Gift Giving - "The Rose Approach"

Each year I squirrel away in the back of my closet items that I buy whenever I see the "perfect" gift for someone. Then, in early December, I bring out all of these goodies to see what all I have collected. There are always delightful "surprises" that I "disremembered," as one child used to say. Then, I take my list and match the gifts to the recipients. I think I must smile the whole time because I LOVE to give gifts. Whether the recipient is as thrilled as I am is to be hoped for, but it's not a necessity. My daughter & daughter-in-law are so helpful with suggestions for the grandkids. Susan sends an email with the actual links to each gift included. Talk about "easy shopping." Thanks, Susan! We draw names among the adults in our family, and it is expected that each person will send a list of assorted items he/she would like to have. It is nice to get something that you particularly wanted. So, we all open our gifts at various times around Christmas Day, and there are a lot of phone calls and smiles and celebration from receiver to giver. It's also a heartfelt pleasure to "gift" people with a donation made to various charities both local and international through a program so many churches have: "Alternative Christmas." All of us have so much that it's good to share with those who truly need the goods or the services. The announcements of those donations connect both of us with those receiving the gifts.

RAINY, Rainy, rainy Days - ALL DAY !

We are having unusual weather for us here in Southern California. It is raining! I don't mean a little shower or some misty stuff. I mean RAIN! The pool is full, the gutters in the streets are full, and the storm drains are overflowing. Somewhere along the way as all of this flows toward the ocean, there's got to be an amazing amount of water. We don't have the mud worry that those in the burned areas have. We don't have the flood problems because we have a good dam that handles the water coming down from Mt. Baldy & the Foothills. We just have a lot of soggy everything. My heart goes out to those who are really affected by all of this. So "quit yer gritchin'!" Okay. I did get a lot done by staying inside. Now, "that's a good thing," as Martha would say!

Christmas At Our Home

We love Christmas! I love all of the decorations and the memories and the lights and the only-at-Christmastime-food. As I said in my last post, decorating and putting the ornaments on the tree bring to mind so many people and places and special times together. There are ornaments made by creative artists in Lawrence. There is the stocking made by my friend Susan when she was a 4th grader. Zac set up the Lego creche, has Mary and Joseph each holding one of Jesus's hands, and has a Lego Santa & reindeer pulled up to the manager to pay their homage along with the Wise Men. Last Christmas Maria & Eric, Sara, Zac, Claire, & Luke were the Holy Family for the Sunday before Christmas Day church service - "The Journey to Bethlehem." Some days I refer to "Christmas Explosion" as the look of our main living spaces. But it's said with a smile because I wouldn't have it any other way.

Decorating for Christmas

Do you know how many times a small, beautiful glass ornament can bounce on a tile floor before it breaks? Fortunately, we don't either!!! Today as we began decorating the tree, one beautiful frosted blue glass ornament dropped and bounced and bounced and bounced..... Butch and I waited with bated breath for that shattering sound, but it never came. As I retrieved the ornament and as we examined it and thanked our lucky stars, the rush of pleasure that comes with decorating came back full force and on we went to continue putting ornaments on the tree. Each ornament has a story and so many have a history. Decorating each year brings smiles and tears as we remember and celebrate friends and family who made so many of our decorations or who "gifted" us with beautiful treasures. Some of the ornaments go back to 1962 when we decorated our first tree in Canner Hall at Yale Divinity School. We have hand painted ornaments my mother and I made, handmade ornaments by talented artists and friends in Lawrence, Radko ornaments from a flurry of collecting years ago, Hallmark ornaments collected over many years, Macy's papier mache ornaments, Mary Engelbreit ornaments, metal ones from Texas - there's even a barbed wire star - sparkly strands of silver and gold and crystal and frosted white, beautiful handmade glass ornaments, and wooden ones of all types. Oh, yes, we do all of this to the sounds of the first Mannheim Steamroller Christmas CD and other Christmas music favorites. What we see and experience in all of this is a whole lot of love woven through the history of our life together.

Poinsettias

Poinsettias are one of the most beautiful ways to celebrate the holidays. All the gorgeous varieties that have now been developed are fascinating to see. You can find so many shades of reds and pinks and maroons and gold and white. Fresh ones last throughout the holidays and add so much to the celebrative aspect of your home. Corey's Nursery in Claremont has gorgeous ones that are a delight to the eye and a treat to give. I'm on my way there now!

Carnberry Orange Relish - THE Best!

Cranberry Orange Relish is absolutely THE perfect accompaniment to a turkey dinner. My favorite uses cranberries, oranges, apples, sugar, and strawberry jello. It's so good that you can eat a bowl of it for a tasty treat without the turkey and all the other "stuff." It keeps well and is wildly popular with all who taste it.


Here's the recipe:

LARGE BATCH:

4 12-oz. packages of cranberries - grind (Cuisinart)
3 small oranges - remove seeds and grind with peel (fine)
3 apples - core and grind
Mix all together and add 6 cups sugar. Stir until well mixed.
Dissolve 3 3-oz. packages of strawberry jello in 2 cups of hot water.
Let cool just a bit and stir in.
Refrigerate. Serve cold. Enjoy!

SMALLER BATCH

3 12-oz. packages of cranberries - grind (Cuisinart)
2 oranges - remove seeds and grind with peel (fine)
2 apples - core and grind
Mix all together and add 4 cups sugar. Stir until well mixed.
Dissolve 2 3-oz. packages of strawberry jello in 1 cup of hot water.
Let cool just a bit and stir in.
Refrigerate. Serve cold. Enjoy!

"A Treat To Eat at Costco"

While this may be the best deal around if you are a hot dog lover, it is a caloric and sodium and cholesterol maximum hit. But, oh my heavens, it is DELICIOUS!!! Combined with whatever soda suits your taste or a tart lemonade, it is a treat to eat.