Wanted:

-Housekeeper

-Laundry Fairy

Just sayin'.

Check, Double-Check

January and February are always crazy. In three weeks, my cousin, Honey, mom, step-dad, and two brothers all have birthdays. Not to mention I always forget to order my planner (which MUST be the Moleskin pocket calendar, and not any other planner which obviously won't do the job) in time for the new year, and must spend the first few weeks of January managing my schedule via post it notes and index cards crumpling in the depths of my purse.

But. I'm always. So. MOTIVATED! in January.

We spent the last two weekends tearing out the pathetic excuse for a "lawn" that we had (really, it was more of a mud hole), and reclaiming the yard as best we could, considering that neither one of us has much of a green thumb, and we've already gone through two "reclaim the garden" phases, which lasted maybe a weekend or so, and then went back to total crap.

I'm just not my mother. Why fight it. I hate weeding. And though I tried my damn-dest last summer, the squirrels got everything except for a few grape-size tomatoes and one red pepper, which was maybe the size of a golf ball and somehow quite tough.

So, we came to terms with the following:

-We basically suck at gardening

-We don't have much time for it, and don't want to spend much time pulling weeds

-We don't get much sunlight out there thanks to the huge tree hanging over most of the yard

-The squirrels here have clearly been genetically engineered beyond their fears of cats and/or infuriated women screaming and waving shovels at them.

Considering all of the above, the mud hole seems like a reasonable option. But, when coupled with the following:

-We genuinely love being outside and really do enjoy the garden, when it's nice

-We don't want to simply dump a bunch of chemicals out there or trap animals or do other mean things

Answer (So far, at least): Enter the rock garden.

Or, the whatever garden. It's not really a "Japanese" garden at all, I thought maybe I'd get in touch with my Korean roots and try for a traditional Korean garden, but instead of reading books and drawing plans and all that, we just looked at a few pictures online, and, 14 bags of gravel later, we're sitting out there with our laptops, watching the cats spy on the new fish.

It's actually quite lovely. Gardens really are one of life's simple pleasures (or, not-so-simple pleasures, if you're more dedicated than I am). And, so far, no weeds!

New

I don't really think in terms of "resolutions," but I do think in terms of "new." New things to try. New things to learn. New places to go.

-Take a Russian class

-Learn to do a handstand

-Do the splits (the yoga way, not the cheerleader way)

-Make my own noodles (Italian and Asian)

-Finish my book

-Start a real garden

-Dress up more

-Take an online course at Yale

-Switch to 100% organic cleaning products

-WRITE MORE

-Get at least 3 more stamps in my passport

-Read 50 books by Nobel-prize-winning authors

-Write more letters to my grandparents (at least once a month)

One solid new rule: No more watching TV during dinner. We are going to be civilized and connected in this house and it starts at the table, dammit!

Vaguer things to keep in mind, rather than check off a list:

-Patience

-Conscience

-Discipline

-Empathy

-Humility

-Spontaneity

I want to be: smart, good, strong, grounded, and fun. Sassy and fancy and ready for sun.

Gasp

This is just stunning. Hello, Winter Wonderland.

Recent Excitement

Three of my fiction students asked me if they could "talk me into" teaching them a private class. An advanced fiction workshop.

These students are currently publishing. I mean, they know a thing or two about craft, and frankly, I didn't know how much they'd get out of my class in the first place.

But apparently, they liked it! And I am just GIDDY coming up with the readings for this class... I'm thinking a mix of theory, craft, readings, and some good ol' fashioned workshop.

Eeeeeeek!!

What We're Having Tonight:

Errr, what we had Friday night.

There are about a million ways to make this dish, but this is the one I make 9 times out of 10. It's one of my favorite winter recipes, that only requires a handful of fresh ingredients so you can throw it together at a moments notice, and, for those of us from small towns in Northern California, tastes like home.

Posole: Feeds 6-8

Ingredients:

-Pork chops, cubed (I used about a pound)

-Shredded cabbage (I just get the bag from TJs)

-Julienned radishes (Skip this if you're not up to dicing tiny veggies)

-One large yellow onion, chopped

-2 28-oz cans white hominy, drained

-1 3-oz can diced green chilies, drained (as hot as you like)

-1 28-oz can diced tomatoes (the authentic version would omit these, but I try to squeeze in a few extra veggies)

-4-8 cloves of garlic, diced

-4 cups chicken stock (even at my laziest, homemade stock is worth it. I mean come on the soup practically comes straight from the pantry.)

-Olive oil

-Salt and pepper to taste

-Chile de arbol to taste

Directions:

-In a large dutch oven, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil over a medium flame until soft. Add the pork and cook until brown, about ten minutes. Add the green chiles and stir to combine. Sprinkle with chile de arbol, salt, and pepper.

-Add the hominy, tomatoes, and stock. Bring the soup to a boil for ten minutes.

-While the soup is boiling, fill bowls with a loose handful of the shredded cabbage and chopped radishes. Ladle the soup over the cabbage and radishes, let sit for a minute or two until the cabbage wilts. Serve with sour cream, lime wedges, and avocado, chopped cilantro if you're feeling fancy.

Candlelight Thoughts:

Happy Hanukkah, to those who celebrate.

I sometimes think it's unfortunate that Hanukkah and Christmas fall so close together on the calendar. Hanukkah is a minor holiday, and yet sometimes it seems to get a LOT of attention and fanfare (I'm writing this shortly after finding a lighted spinning dreidel lawn ornament and BB&B) for no other reason than to show Christmas what's up.

Well. That's not my battle. We just have a simple menorah, a few dreidels, and a handful of gelt. But the simplicity is welcome at this chaotic time of year: what better way to spend the darkest nights of the year, than gathering with your loved ones and marveling at their faces in the candlelight?

Hanukkah is not meant to compete with Christmas. It's quiet, simple, just a slight departure from the norm. But it is lovely. Right when most people are frazzled with lists, wrapping, and breaking the bank, we get to lie back, order crab meat cheese wontons, and pretend it's snowing.

And, can I just say, if it were to compete with Christmas, Hanukkah would definitely win the decorations award. Blue and silver look way better than red and green. I mean, come on.