Pomegranates - The Fruit of December

I always associate pomegranates with December because of: 

• Their color - the deep red of the edible seeds reminds me of Christmas and red velvet cake and candy canes,
• Their appearance - the shape looks like an ornament to me and its size that fits easily in the hand is also appealing, and
• Their easy availability in the produce section of the grocery store this time of year. 

I always cut the top and bottom from the fruit before I cut it into quarters. There is always some juice that leaks out onto the cutting board when it is cut. If there is a lot of it, I use a straw to slurp it up.

I stand at the kitchen sink to eat a quarter of the fruit each morning; the view out the window and of the fruit always sends my mood in a positive direction.

Eating a pomegranate is a messy endeavor. The membranes and peel cradle the seeds; splatters and seed flying are common. I’ve considering whether using a small spoon to tease out the seeds would be better but I always decide to just enjoy the fruits as one eaten without tools. When I am done, the membranes and peel go in the trash and I wipe the splatters of juice and wayward seeds from the cabinet (sometimes on both sides of the sink!).

The Busy-ness of December

Here we are in the early part of December - the prospect for a flurry of activity looming with a higher probability than a flurry of snow. Here’s a list of things for the month (so far): 

• Decorating the house.
• Writing an annual Christmas note to include with our Christmas cards (a general one for most….individual note for a few).
• Volunteering at a local non-profit’s holiday sale.
• Taking my husband to the airport for an early morning flight….then picking him up five days later from a late flight back.
• Deciding on gifts for family and friends…buying…wrapping…sending/delivering.
• Re-caulking the shower base in the master bathroom.
• Donate boxes of used books and VHS tapes.
• Finishing all Coursera courses I’ve started.
• Preparing the house for company.
• Shopping for holiday foods - red velvet cake is at the top of my list right now.
• Viewing the holiday light display at a local garden.
• Seeing the new Hobbit movie. 

Does it all have to happen in December? Not all of it….but I’m so jazzed by the holiday season that I always get more done in December than just about any month of the year!