Suzan Bellincampi
You never really know your friends from your enemies until the ice breaks, says an Eskimo proverb. I don’t aim to find out.
Time stands still for no man.
Unless, of course, the man in question in Daniel Gambis. Daniel has the power to stand time on its head, so to speak. He has the ability to do what no other can. He can make time.
Las Vegas is not in my near future or recent past, but I did win big with an auspicious invitation to a special new year’s day dinner. It is not lucky that I got the invitation, although I am thankful to have attended a meal of fortunate foods.
In my house, we generally eat for love, but at this meal, I ate for luck. There is a slew (or maybe a stew) of new year’s dos and don’ts when it comes to the components of the first meal of the year.
This year, the oak trees were nature’s underachievers.
Naturalists, landscapers and backyard rakers noticed a lack of acorns this fall. No apocalypse, unless you are a squirrel, but of interest nevertheless.
Ivy is in a league of its own.
However, this plant is never really alone. Since it is a parasite, it needs a partner to survive. English ivy, which adorns buildings and trees, is called Hedera helix by botanists. Its scientific name means twist and turn, which aptly describes its ascent up walls and trees.
Although Jack Frost is nipping at my nose, it is the thought of chestnuts roasting on an open fire that is really getting me in the holiday mood. Thank you Mel Torme and Nat King Cole!