commentary on "Christmas"

[adelaidesean]

Speaking of old stuff, as I was the other day, my story "White Christmas" is now available (for free!) at Ticonderoga Online (thanks, Russ and Liz), with an added treat. Not steak knives. Click the "Writer Commentary" button at the top of the page for some thoughts on what was, for a while, my best-known story.

And while you're there, take the survey, if you haven't already. (Hasn't everyone? :-))

Comments

[gloripebbles.livejournal.com]

No steak knives? How on earth (or any other planet for that matter) do I extend my collection???

[ladnews.livejournal.com]

Where do you keep them all? That's a room I wouldn't want to blunder into in the middle of the night. :-)

[gloripebbles.livejournal.com]

I have a plan. You will have to walk through the room of knives to have access to my study/library. That way only the brave may enter.

Right now, they are all stashed around the kitchen and under the house in boxes. Damon is quite perturbed I think at the number of rather large 'kitchen' sized knives I have. I am still searching for the 'right' one. I bake/cook a fair bit, for Christmas especially (some have been known to get 'antsy' for their fix *lol*).

Knives are like pens/pencils. You need to have the right one to do the job well. (hmmm, that could be more due to the fact I do calligraphy......) Looking at that, there is no answer :) Having said all that writing on a keyboard is a skill I still have days of adjusting to.

[ladnews.livejournal.com]

Mmm, baking. What's your specialty, so I know what to crave this Christmas? :-)

[gloripebbles.livejournal.com]

The most requested would be almond bread and a type of shortbread with almonds & cloves. Closely followed by toffees/caramels and white christmas.

I'm getting slack (I blame expending creative energy on writing instead). Used to do relishes, sienna cakes (wicked rich & chocolate) and other sweet stuff like fudge and passionfruit butters etc.

The lunacy is in doing it from November to Dec. 25 in Brisbane's heat. It all gets sent world wide (pesky friends/relatives marrying internationally), hence commencing when the heat does.

The almond bread (has to be wafer thin) is responsible for my growing collection of 'kitchen' knives. Damon survives the collection so he can partake in the consumption of said goods. I think blackmail is a perfectly acceptable foundation for a relationship :p

[ladnews.livejournal.com]

I think blackmail is a perfectly acceptable foundation for a relationship

Especially where cake is involved!

Sounds delicious. Remind me to marry into your family one day. :-)

I hope the heat isn't too horrible for you this year.

[gloripebbles.livejournal.com]

Yes, blackmail is useful.

The Bris Vegas heat. Urgh. Actually, it has been very schizophrenic this year. Not as many hot days...yet. Makes me suspect that the payback will come in February. Personally, humidity and the magic 30deg mark are the devil in disguise for me.

The weird with cooking this year has also been split. I've done Christmas twice now. Once for said o/s bodies who are all in travel for work mode and the other with my son who as I type is now in Tokyo with his dad & stepmum en route to Seoul (that's Monday). So we got in early. I'm expecting he will have mastered some Korean insults by the time he comes back to me (what with being 12 1/2 and all).

Who knows, if you are in Bris Vegas during summer, there may well be some of the almond bread left....

[ladnews.livejournal.com]

if you are in Bris Vegas during summer, there may well be some of the almond bread left

Temptress! I'm working on it. :-)