Okay, It's all Over but the Christmas Memories

In the wee hours of the morning of Christmas Eve a wind storm woke me up and I couldn’t go back to sleep. Just what I didn’t need. A long drive out to the boondocks was on my schedule for later in the day, to go to my niece’s annual party, and I didn’t want to be slaphappy sleepy to do it. I wasn’t, but coming back home again I can’t say the same. I didn’t run myself or anyone else off the road so I thank the gods of good fortunes and open windows for that. 

I never trust myself to make coffee in the morning without setting things up the night before. My cup must be on its Keurig pad, the water is waiting in the refrigerator in a measuring cup and a fresh k-cup pod is loaded. If I don’t remember to do these things the night before, I’ve been known to skip a step. I especially hate it when I forget the coffee cup or place it upside down on the pad. Once my coffee is ready, I sit down at the computer. I do my most productive writing when my mind is a still half in the sack, so to speak, and I never know what words will appear on the screen. Christmas Eve day, however, I had other things to do. No computer time for you, widow lady.

I was assigned to make a dessert for the party. They do that to me every year in case the weather prevents me from making it out. People can live without dessert but not meatballs, wine or something else uniquely traditional to our tribe. This year I decided to make a variation of the Rice Krispies bars. I found a recipe on their website that called for caramels instead of marshmallows and with the addition of a cup each of white chocolate chips and cashews. I don’t like white chocolate so I bought dark chocolate chips. Mistake number one. Mistake number two: Poor timing. Have you ever tried to buy a bag of caramels two months after Halloween? I tried three stores before I gave up and finally bought Wether’s Original soft caramels instead of the square Kraft kind the recipe called for. That morning, I unwrapped all three bags before I decided I should do a test to see if Wether’s melt the same way brown caramels do. They don’t. I had a crystalized mess in no time at all that made thin, solid strings when I tried to take the spoon out. No way would I have had time to mix cereal in a mess like that before it set up like peanut brittle. So it was back to the store I went to get a bag of marshmallows. The finally product tasted okay but it would have looked so much better with white chocolate chips.

The dessert finally made, I got my shower out of the way and cursed the fact that my hair dryer picked that time to go bad. It’s so old the plug has two narrow prongs instead of just one, so I wasn’t surprised. A few minutes of towel drying later, I discovered my hair dryer was just fine. I’d plug in my hair straighten iron instead. Oops! Moving on to my closet, I changed my clothes three times before I decided on something that would keep me warm if I ended up in a ditch on a country road driving home in the dark and cool enough that I wouldn’t sweat to death during the party. We’re having a heat wave in my part of Michigan so every day it’s been an adventure figuring out how to dress. For once, the twenty-somethings didn't look foolish wearing their shorts out Christmas shopping.

This year everyone in the entire family---even those who live out-of-state---attended. Twenty-three of us in all from ages eighty to eight months old. And, no I wasn’t the oldest person at the party. With two little ones who just learned how to walk and another one who’s been at it a few months longer, it was fun watching them interact with each other. The youngest, a girl, was dressed in red and white striped tights and looked like a little elf. Surprisingly, she didn’t mind getting passed around to any adult who wanted to hug her close. The boys were weary of those of us who don’t see them often. I'm sad to think I won't get to know this baby generation as well as I'd like but it gave me pleasure to watch my nieces in their grandmother modes. They learned from the best. My mom was a great grandmother so it was like watching her again. Even my dad's memory was present at the party when I saw one of my nieces drum role her fingers on the table to entertain one of the babies. Just think, that drum role has been passed down five generations, a family traditional that may last long after my dad and his dad are forgotten. Parents and grandparents can probably all claim something like that---a gesture, a mannerism, a pet saying they enjoy seeing in their descendants---but not childless aunts like me. Boo-woo. If I had a beer I'd cry in it.

Christmas day was much lower key. I spent four hours with my brother, his lady friend and her brother. We snacked, played a couple of games, snacked and snacked some more. For that party I was also asked to bring a dessert, finger food style. I’ve never used phyllo shells before but they are my new best friends. A little brie cheese, walnut chips and raspberry preserves popped into a microwave and they turned out great. 

It’s been a wonderful holiday season for me and most of my good cheer comes from the fact that I didn’t get snowed in like I did the past two years. But now that it’s the day after the parties I have to go down the basement and look for the mouse in the house. Hopefully, dead. I gave him D-con for Christmas. ©