Off, in the Nick of Time

It’s a longer story, but the farm to table planned for today at Kelly’s was postponed as of Thursday.  At that point we already had a lot of food on hand, and I had set up a whole salmon for gravlax, and was ready to crank out lots of desserts.  While I was in a certain sense relieved that the event was postponed, I was also wondering what to do with the gravlax and many of the ingredients that I had been given to me by several local farmers and purveyors.  One of my friends was having a dinner for 40 this weekend; so I decided to drop off a big slab of salmon and some pretties.  A white cake with crème frosting and cassis/blackberry filling; I love a camellia on top~

I also sent 12 pears in the Belle Helene chocolate topped style that I love; about 30 small cups of lemon curd and chocolate pots de crème, topped with local berries, and a platter of chocolate truffles infused with Earl Grey tea~

losi

It was later in the afternoon Friday that I handed off all these trays of desserts, and once that was done and everything in order with my parents’ office, I arrived home and began to start packing for my trip.  First thing I pack, my passport.  But my passport is now kept in my safe deposit box at the bank, since earlier this year, when my friend Liza convinced me that this was the solution to keeping track of my jewelry and documents and such.  Problem was, the keys to the box were not where I thought they were.  Oh Sh*T. I spend the next 3 hours turning the house upside down; with the knowledge that when I lose something in this house, it is often lost for five years, or at least 10 months.  Panic set in, and I phoned the bank and said I can’t find the keys, and was told the box would have to be drilled out and probably not on a Saturday.  There is no way to get a passport over a Saturday at the passport office in LA.  Double Crap!! Must find keys!!  In desperation, I tucked a large French Miraculous Medal and a mass card from Rome into my yoga pants, et voila, I found the keys in ten minutes.  They are now in a safe place, after I retrieved the passport today.

Once I knew the passport was “safe” so to say, I got a good night’s sleep and was up at 5am to set the dinner table for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Mom is really anxious about me leaving, but I think she feels better seeing the dining table set and knowing that there is a dinner in two weeks.  She will be counting off each day, with the dogs at her side.  I have cleaned the frige and stocked it with most of what they need for two weeks; I got her a pretty amaryllis to look at while I am gone~

I set the table with what Mom loves; one of the tartan runners that I had made for the farm to table and lots of candles; though Mom says the table is always fine, it reminds me of when it’s your birthday and someone brings you their favorite cake versus your favorite cake…this table was mostly what my Mom loves~

One of my sisters called this week to say she wanted to come for Christmas Eve and Day.  As such, and given I am arriving home on Christmas Eve, I set the table for clam chowder soup and the anticipated Christmas Day French Chicken dinner for me and my parents, though I expect that Sis will also show up with her family~

The plates are mine, and the double handled soup cups are my parents’ from post-war Germany.  Mom knows them, Dad laments all the plates in a stack and that my Sis is coming for dinner, but in the end it will all be fine~

I changed the lamp shades in the dining room as well as powder room to red instead of ivory; inspired by Bergdorf Goodman of a dozen years ago, red for holiday is always in good taste~

But oh, my mind is in France, and I can’t wait to get our Christmas tree, which R says they are selling at Casino our grocery store this year; and to get it decorated, polish the big front door and put a wreath on it….I am lucky everything I need from toiletries to clothes are there, so I am just packing supplies for R and a few things for the Canaries.  I will be taking lots and lots of photos and hope to be blogging daily.  There is a light dusting of snow today, which makes the vineyards perfect for photos, if it sticks.

Tonight at 7pm I was in a panic again about my wallet the passport; had I left in my grocery cart? Where is it? All was well, I found it with the spice and coffees and such that R wants me to bring. I leave in the morning, and pick up a car at CDG or take the TGV to Dijon, depending on how I feel. I may make a detour to the Canary Islands on the return…..stay tuned…right now I feel like I just need to get out of town, before I lose my mind!