It's comin on Christmas

It’s cold, it’s crisp, it’s beautiful. It makes us want to wrap up cosy warm with a big blanket in front of a fire in an old log cabin somewhere. It’s all about families, letters from far-away friends, midnight walks in softly falling snow. This to me is what is so wonderful about living here in Canada in the wintertime.

It doesn’t take much to put me in a Christmas mood: While Joni Mitchell sings 'River' on the Ipod, I sip hot chocolate with marshmallows and bake Christmas cookies. I recently found these gorgeous mugs at HTTP://brownandneville.com/  

I love the simplicity of gingerbread cookies decorated with drops of icing. I found a good recipe in my bible, 'Joy of Cooking'. Here's an on line version of the recipe, true to the original. HTTP://www.tastebook.com/recipes/3118831-The-Most-Wonderful-Gingerbread-Cookies

This when we want to entertain. We enjoy the company of friends and toast the end of another crazy year, and the hopeful beginning of another. In my family, we work on a big jigsaw puzzle, listen to music or maybe share freshly cracked nuts while watching an old black and white movie. 

You know how smells evoke memories? One of my favourites is the combination of nuts and tangerines. It reminds me of nights by the fire when my mother would tell us stories about growing up on a Saskatchewan farm. As I sat surrounded by Barbie dolls, Etch a Sketch and new skates, I marvelled at how Mom’s Christmas present was a single orange.

My absolute favourite Christmas time memory is lying under the Christmas tree. I would look up at the lights; blue, red, gold and tinsel in the green tree. I unfocused my eyes and let the colours soften and meld together. It felt like magic. And that is what I wish for you. A magic holiday filled with love and cheer.