Our Christmas
Cookie Recipes
Sharing
Baby Report
Tortured
Small Town Spirit
Christmas Closings
Bakery Gossip
The 2020 plandemic Christmas Spirit I can see
was as expected. I tried to keep the Christmas Spirit going the
best I could for those around me but not sure how good a job I
did. I hope I gave the people I know and love at least a few
minutes of a uplifting Christmas Spirit today. I did torture a cousin with my sleigh song. She was having a formal Christmas dinner for her parents, son and doctor daughter. Her parents are considered old now days. Her dad has Alzheimers but mom is fine. Their doctor daughter ate her dinner on a enclosed patio so not to bring home cooties to her grandparents. It sounded sad when she told me how grandpa with alzheiners put his hand up against the window with granddaughter like you see on TV. I am glad they made the day special with the formal dinner and family spending time together.
Sewing ... It's funny. Hubby is a neat freak. He has
learned to tolerate my messes but only so much for so long. LOL
Poor man. He looked around the house today and said for nothing
going on with company or dinners the house is one H!!@# of a mess!
It was and still is somewhat. I still have a sewing machine out
and all the mess that goes with it on the big dining room table. I
am still in the process of making some JD Christmas stockings!
With a new little girl and Nikki's foster little boy they hope
they get to adopt and the son in law I never got a good decent
stocking for over the mantle I have some catch up work to be done.
I really have one for son in law but I prefer a nicer one for him
.We will see how it goes. There is a learning curve to putting a
stocking together when you want a design on both sides and not
just one. I'm getting there. Not only that I have discovered my
eye sight has decided to act like a older lady. I have to get a
!@# magnifying glass to thread the !!@# needle! When the !!@# did
that happen?! As you can see I was ever so frustrated. LOL
Our Christmas.... Has been delayed. Daughter in Ark doesn't
know when they will get to get here. With the 7 acre 12' deep pond
they are building they can't afford to take off a day and come
visit when your paying rent on huge Caterpillar dozers and giant
excavators you operate with a IPad. I told them the tree will be up and
waiting on them, Hubby
made sure to yell across the room to the speaker phone NOT TILL
EASTER OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT! LOL I told her I just need a few
days notice so I can cook something good. We will take Christmas
to Nikki when she feels like it in a day or two.
Cookie Recipes I had been baking cookies I believe all
day Friday. I have decided I don't like to bake cookies. Not
unless they are fabulous and people drool over them they are just
not worth the time and energy and mess. I made 5" sugar cookies
with sugar glaze and sprinkles ( a little soft and chewy) , Cherry
Italian cookies ( pink and with tiny bits of maraschino cherries
and pink cherry frosting on top) they were small and puffy soft
ones. Next time they need chopped nuts for better flavor, I made
strawberry thumbprint cookies (good), hot chocolate cookies. I
pulled out some Blueberry lemon zucchini bread from the freezer,
and some chocolate chip zucchini bread (that was good almost like
a fudge bread) I discovered these breads do freeze well and taste
good when thawed. I have to learn how to freeze cookie dough or
cookies if I want to accomplish much. I want them to be fresh
tasting and feeling out of the oven not like some leftovers just
out of the freezer. I prefer to make pretty pies, cakes and
candies.
Sharing I sent some to Nikki with her husband when he
stopped in to check the birds, change clothes and head back up to
the hospital Thursday. He said they hadn't had any decent food
since they were up there. I bagged up 2 samplers to share with Nikki's
Grandma and single Aunt for Christmas and delivered them Christmas day.
Baby Report.... Nikki said she was so incredibly tired
afterwards. You can imagine. I told them to get her back home real
quick and I would buy her some BBQ Ribs! Those are her favorites.
I told her hubby he has to tell me in time though so I can find a
place open. Nikki and baby got to come home on Christmas
afternoon. What a Christmas present for all. No BBQ places were
open but I will see what I can do this Saturday about that. Got to
get her iron built up good and some energy for a mommy of 2 little
ones now.
Tortured...... I
called up relatives and sang my version of
Jingle Bells Many had not heard it and I made sure to remind
daughter the boys need to know this version. Some folks it gave a good
laugh to.
Dashing through the snow
In a one horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go,
Laughing all the way
Hit a bump, killed a skunk,
Smelled it all the way....
Oh what fun it is to ride in a
One horse open sleigh!
Small Town Spirit I can see right now Santa must be really
sad..... I drove though town on the way back from my deliveries
this Christmas day. This elf and her sleigh had a hard time
handling any more rub board dirt roads! I went the long way around
because the dirt road going home this way was not as rough and it
was going out the other. Sonic was closed which was expected. Only
thing open was a quicky mart for gas and snacks. The city park was
lit up really nice and pretty as usual. It makes you feel good to
see it it's so pretty. Looking around at the houses beside the
road and off into the neighborhoods was sooo disappointing.
Usually you see Christmas lights up all over the place lit up.
This year you didn't see a fourth of them if that much. How sad.
It is like one friend I talked to I imagine. They were not doing
any outside or inside decorating since his wife just recovered
from covid and the rest of the extended family were recovering
also. He said nobody was coming over so why do it. I did see a few
places that looked like they had family over for the holidays but
not many. I know we missed our yearly family gathering this year
for the 30 - 40 people we usually see. I am sure it is that way
all over the nation. For one reason or another folks just didn't
want to, feel like it or maybe couldn't afford it.
So if this is Small Town America I am sure there is the same
version of this throughout the nation some places I am sure worse
than others. I don't know how much of it is caused from depressing
news channels that do their best to keep people trapped and scared
feeling or politics or maybe where they live is a hot spot for
political issues that make it hard to live in their area.
I have run into 3 or 4 folks the last few weeks that "were"
from California. Each one in just casual how are you? Oh just
moved here? Where from? Conversation they all said "I escaped California it
just isn't safe" that was their exact words each time. We have to
keep plugging folks. Spring is just a few months away get your
heirloom seeds so you can save seeds for next year early. There is
high demand for garden seeds and we are going to need garden food
more than ever. Please plant about 3 times more than you need.
Share with family and neighbors in your area. Happy tummy's make
for happier families!
Christmas Closings ..
I was surprised somewhat when I heard of the store closings.
Walmart was open only until 5pm Christmas Eve and closed on
Christmas. Used to they were opened late and busy all day and
night. I swear even open a few hours on Christmas. I picked up
groceries on Christmas eve and instead of the allotted time they
had it ready almost 5 hours early! I wasn't complaining but makes
you wonder. Either folks don't have enough money to keep the
stores open or online sales have put a dent in the box stores
also. Amazon is for sure handy. Dollar general had better hours !
Speaking of which I stopped in there for some things I forgot at
walmart and their shelves were picked clean in many areas of the
baking products. They said they had the inventory in the back but
not enough help to put it out. I guess it was going out that fast
or Corp wasn't about to pay for extra help.
Bakery Gossip... Like many small towns the bakery is a
gathering place for men of all ages to come in sit eat and drink
some coffee with a good dose of gossip. I learned that 3 or 4 of
the town movers and shakers had passed away. I decided to pick up
the town paper and get caught up. Things are going to change for
sure when the folks that kind of rule start dying off. All were
cases of covid. Many ages 65, 70 , 85+ some I know had health
issues. I went online and read what folks had to say about them
and was surprised about some. It was interesting. They made a big
footprint in the area I hope there are folks to step in and take
their place to continue the good things.
Love
Ranchmama
( Ready for a better 2021 ya'll )
