Weekend Ponderings...Fathers

Tucked deep under the duvet covers with the wind again swirling loudly outside (I think it may be the Grigal wind this time coming from the North East). They say the grigal wind can drive you mad  and I almost believe it.  It bellows and bashes the house and the plants in the courtyard, the trees and the rat ta ta tatting of clothes nearly whipped off the line.  The sound makes you feel you are lost at sea amid plummeting waves... such dramatic noises of movement  that you can hardly find the stillness of sleep no matter how badly you want it.

.... so unable to find sleep I read.

David J. and Linda A. Cornfield

Amid the bed covers (thankfully the children with their pa at my inlaws),  I was able to get lost in a book... this time I was amid spoiled boys in the streets of Havana before the Batista was overthrown... a good story so far... descriptive quirky details about the characters especially the father, the oversized porcelain collecting judge who believed he was King Louis XVI in a past life. Hours later sitting eating soup, listening to Orhan Pamuk reading My Russian Education by Nabokov on the Ipod, I am taken somewhere else- this time to sleigh-rides in St. Petersburg.. long chess games in a dark library and again fathers, larger than life and just out of reach... again the nostalgia.

Does every man hold on to a memory of their father in such a way... does it change when they become a father themselves? Is there something slightly untouchable about the memory of our fathers that we have from early childhood? What are some early good memories you have of your father?

Little friends

Happy Friday

Call it karma, call it fate, call it having been coughed on many many times by the children over the last few weeks (the best is when you are zipping up a coat and get it full blast in the face). Am down with the flu, destructo at my side (who has just informed me she has washed her hands in the toilet )if I understood her mumbling rambling correctly.. lucky for me she woke up with a double dose of energy this morning.

Can't wait for nap time.

Busy adding rocks to the artichokes... (not exactly in the mood to cook them today).
Spotted by the Mr.
for those that may need a little something to make them smile today, or this.

At times

I so wish I had a wood shop at my disposal..... would certainly be attempting to make these blocks myself as the price is just a bit steep. But how fun would they be to play with!!??
* my father for a good part of my life was a woodworker and so in addition to wanting to do some building myself with wood I do have a real soft spot for the smell of saw dust.

My kind of store

Still plan one of these days to take some photos of the creative names you find on the front of beauticians and hair salons here- and there are many (perhaps as many as churches per village).

This post is some weeks overdue and I apologise.
 I was given 3 blog awards in the second week of December.

Am flattered and want to thank those who have given me the awards,

Zen, fellow Maltese blogger with a great deal of local history and knowledge of the Maltese islands. Angela from Reflections in Canada with a Maltese twist.

and Les Voyagers the lovely illustration blog of Maia Larkin.

To keep up the good will and gratitude I would like to pass on an award to these three blogs:

Caremel carmelo - for her calming, peaceful and beautiful blog
Return to bohemia for her wit and humour, am almost always moved to laughter or inspiration.
 Dim sum, bagels and crawfish a fellow gypsy mom in the Mediterranean, lovely photos and great links.

Because the Honest scrap award has been making the rounds,  those receiving this award from me please feel free to write or not write ten honest truths about yourself but please do choose at least 3 blogs you like that you would like to pass on the Honest scrap award to.

Past the artichoke fields

Our Sunday stroll today was through a valley known as Pwales, and the meandering little path started out by winding around a field of blooming artichokes,  'qaqocc' in Maltese. Guess the season is upon us here, have never before seen them growing in a field. Will have to start searching for good recipes.

The path wove past fennel as tall as I am, a small bamboo forest, twisted carob trees and a few old abandoned houses (tempted to move in, how could you resist with a front door looking out on a green valley and a path to groves of cedar forests five min walk away).

Tramuntana

Originally Tramontana was what I had wanted to call this blog, for not only the sound it makes when it rolls out of your mouth but  also for it's meaning, the wind from the north, often specifically meaning from the mountains.  Most often here though it refers to a cold strong wind (like there is encirlcing and beating at the windows of our little stone house today). It also has another meaning though, that of an outsider of things from the other side of the  mountains.
It is an angry fretful wind today and as the older two children head off to the panto with their grandmother and auntie I am happy to have a quiet day in with little Destructo.

*side note -- one of my favourite things about the Maltese language is that it has specific names for all the winds (I think there are six) each with it's own personality.

To new beginnings

Happy New Year

Time to write

I think something inside me is calling out to write some letters, a lost forgotten art these days when emails and skyping and face book comments take but a minute or two. Letter and cards are different though, they can be savoured later, whereas who really goes back and rereads an email from a year or years ago.
I came across this shop today (Screech owl) and ohhh there is nothing like fun stationary.

Boxing day

Boxing day strolls, bit of flower picking.

This unusually warm weather (even for Malta standards) isn't all bad.

Time to get ready for the new year

Am rather liking this calendar found here on etsy. July and October have me. September too for that matter.

Happy Holidays

The smalls are enjoying their gingerbread house (it is being nibbled on hourly with or without permission) even with its wonky upside down roof. Happy coffee sipping moments watching the wee ones play amid airplanes, trains and play dough ice cream  . The Mr. is convinced he has swine flu and is still not better.

Hope you too are able to find some peace and happiness this holiday season.

Getting closer

Finished the last stocking! Here it is and as promised cookie recipe number two.
Hazelnut Crescents  
(this was taken from my mothers much used old Swedish cookbook)
115 grams butter (8 Tbs)
60 grams sugar (1/3 cup)
1 egg yolk
100 grams ground hazelnuts (1/2 cup)
125 grams white plain flour (1 and 1/4 cup) 
3 Tbs vanilla sugar (not common in the us so I never include this but sometimes ad a dash of vanillla essence). 

Cream butter with sugar, add flour and nuts and then make a log with your hands, cut evenly into 1 inch sections and make each into a crescent.
Bake 10 min or until lightly brown at 350 F / 180 C

Once cookies are cool dip into the melted chocolate (heated in a  double boiler above water)
or alternatively dust with powdered sugar.

*as soon as the children recovered from being sick, someone's husband got sick, is it me or are men sometimes a wee bit dramatic when they get sick? It's one thing letting them sleep and dealing with all else and another to make hot tea or a get a cup of cold water ..when they are sitting at the table right there two feet from the Brita. Trying to stay nice and understanding, but I seem to remember a few weeks ago being sick myself and having to carry on, looking after kids, making meals etc. sigh..in sickness and in health.
* * getting closer refers to not only the christmas holiday but after having a wee tif with the before mentioned sick person, we talked and seem to be a little closer again.

Story time

The sledge stopped at last before Poppy's house. Her mother stood at the door and welcomed her."You're back at last". 
And Poppy told her mother about all her adventures and the wonderful things that had happened.


Perhaps, one day , you too can ride on a sleigh to the Snow Kingdom. 

from the book The story of the Snow Children by Sibylle von Olfers.
Nothing like getting lost in a good story at this time of year.

Stockings

Two down, one to go, maybe next year will do some for the 'big people'  or should it be kept just for the children? For the slightly melancholy leaning (and open to a folky interpretation) Sufjan Steven's christmas albums have won me over this year. To taste a wee bit click here.

Friendships

Phew, busy week here! Must give a brief update, the bed did get remade just in time (and I did have that glass of wine that evening) and we had a really lovely weekend with our friends. Which is what brings me to today's ponderings, that being the joys found in friendships but this time from the perspective of a mom witnessing the bonds children create with eachother. This weekend seeing how smoothly my son fell back into synch with his old friend (keep in mind he is only 5 years old) was heart warming to witness. After not having seen eachother in almost  two years it was unexpected the way the boys picked up just where they left off as if they had never been apart. The sign of a real friendship in my mind, for although both now live in different countries T in Malta and L in Italy they have enough in common that they seemed to have plenty to talk about.  They met as 6 wk olds on a summer day when we lived in England 5 years ago, breastfeeding under a shady tree. You just never know in life how or when you will meet someone who can become so dear and how this starts even at a young age. From cards, races, legos and tent building, bear hunting to sleep over pillow fights and endless giggles they were like exhausted happy puppies by the end of the weekend when it was time to say good bye. T was sad and whistful in a way I have rarely seen him the following day, and insisted on drawing L. pictures and beginning on preparing to send a parcel to Italy, (he also has taken to drawing maps, (which now prominently include Italy and Malta). Isn't it a delight when you meet a kindred spirit and low and behold your children also find a connection!
Lastly some recipes as I have received quite a few emails
first is the dipped figs and the mulled wine but I did make it and it was very good. I did not include the lime but did include everything else.

 Chocolate dipped figs 
8-12 Figs
1/2-3/4 cup Brandy
dark chocolate
1/2 cup walnuts

step 1. Make one small 2 cm incision on side of figs and place in a bowl, cover with brandy and set aside for a few hours to overnight.
step 2. Stuff each fig with some walnut pieces (you can toast the walnuts first) and form each so sitting on a plate.
step 3. Melt chocolate in a double boiler,  dip each fig (holding fig by the tip so it's important you don't cut the top parts off).
once they are all dipped place in fridge and when hardened put in covered container.

and here is the mulled wine recipe I used (honestly a really nice one) I think the key thing is making the syrup and the fact that his recipe uses tangerine peel,star anis  and bay leaf (who would have thought bay?!) so thank you Jamie Oliver.

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/other-recipes/jamie-s-mulled-wine

Christmas Baking

Christmas cookies, chocolate dipped brandy soaked figs and St. Lucia Rolls
Mulled wine with local oranges and christmas spices
Friends candles small sweet gifts
late night tea side talks
There are so many rich comforting moments to be had at this season

I remember in Norway there was a word kose sig (am completely misspelling it) but the idea behind the word was to 'cosy yourself'  and that is just what I love about this time of year.
* (email me if you want any recipes for the above sweets or a very good recipe for Mulled wine).

oh my

Almost everything ready, toys put away (every last teeny lego) , books in place, house swept, mopped and almost nearly all the mirrors and windows(particularly the big sliding doors in the kitchen that on a daily basis become the focus of indoor outdoor smushed faces) ...almost made it when ...  15 min before rushing off to the airport to pick up guests I notice as  I grab the last sewing pile off the guest bed red crayon lines ( loooong ones) across the middle of the sky blue comforter cover. Then I flick back the covers to discover that my son, the five year old who was home sick the other day with a cough and who had a 'nap' in that same room decided under the covers was a good place to sharpen all of his coloured pencils... so not only are there streaks of red across the cover and little bits of coloured pencils all over the inside but I don't have time to wash and dry another queen size white sheet.No dryer here just the roof top.  This is less than an hour after as I was putting wine glasses away I miscalculated the cupboard top and shattered one - which then sprinkled down all over my face and onto the girls having a picnic under the kitchen table.
One of those days.
 All three kids home sick, and if one is not asking me to 'fix' the binoculars string(it comes loose every 3 min), the other is asking for more paper and maybe some sparkly glue and some chocolate and can we pleeeaaase open number 12 on the advent calendar the other is demanding that I find those two (teeny tiny) lego pieces of which he desperately need s to make a helicopter propeller ( I have absolutely no clue in which toy box I tossed them). Breath, keep calm
...off to the airport!

May you all be having a better Friday then I.
by the way destructo's ever so pleasant way of asking for help as regards the string is thus
FIX ITTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!
FIX IT
FIX IT
FIX IT
until I do it ... which is about every 3 min.
(she does say thank you)

Winter in Malta

Winter has been far nicer this year then last (it was not just that I was totally stressed out with papers, presentations and teaching practice) but it seemed to be cold, damp and rainy all the time (you so miss central heating when you are wearing a coat and scarf in a lecture). This year it's sunny bright and warm. So weekends have been filled with walks in the countryside picking flowers and contemplating camping.

 We even had the romanticised  big family meal out in the country last weekend (out door oven shown in picture below)with large metal pans of roasted pork or potatoes, an old uncle with home made peppered goats cheese and wine. There was also an one old auntie or two equipped with after the meal freshly roasted peanuts and walnuts  (a Maltese tradition is eating nuts after dinner) and of course one or another of the grandmothers appears with chocolate gateau, and fresh brewed coffee with a touch of cloves. These are moments I think that I will hold in my memory when I think of living in Malta. The kids running wild in the tall grasses  and olive groves catching chameleons (who by the way are so very cute .. they move so slowly and really do change colour). Learned something new, (local lore says) you must never put them on something red, I guess it kills them. I was unfortunately wearing red so couldn't let him walk on my arm.

Being the midwesterner girl that I am though I do long for a blizzard, recently one struck the midwest and I admit to having spent a little too long looking longingly at facebook updates of snow covered trees and buried picnic tables. Crazy I know. But it feels very strange to be heading into Christmas time and barely needing a sweater.

 

(these two photos were taken by Deke Rivers of Madison Wisconsin)

shhh wild animals a foot

Christmas sewing happening in these parts. Letting the house ...ahem slip a bit.