Christmas Season

This Christmas season I’ve enjoyed about 10 pounds of memories. It all started at the beginning of December when my cousin sent a bag of soft peppermints. They are chewy, red and green, and only available at Christmas.

After trying them at my aunt’s house years ago I was hooked. Since I liked the candy so much Aunt Loyce started buying me a bag a year to take home, and later two bags.

The first holiday party we attended I cooked Sweet and Sour tidbits from Aunt Loyce’s cookbook. This is a mixture of sausage balls, little sausage links, maraschino cherries, and pineapple cooked in syrup. It’s a dish that smells delicious from the time you start browning the meat, and continues to fill the house will aroma from the warming dish.

Plain, fast cheesecake made from cream cheese was something mom would whip up to snack on while listening to Christmas carols. I baked a batch and filled all five CD holders with music. Singing, decorating the tree and remembering the stories behind each ornament I get the same lump in the throat feeling I get watching the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life.

Looking at the tree I see a glass ornament Mauri painted for Tad, porcelain Santa heads Katherine painted with detail, a real wool lamb from Tad’s grandmother, pictures of the kids surrounded by popsicle sticks, and a hollowed out eggs my grandmother made 50 years ago. With the ornaments the faces of family smile from the tree.

Around the house nutcrackers stand guard over their tiny domains; the boys painted two of them three years ago. Other items: ceramic gingerbread houses covered in dollops of snow, and huge tree toppers that our delicate tree can’t hold pepper the tables and shelves.

Pumpkin pie is the one dessert I remember dad enjoyed. Normally he didn’t care for anything sweet, except for a small bowl of vanilla ice cream once every four or five months. We eat ours with whipped cream sprinkled with cinnamon. And some how a piece of pie just doesn’t work with pumpkin pie. It has to be two pieces.

We got a gift from friends in Texas, cookies baked with real butter. Each bite melts in your mouth. The problem is with several cookie choices, “Which one do you start with?” is easily answered by “How about these three?”

Like the song, Twelve Days of Christmas, eating also increases as the days pass. After dinner our family usually doesn’t snack, but during the break from school we make an exception almost nightly. And if we’re not eating we’re consuming a meal in a glass—eggnog, hot chocolate with whipped cream, or chocolate milk shakes with chocolate chip and extra chocolate syrup.

I’m still enjoying lots of memories but our refrigerator is back to its pre-season capacity. Just in time so I don’t have to think up a New Year’s resolution involving sweating. This week we’ll get extra exercise while having lots of fun skiing. And I’ll make a trip to the grocery store to buy produce for our new juicer. Got to stay healthy for more memories!

Florida in December

Mauri flew from Idaho on the 11th. The next morning we all flew to Orlando. It was a long day of travel, but we didn’t care because we were on our way to Disney and to see family.

At the Orlando airport they is a section for travelers going to Disney, so you step into the world of the mouse immediately. A bus picks you up with Disney movies and information to watch, and the drivers have been trained in joke telling. “Peter Pan was flying around Epcot and the children said come down and he said no….. because he’s from Neverland.”

When the bus dropped us at the Polynesian resort the first night we walked under traditional Christmas wreaths and garlands decorated with tropical flowers—hibiscus, lilies, and orchids. The creamy pastels colors stood up against the green.

Our room was in a building cluster named Tahiti. Our balcony opened onto a beach of white sand and a huge hammock hung from two trees—looking as if this was our private paradise.

The next day we met family at lunch. We hadn’t seen them since we moved 10 months ago. The customary hugging and picture taking was in full swing from the beginning. The difference is now with Facebook we could share pictures immediately.

Cousins Jim and Sandie gave the boys and Mauri trading pins and a lanyard. Within a day the trading was in full force. Justin concentrated on Pluto, and Chip and Dale. Mauri looked for ones that were pink. Grant looked for characters it liked, this year that was Stitch.

This year we surprised the boys by having them dressed as pirates and went on a pirate cruise to see fireworks from the water. In fact Tad joined in and had his face painted. Justin was picked to lead everyone down the dock. Looking back at over a hundred people following my son, Captain Hook, and Mr. Smeed I smiled—he’s a born leader! Then Captain Hook talked to Grant and gave him a big high five. Yep, I have two leaders!

Both boys picked out wonderful hats. Grant got a large black and white Nightmare Before top hat. Justin got Pluto with long dangly ears. Mauri got a couture type purse that combined the traditional Disney design with a dignified shoulder bag.

The day before we left we went to Downtown Disney and Tad bought everyone a t-shirt to commemorate the trip. Everyone stands at a computer terminal and designs their shirt with images and text.

Back at the airport the reality of the world sets in quick. We are no longer in the happiest place on earth. Good thing we’re packing our happiness with us.