and the world spins on tonight

I arise from the dead to face the day gone.
Tears stream tired down long faces.
Water bathes and chocolate hot,
Remedies recommended by little ones
Their sleep songs for tonight.

Twinkle, twinkle little lights
Oh Christmas tree
my companion bright
Wish I may for pillows delight
To guide my dreams all through the night.

Crackleless fire ends my day
Wisdom from babes,
I welcome their say
Kindness in comatose
asleep on my couch.

And the world spins on tonight

Friends and Reflections

   I was happy to hear all the positive feedback from my last post. I write for myself, but do appreciate the fact that others enjoy the written word. I think that we can all look back on special memories from our childhood and smile. I value the fact that baking with my children will be a memory that they too will be able to look back on and smile about. My memories are shared across generations and that is special to me.
   This evening I shall create different memories. These ones I anticipate will be rather fuzzy though. I will be getting together with old co-workers for dinner and laughter at Yuk-Yuks. This has become a tradition, despite the fact that the cast and crew are mostly former employees of said workplace. We all shared a time and space though and appreciated each others company. The food and laughs are welcome in my world and I look forward to hugs from old friends. I dare say that tomorrow I may not be feeling as chipper as today, but I accept my fate. I know I could potentially do something about it (abstain?), but I also know me and the people I will be with. I worked with all men and they like their beer. The laughter just seems to help the bevvies slide down faster than other times. Perhaps I will be savvy and mix in water between adult beverages? Hmmm
   Hopefully you will still see a post tomorrow, but we shall have to wait and see. I expect that my prose will be lacking regardless, but I will have a crooked smile. A smile that says I was wanted and loved and appreciated for being me.

Memory Lane via Cookies

     Chocolate chip cookies. Yummy!

   As promised, cookies were baked this morning. My girlies love to bake and it is a sweet moment to share this love with them. My Grandmother fostered this love in me, as she always baked with my sister and I when we were little. I cherish memories of the delectable smells of freshly baked bread, sugar cookies, thimble cookies, jam jams and so much more. If we were patient, it was a treat to be given a beater or spoon to lick the sweet confections off of them. The bowl was the "icing on the cake", if you will. There was never a fear of  becoming ill from the raw eggs in the batter. I have eaten so much raw batter that I do not worry about it, although the baked cookies are more to my taste now. My children's delighted faces that light up with the promise of their own spoon to lick is a beautiful reminder of my youth. I cannot help but smile and send lovely little "thank yous" through the air to dear Grammy that gave me this gift in the first place.

  

   My Grandfather also comes to my heart and mind, as the baking progresses. I have two of my Grandmothers baking sheets that my Grandfather made. While I have a cupboard full of baking sheets, the two Grandpa made are my favourite. The cookies always come off perfectly and the sheets clean up easily. They look brand new and I know that is a sign of quality. They have seen umpteen number of treats and they will see numerous more if my children have anything to say about it.

   My Grandparents were a special part of my childhood that I hold close and cherish more as my days go on. I appreciate their self-sufficiency in a world they literally built from the ground up. They constructed a house blasted from the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia. Grandpa kept chickens and we gathered eggs by the dozen when we visited. The fowls also graced the soup pot when they were done laying, a fact that bothered my childhood sensibilities. 

   Today I let nothing go to waste and boil chicken carcasses into stock with a nod to Grandma again. A raised garden bed filled their kitchen table and larders with veggies. Raspberries, peas, strawberries and beans were thinned out by my sister and my little hands with glee. The canning process that saw their produce saved for winter serving was something I attempted to recreate this Fall. I aspire to get better at it as the years go by. My modern family thinks I am a little goofy for spending so much time at these menial tasks, but my jams are always accepted by all. Should we slow down and appreciate the gifts that are offered us by Mother Earth and memory? I cannot answer for all, but for myself I know the glee glimpsed on my little girls faces when aprons are pulled out tells me yes. Most definitely yes. 

Thank you Grandma. Thank you Grandpa. Merry Christmas.

Winter Wonderland?

   Snow whisks past my window. The snowflakes swirl and dance, stinging cheeks as they land. The ground remains relatively clear yet, but winter has arrived it would appear. Perhaps a white Christmas after all? I have added some seasonal songs to my play list to celebrate. Soft and quiet, loud and raucous, modern and old fashioned; a mix to suit me.

   My Christmas list needs checking though. Time to check it twice and thrice. Christmas cards need to be penned. Presents needed to be sorted and wrapped. Our poor tree is barren yet. A new surprise for the girls when we get home later. Christmas baking will entertain our world tomorrow. I can smell the shortbread already. Yum! The girls love to bake and chocolate chip cookies were suggested in earnest as well. Time to don the winter layer of warmth on outer and inner bodies. Cheers to you and may your holidays be bright!

"Too Much Happiness"

   Perhaps I will do something a little different this evening. As you may or may not have noticed, I have a list at the bottom of my blog of some of the books that presently grace my world. Some sit for longer than others, but they all get attention at some point or another. Last night I started to read "Too Much Happiness", by Alice Munro. It is a collection of short stories and any of the reviews I briefly perused were very glowing. A brief review from me then.

   The opening story is entitled "Dimensions". It is about a young mother that has lost all three of her children. It struck a note in me, as the main character falls into an abusive relationship after the death of her mother. She is at a vulnerable spot in her life, only being 16 and finds comfort in a questionable relationship. This man is manipulative and the young woman's world quickly revolves around him, his views and his lifestyle. I recently heard stories of another young woman's struggles to find herself in an over-powering relationship. I read the story with an eye to another woman's plight and tried to gain more insight. The main character asks for no pity and no help. She recognizes that her partner is not ideal and in this story not sane. He is all she has though. This is the crux of abusive relationships. This is what keeps them going. He may not be perfect, but he understands her and is there. The problem is that he changes the identity of the woman into someone with wrong opinions and actions. Words and deeds are squelched, as is life. I truly do not know how women can survive, but it is a sad reality that exists. In more places than in books. The beauty for me in the story is the epiphany at the end. Loss is a difficult thing for anyone to understand, accept and overcome. It takes many steps, but I thank Alice for giving her character that first step at the end. Sometimes we need hidden forces to give us a push in the right direction. We just have to open our eyes to the forces that be. That is what Alice asks of us the reader. I appreciate it.

   I look forward to pushing further into "Too Much Happiness". I might let you know how other stories unfold. Or not. You might have to get the book yourself if you are interested. Ask and I will let you know how it goes.