A Boston Friendsgiving for Two

Skies were blue, and beautyberries abounded for our inaugural Friendsgiving weekend in Boston. Kira joined me for this experiment – which was more or less an average weekend with a friend that we simply named ‘Friendsgiving’ to give it some additional import. It worked – names are important – and the weekend was our kick-off to the holiday season proper. Having both been knocked about a bit in the last few months, Kira and I found comfort in reuniting under happier circumstances. The holidays are recompense for the onslaught of winter about to begin.

We made a few traditional stops during out time together – Copley and Downtown Crossing – and I’d done some walking and shopping on Newbury before Kira arrived. The weather was too nice to stay inside on that first day. There would be cold coming soon enough, and a cozy dinner of a chicken pasta casserole that I made for our first evening. (I also brought a bunch of these Mexican Wedding cookies, because nos casamos!)

Saturday morning dawned chilly and bright, and we headed downtown to make a dent on holiday shopping. Mostly we ended up with condo decorations for the upcoming Boston Children’s Holiday Hour (more on that later) and a few charcuterie items from Eataly for our siesta.

As the afternoon wore happily on, we assembled a few holiday additions, put on the first collection of holiday music to play this year, and kicked it all off officially. There was no going back.

In the strange and secluded little wet bar section of the condo, now cordoned off by a big-ass curtain, I put in a bunch of silver ornamentation to reflect candlelight and expand the space with some mirror-like surfaces. Some sparkle, especially in the darkest time of the year, is always welcome.

Our dinner out (because I can’t be expected to cook every single thing for a Friendsgiving) was at Ruth’s Chris Steak House. For years I’ve avoided the steakhouse chain, mostly for its awkward name, but also because, well, steakhouse chain. This time I gave in because I just wanted to see what the Old City Hall in Boston looked like from the inside. The meal was perfectly fine too, so ignore my prior snobbishness – everybody else does. Outside the weather had turned winter-like. Cutting winds and freezing temps made for a rushed walk home, where hot tea and cookies awaited assembly and serving.

Sunday morning was originally meant for some holiday shopping in Cambridge, but we’d heard that something was going on with the Red Line, and when I checked to confirm (because I was NOT doing a shuttle bus again) it proved true. A change of plans was discussed over a quick breakfast at Charlie’s. We would drive to the Wrentham Outlets, which was close to Kira’s house, and do some shopping there. I knocked out the majority of my list, and more than the majority of what my credit card budget allowed, and we closed out this opening holiday weekend in exhausted but happy style. We will see each other again next month for our 8thor 9thHoliday Stroll. Some traditions deserve to be kept.

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The Ben Cohen Calendar

In a world fought with darkness and uncertainty, we should be very glad that Ben Cohen has blessed us with a 2020 Calendar, which you can order here. An admirable LGBTQ ally and anti-bullying crusader, Cohen has made a post-rugby career out of being a do-gooder, so I’m all for any endeavor that supports such a great person and cause. Of course, the visuals are pretty spectacular too, as evidenced by previous gratuitous posts here and here and most definitely here. (Special shout-out to Snooty Fox Images for the promo shots.)

 

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Holiday Changes

A month from this date will mark our 5th Annual Boston Children’s Holiday Hour. It’s coming a bit later in the season than usual, because I originally thought we’d be busy with all the other holiday events, but life has interrupted and we are changing those plans. Andy’s health doesn’t afford him the same energy and ability it once did, so we are not going to have our annual holiday party – the first time in almost twenty years we’re not throwing one. (We came close to missing one a few years ago, when a winter snowstorm and a kitchen renovation allowed for only about two guests to make it, but it still technically took place.) This has been a year of change, so I’m going with the flow and taking it out of holiday rotation in the hopes that it will allow Andy to attend our Boston Children’s Holiday Hour, which will include the twins for the first time. I’ve already hung stockings for the four of us in hopes that St. Nicholas soon will be there.

To spice things up further and add some extra pizzazz to our 5th annual gathering of the children (eventually the name will need to be changed as some of these kids are entering their teen years) I’ve incorporated some new decorating schemes, including a curtain that now provides a hidden little alcove for those who need some time away from the hustle and the bustle. (Should I decide to vacate the area someone else may be able to try it out.) It does a neat hat-trick of dividing the common area of the condo, adding some intimacy to a space that otherwise lacks any sort of privacy. (The bedroom will be reserved for Andy to rest and relax in, which is for the better anyway, especially given the fact that a couple of years ago the kids decided to horse around and knock a candle and all its wax onto the curtains and carpet.)

As for the rest of this tradition, it’s staying true to what is has always been: a chance near the end of the run-up to Christmas to stop in, say hello, have some hot chocolate and marshmallows, and be on the merry way to further Boston adventures. The city is endlessly enchanting at this time of the year.

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When Handsomeness Runs Deep

The faces and bodies that so many of us put forth on our social media accounts is usually not the reality of the situation. It makes sense – why show off anything less than perfection when it’s within the realm of photoshopped possibility? That’s resulted in a dangerous disconnect, however, between what the world thinks of us versus what we feel about ourselves. Simon Dunn, seen in his glory here, here, here, and here has recently been bravely defying the notion that our Instagram accounts are entirely indicative of who we are. He made a powerful post revealing what he had been going through, and it was striking both in its honesty and the way it upended all that some of us had thought of him.

“The online persona I show you is all photoshoots, parties and magazine covers. This hasn’t always been entirely the truth. Earlier this year, I found myself back in Australia, living in a country town in my mother’s spare room and financially broke.

Having to rebuild my life at the time felt like a monumental task. I honestly didn’t think I could do it. I stopped looking after myself, drinking most weekends away, stopped training, all things which compounded the low point I was in. It honestly felt all the years of hard work had only led me back to where I began. For the first time in my life I’d felt anxiety, which was something new, scary and very overwhelming at times…

The Simon you see online is the Simon I want you to see, may it be my pride or the influence of social media, but it’s not always as it seems. Life is a series of ups and downs, just remember – there’s always light at the end of the tunnel no matter how dark it may seem!” Simon Dunn

It’s a vital reminder that even the most seemingly perfect people can use a check-in now and then. It doesn’t need to be a full-blown intervention or 5000-word hand-written letter – just a simple reaching out to ask how someone is doing can make a difference. The world needs more of that – and much more of Mr. Dunn in all his inspiring form.

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Swatching Gender Signifiers

Swatch watches were all the rage when I was in 7thgrade. It was the dawning of my sartorial awakening, when I first started to pay attention and refine my sense of fashion. I’d already had a few quirks and skirmishes with what I liked to wear versus what I was expected to wear versus what everyone else was wearing. I longed to fit in just as much as I wished to stand out, to be part of something as much as being popular for being different. The right Swatch would be a sign of status, and a sign of knowing what was in style. I just had to find the right one.

Studying the Swatch catalog, I pored over the more colorful selections – and on each page they showed one large one paired with one smaller one. I didn’t even know that the difference was that one was meant for men and one was meant for women – that’s how young and uncultured I was. The ways of the watch were as foreign as the gender connotations attached to each. Maybe that’s also how genius and untouched by cultural sexist norms and restrictions I was as well. Such gender distinctions were not part of my cultural vocabulary. If I liked something it had nothing to do with whether it was designed for a man or a woman. (And everything I liked tended to be traditionally feminine.) Children don’t see such things until society imposes its ugly and onerous design.

When it came to choosing which Swatch I wanted, part of me was drawn to the garish Harajuku models of mashed up colors and designs – the gaudy embodiment of the neon-saturated 1980’s – but I worried that such a selection would not wear well with the passing of time. For all my budding love of crazy colors and flamboyant statements, I was (and remain) a pretty simple guy when it comes to everyday accessories, particularly for something like a watch. A simple black option, with a white face and simple numbers in the smaller size was what I ended up choosing. I liked the smaller one because it fit my slender stick of a wrist better. It was also more elegant and unobtrusive, and would work with any and every outfit.

Like my first and only pair of saddle shoes, I was excited to wear it. That excitement was short-lived, as a classmate asked if it was a women’s watch. I couldn’t tell if she was making fun of me – she had only the slightest smile which I couldn’t determine to be sinister or sweet, and I didn’t know what to say. She left it alone when I said I just liked it better than the big one. But the shame spread over my reddened face regardless, and, more insidiously, crept into my heart where it took root and sent out an invasive vine of inhibition and shyness, like some pretty but destructive wisteria. It joined similar vines, intertwining and creating an impenetrable mess. I’ve never forgotten that moment. There aren’t many times in life when you can actually experience and realize the end of childhood innocence as it’s happening, but that was one of mine.

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Tiny Threads: An Insignificant Series

Food Network holiday cooking championships have filled the void left long ago by those classic Christmas cartoons

{See also Hunk of the Day Jesse Palmer.}

#TinyThreads

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Tom Ford in Pink & Fuchsia

Holiday gift idea alert!

Tom Ford just added two of my favorite colors to his underwear line and just in time for the Christmas gift-giving season: fuchsia and pink. I was going to go for the boxer briefs since it’s almost winter, but at this price point I’ll allow for the briefs since it shaves some dollars off. Size small will work, as these run extra big, and I’m doing my best to lose a few pounds. This would be the ultimate incentive. Again, first choice is fuchsia, second is pale pink. I’ll even take them in red if the pink shades are gone. See, I’m totally flexible. {Order here.}

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An Early Recap of Gratitude

Kira and I held our first Friendsgiving in Boston this past weekend – a pleasant reminder that we can still start new traditions even at our advancing age. Having both been through a few things this past year, mostly we were just thankful to be together again, and when I hugged her goodbye, I held it a little longer than I usually do. I may or may not write a more detailed post on what we did – nothing too spectacular, but that’s the beauty of our time together – what’s simple is true, and good. At this time of the season, and in such a roller-coaster of a year, we arrived at a few major and sobering realizations, but that’s another story for another time. For now, feast your eyes upon some pretty berries we found along the way, and indulge in this weekly recap as our holiday season takes off. A lot can happen in a single week… good and bad.

First, the fall went up in flames.

A glimpse of my ass in the front door

Pineapple upside down disaster.

November chill.

Licking the cream off my finger. 

Shirtless male celebrities & some Speedos

The big event was our trip to Savannah, which began in bittersweet fashion, haunted with its charm and beauty, and concluded on an ambivalent note

Vivacious Enchiladas Verdes via Pati Jinich.

A meme fit for Andy.

Madonna breaks her own record.

A few choice words from a favorite author.

A variation on Gram’s walnut cookies ushered in the holiday season in quiet yet sweet form.

Hunks of the Day included Thomas Doherty, Fabio Fognini, Jamie Dominic, and Sam Heughan.

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German Gram, Mexican Wedding Cookies

My grandmother wasn’t the greatest cook, according to my Mom and, later in life, agreed upon by me. Like everyone, however, she had a few signatures that we loved. I loved her apple pies and walnut cookies. As I got older, I came to appreciate her pecan pies too. (She also made a killer kielbasa, but if you put a kielbasa in the oven, what’s to stop it from getting done?) Out of this rather thin list, I savored the walnut cookies the most. They signified the holidays, and Gram would put them in cookie tins, line them with foil, and cover them with basically an entire bag of powdered sugar. As she got older, the cookies got bigger and bigger. She earned the right to do that, to say to hell with rolling a bazillion balls and just making three or four marge ones, shoving them in the oven, tossing on a bag of sugar and calling it a Christmas cookie collection.

When I was in Savannah last I found a cookbook that had a recipe for Mexican Wedding Cookies. Not quite sure how they fit into Savannah, aside from the pecans, but there was butter and sugar and almond extract and how can that go wrong? I didn’t realize how similar they were to Gram’s walnut cookies, but when I popped one in my mouth it brought back a wave of happy memories.

They may not be much to look at, but that was Gram’s style. Simple, humble, unassuming, no-nonsense. And oh how good they tasted – it was a beauty that belied their simplicity, a grace that transcended their material shell. It was a lovely little entry into this year’s holiday season. 

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Words of a Colin

Writer Colin Harrison has provided plenty of resonant inspiration during my march to manhood (spoiler alert: I’m still marching) and this excerpt is no exception. Just a little something to see you through the noon hour…

Such men believe in luck, they watch for signs, and they conduct private rituals that structure their despair and mark their waiting. They are relatively easy to recognize but hard to know, especially during the years when a man is most dangerous to himself, which begins at about age thirty-five, when he starts to tally his losses as well as his wins, and ends at about fifty, when, if he has not destroyed himself, he has learned that the force of time is better caught softly, and in small pieces. Between those points, however, he’d better watch out, better guard against the dangerous journey that beckons to him -the siege, the quest, the grandiosity, the dream. ~ Colin Harrison 

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Give Her a Record, She’ll Break It

Say whatever ageist, sexist, misogynistic shit you want about Madonna, her legacy has already been carved in stone, and she’s been making new etches as we speak. She just earned her self-record-breaking 49th#1 Billboard Dance Club Song with ‘Crave‘ off the magnificent ‘Madame X’ opus, so spin on that for a bit. Let’s revisit the long list of dance floor hits that the Lady has enjoyed and see how many have popped up on the Madonna Timeline thus far.

1983~ Holiday/Lucky Star

1984~ Like a Virgin

1985~ Material Girl

1985~ Angel/Into the Groove

1987~ Open Your Heart

1987~ Causing a Commotion

1988~ You Can Dance (LP Cuts)

1989~ Like a Prayer

1989~ Express Yourself

1990~ Keep It Together

1990~ Vogue

1991~ Justify My Love

1992~ Erotica

1993~ Deeper and Deeper  

1993~ Fever

1994~ Secret

1995~ Bedtime Story

1997~ Don’t Cry for Me Argentina

1998~ Frozen

1998~ Ray of Light

1999~ Nothing Really Matters

1999~ Beautiful Stranger

2000~ American Pie

2000~ Music

2001~ Don’t Tell Me

2001~ What It Feels Like for a Girl 

2001~ Impressive Instant

2002~ Die Another Day

2003~ American Life

2003~ Hollywood

2003~ Me Against the Music, Britney Spears featuring Madonna

2004~ Nothing Fails

2004~ Love Profusion

2005~ Hung Up

2006~ Sorry

2006~ Get Together

2006~ Jump

2008~ 4 Minutes, Madonna & Justin Timberlake

2008~ Give It 2 Me

2009~ Celebration  

2012~ Give Me All Your Luvin’

2012~ Girl Gone Wild

2012~ Turn Up the Radio

2015~ Living for Love

2015~ Ghosttown

2015~ Bitch I’m Madonna

2019~ Medellin, Madonna & Maluma

2019~ I Rise

2019~ Crave, Madonna & Swae Lee

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That Was When, This Is Wow

Sometimes a meme says it all.

I can’t say I quite remember 1975, given that it was the year I was born. 

Does anyone remember anything prior to four or five?

The 80’s are when my memories began being made. 

But Andy recalls 1975 quite fondly, and I know he pulled hijinks like this. 

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Green Glory: Verde Vivacious

From a major kitchen failure to this grand kitchen triumph, my cooking journey this past week has been filled with ups and downs. The healthy route and almond flour trail led to somewhere abysmal, wasting a perfectly good pineapple and a pretty plate in the process. This endeavor – Enchiladas Verdes in a tomatillo sauce- is a recipe from Pati Jinich, and she has always proven a fail-proof inspiration.

I’ve never been one to order enchiladas when out, but when I saw the ease of preparing this dish on Pati’s Mexican Table, I decided to give it a whirl. It worked out wonderfully. Check it out on her website here, and I’ll give a few pointers on what worked for me.

I got up a little earlier than usual to do the chicken part of it. If that can be done before work, the rest is much easier. By the time I hopped in the shower, the chicken had been boiled and shredded and stored in the fridge. In the past I failed to get the chicken out of the boiling water on time, choosing to play it super-safe and letting it get all sorts of tough. A good ten to fifteen minutes for a couple of chicken breasts works well – and I find that a lower boil works better than a furious one. I used breasts with the bones and the skin on for extra flavor – the stock is so much better that way.

 

When I got home from work, I assembled the tomatillo sauce. A food processr is the recommended method of blending it all together, but I’ve been using an immersion blender because it’s so much easier to clean. (Or so I’m told – you think I can cook AND clean? Please.) The recipe calls for 2 serrano chili peppers, but one is more than enough heat for me. The full cup of cilantro might seem excessive, especially for those not fans of the herb, but it’s vital here, and I realized that so many previous dishes I’ve tried may have suffered due to a reticence to go full-in on my cilantro portions. The more the merrier.

For the corn tortillas, do not omit the flash oil-frying step. It will toughen up the tortillas making them strong enough to handle their filling and surrounding sauce. Plus it adds another layer of decadent flavor.

Don’t be afraid that there is too much sauce – there won’t be. The enchiladas should basically be swimming in it, as they will absorb some and are designed to be soaked in all that gloriousness. The topping of queso fresco and cream is, of course, my favorite part.

Another winning dinner experience courtesy of Pati Jinich, who has yet to let me down. I think I’m ready to try her Sanborns’ Swiss Chicken Enchiladas recipe next… stay tuned.

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The Family in Savannah ~ Part Three

“The writer operates at a peculiar crossroads where time and place and eternity somehow meet. His problem is to find that location.” ~ Flannery O’Connor

On our last full day in Savannah we did what tired tourists do ~ hopped on a tour bus and let that do the walking work for us. It’s the easiest way to see the highlights of a city, and when you have elderly parents, and your own legs are in middle-aged fatigue, and your husband has pushed through to be with you this weekend despite his pain and hurt, you get on the bus and do your best to enjoy it. The day was chilly, even in the sun, so it was better to be inside the bus, even after a few riders insisted on raising the plastic windows and letting the wind in. We saw the bulk of Savannah and all of its greatest hits.

The tour brought us to early afternoon, when Andy and our parents retired to the hotel for one last siesta. I went back out and found my way to Forsyth Park, where I sat down on a bench and started writing my friend Alissa a note.

What a silly thing to do ~ to write to a friend who was no longer here. But it was all I knew ~ it’s all I have ever known ~ and as I sat there thinking about our years together, a squirrel hopped onto the bench across from me. A friendly, if skittish, visitor to remind me that life somehow will go on.  It was only the start of how I’m going to process this.

Seeking peace in beauty, I walked to the Telfair Academy, one of the oldest art museums in the Southeast. It was where ‘Bird Girl’ was on display, after the popularity of its original location in Bonaventure Cemetery proved too much for the sacredness of the place. I found her, alone in her room on this last afternoon in Savannah, and I sat with her for a moment, just the two of us, strangely on our own.

“Loneliness is not being alone, it’s loving others to no avail.” ~ John Berendt

For our last dinner in Savannah, we rode to the river, where Andy had the best plate of fried green tomatoes on our last trip here. He wanted to share them with Mom and Dad, and as the Georgia Queen sailed into the night, rows of lights illuminating the river, we enjoyed a dinner of Southern specialties. Mom then delivered the news that for the first time in forty-four years we would not be spending Christmas Eve at my childhood home, but at my brother’s house. It had been an emotionally exhausting week and I didn’t have it in me to question why. Maybe it’s time. The universe was signaling more change. Fighting it is harder than going with the flow. And after all that had happened, a Christmas Eve change of venue seems a silly thing to be hurt about. It’s never too late, or too early, to start new traditions. I may start a few of my own. 

Our flight was early the next morning. An unexpectedly bittersweet trip, Savannah still managed to work its magic. 

In the glossy leaves of a magnolia.

In the sweetness of a praline.

In the perfume of a gardenia.

In the trickle of an unseen fountain, flowing behind a brick wall lined with creeping fig, softened by sprigs of baby ferns…

“Anybody who has survived his childhood has enough information about life to last him the rest of his days.” ~ Flannery O’Connor
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The Family in Savannah ~ Part Two

“To know oneself is, above all, to know what one lacks. It is to measure oneself against Truth, and not the other way around. The first product of self-knowledge is humility . . .” ~ Flannery O’Connor

On that first night in Savannah, it rained and turned cooler. The world was changed. When we woke for a breakfast at Clary’s, the rain had just stopped. Water clung to the leaves and flowers, and the resurrection ferns had greened and lifted their fronds into the cool air. Hope and sadness intertwined, as it did in the weighty history of the city whose squares and ancient stones we walked upon. I was lucky to be with three of my favorite people ~ Andy and Mom and Dad ~ and together we did our best to make the most of our trip.

Spanish moss hung from most of the trees, a visual treat for Andy, who did his best to capture the effect with his camera. Mom and Dad slowly strolled through the squares as we made our way to a tour of the Mercer House. Early in the day, before the crowds arrived, this area was quiet and peaceful. It was exactly what we needed ~ a soft entry into the historical riches that were stored all over Savannah.

Tired from the walking and the tour, Dad wanted to head back to the hotel, and after sitting for a bit in a nearby square, we all ended up taking an afternoon break. A siesta is one of the greatest luxuries of a proper vacation. Andy and I took a nap as well, and when we woke the sun was well on its way down for the evening.

That night we had the greatest dinner of our trip ~ at The Olde Pink House. Easily the best Savannah restaurant we have been to yet, it was a magical night ~ a balmy antidote to the intrusion of all the serious concerns that getting older entailed. Our wonderful server Anjail was a highlight of the meal, guiding us to some of her favorite dishes and recommendations, and we followed every bit of her advice, to happy results.

I’ve always been thankful for my family and my husband, and never more-so than on this night. We didn’t want it to end, so we splurged on a couple of pieces of chocolate pecan pie. A contented sigh that could only be found in Savannah…

“Accepting oneself does not preclude an attempt to become better.” ~ Flannery O’Connor

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