I could really identify with Groening's comments: "I've never been in a room with so many famous people I never heard of, nor failed to understand so many jokes." Stephen Hawking presented the award to Groening and took the opportunity to relate how much he likes the show. You Simpsons aficionados will know that Stephen Hawking made a "guest appearance" on the Simpsons recently and word is that he will become a regular when he moves to Springfield in the upcoming season.

In the evening we watched the first Harry Potter movie on BBC1, then a new Christmas episode of The Vicar of Dibley and I caught the end of a special episode of Absolutely Fabulous before toddling off to bed.

All I Want For Christmas...

...is world peace.

Stormy Weather

England is sure living up to its reputation as far as the weather is concerned. Aside from the strong winds, it is pouring buckets of rain right now. It will have to get mighty cold for us to have a white Christmas.

Windswept Walk

The wind has been extremely strong lately. The morning news reported three overturned lorries in our area. Yesterday, a motorway in Cumbria was closed for 24 hours due to an accident caused by an overturned lorry. And it was into winds such as this that I hiked with my hiking group today. We hiked on the Fountains Abbey estate. Through the course of the hike I couldn't get over the roaring of the wind. It was like some angry beast. There was a raw stark beauty to the day and even though the wind raged on it wasn't that cold. Powdery clouds raced over gorgeous blue skies. Visibility was phenomenal. At one point we were able to see Ripon Cathedral, some four miles away, clear as crystal. We walked down into an area known as the Valley of the Seven Bridges where we were protected from the wind. The humble little bridges, made of stone, were all built by the monks who founded the abbey in the 12th century. We walked through the little village of Studley Royal on the outskirts of the Fountains Abbey estate. At the end of the walk we had to climb up from the valley. Going uphill directly into the wind on a slippery grassy slope was one of the hardest tasks I've ever encountered while hiking in England. On Boxing Day there will be a guided walk from Ripon Cathedral to Fountains Abbey. The walk is a reenactment of the route taken by the thirteen monks who founded the abbey. I'm told there could be about a thousand people on the walk. I think I'll pass on that one. After lunch a friend and I went to base to run some errands. We couldn't get any of our errands done. The electricity was out on the base. Probably taken out by the wind.

Lazy Sunday

Brrrrr.... it's cold outside today. We took a walk through town and all the puddles are frozen. We slept in a bit this morning, then went to Bettys for breakfast where it was unusually unbusy. Then we browsed a few of the shops downtown making mental notes where we want to go on Boxing Day to catch all the after-Christmas bargains. Trouble is, many of the shops will be closed until the Wednesday after Christmas. The British working force sure does get a lot of days off. And they complain that they get less days off than the rest of Europe. This afternoon we will spend taking care of some household chores we've been meaning to get to for awhile. Brad has taken Monday off so we can sleep in again tomorrow morning.

A Trip To Manchester

Harrogate is a pretty town and the surrounding countryside is really beautiful. We feel so fortunate to be living in the middle of one of England's most scenic counties. But every once in a while I really get the hankering for a big city. Going to London or Edinburgh is a wonderful big-city adventure, but not one we can afford to make that often. We've been to Leeds a few times and, well, it just doesn't satisfy that big-city yen for me.

Today, in Manchester, I got a nice dose of a big city and it was not that far from home or that difficult to get to. The drive from Harrogate took a little under one and half hours. We left rather early to avoid traffic and to assure getting a parking space. Mind you, today is about the busiest retail day of the year -- were we crazy to go to Manchester, or not? Anyhow, it was really nice to get such an early start to the day and, as it turned out, the city was not too crowded or hectic after all.

Once we hit town we began to walk through the city center. We saw lots of grand old Victorian buildings and a tasteful smattering of modern architecture as well. Manchester seems well served by public transportation. We saw trams and lots of buses and I believe they also have a subway system. The weather was a bit blustery today. Quite windy and the clouds rolled in and out and in again. We would get rained on by a heavy shower which would last for about a minute. Then the clouds would part and we'd see blue skies and sun. A little while later we'd be caught in a light sprinkle. The weather followed this schizophrenic pattern all day long. We are told this is typical for Manchester.

This weekend was the last weekend of the European Christmas market, staged in Albert Square. The wonderfully neo-gothic memorial statue of Prince Albert presided over all the stalls from many European countries. Germany was by far the most represented country and we both enjoyed delicious bratwurst. The crafts and foods on offer were superb. This market was much better than the one we attended in Leeds last year.

There were three other Christmas-related markets on offer this weekend and we visited every one of them. We also browsed through shops and large department stores. Many of the shops are ones we see in Leeds or Harrogate, but there were a few retailers we've not run across before.

We had been advised to be sure to visit the Castlefield district. It is an area that had recently been derelict but has been revitalized. Maybe it was just the weather or maybe it was because we were there off-season, but Castlefield looked a bit gloomy and still on the derelict side to us. We popped into the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry. Not one of the best organized museums and the exhibits were a bit uninspired. It was fun wandering through the Air and Space hall, though, viewing the vintage aircraft.

I took a few photos with my film camera. It felt rather strange in my hands and I kept looking at the back of the camera after taking a shot, expecting to see the image displayed on an LCD. We popped into a couple of camera shops and I took a look at a couple of digital cameras I am considering buying.

By the time 2:30 p.m. rolled around we were pretty tired and decided to head back to Harrogate. After all, we'd been on our feet all day. Besides that, we wanted to get home before dark (which is about 3:30 p.m. at this time of year!). Again, no problems with traffic, and Brad took a new and better route home around Leeds. We think we will definitely return to Manchester. There are a few other museums I'd like to check out and it would be nice to go shopping outside of the mad Christmas rush.

Xmas in Frisco

One of the things I love about my new computer is tuning into radio stations on the Internet. I just discovered this crazy station that is playing non-stop oddball Christmas music. The station is somaFM and Xmas in Frisco is what they call "Our annual eclectic, irreverent holiday broadcast. May not be suitable for all ages!" They're right about the age warning. Earlier I heard Joe Pesci singing "If It Doesn't Snow On Christmas" and just about every other word was the f-word. I've also heard Santa Mambo Santa by the Enchanters and Santa Cow by none other than Santa Cow and a very hilarious Little Bargain Boy by 2 Live Jews (sung with a strong yiddish accent to the tune of Little Drummer Boy). There are also some more traditional selections such as Enya singing Silent Night (a really beautiful rendition) and a medley of medieval Spanish Christmas Carols. With this selection I may never need to buy another Christmas CD again. somaFM has several other kinds of broadcasts. I'll definitely want to check them out.

Grandma's Italian Cookies

I learned how to make these cookies from my Grandmother's cousin, Maria, and her daughter, Anna, who live in Baltimore's Little Italy. We mixed the dough on the countertop instead of inside of a bowl. I think the reason we did that is the quantity...we used 3 lbs. of flour and the recipe makes more than 20 dozen cookies. You can halve the recipe if you want.... and mix the dough in a large bowl.

I presume this is the same recipe as my Grandma's. She used to send us a tin full of cookies each year for Christmas. There were many different types of cookies, but these were my favorites.

I'm not sure I could've made these cookies without having the demonstration that Anna and Maria gave us. After that, every year Vickie and I used to get together to bake them. While in Tokyo I taught a couple of friends how to make them and that's when I took the photo of the cookies. This week Brad was my apprentice.


Grandma's Italian Cookies

3 lbs. sifted flour
10 large eggs
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 lb. butter, softened
2 Tbsp. vanilla
3 Tbsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. milk

Put eggs in bowl, add milk, beat together.

Put flour, powdered sugar and baking powder on table and mix. Add butter, work into flour with hands until crumbly.

Form flour into ring. Put eggs and vanilla in center of ring. Work flour into eggs from inside of ring. Knead until smooth. Dough is right consistency when hands come clean while kneading.

Let dough rest for a few minutes, cover with plastic wrap to prevent it drying out. Don't clean table after kneading dough -- you can roll out better on the surface.

Lightly grease 4 cookie sheets. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Break off handfuls of dough at a time. Roll into rope about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Roll till smooth and twist into shapes.

Place on cookie sheets making sure all cookies are about the same thickness. Bake till lightly brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool before icing.


Icing

1 lb. powdered sugar
boiling water
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Candy sprinkles

Put sugar in bowl. Add 5-8 tablespoons of water, vanilla, oil and lemon juice. Mix well till smooth. Add more boiling water as needed for correct consistency. Spread icing on cookies with finger. Sprinkle with candies. Stir icing often and add water as necessary.

Camera Blues

Purrboy

I got the estimate on fixing my camera: £220. :-( That's about $440. Needless to say, I've begun shopping for a new one. I feel really lost without my camera. I've become so accustomed to the instant gratification of taking photos, downloading them to my computer and uploading them to the 'net...all within minutes. And it is so much fun adding them to my blog. I found a really cute shot of Ginger while I was looking for my Italian cookie recipe. This photo was taken while we were living in Tokyo.

Edwardian Sunday in Knaresborough

This morning we went to an Edwardian Christmas market in Knaresborough. Some of the vendors and visitors were dressed in Edwardian-era clothes, and there was a curious wagon pumping out organ music and decorated with moving figures made of tin. Vendors at the market were selling handcrafted Christmas decorations, candles, lambswool slippers, baked goods, kitchenwares, pillow coverings, etc. There were several tombola booths. A tombola is a kind of lottery: You pay one pound for a chance to draw up to five tickets from a drum. You win if your ticket number matches the number of a prize at the booth. there were carnival rides and a bouncy castle.

We purchased some Yorkshire Tea tins at a great price and picked up gifts for Brad's office gift exchange.

This afternoon Brad and I will bake cookies. I'm going to indoctrinate him in the art of grandma's Italian cookies. They are my all-time favorite Christmas cookie.

Run-up to Christmas

Hustle. Bustle. Busy, busy, busy. Getting ready for Christmas. We bought our Christmas tree last weekend at Harlow Carr garden shop. Gave us a chance to try out the brand new Bettys Cafe that just opened there. Decorated the tree a couple of nights ago while sipping Pimms No. 3 Brandy Cup (it's a special winter version with a hint of oranges and winter spices, very tasty alternative to eggnog.) Still working on my Christmas cards. Have wrapped and mailed all the packages for overseas. Still need to wrap Brad's presents. Need to pick up a few gifty-wifties this weekend -- one is a hostess gift for some folks who are throwing a party this Saturday night. Then Tuesday is Brad's office Christmas luncheon. We will be doing a Secret Santa gift exchange, so Brad and I each need to pick up a $10 gift for that. Buying it on the economy will be a bit of a challenge. The value of our good ole U.S. dollar continues to plummet so that now the exchange rate is almost $2 to every single pound sterling. Finding a decent gift for five pounds is not an easy thing to do. Maybe we'll find something at the Edwardian Christmas market being held in Knaresborough this Sunday.

Last Saturday we attended the base Christmas party, a big glitzy affair held at one of the grand old hotels in Harrogate. We got all doo-dadded up and spent the evening chit-chatting with folks I see about once a year. It was a buffet this year, and the food was just mediocre. And, scandalously, no chocolate desserts! I really hate buffets. I don't like having to choose what I will eat while standing in line with impatient people behind me. I couldn't tell what half the dishes were, there were no labels and when I inquired the servers hadn't a clue either. One thing I will say for these parties, they do give away a lot of door prizes (hence the hefty 28 pound price tag per dinner, and it was a cash bar!). I won a door prize -- a beautiful crystal vase from Tuscany! I'll add it to my vase collection.

Ginger is doing quite well these days. No more throwing up. No more diarrhea. He looks as if he is feeling much better. Yesterday I found him in the kitchen playing, kittenlike, with one of his toys. One test remains, however. The vet wants me to try to get a urine specimen. She gave me a plastic scoopy-thing for collecting the urine. and suggests leaving an empty litter tray...or if I can possibly catch it in mid-stream. We shall see....

Reflections on Prague

Franz Kafka Statue


Typical Sidewalk In Prague

I've written much about the places we've been to and things we've seen in Prague, but have only hinted at the impression the city made on me. The first, and indeed, lasting impression is positive. Prague seems to be a vibrant, lively city. It is a bit touristy. Well, let's face it, a LOT touristy. Aside from the numerous souvenir (souvenyry in czech) shops there are scads of shops selling Bohemian Crystal, marionnettes, Russian stacking dolls or garnets ... the top Czech exports. There is a lot of junk out there and you must be a discriminating shopper to find the goods of real quality. There are also many antique stores and rare used book stores. We browsed in a couple of those and saw many lovely things but the prices were a bit too steep for our budget.

But who wants to waste their time going from one souvenir shop to another? We relied on our guide book to steer us to the best garnet shop. We browsed a couple of Bohemian crystal shops but found it was not to our taste. We preferred to spend our time meandering through the crooked streets of the Old Town. There is such a fascinating mix of architecture in Prague. We also came across some interesting modern statues; at least three featured headless, or bodiless, figures draped in cloaks.

I was amazed at all the cobblestones in Prague. They were not limited to just a small area but were everywhere we went from the Old Town to the Lesser Quarter; from the New Town to the Jewish Quarter. Even the sidewalks were composed of square stones of varying colors (predominately grey, black, red) arranged mosaic-like in different patterns throughout the entire city. It was pretty to look at but hard on the feet.

The city is very clean. Even the subway stations that we visited were clean and tidy. We saw lots of dogs being walked in the city and, with a few exceptions, people clean up after their pooches. We felt safe everywhere we went, though we were warned numerous times about pickpockets. Language does not seem to be a problem for the English-speaking visitor. All of the Czech people we encountered in shops, museums, restaurants, etc. spoke English. Nearly every menu we were handed was tri-lingual: Czech, English and German. I imagine the language thing would change the further from the city center you venture. If we ever do return to Prague, I would definitely want to venture away from the tourist hot spots.

I learned one thing about the Czech people that surprised me. Our guide for the walking tour we took stated that 80% of the Czech people are atheists. (This statistic was later corroborated by another source.) Prior to WWII about 56,000 Jews lived in Prague; today only a couple thousand remain. I find these statistics rather chilling. Especially when you consider the many physical reminders of the religious nature of Praguers. There are countless churches, cathedrals and synagogues of all architectural styles: medieval, romanesque, gothic, baroque, Moorish. The Charles Bridge is lined with statues of saints. The Jewish Quarter boasts one of the oldest synagogues in Europe. It's as if the war, and subsequent years of communist rule, ripped the soul out of Prague. But I don't mean to imply that Praguers are desolate, gloomy people. We encountered friendly practical people who seem intent upon reinvorating their city with culture, music and, above all, tourism.