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DECEMBER 21, 2009
The Monday before Christmas...
Ok, I hate to say it but there’s a lot less merry in my “ho, ho, ho” this year. I’m not quite at bah humbug but I think I’m right on the cusp. Friday night was to be my last hurrah to get all the last minute shopping done when what to my twinkling shopping list should appear, my husband with his own list of items that have nothing to do with any holiday. Ugh, why now, when I all I want for Christmas is to finish the shopping for food and gifts. First stop Lowe’s to buy the cabinets for our porch that just have to get put in this week. Of course, the first Lowe’s only had the base and top cabinets he wanted. The only matching utility cabinet they had to the set had a slight ding on the bottom. I tried to convince my husband who is usually more frugal than I that if we bargained enough, we’d probably get it the cabinet at a good price and who would notice the ding anyway. Not on your life! So off to the second Lowe’s where thank heavens they had the UT commonly know as a utility cabinet. Wrestle, wrestle it onto the truck. No Santa’s helpers in sight. Finally I could get on with the real shopping. So what that it was almost 8:00 and I was already exhausted and in need of a snack. Did I mention that my daughters were coming Saturday morning to bake. “Let’s not make cookies this year”, they said. “We’ll just make breads for everyone”. I’m thinking mini pumpkin and cranberry loaves. Oh no, how about zucchini, banana, eggnog and my personal favorite and the one I had to get the ingredients for, sweet potato flax bread. Did you know not every grocery store carries flax seed? Well, I found this out the hard way, by visiting two popular grocery stores that only had two cashiers open but at least had festive Christmas music playing to keep me happy while waiting in line with 5 lbs. of sweet potatoes. Miracle of miracle, my stop at Odd Job Lot netted not only a few stocking stuffers, but also the flax. By this time I was totally wiped and decided to change plans and go out Sunday to finish up. Ha, forgot it was supposed to snow. Saturday dawned and after bringing in wood to get us through the impending storm, and cooking and mashing the aforementioned sweet potatoes, my daughters arrived to make the breads. We got a good clean start on all as my older daughter delegated and my younger daughter and I just did what she said. We got two ovens going and soon the breads were finished. Not so bad I’m thinking but then…”You know, we really ought to make a few cookies. Daddy loves chocolate chips; Justin can’t live without thumb prints.” By this time I realize there’s no getting out of it so let’s get rolling but only if we can make oatmeal raisin, MY favorite. Did I mention I had no chocolate chips or green jelly for the thumb prints and you really can’t make all red thumb prints so back to the store I go. I’m more clever then you might think as I’m able to sneak in a bit more gift shopping while buying the chips and green jelly and while I’m gone the oatmeal cookies are almost all baked. Sunday, the snow came as promised. Luckily, my husband’s truck has four wheel drive so a little snow can’t keep us home. The grocery stores were empty and even though the shelves were depleted by crazed shoppers on Saturday who worried they wouldn’t get out Sunday, I got everything I could possibly buy ahead and 5% of to boot. Miracles do happen; I found enough beef, pork and veal to make the traditional Swedish meatballs. By Sunday night I’m quite tired, but the meatballs are made, most presents are wrapped and the yard is plowed. I sit down by my tree, put a Christmas movie in the DVD player, and…promptly fall asleep! Books on my TBR pile for next year: Unplug the Christmas machine: a complete guide to putting love and joy back into the season by Jo Robinson The Battle for Christmas by Stephen Nissenbaum |
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