Twas the Day Before Christmas

And all through this house lots of busy-ness.  I was up at 6 making my final lists.  I wrapped 2 gifts by 7 am, showered, and got a load of laundry going.  I headed out the door about 8 am to finish up some shopping.  One of the difficulties I have each year is getting a chance to go shopping in a timely fashion.  Aside from a local Walmart,  and a few speciality shops, I have to travel 20 miles or more to go to a store that stays open past 6 pm.  And when I don't get home most nights till at least 6, that limits my shopping opportunities.  Someday I will get to Christmas Eve day with all my shopping done and all the gifts wrapped. . . but that won't be for a several years at least!  I have this "vision" that when I retire, I will have my house tastefully decorated, my Christmas cards written, and all my shopping and wrapping done by Dec. 15th or earlier.  I will spend the week before Christmas baking goodies to share with friends and family.  I will sit in quiet peace in the late afternoon with a cup of tea basking in tree lights and Christmas music.  That's my fantasy at least!!  Instead I rush around the 2 days between end of school and Christmas trying to shop, bake, wrap, etc.  My tree didn't get home until last Saturday, and then the lights went on it Sunday.  That's it.  No other decorations.  It's the most beautiful tree I've had in years with perfect branches for my ornaments, but it's just not going to happen.  It smells heavenly, and at night with the lights on it, I'm completely content.  During the day, it's a bare naked tree!

I'm waiting right now for the Best Buttermilk Pound Cake to finish baking.  This has been a tradition in my house for almost 30 years.  It came from a recipe my mom found in a Farm Journal magazine at least as long ago.  It's really simple -- butter, Crisco, sugar, flour, eggs, good vanilla, and buttermilk, and it makes the most tender rich pound cake I've ever had.  I dust it with confectioner's sugar and serve it for breakfast on Christmas morning.  It's one of the must have recipes in our household.  I try to bake it a couple of days before Christmas because the flavor improves with age . . .

Other must have offerings include Swedish meatballs on Christmas Eve.  I started making these years ago.  I put them in my crockpot, and then it didn't matter when they got served.  It's not really a recipe - it's ground beef with onion, celery, nutmeg, garlic, etc. shaped into meatballs. I usually bake them and then throw them it into a crockpot with a cream of mushroom soup base, with a little sherry, paprika, and sour cream.    We serve them over egg noodles. My kids used to complain that they hated them because of the mushroom soup.  One year however, I decided not to make them since they complained so much.  I served ham instead.  My kids were livid -- how dare I not make the meatballs!    So ever since, I have to make them.  My sons are now 29 and 30 and they say the meatballs are a dish they love to hate!    There are 4 kinds of cookies I "have to have" on Christmas too --- "Mrs. Greenhill's Shortbread"  which are a recipe my little brother came home with one year from his 2nd grade teacher,  Ginger Crinkles which are a basic molasses cookie, "Aunt Crissie's Butter Cookies" which are an icebox cookie that you roll out and cut into shapes, and the newest member of the must-haves, "Cranberry-Almond Biscotti."  I used to make Pecan Tassies, too and Magic 7 Layer Bars, but we've pared down over the years!   This year's baking has been off --- my shortbread tastes terrific, but the cookies themselves cracked and crumbled when I sliced them before baking.   The biscotti crumbled too.  I'm not sure what the problem is/was.  They look awful, but they taste good!

So now I'm waiting for Elder Son to arrive.  He's actually in town, at the office with his father, setting up a new office computer.  Younger Son stayed in California.  He and his girlfriend were here at Thanksgiving, and couldn't afford a 2nd trip back east.  We plan on a quiet and relaxed holiday.  My church service is at 6 tonight which is a bit of an awkward time for us this year.  It's always been at 7 or 7:30, and for some years we had both an early service and one at 11 pm.  I miss the 11 pm service -- it was the final cap on the best day of the year.   I actually like Christmas Eve better than Christmas Day. I've decided that it's the anticipation I enjoy -- I love seeing the wrapped gifts under the tree, thinking about how my family will enjoy what I've gotten them.  I love the waiting.

My Friday Five: Christmas Traditions

This is the current RevGalBlogPal Friday Five:  Whether a RevGal or a Pal most of us in this cyber community have enhanced responsibilities during this time of year. We also have traditions - religious and secular - that mark the season for us in a more personal way.

For this Friday Five please let us know five of the things that mark the season for you.

 

1.  Music:  I have an enormous collection of Christmas music which I do not allow myself to play until the Friday after Thanksgiving.  I held out until Advent this year which is a goal I had set for myself.  I have to admit that reaching that goal was more an accident of circumstances.  Had I not had Thanksgiving company, a Saturday full of busy-ness, I most likely would have caved.  My husband complains a bit about my collection because it's 97% traditional carols, classical, and religious, and only 3% secular holiday music.  And by traditional carols, I mean carols sung by choirs or by the great standard vocalists of yore: Andy Williams, Tennessee Ernie Ford ,  Perry Como, for example, or instrumental versions (Windham Hill recordings, Manheim Steamroller, and recently the Transiberian Orchestra) of the same. My absolute favorite Christmas album is one from childhood.  It's a recording of a concert by the Harry Simeone Chorale.  The music selections followed the scripture readings for the season --and the carols are interspersed with the readings.  Unfortunately the vinyl is scratched in several places, but I still listen to it several times a season.  A couple of years ago, a CD with the same name by the same choir was released, but the music selections were changed and the scripture readings were omitted.  Not nearly as good!  Another must-listen is also from the past - John Denver and the Muppets Christmas album based on a TV special from way back when.  I've branched out a bit, with Jewel, Charlotte Church, and a few other more modern musicians, but I definitely trend traditional.    The last time I counted, I had more than 50 CD's and about a dozen vinyl recordings on the Christmas shelf.  

2. My tree:  Our tree is huge, and it's live. I prefer balsam fir which is readily available here in New England.  We plan to go pick it out today, but it probably won't be put up until next weekend.  My tree never comes down until Epiphany, or the Saturday after Epiphany.  My  Cuban father taught us that the Three Kings didn't arrive on Christmas, but on January 6th when they arrived bringing gifts for Jesus.  If he had had his way entirely, we wouldn't have received presents until then, but my stubborn Yankee mother convinced him that Santa Claus arrived on Christmas Eve after we were fast asleep!  We did occasionally put straw out for the camels on Epiphany Eve when I was really young.  Our tree is full of a grand mishmash of ornaments - many handmade by our sons over the years, some collected over the years on their behalf --- for many years our tree was full of Star Wars ornaments, but they have found a new home with the son to whom they belonged, assorted antique glassblown creations, and sundry others.  Every year I think I want to do a theme, but every year I realize that the pastiche of ornaments represents our life.  And the lights on the tree have to be multi-colored, tiny, and non-blinking!

3. Stockings:  In my childhood home, we hung our stockings on the mantel or stair banister in the houses that didn't have a fire place.  Sometime during the night Santa came and filled them.  He placed them at the foot of our beds.  We were allowed to wake up early (but not before 4 am!) and open our stockings, but we had to stay in bed until at least 7 am!  I have such wonderful memories of tiptoeing over to the windowsill to turn on the electric candle in the window, and then my sister and I (we shared a room) would go through our stockings in that warm, dim light.  When my parents FINALLY awoke,  all 5 of us children would all gather on their bed and share the delights of our stockings with them.  They were always, always convincing in their surprise over the treasures we'd received. That's probably one reason why naive, trusting me didn't know for sure the truth about Santa until I was 14!   My own kids enjoyed a similar tradition but they went one better once they reached high school.  They started filling a stocking for us.  We love the stockings our kids fill for us!  They give us the most ridiculous gifts which we thoroughly enjoy!

4. The Manger:  Growing up my mom had a cardboard stable with a fold down flap.  Inside were plasterish figures of Mary, Joseph, and the Baby Jesus.  On the fold down flap were the stable animals, shepherds, and the Three Kings.  Somewhere along the line, Mom acquired 3 plastic Wisemen on brown camels.  So our Nativity had SIX wisemen.  Over the years, the plastic camels lost a leg or two, and were propped up with matchstick or popsicle legs.   Who took ownership of that manger scene when we were clearing out my parents' house after their deaths was one of the toughest decisions we made as siblings!  A couple of years before my mother died, she bought me a Willow Tree nativity which I treasure.  It's on the sideboard in my dining room where we can see it daily.  It's the first decorating I do for the season.

5: Window lights:   I have 24 windows that need window lights during December and most of January.  It's the chore I hate most about decorating, but it'a also a must.  I spend the better part of an afternoon plugging in all the lights and setting all the timers, and then spend the better part of the week, getting all the timers synched.  Some day I will splurge and buy the automatic battery operated candles, but so far, the budget doesn't stretch to the outlay of cash, although I think in the long run they will cost me less.  My lights have to be warm white too.  And no twinkling!!

And the bonus? Tell us one thing that does absolutely nothing for you.

Blinking, flashing, garish light displays, especially when accompanied by music.  A new local tradition is a huge light display on the local Catholic school that has been choreographed to music. It's a donation from a prominent business in town, and it draws many visitors. But it does nothing for me.   I don't like garishness, I guess.

A Proposal

I posted this on my FB account earlier this week, partly in jest, but partly in earnest.  I propose that Congress move the date of Thanksgiving into early October.  It really bothers me that Thanksgiving gets lost in the Christmas shopping advertising blitz that starts right before Halloween.  I am sick of going into the grocery store or the big box store Halloween week and hearing Christmas music.  I'm already sick of seeing the poinsettia and Santa decorations in those places too.  I want to see turkeys and Pilgrims and pumpkins!  So if we were to move Thanksgiving into October, the merchants would have free reign to advertise all they want for 2.5 months!

.  In my own way, I try very hard to keep to more traditional practices.  I don't start decorating for Christmas or play Christmas music until Advent begins.  I rarely even begin to think about gifts until Thanksgiving weekend.  I have never participated in Black Friday sales, and don't ever plan on doing so.  My tree goes up usually the about 10 days before Christmas, and remains up until Epiphany. I light an Advent wreath, and I participate as much as possible in all the Advent events at church (music, services, study groups, crafts, etc.)  My choice for Christmas music skews way towards the religious carols and hymns and classical pieces. I want to keep Christmas special  with the emphasis on the spiritual aspects.  Don't get me wrong.  I love the decorations, and the lights, and a lot of the hoopla --- but I like it during the month of December, and during the season of Advent.  

I'm not sure if moving the date of Thanksgiving would make things worse as far as the commercialization of Christmas, but I suspect that it might help make Thanksgiving a major holiday again, instead of the bump in the road in the marketing season.

And the Race is On!

It's the day before the day before Christmas, school is out, and it's time for the final sprint.   School is out, and now I have time to get some things done that should get done.  Last year we were still without electricity due to the ice storm, and I was freaking out about how I'd do Christmas dinner, etc.  But last year both my sons were coming home.  This year, our "baby" (28 years old) won't be home.  That's the first time for both of us!  I realized last night that it's bothering me a lot more than I expected.   I'm tearing up even as I write this!  I'm guessing that's why I'm not super anxious that a lot of stuff isn't done.  Of course that's not fair to Elder Son who WILL be here!  

So, on today's agenda:

• grocery shopping, once I finalize the menus
• gift-wrapping
• looking for the tree skirt to go under the lighted, but decoration-less tree so we can put the wrapped gifts under the tree.
• cookie baking or "Best Buttermilk Poundcake baking.  (What doesn't get baked today, gets baked tomorrow)
• water aerobics at 5 pm - a MUST!

Wish me luck!

A Different Kind of Christmas

 

This was definitely an odd Christmas this year. Being out of commission for the month before put a big crimp in my preparations. Our tree was finally purchased and put up on Dec. 22nd, but it never got decorated. Our adult sons put a string of lights on it on Christmas Eve, but that was it. All of my shopping was done via the internet, and I forgot some major things. I never got cards out, nor did my creche get unpacked, and I didn't get to one church service the entire month of December. Even my Christmas baking suffered and our traditional "Best Buttermilk Pound Cake" flopped as did our traditional "Mrs. Greenhill's Shortbread." These are two of the easiest recipes that I can make in my sleep, but both failed this year. Regardless, it was a lovely day, with both our sons home. We enjoyed a good meal, as well as each other's company. For the first time in my adult memory I didn't make it to church on Christmas Eve. Instead we watched "The Nativity Story" on satellite TV. A different kind of Christmas.