It’s amazing how when we were little kids, Christmas could not get here soon enough. We counted the days, made our lists, helped decorate the house, searched for the perfect live Christmas tree and just thought it was the most magical time of year. I still think that but Christmas seems to come faster and faster each year as I get older! There just doesn’t seem to be enough days to get everything done. My mother didn’t work outside the home while we were growing up but there were four kids that she had to raise! Somehow she managed to get everything done, on time, every single year. Even the year we bought our Christmas tree on Christmas Eve! (My Dad was being Scrooge that year and Mom waited till the last-minute to get the tree, for $5! The tree was about 5 feet tall, as tall as her, and about 5 feet wide! It was awesome!) Our house was always decked out from top to bottom inside and out! Dad took care of the outside and Mom worked her magic inside. I have so many happy memories of our Christmas holidays.

Somehow in our busy busy lives, with computers, tv, smartphones and so on, we have less time to enjoy the simple things in our lives. Every year I try and try to recreate that magic. I decorate, I hope, as Mom would have. I hope I am doing her proud!  I feel you can never have too many decorations! (My husband feels differently.) When I moved to Florida from NY I wasn’t able to take any of my Mom’s favorite decorations. I miss them and her terribly. I know she is watching over me though so I can smile while I decorate in her honor.  My sister and brothers have those decorations right now. We always had a real tree too. Loaded with lights and ornaments and tinsel. Lots and lots of tinsel. I used to have a real tree every year till one of my cats decided to eat the tree and drink the water. Bad. And no tinsel because of the cats either. Again, bad. So I do my best with what I have. (I burn lots of balsam type candles)  I also used to be able to decorate all in one day. No more. Why is that?

When I lived in NY I started doing Cookie Exchanges/Parties. I loved them. There would be 15-20 of us and we’d all make dozens of cookies and exchange. It was wonderful. When I moved to Florida I tried it a few times. My first one went pretty well. But then when I moved to my present home I just couldn’t get enough people to make it as boisterous and festive and fun as I remember them. Don’t get me wrong we had fun but it wasn’t the same. The idea was to BAKE YOUR OWN!!! A few of my guests brought store-made cookies!  Not the same. And if I had 8 people attending that would be stretching it. And of course not everyone remembered to bring copies of their recipes! This never happened in New York so I was confused about why it was so hard to do here. Come on people, almost everyone has a computer these days, type it up and print it out! Or just make a copy somewhere! Maybe it’s just me, but I miss those simpler days. So from now until Christmas I am going to be doing recipes from those parties. (Recipes that I actually have that is) Plus I’ll also be incorporating other holiday dishes, desserts and cocktails. So starting tomorrow, let the festivities begin! Now if I can just get the house decorated by the weekend! Also feel free to share your own stories if you like and I’ll post them!

COMING TOMORROW! Rainbow Cookies!