Darkness & Light
Today, 21 December 2012, in Edinburgh the sun will come up at 8:42am. It will go down at 3:40pm. According to people who know such things, I will have 6 hours, 54 minutes and 33 seconds of day. It is easy to feel panicky this time of year. With shopping and parties and frantic getting-ready-ness. … Continue reading
Festive (Quick & Easy) Fudge
Sometimes Christmas presents are a conundrum, but this year takes the cake: my future step-in-laws. The cousins, aunts and uncles of a Bean’s new(ish) step-siblings, including The Baroness (I’m not kidding, the whole affair is honestly out of a novel). I’ve met them twice, including at the wedding. It’s going to be a hoot and … Continue reading
The Holiday Wishlist
Our hybrid holiday continues with treats and tunes and traditions from both our fair nations. Though, sourcing my Americano snackage is always a struggle. While it’s not impossible to get import goods — the Mexican deli runs a good trade in Reeces and flavoured popcorn, and the fancy department store stocks bourbon and poptarts in … Continue reading
The Holiday Spirit : Music
In my ongoing quest to encapsulate our varying British and American Christmas experiences, I’m mulling on seasonal songs. There is nothing that says Christmas to me so much as carols and festive tunes. There is a great tradition, both classical and pop, in both our adopted countries, and it always amazes me that nary the … Continue reading
The Holiday Spirit
While Christmas is constantly bemoaned as overly commercial and increasingly homogenous, I still thrill at little peculiarities, personal traditions, and culture clashes when it comes to St. Nick. I’m not the first, of course. May I strongly suggest you listen to David Sedaris muse on Christmas traditions, particularly in the Netherlands. 6 to 8 Black … Continue reading
Mixtape Memories
In a world of mp3s and Spotify, I may be showing my age, but I’m still a sucker for a mix-tape. It’s easy for us Gen X – Gen Y bods to be overly nostalgic. I know this. I am not even the first to wax poetic over the nuance and romance of curated musical … Continue reading
Que Sera Sara? 