La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
I had no clue why but Tony Orlando and Dawn had been singing, “Oh, Candida” in my head for days. I woke up from a dream this morning with it still playing but with the image of terrifying piles of cottage cheese all around me. Candida! Yeast infection! The brain works in mysterious ways. (Click here). More thanks to Shannon!
We received two handmade ornaments in the mail yesterday from dear Marisa in Fuengirola. You’ll see those along with my final ornament photos in the coming days. Matt and Lindy arrived last night and we get to see them at 2 today. I’m about to be so happy!
The delight at the top of this post is called roscón de reyes (kings’ cake; a roscón is a ring-shaped cake), a traditional Christmas sweet bread (like a brioche). It has its roots in pagan times. The ancient Romans prepared something similar for Saturnalia, the winter solstice festival. I love them, but they’re always party size. Café Roldan has a size that’s perfect for two people (or even one). But, San Geraldo doesn’t like it and I don’t want the entire thing. I’ll bet Matt and Lindy will want to share! Yes, I am about to be so happy! Oops! It’s noon. Time to shower and shave and make myself presentable for Matt and Lindy.
No tenía ni idea de por qué, pero Tony Orlando y Dawn llevaban días cantando “Oh, Candida” en mi cabeza. Esta mañana me desperté de un sueño con la canción todavía sonando, pero con la imagen de aterradoras montañas de requesón a mi alrededor. ¡Candida! ¡Infección por hongos! El cerebro funciona de formas misteriosas. (Haz clic aquí). ¡Más gracias a Shannon!
Ayer recibimos dos adornos hechos a mano por correo de mi querida Marisa, de Fuengirola. Los verán junto con mis fotos finales de los adornos en los próximos días. Matt y Lindy llegaron anoche y los veremos hoy. ¡Estoy a punto de ponerme tan feliz!
La delicia que encabeza esta publicación se llama roscón de reyes, un pan dulce tradicional navideño (como un brioche). Tiene sus raíces en la época pagana. Los antiguos romanos preparaban algo parecido para las Saturnales, la fiesta del solsticio de invierno. Me encantan, pero siempre son para grupos. El Café Roldán tiene un tamaño perfecto para dos personas (o incluso una). Pero a San Geraldo no le gusta y no lo quiero entero. ¡Apuesto a que Matt y Lindy querrán compartir! ¡Sí, estoy a punto de ponerme tan feliz! ¡Uy! Es mediodía. Hora de ducharme, afeitarme, y ponerme presentable para Matt y Lindy.
• Nuestros sobrinos, Ryan y Matt, nos enviaban uno de estos Papá Noel (de Boyd’s Bears and Friends) todos los años. No creo que supieran que lo enviaban, y la letra de la caja siempre se parecía a la de su madre. Compramos el grande de atrás de Heartwood Creek.
• Los nisse son criaturas mágicas parecidas a gnomos de Noruega. Los Julenisse son nisse navideños. Compramos los grandes en Bergen en 1998. Los pequeños los hizo a mano para nosotros la prima de Jerry, Ellen, de Bergen. Se supone que nos protegen y nos traen regalos. Y les encantan las gachas.
• Más Papá Noeles de Ryan y Matt, además de un muñeco cabezón de Papá Noel/Jule Nisse que compramos en Bergen. El muñeco grande de la parte de atrás nos lo regalaron la prima de SG, Inger, y su marido, Jan Olaf. Al frente y a su derecha hay uno junto a Heartwood Creek que compramos en California.
• ¡Dame los zapatos de rubí! Adornos de cristal de todo el mundo. SG compró el de la derecha en un viaje a China.
• San Francisco, Seattle, y el primer adorno navideño que tuve. San Geraldo me lo regaló en la Navidad de 1981.
Happy Holidays all around.
David:
Wishing you guys the same.
That’s a hell of a lot of Santas/gnomes/ornaments! You must have a great deal of storage space… Jx
PS that cake looks so sweet, my teeth are rotting just looking at the photo!
Jon:
We DO have a lot of storage space, but still not enough. But before we left California, I downsized our Christmas collection from 10 large Rubbermaid bins to only 2. No Santas were left behind.
Enjoy your time with Matt and Lindy, and enjoy the holiday season too!
Michael:
Thanks. It’s wonderful to have them here.
Oh my, I had to laugh at the double meaning of “Candida” — haven’t heard that song for eons! And look how young and baby-faced Tony Orlando is!
Your ornament photos have inspired me to put my ornaments — next Christmas — in bowls etc for display. I haven’t put up a tree for a dozen years now but I have some lovely ornaments and I miss looking at them.
Debra:
I thought of this way of displaying as a result of the cats, and I love it. Glad it’s inspired you to enjoy yours.
Oh! Ao happy you get to see Matt and Lindy! I wonder how many cats they are up to?!
Kathleen:
They ONLY have 7 now in preparation for their move to Europe.
I need to get out my little box of Christmas stuff and at least set up a creche. Nothing done yet, tut tut. Boud
Boud:
I kept putting it off, but am so happy I did it.
At first I thought that was the Canadian national anthem. Ooops! Tony looked MUCH better in his younger days, as he aged he began to look more and more like a used car salesman.
wickedhamster:
I hadn’t made the used car salesman connection, but since you mentioned it…
Those king’s cakes look like bagels with candied fruit on top. Fourth picture down I have a similar clear glass star with fewer rays though.
ellen abbott:
Even these small roscones de reyes are much bigger than a bagel and, thankfully, they’re not bagel-like. Begel-sized would be great. Our glass star, which I think of as a sea urchin, was a gift from a friend.
Look at the bright side, Scoot. You could’ve been surrounded by giant pinecones and sea urchins singing Burning Love by Elvis. Just a thought.
Deedles:
I wouldn’t mind the pine cones and sea urchins but, you’re right Hunka Hunka would be so much worse.
I knew. I KNEW I should not play that song. Now I, too, will be cursed with it for days. I wish there was an app on the hearing aids to erase ear worms. There should be.
Y’all have so many beautiful ornaments and I love how each one has a memory, a meaning attached.
Is there a baby Jesus in a roscon de reyes like in the King cake they bake here in some places for Mardi Gras?
Be SO happy, okay?
Ms. Moon
Ms. Moon:
That would be a brilliant invention for hearing aids. You should patent it! And, yes, there is a prize inside. (Maybe not in these smaller ones, but I don’t know… and will have to find out). It could be an almond. More popular is a figurine. And, traditionally, there would also be a dried bean. Whoever finds the prize is “king” or “queen” of the celebration. Whoever finds the bean has to pay for the roscón next year. I’ve only read about the dried bean tradition. SO wonderful to be with Matt and Lindy. But then there’s always the crash at the end of the day. Oh well!
Love all the ornaments but that round-bodied Santa with the skinny legs is a great one!
Bob:
That’s the Norwegian bobble-head. We saw him in the window of a little shop and fell in love.
I saw your title and thought, “no! not more yeast infections!” When I think King Cake, I think NOLA and the type I make. I want your giraffe!!
Hope you’re having a great time today!
Kelly:
Oh, my Candida! Had a great time yesterday. Slow and quiet so far today. Isn’t that giraffe charming?
What a festive collection you have! Loved the bobblehead Santa and giraffe. Sounds like you’re in for a very sociable and fun Christmas, Scoot, so “Merry Merry!” to you, SG, Moose & Dudo!
P.S. Don’t forget to check your stocking and email/spam boxes…
Tundra Bunny:
I can’t find my stocking!!!
I thought those were big pretzels at first, until I noticed the different-colored rectangles.
Kirk:
Ooh, big New York pretzels sound so good. I used to love those. And when I was a a kid they were 10 cents each, three for a quarter!
i don’t know the Oh Candida song, but the one that gets me is Feliz Navidad……even thinking about it has got it going round my head! It is often played on the radio here.
Frances
Frances:
Feliz Navidad is always playing here. It’s even part of the nightly light show a few minutes away.
Oh, darn, I missed this yesterday. I so enjoyed seeing all of these, and I love your display of ornaments in the glass dish 🙂
Judy C:
Never a rush. Glad you saw them today.
So many beautiful decorations for Xmas. Quite a nice collection and connected to people, makes it more personal. As for the first image of Xmas bagels I bet they are one calorie.
larrymuffin:
Yes, only one calorie, I’m sure. I love how a number of people have called them bagels!