Christmas Oranges

It's sunny and rainy today, which is awesome to watch as sparkling rivulets cascade down the roof across the street from the office and everything seems like I'm looking out through a screen door, but is pretty crappy to walk through. Those roof streams, when they don't cascade onto my head, make rivers of the sidewalk. The sun that's warming my legs as I type from the comfort of my new office chair makes walking to work just a little too warm in my winter raincoat (which of course I can't take off because RAIN). But now that I'm in the office, I'm enjoying it. All rain should be accompanied by sunlight glistening off the falling drops. Playing a soundtrack of Pentatonix and Tori Kelly while watching the rain and pretending to work isn't too bad either. 

I might have this album on repeat for all time

I have an obsession. Don't judge.

Last night I got to thinking about holidays because my siblings and I are meeting up to celebrate Christmas and New Year's together this year in an epic reunion first in Italy then continuing on in Georgia. Everyone will leave me to go back to the States after New Year's, then I have only eight more months until I actually become an RPCV. Anyway, holidays of course got me thinking about food and about foods I associate with holidays.

Did you ever get any special treats at Christmas that you thought were specific to Christmastime?Christmas morning I always woke up to the smell of cinnamon rolls wafting down the stairs, and when I got older I started to make them myself. Our stockings were usually filled with useful things like toothpaste and shampoo in addition to some gum and candy, but I do remember that for many years as a kid the very bottom of my stocking always had a can of mandarin oranges. I love mandarin oranges and never questioned them as the perfect stocking stuffer. I would save it until I couldn't bear it anymore, then eat the entire can, juice and all, one day after school. Then I'd have to wait until the next Christmas for more of them. I did the same thing with Toblerone chocolate, and I still think I've never had a Toblerone except for at Christmas. It wasn't until I was a teenager helping my mom with grocery shopping that I made the joyous discovery that mandarin oranges are sold every day in the supermarket. I remember feeling a little shocked when I saw the rows of cans next to the beans and peas, then immediately a little foolish for not realizing it sooner. All of the fruit salads I can remember had slices of full-sized oranges and far too many grapes when what I really wanted were more of the good fruits - strawberries and raspberries. In my mind mandarin oranges were just that special happy Christmas thing and it had never occurred to me to seek them out to eat on a regular basis.

I still don't eat them often, but I just bought myself a can at the supermarket here in Tbilisi. I'm saving it until Christmas...probably. Self-control isn't my strongest trait.

Other than those random thoughts, I continue to explore the city and my organization supported a group of their volunteers in a fundraising effort last Friday so they can outfit a small copy center which they will use to train and employ people with disabilities in their community. They fundraised through a charity concert with local bands and poets, and we got to attend. It was a huge success. The group raised a good sum and is looking at a local school where the director may donate an unused classroom where they can start their print shop. It's a cool community-driven project that will hopefully drive real change for both the youth volunteers and their beneficiaries.  

  

Watching the fountain show in the park - it has lights and music and everything! Not as cool as this christmas display, but still pretty awesome every night

This is in an abandoned center and I love the space. It's too far from the city center to use it for the print center, but I wish it would be used for something

I made peanut pretzel brittle! Click on the pic for the recipe.

New Books Read: 113

Total Books Read: 155

Currently Reading: Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb. It's the second in the series I mentioned before, and there is magic and intrigue and cheating death.