Category: friends and family

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Whew am I glad Christmas is over

I do love Christmas but I’m so glad when it’s all over and I can just sit back and relax for a day or two.  It’s rush here and go there and wrap this and ‘Oh no, I forgot that!’

I don’t care what I forgot to buy for who, I will not go out shopping the last week before Christmas.  I hate the way they commercialize Christmas.  That’s not what it should be.  It should be a time to celebrate with family and loved ones.  It’s supposed to be a celebration of the birth of Jesus.  Not a celebration to the gift god.

It’s amazing how many people don’t realize that Santa Clause represents the Three Wise Men bringing their gifts to the Baby Jesus at night so as not to bring trouble to him.  That’s how Santa Clause came about and what he stands for.  Christmas is a celebration of children but we need to all make sure that even the youngest child knows what we are celebrating and why.

Sure they are the center of Christmas but the true center of Christmas is Jesus Christ.  No I’m not a religious fanatic but I do know that there is something or someone greater than I am.

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Wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas

Well tomorrow is Christmas Day and I’m sure the last thing on my mind will be my computer.  I wanted to make sure to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas to anyone and everyone that reads my blog.  I do appreciate it very much that you stop by.  I hope I have brought a little pleasure into your life or helped in some small way.  That’s what life is all about, helping one another.

My father always volunteered at the local Disabled American Veterans Association and that’s a legacy we carry on in his honor.  They’re feeding the local veterans or the families of deployed service men this evening and my family will be there to gladly serve them.

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My oldest sisters birthday is today

No I’m not about to tell you how old she is because I wouldn’t live to ever do it again.  I personally think it’s silly not to want people to know how old you are.  There’s not a darn thing you can do to change it so what’s the big deal?  My mother is like that too.  They are the only ones that have a problem with telling how old they are.  My other sister and I could care less who knows how old we are.  Sort of like Popeye always says “I yam what I yam.”

She has always hated her birthday being this close to Christmas.  She said it always felt like just a few extra presents for Christmas instead of her birthday.  In fact, a lot of people would buy her things and put “Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas” on it.  They would also wrap her presents in Christmas paper instead of Birthday wrapping paper so it just made it all run together for her.

Mom tried to help her out by giving her something on our birthday too but it started to get a bit expensive when she started having to buy presents for all three of us on each of our birthdays.  Oh well, it was good while we got them though.

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What a treat

My nephew was in his first Christmas play at his preschool.  It was the cutest thing I have ever seen.  The little ones were all dressed like tiny angels and barn yard animals.  Of course my nephew was the jack………donkey.  OOPS!!!!!!  Anyway, the play used each age group of kids for different levels within the play.  It was done like a cowboy type play.

It was a musical and had a lot of really neat songs in it too.  The kids did great on the singing.  Of course the little ones stood there and shoot tambourines or what ever musical instrument they had.  They did so good for their age.  The theme of the play was like a cowboy play but it was the ‘Bethlehem Ranch’.  The bigger kids were dressed with cowboy hats and cowboy boots but then sort of traditional garments for the time of when Jesus was born.  They did all of their lines with deep country accents too.

I would give anything if I could tell you about it but it’s hard to explain.  The one thing I can tell you is it was about the best Christmas play I have ever seen.  My nephew was so cute in his donkey suit.  I was so proud of all of the kids because they all did a wonderful job.

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Went to Mom’s for dinner

Mom likes to have all of us over at least once a month for dinner.  We thought since Thanksgiving is around the corner and going to be at her house, she might want to count that as our monthly dinner.  Well she would not hear of that.  She said she looks very forward to our Sunday dinner and isn’t going to let Thanksgiving take the place of it.  I think she just loves to cook for us and always makes our favorite dinner too.  She’s where I got my love of cooking from.  I can remember standing in a chair beside her ‘helping’ her cook by watching the pots.  My job was to let her know when the pots needed to be stirred.

My mother makes the best beef roast you have ever put in your mouth.  With that, she makes mashed potatoes with cream cheese and of course there has to be a wonderful salad to go with it.  Salad is not just lettuce to Mom.  It’s tomatoes, broccoli flowerets, radishes, carrots, and just about anything else you put in salad.   She makes her own croutons too and they are wonderful.

She makes the best homemade sourdough bread too.  We always leave with a loaf that she has made for each of us.  She won’t give me that recipe but promises it’s mine when she’s gone.

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Making fruit cakes

I have a recipe for fruit cake that came from my grandmother.  I’m the one that loves to cook out of all of us girls and I’m also the only one that doesn’t like fruit cake.  Since I love to cook, I get to make the fruit cakes that everyone else loves.  Kind of ironic wouldn’t you say that I like to cook and yet don’t even like what I’m cooking.  Oh well, it’s something that everyone looks forward to getting from me.  It’s kind of bittersweet every time I make them because Daddy is the one that absolutely loved them and yet, he’s no longer with us to enjoy them.

I usually end up making about 10 small fruit cakes.  I like making them for gifts because I think everyone should give something of themselves and not just something they bought for Christmas.  With this recipe, you have to make them about 4 weeks before Christmas because you have to let them soak in either grape juice, wine or brandy if you want to give them a kick.  I have tried them soaked in all of the above and still don’t care for it.  They are kind of expensive to make too but they are made with my hands and given with my love so that makes them extra special to the ones that get them.  I like that.