Round Two

Round two of Christmas visitors begins now. Arvo's brother and s-i-l arrived yesterday eve and we dashed out to visit Mom K with them. We are not completely certain she recognized them, or at least not the context in which they belong. She seems to be thinking we all are gathering near in Germany to visit her mother. I must have looked weary because as we got up to leave she grasped my hand and said, "Poor Vicky."
"Poor Vicky?" I said, wondering what she had noticed, "Cause I'm ugly?"
She didn't comment on that, but exclaimed, "Your hands are so warm!"
This IS unusual for me, but her room was about 150 degrees ( Fahrenheit, not celsius) and I WAS quite hot. I don't think my hot hands are why I was "poor", however. I never did find that out.

Today we will rush out to replenish the empty refrigerator and begin Festivities Redux. It sapped all my culinary skills to try to cook festive yummy meals for six days for my visiting adult kids, so Arvo is taking over while his brother is here. Round three then starts up when Matt and Karissa return, en route back home from her Aunt's house, and they will stop here to pick up their new bunny. I will have had a breather, and should be in full force ready to come up with a yummy recipe again by then.

I love Christmas, and I love family here, and I love Facebook...but I will tell you what I don't love about the intersection of the three. Everyone keeps posting pictures of lobster, and shrimp appetizers artfully arranged, and fondues with twenty different dippers and sauces, and beautiful exotic desserts. Frankly, I feel inadequate. I try very hard to make wonderful things, but cooking has never been my gift, and it truly is a labor of love (emphasis on 'labor'). So many children have fond memories of the wonderful things their mom used to make for them. I fear this will not be a cherished memory of my own kids, and so I look at the Facebook pictures of fabulous food, and feel sad that I didn't or couldn't do THAT. I sometimes, in moments of melancholy, wonder, what WILL I be leaving memories of?

One life is just not enough to get it right. But since it is all we are given, I guess we have to make the best of it, and start today even if yesterday was undercooked asparagus and overspiced fish.

Psalm 51:10-12 (NIV)
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. [11] Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. [12] Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.





-save a dog- hollowcreekfarm.org