It’s Christmas Week – Monday Missive

It’s hard to believe Christmas is almost here.  It is also hard to believe that we have been in some sort of lockdown/quarantine/isolation for nine months. Let’s get started

• Today the plan is to make cookies and holiday snacks. Tomorrow we deliver Christmas gifts to two of our grandchildren (socially distanced and masked) so an assortment of cookies seems like a good thing to share with them.
• I read this morning that author Louise Penny is stranded in the U.K. since Canada, like many other countries, has halted flights coming from the U.K. Our dear friends cancelled their trip to the U.K. to visit family and they are of course very sad. It will be a holiday for the history books.
• Our youngest granddaughter is 3 years old and she has kept us entertained via little videos throughout the month of December. What a perfect age to enjoy the magic of Christmas. It has been a lift for me.
• I have been reading the CNN report about the assassination attempt on the life of Alexey Navalny. It reads like an old fashioned spy novel.
• Meanwhile back in the U.S., the idea of ‘martial law’ is being bantered about. You just cannot make this stuff up. It feels like a bit of an alternate universe these days.
• We have been enjoying several Christmas movies – all lighthearted and fun. We watched The Santa Clause (1 and 2), Home Alone, The Christmas Chronicles, and Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square. It’s a nice way to lift the spirits.
• Hubby spent the day yesterday making vegetable stock and today he magically turns it into vegetable soup. Yum! I made two batches of chicken noodle soup from a rotisserie chicken I bought at Costco. We are big soup fans.
• I was thinking about cookies and realized I don’t make many of the cookies of my youth – Mexican Wedding Cookies, peanut butter cookies, oatmeal cookies, gingersnaps, sugar cookies, and boiled chocolate oatmeal cookies were all staples growing up. Now I am more likely to make chocolate chip, blonde brownies, and snickerdoodles. Hmmm. I used to make mincemeat cookies, too, but I was the only one who ate them.
• This evening I will also start gift wrapping. Only the presents necessary for delivery tomorrow.
• We still have not decided what we are fixing for our Christmas meal. Our high on Christmas day is predicted to be 38° F – that’s chilly for any outdoor cooking!

That’s it for me. On to have a late breakfast and get the cookie baking underway! I hope you have a peaceful and safe week – no matter what holiday you celebrate.