When I was young during the holidays we tried to get a tree in the woods. The snow was three feet deep in the mountains we got stuck, we had to buy a tree that year. One family we knew would get one from the farm they usually ended up with a ‘Charlie Brown’ tree that was to be thinned so the other trees would have more room these sad looking little trees were just as loved as the expensive ones from the expensive tree lots in town. I remember doing this with your dad and aunt one year and the dog we went to a tree farm and selected a tree.
Later that tree farm closed after they sold off all the trees it became a gold course for a while any way. It’s on the way to
Other things we did was to go to the boat parade late November now it used to be in December right before Christmas but got so cold people quit doing that and they started doing it again this year and moved it up.
When we were kids we would go to the Santa parade early December. Santa came to town on a fire truck and his helper elves passed out bags of candy for all the kids. We lived in a small town and the city council did this with the help of the volunteer fire department we all got tickets for the event at school.
My mom was from the south and an excellent cook, her mom {my grandma} made peanut brittle from peanuts they had grown for us one year. I’d never seen home grown peanuts before being from the north.
My mom and other grandma both had restaurant cooking experience with pies bread rolls etc. food was one of the focal points of the holiday pies and other baked gooey goodies were the highlight of the season. They did not make home made candy fudge etc. but did dip some pretzels, nuts, Ritz and peanut butter crackers, in candy coating, put with cookies as a gift on a plate this was a hit
with all who received it. Another year she made up bread and it was given on a home made bread board a family member had hand crafted in the shop that fall.
December was one of the best months of the year for me because sledding season would begin on our new sled with mittens Gram had knitted going down the hills in our town and then coming home mom and gram would have hot cocoa waiting for us!
Another year when I was in jr. high we went to the other side of the state [
I bake cookies up from the dough you can buy and make up several kinds I used to call myself “the slice and bake cookie queen”. I’ve even been known to show up at a track met with some and all the kids on the team would call me mom! At Christmas I mix in some sugar cookies that I’ve got from the store and mix them in the cookie tin sometimes it’s been returned for a “refill” and we take these to gatherings of friends family and groups clubs and other meetings at work.
One year even participated in a “cookie exchange party” it was a bit of a disappointment for me that year because it was the year the oven went out I had to order mine from a bakery they were excellent but I caught flack from the other gals there. Mine were better than some that were awful and tasted like smoke! Yuck! Those had to be tossed.
Special memories I have from when I was little one of my favorite Christmas memories was being in a Christmas pageant at Church complete with costumes, the one that stands out in my mind the most was the year I got to be an angel and we went in costume and stood in a field they took slides, still pictures of us, and showed these as someone read the Christmas story, on Christmas Eve. The Christmas Eve service was one of the best most attended services of the year, one year in high school I went to
Now days I add peanuts to Chex snack mix and put it in jars and everyone loves it. I get a few bags ahead that I’ve sewn up, or put in jars usually plastic and bring these to gatherings of family and friends. Something fun I did this year was to pick black berries when grandpa was fishing and gave them to friends in the neighborhood I see on my walk. They love ‘em for pies cobbler and other holiday baking. I’m happy because I made room for the turkey!
This year I found out about a children’s book called Fancy Nancy maybe you have seen these at the School library I would have loved to get those when I was a kid!
I’m getting my life back one day at a time.
Last weekend we went to the car show ‘n’ shine one day and
the next we went ATV –ing. I did great except for
over doing it on the snacks a bit.
I took a hike in the field today my activity level
is back up to what it was before I got ill.
My birthday day is this week we've been trying to make plans for this some snafu's and had to do a U-turn with one of my choices
because of too many carbs at one of our favorite Mexican eateries.
I've been doing some chores at home,
I mowed last week needed to get my blood sugar down,
dishes & laundry with trips up and down the stairs
is great exercise trying to get a few things done up
before next week if only they would stay done!
My blood is good my heart barely gets going until
I’m on a hill on my walks LOL!
I filled a journal last month and I was reading it and
over the past month have had a long list of answered prayers.
I got a good report from the dr. and have
progressed to the next phase of this;
moving off the sliding scale and on to carb. counting
for my insulin doses.
However the news is not all good;
the buyers of the house backed out they lost their jobs;
the local paper mill did not renew their contract
for these over the road truckers,
we know another family effected by this too
one of our son's good friends.
This past week I've decided to try a bit of sewing and
I was delighted to discover that I could see to thread the needle
on the sewing machine with my regular glasses and
I hemmed some pants, I also knit up a dish cloth, and
I'm crocheting up a puppet for dear grandson’s birthday
I was glad to get these things done.
This week when we went on an A.T.V. outting
I got stuck in a snow drift; hubby said
“Well it looks like I’m going to have to winch you out with this ATV. "
A twinkle in his eye and a slow grin comes across his face!
I got to see how the winch comes out
and learned how to use the four wheel drive button
I’ve not used it much before.
The hitch was great to hook to for being pulled out from behind.
The camp ground we were headed for had four feet of snow still great big trees down so we had to turn around there and head back.
I got stung so I grabbed a hand full of snow to put on it;
that helped. It was great weather and perfect for riding.
No not to worry I’m not allergic to bees thankfully.
It’s only like a few miles [maybe four] to the ranger station
but that last four miles was not passable yet;
We had a blast!
Tomorrow is an A.T.V. meeting and I suppose they
will want a report on the roads and the conditions.
The only game we saw was a chicken crossing the road
that almost ended up in the chicken and dumplings pot that
we had for lunch!
Hubby fished a bit as I just sat and relaxed
taking in the view.
The creek is way up and brown from the run off.
Flooding in a few spots from beaver dams and
lapping inches from the bike path.
It’s a good thing that the weather is cooling off a bit.
We came home started watering it was 89* in the valley here;
the neighbor kids were splashing around in their pool.
Our son in an interview was on the front page of the
local news paper here is part of it.
A communications major, who is also student body president,
said he’s looking for a job in something that will pay back student loans.”
At 33 he said it took five and a half years to graduate because he
switched from a pre-radiography major early in his collage career.
