changing the channel


This weekend was cooking and wrapping. Today is working and shipping. Need to buy stamps for all the holiday cards and get the boxes sitting in the hallway into the wonderbus and out of my house and into someone elses! I boiled down a turkey carcass yesterday--yielding some nice soup along with making some oatmeal cookies with all ingredients from around here. Additionally, I made a dinner for all the Cassettis with a great potato recipe from the December Good Food Magazine. All was devoured to our delight. Friday, we were surprised to have our half pig delivered to our happiness. This jackpot was sweetened by a lot of bacon and sausage, two hams, and all sorts of roasts and chops. We were given a chicken as a bonus. So, we tried the bacon on Saturday and the sausage on Sunday to our pleasure as it is very lean and delicious...and as we know where this creature was raised and who did the raising, it has even more appeal. We are so grateful to have been included in this select group as it makes being a localvore easier.

I have been researching Krampus--one of the companions of St Nicholas. He is one of many pals of Nick--each having their own local flavor and relationship. The French have "Père Fouettard (the whipfather), who is said to be the butcher of three children. St. Nicholas discovered the murder and resurrected the three children. He also shamed Père Fouettard, who, in repentance, became a servant of St. Nicholas. Fouettard travels with the saint and punishes naughty children by whipping them. In modern times he distributes small whips, instead of thrashings, or gifts." from Wikipedia

More from Wikipedia:
Appearance
Often the subject of winter poems and tales, the Companions travel with St. Nicholas (also called Father Christmas or Santa Claus), carrying with them a rod (sometimes a stick and in modern times often a broom) and a sack. They are sometimes dressed in black rags, bearing a black face and unruly black hair. In many contemporary portrayals the companions look like dark, sinister, or rustic versions of Nicholas himself, with a similar costume but with a darker color scheme.

Krampus
In parts of Austria, Krampusse is a scary figure, most probably originating in the Pre-Christian Alpine traditions. Local tradition typically portrays these figures as children of poor families, roaming the streets and sledding hills during the holiday festival. They wore black rags and masks, dragging chains behind them, and occasionally hurling them towards children in their way. These Krampusumzüge (Krampus runs) still exist, although perhaps less violent than in the past.

Today, in Schladming, a town in Styria, over 1200 "Krampus" gather from all over Austria wearing goat-hair costumes and carved masks, carrying bundles of sticks used as switches, and swinging cowbells to warn of their approach. They are typically males in their teens and early twenties, and often get very drunk. They roam the streets of this typically quiet town and hit people with their switches. It is not considered wise for young women to go out on this night, as they are popular targets.

In many parts of Croatia, Krampus is described as a devil, wearing chains around his neck, ankles and wrists, and wearing a cloth sack around his waist. As a part of a tradition, when a child receives a gift from St. Nicolas he is given a golden branch to represent his/hers good deeds throughout the year; however, if the child has misbehaved, Krampus will take the gifts for himself and leave only a silver branch to represent the child's bad acts. Children are commonly scared into sleeping during the time St. Nicolas brings gifts by being told that if they are awake, Krampus will think they have been bad, and will take them away in his sack. In Hungary, the Krampusz is often portrayed as mischievous rather than evil devil, wearing a black suit, a long red tongue, with a tail and little red horns that are funny rather than frightening. The Krampusz wields a Virgács, which is a bunch of golden coloured twigs bound together. Hungarian parents often frighten children with getting a Virgács instead of presents, if they do not behave. By the end of November, you can buy all kinds of Virgács on the streets, usually painted gold, bound by a red ribbon. Getting a Virgács is rather more fun than frightening, and is usually given to all children, along with presents to make them behave

Belsnickel
Belsnickel is a companion of Santa Claus of the Palatinate (Pfalz) in northwestern Germany. Belsnickel is a man wearing fur which covers his entire body, and he sometimes wears a mask with a long tongue. He is a rather scary creature who visits children at Christmas time and delivers socks or shoes full of candy, but if the children were not good, they will find coal and/or switches in their stockings instead.

Zwarte Piet (Black Peter)
In Belgium and the Netherlands, children are told that Zwarte Piet leaves gifts in the children’s shoes. Presents are said to be distributed by Saint Nicholas aide Zwarte Piet; who enters the house through the chimney, which also explains his black face and hands. Blackfaced, googly-eyed, red-lipped Zwarte Piet dolls are displayed in store windows alongside with brightly packaged holiday merchandise.

Knecht Ruprecht
It is unclear whether the various companions of St. Nicholas are all expressions of a single tradition (Knecht Ruprecht), (since various texts, especially those outside the tradition, often treat the companions as variations of Knecht Ruprecht), or most likely a conflation of multiple traditions.

Knecht Ruprecht is commonly cited as a servant and helper, and is sometimes associated with Saint Rupert. According to some stories, Ruprecht began as a farmhand; in others, he is a wild foundling whom St. Nicholas raises from childhood. Ruprecht sometimes walks with a limp, because of a childhood injury. Often, his black clothes and dirty face are attributed to the soot he collects as he goes down chimneys."

I think there may be some pictures here as the concept of these very frightening cohorts of the Saint, not even our Santa Claus, intrigues me. This whackdoodle way of presenting good and evil particularly to very little children springs fully formed from the same source that brought us the wonderful world of Slovenly Peter and the tales of the Brothers Grimm, where the happiest of every afters generally manifests itself in some small and dirty unwanted heroine or hero freezes and dies in the cold.

And so the new adventure begins!

Saturday catch up


Big news. The portrait I did of Jiri Harcuba for the Masters of Studio Glass Show at the Corning Museum of Glass just got accepted into Illustration 52 (a juried competition sponsored by the Society of Illustrators, NY).I am delighted. This is the third year (last year was the Willow head from the Memento Mori work, the year previously, was the Chicken Chokers Poster). To be honest, I was fretting a bit on this one. My friend, the very talented and smart, Lori Ann Levy Holm emailed me earlier this week that she got a piece in the 52 and had gotten the phone call. I didnt get any call...and was being calm about some years you get in, some years you don't. Despite the fact that my head was rationalizing it, and integrating it into the push forward, to keep going, to keep working...my heart was reluctantly following. But, yesterday around 3 p.m. the call came, and they happily told me the great news. Hurray!

Kitty is plugging away on the college stuff. Alex is out with friends and Rob is asleep. I have a cranberry sauce done, potatoes cooked and an apple tart finished and cooling. Gloria is back from California and we will have an early Thanksgiving with the family tonight.

Alex just called. He missed the bus in Ithaca, and could I please come down to pick him up. I guess I have no choice.

More later.

IF: Music


There is music in the beauty, and the silent note which Cupid strikes, far sweeter than the sound of an instrument; for there is music wherever there is harmony, order, or proportion; and thus far we may maintain the music of the spheres.
Sir Thomas Browne (1605–1682)
Religio Medici. Part ii. Sect. ix.

practicing with the devil


Paul Z. asked me if this teufel was Krampus which prompted an immediate wiki search to find out that yes, this guy could be Krampus. Wiki says:

Krampus is a mythical creature who accompanies Saint Nicholas in various regions of the world during the Christmas season. The word Krampus originates from the Old High German word for claw (Krampen). In the Alpine regions, Krampus is represented by an incubus demon accompanying Saint Nicholas. Krampus acts as an anti–Saint Nicholas, who, instead of giving gifts to good children, gives warnings and punishments to the bad children. Traditionally, young men dress up as the Krampus in the first two weeks of December, particularly in the evening of December 5, and roam the streets frightening children and women with rusty chains and bells. In some rural areas the tradition also includes birching by Krampus, especially of young females.
Modern Krampus costumes consist of Larve (wooden masks), sheep's skin, and horns. Considerable effort goes into the manufacture of the hand-crafted masks, and many younger adults in rural communities compete in the Krampus events.
In Oberstdorf, in the southwestern alpine part of Bavaria, the tradition of der Wilde Mann ("the wild man") is kept alive. He is like Krampus (except the horns), is dressed in fur, and frightens children (and adults) with rusty chains and bells, but is not an assistant of Saint Nicholas.

one of those days

It has been as if the weather has been asking us forgiveness during the long and mild fall. It was positively balmy for this time of the year--with a cool morning with frost dulling the green grass down to a yellow sage color to the clear skies and warm days that have framed up this fall. Not much rain, not much cold. And here we are, almost at Thanksgiving and the fear of the long winter has not set in. Thankfully. We had some storms put on the remaining windows here in the big house. We also had the chimney sweep here to clean our little engine, our little skinny Jodel stove--to find that it now smokes. Rob took it apart from the bottom end to find nothing blocking the air (no mouse nests, birds nests, chipmunks, or stray skunks nesting in the stove)...but smoking none the less. So Mel, the small man who sweeps is coming again to troubleshoot the stove. I am getting the snows put on the car along with an early annual check, oil change and check the pings and knocks. Gotta get ready as Vermont looms for our Thanksgiving treat. We are off to visit my brother and tribe in Woodstock--and our entire clan is thrilled with the aspect of a scene change.

My office is generally a big mess. Thats the way I like it...and now with the holidays almost upon us, the gift wrap, present piles have taken the entropy to an entirely different place. I am thrilled with my new collection of reusable shopping bags with matching gift wrap that Walmart offered. I am thrilled as I have gotten through the stock paper and ribbons that I have held onto for the year. I am chugging through the collection of presents I have accumulated, and am making lists of those things that need to be bought or considered. My holiday cards have come from the printer as have the envelopes. Hopefully, tomorrow, I can review the labels and refine the list so that we can get into the whole holiday mailing thing (along with doing the same thing for valentines day as my valentines cards have delivered too!) next week...and have it done by 12/1. I really need to get the bulk of this work done before 12/1 as the holidays bite into the month, and just as the dessert fork hits the plate on Thanksgiving day, we need to be done for the December holidays as there are only so many days, so many evenings and an ocean's amount of work due by January 1 as many budgets tail out by that time. So, from a work standpoint, its clear the decks and get ready for the onslaught.

The home team need a break.Everyone is complaining about homework, about the kids at the High School etc. The sooner the musical and ski club can begin, the better. We are having both of the younger's wisdom teeth pulled out after Christmas, so...the holiday is going to be before the teeth and after teeth. Poor devils. But, on the good side, at least this will be done before everyone goes to college.

Trying to make plans to take the tribe to Art Basel Miami the first week of December. Need to make the schedule and $$ work with the frequent flier miles. More later.

Wonderfish One.


Inspired by the Free Library of Philadelphia's Wonderfish collection>>

Translation of Work:
A big Wonderfish (Ein grosser Wunderfisch)ca. 1820 - ca. 1840
Decorator: Anonymous
Scrivener: Anonymous

A big wonder fish which was caught with effort near Geneva, the beautiful city. The same had a man’s countenance and on his head a crown with crosses; on his body a sword, two war flags, a cannon, and three rifles as well as three skulls. As this drawing shows in detail the same was three ells high and also five ells long, as can be seen in the following hymn with more. Such a miraculous sign on the 12th of February A.D. 1740.
In this fish’s name I now begin; you people all together, who stand by me quietly, hear: this great miracle happened this year on water and on land. This is certainly true. First I will describe Geneva, the beautiful city, where on the 12th of February a fish was caught by man in the sea. It was felt it for five whole days; it was caught with great effort. Three ells high, it was, and also five ells long. Everyone wondered who looked at it. The fish had a true human head. Everyone was amazed who viewed the fish. He has feet like the swans, on the head a crown, a sword, two war flags, as can be seen. Three skulls with it, there are seen down there. What can be the meaning? Who knows the fish’s miracle? Many people came together to view the fish. On the sea there came a wonderful man, who was adorned on his body exactly like a fish with big and wide scales. He carried a simple sword. The man said to the people [continued on reverse]

Look at the sword rightly. It signifies the world and refers to a sharp conflict. Kink and sponsors called themselves strongly to the field. Each must risk himself just like a brave hero. Love has disappeared entirely. No one stands by the other. Many sell their brothers for money, mothers and fathers, as well. O woe to the evil world. How will you fare in this short time, nothing but war and quarrel will you hear of. It will be consumed in laments that the best friends will beat each other and become arch enemies. When everyone is against the other and everything is stirred up, then peace will make an end. God’s son, Jesus Christ, will strike therein with his sword. The spoil of pestilence will do great harm in many lands and borders. Amen.

Monday Morning Update


Kitty and Rob are in Philadelphia for Kitty's portfolio showing to Tyler. I send them both good karma and confidence (as luck is not needed--her work speaks for itself). They called from their hotel enjoying the time together, a nice dinner out, and having a drink (Kitty had water) in the hotel bar. Sounded civilized and very nice for a girl to have with her dad. Alex and I got our work done--and it was early to bed for both of us. I rushed into the school this morning to get the H1N1 paperwork done so that both offspring could get shots tomorrow (or at least I hope).

Holiday wrapping continues. I hope to get some packages in the mail today. There is a lot of work for the major client--and it may keep me from job#2 for a while. I ordered holiday cards from simplecard.com--one for Alex to use, and a picture postcard for me to send to family. What is great about simplecard.com is that they are in the business already. Simplecards is part of the Modern Postcard empire--so they know about on demand printing already--and have through a really easy offering, an easy interface and terrific pricing for low quantity cards and postcards, make it so that everyone can have custom everything without breaking the bank. And, as I know Modern Postcard, the color will be good, and the production will also be great. Alex wanted a card to send to his XC friends, so we used a picture of his coach and he scripted some rather insider text that those of us outside the group are clueless to make out. I made up a postcard with a picture of Kitty and Alex from their costume party this spring. Good picture of both, and thats what we all love and want from our friends...and family. So, delighted to have an option to the fraktur card I made with psprint.com (another great resource for quantities over 50. I have ordered print materials for my clients as I believe in their quality/price value. I have ordered postcards, printed greeting cards (all sizes), and stickers from them. I cannot recommend them enough.

Oh, look. Here is the Richard Meyers team from Skaneatlas,NY to install storm windows on 11 windows on this big house. I forsee a warm winter, a tax credit and two busy people today. More later.

work in progress...


Been coloring in a bunch of stuff. Not quite there on all fronts, but moving there. It has been a wild week with Erich being out and the workload (normally running both of us quite ragged--) was on my shoulders. So, its been a bit harried. We are just two-- Alex and me today with Rob and Kitty down in Philadelphia for an interview at Tyler School of Art and the portfolio showing. Kitty, Rob and I worked on her portfolio yesterday--collecting scans and uploading them to a site Kitty was designing on Wix.com. Wix is pretty cool as it is pretty intuitive and has a bunch of flash./animation that you can upload your images/content to. Plus, its free. Kitty took to it easily--and was in business in no time. After a bit of tweaking, she got the bones of the design up--and it will go live this week to upload with the Common App. Next step, all sorts of essays for Hartford, Tyler and Hampshire. Oy.

All of us went to Mt. Saviour Monastary to hear my father in law speak on the design of the monastary and the dynamics surrounding that. He did a great job--and it was good for Kitty and Alex to see him in this context. Alex was struck by Ron's love and passion for architecture and was impatient to be charged up about something/anything. As you all know, sometimes passion is something that comes on slowly, about things that you least expect to be passionate about. Or, you find as you peck away persistently at something that you may just need to do, you find passion in the pecking or even passion in what is being pecked. Passion can be unexpected--and those things that you find that you love can be of the moment or for the span of your life--changing and growing as you do. Ron was eloquent and spoke from the heart--it was a family moment for all.

Alex and i had some good car time--with his telling me about things on his mind, issues, people --his likes and dislikes often with more passion than what even he thought he had. It was good to spend time together syncing our heads--and having him open up to me more than he usually does. Now there is homework on his side and present wrapping for Christmas on mine. So much to do before Thanksgiving--work/presents/cards and kids. Early to bed tonight. Much excitement in store tomorrow including work in powerpoint (yikes).