S svetlobo v novo leto With a light into the new year

Tale naša zima je precej kilava, meglena in deževna, zato trenutki svetlobe,

kot je tale Kathyjin, napisan na roko, toliko bolj razsvetlijo. Hvala! :)

We have a very poor winter this year, foggy and rainy, and because of that the moments of light,

like this one from Kathy, handwritten, bring even more light. Thanks! :)

Z drevja From trees

V novo leto stopimo vedrejših misli, bolj odprtega duha in željni novih pustolovščin. Smejmo se, bodimo hvaležni in kdaj pa kdaj objemimo kakšno drevo! :)

Za zdravje. Ste vedeli, da beseda zdravje menda izvira iz besedne zveze »z drevja«? Od tam namreč prihaja. Zdravje. Z drevja. Zoja že ve. :)

Let us step into the New Year more cheerfully, with more open-minded spirit and hungry for new adventures. Let us smile, feel gratitude and hug a tree every now and then! :)

For health. Did you know that our word for health, zdravje, supposedly derives from the two words that means “from trees”, z drevja? That is where it comes from. Zdravje. Z drevja. Zoja, she knows it. :)

Zvezde večerje Stars of the dinner

Naj se sliši pocukrano kot se le da, a na božični predvečer sem bila hvaležna za družino, ki se zna zbrati na kup, in, v luči mojega poganstva, premišljevala o meji, ki smo jo prestopili, ko je neka druga luč spet premagala temo in nas bo razsvetljevala z vse daljšimi dnevi.

Tri kulinarične zvezde, vsako izpod rok druge kuharice, sem izbrala med vsemi dobrotami, s katerimi so nas razvajali tistega večera.

Juha, narejena iz pese, korenčka in pastinaka, kasneje pa okrašena z jogurtom, orehi in koprom.

Fritule, kakor na primorskem rečejo miškam, narejene iz buč, jabolk, kakava in moke.

Potica iz pire in suhih sliv.

Seveda je ne samo možno, ampak dokaj zanesljivo, da sem kakšno od sestavin izpustila; v navalu navdušenega zasliševanja tvork okusne gostije vsepovprek je bilo nemogoče zapomniti si prav vse.

As corny as it sounds, but on the Christmas Eve I felt very grateful for having a family who can gather together and, in the light of my paganism, I was thinking about the borderline that we had just crossed, when one other light overtook the dark again to enlighten us with longer and longer days.
 
Among all goodies that we were pampered with that evening I choose three culinary stars, each made by different cook.

The soup made by beetroot, carrots and parsnip, decorated with yoghurt, walnuts and dill.

Fritule, small fried kind of doughnut-like balls made of pumpkin, apples, cocoa and flour.

Potica made of spelt flour and dried plums.

Of course, it is not just possible, but rather certain that in all that commotion and enthusiastic cross-investigation of the authors of the delicious feast I left out some ingredients.

Hvala, skrivnosti gospod! Thank you, mystery man!

Eh, včasih se ti, kar tako mimogrede, zgodi kakšna mala lepa stvar, ki ti zelo polepša dan, še posebej v teh zadrgnjenih in tečnih časih, ko vsakega, ki te samo pogleda, tlačiš v predal sumljivih težakov, ki prav gotovo hočejo kaj od tebe. 

No, včeraj me je med fotografiranjem ogovoril uglajen starejši možakar. Zanimalo ga je, kaj tako zavzeto fotografiram, in pripomnil, da sem prav gotovo umetnica. Sem mu odgovorila, da lučke in nebo, ki je bilo takrat res krasno; po dolgem času sva namreč novoletni blišč v prestolnici ujela podnevi in potem lebdela tam okoli Tromostovja, opazujoč, kako se spušča noč. Lebdela v najboljšem pomenu te besede.

Skratka, beseda je dala besedo in naenkrat me je neznani gospod povprašal po imenu. Mu ga povem in nato reče, če si bom zapisala ali snemala, kar mi bo povedal. Pri roki nisem imela nič takega, zato je kar nadaljeval. Za kratek čas je zamišljeno postal, potem pa kot iz rokava stresel štiri krasne verze, vsake toliko ozirajoč se naokoli, kot da išče navdih, začetne črke vsakega od njih pa so tvorile moje ime.

Oh, takrat mi je pa res postalo žal, da si pesmi nisem zabeležila in nekaj trenutkov kasneje, ko sem se vrnila k Miru, ki je nedaleč stran srebal svoje kuhano vino, in mu vsa vesela obnovila pogovor, me je pokaral tudi on, češ, zakaj ga nisem posnela s fotoaparatom (nisem se spomnila na to možnost, saj res, video, presneto!), sem pa gospodu, tik preden je poskočno odvihral naprej, verjetno trositi srečo še komu drugemu, navdušeno in presenečeno vzkliknila o, kok lepo, hvala! in mu zaželela še lepe praznike.

Je že bil tak srečen dan. Z Mirom sva namreč malo pred tem ugotavljala, kako se dobro počutiva, fizično in psihično, dan je bil tak, najin, malo vetroven, zrak je bil dišeč, nebo akvarelno, um bister, srci pa nasmejani. Po tem naključnem srečanju je bil še lepši; zame, in potem, preneseno, še za Mira. Dan, ko si rečeš: pa kaj potem, če me vsak dan sto ljudi nadere, izrine in ogoljufa, nekaj takihle minut prekrije vse ostalo.

Pesmi torej nimam več, zapomnila pa sem si nekaj o žaru, iskricah ali o življenju v očeh, ki naj nikoli ne izgine, in to je lepa popotnica ne samo za prihodnje leto, ampak nasploh.

(Ponovno; zelo me žalosti, ker se zadnje čase nekateri posnetki pri nalaganju na blog popačijo ali posvetlijo, tako kot danes nekateri; včasih je tako hudo, da posnetek preprosto ni primeren za objavo.)

[posodobljeno nekaj dni kasneje: problem končno odpravljen!]

Eh, sometimes, when least expected, some tiny beautiful thing happens to you that brightens your day, especially in these uptight and annoying times, when you label every person who as soon as he looks at you, presuming he clearly wants something from you.

Well, yesterday when I was photographing, a polite elderly gentleman spoke to me. He wanted to know what am I photographing so eagerly and that I must be an artist. I replied I was drawn by the lights and the sky, which was really magnificent at the time; namely, after a long time we, Miro and I, have caught that festive splendour in the capital during daytime and then we were lingering there and observing how the night is slowly taking over it.

Anyway, we started talking and suddenly this strange man asked me about my name. I answered him and then he said if I would record or write down what he is going to tell me. I didn’t have anything with me to do this, so he continued. For a couple of seconds he looked around, searching for an inspiration and then, as we say, he threw out from his sleeve four beautiful verses and the initial letters of each of them formed my name.

Oh, it was only then when I felt really sorry about not recording it and some moments later, when I returned to Miro, who was sipping his mulled wine not far away, I heard it also from him, why I didn’t took a video of it (damn, I didn’t remember about the video possibility!), but before this gentleman stormed away with a springy step, probably to spread happiness to other people out there, I said all surprised and joyfully: oh, so beautiful, thank you! and wished him nice holidays.

It was obviously one such happy day. Miro and I had been talking about it just minutes before this happened, how we feel good, physically and psychologically, it was a kind of day that suited our taste, our day, a bit windy, the air smelt deliciously, the sky was aquarelle-like, the mind was clear, hearts were smiling. After this accidental meeting it was even better, for me and then transferred to Miro. A day when you say it doesn’t matter if I am being yelled at, pushed out and cheated hundred times a day, a few minutes like these beat them all.

I didn’t record the poem, but I did remember something about sparkles, passion or the life in my eyes, whishing it would last also in the future and I believe this is a beautiful prosper not only for the new year, but in general.

(Again, it makes me very sad that lately my photos turn out very bad quality or much brighter after I upload them to my blog, as it happened also today; it is sometimes so bad the photo is just not suitable to post it.)

[updated few days later: the problem finally fixed!]

Nočna glasba Night music

Ena najboljših stvari najine božične odisejade, ko obiskujeva polnočnice po abecedi, tokrat je bil na vrsti I kot Izola, je, poleg nama tako ljubega vandranja, da ko se vračava, poslušava najboljšo glasbo, tisto, ki jo slovenske radijske postaje pogosto prezrejo, nacionalni radio pa jo, kot obvezno kvoto, skrije v svoj nočni program.

Je prav, da sem vsakič znova začudeno vesela nad nečim takim, kot je slovenska glasba na radiu (in za povrh še tista, ta dobra)? Oh, kakšne blagoslovljene vožnje so to!

One of the best things of our Christmas odyssey, when we visit midnight-masses in an alphabet order, this time it was the letter I like Izola, is (except of the wandering around that we both like so much) that when we are returning we listen to the best music, Slovenian.
 
Not that we don’t like others, we do, very much, of course, but our radio stations are so swamped with the same and the same commercial staff that is so refreshing to hear some good domestic sounds; namely, this is the time, in the night hours, when our national radio fulfills obligatory requirements towards its own language. Oh, these are such blessed rides!

V iskanju zime Searching for winter

Hm, če kdo najde zimo, naj mi jo pošlje, vsaj za ta praznični čas.

Brez nje pač ni enako.

Hm, if anybody finds winter, please send it to me, at least for these festive days.

It is just not the same without it.

Tri praznične Three festive ones

Včasih mi gre na živce, še večkrat razveseljuje, konec leta pa je preprosto vesoljska! - Ljubljana.

(Zelo me žalosti, ker mi zadnje čase nekatere posnetke pri nalaganju na blog popači ali posvetli,

tako kot danes zgornjo; včasih je tako hudo, da preprosto ni primerno za objavo.)
[posodobljeno nekaj tednov kasneje: problem končno odpravljen!]

Sometimes it gets on my nerves, many more times it makes me happy,

but at this time of the year it is just space-al, special! – our capital. :)

(It makes me very sad that lately my photos turn out very bad quality or much brighter after I upload them to my blog,

as it happened also today above; it is sometimes so bad it is just not suitable to post it.)
[updated few weeks later: the problem finally fixed!] 

Z Mirom sva v bistvu ena velika zapečkarja, a ko kam greva, greva res z užitkom.

Miro and I, we are in fact two hermits, but when we do go out, we really enjoy it.

Krasno ohranjena Koščakova soba, kjer je bila pogostitev po odprtju sestrine razstave.

Gorgeously preserved old traditional Koščak room,

where we had a small banquet after my sister’s exhibition opening.

Po polni luni After the full moon

Ajda, buča, kaki Buckwheat, pumpkin, kaki

Nekaj utrinkov prednovoletne večerje za Mirove sodelavce z boljšimi polovicami. Ajda, buča in kaki.
 
Nekatere stvari, ki si jih je zadal, jaz pa sem menila, priznam, da je to za naju prevelik zalogaj, so krasno uspele, po drugi strani pa sva naredila nekaj tako neumnega, kot je zoglenitev cele runde kruhkov, si morete misliti!, in to pet minut pred prihodom gostov, tako da je res obetavno dišalo. :)

Some impressions from the festive pre-New Year’s dinner for Miro’s co-workers and their better halves. Buckwheat, pumpkin and kaki.
 
Some dishes that he has been planning to cook, and I was being sceptical about our abilities to do them all, I admit, turned out perfect, but on the other hand, we did the most stupid mistake - burned the whole round of toasts, can you imagine!, just five minutes before the arrival of the guests, so the smell was really promising. :)

Odtenki rdeče Shades of red

V teh mrzlih dneh, vsakčas že zimskih, še toliko bolj potrebujemo odtenke rdeče.

In these cold, almost wintery days we all need some more shades of red than usual.

Z njimi nam bo nocoj srca ogrela moja sestra. Takole je zapisala ob svoji razstavi:
 
STRAST v ŽIVLJENJU je kot kresilo za srce. Spodbudi jo SKRIVNOST v globinah nezavednega, ki pogosto privre na dan. Včasih strast izzove močna ŽELJA po bližini, dotiku, po OBJEMU, kot želja MEGLICE in ZMRZALI po pozornem objemu GRUDE zemlje.
Je odsev PREBUJENJA osebne rasti. Je NEVIHTA v daljavi, ki z igro smeri bliskov pride tako blizu, da BELO ZAŽARI. OSTALINE bliskov so zapisane v očeh in mislih, zapisane so v čutenju sveta. Na koncu se spremenijo v vse odtenke RDEČE.

(Besedilo je sestavljeno iz naslovov razstavljenih del.)
 
Vabljeni!

My sister is going to warm our hearts with them tonight at her exhibition opening.

Sladko čakanje Sweet waiting

Kakijeva sladica v izdelavi.

Kaki dessert in progress.

O zdravi pameti

Nedavno sem bila zelo začudena - ma, ne, na smeh mi je šlo od nejevere - ko sem v Mercatorjevih nakupovalnih vozičkih videla pritrjene neke rumene trakove, na katerih je pisalo nekaj v smislu, naj se sveže sadje in zelenjava polagata na tisto tretjino za črto, torej najdlje od ročaja.
 
Japajade, sem si rekla, seveda, ker sem šla pretežno po točno dotične zadevščine, bom vsakokrat kolovratila okrog voza, polagala glavo rdečega zelja, pomaranče in še kaj okroglega na oni konec, da se mi bodo, vsaj težka zeljnata glava, kotalili na mojo stran; ker mislim da je odlagalna površina vozička malo nagnjena v nakupovalčevo smer, ne trdim pa, da je res tako, a tudi če ni, je veliko verjetnosti, da se mi bodo stvari izmuznile izza črte.
 
In kaj zdaj? Bom hodila kot po jajcih, moja glavna skrb bo, da voziček premikam karseda previdno, na spontane sunkovite obrate niti pomisliti ne bom smela, in vsakokrat panično poskočila in jela preganjati pobeglo prestopniško zalego nazaj, kamor sodi, če se odloči samovoljno podivjati?
 
Dobro, dopuščam možnost, da so to storili zaradi meni neznanega razloga, ki pa vseeno močno dvomim, da je upravičen posebne pozornosti, obravnave ali odziva, dopuščam tudi možnost, da je bila to skrita kamera in so me lepo dobili na finto, ampak!, ko bodo prej poskrbeli za kakšno od kar precej veliko hujših težav, ki zares SO težave, od tega, da nekateri v teh istih vozovih, v katere polagamo živila, prevažajo otroke, ker, oh, na srčkane male nedolžne otroške čeveljce se pa pljunki in ostala nesnaga res ne prijemajo, ane, do tega, da bodo poskrbeli za tiste brezsramne obiskovalce, ki svoja vozila množično(!) puščajo kjerkoli se jim zdi, pred vhodom, na zebrah in povsod drugje, kjer ni dovoljeno in kjer ovirajo ostale, kljub temu, da se vedno najde kak prazen prostor, včasih celo takoj zraven; v redu, takrat bom mogoče tudi jaz zeljno glavo dala za rumeno črto.
 
Ma, ne, ne bom, res ne bom. Sem videla eno ubogo gospo, ki jo je novo opozorilo verjetno tako zelo prestrašilo, da si ni upala tvegati postati zločinka in je sadje ter zelenjavo raje pridno kopičila za črto, tako kot je bilo zaukazano, ostali dve tretjini pa sta bili prazni. Sama sebi sem se kislo nasmehnila in uporniško upala, da bom takih vozov videla čim manj.
 
Čestitke torej tistemu, ki misli, da je to največja težava v trgovini. Še tale navadna zeljnata buča tu zgoraj ima več soli v svojih vijugah, da se ji vse skupaj s tole rumeno črto ne bi zdelo skrajno … am … bukovo. Svašta!