Christmas 2007

Well, this year I got an unexpected surprise and my sister in law cancelled Christmas.  Well, not everyones Christmas, but the Christmas at her house, like we've always done - from the Christms cookies the kids decorate on Christmas Eve, to the fried turkeys that are  my husbands specialty and contribution to the Holiday meal, to the wrapping paper COVERING the floor in the living room. 

The rules were as follows.  Everyone could sleep as long as they liked.  No-one could wake anyone up.  You had to stay in your pajamas.  You had to have a cup of coffee or whatever was your morning drink of choice.  No-one could start opening until EVERYONE was present.  And the paper had to stay on the floor until sister had time to go through EVERY scrap and make sure that nothing got thrown away that shouldn't.  Then we started breakfast.  After breakfast, we started cooking the dinner, which was actually started the day before, along with all the other goodies that were already all over the house, tempting the taste buds with sweet and salty creations, tidbits that couldn't possibly have calories attached to them, because just a tiny bite was too small..........

Anyway, THAT got cancelled, and while I was worried about the real reason (no, I don't believe it was entirely because brother in law couldn't be there because he had to work) - I WAS overjoyed at the prospect of possibly having an entire Christmas in my home, complete with Santa Claus and the whole turkey dinner.  I started making phone calls.  First to dad-e-o, to make sure that it was ok with the big boss.  Once I got his blessing, and his willingness to drive all the way out here and bring all of the Christmas they had collected up over the past months with them, I started calling other brothers and sisters and delegating food and making lists of the things we would need.  After a day of rushing around getting it all together, the first of my family arrived on Christmas Eve, and we had an easy lunch of Cheese Soup that my mother had brought, and some beautiful bread to go along with it. 

It was an absolutely georgeous day.  The sun was shining, and I took my neice and nephew for a wild ride around the ranch on the golf cart.  We fed the horses some carrots, and found a bounty of pecans in the pasture.  We picked up a five gallon bucket full. 

While this was happening, sister was dressing the bird.  She has a special recipe that has replaced the stinky fried turkey. Sorry babe.   While a fried turkey is yummy to eat, it stinks a lot when it is cooking, and the smell gets into everything, even tho it is cooked outside.My husband  smells like fried turkey, the barn smells like fried turkey, the whole area smells like fried turkey, then the refrigerator smells like fried turkey.  For a week or more.   Now, sister cooks a turkey filled with oranges and cloves and onions, and we get to enjoy an AROMA instead of a SMELL.  There is a difference, you know.

In the afternoon, after it got dark, we opened one gift each.  And were overjoyed.

Around 7:00pm, we had a marvelous feast of turkey, giblet gravy, mashed (not whipped) potatoes (there IS a difference), sweet potato  cassarole, heavenly vegetables (I'll share this recipe if you like), cranberries (the jelly kind that is formed like the can, and sliced), pickles and olives and candied jalapenos, and then pumpkin  and pecan pie for dessert with dream whip, of course.

THEN, before we all got too comfy on the sofa and fell asleep after all that L-Tryptophan, we took turns reading the Christmas Story by candle light.  And everyone was tucked into bed by 10:00.  Wow, what a day. A day to remember.

Christmas morning dawned bright and full of promise, once again.  As the sun was just coming over the horizon, I made my way into the kitchen, made some tea, turned on the sparkly tree lights,  and peeked into the room where my neice was sleeping.  She was wide awake. In the bit of light from the hallway, I quietly whispered to her to go see if Santa had come.  And he had!  Brought her a stocking full of tiny wrapped packages!  As people started trickling into the room, with coffee cups, and warm pajamas, she was elected the perfect tiny elf to pass out packages from under the tree.  Once everyone was sitting in a comfortable spot, with loads of wrapped and beribboned packages all over them,  we started unwrapping our gifts, taking turns, so each person could see what the other had recieved and enjoy listening to the kids delight with their presents. 

Then breakfast.  A huge and beautiful Christmas Cinnamon Ring, that mom has made for Christmas morning as long as I can remember.  I have not had the pleasure of enjoying this sweet-roll in many years, so it was another of the gifts I recieved!  Complete with scrambled eggs from my happy chickens, made perfect by my nephew (who is quite a good cook), and we had another feast around my kitchen table. 

I got exactly what I wanted for Christmas.  The warmth of family and friends at my table.  Good food, prepared with great love and gastronomic passion.  Comfort, as everyone had a place to rest.  And so much Joy, from children and adults that believe.