Happy Holidays

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Christmas is fading into a promise of January snow and I thought I’d do an off topic column. Call this column Ruth’s Ramblings for that would be the truth. Like my husband I enjoy this holiday and like anyone who ever worked in retail I’ve had to work very hard over the years to remain naive and joy-filled by it. That is what this holiday season has been. A joy. No second job selling gold to badly behaving strangers. Just family and traditions, thoughts of friends, hope for better and stronger tomorrows for everyone and to be honest enough of a yearning for that 215 million dollar Powerball jackpot that I bought my first tickets in four years. Good grief.

So flashbacks of Christmas 2002.
Cards-Did my own this year for the first time. Because of the number we send out it was an experience and I’m still vacuuming glitter off the living room floor. I loved it. It gave me the extra time to think of those the cards were sent to. Not find the cards, bring them home, run off the address labels and send them off this year but enough time to actually think of those they were being sent to. Very time consuming but so worth it I may even do it again. Martha Stewart solidarity......

She’s got flour up to her neck
The kitchen’s a total wreck
Hot cookies
You’re wearing me out
Burnt fingers make her scream and shout.....

Holiday baking- see above for frame of mind. I baked a lot. 28 pounds of butter, 45 pounds of flour, 9 dozen eggs and countless other ingredients. I baked for an average of three hours a night from November 20th to December 18th. I only gained 2 pounds. When asked at the gym “where have you been?” I didn’t know what to say. Wasn’t sure “Baking Cookies” was a good excuse for not lifting. Cardio in December? Fugetaboutit. A month surrounded by the smells and history of Christmas past; Aunt Agnes’ Chinese lanterns, Grandmother Flannery’s chocalate chips, Aunt Helen’s macaroons, my mom’s cranberry orange bread and now I have the honor of possessing the Hildebrand Red cake recipe. Marriage has broadened the history, added to the texture, made everything so much more sweet. From Spritz to caramel, chocolate bark to Santa’s whiskers the tins were filled and many emptied and refilled before I got to the end of my list. For Dianne I will always make meringues. For Dianne I will always make fudge. Who has the sweet tooth in Family Jordan? :) The gifting of the cookies is what it’s all about. Filling the trays for those who mean a lot to Jon and myself, sharing our family Christmas past and future. It’s a busy month and I hope Gram and her sisters are looking down and seeing how special they made those first Christmases for me. That I want to share their love with everyone.

The presents- ah the internet. Say what you will but I was able to share my favorite Christmas story to a select few wonderful families, I was able to find the perfect gardening gift for my husband, and new for our shower? Radio on a rope. This year marked the first Cedarburg Shopping expedition as well. Two sisters, two dear friends and a list. A beautiful day with wonderful people. I did the get up at five and shop the super sale and checked more off the list one Saturday and I rounded it all off with the annual Dad and Ruth shop for Mom the week before Christmas event. My brother joined us this year too and we capped off the shopping experience taking Dad to Flannerys’ for lunch for the first time. Shopping fun? What’s up with that. Dianne and I even had fun the Saturday before Christmas cruising the mall we both worked last year buying those last two sweaters and Paula’s fun gift. My favorite gift this year was my Aunt Marie’s jacket created by Jennifer Jordan and of all things I was excited over the stock pot/ steamer I got for Jon’s Dad and the pix of Rhonda, Heidi and myself as Charlie’s Angels that Jon made. Wrapping? Done in an evening... a long evening, shiny ribbon and matching paper.

Decorating- I never thought I’d have a Pooh tree but there you go.... marriage. It’s a great tree. And the rest of our cocoon is coming along. The Village bedroom, the snowman kitchen, the Santa living room, the kitch bathroom and the over the top hallway. You ask how the library is decorated? Why with books... some things you don’t mess with and our books are left alone, an oasis of calm in a hectic month.

People- December is above all a time to share with friends and family and we had both to the house. They oohed and ahhed and we shared time and stories. Jon and I ventured out frequently to likewise oh and ah and share time with more people. We made time for music and laughter and love and the best part was the two of us looking at one another and realizing how happy we both are. Together, Christmas is every day of our lives. We are incredibly lucky people. Incredibly lucky people who read a lot of books!! Am I on topic again?

So have a Happy New Years everyone and find time to do all that is special to you and yours because in a perfect world good will would last 24/7/365 and that is a wonderful goal. One that the dude all this fuss is about would approve of.

Ruth