The In-Between Days

Buongiorno everyone! (yes, I just woke up)

Pardons for the few days' radio silence there, I was just busy busy, and thought everyone else was probs too. Christmastime is wonderful, isn't it? And yet, somehow one feels in need of vacation afterwards. I need a vacation, if from nothing else, HAM. There's still so much of it. Freezing it today.

Madeline (who has now moved to MySpace, and I don't actually know the address) came down from NYC on Saturday night for Xmas (the night I ended up watching the Christmas Peace at 5 am, while cooking casseroles which are part of the Finnish Christmas foods). She was ravishing in her new boots and her slim NYC shape :)

Sunday morning, the 24th, we watched every muppet-related Christmas video on YouTube, and wrapped Christmas presies. In the afternoon, we visited Andy and Caitlin and opened presents with them, and then came home and had our Christmas Eve dinner. I had smoked a rainbow trout as well, and while it tasted fine, it was filled with tiny tiny bones. The casseroles, though, (rutabaga and potato, respectively) were delish, and the ham was yummy, and as tradition calls, we ate far too much.

Christmas is celebrated in Finland on Christmas Eve, and presents are opened then as well. Madeline had decorated the Christmas tree beautifully, and the packages were underneath. Wilbur and Ariel were looking at the tree expectantly, and they knew they had many packages waiting. Oh, the joy Ariel took in ripping each present! Wilbur, on the other hand, didn't want to open his (he has been told so often that ripping paper is a no-no, that he couldn't stop feeling anxious), so Ariel helped him too, and then they played Tug-of-War and Dissect-the- fluffy-Bunny so that stuffings were flying everywhere: in other words, the presents were a great hit.

Such thoughtful presents! My mom and dad had given me all their presents when my mom was here earlier in the month, and they included a train station clock (not up yet), a pretty shabby chic chandelier, a wrought-iron book stand, and so many other things. If you tell my mom "this year no presents, ok?" she can limit herself to 10 or so. My sister sent Moomin troll Christmas spoons, Winnie-the-Pooh and the Heffalump glasses (!) and DVDs of French films. Katja had made me beautiful white mittens for the winter with her own hands (!) and sent liitulaku, a Finnish candy I have been craving for what feels like years (I didn't even think they made it anymore, she must have sought high and low). Madeline had gone all overboard, and bought too many presies: a gorgeous hair clip with a blue stone, a Starbucks gift card (WHEEE!!), and Neil Gaiman & Charles Vess' Stardust for bedtime reading. And David, David gave me a star from the sky. Yes, literally. Somewhere in the Leo constellation (my sign), there is now a star that forever bears my birthname. The nights have been too cloudy, but as soon as there is a clear night, I will try to find it (there's a little map). How's that for immortality?! Thank you everyone, for your thoughtfulness :)

On Christmas, we watched Madeline's new short film (where she plays a Jersey housewife who has an affair with a Hollywood hotshot, based on Neil Simon's Plaza Suite) and it was funny, and Madeline was excellent. Our time with Madeline was fun, but much too short—New York and work required Madeline back on the 26th, so in the evening Madeline had to leave. Next visit longer, you hear, M? :)

On the 26th, St. Stephen's Day, or 2nd Christmas Day, as we call it in Finland, Andy, Caitlin, Steve, and Ziz came over for dinner, and much food was consumed. And cheesecake from the Cheesecake factory, made with Splenda, so Ziz could have some despite her diabetes. We had a lovely time!

I hope everyone else had a good Christmas as well. I'm off to work on the other half of Katja's Christmas present (the fabric didn't arrive on time to send the finished product to Finland). More blogfoolery later.

*MWAH*
Anniina