Travel to Germany through Niemandswasser

I just finished reading Robert Aickman's superbly chilling collection of short stories, compiled in Cold Hand in Mine. Fortunately, none of the stories have scared me to death as the book's cover threatened. Instead, what really shakes me is the fact that none of the stories show a clear resolution. As the friend who lent me the copy predicted, the failure to make each story's elements fit together logically is driving me nuts.

Of all of the short stories, "Niemandswasser"* (1975) left the strongest impression. Aickman creates such striking visual imagery, crafting dark, lavish descriptions of the foreboding castles, quaint chateaus, and haunted lakes, that I felt that I had just viewed a beautiful Gothic painting, or taken a time-warp tour of Germany through the eyes of Shelley. Aickman does not overload the reader with lengthy descriptions, instead creating an overarching ambiance that remains both subtle and unforgettable. Beautiful yet terrifying, blending the best traditions of classic ghost stories with Aickman's own penchant for penning unresolved nightmares created by the subconscience. 

Part of me would love to visit the old German schloss Aickman described with such dark relish - while the other part is very happy that I can leave the cursed castles (pronounced cur-sid if you're Vincent Price) anytime by simply closing the book. Which, of course, I cannot help but reopen.


*Translation: No Man's Water.

Radiantly Gluten-Free

Check out my new website, Radiantly Gluten Free! The site provides useful tips for those living with celiac sprue, especially those recently diagnosed. I was fortunate enough to be correctly diagnosed at the age of two, so I understand the many challenges (dietary, social, and otherwise) of the gluten-free diet. Challenging, yes, but I also know that the rewards far outweigh the limitations. If you have celiac sprue, a completely gluten free diet is the only way to get on the path to feeling completely healthy, strong, and vibrant. This site will also be helpful to those who may not celiac sprue, but who suffer gluten-sensitivities.

I am compiling all of the best resources and tips that I know. I will keep adding to this newborn website, so it should be an interesting journey! The site will draw not only from my own knowledge, but also from reliable print and online sources. Most importantly, "Radiantly Gluten Free" gleans heavily from the knowledge of my mother, who is the world's prettiest and most fabulous expert on the the subject - after all, she figured out how to successfully keep me on a totally gluten-free diet when I was still too young to fully understand it myself. Brava.

One in every approximately 133 people have celiac sprue,* yet for every person diagnosed correctly, eighty go undiagnosed** and consequently live with pain and malnutrition every day. So, here's to hoping that Radiantly Gluten Free adds another little ripple in the pool of understanding.



* "Celiac Disease" National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC). 27 January 2012.

** "Gluten Intolerance Facts." Gluten-Intolerance Group (GIG). The foremost authority on celiac sprue and gluten intolerance, GIG's presence in Washington State is the reason for my early diagnosis while living in that state.

A Dickensian Christmas

"His own heart laughed, and that was quite good enough for him."

This Christmas, I took inspiration from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, designed a Victorian themed decor accented by literary details throughout a merlot and rosé color scheme. Old books, vintage silver, fresh roses and poinsettias, and handmade papercraft embellished the decor.

For Christmas dinner, we had Devonshire Crab Soup (delicious!), Annapolis crab cakes, Chebe rolls, and a fresh salad with baby arugula, sliced strawberries, and homemade balsamic dressing.

Natural-colored tapers in a vintage silver 

candelabra paid homage to the Victorian theme.

Handmade place cards

Dimming the room's ceiling light made candlelight the

 main attraction. A photo frame quoting A Christmas 

Carol emphasized the Dickensian theme.

Lush, multi-layered decor.

"Old Marley was dead: to begin with." 

~ First line of Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

Merlot-colored lace overlays were the perfect 

Victorian touches on the side buffet and the dinner table.

Fresh red roses in a cranberry glass pitcher stood 

alongside the poinsettias.

Handmade collage wall art, featuring a photograph of 

my great-grandmother Doris Stillman Frazier at 

the age of eighteen. So glamorous.

More handmade collage wall art. I raided fashion, 

decorating, and bridal magazines for the flower photos,

and used scrapbooking papers and embellishments for

everything else. I had fun drawing the elaborate ink 

borders on the red card stock.

Count-Down

Christmas is only two weeks away! I love Yuletide. And I love having an excuse to use Dickensian words. Including "Dickensian."

I am cooking a Christmas Eve dinner with a Victorian theme, like Devonshire Crab Soup with brandy. Yum.