2011.12.25 19:00 - After Dinner Conversation

The Guardian for this meeting was Calvino Rabeni. The comments are by Calvino Rabeni.

Wol Euler: /hug oO0
Korel Laloix: Heya
Calvino Rabeni: Good Evening all ye who come here tonight :)
Wol Euler: merry christmas!
Wol Euler: I can't stay, the family is gathered downstairs waiting
Wol Euler: I just came in ot say hello and greet everyone
Korel Laloix: We just pushed the last of our guests out the door...
Korel Laloix: wow.. tired.
Wol Euler smiles.
Calvino Rabeni: Thanks Wol :) Merry Christmas to you too
Wol Euler: yeah, it's lovely but hard work
Wol Euler: take care, everyone
Calvino Rabeni: Bye, fly well
Korel Laloix: Everyone have a good day today?
Calvino Rabeni nods, it is hard work :)
oO0Oo Resident smiles at Wol
oO0Oo Resident: sixth on
Korel Laloix: sixth on?
Calvino Rabeni: I wonder what it would be like to actually live with extended family rather than being thrown with them a couple of times per year.
oO0Oo Resident: The chat command for the menorah's sixth candle
Calvino Rabeni: Ah
Korel Laloix: Oh OK.
Korel Laloix: Good to know. Thanks.
Korel Laloix: Heya Paradise
Paradise Tennant: merry xmas korel cal sam :)) !
Calvino Rabeni: Merry everything Paradise !
Paradise Tennant: thank you
oO0Oo Resident: Thank you Paradise. Good to see you :)
oO0Oo Resident: Notions of family Cal.. primary, secondary, extended, and traditions, and making sense of what connects with what.. and what accepts, and conditioned and unconditioned movements of joyful utterances :)
--BELL--

Calvino Rabeni: The center candle is special and doesn't contribute to the count... I guess
Korel Laloix: Solstace, hanukkah, Christmas, New Year, Kwanzaa...... what else do people celibrate this time of year?
stevenaia Michinaga: food, it;s all about the food
Paradise Tennant: lol
oO0Oo Resident: great question Korel ::laughs at Stevenaia::
Paradise Tennant: hiya stev happy holidays :)
stevenaia Michinaga: thanks, been eating alot :)
Korel Laloix: Hopefully I will gain a couple of pounds.
stevenaia Michinaga: you can have mine
stevenaia Michinaga: special chocolate ponds
stevenaia Michinaga: pounds
Paradise Tennant: smile s been good this xmas .. did not entertain much so much easier :)
Korel Laloix: If I can pick where it goes.. sure... siles
Korel Laloix: We just had a lot of people over here.
Paradise Tennant: smiles sounds like fun what did you cook
stevenaia Michinaga: yes, for hours, finally I think I ahve the process of turning 15 pounds of patatoes into something wonderful before noon
stevenaia Michinaga: and still enjoy the party that follows
Paradise Tennant: smiles involving lots of goat cheese and cream :)
Korel Laloix: Sort of some traditional things.. Turkey, Ham, Sweet Potatoes, Collard Greens, Fried Okra, Fry Bread, Bisquits, etc
Paradise Tennant: sounds wonderful too
Paradise Tennant: how do you make fry bread
Korel Laloix: We have a couple of different recipies depending on what we want to do with them.
Korel Laloix: But for both, in a cast iron skillet.
Korel Laloix: I think we will have left overs for days though.
Korel Laloix: Grandma and I both eat very little.
Paradise Tennant: smiles the best part :)
Paradise Tennant: hmm always the freezer :)
Korel Laloix: Will make some turkey enchiladas tomorrow.
Korel Laloix: And some potatoe pancakes as well.
stevenaia Michinaga: that's what we ate
stevenaia Michinaga: I think I was frying them for 4 hours
stevenaia Michinaga: :)
stevenaia Michinaga: maybe one of those was pealing them and prep
stevenaia Michinaga: a good time for all
Paradise Tennant: smiles what holidays are about a good time for all :)
Korel Laloix: WE don't peel regular potatoes.
Korel Laloix: Just scrub them well.
Korel Laloix: And they came from our garden so it was even better.
oO0Oo Resident: :)
Paradise Tennant: :)
Calvino Rabeni: We had brussel sprouts and rutabaga from the garden
Calvino Rabeni: I think two of the most unfavoured vegetables?
Calvino Rabeni: Delicious of course
Paradise Tennant: smles rutabagas are hard to peel but .. I like them :)
Korel Laloix: I have heard of rutababa, but never actually had one.. or seen one I don't think.
Paradise Tennant: smiles turnips ;)
--BELL--

Korel Laloix: Looks like it could be good.
Korel Laloix: Might have to try that sometime.
stevenaia Michinaga: Perhaps we need a recipe section on the Wiki
Calvino Rabeni: They are yellow with a pinkish blush on the outside, and a bit starchy
Korel Laloix: I like starch.... smiles
Korel Laloix: Baked sweetpotatoes are one of my favorites.
Paradise Tennant: we use to make rumple dumps .. potatoes and turnips :) mashed with oh so much butter
Korel Laloix: But then, sweetpotatoe fries are lovely as well.
Korel Laloix: Can't do butter though.
Calvino Rabeni: Those purple ones from japan are really good. I wonder if they could be grown here ... probably too cold
Korel Laloix: But soounds lovely.
Paradise Tennant: hmm yes the purples ones are small and easy to peal :)
Korel Laloix: Grandma made teh fried Okra really spicy today.... and the greens... love it that way.
Korel Laloix: Heya Luncindda
oO0Oo Resident: Luci :)
Lucinda Lavender: Heya Korel!
Paradise Tennant: sigh making hungry korel I bet you grandmother is a lovely woman and good cook must be nice to be in the kitchen with her
Lucinda Lavender: and every one:)
Paradise Tennant: hiya luci
Paradise Tennant: merry merry xmas :)
oO0Oo Resident: (((Korel's gran)))
Lucinda Lavender: :) merry merry....hopes you all have the music you love today
Lucinda Lavender: and the food
Lucinda Lavender: and the drink...and the fun
stevenaia Michinaga: (movies and chinese food, a tradition
oO0Oo Resident: Thanks Luci ^ ^ Likewise.
Korel Laloix: That sounds great as wel.. What movies?
Fox Monacular: Hello everyone!
stevenaia Michinaga: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, see the Swedish version, I liked it better
Lucinda Lavender: favorite chinese food...hmmm
oO0Oo Resident: Hark.. What foxy phenomena this way doth come?
Lucinda Lavender: Hi Fox:)
Fox Monacular: :)
Calvino Rabeni: I found some music I like on youtube ... bell orchestra at the mormon tabernacle
oO0Oo Resident: me agrees with Swedish version
Calvino Rabeni: do you know it, CInda?
Korel Laloix: I have heard of it.
Lucinda Lavender: well do not know that particular music...but can imagine...
oO0Oo Resident: Link Cal? :)
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi sorry I'm late. My guests have only just elft
Fox Monacular: Hi again, Aph:)
Aphrodite Macbain: *left
Paradise Tennant: smiles hiya aph merry merry xmas
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi Fox
Paradise Tennant: merry xmas fox :)
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi Paradise
oO0Oo Resident: Hi Aph !
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi everyone
Fox Monacular: merry xmas, everyone:)
Lucinda Lavender: HIya aph...your antlers are fun1
Aphrodite Macbain: Thanks!
Lucinda Lavender: excuse me while I test the hummus...
Fox Monacular: yes, I find myself staring at your antlers
Aphrodite Macbain: I've just eaten too much
Aphrodite Macbain: you are getting sleeeeepy fox
stevenaia Michinaga: we were jsut talking about that
Aphrodite Macbain: eating too much?
Fox Monacular: I'm still working on my pie
--BELL--

stevenaia Michinaga: hehe
Aphrodite Macbain: apple and rhubarb with coconut Icecream
stevenaia Michinaga: trying to resist ice cream for weeks
stevenaia Michinaga: thanks Aph
Korel Laloix: Just got another piece of home made blackberry cobler wth soy icecram on top.
Lucinda Lavender: don't mentyions the ice cream..there is lavender ice cream in the freezer...grits her teeth
Lucinda Lavender: grabs the arm chair
Korel Laloix: lavender?
Korel Laloix: Interesting.
Lucinda Lavender: yes...locally made and so very delicious
stevenaia Michinaga: hand me that chair arm pls
oO0Oo Resident: lol
Lucinda Lavender: sending it your way Steve
Aphrodite Macbain: I'm so full I couln't move to the fridge
Korel Laloix: Would not mind a taste.
Lucinda Lavender: will send it to you instead Korel
Korel Laloix: I cant really eat real icecream, just want a taste.
Aphrodite Macbain: passes Korel some coconut icecream
Korel Laloix: Thanks though.
Lucinda Lavender: a taste can be enough
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Korel Laloix: Very glad I ran this morning.... Not sure I could right now..
Lucinda Lavender: :))
Lucinda Lavender: Cal how is your day?
Aphrodite Macbain: I feel very relieved. My kitchen is a mess but everyone left happy
Paradise Tennant: happy is what counts
stevenaia Michinaga: hehe, I cleaned mine before the part, everthing else was jsut washing up
stevenaia Michinaga: Party
Korel Laloix: We are mostly cleaned up....
Calvino Rabeni: The day was fine ... a lot of driving, a lot of food, a lot of stories, a lot of driving
Lucinda Lavender: was it the latkes Steve?
Aphrodite Macbain: My duck cooked properly, not a quack left behind
Calvino Rabeni: :)
Aphrodite Macbain: How far did you drive Cal?
Korel Laloix: We had a few quail, but not duck. SOunds good though.
Calvino Rabeni: 90 minutes north
Aphrodite Macbain: Sounds like Canada
Lucinda Lavender: nice to hear of the fun/ and the challenge...
Calvino Rabeni: B'ham
Aphrodite Macbain: right. just south - where your father lives, right?
Calvino Rabeni: yes
Aphrodite Macbain: who cooked dinner?
Calvino Rabeni: Everybody did something
Aphrodite Macbain: perfect
Aphrodite Macbain: tomorrow I clean up
Aphrodite Macbain: (my place not your father's)
Calvino Rabeni: that's ok they're the clean-as-you-go-along type
Lucinda Lavender: getting the borscht ready here for tomorrow
stevenaia Michinaga: ooo, yum
Calvino Rabeni: so it doesn't actually look too dramatic
Calvino Rabeni: I sort of missed the mess
Aphrodite Macbain: Lucinda- I wonder, do you sing with your family at Christnmas?
Aphrodite Macbain: my family used to when we had a piano
Lucinda Lavender: and hummus and bread and pie...well not really...Aph it is more like they watch me listen to the radio and identify which piece I am hearing
Aphrodite Macbain: nods
Lucinda Lavender: fun game actually to guess which piec it is
Lucinda Lavender: peice
Lucinda Lavender: piece
Lucinda Lavender: none of those words look right to me tonight
Aphrodite Macbain: My brother and I used to sing - I sang descant. it was a nice feeling. The rest of the year we really weren't in much harmony!
Calvino Rabeni: pease ? like on earth?
Aphrodite Macbain: piece
Lucinda Lavender: song/piece
Aphrodite Macbain: pease pudding hot, pease pudding cold, peas epudding in the pot 9 days old
Lucinda Lavender: peas on earth:)
Lucinda Lavender: nice to sing together...
Lucinda Lavender: remember doing that with friends in high school
Aphrodite Macbain: yes- row row row your boat..
Lucinda Lavender: caroling
Aphrodite Macbain: outside people's homes?
Lucinda Lavender: yes in the neighborhood I lived in it was forested with windy roads
Lucinda Lavender: and it became a tradition
Aphrodite Macbain: lovely
--BELL--

Lucinda Lavender: better experience in that neighborhood for some reason
Lucinda Lavender: mysterious in that kind of dark...
Lucinda Lavender: Luci wonders which places others experienced mysteriousness..
Aphrodite Macbain: unfamiliar ones
Lucinda Lavender: a special feeling...
Aphrodite Macbain: dark empty streets in another country
oO0Oo Resident: always open to the mystery
stevenaia Michinaga: mostly in Nature
stevenaia Michinaga: tress and sun
Aphrodite Macbain: tress?
Lucinda Lavender: how old when one first notices?
stevenaia Michinaga: the pay of sun and trees
stevenaia Michinaga: oops
Aphrodite Macbain: notices what? mystry?
Lucinda Lavender: yes...mystery in some natural experience of the world
Paradise Tennant: old places that have a patina
Aphrodite Macbain: the movement of trees in the sunlight Steve?
Paradise Tennant: of stories lives lived .. an echo
Lucinda Lavender: ancient cities?
Paradise Tennant: a sensation to them
stevenaia Michinaga: sun shadows, patterns, brought to you by the mysteries of nature
Lucinda Lavender: nods
Aphrodite Macbain: nods, and sounds
Aphrodite Macbain: hushed subtle sounds
Aphrodite Macbain: whispers
Calvino Rabeni: The darkness seems to help. Somehow these seasonal traditions wouldn't seem the same in the height of summer and hot weather
Lucinda Lavender: sunlight on a pond in the woods I remember...snow on a street in the dark...glistens
Lucinda Lavender: yes Cal
Calvino Rabeni: it's funny no doubt seeing santa and the snow men in the heat in Australia or South Africa
Aphrodite Macbain: I suppose it is because one of our senses is not allowed to work as efficiently.
Lucinda Lavender: the santa of the south...:)
Aphrodite Macbain: and our brain is obliged to make up explanations and fill in the blanks
Calvino Rabeni: That's resulted in one reason for brain growth in people evolved in the colder darker climates
Aphrodite Macbain: our imagination has time to play
Calvino Rabeni: (on a list of things that made our brains evolve bigger, darkness is one of them)
Aphrodite Macbain: interesting. it allowed us to survive
Lucinda Lavender: Luci remembers listneing to the pastoral part of the Messiah in high school while watching the snow come down on the trees and stream in the dark
Paradise Tennant: smiles at luci
Aphrodite Macbain: smiles
Calvino Rabeni: But the "killer app" for the brain, I think nowadays is regarded to be "being sociable", that over tool use and hunting animals smaller than an elephant. Of course sociability helps a LOT with hunting and tool use so I suppose it amounts to the same thing
Aphrodite Macbain: does anyone remember James Joyce's writing on snow
Aphrodite Macbain: faling on the rooftops and cemeteries ...
Aphrodite Macbain: all over ireland. From "The Dead"
Calvino Rabeni: No, what's that about?
Lucinda Lavender: not familiar with that one Aph
Lucinda Lavender: :)) I know quite a few people who willingly say...I don't like people:)
Aphrodite Macbain:

It had begun to snow again. He watched sleepily the flakes, silver and dark, falling obliquely against the lamplight. The time had come for him to set out on his journey westward. Yes, the newspapers were right: snow was general all over Ireland. It was falling on every part of the dark central plain, on the treeless hills, falling softly upon the Bog of Allen and, farther westward, softly falling into the dark mutinous Shannon waves. It was falling, too, upon every part of the lonely churchyard on the hill where Michael Furey lay buried. It lay thickly drifted on the crooked crosses and headstones, on the spears of the little gate, on the barren thorns. His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead.”
― James Joyce, Dubliners

Aphrodite Macbain: One of my most favourite pieces of writing
Lucinda Lavender: perhaps hard for them to reside amidst the social pressures...
Aphrodite Macbain: Huston made a film from it. with Angelica Huston
Lucinda Lavender: Luci reads...
Paradise Tennant: great choice aph :)
Aphrodite Macbain: I love the way th e words are repeated
stevenaia Michinaga: waves to Wol
--BELL--

Aphrodite Macbain: falling softly, softly falling
oO0Oo Resident: Woly :)
Paradise Tennant: smiles merry merry xmas wol :))
Aphrodite Macbain: Greetings Woly
Wol Euler: merry christmas, everyone
Aphrodite Macbain: How is saskatchewan?
Wol Euler: disappointingly warm
Aphrodite Macbain: awww
Wol Euler: it's raining right now
stevenaia Michinaga: lol
Wol Euler: RAIN. bah.
Aphrodite Macbain: same as here!
Aphrodite Macbain: indeed
Lucinda Lavender: yep:0
Lucinda Lavender: Korel how cold for you?
Wol Euler: other than that, it's pretty good
Aphrodite Macbain: Think of it as wet snow
stevenaia Michinaga: food and friends?
Korel Laloix: Below 80 is cold for me... smiles
Aphrodite Macbain: Lots of friends and family Wol?
Korel Laloix: And I sooooooo hate snow.
Lucinda Lavender: :)))
Korel Laloix: Take care all... off to another chat...
Wol Euler: bye korel, take care
Calvino Rabeni: Bye Korel
Paradise Tennant: take care korel
oO0Oo Resident: Bye Korel
Aphrodite Macbain: Snow is lovely when it's soft and fluffy and falling softly
Aphrodite Macbain: Bye
Aphrodite Macbain: Bye! Korel
Wol Euler: only family here, aph, I am with sister and her crew + our parents
Aphrodite Macbain: Regina?
Lucinda Lavender: eating together:)
Wol Euler: yep
Aphrodite Macbain: waves to Wol in regina
Wol Euler: chocolate oranges
Aphrodite Macbain: :-)
Wol Euler wonders where aph is waving from
Aphrodite Macbain: they would help
Aphrodite Macbain: Vancouver
Aphrodite Macbain: where it is also raining
Wol Euler: ah :) a fair distance away
Paradise Tennant: hmm the kind you bang and they fall apart ?
stevenaia Michinaga: off to bed, night all
Paradise Tennant: nite nite stev :))
Wol Euler: 'night stevie, merry christmas
Calvino Rabeni: Goodnight :)
Wol Euler: yes!
oO0Oo Resident: Night Stevenaia :)
Wol Euler: exctly those
Aphrodite Macbain: Nite steve. Hope dreams of sugar plumms dancce in your head
Lucinda Lavender: sweet dreams to Steve
Lucinda Lavender: and Korel
Aphrodite Macbain: what is this thing Samuo?
Aphrodite Macbain: what is a mindshift dreidel?
oO0Oo Resident: Mindshift is the name of the maker of the object. ADreidel is a traditional game played during Chanukkah
Aphrodite Macbain: Oh thanks!
Aphrodite Macbain: wonders how to play the game
Paradise Tennant: smiles thanks sam
Lucinda Lavender: each side has a different symbol and you may take the money in the center all, half, put some in or something else I forget
Wol Euler: ty sam
Aphrodite Macbain: Nes Gadol Hayah Poh—"A great miracle happened here"
Aphrodite Macbain: that's what the symbols say together
Calvino Rabeni: Nice
Wol Euler: oh!
Aphrodite Macbain: it's a gambling game
oO0Oo Resident: It is a freebie Dreidel.. aquired kind of last minute... limitations.. awkward to reset, and seems to always fall on Nun! ::smiles::
Wol Euler: heh
Lucinda Lavender: nun...do nothing?
Lucinda Lavender: shin put one in
Aphrodite Macbain: Nun stands for the Yiddish word nisht ("nothing"),
Lucinda Lavender: Hey win half the pot
--BELL--

Lucinda Lavender: Gimel ....win the whole pot
Wol Euler: leaving, aph?
Paradise Tennant: nite nite aph
Aphrodite Macbain whispers "nite all"
Wol Euler: goodngiht! sweet dreams
Lucinda Lavender: have a great sleep aph
oO0Oo Resident: Night Aph
Aphrodite Macbain: Happy Chanukkah
Aphrodite Macbain: twirls the dreidel
Wol Euler: merry christmas, fox
oO0Oo Resident: wb Fox :)
Fox Monacular: hey Woly!
Fox Monacular: looking festive:)
Wol Euler: wow, fox is a fox
Wol Euler: ty :)
Fox Monacular: i know, mindbending:)
Wol Euler: not these :)
Lucinda Lavender: Luci better go for now...sweet dreams to all...
oO0Oo Resident laughs
Wol Euler: goodnight luci, take care
oO0Oo Resident: sweet dreams Luci
Fox Monacular: good night, Luci
oO0Oo Resident thinks wow! what a dress :)
Lucinda Lavender: thanks and cheers to all:)
Paradise Tennant: nite nite luci :))
Calvino Rabeni: The spinning top has a hypnotic effect, like a prayer wheel
Fox Monacular: which spinning top?
Paradise Tennant: the circle :)
Wol Euler nods.
Fox Monacular: oh, the pond?
Wol Euler: no, behind you, by the column
Wol Euler: tbeh dreidel
Wol Euler: *the dreidel
Fox Monacular: oh!
Fox Monacular: didn't see it!
Wol Euler: my dears, I'm going to have to head to bed. It's been a day of plentiful and rich food, and I am noding off
Wol Euler: goodnight, gods bless, take care
Paradise Tennant: nite nite wol
Fox Monacular: good night!
Calvino Rabeni: Good night !
Fox Monacular: merry xmas!
Fox Monacular: I'll head off as well:)
Fox Monacular: take care everyone!
Paradise Tennant: smiles think I will trundle off to bed too
Calvino Rabeni: Bye Fox !
oO0Oo Resident: Bye Wol.. Fox :)
Paradise Tennant: thank you cal sam :) nice session enjoyed hearing about all the family time
oO0Oo Resident has a hard time imagining Para trundling, but thinks it's a cute word anyway :)
--BELL--

oO0Oo Resident: Sleep well Paradise
Calvino Rabeni: Para's gotten very good at trundling by now :)
Paradise Tennant: like words that sound like what they mean
Calvino Rabeni: pushing a cart with wooden wheels over a plank floor
Paradise Tennant: smiles exactly or the sound your slippers make on a wood floor if you are scruffing
Paradise Tennant: smiles and poufs ( another great wod )
oO0Oo Resident: scooch scooch :)
Calvino Rabeni: I also will pull a disappearing act :)
oO0Oo Resident: *hugs* Cal
Calvino Rabeni: Take care 0; fly well
oO0Oo Resident: ty
Calvino Rabeni: :) you too, bye
Tess Aristocrat: hello
oO0Oo Resident: Hi :)
--BELL--

oO0Oo Resident: http://is.gd/fxvaMb
oO0Oo Resident: How is Christmas for you Tess?
Tess Aristocrat: Well, it has been quiet
Tess Aristocrat: I had a terrific migraine yesterday and all last night
Tess Aristocrat: bad timing I know
oO0Oo Resident: Maybe the timing has a message..
Tess Aristocrat: other than that everyone was very happy ㋡
oO0Oo Resident: Sorry to hear though. Migraine's are no fun.
Tess Aristocrat: Have you ever had a migraine?
oO0Oo Resident: I have not, but have had several people close to me who had them.
Tess Aristocrat: I didn't have any med for it
oO0Oo Resident: medicine?
Tess Aristocrat: correct
Tess Aristocrat: I just haven't had one in a long time
Tess Aristocrat: Instead, I've been taking a different med in the evening before bed as a preventative with excellent results.
Tess Aristocrat: But what happened is that I decreased the med to just one pill to see if I still really needed to take it..
--BELL--

Tess Aristocrat: well, guess what
oO0Oo Resident: Oh I see
Tess Aristocrat: I still have a slight headache, though nothing like last night with the throwing up, etc
oO0Oo Resident: I'm sorry Tess. Migraine's seem like endurances tests of human capacity on some level. So painful. So little can be done. I remember taking my then partner to emergency room in the middle of the night.