Christmas Joy

Do you remember your favorite Christmas ornament from your childhood?  That one piece that you could not wait for your mom to unwrap or pull out of the storage box?  Do you remember decorating the tree as a kid and all the stories that went with every ornament you carefully placed on the tree?  That one was from Aunt Joan. . . Mom got you that when she went to San Francisco. . . You made that one in first grade . . . That was from your first Christmas . . .

All these tacky pieces, dripping with globs of glue and glitter, handmade crafts and special mementos of trips near and far.  Bright vivid colors, pieces you loved to hold, memories you would cherish.

My favorite decoartion didn't go on the tree.  It was this centerpiece-thing that Mom would put on the coffee table.  It had three felt reindeer covered in gold glitter and it was tacky.  I'm talking Carol Brady-1970's-tacky.  But I loved this piece.  I played with it so much that those damn reindeer were bald by the time I hit middle school.  Dad would crank up a fire, Mom would attack the Christmas tree with a vengeance, and I would just sit at the coffee table and play with this silly centerpiece.  And not once, not a single time, would Mom ask me to leave it alone.  She would let me have my fun, sweep up the glitter remnants when I was done, and softly smile while humming some John Denver holiday tune.

I am the complete opposite.  I am the annal retentive holiday decorator.  No one, and I mean no one, gets near my tree.  All the decorations have a certain place and when it comes to holiday illumination, I am the queen.  Pete picks out the tree and leaves the rest to me.  The kids don't dare come within a four foot radius of the tree until every light is in its place.  They know this, and they stay back.  Until this year.

Thomas pulled out an ornament Mom had given him on her last Christmas with us and I just melted.  I stopped in my tracks and I remembered that damn gold reindeer centerpiece.  I stepped away from the tree and let the kids do the rest.  They had a blast - chatting about the ornaments, which ones they loved, how they remembered certain ones, hanging them all haphazard on the tree.  I sat on the couch, watched with a heavy but very happy heart, and wished Mom could see this.  Wished more than anything that I could play with that silly reindeer centerpiece.  Wished more than anything I had an ounce of Mom's patience during each and every day.

Cherish the small moments, relish the big ones, and celebrate everything in between.  Merry Christmas from me and Mimi!

Christmas Cookies

2/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
3 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour

Icing:
5 Tbsp butter, softened
3 1/2 cups confectioner sugar
6 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix shortening and sugar together.  Stir in egg, milk then vanilla.  Add flour a little at a time.  Wrap in wax paper and chill.  Roll out on floured surface and cut with cutters.  Bake on greased cookie sheet for 10 minutes until done but not brown.

Icing:
Mix all ingredients adding mile last (a little at a time).  Separate and color with food coloring.