evening dos

Massive excitement prevailed in the house last evening in the wake of the England-Switzerland football match at Wembley. The daily walk was cancelled, dishes were left to be done later and chilled beers became unusually important. It appears to me that sometimes its not about the game, its about the collective participation in an activity, the merging with the crowd's cheers and sighs. The game is important, but slightly more significant is the individual's socialization as part of a community through the game.

Not that any of this reasoning matters to the boys. They had a jolly good time watching the match and finally seeing England overcome a few nasty scares to come out on top. I am sure Capello heaved a sigh of relief when it was all over.

Meanwhile D and I decided that we could manage some baking alongside the match. There is something about baking as against conventional cooking that makes people more eager and willing to assist. D for instance loves helping around when its about muffins and cookies and cakes. We decided to make a blueberry cake out of what was initially intended to be a mix for blueberry muffins. And it came out beautifully.

A contributed by provided the background score that comprised of screeches and yelps and other funny sounds followed by running commentary and expert opinions. Half the cake got polished off within 15 minutes of its exit from the oven. Can't wait for England's next game for some more gastronomical delights!