December Taste This!

What I Am In To Lately

December ended with sparkling grape juice at midnight and a sense of peace and thankfulness.  The month, like the year, was full of many reasons to celebrate and be grateful...and Clayton came home for Christmas, adding that special shimmer to the holidays. 
 
Some of my favorite gifts under the Rothschild tree this year were: 
 

Moose Munch by Harry and David.  I received that big box of my favorite caramel popcorn drizzled with dark chocolate from Kathryn.  (It's already gone!)  

 

A beautiful ring from Phil.  It's made by Silpada and if you see me wear it, remember the gemstone only LOOKS real!!

 

A box of the most luscious lemon soaps from my parents.  The fragrance is a lovely reminder of my Florida roots. 

 

Two little coin purses from Connor.  One looks like zebra and the other looks like leopard.  He purchased them from the fourth grade holiday store at his elementary school.  No designer bags are as beautiful as the two little expressions of love bought with his own money.

 

A Starbucks French Press from Clayton.  It makes a lovely brew and the best part of receiving this gift was that it came with a very special offer--Clay proposed to read the same book as me and discuss it over coffee before he goes back to college...ahhh.

 
So...the book Clay and I are diving into is Surprised By Joy by C.S. Lewis.  He wrote it in1956, just seven years before his death.  It's been called his most personal book, and it shines as an astonishingly frank yet self-effacing text by one who is regarded as the foremost Christian apologist of the twentieth century.  His book traces his journey from atheism to Christianity and has really made me feel like he is just laying out his life and thoughts with candid honesty.  In fact, you can sense his humility in this book.  In his preface he admits, "The story is, I fear, suffocatingly subjective; the kind of thing I have never before and shall probably never write again.  I have tried so to write the first chapter that those who can't bear such a story will see at once what they are in for and close the book with the least waste of time."
 
Well, I can tell you what you're in for if you give this book a taste test...a complete non-waste of your time!  I am learning so much and enjoying a glimpse into his world.  You will, too. 
 
C.S. Lewis has gone many places with me, and this year ended with him tucked away in my travel bag as we went to Florida to enjoy family.   One of the highlights was visiting Tarpon Springs with the whole gang.  It's my parent's old stomping grounds, so it was extra special to meander down to the Sponge Docks where my dad sold insurance as a young man, and drive through the neighborhood where my mom hunted for Easter eggs as a tiny girl.  We ate at a marvelous Greek restaurant called Hellas and enjoyed some amazing Greek pastries for dessert from the Grecian Bakery.  I also tried my first cup of Greek coffee--I haven't slept since! 
 
We bought hand made soaps made from olive oil in a tiny shop next to the restaurant and bought sponges from the dock. On the way home we were easy to spot--we were the family in the airport still buzzing from some strong Greek coffee following the dad who was carrying two three-foot loofas straight from the sponge docks in Tarpon Springs! Opa!
 
So give these things a taste test:
 
1.  Moose Munch by Harry & David
2.  Jewelry by Silpada
3.  Coffee made in a French press
4.  Tarpon Springs, Florida
5.  Hellas Restaurant
6.  Grecian bakery
7. Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis