Christmas is a time for family traditions. Baking cookies, visiting friends, taking an elderly neighbor a little something to let them know you’re thinking of them. All are nice things to do (all year long). Here are a few of our family traditions…
Baking Christmas Cookies – we grew up making the same Christmas cookies year after year. When we were in high school, life got busy, and we were all heading in different directions during the day. So, we were going to skip making cookies that year. Bridget (my sister) had a fit. “It’s tradition, we HAVE TO MAKE THE COOKIES.” So we did. I think of her on the years that I do not make them. Hee. They truly are the best, and it’s not just about the cookie, it’s about the decorating and the fun we had doing just that. Line them up and start decorating. All are different. All are artistic not just blobs of frosting. Although, that’s not bad either because the frosting is out of this world. If you’re looking for a cookie recipe, THIS IS IT! Fred and I make these cookies most years and have a big time doing it! Click
HERE for the recipe!
The Christmas Tree – procuring and decorating. This makes me laugh. The Christmas Tree Farm was about 1,000 miles from our house (or so it felt). We always started out with everyone in a good mood. Then somehow on all those back roads we would get turned around, 47 hours later we would arrive at the tree farm. Hot cider and those little doughnuts inside where it was nice and toasty. Outside there were trees that were cut, or you could hop on the hay ride to be taken further out to cut your own. After 47 hours in a car and 1,000 miles one of us would pick a tree, then someone wouldn’t like it, and someone else would pick a tree, and someone wouldn’t like it until it came down to “PICK A DAMN TREE.” This makes me laugh today… they truly were good times! Ha ha… The tree was always beautiful no matter what. My Dad would put the lights on it, then we would all decorate with ornaments collected over the years. Some are so old the paint is worn away. Those are my favorite! I love the memories that those Christmas ornaments hold! In early years we finished with tinsel. Remember tinsel? Do they still make it? I haven’t seen it in years. There was a rule. ONE PIECE AT A TIME. Well, that took some serious time. Once we finished the tree sparkled so beautifully.
I’m wishing you happy family memories. If you didn’t have them growing up, make them today and start new traditions going forward! Try to keep in mind the spirit of the season!
Catch you back here tomorrow!