In My Element

I have the day off and I am in my element.

I went out around 10 am and finished my holiday shopping. People all around me, whether regular folk standing in line at some mega-retail palace or shopkeepers or cab drivers or bums...they were cheerful and joyful and delightful. Everyone seemed buoyant and happy. I spent the day prepared to break into song/dance. It was very pleasant.

There's the holiday dance with The Aunts tomorrow so I immediately set to my tasks. I made homemade sugar cookies and decorated them as holiday wreaths. I made enough to pack a batch for my neighbors in apartment 4B. They are odd folks but sweet people and even odd sweet people deserve embellished sugar cookies for the holidays.

And because The Aunts usually serve six courses of root vegetables and dried out turkey, I decided to introduce a starch: Julia Child's version of Potato Au Gratin. Hello grueyre my old friend. Fang was practically drooling when it came out of the oven and I had to slap his hand away when he was tempted to pick at the top layer. He seems to like it; I know it will be good. OK, I tried it. It is very good.

I cracked a bottle of Chandon Blancs de Noir and watched the classic "White Christmas" on AMC. That film makes me want to move to Vermont even more.

I'm in my happiest place ever tonight. I wish you all the very best.

Happy holidays all.