SEP’ 20

12

 After the unexpected snowfall this past Tuesday-Wednesday, we've had some spectacular autumnal weather- chilly mornings, sunny warm days with a cool breeze, and ever darker evenings. We've started to light candles at dinner again- I am using one leftover from last winter so I've ordered some more- just in time for Rosh Hashanah!

I am wearing a big cozy cardigan. Too big and loose in all the wrong places (on me, not the models) but it's ethically-made with cotton yarn and my vanity cannot resist its soft, warm embrace.

We had a delicious start to the day. On most days, we manage to wake up about an hour to a half hour before Willa gets up and is allowed to leave her room. (We set her alarm for 6:30 am and she waits mostly quietly in her room until the alarm light changes from yellow to green.) Today, Davis got up first and set about making tea. I could tell from the kitchen noises when the tea had been poured and roused myself from bed then. I slipped on my cardigan and slippers and made my way over to the couch. I turned on the lamp. I looked out the windows and saw that the sun was already rising and I know we have roughly thirty minutes before Willa is up. Once ensconced on the couch, I pulled a blanket into my lap and reached for my morning book: On Learning to Read. I found my place and jumped right back in and it set my mind on fire. I am often lost in thought as I read. I cannot help but connect what I am reading to my own experiences. And, I am also imagining what I would do differently with Willa. Davis brought me my mug of tea. Then, we're both on the couch reading in silence. At the appointed time, Willa came out of her room, looking endearingly disheveled. She's got her horrendous pink, glittery unicorn in her arms. We shifted around a bit as she climbed up onto the couch under the blanket and just lay on me for a while. I savor the quiet minute during which she will allow me to snuggle her before she really starts talking and wiggling around. We did this until it felt like we should all get up and get ready for the day. Davis takes the initiative to make breakfast while I supervise Willa's mornings chores. A breakfast of scrambled eggs with chives from the garden, hash browns, and fruit salad were ready when I just got done putting in a load of laundry.

Now, Davis and Willa are out of the house. They're picking up Willa's friend, a 6th grader who lives in the neighborhood, and, then, heading out to Babette's and Sunflower Farm for the morning. Willa's going to have such a fantastic time. Meanwhile, I am going to finish my writing before I get the house ready and cook for my mother-in-law’s 75th birthday! The menu is Italian so that we can make the most of the abundance of eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers, etc. that have taken over our kitchen counters- on account of the massive harvest we did before the snow earlier this week. I finished making the cake yesterday- a tiramisu ice cream bombe. I lined the bombe mold with slices of an almond biscuit swiss roll cake with a milk chocolate-mousse filling, brushed it with an espresso-Kahlua syrup. Then, I filled it with a layer of homemade mascarpone ice cream (spiked with dark rum) and coffee ice cream (spiked with Kahlua). After sampling a few spoonfuls of each ice cream, I swear, I got a little buzzed so...unfortunately, Willa is not going to be allowed to have any. Instead, she's going to pick something up at Babette's to have when it's time for cake. Today, I've got to prepare eggplant parmesan (a favorite of Judy's), an antipasto salad, bruschetta, and grilled Italian sausages and peppers.