Happy new door!

• Manja Maksimovič

Have you seen the end-of-the-year cartoon with two dogs talking? One says to the other: “It’s been a rough seven years.” Here are some images of animals and food from its last days. Oh, and a very special door.

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The year chose to end itself with a couple of earthquakes in Croatia that shook the whole of Slovenia and some parts of Italy, making it harder to shake off the feeling that the earth is shaking off what she could do without.

Plus there was a reimbursement of dog food cost because they found salmonella in it. (Maybe because it’s salmon flavoured.) Luckily in a batch with another serial number and expiry date, but hey.

But before all that there was Christmas for which I made Francesca’s wonderful biscuits (with the recipe here on her blog Almost Italian), and amore’s birthday for which I made him a limoncello cake (recipe here on the aptly named cooking site Mangia Magna). And the next day he made us pork roast with apples.

Can you tell that today is full moon and I’m again not eating for 24 hours? (Just earlier amore came from the shop and I grabbed a mandarina, peeled it and swallowed it fast before I could remember my fast.)

Food, animals and doors, nothing much else going on around here. Frankly, so little happens during the day that I’m reluctant to leave my dreams behind in bed in the morning. There are so many people in them, and there’s action!

And the door? The door is on the floor, and we can only guess whether it leads to the stairway to heaven or the road to hell. As I was searching online for the right bathroom door mat, it caught my eye – but of course – and it just had to be this one. Find it in the gallery, and if you want one too, on Amazon.

But the best present came yesterday by way of Bojana (I’m not worthy!!) who directed me to the site with millions of free ebooks to download. I immediately found at least 20 from my wish-to-read list. Such joy! The first was “Trieste and the Meaning of Nowhere” by Jan Morris who left us ten days ago. Here, let me be your Grandfather Cold (Dedek Mraz) who we used to have in Yugoslavia instead of Santa Claus. This is the site.

And finally, a tweet I just saw by Hugh Laurie (of Dr. House or Black Adder fame, depending on your continent and age). I think it sums up this year pretty well.

  • Two Geese of the Apocalypse plotting.
  • Mr. Donkey with a twinkle in his eye.
  • Regal bestia.
  • Pork roast with apples.
  • And with apples on the plates that remind me of home.
  • This limoncello cake with almond flour should be covered with almond slivers but they only had these.
  • Super easy and yummy biscotti from Sicily in the making.
  • Amore laughed at my lack of perfectionism. Just right this way.
  • All together plus wine for the baker. The biscuits were still in the making on the left.
  • And this is the new acquisition.
  • Happy new ear! I mean era!

Dear blogging friends! I’m really glad for each time you have come over this year, and I wish we continue doing it a little longer. Thank you and have a good crossover into 2021. Cin cin!

47 thoughts on “Happy new door!”

  2. Did you feel that earthquake too. Sis tells me it was sharing a lot in Belgrade.
    Crazy. I just thought, Oh no, not again!

    Happy New Year, Manja (thank you for these wonderful animals and yummy dishes), and hopefully the new year will be more hopeful. Cin cin.

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    1. Thank you, Bojana, especially for the books. That link and the yield made me happy like a child. ❤ Hopeful is what we need. I didn't feel the earthquake but my parents were shaking in Ljubljana (actually, mom did, father didn't feel a thing in the next room). Na zdravje!

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  3. haha! That bath mat is a riot! I have pictures in my head of people drying off in the shower, lest they step out and fall through the door naked!!! The dog joke—major eye roll, but I love it! Happy New Year to you, Manja. And to Amore and, of course, Bestia! 🐕🥂🍾

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  4. happy new year, and may it be kinder than the outgoing one has been. (i’m not using caps because the cat’s asleep on the corner of the keyboard and the rule of the house is that you mustn’t disturb the cat. i can’t remember who made that rule but i suspect it was someone with fur.)

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    2. Ellen–this cracked me up. One of my cats jumps on my lap as soon as I sit down in front of the computer, and rests her paws and head over one arm. So there I sit, trying to type with one hand, lest I disturb the little angel. Yes, I believe someone with fur made up that rule, and strictly enforces it. 😾

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  11. Your post is a perfect start to my 2021. You made me smile. Thank you for all these gifts: the beautiful photo of the Two Geese of the Apocalypse, the birthday celebrations (Happy Birthday, M!), the FABULOUS bath mat which is of a DOOR of all things, and I have to agree with Lois that some tiny part of my brain would worry about falling through while wet and naked – who knows the sensibilities of those on the other side? Thank you for the bath mat link and the book link (thanks Bojana!). Mostly thank you for being your loving, gracious self and making us feel comfortable here. Speaking of comfortable, I love that glimpse into your home, with the kitchen, and Amore at the computer, and your baking partly done…I can look at the photo and imagine I’m with you. Happy New Year to you all. Together we will do what we have to do to make it through and to smile as often as we can.

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    1. Oh, Crystal, I’d love to have you here! I’m so glad you find this post the perfect start of the year. I’m not giving the door mat link, would you like it? Did you mean the recipe links maybe? That book link is incredible, I feel like a child after yielding so many of long sought books. Happy New Year and always welcome here in every way!

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      1. Ha, yes, I meant the recipe link. When I read it my mind registered your gifts wrong. No worries. I just liked the idea that you were “giving” things to us and sharing some of your joy. I also love that you got a link to movies later and started enjoying those too!

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  13. Love the goofy beasts and the food and the curious doorway. For a couple of years, I’ve A New Year’s Eve tradition of taking my photos off my phone and camera and putting them on storage discs, deleting all of the useless ones. I start each New Year fresh. 🙂 I think we may need a lot of extra space this year for the new beautiful surprises coming. Cheers to a fabulous 2021, Manja!

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