Pierogi and Salmon

We hit the jackpot with pierogi this year. In our home it was customary to make Polish pierogis on Christmas eve. We always had potato and cheese along with sauerkraut, cabbage and hamburger. But now we rely on Mrs T’s for every day affairs. They make a great side dish as well. This year our son and daughter in law sent us some very different pierogi from a place in Colorado called Baba & Pops, care of Gold Belly. There were four dozen pierogis - two dozen potato and cheese, one dozen pulled pork, and one dozen tomato, basil and mozzarella. So we tried the pulled pork on Friday night as the main dish. We added a bit of barbecue sauce. It was good, but too much meat - for us. But we should have made fewer and had something else with them. Then on Christmas Eve we decided to stay with the traditional potato and cheese but we mixed them up with some salmon, along with broccoli. All of the pierogis look handmade and we were not disappointed with this batch. We are now looking to trying the “Italian” batch. Rather than try those on Christmas we had a small turkey breast, mashed potatoes and peas. It’s always nice to get consumable gifts. It’s interesting to try different things. In the end we always like our own cooking the best. But this was a great diversion! 

Christmas Eve Day in Georgetown

Since it was too cold to walk outside yesterday we took a turn in the condo garage. It takes about eight times around the three story structure to reach two miles. But it is rather dreary! We always like to take a short ride after the walk but decided to wait until later in the day to see if it would warm up at least a little bit. The sun was brilliant so it seemed better than what it actually was. And since we were getting anxious from being cooped up we decided to give it a whirl. We started out heading in the direction we usually take on a Saturday. But rather than turn right towards Arlington we took the bridge over the Potomac river and drove to Georgetown - a place we haven’t been to for quite some time. There were plenty enough people milling about on M Street - including the Grinch with a big red bag slung over his shoulder. We turned down Wisconsin avenue and saw Martin’s Tavern - famous for the “famous” people who frequented it. We have been there several times for brunch. I actually got my first pair of glasses in DC at Georgetown Optical. The overall vibe always felt like a tourist trap to me, but it is definitely worth seeing. It has all the inconveniences of Capitol Hill which we are all too familiar with. The homes are really lovely but impractical, and obviously much more expensive than we could ever afford. And of course you can’t leave town without checking out the steps made famous in the Exorcist movie where M street and the Key Bridge meet. After that we drove through thee  Palisades down to Clara Barton’s house, then turned around and started home. It was nice way to break up the day since we don’t have any plans to see anyone this weekend. Holidays can be a two edged sword - some are better than others. 

A Thoughtful Gesture, A Christmas Poem

Yesterday a large envelope arrived in the mail. The return address was from someone I knew at work before we moved to DC. I do recall she asked for my address soon after my mom passed away in February saying something about sending a note to remember her. Well, that is what arrived in the mail yesterday. Apparently someone had sent her a poem following her father’s death and the words brought comfort to a grieving daughter during the holiday season. It was a very thoughtful and kind gesture, especially since it was so unexpected. Enclosed was a hard copy of the poem with my mom’s photo - the same photo used in her obituary - and two additional copies to share with my brother and sister. I didn’t read it right away but waited for later in the day. I think about my mom every all the time and wonder how other people react to their loss. Everyone goes through it - which is one of the reasons that makes it tolerable. I don’t particularly care for holidays and this year it’s worse because we don’t have the routine diversions. But I really appreciate the kind gesture. Thanks Shirley. 

Waiting for Santa