the last day of 2017: applesauce, a set table, and a sleeping cat

One of my favorite gifts of the season was bagful of Granny Smith apples from Maddy's tree. Maddy is now 28 and the tree was planted the summer she was born to commemorate her birth. The tree is very happy and productive in it's home on Sherman Street here in Alameda.
We are having a small gathering with one guest but the conversation will be lively and wine will be consumed along with a pork roast and the applesauce.
I like New Years, I'm always ready to sweep the remains of Christmas and get on with it. We spent our Friday field trip day at Point Reyes. Where Mike took photos and I gathered the dried good for the bouquet on the dining table.

Tomorrow it's welcoming 2018 with calendar shopping. Let's hope I can find my 2018 Witches calendar.

winter solstice 2017

I sit to type this at almost the exact moment the solstice is occurring. Perhaps this is one of my favorite days of the year. Those dark bicycle rides home from yoga will be getting lighter.

This photo represents two of my favorite things in this crazy world, where I feel I am fortunate to be so rich:
(1) my dishwasher, who would have thought I'd feel this way
(2) my collection of Fiestaware

We had dinner last night with friends to celebrate the season. We had hoped to salute the Dungeness crab, but alas, market price drove us to embrace Ahi tuna instead. Placed among a bed of greens and other goodies Nicoise were served. There were no complaints.