It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Since the surgery is postponed and I am feeling MODERATELY better, I am trying to get my Christmas on.  It's hard, I get tired easily and I am on Prednisone.  How I love that stuff.  NOT.  It makes me emotional and easily irritated.  Food tastes bad and I have nightmares that are worthy of Sam Peckinpah.  Waking up shaking every 20 minutes or so does NOT get me the rest I need to heal, but I am doing my best here. I am hoping for surgery in February. Fingers crossed for between the 15th and the 24th.

I have been listening to Christmas music and officially felt old when I had to tell Chris was the "Five and Ten" was in the title song of today's blog.  Oh I LOVED the 5 and 10!  It seemed so... magical.  The 99¢ Store is too sterile. 

I got the Humming Bards CD as an early present and I am LOVING it.  Kevin Fisher and Cindy Alexander combined to make a wonderful treat of original Christmas music.  They sound beautiful together and I look forward to their next project. I MUST admit Cindy is one of my favorite singers, she has- and I hate this cliche but it's true- the voice of an angel. This cd was sold out and I HOPE they are pressing more.  It's THAT GOOD!

I have been trying to get my baking done.  I had a fruitcake DISASTER, as I tried to bake them on a very rainy morning.  They fell in.  I will be doing them again, as I was in the grocery store and actually FOUND the date-bread mix my Mom used as a base. There were TWO boxes .  Those are IMPOSSIBLE to find after November for some reason, but there they were.  I like to think maybe my Mom knew I was sad and she put them there for me to find.

The holidays are harder without her.  I miss her terribly but Christmas is the worst.  I bake, I sing carols and I throw open the doors for company.  I remember Christmases as a child and I know now what she must have done to make them all seem magical.  I hope my Bob has the same magic.  We baked cookies together when I was at Kate's.  Next year I hope to bake more with him.

 We need to slow down and reflect in the Wintertime.

This morning I got up and made a variation of the "Chinese Noodle Candy" that was a recipe of my ex MIL.  I think I make it out of spite.  The candy was my ex-husband's favorite and after eight years of being married to him, I approached her and asked for the recipe.  She actually sniffed at me and said "It'a FAMILY recipe"  I gently pointed out I was married to her oldest son.  She gave it to me.  FAMILY RECIPE my AUNT FANNY!, Family Circle MAGAZINE is more like it.  I can't imagine them carefully packing away the recipe for a candy made of chocolate chips and those crunchy noodles, when fleeing the Old Country.  Oh well.  they are pretty good.


Chris and I bought a tree and will be decorating tonight. I think I am making oatmeal cookies- hoping for the energy otherwise tomorrow morning before work.  I have more energy in the morning.  He wrote out holiday cards and will be mailing them.   I didn't look, I hope he signed BOTH our names!   When I was married to my first husband we had a HUGE list and I asked him to sign a few to take the pressure off me.  I looked. He just signed his NAME, No Happy Holidays from both of us or anything else.  It wasn't a card, it was a legal document.   Sheesh.

If you are reading this, I want to wish you a most joyful holiday, whatever you celebrate.  If I have time I will get into what I think about all that blather about "The War on Christmas" tomorrow!