Gwyneth Paltrow is copying me again. I cut my hair, she cuts her hair. I grow my hair, she grows her hair. I get pregnant, she gets pregnant. It's a shame when such a lovely, talented woman needs to find fulfillment in dogging the every step of someone she doesn't even know (is she stalking me?). Let's feel sorry for her rather than angry, though, o.k.? I mean her latest film opened to mixed reviews so maybe she's finding meaning wherever she can - even in the life of a 30-something working mom in central Virginia.


In other news, our house is a mess (again, still, always). In addition to the three Sunday papers we take cluttering up the living room, there are a bunch of boxes labeled "Xmas Tree" strewn about and what seems like dozens of cups, glasses and other dishes. Are there really only three people living here? I'm reminded of that children's story The Borrowers where tiny people live in the floorboards and life off of the detritus of the "regular" people who live in the house. Except that, if I had Borrowers living here with me, I doubt they'd be the ones using 16 oz. cups and littering them everywhere. The tree has been decorated (with the enthusiastic, if not accomplished, assistance of my three year old) and so at least the boxes can go away tonight. I still have to do something about the kitchen, though. Cookie mania is ongoing, but I'm finding I just can't live with the baking stuff out, as I thought I could. It seemed like it would save time, but it's just making me nuts.


Tonight is the second Sunday in Advent. In a few minutes we will sit down to a dinner of herb bread and potage a la bonne femme and light two of the purple candles on our wreath, the one from last week and a new one tonight. If you'd like to join us, here's the soup recipe - highly recommended for cold winter nights when the sun has long disappeared and you have lots of more interesting things do to other than making a super-involved dinner:


Bring 6 cups of broth or water to a boil (I've used veggie broth, chicken broth - both homemade and commercial, or even water). Add three cut up potatoes, two cut up carrots (all scrubbed but unpeeled), some peppercorns and about a teaspoon of salt. Reduce heat and simmer until veggies are soft. Add a couple ribs of celery, cut up (add in some of the cut up celery leaf, too!) and about two cups of shredded cabbage, along with some thyme or rosemary (all scrunched up). Cook until the cabbage is translucent and soft. Remove from heat and puree the soup - either by removing the veggies into a processor or blender or by using a rotary egg beater right in the pot. Adjust seasonings and serve with plain yogurt and shredded cheese if desired.