Ten Things I love about the Holidays

With all the stress and budget-blowing that can be linked to the holidays, sometimes you just gotta focus on what’s good. To that end, I thought it would be good if I could come up with a list of what’s good about the holidays… and maybe if you’re feeling pinched and pressured, you may wanna make your own. Here’s mine:

1) Sparkles. Lights on houses, Christmas trees, sequins on dress ups at Christmas parties.

2) Surprises. Sometimes just tiny ones and sometimes big but sprinkled throughout the season. Just keep watching for ‘em.

3) Sharing. Is it just me or are those around you at work more likely to bring in treats this time of year?

4) Smiles. Okay, now this could be a stretch, but sometimes when you’re out among people, everybody is a little more inclined to share a smile. And if they don’t, it’s the kind of chain reaction you can begin.

5) Snail mail. While Marie, my poor mail carrier, has the thankless task of delivering bills most of the year, this time of year she’s bringing us holiday cards. Some from people that I’ve lost touch with during the year, giving me a great reason to reconnect… some with photos of their kids and/or pets… a card from Megan (my oldest daughter) who’s now all grown up and mailing out her own cards… even cards from family and friends I see all the time, which still warm me. Amazing sometimes how much caring a little card can convey.

6) Shopping. Oh yeah. Marshall’s and T.J. Maxx act like a gravitational force pulling my credit card right out of my wallet (and sometimes I buy presents for other people, too!)… but I’m particularly enamored with shopping on line. In my pajamas. Doesn’t get much better than that. What I particularly love about the web is that you can find anything. Anything! From a Sopranos script; a life-size, stand-up, cardboard Michael Jordan; the British version of Harry Potter (for my younger daughter, Catherine, who has grown up with the now-teen wizard); tons of books, movies, cds… all bought at my computer, charged to my card and delivered to my door without my having to leave the house. Awesome.

7) Sweets. Cookies and pies and candies…. Pulling out annual recipes for butter cookies (one year I did them all with a cow cookie-cutter and hung them on the tree- but that was before I had Riley, who now would just pull them down and eat them all), when I have the time to make the batter, roll it out, cutting out and decorating stars, angels, candy canes… or, if I’m pinched on time I make the dough and slap it in a cookie press. And if I’m really pressed for time, I make these:

Jam Diagonals (originally from one of my dear friends, Barbara… and now one of our holiday traditions)

½ cup softened butter or margarine
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cup flour
¼ cup seedless raspberry jam
¾ cup confectioner’s sugar
4 teaspoons lemon juice

Cream butter, sugar, vanilla and salt. Gradually stir in flour. Divide dough into thirds. Roll each into 9-inch ropes. Place 3 inches apart on greased cookie sheet. With finger, make a depression down the center of each rope and fill those depressions with jam.
Bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet.
Blend confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice til smooth. Drizzle over jam.
When icing is set, cut rope diagonally, about 1 inch apart. Makes about 24.

8) Stuffing. Yeah, that tasty turkey filling… Stove Top is a great substitute for the rest of the year… but nothing beats the roasted in the turkey, mouthwatering, gut filling (now I’m talking humans) stuffing.

9) Specials. On TV…. Who can resist parking in front of the video hearth for the billionth screening of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”?? “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (and I am NOT talking Jim Carrey here). Everybody’s got their favorite- for me, it’s “Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol”… just slays me even though it’s on DVD. And movies… Tell me you don’t go through a couple of Kleenex watching “It’s a Wonderful Life”… or any of the other versions of “A Christmas Carol” with Alistair Sim, George C. Scott, the Flintstones, Mickey Mouse… or Bill Murray’s twisted version: “Scrooged”. Even the fairly recent “Love Actually” which just counts cause it revolves around a Christmas theme. (Grinch, Rudolph and Christmas Carol are all also great reads before bedtime)

10) The Spirit. Sometimes you gotta look for it, but it’s there… And if you can’t find it anywhere else, hand a toy catalogue to a kid and watch their face light up. Or take a minute to page through yourself and have that little trip down memory lane to when the promise of presents and surprises and sweets and TV specials and school vacation kept you awake nights. Eventually listening for reindeer hooves on your roof. Enjoy it all.