For Kids.....large and small...Merry Christmas!

I inherited the nativity scene that we grew up with. I remember rearranging the figures, and playing out the Christmas Story of how Mary and Joseph came to be in the stable. I love nativity scenes, now with Mother's we have two. They are the central focus of our Christmas. I found the following both amusing, and touching, and know the younger crowd will probably enjoy this short "cartoon". Oh, you'll need to pause the music.

Hot Ham Sandwich Recipe

Who can beat a hot sandwich in weather like this? My sister Alane called the other day and requested a recipe that is a hit with our entire family. A friend made these one time, they were soooo good I asked for the recipe, and then found out how easy they are to make, that they freeze, and are a hit every time I serve them. I try to keep them made up and in the freezer all the time, as they are really handy to have on hand for those cold evenings, and by the way, they go great with the Golden Onion Soup.

Ham Rolls
3 pkg. Hawaiian Rolls (I find these usually in the deli at Wal-mart, some stores they are in the bread isle)
1 lb. boiled ham (shredded)
1 lb. Swiss cheese slices

Sauce:
3 sticks of butter or margarine
2 med onion, finally chopped
6 T. Worcestershire Sauce
8 T Prepared mustard
A T or so of poppy seeds

Melt butter in sauce pan, add onion, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and poppy seeds, heat thoroughly. Leave rolls intact, (partially frozen is best) and split in half across the entire set of rolls. Spread butter mixture on bread, layering ham and cheese, and wrap in heavy duty foil.
Heat for 15-20 min. (thaw thoroughly if frozen) at 350 degrees till hot and cheese melts.
YUMMMMM!

Christmas Differences

When I started this blog, it was with the intention of sharing some things about what life was like after kids, and caregiving. This is one of those blogs..........
All the blogs I look at every day are featuring what their writers and their families are doing in preparation for Christmas. Lovely pictures posted of peoples homes, and their family decorations, and traditions show the excitement and anticipation of the holiday. One woman has had shoulder surgery, and her husband and kids are still doing all the decorating! Some of the homes are absolutely beautiful!

I haven’t decorated a thing for Christmas this year. The only Christmas decoration I have in my house at this moment is the calendar picture in my office.

I had convinced myself that since the kids were not going to be home for Christmas this year that there was no reason to “drag” out all the Christmas decorations. Oh, I would put up the Nativity scene, after all isn’t that what Christmas is REALLY about?

Then I talked to Audrey the other night and she said she wasn’t going to put their Christmas tree up, the apt just wasn’t big enough. I thought “You have to decorate! It will be depressing for you if you don’t put up some Christmas stuff!”

Ryan has a phrase for Audrey and I that he coined early in their relationship and it is right on the money “Pot, meet Kettle, Kettle, meet pot.” as he looks back and forth between us. In other words we are A LOT alike.

As I heard my daughters reason for not decorating this year, and didn’t deem it worthy of denying them the festiveness of the holiday, simply because of space, I heard myself in her voice, only the reason was just a different one.

I realized that I needed to get to the bottom of this “not NEEDING to decorate” excuse and determine where it is coming from.

Granted my children live a long way away and won’t be home for Christmas, and my mother passed away in Jan. and this is our first Christmas without grandma. Yes, Roger and I will be home by ourselves……… These are what many people would deem legitimate reasons for not decorating and getting into the holiday festiveness by putting up a bunch of Christmas decorations. However, as I was making the bed this morning, and pulling the covers up on my husband’s side of the bed, I was reminded I am not the only one missing our kids over the holiday, and missing that little short woman we called Granma, and Mama.

Roger and I have reached a stage in our lives where we are probably going to be spending a lot of holidays, Christmas included, by ourselves. Am I going to simply stop celebrating the birth of my Savior and all that it implies because there isn’t a crowd around and because my circumstances have changed? Am I going to, as my mother would have said, “throw the baby out with the bath water”?

After a little “come to Jesus” meeting, I had to apologize, and tell Him that I would be getting ready for his party just like usual. I came to realize that even at the age of 53, I was still making Christmas about me. Oh yes, I could celebrate it in a grass hut with no decorations or in a beautifully decorated house on a hill, but what would be the motivation and attitude of my heart in either circumstance? Now I know that Christmas isn’t in the decorating, and the baking, and the gift giving, and tree trimming, but all those things are a representation of the preparation for the coming of our Savior. He was the biggest and best gift; ours are simply cheap reminders of what God did for us. But all these things done in the right heart attitude (yes I said ATTITUDE!!) are symbols to the outside world of the party we have every year at the birth of our Savior.

I’ve also decided that I am going to view my decorations that I have put out the same way year after year in a new light, and maybe shake things up a bit. Maybe I won’t put the entire tree up, but that doesn’t mean I can’t display some favorite ornaments in a fashion that will make us smile and remember who is coming.

Paul reminds the Thessalonians in the second letter to them: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

After all, by myself or in a crowd, Jesus is my Savior and THAT is worth being joyful, giving thanks and celebrating.

P.S I'm still trying to find the song Tijuana Christmas by the Border Brass to add to our song list, in the meantime hope you enjoy the Christmas music :)

Memories of Shopping

Alexandra and I were talking about shopping and of course, this time of year that is foremost on our minds. I remembered when we used to go to Wichita to shop. It was a BIG deal. We planned ahead and dressed for the occasion. The best part was going to downtown to Innes. We would shop and then have lunch at the tea room. It was such a treat and we felt so grown up. Any time we went shopping in Wichita we dressed up and spent the day.
Shoe shopping was always a priority. That was when someone measured your foot and brought out the correct size. I remember wearing 61/2 AA over AAA,. We usually went home with at least one pair apiece. Since we made most of our clothes, we always had nice shoes to wear.
Amy made the most beautiful things and I still have doll clothes that she made for my prea-Barbie doll. l have the doll also. She would use scraps of material from her suits. I can't remember if she had patterns or just made them. I'm sure she could have done it without a pattern.

It truly is an amazing time.....

I don't know who this guy is, and I don't watch Conan, but when Roger and I watched this we both laughed out loud, because that is the way it was, and the way it is.
Hope it makes you laugh too. You will probably have to pause the music to listen.

I actually remember when we used to call Daddy and Mother at the Hardware store and there was NO dial on the phone.
You picked it up and it went something like this:
"Operator, Number please"
"68"
"Thank you"
and we were connected to Horack Hardware and Electric.
Lily Tomlin on Laugh In doing the whole operator routine, wasn't that far from fact back then.

Nic is Home!!

Nic arrived yesterday from Phoenix to help pour concrete before the weather turns--as far as he is concerned, it has turned. "MOM IT'S FREEZING HERE!!!" He was right, when we came out of the airport, it actually was 32 degrees-so I'll give him that. But today is as they promised, a balmy 52 degrees, with a warm gale force wind out of the south. Today is sunny and great, but tomorrow is supposed to actually bring snow. He won't hang around long, but in the time he is here he had some requests before he left for work with his dad this morning.
There was a request for a peach pie, and Orange rolls and as you can tell by the picture, there will be a bonus or two in there. But I figured while I was at it I would make a pot of Quick Minestrone for the freezer, and a pumpkin pie with the left over pie dough. I put the ingredients in the bread machine before I started anything, so just about the time the rolls came out of the oven, the loaf of French Bread came out of the bread machine too.
My apron has LOTS of flour and "stuff" on the front, it is getting properly broken in, and I love that. Since Roger and I were alone for Thanksgiving, it is great to have an excuse to produce all this. This is what having people around and family here means-cooking, and food, and fun, and laughing.......... Am including the minestrone recipe. It can be made ahead, and freezes well too. Once you've made it once, you will love the fact it is delicious and easy.


Quick Minestrone
4 slices of bacon, cut up
1 large onion, chopped
1 small box mushrooms, sliced
1 lg. can(49 1/2 oz.) chicken broth
1 (1 lb. can) diced tomatoes (the Italian style are great for this)
1 tsp. EACH salt and dried basil leaves
1/4 tsp. EACH dried thyme leaves, and white pepper
4 oz. spaghetti, or mermicelli
1/2 oz. snow peas
1/4 chopped parsley
Grated Parmasan Cheese

1) in a 5 qt. kettle or dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until it begins to brown; mix in onion,mushrooms, garlic and carrots. Cook, stirring until onion is soft.
2) Add broth, tomatoes with liqued, salt, basil, thyme, and pepper. Bring to boiling. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 min.
3) Brind to boiling, add pasta. Bring to a low boil, and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until nearly tender, about 10 min. Add peas, and parsley, and boil for 2 min.
4) Taste, add salt, if needed. Serve soup with cheese, to add taste.
This yields 8 servings.