A Very Merry Hodgepodge Christmas

Merry Christmas!

It's almost here!

Are you ready?

As we speak, I smell the cookies baking and they must be getting done.
More about them later.

It sure would be nice to have some snow but it sounds like we're going to get rain instead.
Oh well, one can only hope.

The other night I got a little misty-eyed as I paid special attention to this picture of Mom and Dad.

It must have been taken back in the late 80's or so.

We were at a Christmas gathering at my sister, Ruby's house...

...I remember there was mistletoe hanging in the doorway and Dad stole a kiss.

Ah...precious Christmas memories!

~

So we're here for Joyce's Hodgepodge...

...where she asks the questions and we answer them on our blogs.
Let's get right to them...
~

1. Where have you found unexpected magic or delight this holiday season?

Funny you should ask this question this week. My sister in Ohio called me last Saturday to ask me if I had the recipe for Mom's fudge. I told her I would look for it and let her know. I knew it would take some effort to find it since I was sure it was in amongst a bunch of recipe cards I kept in a basket on the top shelf of one of my cabinets that I rarely use. Yep, there it was, copied on a recipe  card written by me when my handwriting was much more legible. As I was looking for it, I came across another card, written in Mom's handwriting. My heart immediately soared as I recognized her penmanship, the card itself stained with spots of this and that as well.

It was a recipe for Cut and Color Cookies, a basic, simple buttery sugar cookie that Mom made every year at Christmas along with her melt-in-your-mouth orange rind cookies and chocolate and peanut butter fudge. Instead of making the colored corn syrup glaze for the top that the recipe called for, Mom left it off and just added red and green sugar sprinkles on top. My mind was transported back to my childhood as the images of these goodies permeated through my brain, making it almost possible to taste them! That's when I decided I wanted to make a batch of my own!  So...these are the cookies I was smelling earlier.

Just like Mama used to make. Unexpected delight? You bet!

2. What's your favorite type of holiday gathering? Will you/have you gathered in your favorite way this month?

I'm sure most of us will agree that being around family is what we love, especially at Christmas, no matter where we are. I love being at home OR in someone else's home. Two years ago, we spent Christmas in the Smokies at an indoor water park in Pigeon Forge with all of the grands. The kids had a blast and while we had a great time, it just didn't quite seem like Christmas...PLUS...it was 80 degrees, even in the mountains! As you may remember, we have already had our main gathering a couple of weeks back and will have another, a more low-key version, again this weekend at our home. I am making lasagna because I am already tired of Christmasy-type foods!

3. Time has named 'The Silence Breakers' (women who came forward with stories of harassment)  'person of the year' for 2017. Would you agree? If not, who do you think deserves the title?

You know, I'm not really sure what I think about all of this mess. All I know is I'm pretty sick of hearing about it and I can think of many other reasons to "glorify" a person or persons other than for coming forth with their version of the "truth". There is absolutely NO justification for a man OR a woman to behave badly, no matter what. My question is why wait years and years...and then one comes forward and then they all come out the woodwork, it seems. And were all of them totally innocent, themselves? Did any of them flirt or give those men the wrong impressions? Who knows? Why now? Why all of a sudden? Not a popular answer, I realize. These men (and/or women) will have to answer to their Maker, as we all must do. In this day and age, I have no clue who deserves the title...glad I'm not on that board!

4. How did you spend your time this year? Are you happy about that? Elaborate

I worked, I played, I worried, I prayed. That is about the norm for me. Just let me say that it has all worked together and I have nothing to complain about. How about asking me this question in a year or so. 😐

5. Bid farewell to 2017 in ten words or less.

What's done's done, what's said's said...another chance in 2018.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

If I don't get a chance to post again before Monday,
I want to take this opportunity to wish you ALL a very Merry Christmas!

Love and hugs,