Biscuit Day #552

Last Biscuit of the Year!

I give you….the last biscuit of the year!

Aaaaaannddd it’s gone. It was wonderful.

Man, I’m so grateful that I can enjoy this time of year, what we used to call Christmas Squalor (trademark Sasha Rubel) and now we call Christmas Languor. As we count out the Twelve Days of Christmas and continue to enjoy the tree and the Christmas music and my lights, I feel lucky. I’ve never understood how people can take the tree down and move on from Christmas so quickly but of course that’s because I enjoy it so much. I think it would give me whiplash to end it so quickly, but I know these holidays are hard for many. Me? I couldn’t possibly give up the lights of the holidays, both literal and figurative so soon. I need them until the days get longer. And honestly? Even then I’m in no rush.

The other night Ernie got up to go to the bathroom and I saw him pause at the window as he looked out. So I popped my head up to look out and there was SNOW. I couldn’t stop chortling and chatting when Ernie came back to bed. He is a very patient man. Just look how pretty my lights looked.

Ernie and I have been rewatching The West Wing. The other night there was an episode, I think it was their second inauguration, and Stockard Channing (damn, she’s cool), the First Lady, was wearing a muff. “SHE’S WEARING A MUFF,” I crowed. I used to have a muff back in the day. I remember when I found it. Eileen and I were wandering in Rogers Park and there used to be a vintage store up close to Howard. It was one of those buildings that comes to a point at a diagonal intersection. They had a big back room that was costume rentals. OMG. It’s still there!!! I love Google maps. Lost Eras. Wow, that makes me happy. Anyway, Eileen and I were wandering and ended up there and found a muff. Well, of course I had to buy it. I LOVED it. I would wear my grandfather’s old tweed coat and tuck my hands in that muff. Winter. Rogers Park. Chicago. I can just feel the shiver from the cold and the warmth as I tucked my hands in that little fur muff. Oh, it all comes back. My mother didn’t mind the muff, but she wasn’t so wild about me wearing Grandpa’s coat.

I was so excited when I saw the muff on The West Wing that I kept talking about it. Ernie said, “Well, you can find one in any hotel room,” and I just stared at him. I tried to decide if that was some kind of vulgar joke. Then he said “you know, Gideon bibles.” We both stared at each other, paused the tv and eventually realized we’d been talking over each other and not listening to one another. Evidently The West Wing had moved on to talking about bibles but I had stayed stuck in my Rogers Park reminiscing. We giggled and hit play. Marriage in a nutshell. We’re just lucky we’re able to hit pause, figure it out, and giggle.

I sometimes think of my sister Judi when I watch West Wing. She loved that show. I don’t even know why I remember that but I do. Judi was a romantic (as everybody in my was/is) and that show is nothing if not romantic. Judi and I often liked the same shows. Ernie actually hated watching tv with us as we’d both give loud shrieks or moans whenever we thought it was appropriate and that tended to be quite often. He found it rather loud. One time she convinced us to watch some movie (which I won’t name as it has all sorts of good reviews and won some Emmys) and after a bit we looked at her and Ernie said, “uhh, this is awful.” We all howled with laughter and for years all we had to do was bring it up and we would laugh and laugh and laugh.

On a more unpleasant note, we have had a slight outbreak of flies in our house. It would be merely annoying except it’s DECEMBER which makes it VERY annoying. What are they doing here….in DECEMBER? We had a couple of 60 degree days (equally weird in December) and all of a sudden…flies. Big, fat, juicy black flies. Where did they come from? Our house has been warmer than 60 degrees, so outside? How did so many get in? Why, why, why? We had to break out the sticky window things…which are horrific but effective.

Ok, enough of that. Now, here is a non wonderful picture of an unassuming meal.

I am here to tell you however, it was absolutely perfect. The right food at the right moment. First, the pasta wasn’t overcooked, it’s just that gluten-free pasta breaks easily. Second, this is another one of those greater than the sum of its parts things. Over the holidays we ate so many rich things and too much chocolate (I swear I’ve eaten more chocolate in the past week or two than in my entire life…ok, probably untrue but you know what I mean) and we just wanted something simple. It’s our standard spaghetti, our standard anchovy paste and red pepper flakes (perhaps a few extra flakes), a little butter, a little parmesan and a handful of mixed greens. So simple, but it felt so clean and so satisfying. Ernie FTW yet again.

Lastly, on this 365th day of the year, I want to thank everybody for reading this. Particularly to those of you that have followed me to Substack. A seemingly simple move but it was a big deal to me. Thank you to all that have subscribed for free. I hope you keep reading and sharing this (and sure, I hope I can convince you to do the $5 a month thing some day). Thank you so much to everyone that has a paid subscription. I can’t tell you what a boost every single one is to me. Oh, and you Shining Star subscribers who signed up for $100 or more, well, you really are shining stars.

Thank you to all.

Happy New Year.

Onward to 2024!

Love,
Cynthia