Reminiscence / 心象風景

The frost were on the pumpkins and Halloween has passed... This years Halloween was pretty cold, colder than usual, so it felt more like the　Halloween I had back in STL. This year I made some fab doughnuts!　It was so good, crispy on the outside and tender and moist inside. I wanted to　experiment with the orange glaze recipe I had, since it wasn't exactly to my liking, so I learned the hard way that adding lemon　juice to the glaze is an unmitigated disaster. lol So, don't try it.

Now that the Halloween decorations are put away, it's time for Thanksgiving! This year, I'm hosting the dinner a week early. I'm still at a loss as to what to serve... I already bought the turkey and sent out　invitations, so that's two thing off the list. So, I really need to plan my menu, think about a centerpiece, take an inventory of my linens, review recipes, thaw turkey, polish silver, make a shopping list etc... So much to do!!

Anyways, the flower of the week reminded me of a book I stole from my sister when I was younger. It's called The Month-Brothers. The illustrations are　exquisite and the story is delightful. I remember just looking at pictures and curious to know what snowdrops were. Here's a nice product description from Amazon. 

Reality gives way to enchantment in the mountains of Bohemia one blustery January night when a little girl is ordered to find snowdrops by her cruel stepmother. The child knows that these delicate spring flowers do not grow in the middle of the winter, but what else can she do but obey? In the frozen woods she comes upon twelve magical brothers who make the impossible happen. 

This charming story about a little girl who sees all the twelve months of the year at once is a retelling of a traditional Czechoslovakian folktale by Samuel Marshak, one of Russia's greatest folklorists. The lyricism of Marshak's language is retained in this sensitive rendering by the distinguished translator Thomas P. Whitney. 

Diane Stanley's dazzling watercolor illustrations enhance the telling. The opulence of her patterned textures, the intricacy of her decorative details capture the flavor of long-ago Bohemia while at the same time transforming the landscape into a world of fantasy in which flowers can indeed bloom in wintertime. This exquisite picture book will enchant readers for many years to come."


今年の秋は寒いっすね～。←でも寒いのは好きなんで嬉しいｗ　10月はハロウィンの飾り付けを紹介すると言ってましたが、忙しくてアップできませんでした・・・涙　今年のハロウィンにはドーナッツを作ってみた。自分で言うのもあれだが本間にうまかったｗ　でもオレンジグレーズがそんなに好みではなかったので2回目はレモン汁を入れたり、ちょっと工夫をしたがそれが逆効果・・・　分離して固まらなかった・・・　でも味はバツグン！　今度は完璧に作ってみる。

ハロウィンが終われば次は感謝祭！　今年は一週間早くするので忙しい（涙）　メニューを決めたり、銀製のカトラリーなどを磨いたり、ショッピングリストを作ったり、センターピースを作るったり、などなど・・・

今週の花を掲載してる間に思い出した絵本があるので紹介します。絵本は「12の月たち」です。絵がとても素敵で小さい頃から綺麗だなっと思ってました。心象風景で残ってるのが草原でよく一人でシロツメクサを絵本に出てくる待雪草みたいに摘んでいるのがまだ想いにありますねｗ ストーリは12の月全部と、一度に出会った女の子の、この魅力的な物語りは、ボヘミアの民話を、サムエル・マルシャークが、再話した ものです。 ふぶきの1月の夜、いじわるなまま母にいいつけられて、女の子はマツユキソウをさがしに、森に出かけました。こんな冬のさなかに、春の花が見つかるはずもありません。ところが森の中で、女の子は、ふしぎな12人の人びとに出会いました。そして、そこで―。絵を見てるだけでもとても綺麗なので一度は読んで見てはいかがでしょうか？