NOT the Christmas Cake Recipe I used :)

A Christmas Cake

Ingredients:

* 2 cups flour
* 1 stick butter
* 1 cup of water
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1 cup of sugar
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 cup of brown sugar
* Lemon juice
* 4 large eggs
* Nuts
* 1 bottle Brandy
* 2 cups of dried fruit

Sample the brandy to check quality.

Take a large bowl, check the brandy again. To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink.

Repeat.

Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again.

At this point it's best to make sure the brandy is still OK. Try another cup... Just in case.

Turn off the mixer thingy.

Break 2 eggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.

Pick the frigging fruit up off floor.

Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver.

Sample the brandy to check for tonsisticity.

Next, sift two cups of salt, or something.

Check the brandy.

Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.

Add one table.

Add a spoon of sugar, or some fink. Whatever you can find.

Greash the oven.

Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over.

Don't forget to beat off the turner.

Finally, throw the bowl through the window. Finish the brandy and wipe counter with the cat.

Bingle Jells!

Pax Deus? - Advent Part 3

For part 1 click here, for part 2 click here.

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." Luke 2:13-14

The Shepherds on the hillside knew about peace, they were living under the Pax Romana that ran from 27 B.C. to 180 A.D. But the peace they experienced was bought at a price - Roman Occupation. It was a peace created through Oppression, Subjugation, and Conformity. There was no room for dissent or difference of opinion. Conflict was dealt with swiftly and brutally. You kept quiet and paid your taxes, just keep your head down and do what is required and everything will be fine.

It is into this Peace that the angels speak a Declaration of God's Peace. Why settle for Pax Romana when you can have the Pax Deus?

The Pax Romana worked, it produced results as satirized brilliantly by the Monty Python gang in the 'The Life of Brian'.

What have the Romans ever done for us?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExWfh6sGyso

Pax Deus may be better, but it is also unknown. God's peace is messy, it is extended on people on whom God's favor rests, and God in his grace extends his favor to everyone. God's favor, God's blessing is the great leveler. Mary sang in Luke 1

My soul doth magnify the Lord.
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid;
for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
Because he that is mighty,
hath done great things to me;
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is from generation unto generations,
to them that fear him.
He hath shewed might in his arm:
he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat,
and hath exalted the humble.
He hath filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath received Israel his servant,
being mindful of his mercy:
As he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his seed for ever.

The careful order of the Pax Romana is gone. Hierarchy is abolished there is no longer any preference into experiencing the Peace of God. We are all God's chosen people. That is wonderful news, but a burden if you were expecting preferential treatment because of Class, Race, Gender, Economic Privilege, Sexual Orientation or any another possible distinguishing feature you can think of.

And there's the problem, Grace. We Christians like our Hierachy, we like to say who is In and who is Out. It seems that the peace our churches offer more resembles the Pax Romana than the Pax Deus. We get caught up in making sure that the correct people are included and the wrong sort excluded. We may even 'tolerate' some of the wrong sort, but we expect them to keep quiet and pretend to conform.

Where we exclude, God includes.
Where we tolerate, God embraces.

I wish I was more like God, I can be very harsh and judgmental at times. When someone judges me I want to respond back in kind. I find myself wanting to 'Scatter the proud', 'Put down the Mighty' and 'Send the Rich away empty'.

God, let me experience Your peace this Christmas.

Some things must die....

I don't remember when I stopped believing in Santa. We never did presents from Santa as a child, everything was neatly labeled with the giver and the recipient. I know at some point I gave up old St. Nick and entered into the deeper mysteries of Christmas. Giving up childish things didn't diminish my Christmas experience, it just refocused it.

In Re-Enchanting Christianity Dave Tomlinson writes:

'The ancient Hopi people of North America have a fascinating rite of passage for their children as they move into young adulthood. Throughout their life these children have been familiar with the Kachinas, the tribe's masked holy men, who bless the corn harvest and bring toys and gifts for the children like Santa Claus. But one night as the children are brought into the sacred circle, something different occurs: on this occasion, instead of giving them gifts, the Kachinas simply remove their masks, revealing the fact that these figures whom the children thought were gods are actually their family and neighbors - people whom they see every day. It is a moment of sacred disenchantment, when childish naivety gives way to grown up reality.'

(Image taken from this website here)

I'm not exactly sure when I stopped believing in the Christianity of my childhood (strongly Fundamentalist, Conservative and Evangelical). All I know was that I went through a long period of doubt and depression where Atheism seemed very attractive. The Fundamentalism that I embraced did not embrace me back. My inner landscape seemed so different from everyone else that believing no longer seemed an option.

Fortunately the Grace of God is so much larger than I believed. God is far more liberal with his grace than I ever could have imagined. Even though wandering away from Fundamentalism felt like wandering into Apostasy, some beliefs need to die. - When I was a child I spoke as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child; but when I became a man I put away childish things. 1 Cor 13:11 But nobody ever gave me a road map for dying. As Dave Tomlinson goes on to say:

'Sadly, the church offers no equivalent of the Hopi ritual; there is no 'Service of Disenchantment' to help us figure out what are the 'childish things' about Christianity that should be left behind, and what are the things we need to hold on to. Indeed, paradoxically, experiencing disenchantment with the christian faith is actually fundamental to growing as a christian. It is the reality check that brings into question all that we have simply taken for granted, the acid bath that purges naive assumptions, false religious pretensions and unthinking conformity.'

Working for a church means Christmas comes early- I was composing new christmas carols while everyone else was celebrating Labor Day. It feels like I don't celebrate Christmas, I just facilitate it for others. It can be difficult to enter into the 'Spirit of the Season' (whatever that means), when you are running from planning meeting to worship service, from Children's Musical to Choir rehearsal. The final push to Christmas Day is upon me and I'm feeling a bit indifferent to the whole thing, I've not become Scrooge of the Grinch, but my main focus is on my January vacation. The only Christmas decoration up at the house is a wreath on the door, even my beloved Veggie Tales Nativity set still languishes in its box.

It seems that even my Christmas Celebration is in the process of dying and being transformed into something new. I've made Christmas Cake for the first time since I was 17. Some traditions are being revived, others are up for review and are found lacking in substance. I"m not sure what will emerge the other end, but as the 'death of Santa' led me to a deeper experience of Christmas and the 'death of fundamentalism' led me to a deeper experience of the divine mystery of God I'm finally learning to trust the work that happens in my inner life.

Me Me Me Me!

Good News - Advent 2

For Advent 1 click here

We were discussing the Angels announcement to the Shepherds. 'Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people'. It was a phrase I'd heard so many times that I wasn't totally paying attention. Someone in the group asked the question 'What is the good news that you need to hear to bring you great joy?'

The answer that came to mind was immediate and flippant, it was only through excessive use of my filter that I didn't say it out loud. 'Good news? Congratulations Peter, you have just won free liposuction.'

I smiled to myself and then froze.

Sometimes my brain takes me to places I wish it didn't.

"Peter, what is it about your body image that causes you to make jokes like that? What does that kind of joking do for you?"

Earlier this week I'd been reflecting on my need to always have something about me to hate. The object of that hate has shifted over the years, but even though I'm getting emotionally healthier all the time it seems that I still need something to hate to make me feel o.k. Somehow all those sermons about self-denial transformed into thoughts of self-hatred. It's the old tape that still plays in the back of my mind, if I can just hate [blank] enough, then I can use the energy of that hate to change it.

I know that doesn't work. I've written here before about how Hate cannot fuel the engine of Change. But still I keep hating. I see the problem, but I do nothing to change the status quo, nothing to reach toward the solution. If I stop hating my body what will I hate instead? I think that is the fear behind the hatred for me....I need to remember that Perfect Love casts out Fear.

It is easier to cling to self destructive behaviors than reach for healing. Lies always seem so much more enticing than the truth. It is easy for me to convince myself to do nothing.

"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:10-11

The message of a Savior is one that I still need, even after all these years that I have walked this pilgrim journey. It seems that the Spiritual Life consists of identifying more and more areas that I need saving from. I need good news of great joy. I need Jesus to remind me that I don't need to hate myself to be loved by Him.

'What is the good news that you need to hear to bring you great joy?'

Meeting Heros

I've posted a lot about my love for Nigella Lawson and her cookbooks. (You can read and see her Jumbleberry Crumble here, and it was her Christmas cake I made last week) Well she has a new cookbook just out that is all Christmas recipes and I was fortunate enough to meet her at a book signing this evening!

She had been talking and signing books for an 90 minutes by the time I went through the line, and she was still wonderfully energetic and polite - I'm glad I got to meet her :)

If in doubt, add more brandy!

I did some reflecting this week to help with the Advent retreat I led on Thursday. One of the questions was around what aspects of Christmas Past poured life into you. When I looked at them, there were 3 broad categories. Food, Weather and Community. I can't do much about the weather I decided but I could do something about the other 2 and in that moment the insane desire to make English Christmas Cake was born!

A couple of years ago I blogged here about my Mum's Christmas cake and the wonderful kitsch decorations. I haven't made Christmas Cake since I was 17.

I sat down in front of the fire a few days ago curled up with 2 different Nigella Lawson cookbooks and eventually worked out what I was going to make. I made a few interpretive decisions in terms of ingredients (adding cranberries!) , but I'm so excited about how it's going to taste.
Here is my big batch of mixed dried fruits after they have been soaking all night in a cup of brandy - Nigella recommended 1/2 a cup, but that was barely enough to get them moist. I reasoned that a cup of brandy would also counteract the tartness of the cranberries. Christmas Cake in my family was always liberally doused in alcohol, I think it was partly to disguise the taste.


The cake itself always requires a bit of 'Blue Peter' fiddliness (though without the sticky-backed plastic). First line the sides of the cake tin with parchment coming up about 4 inches above the height of the pan. Then line the inside bottom of the pan with parchment too. Then wrap the outside of the pan in brown paper, also rising about 4 inches above the rim of the pan. The cake cooks for 3 hours in a 300F oven. I believe the paper helps funnel the heat in some way. I've no real answer for why, but Nigella's cookbook told me to do it so it must be important!

Here is the yummy fruit cake batter carefully placed inside all that paper and ready for the oven. You should have seen me trying to hold the brown paper together and tie a one handed knot!
It baked for 3 hours, filling the house with a glorious fruit cake aroma. As soon as it's time was up I took it out of the oven, poured yet more brandy all over it and then wrapped the entire cake and pan in foil. It stays like that until cold, the foil traps the steam and helps keep the top of the cake soft and moist while it cools.

It will now live in an airtight container in the pantry for 3 weeks and then comes the icing.

The completed fruit cake will be covered in Apricot Preserve. On top of that goes a layer of Marzipan and covering all of that is a layer of White fondant or Royal Icing. I'm opting for the fondant icing this year for ease of decoration! Put some ornaments on top, tie a ribbon around it and voila English Christmas descends.

And the best bit of all was that the weather decided to get in the Christmas spirit too.

I had the fireplace roaring away and John Rutter Christmas Carols playing on the ipod. Sometimes I am such a cliche!

World Aids Day

This is a re-post from Dec 1st last year, but it seemed an important memory to share, especially as I read this morning that the number of new cases of hiv has risen for the first time in years and is spreading primarily through heterosexual relations.

Today is World AIDS Day. I was reading an article about whether the Global AIDS crisis is overblown. It's an interesting thought provoking article, but one line just made me smile -

"Everybody talks about AIDS at cocktail parties," Oldfield said. "But nobody wants to hear about diarrhea."

Ewww!

Back in the 90s Churches in the U.K. did special services on World Aids Day, today it just seems to slip by almost unnoticed. I remember attending a service in Nottingham - I attended because a friend of mine was speaking. I recall sitting there and being aware that some of the people who were sitting across the aisle from me were living with AIDS. It was the first time I'd seen someone with the disease. It put a face to something I'd just heard talk about. Suddenly AIDS became much more real to me.

After the sermon they played the song 'Empty Chairs at Empty Tables' from the musical Les Miserables, they played it in memory of people who had died from the disease.



As the song echoed around the church I began to see people sobbing over friends, colleagues and partners they had lost. I did not know anyone who had died from the disease, but the grief was so palpable I began to weep too.

It was at that point that AIDS ceased to be a 'homosexual problem' or a 'third world problem' instead it was simply a 'Human Problem'.

Make your own Cyber Snowflake

Looking for a fun way to creatively waste 5 minutes?

Click here.

From Mountain to Manger - Advent Week 1

Random thoughts for Sunday's Contemplative Service

Advent arrives too early. We have barely recovered from the joys and excesses of celebrating Thanksgiving when Advent comes knocking on the door like an unexpected guest. We open the door and welcome him in and then stand around not exactly knowing what we should do. At least when Lent, Advent's older brother arrives, we know how to behave. We greet Lent by giving up something, but Advent tells us to wait and prepare without giving us any explicit instructions.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

(Luke 2:8-15)

If Thanksgiving is the angelic party on the mountainside and Christmas is the encounter at the manger then Advent is the long walk down the mountain in the dark. The Shepherds leave the place where heavenly worship spilled over onto the earth and begin a journey. They begin as worship spectators and end as worship participants, but first comes a narrow dangerous path. A path that looks very different than when they walk it in daylight. And as they journey they leave their sheep, their only source of income, behind. The hope of a Savior drives them toward the manger, and the memory of Angels gives them comfort, but after seeing heavenly light the mountain seems especially dark.

I seem to spend most of my life on that path. I have had moments when Heaven's joy seems to fill my heart, and other times where I know exactly where the manger is and in which direction I should walk. But often my Christian life is a stumble down a dark mountainside. My lips may be singing 'Walking, walking in the light, in the shining light of heaven above' but that is more of a statement of faith than experience, of hope than reality.

I have experienced God, and I will experience God. The Hope of Advent is that no matter how dark the path, I will reach the manger. Christ will be born, not just in a stable, but in our lives. As we journey towards God, He, through some divine mystery, journeys towards us. The father runs towards the Prodigal Son as he sees him cross the horizon.

And there is another mystery.

None of us journey alone. We may tell ourselves that we do. We may keep other people at a distance because of what we fear they would see. But none of us walk down the mountain alone. Our companions may not be who would we choose, but they are who we have. And, if we have eyes to see clearly, that person is the embodiment of God for us.

As we journey towards Jesus, not only does Jesus journey towards us, but he journeys with us as well.

As we begin this journey of Advent, where are you right now? Basking in the light of Angels? Close to the light of the stable? Wandering down the mountain in the dark? It's not enough to know where we are going, we also need to know where we are.

Who is journeying with you? Who will you allow to be Jesus for you this Advent Season?

Muppet Bohemian Rhapsody

click here for the youtube page

BGG Con Activity Breakdown

Total Number of Games played: 24
Number of Different Games: 22
Number of New Games: 17
Games Purchased: 2 (Court of the Medici and Chopstick Dexterity Mega Challenge 3000)
Games I want to purchase: INFINITE

Here is the Play by Play Day Account:



Thursday

Die Aufsteiger - I love this game. There wasn't a copy in the library so I brought mine with me and got to introduce it to some new people.

Waz Baraz - A clever little deduction game. I found it tough to play in a noisy room as I couldn't remember what conclusions I'd already made. I'd play it again though.

Tobago - Most people said it to rhyme with Cargo, but I always though it rhymed with Day-glo. Anyway, it was fun. I might purchase this one.

Neu Heimat - another game I brought from home, but this one was in the library. A tough economic auction game.

Zertz - a fun abstract

Opera - a big letdown for me. I so wanted to like this game of building opera halls all over Europe. It was rather dry and tedious. It went from 'Purchase Unseen' to 'Never play again' very quickly. At least I saved some money.

Monkey Lab - it was o.k. I'm not totally sure what all the fuss was about over this game.

Breakfast: Buc-ee's Burritos
Dinner: Scary Indian Buffet which caused post-meal intestinal problems
Time to bed: 2:30am


Friday

A La Carte - So cute and with great components! Competing chefs racing to cook dishes whilst being careful not to over season. It is so much fun to sabotage your opponents. I want this.

Dixit - Has a core mechanic similar to Apples to Apples, but requires more creativity on the part of the player. I would play this again and my purchase it.

You Robot - This game needs the right crowd or the right alcohol. Basically you make gestures and point at a card to get your partner to assume a pre-designated position. It was more frustrating than silly.

Basket Boss - Managing a Basket Ball team. I only found it mildly interesting and have no real desire to play it again, though I wouldn't run away screaming if I was forced.

Polizei-Alarm - Fun with magnets. A clever little children's game where one player is a thief and the other the police trying to apprehend them.

Die Aufstieger - Yeah! I got to teach it again :)

Ad Astra - Probably my favorite new game of the convention. Settlers trading and building combined with Wallenstein/Shogun programing mechanic and using a scoring system similar to Masons.

Sticheln - A great trick taking game that took some mind wrapping to work out the best play. I was poised in a great position to win this game, but the lateness of the hour befuddled my brain and I went wrong in the final round. This was fun!

Breakfast: Dennys
Dinner: Ali Baba Mediterranean
Time to bed: 2:45am

Saturday

Scripts and Scribes - an excellent little card game that is difficult to track down. I would like a copy of this.

Elk Fest - a silly dexterity game we played at lunch. The only game of the Convention that I actually won!

Railroad Dice 1 - thanks for teaching this Judson! Another game I would play again that is difficult to obtain in the U.S.

Lost Cities the Board Game - This game was a lot better once we used all the cards. Oops! Slightly more complex than the original Lost Cities, but it plays more than 2 which is a bonus.

Crokinole - Late night dexterity fun!

Also played in the BGG Game show - A version of Family Feud played with approximately 15 teams of 4. We finished in the middle of the pack.

Also played 'If you wanna....I'd rather...' A very silly way to waste time!

Lunch: Chilis with my good friends Rich and Ginger (and their son Jack). Good times!!!
Dinner: Light snacking on chips and apples at the hotel.
Time to bed: 1:30 am

Sunday

Court of the Medici - an interesting 2 player card game that I purchased. We played twice and I can see that it needs more plays to grasp strategic possibilities.

Atlantis - Leo Colvini re themes Cartagena and adds some other elements to make it less frustrating. I see no desire to own this but I wouldn't refuse to play it.

Pack and Stack - I was curious about this game so I was reading the rules when the Mayfair Rep came across and offered to teach it to me. He explained one rule and I pointed out that the published rules said different. He'd been teaching it wrong all weekend! It's a game about packing luggage crates in pickup trucks. I don't need to own it, but it was o.k.

Breakfast: Dennys again
Dinner: I'll fix something here
Time to bed: Still unknown, but I was snoozing in the car!

Let the Games Begin!

I'm off to leave for my boardgame convention early in the morning.

It's been 2 years since I made it to this convention so I'm really excited about seeing some old friends again and playing lots of new games!

Turkey Turkey Turkey

Just in case you missed it last year, here is my handy dandy blog post dedicated to the art of roasting the ultimate Turkey. It's how I cook my turkey and it tastes great :)

Just Click Here

Trust me, if you are cooking Thanksgiving, you will be glad you did!

Chipotle Sloppy Joes - for Eric

Here's one of my quick standbys. I originally got this from cooking light and I love the way it sits on the taste buds.

2 1/2 cups vidalia or other sweet onion - thinly sliced
1 can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 lb ground sirloin
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
8 oz can no salt added tomato sauce
Hamburger buns

Heat a small nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Coat with cooking spray. Add the onion and cover. Cook for 8 minutes stirring frequently until golden brown. Remove from heat.

Remove one adobo chili from the can and chop finely. Set it aside with approx 1 teaspoon of sauce. I normally bag up the rest of the chilies in individual mini bags with a little sauce and freeze them.

In a large nonstick pan coated with a little spray cook the ground sirloin until brown. Add the green bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the chipotle chili, adobo sauce, tomato paste, salt, cumin and tomato sauce. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Spoon 1/2 cup of beef over the bottom of half a bun, and then top evenly with some onions and the rest of the bun. Some people like grated cheddar added on top too.

It's quick, it's yummy and spicy and it's relatively low fat, what's not to love!!!!!

We will remember them...

A poem by British War Poet Wilfred Owen in honor of Veterans Day (Armistice Day in the U.K.)

This is one of the few poems I remember studying at High School and it made a huge impact on me at the time. I am thankful for all those who served, who witnessed atrocities and made the ultimate sacrifice.



Dulce Et Decorum Est

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.

Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!–An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime...
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,–
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.



('Dulce et decorum est, pro patria mori' translates as 'How sweet and fitting it is to die for one's country')

Board Games I want to try at BGG.Con this year!

This list has been growing for sometime, here it is in no particular order!

Finca - It was nominated for some decent awards this year. It's all about Harvesting fruit on the island of Mallorca and it uses a Rondel mechanism and I don't have a game that uses that.

Cyclades - a new game by 2 designers that I like. Buying the favor of the Gods and building cities, interesting.

At The Gates of Loyang - the latest from Uwe Roswenberg. I enjoyed Agricola, (though it felt a bit long and does need a lot of table space) I've played Le Havre, but it felt a bit too dry for me. Maybe his new creation will hit the sweet spot?

Alcazar - I can't remember how this made the list. Competing to build castles and villas in limited space. It's a re theme and redesign of the game Big Boss which was inspired by the game Acquire which I do enjoy playing, but do not own, so maybe that was the reason.

Dungeon Lords - the hot new game from Czech designer Vlaada Chvatil. In Dungeon lords, you are an evil dungeon lord who is trying to build the best dungeon out there. You hire monsters, build rooms, buy traps and the other usual stuff. I've enjoyed his other 2 games that I have played. Galaxy Trucker and Space Alert. I do wonder if I"ll be able to get a copy from the library though as it is such a hot item.

Monkey Lab - it's light and silly. My Nephew loves monkeys so I'm wondering whether this will be a suitable game for him to play with his parents.

Opera - a game about mounting opera productions? Sign me up!

Revolution! - Steve Jackson games tend to be rather hit or miss with me, but I saw this game being played at Gen Con and was intrigued. It looks like a glorified reworking of 'Rock Paper Scissors' but it could be fun.

Thunderstone - I saw a post somewhere comparing it to Dominion, which is the game I have played the most times this year.

Abandon Ship - another game I saw at Gen Con by the same publisher as Monkey Lab. You are competing gangs of rats trying to get off the ship before it sinks.

...Aber Bitte Mit Sahne - probably gets the award for the strangest name. It translates as '...but please, with whipped cream.' It is a game about sharing cakes. Normally one person cuts and the other person chooses. This is an entire game based on that simple action but the addition of whipped cream can create chaos. It's a food game, how can I not give it a try?

Arcana - I have no idea how this game made it on the list!

Cities - another game that was an SDJ nominee this year. A tile laying game all about designing the best city that you can.

Nefertiti - an auction game where you are seeking out gifts for queen Nefertiti. Again, I'm not sure how this made it on the list.

Caylus Magna Carta - we played this game's bigger brother Caylus quite a few times when it first came out. I originally thought this was just a re theme (add some chrome and get some new sales in) but it looks like a distilling of the original ideas into a compact card game. I'll give it a go.

Blox - another SDJ nominee. This time it's tower building with forklift trucks!

Railroad Dice - this is a game that came out in 2003. It was a creative and different use for dice, it's kind of hard to find though so I'm not too bothered if I don't get to play it. I'd hate to really like it and then not be able to locate a copy.

Timber Tom - another hot ticket game that keeps having all its U.S. shipments sell out. Its all about being the best mountain hiker.

Carson City - A game that was interesting enough to get added to the list, but not interesting enough for me to remember what interested me in the first place.

Ants! - There is quite a lot of buzz around this game, well there was when I first read about it. Competing ant colonies in a suburban park. Do you play it safe and gather food or fight the other colonies for victory?

Stronghold - one player is trying to defend the castle being besieged by the other.

A La Carte - an older game that has been re released with a few rule modifications. The players are semi-psychotic cooks attempting to hone their culinary skills. Still recipes, attempt to cook them, and try not to over spice!

Tobago - Yet another 'hot' game. Each player gets a different part of a treasure map for the island and so it's a 'deduce where the treasure is and race to it before the other player' game. I have the 2 player Discovery Island on the shelf. This one plays up to 4 players and has some really cool looking components :)

Atlantis -the designer of Atlantis, Leo Colvini is another designer who is hit or miss with me. I really enjoy his game Masons, and Clans is o.k. but Carolus Magnus felt rather dry to me. Atlantis is a reworking of the mechanic from Cartagena with some other goals added. Players are trying to flee the sinking city of Atlantis with as much treasure as possible.

Well that's the list! If any more games catch my eye I'll update - and I give a big shout out to anyone who was brave enough to read all the way to the end!

Prodigal Poetry

I posted these back in 2007, but in going through an old computer folder I discovered them and thought I would repost.


2 Poems inspired by the Parable of the Prodigal Son

I worked hard and then gave it away
The sweat of my brow
The toil of my hands

Gave it away with no conditions
No guidelines for usage
No rules for compliance

This is no condition to live your life
Watching him hurt
Watching him leave

Living your life saying goodbyes
Goodbye to my son
Goodbye to my savings

Saying goodbyes to the boy I once was
When I was young, would I have run?
Did I once take without thought?

The boy I once was became the man that I am
Taking became giving
Leaving became loving

I loved hard and then gave it away
I and the son are one
I and the father are one

Both Prodigals.







Old cartilage and fragile bones run
Self care forgotten as calloused feet kick up dust
A dirty cloud of celebration
Muscle-stretching jubilation
Embracing the dirt
Kissing the stench
Ignoring the lie on the lips
Hearing the unspoken desperation
And, as fatherly sweat mingles with son’s
Whispering “Welcome home”

Boardgames and Weight Update

Because of my vacation I'm only just getting around to posting this. :(

We won't talk about my weight - I'm still substantially lower than I was at the beginning of this year...but my weight has been creeping up for a while now. It's tougher for me to get the motivation to exercise as it makes my legs hurt. I have these nodules that have formed on both achillies tendons. I've been seeing a doctor and I'm going to have them removed, but we opted to do it in the New Year as I'm doing a fair amount of traveling before then which would have been inconvenienced by me having to have my foot in a boot.

Of course I really can exercise even though it does hurt some, and in reality the stretching exercises are good for the nodules, but it has become an excuse that is a little too convenient. I will do better this month!

Anyway, on to the games.

October was a surprising month for games. 45 Games were played in total of 25 different games. And 2 games came from nowhere to take the top 2 spots on the list. The reason for this was of course my English vacation and playing games with the rest of the family!

What was the top game of October?

Alhambra (6 plays) - is a great tile laying game. You are purchasing different buildings to make your own Alhambra. My brother and his wife really like this one so we played 6 times on the vacation. I think the final scores were Janet 2, Steve 2, Peter 2, Bugs 0, but I could be mistaken.

Uno (5 Plays) - a surprise entry played in a surprising variant. My nephew Tommy has difficulty holding all the cards and so we played their family variant where everybody's cards are placed face up in front of them in a tableaux. It completely changes the game and causes you to do a lot more strategizing about your plays!

Some other games of note this past month.

Carcasonne (3 plays) - this is one of the top 'gateway' games for introducing people into modern board gaming. I haven't played it that much and so I was a little dubious of its power, but I took it on the Chapelwoods Mens Retreat and was amazed at the response. I've never viewed board gaming as a spectator sport, but we must have had about 8 guys all watching us play this. I taught other groups the rules and their were quite a few heated battles and I know that some of the men have since purchased this for their families. I opted to use the original European Scoring as opposed to the American Scoring as I think it is a) Easier to learn and b) Makes for a better game.

Endeavor (2 plays) - this is one of the 'hot games' right now. I remember really liking it, but we played before the vacation so it's kind of slipped my mind right now! I'm sure it will make it to the table again soon.

Thought for the day

The journey into deeper faith is a journey into greater doubt rather than greater certainty.