Though if you ask me, the three kings arriving 12 days late to visit the baby isn't a lot to brag about. Wise Men, indeed, probably refused to take directions from the star. And the useless baby gifts, I ask you.
No receiving blankets, no nice cup of tea for the Mom, not even cigars, exploding or otherwise.
Anyway, they did get there, and when Handsome Son was little, I used to bake a golden bundt cake, like a crown, with a bean inside, engineered to be in his slice, which entitled him to wear the gold cardboard crown and be King of the Day. French tradition, which I liked.
Today it's scaled back to the chocolate cake you saw, some of which went next door today.
I really enjoy the virtual gardening though. Which reminds me of the real life bramble I need to cut back, because it grabs my leg whenever I step onto the deck.
Also the sheet of voting stickers came today, courtesy of James Carville, still going, and fund raising. These, like googly eyes, will soon be deployed in all sorts of irreverent contexts.
Today's mail, dreaming and pragmatic, both at once, yes.
Happy Three Kings' Day, everyone!
Yes, really useless gifts. Though I suppose those things were like currency then.
ReplyDeleteMore like symbolism, I think. I believe the whole tale is a metaphor.
ReplyDeleteI don't spray either, and it shows. 🤣
ReplyDeleteThe 3 gifts have symbolic value to the life of Jesus
ReplyDeleteI have never celebrated any of the "after" holidays for Christmas. I can barely bring myself to celebrate the day itself. But you are completely correct about the three wise men. Supposedly wise men.
ReplyDeleteOkay. I have to ask- is there a recipe you can direct me to for the chocolate ginger cake?
Newfoundlanders call this Old Christmas Day. Many left their trees up until today. We always took the tree down before we headed back to school.
ReplyDeleteWe used to decorate after Dec 20, leave them up till January 6. I don't like seeing trees put out the day after Christmas. Seems too rushed.
ReplyDeleteThe cake is your common or garden chocolate cake and I shoved in a bunch of fresh minced ginger, handful of golden raisins, the remnants of the bag of crushed walnuts. Let's see where I have the cake recipe. It's pretty common. There are variations on it, but this is the one I used this time:
ReplyDelete1.5 cups flour, 2 heaping tablespoons cocoa, quarter teaspoon salt, one teaspoon soda 1 cup sugar. Add in half cup oil, one teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup warm water. Beat and beat, then 40 minutes at 350°f. I used a loaf pan this time, but any old shape seems to work.
It's pretty failsafe, and I often add walnuts, but this time the other items were appealing.
Let us know how it goes!
You remind me... I have a pair of muddy tennis shoes just inside the back door from when I was winterizing a strawberry bed a couple of days ago. I don't know how or when I'll get them clean since it's much too cold to hook up the outside hose to spray them down. It WAS a lot of work, and cold! The whole time I was working at it, I kept hoping I will be happy I did it come summer - that we'll enjoy fresh free strawberries. lol Having been a gardener in our past, and now considering it again, I know the expense of gardening, and chuckle at the idea of "free" produce. There's an asparagus patch that supposedly doesn't need anything more than cutting down. And we'll see come spring if we feel up to planting anything in the bigger garden the past owners left for us. If nothing else, I think I will enjoy planting some pumpkins and gourds. Those always seem to take care of themselves somehow.
ReplyDeleteI love plant (seed) catalogue season! I seldom buy anything but I love to look and dream about perfect gardens, beautiful flowers, and someone else to take care of it all!
ReplyDeleteThe available gardeners, yes. I'm amused when affluent people talk about their beautiful gardens, and what "they" planted this year, pruned etc. Then find out it's expensive professional gardeners!
ReplyDeleteAnd professionally designed, too. I'm also envious. I like the labor I can do, but it's not quite enough. Nor the budget. But I still dream.
Thank you, Liz! I may attempt a version of that cake this week.
ReplyDeleteInteresting to read here about the Magi and their seemingly useless gifts. Oddly, the sermon we watch on tv on Sunday mornings touched on that this morning and the explanation there was that Joseph and Mary ended up being told to hide in Egypt while the babies in their area were being killed by King Herod. The gifts would have been used as 'currency' in Egypt because otherwise they had no means of support.
ReplyDeleteI rather miss getting seed catalogues but they serve no purpose with apartment life.