Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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A Saturday Drive to Litchfield County, CT
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Saturday, December 25. 2010

Why the 25th?

AVI pointed out that we might be in error in passing on the theory of the relation of Christmas to Saturnalia: How December 25 Became Christmas.


It sounds like there is numerology involved. 


Christmas breakfast was Cranberry pancakes and bacon. (Put those berries into the batter frozen, not thawed - same as you should with Blueberries. Otherwise, they disintegrate during cooking.) Lots of bacon and lots of pancakes, but no numerology.


Mrs. BD was nice enough to give me a trip as a present - one that was on the top of my bucket list. It will require a new camera. While I'd rather accumulate cool experiences than cool pix, pix are fun souvenirs - and cheaper than buying stuff.


And if you happen to be retarded and a victim of Alzheimer's, like me, the pics help you remember what you did and where you went.

Posted by Bird Dog at 17:05 | Comments (9) | Trackbacks (0)

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Our traditional Christmas breakfast is aebleskivers. Everyone in the family has their own aebleskiver pan.
#1 Rick on 2010-12-25 18:43 (Reply)
I think Mrs. BD was saving gold coins instead of pennies. I noticed you failed to tell us what you gave her.
Don't tell me, let me guess: a blouse? : )
#2 jappy on 2010-12-25 22:07 (Reply)
Dear BD--should you get to the south of France, please be sure to brave the distant reaches of the mountains. Do not forget Arles.
#3 anotherone on 2010-12-25 23:42 (Reply)
Do you pre cook your cranberries and then freeze?
#4 applepie on 2010-12-26 04:58 (Reply)
Nope. Just freeze the fresh ones in the plastic bags. I generally buy 10-15 bags of the when they're in the stores around Thanksgiving. They freeze well, same as Blueberries.
#4.1 Bird Dog on 2010-12-26 07:03 (Reply)
With all due respect to you and to AVI, Etheldreda and I discussed this idea here, back on Dec. 5th:

Saturday, December 4. 2010
How Christian is Christmas? A brief history of Christmas
(Comment # 12.)

[ The "spam" prevention won't let me post with a link to your own website. :) ]

According to this understanding, the key issue was what day of the year the Lord Jesus was crucified: the day of the year on which He was born followed from that.
#5 ELC (Link) on 2010-12-26 10:18 (Reply)
Ok--got that, but do you precook the cranberries before using them in your pancakes?

Happy New Year and Thank you again, and again, and again.
#6 applepie on 2010-12-26 20:30 (Reply)
No. Put them in the batter frozen.
#6.1 Bird Dog on 2010-12-27 07:35 (Reply)
Not exactly rigorous science:

[quote=text]The biblical reference to shepherds tending their flocks at night when they hear the news of Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:8) might suggest the spring lambing season; in the cold month of December, on the other hand, sheep might well have been corralled.[quote]

... except that in Israel, this is the rainy season when sheep and goats are out in the fields. Livestock must be handfed when the summer dry season burns up the remaining food. And there's never a cold season in which animals are confined.
#7 Ben David on 2010-12-27 06:40 (Reply)

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