Maxine Says . . .

My Maxine calendar has been a 'hoot' all year and her creator has gone all out for the month of December. Today she says, " No one can forget my mincemeat pie. At least not without a little shock therapy." Then, goes on to say, "Come to think of it, a silent morning and a silent afternoon wouldn't be so bad either." The old cudmudgeon has her own method of giving us a verbal hug.


Good Wednesday morning, hump day for the workers and they are smiling; last minute shoppers are out and about and here the grocery store is about to get some business as I shop for the 'makings' of our Christmas dinner. Pat and I have been plotting and planning all week and Christmas eve will find us with newspaper spread on the table and big fat meaty crabs at the ready . . . they may not be, but we certainly will be. We are planning a spiral ham dinner which I usually equate with Easter holidays, but it is so sweet and so tender that it deserves a place on the Christmas buffet. I have been baking a lot this year as the electric bill doubled and I can't imagine why . . . and I am wondering what happened to all those wine cakes and cranberry breads I had stored away....gone.....with the exception of a few half loaves . . . um . . .and I cannot imagine where the other halves went.



Yesterday my friend Marge stopped in with a Christmas hug, a beautiful bracelet she made for me with all the Christmas colors. I am going to wear it and show it off as it is very lovely. She also brought her homemade biscotti and spritz cookies which look delicious and will fill out my cookie tray. . . and me.

My neighbors, La Verne and Jim have been soaking the fruit cakes for months . . . if you have not had a brandy soaked fruit cake, don't knock them, as they are deeelicioussss. . . I think I get one very soon, if not, I know where she hides them.


Sharon was in the other day with her homemade jelly which I can hardly wait to put out on the Christmas brunch table, looks delicious . . . and she gave me a delightful book and a record of her music which I have not played yet, but will so everyone can hear it on Christmas eve. Her hugs are warm and plentiful. She is taking off for southern California where her family lives and I am hoping that it is not in one of the flood zones. The news this morning has such horrendous pictures of the flooding; one of nature's cruelest storms.

Packages arrived from Andrea and Bob with 'do not open until Christmas' but the Post Office had a ball tearing and shredding the outer covers and had to re tape the packages. They did a good job as I can't see what is in the packages, and I promised not to look . . . well a pinch or two doesn't count.


The telephone calls and the e-mails sure make 'my spirit bright' and although all of my family cannot be here for Christmas, they are close in my heart and on my mind. Mike is snowed in and Christine is rained in, while John and Jo are wending their way across the miles, hopefully not hung up in an airport somewhere in between. Granddaughter Erin arrived safe and sound last evening so the fun is about to begin.


I'll be thinking of all of you where ever you are . . . family, friends, and my followers of my musings on the blog. I look forward to my morning visits with you and love sending you all a verbal hug. Thank you all for joining me as I'd be very lonely without you.


So today, take good care of YOU. Get into the spirit of Christmas and a good start is to stop off at your church and light one candle for everyone . . . Be a Tiny Tim and 'God Bless Us Everyone!" Make today special, just like you. Hugs to all.