I did it!

After 40 years of Christmases and hearing how I should learn to make the dreaded anise cookies, I took a lesson from Grandma Chance and made some last night.  First of all the hardest thing about them it finding the anise oil, not extract, not the seeds, but the oil.  Paying dearly for the nasty stuff is the biggest outlay of time and effort.  I found that if you have a heavy duty mixer with a stand that can beat non stop for 60 minutes you can make the batter in no time.  I would hate to think what they were like to make when you had to hand beat the sugar and egg mixture for the hour.  Grandma and Grandpa keep their apartment so hot that with my cold I got overheated and almost fainted.  After getting the last of the cookies on the wax paper to air dry over night I started "losing my cookies"!!!  I told Curtis that I always knew that those cookies could only make you sick and they just proved my point.  Anyway, today about noon I picked up the finished baked cookies for Curtis to enjoy and enjoy he will like it or not.  I guess there is now no reason not to make them for the ones who like them but I will never bake them for myself.  Ugh! Just thinking about them makes me queasy!!!

Putting away Christmas

We are almost out of propane and that means moving the motor home from its site to the propane area of the campground.  That also means everything that isn't tied down needs to be put away so it won't slide around and break.  So down came the Christmas tree and all the accompanying decorations this morning.  As we were taking things apart I thought about how sometimes it is a bittersweet chore - putting away Christmas.  Yet as I think of the true meaning of Christmas we never have to put it away and it certainly shouldn't be a bittersweet chore at all.  What a joyous thing that Christmas is - the celebration of the Christ Child.  As we put away the brightly colored balls and the sparkling lights we should be focusing on the gift of salvation that never requires us to put it away.  And that gift is perhaps the only gift that truly should be re-gifted to everyone we meet along the way.   We should be soooo excited about that gift that we should be sharing it all the time with all we come in contact with.  So as we all put away the trappings of the holiday, remember the Holy Day and rejoice and be thankful.

Saturday

Whoa, it was 24 degrees this morning when I got up.  Curtis called from Wisconsin where he went to his nephew's wedding and said it was 40 degrees there!  Who would have thunk????  Zeke and I are by ourselves and doing just fine.   I chose not to go into Cottonwood yesterday as I am fighting off a dreaded sore throat.  Everyone else has had one but I have up to this point no fallen victim to it.  I did come into town today as Curtis is going to try to do a web cam from the church while the wedding is in progress.  Hopefully, we can get it going so Grandma and Grandpa Chance can see the wedding as it occurs.  Grandpa had to "race" off in the car the moment I got here because he was without it yesterday as I had it out at the campground and heaven forbid that he was stuck at home.  Oh, well, such is life.  

Merry Christmas

Here's wishing for everyone a very Merry Christmas with lots of love to go along with it.  If you are out and about please be very careful, too.

Merry Christmas

Just a quick posting to wish all of you a Very Merry Christmas!  May you each stay safe and warm this season wrapped in love and good wishes.

New Puppy Nights and Days

Our new puppy, Ezekiel, (Zeke) is so much fun but being a typical puppy a lot of work, too.  In order for us to sleep comfortably we keep the heat very low in the motor home.  Guess who has no extra body fat to keep him warm against the cold?  So Zeke is snuggling in our bed during the night.  His middle of the night potty time corresponds with ours, so that is no trouble.  But the day time potty breaks are a guessing game.  As a result we spend a lot of time redirecting his steps to the piddle pad we are using.  Right now he is too unprotected against parvo which is picked up from the AZ soil to take him out for walks.  Today he will get his 2nd puppy shot so I am hoping that he can start being taken out after that.  Valley fever is also a biggie in AZ for both people and dogs to stay away from and it is windblown.....so like with any "parents" of a newborn we are none to anxious to expose him to the elements right now.  However, this housebreaking is HARD work since we don't have a yard that we can just send him out on to take care of business.  He is so cute and loves to play already, pulling on things and already knows to bring back his toys that we toss for him.  Guess the love and companionship we are experiencing with him are a trade off for the work of housebreaking!  

Only a few hours before Santa wings his way to your house.  All the anticipation is so much fun if children are in the house.  So you parents out there enjoy your little ones expectations and joy.  Merry Christmas to all.

Winter

Today is the first day of winter, I believe, and true to its name the day has been cold and damp.  Our day was spent doing the mundane chores of life, laundry and grocery shopping, all in a light drizzly atmosphere of the Verde Valley of Arizona.  The usual Christmas crowds of shoppers were out today.  Most were cheerful or at least friendly, but there were the usual grumps, too.  While in the grocery aisles of Safeway I saw people huffing and puffing and scowling and even one old gent pushed me out of the way with his elbow as he passed not even saying "excuse me" in the process.  I really did not have the aisle blocked in any form or fashion, but I was in his way somehow.  Of course, I said "I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was in your way" and even smiled but all it got from him was a "hrumph" and on he went bullying his way down the next aisle.  I always wonder why some people are in such foul humors especially this time of year, but then I realize that they are more than likely that way all the time.  Christmas just brings out the worst in some.  Perhaps they don't like the hustle and bustle or perhaps their memories of Christmases past are hurtful or they miss their loved ones.  Mostly I think it is because they simply don't understand the whole point of Christmas.  I hope for each of us this year that we stop and remember the real reason of the season - the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who came as a babe to grow to manhood only to be crucified for our sins on that cross so long ago.  How can we remain grumpy or unhappy when we realize that God loved us (ME) enough to do that for us (ME)?  As you enter into the last few hours before that wonderful magical time called Christmas, take time to give thanks for that most wonderful gift of love and sacrifice ever.  Merry Christmas to all of you.