Somehow it came. It came just the same!

Well Christmas is gone again. It comes so agonizingly slowly and rushes by so quickly. It comes and goes whether you're "ready" or not. This year was interesting.

I haven't been feeling by best and it's all been too hard, yet I've enjoyed this Christmas so very much. We didn't have any lights up outside this year. Probably for the first time ever, no lights. I'd made some ice lanterns to put out Christmas eve, but it was too warm and rainy so, nothing. The tree went up and stayed undecorated for many days. It was lovely and smelled amazing. Then one day I came home from work and Dan was putting lights on the tree. He got to the bottom and still had a handful of lights left so he tied them in a ball and hung them from the bottom. Then he took the garland that is so careful arranged each year into lovely swoops and just tossed it randomly all over the place. It was beautiful. Then I hung one ornament on the tree and "vi-ola" it was done. Best tree ever!

It's funny cause I worried about this and stressed about that but time just keeps ticking, you know? Like on Christmas eve. We had about 20 songs to play, but I watched the list sitting next to my music, checking the songs off one by one. Here I am to worship, check, joy comes with the dawn, check, silent night, check, o come all ye faithful, check.... and so on. Song after song, check after check, tick, tock , tick , tock. the evening passed.

So it's gone again and what do I remember. Well best tree ever! I love my boys. I love it when they are around, all of us together. I love seeing Charles so happy and the boys so goofy and mouthy. "Who's wearing the beard now? huh? huh? huh?" hahaha Maybe the trick is to just enjoy those I love and let time take care of the rest.

Random thoughts

I don't like to eat crusts on sandwiches cause they are dried out and crusty and yucky, but i don't like to eat the middles of pancakes cause the edges are where the crispy, yummy goodness goes.

you can't make yummy french toast with only one egg. You can't make pancakes with out milk. Cupboard mix needs extra butter and syrup to make it not taste cupboardy.

When you open a bag of white powdery stuff, like flour or pancake mix, it always goes poof, all over your counter, no matter how hard you try not to poof it. There should be a warning on the bag.

When you only have enough stuff to make a few yummy cupboard pancakes you gotta make em fast and eat em fast, least you have to share.

It you make em fast and eat em fast you also gotta clean up fast lest someone yell "What! There were pancakes?"

Christmas (no) time?

Ok.... The pies are done and the whipped cream bought. The chocolate cherries are in the can the Bailey's mocha truffles are ready to be rolled. The cookie dough truffles won't set so I'll have to add more white chocolate. The tree now has lights on it and garland, and one angel ornament. My music is in a binder and i still have to check that it's in the right order, and in the right key. I have to roast a chicken, peel potatoes, carrots, but first I have to clean the kitchen cause once again I'm knee deep in dishes. We have to either get Bob or drop him a car so he can come home. I should probably shower and make myself pretty for church, and remember to pick up Ann who wants a ride.

Lord, are we doing all of this stuff to celebrate your birthday? Well here's the thing. I'm too busy right now, so when this "Christmess" is all over, I'm gonna find time to show you how much I love you. Help me through this crazy time and for now I'll show your love in the quiet things I do that no one but you will notice. Happy birthday dear friend.

It's time, I guess

It's getting close to Christmas. I'm really not in the mood for it tho. I decided to haul out the under the bed Christmas stuff to dress the place up a bit thinking it's time, I guess. Charles and I put up the silver tinsel to hang the Christmas cards.......

My mom always mailed hundreds of Christmas cards. She just loved mailing them and getting them. I remember every year dad counting how many cards came and just smiling and shaking his head, feeling so lucky to have so many friends. So every year I send out about 30 cards or so. It gets more expensive every year, but I just can't help myself.

Then I put up the plastic canvas wreath my Reka neni made.....

She loved to do crafts and she'd make just about anything you can think of from plastic canvas. It amuses me to put up the cracked old things up. I picture her stitching and laughing. She had the best sense of humor, and always had chocolate in her purse for any kid that might be around.

I pulled out the advent wreath....

I made it years ago and it's falling apart, but still I just can't see parting with it.

I pulled out the place mats that mom Gale gave me and the calendar thingy and the ginger bread hanging thing that I made when the kids were little...

It's all up now. I still don't feel overly Christmasy, but it's kind of nice being surrounded by all of this old, cracked, and dusty stuff made by all of the people I love. I guess part of the Christmasy feeling is in the memories of loves gone.

Today I had a revelation!!! A couple of weeks ago we ran out of frozen peas. I didn't buy a new bag, and I have been missing having peas. Today I was in Almonte and I was wishing I had some peas cause I miss them so much and I'd love to have peas with supper. Then I had a brilliant idea. I could buy a new bag of peas!!! I don't have to be pea-less any more! Huzzah!

Tonight there will be some serious pea-ness going on at my house! There will be peas on my table! Oh yes, there will be peas!!!

Pientology....can I hear an Amen?

OK so my pientologist buddy Pam got all excited when she heard I was pie-ing today. (I made 2 tourtiere, 20 pasties, 3 pumpkin pies) She insisted I make something weird with my pie dough. We all know when Pam gets her hands on a hunk of pie dough she goes crazy, filling it with anything she gets her hands on, right? Pffftt well, I don't do weird.... however.....I had a hunk of dough left over. I was just about to toss it out when I heard in my heart the call of the pientologist.

So now I sit here smelling my three tiny appley pies who are happily baking in the oven. I rolled out my bit of dough, tossed in bits of apples and flour and sugar and butter, bits of this and hunks of that cause i don't really have a recipe for tiny pies. It amused me cause I took the left over bits of crusts and just draped it over the pies.

There is something to be said for pientology!