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Saturday, December 30, 2017

It's an Age Thing

We had a wonderful holiday with our entire family here less Son3's girlfriend who was in Sweden with her family. Sweden? Birmingham? Sweden? Birmingham? Not really a difficult choice, eh?
I know he missed her terribly, but because of the miracle of modern communications and thanks to Steve Jobs and co. they were able to Facetime with each other daily and she did get to be a part of our festivities, which was great also.

The weather was a bit coolish so long sleeves were in order until midway through the visit when we had a one day warm up. All of my sons tend to be rather hot natured and all changed into cargo shorts and tee shirts to hang out inside the house that afternoon.  And that is when I saw it.  Son1 has remained uninked throughout his life, claiming there is no need to provide anything that could be used to identify you in a police line-up. Son2 has 2 tats but they are on his lower leg and easily covered by socks. But now Son3 is wearing a 5 or 6 inch train on  the inside of his arm. I know it is his body and his decision. He had an image of one of my dad's trains tattooed on his arm, and while I appreciate the sentiment, I have no idea why anyone thinks to honor and remember someone you have to get something permanently affixed to your skin. We discussed it and it seems I am old and do not understand the value of wearing meaningful artwork, Every. Single. Day. Of. Your. Life. Forever.


Perhaps my aversion to them is that I am old enough to want crap removed from my body, not added to it. Plus I am old enough to know that older skin gets wrinkled and loose and that nice taunt train will eventually derail  (The photo is not Son3's tat but is somewhat similar in that it is a modern engine, not the steam variety)

When I asked him why it was prominent and visible he informed me he wanted something he could see to remind him of my dad daily. It's funny because without a tat I see things that remind me of Dad every single day.

I am not angry, it's not my arm and ultimately none of my business, but if any of you can explain how ink is endearing, please do. I am trying to understand but coming up blank.

Sunday, December 24, 2017

Merry Christmas Y'all

I have been reading all of your blogs, but my comments have been few and far between. Christmas has been kicking my butt this year, but now it is in the countdown stage and all is calm. Wishing you all a glorious Christmas, or if you do not celebrate, wishing you a glorious Monday.

The most beautiful girl in my world is here for the holiday so all is right  and good. Now I will head to bed only to wake to the excitement of a 4 year old. Life is good and I am blessed much more than I deserve.

                          So__from my home to yours, wishing you the Merriest Christmas!


Sunday, December 3, 2017

It's Beginning to Taste a Lot Like Christmas

I know each and every family has their own specific traditions to celebrate the holidays and many of them are all about food. For some families it is all about the big Christmas Day meal, for some it is about cookies and decorating them. Some families bake glorious breads during the holidays and some make jams and jellies for sharing. There are even some who do no actual cooking but purchase foods from various places or have favorite places the frequent for meals. No matter how your family defines traditions, it seems food occupies a big space in the "traditions"category.

We have several foods we make only at Christmastime and we make them year after year after year. They range from cookies, to candies (Can you say praline fudge?) to dips, to items for our Christmas brunch. Each holds it's own memory of when it first began as one of our traditions.

In 1980 (yes, way back in the dark ages) TheHub and I were invited to an Iron Bowl pre-game party at the home of my childhood best friend/freshman year college roommate's parents. They had this party every year for literally as long as I could remember. When Kathy and I were preteens - teenagers our job was to help with the food prep, and we would chop and, dice and do whatever was asked after school in the days leading up to the party. (Understand that our yards abutted  in one small corner and we were back and forth at each others house all the time. We both loved to cook from the time we were young kids and we would create recipes from whatever was in whatever kitchen we were in. We had free rein to make whatever we wanted at either house as long as we shared the food and cleaned up our mess, so by the time we were 12 we were both pretty good in the kitchen,) Kathy's mom would try new and different foods each year, so it was pretty normal for her to give us a recipe and we would make it, sight unseen. If it worked it became part of the party food and if not, well we lived in a neighborhood full of kids so nothing was wasted.


By 1980 I was a very young married woman living in a different part of town so I was no longer doing the prep and went just as a guest. This particular year they had these wonderful treats with a cream filling and cookie bottom. When I asked Kathy about them she told me to run out after the game and buy the Christmas issue of The Lady's Home Journal. The recipes for everything sweet they served that year could be found there.


I have no memory if Alabama beat Auburn that year or not, but I clearly remember stopping at Western (grocery store ) on the way home to buy the magazine. I still use the same magazine every single year as my cookie and bars bible for all my Christmas baking. In my opinion is the best collection of Christmas goodies ever printed in a single publication. (I should know, I have bought hundreds of Christmas magazines in the years since and have tossed all but this one.) The coverless well worn magazine lives in a sealed plastic binder and is only touched in December of each year when I bring it out and pour over the cookie recipes. I try a new one occasionally, but mainly stick to the same dozen or so I have made every year since.

To pay proper homage to LHJ and their wonderful 1980 issue I took a picture of the recipe with the instructions. I am pretty sure you can tell from the splattered page how well loved and used this single edition has been. If you are in the mood for something insanely rich and indulgent give theses a try. I will make 3 recipes of this and freeze them. (They freeze very well ) When I need a hostess gift this season, this will be my go-to gift.